2024 Business Predictions: Steve Adams, CEO, Mattress Online
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Steve Adams, CEO of Mattress Online.
From a retail perspective Google local search will continue to be an important tool for businesses – making sure the page is updated and correct is key – and having reviews feeding in to elevate local visibility. It’s essentially free exposure, and I see brands making the most of that in 2024.
Along with that, I predict that we will see more hybrid retailing in the coming year, primarily online businesses coming offline and taking steps to invest back into the highstreet through bricks and mortar roll-outs.
For e-Commerce I think we’ll see AI and PMAX almost running online paid visibility by the end of 2024 and working to maximise content for Google’s EEAT policy (Enterprise, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness). The two need to work in harmony, so I see teams placing focus and capacity on those elements of their strategy, as it will be crucial for online businesses to get both right.
Administrators sell Hull firms as a going concern, saving 70 jobs
The business and assets of modular building construction Module-AR have been acquired out of administration, safeguarding more than 70 jobs. The £30 million turnover firm and its assets have been sold to a third party as a going concern.
Dean Watson and Paul Stanley of Begbies Traynor were appointed as Joint Administrators of the Hull-based company alongside Rikki Burton of Anderson Brookes at the end of October, after which they ran a marketing campaign and negotiations with various parties.
Dean Watson, partner at Begbies Traynor, said: “We are pleased to have completed a going concern sale of the business, which safeguards the jobs of a loyal and skilled workforce. These are particularly challenging economic times for everyone in the construction sector but this acquisition saves jobs and enables operations to continue. We have been assisted by Rob Turner of Brabners and Paul Pilling of Hilco Valuation Services with the transaction.”
11-storey apartment scheme tops out in Leeds
Contractor Clegg Construction has held a topping out ceremony at an 11-storey apartment complex being built for property developer Rise Homes in Leeds.
Spinners Yard is a 185-apartment, U-shaped, build-to-rent scheme in Regent Street in the Mabgate area of Leeds City Centre.
It is the second build-to-rent project Clegg Construction has undertaken in partnership with Rise Homes and follows the recent completion of The Ironworks – a £28.7m, 11-storey apartment development in Sheffield.
Featuring a mix of studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, Spinners Yard is due to be completed in 2025.
Clegg Construction operations director, Darren Chapman, said: “We are very pleased to have reached the key topping out stage for this development. This will allow us to continue adding the external walls and glazing up the building, followed by the internal fit-out.
“Spinners Yard is regenerating brownfield land and will breathe new life into the area, providing a desirable residential development with a range of properties to rent.”
The ground floor of Spinners Yard will incorporate a plant room, enclosed parking for cars, motor bikes and cycles to one half with the other containing the entrance lobby and reception, the centre management office, a lounge, break out and work spaces, and a gym. Two staircases/lift areas provide access to upper residential floors. The first floor will incorporate a residents’ garden space with another spacious roof garden on the tenth floor.
Once completed, the development will feed into the Leeds PIPES District Heat Network.
Nigel Rawlings, CEO of Rise Homes, added: “We are delighted with Clegg’s progress at Spinner’s Yard and we are very much looking forward to the completion of this sustainable development linked to the Leeds City energy from waste plant offering high-quality, spacious apartments at both affordable and market rents featuring many other environmental benefits.”
During construction work on the Spinners Yard site, Clegg Construction has been hosting groups of Leeds College of Building Trade and Management students, aged 16 to 19, to provide them with valuable insight into the sector. The students have also been visiting the site next door, where Clegg Construction is building The Fabric Works, a 402-bed student accommodation scheme.
In addition, Clegg Construction is sponsoring a local Army Reserve (formerly the Territorial Army) squadron in Leeds by providing T-shirts worn as part of the uniform and during physical training, and is currently collecting food, toiletries and other items for the Blessed of the Father Food Bank, part of Leeds Food Aid Network, at its Spinners Yard and The Fabric Works sites.
Galliford Try lands contract for work at the home of the Red Arrows
Galliford Try has won contracts to create new and refurbished infrastructure for the Red Arrows at their new home of RAF Waddington near Lincoln.
The contracts also include work to build or refurbish facilities at three other RAF stations. The Red Arrows moved to RAF Waddington in October last year. New facilities are now required for the team and their distinctive red Hawk fast jets.
Jon Marston, MD of Galliford Try Building East Midlands, said: “We are delighted to be signing these contracts and look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the MOD to successfully deliver these projects for the RAF and defence. The project team are set to deliver a combination of refurbishments, new build facilities and single living accommodation across the sites.”
The project is part of the MOD’s wider Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio, which is investing £5.1bn in the infrastructure needed by service people through construction activity, unit and personnel moves, and the release of sites that are no longer suited to the needs of our modern military.
Air Officer Airbases, Air Commodore Portlock welcomed senior leaders from DEO, Defence Infrastructure Organisation and representatives from Galliford Try to RAF Waddington. They signed four contracts to deliver a project which spans RAF Leeming, RAF Saxton Wold, both RAF Boulmer sites and Waddington.
He said: “This significant milestone marks an exciting transition into the much-awaited design and build phase of the project. Providing this essential infrastructure will enable the RAF to make best use of its estate, whilst also delivering our capabilities which are critical to defence.
“Earlier this year, multiple contractors from the construction industry were awarded packages of work across the DEO Portfolio in a landmark move to speed up project delivery. The move will also provide a more collaborative way of working, and a consistent approach to sustainable building practices.”
Director of Major Projects and Programmes for DIO, Charles Hoskins said: “Our first DEO project for Air Command under the new contracting mechanism is embarking on a journey to turn vision into reality. Today we sign the design and build contracts and look forward to collaborating with Galiford Try to deliver all capabilities within this project.
These contracts, which have enabled the disposal of RAF Scampton, will now see Galliford Try design and deliver the required infrastructure for Battlespace Management Force’s Deployable Air Surveillance and Control System, the Mobile Meteorological Unit,and the Red Arrows.”
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Rule change will give more small firms support in energy disputes
More than 200,000 businesses in disputes with their energy supplier could for the first time get access to specialist support under new Government plans.
Under new proposals, companies with up to 50 employees would qualify for support from the Energy Ombudsman – with issues ranging from disputes over bills and energy supply, to how an energy product or service has been sold, or wider customer service issues – support until now available only to businesses of up to 10 employees.
Making this move will enable these companies to settle disputes with their energy supplier without facing costly court fees – ultimately saving them money.
It follows a survey conducted by regulator Ofgem, which found that 94% of the total respondents, which included businesses organisations, consumer groups, and suppliers, said they would welcome this move.
Minister for Energy Consumers and Affordability Amanda Solloway said: “This government has always stood by businesses, and we want to ensure they are getting proper support and service in dealing with energy suppliers.
“That’s why we’re proposing expanding the reach of the Energy Ombudsman to cover an extra 200,000 businesses, allowing them to access free, impartial advice and resolve issues with their supplier without the need for an expensive trip to court.”
Nuclear submarine crew signs bond of friendship with Sheffield Forgemasters
Commander David ‘Bing’ Crosby and crew members of the UK submarine HMS Agamemnon have signed a Bond of Friendship with Sheffield Forgemasters which will see both parties work together to promote joint aims and share news of the submarine’s progress.
HMS Agamemnon is the UK’s newest of seven Astute Class nuclear submarines, scheduled to launch at enterprise partner BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness next year. The submarine’s friendship agreement with Sheffield Forgemasters recognises our continuing importance within the Royal Navy supply chain and in the delivery of these extremely complex and highly capable machines.
Commanding Officer, David ‘Bing’ Crosby, Captain of HMS Agamemnon, said: “It was a privilege to tour the Sheffield Forgemasters site and to see at first hand the incredible work that the company delivers on behalf of the UK’s defence programme.
“We are reliant on the impeccable safety requirements and high-end product quality that our suppliers must meet to ensure that our vessels can head out to sea safely, often for considerable periods, as we work to provide support to the Country’s Continual at Sea Nuclear Deterrent, a submarine-delivered National endeavour.
“This Bond of Friendship means that we will always be linked with this great Sheffield company. We will share news of each other’s progress and collaborate on various events when we are back in dock.”
HMS Agamemnon has strong Yorkshire connections with its formal affiliation to the City of Wakefield, supporting many regional Mayoral events, and is also affiliated with the Yorkshire University Royal Navy Unit, based in Leeds.
Sheffield Wednesday fan Bing, and many members of his crew, also live in or come from Sheffield and the Yorkshire region, making football derbies a hot topic of conversation onboard!
Richard Bell, Sales and Business Development Director said: “It is a great honour to have signed The Bond of Friendship with HMS Agamemnon and its crew and we look forward to learning much more about the team and their lives at the forefront of our defence strategy.”
The Astute Class submarines are nuclear-powered vessels and capable of spending almost limitless time at sea, restricted only by food rations. These highly capable boats, with a crew of around 120 men and women, produce their own drinking water and oxygen.
Publisher and Chamber unite in strategic partnership
West & North Yorkshire Chamber has entered into a strategic partnership with publisher LOCALiQ to promote its services across the region and to enable members to market their business through the goods and services both have to offer.
The Chamber says the arrangement is a perfect B2B partnership as both organisations already work closely together, with LOCALiQ sales director Steve Lowe already sitting on the leadership of the West Yorkshire leadership group and as a member of the Chamber’s BAME committee.
Together they will highlight the positive B2B activities taking place and promote the services they both offer to help local businesses, from finance and legal advice, start up support and skills and training which the Chamber specialises. With LOCALiQ, an award-winning marketing company, offering advice and guidance around all things marketing including websites, generating leads, enquiries and awareness using digital media, news websites, magazines, and networking events.
James Mason, CEO of the West & North Yorkshire Chamber said: “The Chamber and the titles LOCALiQ manage have been proud champions of the region’s business community for centuries.
“This partnership will allow us to take our convening powers and reach to a how new level”
Steve Lowe said: “Both organisations are focused on supporting local business to grow, we offer very different support and combined we can provide great advice to what a large, small or start up business needs to grow.”
The West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce exists to support local business. Their mission is to be recognised as an essential part of growing businesses by sharing opportunities, knowledge, and expertise, with a strong business voice influencing decision makers at all levels. As accredited members of the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) they have been supporting business for over 150 years.
Leeds’ Eville & Jones acquired by Nottingham group
Nottingham-headquartered Phenna Group, whose aim is to invest in and partner with selected niche, independent Testing, Inspection, Certification and Compliance (TICC) companies that serve a variety of sectors, has made its 15th deal of 2023, and its 4th in food and health sciences.
Formed in 1993 by vets Rob Jones and Pete Eville, Leeds-based Eville & Jones (E&J) is a provider of veterinary, compliance and public health solutions to the food industry. Its UK-wide team of nearly 1,000 professionals delivers audit, verification, inspection and compliance services in the fields of animal health, public health, food safety and animal welfare.
E&J works with various government departments across the UK to safeguard animal welfare within abattoirs and ensure that meat is safe to enter the food chain. E&J is also the country’s largest provider of Export Health Certification services to the private sector, enabling the export of Products of Animal Origin.
Charles Hartwell, CEO of Eville & Jones, said: “My team and I are hugely excited to join Phenna Group. Our business has grown steadily over recent years and I believe with Phenna’s support, that can continue and allow us to expand more rapidly into complimentary services and geographical areas.
“Since our first interaction with Paul and his team, the process has run smoothly and they have acted with great integrity and professionalism throughout. I’m confident in our ambitious future growth strategy and look forward to working with the Phenna Team to deliver it.”
Paul Barry, Group CEO of Phenna Group, added: “I am delighted to welcome Charles and his team to Phenna Group. The addition of Eville & Jones really augments our fast growing Food & Health Sciences platform.
“By headcount, this is our largest deal to date and their experienced team creates a UK wide footprint of experts, that we hope to leverage into new adjacent services into the future. E&J provide a critical service to the UK food industry and I’m proud to have them join Phenna Group. I look forward to working with Charles and his team to help them deliver their exciting growth plans.”
Phenna Group was advised by Avonhurst and RSM. Eville & Jones was advised by Blacks Solicitors, Parsons Chartered Accountants, and Claritas Tax.
The deal follows hot on the heels of Phenna Group’s acquisition of CEIMIC Life Sciences Testing Group.
One City Park reaches completion in Bradford
One City Park in Bradford, delivered in partnership between Muse and Bradford City Council, has reached completion, and contracts have been exchanged with an anchor tenant.
The city centre workplace offers 56,403 sq ft of sustainable and flexible workspace in the heart of the city. One City Park features five floors of workspace and a roof terrace. It is designed to suit a range of businesses from home grown starts-up and SMEs, through to larger organisations and multi-national occupiers.
Simon Dew, development director at Muse, said: “One City Park will be a catalyst for further investment in the city and signifies a newfound confidence in its commercial centre that will attract future big-name businesses.
“The project also demonstrates a very successful public/private partnership that will reap long-term benefits by providing incredible job opportunities for the younger, growing, population in the city.”
Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member of Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “We already have a talented and ambitious workforce and we’re now providing the highest spec office space for businesses who are serious about making their mark in the North.
“This is an exciting time for Bradford and the completion of One City Park is just the beginning of the commercial transformation that is taking place here.”
The building, which has now been formally handed over to Bradford Council as the owners, is framed by new public spaces including stepped access and attractive seating areas.
Other key project partners involved included: Arup, G&H Building Services, Howard Civil Engineering and re-form Landscape Architecture, with additional funding from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Developer chosen for York Central
McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate have been selected as the strategic developer for one of the UK’s largest city centre regeneration schemes.
Network Rail and Homes England have selected McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate as the preferred developer for their major brownfield scheme, York Central.
York Central is being brought forward by a partnership between Network Rail, Homes England, the City of York Council and the National Railway Museum. The scheme has the potential to significantly boost the local economy by creating up to 6,500 jobs and delivering over £1.1 billion of Gross Value Added to the economy of York per annum.
There are already £135m of infrastructure works underway to enable this major regional scheme to progress. These include over 3km of new roads, footpaths, cycleways and also include two new bridges over the East Coast Main Line.
The appointment of McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate as a development partner is the latest milestone in delivering York Central, which will see a key piece of York city centre brought to life by transforming underutilised railway land into vibrant and distinctive residential neighbourhoods, cultural spaces, high quality public realm and a high-quality commercial quarter.
McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate partnership have significant experience in delivering major mixed use regeneration schemes and neighbourhoods including Durhamgate, Newton Aycliffe and Upper Brook Street, Manchester.
Peter Denton, Chief Executive at Homes England said: “This is a major milestone in the important regeneration of York Central. Over the last few years, Homes England and Network Rail have worked closely with City of York Council to create a vision and masterplan, and have invested in the critical infrastructure to make this a reality.
“It will now be delivered at pace through our chosen development partner for long term delivery and stewardship.”
Robin Dobson, Group Property Director at Network Rail, said: “This is a strategic step forward in the regeneration of over 110 acres of underused railway land to deliver significant investment and social value for the City and region.
“York Central puts infrastructure at the heart of a new residential, commercial, and cultural neighbourhood. The project demonstrates the pivotal role Network Rail Property can play in unlocking sites which deliver growth, jobs and housing.”
John Gatley, Chief Executive of McLaren Property, said: “We are proud to have been selected to deliver York Central – the most significant regeneration scheme in the north of England. McLaren have deep roots in Yorkshire, and we are committed to working with local stakeholders to enhance the great city of York.”
Allan Cook, founder of Arlington Real Estate, said: “Having spent the last 15 years focussing on the delivery of large scale mixed use development schemes in the North of England we have witnessed firsthand the positive benefits, to both communities and the local economy, of large scale regeneration.
“We are delighted to have been given the opportunity, alongside our partners McLaren Property, to be able to write the next chapter in the story of this great historic city.”
York Central is a 45-acre site that will deliver up to 2,500 homes, 20% of which will be affordable, and create up to 1 million sq ft of commercial space for offices, retail and leisure. A network of vibrant public squares linking to surrounding neighbourhoods in the city centre will be delivered, as well as improvements to York Railway Station and an expanded and enhanced National Railway Museum.
