VetPartners continues European growth with Spanish group
A Spanish veterinary group has joined York-headquartered VetPartners.
Alianza Petsalud, which has 21 small animal practices, as well as the Vetersalud business, has become the biggest group in Spain to join forces with VetPartners.
Founded in 2004, Alianza Petsalud was established by vets, including founding partner and CEO Jose Antonio Carrillo.
VetPartners aims to become one of Europe’s leading animal health businesses and currently has more than 600 locations across seven European countries, as well as complementary businesses, including laboratories, two nursing schools, a locum agency and online retail businesses.
After being launched in York in 2015 with three practices, VetPartners, which is led by vet and CEO Jo Malone, now has practices in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Ireland.
In January 2022, Praxia, a referral practice specialising in various fields, including cardiology and orthopaedics, based in Elche, Alicante, became their founding practice in Spain, where it now has more than 40 practice sites following the acquisition of Alianza Petsalud.
Jose Antonio Carrillo said: “We are delighted to be joining a group which shares the values of Alianza Petsalud. By joining forces, we can be a force for good in the veterinary profession in Spain and the rest of Europe.
“Both parties are dedicated to delivering clinical excellence for our patients, as well as supporting the wellbeing and development of our people, which is why we felt VetPartners was the right home for our organisation.”
VetPartners’ operations and expansion in Spain is overseen by Managing Director Augusto Macías, a vet, who also has 30 years’ experience in the veterinary business. He is president of AGESVET-GGA Group in AVEPA association and professor in Universidad Europea.
Mr Macias said: “VetPartners and Alianza Petsalud share the same values, and together we want to create a great place for our vets and nurses to work, where they feel valued and supported. Both groups have been founded and are led by vets so we understand what is important to our people and to the profession.
“We also want to be renowned for providing an excellent service and care of our patients with investment in our practices and continued development of our team members.
“By focusing on its people and the veterinary profession, VetPartners is making a huge difference. We want to focus on attracting and growing talent, with good professionals and good people who can continue developing in the profession. This will enable VetPartners to become the group of choice in Spain and Alianza Petsalud are a very welcome addition to our family of practices.”
As well as veterinary practices, Alianza Petsalud also has Vetersalud, which provides services, including training, to independent clinics.
West Yorkshire textile business secures £2.1m to support management buy-out
OakNorth Bank has provided a £2.1m loan to Europa Wools, the West Yorkshire-based trader and processor of natural wool, to allow Richard Morsley to take 100% control of Europa Wools, while allowing his sister to exit the business.
Founded in 1988 by David and Lynn Morsley, Europa Wools’ expertise, which now spans more than 30 years, has seen the firm become a major player in the global textile industry, specialising in wool from New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain.
The family-run firm supplies over one million kilograms of textile raw materials to the international wool trade every year, making it one of the industry’s leading wholesalers in the UK. Europa Wools is also a large scale processor of raw wool from its own commercial mill in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, which sees it supply manufacturers from all over the world.
It supplies manufacturers both domestically and internationally, including spinners of weaving, knitting, upholstery and carpet yarns, as well as felt-makers, technical non-woven and home-ware manufacturers.
Richard Morsley, Managing Director of Europa Wools, said: “Since my parents founded Europa Wools over three decades ago, we’ve strived to build a business that knows everything there is to know about every kind of textile fibre available. This includes where to source materials at the most competitive price, anticipating customer demand, and ensuring we stock the required range of fibres to meet every order.
“This management buy-out will allow for the managed exit of my sister, Gina, in addition to powering the scaling of Europa Wools moving forward, as we look to further strengthen our new retail offering. It was great to see the team at OakNorth Bank take their time to really get to know our business inside and out, before then completing the transaction in only a few weeks.”
Al Morris, director of debt finance at OakNorth Bank, added: “The Morsley family are very well known within Huddersfield and across the wider West Yorkshire region, as a result of building such a successful business. Having been with the business since 2002, and part of the family that started it, Richard is clearly very dedicated to Europa Wools and has been central to its continued success and growth.
“With the global wool market forecast to see substantial growth over the next four years, driven by technological advancements in spinning and weaving machines that allow for increased sales, Europa Wools is in a perfect position to capitalise on this opportunity. Helping fast-growing, family-run businesses like Europa Wools achieve their growth ambitions is what gets us out of bed in the morning, so we’re excited to be part of their growth story.”
Duo of Scarborough retail centres snapped up
Commercial property and investment company Evolve Estates has acquired two prime town centre parades in the North Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough.
It has added to its burgeoning retail portfolio The Balmoral Centre, a 57,339 sq ft covered retail centre anchored by Wilko, and Bar House, on Aberdeen Walk, which has 17,602 sq ft of retail and leisure space over three floors.
It acquired the parades for an undisclosed sum, taking this year’s retail acquisitions to more than £48m.
Sebastian MacDonald-Hall, of Evolve Estates, said: “Scarborough is a beloved seaside resort and we’re pleased to have secured these well-known, popular parades, bringing them into our in-house portfolio.
“We are committed to focusing our efforts on regional retail centres and neighbourhood parades where we can see there is incredible potential. The Balmoral Centre and Bar House provide us with significant opportunities to add significant value and we are already looking to identify how we can revitalise these centres further. We hope to make announcements on how we can achieve this over the next few months.”
The Balmoral Centre, which Evolve bought as freehold, comprises seven retail units on ground floor, with five fronting Westborough. There are also two further units, plus a vacant night club located on the first floor and a gym located on the second floor. An NCP car park has space for 480 vehicles.
Bar House comprises seven shops fronting Westborough and Aberdeen Walk, with vacant first and second floors, which used to be a nightclub.
The agents for Evolve Estates were Prime Retail.
Council to progress with purchase of shopping centre as approval given
The green light for North East Lincolnshire Council to go ahead with buying Freshney Place shopping centre was given at a meeting last night.
Members at the Full Council approved the purchase of the shopping centre – a recommendation that was approved by the Council’s Cabinet in June. The Full Council meeting heard from leader Cllr Philip Jackson that the purchase was vital to ensure a healthy future for Grimsby Town Centre.
The news comes as it was also revealed that local cinema company The Parkway is the operator behind plans to open a big screen within the planned new development at the western end of Freshney Place. The current Top Town Market is set to move, making way for leisure activities with a cinema a priority. Cllr Jackson expressed his delight that it was a local company involved, allowing the Top Town cinema to complement its operation in Cleethorpes.
The Grimsby shopping centre went into receivership earlier this year, and the deadline for bids for its sale closed last month. The Council bid for the centre was submitted and following this decision will be subject to further due diligence in the coming weeks.
Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of the Council, said: “We needed to take this course of action to make sure we can continue to deliver our transformation of the urban heart of Grimsby. If we didn’t agree to buy the centre, it could be bought by someone who is unwilling to invest and the decline of the heart of our town centre would be devastating.”
The centre makes up 60 per cent of the town centre’s retail offer, supporting one in five jobs within that area.
“To enable this regeneration to continue, Freshney Place, a huge space in our town centre, must have a stable future. If this becomes Council-owned, this would mean that we could take Freshney Place into account when we’re looking at the transformation of the whole of our town centre, potentially bringing in different offers, using the centre in different and more modern ways to reduce its current over-reliance on retail.”
The plan for the centre would be to appoint external asset managers with significant experience to run the centre on a day-to-day basis with the Council taking an ‘arms-length’ approach in the near future.
Grant funding from Central Government, including the Towns Fund, has already seen significant transformation in the town centre with projects still under way. These include Garth Lane, St James Square, the new Onside Horizon Youth Zone and the conversion of St James House into an E-Factor Group businesses centre and hub.
FSB to launch scheme recognising council support for small firms
For the first time councils across England can nominate themselves to have their partnerships with small businesses recognised and celebrated.
The Federation of Small Businesses will host the inaugural FSB Local Government Awards on 14 October to highlight the great work local government is doing to support small firms and sole traders all across England, helping to boost local economies and employment.
The aim of the awards is to highlight outstanding partnerships and projects, so that ‘best practice’ examples can be built upon more widely, as well as to increase knowledge among local government organisations of the types of projects and programmes which work best to empower the small business community. They will also give small firms themselves the opportunity to see the types of support that are available to them.
The awards ceremony will be held at DRP Group in Worcestershire, a state-of-the-art venue which has hosted events such as the Gadget Show, and will be jointly produced with students from Kidderminster College, giving them hands-on experience at a high-profile professional event.
The awards themselves will cover four main categories:
- COVID-19 Support and Recovery – how local government were able to support local businesses in innovative and proactive ways during the pandemic;
- Programme of Business Support – what is on offer to local businesses, including a small business-focused procurement programme, schemes to help high streets, crime reduction, and help on ‘ESG’ (environmental, sustainability, and governance) issues;
- Future-Ready – what are councils and local authorities doing to address skills gaps, adapt high streets to shifting consumer habits, help local firms on the way to net zero, nurture future entrepreneurs, and more; and
- All-Round Small Business Friendly – to recognise an overall outstanding contribution to the life and health of the local business community.
Ron Dearing UTC welcomes more business partners to further boost opportunities for students
Several of the region’s leading businesses have partnered with Hull’s employer-led school to provide students with industry standard skills and help create their potential future workforces.
Advanced Plastics Ltd and Shipham Valves have become Major Partners of Ron Dearing University Technical College (UTC), while CATCH, Northern Powergrid, Ridings Consulting Engineers and Spectrum have become Partners.
In addition to its Founding Partners, the UTC in Kingston Square, Hull city centre, has many other successful businesses working alongside it as Major Partners and Partners.
These companies help to develop and deliver employer-led projects, offering work experience and apprenticeships and leading the school’s careers information, advice and guidance programme.
Major Partners also play a key role in helping to develop the Ofsted “Outstanding”-rated school’s unique employer-engaged curriculum.
Founded in 1992 and celebrating 30 years in business this year, Advanced Plastics employs almost 250 people at its 65,000 sq ft manufacturing site at Sutton Fields in Hull. It provides a diverse range of technical injection moulded products for blue chip clients across a range of market sectors.
Rob Anderson, Joint Managing Director at Advanced Plastics Ltd, said: “Becoming a Major Partner presents us with an opportunity to develop our talent pipeline to feed our own technical solutions and what better way to do it than supporting the development of local young minds.”
Shipham Valves was founded in Hull in 1798 and is now based in Brough, employing 75 staff. It specialises in the design, development and manufacture of a range of valves used in global industries including onshore and offshore oil and gas, petro chemical and power generation.
The business is taking on four apprentices from Ron Dearing UTC in September and plans to organise hands-on programming sessions, work experience, further apprenticeships and industry standard projects for students to work on in the future.
Managing Director Rob Moulds said: “We want to support Ron Dearing UTC to promote engineering and inspire students at the earliest possible stage, taking on apprentices and enabling them to have the right mindset and values we want to see as a business.”
CATCH is an industry-led partnership supporting the process, energy, engineering and renewable industries in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and the Humber, and helps to develop and deliver skills and apprenticeship programmes both regionally and nationally.
James McIntosh, Chief Operating Officer at CATCH, said: “We’re extremely passionate about developing young people and ensuring our region has the right skills to become a hub of industry for years to come. The UTC model of excellent education, facilities and people links to our aims of creating a talent pipeline for apprenticeships.”
Northern Powergrid is responsible for the electricity distribution network that powers everyday life for eight million people across 3.9 million homes and businesses in Yorkshire, northern Lincolnshire and the North East, employing 2,700 people.
Cathryn Harper, Northern Powergrid’s Regional Customer Service Manager for the Humber, said: “We’re on a mission to find different ways to attract new talent into our industry. This partnership will help inspire more Ron Dearing UTC students, from a diverse range of backgrounds, to be part of our exciting journey to create a greener energy system to power peoples’ lives and our region.”
Hessle-based Ridings Consulting Engineers specialises in building services engineering design solutions for refurbishment and new construction projects. Its 14-strong team works across the commercial, industrial, public and private sectors.
Director Liam Beardshaw said: “We’ve already taken on two apprentices from Ron Dearing UTC and we’re taking on another one or two in September. The long-term goal is to help to shape our potential future workforce even further.”
Spectrum has helped hundreds of organisations manage and improve their business and print processes for over 35 years. The company, with a head office located at Bridgehead business park in Hessle, and a second office based in Newcastle, are always on the lookout for securing new talent and being able to grow it’s thriving workforce.
Spectrum is looking to offer work placement, apprenticeship and employment opportunities to Ron Dearing students.
Sally Evans, Director of People at Spectrum, said: “We have a huge focus on training and progression, being able to provide our people with opportunities in which to flourish.
“We want to continue to work with schools, colleges and universities to link up with young people who have a specific interest in what we do. We are proud to partner with Ron Dearing UTC and looking forward to working together.”
Ron Dearing UTC caters for students aged between 14 and 19, offering a specialist focus on digital technology, creative digital, art and design and digital engineering.
Glenn Jensen, Senior Assistant Principal and Head of Engineering at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “We’re delighted to welcome six new Employer Partners on board and continue to build on the success of our employer-led learning model of education.”
Retirement brings 40-year legal career to an end
A legal career spanning over 40 years has come to an end with the retirement of former Deputy District Judge and Family Law Solicitor John Mitchell.
John joined Sills & Betteridge in 1981 after a brief period practising as a Barrister in Nottingham. He became a Partner of the firm in 1985, quickly gaining himself an enviable reputation for his handling of complex matrimonial matters. John was accredited by the Law Society Children Law Panel and Resolution Family Mediation Panel. He was recommended by the Legal 500 and a member of the Lincolnshire Family Justice Board.
A natural leader, John held a number of senior positions in the firm including Head of Family Law, Managing Partner and member of the Leadership Team.
Among his many achievements, John will be best remembered for the expansion ambitions he had for the firm, and the key part he played in achieving them – and for being a career-shaping mentor to aspiring young family lawyers.
Senior Partner Karen Bower-Brown worked with John for 22 years. She said: “John was a highly respected and widely popular colleague. He always gave 100% and played a substantial part in the development of our firm. I am sure I will not be the only one who will miss him on both a professional and personal level. We wish him a long and happy retirement.”
Streets covers its charity fundraising, offers helpful information to manage business financial challenges and more in its latest business support update
In its latest Business Support Update, Streets Chartered Accountants highlights its charity fundraising, offers information to address a business’s financial challenges, reconsiders the statement ‘people are our greatest asset’ and more.
Streets Golf Day secures hole in one for air ambulance
Streets hosted its ninth annual Charity Golf Day this month raising £6,309 for the Air Ambulance. The total amount fundraised will be divided between the firm’s three regional charities; East Anglian Air Ambulance, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance and Yorkshire Air Ambulance. The event received fantastic support with 23 teams taking part and more than 25 local businesses sponsoring the day. There were Stableford team prizes as well as competitions such as Longest Drive, Nearest the Pin, Beat the Pro and Hole in One.
EVENT: Academies Update 2022
A free and informative update for all schools and academies – headteachers, accounting officers, bursars/business managers and governors – especially those on the finance/audit committee. The presentations will cover the Academies Accounts Direction for 2023, including key changes for financial reporting as Streets and its academy clients undertake the completion of annual accounts for 31st August 2022. Book now.
Streets Summer Newsletter 2022
We seem to have thrown off the major disruption due to the COVID pandemic, but we now have other challenges to consider. For example, rising inflation and interest rates, continuing supply issues and shortages of commodities from baby food to computer chips. There is a broad spectrum of information in this newsletter and hopefully you will find something of use to aid your management of business or personal financial challenges. Read more.
People are our greatest asset, is it just rhetoric or is there real value in this statement?
How many times have you heard a business leader or company director say our people are our greatest asset? How often we do we take a step back and think what does this really mean? Is it marketing spin aimed at making the organisation look good or to attract new employees or is there more behind this well-used phrase? Read more.
Humber Business Week – The Working Lunch podcast series
Last month Streets hosted Working Lunch, a special Humber Business Week series of The Streets Sessions podcast. Each day James Pinchbeck, marketing partner at Streets, was joined by a special guest to find out more about their role and the organisation they work with to gain an insight into what they think makes Hull a vibrant and diverse community and why it is a great place for enterprise. Listen here.
SmartMoney Magazine – July/August 2022
SmartMoney is the bi-monthly magazine from Streets Financial Consulting plc, Streets’ independent financial planning arm, full of news and helpful information on personal financial planning. Read more.
Simply UK acquires six care homes in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire
Simply UK has acquired six purpose built care homes across Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire and leased them to Portland Care Group.
Acting on behalf of the vendors, Anita Allen of Bespoke Care managed the ‘off market’ sales process and confirmed the sale concluded for an undisclosed sum.
Portland Care Group said that these transactions will add six care homes comprising 498 beds to its portfolio.
Managing Director of Portland Care Group, Rob McDonald, said: “We are delighted to have completed this acquisition. The addition of these 6 x purpose built care homes is a further step in our plan for growth.”
Agent for the sellers were: Anita Allen of Bespoke Care, Sheffield.
Solicitors for the sellers were: Trevor Bird, Amy Hallam, directors, and Morgan Summerfield, paralegal corporate, of BRM Solicitors, Sheffield and Sarah Rowland, director, and Matthew Lilly, solicitor of BRM Solicitors, Chesterfield and Elizabeth Harris and Ian Osborn of Best Solicitors, Sheffield.
Solicitors for Portland Care Group were: Steve Edgecombe, partner, Edwin Truesdale, legal director, DLA Piper Scotland LLP, Dean Peachy, senior associate, Harvey Clark and Kate Roden, associates, DLA Piper UK LLP.
Acquisitions allow York-based renewable technology business to expand into the North East and Norfolk
Low carbon and renewable technology specialists Green Building Renewables has acquired two new regional businesses to expand its nationwide network of local renewable energy experts.
Peterlee-based Unique Energy and Norwich-based Inspired Renewables join the York-based business and will increase its revenue to £15 million. The merger will also create 20 new jobs at the company across its two new offices over the next 12 months.
Green Building Renewables offers a range of renewable technology solutions through its growing network of local energy experts; it provides air and ground source heat pumps, underfloor heating, solar PV, EV charging, and battery storage.
The company’s network includes York, Doncaster, Daventry, Wellingborough, and Colchester offices. The two new offices in Peterlee and Norwich help to expand its nationwide reach further as it can now offer its services and products in the North East and Norfolk and Suffolk, respectively.
Chris Delaney, Managing Director of Green Building Renewables, said: “This is an exciting time for the business. These are the third and the fourth acquisitions for Green Building Renewables in less than 12 months, demonstrating our ambition and commitment to creating a nationwide network of local renewable energy experts.
“We want Green Building Renewables to be the first company people think of when they want to install renewable technology in their homes or businesses. We will do this by continuing to grow our network through the acquisition of quality local renewable technology businesses like Unique and Inspired.
“We’re delighted to welcome Michael and Andy’s team to ours. And we’re proud of how much of England we now cover. We will continue to grow our business that provides people with local solutions to the global issues of rising fuel prices and climate change.”
Unique Energy, which specialises in installing solar panels and renewable technology through the Government’s Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery scheme and Inspired Renewables, a community partner of Norwich City Football Club, will begin a process of rebranding to Green Building Renewables.
Michael Metcalfe, Managing Director of Unique Energy, said: “Joining Green Building Renewables and becoming part of something bigger is a fantastic opportunity for my team and I. Together, we have built something special in the North East and now have the chance to share our knowledge and learnings with a wider team. With fuel prices expected to rise again later this year, the number of people affected by fuel poverty will only increase. We have been committed to helping those with the lowest incomes access renewable technology. By joining Green Building renewables, we hope to expand that offering.”
Earlier this year, Green Building Renewables acquired Eco East Anglia, based in Colchester. The acquisition of Norwich-based Inspired Renewables allows Green Building Renewables to offer its products and services to most of East Anglia and a large portion of the South East of England.
Inspired Renewables Managing Director Andy Glanville said: “The demand for renewable technology, particularly solar panels and battery storage like the Tesla Powerwall, continues to grow especially in the East and the South East of England, which gets its fair share of sunny weather. By joining Green Building Renewables, we can offer renewable technology to people across the region. The merger will create jobs in the region as we work to meet the demand.”
