A tech firm specialising in world-class intranets and business solutions is opening a new office in Manchester and bringing new jobs to the city.

WM Reply, which specialises in business systems using Microsoft SharePoint and Office 365, is proud to announce the opening of a new office, joining their existing locations in Chester and London.

The new site in Manchester is located in the state-of-the-art iHub Offices in Piccadilly Gardens in the city centre and the intranet experts are now looking to recruit for a number of senior consultant roles to represent the company in the city.

Manchester is fast establishing itself as a global hub for enterprises working in the digital space, with the city’s tech sector worth £2.9 billion to the UK economy. Alongside London and Bristol, it is now regularly the location of choice for tech companies, from start-ups to some of the biggest names in the field, as demonstrated by Microsoft’s recent move of 100 members of staff to the city centre.

David Gumbleton, Lead Consultant at WM Reply, is heading up the team in the new location, having moved from the company’s office in nearby Chester. Although currently looking to set up a small team, there is no reason in future why the size of the Manchester team shouldn’t match that of London.

He said: “We’re very happy to be opening this new location and look forward to welcoming fresh talent onto the WM Reply team. It’s an exciting time for the sector, and an exciting time for us too.”

David believes it would be difficult to find a company with a better ethos and attitude towards its employees. Joining in 2012, in 2014 David was supported in taking a year out in New Zealand, before re-joining the company in the UK in 2015.

This flexible ethos also extends to day-to-day working operations of the WM Reply team. Given the close proximity of their office in Chester, any new recruits can expect to have plenty of opportunity to work with team members across the two sites.

David added: “Anyone joining WM Reply can expect to be part of a team with a great working culture. As a company we are supportive, inclusive and believe in investing in all our employees.”

Richard Acreman, Partner at WM Reply, said: “I’m very proud of the growth we have achieved at WM Reply. With the tech sector in Manchester thriving and the city the home of some of the best talent in the country, choosing to open an office here was really a no-brainer.”

For more information about WM Reply and their current vacancies please visit www.wmreply.com.

British online marketplace OnBuy.com has listed its two millionth product, reaching another major milestone in its rapid growth since launching a year ago.

The breakthrough comes amid a period of significant expansion for the online retail platform, which is seeing traffic booming at upwards of 300,000 users per month.

OnBuy, which launched last November as a British alternative to Amazon, has signed up several major retailers to sell through its platform. The latest is Vivo Technologies, Amazon’s seventh biggest seller, which trades as Electroworld and Thinkprice.

Cas Paton, Managing Director of OnBuy, said: “To reach two million live products is a real milestone for us and it comes a year since launch.

“We have done in a year what some other online marketplaces have taken several years to achieve and I believe that’s down to the strength of our offer, underlined by a real appetite out there for an alternative to Amazon and eBay.

“Online retail remains buoyant, despite the uncertainty around Brexit, and we are looking forward to seeing OnBuy grow even further as it goes into its second year.”

Other large-scale sellers to sign up to OnBuy include World of Books Ltd – the largest Amazon bookseller in the UK and the fourth largest Amazon seller in Europe – and Chalky’s, a major UK seller of CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray movies.

All will benefit from OnBuy’s reduced commission fees, which are significantly lower than rivals and give more favourable margins for sellers that translate into better prices for consumers. OnBuy also prides itself on being a marketplace and not a retailer – and so will never compete with sellers.

The growth comes on the back of a high-profile advertising campaign on ITV to promote OnBuy as a credible alternative to Amazon. More multi-platform advertising, including TV and digital, is in the pipeline as the brand expands further.

Cas, who hails from Manchester, added: “We are proud to be a British-born company putting our own stamp on online retail and supporting the economy. There are some exciting developments coming up that we can’t announce just yet, but watch this space.”

OnBuy’s growth has been boosted by several key partnerships, including recently signing a two-year partnership deal for hosting and support with leading online cloud services provider UKFast. The partnership ensures the stability, reliability and speed of the OnBuy platform.

OnBuy has also joined forces with ChannelAdvisor, the largest channel system in the world, and putting it on a firm footing with Amazon and other big sites. For sellers using ChannelAdvisor, it means they can easily integrate their listings with OnBuy with minimal investment in time or resources through software they already use.

OnBuy is currently offering sellers an exclusive one-off 12-month package to pay no subscription fees in 2018 if they get live on the site before December 31. For further details visit www.onbuy.com/gb/sell/

A NEW plastic recycling plant is set to open in Rochdale, with the aim of reducing the amount of our plastic waste either being sent to landfill or exported to China.

Maxine Brown, managing director of MB Recycling Ltd, is in the final stages of opening the plant, after sourcing finance for the expansion of her business, which she launched after being made redundant, later reaching a £600,000 turnover in its fourth year.

Maxine said: “In the early days, I quickly found the same message was going around – either send the waste to landfill or export to China, both of these options seemed to go against the grain, environmentally. I had a brainwave and thought about setting up a recycling plant to encourage firms to keep everything in the UK instead of exporting, which has the added bonus of reducing our carbon footprint. This is especially important now as China is clamping down on the imports of waste plastic, so more than ever is being sent to landfill.”

The 6,500 sq ft plant in Heywood, Rochdale, has the capacity to recycle 300 tonnes per month and 4,000 tonnes annually. Maxine has now taken on three staff, including one apprentice.

The finance for Maxine’s new venture was sourced through Access to Finance and Oldham-based business finance firm, PMD.

Maxine said: “I was advised to speak to Tom at PMD about financing the equipment and machinery. I was surprised how quickly the finance came through, it was much faster than I thought and was a really easy and smooth process.”

Tom Brown, head of direct finance at PMD, said: “Supporting local businesses is very important to us at PMD. We work with a variety of firms, from start-ups to large corporates in a number of different industries. When Maxine contacted us regarding finance for the equipment she needed, we used our contacts and expertise in the industry to ensure we secured the best deal for her new business. We wish Maxine the best of luck for the future.”

Maxine added: “Recycling is a passion of mine. Huge savings can easily be made for companies when you consider it costs around £100 to send a tonne of waste plastic to landfill. But it isn’t just the cost implications, it’s better for the UK to keep it here. I’ve definitely seen a change in the perceptions of recycling over the years – word is spreading.

“When people find out what I do and what industry I’m in, I do get a surprised reaction sometimes as it is a typically male-dominated industry, but it’s definitely a good talking point.”

Brad Wiseman of Savills Manchester has recently been promoted to senior planner. Brad is one of nine individuals across the Savills business to receive promotion from planner to senior planner in 2017, after a series of promotions were made across its national planning division.

Brad joined the Savills planning team in 2015 as a graduate. Originally from Perth, Western Australia, he attended Curtin University and obtained a BA (Hons) in Urban and Regional Planning.

Specialising in retail planning and mixed use regeneration sites, Brad has experience of advising clients on planning applications for small-scale retail development, as well as being involved in the process of gaining permission for more complex development sites.

Commenting on his promotion, he says: “I am delighted to receive promotion to senior planner. Savills has a fantastic structure, team and a wealth of resource and research to draw upon and I very much look forward to continuing to progress my career with the company.

Matt Sobic, director in the planning team at Savills Manchester, adds: “The promotions follow a successful first half of the year for the planning division. Since joining us in 2015, Brad has been key to the success of the planning team in Manchester and his promotion is very much deserved”.

The National Football Museum has been flying the flag for tourism in Manchester as it hosted the second World Football Culture Summit this week.

A delegation of Chinese officials and academics attended the second annual Summit, where they were also joined by officials from the National Football Museum, a host of UK academics and the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Eddy Newman. 

The main topic of conversation was the origins of Cuju – the ancient game of football in China – while the Chinese delegation was also treated to a tour of the museum.

Elsewhere, National Football Museum exchanged gifts with the Linzi Museum – the two museums also have a reciprocal arrangement to display objects from each of their collections at the other’s venue.

The Summit has built on the success of the first World Football Culture Summit, which was held at the Linzi Museum, Zibo City in 2016.

According to in-bound tourism data from Manchester Airport, more than 216,000 people travelled to Manchester from China in the last year, with many flocking to the city to immerse themselves in the city’s rich footballing heritage.

The National Football Museum’s Chair of Trustees, Ian Penrose, said: “We were delighted to welcome the delegation from China for the second World Football Culture summit.

“As a forward-thinking Museum, it’s important we build relationships with similar institutions around the world to share our knowledge and also learn from them too.”

Councillor Eddy Newman, Lord Mayor of Manchester, said: “It’s fascinating how football has evolved to be a sport enjoyed on a global scale. Manchester has a proud footballing heritage and we’re pleased to be able to share our enthusiasm for the sport with our friends and neighbours from around the world.”

Sale Sharks Academy and England U19 stars Jake Pope and Sam Moore are further strengthening the club’s ties with David Lloyd Manchester Trafford City, almost a year after their partnership kicked off.

Both Sam, who is studying Coaching Science at University and Jake, have so far delivered seven weekly rugby-led coaching sessions for David Lloyd’s under-11 members since September.

Sale Sharks commercial director Mark Cueto MBE said the club’s affiliation with David Lloyd has paid dividends both on and off the pitch.

He said: “David Lloyd Manchester Trafford City are a vital partner to the club as they are the sponsor of current player Jonny Leota and sponsor our ball boys and ball girls on matchdays – providing dual branded coats for them to wear at the AJ Bell Stadium.

“It’s also been fantastic to see how popular Jake and Sam’s sessions at David Lloyd Manchester Trafford City have become with their young members.

“It not only that either, as the facilities at the leisure club have become an extension of our own too, with players complementing their training schedules with strength and conditioning sessions in the gym and pool. There’s a strong shared ambition to encourage and facilitate healthy and active lifestyles.”

Jake Pope, who also works on Sale Sharks Community Trust HITZ programme, said: “Sam and I have both really enjoyed coming down to David Lloyd Manchester Trafford City to coach.

“The kids are at a great age where they’re keen to learn new skills, and it’s really rewarding when you see them become more confident in their game play and improve every week.”

Manchester City Centre will welcome it’s first ‘golf club’ next month when The Range tees off at its Spinningfields base.

The Range has been set up by 31-year-old Andrew McLoughney, a former +2 handicap golfer, who has decided to bring a unique golfing opportunity to the northern powerhouse – the chance to play 100 of the most exclusive golf courses in the world, from the heart of city centre.

Andrew travelled the world playing the finest golf courses, in the most prestigious golf tournaments. However, injuries curtailed his promising career and brought him to Manchester city centre where he has chosen to establish The Range.

The Range, based in Left Bank, will house 5 highly-advanced golf simulators that allow members and non-members to play 100 of the finest golf courses on the planet. It is due to open to the public on the week commencing November 6^th.

Also in the 3,500-sq. ft. space on the first floor of the Spinningfields-based building will be a members’ private bar, serving high end food and beverages.

Next door to the golfing area will be a 1,000-sq. ft. bar/restaurant serving fine wine, cocktails and ales – this area is the perfect location to take in the sights of Spinningfields whilst sitting under what promises to be a very impressive lighting installation by Tyson Lighting.

Blackpool-born owner Andrew said the past 20 years of his life has prepared him for his first venture into the world of business and hospitality.

“It’s a big and unique project,” said Andrew, whose bid to be a professional golfer ended when he was involved in a motorbike accident in Vietnam.

“But I’m ready for it as I’ve been engrossed in golf since I was 12 years old. My parents are both business owners, as is my brother.

“So, I suppose now is my time. And it just happens to be that I’m launching a virtual golf club in the UK’s second city.”

He added: “When I was injured, that’s when I became interested in technology and the simulators that a lot of the top players in the world were using to better their own games.”

The Range uses special technology utilising stereoscopic cameras of a golf club’s face which provides incredibly accurate data.

Andrew said: “The technology is remarkable, it really is and people who come in are going to have to see it all to believe it. The 100 virtual courses can be played on the simulators but members and non-members will be able to tailor simulators to their needs. For instance, when I play on them, I tend to choose to play nine holes of my favourite golf courses around the world.”

The venue will also host events and golf competitions. And Andrew is keen to get city centre residents and the business community involved.

“First and foremost, The Range is going to be part of a fantastic building in Left Bank,” he said. “We want to make sure our residents, above us, are taken care of.

“We will also be looking after Manchester-based businesses, the corporate sector, and the public, should they want to come in from the rain and play some golf with friends and colleagues.

“We have fantastic in-house PGA coaches who can improve people’s game should people want to learn.”

Brother UK has announced it is to sponsor Team OnForm, winners of the 2017 UK Women’s Team Series, into the 2018 season.

The team of elite male and female cyclists has enjoyed a successful year of 65 wins including finishing first at the UCI Tour of Cambridge.

Team OnForm will enjoy jersey sponsorship from Brother UK throughout the 2018 season, competing at high profile national events including the Tour Series in May.

Speaking about the new team sponsorship, Phil Jones MBE, Managing Director of Brother UK, comments: “I’ve been hugely impressed by the performance of Team OnForm this year – they are a team going places.

“What stands out in particular is that Team OnForm are an ambitious unit, and their approach to the sport fits exactly with what Brother UK is all about – delivering results, partnership and teamwork.”

Simon Howes, team manager of Team OnForm, added: “It’s fantastic to have Brother UK on board as our sponsor for next season. They are a heavyweight brand who has already invested a significant amount in elite cycling in the UK, and we will benefit greatly as a team thanks to their involvement.”

Brother UK has invested in the cycling sector for more than six years with the provision of neutral service vehicles to high-level domestic races and sportives.  It is also the official print, imaging and results partner for the Tour Series, the OVO Energy Women’s Tour of Britain and the OVO Energy Tour of Britain.

Ahead of next season, Team OnForm has recruited experienced rider Mel Brand, who since 2013 has raced competitively for major teams including MG Maxifuel, Epic Scott, Ikon-Mazda and Ford/Ecoboost, alongside Lauren Murphy, current 2017 Junior National Road Race Champion.