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Top story
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Investors jump on ACAL
Runcorn-based ACAL Energy has raised £3.3m to further develop its fuel cell systems. Led by CT Investment Partners, existing venture capital investors Rising Stars Growth Fund, NorthStar Equity Investors, Porton Capital and Synergis Technologies have been joined by Solvay and an unnamed Japanese investor to complete the deal. According to ACAL, a runner-up in last year’s Merseyside Innovation Awards, fuel cells are capable of replacing combustion engines in a wide variety of applications. The funds will be used to take the company to the next stage of development of its low-cost fuel cell systems, based on its novel platinum-free cathode technology FlowCath. Gerry White, head of the co-investment fund at NorthStar Equity Investors, said: “We have invested in ACAL Energy’s fuel cell technology as we believe it has huge potential to dramatically change the face of sustainable energy across the globe.” The company was founded in August 2004 by FlowCath inventor Dr Andrew Creeth.
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Deals
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Allcare swoops on past asset
Merseyside-based Allcare Community Care Services has re-acquired a Southport healthcare business from Direct Health Group. In a £1.15m deal funded by The Royal Bank of Scotland, the company has taken control of the facility for the second time – after selling it to Direct Health Group in 2003 – and also invested £250,000 to refurbish an existing operation on the Wirral. Allcare is owned and managed by the Oakden family, who have run facilities in Sefton and the Wirral for over 14 years. 
Shaping up
Auto bodyshop chain Karl Vella, which operates in Preston, Southport, Skelmersdale and Blackburn, has merged with Cheshire-based KC Autos and Yorkshire’s Alton Cars to form a business with 12 bodyshop sites, called Synergy Accident Repair Group. A joint call centre has been set up in South Yorkshire. Demand from other bodyshops to join the group means that the founders are now considering extending across the UK to create a company with forecast turnover of £300m a year.
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Business
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Training business heralds “exciting times”
While many businesses are struggling under a big black cloud of economic gloom, one Birkenhead-based company is heading for “exciting times”. Intellect Training Enterprise (ITE) was set up in September and, according to Darren Helsby, a founding director, the team is looking forward to 2009 on the back of increased interest from companies in government-funded training for employees. ITE offers a range of NVQ courses that can be funded by programmes such as Train to Gain, in subjects including customer service, business improvement and health and safety. This side of the business is thriving and ITE is looking at launching its own tailor-made courses during 2009. Speaking to Insider yesterday, Helsby said: “These are exciting times. We’ve got to carefully manage the growth of the business now and its future direction. If you can manage cashflow in this climate you will be ok. You’ve got to understand your market and what businesses out there want from you.” Clients include hotel chain Best Western and infrastructure services provider Morgan Est.
What a shower
Merseyside business Showers & Eyebaths Services, manufacturer of emergency showers, has completed contracts worth £100,000 for the delivery of 14 tank showers to oil and chemical plants in Poland and the UK. Units have been delivered to central Europe’s largest company, Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen, for installation at an oil refinery in Plock, and to BASF Construction Chemicals UK in Manchester.
Call for winning innovations
The Merseyside Innovation Awards 2009 are open for entry. Individuals and businesses with fewer than 50 employees with innovative ideas and inventions are invited to register online at www.merseysideinnovationawards.co.uk for the chance to be a monthly winner or next year’s overall winner, who will receive £10,000 in cash and £4,000 worth of invaluable business advice, as well as publicity for the idea. The awards are sponsored by Insider, Amatica, BBC Radio Merseyside, Brabners Chaffe Street, Business Link, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Liverpool Ventures, Paver Smith, RBS NatWest, RTC NorthWest, University of Liverpool Business Gateway, Vanguard Corporate Finance and WP Thompson & Co.
Lancaster feels the power
Lancaster University is to host the launch of a new group dedicated to exploring the tidal energy potential in the North West. The Northwest Tidal Energy Group will examine the region’s ability to extract tidal energy from the Irish Sea, as well as sharing information and encouraging debate. The launch on 17 December will bring together key stakeholders from industry, the public sector and academia and outline key potential tidal projects in the region - the Mersey, the Solway and Morecambe’s Bridge Across the Bay.
Summerskill joins PR team
Former BBC journalist and presenter Roger Summerskill has joined PR firm Bell Pottinger North’s team in Liverpool with a brief to help the company expand into Wirral, Chester and North Wales. Summerskill started his career at the Wirral News Group before spending 30 years at the BBC, where he is best known for presenting the breakfast programme on BBC Radio Merseyside for six years.
Beyond the doom and gloom
Almost two-thirds of entrepreneurs in the North West are already suffering in the wake of the downturn, according to research from entrepreneur think tank the Tenon Forum. Nearly half of entrepreneurs have seen a drop in demand for goods and services compared to 12 months ago and 29 per cent have been forced to cut staff. Just 60 per cent are feeling positive about business prospects over the coming year. But for some there is a silver lining, as the economic downturn has presented 26 per cent of the region’s small and medium-sized enterprises with new business opportunities, including taking clients from competitors, making acquisitions and buying assets or stock at more competitive prices.
More woes for JJB as OFT demands answers
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is to investigate Sports Direct’s stake-building in troubled Wigan retailer JJB Sports. In October Mike Ashley’s business, described as a “welcome investor” by JJB chief executive Chris Ronnie, paid £3.4m to take the stake from 16 to 21 per cent. The OFT has asked for submissions within a fortnight and, should it conclude that Sports Direct has “material influence” on JJB, it could force it to sell the stake. JJB is currently in talks with JD Sports Fashion and former owner David Whelan regarding the sales of fashion stores and health clubs respectively.
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Property
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Tague on Tour - reasons to be cheerful
As a gloomy 2008 draws to a close, award-winning Insider property writer Neil Tague turns his attention to the year ahead. In this month's edition of his online column, Tague on Tour, Neil peers into the darkness to find some much-needed spots of light. "Maybe in future goggle-eyed councils won’t listen to people with no development track record promising in good faith 'of course we can build a skyscraper, nothing to it!' Here’s hoping anyway," he says. Click here to read more.
GT commits to Royal Liver Building
Accountancy firm Grant Thornton has signed a 15-year lease on newly refurbished space at the Royal Liver Building, where the 120-strong practice has been based since 1995. It will move from the first floor to the revamped fourth floor next year. Neil Sturmey, Liverpool managing partner, said: “It makes sense for us to continue to be associated with one of the most recognisable and enduring symbols of Liverpool's success. We took a serious look elsewhere in the city centre and faced an extremely difficult decision.”
DTZ cooks up a deal at the Dock
Liverpool’s Albert Dock is up to 95 per cent full, reports agency DTZ. US-style diner What’s Cooking? has taken a unit in Queen Elizabeth Hall in the Britannia Pavilion, comprising 3,830 sq ft on a ten-year lease at £90,000 a year. What’s Cooking? also has restaurants in Heswall and Chester.
Hat-trick for North West in London
Three winners of this year’s North West Regional Construction Awards have gone on to win accolades at the National Constructing Excellence Awards in London. Manchester Civil Justice Centre won project of the year for Mott McDonald, Liverpool Vision was recognised as client of the year and Conlon Construction won SME of the year. Manchester City Council was commended in the innovation category.
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And finally...
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New Insider out this week
The December issue of Insider, available now, includes: our review of the year in North West business; all the stories from the Dealmakers Awards; what Peel Holdings managing director Andrew Simpson had to say at Insider’s latest breakfast briefing and an interview with David Cartmell, chairman and chief executive of British Water Additives, the Trafford business recently bought by Bahrain’s United International Bank.
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