NW business briefs: Nera Capital; Leyland Trucks; American Express; Scottish Power; Digital Skills Festival; Sapphire; BGEN
Nera Capital, a Manchester-based pioneering specialist in litigation funding, is expanding its presence in Holland by opening a new office in Amsterdam, due to its involvement in several high profile legal claims in the WAMCA.
In January 2020 the Netherlands introduced a new piece of legislation known as the Wet Afwikkeling Massaschade in Collectieve Actie (WAMCA) which translates to the Settlement of Mass Damages in Collective Action Act.
It allows for collective legal actions, enabling multiple claimants to combine similar cases into a single lawsuit, and is a key factor in Nera Capital’s decision to increase its presence in the region.
Firm Director, Aisling Byrne, said: “For Nera Capital, this system means a more robust and coordinated effort in legal pursuits, ensuring clients benefit from a comprehensive and streamlined legal strategy. Our expansion into Amsterdam reinforces Nera Capital’s desire to establish a stronger foothold in a key European financial and legal hub, positioning us at the centre of key industry developments and opportunities.”
She added: “Leveraging our cutting edge technology and embracing legal frameworks like the WAMCA reflects Nera’s dedication to ensuring that we remain at the forefront of the industry.
“The move marks more than just a new office – it’s another strategic step in our expansion, giving us the platform we need to further scale our operations and continue delivering top-tier service for our clients and partners.”
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Leyland Trucks, the Lancashire-based producer of market-leading DAF commercial vehicles, has achieved its latest manufacturing milestone – 125,000 heavy-duty vehicles, including current New Generation XD, XF, XG and XG+ models, and previous CF and XF models.
Production of DAF ‘heavy duty’ models at Leyland Trucks began initially with the CF Series, followed by the XF Series. The production plant now assembles the entire New Generation Range of DAF heavy duty models, including the multi award winning XD, XF, XG and XG+ models for the UK and other world markets.
Leyland Trucks has responsibility for the design, development and production of all medium-duty DAF XB trucks for all markets. As well as building almost all DAF trucks sold here in the UK and Ireland, approximately 40% of Leyland Trucks’ annual production is exported to overseas countries.
The 125,000th vehicle, an XD 340 FAR 6×2 rigid, was handed to long standing DAF customer, Copart, at a special production line presentation at Leyland Trucks.
Leyland Trucks’ Managing Director, Peter Ahrens, said: “It’s another very proud day in the long history of truck building in Leyland. DAF’s market leading position for almost three decades has been driven in by the dedication of a wonderful group of engineers, office staff and, of course, the production workforce who build the best trucks in the world.”
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Ben Soothill and Louise Jackson – Wax and Beans
Six independent restaurants in Manchester have been awarded a share of £220,000 as part of the American Express Backing International Small Restaurants grant programme.
Now in its third year in the UK, the programme is run by the International Downtown Association (IDA) Foundation in partnership with the Association of Town & City Management (ATCM) and backed by American Express. In 2024, a total of 20 small and independently-owned restaurants in Manchester and London have received grants.
Grant recipients will each use the £11,000 funding to help them continue to thrive, through making essential upgrades to their venues, from kitchen operations, improved marketing, to enhancing the dining experience.
The Manchester-based grant recipients are: The Baum, Rochdale; Cibus Pizza, Manchester; The Italian, Romiley, Stockport; JS On the Corner, Manchester; MOST Bakery, Altrincham; Wax and Beans, Bury.
One of the recipients, popular record and coffee shop Wax and Beans, will use the grant to make planned upgrades to the kitchen and extend the outdoor dining area. Co-owner, Louise Jackson, said: “Winning this grant is a huge privilege and will allow us to make the essential improvements needed to ensure Wax and Beans remains a community hub.”
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Scottish Power trainees
Energy supplier, ScottishPower, has launched its largest ever early career intake, looking to hire 325 roles for its 2025 graduate and trainee programmes.
The news comes just weeks after ScottishPower announced it would double its investment in the UK out to 2028, from £12bn to £24bn with more than two thirds of this investment being in its electricity networks.
More than 200 opportunities are available in trainee roles with the energy company, alongside in excess of 100 graduate placements. Positions are available across ScottishPower’s businesses and offices across Merseyside, North Wales, East Anglia and Scotland.
Targeting roles in engineering, technology, and project management, SP Energy Networks is set to take on a large number of trainees to support its multibillion-pound investment programme to upgrade Scotland’s transmission network, enabling more renewable electricity than ever before to connect into the network.
Jennifer Davies, SP Energy Networks Strategic Workforce Renewals Manager, said: “We are excited to kick off our recruitment period for the 2025 graduate intake, which will be our largest to date.”
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Digital Skills Festival 2024
The North’s largest tech and digital skills festival has announced that it will take place from February 8-14, 2025, bringing together tech leaders, universities and colleges, and job seekers in Manchester to connect, learn and develop the tech sector of tomorrow.
The flagship event is Talent Day, which sees around 2,000 job seekers, from students and graduates through to career changers, attending the event with more than 40 of the leading tech businesses from across the region showcasing careers, job opportunities and apprenticeships. This year’s Talent Day will be taking place in the iconic New Century Hall.
Katie Gallagher, Manchester Digital’s managing director, said: “Manchester, one of Europe’s fastest growing tech hubs, is home to over 86,000 tech professionals and the Digital Skills Festival is the perfect platform to reflect and focus on the workforce that we need to build and skill for the future.
“It’s an opportunity for tech businesses to showcase their commitment to innovation, diversity and community impact while strengthening the link between industry and education.”
Alison Ross, chair of the Manchester Digital Board and chief people and operations officer at Manchester-based Auto Trader, said, “Developing a talent pathway and bringing in new entrants to the tech industry with the right key skills is paramount to the growth of the whole sector across our region.”
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Sapphire team
Sapphire, the Manchester-based contracting and accounting firm, has announced the distribution of its first employee ownership bonuses. As part of this milestone, a total of £350,000 will be awarded to umbrella contractors who have been with Sapphire for more than a year.
Since transitioning to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) structure in 2021, Sapphire has experienced significant growth, including a 20% year-on-year increase in revenue and 80% expansion in key business areas. The business’s decision to extend employee-ownership bonuses to its umbrella contractors is an industry first, and a key part of its commitment to ensuring both contractors and internal staff share in the company’s success.
Mark Connor, managing director of Sapphire, said: “Becoming employee owned has driven us all to work harder, reach higher, and continuously smash our goals. When we all have a stake in the company’s success, we are more motivated to push boundaries and deliver the best for our clients, contractors, and ourselves.
“We’ve always believed that our contractors are integral to Sapphire’s achievements. By sharing £350,000 in bonuses with our long serving umbrella contractors, we’re reinforcing our appreciation of them as vital members of the team. It’s this kind of recognition that helps build loyalty and sets us apart in the industry.”
In recent months, Sapphire has been actively expanding its international footprint and enhancing its service offering. The company has launched an AUG-licensed payroll service in Germany to help recruitment agencies comply with local regulations. It also acquired and rebranded Quartz, a cloud-based platform that streamlines back-office processes for recruitment agencies, reducing administrative tasks by up to 80% and improving efficiency in managing timesheets, expenses, and payments.
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Paul Carvill
Warrington-based engineering group, BGEN, which specialises in mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control and automation, has signed a five-year contract with the petrochemical manufacturer INEOS O&P UK.
As a trusted partner since 2018, BGEN will provide a range of services to help INEOS optimise plant efficiency at its site in Grangemouth, Stirlingshire.
Under the contract, BGEN will provide value added engineering solutions and deliver a comprehensive suite of electrical and instrumentation services for the business, strengthening its position as a multi-disciplined services contractor.
Paul Carvill, BGEN managing director, said: “We have a proven track record in advanced manufacturing and this experience enables us to deliver intelligent solutions to support the complex demands of the plant. We look forward to delivering tailored services for INEOS O&P UK and contributing to the success of its operations at Grangemouth.”
BGEN currently employs 1,500 staff across 14 UK locations. With a strategic location in Grangemouth since 2000, BGEN’s Scottish operation has expanded and now employs 60 people.
