Leeds Bradford Airport collaborates with start-up to develop logistics drones hub
New transport and logistics infrastructure start-up, Urban-Air Port (UAP), have joined to collaborate with Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) on developing a new unmanned and manned aerial vehicle hub.
UAP will be working with LBA to develop an off-grid, hydrogen-powered infrastructure hub at the airport. The main role of the site at LBA will be to provide a space for the command, charging and loading of logistics drones, providing safe and secure infrastructure to support drone delivery services in the Leeds City Region in the near future.
Within the scope of the agreement between LBA and Urban-Air Port, there is also capacity for Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) vehicle storage and charging.
Urban-Air Port aims to reduce congestion in busy cities and create sustainable logistics solutions throughout the UK.
Ricky Sandhu, Urban-Air Port’s founder and executive chairman, said: “In putting this agreement with LBA in place, we are getting ahead of the curve for the next wave of logistics and infrastructure.
“We are looking forward to developing an ultra-compact, rapidly deployable, multi-functional operations hub with facilities for vehicles providing aircraft command and control, charging/refuelling, cargo, and passenger loading. This will result in a future with less vehicles on our road and more sustainable cities.”
Charles Johnson, head of planning development at LBA, said: “This collaboration signifies an exciting development for the airport and highlights the ability of Yorkshire to lead on innovative infrastructure solutions.
“It’s fantastic to see how aviation and its partner industries are developing new technologies that will be essential to our future. I am looking forward to seeing how the project develops, as we continue to act as a key hub for connectivity in the UK.”
Stockport packaging firm joins Leeds group
The Samuel Grant Group, which is based in Leeds and includes Samuel Grant Packaging, has acquired Clingfoil.
Based in Stockport and with £7m of annual sales, Clingfoil are independent distributors of protective packaging materials and stretch film product solutions, providing goods to a wide range of customers across distribution, e-commerce, and manufacturing markets.
By bringing Clingfoil’s manufacturing capabilities into the Group, Samuel Grant will be able to combine their expertise with their own, and actively seek out new innovations and products that can deliver improvements and efficiencies for its customers.
The acquisition will allow the team to further develop and research 30% recycled machine and hand stretch film for pallet wrapping. In the light of the recent plastic tax being introduced, the ability to research and develop new films in house will add a huge amount of value to Samuel Grant’s stretch film and pallet wrapping proposition.
Clingfoil was established in 1982 by brothers, Mark and Paul Kenyon, who have now reached retirement.
There are an overwhelming number of similarities between the two businesses in terms of culture, family values and the support they give their employees, all 21 of whom will continue to work there when the merge happens. They will also retain their office, warehousing and manufacturing facility.
Whilst Paul Kenyon has already retired, Mark will stay within the business to facilitate a seamless transition for the company and conduct a detailed handover of operations.
Andrew Grant, Samuel Grant Group’s Joint Managing Director, said: “Given the challenges of international supply that we are finding, adding a UK manufacturing arm to our business will help hugely with continuing to provide our customers with the best possible service.
“It will also allow us to conduct in-depth research into more environmentally friendly alternatives to virgin polymer stretch wrap, and help us to introduce effective stretch-wrapping solutions with increased recycled content to help reduce the impact of the plastic tax.”
Park Place acted as lead advisor to Samuel Grant Group on the transaction. Ben Peacock, partner at Park Place, said: “We are delighted to have advised on bringing these two family businesses together. Samuel Grant will be an excellent home for Clingfoil and alongside their new 30,000 square foot distribution centre in Leeds will support the Grant family’s significant growth aspirations for the group.”
Andrew Bradley and Victoria Innes of Knights provided legal advice to Samuel Grant Group. Funding for the acquisition was provided by NatWest. Dave Wilson from Spinnaker Corporate Finance advised Clingfoil, with Mark Heppell, Sara Bluston and Abigail Gallagher from JMW Solicitors acting on their behalf.
Leeds digital agency acquires assets and team of Knaresborough Ecommerce specialists
Leeds-based digital agency Ascensor has made its third acquisition in 12 months, securing the assets and team of Knaresborough-based Audere Commerce.
The deal sees three members of the Audere Commerce team join Ascensor. Founded in 2013, Ecommerce specialists Audere worked with a range of B2B clients, with a primary focus on the automotive and construction sectors
Ascensor MD Andrew Firth said: “This is a very exciting deal for Ascensor and presents an opportunity to build further our Ecommerce client base. We’ll be able to extend the range of services offered to our new clients.”
Audere Commerce MD James Withers has begun work as technical project manager, alongside backend developer Alex Johnson and account manager Chloe Joomun. The trio’s digital capabilities and experience provide continuity for clients and fill roles that Ascensor were actively recruiting.
“The skills base represented by this acquisition complements our existing strengths,” Andrew Firth continued. “Audere Commerce are Ecommerce software specialists and they’ve developed a specialism in B2B Ecommerce.
“We’ll be able to provide the new clients with marketing services, and they’ll benefit from our focus on conversion rate optimisation that helps website owners generate the maximum possible value from their digital assets and grow through return on investment.
“We have a strong reputation for our focus on conversion, whether that be delivering sales, leads, savings or brand recognition. Adding value and delivering growth is our key to success, we grow because our clients grow.”
Commenting on the agreement, James Withers said: “The Audere Commerce team and I are very much looking forward to joining a larger, more established digital agency. Ascensor share our values of delivering advanced digital technology to clients looking to grow through conversion.”
The agreement with Audere marks Ascensor’s fifth asset acquisition in two years, after acquiring the Green Gecko and Blue Mantis agencies in 2021, plus web development business Webposse and hosting firm ClaretMedia in 2020.
Last year Ascensor set ambitious targets and grew revenue by 55 per cent, improving turnover from £2.2m to £3.5m.
With the addition of Audere to the Ascensor family they now have 41 specialists focused on delivering conversion and digital transformation for clients.
Record year for Barnsley-based Wolf Laundry
Barnsley-based Wolf Laundry, which supplies commercial laundry and warewashing equipment across the UK, has revealed an impressive year of financial results including a 204 percent profit increase.
It delivered another year of revenue growth in its last financial year ending 31 December, with turnover growing to £7.2m, up 64 percent from £4.4m the previous year. EBIT increased to £1.4m from £460,000 in 2020.
Wolf Laundry attributes its success to its strong supply chain partnerships with Schulthess, a leading Swiss washing technology group, and leading manufacturer of commercial and industrial dryers, American Dryer Corporation (ADC).
In addition it has invested in talent acquisition, strengthening its workforce with a further 13 members of staff, and extending the reach of its manufacturer trained engineers to cover the whole of the UK.
Following another successful year, Wolf Laundry has ambitious plans for 2022 including amalgamating its Barnsley and Wakefield offices and investing in a brand new purpose-built office in Barnsley with a 20,000 sq foot warehouse facility, which opened on Monday 28 March. This has enabled Wolf Laundry to further expand its range of products including washing machines, tumble dryers and warewashing equipment. Through its exclusive partnership with Schulthess, Wolf Laundry is its sole UK stockist, supplying, installing and maintaining a full range of its machines from 7kg to 18kg.
To further support its growth plans, Wolf Laundry is also investing in marketing to dovetail with its sales strategy and has appointed Leeds-based independent creative design agency ACD&B. ACD&B will deliver an integrated communications strategy covering branding, marketing collateral, website development, PR and SEO.
Dan Riley, Wolf Laundry’s joint Managing Director, said: “Our investment in strengthening the team and focusing on establishing and harnessing strong supply chain partnerships with high quality, innovative manufacturers Schulthess and ADC, has resulted in a strong financial performance. This in turn was boosted by our loyal customer base who are at the heart of the business.
“We have ambitious plans and aim to continue to deliver a complete commercial laundry solution that is focused on our customer’s needs. To support our strategy, we have moved to new, larger premises to give us the space to expand our range, and we will make further big investments in 2022, training staff, and collaborating with ACD&B to evolve our brand and align our marketing efforts with the wider business.”
Kitchen appliance wholesaler secures £7.5m of flexible funding
Independent Growth Finance (IGF) has provided Apelson Appliances with a £7.5m Asset Based Lending (ABL) solution. The flexible facility will be used to fuel growth following several key contracts wins and increased sales demand.
The deal was facilitated by YB Financial Advisory Ltd – an independent debt advisory and credit brokerage, who saw IGF as the right fit to help fund Apelson Appliances’ growth. Founded in 2012, Apelson Appliances is a leading wholesaler of kitchen appliances which includes the sale of cookers, hoods, microwaves and hobs.
After securing several key contracts, Yorkshire-based Apelson Appliances needed funding for their growth to accommodate for the rise in stock and anticipated increase in sales associated with the deal.
The funding will act as a buffer, allowing Apelson Appliances to buy more stock to meet future demand. The firm’s strategy for holding stock became a competitive advantage during the pandemic. This is what attracted demand and the subsequent trade increase.
Finance director at Apelson Appliances, Mark Johnson, said: “IGF were flexible and reacted quickly and professionally towards any challenges which came up around the transactional process.
“It’s the collaboration of our team, and our dynamic practice which enabled us to help service clients’ needs, even through the difficulties of the pandemic. This dynamism is why we’ve secured this new contract, and the funding from IGF will enable us to expand to meet increased demand.”
New business director at IGF, Richard Spielbichler, said: “We’re excited to be by Apelson Appliances’ side as they enter their new phase of growth. We offer the flexibility which many banks can’t. We treat every client uniquely, and we’re able to cater to Apelson Appliances’ needs – deliver a mixture of facilities to facilitate both growth and restructure some existing debt.”
Plans submitted for major new Catterick business park
Eshton Group, in association with Castlevale Ltd, has submitted plans for a major 52-acre business park at Junction 52 of the A1M in Catterick that will bring millions of pounds of investment and create hundreds of jobs.
The ambitious plans for the site, which is to be branded Catterick 52, put forward a vision to turn the location into an industrial hub, attracting businesses from across the UK to drive local investment and employment to the region.
Leeds-based Eshton Group is the developer behind Burnley Bridge Business Park, the landmark development responsible for bringing in excess of £60m investment to its local area and creating more than 900 jobs so far. The planning application for the Catterick development closely mirrors the scale and scope of Burnley Bridge Business Park.
Representing a major economic opportunity for Catterick, the business park will be aimed at industrial occupiers. As the UK faces a severe shortfall in warehouse availability and the fastest rise in prime headline rents since 2018, the development poses a solution to a national problem. Eshton hopes to attract tenants from across the UK, driving business and investment into the region to provide a significant economic boost.
James Chapman, Managing Director at Eshton, said: “Our plans present a landmark opportunity for Catterick and our vision for the scheme is to deliver jobs, investment and opportunity on a large scale, warrantied by the strategic location. The site will be marketed nationally at a time when there is a real and urgent need for quality commercial space, and Catterick has the potential to become a hotspot in the future of UK industry.
“You just have to look to the success of schemes of similar scale to understand the impact that a major commercial development could have on the area’s economy. Such schemes unlock countless commercial and economic opportunities within the local area, which have had a real impact on the lives of local people and the way that they are perceived both regionally and nationally.”
Martin Foster of Castlevale added: “This must be one of the best sites in the north of the country for manufacturing and distribution being immediately adjacent and with substantial frontage to the A1M, close to Catterick Garrison and a strong local workforce.
“Castlevale is delighted to be working with Eshton Group who have a strong track record, proven experience and the resources to deliver this scheme and all the economic benefits it will bring to the region.”
Catterick 52 will be jointly marketed by the Leeds offices of Colliers and Dove Haigh Phillips.
Business Lincolnshire announces Fit for Business podcast with the CDI Alliance
Business Lincolnshire has announced a new podcast, ‘Fit for Business’, with the CDI Alliance.
Local businesses are invited to stream this new podcast series, ensuring they have everything they need to succeed.
Launching today, Wednesday 30 March, this bi-weekly series of 12 episodes aims to give local businesses the tools they need to thrive, covering a multitude of topics including naming your business, legal structures, how to create a business plan, and more.
The Podcast’s host, Guy Lewis, is a co-director at the CDI Alliance and is passionate about helping SMEs become more profitable by using technology.
When speaking about the podcast, Guy said: “We are trying to pick topics that are important to businesses, so we will be discussing so many things over the series.
“We’re hoping to attract more people with this new way of delivering information, and to help them to feel confident in raising their hand to ask questions in the future; sometimes people don’t know what they don’t know, they aren’t sure where to start, or what questions to ask, or maybe they’re just too nervous to ask them – we want to help them uncover the unknowns.”
He went on to say: “With the podcast, we want people to be able to absorb the knowledge and information we’re featuring in a way and at a time that suits them. We want it to get them to a position where they feel they need more than this, and from there we’d encourage them to reach out to us, to go to a masterclass, or ask questions of the advisors pertinent to their particular businesses.”
The Fit for Business podcast series will launch today, Wednesday 30 March. You can access the podcast from Podbean here.
Historic Sheffield engineering firm secures £400,000 funding
An historic Sheffield engineering firm has received a further £400,000 loan from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, to help it keep up with record demand.
Tinsley Bridge is a major supplier of suspension parts to the European truck industry. Its suspension business is up by 40 per cent on pre-pandemic levels due to increased demand from vehicle manufacturers, while its blades division, Tyzack Machine Knives, is also seeing a surge in demand for its products from the steel and scrap industry. The group has managed to maintain consistent production despite widespread disruption to supply chains.
Tinsley Bridge is one of Sheffield’s largest manufacturers, employing around 200 people and with origins dating back almost 200 years. The latest funding follows on from a £300,000 loan made by NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance in 2019 to support its long-term growth strategy.
Mark Webber, Managing Director at Tinsley Bridge Group, said: “The Tinsley Bridge Group is experiencing record demand in several of our key markets and has achieved unprecedented growth. This is despite experiencing supply chain disruption due to global shortages of computer chips and other materials, freight delays, Brexit and continued customs problems. The latest funding will help us meet the surge in demand and maximise the growth opportunities in 2022.”
Andy Tyas of Mercia said: “Tinsley Bridge provides a shining example of how resilient Sheffield’s manufacturing sector has proven itself to be during these difficult times. It is fantastic to see a historic business leverage its expertise and use continuous innovation to adapt to the changing market. The strength of the order book reflects the scale of opportunity that lies ahead.”
Yorkshire business confidence climbs to second highest in the UK
Business confidence in Yorkshire rose six points during March to 57%, its highest level since before the pandemic and the second highest reading of all UK regions and nations, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
Companies in the region reported higher confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, up seven points to 61%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, up six points to 54%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 57%.
Yorkshire businesses have identified a range of growth opportunities for the next six months, including investing in their teams (41%), diversifying into new markets (37%), and evolving their offering, such as introducing new products or services (31%).
The Business Barometer, which questions 1,200 businesses monthly, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.
A net balance of 60% of Yorkshire businesses expect to increase staff levels over the next year, up seven points on last month.
Overall UK business confidence dropped 11 points during March, from 44% to 33%. Firms’ outlook on their future trading prospects (down from 45% to 34%) and optimism in the economy (down from 43% to 32%) both also fell by 11 points on February’s reading. The net balance of businesses planning to create new jobs decreased slightly, by six points to 32%.
Every UK region and nation reported positive confidence readings in March, with the exception of Wales which saw confidence drop from 29% to -5%. Along with Yorkshire, only London (up 13 points to 60%) and the North West (up one point to 45%) reported a higher reading than last month.
Steve Harris, regional director for Yorkshire at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “Despite the very real challenges businesses are facing around rising costs, coupled with the ongoing geo-political situation in Europe, Yorkshire firms are continuing to seize every available opportunity to drive growth.
“Taking advantage of the competitive hiring market is bearing fruit, with businesses able to invest in strengthening their teams with new expertise and specialisms.
“The road ahead will inevitably bring further obstacles. But with the right support, and through clear planning, businesses can maintain the resilience they have built throughout the pandemic to keep growth prospects high.”
From a sector perspective the impact of the war in Ukraine appears to have had the greatest impact on manufacturing and retail firms. Both sectors saw drops in confidence of 19% from February’s highs (to 35% and 28% respectively). From a manufacturing perspective, confidence levels are now at their lowest since last summer, while retail has fallen to a one-year low.
In the other sectors, services dropped by six points (32%) while construction dropped eight points to 43%, but remained higher than at the start of the year.
Hann-Ju Ho, senior economist, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “March’s data shows UK businesses are facing significant challenges from the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in increasing economic uncertainty and ongoing inflationary pressures. Following encouraging improvements at the start of the year, March’s fall in confidence is therefore disappointing, but not surprising.
“There are positives with the fact that confidence remains above the long-term average and it appears for now that growth will moderate. But it is difficult to gauge what the full impact will be and therefore businesses have become more cautious.”
Historic Skegness Town Hall goes on the market
Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) has been instructed to sell Skegness Town Hall, a Grade II listed office building, and The Lodge, a separate residential dwelling, by East Lindsey District Council.
The Town Hall was designed by William Henry Ansell and originally built in 1926 as a convalescent home, before being repurposed as the Town Hall in 1964. It benefits from close proximity to the town’s seafront and main tourist areas and would suit a variety of alternative uses.
Andrew France, Associate Director – Agency & Development, at LSH commented:“Located in one of the UK’s most popular tourist resorts, these are prominent buildings with significant redevelopment opportunity for a variety of alternative uses, and the chance to bring something really exciting to Skegness. I’m delighted to be working with East Lindsey District Council to find a buyer that will secure the future of this historic building.”
Councillor Richard Fry, Portfolio Holder for Finance at East Lindsey District Council, said:
“With the development of a new home for the Council at the Horncastle Hub, Skegness Town Hall is now being offered to the market for sale. The Town Hall is now all but empty and is now surplus to the Council’s operational requirements. Best and final offers are being invited with interested parties needing to submit their proposals and offers to Andrew France no later than noon on 29 April 2022. The Council hopes to see the building put into really productive use with the listing itself protecting its magnificence.”
