|
 |
| Home | Products & Services | Shop | Subscriptions |
Entrepreneur Simon Hindle has invested £600,000 to launch Manchester's first Storage King franchise after securing funding from The Royal Bank of Scotland. Hindle, who founded then sold Selfstore, has opened a 32,000 sq ft facility on the Downing Street Industrial Estate in Ardwick, Manchester, that will be the first UK site for Storage King, which is the largest storage provider in Australasia and offers storage for both domestic and commercial use. 
London Scottish in talks Troubled London Scottish Bank, which is seeking to shed its loss-making consumer lending business to focus on debt collection, said it was in talks with interested parties about a takeover of the group. The bank also confirmed that it is trying to raise at least £45m in equity capital. Shares dropped to 6.52 pence yesterday, valuing the company at £9.3m. The company's interim results showed that its continuing operations made a pre-tax loss of £7.4m in the six months to May.
Warrington law firms merge Forshaws Solicitors and Davies Ridgway Solicitors have merged to form a new combined practice, Forshaws Davies Ridgway. The combined Warrington-based firm will have 150 staff specialising in commercial law, conveyancing, criminal law, family law, litigation and probate.
Peel Power, part of Mersey Docks and Harbour Company owner Peel Holdings, has been named as one of four bidders to pre-qualify for the government's carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration competition. CCS has the potential to capture up to 90 per cent of carbon emissions from coal-fired power stations and developers are likely to be forced to address the CCS capabilities of new power stations when taking their plans to government. The other bidders selected are BP Alternative Energy International, EON UK and Scottish Power Generation.
JJB heads for Liverpool with new lifestyle head Wigan-based JJB Sports is looking for Liverpool headquarters for its new lifestyle division following the appointment of Chris Lee, the Liverpool-based founder of men's lifestyle concept store Microzine and a former director of retailer Wade Smith, to head the division. In May JJB acquired fashion footwear business Qube Footwear, a 22-store business that complemented its previous acquisition of Original Shoe Company, to form the lifestyle business, which will be run as a separate operation.
Mixed bag for Lookers as Bramall builds stake Manchester motor retailer Lookers has issued a trading statement ahead of its interim results for the six months to July 2008. Although sales of cars continue to be down year-on-year, Lookers said that its used car supermarket businesses have returned to profit, while the Dutton Forshaw franchises and the company's after-market parts division are performing well. Meanwhile, the family of veteran motor trader Tony Bramall, who was instrumental in fighting off the hostile takeover by Pendragon in 2006, has this week built up its shareholding in Lookers to 21 per cent.
Growth continues at flooring company James Halstead, the Manchester-based commercial flooring manufacturer and distributor based in Manchester, expects profits for the year to be ahead of market expectations. In a trading update issued this morning, the company says growth in its home market has continued at the levels seen in the first six months of trading, particularly in the refurbishment market, despite ongoing troubles in the commercial property market. Its Australian subsidiary is trading at record levels, with expansion in other export markets and particular progress in Germany.
NetPlay secures top BBC man NetPlay TV, the AIM-listed interactive gaming company set up by Monstermob founder Martin Higginson and based in Lancaster, has appointed BAFTA-winning Michael Leggo, former head of light entertainment at the BBC, as director of television for the group. Leggo will oversee all of NetPlay TV's television programming for its own channels and for other broadcasters. NetPlay TV has access to over 24 million TVs throughout the UK via its Sky Channel 847, Virgin and Freeview channels.
N Brown buoyant on strong trading Manchester home shopping group N Brown saw its share price rise 6.75 pence this morning ahead of today's annual general meeting after a trading statement revealed that in the 17 weeks to 28 June group turnover increased by 12.3 per cent, with particular growth during May when summer catalogues were mailed out.
Anna Main has joined the Manchester office of property fund manager Highcross, as asset manager from DTZ. She will be manage parts of Highcross's £370m portfolio in the north, which includes the Manchester International Office Centre, Toronto Square and Broad Gate office developments in Leeds city centre.
Action stations as quality attracts tenants Registered charity Child Action North West has taken 5,000 sq ft of commercial office space at Charles Topham Group's (CTG) Springfield Court on Summerfield Road, Bolton. CTG director John Jarvis said: "Springfield Court is doing extremely well despite a tightening market. Tenants and buyers are still going for quality - we believe that this is what is drawing business to Bolton and our schemes."
Sure thing for Christie Healthplan provider HealthSure is to move from Lever Street in Manchester city centre to the Pipex Building at Christie Fields on the Princess Parkway. HealthSure's parent group, Simplyhealth, has purchased the 36,325 sq ft building for £7.3m at £201 per sq ft from GX Networks and will move two other parts of the group - wellness provider Vitality and wheelchair business Totally Active - into the building from December 2008. Simplyhealth was advised by Colliers CRE and Pannone.
|
Subscribe or Unsubscribe To subscribe or unsubscribe to the eBulletin, click here.
|
| © Copyright 2008 Newsco Insider Limited | Privacy Policy |
|
Newsco Insider Limited - Registered in England and Wales with Number 02709518. Registered Office: Boulton House, 17-21 Chorlton Street, Manchester. M1 3HY |