The UK Knack Group Reviews Today’s Events ……

Business Development Manager opportunity Our Client is a market leading developer of cloud based software solutions, also providing online sourcing for lending and insurance products, web design, online marketing and white label solutions. They have an enviable, diverse client portfolio and are now working with a group of companies who have both national and international presence. Due to further business expansion they are looking to engage a Business Development Manager. The person: You will able to maximise the generation and development of new business opportunities within the Financial Services Market An inspiration to your colleagues, you will be a driven and highly motivated sales professional with a proven record of success in the B2B selling environment with solid experience of successfully selling to “Blue Chip” companies at director level. Hungry for success and with a committed motivation to getting things done, you will act as an ambassador, placing the client at the centre of everything you do. The majority of the role will be to procure new referrals, creating opportunities to expand their sophisticated search engine and CRM system to other organisations whilst also expanding their lending market.  Essential: ·      Proven success in your sales ability - Demonstrable knowledge of the sales process within Financial Services market. ·      A proven understanding of how the UK media works, preferably having been successful in a similar role within the PR industry ·      A detailed knowledge of bespoke CRM systems / on line marketing ·      Strong communication skills in all forms including written, oral, email, telephone, and presentation ·      Full UK driving license and car TO APPLY: Please send an up to date CV (max. 3 pages) and covering letter, outlining your profile, objective and achievements to date to info@theukknackgroup.co.uk Due to the high level of anticipated applications if you have not heard back from us by Friday 17th May, unfortunately, on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful. SALARY:  Up to £50K basic with 100% OTE and eligible for company bonus  BENEFITS PACKAGE: Car Allowance, covering reasonable expenses including mileage and accommodation.  Private Medical Insurance, National Gym Membership, Company Phone, IPAD, Laptop, 25 days holiday allowance plus Bank Holidays

Tildesley & Tonks rebrands as Copia Wealth & Tax with new jobs created Tildesley & Tonks, the Wolverhampton based Chartered Accountants, has re-branded and now trades as Copia Wealth & Tax. It has created three jobs, including a business development manager role and has launched a new website. New services include personal and business wealth checks, advice on exit planning, business coaching and a Boardview service.

Management Moves: Alard Electrical Limited purchase by French Firm - MD to retire Alard Electrical Limited, specialist electrical engineering contractors based in Stockport, have been purchased by Spie, a French company which provides electrical communication services. Alard's managing director Graham Cooper is to retire and be replaced by Spie's operations manager David Shiel.

Venture Capital: AME Group secures funding AME Group, a Sheffield-based company which invents and develops products, has secured £30,000 from Finance Yorkshire.  The company plans to invest in new equipment, rebrand and launch a new website. Ian Jones is founder of AME Group.

Management Moves: Management buy-in at Andante Travels Andante Travels, an archaeological travel business in Salisbury, Wiltshire, has secured a £1.8m investment from Panoramic Growth Equity as part of a management buy-in. The company will invest in marketing, product development and overseas expansion. Ian Finlay becomes chief executive, and Martin Leppard becomes chairman.  £4m revenue, 18 employees.

Management Moves: 24 senior appointments at Pinsent Masons As part of its investment into growing sectors and markets, law firm Pinsent Masons has created 3 new partners in Asia Pacific, 11 new partners in the UK, and 11 legal directors, through internal promotions. The firm has made significant progress and expects further expansion in 2013. Turnover 220.5m, 1,450 employees.

New jobs at media communications specialist Carat Leeds, a media communications specialist in it's 10th year, have won 1.2m of new contracts, as the business expands and takes on more staff. The company have a turnover of £194m and employ 202 people.

Management Moves: Chief Executive leaves Energetix Cheshire-based Energetix may have insufficient cash to go into volume production, despite raising £17m in 2012 to fund development of its CHP boiler and compressed air power system.   Chief Executive Peter Richardson has left and has been replaced by Tony Stiff, MD of the Energetix Flow Energy business.

10 new jobs at Cornish manufacturer Bott Cornish manufacturer Bott has recruited 10 new members of staff in the first quarter of 2013. The German-owned business, which is based in Bude, has seen revenue levels grow over the last few years, with turnover on course to reach 29 million this year.  The business is looking at taking on more apprentices in the future.

Venture Capital: Elixel, secures start-up funding Elixel, a Plymouth-based digital design business, has won £20,000 of investment capital from business incubators Starter for 10 and South West Investment Group. Elixel, which specialises in responsive web design, is now planning to take on a work experience student.

Management Moves: Group Chief Executive appointed by Engineer Hurley Palmer Flatt Engineer Hurley Palmer Flatt has appointed Ian Sparks as group chief executive.  Current chief executive David Young will focus on the UK business, while Mr Sparks will focus on overseas expansion through acquisition, with Hong Kong as its target. Revenue of 23.8m is expected for the year to March 2012, down from 26m in 2011.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: £200,000 investment secured by Gateshead-based Propeller Holdings Gateshead-based Propeller Holdings, has secured £200,000 funding from FW Capital to support expansion in Europe and further development of its Pro-Vyda Maintenance, Repair and Operating system.  Since an earlier investment by FW Capital in 2011, Propeller has increased turnover by 20% and secured high-value contracts.

Funding secured by Go Dine Go Dine, the Nottingham-based online restaurant booking service, has received a £320,000 investment from entrepreneur Professor Graham Leslie.  The investment will help Go Dine raise its profile through enhanced online marketing and recruitment of additional sales staff.

Management Moves: New managers appointed at Handelsbanken Handelsbanken, the Sweden-based bank, has appointed two managers in its Nottingham office following increased demand for its services.  John Clay joins as corporate manager and Darren Fretwell as individual banking manager. Handelsbanken has been rated top for customer satisfaction for four consecutive years, in an independent customer survey.

Management Moves: Director of Technology Ventures appointed at Imperial Innovations Group Imperial Innovations Group, the London-based technology commercialisation and investment group, has appointed Kelsey Lynn as Director of Technology Ventures. Ms Kelsey joins the board of one of Imperial Innovations portfolio companies, Econic Technologies, which received a new investment of £1.75m from Imperial Innovations in April 2013.

Management Moves: Chief Executive appointed at Infoserve Group Infoserve Group, the West Yorkshire-based online local search marketing company, has appointed its founder, Derek Oliver, as its new chief executive. Mr Oliver will lead Infoserve through a new stage of development, with further digital solutions and revenue streams planned.  150 employees, £5m turnover.

50 new jobs at Kinnerton’s Norfolk chocolate factory Kinnerton is recruiting 50 more staff at its Norfolk chocolate factory after winning a contract to sell its products around the world. The company has won the rights to produce chocolate versions of ice cream brands such as Magnum and Cornetto.  Turnover £70.1m, 980 employees.

New construction and engineering practice creating 90 jobs Law firm DAC Beachcroft is to launch a construction and engineering practice in Newcastle.  It has recently moved to new premises in the city and has appointed Roddy Gordon as partner.  30 employees are employed at the new premises, and this is expected to increase to 120 by 2015.

Venture Capital: Funding package secured by LifeBook LifeBook, the personal autobiography service is planning a rapid expansion of its business and brand after securing £1.6 million in early stage funding from Octopus Investments.

Management Moves: New Chairman appointed at London and Yorkshire-based Agenci London and Yorkshire-based Agenci, a business continuity and information security specialist, has appointed M. Barney Battles, a former non-executive chairman of Enables IT Group Plc, as its chairman. The company is expanding to larger premises in Wakefield, to accommodate further growth.

Management Moves: Change of Chief Executive at Royal Mail Pension Trustees London-based Royal Mail Pension Trustees has appointed a new chief executive after incumbent, Gerry Degaute, decided to step down. Head of funding Chris Hogg will take over the role at the end of May 2013. Turnover £90.1m, 15 employees.

Increased demand from e-retailers means jobs created at Manchester-based Melbourne Server Hosting Manchester-based Melbourne Server Hosting is experiencing an increase in demand from e-retailers.  In the 2013 first quarter, Melbourne took 300 new orders for server hosting from firms such as Tropic Skin Care and AX Paris. Melbourne plans to increase its 30-strong team.

20 new jobs at SRS Precision Engineering Manufacturer SRS Precision Engineering, who specialise in manufacturing new and refurbished tools, has relocated to a 12,000 sq. ft. unit at the Old Forge Trading Estate in Lye.  The move will enable the company to go ahead with major expansion plans, creating an extra 20 jobs.

Management Moves: Chief Executive to retire at Marshalls Marshalls, the West Yorkshire-based landscaping specialist, is seeking a new chief executive to replace Graham Holden, who is to retire in April 2014. Revenue for 2012 was £309.7m, down 7% from £334.1m a year earlier.

Management Moves: Executive change at MLM Cartwright Solicitors MLM Cartwright Solicitors has lost its senior partner and co-founder Nigel Morgan.  Mr Morgan retired from the Cardiff-based firm in April 2013.  He was a partner in the commercial and domestic property department.

50 new jobs in Sunderland Nissan plant expansion Nissan is recruiting 50 engineers and maintenance staff at its Sunderland plant, to work on its luxury car division Infiniti. Nissan is investing £250m into the site, which recently manufactured its seven millionth car.  Turnover £5bn, 5,860 employees.

Hartlepool energy park planned bringing 4,000 potential new jobs Able UK is planning to build an energy park near Hartlepool, Teesside that could create 4,000 jobs.  The development of the 800-acre Able Marine Energy Park is supported by Strabag Offshore Wind, a leading European wind farm firm, which believes the proposed development is well placed, being close to major wind energy projects.

Management Moves: New Chief Executive appointed at Northern Ireland housing association Helm Housing Northern Ireland housing association Helm Housing has appointed Michael McDonnell, a former director of security firm G4S, as its new chief executive. His appointment follows the appointment of a new board in August 2012, after the association experienced financial difficulties.

Management Moves: £600,000 management buyout and executive changes at Aluminium Bending Specialists Nottinghamshire-based engineering firm, Aluminium Bending Specialists, has undergone a 600,000 management buyout, with Greg Russell, previously production director, becoming managing director and Rob Gavin becoming sales director. The company has invested in new machinery and has a strong order book.  £1.2m sales, 20 employees.

Venture Capital: New funding for Oxford based Cerus Endovascular Ltd Oxford based Cerus Endovascular Ltd, which has developed an implantable medical device for treating intracranial aneurysms has secured a 1.5m round of investment.  The funding includes 600,000 from North West Funds biomedical sub fund, which is managed by Spark Impact, and will see Cerus Endovascular relocate from Oxford to Liverpool Science Park.

Management Moves: Investment director appointed by private equity firm LDC Private equity firm LDC has appointed Richard Whitwell as investment director at its Birmingham office.  The Birmingham team has gained a strong reputation for successfully backing top management teams in the regional private equity mid-market.

Res-Q opening new HULL call centre creating 200 jobs Res-Q, which handles outsourced calls for clients in the retail, technology, utilities and leisure sectors, is opening a new call centre in Hull after reaching capacity at existing locations. It is investing £500,000 to refurbish the building and will create 200 jobs by the end of 2014. 500 employees, £6.5m turnover.

Management Moves: Account Manager appointed AT Shooting Star PR Shooting Star PR, a Lincolnshire public relations agency, has appointed Cesca Bickley as account manager after taking on four new clients, including school milk supplier Cool Milk and Rotherham-based glass packaging manufacturer Beatson Clark.

Management Moves: New CEO appointed AT soft drinks manufacturer Nichols Soft drinks manufacturer Nichols has appointed Marnie Millard as chief executive, after long-serving chief executive Brendan Hynes stood down.  Nichols profit performance after the first four months of 2013 is in line with management expectations and ahead of the prior year, despite the challenging UK market. Turnover £98.9m, 170 employees.

Management appointment at Staffordshire-based Altecnic Staffordshire-based Altecnic, which supplies plumbing and heating components, has appointed Paul Skinner as customer service and quality manager in response to increased demand. Mr Skinner is the third new employee to join the company in the three months to May 2013.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: New business hub funding for The Advance Consultancy The Advance Consultancy, a management consultancy, has built and opened a business centre in Uttoxeter after securing 500,000 in funding from Lloyds TSB Commercial Banking.  The site is now called Advance Business Growth Centre has two board rooms, three meeting rooms, a conference and training room for up to 40 staff and further office space.

Venture Capital: New investment secured by Equiduc The future of Equiduct, the European share trading platform, has been safeguarded, with a consortium of European and UK investors taking over the controlling stake owned by US-based Citadel Securities.  The new funding will support growth plans.  Equiduct is one of the fastest-growing platforms in Europe. In 2012, turnover increased 7% year over year.

Venture Capital: The HICL Infrastructure Company acquires LIFTCo stake The HICL Infrastructure Company has acquired a 60% equity and loan note interest in the Medway LIFTCo (Local Improvement Finance Trust Company), and an identical stake in the Redbridge and Waltham Forest LIFTCo, for £9.8m in total.  The two LIFTCos have spent £50m developing seven primary care facilities across South East England.

Management Moves: Anglian Bus management changes The managing director of Anglian Bus, a division of Go-Ahead Group, will leave the company at the end of July 2013.  Andrew Pursey will be succeeded by Julian Paterson who will become managing director of Konectbus and Anglian Bus. Mr Paterson will be supported by Philip Eden, who has been appointed operations manager at Anglian Bus.

Management Moves: Executive appointment at the Nuclear AMRC The Nuclear AMRC, a Sheffield University-based collaboration of academic and industrial partners from across the nuclear manufacturing supply chain, has appointed Mike Tynan as chief executive.  Mr Tynan is currently chief executive of Westinghouse UK.  He will take up the position at the Nuclear AMRC in summer 2013.

Management Moves: Senior appointments as UK marketing team strengthened at the Pilot Pen Company The Pilot Pen Company, based in Buckinghamshire, has made two new senior appointments to its UK marketing department. Stuart Barke joins as UK marketing manager and Adam Smith as product manager. The appointments will allow the company to develop and further strengthen its market position. Turnover £8.8m.

70 new jobs at Workington engineering firm TIS Cumbria is investing £2.9m in a new test rig hall to house its welding and industrial X-ray machinery. The expansion plan will create 70 new jobs at the Workington engineering firm. Its current premises will be turned into a dedicated engineering technology centre after the move.  55 employees.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Veequo, a Swansea-based e-commerce firm raises funding Veequo, a Swansea-based e-commerce firm, has raised £120,000 from 32 investors on crowd funding site Seedrs.  Veequo previously raised £30,000 from 66 investors on the platform. The funding will facilitate further business development at Veequo, which provides a web-based app for online retailers.

Management Moves: New director appointed at Winterhill Largo Winterhill Largo, the Lancashire-based asset recovery and insolvency support group, has appointed Rob McArdle as a director in its machinery and business assets team. Turnover £3m, 40 employees.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: New headquarters for Aspire Yorkshire-based care home provider Aspire in the Community has opened new headquarters in Barnsley, Yorkshire, after securing £190,000 backing from Santander Corporate & Commercial Banking. The new premises will also serve as a training facility and provide respite care accommodation for single people. Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group www.theukknackgroup.co.uk