The UK Knack Group Reviews Today’s Events ……

Simbec Research acquired by former directors creating 10 jobs Wales-based Simbec Research has been acquired by former directors Howard Jenkins and Trevor Tanner from the Canadian Altasciences Group, supported with an investment by the Wales Life Sciences Investment Fund. Simbec employs 90 staff members and plans to increase this to 100. Turnover £6.7m.

Plans for new Colchester care home mean 100 proposed jobs A Care home for people with dementia could be built in Colchester creating 100 jobs.  Developer MedicX and operator Barchester Healthcare will unveil the new proposed facility at a public consultation in May 2013.

Funding secured by Bradford insurance company Iconica Business Services bringing 10 new jobs Bradford insurance company Iconica Business Services is taking on ten new staff after receiving support from Bradford Council's Business Growth Scheme.  Bradford Council's business enterprise and investment team has provided support and assistance to the company for its future business growth and taking on new staff. The team also provided support with applying for the Business Growth Scheme.  The Business Growth Scheme is part of the 35m City Centre Growth Zone jointly funded through the government's Regional Growth Fund and Bradford Council.

More jobs at Cope Seeds, the Lincolnshire-based agricultural merchant Cope Seeds, the Lincolnshire-based agricultural merchant, has moved to larger premises and are recruiting more staff after seeing rapid growth and a 22% increase in turnover. The company, headed by Chairman Trevor Cope and his daughter, Managing Director Gemma Clarke, will recruit sales agents.

White Rock development in Paignton brings 1200 jobs Developers Abacus Deeley Freed have secured planning permission for the £100m White Rock Business Park in Paignton. The development will create 30,000 sq. m of floor space, as well as 1,200 jobs, 350 homes and leisure facilities. Turnover £23.6m.

New Trentham, Staffs, care home brings 50 new jobs Guardian Care are building a new 20-bed care home in Trentham, Staffs, creating 50 new jobs in a 3m investment. The company was established in 1995 and will employ 400 when the home opens in late 2013.

Romford Leisure development approved signalling potential new jobs Havering Council has approved plans for a leisure centre in Romford, London, including an ice rink, swimming pools, dance studio, fitness suite and cafe, potentially creating new jobs. Subject to final approval by the Greater London Authority and Secretary of State, building work could start in winter 2013, with completion in 2015.

New processing plant brings new jobs to Lincolnshire Lincolnshire animal food manufacturer Marriages Specialist Foods has almost tripled the number of staff it employs following the purchase of a new processing plant.  Marriages was established in June 2012, following the acquisition of Micronized Food Products. Before the deal, the site employed 12 staff, which has now grown to 32.

PRA Swansea expansion brings 100 new jobs PRA, a clinical research organisation based in the U.S, have relocated within Swansea, doubling their office space and creating 100 graduate-level jobs. The expansion is supported by £1.29m in business finance from the Welsh Government.

£200m gas power plant development at Eye Airfield in Suffolk, means 100s new jobs expected Progress Power, a subsidiary of Watt Power, is planning to build a £200m gas-fired power station at Eye Airfield in Suffolk that could supply 400,000 homes. The project would support hundreds of jobs during construction and create up to 30 new full time jobs when operational.

400 jobs created at Webhelp TSC in Scotland Scotland's largest call centre company Webhelp TSC is to expand with 400 jobs being created across the Central Belt.  Nearly three-quarters of the jobs will be in the Glasgow offices of Webhelp TSC, the business formed earlier this year when French group Webhelp bought the TSC operations in a £77 million deal. A further 76 are destined for Larbert Webhelp TSCs UK headquarters and 30 in Kilmarnock.  The initiative is being supported by a £1.5 million regional selective assistance grant.

£5m contract creates employment opportunities in Ellesmere Port The Ellesmere Port, Cheshire-branch of Bagnalls has secured a £5m contract to maintain properties in northwest England for social housing group Regenda. Bagnalls, a painting contractor, expects the contract to create training and employment opportunities through back to work schemes and apprenticeships.

New Range Hereford store brings 150 new jobs The Range, the national home ware retailer, have opened a new store in Hereford creating 150 new jobs. The company, headed by owner and founder Chris Dawson, has a turnover of £296.6m and employ 4160

New WM Morrison store and filling station in Romford brings potential new jobs WM Morrison is to build a new store and filling station in Romford, London, potentially creating new jobs.  The retailer is to take over a Havering Council site currently occupied by an ice rink.  71 homes will also be built on the site.

£90m Science and Innovation campus at Swansea University means 10,000 new jobs Work on the construction stage of the multi-million pound development of Swansea University's new Science and Innovation Campus has commenced with the first students due on site by September 2015.  The first phase of development is said to be worth £250m, with an estimated 4,000 direct and 6,000 indirect jobs created during the construction phase.

Management Moves: Management buyout and new Chairman at Fitzgerald Fitzgerald, the Birmingham-based civil engineering contractor, has undergone a management buyout from owner Bouygues, which took over parent company Thomas Vale in April 2012. Fitzgerald MD Nick Coley has taken the company back into private ownership David Newcombe, formerly Thomas Vale finance director, will become non-executive chairman. £20m turnover, 100 employees.

Management Moves: New managing partner at Freeth Cartwright Freeth Cartwright has appointed Julian Middleton as new managing partner for its Nottingham office.  More than half of the firm's 600-strong workforce is based at the Nottingham office, the largest in the Freeth Cartwright group.  The completion of the merger with Oxford-based Henmans in February 2013 increased the network to ten offices nationally with revenue of about £50m.

Management Moves: Engineering Manager appointed at Haskel Europe Haskel Europe has appointed Mark Adams as engineering manager at its Sunderland headquarters.  Adams heads a team of eight engineers, six based in the UK and two in France, dealing with customers including BAE, Cameron Engineering and Air Liquide.

Management Moves: Sales team strengthened at Manx Radio Manx Radio has appointed Kelly Smith as senior business development executive to its sales team.  Ms Smith, who joins from Beckmann Visual Publishing, will oversee the strategic advertising, marketing and promotional requirements of Isle of Man-based business clients of Manx Radio.

Management Moves: Product Director appointed at online travel agent Alpharooms.com Online travel agent Alpharooms.com has appointed John Drysdale as product director. Mr Drysdale will help to develop the product and contract area of the business.  The firm aims to increase sales and product in new, emerging markets. Turnover £10.7m, 110 employees.

Management Moves: Invensys Rail Systems takeover completed and Executive appointment made Siemans has appointed Nick Crossfield as UK head of Siemens Rail Automation following completion of the £1.74bn acquisition of Invensys Rail Systems in Chippenham, Wiltshire.  Mr Crossfield is Invesys chief executive.  Siemens has a turnover of £3.3bn and 8,230 employees.

Management Moves: - New Executive Chairman at Surrey-based SocialGO Surrey-based SocialGO, an online services provider that allows users to create and manage a website or social network, has appointed Oliver Cooke as executive chairman with immediate effect. He replaces Dominic Wheatley.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: US Website purchase by ATG Media ATG Media, based in London, have purchased US auction site Bidspotter with advice from Blake Lapthorn Solicitors and 4.5m in private equity funding. The company, headed by CEO Anne Somers, have a turnover of £8.9m.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Turbine investment funding secured by Darlington-based organic farming business Acorn Dairy Darlington-based organic farming business Acorn Dairy has secured funding from the Royal Bank of Scotland to support the installation of a wind turbine.  The turbine generates sufficient energy to fulfil the power requirements of the dairy.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Nottinghamshire-based Steetley Dolomite invests in overseas growth Nottinghamshire-based Steetley Dolomite is investing almost £10m across its two plants in a bid to drive its international expansion.  The company has secured a £5m funding package from HSBC's Nottinghamshire commercial team to support the investment. Turnover is expected to rise from the current level of £34m to more than £40m by the end of 2014 as a result of the investment.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Funding secured by The New Carnival Company Sandown-based The New Carnival Company was part of a consortium bid with three mainland carnival partners.  The consortium has been awarded £140,000 over the next two years - as part of a £7 million Catalyst Arts scheme.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Growth targeted by Tangentix Tangentix, a company that provides advanced compression and distribution technology for 3D video games has secured 1.4m to support its growth in the video games industry.  Finance Yorkshire provided a total of 750,000 from both its Equity Linked and Seedcorn Funds.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: US-headquartered BMC software acquired for $6.9m dollars US-headquartered BMC software is to be acquired by a consortium of private equity groups for 6.9 billion dollars. The consortium is led by Bain Capital, Golden Gate Capital, GIC and Insight Venture Partners. Turnover £65.9m, 320 employees. UK office based in Surrey.

Venture Capital: £600K investment secured for clinical trials A company, which has developed an implantable medical device for treating intracranial aneurysms, Cerus Endovascular, has secured a £600,000 investment from The North West Fund for Biomedical.  The investment will be used to help initiate product development and fund more in depth clinical trials. Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group www.theukknackgroup.co.uk