Finance Yorkshire cash injection helps one Leeds agency to acquire another
Carter Jonas selected to advise Defence Infrastructure Organisation at Catterick Garrison
Caddick gets green light for new Wakefield office
Iconic British brand ghd takes 10,000 sq ft of office space at Leeds’ Wellington Place
Leeds Kirkgate Market hotel plans hit key milestone
Marketing agency strengthens crew with acquisition of B2B communication specialist
The move — which follows almost eight years of the two Yorkshire firms working in close collaboration on a number of client projects — marks The Bigger Boat’s ambitions to expand its service portfolio for clients in the UK and beyond.
While the brands will continue to exist as individual entities in their own right, the deal means that the business duo now employs a total of 40 marketing professionals — looking after in excess of 70 retained clients — with a combined turnover of more than £2m.
Founder and former Managing Director Katie Mallinson will remain with Scriba in the position of director of communications — concentrating on the delivery of more complex client projects — while The Bigger Boat’s founders Andy McCaul, Doug Main, and Lee Boothroyd, will become owner directors of the company, supported by a leadership team which spans both firms.
Scriba — which marked its 10th anniversary this month having supported more than 200 clients during that time — has experienced significant growth over the past three years. The consultancy currently stands at number 22 in Prolific North’s Top 50 PR Agencies, and secured position 17 in the round-up of fastest growing PR agencies in the North, last year.
Meanwhile, The Bigger Boat is an award-winning, 25-strong digital marketing, brand and website specialist, which seeks to particularly expand the SEO and content marketing arms of its business, as it continually bolsters its integrated offering.
Andy McCaul, Managing Director of The Bigger Boat, said: “We pride ourselves on our ability to understand our clients’ organisations inside out, so we become an extension of their own teams. And our focus is on driving tangible results — we generate leads, increase sales and, ultimately, fuel growth to enhance their bottom lines.
“You could apply almost the exact same description to Scriba — an agency whose entire existence focuses on crafting words that make an impact — which is why the move makes perfect sense. Combining our in-house marketing expertise with Scriba’s wealth of experience and talent in the comms sphere, creates a suite of complementary services and the opportunity to deliver even more value for each of our expanding rosters of customers.”
Scriba’s founder Katie Mallinson added: “Our story began on the toss of a coin — a leap of faith to prove that PR could be done differently. I believed I’d found a gap in the market helping technical firms with complex stories, but never could I have imagined it would grow to have the reputation — and team — I am so proud of today.
“Running a business — especially this one — is incredibly fulfilling and a huge privilege. The journey has not always been an easy one, but throughout it all, whatever Scriba’s size along the way, deep-rooted values and strong partnerships have seen us through, almost without us skipping a beat. It’s time, now, for someone else to take the reins.
“While I have loved being a Managing Director, I miss my craft. I have so many communications ideas I haven’t explored yet and that’s what excites me now – the opportunity to see what else I can do, knowing I’ve built an incredible business and it’s in safe hands.”
This is not the first time The Bigger Boat has considered an acquisition to take its growth to the next level, but no conversations have gathered momentum like this one, added creative director Doug Main.
“We have thought about various acquisitions over the last few years, but every opportunity has stalled due to the ‘fit’,” he explained. “With Scriba, it was a different story. We’ve collaborated for so long, the two businesses are like-minded with similar values, and we’ve worked hard to build relationships across the same industries.
“It doesn’t feel like an acquisition — it feels like two complementary teams working more closely together for the benefit of staff and clients alike. Onboarding Scriba’s content and strategic marketing expertise brings many opportunities for both agencies. It greatly strengthens our respective comms efforts and means we can offer customers not just new services, but a truly all-encompassing marketing strategy.”
Scriba – which counts 15 people within the team – will maintain its HQ in the loft of Heritage Mills in Lindley. All jobs will be retained and the hunt is already underway for an additional account manager. The Bigger Boat’s 25-strong crew will continue to reside in Wheatley Mills in Mirfield.
More action needed from Government on levelling up plans says Wakefield
Sustainable warehouse completed at St. Modwen Park Lincoln
St. Modwen Logistics has completed work on a £15m, 111,000 sq ft sustainable warehouse, as part of the fourth phase of development at St. Modwen Park Lincoln, which could save occupiers more than £90,000 a year in operational energy costs.
Delivered by Caddick Construction, Lincoln 111 becomes the biggest unit at the site, demonstrating St. Modwen’s confidence in the Lincoln and Newark region following the success of the Park since the first unit was completed back in 2019.
In total, St. Modwen Logistics has invested £35m to deliver 411,000 sq ft of space at the Park in this period, with the likes of logistics giant DHL, retailer Furniture Village and international ice cream distributor NIC all occupying space at St. Modwen Park Lincoln.
Built to St. Modwen Logistics’ ‘Swan Standard’ guidelines for sustainable construction, Lincoln 111 is rated ‘Excellent’ by sustainability certification body BREEAM and comes complete with more than 1,000 sq m of solar PV panels installed as standard to help prospective occupiers to meet their own ESG targets.
Energy generated from these panels will fully power the building’s 5,300 sq ft of Grade-A offices, making them net zero carbon in operation. Combined with other energy-efficient features which are incorporated in the design process, Lincoln 111 has been awarded an EPC A+ rating, helping occupiers to reduce their operational costs.
Reserved matters planning consent has also been achieved for the fifth and final phase of development which will see the capacity of the Park total 740,000 sq ft in the coming years.
Ben Silcock, leasing & development manager, St. Modwen Logistics, said: “We are always striving to develop industry-leading warehouses in fantastic locations for our customers and Lincoln 111 is a prime example of this.
“As well as being near to the vital A1 interchange and benefitting from crucial infrastructure works in the region of late, the building is also best-in-class when it comes to both the quality of the development and its sustainability credentials.
“With extra power capabilities and reduced operational costs thanks to the installation of solar PV panels, it would be the perfect home for any businesses looking to expand their operation to the East Midlands or upgrade to a highly-efficient building.”
Dominic Towler, surveyor at Cushman & Wakefield, added: “Lincoln 111 is the largest speculatively built unit available within a 20-mile radius and adds much-needed supply to the area. The building’s sustainable design also offers exceptional cost savings for occupiers looking to relocate from less efficient and inferior stock.
“Phases 1 to 3 have demonstrated that demand for space in the area is buoyant with both local and national occupiers taking units within the Park, and we again expect the unit to be of significant interest to similar occupiers.”
Lincoln 111 features eight loading docks, two level access doors and 12.5m of clear internal height, as well as 48m yard depth. In addition, 20% of the building’s car parking spaces will have EV car charging points installed and the Park offers a provision of cycle spaces, encouraging greener travel amongst employees.
Work to start on new business units for Barton
Rotherham Council’s cabinet pledges commitment to Corporation Street redevelopment
Rotherham Council’s cabinet is set to confirm their commitment to the redevelopment of 3-7 Corporation Street after making the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) on the site earlier this year.
Leeds collaborating with UK business leaders to help unlock green home upgrades
Bifold manufacturer opens the door to new Leeds premises
Mazuli, a manufacturer and trade supplier of aluminium bifold doors, sliding doors and windows, is expanding into a new state of the art manufacturing facility on the edge of Leeds city centre. The expansion will create approximately 30 new jobs in the near future.
Westgate Link offers more than 19,000 sq ft of warehouse and office space on Wellington Road and was marketed jointly by Leeds property consultancy GV&Co and Savills, on behalf of Evans Property Group.
Founded in 2020, Mazuli has quickly grown into a leading manufacturer and supplier of aluminium bifold doors and sliding doors, as well as aluminium windows, which it supplies exclusively to tradespeople and construction firms throughout the UK. The company also makes aluminium single residential doors and French doors, along with a range of aluminium gable ends.
The company currently employs 31 people and operates from a 9,000 sq ft unit on Gelderd Road, which it will continue to operate alongside the new site.
David Wilkinson, a director from Mazuli, said: “The launch of Mazuli coincided with the pandemic which helped to drive our early sales on the back of the building boom and the surge in home improvement projects that followed.
“Although the market has now levelled out, we’re currently enjoying a period of continued growth as customers increasingly recognise the advantages that aluminium doors and windows offer over uPVC and timber. Key benefits include being naturally strong with a highly durable powder coated finish, which doesn’t fade, and crucially they have a much longer lifespan.
“As a result, we had outgrown our existing premises and Westgate Link is the perfect unit to expand into as it gives us two sites within a mile of each other. Westgate Link also offers a superb frontage onto the Leeds Inner Ring Road, as well as a large secure yard and loading area, which was another essential requirement.
“We’re currently transforming the building into one of the most advanced aluminium door and window manufacturing facilities in the UK, which will open during July. This will enable us to continue recruiting and double our workforce, as well as supporting our future growth plans beyond that.”
Jonathan Jacob, senior surveyor from GV&Co, said: “We generated a significant amount of interest in this property due to its highly prominent location, within easy walking distance of Leeds city centre, as well as its mix of high-quality warehouse and office space.
“Mazuli is a fast-growing and successful Leeds based business with an impressive product range, so we are very pleased to agree this deal with them. We look forward to seeing how the new space supports their ongoing expansion plans as they continue to build their market share.”
‘Movie Magic and Future Performance’ lab gets go ahead for West Yorkshire
South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre to help region meet net-zero targets and create new jobs
- Retrofitting homes in South Yorkshire to reduce energy use and improve health and wellbeing Working with the University of Sheffield, Doncaster Metropolitan Council (MBC) identified a total of 1,800 homes that needed to be treated and upgraded to help the city reach 100 per cent net-zero by 2040. Homes were retrofitted with combinations of solid wall insulation and wall updates, new roofing, loft insulation, window glazing and door upgrades, and heating controls. The project is also helping to tackle a high-level of fuel poverty, affecting around 17 per cent of homes, and also supporting residents’ wellbeing and satisfaction with their home. As well as retrofitting homes, researchers are also working to understand how and why people move around Doncaster to help reduce transport emissions and help local organisations make decisions on services that are not only more sustainable but are better for the people using them.
- Reducing the amount of CO2 emitted from farm to fork To achieve net-zero within the UK food system we need to develop technologies and processes that reduce the amount of CO2 emitted from ‘farm to fork’. The centre is looking at how we can produce food using low-carbon processes, embedded in local and regional communities.
- Helping regional industry and business decarbonise and move to clean fuels The centre is working with regional industry and business to help them decarbonise and move to using clean fuels whilst maintaining the quality of their products. In South Yorkshire we have major manufacturers in foundational industries that underpin the UK’s economy. Decarbonising these industries will bring far wider benefits at a national level.
Promotion of another four legal directors further strengthens Clarion team
Clarion is continuing to recognise and reward legal talent within the firm with the promotion to legal director for Andrew Curtis, Sarah Manning, Daniel Carlton and Stephanie Douthwaite
Working within the banking and finance team, Andrew joined Clarion in 2019 as an associate, rising to senior associate a year later. With 12 years’ legal experience, he previously worked for an international law firm where he advised UK clearing banks, international debt funds, pension funds, and national and international borrowers on bilateral and club transactions.
He has worked with both lenders and borrowers on various finance deals, such as real estate finance, leverage finance and general corporate finance, including advising the private equity market and advising lenders on the listing of borrower clients.
Over the last two years since joining Clarion, Sarah Manning has become a valued member of Clarion’s family practice in her role as a senior associate. With A 15-year specialism in family law, she qualified as a mediator in 2012, and specialises in high-net-worth, complex children and financial mediation cases – she is a trained hybrid mediator and also a child inclusive trained mediator. Sarah is passionate about dispute resolution methods and works with clients individually in a solicitor capacity or as a mediator to a couple to help them reach a resolution without the need of the court’s intervention. As well as being a member of Resolution, Sarah is also the chair of Family Mediation Week through the Family Mediation Council.Daniel Carlton, who leads Clarion’s debt recovery team, has more than 25 years’ experience advising and developing debt collection and credit control services for a variety of clients. Having joined Clarion in 2010 as a manager, he has driven the growth of the firm’s debt recovery services, assisting blue-chip companies throughout the UK to maximise their cash flow.
His areas of expertise include working with clients to streamline credit control processes, reduce DSO and find answers to aged debt issues. He has worked extensively in the building products/manufacturing, commercial landlord, leisure, retail, recruitment and utilities sectors. Daniel has established the debt recovery team as a Tier 1 firm in Yorkshire and the Humber in Legal 500, and he has been listed as the only ‘leading individual’ in this area.
Stephanie Douthwaite joined Clarion in 2016 as an associate and was promoted to senior associate in 2020, she and has over nine years of experience in family law. Stephanie has also gained valuable experience on business matters, enabling her to stand out for her ability to deal with family matters involving business assets.
Stephanie is a Resolution Accredited Specialist, her areas of specialism being complex higher income financial remedies and private children law. Stephanie deals mostly in complex and high net worth finance cases, experienced in utilising the full range of court or out-of-court dispute resolution methods to best suit the client’s needs, and is also regularly instructed to assist with wealth planning through advising on and preparing nuptial agreements.
“Andrew, Sarah, Daniel and Stephanie have all made a significant contribution to the firm’s success and, as legal directors, they will play a strategic role in our continued growth,” explains Roger Hutton, joint managing partner of Clarion.
“With his extensive knowledge of the banking sector, Andrew has consistently supported the partners in developing client relationships and building his own client base; he is also working towards excellence in transaction management, business development and people management.
“Sarah has impressed us with her enthusiasm and commitment to her vision of growing our mediation practice with her ability to ‘stand in her client’s shoes’ helping her to achieve the best, most amicable resolution for clients and their families. An adept networker, she has built contacts in both Yorkshire and London.
“As head of the debt recovery team, Daniel’s commercial acumen has enabled him to establish an impressive roster of clients and create a successful practice with a market-leading offering.
“Stephanie is a well-regarded member of the Clarion family team and she is an integral part its success, embodying Clarion values. These promotions are well-deserved, and we look forward to continuing to support the career aspirations of these hard-working and talented lawyers.”
Specialist housing provider raises £400k to launch new homes for people with disabilities
Leeds entrepreneur named as Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2023 finalist
Care home developer secures funding for new sites
All staff made redundant at Leeds meat alternatives company
Raworths’ strategic growth continues with new partner
Rachel Mainwaring-Taylor has been appointed as a partner in Raworths’ Trusts, Wills and Estates team.
Rachel joins from Farrer & Co in London having developed an unusually broad range of expertise, advising individuals, families and trustees on issues including succession, wealth structuring and governance with a particular interest in cross-border succession planning and estate administration.
She advises on all aspects of succession planning including agricultural, business and heritage assets, domicile and tax residence, philanthropy and mental capacity and has extensive experience in dealing with complex estates and international probate as well as the creation, administration and governance of trusts.
Rachel is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and an officer of the Private Client Tax Committee of the International Bar Association. She also sits as a judge in the First-Tier Tribunal (Tax).
Rachel Tunnicliffe, senior partner and head of Private Client Services, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have attracted someone of Rachel’s calibre, contributing further to the strategic growth of our specialist teams across the firm. As families become more international, Rachel’s cross-border experience will be a particularly valuable addition to the support which we already offer to our clients.”
On joining Raworths, Rachel Mainwaring-Taylor said: “I am thrilled to be returning to my Yorkshire roots and joining a firm with such a strong private client offering and impressive reputation where I can continue to deliver high quality bespoke solutions to clients.”
The Trusts, Wills and Estates team at Raworths continues to expand with five new recruits this year bringing the team up to 24 including the six partners, all of whom have joined from leading national and international firms.
