Wakefield automation business sold

Tess Egginton
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Wakefield automation business sold
Endless has successfully exited its investment in bespoke automation business Sewtec Automation to USA-headquartered Automated Industrial Robotics Inc (AIR). Endless supported the management buy out of Sewtec in 2017, taking it out of founder ownership with Mark Cook joining the business as Managing Director at the time of the acquisition. To support and enable growth, the business then relocated its entire operations in 2020 to a state-of-the-art 75,000 square-foot design and manufacturing facility in Wakefield and more recently opened a satellite office in Taunton. Sewtec today has a team of over 170 employees, more than double the number at the time of the Endless acquisition, and now serves a range of brands across various sectors, including pharmaceutical, medical devices, food and beverage, personal care, pet care and e-commerce. Endless investment partner, Andy Ross said: “It has been a real privilege working closely with Mark and the entire team at Sewtec over the last few years. “We knew it was a special business from the start and our role was to provide guidance and support to the management team to help them take their unique capabilities to new customers and markets. The site move was a big positive step forward to allow the team to grow the business responsibly and sustainably. “At Endless, we are only ever a temporary custodian of our businesses and whilst we are sad to see them go…we look forward to seeing what the Sewtec team can achieve as an integral part of the AIR portfolio in the future.” Sewtec now joins Totally Automated Systems (TA Systems) and Modular Automation as a foundational asset of the AIR portfolio. With the acquisition of Sewtec, AIR now has over 400 employees and an automation hub footprint of approximately 275,000 square feet across the United States, Ireland and the United Kingdom. As part of the transaction, Mark Cook, now Co-Managing Director of Sewtec, was also appointed as Chief Operating Officer of AIR. He added: “This transaction represents an exciting new chapter in Sewtec’s long history. I believe AIR is the right partner for Sewtec as we look to grow our business with existing and new customers. “We look forward to leveraging the skills and know-how across AIR to further our ability to invent innovative solutions that help our customers solve complex operational challenges.” The investment in Sewtec was managed by Andy Ross and Stefan Nowakowski from Endless. Endless was advised on the sale by Tim Day, Josh Harvey and the team at Rothschilds (corporate finance) and Mae Salem and her team at Squires (legal). Due diligence support was provided by Chris Stott and Chulanga Jayawardana and their team at KPMG (financial) and Tom Klouda and his team at EY (tax).

Professional services group appoints new chairman

Tess Egginton
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Professional services group appoints new chairman

Professional services group Gateley has appointed Edward Knapp as an Independent Non-Executive Director and Chair Designate. Edward becomes a Non-Executive Director with immediate effect and will become Chairman when Nigel Payne steps down from the board on 1 November 2024.

Edward is a global business leader with extensive experience in growth strategy design and delivery, technology, risk management and transformation with a particular focus on professional and financial services.

He has held executive and senior leadership roles in consultancy and professional services, high-growth technology companies and major financial institutions worldwide, including McKinsey & Company, Barclays, HSBC, Revolut and M&G, where he has most recently brought a particular focus on advisory, wealth management and talent.

As a member of the UK Endorsement Board he is accountable for influencing, endorsing and adopting standards for audit, accounting and professional services spanning UK PLCs.

He currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of F&C Investment Trust plc and has extensive international private-equity backed and plc board and advisory experience, including Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee and Non-Executive Director of AIM company Ten Lifestyle Group plc and formerly as a Non-Executive Director of Mattioli Woods plc.

On appointment, Edward will become a member of the Remuneration, Audit and Risk and Nomination Committees. From 1 November 2024, he will take over the role of Chairman of the Board, and Chairman of the Nomination Committee.

Rod Waldie, CEO of Gateley, said: “On behalf of the board, I thank Nigel for his significant contribution to the Group throughout the nine year period since IPO. His experience, tireless commitment, clear perspective and support have been instrumental in growing the diverse and resilient professional services business that Gateley is today.

“I am delighted to welcome Edward to the board. He brings extensive and valuable executive and non-executive experience across a range of sectors, commercial acumen and strong and effective leadership. He will be an excellent chairman for the Group.

“I very much look forward to working with Edward as we continue to grow the Group, maximising the strengths and opportunities generated by the unique combination of professional services in our business.”

Edward Knapp, incoming Chair of Gateley, said: “It’s an honour to be appointed as the next Chairman of Gateley. Nigel and the whole team have achieved so much since IPO. The business has an extraordinary track record and heritage of delivering for clients across its legal and professional services capabilities.

“I am looking forward to engaging with our clients, colleagues, communities, shareholders and the whole board to help Gateley navigate the next chapter of outstanding client service, capitalising on its compelling talent proposition to deliver sustainable profitable growth and shareholder returns for the long term.”

Cranswick quartet wins place in world barbecue championship

Stuart Pearcey
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Cranswick quartet wins place in world barbecue championship
For employees of Hessle-based Cranswick Foods have won a place in the Steak Cookout Association BBQ World Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. They are members of the  Hog and Beyond BBQ team, and earned the place in Texas by winning first place at the UK BBQ Championships at the Smoke and Fire Festival in Maldon. Our team consisted of Simon, Group Head of Innovation, Matt, Site Director, Ben, Senior Innovation Chef, and Connor, NPD Chef. A company spokesman said: “This was an amazing achievement with some really tough competition from the other teams, which included some of the best European teams on the competition circuit and the previous world champions.”

Paloma Capital wins planning consent for four units at Sutton-on-the-forest

Stuart Pearcey
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Paloma Capital wins planning consent for four units at Sutton-on-the-forest

Paloma Capital has been given planning consent for four new industrial/warehouse units  at its business park on the outskirts of York, which means the scheme now offers design and build opportunities for units up to 15,400 sq ft.

Formerly known as Green Park Business Centre, the 122,000 sq ft site on Goose Lane in Sutton-on-the-forest was acquired by Paloma Capital in 2022 and subsequently rebranded to become ‘York North’.

Jeremy Thiagarajah, Director for Asset Management and Investment at Paloma Capital said: “This site fits well with our acquisition strategy for investing in well located sites in under supplied areas.  Whilst we have already committed to a major refurbishment programme of existing accommodation, the provision of four new state of the art units will help to fulfil current demand for purpose-designed, last mile logistics space where occupiers can influence the design.”

York North benefits from strong regional connectivity, just five miles from York Outer Ring Road at Clifton Moor.

Ports of Grimsby and Immingham form a vital link in UK’s food chain

Stuart Pearcey
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Ports of Grimsby and Immingham form a vital link in UK’s food chain

The Ports of Grimsby and Immingham together are the leading UK ports for fish imports, and a vital link in the supply chain, according to ABP.

Alongside centres of seafood creation – from fish fingers to gourmet ready meals – they form a highly efficient sector-leading hub providing 5,500 jobs, with about 70% of the UK’s seafood processed in Grimsby, including every other fish finger eaten in the UK. Simon Bird, Regional Director of the Humber ports said: “This is good news for the Humber ports handling the largest volume of seafood imports in the country. Their strategic locations significantly show the demand for short sea European routes. “Fish, though not landed over the quayside by a trawler, still plays an important part in the supply chain in the region. The UK is a big importer of seafood, and our ports ensure that high-quality seafood from around the world reaches British consumers efficiently and sustainably, reinforcing our position as a global leader in the seafood trade.” Simon Dwyer, representing Seafood Grimsby & Humber Alliance and Grimsby Fish Merchants Association and for many years an advocate of using ports close to the UK’s leading seafood processing cluster, said: “There’s been a step change in the routing of seafood into the UK, especially salmon from Norway that now arrives in trucks from Scandinavia into Immingham port rather than being transported by road via southern ports of for example, Dover. “Grimsby is a major UK processor of salmon so it’s logical to ship the product on ferries that use the port of Immingham rather than southern UK ports. In value terms about £1.5bn of seafood arrives at the Humber ports.”

Leeds Museums add almost £42m to city’s economy

Stuart Pearcey
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Leeds Museums add almost £42m to city’s economy
Council-run museums and galleries in Leeds have generated almost £42m for the local economy in the last year, a new report has revealed. Compiled by Leeds Museums and Galleries, the impressive economic impact report shows the popular visitor attractions have also given a big boost to local jobs as well as supporting businesses and schools.
The stats show the service welcomed just under a million visitors in the last financial year, with more than 47,000 school pupils and 109,312 children taking part in activities and viewing some of the incredible 1.3 million objects which make up the city’s unique collection. Innovative work to engage visitors online has also seen the service’s website amass an 3.9 million page views this past year, and grant funding applications have attracted £2,365,364 in external funding to Leeds. Brought together by Leeds Museums and Galleries to assess the positive impact of their sites on the city and the region, the figures include factors such as overall spend on and off sites, employment impacts and spend on local goods and services. Among the country’s largest services of its kind, Leeds Museums and Galleries operates eight sites: Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds City Museum, Temple Newsam House, Lotherton Hall, Abbey House Museum, Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds Industrial Museum and the Leeds Discovery Centre . With an annual budget of around £5m, the new figures demonstrate that the service also generates around £8 for every £1 invested in it, and costs just £4.88 each year for every person in Leeds. Councillor Salma Arif, said: “It’s well known that our museums and galleries give hundreds of thousands of visitors and families each year an unforgettable visitor experience and help raise the positive profile of our city as a cultural destination both regionally and internationally. “But it’s also important to recognise the huge contribution museums, arts and culture make to the local economy, attracting not only visitors to the city, but inward investment, job creation and education and training opportunities. “Add to that the positive impact these sites have on residents’ wellbeing in Leeds, through volunteering opportunities and a programme of free, community-based activities, and the wider benefits of having such a thriving and innovative museums and galleries service simply cannot be overstated.”

Environment Agency offers advice to landowners about dumping waste

Stuart Pearcey
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Environment Agency offers advice to landowners about dumping waste
The Environment Agency is warning property and landowners to be vigilant and secure premises against criminals who target their land and buildings to dump illegally collected waste – which costs the UK £1billion a year. The Agency says networks of organised criminal gangs operating across the country are targeting privately owned property and land, particularly in rural locations, to dump rubbish collected through illegal means. In 2023, the Environment Agency’s National Waste Crime Survey found 85% of the landowners and farmers who took part reported being affected by small-scale fly-tipping and 20% by large-scale fly tipping. This June, research conducted by the NFU also revealed 85% of respondents felt the problem of fly-tipping in their area had either not changed or become worse in the last five years. If waste is dumped on privately-owned land, it is the responsibility of the property or landowner to clean it up at their own expense. Those affected can face costs of more than £200,000 to clear illegally dumped waste from their premises. Waste crime costs the economy in England an estimated £1 billion a year through evaded tax, environmental and social harm, and lost legitimate business, with enough waste managed illegally across the country to fill 4 million skips annually – about 34 million tonnes. The Environment Agency is taking action against these criminals, conducting site inspections and prosecuting guilty parties to the full extent of the law. But it’s essential that everyone affected works together to tackle this issue, which is why we are running an awareness campaign to educate, promote behaviour change and drive action amongst society to stop waste criminals for good. Property and landowners are urged to follow these simple steps to protect themselves against waste criminals trespassing on their premises:
  1. Check any empty land and property regularly and make sure it is secure.
  2. Carry out rigorous checks on prospective and new tenants. Property and landowners are responsible for ensuring anyone leasing their property and land complies with regulations. They are committing an offence by allowing waste to be stored on land or property without the relevant permissions. This could leave them liable to prosecution.
  3. Be vigilant and report any suspected illegal waste activity to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60.
Steve Molyneux, Environment Agency Deputy Director of Waste Regulation, said: “Our environment is a precious resource and one we need to guard now and for the next generation, but there are networks of criminal gangs operating across the country just waiting to spoil it for everyone. “They may offer owners cash to store waste at their property or on their land, promising to remove it later. They won’t. Some don’t ask. They break in, dump waste they’ve illegally collected, and disappear.

“Waste criminals need access to places to dump the rubbish they illegally collect – but your vigilance can stop them. Shutting them out of property and land is just one tactic to scupper these rogues.”

Country Land and Business Association President Victoria Vyvyan said: “Fly-tipping is a crime that is blighting rural communities. Farmers and landowners bear the cost of removing rubbish and they pay on average £1,000 to remove waste. This is not a victimless crime – in some cases they have paid up to £100,000 to clear up other people’s mess or risk facing prosecution themselves.

“It’s not just litter blotting the landscape, but tonnes of household and commercial waste which can often be hazardous – even including asbestos and chemicals – endangering farmers, wildlife, livestock, crops and the environment.”

Yorkshire Water volunteers create activity area for children

Stuart Pearcey
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Yorkshire Water volunteers create activity area for children
Volunteers from Yorkshire Water have created an activity area for children at Rockwell Community Centre in Bradford including a tyre balance beam, new benches, several new allotment vegetable beds and a mud play pit. The Rockwell Centre is a local community centre for Thorpe Edge and surrounding areas. They offer different activities daily, including mental health groups, a singing group, tai chi, Bloomin’ Buds Theatre Company and a youth club. The work, undertaken with Participate Projects, has provided the community with an outdoor area, particularly for children to play and learn to grow their own vegetables and herbs. Katie Mahon, founder of Bloomin’ Buds Theatre Company, said: “It was incredible to see the centre as a hive of activity. We were very lucky to have 22 volunteers to help clear up our outside space. “As a charitable organisation that is always short on funding and manpower, our outdoor space is often last to be sorted out, so this helped us massively!” The volunteering comes as part of a wider partnership between Yorkshire Water and Participate Projects, a non-profit that aims to co-ordinate and increase delivery of colleague volunteering in communities across the county. Anne Reed, social value and education advisor at Yorkshire Water, said: “Our colleagues are passionate about helping out in local communities and providing value beyond our water and wastewater services. “Our partnership with Participate Projects is already increasing the frequency of our volunteering events and is providing meaningful support to organisations and people across Yorkshire.” The partnership has already seen Yorkshire Water colleagues embarking on a range of volunteering projects, from decorating community spaces to building outdoor play areas for children, with more plans still over the next few months. Anthony Waddington, CEO at Participate Projects, added: “We are really excited to see Yorkshire Water colleagues’ time and skills make a real impact in the communities where they operate. The passion and enthusiasm we have seen from them in supporting the people and places around them is a great match to the values and mission of Participate.”

Leeds property developer opens 6,000 sq ft office in Sheffield regeneration hotspot

Tess Egginton
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Leeds property developer opens 6,000 sq ft office in Sheffield regeneration hotspot
Leeds-based Torsion Group – a developer and contractor of student accommodation and build-to-rent residential schemes – has taken over the first floor of Velocity Village at 2 Tenter Street, joining the likes of DLP Planning, Anytime Fitness, Ministry of Justice and Wake Smith Solicitors. Torsion Group is working on a number of flagship projects across the UK, including Sky Gardens in Leeds and Hollis Croft in Sheffield. The under-construction Hollis Croft – a 17-storey tower with 234 build-to-rent apartments – is located just a stone’s throw from Torsion’s new Sheffield base. The development also sits directly next to True Sheffield – a 27-storey student-residential tower that is currently being delivered by Aztec Construction. Like Torsion Group, Aztec Construction has also opened a new office in the area and now occupies over 10,000 sq ft of space at the nearby Pennine Five campus, which has undergone a multi-million-pound refurbishment over recent years. Both Velocity Village and Pennine Five are owned by RBH Properties. Jeremy Hughes, Director at RBH Properties, said: “We are delighted to welcome Torsion Group to 2 Tenter Street and are looking forward to seeing them join the evolving business community in the area. “Much like Aztec Construction over at our Pennine Five campus, Torsion has realised the huge potential of this area of Sheffield City Centre, basing themselves here while simultaneously developing a new residential scheme just metres away. “We believe our own investment into the area has provided real confidence and acted as a catalyst for further growth. It’s incredibly exciting to see several new residential developments underway and new businesses moving in, helping to cement the area’s promising future.”

Work gets underway to renovate new retail spaces at Leeds Corn Exchange

Tess Egginton
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Work gets underway to renovate new retail spaces at Leeds Corn Exchange
Work is underway to renovate a series of new retail spaces on the piazza level of Leeds Corn Exchange, offering more retailers an opportunity to locate at this historic building. Ten spaces are being created ranging from 80 sq ft kiosk spaces to 870 sq ft retail units. A kitchen and restaurant space – which includes the original central courtyard – is also being refurbished. The works are the latest in an ongoing programme of improvements by Yorkshire-based property investment company and heritage restoration specialists, Rushbond, which has owned the building since 2017 and carried out careful repairs and renovations to preserve and enhance this much-loved gem. The new spaces will offer more retailers and makers the chance to put down roots in this landmark Grade I listed building, joining more than 30 independently minded businesses offering everything from fashion and food to hand-crafted homeware and contemporary art. Richard Baker from Rushbond said: “This is the culmination of our strategic campaign in recent years to attract like-minded tenants who bring something special to this much-loved building. “We have had an increase in interest from businesses looking for smaller retail spaces with flexible leases, and we’re responding to that demand by progressing the release of additional spaces. “As custodians of this incredible place, we work hard to preserve its history whilst enhancing its amenities to create spaces where modern retailers can thrive, and we look forward to welcoming the next chapter of tenants who will become part of its story.”
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