North West Business Briefs: Rochdale Production Services; BXB; Trafford Council; LCR Finance Hub; Clean Growth Board

Michael (left) and Ian at the new premises

Rochdale Production Services (RPS), a provider of CNC machining services, is expanding its horizons with a move to bigger and better premises.

After 14 years at its site in Whitworth, Rochdale, it is relocating to a larger plant in New Hall Hey, Rawtenstall, Rossendale, where it will be open for business from Monday, April 12. As a result of the move, it is also changing its name to RPS Precision Engineering.

The move sees its space increase more than threefold, taking the shop floor from 2,200 sq ft to 7,250, giving it scope to increase capacity and invest in further CNC equipment.

Managing director, Michael Sirrell, said: “We’ve been watching the new premises being built over the last 12 months and can’t wait to get in. We look forward to providing an enhanced service for our loyal customers and the capacity to welcome even more new customers on board, too.”

The firm is also increasing its headcount with the recruitment of operations and supply chain manager, Ian Cockcroft, who brings a wealth of industry expertise.

He said: “With my experience in the supply chain, and the exciting opportunities that the move will bring, I’ll be ensuring RPS continue to satisfy all customers both present and future.”

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The Thornton Cleveleys site

Liverpool-based brownfield land developer BXB Land Solutions, has announced the launch of the BXB Foundation, believed to be the first of its kind among SME developers.

It says the foundation will ensure that social gains from its investments will complement the economic and physical improvements they yield. Land and planning director, Gary Goodman, said: “Our development strategy is focused on bringing redundant brownfield sites back into productive use and delivering major economic benefits to the areas we invest in.

“We need to ensure our investment also delivers holistic benefits to the communities we serve. The foundation will assist us in working closely with each community and help deliver bespoke social benefits.”

The BXB Foundation will be managed by the Community Foundation for Lancashire and Merseyside, through whom grant applications and awards will be channelled. Funds will be released on an area-specific basis as each development site progress through the acquisition and planning processes.

BXB is currently promoting schemes in Co. Durham, Darwen, Thornton Cleveleys in Fylde, St Helens and Preston.

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Trafford Council is set to re-launch a highly successful interest free loan scheme to support town centre businesses through the recovery.

The Trafford Town Centres Business Growth Fund is to open next month to give businesses the opportunity to apply for an interest free loan of up to £10,000. The scheme, which has issued loans to more than 40 businesses since 2013, was closed to new businesses last year when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced non-essential shops to close.

Looking to the future and the recovery of our town centres it has been decided that the scheme can once again be opened to new applications. The scheme, therefore, will open in line with the reopening of non-essential retail which is scheduled for April 12.

Cllr James Wright, Trafford Council’s executive member for housing and regeneration, said: “Trafford Council is committed to providing targeted support and creating successful and thriving places within the borough. We have, therefore, made it a priority to support businesses within our town centres to ensure they have every opportunity to thrive in Trafford.

“We would like as many small businesses as possible to take advantage of this interest-free loan to ensure their success in the future. We totally understand how business have suffered and struggled through the various lockdowns and would like to help them as much as possible.”

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Lynsey Barnes

The LCR Finance Hub team has now supported more than 2,000 SMEs across the Liverpool City Region in their efforts to secure external funding.

Originally founded by MSIF in 2017, the LCR Finance Hub – previously known as the MSIF Finance Hub – is now building on this performance as it looks to assist more of the region’s SMEs looking to begin and grow their ventures.

Additional support has been secured from the Growth Platform – the Liverpool City Region Growth Company alongside that already provided by MSIF, to allow the Hub to further increase its scale, with a pilot initiative having now commenced.

The pilot scheme will see the Hub build on its offering as an independent gateway for growing businesses across the city region to access free and impartial funding and business advice, while working with an extensive network of contacts throughout the region.

As part of this pilot scheme, the Hub has expanded its team with the appointment of Lynsey Barnes as business finance specialist, where she will work closely with Finance Hub lead George Wright. She said: “I am thrilled to be joining the LCR Finance Hub team. I feel that there is a real appetite from businesses across the region looking for a simplified approach to funding without the complexity, and that’s exactly what we are looking to do.”

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Dr Melinda Acutt

Reducing carbon emissions and creating a productive and sustainable economy will be amongst the main aims of a new Clean Growth Board, a sub-board of the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

It will play a leading role in addressing urgent environmental and social issues as well as creating new sources of sustainable economic growth. Backed by the commitment from the Metro Mayor for the city region to be zero carbon by 2040, it is a priority for both the LEP and combined authority.

Two women with extensive experience in this field will head up the board. Dr Melinda Acutt will be taking on the role of chair, and deputy chair will be Amanda Lyne.

Melinda is a director of ICS Consulting, a management and economic consultancy in the infrastructure sector, was a senior lecturer at the University of Liverpool with previous roles at NHS Wirral, Yorkshire Water and Ofwat, where she was a member of the Water Services Regulation Authority. Amanda is managing director of ULEMCO, a global hydrogen technology company, and has extensive consultancy experience for a variety of clean technology, energy and innovation businesses.

Board chair, Melinda Acutt, said: “We are really fortunate to have been able to convene a highly knowledgeable group of members willing to donate their time and expertise to this newly formed board. I am really looking forward to working together with Amanda and the rest of the board to share their combined expertise in how best to deliver the clean growth that our region needs.”

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