North West business briefs: Morgan Sindall; NS Cheshire Holdings; D&G Bus; AMC; CNC Robotics

Construction giant Morgan Sindall Construction has launched its second Knowledge Quad as part of its work on the University of Salford’s new Science, Engineering and Environment Building (SEE Building).

The Knowledge Quad is a multi-purpose training and learning facility located within a live Morgan Sindall Construction site. It delivers value by undertaking activity focusing on the four key areas of skills, education, employment and discovery.

It also creates a vital link between industry and education, ensuring that curricula align with employer requirements and that students, trainees and apprentices at all levels are provided with the relevant knowledge and skills to help them succeed.

Morgan Sindall Construction has collaborated with the University of Salford for several years on a range of educational programmes. That relationship is now being taken to a new stage of partnership through the launch of the Knowledge Quad. Its position within the SEE Building site enables the ongoing work to serve as a live textbook and to provide those who use the facility with a unique insight into how a large scale built environment project is delivered.

The new facility will initially open its doors as a soft launch offering community programmes to small groups, in line with social distancing guidelines, followed by a more extensive programme schedule as lockdown restrictions ease. The first event being held at the new facility has been led by Build Salford, a traineeship programme that enables 16-24-year-olds to take the first steps in beginning an apprenticeship with leading construction firms.

The Knowledge Quad concept began at Morgan Sindall Construction’s £150m Paddington Village multi-project site in Liverpool City Council’s Knowledge Quarter, the scale of which enabled a substantial investment into tackling the worsening skills gap in construction and maximising the socio-economic value of the development. To date, the Knowledge Quad in Liverpool has resulted in more than 6,950 students attending engagement events, 1,442 volunteer hours donated via Morgan Sindall Construction’s staff and supply chain and in excess of 1,900 apprentice weeks at Morgan Sindall Construction projects.

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Brit European Transport

NS Cheshire Holdings has secured a seven-figure funding package from HSBC UK to facilitate a management buyout of Brit European Transport Group, a Crewe-based specialist logistics firm,

As a result of the MBO, Brit European Transport and all its subsidiaries will come under new ownership from NS Cheshire Holdings, a business led by the current managing director of Brit European.

Previous Brit European Transport owners, Rod Carman and his wife Sally, will be handing over the baton of the company after operating the family business for several decades. As part of the MBO, the business will retain all 60 jobs at its Radway Green site, in Crewe.

Graham Lackey, CEO of Brit European Transport, said: “The business will continue to be run with great care and consideration, for the long term benefit of all those employed. I am humbled and honoured to continue this journey with all of the Brit European colleagues and I look forward to the coming years as we continue to develop the business.”

James Long, relationship director for HSBC UK, said: “We are pleased to support NS Cheshire Holdings and Brit European Transport with the transition to new ownership. This MBO will support the business as it continues its development of innovative transportation services across a growing customer base.”

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Fogging nozzle on one of the buses

D&G Bus, which serves Greater Manchester, says it is the first in the UK to introduce a COVID-safe bus fogging system which will make public transport safe for passengers.

The bus company, which has a fleet of 169 buses and operates across Staffordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester and Wrexham, has been trialing an automatic system that sanitises a whole bus in minutes.

The intelligent disinfection fogging system uses an alcohol-free solution developed in collaboration with Singapore based chemist company Biocomm and made in Stoke-on-Trent by Future Developments Manufacturing to kill up to 99.99% of viruses and bacteria within seconds.

Traditionally used to clean operating theatres and by dentists, the V-Stop solution is laboratory-tested and 80 times stronger than bleach but completely harmless to humans and leaves no residue.

Kevin Crawford, operations director of D&G Bus, said: “We’re extremely proud to be the first bus company in the UK to be rolling out this pioneering technology. It will allow us to completely and automatically sanitise our whole fleet of buses in the middle of the night while they are parked up in the depot and without any human contact. As well as being a faster and more cost-effective way to sanitise, it gives us confidence that our fleet is COVID-safe and will also reassure our passengers that our buses are as clean as they can be.”

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AMC all-new electric fleet

National crane hire firm AMC, which has a Knowsley depot, has taken delivery of its all-new fleet of electric-operated mini cranes, representing a significant six-figure investment and a commitment by the company to be at the forefront of the electric revolution.

AMC has welcomed six Maeda MC285CB-3, and five Hoeflon C6e – the first UK company to do so – fully battery-powered mini cranes, located across its two depots in Knowsley and London, and demonstrating the very best technology in carbon-neutral lifting.

The new arrivals have already contributed to AMC winning a number of new contracts in 2021 worth approximately £20,000, including the Moxy Southampton hotel, Livingstone Academy Bournemouth, and Borough Market close to London Bridge.

Mark Davenport, owner and managing director, AMC, said: “Our mission is to continue innovating as a future thinking company, so we can provide our customers with more choice, quality and reliability in bespoke lifting solutions. Our new electric cranes will help us achieve this 10-fold and I am proud to see the company leading the competition in this arena. Electric cranes are the future of our industry – and AMC is right there at the front.”

AMC has also invested in seven eco-friendly cars for its sales team across both depots, including an all-electric Golf and six BMW 330 plug-in hybrids.

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CNC team, from left: Jason Barker, Bart Simpson, Philippa Glover, Madina Barker

Robotic integration specialist CNC Robotics, based in Bootle, Liverpool, has joined the Silverstone Technology Cluster
(STC) which was established to support the growth of the high-tech cluster and attract investment to the region.

STC was launched in January 2017 to encourage innovation and develop future technology. It supports advanced engineering, electronics and software businesses like CNC Robotics. Businesses joining the growing network of companies gain access to various benefits as well as business growth programmes such as SME Advisory Boards and Mentoring for Growth.

STC has several active Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in areas like future mobility and wearable technology, and is looking at setting up a Robotics Special Interest Group.

Philippa Glover, CNC Robotics managing director, said: “As a company working across the UK with a hive of activity within the region, becoming members of STC will enable us to continue to raise awareness, encourage collaboration, and sharing of best practice.”

Pim van Baarsen, STC chief executive, said: “We are thrilled to have CNC Robotics on board as they are a key player within the sector. They are a welcome addition to our active network of leading technology businesses and show real leadership within their field of expertise.”