The UK Knack Group Reviews Today’s Events ……

Bookmaker William Hill investing in marketing and personnel Bookmaker William Hill increased 2013 first quarter operating profits by 8%, helped by a strong performance in online betting. More sporting bets were made online than in its betting shops, with betting through mobile apps increasing. The company plans to further increase its UK online market share through investments in marketing, technology and people.

Ripon online firm expands creating jobs Clever Accounts, an online accountancy firm based near Ripon, Yorkshire, has secured a cash investment from Milestone Partners to support expansion. The firm plans to expand the scope of its work, grow its customer base and increase staffing levels.

550 new jobs in Darlington Darlington Borough Council has invested £12m on a 32,000 sq. ft. building next to the £30m multiplex cinema and 80 bed hotel due to open in December 2014 especially for the Department of Education.  This is expected to create a further 550 jobs and securing the 500 staff at the Department of Education.

Venture Capital: Denim etailer launches in Leeds Denim etailer Jeanography has launched in Leeds with backing from investors including Luke Johnson of Risk Capital Partners.  The Jeanography website offers an innovative First Time Fit service.  The second phase of the service will be launched later in 2013, following further fundraising to expand the product range and marketing channels.

25 new jobs at Dominos Pizza in Bishop Auckland Dominos Pizza is to open a new shop in Bishop Auckland creating 25 new jobs.  The business is one of three shops moving into a former antique furniture store on the Abraham Enterprise Park.  Turnover £20.9m, employing 555 staff.

Jobs created in Scottish call centre partnership Linlithgow, Scotland-based PPF Shipping has entered into a partnership with Cumbernauld-based KBVO, which provides call handling and order processing services, leading to an additional £400,000 in new business across the two firms. PPF brought in £1.2m in 2012, with £2m expected in 2013. Staff numbers have increased to 40, compared with 10 in 2010.

40 new jobs at Liverpool based Middle England Developments Liverpool based Middle England Developments as opened the old Merseyrail building on Hatton Garden in Liverpool as an apart hotel this month. The Richmond will have 51 apartments and is seeking to combine serviced apartments with four-star hotel services.  This has created 40 new jobs.

Venture Capital: £146,000 investment secured by Liverpool-based Westco Medical Liverpool-based Westco Medical has received a £146,000 investment from London Business Angels.  It will use the investment to further the commercial launch of its nasogastric feeding device, enhance its IP position and provide additional working capital.

2200 new jobs in Newcastle city centre development Newcastle based Silverlink has been given the go ahead for the Newcastle city centre development. The £200m project will create 2200 jobs through the construction and operational phases.  The 10 acres site will include a 251 bed 4 star hotel, residential apartments, commercial offices, art gallery and exhibition space plus restaurant facilities.  Silverlink has agreed funding with Aviva and Royal Bank of Scotland.

Venture Capital: Stake in helicopter engine sold by Rolls-Royce Rolls Royce has agreed to sell its 50 per cent stake in the RTM322 helicopter engine programme to joint venture partner Safran in a £250m deal. The sale to the French technology group is expected to complete before the year-end and is part of the car manufacturers strategy to divest superfluous parts of its portfolio and focus on its core assets

Management Moves: New operating structure at Steelite International Staffordshire-based ceramics manufacturer Steelite International has created a new operating structure following its purchase of Royal Crown Derby in 2012. Neil Hooper is Managing Director for Steelite International Europe and Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and will lead a new operations team for those regions. Wendy Dean is group HR director. £70m turnover.  The team will be overseen by a group operating board. Phil Ray has been appointed to the board as Company Secretary, with Wendy Dean as Group Human Resources Director.

Steelite, creating 230 jobs Steelite, a Stoke-on-Trent-based tableware manufacturer, is creating 230 jobs to capitalise on soaring overseas demand for its pottery.  The company is to expand its Stoke on Trent production facilities.  Sales have risen 6 per cent to £70.2m with 80 per centre of its turnover coming from overseas.

Tesco’s supermarket creates 200 new jobs at new Mablethorpe Store Tesco’s supermarket is opening a new store in Mablethorpe creating 200 new jobs.  The new store will be part of the £50m Lindum development scheme on Golf Road.  Tesco was previously looking at a store on Station Road, which would have created 130 new jobs.  Turnover £64.5b employing approx. 406,000 staff. Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group www.theukknackgroup.co.uk

The UK Knack Group Reviews Today’s Events ……

Darlington-based Total Recycling Services creating new jobs  Darlington-based Total Recycling Services is undergoing a £1.5m expansion, which will create new jobs and services, after securing £800,000 funding from Yorkshire Bank.  It has also invested £700,000 of its own funds in the expansion, which has created a new recycling centre, hazardous waste transfer station and testing laboratory. It plans to create 5 jobs and increase turnover to £8m in 2013.

Proper Cornish international expansion strategy means potential new jobs  Biscuit manufacturer Proper Cornish is expanding into international markets with the launch of a range of ginger biscuits. The product has attracted interest from Scandinavia, Asia and the US.  The company employs 30 staff at its manufacturing site in Cornwall and plans to create more jobs subject to achieving expected growth.

Management Moves: Senior manager appointed by Bristol insurance business Brightside   Bristol insurance business Brightside increased pre-tax profit by more than a quarter to £17.5m in 2012, while turnover grew from £80.4m to £91.2m, in a tenth successive record year. The company has expanded its eCar online offering and initiated affiliate programs for major brands.  Andrew Jackson has been appointed as Head of Direct broking.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Cambridge-based Future Materials Group secures investment for German manufacturer  Cambridge-based Future Materials Group, which advises business on their growth strategy, has successfully worked with Germany-based manufacturer SLM Solutions, to secure a growth capital investment by DPE Deutsche Private Equity. The investment will allow SLM to exploit its metal-based additive manufacturing technologies.

New staff recruited at Real Fusion Creative marketing and communications agency Real Fusion, based in Plymouth, has appointed two new staff members to support new services. The appointments follow a successful year for the agency, which has expanded its portfolio to include PR.

376 new jobs at East of England Ambulance Service East of England Ambulance Service is to employ an additional 376 new frontline staff to turnaround the performance of the regions ambulance service.  The NHS Trust was letting down patients and staff so Andrew Morgan, Interim Chief Executive of East of England Ambulance Service has committed an extra 5m to improve the emergency operations.

ASDA announces 2500 new jobs Leeds based ASDA has announced it will open 12 UK stores and create up to 2,500 new jobs in 2013.  The supermarket has defied the downturn in the market with an increase in sales of 4% to 22.8b for 2012.  The expansion plan will cost £700m and will include 10 stores.  Turnover £22.8b employing 177,144 staff.

15 new jobs at Newtownards based Menarys  Newtownards based Menarys is investing in 15 new jobs for its Dungannon and Cookstown stores.  The company is also investing £1m in stock and refurbishing its stores.  Turnover £17.7m employing 455 staff.

2000 new jobs - 3 New Locations - £28m Funding  Universities Glasgow & Edinburgh are leading a £28m funding project given by the Scottish Funding Council for 3 new centres focusing on stratified medicine, sensors and imaging systems.  In the first 5 years the 3 centres will employ about 2000 staff. Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group www.theukknackgroup.co.uk

The UK Knack Group Reviews Today’s Events ……

New jobs at Clarke Willmott Birmingham based Clarke Willmott, the national law firm, is continuing to expand on the south coast by employing an extra 3 staff.  Turnover £33.4m employing 332 staff.

MJF Cleaning Services bring new jobs to the North East and Yorkshire Commercial cleaning company MJF Cleaning Services, headquartered in Darlington, is aiming to create 400 new jobs and add £1m to its turnover every year for the next five years as it branches out across the North East and Yorkshire.  The company has secured a £250K investment from the Finance for Business North East Growth Fund, part of which is to support the recruitment of business development personnel.

Doosan acquires Enpure with Birmingham office opening bringing 20 new jobs Doosan, a South Korea-based conglomerate, has acquired air flotation and water assets of Birmingham-headquartered Enpure for £1.2m.  Enpure entered administration in September 2012. Doosan has launched a process engineering firm called Doosan Enpure and has taken 10,000 sq. ft. of space in Birmingham, creating 20 jobs with further jobs expected.

Fashion retailer H&M to open new store at Salisbury, Wiltshire, bringing new jobs Fashion retailer H&M is to open a new store at Old George Mall in Salisbury, Wiltshire, with new jobs expected. The 16,686 sq. ft. will be created by merging together four currently separate units into one, with work due to begin in May 2013. The store is expected to open in autumn 2013. Turnover £718.5m, 5,400 employees.

Ford investment in its Bridgend plant means new jobs Ford is to invest £24m in its Bridgend plant and increase employment at the facility from 2000 to 2,300.  Ford is to produce a new fuel-efficient 1.5 litre EcoBoost petrol engine at the Bridgend site in an investment supported by the Welsh Government.  Ford has invested a total of 1.8b in the facility since it opened in 1980.  Turnover £9.08b employing 10,596 staff.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: £2.5m funding for Gloucester headquartered ISD Gloucester headquartered ISD, a trading division of the P&M Group, has secured £2.5m in funding to enable it to continue its expansion.  The company plans to expand its international customer reach and service proposition to its existing customers.  The business has recently secured two new contracts with major global businesses.

Contract secured by Hudson Architects means potential new jobs for Norfolk Hudson Architects has been chosen by the Diss Heritage Partnership to plan the next stage of a £2.5m project in Diss, Norfolk.  The project will transform Diss Corn Hall into a multi-purpose arts and education centre, with a new cafe/bar, improved heating, heritage gallery and workshop space. The investment could create new jobs.

ICN opening Nottingham office with 30 potential new jobs ICN, which publishes iPhone and android phone apps, has secured a £25,000 loan from Nottingham City Councils Creative Quarter Loan Fund and is relocating from London to Nottingham to expand.  ICN will employ 5 staff from summer 2013, increasing to up to 30 over 3 years.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Lateral Property Group secures £9.2m funding for new Reading M&S Simply Food store Lateral Property Group has completed the forward funding of a new-build M&S Simply Food store in Reading, Berkshire, to a major UK pension fund for 9.2m. M&S will take a 20-year lease on the 15,000 sq. ft. store, which is scheduled for completion in autumn 2013.

100 jobs at Asda new Carlisle Leeds based Asda will create 100 jobs when it opens a new supermarket in Carlisle on 15th July 2013.  The new store will cover 25,000 sq. ft., with clothing covering 4,000 sq. ft.  Turnover £21.8b and employ just over 177,000 staff.

15 new jobs at Bristol’s Harbourside with Leeds based fitness club, Pure Gym Leeds based fitness club, Pure Gym are set to open a new club at Bristol’s Harbourside creating 15 new jobs.  The gym will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it will also offer 40 free classes per week.  Turnover £16.8m.

150 new jobs at Leicester based Sowden Group Leicester based Sowden Group, the developer behind an innovation centre being built on the city’s outskirts are confident of attracting high-profile businesses to the site.  They are expecting 150 new jobs to be created at the centre including highly skilled positions for graduates and trainees after it opens in Autumn 2013.

12 new jobs at London based Aspers London based Aspers at The Gate has created 12 new jobs and reported an increase in monthly footfall and revenue following the completion an investment programme at the casino. The investment has created positions across all levels of staffing including managerial roles.  Turnover £53.2m employing 675 staff

25 new Dundee jobs at London based software developer YoYo Games London based software developer YoYo Games is to add 25 new jobs at new office in DundeeOne development.  YoYo has taken on a 10-year lease on an 8,700 sq. ft. office and will allow them to double their workforce.

New Simply Food store in Reading brings potential new jobs Marks and Spencer Group is to open a new Simply Food store in Reading, Berkshire, creating jobs. Lateral Property Group has completed the forward funding of the store to a major UK pension fund for £9.2m. M&S will take a 20-year lease from completion, which is scheduled for autumn 2013.

Kiddicare brings 79 new jobs to Southampton Peterborough based Kiddicare have opened a new superstore store at Hedge End Retail Park, Southampton, creating 79 new jobs.  The 36,000 sq. ft.  store opened on 23rd April 2013 and is offering 3.600 handpicked baby products.  Turnover £43.4m employing 173 staff.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: EU grant secured by Proteome Sciences Proteome Sciences has secured funding from the EU and Cosmetics Europe, the European trade association for the cosmetic, toiletry and perfume, to support the further development of SensiDerm, a biomarker test for allergies that uses test tubes rather than live animals.  Turnover £1m, 40 employees.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: £6m award secured by Pukka Herbs   Pukka Herbs, a Bristol-based organic tea, skincare and healthcare provider, has won the HSBC South West and Wales Regional Global Connections initiative to find innovative UK businesses. Pukka Herbs, which is expanding internationally and developing new products, will receive up to £6m in lending plus a financial reward of up to £120,000. Turnover £6.6m, 35 employees.

Gap Personnel opening Oldham office with new jobs expected Recruitment consultancy Gap Personnel is expanding in the North West with a new branch in Oldham, which will be led by Craig Buckley, with a team of four staff.  Gap places and payrolls 7,000 temporary workers a week and achieved a record turnover of £72m in 2012.

£400,000 refurbishment by Ripon Race Company means 60 jobs created Ripon Race Company has invested £400,000 to refurbish its bars and launch an in-house betting operation.  It has separated from the Tote to help increase the number of people attending its race meetings.  The new RiponBET system has created 60 part-time jobs.  Staff sell bets to racegoers using hand-held terminals and personal tablets.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: £1m investment in South Yorkshire based Fox Wire South Yorkshire based, Fox Wire has secured an equity and debt finance package that allows it to move forward with its growth strategy.  With an investment of £1m from Finance Yorkshires Equity Linked Fund alongside £3.2m debt and working capital facilities from HSBC.  Turnover £16.7m employing 73 staff.

Waste-to-energy plant contract brings 50 new jobs to Redcar Teesside-based Sembcorp has secured a £1.2bn contract to build a £200m waste-to-energy plant near Redcar, as part of a consortium led by Sita UK.  The facilities will be operational by 2016 and will create 50 permanent jobs. Turnover £145.8m, 400 employees.

Opening of new north Derbyshire distribution centre creating 300 jobs The Co-operative is opening a new distribution centre in north Derbyshire in April 2013, as part of a UK-wide restructuring of its logistics network.  The site will create 300 jobs and employ 1,060 people when it is fully operational, serving hundreds of Co-op food stores. It represents a £22m investment.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: £791,000 funding secured by The University of Gloucestershire for business s tart-ups The University of Gloucestershire has secured £791,000 to develop 3 business incubation hubs for start-ups.  The funding from the European regional Development Fund will enable the set-up of additional sites.  The scheme to be managed by the university will provide service office space in a supportive environment for more than 35 start-ups.  Turnover £70.8m employing 843 staff

80 new jobs in University of Leicester refurbishment University of Leicester is spending 14m on refurbishing the grade II listed College Hall building into a new conference centre, creating 80 new jobs. College Court is expected to open in October 2013 and will include a conference centre housing 19 conference rooms, 200 seat restaurant, bar, games room, business lounge and a 123 bedroom onsite hotel. Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group www.theukknackgroup.co.uk

The UK Knack Group Reviews Today’s Events ……

Kent school contract secured by Morgan Sindall. Bringing 50 construction jobs A £3.2m contract to expand a Kent school has been awarded to Morgan Sindall.  Work has already begun on the project and they plan to recruit extensively from the surrounding area, with up to 50 people involved at the peak of development.  It is predicted that the project will be completed in December 2013, and the new block will be officially opened to staff and pupils in January 2014

430 new jobs at energy-from-waste facility in Teesside A consortium led by Berkshire based SITA UK has been selected as preferred bidder for a billion-pound resource recovery contract which will lead to the development of a new energy-from-waste facility in Teesside. The contract is worth £1.7b over 30 years and will manage 430,000 tonnes of household waste each year from Merseyside and Halton.  Turnover £279.4m employing 3378 staff

BCBG Max Azria opening London outlets - new jobs expected BCBG Max Azria, the US-based fashion label, is to expand in London over the two years to 2015.  The label and sister brand Herve Leger plan to open standalone stores and department store concessions in London, creating employment opportunities. The group may also open outlet stores with designer outlet operator McArthur Glen.

Management Moves: Senior management appointments in Channel 4 Channel 4 has made a number of Senior Management Appointments. Glyn Isherwood, currently Finance Director, has been appointed as Group Finance Director.  Martin Baker, Director of Commercial Affairs and Keith Underwood, Director of Strategy, will take on additional responsibilities. The changes follow the introduction of a management development programme.

Management Moves: Communications agency Zeno Group expands senior team Communications agency Zeno Group has expanded its senior team in London with the appointment of Rachel Vrettos to lead its healthcare division. The US-based firm opened the London office in 2012.  It is owned by Edelman and specialises in the consumer, healthcare and technology sectors.

Management Moves: Creative Director appointed by Cake London Creative agency Cake London has appointed Leroyson Figueira as creative director, replacing Simon Moore. Cake is expanding its digital services with a particular focus on creating shareable creative content, an area that is becoming increasingly critical to the business. Turnover £13.6m, 50 employees.

1400 new jobs and 40 new stores in Iceland Deeside based Iceland, the supermarket chain, is to create 1,400 new jobs by opening 40 more stores this year. Profits have risen by 18.5% to £184m in the year to March 2012.  Turnover £2.6b employing nearly 24,000 staff.

Management Moves: Senior management restructuring at Innocent Food company Innocent has promoted Group Marketing and Innovation Director Douglas Lamont to the CEO position after Coca-Cola increased its stake in the business to near 100%. Innocent co-founders Richard Reed, Adam Balon and Jon Wright are to step away from the day-to-day management of the business. Sales increased 36.3% to £213.5m in 2012.

HCB Solicitors opens London office with potential new jobs HCB Solicitors, a rapidly expanding Solihull-based law firm, has opened an office in central London to meet client demand.  The firm has a network to 8 offices in the West Midlands and an increasing number of corporate clients based in London. The expansion of the firm could create employment opportunities. Turnover £2.9m, 80 employees.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: £43m refinance at Willerby Holiday Homes Hull-headquartered holiday home and lodge manufacturer Willerby Holiday Homes has completed a £43m refinancing with support from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.  The refinancing is designed to strengthen Willerby's balance sheet in order to provide the business with additional capacity to support new product development and market expansion.

Mascotte expands into UK - London store opened and new jobs expected International footwear and accessories brand Mascotte has expanded into the UK with the opening of a new store at the Westfield London shopping centre, creating jobs. Mascotte is owned by Austrian company Markenmanagement MS GmbH and operates more than 140 stores across the globe.

Management Moves: Senior manager appointed in Jupiter Asset Management Jupiter Asset Management has appointed Damian Cocking as head of business development.  The appointment is part of the expansion of the private clients & charities division, which has £1.9bn of assets. Turnover £147.5m.

£9.6m processing site brings 100 new jobs to Park Royal, West London Kolak Snack Foods is to open a £9.6m processing site in Park Royal, West London in June.  The 45,000 sq. ft. facility would be dedicated to extruded snack products and ready-to-eat popcorn, and would create 100 jobs, said Kolak.   Kolak had turnover of £61m in 2012 and expects to achieve £72m in 2013.

40 new jobs at Home Bargains flagship store in Bury Liverpool based Home Bargains is creating up to 40 new jobs with the opening of a 500,000-flagship store in Bury this weekend. This will be the 3rd store to open in this area making the number of stores 300 in the UK.

Pret A Manger plans 500 new jobs London based Pret A Manger plans to create 500 new jobs this year after a huge rise in profits.  Pret has been controlled by private equity group Bridgepoint since 2008 when they bought a majority stake as part of a management buy out.  Revenues rose 17% to £443.1m in the year to December 2012.

Management Moves: New chairman appointed by Manchester Building Society Manchester Building Society has appointed David Harding as its new chairman.  Mr Harding was previously chairman of Coventry Building Society. He replaces Michael Prior who has stepped down after four years in the role.

Management Moves: Midven expands investment management team Midven, the Birmingham-headquartered venture capital specialist, has strengthened its team of investment managers with the appointment of Tim Grasby.  Turnover £1.6m, 17 employees.

New wind farm scheme brings potential new jobs to Easter Ross, Scotland RockBySea Scotland is planning to build a new wind farm in Easter Ross, Scotland, comprising 13 turbines up to 99.5 metres high. The development could create employment opportunities.

Management Moves: Head of research appointed by social network, Twitter Social network Twitter has appointed Jake Steadman as head of research.  Mr Steadman joins from O2.  The social network is expected to launch a new advertising product in April 2013, which could include a partnership with an analytics company.  The launch of a music service is also believed to be imminent.

Management Moves: Senior management changes at the BBC The BBC has appointed James Harding as director of BBC News and Current Affairs with effect from August 2013.  Mr Harding replaces Helen Boaden, who has taken up the role of Director at BBC Radio.  BBC News is the largest broadcast news operation in the world, with 8,000 staff.

£7m Satrosphere science centre expansion means potential new jobs The Satrosphere Science Centre is to undergo a £7m expansion, with visitor numbers expected to rise from 55,000 to 70,000. A fundraising campaign to finance the expansion has been launched and is expected to take two years to complete.  The planned investment could create new jobs at the centre.

New jobs at new Perfect Homes store in Burnley West Midlands based Perfect Homes have opened a new store in Burnley creating 8 new jobs. Perfect Home is a UK-wide household goods retailer offering products to customers through weekly, fortnightly or monthly payment options.  Turnover £57.3m employing 431 staff. Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group www.theukknackgroup.co.uk