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Top story
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Boots merges optical business with D&A
Alliance Boots is to create the second-largest optical chain in the UK by merging its Boots Opticians business in Nottingham with Birmingham’s Dollond & Aitchison (D&A), it was revealed this morning. The combined business, which will trade as Boots Opticians, will have 690 practices including 210 franchises and will employ more than 5,000 people. Alliance Boots said the D&A practices would adopt the Boots Opticians brand. D&A is owned by De Rigo, one of the largest optical retailers in Europe. Alliance Boots will hold a controlling stake in the new company, jointly owned with De Rigo. It will be run as a stand-alone business and its headquarters will be in Nottingham. Pradip Patel, managing director of Boots Opticians, will become chairman and Andy Ferguson, chief executive of D&A, will be managing director. Stefano Pessina, executive chairman of Alliance Boots, said: “The merger gives us an excellent opportunity to create a leading force in the UK optical market. Our plan is to grow the new business, building on the strengths of the Boots brand.”
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Deals
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Mulbourn checks in at Makeney Hall
Seventy-nine jobs at the four-star Makeney Hall in Belper, Derbyshire, have been saved after a management buyout (MBO) of its owner Folio. Mulbourn, the new company, is led by managing director Matthew Welbourn and finance director Alan Murray. Thirteen former Folio managers also take a stake in the company, which is forecasting a turnover of £48m in its first year. Hotel landlords and private equity make up the rest of the financial backing.
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Business
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Games Workshop comes out fighting
Profits at fantasy wargames business Games Workshop rose from £600,000 to £3.8m in the six months to 30 November. Putting a turbulent 18 months behind him, Mark Wells, chief executive of the Nottingham business, said: “The work needed to establish growth in all channels in all territories goes on with some significant progress being made in this half-year where, with the exception of continental Europe, we have been able to deliver local currency sales growth in all territories.”
The Eagle has landed
Refuse collection vehicle maker Dennis Eagle is to supply 100 vehicles over two years to Nottinghamshire Vehicle Consortium – a partnership of eight local authorities working together on goods and service procurement. Dennis Eagle will supply the vehicles from April.
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Property
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Gladedale reveals plans for Maltings
Developer Gladedale wants to develop Sleaford’s Maltings into a 500,000 sq ft mixed-use development. The grade II-listed building will be turned into 200 flats and 26 new homes will be built as part of the scheme, in conjunction with the Prince’s Regeneration Trust. Gladedale also wants to build 40,000 sq ft of office space and 30,000 sq ft of medical facilities. The Maltings has been on the market since 2003. Gladedale bought the 13-acre site in 2006.
Plastic fantastic for Worksop
MBA Polymers and European Metal Recycling have selected a former glass factory in Worksop for a 80,000-tonne capacity recycling plant by 2010. The plant will recover plastics from shredder residue. Almost 100 jobs will be created.
Sale for Cedar house at Calico
Derby’s Cedar House Investments has sold another unit at Calico Business Park, its 5.5 acre mixed-use development in Tamworth. Shire Leasing, a lease finance company that provides capital equipment for a range of businesses, has bought an 18,000 sq ft office at Calico following the merger of the company’s operations in Tamworth.
FMS moves to i2
FMS Data Cabling has taken a 3,090 sq ft workspace unit on a three-year lease from Network Space at its i2 Mansfield development. The company was established in 2002 to supply and install telephone and data infrastructure to all sectors of the market.
LSA-ASRA ‘one to watch’
Leicester housing and regeneration group LHA-ASRA has been awarded ‘One to Watch’ status in The Sunday Times 2009 Best Companies survey. It was the first time the organisation, founded in 2006 by LHA (Leicester Housing Association), ASRA Greater London Housing Association and Nottingham charity Family First joining together, had entered.
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People
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Chief executive appointed at Leicester EDC
A chief executive has been appointed to run the organisation set to drive regeneration and economic growth across Leicester and Leicestershire. The body, The Economic Development Company, has hired David Hughes who has more than 20 years’ experience in regeneration and economic development. He was a director of regeneration agency English Partnerships and responsible for the National Coalfield Programme, Millennium Community developments and housing developments in Milton Keynes and South Midlands. Hughes was also a board member of Leicester Regeneration Co and worked for Nottingham Regeneration and Nottingham City Challenge. Hughes will work with Nick Carter, the Leicester and Leicestershire Economic Development chairman, who is quitting as editor of the Leicester Mercury.
Cityscape adds four to board
Derby Cityscape has appointed four members to its board, which oversees the strategic direction of the £2.6bn regeneration of the city centre. They are historian Maxwell Craven, businesswoman Elizabeth Fothergill, architect Mike Wood and surveyor Eleanor Deeley.
Bowley joins BCO committee
Ben Bowley, project director at Marchini Curran Associates (MCA), has been appointed to the British Council for Offices’ Midlands Chapter regional committee to give the organisation a greater presence in the East Midlands.
BemroseBooth adds two execs
Derby printing company BemroseBooth has appointed two senior executives. Simon Jones joins as general manager of secure mail and will be based in Derby. Tim Mason joins as sales director of promotional products.
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Business Travel Guide
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Insider needs your recommendations
There’s nothing worse than working away from home and not knowing where to get a good meal or decent bed for the night. We realise that our readers are a hard-working bunch who often have to travel up and down the country on business trips, so we’re putting together a Business Travel Guide that will take a look at the main UK business destinations and outline in a nutshell the best places to eat, sleep, entertain clients and do business. Our readers’ recommendations will form the backbone of this guide, so if you know a good hotel, restaurant, business facility provider, bar or café, we would like you to tell us about it. Click here to give your recommendations which may be included in the final guide.
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