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Work on Somerset’s electric battery gigafactory has moved a step forward with the signing of a new contract. NG Bailey, which is based in Leeds but has offices across the UK including in Plymouth, Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham, is one of two firms that has been selected by Tata’s battery business Agratas to provide mechanical, electrical and plumbing services to the facility. The factory, at the Gravity smart campus in Puriton, is set to cost £4bn to build and will initially produce batteries for Jaguar Land Rover electric cars from 2026. Agratas has said it also plans to create batteries for other uses including two-wheelers and commercial vehicles. Work on the site began earlier this year, with delivery led by main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine. Jonathan Stockton, chief executive at NG Bailey, said: “One of our goals as a business is to play a key role in supporting the transition to a lower-carbon future, so we are delighted to be having such a vital role in this important project, which will have a significant impact on the UK’s ambitions for the decarbonisation of the economy. “Our talented team have a long track record in delivering projects of this scale, including as the principal contractor on UKBIC, and we are looking forward to using our market leading expertise and innovative use of offsite manufacturing to develop a wide range of bespoke solutions which will support the gigafactory in its next phase of development.” The 40 GWh factory will be the biggest of its kind in the UK once complete – and one of the largest in Europe. Some 4,000 jobs are expected to be created by the facility, with thousands more in the supply chain. Earlier in October, Agratas invited 340 local businesses to an open day to hear about the opportunities to work on the development. Jefferson Weber, head of UK construction at Agratas, said: “While this is a nationally significant project, Agratas is committed to a local-first approach that provides opportunities for businesses and individuals across Somerset.” David Crew, managing director of Somerset Chamber of Commerce, added: “Somerset has many skilled and talented businesses who are ready to help deliver this exciting project.” Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber

Asda is bolstering its leadership team with two pivotal appointments as part of an extensive revitalisation strategy. Laura Lepley, previously from Morrisons, is set to join Asda this December as vice president of central operations, while Mark Henry will leave M&S to become vice president of retail for the south of England starting in January, as reported by City AM. They will both report to Matt Heslop, Asda’s new chief operations officer, who himself started with the company in January. Commenting on the new appointments, Asda chairman Lord Rose remarked: “We are very pleased to welcome Lauren and Mark to Asda. They both bring a wealth of retail experience and proven track records in delivering operational excellence. This will be invaluable as we strengthen our business and deliver our long-term growth ambitions.” These latest executive recruitments complement the previous hires of Andrew Staniland and David Devaney from Iceland. Both are expected to join Asda as VPs in the coming year. The supermarket chain, which has its headquarters in Leeds, is actively reinforcing its management amidst a widely discussed turnaround plan. This initiative includes addressing staff strikes and enhancing customer satisfaction. Chief financial officer Michael Gleeson shared insights earlier in the year with City AM, indicating areas of focus for improvement: “We’re focusing on availability. We’re focusing on customer perception, and we’re focusing on our trade plan.” Kantar’s latest data reveals Asda’s grocery market share has further declined, with sales dipping 5.6 per cent year-on-year. The retailer now holds a 12.6 per cent market share as of the 12 weeks to 1 September, down from 13.8 per cent. In an attempt to bolster customer experience, Asda is injecting £30m into enhancing staff presence at checkouts and ramping up store cleanliness, alongside an investment of £50m in refurbishing stores. Nevertheless, Asda is facing claims from the GMB Union that it owes retail workers over £2bn in back pay resulting from “pay discrimination”. Additionally, the grocery chain remains on the lookout for a new CEO after a prolonged vacancy since 2021. Co-owner Mohsin Issa initially stepped into the role, followed by Chair Stuart Rose and TDR capital executive Rob Hattrell more recently. Asda has confirmed its ongoing three-year search for a chief executive to navigate the next stage of its strategic plan and indicated it will provide market updates “in due course”. Like this story? Why not sign up to get the latest business news straight to your inbox. Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber

Humber occupational health specialist Latus Group has swooped for an Immingham business after securing financial backing. Hull-based Latus Group has acquired regional occupational health service provider OH Services Limited (OHS) after sealing support from NorthEdge, to expand its geographical reach and broaden the medical expertise across the group. OHS is known for delivering medical assessments tailored to the oil and gas, maritime and safety critical industries, and operates from two clinic locations in North East Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. Latus, meanwhile, works with businesses across a range of sectors to help their people achieve healthier working lives. The group said the deal also gives it greater access to the strategic markets of maritime, offshore renewables and oil and gas. Following the acquisition, Latus plans to invest in additional locations, including Aberdeen and Norwich, to service the industries on a national scale. Jack Latus, CEO of Latus said: “Our mission is to improve access to high-quality, data-driven healthcare in the workplace. The acquisition of OHS supports this ambition and demonstrates our continued commitment to providing safety-critical occupational health across some of the UK’s largest industrial businesses. “OHS is highly complementary to the Latus Group, which has a regional approach with national scale, and a commitment to delivering world-class service for customers. We look forward to welcoming the OHS team and clients to Latus, working together to improve the health, safety and wellbeing of employees across the UK.” Lynne Harrison, managing director of OH Services, added: “We are excited to see the business continue to thrive as part of the Latus Group. OHS plays a vital role in the maritime and offshore market, supporting national companies with regulatory-driven healthcare services. We believe this acquisition will further enhance the quality and reach of these offerings. With Latus Group’s strong reputation and dedication to delivering exceptional service, I am confident that this is the right home for both our team and our valued clients.” Phil Frame, partner at NorthEdge, said: “We are thrilled to support Latus to complete its first acquisition since our initial investment into the Group earlier this year. The deal supports the business to deliver on its mission of improving access to healthcare and delivering improved health outcomes, as well as representing the first in a pipeline of acquisitions for the Group as it continues to scale.” Latus was supported in the transaction by Muckle LLP, Cortus Advisory and LWE Commercial. Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber

Gear4music, the online musical instrument retailer, has reported a return to revenue growth as its new growth strategy begins to yield results. The company, which has its head office in York, posted a one per cent year-on-year increase in revenue for its second quarter, while total revenue for the six months to September dipped slightly by one per cent to £61.7m, as reported by City AM. In June, Gear4music unveiled a new strategy aimed at returning to profitability by 2024. The firm managed to swing to a pretax profit of £0.6m in the year to March 2024, a significant improvement from a previous annual loss of £0.4m. On Tuesday, the company projected a pretax loss of £1.2m for the first half of its 2025 financial year, marking a £0.7m improvement compared to the same period a year earlier. Gear4music noted “significant traction” for its second-hand sales platform during this period, a trend it expects to continue into the second half of the year and beyond. The company reported stronger growth in October and maintained that its full-year outlook is in line with market expectations. Andrew Wass, Gear4music’s executive chair, commented on the performance: “This performance comes despite initial challenges with the rollout of a new AI-based marketing system during H1, which temporarily increased marketing costs and impacted the sales mix between our own-brand and other-brand products and our European sales,”. He added: “These issues have now been resolved, and our marketing investments have stabilised.” He went on to say: “As we enter our peak trading season, which has historically been a key driver of our profits and revenues, the board is confident that our full-year outlook remains in-line with consensus market expectations.” Following this update, Gear4music’s stock price saw an increase of two per cent in early trading. The company’s shares have risen by 22 per cent so far this year. Like this story? Why not sign up to get the latest business news straight to your inbox. Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber

Yorkshire life sciences company Aptamer has narrowed its losses after saying it made commercial and technical strides in challenging conditions. The York-based operator – launched on AIM three years ago to capitalise on the potential of its Optimer binder technology – has issued results for the year ended June 30 2024 in which revenues halved from £1.8m to £900,000, but the previous year’s Ebitda loss of £4.7m narrowed to a loss of £2.8m. Operating losses were also brought down, from £8.16m to £3.08m, and staff numbers were also reduced, from 54 in 2023 to 38, a move which brought the wages bill down from £3.35m to £2.1m Directors described how it has rebuilt its commercial pipeline following a fundraise carried out last August, followed by a second successful fundraise this summer of £2.6m. Arron Tolley, chief executive officer of Aptamer Group, hailed the company’s “significant progress” commercially and technically, under challenging market conditions, saying the group has focused on its strategy to carry out asset development, regain commercial traction and focus on cost discipline. He said: “We have rebuilt and expanded the pipeline over the year, demonstrating a positive trajectory in revenue recognition with 65% of the year’s total revenue realised in the second half and increased our collaborations with top ten pharmaceutical partners. We have underscored the growing demand for Optimer technology and the rising recognition of our platform within the industry.” Aptamer operates in a binder market currently worth more than $170bn, and its binders are engineered to address issues found with alternative molecules, and offer new, innovative solutions to bioprocessing, diagnostic and pharmaceutical scientists. The group is also working in partnership with Neuro-Bio to develop Optimers to enable the world’s first lateral flow tests for the pre-symptomatic diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease – a test it believes could be revolutionary for the disease, as it would allow patients access to treatments earlier, with the potential to halt the disease. The company has successfully delivered projects for global pharmaceutical companies, diagnostic development companies, and research institutes, and Mr Tolley highlighted how the company’s strong technical delivery across both immunohistochemistry and gene therapy delivery has been instrumental in driving commercial interest, helping Aptamer to secure an increasing number of contracts. Post year-end, the company also launched a collaboration with AstraZeneca to explore the use of its molecules for drug delivery in fibrotic liver disease. The group’s partnership with Unilever also made progress towards the use of Optimer binders in treating malodour in deodorant products, and a soft launch of its new Optimer+ platform was also well received across the industry, leading to two new contracts, one with a top 10 pharmaceutical partner. Mr Tolley added: “The past financial year was challenging for Aptamer. However, since recapitalising, customer confidence has returned, and our skilled team and well-equipped laboratory have enabled us to deliver on exciting projects, and to rebuild and grow a sales pipeline that we aim to maintain and diversify into the new financial year. “As part of last year’s technical progress, multiple assets developed from our fee-for-service offering have reached, or are approaching, key value inflection points. This means that we are getting closer to the crystallisation of potential licensing revenues. Going forward, we aim to increase shareholder value by focusing on the generation of high-value assets, alongside generating fee-for-service revenue, to drive high-value licensing opportunities.” Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber

A Yorkshire pet food company is poised for growth after sealing a £15m investment. Pure Pet Food, based in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, provides personalised dog food delivered to customers’ doors and has completed the multimillion-pound funding round led by Felix Capital and including Mercia Ventures. The firm was founded in 2013 by childhood friends Daniel Valdur Eha and Mathew Cockroft with a £300 loan and a mission to revolutionise the pet food market by creating an alternative to traditional kibble. The firm makes and markets natural, healthy and easily digestible food for dogs, tapping into growing demand for healthy meals for pets. Since its launch the business has grown to employ more than 100 people at its manufacturing site and offices, serving 40,000 regular customers throughout the UK who pay a monthly subscription to receive deliveries of pet food tailored to their dog’s needs. The company appointed new CEO Roz Cuschieri in April 2023, who has previously held board roles at Warburtons and Genius Food, to work alongside the founders, a move which encouraged the founders to seek additional external investment to fuel further expansion both in the UK and new markets, as well as develop its distribution channels and product categories. Felix Capital – which has previously invested in businesses including Castore, Moonbug, Deliveroo and Oatly – led the £15m investment round alongside participation from existing investor Mercia Ventures. Mat Cockroft, co-founder of Pure Pet Food, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Felix Capital, whose team have demonstrated exceptional support and collaboration. Having one of Europe’s leading consumer investors involved in the business marks a significant milestone for us, and we are excited to shape the future of Pure together. “We are also delighted for the ongoing support from our current investors and team, who believe in our mission and sector. Dan and I have come a long way from starting Pure. Our ambitions have grown alongside the business, and we are eager to continue in our quest to create food that makes a profound impact on the health and happiness of our dogs.” Antoine Nussenbaum, co-founder and investor at Felix Capital, said: “We will always remember the first visit to Pure’s offices. We witnessed everything we like to see in an entrepreneurial journey. The longstanding relentless drive from Mat and Dan, combined with Roz’s amazing experience in consumer-packaged goods is a true recipe for success.” Jan Oosthuizen, investor at Mercia Ventures, added: “Pure has gone from strength to strength in recent years, a testament to the dedication and hard work of Dan, Mat, Roz and the team. The company’s vision and ambition consistently excite us, so we are delighted to continue to support them in their pursuit of future milestones and to partner with Antoine and the wider Felix team.” Pure Pet food Ltd were advised by Womble Bond Dickinson and BHP LLP. Mercia Ventures were advised by Muckle LLP and Philip Hare & Associates. Felix Capital were advised by Latham and Watkins, and Mazars LLP. Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber

High street retailer WH Smith is bringing back vinyl records for the first time for more than 30 years across a raft of stores. The Swindon-headquartered chain said it would stock vinyl in 80 high street shops as it looks to capitalise on its surging popularity among a new generation of music fans. Vinyl sales have jumped in recent years as the format has come back in fashion, helped by new releases by artists such as Taylor Swift, who recently announced that her 11th studio album – The Tortured Poets Department – will be made available on vinyl, while Oasis have also re-issued The Masterplan on vinyl. Sales of vinyl jumped 11.7% to nearly six million in 2023, rising for the 16th year running, according to data from the British Phonographic Industry. Emma Smyth, commercial director of WH Smith’s high street operations, said: “I’m sure there are many customers out there who remember spending hours in record shops browsing the latest vinyl LPs and the artistic record covers. “To me it’s no surprise that vinyl is growing in popularity again, and we are very excited to be bringing back record selections to more than 80 different stores across the UK for both seasoned fans and new listeners alike.” Stores in locations that will stock vinyl include Canterbury, Chester, Edinburgh Gyle and York, the group said. WH Smith first began selling vinyl albums in the 1950s, with records becoming a key product category for the retailer. But the group stopped selling them in the 1990s after their popularity waned because of the introduction of CDs. The move is the latest by WH Smith to boost its ranges and re-energise its store estate, after it launched plans to open Toys ‘R’ Us concessions within 76 stores by the end of the year, bringing back the retail brand to the high street. Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber

Around 140 jobs have been saved following a pre-pack deal to secure the future of Sheffield engineering business Linbrooke Services Ltd. The rail and power infrastructure provider was established in 2002 and included three primary divisions – the railway construction business, which has been rescued, and power and optical businesses, which will close as part of of the deal. The business called in business advisors from Quantuma amid a number of challenges faced by the railway construction sector, including delayed projects, as well as factors effecting the economy as a whole. Quantuma’s Richard Easterby and Chris Newell were appointed as joint administrators on October 15, and struck a pre-pack deal to secure the sale of the railway construction business to Surrey based Keltbray. The firm employed nearly 200 people at the time of the administrators’ appointment and the deal sees around 140 staff transfer to new owners, construction engineering specialist Keltbray. The company’s most recent accounts, filed in June and covering the year to March 2023, show its losses widened from £292,521 to £1.6m. The firm also had around 306 jobs during that financial year and bosses had highlighted accounts highlighted a strong pipeline in all of its key areas of operation, especially the rail division which had a projects pipeline “standing at close to £500m”. However, the directors also highlighted a raft of challenges in the delivery climate “with major public sector clients facing increasing budget constraints”. It added: “The ongoing pay and conditions dispute within the Rail sector has been deemed to have cost Network Rail around £1bn to date, manifesting itself in a slowdown in large scale infrastructure project investment in an effort to balance the books whilst the business’ major power customer continues to offset the impact of severe weather damage against long term investment in fault corrections.” Richard Easterby, joint administrator and managing director at Quantuma, said: “I am delighted to have been able to achieve a sale of the company’s rail operation, in very time-pressured circumstances, which secures the long term viability of the business and a substantial amount of jobs. “Unfortunately not all of the business could be rescued. For those members of staff whose roles were made redundant, the priority of my team and our advisors is to work with them to ensure that they have the information required to make timely claims from the redundancy payments office.” Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber

Logistics firm John Good Group has made a move into e-commerce by acquiring an online padlock retailer – and it says there’s great potential for growth in the “niche” world of lock sales. The East Yorkshire group has bought Nothing But Ltd, trading as Padlocks.co.uk, an online retailer of padlocks and security solutions based in Liverpool. Padlocks.co.uk has partnerships with lock manufacturers including ABUS and Squire and has developed its own brand, Shield. Clients include the NHS, Harrods, The Royal Mint, and Network Rail, while it also offers specialised products such as salt-resistant locks for the marine industry. Family-owned John Good has been in business for more than 190 years. It said: “The current Padlocks.co.uk team will continue to play a significant role in the business during an extended handover period.” CEO of John Good Group, Adam Walsh, said, “It is an exciting acquisition for John Good Group as we bring this e-commerce business into the group. “We’ve got great digital marketing, creative skills in the business, as well as a heritage in importing and exporting products, storage and logistics. I feel we’ve got the perfect blend of experience to help Padlocks.co.uk go on the next wave of growth. We also have a strategic objective to diversify the range of the businesses the group invests in, and this is a step in the right direction to achieving that.” Rich Quelch, the Hessle group’s current chief marketing officer, will also become managing director at Padlocks.co.uk. Mr Walsh said: “It is a great opportunity for Rich to take this step up and the responsibility that comes with being a managing director. Rich has done a great job since he joined us in 2022, and has proven he has all the right skills to help stimulate new growth and make a positive financial contribution from his efforts. “I’m looking forward to seeing what he can achieve on the next stage of his career, and the benefit he can bring to the John Good Group. I’d also like to welcome all the team from Padlocks.co.uk to the John Good Group. We’re going to go on an exciting journey together.” Don’t miss the latest news and analysis with our regular North West newsletters – sign up here for free Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber

A historic York building is set to be transformed into a modern workspace on the back of a £900,000 funding deal. Social-impact startup Patch is launching new neighbourhood workspace in the Bonding Warehouse in January 2025 amid moves to give a boost to business growth in the area. Patch, which is known for building coworking and community hubs in high streets and town centres, is working in collaboration with the City of York Council to bring new use to the Bonding Warehouse. The initiative will take over the former headquarters of unicorn tech company, Anaplan, and transform the historic riverside warehouse into workspace for the community, especially the local tech and creative industry. With riverside views, high quality work infrastructure and a programme of community events, Patch’s development aims to create a lively hub for York’s established education and technology sectors, digital media scene and independent makers. It will also provide event space for social-impact organisations, social enterprises and charities, connecting business with local residents. Once fully occupied, Patch in York is expected to host over 50 companies and approximately 400 coworking members. The two-floor space has wooden floors, vaulted brick ceilings, and large arched windows, with modern amenities, including super-fast Wifi, contemporary furniture, electric standing desks, second screens, focus booths for private work and free coffee. The announcement comes ahead of the opening of Patch in Bournemouth in November which will see a former Debenhams store transformed in a deal worth £2m. Since its launch in 2020, Patch has created neighbourhood workspaces in Chelmsford, High Wycombe and Twickenham. How the Patch workspace will look at the Bonding Warehouse in York (Image: Patch) Freddie Fforde, founder and CEO of Patch, said: “Our mission is to establish Patch as York’s leading destination for startups and small businesses. Housed within the historic Bonding Warehouse, Patch is poised to become a vibrant hub for entrepreneurs, creatives and community builders. Our spaces are thoughtfully designed to encourage work; collaboration; and genuine connection, fostering an environment that sparks creativity and drives sustainable growth. We are excited to welcome everyone into our community as we collectively shape York’s future as a flourishing centre for entrepreneurship and innovation.” Coun Pete Kilbane, executive member for economy and culture at City of York Council, said: “The investment will provide an exciting space for local businesses, entrepreneurs, and residents to collaborate, create, and thrive in the heart of the city, adding to the long list of reasons why York is a great place to do business. “The Bonding Warehouse is a proud symbol of York’s industrial heritage that has adapted over the years to host offices, hospitality and residential accommodation. It is a great example of how a historic city can adapt to the needs of the modern world. Patch is a very welcome addition to the building and York’s business community. I look forward to visiting when opens.” Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber