Private equity firm invests in replacement vehicle parts supplier

Tess Egginton
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Private equity firm invests in replacement vehicle parts supplier

Radial Equity Partners has invested in Rimmer Bros, a Lincolnshire-based supplier of replacement parts for UK marque vehicles, including Jaguar, Land Rover, MG, Mini, Rover and Triumph.

Founded in 1982, Rimmer Bros maintains a comprehensive product library of over 50,000 SKUs sold primarily on a direct-to-consumer basis. The company has approximately 80 employees working out of its operation in Lincoln.

Radial has simultaneously invested in Moss Motors, a U.S.-headquartered aftermarket supplier of parts for British cars, to form “a leading, global specialty supplier of restoration & replacement parts focused on British vehicle brands.”

Bill and Graham Rimmer, founders of Rimmer Bros, said: “The merger of these highly complementary businesses creates a global business with immense R&D, sourcing, marketing and distribution capabilities to better serve our loyal customers.”

“We are excited by the opportunity to carry on the great legacies of these two family-owned businesses,” said Jim McDonough, partner of Radial. “We are committed to continuing to provide leading service to customers as well as expanding the offering of parts solutions across existing British brands as well as new vehicle marques.”

Hull-based building materials supplier opens another showroom

Stuart Pearcey
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Hull-based building materials supplier opens another showroom
Hull-based building industry supplier MKM has opened its 128th branch, creating 19 new jobs in Shrewsbury. The new branch will be led by Branch Director Patrick Chall, who is local to Shrewsbury and has vast experience in the building merchant industry, and said: “I’ve lived in Shrewsbury for over 16 years now, it’s a beautiful town and one I’m happy to raise my children in – to have the opportunity to lead a business in an area I love is a real privilege. The community is tight-knit, and I’m determined that the new MKM Shrewsbury branch will be an extension of that. To locals, we want to be the ‘big yellow building down the road’ and our customers can always expect us to be welcoming, helpful and provide the products and services they need.”

East Yorkshire professionals scoop national construction building industry awards

Stuart Pearcey
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East Yorkshire professionals scoop national construction building industry awards

Two East Yorkshire project managers have been named winners in the Chartered Institute of Building annual awards.

Martin Standley, a project manager at Hull-based Sewell Construction, was a silver winner in the Construction Manager of the Year for Education, and Katy Robinson, Senior Project Manager at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, received the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Individual Award for her contribution to a PPE campaign. Martin was nominated for his work on constructing Broadacre Primary School in Hull, a new school which had a purpose-built base for young children with autism spectrum conditions. Katy was nominated for her work on her campaign to address the inequalities of PPE provision for minority groups in construction. The campaign was launched after research found that nearly 60% of employers were not providing women’s specific PPE to their workforce. The judges praised the pair’s passion, dedication and hard work, with both of them up against a talented field of nominees. Caroline Gumble, chief executive officer at CIOB, added: “There is no doubt that there’s a real depth of talent among the UK’s built environment professionals, with some incredibly impressive projects making the list of finalists. “It was great to see the awards go to a range of individuals and companies, all of whom are amazing examples of leadership and dedication, all delivering a high-quality built environment. Many congratulations to all our winners.”

Former childhood runaway features in sought-after event during Humber Business Week

Stuart Pearcey
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Former childhood runaway features in sought-after event during Humber Business Week

A former childhood runaway who grew up to be a globetrotter at the centre of the tech revolution of the 1980s will tell her story at this year’s Humber Business Week.

Ragini Annan will also reveal how she immersed herself in the traditions of the Vedic religion and culture as she battled to recover from a series of personal and professional crashes during the 1990s. Her attendance at the “Awesome Women” Elevenses session with Biz Week founder and Chair of Sewell Group Paul Sewell is likely to be one of the hottest tickets at a festival of business which this year marks its 20th anniversary. Paul said: “We have never committed to making Elevenses an annual thing but if there’s somebody I come across who I think is interesting we will do it. “I know Ragini and her husband Scott through the Independent Retailer Owners’ Forum, which goes around the world looking at best practice. After sitting in airports and on planes with them I found she had quite an interesting story to tell and she was happy to come and see us in Hull.” Ragini was born in Uganda to Indian parents and arrived in the UK in the 1970s. A computer sciences degree from Loughborough University set her on the road to a career in tech and to roles with Mitch Kapor’s Lotus start-up and then with Apple and Steve Jobs. Things began to unravel in the 1990s as she hit a series of personal and professional problems. Paul said: “I’ll be asking Ragini about her work at the very top, with some of the biggest names in tech, and about how, when everything fell apart, she pursued resolution and renewal through the Vedic culture.” Paul introduced Elevenses to the Biz Week programme in 2021 and developed the theme of Awesome Women after being joined by broadcaster Steph McGovern, politician Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and Debbie Robinson, the Central England CEO and European Vice President of the Co-op. He said: “I have been brought up in an area where boards were male, middle aged, middle class and wore suits so I do like it when you find a female who can come and be a role model. “We have been successful at Sewell Group in recent years and the number of females in the business has grown exponentially. At one point we appointed four new directors and they were all women. They bring a good balance to your top team and your board and they reflect your customer base. “With women, whether it’s Steph, Sayeeda, Debbie or whoever, if they reach a certain level you will generally find they have had to overcome something more than your average man has had to deal with – and built some resilience along the way. “The style has gone down very well. I’m not an interviewer but I do like having a natter with people and we always allow maybe 20 minutes at the end to let the audience join in. They never run out of questions.”

Rotherham printer invests almost £2m to speed booklet production

Stuart Pearcey
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Rotherham printer invests almost £2m to speed booklet production
Rotherham-based online printer instantprint has invested almost £2 million in the UK’s first Muller Martini Prinova Digital stitching lines. With the goal of improving efficiencies, the speed of the new stitcher allows instantprint to print books much faster than their existing stitchliners, from around 2,000 an hour to a 9,000. They’re also able to easily switch the way the stitcher is fed, meaning no matter which printer customers’ books are printed on, they now have more opportunities to speed up the turnaround time of delivery. James Kinsella,instantprint Co-Founder, said:“The Muller Martinis are capable of being fed from any device in the factory making them very flexible. The key thing for us is that we do lots of jobs on lots of different materials, so job-to-job changeover is really important for us. We could feed the stitchers with reels and move from size-to-size automatically, and could also switch from reels to sections, to digital sheets. “The team are currently working intensively on setting up the automated workflow and integrating the new stitchers with its internal systems, with the first machine being installed now, and the second following soon.”

Mitie wins ten-year contract to run new prison at York

Stuart Pearcey
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Mitie wins ten-year contract to run new prison at York
Mitie Care & Custody has been awarded the contract to operate HMP Millsike, the UK’s first all-electric prison that will provide around 1,500 places. Due to open next year, the Category C prison is the third new prison being built as part of the government’s £4 billion prison expansion programme, delivering 20,000 new places. The facility will run solely on electricity, making it the first of its kind in the UK. The build will use solar panels, heat pump technology and more efficient lighting systems, meaning that it will use approximately a quarter of the energy used to heat traditional Victorian prisons. In addition, Mitie Care & Custody will deliver drug treatment that supports abstinence-based recovery for prisoners in prison and after their release, a learning package tailored to prisoners to help them boost their skills, and 1,000 living wage jobs for prison leavers over the course of the contract. Prisons Minister Edward Argar said:  “We are creating modern and secure prisons with rehabilitation at their heart so we can turn offenders lives around for good and cut crime and reoffending further.

“We are building 20,000 prison places now that we are keeping the most dangerous offenders behind bars for longer and I look forward to seeing Mitie Care & Custody’s innovative approach in action when HMP Millsike opens next year.”

 The building of the prison has already provided offenders with valuable work experience, with prisoners on day release supporting its construction, learning key construction skills, as well as transferable skills such as teamwork, communication and organisation that will help them find jobs at the end of their time in prison. Over £117 million has been invested in the local community through the construction so far, and Mitie Care & Custody will employ over 500 people when the prison is operational. Danny Spencer, MD of Mitie Care & Custody, said: “We are pleased to have been awarded this contract to operate HMP Millsike.

With our experience delivering critical public services to support the immigration, justice and care sectors, as well as our expertise in facilities transformation and decarbonisation, we are excited to bring a modern and caring approach to prison management at this innovative new site.”

Yorkshire administrations fall but pressure remains on construction sector

Tess Egginton
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Yorkshire administrations fall but pressure remains on construction sector
The number of companies in Yorkshire and the North East of England filing for administration in the first quarter of the year dropped by more than a quarter (27.5%), according to figures from Interpath Advisory. However, insolvency experts warn that the stresses facing the region’s businesses remain, with building & construction particularly affected. Analysis of notices in The Gazette by Interpath shows there were 37 administrations across Yorkshire and the North East in Q1 2024, a drop against last year’s corresponding figures (Q1 2023: 51). The figures buck the national trend as the number of cases in Great Britain saw a modest rise from 321 (Q1 2023) to 328 (Q1 2024). Yorkshire and the North East accounted for just over a tenth (11.3%) of administrations across the country. Building & construction was the stand-out most impacted sector in the region with 11 cases in the first three months of the year, followed by industrial manufacturing with six administrations. Commenting on the figures, James Clark, Managing Director and Head of the Yorkshire team at Interpath Advisory, said: “Yorkshire and the North East has had some relief as the number of administrations fell on a quarter-on-quarter basis compared to last year, but this risks masking a broader long-term trend of distress as Government support has fallen away and businesses have been buffeted by inflation, poor growth, a cautious consumer, and high interest rates. “The wear and tear that such punishing trading conditions have on company finances is unsustainable for many and we’re seeing that come through in administrations. “From what we’re seeing on the ground, cashflow pressure is ultimately proving to be the tipping point. Costs have hammered margins, but many management teams have also found it hard to find the revenues that will give them sufficient breathing room. “A stubborn base rate and tight covenants with lenders combine to make the hard wall that they can then come up against. That distress can spread through supply chains and can impact larger businesses. “Looking ahead, we expect that the administration rate on an annual basis to rise and to surpass the peak we saw immediately before COVID-19 in 2020. That point of inflexion is likely to come towards the end of this year and will represent an important marker in the re-adjustment of the UK economy. “Let’s not forgot that, while administrations can signal distress the outcome of these processes is equally vital and the other side of the equation. That’s why it is so essential that businesses seek support as early as possible as it can give them the best chance of a positive outcome.”

Housebuilder signs deal at South Central Leeds

Tess Egginton
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Housebuilder signs deal at South Central Leeds
Housebuilder, Keepmoat has agreed a deal to let 6,682 sq ft of office space at South Central in Leeds following a comprehensive refurbishment at the green site. CBRE’s Office Agency team, alongside joint agents Knight Frank, secured the letting at the reimagined workspace close to the White Rose Shopping Centre and imminent new White Rose train station. Keepmoat was represented by Avison Young.

South Central on Global Avenue has undergone a full renovation programme with the landlord, Merkino Limited focusing on improving amenities and sustainability as part of its investment at the site.

With more than 75,300 sq ft of office accommodation, occupiers are now benefiting from a new gym, shower facilities, business lounge and outdoor meeting space. 

Keepmoat has agreed a 10 year deal on a suite within the building. 

This latest letting is the third deal to complete following the restoration works, with existing tenants Aon and Inseego already in occupation. 

Alex Hailey, Senior Director, CBRE, said: “South Central offers modern, stylish and welcoming sustainable workspace, which minimally impacts the environment – a key driver in occupier demands in the Leeds office market.

“This refurbished office space is appealing to occupiers seeking accommodation that attracts and retains the best talent. It’s in an excellent location on a spacious, leafy green site and has first class transport links, as well as the amenities of the nearby White Rose Shopping Centre.”

Chris Clingo, Interim Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat Yorkshire West, added: “I’m delighted to announce that Keepmoat has invested in a new office space for the Keepmoat Yorkshire West regional division.

“The new space for the team has greater commuter links and amenities nearby, plus it further fuels Keepmoat’s commitment to employees by providing them with a high-end place of work where they can thrive. By taking out a lease at South Central, we mark an exciting start to a new journey in a fantastic new space.”

15 acre Doncaster industrial site sold

Tess Egginton
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15 acre Doncaster industrial site sold

Keyland Developments Ltd, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister-company to Yorkshire Water, has agreed the sale of a circa 15 acre site in Balby, Doncaster to Total Developments Limited for the creation of a new industrial development.

Unconditional contracts have been exchanged on the site at Woodfield Road in Balby, which is currently allocated for employment use. Subject to planning, the site could accommodate an industrial development with a potential GDV of circa £30m including 233,500 sq ft of accommodation over 5 units. A scheme of this scale would deliver around 95 construction related jobs.

Total Developments are currently on site with works commencing on their Total Park development which sits on adjacent land. Total Park will deliver 5 new units totalling 376,419 sq ft with units ranging from 43,525-128,945 sq ft. The new land acquired from Keyland Developments will form the second phase of development.

Matthew Turnbull, Land & Planning Manager at Keyland Developments Ltd, said: “This land sale ideally complements the development being undertaken at the adjacent site.

“South Yorkshire is in real need of new industrial and logistics accommodation to meet rising demand, and by unlocking this strategic site we are enabling a significant amount of square footage to be delivered to the constrained market. Additionally, development will generate lots of new jobs, during construction and beyond.”

Henry Watson, Partner at M1 Agency, said: ”The acquisition demonstrates our confidence in the South Yorkshire region where units below 150,000 sq ft are at an all-time low. Future supply of this size range states a chronic lack of supply across the region and especially within Doncaster.

“On top of the recent transactions across the region, we are still seeing a strong influx of distribution enquiries for new build space, focussing on strong ESG credentials, which is at the centre of Total Developments’ strategy.

“The proximity to the motorway network has been a key consideration and exemplifies why this is a proven location. The M18 and A1(M) intersection is just 3 miles away, which link to Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester in the North and Nottingham, Birmingham and London in the South.

“In addition, the site is less than 4 miles from iPort Rail, which provides immediate access to the national rail network and all the country’s deep sea ports. This site will provide an expansion of the existing Total Park, where construction is well under way with the first three units ready for occupation in quarter three of 2024.”

Wilkin Chapman names Caroline as new partner

Stuart Pearcey
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Wilkin Chapman names Caroline as new partner
Caroline Neadley has joined law firm Wilkin Chapman as a partner and will be based at its Grimsby office, where she will work closely with head of employment Oliver Tasker. She has 22 years’ experience in law in a wide range of sectors, including food, education and public sector employment. She said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the team at Wilkin Chapman. Having worked in both the private and public sectors, I have a unique employment law skillset which will complement the wide range of experience within the team. My private sector experience is primarily a varied client base across sectors such as manufacturing, motor, food, and charities. I also have extensive experience in the education sector. “These specialisms align very well with Wilkin Chapman’s client base. My expertise will further develop the employment teams’ experience and ability to support existing clients, and secure new clients during a time of varied legislative reform.” Oliver Tasker added: “Caroline’s appointment is a great asset to our highly-regarded employment team, and demonstrates our ability to attract the very best legal talent in the region. She brings incredible experience and a diverse sector knowledge which will benefit our clients across Lincolnshire, East Yorkshire, and nationally. “As well as having led legal teams in her past positions, Caroline is recognised as a leading individual in employment law in the Legal 500, an independent legal guide ranking individuals and firms on feedback from clients and peers. She is also the chair of Women in Business Hull, a highly successful women’s networking organisation aimed at supporting and inspiring women in the region.” Caroline has a degree in law from Sheffield Hallam University and undertook her Legal Practice Course at the York College of Law.
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