Property consultancy doubles Leeds city centre office space

Tess Egginton
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Property consultancy doubles Leeds city centre office space

Leeds property consultancy, GV&Co, has expanded into new city centre offices, in a move that follows the company’s twentieth anniversary celebrations.

GV&Co has relocated into a 2,800 sq ft office suite on the fourth floor of Carlton Tower on St Paul’s Street, which is double the size of its previous office in the same building, where the team have been based since 2010.

The company currently employs a 17-strong team and has invested in a major fit-out in the new office to create an open-plan layout, stylish breakout areas, four meeting rooms and large boardroom.

Gavin Ritchie, a director from GV&Co, said: “In the last couple of years we have recruited across all our divisions, as well as launching a specialist lease advisory and asset management service.

“We had outgrown our previous office, so when the opportunity arose to expand in Carlton Tower, which has been a superb base for us for almost 14 years, in the heart of Leeds city centre’s property and professional services district, it made perfect sense.

“The new office offers a very high quality work environment, with great meeting rooms and staff breakout areas, and it’s a brilliant way to follow our twentieth anniversary.”

ABP steps up to be gold sponsor at offshore wind event

Stuart Pearcey
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ABP is to be a Gold Sponsor at the Offshore Wind Connections 2024 (OWC2024) conference and exhibition during the first two days in May at Hull’s Doubletree by Hilton. Andy Reay, Head of Offshore Wind at ABP, said: “We are thrilled to participate in OWC2024 as a Gold Sponsor. This event provides an invaluable platform for industry leaders to collaborate, share insights, and chart the course for the future of offshore wind. “ABP remains steadfast in our commitment to be a leader in driving sustainable growth and innovation. We look forward to engaging with fellow stakeholders at this great event as we strive together to deliver not just a decarbonised energy system but the UK jobs and prosperity that should accompany it.” Aligned with its vision for a greener, cleaner economy, ABP has outlined ambitious plans within its sustainability strategy, ‘Ready for Tomorrow’, committing to about £1.4 billion in investments towards infrastructure and facilities that support customers embarking on the energy transition journey. The strategy also includes an additional £600 million of projected investment for decarbonising ABP’s own operations and facilities. Over the last 30 years ABP ports have installed over 500 turbines and provide support to over 7GW of offshore wind – over half of the UK total. As a testament to its commitment, ABP has invested over £300 million in collaboration with its partners to foster the expansion of offshore wind capabilities and has ambitious plans to invest significantly more in future developments serving both fixed bottom and floating wind projects.

Government launches free advice service for SMEs

Stuart Pearcey
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Government launches free advice service for SMEs
Government has launched its free Help to Grow: Management Essentials course, a short online course with practical tips and resources for small business leaders. Based on the 12-week Help to Grow: Management Course, Essentials is suited for leaders of newer or smaller SMEs, or those who are looking to explore the principles of business growth and management before taking the next step and enrolling in the full course. Small businesses are a vital part of local economies across the UK and supporting them is crucial to delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy. This course will support SME leaders to establish their roots as they look ahead to scale up and grow their business. Essentials is the latest addition to the extensive package of SME support announced by Government as part of the ‘Help to Grow’ campaign: a one-stop shop for SMEs. The Help to Grow site makes it quicker and easier for business owners to find the resources they need for every step of their growth journey from across government. Small Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said: I’ve met so many business owners who have benefited from Help to Grow: Management, and now with the launch of Help to Grow: Management Essentials even more business people will be able to access the advice and resources they need to scale up and grow.

2024 is the year of the SME and whether it’s through access to finance, support and advice, or removing barriers to growth: we’re helping them go further than ever before.

Help to Grow: Management Essentials is free, with content divided into three easy-to-access modules consisting of short videos and supporting resources covering the essential business concepts required to unlock growth. Business leaders can access the course through the Help to Grow website. Byron Dixon, founder of Micro Fresh said: “These Help to Grow: Management Essentials videos are jam-packed with inspiration and practical tips for small business leaders. I wish I’d had this type of resource available to me when I was scaling my business.” Martin McTague, National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “FSB has been making the case for a streamlined, digital taster session version of the Help to Grow Management course, and we’re delighted to see this now delivered. Businesses with fewer than five employees were ineligible for the full Help to Grow course, so this is particularly good news. “This will better fit with the busy lives of small business owners who struggled with the initial commitment for 12-week intensive learning. It means many more can now access the benefits of Help to Grow and see the benefits of committing to the longer course as follow-up.

“Improving the skills of small business owners is in FSB’s DNA, so we’re pleased to see this new option for those wanting to grow their businesses, and the economy.”

South Yorkshire sees record levels of tech startups during last year

Stuart Pearcey
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South Yorkshire sees record levels of tech startups during last year

South Yorkshire is a magnet for home-grown tech startups with a record 617 having ben created last year alone, and relocations into the region at the highest level ever.

Those are the findings of a new report published to mark the inaugural UK Tech Week celebration of tech ecosystems across the UK. Tracey Johnson, Project Director at TECH SY, said: “South Yorkshire’s tech sector is growing in significance and success, expanding despite headwinds and challenges in the global economy, and outperforming many other ambitious locations in attracting the talent and investment needed to turn great ideas into even better businesses. “This report underscores South Yorkshire’s emergence as a dynamic tech hub, fueled by innovation, talent, and a supportive community.”

The report, published by South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority, reveals:

●      A record 617 tech startups were formed in South Yorkshire in 2023, more than ever before and an increase of a fifth (18 per cent) from 2022. Combined with falling tech failures, which declined for the second year running, South Yorkshire experienced a net gain of 88 home-grown tech companies last year, with growing numbers of active tech companies in every major urban area.

●      There are at least 4,588 tech companies in South Yorkshire today – more than ever before. The region is a major centre of cleantech innovation and home to significant business activity in software development, life sciences, data, bioscience, advanced materials and photonics.

●      An influx of tech companies from outside South Yorkshire is bolstering the tech sector. Analysis of businesses registered at popular tech locations in South Yorkshire found that 29% were previously based outside the region and that 2023 was the busiest year yet for relocations.

●      Tech Welcome Grants totalling £130,000 have helped 29 companies specialising in high-value activities such as robotics, data analytics, and cyber security establish their first facilities in South Yorkshire and supported the creation of more than 140 jobs worth a combined £6.1 million a year.

●      Investment in tech companies based in South Yorkshire has been more resilient than elsewhere in the UK. Data from analysts Beauhurst show South Yorkshire’s tech startups secured funding totalling £209 million between 2019 and 2023. Although tech investment in South Yorkshire declined by 38 per cent between 2022 and 2023, this was a less profound decline than the 54 per cent reduction in overall UK tech funding reported by Atomico last year.

Manufacturing sentiment improves

Tess Egginton
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Manufacturing sentiment improves
Sentiment within the manufacturing sector improved in April and output expectations were the strongest for six months, according to the CBI’s latest quarterly Industrial Trends Survey. Output volumes were broadly stable in the three months to April, following strong declines in output over the first quarter of 2024. Manufacturers expect output to rise over the next three months, with expectations the strongest since October 2023. Average cost growth remained elevated compared to historical norms, with costs also expected to increase at a strong pace in the quarter to July. Domestic and export price inflation are expected to pick up slightly in the next three months. With demand uncertainty falling back, and concerns over the cost of financing diminishing, investment intentions for the year ahead improved relative to January. Manufacturers expect investment in buildings and plant & machinery to be stable over the year ahead, which marks a shift from the picture in January, when investment intentions sank to their weakest for three years. Moreover, spending on product & process innovation is now expected to increase over the year ahead. Anna Leach, CBI Deputy Chief Economist, said: “Conditions facing manufacturers have taken a turn for the better, with sentiment improving and expectations for future output growth their strongest in six months. “A softer labour market has eased concerns that skills and labour could constrain output and orders. Concerns about access to materials and components are also at their lowest since January 2020. These brighter conditions are supporting a more stable picture for investment over the year ahead. “With the recovery still to fully pick up steam, we need to see everyone laser focused on delivering the big reforms that will help manufacturers grow and invest. Full capital expensing, with the potential to extend this to leased and rented assets, can be a game changer that unlocks the incredible power of our manufacturing sector and drives economic growth.” The survey, based on the responses of 257 manufacturing firms, found:
  • Business sentiment rose in the quarter to April, having been broadly unchanged in the three months to January (balance of +9%, from -3% in January). Export optimism for the year ahead also rose moderately (+6%, from -20%). Both sentiment indicators had shown declining optimism in all but one quarter throughout 2022-23.
  • Output volumes were broadly unchanged in the quarter to April, after falling in March (balance of +3%, from -10% in the three months to March). Firms expect volumes to grow in the next three months (+11%).
  • Total new orders fell in April, but at a slower pace than in the previous quarter (balance of -6%, from -13% in January). Manufacturers expect orders to return to growth over the next three months (+8%).
  • Growth in average costs per unit of output rose strongly but at a slightly slower pace in the quarter to April (balance of +39%, from +43% in January; long run average of +18%). Cost growth is expected to remain elevated in the quarter to July (+42%).
  • Domestic selling prices increased over the three months to April (+10%, from +2% in January). Export price inflation decelerated from January (+9% from +14%, and now the weakest since January 2021). Both domestic and export price growth is expected to pick up in the next three months (+27% and +22%, respectively).
  • Investment intentions for the year ahead improved relative to January. Manufacturers expect to raise investment in product & process innovation (+15% from -5% in January, the strongest since the quarter to January 2022). Investment in training & retraining is expected to be broadly unchanged (+1% from +6%). Investment in tangibles is expected to be unchanged, including buildings (-3% from -29%) and plant & machinery (+2% from -15%), with the balances having recovered from three-year lows in January.
  • The main constraint on investment was uncertainty about demand (cited by 49% of manufacturers), followed by inadequate net return (36%), and a shortage of labour (+15%, the lowest in three years). Concerns around the cost of finance have retreated from a 33-year high (excluding the pandemic period) but remain double the long run average (11% from 22%).

Andrew Jackson Solicitors makes raft of promotions

Tess Egginton
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Andrew Jackson Solicitors makes raft of promotions
Regional law firm Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP has made several promotions across the firm, which this year celebrates its 150th anniversary. Solicitors Yasmin Fenton and Harry Mills (real estate & property), Pippa Heuck (private client) and Grace Moreton (corporate) have been promoted as associates; Rikki Foster becomes a senior solicitor (litigation); and, Benn Shilleto and Sam Bailey have been promoted as trainee solicitor and paralegal respectively (corporate). Yasmin and Harry each have several years’ experience assisting clients in different sectors across a broad range of transactional commercial property work including sales, purchases and lettings, refinancing, development projects, overage agreements and option agreements. Pippa has many years’ experience assisting clients with the preparation of Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and applications to obtain Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration. She also deals with the administration of estates, assisting with complex estates. With a strong corporate background, Grace is an experienced restructuring and insolvency lawyer who advises across a range of non-contentious matters, which require specialist knowledge of company procedures including share allotments and transfers. Andrew Jackson’s managing partner, Mark Pearson-Kendall, said: “These latest promotions reflect the firm’s continued investment in our hardworking and dedicated team, and our commitment to the delivery of an excellent service to the businesses and individuals we work with. “Very well done to our newly promoted associates – Yasmin, Harry, Pippa and Grace – and to Rikki, Benn and Sam, all of whom have demonstrated their ability to deliver exceptional client services, which is what we aim to achieve right across the firm. “As we celebrate 150 years since Andrew Marvell Jackson established the firm in 1874, we remain committed to retaining and recruiting the best talent from the region and beyond, enabling us to deliver the highest standards to our clients, with a service which is both professional and personable.”

Human risk management business secures £3.25m investment

Tess Egginton
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Human risk management business secures £3.25m investment
Boxphish, a Leeds-headquartered human risk management business, has secured a £3.25 million investment from BGF. Boxphish’s suite of cyber security training courses, customisable phishing simulations, and data analytics equips organisations, and their teams, with the tools and knowledge needed to mitigate the risk of falling victim to cyber attacks. Founded in 2020, by serial entrepreneurs Henry Doyle and Dan Bailey, alongside CEO Nick Deacon-Elliott, Boxphish has a growing customer base and library of training courses that meet the needs of organisations from across a broad range of sectors and sizes, working with the likes of North Yorkshire Council, University of Cambridge, and Leeds United FC. The funding from BGF will allow management to accelerate investment into product, people and partners. Boxphish CEO, Nick Deacon-Elliott, said: “We’ve been scaling at real pace over the past few years. By combining relevant and interactive training with real-world phishing simulations and data-driven dashboards, we’re helping organisations identify, reduce and report on their human cyber risk, delivering real value to our clients. “We’ve known BGF for a number of years and are now at a stage where partnering with an experienced, long-term, minority investor with a strong track record of working with other regional tech companies is the the right thing to do.” The deal was led by Rob Johnson, investor in BGF’s Yorkshire & North East team, who will join the Boxphish board. He said: “We’re delighted to be backing a highly-experienced and commercial team in Nick, Henry and Dan, who have established the foundations for continued growth over the coming years. “We look forward to working closely with Boxphish and leveraging the wider BGF network, to help the team accelerate their product and commercial strategy, as we look to cement Boxphish’s reputation as one of the most exciting, up-and-coming players in the human risk management space.” As part of the investment, Andy Dancer has also joined the board, as non-executive chair, following an introduction from BGF’s Talent Network – one of the largest groups of board-level non-executives in the UK and Ireland. Andy brings a wealth of experience in founding, scaling, and exiting other tech-focused businesses, and will support the team in refining and executing its growth strategy.

Huddersfield accountants merge into group

Tess Egginton
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Huddersfield accountants merge into group
Sheards, the Huddersfield-based Chartered Accountants, have merged into the SMH Group. Now named SMH Sheards, the firm continues to operate from their office in Huddersfield, with all the team remaining unchanged. Carolyn Atkinson and Kevin Winterburn from Sheards said: “After 121 years of being an independent firm, we are delighted to be strengthening our future and enhancing the services we can offer to our clients. “We are looking forward to working with the SMH Group whilst retaining our high standard of service. We remain the friendly face of accountancy in the Huddersfield area.” Jonathon Dickens, partner at the SMH Group, said: “We are thrilled to announce the merger of Sheards into the SMH Group, marking a significant milestone for both firms, and increasing the overall head count within the group to over 150 staff. “This strategic alliance not only ensures long-term stability for the firm, but also offers a range of value-added services available to clients of Sheards. Furthermore, it enhances our expansion into West Yorkshire, as the SMH Group continues its aim of becoming the go to professional services firm in the region.” CMP Legal and Ramsdens Solicitors provided guidance throughout the legal proceedings of the deal.

Automotive collision repair business gears up for growth at Ripon business park

Tess Egginton
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Automotive collision repair business gears up for growth at Ripon business park
Small to mid-box commercial property business, Potter Space, has welcomed established Yorkshire business, Turners Accident Repair Limited, to its Ripon business park. The business has agreed to a ten-year lease as it gears up for a period of growth. A regional family business which began trading in Selby in 1969, Turners is a partner to many of the UK’s leading insurance companies and fleet operators, undertaking vehicle accident repairs. The business has additional premises in Doncaster, Leeds and Sheffield. Thomas Turner, Managing Director at Turners Accident Repair Limited, said: “Expanding our business operations to service Harrogate and the surrounding areas is proof of our continued stability during a period of economic uncertainty. “It was essential for us to find a location where our business could continue to grow in an environment that closely aligned to our values; which our new partnership with Potter Space more than achieves. “The construction team went the extra mile to support us by taking the time to help us make valuable decisions to make the unit truly feel like a home for business.” Chris Collins, Head of Asset Management at Potter Space, said: “We are investing in our parks to provide space for local businesses to grow. “Welcoming Turners Accident Repairs Limited to our newest unit at Potter Space Ripon not only demonstrates that we are supporting the need for more space for growing businesses, but it will also be the start of a long-term partnership with a business that mirrors our core values. “Excellent customer care is at the heart of our operations, and we look forward to helping Turners fully settle into their new home for business.” The deal with involvement from GV&Co and Fox Lloyd Jones will see Turners join an existing community of diverse businesses that currently occupy Potter Space Ripon, including long established partnerships with AB Neo, I’Anson and Bowker Group. Potter Space is also in the process of securing planning permission for three new units at the Ripon site which will introduce an additional 22,980 sq ft of industrial and logistics space to the Yorkshire market on completion.

Minority stake in A-SAFE acquired

Tess Egginton
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Minority stake in A-SAFE acquired
A minority stake in A-SAFE, the designer, manufacturer and distributor of industrial polymer safety barrier systems, has been acquired by IK Partners’ IK Partnership II (IK PF II) Fund. IK acquired its stake from the Smith family who remain significantly invested. This is the final investment from the IK PF II Fund, which is now fully committed. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Yorkshire, A-SAFE produces a diverse range of polymer-based products which are deployed in factories and warehouses across the world to safeguard both people and assets from collisions with vehicles such as forklifts. The company has over 700 employees, with over 80 individuals committed to research and development. As a founder owned and managed business, A-SAFE has achieved significant organic growth and today, serves more than 6,000 customers in over 50 countries. Its diversified customer base comprises some of the world’s largest businesses, including Coca-Cola, UPS and Amazon. With the aim of further strengthening its leadership position in the industrial polymer space globally, the company decided to form a partnership with IK. With the support of IK and its dedicated Partnership Fund, which focuses on minority investments in established fast-growing entrepreneurial businesses, A-SAFE is poised for further growth. James and Luke Smith, co-CEOs at A-SAFE, said: “We are pleased to be partnering with IK. This is an exciting opportunity for us as we look to fortify our leading position in the market, while simultaneously expanding our global reach, enhancing our product offering and driving greater value for our customers. “With IK’s expertise and resources, we are confident that the company will go from strength-to-strength and we look forward to working with Thomas and his team.” Thomas Grob, partner at IK and advisor to the IK Partnership II Fund, added: “A-SAFE’s expansion into new markets and product segments, alongside its commitment to innovation, has firmly positioned it as an industry leader in workplace safety, protection and efficiency systems. “The company’s ability to anticipate market needs, coupled with its relentless pursuit of product excellence, has garnered our utmost confidence in the management team and its ability to drive positive action. We look forward to working with James, Luke and their team over the next few years.”
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