Yorkshire entrepreneur leads Land Rover Defender specialists to Middle East expansion
Leading Land Rover Defender specialist Twisted has taken the next step in expanding operations in the Middle East, with the opening of a new assembly workshop in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The Twisted USA-LLC Group division of North Yorkshire-based Twisted Automotive, was launched by entrepreneur and CEO Tom Maxwell in April 2020 and owns the licenses for Twisted North America, Twisted Middle East and Twisted EV.
As such, Maxwell has overseen the brand in establishing a foothold in North America as well as the Middle East, with growing interest in the market resulting in the latest 3,000Sq/Ft workshop opening near the main highway in the city of Dubai allowing the business to scale up its manufacturing significantly.
This new site will facilitate a variety of different Twisted services, including servicing, modifications and full builds of the classic Land Rover Defender vehicle, with plans in the pipeline to open a consumer facing retail space both within the luxurious Dubai Mall and an additional location in Abu Dhabi in the future.
Twisted Middle East currently has a team of five, led by General Manager, Jeremy Green, who joined the company with a background in investment and extensive leadership experience working for firms with OEM, ICE and EV holdings.
As overarching CEO, Maxwell’s aim is to consolidate the footprint made by Twisted Middle East in the region, before eventually increasing the number of staff and scaling up operations further moving forward.
Additionally, Twisted USA-LLC Group has multiple workshops open for business in North America and, through Twisted EV, remains the only business in the world to have the capability to fulfil orders for a fully electric 4×4 vehicle.
Commenting on the company’s planned growth into the Middle East, Maxwell, said: “It’s been fantastic to see demand and interest grow in the Middle East, the Twisted brand has certainly made its mark and we are delighted with the level of performance to date.
“We have a great team based in Dubai and the newest workshop will enable them to scale up operations and continue offering the very best bespoke services for current and prospective customers, extending the legacy of the Land Rover Defender worldwide.
“I’m proud of the resilience the team has shown to negate the challenges of the ongoing pandemic to keep putting Twisted on the map in the Middle East, and I’m excited to see what we can achieve in 2022.”
European office seating manufacturer acquires Huddersfield company
Flokk, the European manufacturer of office seating products, has acquired Connection Seating Ltd., expanding its footprint in the strategically important UK market and underpinning its international growth strategy.
“Having Connection join the Flokk group moves us into the major league of Europe’s second-largest office seating market. We roughly double our size to about EUR 30 million in the key UK market. The transaction is another example of Flokk continuing to consolidate the fragmented European office seating market through targeted and value-creating acquisitions of attractive companies and brands,” says Lars I. Røiri, CEO of Flokk.
Through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions, Flokk has been transformed from a Scandinavian player to a European market leader within office seating, with a strong foothold in the US market and annual revenues of more than EUR 300 million.
Founded in 1997, Connection is headquartered in Huddersfield and has showrooms in Manchester and London.
“We’re excited to join the Flokk group, and I see great potential for the Connection brand and our employees in this setting, as it will give us a strong operational and financial platform on which to base future growth,” says Kelvin Bromley, Managing Director of Connection Seating.
“Connection has a strong position within collaborative furniture, including rooms and booths, and excellent channels to designers and architects in the project market, complementing Flokk’s offering and underlining our position as a total seating solutions provider. The acquisition also gives us a manufacturing presence in the UK, and we see substantial commercial synergies and mutual benefits from Connection joining the Flokk group,” says Mr Røiri.
Modular buildings firm raises further £200k
A modular buildings manufacturer which tripled its turnover during the pandemic has secured a £200,000 loan to support its further growth.
Actiform has raised funding from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF). The company has played an active role in helping the NHS extend capacity by creating additional hospital space and rolling out new diagnostic sites around the UK.
It is currently working on projects at Glenfield Hospital near Leicester, Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, and Southend University Hospital, as well as providing site accommodation for contractors working on HS2, the smart motorway programme and other major infrastructure projects.
Actiform has also been helping clients to reduce carbon usage by incorporating high levels of insulation, solar panels, heat recovery units and heat pumps in its buildings. It recently supplied a carbon neutral endoscopy unit for a healthcare group in Aberdeen.
Established in 1984 by Stefan Dransfield, the current Managing Director, Actiform is now one of the largest independent manufacturers of modular buildings in the UK, employing around 60 staff at its Mirfield headquarters. The company also manages specialist site teams and a wide range of subcontractors.
Actiform’s turnover rose from £7m to £23m in the 12 months to September 2021 and is set to increase further in the current financial year. The latest funding is the third round it has received from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance in the past three years and will enable it to expand manufacturing capacity on its site and provide working capital to finance new projects.
Stefan Dransfield says: “Our business has gone from strength to strength in the past couple of years and the support we have received from Mercia and NPIF has been instrumental in that. The projects we take on require a major upfront investment in structural steel and manufacturing and the money can be tied up for long periods. Without this funding, we wouldn’t have been able to take on some of these projects and certainly would not have been able to achieve this level of growth.”
David Wright of Mercia added: “Actiform is an established business that has undergone a real step change in recent years. The previous funding has enabled it to take advantage of strong demand from the NHS and establish itself as a key player in the sector. This latest round will allow it to continue its growth story and create a number of other jobs in the year ahead.”
Phil Bentley of Bentley Associates based in Harrogate provided fundraising advice to Actiform.
Student accommodation firm to dispose of 11 properties for £306m
Unite Students, the owner, manager and developer of student accommodation, is disposing of a portfolio of 11 properties, comprising 4,488 beds for £306 million (Unite share: £236 million) to an affiliate of Lone Star Funds.
The disposal portfolio includes Devonshire Courtyard, The Forge, and The Forge 2 in Sheffield (1,700 beds), The Priory in Leeds (77 beds), as well as assets in Reading (703 beds), Leicester (665 beds), Bedford (517 beds), Liverpool (390 beds), Birmingham (337 beds), and Bristol (99 beds) and has nomination agreements covering 46% of beds on short-term contracts.
Completion will occur on 15 March on four of the properties in the portfolio for £51 million (Unite share: £11 million). The completion of the remaining properties will occur on 31 August 2022.
Richard Smith, Chief Executive of Unite Students, said: “We have now completed the disposal programme set out at the time of our acquisition of Liberty Living in 2019. These disposals have increased the focus of our portfolio in the strongest university cities and ensure our ability to sustain rental growth over a longer time horizon.
“Our balance sheet is also positioned for growth with the investment capacity to deliver our biggest ever secured development pipeline of £1 billion and pursue further opportunities to extend our best-in-class platform.”
Key appointment to the Family Law Team at Ringrose Law
Ringrose Law welcomes Nick Aspley, family solicitor to the firm. Nick was appointed on 1 March and is the new head of the Family Law team based at the firm’s Lincoln Office.
Nick has nearly 30 years of experience in family law and acts for both private individuals as well as business owners. Much of his work comes from recommendation including having acted for the other party in previous court proceedings.
He adopts a constructive and collaborative approach to cases including, where appropriate, suggesting a range of dispute resolution options for clients. However, where court proceedings are necessary, he will not hesitate to make any appropriate application to the court, including in cases of urgency and need.
He also advises clients in protecting their position and/assets prior to, or during, any relationship with the aim of limiting any difficulties should the relationship break down and reducing likely future costs of litigation.
Nick has a network of other experts to help clients in family law disputes including in court proceedings.
Nick is particularly looking forward to growing the Family Law department across Lincolnshire and Newark.
Nick says: “I am looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead and the opportunity to build on the strong platform for growth established by the firm. Next month we see the introduction of the new no-fault divorce law one of the biggest changes to family law in the last 50 years. It’s the beginning of a new era for Family Law.”
John Knight, senior director at Ringrose Law, says: “Nick brings with him a wealth of experience in dealing with family, divorce and financial matters, coupled with his existing relationships and reputation in the Region, Nick is a welcome addition to the Family Law team at Ringrose Law.”
Nick is a Resolution Accredited Specialist (Advocacy Financial Remedy Proceedings and Children Law Private) and a Law Society Advanced Family Law Panel (Financial Remedy and Private Law Children). He is also a previous Member of Law Society Family Law Committee.
Nick and his team offer a range of help and advice for all family matters including Divorce proceedings, Separation, Finances, Civil Partnerships, Child Residence, Childcare and Adoption.
To find out more get in touch with Nick on nick.aspley@ringroselaw.co.uk or call 01522 561020.
Naylor Specialist Plastics snaps up Slaithwaite business
Naylor Specialist Plastics, part of the Barnsley-based Naylor Industries Group, has acquired electrical industry supplier D&B Injection Moulders Ltd.
D&B manufactures cable glands and accessories used in cable management. The business is based in Slaithwaite, near Huddersfield and operates 12 injection moulding machines.
Naylor Specialist Plastics manufactures extrusions and mouldings for a variety of industries from its premises in Wombwell and Tipton. The acquisition complements Naylor’s existing manufacture of electrical conduit.
Naylor Group CEO, Edward Naylor, said: “This is an excellent fit with our existing conduit business and we’re looking forward to being able to offer an enhanced range of products to our customers in the electrical contracting and distribution industries.”
Personal development “key to narrowing the gender gap”
A Leeds-based business owner is calling on more women to become involved in the manufacturing sector this International Women’s Day.
Last month (Feb) Trust Electric’s Managing Director, Fiona Conor, joined West Yorkshire’s first-ever Manufacturing Task Force. Now Fiona, who already has two female apprentices in her team, wants other women to throw themselves into the industry.
Fiona explains that the heating sector, in particular, suffers from deep gender inequality. For example, figures from the Heating and Hot Water Council show that only 0.4% of current gas engineers are female and, despite national increases in apprenticeships, the figures from the construction sector are at the same level they were in 2009/10.
Said Fiona: “I have only ever met one other woman who is a Managing Director in this industry and actually our main competitors (in the modern storage heating market) are all male. When I go to do quotes or visit clients such as universities, you normally find that the electricians are all male. Not that there aren’t women electricians, because there are, however, due to this, most customers and clients were surprised when I turned up to demo the radiators.”
Fiona added: “I think the most challenging thing is when I have conversations with men who don’t think I know what I’m doing. Yesterday, we were having a conversation and a man came to give us information about a boiler and said ‘shall I speak to your husband?’ Like I didn’t know what I was doing, because I’m a girl.”
Despite this, Fiona thinks there are great strides being made to promote women’s career opportunities in her industry.
“There are a lot of female networks and there’s a lot of innovation for entrepreneurial women but I don’t really put myself in that arena because I like to network with everybody.
“At the end of the day, you’ve simply got to be skilled. You shouldn’t have to get somewhere just because you’re a man or a woman, it should be – are you the best person for the job? However, sometimes there aren’t enough opportunities for women to make themselves heard.”
Fiona says the key to narrowing the gender gap in her industry is self-betterment.
She concluded: “I really believe in personal development, you can go to work and pick training or anything up, but I actually think if you want to move on in life, then you’ve got to be accountable for your own progression and go and develop yourself.
“I’m 51 and I still spend an awful amount of time on training, on developing, joining networking groups and learning. I always strive to learn something new everyday that is going to shape the future of the industry.”
More council buildings go green in drive to cut polluting carbon emissions
Three North East Lincolnshire Council-owned buildings are undergoing energy-saving improvements as part of a £1.6-million project to help in the battle against climate change.
North East Lincolnshire Council aims to be carbon Net Zero by 2040 and recently agreed an action plan to reach the ambitious goal.
Adopted by the Council in December, the Carbon Roadmap sets out the Council’s aims to cut its carbon emissions to net zero by 2040 and for North East Lincolnshire to be carbon Net Zero by 2050.
Net Zero means reducing carbon emissions as much as possible and balancing the remainder through investing in programmes that increase carbon storage, such as planting more trees or artificial storage solutions.
The Council declared a Climate Emergency in September 2019. It has taken significant steps, both before and after the declaration was made, to increase energy efficiency and reduce its carbon emissions.
In the latest of these measures, energy-saving measures are underway at three council-owned buildings.
These include a range of upgrades to reduce energy consumption, such as better insulation and low-energy lighting, alongside innovations to generate green energy through devices such as solar panels and air source heat pumps.
North East Lincolnshire Council secured a £1.6-million grant from the Salix Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) to carry out the works.
Salix provide capital for the public sector to reduce their energy costs by enabling the installation of modern, energy-efficient technologies and replacing dated inefficient technologies.
Buildings earmarked for enhancements include the Innovation Centre at Europarc, Beacon Academy and Waltham Library. The works are managed by the Council’s regeneration services partner EQUANS and are expected to cut the Council’s carbon emissions by 106 tonnes and support 41 direct jobs.
Cllr Phillip Jackson, Leader of the Council, said: “We’ve set an ambitious target to be a carbon-neutral council by 2040. Meeting this target is one of the biggest projects the Council has undertaken and is vital in mitigating the damage done by polluting carbon emissions.
“Reducing our energy consumption benefits the environment and lowers running costs, which helps keep council tax down.
“One of the biggest contributors to our carbon emissions is the energy we use to heat our buildings.
“We can reduce these emissions by increasing the energy-efficiency of our buildings, using our buildings to generate power and by switching to renewable sources of energy.
“The works we are carrying out now are a further step in our mission to becoming carbon Net Zero and follow other energy-efficiency improvements completed in recent years, such as converting our street lights to low-energy LED bulbs, upgrading our buildings and introducing more electric vehicles in our fleet.”
Building upgrades include:
Innovation Centre
- Air source heat pump
- LED Lighting upgrade
- Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on roof to generate electricity from sunlight
- New roof
- New windows
- Improved insulation
- Low energy LED lighting
- PV solar panels on roof to generate electricity from sunlight
- Battery storage
- New efficient taps to reduce water consumption
- Air source heat pump
- Air source heat pump
- PV solar panels on roof
New structure announced as ‘Garness Group’ established to oversee continued growth of three dedicated property businesses
Garness Jones is delighted to announce that their specialist property services will be delivered by three dedicated companies from April 4, 2022 – all overseen and managed by the newly formed ‘Garness Group’.
The move comes after 25 years of operating in the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire property sector, during which time their services have continually developed and expanded.
Garness Jones’ work now covers all aspects of commercial property and investment, supporting landlords in managing residential lettings portfolios and the block management of leasehold residential developments.
Under the new structure, which will become operational from April 4, 2022, all services will continue to be operated by their current managers and staff.
Garness Group will be overseen by the current directors of the business, and will include:
- Garness Jones – The long-established and respected commercial property business, focused solely on supporting commercial property activity and clients.
- Gro Residential Management – Providing dedicated property management services to professional residential landlords, trusts and similar ownership entities. (Services currently provided by Garness Jones Residential
- Pure Block Management – Providing efficient and responsive management services for leasehold owners, freeholders and developers of residential developments. (Services currently provided by Garness Jones Residential)
£280k HSHAZ funding awarded to repair and reinstate heritage features to former Lincoln hotel
City of Lincoln Council, in partnership with Historic England has awarded £280,000 to the Lincolnshire Co-operative as part of £770,000 works to repair and reinstate heritage features at The Barbican.
The funding forms part of the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ).
In April 2020, the city council received a successful bid for funding of £1.68 million from Historic England, which has enabled a programme of historic building restorations designed to revitalise the area and uncover its rich history.
Included in this is plans to revitalise some of Lincoln’s historic buildings to bring them back to their former glory.
Situated at 11 St Mary’s Street, The Barbican Hotel was grade II listed in July 2021 and is a high-quality mid-19th century building originally constructed as a Gentleman’s Club and repurposed as the Albion Hotel in 1876.
The £280,000 from the HSHAZ will enable roof repairs, repairs to timber windows, cast iron RWG, stonework repairs, brickwork repairs and repointing, prior to works to transform the building into a creative hub for the city – a project ran by the University of Lincoln in partnership with Lincolnshire Co-op.
This will be match-funded by the Lincoln Towns Fund, which has seen £19million awarded to Lincoln to drive economic regeneration and deliver long-term economic and productivity growth.
The building is in close proximity to Lincoln’s new Transport Hub, comprising a bus station, a 1,000-space multi-storey car park and an improved Lincoln Central railway station.
The Barbican forms an important first impression of Lincoln by virtue of its location and stature.
Cllr Neil Murray, Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth and Historic Environment Advocate at City of Lincoln Council said: “This building has been vacant for a number of years and is suffering considerable decay.
“Should the building degrade further, it will become detrimental to the overall character and appearance of the conservation area.
“The Lincoln HSHAZ is committed to offering grant support to aid the restoration, reinstatement and sympathetic refurbishment of the Barbican Hotel between taking place between 2021-2023.
“I look forward to seeing works progress to bring this magnificent building back to its former glory.”
David Walsh, Principal Advisor at Historic England added: “We are delighted that the Barbican will be repaired as part of the High Street Heritage Action Zone, and as part of the wider Towns Fund programme.
“The Barbican is the first building people see when they come out of the railway station and the building’s national importance was recognised when it was listed at Grade II last year.
“Restoring the Barbican to its former glory will help complete the very successful regeneration of this ‘gateway’ to Lincoln.”
