North West business briefs: Loganair; Dent Instrumentation; Enjoy West Lancs Gift Card; Napthens; InHaus; Oneday
UK regional airline, Loganair, is to expand its service between Manchester and Aberdeen as it responds to growing demand.
Up from its current three return services per day to Aberdeen, the airline has expanded its offering on the route and has added a fourth daily service. The additional service will depart Manchester at 12:20 arriving in Aberdeen at 13:30, with an earlier 10.30 departure from Aberdeen for those travelling from Scotland.
For customers headed north from Manchester, the enhanced schedule is likely to be welcome news by those working in the energy sector, many of whom travel to Aberdeen to meet numerous helicopter flights that connect the north east of Scotland to offshore platforms across the North Sea.
For those in Aberdeen, the additional flight times will facilitate better connectivity via Manchester Airport to destinations around the world thanks to Loganair’s interline and codeshare partners; including United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines.
The additional direct service between the two cities has a flight time of one hour and 15 minutes and is operated on an Embraer 145 jet, with fares starting from £76 one-way.
Chris Woodroofe, Manchester Airport managing director, said: “We welcome Loganair’s decision to increase capacity on its route from Manchester to Aberdeen. This service forms an important part of our domestic network, also giving people in the north of Scotland even greater access to the more than 110 destinations across four continents served directly from Manchester Airport.”
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Dent EOT team
Colne-based Dent Instrumentation has transitioned to become an employee-owned business after the Dent family sold the firm to a newly formed employee ownership trust (EOT). The value of the deal has not been disclosed.
The company is a leader in yarn sensor design and manufacture. Yarn sensors are integral to production processes and Dent Instrumentation works with blue chip textile machinery manufacturers around the globe. Its heritage in the sector is long as the patent for the very first contactless yarn sensor was granted to company founder Geoffrey Dent in the 1960s.
The deal ensures a smooth succession as well as the preservation of the company’s core family values and the Dent Instrumentation name. For the right business, creating an EOT provides a great way for owners to sell a controlling stake in their company to realise their value while passing ownership of the company into a trust for the long term benefit of employees.
Andrew Dent said: “The success of Dent Instrumentation has been down to the dedication and talents of the whole team so putting it in their hands feels fantastic. It was also incredibly important to protect our heritage and way of working and I couldn’t think of anyone better to do that than the very people who helped to grow the business.”
PM+M – the Blackburn and Bury-based chartered accountancy, business advisory and financial planning group – provided tax, valuation, corporate finance and feasibility assessment advice. Jim Akrill, consultant within PM+M’s corporate finance team, said: “The EOT structure will maintain the integrity of the business for years to come and we wish them all the best. I’m sure they will continue to thrive.”
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Derry Green of Secret Garden Glamping
An innovative new gift card has launched in West Lancashire to support economic recovery in the borough. The Enjoy West Lancs Gift Card is available to buy as a physical and digital card- with Lancashire being one of the first counties in the UK to adopt the new digital technology.
The card works in the same way as a regular store gift card, but customers will be able to spend the gift cards with all registered businesses across West Lancashire, including retail, leisure and attractions, health and beauty, hospitality and accommodation, keeping money locked into the region by encouraging residents and tourists to choose local.
Cllr Adam Yates, portfolio holder for finance and economic regeneration, said: “The last two years have been extremely hard for all businesses. One of the main benefits of the Enjoy West Lancs Gift Card is that it offers support for all sectors. Retail shops, restaurants, cafés, salons, and experience businesses have all registered to receive the new gift card for free, bringing new customers and driving footfall to our towns. In effect, we are creating our own local currency, powering economic recovery here in West Lancashire. This is a card that can be used by consumers for gifts all through the year, by employers to reward their staff and for many other potential uses.”
Physical gift cards will be available to buy online with delivery to the recipient by post with an optional gift message. Digital gift cards will be sent to the recipient as a text or email, the recipient will then be able to add the balance to their digital wallet, making purchases using their phone, either online or in-store. GlobalData suggests that 27.5% of gift card buyers converted to digital gift cards in 2021.
Working through the Mastercard network, there are no costs for businesses to be a part of the initiative. West Lancashire Borough Council is spearheading the introduction of the new digital and physical gift card for the region. The list of businesses signing up to be part of the scheme continues to grow, including The Secret Garden Glamping site, ASAP vintage and the exceptional two Michelin-starred Moor Hall.
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Andrew Holden
North West law firm Napthens has been reappointed to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Legal Panel for Lancashire and Cumbria for another three years.
Comprising 16 legal firms located throughout England and Wales, the NFU Legal Panel provides NFU Farmer & Grower members with access to reliable and trustworthy legal support in their local area. It also includes a 12.5% discount off hourly legal rates relating to their farming or growing business, fixed fees on key services, impartial assistance in non-farming areas of law and more.
Napthens, which has offices in offices in Preston, Liverpool, the Fylde Coast, Cumbria, Southport and Blackburn, is a founding member of the panel and part of it since its inception 14 years ago. Services provided by the firm’s team of rural specialists include agricultural law and advice on a wide range of personal and business legal issues affecting farmers, their families and employees, landowners and rural businesses of all kinds. This includes advice on sale and purchase of land and entitlements, renewable energy schemes, tenancy and partnerships, , succession planning, and planning and development.
As a long-standing trusted partner for farming organisations across the North West, Napthens’ specialist rural team is ranked Tier 1 in legal industry guide Legal 500. The team is regarded as “Very knowledgeable … each individual member with their own specialism, together they form a strong team.”
Andrew Holden, head of the rural team at Napthens, said: “We know that navigating the legal terrain can be difficult, particularly when considering the workload of the modern farmer. It’s why we’re excited to continue our relationship as a go-to adviser for NFU members, helping to ease the legal burden so farmers can focus on other priorities.”
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Till Janz and Isabella Sumner
Manchester-based InHaus, which uses technology and automation to help online fashion retailers create high quality product videos has received £300,000 in funding to support team growth, commercialise its software and simplify the process of video creation for brands.
InHaus was founded by stylist, Isabella Sumner, and international fashion photographer, Till Janz, who noticed that there was a gap in the market for a simple way for retailers to make impactful product videos. Currently, only 15% of products globally have a video, despite these increasing conversion rates and minimising returns.
The company has been a member of the Exchange programme for the past six months, during which time the founders have received support from a network of expert partners and like-minded entrepreneurs on the scheme to continue the development of the company. Being part of the programme also created a partnership opportunity between InHaus and Solid Bond Capital which was a major investor in the funding round.
Isabella Sumner said: “By enabling online retailers to easily create product videos for all their items, we can support them in boosting sales and customer satisfaction. Fashion items tend to only have photos featured on the page, but video is much more persuasive. With our recent funding success, we are excited to increase access to quality product video creation so more retailers, both large and small, can enjoy the benefits it brings.”
Shaz Sulaman, founder of Solid Bond Capital, said: “We are pleased to be able to back the team at InHaus as part of this funding round. High quality video production, at scale, is a significant challenge for retailers and the product the InHaus team is building will help retailers increase conversions, reduce returns, and provide a better experience for consumers.”
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Oneday team
National managing agent, Oneday, has marked a successful first six months at Bowring Park & Golf Course, with an initial £1.2m-worth of regeneration works under way and the creation of 11 jobs.
Oneday took over the management of the oldest park in Knowsley and the first municipal golf course in England earlier this year. Alongside Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council and stakeholders including the Friends of Bowring Park and Mens and Womens Golf Clubs , the team is working together to rejuvenate the community facility and complete the National Lottery Heritage Fund Restoration Project.
In addition to completing the restoration works, ambitious plans for the first phase of the park include a new playground, currently being installed, a new home for local F&B provider Root Catering, which will be operating The Coach House Cafe, a dedicated website with the ability to book a round online, a separate footgolf course and six new golf buggies also, to aid accessibility and inclusivity for all players.
Working within the local community to provide employment and job opportunities, a selection of the new positions created at the park include reception team members, a development officer, a groundskeeper and a park ranger.
Oneday director, Matt Bell, said: “We focus on creating places that meet the needs of local residents and getting the job done. That is what we are doing to ensure Bowring Park & Golf Course remains at the heart of this community. A place where families can come to relax and unwind in a welcoming environment, alongside an inclusive and well maintained golf course. We are also thrilled to welcome Root, who is a great, local independent business.”
