North West Business Briefs: Peel Ports; Rathbone Brothers; Chorley Group; Fieldfisher; Bowden Rooms; Busby
The Port of Liverpool has welcomed a further arrival of five cantilever rail-mounted gantry (CRMG) cranes as part of the next phase of growth at Liverpool2, the port’s deep-water container terminal.
Produced by Chinese manufacturer, Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co (ZPMC), the five new cranes are the second of two deliveries in 2021, which will complete the set of 22 CRMG cranes operating as part of the £400m Liverpool2 project and will provide additional capacity for growing volumes of cargo.
Their arrival coincides with the Liverpool City Region’s successful application for Freeport status, which will create a further opportunity to position the area at the forefront of the UK’s future global trading relationships.
David Huck, managing director, group ports, said: “The £400m investment we have made on the Liverpool2 container terminal is a huge enabler. It’s the combination of the outstanding facilities here and the Freeport status for the region that will really make the difference.
“The arrival of the last batch of CRMG cranes at the Port of Livepool marks a significant milestone in the next phase of growth at Liverpool2 and reflects the dynamism and strength of our business and skilled workforce.”
Once completed, Liverpool2 will be capable of handling the largest container ships in the world, while supporting the UK haulage sector via the very latest landside automated gates and vehicle booking systems. Work on this second phase of the landside project is expected to be completed this summer and will be supported by the creation of more than 150 skilled jobs.
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Mark Nicholls
Rathbone Brothers, the Liverpool wealth management company, has announced a change of personnel at board level.
It said that, as a result of unforeseen personal circumstances, non-executive chairman Mark Nicholls has decided to retire from the board with immediate effect.
Jim Pettigrew, senior independent director, will assume the role of interim chair of the company until the 2021 AGM.
It is anticipated that following the AGM, Clive Bannister, chairman designate, will assume the role of chair, subject to obtaining regulatory approval by this time.
Paul Stockton, Rathbones chief executive, said: “On behalf of the board and all at Rathbones, I would like to thank Mark for his long and distinguished service to the firm and extend to him our appreciation for his dedicated and invaluable contribution to the board and firm over the last 11 years.”
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Malakai, Andy Preece and Liam Birchall
Motor business Chorley Group has extended its partnership with local football club Chorley FC and provided director of football Andy Preece with a sponsored car.
Chorley Group, long time backers of The Magpies, recently took out extra sponsorship of the club which will see the home ground renamed the Chorley Group Victory Park Stadium until the end of the season, as well as being the shirt sponsor for the historic FA Cup fourth round tie with Wolves in January.
Adam Turner managing director at Chorley Group, said: “We’ve had a long-standing relationship with the club, and we’re thrilled to be able to help Andy by providing him with the new MG HS. There have been lots of exciting things happening for Chorley on and off the pitch this season, despite the struggles due to COVID and we’re pleased that we can play a part in helping them achieve their long-term goals.”
Andy Preece said: “I travel between venues a lot in my role as first team, education programme, soccer schools and in-school coaching commitments all fall under my remit. Having a reliable vehicle at my disposal is absolutely essential.”
Adam Turner added: “We were delighted Andy brought along some of the young education programme scholars, Malakai and Liam Birchall, who have made impressive strides along the Chorley FC Player Pathway during the 2020/21 season. The family ethic and values we have at Chorley Group fits in well with a family club like Chorley FC.”
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KLH Sustainability team
Law firm Fieldfisher’s Manchester employee ownership team has supported London-based KLH Sustainability on its move to become a completely employee-owned business.
The team was led by partner Mark Gearing with support from senioraAssociate Tamsin Nicholds, who advised on employee ownership matters and Mary Erb, partner, provided the corporate transactional expertise.
Founded in 2010, KLH Sustainability is a specialist consultancy, which supports a broad range of clients across the built environment sector to integrate sustainability into their business strategy and deliver more sustainable buildings and communities.
KLH said it instructed Fieldfisher due to the team’s reputation as market leaders in employee ownership solutions.
Mark Gearing said: “We were pleased to have assisted KLH Sustainability on their transition to full employee ownership, a thriving business model that complements their company ethos of sustainability. The employee ownership model is a great move for founders who want to show their commitment to employees and safeguard the future of business, ensuring it remains true to its values, whilst uplifting employee morale.”
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Anthony and Edward Prophet
A new live event venue for the North West has been launched, ready to welcome audiences and visitors this summer as soon as lockdown restrictions have been lifted.
The Bowdon Rooms in Altrincham, Cheshire, which date back to 1903, was already established on the live entertainment circuit. But since being taken over by new owners 12 months ago, like many other venues it has remained closed to the public.
The team seized the opportunity and embarked on an extensive refurbishment, and now the Grade II-listed venue is set to further establish itself as a real asset within the region’s live event scene.
At the helm of The Bowdon Rooms are Cheshire-based brothers Anthony and Edward Prophet, who took over the venue in March 2020, just two weeks before the first COVID-19 national lockdown. Anthony said: “Our mission is to realise the full and true potential of The Bowdon Rooms, appreciate its history and character, and showcase just how special the venue really is. We have refurbished all public spaces and completed a technical upgrade of the stage, sound and lighting equipment – making the venue one of the most technically advanced in the area. Having being born and raised locally, we are proud to further grow our roots and give something back to our local community.”
The Bowdon Rooms’ opening programme already includes red carpet gala dinners with Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Sir Lenny Henry and Brian Blessed, and an in conversation evening with Shaun Ryder.
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Roger Kadama, Barry Green, Kirk Ryan, James Duffy of Busby
Busby, the micro-mobility safety app founded in Liverpool, has announced it is teaming up with African cycling team, Team Qhubeka Assos.
Busby, launched in November 2019 by Liverpool-born friends Barry Green, James Duffy and Kirk Ryan, aims to make bike riding, as well as other sports and activities, safer. The automatic incident response app works with the sensors in your phone to ensure your safety. If a user is involved in an incident the app will begin a 30 second countdown to move or respond and if there is no movement or response the exact location is sent to emergency contacts so help can arrive quickly.
To prevent incidents Busby also alerts other nearby road users that a cyclist is nearby to raise awareness. In only a year of operation, Busby’s app has been downloaded by tens of thousands of people in more 85 countries.
Team Qhubeka ASSOS, formerly NTT Pro Cycling, races at the very highest level of sport which includes the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España, together with the sport’s key stage races and the one day races including the five Monuments of cycling. The organisation also includes the under 23 development outfit, Team Qhubeka, which is based in Italy and races under a UCI Continental licence.
Douglas Ryder, founder and principal of Team Qhubeka ASSOS, said: “Running a cycling team is like where business is today, a hybrid working environment where you don’t physically see people every single day. And then when your team or business is built with people and is about high performing individuals, knowing where they are and if they are safe is paramount to them doing their job and us doing ours.”
