Huddersfield accountants merge into group
Automotive collision repair business gears up for growth at Ripon business park
Minority stake in A-SAFE acquired
Private equity firm invests in replacement vehicle parts supplier
Radial Equity Partners has invested in Rimmer Bros, a Lincolnshire-based supplier of replacement parts for UK marque vehicles, including Jaguar, Land Rover, MG, Mini, Rover and Triumph.
Founded in 1982, Rimmer Bros maintains a comprehensive product library of over 50,000 SKUs sold primarily on a direct-to-consumer basis. The company has approximately 80 employees working out of its operation in Lincoln.
Radial has simultaneously invested in Moss Motors, a U.S.-headquartered aftermarket supplier of parts for British cars, to form “a leading, global specialty supplier of restoration & replacement parts focused on British vehicle brands.”Bill and Graham Rimmer, founders of Rimmer Bros, said: “The merger of these highly complementary businesses creates a global business with immense R&D, sourcing, marketing and distribution capabilities to better serve our loyal customers.”
“We are excited by the opportunity to carry on the great legacies of these two family-owned businesses,” said Jim McDonough, partner of Radial. “We are committed to continuing to provide leading service to customers as well as expanding the offering of parts solutions across existing British brands as well as new vehicle marques.”
Hull-based building materials supplier opens another showroom
East Yorkshire professionals scoop national construction building industry awards
Two East Yorkshire project managers have been named winners in the Chartered Institute of Building annual awards.
Martin Standley, a project manager at Hull-based Sewell Construction, was a silver winner in the Construction Manager of the Year for Education, and Katy Robinson, Senior Project Manager at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, received the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Individual Award for her contribution to a PPE campaign. Martin was nominated for his work on constructing Broadacre Primary School in Hull, a new school which had a purpose-built base for young children with autism spectrum conditions. Katy was nominated for her work on her campaign to address the inequalities of PPE provision for minority groups in construction. The campaign was launched after research found that nearly 60% of employers were not providing women’s specific PPE to their workforce. The judges praised the pair’s passion, dedication and hard work, with both of them up against a talented field of nominees. Caroline Gumble, chief executive officer at CIOB, added: “There is no doubt that there’s a real depth of talent among the UK’s built environment professionals, with some incredibly impressive projects making the list of finalists. “It was great to see the awards go to a range of individuals and companies, all of whom are amazing examples of leadership and dedication, all delivering a high-quality built environment. Many congratulations to all our winners.”Former childhood runaway features in sought-after event during Humber Business Week
A former childhood runaway who grew up to be a globetrotter at the centre of the tech revolution of the 1980s will tell her story at this year’s Humber Business Week.
Ragini Annan will also reveal how she immersed herself in the traditions of the Vedic religion and culture as she battled to recover from a series of personal and professional crashes during the 1990s. Her attendance at the “Awesome Women” Elevenses session with Biz Week founder and Chair of Sewell Group Paul Sewell is likely to be one of the hottest tickets at a festival of business which this year marks its 20th anniversary. Paul said: “We have never committed to making Elevenses an annual thing but if there’s somebody I come across who I think is interesting we will do it. “I know Ragini and her husband Scott through the Independent Retailer Owners’ Forum, which goes around the world looking at best practice. After sitting in airports and on planes with them I found she had quite an interesting story to tell and she was happy to come and see us in Hull.” Ragini was born in Uganda to Indian parents and arrived in the UK in the 1970s. A computer sciences degree from Loughborough University set her on the road to a career in tech and to roles with Mitch Kapor’s Lotus start-up and then with Apple and Steve Jobs. Things began to unravel in the 1990s as she hit a series of personal and professional problems. Paul said: “I’ll be asking Ragini about her work at the very top, with some of the biggest names in tech, and about how, when everything fell apart, she pursued resolution and renewal through the Vedic culture.” Paul introduced Elevenses to the Biz Week programme in 2021 and developed the theme of Awesome Women after being joined by broadcaster Steph McGovern, politician Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and Debbie Robinson, the Central England CEO and European Vice President of the Co-op. He said: “I have been brought up in an area where boards were male, middle aged, middle class and wore suits so I do like it when you find a female who can come and be a role model. “We have been successful at Sewell Group in recent years and the number of females in the business has grown exponentially. At one point we appointed four new directors and they were all women. They bring a good balance to your top team and your board and they reflect your customer base. “With women, whether it’s Steph, Sayeeda, Debbie or whoever, if they reach a certain level you will generally find they have had to overcome something more than your average man has had to deal with – and built some resilience along the way. “The style has gone down very well. I’m not an interviewer but I do like having a natter with people and we always allow maybe 20 minutes at the end to let the audience join in. They never run out of questions.”Rotherham printer invests almost £2m to speed booklet production
Mitie wins ten-year contract to run new prison at York
“We are building 20,000 prison places now that we are keeping the most dangerous offenders behind bars for longer and I look forward to seeing Mitie Care & Custody’s innovative approach in action when HMP Millsike opens next year.”
The building of the prison has already provided offenders with valuable work experience, with prisoners on day release supporting its construction, learning key construction skills, as well as transferable skills such as teamwork, communication and organisation that will help them find jobs at the end of their time in prison. Over £117 million has been invested in the local community through the construction so far, and Mitie Care & Custody will employ over 500 people when the prison is operational. Danny Spencer, MD of Mitie Care & Custody, said: “We are pleased to have been awarded this contract to operate HMP Millsike.With our experience delivering critical public services to support the immigration, justice and care sectors, as well as our expertise in facilities transformation and decarbonisation, we are excited to bring a modern and caring approach to prison management at this innovative new site.”
Yorkshire administrations fall but pressure remains on construction sector
Housebuilder signs deal at South Central Leeds
South Central on Global Avenue has undergone a full renovation programme with the landlord, Merkino Limited focusing on improving amenities and sustainability as part of its investment at the site.
With more than 75,300 sq ft of office accommodation, occupiers are now benefiting from a new gym, shower facilities, business lounge and outdoor meeting space.
Keepmoat has agreed a 10 year deal on a suite within the building.
This latest letting is the third deal to complete following the restoration works, with existing tenants Aon and Inseego already in occupation.
Alex Hailey, Senior Director, CBRE, said: “South Central offers modern, stylish and welcoming sustainable workspace, which minimally impacts the environment – a key driver in occupier demands in the Leeds office market.
“This refurbished office space is appealing to occupiers seeking accommodation that attracts and retains the best talent. It’s in an excellent location on a spacious, leafy green site and has first class transport links, as well as the amenities of the nearby White Rose Shopping Centre.”
Chris Clingo, Interim Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat Yorkshire West, added: “I’m delighted to announce that Keepmoat has invested in a new office space for the Keepmoat Yorkshire West regional division.
“The new space for the team has greater commuter links and amenities nearby, plus it further fuels Keepmoat’s commitment to employees by providing them with a high-end place of work where they can thrive. By taking out a lease at South Central, we mark an exciting start to a new journey in a fantastic new space.”
15 acre Doncaster industrial site sold
Keyland Developments Ltd, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister-company to Yorkshire Water, has agreed the sale of a circa 15 acre site in Balby, Doncaster to Total Developments Limited for the creation of a new industrial development.
Unconditional contracts have been exchanged on the site at Woodfield Road in Balby, which is currently allocated for employment use. Subject to planning, the site could accommodate an industrial development with a potential GDV of circa £30m including 233,500 sq ft of accommodation over 5 units. A scheme of this scale would deliver around 95 construction related jobs.
Total Developments are currently on site with works commencing on their Total Park development which sits on adjacent land. Total Park will deliver 5 new units totalling 376,419 sq ft with units ranging from 43,525-128,945 sq ft. The new land acquired from Keyland Developments will form the second phase of development.
Matthew Turnbull, Land & Planning Manager at Keyland Developments Ltd, said: “This land sale ideally complements the development being undertaken at the adjacent site.
“South Yorkshire is in real need of new industrial and logistics accommodation to meet rising demand, and by unlocking this strategic site we are enabling a significant amount of square footage to be delivered to the constrained market. Additionally, development will generate lots of new jobs, during construction and beyond.”
Henry Watson, Partner at M1 Agency, said: ”The acquisition demonstrates our confidence in the South Yorkshire region where units below 150,000 sq ft are at an all-time low. Future supply of this size range states a chronic lack of supply across the region and especially within Doncaster.
“On top of the recent transactions across the region, we are still seeing a strong influx of distribution enquiries for new build space, focussing on strong ESG credentials, which is at the centre of Total Developments’ strategy.
“The proximity to the motorway network has been a key consideration and exemplifies why this is a proven location. The M18 and A1(M) intersection is just 3 miles away, which link to Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester in the North and Nottingham, Birmingham and London in the South.
“In addition, the site is less than 4 miles from iPort Rail, which provides immediate access to the national rail network and all the country’s deep sea ports. This site will provide an expansion of the existing Total Park, where construction is well under way with the first three units ready for occupation in quarter three of 2024.”
Wilkin Chapman names Caroline as new partner
Rescue specialist makes Doncaster new northern HQ
Associate director of investment appointed at Town Centre Securities
Leeds and London based property investment and development company Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS), has appointed Jacob Ziff as associate director of investment. Jacob, who joins from investment brokerage firm Clifton Agency, will focus on creating a strategy for property investment and to assist managing the existing TCS property portfolio.
After graduating from the University of Leeds in 2019, Jacob joined West End based CWM, where he worked in retail agency and lease restructuring, gaining invaluable experience predominantly acting for various occupier clients.
Following his tenure in retail agency, Jacob moved across to Clifton Agency, where he focused on UK-wide commercial real estate capital markets. Last year, Jacob also completed a Master’s degree in Real Estate Investment & Finance and the IPF Diploma at the University of Reading.
Jacob said: “I am honoured to follow in the footsteps of my family by joining TCS. It’s a tremendous opportunity to continue the growth and success of the business and I am eager to leverage my skills and experience to create a new investment strategy and enhance the existing property portfolio.”
Edward Ziff, chairman and Chief Executive of TCS, said: “Together with all my colleagues, we are thrilled to welcome Jacob into the business. He has a strong background in real estate investment and agency, and coupled with his dedication to professional development, I am confident that he will play a key role in managing and enhancing our property portfolio.
“Welcoming Jacob into the business, who joins my oldest son Ben and daughter Charlotte-Daisy, marks the next phase in taking TCS forward. Sixty-five years ago, my father laid the foundation for a business that has since become a stalwart in the property industry. With Jacob’s arrival and his experience, we are confident that he will contribute significantly to the ongoing success of TCS and help shape the future of the company.”
Strike threatened at University of Lincoln as over 220 jobs put on the line
Kyle starts new role as tax director to lead Azets’ NMW service line
New rules say tips must be given to hospitality workers and not held back by employers
“The secondary legislation laid today reinforces our commitment to legally protecting our low paid workers and ensuring a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.”
Tipjar CEO Ben Thomas added: “Hospitality and service industries are part of the fabric of our culture and a cornerstone of our economy. We are honoured to have consulted with the Department of Business and Trade as they have developed this important Code of Practice clarifying employers’ responsibilities as they pass tips to their hard-working teams.“As a business that exists to help employers distribute tips on the same principles of fairness and transparency, we are confident that this Act will support millions of tipped workers across the UK, and level the playing field for businesses across these sectors. We’re excited to support employers in leveraging the opportunities this will present, as we build a more fair and transparent future.”
Yorkshire firm named amongst UK’s top ten export award winners
“I hope the winners serve as inspiration to others looking to get onto the exporting ladder and encourage more businesses to showcase the incredible talent and innovation of UK businesses selling abroad.”
Hunslet’s Cockburn Sports Hall to be reborn as healthy living centre
