Crain's Manchester Business - 21-25 December, 2009 - (Page 1)

CRAIN’S LIST Women-owned Businesses Page 14 CRAIN’S MANCHESTER BUSINESS VOL. 2, ISSUE 51, DECEMBER 21 - 25, 2009 MEET THE WINNERS Page 11 CrainsManchesterBusiness.co.uk £2 What’s News ■ Jacobs Engineering Group is to create 300 new jobs at its operation in Cheadle, near Stockport. The $12bn turnover, New York Stock Exchange-quoted consultancy also has offices in Sale and Manchester city centre and already employs 1,000 in the region. It recently won a framework contract with Manchester Airports Group Plc and was named as one of five suppliers on a Highways Agency contract valued at £130m. It is also responsible for the first phase of MediaCityUK and is involved in delivering the multibillion pound Crossrail programme in the south east. The Northwest Regional Development Agency and Manchester inward investment body MIDAS worked on securing the new jobs. ■ Marcus Cassidy, chief executive of Warrington-based AIM-listed residential property investment firm In House Group, has opened a new Italian restaurant at Little Leigh near Northwich. Cassidy has employed head chef Antonio Romeo to help run La Bella Vita Ristorante, which opened at Warrington Road on December 10. He said that he was inspired to open the restaurant, which also offers to deliver takeaway pizza to nearby customers, after spending time in Italy in his twenties. “The magic that culminates from exceptional food, fine wines and an incredibly intoxicating atmosphere makes Italy one of the most fun places in the world,” he said. ■ Bob Wiper, former chief executive of Stanley Casinos, has stepped down as non-executive chairman of Wilmlsow-based gym clubs chain, Total Fitness. Wiper, who had been involved with the business for three years and was appointed chairman in May 2007, has stepped down from the firm “in order to pursue other business interests”, according to a spokeswoman. She added that it was “unlikely that the search for a replacement chairman will begin before the New Year”. In August, the firm completed a debt-for-equity refinancing which saw majority shareholder Legal & General Ventures write off more than two-thirds of the £90m long term debt. However, the deal effectively wiped out the equity stake held by the management team. ■ Richard Steward has joined Stockport-based personal care products group PZ Cussons as group IT director. He was previously IT director of the international beverage division of US-based consumer products company Sara Lee Corporation, whose brands include Douwe Egberts coffee. PZ Cussons, which moves to new corporate headquarters near Firm behind Ithaca goes into liquidation owing £2m BY SIMON BINNS AND MICHAEL FAHY The company that operates Manchester’s Ithaca restaurant has gone into liquidation. Ithaca (Manchester) Ltd, the operating company which ran the John Dalton Street venue, is being wound up via a creditors’ voluntary liquidation handled by David Mond of Timperley-based accountancy firm Hodgsons. The business has liabilities of more than £2m, including £1.1m to NatWest Bank and more than £300,000 to investors, including £130,000 to founder Arnie Hira and his brother Manoj and £65,625 to co-investor Tony Ford, senior partner of Manchester-based corporate finance boutique Ford Campbell. More than £320,000 is also owed to Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and other unsecured creditors total £129,000. Hira claimed the bar and restaurant cost £3m when it opened in 2008. It was promoted as an opulent A-list venue for Manchester’s high earners, and counted Victoria Beckham and US rapper Jay Z among its customers. The restaurant, which was still SEE ITHACA, PAGE 18 LA route a Turkish delight for airport BY JAMES CHAPELARD Manchester could have an air link to Los Angeles thanks to Turkey’s national carrier. Turkish Airlines — whose public face is Hollywood heartthrob Kevin Costner — told Crain’s that it is considering whether to add a route to LA through Manchester from its Istanbul hub. The airline, which has ambitious plans for expansion in the USA, already flies to Istanbul from Manchester. Sources, however, say the next long-haul announcement will come from Kuala Lumpur, where airport bosses are in talks with Air Asia X and Malaysia Airlines to start a new direct long-haul service. Malaysia-based budget airline Air Asia X started flying to its Kuala Lumpur hub from London Stansted in March with Manchester narrowly missing out. A high-level source said: “A new Kuala Lumpur route remains strongest immediate possibility.” An announcement may be made next year. Sources also indicate that Virgin Atlantic is studying the possibility of starting services to US destinations, including Boston, after holding recent talks with airport officials. The Manchester–Boston air link stoped in 2008. Manchester Airport, whose passenger numbers have fallen 11.8 per cent in the last 12 months to 19m, compared with from 22m in 2007, is actively seeking to boost its long- Media project in converted warehouse close to signing big occupiers BY SIMON BINNS LOOKING SHARP he Sharp Project, a former warehouse in Manchester’s Newton Heath district which is being converted into a media content production hub, is hoping to let 100,000 sq ft in the first quarter of 2010. Managers of the publicly-funded development are in advanced negotiations with two potential occupiers which would each take 30,000 sq ft on two floors. Sue Woodward, project director at the Sharp Project, said one of the firms involved in talks would be a “headline occupier” at the 250,000 sq ft building, although she would not say who it was. “It’s a big, well-known firm,” she said. “The fact they are coming effectively means that this project will work. We’ve had production companies and data centre firms looking at that space. We’ve got three companies looking at the ground floor and discussions with the top floor occupier are at an advanced stage.” The Sharp Project, which is owned by Manchester City Council and run by regeneration company New East Manchester, will comprise office space, an 18,000 sq ft sound stage, a 4,000 sq ft CGI studio and a music studio of the same size, and a central “campus” area offering ad-hoc work space. It will have a 24-rack data centre operated by IT Construct, which will also be a tenant. Sue Woodward and one of the container offices T SEE WHAT’S NEWS, PAGE 2 SEE SHARP, PAGE 18 SEE AIRPORT, PAGE 18 Leading Page 3 TINY FASHION LABEL WINS ORDER FROM RIVER ISLAND http://CrainsManchesterBusiness.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crain's Manchester Business - 21-25 December, 2009

Crain's Manchester Business - 21-25 December, 2009