Yorkshire-based family firm Music Factory Entertainment Group, renowned for its Jive Bunny brand, is poised for growth because of a £1 million investment from Finance Yorkshire.
Finance Yorkshire’s investment from its growth fund has enabled the company to restructure, creating a group of associated businesses including Music Factory Recordings which will continue to distribute and optimise its catalogue worldwide.
Jive Bunny had three consecutive UK number one singles, 13 world-wide number one singles and a triple platinum album. The group’s music is still regularly streamed across platforms including You Tube and Spotify.
Andy Pickles is the son of the founder, and is now Executive Chairman. He said: “With Finance Yorkshire’s investment we can develop and grow our music catalogue in what is an exciting period for the music industry. The Jive Bunny brand is still going strong and we plan to optimise it across all platforms.”
The company has recently relocated to Tileyard North in Wakefield, taking a 2,500 sq ft space as one of the first anchor tenants in the creative hub. Andy said: “We are very proud of what we have achieved by starting out in Rotherham and still being based in Yorkshire. For that reason, we were very attracted to work with Finance Yorkshire and its team.”
As well as Music Factory Recordings, the company has launched Pure Music GO to provide gym and fitness operators with music services.
It also runs North Star 360, a training and development programme for young people keen to pursue careers in the music industry. Next month, North Star 360 is hosting a five-day summer camp providing students with hands-on, practical experience, taught by industry professionals with a wealth of expertise.
Alex McWhirter, chief executive of Finance Yorkshire, said: “Music Factory is a well-established and successful company which has stayed true to its Yorkshire roots. We are delighted to support the business in the next phase of its growth and its leading role in the region’s music and creative industries. It is particularly pleasing to see its investment in young people’s education through North Star 360.”
The Group was founded more than 30 years ago in Rotherham by John Pickles, and nowboasts tens of millions of record sales, worldwide number one singles, and a catalogue of 15,000 sound recordings, publishing rights and brands.
