In Brief: KRL Group; Leeds United deal for Help-Link; intechuk.net
A YORKSHIRE-based copier and print specialist has relocated to larger premises as it looks to expand and take on more staff.
KRL Group’s move to new headquarters in Hull is part of a growth plan implemented after a management buyout in 2009.
Directors believe the modern building – bringing together sales, warehousing and maintenance teams under one roof – will help improve workflow.
The company, which has a turnover of £2.5m, is targeting growth of 10% this year.
George Baker, managing director of KRL Group, said: “The move to these larger premises presents our customers with a more professional, up-to-date impression of KRL Group, proves we have excellent resources and are here to help them for the long term.”
The company’s new 9,000 sq ft base, Billwin House, in Malmo Road, Hull, features a showroom, stores area, repair and maintenance workshop and office space, and replaces premises in Willerby, west of the city, that KRL Group had outgrown.
KRL Group has invested £60,000 into tailoring the building for its exact needs.
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HOME heating provider Help-Link is to be Leeds United’s new official secondary shirt sponsor from next season.
Under the new agreement the Help-Link logo will feature on the reverse of all first team playing and replica kit from the 2013/14 season onwards. The company will also receive TV branding at the stadium, advertising throughout matchday media and on the club’s digital platforms.
Alan Dickinson, director of Help-Link UK, said: “As Help-Link is a Leed-based company, we feel it is an exciting opportunity to support and work alongside the club. We are proud to be affiliated with the sport, Leeds United and what it represents to nationwide communities. Therefore through our involvement and association we are looking forward to our brand further carrying this notion.”
TheBusinessDesk.com this week reported that private equity firm NorthEdge Capital has invested £11m for a significant stake in Help-Link.
The investment, NorthEdge’s third from its maiden £225m fund and its first in Yorkshire, backs the growth ambitions of Leeds-based Help-Link.
Founded in 1998, Help-Link has seen considerable growth over the past three years after successfully entering the private installation market.
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LEEDS-based printer Gary Lee is playing his cards right.
The owner of intechuk.net is embracing new technology to produce hi-tech business cards.
Duplexed within each card is a near field communication chip that allows a client to store any amount of information. The client can present the bespoke cards in the same way as he or she would a conventional business card. The information stored then becomes available on smart phones held next to the card.
Mr Lee said: “The beauty of the technology is its versatility. The cards can take you to a website or display any specific information a client might wish to present from, say, a simple business slogan to a full-length film. The applications are almost endless.
“Because the chips can be left ‘open-ended’ information can be changed or updated to suit the occasion.”
He added: “We are aiming at the top end of the market as well as looking at other products which might benefit from this technology, such as wedding invitation cards, thank you cards and publicity posters.”
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A YORKSHIRE company specialising in financing high performance vehicles has won a national industry title.
Oracle Finance, founded in 2006 by Peter Brook and Andy King on Knaresborough’s Whitfield Business Park, has been named as Broker of the Year by Alphera Financial Services.
The company, which employs around 30 people, has 40,000 clients on its books ranging from sole traders and captains of industry to Premier League footballers and retirees, currently underwrites around £250m a year.
Mr Brook said: “We have worked closely with Alphera for a number of years now and are thrilled they have named us as their Broker of the Year for 2013. Vehicle funding is a £22bn industry and despite the current economic climate we are seeing sales rise by 20% year on year.
“Two years ago we opened a London office to accommodate a growing number of southern-based clients. Over the next three years, we are aiming to expand the business considerably in terms of deals underwritten and staff we employ.”
