What's News - Crain's Manchester Business

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1:00 am, March 17, 2008
What's News

Peter Heginbotham, chairman of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said chief executive, Angie Robinson, had the “full support” of the chamber's board following the revelation that she had a three-year affair with Greater Manchester Police chief constable Michael Todd. Todd's body was found on a mountainside in North Wales last Tuesday and his death is being treated as an apparent suicide. Reports say the affair ended a year ago but the late chief constable's wife only found out about it recently. Robinson is also married. Heginbotham said: “We have spoken to a number of board directors and we have one hundred per cent support from those we have spoken to. We have also received a significant number of supportive messages showing there is no doubt people believe Angie can continue in her current position. We have nothing further to add at this time.”

Michael Apted, director of Hollywood films such as Gorillas in the Mist and The World is Not Enough, has said that the development of Media City in Salford will ensure that London does not monopolise the media industry. Speaking at Salford University's inaugural lecture in memory of Granada leader and Salford visiting professor David Plowright, Apted stressed the importance of cultivating creative talent in the North West. “Most of the population lives outside of London, though this is not currently reflected in what is broadcast,” he said. “Media City will mean starting afresh with young people, free of a metropolitan monopoly.”

Manchester Airport has won the 2008 Air Cargo Award of Excellence for the best European airport handling less than 500,000 tonnes per year. It was chosen in an online vote by 18,000 readers of Air Cargo World magazine ahead of rival airports in Athens, Barcelona and Rome. The airports were scored on performance, value, facilities and regulatory operations. Manchester's cargo centre scored highest on performance and achieved superior overall scores across the four categories.

Logistics provider Cardinal Maritime Ltd, based in Sharston, Manchester, has been selected as a finalist in the innovation category of the Lloyds of London Business Awards. Cardinal, which has grown turnover from £9.6m to £33m in three years and employs over 120 in Manchester, has developed Freightcalculator, an online freight pricing product for use by clients. Brand managing director Andrew Smithurst said: “No doubt the innovative use of and the transparency our pricing tool provides has been key to our dramatic business growth.” Freightcalculator has already won awards for innovation from the British International Freight Association and Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

A tree will be planted in Scotland to compensate for the emissions created by each delegate at this year's Envirenergy conference in Manchester. Edinburgh-based Carbon Offset Scotland will plant about 350 trees on a farm near Comrie, in Perthshire, in a bid to reduce the environmental impact of the event at Old Trafford football ground last week.

A new “bus only” highway is to be created outside Manchester Piccadilly railway station by the city council. The new thoroughfare will be built on land adjacent to London Road fire station, between Fairfield Street and Aytoun Street which will allow an extra 17 buses per hour travel through the area that leads on to Piccadilly Station. Manchester City Council's engineering arm, Manchester Engineering Design Consultancy, is carrying out the project, which is expected to cost around £650,000.

Robinson Keane Search & Selection, is moving from Denzell House in Bowden into dedicated headquarters at Century House in Altrincham town centre. The headhunting firm, part of Kellan Group Plc, was established in 1993. John Marsh, managing consultant, said: “This move into enlarged and self-contained premises reflects our continued expansion and success in the executive search sector and we look forward to welcoming both clients and candidates to our new home.”

The Tytherington Club in Macclesfield is set for a £2m revamp of its health and fitness facilities by owners The Club Company. The refurbishment of the 45,000 sq ft club will begin in May, and will include the introduction of a poolside spa facility for adults. The club first opened in 1986.

Office supplies retailer Staples is to open its first ever UK high street store in Manchester creating 20 jobs. Staples said the new Spinningfields business district was a major reason for opening the 3,205 sq ft Deansgate store. Staples general store manager Steve Moss said: “Manchester was chosen because of its thriving business community, and Deansgate offers a diverse mix of business and consumer footfall.”

ANS Group, the Manchester-based technology infrastructure specialist, has received silver certification from technology giant Cisco, recognising the group's knowledge and expertise in selling, installing and supporting Cisco solutions. The new status, which puts ANS on a par with only 12 other organisations in the UK, will enhance the company's credibility with both existing and potential customers and help the group to deliver further value and technical expertise.

The Image Group, a Manchester-based printing company, has completed a £1m overhaul of interior and external signage at Championship football club Burnley's Turf Moor stadium. The company, which was founded in 1997, has produced and installed way-finding and themed signage at the club's Jimmy Mcllroy stand. Mike Holmes, account manager at Image Group, described the contract as one the company could really get its teeth into. “We were involved from the start with signage and way-finding audits,” he said. “We planned, manufactured and supplied the signage — with the final installation element completed in les than two days.”

Diverse Culture, a Leeds-based company that provides online equal opportunities training to firms such as Aviva and Virgin, is relocating to Manchester Science Park to take advantage of the commercial networking opportunities on the site. David Iball, founder of Diverse Culture, said: “Manchester Science Park presented us with a unique opportunity to be part of a tight knit community of companies. Another big pull for us is its business support service which is a real bonus for small companies.” Manchester Science Park is spread across three locations in the city and is home to more than 90 companies. It manages more than 300,000 square feet of office and lab space.

Manchester Enterprises, the city's economic development agency, is commissioning an independent review of the city's economic potential. It has awarded a contract to the Institute for Political and Economic Governance (IPEG) at the University of Manchester to report on labour markets, skills and talents. IPEG will investigate the extent to which the Manchester city region encourages and attracts a sufficient density of highly-skilled workers by providing attractive places to live.

Manchester-based publishing companies Garrett Tate Partnership Ltd and Achieve Media have been wound up by the High Court for using misleading sales practices to solicit sponsorship for anti -bullying books.

A probe by the Insolvency Service's Companies Investigation Branch found they had falsely represented that they were operating for a charitable purpose and that the books they produced had Local Education Authority support when no such support had either been sought or obtained.

Transport officials are holding a two-day event in Salford this week for people to find out more about the new Metrolink service to Media City. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) staff will be at The Lowry on Salford Quays from 11am to 7pm on March 18 and 19. Three thousand questionnaires have also been posted to local residents and businesses as part of a six-week consultation. Work on the quarter of a mile extension to the Eccles Metrolink line is due to start next year, and four new trams have also been ordered to double the frequency of daytime services into Salford Quays. A similar event is being held in the GMPTE Online information centre next to the Piccadilly Gardens Metrolink stop in Manchester on March 26 and 27.