NW business briefs: Coffee Carriage; The Hook Club; Made Smarter; Bee Network; Two Zero; Alstom; Freemium
Two young entrepreneurs have opened their third coffee shop on the Merseyrail network, providing food and drink for commuters and travellers, as well as a hub for the local community.
The Coffee Carriage, at Formby station, opened recently and adds to the Maghull station Coffee Carriage and a Coffee Saddle outlet at Hunts Cross station.
Craig Reeves and Rory McLellan are the owners of the business who have made the significant investment at the three sites. With artisan pastries and a range of freshly baked produce, the Formby station shop is already proving a big hit with commuters and locals.
Suzanne Grant, Chief Commercial Officer and Deputy Managing Director of Merseyrail, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome another Coffee Carriage shop to the Merseyrail network. Craig and Rory’s two other outlets, at Hunts Cross and Maghull, are hugely popular with our customers, and I’m sure the Formby station outlet will be just as successful.
“The coffee shops provide a valued service to customers and ensure our passengers have a great experience while using the Merseyrail network. We’re delighted to work with Craig and Rory, and give our customers a first-class experience.
“Their business is a great example of some of the opportunities available on the Merseyrail network, and we’d love to work with any local independent businesses who are interested. We’re open to any ideas, so do please get in touch by emailing propertyenquiries@merseyrail.org.”
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The Hook Club padel court
A new era of padel has arrived in Cheshire with the opening of The Hook Club at Mottram Hall. Set inside the immaculate landscaped grounds of Mottram Hall Hotel, The Hook Club, opened its courts on July 25.
Developed and installed by UK Padel Courts, the £400,000 padel venue is set to be a landmark destination for padel players of all abilities, said the club which is named after the padel shot ‘El Gancho’. The venue boasts three Superpanoramic padel courts designed and manufactured by Spanish-based Padelgest, providers of the first courts to the World Padel Tour. The Padelgest Superpanoramic court is a professional standard court.
Players of all abilities can benefit from The Hook Club’s coaching academy which boasts a quartet of coaches. Jon Cain is joining as the club’s coach coordinator. He is joined by club padel manager, Joanne Patterson, and padel professionals, Sam Brown and Mike Rouse.
The Hook Club is the first venue from The Padel Group. Morgan Davies, director, said: “Our primary aim was to create a padel club that offers an unmatched player experience. We have invested a significant amount in this project to ensure that The Hook Club stands out on the UK padel scene. I am very proud of what we have achieved in the beautiful surroundings of Champneys Mottram Hall.”
He added: “Padel is a sport that’s here to stay and we have created a fantastic environment for players of all abilities to play padel and socialise.”
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Digital Champions Network launch
Made Smarter North West has launched a new peer-to-peer network to accelerate digital adoption among SME manufacturers.
The Digital Champions Network brings together businesses who have engaged with Made Smarter’s adoption programme, including graduates of its Leading Digital Transformation and Leading Change for Digital Champions programmes. The initiative will connect those employees actively engaged in digitalisation, from the top floor to the shop floor, at different stages of technology adoption. In-person and online events will be facilitated throughout the year to enable participants to share learning and experience, forging long-lasting connections.
A launch event, at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Liverpool, attracted North West businesses from across industries, including CNC Robotics, Palace Chemicals, JFM Workwear, Farrat, Gardner Engineering, Majas Switchgear and Beagle Orthopaedic.
Ruth Hailwood, Organisation Development Lead for the Made Smarter North West Adoption Programme, said: “The Digital Champions Network is an opportunity to build something sustainable by harnessing what a manufacturer learns as they embark on their digital transformation journey and sharing it with their peers. This approach means every member of the network can benefit from sharing experiences and new ideas, creating a bigger impact for their own business and for the SME manufacturing community in the region.”
Mark Sutherberry, Senior Business Development Manager at the MTC, said: “Made Smarter complements all our thinking and best practice in how to support manufacturers to adopt technology and skills in a sustainable, high impact way. It has been a pleasure hosting the launch of the Digital Champions Network, an initiative which brings together the North West’s SME manufacturing community to learn how to approach digital transformation and innovation.”
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Bee Network bus in Bolton
A rolling programme of Bee Network reviews will explore how public transport can best be improved across every part of Greater Manchester, further building on the benefits of bringing buses back under local control.
Starting in Bolton and Wigan, the first boroughs to get Bee Network bus services, Network Reviews will see Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) working with local authority partners to gather the thoughts of local communities, elected members and businesses. Elected representatives sitting on local transport committees and forums will influence any changes made, with priority given to ideas that deliver the biggest benefits for the most people in Greater Manchester, taking funding and resources into account.
This has been made possible due to Greater Manchester becoming the first area in the country to bring buses back under local control in almost 40 years – with accountability forming a key element of the region’s flagship Bee Network. Franchising has already ushered in later buses on some routes, better joining them up with the last trains and trams of the day. Extra buses have also been rolled-out in the first franchised areas, helping to improve punctuality and reliability on services, as well as providing extra capacity.
All areas of Greater Manchester will be reviewed within three years, with the order mirroring the roll-out of bus franchising. A programme of thematic reviews – for example, opportunities for night buses, orbital services, or priority routes – also gets under way from January 2025, when all of Greater Manchester’s buses will be under local control. Strategic Network Reviews are among a range of options for making changes to public transport services.
Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “Striving for continuous improvement is at the heart of delivering the Bee Network and achieving the high standards of service our customers rightly expect. Through these Network Reviews we will work with district authorities and local communities to ensure that bus services meet their needs.”
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Women Scaling Up
Businesses who took part in two Lancashire County Council led programmes designed to help the leaders of fast growing businesses in the county have since created a combined 117 jobs and grown collective turnover nearly £27m, according to independent analysis.
The programmes were led by Lancashire County Council’s scale-up support service, Two Zero, and were aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of Lancashire’s scale-up leaders through targeted support while helping them create a network of likeminded leaders. Scale-up businesses are those growing either turnover or staff by 20% year-on-year.
The Two Zero Scaleup Leaders Network, which was fully-funded by Lancashire County Council, took place over almost two years between July 2022 and March 2024, supporting 43 businesses in total. This included well known Lancashire companies such as Moorhouse’s Brewery and fast growing electricity engineering firm Serconnect.
The programme was delivered by business growth organisation TurnKey Corporate and included one-to-one performance and leadership coaching, group masterclasses on key areas of scale-up strategy and peer learning with fast growing scale-up companies. Independent analysis shows its 43 participants have, so far, created 61 jobs, increased turnover by £12.6m and generated £3.9m Gross Value Added (GVA) for the Lancashire economy.
The second Two Zero programme, Women Scaling Up, was delivered by Lancashire business growth consultancy Role. It was two thirds funded by Lancashire County Council through Two Zero through two cohorts, the first taking place for six months from September 2022 and the second from September 2023. It focused on developing the strategy and mindset of the women involved and included a residential retreat as well as an outdoor experiential day to improve resilience and communication. Analysis of the two cohorts shows participants have so far created 56 jobs, with a combined turnover increase of around £14m.
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Class 397 train
Rail engineering group, Alstom, has signed a £10.4m contract extension with passenger operator TransPennine Express to maintain its Class 397 fleet. The contract will see Alstom continue to offer train maintenance, stabling, servicing and cleaning services for TransPennine Express’ 12 Class 397 – known as Nova 2 – five-car electric multiple units (EMUs).
The work for TransPennine Express will continue to be carried out of Alstom’s Traincare Centres in Manchester and Glasgow, two of five similar facilities the company operates along the West Coast Main Line. The contract supports more than 50 roles across the two sites, including production managers, site operatives and train movement operators.
Alstom’s Manchester Traincare Centre at Longsight can accommodate almost 300 rail vehicles at one time – making it one of the biggest of its kind in the UK – and is the home depot for the Nova 2s. Meanwhile, Alstom’s Glasgow Traincare Centre at Polmadie typically welcomes 17 trains per day, including TransPennine Express Class 397 units.
Peter Broadley, services managing director UK and Ireland at Alsom, said: “Securing this contract extension is a testament to the quality of our Services portfolio and the strong partnership we have developed with TransPennine Express. We are committed to ensuring the continued reliability and performance of the Nova 2 fleet, supporting both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.”
Built by CAF and owned by Eversholt Rail, the Class 397 units originally entered service in November 2019. They carry passengers on TransPennine North West services between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport to Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central via Preston.Chris Jackson, Transpennine Express managing director, said: “Suppliers such as Alstom are vital in making sure we put our customers’ needs first, and we are committed to offering the best possible journey experience when people choose to travel with us.”
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Oli McCann
Start-up and established businesses in Rossendale, Lancashire are being offered free support and advice by a partnership between Rossendale Borough Council’s business support offer, Invest in Rossendale, and employment law, HR and health and safety firm, AfterAthena.
The free business support service, called Freemium, provides all businesses in Rossendale with guidance tailored to their needs such as getting started or contributing to growth for established firms. Using an app, Freemium allows businesses instant access to a wealth of expertise on the key areas of employment law, HR and health and safety law from specialists at AfterAthena, part of the Preston-based law firm Napthens Group.
Rob Huntington, chief executive at Rossendale Borough Council, said: “Establishing, expanding or even relocating a business to Rossendale can be daunting, but we’re helping to address such concerns by partnering with key third parties such as AfterAthena to support all areas of every business in the Valley.
“Our pioneering Invest in Rossendale business support service isn’t just about providing access to essential resources – it’s about fostering and developing a community of like-minded professionals, allowing Rossendale businesses and others in the area to share best practice and gain invaluable insights from proven experts.”
Oli McCann, partner with AfterAthena and head of Napthens Group’s East Lancashire office, said: “As a Lancashire-based employment law, HR and health and safety practice, we are devoted to supporting the establishment and development of businesses across the county. Working with Invest in Rossendale to deliver Freemium, our team, led by senior associate solicitor Rebecca Miller, is providing invaluable support and guidance on key issues to help businesses to launch or successfully negotiate the next stage of their expansion.”
