NG Bailey relocates Leeds headquarters to White Rose Park
Engineering firm NG Bailey is moving its Leeds headquarters to White Rose Park in a bid to provide an "exceptional" office for its workforce. The £312m turnover business, which has worked on a number of high profile projects in the UK including the Hinkley Point nuclear power station, will swap its Brown Lane West headquarters in Holbeck for space in the ABC Building at the south Leeds site. Bosses say the new 25,230 sqft Grade A office space at White Rose Park was chosen for its high quality transport links and will provide a great place to work for the firm's Leeds-based team. NG Bailey was founded in 1921 in Leeds and has gone on to become a major player in the UK construction and engineering market. In its latest accounts for the year to the beginning of March 2024, it said the long term outlook for its markets was good, despite headwinds including high interest rates and political change causing caution among customers. Jonathan Stockton, CEO of NG Bailey, said: "Our move to White Rose Park marks an exciting new chapter for NG Bailey. While Brown Lane West has been our home over the past five decades, our relocation to a modern office space under a long-term lease is crucial for our growth in Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region. Our new office, combined with the numerous amenities in the Park, will foster a more vibrant and collaborative atmosphere for our team and visitors. The move supports our emphasis on sustainability and wellbeing in our workplace, with the Park being an exceptional place to work." NG Bailey can make use of health and wellbeing initiatives at White Rose Park including a running club, yoga classes, outdoor training parks and green spaces. The site is also home to a Starbucks, a nursery for pre-school aged children and a 200-seat communal restaurant area. David Aspin, chief executive of Munroe K, which owns and operates White Rose Park, said: “We are delighted to welcome NG Bailey to our White Rose Park Community. Their move is a real endorsement of our park and our collective ambition to provide the working environment of the future where people look forward to attending the office.
The English Marquee Company seals six-figure funding package
A Yorkshire company that supplies marquees to exclusive events around the UK has secured a six-figure funding package. The English Marquee Company, based in Ripon, was launched in 2018 by brother and sister Sam and Tor Peters after they spotted a gap in the market for marquee hire, and the company now employs around 30 staff. Now, to take the business to the next level, the company has secured the significant sum from NPIF II – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia Debt as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II), to add a new structure to its range. The 500 sq ft marquee, known as the Nord, can hold 350 people and is currently installed at a high-profile private members’ club and hotel in the Cotswolds. The Nord has been made to the company’s own specification and consists of glass panels with a glulam frame – a wood product that is a more sustainable alternative to steel. It is one of a growing number of marquees that the business offers, alongside its glass orangeries, pagodas, glass marquees and more traditional pole tent range. The company provides structures for everything from small garden parties to lavish weddings and major corporate events, with customers including Newby Hall and Grantley Hall in Yorkshire, as well as high-net worth individuals and leading event planners. Tor Peters, founder and director, said: “In recent years, particularly since the pandemic, both businesses and individuals have placed greater value on bringing people together, creating connections and crafting unforgettable experiences. Our marquees provide an exceptional centrepiece or backdrop to any event. “We pride ourselves on our stunning range, our responsive customer service and our ability to transform even the most challenging, hard to access sites. This latest funding from Mercia and NPIF allows us to add another innovative marquee to our range in line with our aim to create the most sought-after event spaces.” Andy Clough of Mercia Debt said: “Sam and Tor had a vision to take marquee hire to a new level and create the most spectacular events spaces. The business has been growing exponentially and is now the go-to supplier for elite event planners and private clients. Mercia and NPIF have provided several rounds of funding to help them build their product range and are pleased to have played a part in their success.”
Business advisory firm FRP opens Bournemouth office
Business advisory firm FRP has opened a new office in Bournemouth. The company already operates from a number of locations in the South of England including Southampton, Brighton, Bristol and Salisbury. The new office is based at Oxford Point in the centre of Bournemouth and will be headed up by existing FRP partner Sandy Kinninmonth and director James Prior. The pair will lead a seven-strong restructuring team locally to support the market in the town and the wider Dorset region. The move represents the latest step in FRP’s expansion as it seeks to bolster its coverage across the UK. The announcement follows the opening of new offices in Northern Ireland and Wales in 2024 – a year in which the company completed five acquisitions, including Southampton-based Hilton-Baird and valuations specialist Globalview. Sandy Kinninmonth, restructuring advisory partner at FRP, said: “Bournemouth’s emergent reputation as a hub for business is seeing a growing number of firms call it home. "However, despite their strong performance in recent years, local firms remain exposed to the wider economic challenges facing businesses across the country, including weak consumer demand, elevated interest rates and increased national insurance contributions. “With insolvencies already at a historically high level, it’s key that businesses of all sizes can access the guidance and support required to navigate times of difficulty. "Our demonstrated expertise in this area means that we’re well placed to act as a supportive partner to the region’s businesses in the years to come.” FRP now operates across a network of 33 locations in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Cyprus and the Isle of Man. Geoff Rowley, chief executive officer of FRP, added: “2024 was a pivotal year in our growth strategy that saw us continue to expand our geographical reach while continuing to provide our clients with the high level of service we pride ourselves on. "The creation of our Bournemouth office represents a continuation of this strategy, and we look forward to the contribution Sandy and the team make to the firm throughout 2025 and beyond.”
Birmingham pub set for £600,000 facelift
A pub in a Birmingham suburb is set to undergo a £600,000 overhaul. New plans have been revealed to revamp The New Inn, in Harborne, by owner Joule's Brewery. The Shropshire-based company acquired the venue in Vivian Road in May. Subject to planning consent, it said it wanted to revive some of the history of the New Inn, which dates back to 1845, including adding reclaimed bricks and panelling. It is also planning a full refresh of external areas including landscaping, lighting and new seating alongside upgrades to the kitchen. Anna Brakel, development director at Joule's Brewery, said: "The New Inn is a special site and one that we are very proud to now call a Joule's Brewery Taphouse. "We are committed to bringing the brewery to Birmingham and are pleased to reveal that this will be our biggest investment in a taphouse to date. "It's key for us to share our plans with locals and engage them in this process." Managing director Vicky Colclough added: "We believe that all pubs are honeypots of the community. Our plans are to create The New Inn to be once again a centre for the community of Harborne and the wider towns. "Protecting those special spaces such as the snug and original bar but adding in more flexible spaces, an improved outdoor area and increasing dining to allow a lovely fresh pub food menu, filled with old and new favourites."
Housing association Gentoo to invest in new Sunderland trade base
Housing association Gentoo is set to invest in a new base on the former Littlewoods site in Sunderland as part of moves to bring extra benefits to customers and colleagues. Gentoo has picked the site in Hendon to become the location for Eastgate Point, the new home for its property services teams from summer 2026. The multimillion-pound Eastgate Point complex, a 120,000 sqft industrial project, will be developed by Promenade Properties and will also feature other trade units across several buildings on the site of the former retailer, as well as an EV charging station and drive-thru coffee shop. The scheme brings certainty to a site which has seen a number of planning bids brought forward without being put into action. Plans for a builders merchants with trade counters were approved by the city council in 2019 but no development followed at the time. The facility will also see Gentoo’s current materials suppliers, Jewson Partnership Solutions (JPS), move into the base, saying that a closer working relationship will bring an improved service that will reduce waiting times for repairs and planned investment works for customers’ homes. Marc Edwards, Gentoo’s executive director of property, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Eastgate Point will become the new home of our colleagues in property, delivering maintenance and investment to customers’ homes. “We have been working tirelessly for the last 18 months to find the right location for a new home. And here we will have a brand new, purpose-built, best in class, state-of-the-art facility. “It will be designed to make sure that, as part of the £75m service that we deliver annually through our property maintenance and investment teams, all colleagues are together in one location.”
Runway East to open co-working space in Bath
Co-working space provider Runway East has signed a 20-year deal with global investment firm Abrdn to open a new site in Bath. Kings Court, a Grade II listed building on Parsonage Lane in the city centre, is the flexible workspace company’s third site in the South West. Runway East Bath, which covers 23,000 sq ft, will open in phases starting in the spring of this year. The agreement is the second with partner Abrdn following a deal for Runway East Bloomsbury, a 45,000 sq ft joint venture. “It seems we’re collecting all the cities beginning with B! Bath joins Brighton, Birmingham and Bristol in addition to our sites in London,” said Natasha Guerra, chief executive of Runway East. “Bath is internationally known for its UNESCO World Heritage status, it is regularly featured as one of the best places to live, work and visit - so we are thrilled to offer our services here.” Edinburgh-headquartered Abrdn joins L&G, GPE, Peer Group and Soho Estates as landlords of Runway East sites. In Bristol, Runway East is the largest operator of flexible workspace. Peter Tomley, deputy fund manager from Abrdn, said: “We’re really pleased to welcome Runway East to King’s Court, Bath. With a business model to create the best possible environment for startups and scaleups, as well as established businesses looking for more flexible office solutions, their product is a great addition to the city, playing both to the region’s growth agenda whilst also providing the fund with long term, durable income.” Runway East was selected as the preferred partner by Abrdn given its knowledge of the South West market. Will Kinnear, founder of HEWN who advised Abrdn, added: “They are a great addition to the Bath market, their in-demand product is attune with the ambitions of the local council and the economy it wants to create and foster.” Runway East, which is B-Corp certified, now has 13 spaces across London, Birmingham, Brighton and Bristol. Businesses using their space include household names such as Deliveroo, Dojo, and Grind.