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Top story
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MediaCity "bland" says branding guru Roberts
Kevin Roberts, the chief executive of global advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, last night called for a complete rebrand of the MediaCity development at Salford Quays, saying the name and design of the emerging creative centre lacked the originality needed to put it into the hearts and consciousness of a worldwide audience. Speaking at Insider’s Creative Forum, held at The Lowry Centre, Roberts praised the idea of MediaCity, but said its execution has so far been poor. “I think you need to add mystery, sensuality and intimacy to it,” he said. “It needs to be rebranded, to have more storytelling around it and the external design needs to change. It’s not enough that it’s coming to Salford over London – we have to make this great and fabulous and ours. I really want it to succeed, but I just find it so bland at the moment.” Roberts added that the economic slowdown could also benefit the creative community, saying some of the most innovative ideas are generated during tough times.
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Deals
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Cash for noodles
Noodle bar Tampopo is set to expand following a senior debt agreement with The Co-operative Bank. The funding has enabled Mancunian entrepreneurs and founders of Tampopo, David Fox and Nick Jeffrey, to complete a £2.2m expansion programme, which includes a new 195-seater restaurant in the Trafford Centre, a 124-seater restaurant in the Triangle, and the refurbishment of Tampopo's original restaurant on Albert Square. The package, which also includes the directors' own investment, will also enable the team to open its sixth restaurant - in Bristol - at the end of the month.
Natwest floats its boat
The £1.1m Reedley Marina on the Leeds and Liverpool canal has opened after receiving a funding package from NatWest. The project includes the construction of a 102-berth marina at Reedley Hallows on a stretch of the canal bordering Burnley and Pendle, behind Barden Mill. Owner Jason Fildes said: "We are delighted with the finished project and believe this will be a great boost for the local tourist market as it will open up East Lancashire to people who have never been here before."
Are the fun times over?
Stockport-based play centre Whale a Round is facing administration but the company's owners remain hopeful that a buyer could save the venue. The company provides supervised toddler sessions and wireless internet access to parents while their children play. Now, due to financial difficulties, it only operates during the weekend. Paul Stanley, partner at Begbies Traynor, said: "All equipment and facilities are still up and running and we are looking for someone who might be interested in taking on the project." Whale a Round turns over around £3,000 per week and has on-site catering facilities.
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Business
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Phelan takes up pro-TIF reins
The pro-Transport Innovation Fund Yes Campaign has this morning launched its "9 out of 10 won't pay" poster campaign, on the day that Lis Phelan, formerly general manager of Manchester's Commonwealth Games bid and director of the city's theatres and libraries, formally starts in her role as the campaign's chairman. Phelan said: "Most people now appreciate that £3bn will give Greater Manchester a dramatically improved transport system. What isn't so well understood is that nine out of ten people won't pay any charge and the better transport we will get will be in everybody's interest. As it stands, almost every individual and business in Greater Manchester pays a hidden cost for congestion, with goods delayed, commuters stuck in traffic when they could be at work or with their families, overcrowding and delays to public transport and heavy air pollution."
Accuma liquidates loan broking arm
AIM-listed Accuma Group has placed its struggling loans broking business, Loan Line Group, into liquidation after concluding that it would be insolvent without further support from the parent company. For the six months to the end of June the Loan Line Group recorded a loss of £196,000 and had net liabilities of £81,181. Earlier this month Accuma, a Manchester-based debt advice group, announced a return to operating profitability for the six months to 30 June, but has seen turnover fall by 7.6 per cent to £6.1m. Loan Line was another victim of the decision by Barclays' loan provider First Plus earlier this year to stop accepting new business.
ITIS struggles as congestions drops
Altrincham-based traffic and travel information supplier ITIS, which has growing international operations, held its AGM yesterday, at which chairman Trevor Chinn explained that trading in the first half of the financial year has been difficult as a result of high fuel prices leading to less traffic congestion and the rapid decline of car sales since June. "It has also proved challenging to replace the revenues from the two contract losses announced last year," he said. "We have reduced costs at Trafficlink and believe that the consolidation in the radio industry will further strengthen our performance in that market. We remain excited about the market potential around the world for traffic information."
Cheshire firm buzzing in the US
Health and wellbeing website realbuzz.com has become the official online partner of 11 major North American marathons and running events. The Cheshire-based company's move into the US and Canadian running markets started last year. The site, which provides branded online forums covering all aspects of training, has now partnered nearly 50 running events. The site first entered the social networking market in the UK four years ago, hosting bloggers from the Flora London Marathon and other running events.
Swedish deal for Oakridge
Macclesfield-based training company Oakridge has been appointed by global medical device business Mölnlycke Health Care to develop a leadership development programme. The Swedish company makes single-use surgical and woundcare products and has appointed Oakridge to deliver a management development programme over the next two years.
Access all areas in Cumbria
Project Access, the £20m scheme to supply broadband and fast internet connections across Cumbria has been hailed a success, with 99.8 per cent of businesses and citizens across the region now enjoying access to the high-speed internet technology. Launched in 2004 by the Northwest Regional Development Agency, Project Access was developed to promote the business benefits of broadband and increase its take-up across the North West.
UU on target
United Utilities this morning issued a trading update for the last six months in which chief executive Philip Green said that the quoted group is on track to deliver interim results in line with expectations. This strong performance comes despite cost pressures. In August the group submitted its business plan to regulator Ofwat for the period 2010 to 2015, which detailed a proposed £4bn capital investment programme, of which £2.4bn would be spent on waste services following demand from business customers.
Kids gorge on Fat website
Lancaster website developer Fat Media has built a major interactive site for the National Schools Partnership and Bird's Eye frozen foods aimed at primary school children. Fat was formed by Michael Gibson in 2005 and has 400 customers across the UK and in Iceland, Romania and the US.
Ellis Fairbank receives award
Manchester-headquartered recruitment company Ellis Fairbank has been awarded a commendation for best executive search and selection firm 2008 at this month's Recruitment Business Awards ceremony. The category is open to companies that specialise in executive level recruitment, above the £45,000 bracket. The Recruitment Business Awards aim to reward excellence in recruitment outside the M25.
Fishing for submersibles
James Fisher and Sons, the marine and nuclear engineering services provider headquartered in Barrow-in-Furness, is set to undertake sea trials on a rescue submarine for the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) in November. Subsidiary James Fisher Defence (JFD) today announced it had named the submersible ROKS DSRV II. JFD has also delivered an extensive training programme for the ROKN and completed a major upgrade on the navy's existing rescue submersible. The contract, worth £10m over a period of three years, was awarded to JFD in December 2006.
Casino opens its doors
Gaming, dining and live music venue Manchester235 is to adopt a new open door policy, allowing customers to enter without having to show identification. A recent change in gaming laws has permitted the move, which is aimed at attracting non-members to the venue's bars, restaurants and events. Manchester 235, located in the Great Northern Warehouse, opened in 2006.
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Property
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Manchester's built it - will they come?
If a ready supply of grade A space is what inward investors want, Manchester is in pole position according to the latest Colliers CRE Net Stock Absorption report on Manchester city centre. The amount of grade A space has grown by 65 per cent, meaning that potential inward investors or indigenous movers have 790,000 sq ft of vacant grade A office space to choose from. Take-up remains healthy with a second successive half-year figure exceeding 500,000 sq ft. The Piccadilly sub-market was the only city centre district to show an increase in vacant space, from 10.7 per cent to 13.3 per cent, a figure attributed to the recent completion of Three Piccadilly Place.
Axe falls on Halliwells
Property lawyers at Halliwells face an uncertain future following the announcement of a redundancy consultation programme across its national real estate division. Up to 40 lawyers are set to lose their jobs in the cull, which will include both fee earners and support staff. Mike Edge, head of real estate at Halliwells, said: "The property market is experiencing a sustained downturn and, having conducted a strategic review of our real estate department, it is clear that a restructuring process is required." The division is based across the firm's offices in London, Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield.
All Points reports steady year
All Points North, the Penrith-based investor and developer, has released its results for the year to April 2008. The group, which has a mixed portfolio mostly in Cumbria, turned a 2007 loss of £134,358 into an operating profit of £282,739 on a turnover of just over £1m, up from £459,399 in 2007. Rents receivable increased from £236,000 to £336,000. Chairman Keith Chadwick said that, although net assets fell by 10.1 per cent over the year, he believes that by the end of the current period the position will be reversed.
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Events
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Regional manufacturing in the global aAge
As the region’s manufacturers battle with economic uncertainty and rising costs, Insider and
manufacturers’ organisation EEF are organising a breakfast summit in
Lancashire - home of some of the UK’s biggest manufacturers - to
discuss the future of manufacturing. Being held on 23 October at
7.30am, the breakfast event at Stanley House in Mellor will feature an
expert panel who will tackle key issues for the region’s manufacturing
base: Lee Hopley, head of economic policy at EEF; Andrew Jones,
managing director of Klarius; Andrew Brian, managing director of
Optare; and Phil Humphreys, director of supply chain strategy for
Military Air Solutions at BAE. Places will be allocated on a first
come, first served basis. For further information on the event, please
contact our events team on 0161 907 9723 or email lucie.knight@newsco.com.
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Telephone: +44 (0)161 907 9711
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