The UK Knack Group Reviews Today’s Events ……

SpiderGroup moves to new headquarters with potential new jobs IT business SpiderGroup has taken a 1,640 sq. ft. suite at the Whitefriars building in central Bristol. The £6.5m office is double the size of its previous base.  The company was acquired by private investment company Topland in 2012.  Its expansion could create employment opportunities.

Beverley deli and cafe opened and 20 new jobs created A new business, Vanessa Delicatessen and Cafe, has opened in Beverley, creating 20 jobs.  The shop aims to be a mini Fortnum and Masons selling locally sourced produce.

Royal Bucks Hospital refurbishment brings new jobs Affinity Care, based in Dorset, has acquired the Royal Bucks Hospital and is re-opening the facility, as well as looking to take on more staff. The company will now invest in refurbishments to better service their spinal and neurological rehabilitation patients.

Potential new jobs in Leicester extra care development An 8.8m development for Asra Housing Group is being carried out by William Davis.  A former stockings factory in Leicester is being transformed into an extra care development for the housing group.  The £8.8m development could create employment opportunities. It is expected to be completed in March 2015.

14 new jobs in Carlisle theme bar Australian themed bar, Walkabout owned by Intertain Ltd, in Carlisle is to undergo a 500,000 refurbishment and create 14 new jobs. It is going to have a totally separate nightclub upstairs that will be called Reef and downstairs they are re-shaping the image of the bar and the beer garden will be a third room and will be totally enclosed.

200 new jobs at Bexhill-based insurance broker Hastings Direct Bexhill-based insurance broker Hastings Direct is to create 200 jobs this year, ranging from entry-level positions to senior management roles.  The company is expanding due to the growth of its car, van, bike and home insurance products.

10 new jobs at Bradford-based Eclipse Bradford-based Eclipse, which develops legal software, is taking on ten more staff after recruiting 25 staff since the beginning of 2013.  The firm now employs 139 people. The expansion is due to continued high levels of demand for its Proclaim software systems, which are now used by 20,000 legal and other professionals. Turnover £8.3m.

Major development contract secured by Britannia Construction with potential new jobs Britannia Construction is to start work on the final phase of the Emerson’s Green scheme in south Gloucestershire, in June 2013.  The development, which includes 2,500 new properties, 1,000,000 sq. ft. of employment floor space and three new schools, could create employment opportunities.  Turnover £40.5m, 90 employees.

60 new jobs at Cambridgeshire inkjet printer manufacturer, Xaar, at Huntingdon site. Cambridgeshire inkjet printer manufacturer, Xaar, is creating around 60 new jobs at the firms Huntingdon site. The plant recently completed an expansion project costing £22m on increasing the factory’s output, with a further £10m investment in the pipeline, which will allow the company to meet increasing demand.

142 new jobs in Limerick Bio Fuels Plant CPL Fuels is to build a new bio fuels plant and create 142 new jobs in Limerick by 2015 as part of a £20 million investment in the county.

1,200 potential new jobs in £400m Somerset development scheme Developer St Modwen and the Homes and Communities Agency are planning to redevelop the former RAF Locking site in Somerset with 1,200 homes and 650,000 sq. ft. of commercial space.  The proposed £400m development could create 1,200 jobs. The scheme will include a 30,000 sq. ft. innovation centre, schools, leisure and community facilities.

Work on new Leicester care scheme contract means potential new jobs Developer William Davis has started work on the transformation of a former stockings factory in Leicester into an extra care development for Asra Housing group.  The £8.8m development could create employment opportunities. It is expected to be completed in March 2015.  Turnover £73.8m, 360 employees.

Open day for more staff at Flintshire based C&C Catering Engineers Flintshire based C&C Catering Engineers Limited have confirmed their intention to employ more engineers to join their growing company. The company will hold an open day for local teenagers later in the year, aimed at inspiring young people who wish to explore a career in engineering.

Business Account Executive appointed by Johnstone Insurance Brokers Johnstone Insurance Brokers is expanding after securing £500,000 funding from Santander.  The Scunthorpe business has appointed a new business account executive and a trainee through a new apprenticeship scheme. It is well placed to secure new business and improve its service to clients.  10 employees.

25 new jobs at KLM Engineering at Norwich International Airport KLM Engineering, based at Norwich International Airport, has secured new aircraft contracts with British Airways and Pegasus, enabling them to take on 25 new staff to cope with demand. The firm currently employs 375 and has a turnover of £27.5m.

New Director at Norcros, the Cheshire-based shower, tile and adhesive supplier Norcros, the Cheshire-based shower, tile and adhesive supplier, is reporting a 6.4% rise in pre-tax profits to 10m. Sales have also risen 5.2% to 210.7m. The company has also appointed former PwC senior partner, David McKieth, to its board.

12 new jobs - relocating headquarters - business expansion and diversification Property company Bond Wolfe is recruiting 12 more staff by June 2014.  The firm, previously focused on sales and lettings of properties within its in-house investment portfolios, is now expanding its interests into retail, office and industrial premises and is relocating its headquarters to the former West Bromwich Building Society HQ in West Bromwich.

Redhall, appoints new FD appointed as order book reaches £152m Redhall, the Yorkshire-based engineering support services business, recorded a loss on pre-tax profit in the 2013 first half, down by almost half to £574,000 compared with the 2012 first half. Redhall has a record order book of £152m and has completed a review of management, contracts and systems, which should improve group performance. Chris Lewis-Jones will become group finance director.

Reflex & Allen operations consolidation brings new jobs Reflex & Allen, an automotive supply company is looking to consolidate its operations in North Wales in a 5m project expected to create new jobs in the area. They are hoping to take over the former Hotpoint plant, which closed 2009.

Group Digital Officer Appointed by Tesco as 150 jobs created Retailer Tesco has promoted Michael Comish, Blinkbox founder, to the role of group digital officer. Tesco is opening digital offices in Shoreditch, London, in autumn 2013.  It is recruiting 150 staff to work at the new campus, which will house digital entertainment services, including Blinkbox, which it acquired in 2011.

200 new jobs at Pacific Quay, Glasgow Shrewsbury based Aquira, a direct marketing firm, is creating 200 jobs in Glasgow following the opening of its offices at Pacific Quay.

Smiles Engineering creates 14 new jobs in Newcastle Smiles Engineering, the Newcastle-based specialist in re-powering buses to make them greener, has seen its turnover grow by 272% to £1.8m since relocating to new premises in 2011. Staff numbers have also grown from 12 to 26, including 3 apprentices.

Potential new jobs at Springfield NE, Durham-based engineering company Springfield NE, a Durham-based engineering company, has doubled turnover to £1.2m and moved into a new 10,000sq ft. base. Springfield has extended its computer network with support from Clive Owen Technology Services, in order to expand its computer-aided design work. The continuing growth of the company could create employment opportunities. 15 employees.

New Aldi store brings 30 new jobs to Wetherby Supermarket chain Aldi have announced plans to open a store in Wetherby, which will create up to 30 new jobs in the area. Aldi are currently looking for a site near the town centre before submitting a planning application.

New Ikea store means new jobs for Exeter Swedish furniture firm, Ikea is planning more than 200 new homes as part of its proposal for a new store in Exeter. Plans for the store and new homes will be on display at 2 exhibitions, and the store could employ 400 staff.

200-Acre Weston-Super-Mare development brings 2000 new jobs The Homes and Communities Agency, along with St Modwen Properties, is to build 120,000 properties and 650,000 sq. ft. of commercial space on a 200-acre former-RAF site in Weston-Super-Mare. The project will create 2000 jobs.

New Allerdale Council Chief Executive pledges more jobs The new boss at Allerdale Council, Ian Frost, has pledged to bring new jobs and more investment to the area. Mr Frost takes over from Harry Dyke who retires on 1st July 2013.

Jacob's Jams and Spices creating 150 jobs in Wolverhampton Wolverhampton-based Jacob's Jams and Spices plan to expand and create up to 150 jobs by the end of 2014. The company, which was founded with £5,000 support from youth campaign Young Britain, is in talks with a high-end retail store to produce and supply authentic Asian food products. 50 employees. Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group www.theukknackgroup.co.uk