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The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) has appointed 14 business leaders from across Greater Manchester to its new Business Leadership Council. These members from the private sector, along with chairman John Early, will advise the executive board and help ensure the future wellbeing of the city region. The 14 members are: Ian Austin, managing partner, Halliwells; Chris Oglesby, chief executive, Bruntwood; Steve Corcoran, chief executive, Speedy Hire; Martin Douglas, general manager (UK and Ireland), Cargill; Prof Alan Gilbert, president and vice-chancellor, University of Manchester; Sharon O'Kane, co-founder, Renovo; Lynda Shillaw, director of property, Co-Operative Group; Alan White, managing director, N Brown; Peter Greenhalgh, managing director, DCT Civil Engineering; Paul Latham, UK president, Live Nation; William Lees-Jones, chief executive, JW Lees; Neil Smith, managing director, Kinetic; David Burns, chief executive, Chill Factore; and Ken Collett, manufacturing director, Money Controls. 
Berry quits LDC Manchester-based LDC boss Grant Berry is bowing out of private equity to go into business. Following a lengthy career in corporate finance, Berry told Insider that he is pursuing a long-held dream to work on the other side of the fence. "My father ran his own business and for many years I have had the ambition to do the same. I'd like to find two or three small businesses with high-growth ambitions and put into practice what I've learnt. I'm prepared to invest my own money to become a shareholder." Berry joined LDC from PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2000 to establish the Manchester office with Andy Ball and has held a number of national roles in the organisation. After launching the company's presence in Scotland he returned to head the 11-strong Manchester team in January this year. "I've got a blank sheet of paper - but that is part of the excitement," he added. "You have to follow your heart with these decisions."
Cash in hand BDP, the UK's largest design practice, has appointed David Cash as its international development director. Cash, who has been chairman of the Manchester studio of BDP since 1994, will take up his new position with immediate effect. Cash will be based in Manchester, from where he will focus on making BDP a worldwide design organisation. Formed in Preston 47 years ago, BDP is the seventh largest practice of its kind in the world, but only has three offices outside the UK currently.
Oldham developer goes into administration Hillstone Developments, the Oldham-based property developer, has gone into administration. The company, shirt sponsor of Oldham Athletic FC, was formed in 2004 by Craig Halliwell and Tony Bhatti and has been developing apartments in Oldham town centre and housing in Yorkshire, but in a flat residential market has run out of cash. PKF has been appointed as administrator. Oldham council met with Hillstone yesterday to discuss ways of saving the development sites. Cabinet member for Regeneration Councillor Mohib Uddin said: "Our understanding from discussions with Hillstone is that all five sites are standalone business sites which can be sold off to other developers. Once the administrators have established the way forward we will be in a better position to gauge what we can do to alleviate the situation."
Ireland's urge caution on Formation Group Stockbrokers WH Ireland has issued a cautious report on Formation Group, the Halebarns-based talent agency and wealth management business. The note claims the business will "underperform" due to exposure in the residential property market in central London. "Sales of residential property based investment through the Wealth Management business are likely to be sufficiently lower," it says. The note also recognised the acquisition of talent agency James Grant Media would lift profit from £3.5m (2008) to £5.5m (2009), but said any upside would be offset by the property problems. Sporting clients of the group include Wayne Rooney, while James Grant Media acts for Ant and Dec. In contrast, Daniel Haverscroft, a broker at Investec, said: "The business has undergone significant transformation over the last two years and is now well positioned to grow both its market share and profits." The share price today is 19p.
Latest Chess moves Acquisitive business telecoms company Chess Telecom, which is based in Alderley Edge, has completed a dual acquisition that adds over 5,000 new customers to its base, a 50 per cent increase. It has acquired Hemel Hempstead-based Lo-Rate's and Platinum Telecom's customer bases, deals take the company's total acquisitions to 27 in the last four years.
Chester tries to put the Great in Northern Chester Properties will become the latest operator to try and make a success of Manchester's Great Northern leisure complex. Capital & Regional did have the scheme under offer to Moorfield, reportedly for between £95m and £100m, but has been unable to complete the deal and will accept just under £90m for the scheme, which has struggled to match footfall at its rival, Printworks, which was bought by Resolution for around £100m this year.
Blackburn-based bus builder Darwen Holdings seems determined to make the Deal of the Year shortlist one way or another, following its acquisition of Optare Group in a £16m reverse takeover. Subject to shareholder approval, Darwen will acquire Jamesstan Investments, the holding company of Optare, which is run by Roy Stanley, Darwen's chairman. The deal was supposed to go through before 5 April, but Darwen's listing on AIM in February scuppered that, leading to Stanley buying the company for a few months. The new business intends to raise a further £16m through the issue of 40 million placing shares at 40p.
Harsh but fair quote of the week NWDA boss Steven Broomhead attacked government proposals for integrating employment and skills, saying the planned machinery of government changes will "severely dilute the rationale" behind the agenda that he supports. "It will add more complexity than clarity and will be driven by government department rather than economic and employment lead," he said.
View from the nationals It’s been a while since anyone in London said Barrow-in-Furness was “having a moment” but that’s exactly what property writer Jayne Dowle said this week in The Times. Fear not, though, the Islington set won’t be decamping to Cumbria just yet. As we’re informed, “the comeback is not happening through cappuccino bars and lifestyle hype, but with hard economic investment” from BAE Systems, Kimberley Clark et al. To sum up – Barrow’s one of few places where house prices didn’t go crazy in the boom, so prices are still climbing steadily.
Their survey says One year on and UK bosses are cursing the government's smoking ban, according to a survey commissioned by Employment Law Advisory Services. The UK-wide survey found that 71 per cent of employers believe there has been a significant drop in productivity due to staff taking more frequent or longer smoking breaks. Peter Mooney, head of consultancy at ELAS, said: "Many bosses feel that, while there are obvious health benefits for themselves and their employees, productivity has taken a real tumble. Several employers have informed us that they have now decided to flout the law by allowing staff to smoke indoors again in a bid to encourage greater output. This is a criminal offence which carries a severe penalty."
Canapé won't pay Insider’s been trawling the region for the best in corporate catering this week and we have to say that the nibbles at the BVCA’s second Young People in Private Equity networking at Room in Manchester were terribly tasty, with fish goujons, prawn tempura, and those amazing tiny jacket potatoes topped with cheese. Lessons were learnt from the maiden event early this year, when supplies ran low very quickly – Room’s got the hang of feeding the hungry young pinstripers.
Life on the Edge Whatever happened to Panacea's plans to open up in Alderley Edge, at the nitespot formerly known as Brasingamen's? Cheshire-based punters need despair no longer, for news reaches Insider this week that the £3m refurbishment, designed by maverick Bernard Carroll, is well on course for a September opening. So, if Cheshire's beautiful people want to leer at PR girls or watch footballers scrapping - or "enjoy a sanctuary of design decadence" as the press release says - of an evening they won't have to trek all the way into Manchester to do it. Which is nice.
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