North West business briefs: Ibis; DrinkWell; Truline; ITS Technology Group; JSJ UK; Bibby Financial Services; Midland Hotel
Ibis Budget Manchester Airport has launched an IPA beer exclusively for guests.
The 262-bed hotel which opened at Manchester Airport in December last year and is managed by Aimbridge EMEA, has created Looking Fly – a mix of Maris Otter and Munich Malts from Britain and Germany alongside Cascade and Chinook hops.
Dry hopping brings a boldness to the 4.2% golden-coloured ale.
The IPA was named Looking Fly following a social media competition earlier this year.
Ben McNally, director of sales and marketing at ibis Budget Manchester Airport, said: “Our Looking Fly IPA has been created exclusively for our guests so they can start their holiday off that bit earlier.
“The beauty of an overnight stay with us is that it takes all the stress away, you can check your bags in the night before with the Twilight Check-in service, then walk over to your terminal in the morning, and now with our IPA you can enjoy a drink on us the night before.”
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Tom Bell
Manchester-based lower calorie drinks retailer, DrinkWell, has secured a £600,000 investment to drive its development as the leading marketplace for ‘better choice’ alcohol.
DrinkWell will use the raise, from Sadita Holdings after the success of a prior investment round, to continue to support innovation, bringing new and exciting products to the market, as well as to steer growth in both the international online and offline trade.
The online drinks marketplace, known as the ‘home of reduced calorie alcohol’, has seen phenomenal growth over the past 12 months. DrinkWell now sells to more than 75,000 customers across the UK, resulting in a 50% year on year growth for 2021/2022. A pioneer in the lighter alcohol market, it has continued to meet increasing demand, with its innovative product range which it imports, manufactures and distributes.
DrinkWell was launched in 2015 by founder and managing director, Tom Bell. Passionate about driving change in the alcohol market, Tom set out on a mission to educate consumers and the industry on the fantastic alcohol alternatives which only compromise on calories, and not taste. Now, DrinkWell’s product range includes a variety of wine, beer and spirits, all containing a lower proportion of sugar, carbs and calories.
Tom said: “The stars are aligning for DrinkWell, both as a marketplace and as a leading, innovative brand creator in the drinks industry. When legislation inevitably changes to include nutritional information for alcohol on labels and menus, we want to be seen as the ‘go-to’ provider of lower-calorie alcohol. We believe that with this funding, we are in the strongest possible position to do so.”
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Mike Hyde
Truline, the Wigan based commercial interior design and fit-out company, has reported a record year for sales and a restructure to reposition within the market.
The firm saw a sales increase of 35% year on year, from £7.7m to £10.45m. Following an internal restructure of the business, Truline recruited an interior design team to provide a full design and build service. This team is headed up by Martha Lorains who was recruited to lead change within the team and secure more design-led schemes.
Recent design-focused projects include education and collaboration spaces at Hugh Baird College in Liverpool, and the redesign and fit-out of AJ Barr’s head office. Truline has also provided a full solution with design and fit out at a large blue chip manufacturing plant.
And it has recently completed multimillion-pound education projects which have seen a variety of refurbishments including spaces within Grade II-listed buildings. The company, as principal contractor, has also seen a growth in the healthcare sector, with projects delivered at hospitals, mental health and medical centres across the North West.
Managing director, Mike Hyde, said: “Our business is at a pivotal point as we’re seeing the results of the last few years of hard work and relationship building start to truly deliver. It is the perfect time to refresh our look and internal structure to ensure that we’re in the best possible position correctly to drive further growth of the business.”
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Warrington wholesale full fibre provider, ITS Technology Group, has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s Network Services 3 framework. In 2022/23, Crown Commercial Service helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £3.8bn, supporting public services that offer best value for taxpayers.
This agreement allows the public sector, associated bodies and agencies, the voluntary sector, charities, and other private organisations acting as procurement or managing agents on behalf of the public sector to access full fibre connectivity services across ITS’s entire solutions portfolio.
It allows ITS to widen its commitment and opportunity to drive the delivery of future-proof digital services to public sector, charities, and third sector customers, removing the procurement barriers that have prevented some organisations from being able to access ITS’s solutions in the past.
ITS has invested heavily into its public sector capabilities and expertise. It says it has a strong track record having forged a number of ground-breaking strategic private public partnerships with local authorities and other organisations across the country. These include flagship joint ventures with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and DG Cities in the Royal Borough of Greenwich to deliver transformational full fibre infrastructure and services to support their digital ambitions.
Andy Bell, head of public sector at ITS Technology Group said: “Helping communities thrive is about more than just delivering a high quality service, we immerse ourselves fully in the needs of our public sector projects and organisations, including deriving growth, inclusivity, and sustainability.”
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Preston-based bespoke joinery firm, JSJ UK, is helping local teachers to build self-esteem, life skills, positive attitudes to learning and strong grades for their pupils through the part-donation and creation of an outdoor classroom.
Chorley St Peter’s CofE Primary School had hoped to follow Ofsted guidance by creating an outdoor learning environment on school grounds, but costs threatened to prevent the project from going ahead. Also, finding appropriate locations for lessons can be a challenge, particularly if learning outside of the classroom is to take place multiple times a term for every class.
Teachers at Chorley St Peter’s approached JSJ UK, whose designers provided plans following a visual design concept brief with school staff, adjusted material choices, and committed to gift 25% of the project’s cost as a donation to the school.
Built from environmentally-friendly and cost-efficient red grandis, the octagonal structure creates a convivial environment inside, enhanced by a vaulted ceiling to give an open, airy atmosphere. Bench seating lines the sides and UPVC windows and doors connect the classroom with the outdoors and provide easy access. The resulting classroom is warm and bright, and offers a completely different atmosphere to classrooms within the school.
Juliet Marland, associate headteacher at Chorley St Peter’s CofE Primary School, said: “We are extremely pleased with our beautiful outdoor classroom. There is plenty of room for a class to enjoy learning together, accessing a wider curriculum and developing important life skills. Our outdoor classroom is now used regularly, whatever the weather, and our children are motivated to learn in their new environment.”
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Lucile Flamand
Research from Bibby Financial Services (BFS), part of Liverpool-based Bibby Line Group, finds that women SME owners are more likely than men to suffer cashflow challenges, undermining their growth and ambitions.
Only half (49%) of women business owners report that their cashflow is stable and meets their needs, compared with a significantly higher two thirds (66%) of male respondents. In addition, four in 10 (43%) female business leaders say they don’t have the cashflow they need to grow, compared with 29% of their male peers – highlighting a 14 per centage point gap.
These figures indicate a confidence gap between UK female and male business owners, when it comes to their company’s finances. This is particularly worrying following the interest rate rise last month, further impacting profit margins and cashflow capabilities. Nearly half (48%) of female business leaders surveyed said they were worried about not being able to pay back loans if interest rates rise further, compared with just under a third (32%) of their male counterparts.
Lucile Flamand, chief strategic development officer of Bibby Financial Services, said: “An uneven playing field of institutional barriers and entrenched stigmas have significant impact on female led businesses, and so it is entirely unsurprising that this is reflected in a confidence gap between women and men.
“The ugly truth is that, even in 2023, it’s still much harder for female entrepreneurs to access funding than it is for their male peers. In fact, women business owners receive less than half of the investment capital of their male counterparts, despite delivering twice as much revenue per dollar invested. These stats serve as a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done, but female entrepreneurs remain motivated and determined, highlighted by the fact that last year a record 150,000 new firms were founded by women in the UK.”
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To celebrate the history between The Midland Hotel and Rolls Royce, for the hotel’s 120th anniversary this year, a Rolls Royce has been installed in its foyer.
It was on May 4, 1904, that the Honourable Mr Charles Rolls met Mr Henry Royce in the Grill Room – now Mount Street Dining Room & Bar – where they had lunch together, looked at the twin cylinder 10hp Mr Royce had designed and decided to go into business together.
The first Rolls Royce cars were made in Manchester, with the company leading the way in early motor technology. One of the first Rolls-Royce cars made now sits in Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum, and is one of only three cars remaining of this type.
That historic meeting is celebrated in many ways around The Midland Hotel, with a Rolls Royce Suite, in which guests can upgrade their stay to enjoy the night in a large double bedroom with separate living room, and the Rolls Royce function suite, which can accommodate up to 40 guests. The Midland is also home to a commemorative plaque, which can be found in the foyer, where a 1934 Rolls Royce 20/25 Barker Limousine now sits alongside it.
Members of the public are invited to come and take a look, take pictures and tag @themidlandmanchester on social media.
