We love it when businesses send us their good news and here’s our latest good news round-up, kindly sponsored by PALADIN. Awards, expansion, new contracts or new appointments, if you’ve got some good news you want to share please email the editor, Martin Shaw, on martin@huddersfieldhub.co.uk.
Huddersfield’s largest lettings agency is set for further growth having made its latest acquisition.
Following the recent successful purchase of long-standing agent Let Two, Huddersfield entrepreneur Chan Khangura has acquired Huddersfield-based CMK, formerly known as Chainmakers.
CMK will join Chan’s fast-growing Whitegates Huddersfield, Holmfirth and Brighouse agency, which manages over 1,200 properties.
Chan bought CMK from owner Britta Atkinson, who now joins the Whitegates team.
In recent years Chan has also bought long-established Huddersfield agency Whitworths along with Linden Lettings and Easy Lettings Northwest.
Chan said: “CMK is another well-known Huddersfield brand, having previously been known as Chainmakers. I am delighted that Britta chose to sell to ourselves and with Britta joining our team she will provide stability and continuity for clients of CMK.”
HR, employment law and health & safety consultancy, Howarths, has been appointed by bakery Carrs Pasties as the brand aims to reach £15 million turnover by 2026.
Carrs, which counts celebrities including DJs Sara Cox and Chris Moyles among its customers, has engaged Howarths to deliver strategic employment law and HR support in line with its ambitious growth plans.
Gavin Howarth, managing director at Cleckheaton-based Howarths, said: “Getting solid HR and employment law procedures and training in place is crucial for any growing business looking to retain and recruit the best talent.
“Having delivered an initial HR audit and employee engagement survey to benchmark the business, we will now work closely with the senior management team and directors to develop and implement a bespoke HR and people development strategy to drive employee engagement and support the company’s exciting growth plans.”
Founded in 1938, the family-run bakery began as a tripe shop before the Second World War, before attracting the attention of mill workers when it started selling freshly baked pasties.
Matt Carr, director at Carrs Pasties, said: “We chose Howarths because they’re a family-run business with a wealth of practical and commercial experience working on the job with growing SMEs. We’re looking forward to working with the team as we push forward with some exciting growth plans over the next few years.”
Huddersfield-based global supply chain and logistics consultancy, SCALA, has announced its transition to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
The strategic move is set to support long-term business sustainability, enhance collaboration with clients and empower employees to become more involved in the development of the business.
Following the transition, which took place on August 1 2023, 87.5% of business shares are now owned by the EOT, which acts on behalf of all team members.
John Perry retains 12.5% ownership and remains SCALA’s managing director, while former executive team members, Phil Reuben, Dave Howorth, Rob Wright and Alison Hobson, have become company directors, with responsibility for running the business.
The core consultancy team remains in place and SCALA believe that as the business continues to grow, the EOT will enable them to further strengthen their permanent consulting team.
Mr Perry said: “The business has been in private ownership since 2001 and seen significant success since its inception. I was keen to ensure its continued sustainable growth and success by giving our wider team greater ownership and responsibility.
“SCALA colleagues are rich in expertise, and therefore deserve to have a direct say in the future of the business and directly benefit from its success.”
Executive director Phil Reuben said: “I joined SCALA eight years ago to undertake a couple of consulting projects but this has turned into a fantastic journey. I’ve really enjoyed working with our many and varied clients and building strong relationships with them.
“Increasingly, as part of the Executive Team I’ve been involved in developing the consulting strategy and I’m delighted that the business has become an EOT, reinforcing the purpose and values that SCALA embodies and assuring the longevity of the business for both our own team and our many clients.”
Mailing house and print marketing specialist, The Flow Group, has announced the launch of a new brand, Greener Mail, to help businesses who want to make their marketing environmentally friendly with instant impact.
Greener Mail will be one of the few UK providers to offer large scale, national carbon-balanced direct mail and leaflet distribution as well as carbon-balanced packaging for ethical e-commerce pick and pack businesses using paper which has been responsibly sourced and has had all emissions associated with its production offset by the World Land Trust (WLT).
The award-winning, multi-million-pound turnover Flow Group, based in Brighouse, has created the offering for businesses who want to make an immediate positive impact on the environment and is in contrast to other initiatives such as tree planting, which take at least 20 years to offset emissions – too long to contribute towards the UK’s net zero targets of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Speaking about the launch of Greener Mail, Flow head of sales and marketing, Andrew Robinson, said: “Greener Mail will empower environmentally-conscious brands to make an instant positive impact rather than investing in green measures, such as tree-planting, which will offer too little, too late for our planet.
“While planting trees is undoubtedly beneficial for the environment it takes about 20 years before a new tree will mature enough to begin sequestering carbon. However, halting deforestation and protecting the forests at source, has an instant positive impact.
“With the launch of Greener Mail, we are setting a new standard in the print marketing industry.”
For further information visit www.greenermail.co.uk
Leading Edge Signage and Graphics has announced a three-year stadium naming rights deal with Northern Premier League football club Liversedge FC.
The long-term partnership will see Leading Edge, which is headquartered on Wakefield Road in Liversedge and one of the UK’s biggest signage and graphics manufacturers with 45 employees, become a principal partner and provide essential financial support that will greatly benefit the club.
The home of Liversedge FC – Clayborn in Hightown – has been officially renamed the Leading Edge Clayborn Stadium.
As part of the deal, Leading Edge will comprehensively renovate all directional and information signage and branding across the stadium, both externally and internally.
The firm will install a suite of 100 new signs to create a fresh and dynamic visual experience for fans and visitors on the approach to, and within, the stadium.
The newly-installed signage will include perimeter boards dedicated to sponsors, offering them prominent visibility within the stadium.
Additionally, Leading Edge will provide a graphic design and artwork service to businesses wishing to take out perimeter board sponsorship, ensuring uniformity and consistency in the stadium’s branding. This service will also streamline the process of creating captivating advertisements for sponsors.
Matthew Evans, managing director of Leading Edge, said: “Supporting the local community has always been at the forefront of our values and this partnership is also important to me on a personal level – I grew up on Quaker Lane and have fond memories of watching matches from being a teenager into adulthood.
“Investing in the stadium and the club further strengthens our ties to the area and supports our aims of creating a positive impact on the local economy while fostering a sense of pride among our employees. We look forward to working closely with the club, players and fans to achieve shared success and create a brighter future for all, both on and off the field.”
This partnership follows Leading Edge’s successful partnerships with professional and semi-professional clubs in the area including Bradford City FC, underlining the firm’s ongoing commitment to supporting local sports organisations.
Kirklees College has launched its brand-new promotional video ‘Together We Are Mighty’ to rave reviews across its social media platforms. The video is a celebration of the college’s values of Kindness, Unity and Excellence and is a tribute to the staff and students who embody these values every day.
A real community project, the video features a variety of staff and students from the college, including a moving voiceover from Level 2 Music student Charlotte Bulloch. Recorded in the college’s recording studio at its Huddersfield Centre, Charlotte took on the project like a true professional and has received very positive feedback across the Kirklees community.
The video shows students and staff participating in a range of activities across the college’s seven specialist centres, highlighting the wonderful diversity of vocational education. With snippets showing students and staff socialising, playing sports, celebrating Pride and graduation, the video aims to convey the sense of community and togetherness that exists at Kirklees College.
Palvinder Singh, principal and CEO of Kirklees College, said: “The video is a real showcase of our college’s commitment to creating opportunities, changing lives through our uniquely vocational curriculum, enrichment programmes and community work.
“Not only does this video reflect the collective potential the Further Education sector has to offer, it is a testament to our inclusive and passionate staff and students and how we are enriching our local community.”
As one academic year comes to an end and the college gets ready to enrol its new students, it is hoped that this video will get students of all ages excited to study at Kirklees College.
‘Together We Are Mighty’ can be watched on Kirklees College’s YouTube channel, on its website, Facebook page and all other social media platforms.
