North West business briefs: Investment Zones; Cymphony; Albus & Flora; Morson Group; Sambro; Voicescape
Business leaders across the North West are encouraged by the blueprint for what Investment Zones could mean for the region.
Investment Zones were announced by the then Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng in last autumn’s mini budget.
Grant Thornton’s latest Business Outlook Tracker survey, shows that 60% of business leaders in the Greater Manchester region said that the introduction of Investment Zones will help towards the Government’s Levelling Up agenda, together with 80% of business leaders in the Liverpool City Region, compared with a national average of 68%.
Businesses can see benefits to local areas from the introduction of Investment Zones, with a significant number of respondents citing that being located within one of the zones would help to support the local region, with factors such as job creation and skills development (76%) and be beneficial to local businesses (76%).
In Greater Manchester, 69% of business leaders believe that being located within an Investment Zone would encourage businesses to stay within the local area, with 78% in the Liverpool City Region also believing that.
However, the survey revealed that business leaders in Greater Manchester believe that the 12 proposed locations are not completely adequate, with 72% of business leaders believing that there should be more Investment Zones located in other areas in the UK, and 78% of Liverpool business leaders supporting that view.
::
Tim Morris
Crewe-based inbound communications specialist Cymphony, headed by managing director, Tim Morris, has been certified Carbon Neutral – a first for the sector.
After a rigorous audit process with Carbon Footprint, a carbon management agency, Cymphony was awarded ‘net zero’ status, without the need for any offsetting.
This feat was achieved through a combination of initiatives, ranging from only purchasing energy from renewable sources through to sustained remote working and reduced travel. The business has also been decreasing its energy consumption since 2020 by installing motion-sensor lights, minimising single-use plastics and operating a paperless office policy.
Stuart Fowler, environmental consultant at Carbon Footprint, praised the impact that Cymphony’s actions have and the example being set for other organisations: “It’s heartening to see leaders like Tim committing to a net zero future. Businesses have an opportunity to make a very real difference by leveraging both national and local activity, and we’d be proud to work alongside any brand looking to assess and offset their own annual carbon emissions.”
Tim Morris said: “Cymphony is the first company in our sector of outsourced inbound communications and lead management services to have achieved Carbon Neutral status. Our team are incredibly proud of what they have done. But we have absolutely no intentions of resting on our laurels, and plan to become Carbon Positive by the end of 2023. There are very few companies who can claim this accolade.”
::
Rachel Williams
Pendle-based cosmeceutical skincare brand Albus & Flora is set for further growth after securing a £30,000 investment from Lancashire business loans provider, Rosebud Finance.
Based out of Northlight Estate, Pendle, the beauty brand, was founded in 2016 by physiologist, turned beauty entrepreneur Rachel Williams and is dedicated to providing clinically effective and pro-ageing products for the lips and peri-oral skin. The company has since launched a range of multi-award-winning SPF30 lip balms that blend pure botanicals with modern UVA & UVB filters, to hydrate and protect against sun damage, fine lines and loss of lip fullness.
Albus & Flora’s cruelty free products are now stocked by a selected global network of almost 300 professional aesthetic practitioners, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, doctors, dentists and medical spas spanning the UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Sweden and Australia.
Investment from Rosebud – owned by Lancashire County Developments, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lancashire County Council – is set to facilitate stock purchases, product development and help the business fulfil its five-year growth ambitions to grow its product lines, team and revenues.
Rachel Williams said: “It’s incredible to think just how far Albus & Flora has come in recent years – from a moment of inspiration in the French Alps, to an international skincare brand based right here in Pendle. Thanks go to the Rosebud team for their support and guidance, as we look to provide clinically effective and sustainable cosmeceutical skincare to the global market.”
::
Ged Mason
Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), the global advisor on staffing and workforce solutions, has released its 2023 report on the largest engineering staffing firms, with Salford-based recruitment experts, Morson Group, placing third.
The ranking reflects a milestone period of growth for the recruitment giant, which saw Morson Group exceed a £1bn turnover for the first time, coupled with the acquisition of Australian technical recruitment company, ACRWORLD.
Morson Group CEO, Ged Mason, said: “It’s an honour to be recognised by SIA and I’m proud that we’ve been able to secure such a strong placement as one of the largest engineering recruitment companies in the world. Our ranking is a testament to the hard work and loyalty of our colleagues, customers, contractors and candidates, all of whom contribute to our achievements.”
With a legacy as an engineering talent solutions specialist, Morson Group supports clients and generates opportunities for candidates in the permanent and contingent markets in sectors as diverse as aerospace, automotive, defence, manufacturing, maritime, nuclear, oil & gas, renewables, rail and transport.
The business also delivers a suite of integrated services, which span talent solutions, consultancy and technology, to help clients access sustainable talent pipelines, build their brands, and optimise key business processes.
::
As part of the three-year contract extension between Bury-based toys business Sambro International and Paramount Consumer Products announced earlier this year, Sambro will launch the latest range of new toys in its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.
In line with the highly anticipated movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem coming to cinemas this August, Sambro will launch a new range of plush, novelty, stationery and outdoor toy lines which feature characters from the film and TV franchise. Plush, stationery and novelty lines will launch first, followed by outdoor lines in the following seasons. The range will be rolled out across the UK, Netherlands, France and Germany, and will be in-store in the summer of 2023.
The plush range, featuring Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo, includes 28cm character toys in standing poses, made from a durable, tough and wipeable Tricot fabric. There’s also a selection of TMNT Lil’ Bodz toys – Sambro’s successful own range of plush toys, with characterised small bodies and oversized heads.
The three-year agreement across the UK & EMEA regions between Sambro and Paramount Consumer Products will see the development and distribution of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles products until December 2025.
Clare Rix, brand and licensing director at Sambro, said: “Paramount Consumer Products has an impressive portfolio of amazing brands that we are already lucky to work with, and we’re excited to now add Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the mix. We have been working closely with the hugely talented Paramount team over the recent months to develop this exciting plush, stationery and novelty toys line up, which we know will be a huge success with retailers, kids and parents.”
::
Walthamstow Council offices
Manchester-based software business, Voicescape, has strengthened its position in the public sector after being appointed by Waltham Forest Council – its sixth local government client win in the past 12 months.
The business, which provides resident engagement solutions for social landlords and local authorities, will work alongside the council to help manage council tax collection.
Waltham Forest is home to 278,400 residents and more than 102,000 households. It is the first London borough council that will implement Voicescape’s Collections solution – innovative technology that automates costly and ineffective outbound calls, allowing revenues and benefits officers to focus on high value inbound calls and collect more council tax arrears. This enables them to focus on high quality and meaningful engagement with certain residents to negotiate payment arrangements, which, in turn, helps to increase the overall council tax collection rate, while reducing levels of debt.
The technology combines behavioural insights to better understand the resident experience and increase engagement, data science to help target and tailor interventions and focus time on where it can have the greatest impacts, as well as intelligently automating the bulk outbound calling tasks that can be leveraged to free up officers’ time.
Peter Hudson, sales director, at Voicescape, said: “Waltham Forest Council is already taking proactive steps to meet the complex challenges that exist within the sector – issues that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. The aim is to ensure that methods of collection are effective, that processes are efficient, and that they’re ethical in meeting the individual circumstances of customers who may be struggling with the rising cost of living.”
