Sheffield hospitality tech firm sold
Airship – the Sheffield-based hospitality technology company – has been acquired by industry leader Zonal for an undisclosed sum.
The deal represents an exit for NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) and which first invested in Airship in 2019. It achieved a considerable return on investment.
Airship and Zonal already have a successful long-term partnership with over 100 shared customers benefiting from integration that enables hospitality businesses to drive visits and generate pre-visit revenue. The acquisition will further integrate the products they offer, giving operators new ways to grow profits and consumers a smoother customer journey.
Airship was founded by former pub landlord Dan Brookman and IT specialist Rob Marcer. The company has received a total of £1m in NPIF investment, which enabled it to redesign its existing customer relationship management software and launch a new product, Toggle, to help operators to sell gift cards and experiences.
Since the start of the first lockdown it has grown annual recurring revenue by 300% to over £2.4m and increased staff numbers by 25 to over 40. The two founders will stay on with the business, with Dan as CEO and continuing to lead the team from the existing Sheffield office. Zonal, which is based in Edinburgh, is the UK’s leading hospitality tech provider with three offices in the US.
Stuart McLean, Zonal’s CEO, said: “Over the last three years Zonal and Airship have enjoyed a very successful partnership and we are all very excited to welcome Dan and the team to the Zonal family. This move will further integrate our products and represents a huge opportunity for our customers, who will benefit from the data-driven, business-building, and revenue-driving benefits that this integration will bring.”
Dan Brookman, Airship CEO, said: “Since the initial investment in 2019 Mercia has provided support and guidance to help us maintain our trajectory. We could have been very easy to write off at the start of the pandemic, being so focused in hospitality, but Mercia recognized that we could thrive and continued to provide support. This next chapter with Zonal gives us a springboard in the UK and US and I’m really excited to see what we can achieve together.”
Will Schaffer of Mercia added: “The Airship team saw the potential to use technology to help hospitality businesses drive revenue growth. The NPIF funding supported them through the early stages and helped them build and scale their products. The business has gone from strength to strength. The acquisition will open up new opportunities in the UK and provide access to the US market.”
Next steps to be discussed for iconic George Hotel
At next week’s (11 October) cabinet meeting, Kirklees Council’s officers will ask for approval to move forward with the refurbishment and redevelopment of the George Hotel, Huddersfield. Proposals also include details about the council’s preferred hotel operator.
The George Hotel is a vital part of Huddersfield’s heritage. It is in a highly prominent location on St George’s Square and close to Huddersfield Railway Station.
The council purchased the vacant building in 2020 with a commitment to bring it back into use and restore it to its former glory in the heart of Huddersfield. Since then extensive surveys and works have been carried out to make the building safe.
Earlier this year, essential remedial works started to make the building safe and watertight. The works were also to preserve the heritage and character of this Grade II* Listed building.
In May 2022, the council revealed that it was exploring the possibility of attracting a hotel operator. The preferred hotel operator has been selected as the result of a robust and competitive process with Radisson Hotel Group being the preferred partner.
If the current proposals are approved by cabinet, a Hotel Management Agreement will be drawn up with Radisson Hotel Group.
Research into the demand for a hotel of this quality in Huddersfield suggests that, due to a limited supply of upscale, full-service branded hotels in the town, there is a strong market opportunity for this type of hotel concept.
The report being presented to cabinet asks for the allocation of £20million. This is to complete the work needed to restore and redevelop the building. This is to make sure it is in prime condition to be transformed into a quality hotel.
Councillor Graham Turner, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “I am genuinely excited and proud that we have taken a dilapidated building and are about to turn it into something that our residents will be proud of.
“The George Hotel was once the jewel in Huddersfield’s crown, and I am determined to see it restored to its rightful position in the town. We have ambitious plans for Huddersfield town centre, plans that will attract visitors from near and far. Having a quality hotel close to travel connections will only add to the appeal of a revitalised, vibrant destination.
“Along with the Cultural Heart and the overall Huddersfield Blueprint, we are taking action to stop the decline of the town. High streets up and down the country have to look for ways to keep town centres alive, what we are doing in Huddersfield could set a great example to many.
“Kirklees is open for business and we will continue to invest in and regenerate our much loved historic buildings.”
ABP throws open the doors of the Kasbah for Heritage Open Days
ABP is to open the doors on the historic Kasbah on the Port of Grimsby on Saturday 22nd October as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days, an event postponed because of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
The open day will focus on family friendly activities and tours of this Conservation Area which sits within the Great Grimsby Heritage Action Zone. Activities and demonstrations include fish filleting, an exhibition of artwork, and a chance to peek inside some of the historic buildings which are being renovated under the PSiCA (Partnership Scheme in Conservation Areas) grant scheme.
Simon Bird, Regional Director of the Humber ports said: “The Kasbah is a unique place with so much history and heritage. This open day is a great way of learning more about the past but also learning about the future and the work being undertaken to preserve its identity. “There are a great number of businesses at the Port of Grimsby who are all passionate and keen to showcase what they do. It’s an exciting time and we’re keen to support them in any way we can.” Cllr Tom Furneaux, Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Leisure, and Culture said: “This is a great way of seeing some of our local heritage and is always popular with those local to North East Lincolnshire – many of whom will have relations who worked in the Kasbah or ‘down dock’ in years past. Our heritage is incredibly important to us all and something we must keep alive for future generations to come.” Stella Jackson, Heritage Action Zone project manager at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “We’ve been working hard, with support from national organisations like Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Heritage England to find ways of using the historic buildings on the port estate. It’s thanks to them that we’re seeing some great projects come forward, helping to secure some of our local landmarks for the future.” Guided tours will focus on the history of the place, its buildings and location, while there will also be an opportunity to explore one of the port’s many smokehouses (Alfred Enderby Smokehouse) and a chance to visit two of the buildings that are undergoing renovation. The open day will take place on Saturday 22 October 2022 from 10am to 4pm on the Port of Grimsby. There will be ample free car parking on site and refreshments can be purchased20 month sentence for bankrupt who acted as company director
A Lincolnshire company director has been given 200 hours community service on top of 20 months suspended sentence for breaches of Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 and Insolvency Act.
Daniel Ross Patchett, 34, from Kingsthorpe in Lincolnshire, pleaded guilty at Lincoln Crown Court of acting in the management of a company whilst an undischarged bankrupt.
Bankrupts must adhere to a number of bankruptcy restrictions, including not creating, managing or promoting a company, or acting as a director of a company, unless they request and receive specific permission from the court. Breaching these restrictions is a criminal offence.
People who are made bankrupt also have a duty to declare their assets, which will be used to pay off their debts.
Daniel Patchett had resigned as a director of his business, DRP Distribution Ltd in February 2018, following his bankruptcy, at which point his wife became sole director. DRP Distribution operated from 2016 to 2019 as an order fulfilment company, providing warehousing, packing and distribution of parcels for third-parties who sold products online through Amazon and other services.
Despite his bankruptcy, Daniel Patchett continued to act in the management of the company in 2018, and he deliberately concealed his activity and income to avoid making payments to his creditors.
In particular, the Insolvency Service investigation found that Patchett was corresponding with Royal Mail regarding outstanding invoices and payments made, and the company’s accountants also confirmed that most of the communication came from him during this period.
A number of suppliers to the company also confirmed to the Insolvency Service that they understood Daniel Patchett was the director of the company.
He was due to be making monthly payments of around £400 to his creditors, but just a month into his bankruptcy he informed the Official Receiver that he no longer worked at DRP Distribution and therefore could pay only “a token gesture amount” toward his debts. He even provided a P45 form as evidence.
In reality, he continued to manage DRP Distribution and received over £30,000 from the company during his bankruptcy, additional hidden income of nearly £40,000 which the company paid to his wife, and a further £28,000 which he withdrew from the business in cash.
All of this money should have been paid to his creditors. Patchett told the court that he had been suffering from gambling addiction.
He was sentenced on 28 September 2022 at Lincoln Crown Court by Her Honour Judge Sjölin Knight.
Julie Barnes, Chief Investigator for the Insolvency Service, said:Daniel Patchett was fully aware both of his responsibility not to act as a director of a limited company given he was bankrupt, and also of his duty to disclose all assets and details of his income to the Official Receiver.
He chose to flagrantly disregard these obligations for his own personal gain, leaving creditors out of pocket. We will always prosecute such cases to protect the business community and the public from financial harm.
Yorkshire direct mail specialist wins four-year contract with children’s charity Plan International UK
Huddersfield-based direct mail provider, Propack, has won a five-figure tender to provide four years of outsourced sponsorship activity for one of the largest children’s charities in the world, Plan International UK (PIUK).
Propack successfully pitched to secure the tender for the provision of sponsorship outsourcing for the charity’s UK division, PIUK.
The direct mail specialist, which has worked with PIUK on previous campaigns, will be supporting the fulfilment and distribution of five of PIUK’s key sponsorship processes, with mail pack production volumes forecasted to reach over 100,000.
Propack was selected after a thorough tender longlisting and shortlisting process, with the PIUK panel being “extremely impressed” with the direct mail team’s understanding of its requirements, as well as its proactivity and professionalism.
Propack is a leading provider of technology-led print and direct mail solutions, creating innovative campaigns for its clients for over 25 years. Its team produces in excess of 25 million mail packs per year from its 30,000 square foot bespoke site in Huddersfield.
Managing director of Propack, Jason Clough, said: “I am incredibly proud of the team for securing this tender to continue our work with Plan International UK.
Having worked with their team on previous projects since 2018, we went into the tender process with a deep understanding of Plan’s values, goals and standards.
“PIUK is a fantastic organisation that delivers vitally important projects supporting children around the world. I am honoured that we can be a part of their team’s journey and support their mission to make sure every child has the same chance in life.”
Propack’s work will see its team producing and managing a range of materials to engage sponsors, including sponsored child introductions, welcome packs, child to sponsor letters and sponsored child updates.
Ayshe Kuyucuoglu, sponsorship operations team leader at Plan International UK, added: “We are delighted to announce that, after a very thorough round of longlisting and shortlisting, we have selected Propack to manage and deliver our sponsorship outsourcing for the next four years.
“We were extremely impressed with the quality of the team’s tender application, understanding of our requirements, proactivity, and professionalism throughout.
“We are excited to work with Propack to drive our sponsorship activities forward and reach our goals.”
Lincoln Golf Simulator company lands an ace with £50k of growth investment
A Lincoln-based golf simulator company, Virtually Golf, has secured £50k to further grow the business whilst creating two new positions.
Virtually Golf secured finance from First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans through British Business Bank’s Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) backed by the Recovery Loan Scheme. The funding will be used for equipment and improving the dining experience.
Although the UK has seen a rise in golf participation, golf clubs have been closing for various reasons, including a fall in club memberships. Virtually Golf identified this gap in the market and offers a realistic golf experience using simulators for both professional and amateur golfers. It offers several options for larger groups like friends or families who want to enjoy the experience together.
Using Virtually Golf’s unique simulator concept, the company provides an educational space for golfers to develop their skills and for non-golfers to be introduced to the game to create new and unique experiences with friends and family.
Stephen Clark, Founder & Managing Director, Virtually Golf, said: “It was fantastic to open and invite Lincoln’s residents to VG (Virtually Golf) to discuss and showcase this new concept with above ‘PAR’ experiences for golfers and non-golfers.
“We needed to adapt the business model and the loan has enabled us to focus on what we initially envisioned to create an elevated dining experience around the technologically advanced golfing services we offer. To bring in summer trade for friends and family through food, drink and fun!
“I personally want to thank First Enterprise for the service and help during the process. We even look forward to hosting an event together on the 24th of November.”
Matthew Wright, Investment Manager at First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans, commented: “Stephen and Christina were fantastic to work with and have pinpointed a great gap in the market whilst coming up with an innovative solution for it. First Enterprise and I fully support this type of resourceful entrepreneurship.”
Lewis Stringer, Senior Manager at British Business Bank, Commented: “The MEIF supports small businesses, such as Virtually Golf, with innovative concepts to realise their growth potential. MEIF funding continues to support businesses in Lincolnshire and across the Midlands to expand through the creation of new jobs, contributing to the growth of the region’s overall economy.”
Pat Doody, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Virtually Golf is an excellent example of a disruptive start-up which has harnessed the power of new technology to solve a contemporary problem.
“Greater Lincolnshire is developing a reputation for high-tech innovation in sectors from sport to agriculture and from manufacturing to defence.
“It’s also home to some of the best golf courses in the UK, most notably at Woodhall Spa which is home to the English Golf Union and the National Golf Centre.
“I’ve no doubt that this new financial injection will help Virtually Golf to cement its place alongside some of these longer established golfing institutions.”
Quickline brings full fibre broadband to Flixborough
Rural broadband specialist Quickline Communications is connecting village residents and businesses with game-changing full fibre broadband.
Flixborough, in North Lincolnshire, is the latest rural community Quickline is providing with lightning-fast, reliable broadband.
It means the almost 200 homes and more than 400 businesses in the village will have access to fibre broadband for the first time.
Half of the households in the area pre-registered their interest in taking the service and, with the infrastructure for Quickline’s rollout already in place, the first customers are now being connected.
Homes and businesses in Flixborough who join the Quickline network will see typical broadband downloads increase from just 17 Mbps to gigabit-enabled speeds.
The rollout is part of Quickline’s ongoing programme to bring high-speed broadband to outlying communities, including in North Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire and North and West Yorkshire.
Quickline is delivering “broadband for the better” to homes and businesses in rural communities through a market-leading hybrid network, combining fibre and fixed wireless broadband.
Flixborough features a mixture of village homes and commercial and industrial premises, with many based on Flixborough Industrial Estate.
The fibre rollout will mean residents living in Lodge Lane, High Street and Burton Road in Flixborough can enjoy all the benefits of fast and reliable broadband, including streaming, online gaming and video calling family and friends. The fibre service will also extend to the neighbouring hamlet of Normanby.
Chris Akrill, Quickline’s Head of Fibre Operations, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer fibre in Flixborough, which will transform how this community uses the Internet.
“With the mixture of residential properties and businesses in the village, our fibre service is the ideal solution to meet the needs of all users in the area.
“Having fast and easy internet access is now an essential part of daily life and we’re here to ensure it’s a reality for rural internet users. Our rollout in Flixborough is yet another example of Quickline delivering on our mission to reach communities that have been left behind by other providers.
“We want to ensure residents and businesses in Flixborough have the most robust and reliable connections and high speeds, while also bringing improved internet access to many other communities.”
Flixborough residents Edwin Koert and partner Filipa Felix welcomed Quickline’s rollout of fibre broadband and said it would make a huge difference to residents and businesses.
Edwin said: “We’re absolutely delighted to join Quickline’s eagerly-awaited fibre network and we’re convinced it will be a massive success.
“Everyone is really happy about the rollout. Our address is in a blackspot with every provider. If I’m watching YouTube and my partner is making a WhatsApp call, my picture freezes. It has been terrible.
“Fibre will definitely be a game-changer for the community and we’re looking forward to having a good service.”
Bradford Council signs option to purchase former landfill site as home for wholesale food market
Bradford Council has announced the signing of an ‘Option to Purchase’ an unused former landfill land at Staithgate Lane to the south of the district to build a new larger, greener and state of the art northern food hub to replace its current St James Wholesale Market.
Bradford’s St James Market is already the biggest wholesale market site in Yorkshire and the North East, and this latest phase means the council can push ahead with plans to create a new larger and more accessible modern wholesale market as part of a northern food hub, creating more jobs and strengthening the local and regional food distribution network.
The current wholesale market is fully let, and the land at its present location is at maximum capacity. The new site satisfies the demand from existing businesses for expansion and gives the opportunity for new businesses to open to take advantage of over 500 local and regional retailers that use the market each week.
The existing market supports more than 30 SMEs and is located on an eight-acre site on the edge of the city centre, just off the congested Wakefield Road. It generates about £50m turnover and provides employment for more than 400 people, supplying hotels, restaurants, cafes, takeaways and catering suppliers as well as independent supermarkets, shops and market stalls.
The signing of the ‘Option to Purchase’ document means the council can forge ahead with its vision to transform the St James business from the traditional model of a wholesale market to develop a massive food distribution centre supporting and accessing the independent retail, catering and food service sectors across the whole of the north. The new facility would create a Northern Food Hub with fresh and processed foods including meat, fish and fruit and vegetables as well as a bakery and flowers from a site with fully modernised infrastructure, close to the major northern transport links.
The new Regional Food Hub at Staithgate Lane would capitalise on its excellent location close to the M62 and other major arterial road networks allowing access to the whole of northern and central England.
The Council says moving to the new location and a modern operating model give clear opportunities to create a green sustainable facility, cutting down on emissions and waste directly related to the buildings, facilities and transportation of goods, creating a streamlined supply chain removing polluting vehicles from the city centre and residential areas.
The move will also allow the existing site to be redeveloped as part of the council’s Southern Gateway growth area, and is the preferred site for a new high-speed rail station as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail. The Prime Minister Liz Truss has recently pledged the Government’s commitment to the Northern Powerhouse Rail project including a stop in Bradford.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “We have huge ambitions for the Bradford district including being the leading clean growth city district and creating this new larger, greener modern food hub serving the whole of northern and central England and beyond forms part of that plan. Relocating from the current St James market site frees up land in the city centre for a much needed through station in the city centre which Prime Minister Liz Truss recently pledge commitment to. Delivering on that commitment would be an important step towards truly ‘levelling up’ the north.”
Nigel Jenney at Fresh Produce Consortium, which includes some of the country’s top food & flower importers and growers, said: “The signing of the ‘Option to Purchase’ for this land to create a northern food hub is a significant move and would promote food security and a streamlined supply chain.”
Tool theft robs tradespeople an average of almost £5,000
Tools worth almost £3 billion have been stolen from UK tradespeople, with a four in five being victims of theft, according to a new report.
The Tradespeople Against Tool Theft white paper, from the UK’s largest online construction community On The Tools and one of the UK’s largest providers of small business insurance Simply Business, was created to highlight and explore the realities of UK tradespeople who have experienced tool theft.
The study found that tool theft costs tradespeople – mostly the self-employed – an average of £4,470 in equipment, with one in five having more than £5,000 worth of tools stolen. The study revealed that self-employed tradespeople are 38% more likely to be targeted than employed tradespeople, with equipment most likely to be stolen from their van parked outside of their home (39%). One in 10 (9%) have even experienced equipment being stolen from inside their home or garage.
Aside from the cost of replacing stolen tools, tool theft incurs additional costs in loss of earnings while equipment is being replaced. One in ten tradespeople (11%) had to take time off work or decline new work while they sourced new equipment. Over a tenth (13%) of respondents also had to pay to repair their vehicle, adding to the plethora of costs associated with the crime.
Tool theft is an experience more than a third of tradespeople have gone through twice, with some having their tools stolen five or more times, severely affecting financial income and mental wellbeing.
In April 2021 a motion for leave to bring in a Bill was presented in the House of Commons. The Bill proposed a requirement for persons selling second-hand tools online to show the serial numbers of those tools in searchable advertisement text, and for connected purposes. This Bill, as it stands, has not become law.
Consumer awareness around the crime is high, with 71% of consumers believing that the average tradesperson has had their tools stolen once or more during the past year. Yet according to the study almost a quarter of consumers bought second-hand and/or refurbished tools. Out of which 19% consumers purchased without making any checks.
Alan Thomas, UK CEO at Simply Business, said:“We’ve seen the profound impact of tool theft first-hand, costing tradespeople £4,470 on average. Those on the receiving end are often forced to take time off work, and the financial hit – and longer term repercussions on future business – can inevitably affect wellbeing.
“Tradespeople, like so many other business owners across the country, continue to battle rising costs, surging energy prices, and material shortages, all while continuing their recovery from the impact of the pandemic.
“At the very least, in the midst of a cost of living crisis, there needs to be wider recognition of the fact that tool theft is a problem for tradespeople of all types. Further than that, discussion should centre around how tool theft impacts everyone – when it happens, it affects the economy at large in terms of lost working days.
“At Simply Business, we’re proud to partner with On The Tools to produce this white paper and reignite our campaign to Stamp Out Tool Theft. We hope that by shining a light on the scale and depth of the problem, revealing the true stories of those affected, and offering practical support for the community, we can contribute positively to change.”
Building major solar farms in West Lindsey would be a catastrophe, says council
It would be a catastrophe to build four nationally-important solar energy projects in the West Lindsey area of Lincolnshire believe its councillors, and they’ve written to the Government’s Environment Minister to tell him so.
Councillors say they’re extremely concerned about the scale and number of solar projects, which would account for almost a fifth of all solar energy generated in the UK, because they are shut out of the planning control process, which instead rests with national government.
Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr Owen Bierley said the ‘sheer scale’ of the proposals in West Lindsey was at odds with both local and national policy.
He said: “It does not effectively balance the need for local social and economic prosperity, self-sufficiency in terms of food production, and the protection of open countryside against the need to generate green energy nationally”.
He has written to the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley north of the Humber, urging him to consider the wider impacts.
He said: “If these proposals and others like them are allowed to go forward, driven by market forces and economic expediency alone, the impact on the countryside and rural communities would be catastrophic.”
Cllr Bierley strongly believes that rural districts have a key role to play in achieving self-sufficiency and realising net zero by 2050. But he stressed that allowing the market to drive these schemes removes the ability for the Country as a whole to appropriately plan future land use requirements. He added: “Ultimately it will affect the country’s ability to deliver sustainable food supply for future generations.”
The Council is aware of the challenges currently faced by farmers due to the uncertainty around future subsidies and financial incentives, leading them to part with land they would otherwise farm.
The letter outlines how the current proposals would also undermine’ competing priorities including that of the visitor economy of West Lindsey, which generates £43.67m for local businesses.
Cllr Bierley said: “West Lindsey’s unique selling point is access to the great outdoors, big skies and open countryside. Development on an industrial scale is not conducive to protecting or enhancing this critical income stream for a rural area’s West Lindsey.”
Tourism experts at Destination Lincolnshire, which is committed to growing the visitor economy in Lincolnshire, believes the project should be rejected. Charlotte Goy, Chief Executive of Destination Lincolnshire, urged the MP to consider the long-term implications and negative consequences of having a solar farm of this scale in this location in Lincolnshire.
She said: “I believe it will impact not only on the immediate businesses near it, but on the whole ecosystem of Lincoln and Lincolnshire as a visitor destination.”
Destination Lincolnshire believes its objection is aligned with national government encouraging positive visitor experiences in rural destinations post covid; a government which has gone to extraordinary lengths to support the sector financially, which work could be undermined by these solar projects could undermine this work.
Charlotte added: “As the sector recovers from the worst of the pandemic there has been an overwhelming demand for quality tourism experiences from a domestic market which enhance the place DNA and appeal of UK destinations – and Lincolnshire’s countryside offers just this.”
