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Apadmi launches festive fundraising campaign to support local children’s charity

CSR

Sam Whitear

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13/12/2018

Apadmi launches festive fundraising campaign to support local children’s charity

One Manchester-based company has banned Bublé and said “no” to more Mariah this year, building an alternative playlist of Christmas songs. Their musical campaign aims to also raise £2,500 for a local cause.

Mobile technology company Apadmi has created a Spotify playlist dedicated to lesser-played seasonal songs. Garry Partington, CEO for Apadmi, explained: “As much as we all love Slade and The Pogues, there’s only so much we can take. People listen to the same-old Christmas music being played on repeat from November – our playlist gives people’s ears a break from the norm. But more importantly, it’s a great way to raise some much-needed funds for a brilliant local charity.”

For every share, follow and like across their Spotify playlist and social media, they’ll donate £1 to Kidscan, with a goal of reaching £2,500 by Christmas.

Martin Keelager, Chair of Trustees for Kidscan, commented: “We’re thrilled that Apadmi is putting their support behind us and with such a unique initiative!”

“It’s a scary fact that 1 in 500 children will be diagnosed with cancer before turning 14, but 60% of those who survive will also be left with devastating side effects caused by their treatment. Our work aims to discover new, safer ways of treating these illnesses, and we hope that everyone will get behind this campaign throughout December.”

Kidscan is one of the only charities in the UK dedicated to funding research into safer cancer treatments for children – and it’s a cause that the team at Apadmi feel passionately about.

Garry added: “Our goal of £2,500 can be used to fund 250 hours of vital research, buy 5,000 petri dishes for study or many other uses.

“The work that the Kidscan team do is incredibly important in improving the quality of life of thousands of children in the UK. We’re proud to be supporting them, and hope that people will spend just a fraction of their social media time supporting us with a follow or a like. And an all important ‘share’!!

Frenkel Topping win Employer of the Year Commendation Award

Awards

Sam Whitear

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13/12/2018

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Frenkel Topping win Employer of the Year Commendation Award

Frenkel Topping has scooped the Employer of the Year Commendation Award at the recent City of Manchester Business Awards (COMBA) for its commitment to training and development.

The specialist independent financial adviser and wealth management company received the commendation award following a competitive voting period which was driven by social media campaigns and internal promotion. Frenkel Topping’s award was one of only two commendation awards presented at the event, due to the high calibre of applicants.

This is the first time Frenkel Topping has entered the COMBA’s organised by Downtown in Business. The company was shortlisted as a result of its investment in training and levels of staff retention – all of which are key for the stability and steady growth of the business.

In particular, the judges were impressed with Frenkel Topping’s most recent training programme – The Frenkel Topping Training Academy.

The Academy focuses on nurturing home-grown talent and was launched following the success of the company’s Graduate Programme, which was introduced at the end of last year.

Commenting on the award Mark Holt, Commercial Director of Frenkel Topping, said: “This is a true testament to each and every one of our people, and I’m immensely proud of the company, the work we do and the principles we demonstrate on a daily basis.

“I’m proud to have taken home this award and as a company we will continue to nurture the development of our employees for years to come.”

This is the second year the business, which is the leading sector specialist for vulnerable people compromised by a catastrophic injury, is running the two-year training academy.

The Academy has been developed to allow graduates to enter the niche personal injury and clinical negligence sector and gain experience and knowledge in financial services.

Jade Soanes, a graduate on the training academy, commented: “Being a part of the scheme this year has been a real privilege. It’s great being on a scheme which encourages me to take control of my own development, leaving me able to manage my own progression.

“There is a good level of support from all areas of the business and I feel people genuinely want me to do well. The Academy is a good part of the graduate scheme and it has helped me gain product knowledge and learn sales skills that I would have been unlikely to learn in other roles.”

The COMBA’s rewarded the leading businesses in the Manchester City Region at a glittering ceremony held at the Midland Hotel at the end of November. Hosted by leading BBC personality, Jacey Normand and Downtown Political Editor, Jim Hancock the gala dinner attracted over 300 of the city’s top business personalities, who enjoyed an evening of networking and celebrating.

Frank Mckenna, Chief Executive and Group Chairman of Downtown in Business commented: “The awards celebrated the leading businesses that have made a significant contribution to the economic growth of the city. It is wonderful to see the continued success stories from the region and the see how the business community continues to grow and make Manchester such a vibrant and dynamic city.”

Digital Pop-Ups develops life-saving technology with GC Business Finance support

Blog

Sam Whitear

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13/12/2018

0

Digital Pop-Ups develops life-saving technology with GC Business Finance support

Digital Pop-Ups is building a range of life-changing augmented reality (AR) experiences from its base in Manchester using a £15k Start Up Loan from GC Business Finance.

Founder Milenne Tanganelli launched her business last year, having previously developed a range of award-winning non-AR campaigns for clients including the Department of Transport and the London Cycling Campaign.

Milenne’s mission is to help businesses to adopt AR and VR technologies to create more exposure, generate more awareness and engage more fully with their audiences. She and her strong team of associates and partners are now working with a number of clients to develop AR solutions and products that enhance user’s experiences at events, exhibitions and tradeshows, helping them to generate more leads and maximise ROI.

Milenne says: “Having worked in digital media for over a decade, I’ve developed a real passion for AR and the opportunity to create dynamic and precise content for clients. Many people will associate VR and AR with gaming and leisure, but Digital Pop-Ups is taking its benefits much further, enabling businesses and service providers to explore AR as a more relevant and immediate level of communication that has enormous potential to engage audiences in new and exciting ways.

“The Start Up Loan from GC Business Finance has really enabled me to fast track my plans for the business, to develop more partnerships with digital and design agencies and freelancers and to continue to build our client base.”

A recent project developed by Digital Pop-Ups was the Heart Valve AR experience, created for Heart Valve Voice, an organization responsible for creating awareness of deadly heart valve disease. Launched at the European Heart Valve Awareness Day in September 2018, the AR 360 gyro experience is now going out to hospitals to be given to patients, allowing them to visit a Cath Lab from their phone or tablet.

Chris Hutchison, Head of Lending at GC Business Finance, said: “Milenne came to us with an impeccable track record in digital development and a real passion to put her experience to use for a purpose. In an age of information overload, it has never been more important to create messaging that can really cut through that noise and educate people, something that Digital Pop-Ups puts at the heart of their business development.”

PDM Plastics Design & Moulding Event Moves to Manchester Central

Blog

Sam Whitear

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13/12/2018

0

PDM Plastics Design & Moulding Event Moves to Manchester Central

Organisers of the Plastics Design & Moulding Event, have announced that the exhibition and conference is moving to the Manchester Central Convention Complex and will be taking place 11-12 June 2019. The British Plastics Federation (BPF) is also joining forces with Crain Communications to organise the event, which is expanding to include more about plastics recycling.

“We are delighted to share in the presentation of PDM in 2019,” said Bruce Margetts, BPF president. “The move to Manchester together with an increased focus on recycling themes provide an excellent platform to relaunch the show. At a time when the industry’s environmental performance is under intense public scrutiny, we need prominent fora to exchange experience of best practice and to link up the disparate parties in the chain who make plastics sustainability happen. We look forward to adding our BPF expertise to the development of the show.”

“We are very pleased to be partnering with the BPF and moving PDM to the Northern Powerhouse venue of Manchester Central for 2019,” said Matt Barber, sales and events director at Crain Communications. “Together these two developments will enable us to broaden the scope and appeal of PDM and grow the event in new ways that reflect the latest developments in the fast-changing UK and global plastics industry.”

Ardenton Capital continues UK growth with investment in Shaftec Automotive

Blog
Finance

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12/12/2018

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Ardenton Capital continues UK growth with investment in Shaftec Automotive

Manchester-headquartered, Ardenton Capital Corporation, has invested in Shaftec Automotive with funding support from PNC Business Credit UK.

Ardenton’s third investment in the West Midlands, Shaftec has been supplying remanufactured and new parts to the motor trade for more than 20 years, establishing itself as the leading transmission, steering and braking supplier to the UK aftermarket.

The business has a headcount of 130, operating from its 42,000 sq ft facility in Birmingham where it manufactures and distributes products across the UK and Europe.

Ardenton has been active in the West Midlands since the Canadian-headquartered investor established its first overseas office in the UK in early 2017. Led by experienced dealmakers Iain Marlow and Michael Bradbury, the UK team’s previous West Midlands acquisitions include Corbetts the Galvanizers in Telford, and PP Control & Automation based in Walsall.

Iain Marlow, Director of Ardenton UK, who led the deal supported by James Worrall and Jonny Nixon, said: “We seek to partner with exceptional management teams who demonstrate a clear passion for their businesses and are committed to long-term and sustainable growth. Shaftec Automotive is a true market leader and its success to date is a testament to the operational excellence and dedication of its management team.”

Shaftec Managing Director, Rob Jones, who founded the business 20 years ago after following his father’s footsteps into the industry, said: “At Shaftec we have always strived to improve the quality of service and product delivery we provide to our customers. The business has grown revenue by more than 50% over the last three years because of the strength of the team we’ve been able to build and we look forward to working alongside Ardenton to continue that growth.”

Tom Curtis, Sales Director added: “The deal will allow us to accelerate our growth across the UK and Europe. We pride ourselves on being able to provide the largest range of stock and combine this with unrivalled customer service and technical support. We look forward to working alongside Ardenton to grow the business further.”

Scott Marshall, Operations Director commented: “We recently received ISO9001 accreditation which is further testament to the quality of what we do and together with Ardenton’s investment will open up new markets for Shaftec.”

Gino D’Acampo Coffee & Deli Bar expands

Blog

Sam Whitear

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12/12/2018

0

Gino D’Acampo’s first Italian fast-casual dining offer, My Coffee & Deli Bar, has expanded just eight weeks to follow launch.

Such has been the success of the new coffee & deli bar, located on the ground floor of My Pizza & Prosecco Bar in fashion retailer Next, Manchester; the business has acquired further floor space within Next.

The expansion sees an additional 25 covers created, with soft leather tub chairs in Gino’s favourite Riva blue, providing a relaxing environment to enjoy a bite to eat or Neapolitan coffee.

Central to the success, Gino believes, is the strength of the real Italian food offer, which features a wide selection of hot classic dishes including the best Neapolitan Pizza, pasta, Italian artisan sandwiches – Piadina and Spianata, and pastries and cakes. All are made in-house by Gino’s expert team of bakers and chefs.

Speaking on the expansion Gino said: “Italian fast-casual dining is a popular concept in Italy and has been well received in London. I had no doubt it would prove popular in Manchester.

“People’s lifestyles have changed; they’re looking for great, quality, hot food that can be enjoyed on the move or in an easy, relaxed environment. My Coffee & Deli Bar delivers exactly that, morning, noon and night.”

Gino added: “Brits are well recognised for their great manners and readiness to queue but who really wants to if you don’t have to. It is early days for Gino2Go but the initial response has been great and we’re looking forward to rolling it out across our wider restaurants.

“If you want to be successful in this industry you’ve got to be agile, you’ve got to listen to what people want and embrace new advancements in technology, it’s not just about delivering great food.”

Ethiopian Airlines’ makes inaugural flight to Addis Ababa form Manchester Airport

Blog

Sam Whitear

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12/12/2018

0

Ethiopian Airlines’ makes inaugural flight to Addis Ababa form Manchester Airport

A landmark route into the heart of Africa has taken off, underlining Manchester Airport’s pivotal role in connecting the North to the world’s most important markets.

Ethiopian Airlines’ inaugural flight to Addis Ababa will leave the UK’s third largest airport 100% full and will unlock more than 60 connections across Africa.

The four times a week service is set to benefit 400,000 people across the North who currently access Africa via other means. A celebration to mark the first flight today was attended by Jeremy Lefroy MP, the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Ethiopia as well as hundreds of guests from across the region.

The new service has been welcomed by Northern businesses and organisations who will benefit from reduced journey times, unlocking vital economic, trade and investment opportunities.

Jeremy Lefroy MP said: “Ethiopia is a key partner as we look to expand our trading relationship with the wider African continent. This new flight route from Ethiopian Airlines will allow UK companies to build strong ties with their Ethiopian counterparts, increasing the accessibility and affordability of doing business for businesses in both countries.

“The Department for International Trade has a range of support available to businesses looking to make the most of the new flight route. Support includes finance through our award-winning export credit agency, UK Export Finance, and market advise from our in-country HM Trade Commissioner, Emma Wade-Smith.”

Ethiopian Airlines, which flies to more destinations in Africa than any other carrier, will operate the ultramodern B-787 Dreamliner on the route with business and economy classes. The service to Addis Ababa will operate on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The route opens up 60 seamless connections across Africa including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Tanzania.

Andrew Cowan, CEO of Manchester Airport, said: “We’re delighted to have Ethiopian Airlines launching its service to Addis Ababa today.

“It will provide a vital route into Africa for businesses across the North, as well as helping attract visitors and potential investors to the region.

“This route highlights the important role Manchester Airport continues to play in connecting the North with key global markets.

“I want to take this opportunity to welcome Ethiopian Airlines to Manchester and look forward to working with them to ensure the success of this flagship service.”

Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, said: “We are elated to start our service to Manchester, our second destination in the UK next to London Heathrow which we have been serving since 1973. As the leading African carrier with the widest network in the continent, passengers from Manchester will enjoy convenient and seamless connectivity options to 60 African destinations operated with cutting-edge fleet like the B-787 and A350 which offer our passengers unparalleled comfort on-board our flights, along with our African flavored Ethiopian hospitality.

“The socio-economic implication of the new flight is immense. With vast investment and trade potentials between Africa and the UK, the upcoming flight holds the promise of boosting trade, investment and tourism with ample business opportunities for investors and business people from both regions.”

Mick Bonney, Director of Sales and Business Development, for EDM Limited, said: “Since delivering a comprehensive suite of cabin crew training equipment in 2016 EDM continue to support Ethiopian Airlines as they continue to move towards being the most competitive, leading aviation training centre in Africa. Ethiopian Airlines’ new Aviation Academy sets a highly impressive new standard in the provision of aviation training and we were privileged to play a part in this fine accomplishment.”

Chancellor of The University of Manchester, Lemn Sissay, said: “I have a very personal connection with Ethiopia and, through my work as Chancellor, The University of Manchester now offers scholarships to Ethiopian students with a desire to come and study in the UK. Having a direct Manchester-Addis Ababa flight route will open up these opportunities even further and that is something to be celebrated.

“To be considered a truly global city Manchester needs to be open to the world, especially Africa, and this is a massive step forward in that regard. Both from a cultural and economic perspective, unlocking the doors to Ethiopia is another way for Manchester to embrace its place on the international stage.”

VisitBritain Director Patricia Yates said: “Inbound tourism is one of the UK’s most valuable export industries and we want to provide a world-class experience to the millions of visitors who travel here every year, more than 70% of whom arrive by air.

“Growing airline connectivity, route development and seat capacity into key regional gateways such as Manchester are crucial to our competitive tourism offer, with the new Ethiopian Airlines flights making it easier for visitors to travel here, explore further and stay longer, boosting the economy.”

10,000 shirts boost Iceland’s campaign over banned TV advert

Blog

Sam Whitear

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12/12/2018

0

10,000 shirts boost Iceland’s campaign over banned TV advert

Frozen food chain Iceland’s campaign to promote its banned Christmas TV advert has been given a boost by personalised clothing business Clothes2order, 10,000 times over.

Staff at the Manchester company sprang into action to supply 10,000 t-shirts raising awareness of the ‘Rang-tan’ advert in double-quick time.

Iceland ordered the shirts for staff to wear in its 900-plus stores urging customers to watch the advert on YouTube.

Clothes2order, based in Trafford Park, achieved one of its fastest-ever turnarounds for an order of that size by delivering the shirts within three days.

Managing director Sam Jones said staff across the company, from the artwork and quality control teams to those in packing and dispatch, pulled out all the stops to meet Iceland’s request.

He said: “The whole team at Clothes2order put in an exceptional effort to produce these t-shirts for Iceland, all delivered to exact specifications within three days to 1,000 locations to get them in the stores quickly in reaction to the banned TV advert.

“It demonstrates how the flexibility of our business enables us to adapt our schedules to fulfil orders of this type, quickly and to the highest quality, without disrupting our service to other customers.

“We’re proud to be involved with such a great campaign.”

The retailer had hoped to use a short film, Rang-tan, as its main Christmas advert. Rang-tan is an emotive animation telling the story of rainforest destruction caused by palm oil production, and its devastating impact on the critically-endangered orangutan.

Toni Dennan, senior activity planning manager at Iceland, said: “The t-shirts have helped draw attention further to our Christmas campaign which raises awareness of the devastating impact that palm oil has on the critically-endangered orangutan.

“The quick turnaround by Clothes2order meant we were able to get these t-shirts to our staff members in a matter of days.”

Manchester cryptocurrency entrepreneur grows business from £1,000 to £840,000 in first year

Property

Sam Whitear

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12/12/2018

0

Manchester cryptocurrency entrepreneur grows business from £1,000 to £840,000 in first year

A young Greater Manchester-based tech entrepreneur has grown his cryptocurrency business to £840,000 turnover in its first year of trading after setting up with just £1,000 of savings.

28-year-old Josh Riddett started Easy Crypto Hunter in his home town of Bury and has seen rocketing sales of the cryptocurrency mining machines he manufactures, despite receiving no outside investment. He is now on track to reach £1m turnover in his first 18 months of trading.

“We are absolutely delighted to see the business take off and I strongly believe cryptocurrency is here to stay and is set to become more popular and more mainstream as the likes of BMW, Microsoft and Expedia accept it as a form of payment,” he said. “Easy Crypto Hunter has won more than 100 customers in a year, including business owners, property companies and retirees, who see cryptocurrency is growing and want to earn a passive monthly income after investing in the special computer hardware manufactured by Easy Crypto Hunter. Cryptocurrency is the future and is seriously disrupting conventional payment technologies avoiding swingeing bank charges for transactions like overseas payments or banking cheques or cash.”

For a cryptocurrency transaction or data transfer to take place between two people or businesses, you need computer power, as would be provided by a bank’s own server when transferring traditional currency. The machines made by Easy Crypto Hunter provide this computer power that enables mineable tokens to be exchanged between two parties. Owners plug the machines into a normal UK plug socket, connect them to the internet and leave them running 24/7, essentially renting out the power of their machines.

Cryptocurrency is an umbrella term for more than 2000 coins, the most well-known of which is Bitcoin. The beauty of the machines manufactured by Easy Crypto Hunter is that they can mine and support hundreds of different types of coins, bringing versatility and more profitability to the sector that didn’t previously exist.

Josh founded the business in late 2017 after graduating from Lancaster University, where he was studying a business entrepreneurship management degree. He originally built one machine and sold it on eBay, soon reinvesting the profits to buy more hardware.

Josh said much of Easy Crypto Hunter’s work over the past year has been in educating people on the benefits of both using cryptocurrency and investing in a mining machine.

Josh said: “Cryptocurrency digitises trust in that you don’t have to rely on one company handling your transactions, you rely on mathematics and algorithms. It is a secure, faster and cheaper way of sending information and there are huge advantages for businesses, including eradicating international business fees. When $300m of Bitcoin was sent between different countries recently, it cost 14 cents to transfer, so you can start to see the business case for cryptocurrency. The ecosystem for cryptocurrency is here now, you can withdraw it to your bank account instantly, you can even get pre-paid Bitcoin debit cards to spend your Bitcoin direct from the wallet instantly, it is just like cash.”

Hotel mentorship set to plug skills gap in Manchester’s hospitality sector

Education

Sam Whitear

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12/12/2018

0

Hotel mentorship set to plug skills gap in Manchester’s hospitality sector

A unique partnership aimed at attracting new talent to the hotel industry is helping to launch the careers of graduates in Manchester.

The initiative between Manchester Metropolitan University and the Manchester Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) sees 14 final year undergraduate students link up with general managers of hotels including The Lowry, Radisson and The Hilton in Manchester.

Now in its second year, the mentorship programme has already helped 20 graduates prepare for a career in the hospitality sector thanks to the expert guidance of the region’s hoteliers.

Adrian Ellis, Chair of the MHA, said: “Our partnership with Manchester Metropolitan is all about inspiring people to get into the industry.

“Unfortunately, students can spend a few years studying hospitality and then end up not working in the industry which we think is a shame. The hotel industry offers fantastic progression and is a rewarding and enjoyable career that I can only recommend.

“We’re looking forward to seeing how the final year undergraduates benefit from time spent with general managers of hotels that are part of our membership organisation – and vice versa too.”

As part of the mentorship scheme, the students will have an opportunity to visit local venues such as Mottram Hall and the Worsley Park Marriott to gain an insight into the practicalities of working in and managing a successful hotel.

Rebecca McHugh, a final year Hospitality and Business Management student at Manchester Metropolitan, said: “The launch day was great. I feel very lucky to be given a chance to work with Adrian Ellis, the General Manager of The Lowry Hotel.
“It’s a great chance to job shadow someone I very much look up to. It’s an exciting opportunity as I very much want to learn as much about the hospitality industry as possible before I graduate and then start my career.”

Ranked among the UK’s top 10 in the Guardian university league tables 2018, Manchester Metropolitan’s Hospitality Business Management degree continues to provide an ideal launch pad for a career in the UK or international hospitality industry.
Chris Mitchell, Principal Lecturer in Hospitality Management at Manchester Metropolitan, said: “The mentorship initiative is a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn from a range of professionals with a huge amount of experience in the hotel and hospitality sector.

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Manchester Hoteliers’ Association to ensure our students develop into talented hospitality operators and managers for the future.”

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