In Brief: Cheshire Oaks bucks trend; Altium advises Aspen; and more…

OUT-of-town retail park Cheshire Oaks has continued to buck the downward trend with a rise in second quarter sales.

Despite UK retail sales falling 0.8% on a like-for-like basis in May, sales at the designer outlet’s 140 stores were up by 8.6% compared with the same period last year.

Jewellery at the centre has been popular with shoppers with an increase of 68% and designer collections have also seen a rise of 47%.

Marketing manager Shaun Rhodes said: “The economic climate has encouraged people to make their money go a lot further but instead of sacrificing quality for price, shoppers in the North West want both and are opting for out of town designer outlets to pick up top brand names at discount.”

::

THE Manchester office of European investment bank, Altium, has advised Aspen Finance on its takeover of Artisan.

The takeover by Aspen, which will act as a holding company, values the Cambridgeshire-based house builder and commercial business park developer at £4.5m.

Altium corporate finance director, Adrian Reed, said:  “This takeover will allow Aspen to review Artisan’s operations and ensure that the business is best placed to weather the continuing challenges facing the construction industry.”

Meanwhile, the Manchester office has also been appointed as broker and nominated adviser to AIM-listed Alkane Energy. The Nottinghamshire-based company builds power plants fuelled by methane captured from coal mines.

::

DEBT management group Kensington Financial Management Consultants has received an ‘excellence employer award’ from Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

The annual award recognises and honours companies who have invested time and effort throughout the academic year to enhance the skills, awareness and aspirations of young people in Manchester.

Managing Director Stuart Parkin says: “There is some great talent in the region and we have attracted some very promising young people who are thriving and developing during their time working for us.”

::

TWO students who graduated from The University of Manchester with first-class honours degrees in mechanical engineering are looking to raise £35,000 from business to improve the lives of people in Sierra Leone.

Dale Barnes and Greg Quinn want to manufacturer and install a water transport system in a rural village, but say they need sponsorship from businesses in the region to make it happen.

The project came about after Dale did a three-month placement at a titanium oxide mine in Sierra Leone in 2008. Businesses interested in sponsoring the project should email daleb@live.com