£175k record quarter as exports drive growth and new jobs at Yorkshire agencies
Harrogate-based media and profile agencies Appeal and GBM have posted a record quarter of £175,000 in sales, up by 54% on the previous three months.
The media and lead generation specialists, which are sister organisations, have offices in Harrogate and Boston, USA, have appointed two new senior consultants to help the growing team deliver a raft of new projects for a range of firms, from regional software and technology businesses to professional services organisations.
The record growth follows six-figure investment in R&D and software during lockdown to boost capacity and assist with the delivery of combined B2B media relations and inbound lead generation campaigns globally for firms, regions and government bodies.
Experienced PR consultant Caroline Joynson has re-joined the team where she started her career in PR in 2001, and internationalisation consultant Frances Sinclair has been appointed to help the businesses develop new overseas campaigns for export clients.
“In 2020, we launched new services, leveraging our media coverage to generate inbound sales leads online for growing SMEs, and that has helped us expand the US work as more and more firms strive to get a foothold in the North American market,” said founder Paul Snape.
“We are continuing to see a rise in demand for guidance in the US market, especially from dynamic technology firms, but we have also seen growth in regional and national PR accounts and from some former clients who are returning to us, wanting to generate new relationships online, which is exactly the area in which we’re focusing.
“There’s no doubt that people have been planning new projects and businesses during the lockdowns and these are now coming to fruition, and that’s giving us the opportunity to grow in 2022.”
Based on Montpellier Street in Harrogate, Appeal and GBM now employ eight consultants across the UK and US, and plan to make further hires in 2022.
“We’re aiming to build on the momentum we have, and we’re looking for digitally-savvy media and content specialists, and digital marketers to join the Harrogate team and help maintain the growth we’ve seen in the last few months,” concluded Snape.
Last chance to book for Lincolnshire’s 2022 Visitor Economy Conference
Local tourism and hospitality businesses are invited to join Visit Lincolnshire and Business Lincolnshire’s Visitor Economy Conference to discover new opportunities for the sector.
The full-day event, which takes place at the Lincolnshire Showground on Tuesday 22 March 2022, showcases Lincolnshire and Rutland’s visitor economy offer and, after a two-year gap, reports on what has been put in place to build the sector back stronger.
Attendees will gain exclusive insight and be the first to hear about Lincolnshire’s Green Tourism Toolkit, which will be launching on the day. Keynote speakers from across the region include representatives from Lincolnshire County Council, Visit Lincoln, and CDI Alliance, along with perspectives from an array of independent businesses.
The event features an address from keynote speaker, Ed Gillespie. A passionate and entertaining environmentalist, Ed will be focussing on sustainability and innovation during his session, aiming to educate businesses on how to be more resilient and responsible, whilst encouraging them to prepare for a successful future.
Cllr Colin Davie, Executive Councillor for Economy and Place, will be delivering the opening message for the event. Cllr Davie says: “We are thrilled to finally meet in-person again at the Lincolnshire Showground, which is such a lovely venue! It is so important to shout about the massive achievements in the sector after COVID.
“We have many exciting workshops and interactive sessions. This really is an event we want everyone to take something away from, and we are lucky to be able to fully fund the conference for all attendees!”
Places are limited and advanced booking is required. Early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment. Tickets are available via the Business Lincolnshire website: www.businesslincolnshire.com
Council buys Grimsby site as it looks to lead regeneration of town centre area
A total of 1.6-acres of Grimsby town centre development land is being bought by North East Lincolnshire Council as it looks at the future regeneration and reinvention of the high street area.
Contracts have now been exchanged on the area, which comprises of 3-15 Osborne Street and the land behind those buildings on Garden Street, which is currently used as a car park.
Supporting the purchase, the Leader of the Council, Cllr Philip Jackson, was clear of intentions to look at the wider plans for the whole of the town centre. In doing so, he added, the council was determined to grasp hold of opportunities and lead change with central Grimsby a priority. The buildings, he added, had been redundant for some considerable time.
Over the last five years, the reshaping of the town centre has been led by the local authority. Along with partners and stakeholders including the Greater Grimsby Town Board, it has won multi-million-pound funding bids from Central Government.
This money, all ring-fenced for specific projects, has seen the transformation of St James Square and Garth Lane with its new footbridge, river dredging and extensive paving and landscaping. Further to that, work is set to start soon on the redundant St James House with the E-Factor purchasing the building to create a business hub. There is also support for a long-held residents’ view that the town centre needs better facilities for people using public transport.
This is in addition to the Future High Streets Fund, and projects earmarked for Towns Fund money including the full refurb of Riverhead Square, a plan for new housing on the redundant Garth Lane site and the wider multi-use of empty space at Central Library. There is also the new OnSide ‘Horizon’ Youth Zone, which has just won £2.7m of National Lottery Heritage Fund monies. This involves the transformation of the historic redundant buildings along Garth Lane into a state-of-the-art centre for young people.
“In order to effect change, which we all know is needed, we must look at opportunities such as this with a view to shaping and guiding redevelopment. Town Centres across the country have changed almost beyond what any of us would have anticipated and we have a responsibility to ensure the community’s needs are served as we look to refocus the town,” said Cllr Jackson.
New Chamber President pledges to make sure Humber region prospers
New Hull and Humber Chamber President Mike Whitehead has underlined his commitment to securing regional devolution and ensuring the Humber prospers.
Mike, the 110th President of the pan-Humber organisation, said he was disappointed at the political will that saw Humber progress stifled, but is cheered by the work now emerging under the Opportunity Humber banner, with Reckitt CEO Laxman Narasimhan working alongside the Humber Leadership Board – made up of council chiefs and LEP chairs – to focus on strategic growth for a globally significant region.
Mr Whitehead said: “It is a particular honour to be President of the Chamber. I’m a local lad. I spent 28 years at Hull Royal Infirmary, as a manager of surgery and critical care, and my grandfathers were dockers and trawlermen in Hull – that’s working class aristocracy.”
He has since turned his attention to property development and also served as an East Riding councillor between 2011 and 2015, representing Kirk Ella.
“We are in a very good place, with very good relationships with local authorities and MPs, and in a position to influence and represent businesses in the Humber.
“We are one of the few true pan-Humber organisations at a time when the Humber has split apart – hopefully it is only temporary, hopefully it will come back.
“The South Bank is important to the region, and one of the reasons I have chosen Horizon as my charity this year. I look forward to a year of activity, my door is always open as I used to say in the NHS, and the same applies here. We have a very good team, and excellent chief executive and excellent officers.”
Leeds firm acquires North American rail technology software provider in £11m deal
Leeds-based Tracsis, a provider of software, hardware, data analytics/GIS and services for the rail, traffic data and wider transport industries, has acquired RailComm, a North American rail technology software and services provider.
Headquartered in Fairport, New York and established in 1999, RailComm provides mission critical automation and control solutions that reduce costs, increase safety, and improve operational efficiency for rail passenger/freight operators and rail served ports/industrials.
Its two core products are rail yard automation and computer aided dispatching and it has a wide and diversified client base across the North American market. The business has good levels of annual recurring software revenues in addition to large project delivery/systems integration work. The business employs around 30 full-time staff, all of whom will remain with the business post transaction.
For the financial year ended 31 December 2021, RailComm delivered revenue of $6m (£4.6m) including c$2.5m (£1.9m) of recurring software revenue and generated an unaudited loss before tax of $0.3m (£0.2m).
The acquisition consideration comprises an initial cash payment of $11.5m (£8.8m). Additional contingent consideration of up to $2.7m (£2.1m) is payable subject to RailComm achieving certain financial targets in the first full year post acquisition.
Chris Barnes, Chief Executive Officer of Tracsis, said: “This is an important strategic acquisition for Tracsis plc, providing a platform onto which we can start to internationally expand the Tracsis Group and its rail product portfolio via direct access to the significant and growing North American rail technology market. We are delighted to welcome all of the RailComm team into the Tracsis Group and look forward to a successful future working together.”
Joe Forgione, president of RailComm LLC, said: “The RailComm team is very excited about joining the Tracsis Group. Both businesses have a long history of driving innovation via R&D built around long-term client relationships and we look forward to expanding our ability to offer a much broader range of rail technology solutions across our extensive client base in North America.”
Employers and employees asked to help develop West Yorkshire’s ‘Fair Work Charter’
A major public consultation that will inform and develop a Fair Work Charter for West Yorkshire has launched.
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, is asking employers, employees, and other organisations across West Yorkshire to #TellTracy about their views on work, and what fair work could mean for them.
The Charter aims to promote, encourage and support employers to meet aspects of fair work that will recognise and deliver good pay, fair and flexible working conditions, and promote greater wellbeing, diversity, and social mobility within the region’s workplaces.
Too many people are working in poor quality jobs
- 29% of West Yorkshire employees, or 271,000 people, are in jobs that don’t meet the ONS definition of Good Work.
- For example, there is a gender pay gap of 12% in average earnings in the region, and two thirds of companies in West Yorkshire have no female representation at director level.
- West Yorkshire’s employment rate is 74%, compared with 77% nationally.
- And for some groups the picture is much worse – the overall employment rate gap for ethnic minorities in West Yorkshire is 18 percentage points and that for people with disabilities is 23 points.
Panel of design experts to help shape future of Sheffield
A panel of experts in the building, design and development sector will help shape the future of Sheffield and support the vast amount of development work taking place across the city as the Sheffield Design Panel relaunches in June this year.
The Panel, which is chaired by David Rudlin, is made up of a group of experts from a range of built environment professions including sustainability, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture and development. Their background ranges from the public and private sectors, both locally and nationally.
Sheffield City Council is ambitious for high quality design that reflects the character of the city, enhancing Sheffield’s heritage and history while leading in modern, innovative and sustainable development.
The design panel will meet every six to eight weeks to consider upcoming large-scale schemes, before they’re considered by the planning committee, with a focus on details and quality issues. Feedback is then provided to the planning committee to support the process.
Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Executive Member for City Futures: Development, Culture and Regeneration, said: “The face of Sheffield is constantly changing and growing, and it’s important that throughout all of that growth we create the best places and spaces for our businesses and our people.
“The Sheffield Design Panel will assess projects and developments to ensure they complement, enhance and work to our city’s advantage. They are not here to inhibit or hinder progress, but to help shape ideas and plans for everyone’s benefit.
“The independent panel is made up of industry professionals from all relevant sectors, which means they can assess how a project will look, whether it’s sustainable and accessible, and whether it’s right for Sheffield.
“With so much development currently taking place, and planned for the future, this is a very exciting time for the city and the Sheffield Design Panel have a very significant role to play in shaping it’s transformation.”
The first meeting of the renewed panel will take place in June.
While the Sheffield Design Panel is made up of around 18 professionals it is looking to recruit more members to support the huge amount of development work happening in Sheffield.
The Panel hope to add 12 more experts with experience of working in the private or public sectors, representing local and national practices.
Make new contacts at The Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo
Perfect for establishing new contacts, the free to attend Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo will return on Wednesday 27 April 2022 at The Bentley Hotel, Lincoln.
Business Link is a proud partner of the well targeted event aimed at the Construction, Property, Business, Investment, Finance, Professional Services and related B2B markets.
To see who is exhibiting click here.
Opening at 9am, the expo will also host a seminar, and as the exhibition closes, it will roll directly into an informal, open buffet style network lunch – tickets are just £25 plus vat and can be ordered and paid for directly online.
Spaces for the lunch are limited, so order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Tina King, of Business Shows Group, said: “It’s been a long time in the making thanks to the pandemic, but we are finally nearly there, The Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo is gearing up to be one of the best to date!”
To attend the event, register for free here.
To generate opportunities by exhibiting at the event, click here.
Purchase tickets to the networking lunch here.
Meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road.
Manufacturers continuing to increase prices at record rates
Manufacturers are continuing to raise both UK and export prices at record levels in the face of escalating inflationary pressures across the board which show little sign of abating, according to a survey published by Make UK and business advisory firm BDO.
According to the Make UK/BDO Q1 Manufacturing Outlook survey, UK prices rose from a balance of +52% in Q4 2021 to +58%. These are the highest balances in the survey’s history and the fourth successive quarter where record numbers of companies increasing prices has been reached. Given the survey was conducted before the invasion of Ukraine and the substantial increases in the costs of energy and raw materials since, this is likely to have pushed price increases even higher.
To give an indication of just how sharply inflation has bitten, and how manufacturers have responded, the equivalent balance on domestic prices in Q4 2019 before the onset of the pandemic and leaving the EU was just +5%, with the equivalent balance in Q1 2020 +16%.
A similar picture exists for export prices where the balance reported at +50%. By contrast, the balance in Q1 2020 was +13%.
The survey shows a broad impact of escalating costs with over half of companies (54.2%) seeing a major increase in the cost of raw materials and more than a third of companies (37.4%) seeing a major increase in the cost of energy. Almost 10% of companies say that increases in both these indicators represent a ‘threatening increase’ to their business, with a quarter of companies (23.7%) saying that it will take more than two years to resolve energy related costs for their business.
In response to this cocktail of rising cost burdens for business Make UK is urging the Chancellor to use his forthcoming Spring Statement to delay the planned increase in National Insurance and examine other ways to ease business costs and boost investment. These include:
- Reinstate business rates relief for small businesses and bring forward the improvement relief and investment relief exemptions by 12 months
- Extend the Super Deduction scheme with a view to making it permanent at the Autumn Budget.
CBI calls for firms to support Russian sanctions and get involved in aid for Ukraine
The conflict in the Ukraine conflict shows quite clearly that the UK must start bolstering its future economic resilience, from our supply chains and energy sources to our cyber security, according to CBI Director-General Tony Danker.
He said: “To do that, the Government will need to fast-track progress on some of the big policy issues and help firms invest. Business stands ready to support them in that endeavour.
“Since the start of this crisis, the CBI has been guiding thousands of firms across the country to support economic sanctions on Russia and to get behind humanitarian efforts for people in Ukraine and for refugees. Convening its councils and roundtables across the UK, CBI members are supportive of sanctions, despite the real costs involved in doing so.
“The next phase must be finding our economic resilience, better ensuring our fate remains in our hands on this conflict and for the future.”
“Sanctions have been a successful start to global efforts to isolate the Putin regime. But the next phase will require global economies, including Britain, to be economically resilient to further threats.”
He said the crisis showed the UK had to move far faster towards clean energy solutions. “We need to double down on successful strategies for wind power and nuclear. And we must go further and faster to deliver investible business models for carbon capture and hydrogen. Government is moving too slowly on these solutions.
“We need to stand behind domestic oil and gas in our energy transition. That’s why the government is right to take forward the aims of its North Sea Transition Deal with industry, and we need to recognise immediately the looming crisis in domestic and business energy bills. We need to move immediately towards energy efficiency in homes to dampen down demand. And government will need to think urgently about consumers’ as bills go higher still later in the year.”
His calls came amongst a package of pleas covering minerals, commodities, cyber security and business investment, adding: “Firms fully support sanctions despite their cost. Meanwhile the CBI will continue to advise companies on what’s required and ensure the government understands the implications of its decisions for UK firms domestically and overseas.”
