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JPM Eco Logistics, the Rochdale-based haulage company that successfully secured investment in the Dragons' Den, has received another £235,000 from Lombard, the asset finance arm of The Royal Bank of Scotland, to expand its fleet of eco-friendly trucks. The company was set up in 2007 and became the first haulier in the UK to run its fleet on 100 per cent biodiesel. JPM now runs a fleet of 12 environmentally friendly trucks and its clients include a national supermarket chain. 
Holidaybreak buys tour operator Specialist tour operator Holidaybreak has completed a deal with Hertford Travel Group, the holding company of educational tour operator European Study Tours (EST), for £4.05m. The Northwich-based business said the acquisition will sit within its education division, created in 2007 following the acquisitions of PGL and NST. The deal is the first since owner Carl Michel enlarged the company's credit facilities in May by securing a £275m package from a syndicate of banks. EST's turnover in the year to 31 August 2007 was £5.7m and Holidaybreak expects it to be "marginally earnings enhancing" for the year to 30 September 2009.
Wishing the management well Wigan-based greeting card company Wishing Well Studios has undergone a £3m management buyout, funded by Barclays Commercial Bank. The deal was led by co-founder Brian Phillips and fellow co-founder David Evans has exited the business. Phillips has now assumed the role of joint managing director alongside Rod Brown. Wishing Well was established in 1996 and has a turnover of £6m. DTE Corporate Finance, DWF and Halliwells advised.
James Cropper, the Kendal-based paper company quoted on AIM, announced a 12 per cent increase in turnover today to £72.7m, but escalating energy and pulp costs hit margins and the group saw pre-tax profit fall 23 per cent to £2m for the year to 29 March. The company, which expects challenging trading conditions ahead "in light of the current adverse market conditions", manufactures and converts paper, speciality paper goods and high-performance fibres, and operates retailer The Paper Mill Shop.
Styles & Wood warns on revenue Altrincham-based shop fit-out company Styles & Wood warned this morning that revenues will be behind expectations after a series of project deferrals and margin pressure. Revenues for the first half of this year will be £120m to £125m, but it believes sales in the second six months will be no better. A trading statement issued to the stock exchange ahead of its interim results on 28 August said the board is "taking the appropriate action to adjust the cost base to reflect these exceptional market conditions". Shares were trading at 8p this morning, down from 216p this time last year.
Healthy investment in NHS research The commercialisation arm of the NHS in the North West, Trustech, has been awarded £580,000 by the government's Public Sector Research Exploitation fund. It made one of 33 successful bids to the £68m fund, which provides money to support the initial stages of commercialising research. The funding runs from 2009 to 2011, with £100,000 a year available to staff entrepreneurs. They will be responsible for transferring successful new products, technology and treatments from the lab or ward into commercial production. Dr Richard Deed, innovation unit manager at Trustech, said: "We estimate that licensing activity and the creation of spin-out companies will return around £1.4m over five years to the NHS in the North West, to fund even more research and innovation."
High demand for data centre space UK Grid, a Manchester-based provider of internet and colocation services, has revealed that it is experiencing high demand for colocation space in its new data centre at Manchester Science Park as a result of a lack of quality data centre space in the city. Technical director Patrick Doyle said that, despite only being operational since early 2008, the company has received orders for 25 per cent of its ground floor space and has plans to open a second facility nearby.
Dwek's Worthington awaits suitable opportunities Worthington Group, the Wilmslow-based company chaired by former Bodycote chief executive and green industrialist Joe Dwek, has recorded a full-year pre-tax profit of £49,000, an improvement on the £278,000 loss it posted in 2007. Its sole investment at present - a 44 per cent stake in Derby-based Trimings by Design - remains profitable. But Dwek's statement said: "2008 has been a frustrating year as we have not found a viable proposition for the future development of the company and in the last six months we have been even stricter on our due diligence given the current economic uncertainties." The board plans to use its cash to lend commercially and is confident of future development at a site it owns in Keighley in Yorkshire.
Some like it hot The Authentic Food Company, which has factories in Stockport, Sharston and Cheadle, has won the Frozen Food Savoury Award at The Grocer Own Label Excellence Awards 2008 for its Tandoori chicken tikka masala. The dish is sold exclusively through Iceland stores and beat off competition from Tesco and Sainsbury's. Earlier this month the company also picked up gold and silver awards at the British Frozen Food Federation Annual Awards 2008.
Alliance receives funding boost Bolton-based Alliance Learning, one of the North West's largest independent training providers, is set to receive more funding from the Learning Skills Council to expand its provision of adult learning courses. It will now be able to offer apprenticeship schemes to adults that were previously only available to those in the 16 to 24 age range. Operations executive Jane Simpson said: "For too long there has been a gap in the funded training opportunities for adults. This new funding will allow us to address the sustained commercial needs of our adult learners."
Stockport Primary Care Trust has agreed a letting with Orbit Developments to take 11,855 sq ft at its No 1 St Peters Square development in the town. The property will become the base for the Central Youth Service, a joint project between Stockport Primary Care Trust, Stockport Youth Service and Stockport Council that offers advice, information, counselling and sexual health services to young people. The trust has signed a 25-year lease on the property and expects to have moved in by November.
Glad all over Gladman Developments has launched sales of small office units at Beecham Court and Smithy Court, its 93,000 sq ft development of speculative office space at Pemberton Business Park in Wigan. The offices range in size from 752 sq ft and are available to purchase on a freehold basis. A further building of 25,500 sq ft is also available for purchase.
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