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Manchester-based textiles and furnishing group Vision Support Services has made its third acquisition in the last year by buying Accrington-based Hilden Group from the administrator Ernst & Young. VSS used capital from PBJ - the private equity fund of its owner Laurie Thomas - to fund the acquisition, and additional finance from GE Capital. VSS and PBJ are still "actively looking" for potential acquistions. This deal will swell annual turnover to £40m. 
Bakery buyout Oakdale Bakeries has undergone a management buyout thanks to a £6m funding package from GE Commercial Finance. The Wigan and Doncaster-based bakery will now trade under the Bakesense Bakeries umbrella. The asset-based finance loan means the business can release working capital raised on plant and machinery. The management team is headed by Philip Scholes and Glenn Bancroft, who said recent contracts to supply own-label pies and tarts to supermarkets encouraged them to do the deal.
Ultimate aims for US with HK deal Ultimate Products, the Chadderton-based product sourcing company with offices in New York, Belgium and Hong Kong, has acquired Active Asia, a Hong Kong rival. The deal gives Ultimate greater penetration into the US consumer market through Active Asia, which concentrates on supplying household and electronic goods in the US, Australia and Europe. Ultimate, which was founded in 1997 by Barry Franks and Simon Showman, was the subject of a £25m buyout by private equity firm LDC in 2005 and its clients include Tesco, Sainsburys, Matalan, Superdrug, John Lewis and Bloomingdales.
UKFast nets data deal Manchester-based hosting provider UKFast is set to agree a deal with UK Grid Data Centres that will substantially increase data storage capacity in Manchester. The deal, worth a reported £9.6m, will provide capital to fast-track development of UK Grid's data storage facilities at Manchester Science Park. Plans are also in place to establish a new facility at a separate location. Lawrence Jones, managing director of UKFast, said the deal should increase the company's data capacity by 350 per cent, which will allow it to meet customer demand over the coming year. The business has seen a surge in demand in recent months, with sales for the first six months of 2008 up an estimated 150 per cent on the same period last year.
SITR, the Middlewich-based recycling group, has launched a new joint venture as the key UK manufacturer of Frodsham-based Dunweedin's range of landscaping and playground products made from recycled rubber. It aims to change the tyre recycling market by committing to a £4m investment in a new plant. The companies aim to launch the new Dunweedin products next month in the UK, which will be followed up with a marketing campaign in Europe next year. SITR's plant in Cheshire is the first of six planned for the UK, with further expansion into Europe within two years.
Racle to lead Credit Suisse private banking in north Credit Suisse is continuing its regional push in private banking by appointing Simon Racle to spearhead its push into northern England. He is set to join the bank in January 2009 and will lead the growth of private banking operations in the north across Manchester, Merseyside, Yorkshire and the North East. Racle had been heading Barclays Wealth's operations in Manchester and Liverpool.
Knutsford move for Nexus Manchester-based Nexus Solicitors has opened a new office in Knutsford that will specialise in niche family law. The office will be led by consultant Graham Walker who joins from rival Manchester firm Horwich Farrelly. The company said it hopes the new premises will act as a springboard to new business opportunities and provide an opportunity for clients in south Manchester and Cheshire to have easier access to partners and staff.
JJB sponsors Northern Ireland football Wigan-based JJB Sports has been unveiled as the sponsor of the newly restructured top tier of domestic football in Northern Ireland. The retailer has agreed a one-year contract with the Irish Football Association (IFA), with the possibility of an extension after the 2008/09 season. JJB is already the official retail partner and kit supplier to the IFA, as well as the sponsors of the Irish Cup. The JJB Sports Premiership will kick off next Saturday.
Sixth year in Manchester for pharmaceutical events The British Pharmaceutical Society has confirmed its return to the Manchester Central convention complex for the sixth consecutive year in September with its 1,000-delegate, three-day annual conference, a major international platform for new work in pharmaceutical sciences. "It is an exceptional venue with all the facilities we require and Manchester's infrastructure makes the city easily accessible for our national and international visitors," said conference committee chairman John Gentle.
Employment up in Salford Almost 20,000 more people in Salford are in work now than eight years ago, according to a new report. The city's employment rate of 72.8 per cent now exceeds the North West average of 72.2 per cent, with 103,000 adults in work. Council leader John Merry said the results are testament to the economic growth and the large-scale regeneration that Salford has seen in recent years. "Salford has well and truly turned the corner. Confidence in its future is high and it's reassuring that the physical aspect of regeneration is being matched by opportunities for existing residents and newcomers," he said.
Segro's Heywood Distribution Park has let a 5,997 sq ft unit to fashion retailer Hurley Menswear, taking the total space let at Heywood in the last six months to over 500,000 sq ft. Hurley is a fashion retailer headed by brother and sister team Mark Hurley and Kim Taylor. Now more than 50 years old, Hurley has this summer opened two stores in Leeds' The Light retail scheme, one dedicated to Henri Lloyd and the other to Lacoste.
Greenall's site sale pulled The residential sale of the former G&J Greenall's distillery at Warrington has been postponed because of the recent downturn in activity in the residential property market. Situated on the edge of Stockton Heath, the site has outline consent for a total of 195 family homes and 60-bedroom accommodation for the elderly. Greenall instructed Knight Frank to market the development opportunity to housebuilders, but has now withdrawn it from the market. Knight Frank partner John Broadbent said; "Given the setting of the site and the established residential market there, we are confident of concluding a sale once things recover."
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