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AO partners with Peak, adopting its AI System to enhance customer experience

AI

Sam Whitear

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30/07/2020

AO partners with Peak, adopting its AI System to enhance customer experience

AO, the UK’s largest online electricals retailer, has today announced a new partnership with Peak, a fast-growing artificial intelligence (AI) company. AO will initially be utilising Peak’s pioneering AI System to generate insight-led data for its mobile business, AO Mobile, to help with segmenting customer data and improving the experience of customers.

AO prides itself on its exceptional customer service and seamless online customer journey, and recently announced its results for FY2020, with year-on-year UK revenue up 20.3%. It’s One AO strategy sees the retailer connecting and leveraging different arms of the business to scale effectively, drive innovation and power growth. The partnership with Peak will support the continuation of this strategy in FY21, by bringing together data from AO Mobile and AO Retail to power a more connected and personalised customer experience.

David Lawson, MD of AO.com, said: “We’re excited to be partnering with Peak on this exciting new project. Working with Peak will enable us to improve the way that we use our data when serving our mobile customers. AO is still relatively new to the mobile sector, after launching AO Mobile at the end of 2018 and we believe by using AI, we will be one step closer to creating a game-changing proposition for all of our customers as part of our One AO strategy.”

Following the recent accelerated shift in customer behaviour towards e-commerce, it’s imperative for retail businesses to leverage data effectively to evolve the customer proposition; yet research from Gartner suggests that 85% of data projects fail. To counter this, Peak’s AI System has been built to enable businesses to rapidly put AI into production and focuses on delivering meaningful outcomes.

Tom Summerfield, Retail Director at Peak, said: “AI is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ for retailers, but a business essential, and we’re seeing a trend where many businesses are starting to turn and face this now. Businesses can use AI to make data-driven decisions quickly and effectively to improve the way they communicate and interact with their customers. Peak will help AO to achieve and maintain agility across its value chain in the name of delivering a great customer experience.”

Peak CEO and co-founder, Richard Potter, added: “We see this new partnership as an exciting union between two ambitious businesses. AO is a growing retail powerhouse which is taking a high tech, high touch approach to business. Peak, meanwhile, is a tech company that lives and breathes retail through the in-house expertise of our specialist team. We’re excited to be on this AI journey together.”

THE INSIGHTS PEOPLE CONTINUES GLOBAL EXPANSION INTO AUSTRALIA AND CANADA

Sam Whitear

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30/07/2020

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THE INSIGHTS PEOPLE CONTINUES GLOBAL EXPANSION INTO AUSTRALIA AND CANADA

Kids Insights, part of The Insights People, the global leader in kids’ market intelligence, today announced that it is continuing to expand globally to meet the growing international demand for its market intelligence solutions. The company now adds Canada and Australia, which become their 10th and 11th operational markets, following on from Brazil and Mexico which were launched earlier this year.

For both Kids Insights Australia and Kids Insights Canada, they will be surveying 400 age and gender representative children between the ages of 3 and 18 in each respective country every week, or 21,000 a year, enabling the business to provide all of their data to clients in real-time and monthly insight reports identifying, tracking and evaluating current trends in children’s attitudes, behaviour and consumption.

The launch into these two markets means that the company now surveys more than 4,000 children a week, and will now be surveying more than 200,000 kids a year across 5 continents and 11 countries in total, giving them true market leadership in global kids, tweens, and teens market intelligence.

The Insights People now operates in the UK, US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, and Canada, and works with clients such as Amazon, F1, LEGO, MediaCom, Pokemon, SEGA, Warner Bros and Viacom and has recently grown to a team of 31 based in Manchester city centre.

Nick Richardson, CEO of The Insights People said: “We are delighted to be launching into both Australia and Canada. Like all of the markets in which we operate in, these markets are going through an extensive period of change. Agencies and brands are looking to understand these fluid and dynamic markets, and we have supported these countries and have also received huge demand for our award-winning service.

Launching Kids Insights in Australia and Canada also represent an important milestone, as we are now surveying an additional 21,000 children in both countries, giving us a new total of 200,000 a year, and providing all of this data to our clients in real-time with expert analysis from our growing team of researchers and analysts. We look forward to supporting businesses in Australia and Canada and businesses looking to enter these markets with industry-leading independent data and insights.”

The Insights People international expansion plans were further boosted with being selected as one of the fifteen businesses to be part of Greater Manchester Business Growth Hub Global Scale Up Programme which will provide the company with access to a set of global experts, tools and network to assist in the businesses international growth.

Richardson adds, “It is testament to all of the hard work of our amazing team to have been recognised and selected to be part of this programme. We very much look forward to working with the Business Growth Hub and their fantastic partners to further accelerate our global expansion”.

The company will also host a free a webinar under the title “THE NEW NORMAL WITHIN KIDS ECOSYSTEM”, which will be taking place on 5th August. This webinar will give attendees the chance to get an unrivalled overview of kid’s attitudes, behaviours and consumption pattern across Europe.

NOMA TO PUSH AHEAD WITH 200,000 sq. ft. NET ZERO SPECULATIVE OFFICE DEVELOPMENT

Property

Sam Whitear

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30/07/2020

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NOMA TO PUSH AHEAD WITH 200,000 sq. ft. NET ZERO SPECULATIVE OFFICE DEVELOPMENT

A build contract has been signed for the latest office development at NOMA, a 20-acre mixed-use neighbourhood in Manchester city centre.

Leading UK construction firm Bowmer + Kirkland has been appointed as the main contractor on 4 Angel Square and physical works will start on-site this year, with completion due in early 2023.

The 200,000 sq. ft. office development that will form a key part of the emerging business district at NOMA and MEPC and Federated Hermes are to develop 4 Angel Square speculatively, in a major vote of confidence in the Manchester office market.

MEPC and Federated Hermes aim to set new benchmarks for sustainable commercial property development with 4 Angel Square, which will be an operational net zero carbon building with an EPC A rating.

Federated Hermes, which recently acquired MEPC, is the investment manager of the NOMA development and manages the 20-acre neighbourhood on behalf of an institutional investor. MEPC is the development and asset manager for NOMA.

Paul Pavia, head of development at MEPC, said: “With widespread public and business support for a true ‘green recovery’ after the pandemic is over, we only expect occupier and investor demand for high quality, sustainable workspace to grow further, which is why we have committed to making 4 Angel Square operationally net zero carbon and raising the standard for sustainable office development.

“4 Angel Square will help drive Manchester’s recovery and support the city’s long-term growth by creating high quality employment space designed appeal to major occupiers and support thousands of jobs. The construction phase will see work opportunities created specifically for local homeless and young people and we look forward to getting on-site with Bowmer + Kirkland.”

Designed by Manchester-based architect SimpsonHaugh, 4 Angel Square will sit on the corner of Corporation Street and Miller Street. The sustainable, high quality design of the development is aimed to appeal to major occupiers such as large companies and public sector organisations. They will join a thriving community of businesses, residents and creatives that have already made NOMA their home.

Over 2,000 people will be able to work at 4 Angel Square once the building is completed and over 500 people will work on the development over the project’s lifecycle. Specific employment opportunities will be created for local workers as well as the homeless, and apprenticeships and work placements available for young people.

Stephen Bradley, director – investment management at Federated Hermes, said: “We are confident in the Manchester market, which is why are continuing to develop 4 Angel Square speculatively, and believe Manchester stands to benefit from changes in occupier demands post-coronavirus. While work patterns will undoubtedly change, there will always be demand for well located, high quality, highly sustainable workspace.”

Manchester City Council recently approved the updated strategic framework for the latest phases of NOMA, which will deliver a 620,000 sq. ft. of new-build office space – including 4 Angel Square – as well as new retail and leisure space. In total, there is 1m sq. ft. of commercial space in NOMA’s development pipeline.

The 20-acre neighbourhood is helping extend Manchester city centre northwards and will feed into the £1bn Northern Gateway regeneration project, where Far East Consortium is delivering over 600 homes as part of the first phase.

Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “NOMA is playing a
crucial role in revitalising a key part of Manchester city centre and today’s
announcement is welcome news that will create jobs and drive investment into the
city. Cities will need to move quickly to mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19 and
it’s major projects such as this that help drive vital growth – and signals a city that
remains attractive for development.”

4 Angel Square, which will be 11-storeys tall, features a hotel-style entrance lobby and reception area and a c.2,500 sq. ft. external 10th floor roof terrace. On the ground floor, 7,000 sq. ft. of retail space will be provided and split over two units, together with a separate ground-floor office suite perfect for a start-up or small business.

The ground-floor retail space will help activate the new public square that is planned for next to 4 Angel Square which will connect to the existing public realm surrounding One Angel Square.

The public square will also connect 4 Angel Square to 2 & 3 Angel Square, which will collectively deliver 400,000 sq. ft. of Grade A new-build office space once built.

Peter Gallagher, director at Colliers said: “Driven by surging occupier demand,
there was a shortage of available Grade A office space in Manchester and this
won’t have disappeared after the pandemic. 4 Angel Square will provide much
needed high quality workspace and the fact it is being developed speculatively is a
huge vote of confidence in Manchester.”

James Devany, director at JLL, said: “Sustainability was already rising up the
agenda before COVID-19 struck but after the pandemic the search will be on for
office space that is well designed and genuinely sustainable. 4 Angel Square ticks
both boxes and we are confident interest in the development will be strong.”

The colonnade and coloured façade of 4 Angel Square will help connect the building to the listed estate at NOMA, where Amazon has opened its first UK HQ outside of London. The global e-commerce giant announced it would be taking Hanover, a redeveloped drapery warehouse, in October last year.

Elsewhere in the listed estate, practical completion was recently achieved at Redfern, a former warehouse and office building, that has been redeveloped into 25,000 sq. ft. of office space with 7,600 sq. ft. of mixed ground-floor retail and leisure space.

NOMA is also adapting the fit out of Dantzic, another refurbished historic building where 45,000 sq. ft. of contemporary workspace is available, to be more flexible and appealing to smaller occupiers post-pandemic.

JLL and Colliers are retained office agents for NOMA.

Ambitious Tech Firm Announces £3m Post Covid Growth Plans

Growth

Sam Whitear

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30/07/2020

0

Ambitious Tech Firm Announces £3m Post Covid Growth Plans

North West tech firm, Lokulus, has today announced its ambitious growth plans, committing £3m into the future of the business over the next two years, with a new office move, dedicated innovation budget and product launch roadmap, as well as a recruitment drive that will boost its team by 20% as it prepares for a period of significant growth.

Lokulus works with brands such as Matalan, Capita, Serco and Leeds Building Society to create intelligent digital customer service solutions that empower businesses to improve their customer experiences. Their technology uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) , Machine Learning and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), to automate lower skilled tasks; allowing team members to focus on their customers. This efficient tech creates enhanced customer and employee satisfaction, drives profitability for the business and accelerates brand reputation.

With record numbers of customer service teams working from home, as well as a surge in ecommerce sales, Lokulus products have never been more relevant, with brands and businesses looking to make life more efficient for both their employees and customers and enhance their digital offering.

The 19-year-old business, which was formerly known as numero until undergoing a management buyout in June 2019, has recently moved its headquarters to the Glasshouse at Alderley Park, the £30m project aimed at digital and tech companies which forms part of Bruntwood SciTech’s 400-acre park, which boasts 1.5m sq ft of office space.

As well as an office move, the team is also about to launch its first product since the buy out, Pulse, aimed at small and medium sized businesses. After years of creating solutions for Enterprise clients, over the last six months the team has used its learnings to engineer a SaaS based product for businesses who are looking to not only enhance both their digital customer engagement capabilities but enable remote working for their customer service teams.

Speaking about the future, CEO, Mark Chamberlain, said:

“The past year has enabled us to really cement the foundations of the business and plan for the future and now it’s our time to accelerate. In this strange time, we’re fortunate that our technology is hugely relevant for businesses who are wanting to enhance the online customer journey and we’re looking forward to what the future brings. With a new product to launch and a number of innovations in the pipeline, it’s an exciting time for Lokulus.”

Alister Harris, CFO, added:

“Our team has been central to our success so it has been imperative to us that we offer them a stand out location to work from, and Alderley Park is just that. Whilst Covid has initially delayed our ability to take advantage of our new environment, , we are confident that the space will be a place for innovation and collaboration for a long time to come.”

Lokulus is an established company of 20 years and employs a team of over 50 with plans to take on another 10 team members before the end of 2020. It has a proven track record of supporting long term clients such as Capita, Serco, Matalan, Saga Insurance and Leeds Building Society, plus many other well known organisations.

Lokulus is dedicated to future proofing innovation and has a pipeline of new technologies in development, which will enable them to continue to provide long-term contact solutions to organisations and businesses that fits the requirements of an ever changing customer landscape

Bien Venue Event Management Agency announces new Managing Director, Kerry Edwards

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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29/07/2020

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Bien Venue Event Management Agency announces new Managing Director, Kerry Edwards

Kerry Edwards has been appointed as the new managing director of boutique event agency Bien Venue as the business navigates a new future ahead.

Kerry Edwards has been promoted from within the business, from a Client Director position to replace the agency owner Sam Elliott in the MD role. She will now lead sales, operations and finance teams and suppliers as Sam Elliott moves to a CEO capacity to focus on further growth strategy and acquisitions.

Kerry has been at Bien Venue for six years and brings over two decades of industry knowledge and experience to the role. Prior to being at the agency, she has worked for major hotel groups across F & B, event management, revenue management as well as being in regional and national sales director roles.

With a solid understanding of the MICE sector, her specialisms include forging strong collaborative relationships with clients and suppliers, team management and developing and implementing business strategies.

As MD, Kerry will be providing management and leadership, supporting staff and clients through developments whilst planning for the future.

Future development of the agency will be focused on moving forward into the new normal whilst nurturing Bien Venue’s client base and offering a consultative, customer-focused service and promoting their existing and new portfolio of services,

Speaking on taking up the appointment, Kerry says,
“I’m delighted to take on this new challenge, I am passionate about building on our success of the last 24 years, leading our fantastic team to continue to deliver an A* service of excellence to our clients.”

Established in 1996, Bien Venue are a creative, boutique events agency, their services include sourcing venues for meetings and events, booking travel, accommodation, team building activities and corporate entertainment. Bien Venue also have their own online portals for both meetings and accommodation.

ABSOLUTE AGENCY LAUNCHES CLEARING CAMPAIGN FOR YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY

Creative

Sam Whitear

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28/07/2020

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ABSOLUTE AGENCY LAUNCHES CLEARING CAMPAIGN FOR YORK ST JOHN UNIVERSITY

The work is the latest in a line of higher education projects from the Greater Manchester based creative agency, with previous clients including The University of Manchester, Keele University, Queens University Belfast and University of Glasgow.

Established in 1841, York St John has been at the forefront of higher education for more than 175 years. It has won accolades for its teaching quality and inclusive approach, achieving a place in the Stonewall 2020 Top Employers list and in Stonewall’s Top 100 Trans Employer list.

The One campaign, a recruitment drive for 2021, centres around this focus on individuality and inclusivity, and is the completion of a project that included the overhaul and relaunch of the University’s website last year.

The current campaign takes a digital-first approach, with the focus firmly on York St John’s website, however Absolute also handled the design of the university’s 2021 prospectus.

This latest work replicates the brand tone and feel created by Absolute in February 2019, after the agency won the tender to redesign the university’s website.

Absolute Creative Director Simon Allman explains: “The work with York St John is a great example of our collaborative approach. The original brief was for a new website but after initial conversations it became apparent that we first needed to look at a brand refresh and messaging.”

Rejecting traditional academic designs, instead taking inspiration from the fashion and lifestyle sectors, the resulting website for York St John is contemporary and dynamic in design but simple in usability.

Breaking common higher education conventions such as the use of a large block header and traditional menu format, Absolute created a series of new brand assets including colourful animated patterns which added warmth and movement to the mostly black and white website.

Using Absolute’s own CMS system, Absolute Control, as well as the agency’s pattern library, a component based design which ensures consistency and agile delivery, Absolute created different module layouts that could be added or removed, meaning the team at York St John can easily amend the site without losing the integrity of the design.

The full 360 approach resulted in a strong campaign designed to relate to, and attract, modern students, executed with a visually stunning future-focused website.

Allman adds: “We love the results, a modern and dynamic brand identity and a website which is fully future proofed so the team at York St John can update the site as needed. We’re creative and solutions focused at Absolute, it’s about producing work that elevates a brand, while also making the client’s life easier.”

Dominic Billington, Head of Marketing and Digital Experience at York St John University, said: “Absolute were quite literally – a joy to work with. The team taught us to think completely differently about our business – they invested a lot of time in us, and provided truly unique ideas and visions. The work delivered is bold and unexpected and early indications for the current clearing campaign are positive, despite the strange circumstances we’ve found ourselves in these past few months.”

York St John’s website has just been nominated for Best Website in this year’s Heist Awards. It follows on from Absolute’s success in last year’s awards, where the agency picked up Gold for its work with Keele University.

Former LSH director appointed to strengthen OBI’s capital markets team

Appointments

Sam Whitear

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28/07/2020

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Former LSH director appointed to strengthen OBI’s capital markets team

OBI has appointed Scott Gemmell to head up its capital markets team, following a raft of new business wins.

Scott, who was previously a director and Head of Capital Markets at LSH in Manchester, will be joining the newly-expanded Transactions and Asset Management department – servicing OBI’s extensive client base, which boasts some of Manchester’s most high-profile developments.

Previously he was a director in JLL’s North West valuation team for 12 years, working on landmark schemes and developments such as St. John’s, Spinningfields, the NOMA estate, and Grosvenor’s Liverpool One.

Scott’s appointment brings Manchester-headquartered OBI’s headcount to 35 people, following five new hires across Q2 2020.

Scott said: “OBI’s reputation and client base is fantastic. There’s an incredible energy running through the core of the business with an uncompromising client focus, and this presented me with the right move at the right time.

“The firm has achieved so much over the past decade and I’m looking forward to being part of OBI’s future success.”
OBI co-founder Will Lewis said: “Scott is the final piece in the puzzle to our service offering; his knowledge of the market, coupled with his depth and breadth of experience, will be a fantastic asset for our clients.

“The sustained period of growth we’ve experienced has meant that building our capital markets expertise has been a natural progression, and there’s nobody better placed in the region to head up this growing division than Scott. We already have some exciting investment projects underway.”

Prior to his tenure at JLL, Scott worked at M&G Real Estate in London. He has advised clients including Aberdeen Standard Investments on their purchase of The Ivy & Oast House in Manchester and Rochdale Council on Rochdale Riverside.
Founded in 2010 by Will Lewis and Dominic Horridge, OBI’s landlord and occupier clients include Aviva Investors, Bruntwood, Schroders, Kinrise, Property Alliance Group, Booking.com, Morson Group, AO.com and The Hut Group (THG).

In both Manchester and Leeds, OBI provides advice to clients across its multi-disciplinary services, which include leasing and investment; capital markets; office acquisitions; building consultancy; business relocations; interior design; project management and dilapidations. The collection of services is known as the ‘OBI Difference’.

Truth Creative completes lockdown rebrand for cloud and tech events company Sleek

Creative

Sam Whitear

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28/07/2020

0

Truth Creative completes lockdown rebrand for cloud and tech events company Sleek

Truth Creative has completed a lockdown rebrand for London-based cloud and tech events company Sleek, providing The Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 firm with a dynamic new identity matching its rapid success story.

Originally founded as Sleek Events, Sleek’s new brand look, tone of voice and corporate values have all been brought into a cohesive new design by Truth, which works with global clients from an office in Manchester city centre.

Sleek MD & Founder, Jennifer Davidson, began initiating the rebrand after being selected for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK 2020 program.

Acknowledging that Sleek’s branding hadn’t kept pace with the fast-growth firm’s development since its 2015 launch, Jennifer said that lockdown provided an opportunity to accelerate the company’s rebrand and turn its focus to implementing the infrastructure to support future growth.

Truth’s work for Sleek included brand positioning, tone of voice, brand identity and animation. Co-founder and Managing Partner Jo Scott led on strategy, with Deputy Creative Director Anthony Wilde leading on branding. Senior account manager Hannah Turley and designer Louise Hamer worked on SEO and website, and Jade Rutter, motion designer, produced the animation.

Davidson founded Sleek in an office in a bedroom of her home in 2015. Since then the company has expanded to a team of event specialists servicing both corporate clients and luxury private parties.

It was the highest-placed business representing the events sector in the 2019 Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100, entering the list at number 19.

Jo Scott, co-founder and Managing Partner of Truth Creative, said: “When we interrogated Sleek as a business through our discovery phase, it was very clear that the business not only delivers outstanding products and services, but also has drive and heaps of personality.

“For us, it was important to bring those qualities to the fore of the brand positioning – culminating in an identity with confidence and ambition to support Sleek in delivering great things.”

Lizzie Burdge, Client Relationship Director for Sleek, said: “Sleek is a young, yet ambitious and fast-moving agency. Working predominantly with tech and cloud-based communities, we wanted a brand that aligns with our clients but also has a modern and adaptable style that supports the current and future vision of the agency.

“A strong brand will give a company a competitive edge while communicating what they can offer, building trust and establishing credibility, this is what I believe Sleek’s new brand can provide.”

APJ Solicitors continues its expansion with new site and fresh talent.

Growth

Sam Whitear

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28/07/2020

0

APJ Solicitors continues its expansion with new site and fresh talent.

Law firm announces the move of their premises to bigger site, after experiencing continued growth throughout the year. The company has taken on 20 new starters since April, with more hiring’s expected throughout the year.

The financial mis-selling law firm has announced an expansion to increase the workforce and expand their premises.
APJ Solicitors are increasingly on the lookout for new talent, employing over 20 new starters, in various roles within the last four months.

Prior to the coronavirus lockdown, APJ Solicitors had already begun their plans to expand their premises. Having previously occupied two buildings in Daresbury Business Park, APJ have recently acquired a third base with the ability to house up to 100 employees. APJ Solicitors are expecting a thriving future and to continue to employ fresh talent, continually striving to securing themselves as leaders in their sector.

Part of the expansion is the introduction of the new Private Client Services department, offering Will writing and Probate. The new department will offer expert drafting service, inheritance tax planning advice and help with the administration of a will.

Lauren Ashcroft, Head of Private Client comments on the firm’s new venture: “I am pleased to have joined the team at APJ which adopts a forward-thinking approach to the provision of legal services. I pride myself on the level of service that I provide to all of my clients and I am looking forward to offering an exceptional client service, highlighting our focus on sustainable growth and continued excellence.”

On the expansion, Denyse Goodyear, Operations Director said: “Our team at APJ is hugely excited about the prospect of developing an in-house private client’s practice on the provision of Wills & Probate services. This will complement our core strategy and meet our clients ongoing needs.”

AIMS Investments acquires a strategic stake in Beech Holdings, a leading UK property developer

Sam Whitear

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28/07/2020

0

AIMS Investments acquires a strategic stake in Beech Holdings, a leading UK property developer

In a landmark deal, AIMS Investments has acquired a majority stake in Beech Holdings, a leading UK property developer.

Beech Holdings delivers high quality, market leading residential accommodation in prime locations. The new partnership will enable the business to expedite the delivery of over 1,000 apartments in its existing development portfolio, with a gross development value of around £250m.

The partnership will be the basis for the roll-out of a larger UK-wide strategy to provide the Beech product to a wider audience, and the joint venture also includes Manchester Apartments, the award-winning property management and lettings arm of Beech Holdings.

AIMS Investments is a family office that manages a globally diversified portfolio and is one of the largest private and public equity investors in Saudi Arabia. The deal enables AIMS Investments to continue its long-term commitment to invest significantly in the UK real estate market.

The partnership between AIMS Investments and Beech Holdings instils confidence in the private rental sector and is testament to the resilience of the UK property market in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The property market has weathered the coronavirus storm well and this is due, in part, to the huge demand for rental property in the UK’s key regional cities.

Abdulaziz Albassam, CEO of AIMS Investments, commented: “AIMS Investments’ acquisition of a strategic stake in Beech Holding underpins the company’s diversification plan and its strategy to expand in the UK residential real estate market. After working with Beech Holdings over the past year and developing a relationship with the team, we sought to expand our commitment, investing in their people and talent to form a powerful platform for residential development throughout the UK market. This investment will enable us to accelerate our strategy in expanding our footprint to other regional cities in the UK and simultaneously growing our residential portfolio. Our investment is a sign of our long term commitment to the UK real estate market as well as our confidence in the ability of Beech Holdings to grow to become a major UK residential developer that delivers high quality products to its customers”.
Stephen Beech, CEO of Beech Holdings commented: “Since we first established our close working relationship with AIMS in 2019, there was a natural progression towards creating a true partnership. AIMS Investments’ institutional expertise is very much welcomed and intrinsic to our shared strategy of accelerating our growth across the UK. The partnership is a good indication of the strength of the UK property market and we look forward to continuing our mission together to provide professionals and students with a high standard of living across the UK.”

One of the high-profile assets included in the new partnership is Beech Holdings’ flagship development, Ancoats Gardens. This comprises of 155, 5-star premium apartments, roof gardens, a gym and shared social spaces. Ancoats Gardens is perfectly geared up for creating a community element that Beech Holdings feels will add value to a tenant’s living experience.

In addition to Ancoats Gardens, phase two of Beech Holdings’ Chester Road development will now begin. Phase one of the project was completed in 2018, with the creation of Westpoint, Beech Holdings’ largest development to date. Set across 15 floors, Westpoint houses 317 apartments, a shared residents’ lounge and a gym. Due to Westpoint being in such high demand from tenants and close to full occupancy, phase two enables the creation of a further 600 apartments with the group’s Urban Collective development close by.

In addition to the projects creating high quality spaces for tenants to live, the work itself creates hundreds of jobs in the area for those working across the construction industry.

The deal between Beech Holdings and AIMS Investments is structured in a way for the partnership to move forward on a firm footing, well-placed to participate in the expected strong residential growth across the UK.

The UK property investment market is one of the oldest and safest asset classes in the world. Despite uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the market continues to show resilience and strength in the face of prevailing conditions. Recent data from Savills revealed that property prices across the UK are predicted to rise 15.1% by 2024, with North West England leading the way with a forecasted 24.1% rise over the next five years. With a bright future ahead, the North West has shifted focus away from London, showing investors that they can find more reasonably priced property and better yields, not just in the North West, but across other key regional cities in the UK outside of the capital.

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