Category Archives: North of England

News, North of England

Pioneering entrepreneur launches The Clever Carbon Company to help protect the planet

A pioneering entrepreneur has launched a series of ventures aimed at helping protect the planet by improving the sustainable practices of businesses and individuals.

David Oates, 45, has established The Clever Carbon Company, based in Worsley, Greater Manchester, with a mission to bring about change by rethinking the way that products are designed, made, used and decommissioned at their end of life.

He already runs a consultancy business called Mouthful, focused on advising the hospitality sector on strategy and growth opportunities. He is also a sessional lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University.

Previously, he had a varied career including roles as a manager in the strategy team at professional services giant KPMG and later as head of strategy at LateRooms.

He has a master’s degree in materials science from the University of Sheffield, an MBA from Leeds University Business School, and is a fellow of the Strategic Planning Society.

David has received support for The Clever Carbon Company from the GC Business Growth Hub, and funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and British Business Bank.

He has also been collaborating with the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford on research and development projects linked to aspects such as materials science, rapid prototyping, innovation and digital enablement.

Through a blend of product and service design and using innovative technologies, The Clever Carbon Company explores and identifies solutions in industries such as consumer products and clothing, which are currently the largest contributors to landfill.

The first priority area for The Clever Carbon Company is tackling the impact of single-use materials in the personal care industry.

This has led to NeuTrail, a novel refillable dispenser for personal care products such as shampoo or handwash. Using circular design, it is made from a single, recycled material, which makes the product easier to recycle repeatedly, and it has a simple, gravity-fed design. which makes it easier to use, even for people with mobility issues.

NeuTrail is being manufactured with short UK-based supply chains via 3D-print technology, meaning each dispenser can be personalised. The range has already gained listings in a number of catalogues offering sustainable consumer products.

David’s second priority area is clothing and textiles. The Clever Carbon Company is developing solutions for high-demand, non-discretionary clothing, such as uniforms and workwear, through a venture named Cottonopoly.

Partnering with UK manufacturers, Cottonopoly supplies cotton or polycotton garments, initially school cardigans and sweaters.

Parents pay a deposit on each garment, which is then refunded when the item is returned after use. Returns then have an extended life as either pre-loved clothing or by being recycled into products of similar quality.

Cottonopoly has been conducting a trial of the takeback scheme at St Mark’s Church of England Primary School in Worsley and plans to roll out in other parts of the UK later this year.

Father-of-two David said: “We’re providing affordable, sustainable clothing and are incentivising parents to return items they no longer need so they can be renewed, re-used or recycled.

“Having young children, I am fully aware how many garments families can get through, and how they eventually end up being discarded.

“Every year, millions of school garments end up in landfill sites or are incinerated, both of which are very bad for the environment and are quite avoidable.

“Cottonopoly puts an end to single-life clothing, offering high quality and affordable products that can be easily and efficiently repurposed or recycled with negligible waste. Our mission is to reduce the impact of clothing on the planet, as well as on household purse strings.

“We’re collaborating with local mills, reducing the need for transportation. Anything can be sourced cheaply overseas, but the traditional UK textile heartlands are the perfect place to establish short, UK-based supply chains, which will be an essential part of tackling demanding environmental targets.

“Manchester and the surrounding area have deservedly been considered a hub of innovation ever since the Spinning Jenny and Spinning Mule effectively triggered the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th Century. At Cottonopoly we are continuing this tradition with a 21st century twist that puts consumers at its heart.”

David is looking to expand Cottonopoly to include other school uniform overgarments such as trousers and shirts, as well as workwear and potentially leisurewear. Customers will be able to buy items online via the company’s website or its app.

He is also separately selling the technology incorporated into NeuTrail and Cottonopoly under the brand name Scan&.

“NeuTrail and Cottonopoly are both underpinned by the same traceable takeback technology which keeps track of every product we make, including what it’s made from, who uses it and when it’s time to ultimately repair, re-use or recycle it,” he said.

“We use circular-design and traceable takeback technology to provide products that last longer and don’t end up being discarded, thereby inspiring people to become more conscious consumers.

“Our technology tracks all our products through their entire lifecycle, which makes returning them effortless. Users are better able to keep track of what they buy and are directly rewarded for returning the items at their end of life.

“If society is to meet challenging climate targets in the years to come, this circular way of thinking about products will need to become more commonplace, which is where The Clever Carbon Company comes in.

“Currently the sustainability landscape is confusing to both businesses and members of the public. The Clever Carbon Company is all about making sustainable practice more accessible and practical.”

Creative & Marketing, Creative News, News, North of England

Rebrand for Cheshire creative agency, LOVELIVE

Cheshire creative agency LOVELIVE has unveiled a new-look branding; coinciding with the launch of a new website as they celebrate 22% year on year growth and an exciting new focus.

LOVELIVE are a Cheshire based full-service design agency. They began life working largely with design, print and events, but have since grown a strong additional team in creative strategy, video animation and e-learning; offering a full service to clients. Founded in 2010 by James Gibson and Kim Collier, they are now a team of 17 and are currently hiring for a full time Presentations Designer role to boost their team.

The majority of their clients are in the healthcare sector and this specialism has evolved over the last 14 years. However, more recently they have branched out into the professional services sector.

The rebrand incorporates a dynamic new logo, look and identity for their brand alongside a new website and strapline “Bringing to life everything from complex data to creative storytelling”.

Kim Collier, joint CEO of LOVELIVE said: “We’ve been the powerhouse behind the transformation of brands in the healthcare services sector since 2010, so we understand the importance of offering new creative and digital solutions whilst maintaining high-quality delivery. We’re currently expanding our team and diversifying into the professional services sector. With new clients in this space, it felt like it was the ideal time to refresh the look and feel of our brand and website.”

James Gibson, joint CEO of LOVELIVE also commented: “In the past 14 years, we’ve gone from strength to strength; growing our team as well as clocking up an incredible 22% year on year sales growth. But the journey doesn’t end there! As we continue to expand and grow; as does our passion for delivering the best results for our clients. With our new website and brand – we wanted something that showcased our expertise and creative prowess and we’re confident we’ve achieved this.”

To learn more, visit www.loveliveagency.com

Employee Engagement, Law, News, North of England

Law Firm Launches Dedicated Employee Ownership Service

One of Yorkshire’s leading law firms has launched a dedicated employee ownership advisory service.

Employee Ownership Advisor is a new service from Ison Harrison designed to provide business owners with the ultimate resource for navigating the world of Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs).

 

With its own dedicated website, the service aims to help business owners looking to explore the benefits of an EOT for their business. Having experienced the advantages of employee ownership themselves, the firm’s team of expert lawyers is well placed to answer questions and provide no-obligation advice to business owners looking to make the switch.

The service covers everything from the basic principles of employee ownership, the process of transitioning to an EOT, trust management, employee engagement, company governance and rewards and benefits.

 

Employee ownership is becoming an increasingly popular model for British businesses. According to figures compiled by the Employee Ownership Association, 332 businesses transitioned to employee ownership in 2022. As of June 2023, the total number of companies owned partially or fully by their employees had reached a record 1,418, marking a 37% growth in just 12 months.

Ison Harrison was the UK’s first law firm to become a 100% employee-owned business in January 2022 after the three main shareholder directors agreed to sell the business to an Employee Ownership Trust.

270 qualifying team members at the firm recently received a profit distribution payout marking the second anniversary of becoming employee-owned. As a result of the firm’s strong financial performance, individual profit distributions approved by Ison Harrison’s Board of Trustees saw all eligible employees receive a tax-free distribution of £4,000 each, an increase of £400 on the £3,600 payment paid the previous year.

The firm, which employs more than 270 staff across the region, posted a record turnover of over £22 million last year, up 16% from £19 million in 2022.

 

Employee Ownership Advisor is the brainchild of Richard Coulthard, director and head of commercial services. Since launching the service, the firm has received a significant number of preliminary enquiries from business owners across the region and beyond, and is already helping several local businesses through the transitionary stages.

He commented: “The move to employee ownership has been hugely positive and advantageous for Ison Harrison. This success is the inspiration for the Employee Ownership Adviser as we want to share our experience of the process and use our expertise to help other business owners by transitioning from traditional business ownership to the EOT model.

“As a firm, we have taken a unique approach to set ourselves apart from our competitors. We are proud to be an EOT, which helps distinguish us from other firms. In embracing employee ownership, we have fostered a culture of collaboration, incentivised performance, and ensured our clients receive exceptional service. This experience and knowledge is now being passed on to business owners so that they and their workforce can enjoy the many benefits of employee ownership. Our service website is dedicated to providing practical insights, expert advice, and invaluable tips to ensure a smooth and successful transition. We fully understand the challenges that may arise and we are well equipped to provide the knowledge and strategies needed to overcome them.”

 

Ison Harrison employs more than 270 staff across Yorkshire, offering the broadest range of legal services in the region. The firm’s commercial division now advises businesses from across all sectors in transitioning to an employee-owned business.

The firm has over 10 Law Society accreditations including Lexcel, Clinical Negligence, Family Law, Immigration & Asylum, Conveyancing Quality and SRA Higher Courts Rights – civil and criminal.

Business owners interested in finding out more should visit: https://www.employeeownershipadvisor.co.uk or call the Employee Ownership Advisor team on 0800 232 1620

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Pictured (above): Richard Coulthard, director and head of commercial services.

Finance and Banking, Finance News, News, North of England

Innovative approach from Minerva is providing solutions

A North Staffordshire financial planning company has invested in top class technology to enhance the client experience.

Founder of Minerva Financial Solutions Nicola Conway decided to introduce document management platform DocPortal in February this year, to help with the storing of important documents and information and to allow for a more efficient service. DocPortal stores personal and business documents, while clients can also access the app, allowing Nicola and her team to communicate and share information directly.

Nicola Conway, Founder of Minerva Financial Solutions, says: “In a world where we spend a lot of time storing information electronically, and accessing it digitally, it is important to be able to keep important documents in one place. We wanted to help clients to be able to access what they needed with ease and that’s why we introduced DocPortal into the business.

Nicola adds: “The app really can help to store someone’s important life documentation in one place. Our finances, life policies and even legal papers are really important and need to be stored in a way that can be accessed by family members on the occasion of a death, which can be a very difficult time for relatives to be dealing with such issues. However, as you can appoint digital executors within the app, these documents can be accessed more easily and help minimise the added stress of those challenging circumstances.”

Minerva Financial Solutions have now shared the DocPortal app with more than 300 clients. As well as arranging financial documents, users are able to upload personal information such as photographs and favourite trips if they wish, along with other day-to-day documents.

“Our experience is that it’s like having a filing cabinet in your pocket – but without the large amount of paper,” adds Nicola.

“Information can be uploaded instantly to the app and people can go back and look over things themselves in their own time. We’ve found it very useful and many of our clients have been keen to use it.”

Minerva Financial Solutions is an Appointed Representative of St James Wealth Management and is based in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Charity & CSR, Charity Events, News, North of England

Heart patient marks milestone with fundraising half marathon

JUST 12 months after heart surgery, Simon Finlay has marked the milestone by running a half marathon in aid of the hospital that saved his life.

It was during screening for a hereditary heart condition his dad has that Simon was diagnosed with a bicuspid valve. Unbeknown to him he’d had the congenital heart defect from birth. Further tests then revealed he also had an aortic aneurysm.

“My jaw hit the table,” Simon said as he recalled the second diagnosis.

Over the course of 18 months the aneurysm grew, and surgical intervention was required.

Simon, development director at Castle Green Homes, said. “I’d thought the bicuspid valve wouldn’t need surgery until I was in my 60s, so when I went for a CT scan and they showed me what the aneurysm looked like and how much it had grown it was a shock.  I understood that I couldn’t live without surgery and that I was in the best hands with Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital.”

Simon underwent major heart surgery in March last year at the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, days before his 46th birthday. Complications during his recovery meant he was readmitted and underwent further surgery to remove a build up of fluid around his heart.

“I felt like I was back at square one, but in the weeks that followed I picked up and was getting stronger and walking more,” he said.

He returned to work just 13 weeks post-surgery. Soon after, Simon decided he’d run the Liverpool Half Marathon in aid of the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital on March 17 – his 47th birthday.

By October he’d managed to complete a run 5km without walking.

“Coming from a construction background where we work collaboratively as a team, it was interesting to see the different job roles in the hospital coming together to care for me and the other patients,” Simon, from Meols, Wirral, explained.

“It’s because of what I have been through, the time I have spent at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, experiencing firsthand the miraculous work they do and feeling the love and support from all parts of that amazing hospital that I decided to raise money for the charity,”.

With the support of Castle Green, family and friends, Simon has raised well over his £1,000 target, with more than £3,700 donated to date.

He was joined in the Liverpool Half Marathon by Castle Green colleagues Sam Payne, Sean McBride, Phoebe Hughes and Paul Winrow.

“Castle Green Homes have been fantastic through all aspects of my surgery and recovery, no more so than [chief executive] Gwyn Jones,” Simon added. “Not only was he understanding and empathetic about my situation when I was diagnosed, he also gave me the time I needed to recover with no pressure. When I saw that Castle Green had doubled the funds raised on the Friday before the run with a donation of £1,500 I couldn’t believe it. I was totally blown away!”

Simon completed the Liverpool Half Marathon in 2:13:19. He is already working on bringing his time down ahead of the Chester Half Marathon in May.

Simon said he’d always been a runner but had struggled with a knee injury in recent years.

“I’m fitter now and running better 5km times than I was prior to my surgery, which is purely down to the amount of running I am doing as opposed to the surgery itself,” he said.

Castle Green chief executive Gwyn Jones said: “Simon is a valued member of the team and has shown the same strength of character and determination in handling his health issues as he does in overcoming challenges at work. We were pleased to be able to support his return to work and his fundraising. It’s great to see so many colleagues and contacts have also supported his fundraising.”

To support Simon’s fundraising go to https://www.justgiving.com/page/simon-finlay-1708724419345.

 

Business & Property News, Commercial Property, Commercial Property News, News, North of England

Fairfield Business Park in Penistone sold to lead tenant

Fairfield Business Park in Penistone, Barnsley, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal.

Over the past two years, the site has been fully developed from being unoccupied into a thriving business park by family-run, Barnsley-based property and land specialists, Fairbank Investments Ltd.

The fully-let park has been bought by international packaging business Neal Brothers, for a seven-figure sum. Neal Brothers are the main tenants on the site, running their export packaging business from their onsite warehouse.

Located in the heart of Penistone, the historic former David Brown plant shut at the end of 2020 when former owner, SPX, transferred its production and manufacturing processes to an alternative UK production site, leading to job losses and vacant premises.

The 1930s factory development, once a major manufacturing hub employing more than 1,500 people at its peak production period, was given a new lease of life after being acquired by Fairbank Investments in March 2021.

Fairbank Investments bought the four-acre Green Road site after spotting its huge potential to create employment and restore economic prosperity to the town. The development progressed with the Fairbank Investments team prioritising eco-friendly design and sensitive building practices, employing the same meticulous design and sustainability ethos displayed in all of its regeneration projects.

Opened by shipmaker Cammell Laird in the late 19th century, the site was mothballed in 1930 but taken over by industrialist Sir David Brown in 1935. Sir David established foundry, pumps and fabrication operations in Penistone which produced bullet-proof castings during the Second World War and later specialised in manufacturing pumps for the global oil and gas industry.

The park currently consists of 14 independent offices totalling 15,000 sq ft which is home to a range of flourishing independent businesses with a further 66,000 sq ft of warehouse space which has been occupied by main tenants, Neal Brothers since late 2021.

Neal Brothers’ warehouse has prime access, high eves, roller shutter doors and an overhead crane. The facility has enabled the US-based international business to extend its existing operations in the north of England. The company has recruited staff locally and the operation has grown significantly since launching three years ago.

Other successful businesses operating from the site range from financial planning experts and a construction and building specialist to numerous clothing and accessories retailers and a pet grooming salon.

Alex Sewell of Fairbank Investments, commented: “We are thrilled that our vision to revitalise a local site of such historical importance has been fully realised and we have sold the business park as a thriving commercial hub, resulting in job creation and a bright future for the area. The legacy is an important one for the town following a few years of uncertainty but there is a diverse range of businesses on site, which have all created local employment opportunities and fully regenerated the area.

Added Joseph Green of Fairbank Investments: “When the production facility closed in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, this resulted in widespread redundancies, and the future of the site in Penistone looked incredibly bleak. As a local family business in the area and living locally ourselves, we wanted to take positive action and restore the site to its former glory, fully benefitting the town and the local economy. We are incredibly proud and satisfied that we’ve achieved this objective and have left the business park in very secure and capable hands. We will watch with interest as the site continues to flourish and the businesses on site go on to even greater success. As a progressive property business, we look forward to delivering similar outcomes for existing and new local regeneration projects.”

Two years ago Fairbank Investments acquired the historic partially Grade II-listed coal drops, signal house, and former railway siding site at Penistone in Barnsley, signalling a new chapter of growth and development for the area.

It recently unveiled the highly anticipated next phase of development for the site. With the next stage of the site’s transformative journey, Fairbank Investments is marking a significant moment in Penistone’s history, with the development promising an inspiring blend of heritage preservation and modern rejuvenation.

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Pictured: (Left) Joseph Green and Alex Sewell (right) of Fairbank Investments Ltd who have sold the Fairfield Business Park in Penistone to Neal Brothers.

 

Accountancy & Accounts, News, North of England

The AFA Group Celebrates Substantial Team Expansion

Manchester-headquartered AFA Group, the parent company of Clear Start Accountants and AFA Insolvency, has significantly bolstered its employee base over the last quarter with twenty three new appointments.

Welcoming half of the group’s recent recruits, leading personal insolvency specialist AFA Insolvency, has considerably extended its team. In the past three months, the firm has appointed individuals to a series of positions including Debt Advisor, Drafters and Quality Monitoring roles.

The AFA Group’s accountancy and personal budgeting division Clear Start Accountants, has also made a series of appointments, strengthening its customer service department. The business offers accountancy services for sole traders and smaller firms provided by a team of qualified accountants, as well as its pioneering, tech-enabled, personal budgeting service for both business and private individuals.

The significant growth follows hot on the heels of another record period for the group, which closed the year (2023) with a highly impressive 87.5% uplift in value of sales – rising to a noteworthy £15 million, from £8 million in 2022.

Fiaz Ashraf, Founder and CEO of the AFA Group, commented: “As we continue to experience monumental growth, it is a pleasure to offer a variety of job opportunities in the region and welcome a wealth of new team members to the AFA Group. Expanding our dedicated team is absolutely crucial in helping us to maintain an exceptional level of service for our customers, as we continue to support them with various aspects of financial management.”

With an employee base of over 150 people, and operating from its state of the art, contemporary headquarters in Universal Square, Devonshire Street North, Manchester, as well as from its offices in Stockport and Canada, the AFA Group is the parent company of several high-growth businesses including AFA Insolvency and Clear Start Accountants. The group offers via its various divisions a suite of services to support individuals and companies with financial management – from monthly budgeting services and debt management, to general accountancy support.

To find out more about Clear Start Accountants visit: https://clearstartaccountants.co.uk/

Marketing, PR and SEO, News, North of England, Waste and Recycling

Impact Environmental Group Appoints Zeus PR

IEG EMEA, a division of the Impact Environmental Group with operations situated strategically across the US and the UK, has appointed Cheshire-based Zeus PR following a group-wide tender process.

The agency will now support the entire organisation, including all four trading brands, working closely with the IEG EMEA board, including Managing Director David Williams who heads up the board, and Commercial Director Pete Dickson, to formulate and develop a reputation-building PR and content strategy.

The appointment follows hot on the heels of the IEG EMEA’s substantial expansion in 2023. Last year saw two further UK acquisitions cementing the group as a global waste industry category leader, as UK Container Maintenance (UKCM) and Capital Compactors and Balers (CCL), joined Container Components Europe (manufacturer of Duraflex lids), and Egbert H Taylor to sit within the IEG EMEA’s portfolio of aligned industry-leading brands.

 Anthea Fosti Managing Director of Zeus PR comments: “We will be showcasing IEG EMEA’s impressive service offering as the leading European operator in the provision of waste and recycling products and service solutions, and we are very much looking forward to working closely with the group and the four individual business centres on this far-reaching brief.

“We have already enjoyed a 10-year partnership as the retained PR provider for UKCM, and following their acquisition by IEG EMEA last year, we were very pleased to be invited to tender for, and subsequently be awarded, the group-wide brief.”

Pete Dickson, Commercial Director at IEG EMEA states: “‘As we develop the IEG EMEA brand and its recognition, a positive and creative PR partner is essential. On the back of its impressive work for UKCM over the last decade, we are pleased to have partnered with Zeus PR; and look forward to working with Anthea and her team.”

Founded in 1999, IEG as the parent organisation headquartered in Elgin, Illinois has rapidly grown into a global environmental products and services business, providing a comprehensive suite of new and replacement products for waste containers, collection and compaction equipment, and waste transportation equipment, and it is ambitious to expand IEG EMEA further where synergistic opportunities can enhance their customer value proposition.

The EMEA division, as with the wider global IEG organisation it resides within, plays an important role in the pursuit of a circular economy, providing products and services to the global waste and recycling industries. The business is a procurer of top-quality materials and a key advocate for sustainability, whilst maintaining competitive prices.

 

Commercial Property, Commercial Property News, Construction News, Liverpool, North of England

Winvic and Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited Celebrate Groundbreaking at Former Rolls Royce Site in Liverpool

Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of private and public construction and civil engineering projects has won a £35.8 million contract to design and construct four warehouse facilities at Atlantic Park in Bootle, Liverpool for Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited. The companies celebrated the start of the 41-week programme at a groundbreaking event.

Atlantic Park is 52-acres and is the former site of the Rolls Royce Engineering Works Factory and other industrial and commercial buildings. Winvic will first be excavating existing concrete slabs and preparing the ground for construction. The four industrial warehouse units are 40,000 sq ft, 50,000 sq ft, 110,000 sq ft and 125,000 sq ft and each will comprise two-storey office space.

The scheme has been designed in accordance with Royal London’s Sustainability Strategy, which aims for new build property developments to achieve Net Zero by 2030. Winvic will be delivering the project as Net Zero Carbon in Construction and employing its tried and tested Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) process, which is aligned with the UKGBC and LETI, and third-party verified. As part of the design strategy, 30 per cent GGBS will replace in situ concrete, 98 per cent recycled scrap metal will be utilised in the reinforcement steel and water recycling will reduce mains water use by 40 per cent compared to the BREEAM target.

 

Photo caption: CGI of Atlantic Park

 

BREEAM Excellent and an EPC A rating is being targeted and the project will deliver a 10 per cent biodiversity net gain; bird, bat and insect nest boxes will also be installed. The project delivery also includes the installation of new services, separate concrete service yards an access road and all hard and soft landscaping. 20 per cent of the car parking spaces will be enabled for electric vehicles.

 

In line with Winvic’s commitment to leaving a positive legacy in communities local to projects and S106 requirements, the contractor has developed an Employment and Skills Plan. Winvic will continue to work closely with Sefton@work and InvestSefton – as well as its supply chain partners – to match employment and training opportunities with people from the local area and collaborate with local education providers to provide career talks and work experience placements.

Representatives from Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited, Gardiner & Theobald and Winvic Construction Ltd

Danny Nelson, Winvic’s Head of Industrial, Distribution and Logistics, commented: “We’re delighted to have impressed the Royal London team during the tender process and are ready to deliver four industrial facilities as Net Zero in construction for our new client. I’d like to thank them so far for a great start. Our social value team has also begun planning and will be using their collaborative skills to bring benefits to local people. The site isn’t without its challenges due its former use, but we have successfully remediated the ground on numerous projects and are confident to deliver the scheme by the end of 2024.”

 

Matthew Barnes, Senior Asset Manager from Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited, added: “We are pleased to be partnering with Winvic to deliver the next important phase of the Atlantic Park master plan, bringing much needed employment and economic growth to the northwest region. The scheme will showcase Royal London’s commitment to its sustainability principles and its ambition to create real long-term investment value for its members.”

 

For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit X (formerly Twitter) @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn.

 

Header image caption:

  1. CGI of Atlantic Park
News, North of England

Retirement beckons for Neil after 42 years at EDM

A senior project manager who has worked on assignments from fighter jets and luxury cars to interactive exhibits at children’s museums is retiring after nearly 42 years at Manchester-based engineering and manufacturing company EDM.

Neil Bottomley, 64, joined EDM as a pattern maker in May 1982 after serving a three-year apprenticeship at J.J. Harvey in Denton, Greater Manchester.

He progressed through the company’s ranks working on subsea, rail, automotive, marine, museum and defence projects which took him around the world to countries including Taiwan, Singapore, Spain, Norway and the United States as well as throughout the British Isles.

In his role as senior project manager, he leads EDM’s integrated project team for the defence sector. He will officially retire at the end of March.

Neil is the longest-serving member of staff at EDM, but not far behind him are production supervisors Graham Hill and Nigel Southworth and fitter Glen Shepley, who all joined the company in 1983.

EDM manufactures and assembles training simulators for clients in sectors including civil aviation, defence and rail. It is based at a 100,000sq ft site in Newton Heath, where it also operates an aviation training academy. The group has 200 staff.

When Neil joined EDM it was based in Failsworth, Oldham, then as it expanded the business moved to nearby Hollinwood before relocating to its current site.

He said: “My first job at EDM was to work on a clay wind tunnel model for the Jaguar XJ40.

“I’ve been involved in many developments over the years, but the standout projects for me were working with renowned designer Harris Mann on the layout of a train cab interior, producing interactive exhibits for the Imaginosity museum in Dublin, full-size Eurofighter Typhoon mock-ups for air shows and, similarly and most recently, one for the BAE Systems Tempest next generation fighter aircraft.

“Every job has been different and interesting, and I’ve loved the variety.

“EDM is a great place to work. I’ll miss the people here – everyone is really friendly and there is a good atmosphere.

“The best part of the job has been working with great colleagues and customers to produce fantastic products which are still in use after many years. It’s also been immensely rewarding seeing younger members of staff progress their careers.

“One of the founding directors and chairman of the company, Ron Yule, said at his retirement that, to allow the company to grow, we the employees needed to grow with it and embrace the diversity and developments of the business. His words remain so poignant 32 years on.

“I’ve seen many young people come into EDM and have worked with them to help bring them to the fore of the business by developing their skills and encouraging them to the stage where they’ve been ready to take the lead on projects.”

He added: “It’s a good career because there are elements of design, creativity and building something of lasting value, as well as learning a special set of skills. I’d certainly encourage the next generation to follow in my footsteps.”

Neil has been married to Kath, a legal secretary, for nearly 42 years. The couple live in Ramsbottom and have two daughters and three grandchildren.

He plans to uses his retirement to pursue his hobbies of collecting and selling antiques and football and music memorabilia, as well as gardening, DIY and spending more time with his family.

Tony Bermingham, managing director of EDM, said: “Neil has been a loyal, dedicated and hard-working employee of the company for the last 42 years. It’s been a pleasure working alongside him for 28 of those years since I joined the business, and all the directors and employees wish him a long, healthy and happy retirement.”