Pocklington-based tyre wholesaler Bond International makes Scottish acquisitions
Pocklington-based tyre wholesaler Bond International has acquired Easityre Ltd and Fife Autocentre Ltd, expanding its presence in Scotland.
The news follows Bond’s recently announced acquisition of a 200,000 sq ft warehouse in Bathgate, Scotland.
Scott Meechan of Easityre will join Bond and will assume the role of Managing Director for Scotland. Brian Meechan will also remain in the business to give his support and expertise in all areas of the combined tyre business north of the border.
Charlie Bond, CEO of Bond International, said: “Easityre and Fife Autocentre are major players and are well respected in the tyre industry in Scotland. Bond International has a very strong relationship with Brian and Scott, a relationship that was initially forged by my father Reg and Brian many years ago.
“When the Board set out its expansion plans in Scotland it made perfect sense to approach them and discuss a deal. Brian and Scott have an extensive knowledge and experience of the tyre industry in the area, and have developed strong relationships with many customers.
“For this reason, it was important for us that both Brian and Scott remain in the business and made perfect sense to appoint Scott as Managing Director for Bond International in Scotland. We are all extremely excited for the future of all our businesses moving forward.”
Brian Meechan, CEO of Easityre and Fife Autocentre, said: “We at Easityre Ltd and Fife Autocentre Ltd are excited about the future with Bond International. We believe that it is a good fit for both businesses and will provide a better service and range of products for all our Scottish Customers.
“It will also create many opportunities for our Staff which will be the key to our continued success. Our relationship with Bond International goes back many years, initially with Reg and latterly with Charlie who has taken the business in a new direction, and, after listening to his vision for the future, that sealed the deal for us.”
Dogger Bank Wind Farm creates £25m legacy for coastal communities
The East Riding of Yorkshire is to share in a new £25 million commitment to coastal communities as long-term legacy for Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
The commitment includes funding projects in East Riding of Yorkshire, Redcar and Cleveland and South Tyneside, to enhance STEM education, and help young people gain the skills and knowledge required to fulfil their potential in a net zero world.
The £25million investment will be delivered over the 35-year operational lifespan of Dogger Bank Wind Farm – set to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm when it is complete. It builds on the £1million community fund already invested during the construction phase of the wind farm.
The East Riding programme has been developed in partnership with East Riding of Yorkshire Council and local skills and education stakeholders. Bespoke science, technology, engineering and maths learning programmes will be available to all nursery and primary schools. Hundreds of teachers have already benefitted from STEM and careers focused professional development as they bring STEM learning to life within classrooms.
Hornsea Nursey is one of the settings which benefitted from funding through the community fund set up during the construction phase.
Claire White executive headteacher for Hornsea, Beverley Manor, Bridlington and Hedon nursery schools said: “Young children are natural scientists and engineers. Their inquiring minds and fearless approach to taking things apart and discovering how they work make them the perfect age to get excited about STEM. If we can foster this enthusiasm in the early years and ensure they develop a thirst for learning in subjects not typically introduced at this age, we can ignite a passion that will endure throughout their formal education and beyond. We can help cultivate the next generation of scientists, engineers, architects, mathematicians, ecologists, and more. This is the impact and potential legacy of the Dogger Bank funding.”
Dogger Bank Project Director Oliver Cass said: “It’s been our great privilege during the last three years to work with education providers and local communities to kickstart a programme of investment that is bringing long-term benefits for communities.
“It is vitally important that developers work in partnership with local communities in order to sustainably deliver the critical green energy infrastructure that will shape our future.”
Dogger Bank is more than 130km from the Yorkshire coast and will produce enough renewable energy to supply electricity to six million homes in the UK every year. The wind farm, a joint venture between SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Vårgrønn, produced first power in October 2023. The first two phases of the wind farm will transmit renewable energy into the national electricity network via the Creyke Beck substation near Beverley, close to the site where the project has built two onshore convertor stations over the last five years.
The project has already created or supported over 2,000 jobs in the UK, contributing to over 100,000 UK offshore wind jobs needed to meet current national targets to generate 50GW of capacity by 2030.
Liberty appoints CFO for its European business
Liberty Steel Group has appointed Andreas Böcskör as the new Chief Financial Officer of its European business which includes plants at Scunthorpe, Brinsworth, Rotherham, and Stockbridge in our region.
Andreas brings a wealth of experience to Liberty’s business, most notably from his recent tenure at the industry group Schoeller-Bleckmann Oilfield Equipment, where he led key projects in strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and played an integral part in establishing a robust global organisation with a focus on legal, finance, and sustainability initiatives.
He will oversee all financial aspects of Liberty’s European operations, including strategic financial planning and reporting, risk management, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. As a key member of Thomas Gangl’s executive team, his expertise will be crucial in aligning Liberty’s financial strategies with its sustainability objectives and accelerating its green steel transformation agenda.
Sanjeev Gupta, Executive Chairman, Liberty Steel Group said: “Andreas’s arrival comes at a pivotal time for Liberty as we complete our restructuring in Europe and set a strategic framework for the future. With Thomas Gangl and Andreas now in post we’re building a strong and experienced leadership team in Europe that will help us weather tough market conditions and forge a sustainable future in green steel.”
Andrew Jackson names new partner in employment team
Gillian Markland has joined Andrew Jackson Solicitors’ employment team as a partner.
Gillian brings several years’ experience acting across a broad range of employment matters, and regularly advises both public and private sector employers on a range of matters including contracts of employment, handbooks, disciplinary and dismissals, poor performance, grievances, settlement agreements, restructure/redundancies and TUPE.
Gillian also has vast expertise of advising employees on grievances and settlement agreements
She said: “Andrew Jackson’s employment practice has built a strong reputation for providing high quality advice to a diverse client base. I’m excited to have joined the firm and I’m looking forward to ensuring that we continue to provide an outstanding service for clients, which is tailored to their needs.”
Jonathan Dale, partner and head of employment at Andrew Jackson, added: “I am delighted that Gillian has joined our team and she has already proven to be a fantastic addition. Her friendly, professional and knowledgeable approach has won praise from clients and I know she will be an asset to our employment practice.”
New company takes helm of Yorkshire Food and Drink Festival
The future of the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival has been secured by Cocker Hoop Creative, which has stepped in to acquire the assets and IP of the event after its previous owner, Events By B3 Ltd, went into liquidation last month.
Jonathan Amor and Richard Oddy, licensed Insolvency Practitioners with UK top ten accounting and advisory firm Azets, managed the Creditors Voluntary Liquidation and have overseen the acquisition by Cocker Hoop Creative.
The company’s plans to revive the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival include a new rebranded website, social media campaigns, and regular updates. More information about how people can register to receive the latest information will be released in the coming weeks.
Jon Arrowsmith, MD of Cocker Hoop Creative, said: “There are many similarities between the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival and the Lichfield Food Festival, and we will bring our experience, commitment to excellence and determination to make this event a success to benefit residents, visitors and local businesses.
“We are thrilled to bring the Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival onto the portfolio of Cocker Hoop Creative. As a growing business, this was an opportunity we couldn’t refuse. We are keen to preserve the strong heritage of the festival while introducing new and exciting elements to make it even more exciting for visitors, traders and campers.
“With the next event in 2025 we will continue to showcase the best of local and regional food, drink, and culinary talent. Visitors can look forward to a vibrant celebration of gastronomy, artisanal products, live entertainment from top UK bands, and interactive experiences against the backdrop of the picturesque Yorkshire Dales.
“We know that good traders are the lifeblood of a food festival, and we are committed to supporting those traders that have unfortunately suffered financially as a result of the liquidation of Events By B3 Ltd. For any traders that have already paid to attend this year, we will honour those payments for the next Yorkshire Dales Food & Drink Festival in 2025. We hope that this helps them to recover after their losses this year.
“One of our goals is to reduce ticket prices and camping fees so that as many people as possible can attend the event. With this in mind, ticket holders affected by the cancellation of the 2024 festival will be offered a discount for the 2025 event. We are looking forward to putting on a weekend in 2025 and beyond that everyone remembers.”
Drax pumps £20,000 into school visits by Yorkshire pupils
Drax has allocated £20,000 to help schools to organise visits to its power station at Selby, with a further £10,000 to support visits to its operations in Scotland.
Providing schools meet the qualifying criteria, including being sited within 15 miles of a Drax power station and having at least 20% of their pupils being on free school meals, they can apply for transport grants of up to £500 online. Drax hopes schools will apply for the funding for the new school year in September.
Shona King, Drax’s Head of Community, said: “Our schools’ transport fund will ensure that pupils, including those from less privileged backgrounds, can participate in STEM focused trips to our sites throughout the UK.
“Our visits team plays a key role in educating young people on how we keep the lights on by generating renewable power that is used by millions of homes and businesses.
“We hope that visits to iconic sites like Drax Power Station to learn how they operate can inspire the next generation of engineers. We are actively encouraging applications for the fund and would like to see more schools coming to our power stations in the autumn.”
New Audit Partner appointed at AAB’s Leeds office
Helen Daniels has become an Audit Partner in the AAB Leeds office. Helen has been a key member of the Audit team specialising in owner managed businesses and the financial services sector.
Her promotion is one of a number just announced by the company, with the others in Scotland.
Emma Lancaster, Chief Executive Officer of AAB, said: “Helen, like the others we have promoted, is dedicated team members at AAB and it is a great pleasure to recognise each of these individuals with their promotion to our leadership team.
“We are committed to promoting from within, ensuring that every team member has the opportunity to progress their career. As we continue to grow, their contributions will be pivotal in driving our vision forward and maintaining the high standards our clients know we can deliver to support their own business and individual growth.”
Work begins on transformation of iconic pub site
Work has started on the £1.5 million transformation of the former site of Lincoln’s famous Golden Cross pub, which closed in 2020.
Following the recent demolition of the old pub, the Gelder Group has embarked on a special housing project, after being awarded a contract by Framework Housing Association.
Although the building site is quite small, the Young People’s Learning Provision (YPLP) – which is part of the county council’s Children’s Services – has kindly allowed the company to park site traffic on their land. This has removed the need for additional traffic to be on the road, relieving potential congestion.
The new building will comprise 15 supported housing flats, which meet the Secured by Design accreditation. This is a police-preferred specification which provides a recognised standard for all security products that can deter and reduce crime.
Gelder Group Chief Executive Officer Steve Gelder said: “We are delighted to be working on this project for several reasons. Obviously, winning this work was great news for team Gelder.
“It is also special to be transforming a site which, historically, had connections with Lincoln City Football Club. Being so close to City’s Sincil Bank ground, it was a natural watering hole for Red Imps’ fans.
“On a more serious note, we have also long admired the amazing work done by Framework, in supporting people who are homeless or at risk of being so. Also, it doesn’t stop there, because it also supports its ‘clients’ with their health, social care and employment needs.”
The building is due to be completed by March 2025.
Framework Director of Corporate Services, Dave Newmarch said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to help address the shortage of accommodation for homeless people in Lincoln with these purpose-built premises providing 15 self-contained, one-bed units for single homeless people.
“Framework is a registered charity and a registered provider of social housing and we have been providing services for homeless and vulnerable people in Lincolnshire since 2011.
“This new housing on the High Street will be our fifth major capital investment in Lincoln to provide good quality, purpose-built accommodation for people in need. It brings our total investment in the city to more than £9.6m and enables us to provide accommodation for more than 100 homeless people at any one time.
“With support from the City of Lincoln Council, the £2.65m project has been funded under the government’s Single Homeless Accommodation Programme which provides homes and crucial support for people with high and enduring support needs, including rough sleepers.
“The government grant of £1.7m has been supplemented by a contribution from Framework itself worth £850,000.
“We are delighted to be working with the excellent Gelder Group – keeping the work in Lincolnshire and ensuring that the project is delivered to the high standards we wish to provide for the people we support.
“When the flats are occupied in spring 2025 residents will receive dedicated support from staff who will be on site 24/7 to address the issues that contributed to residents’ homelessness in the first place.”
Frasers Group acquires Doncaster Shopping Centre
Shirebrook-based Frasers Group has acquired Frenchgate Shopping Centre in Doncaster.
The 770,000 sq ft retail centre is a major regional shopping destination welcoming over 16 million customers a year.
The shopping centre is a key part of the retail offer within Doncaster town centre and the South Yorkshire region, with major high street tenants, including Next, H&M and TK Maxx.
The deal facilities the opportunity to more than triple the Sports Direct store size to over 35,000 sq ft and provide customers with access to other brands from the Frasers Group ecosystem including USC, GAME and Evans Cycles.
Michael Murray, Chief Executive, Frasers Group, said: “The acquisition of Frenchgate Shopping Centre in Doncaster further demonstrates the Group’s commitment to investing into brick-and-mortar.
“Acquiring property in key trading locations to unlock new opportunities for our retail and leisure businesses, such as Sports Direct, Everlast Gyms, Frasers and FLANNELS, is a key
priority.
“We are committed to re-inventing retail and injecting new life into high streets across the UK to bring the very best brands, environment, and experience to customers across the country.”
Frasers Group was advised by CBRE on this acquisition.
Senior partner appointed at GSSArchitecture
Architecture practice, GSSArchitecture, has appointed Jonathan Hunter as senior partner, following the retirement of Tom Lyons in June.
Jonathan has been part of GSS for over 23 years, having first joined in 2001 as a graduate architectural technologist. He soon progressed through the company, gaining promotion to associate in 2007 and then partner in 2010.
Jonathan has been central to the growth of the practice over recent years. Building on established relationships in the Midlands, Jonathan has built and nurtured strategically important long-term relationships with key clients across Yorkshire and the Northeast.
In 2009 Jonathan had the vision to establish an office in Yorkshire to provide a stronger, locally focussed service to clients in the region. Continuing to enhance the practice’s reputation, he then went on grow the business in the Northeast, opening a Newcastle studio in 2016.
Both studios have gone from strength to strength under Jonathan’s direction. The Yorkshire team has recently moved into central Leeds while the Newcastle team has moved into larger premises, to accommodate their sustained growth and strengthen their offering in both regions.
Jonathan has also been directly responsible for delivering many large-scale developments throughout his career to date. Across a range of sectors, projects include the Catalyst at Newcastle Helix and more recently the £500m masterplanning of the UK’s first Health Innovation Neighbourhood in partnership with Newcastle University and Genr8/Kajima JV.
As senior partner, Jonathan will maintain his focus on continued growth at a national level. He will utilise his extensive technical knowledge and cross-sector experience to set the strategic direction for the practice at all six of its office locations and will build on the foundations laid by previous partners delivering high-quality, sustainable architecture for clients.
Throughout his time at GSS, Jonathan has worked side-by-side with Ian Bray, and this relationship will continue with Ian Bray remaining as the practice’s managing partner.
Ian Bray said: “We have been planning for Tom’s retirement for the past few years to ensure we have a robust succession plan and management structure in place to deliver a seamless transition for our clients and teams. I have every confidence in Jonathan as he continues to drive the practice forward in his new role.”
Jonathan said: “I’m really excited about the future! We have a fantastic team at GSS, full of dedicated and creative people who are at the heart of what we do. There are many exciting opportunities for us to grow the business together, building on our history, substantial experience and by driving innovation.
“Stepping into this new role as senior partner is an honour. I have a duty to do my best for this practice and to represent every member of our extensive team in the best possible way. It is a responsibility that I take very seriously, and I hope to do the team proud during my time in post.”
