HMRC unlikely to receive payment from Harrogate company collapse

Unsecured credits and HMRC are unlikely to receive any payment after the collapsed of failed Harrogate company Amvoc, administrators have said.

The telemarketing company, which was based at Cardale Park, collapsed and was placed into administration in March this year.

In a latest administrators report published this week, Gareth Lewis, Lewis Business Recovery and Insolvency, said it is anticipated funds will be available to pay former staff.

However, HMRC, which is classed as a “secondary preferential creditor”, and unsecured credits are expected to receive no money.

According to the report, employees are owed £233,507.52 in wages, holiday pay and pension contribution arrears.

Meanwhile, HMRC is owed £1.1 million in unpaid VAT, unpaid employees PAYE and national insurance, student loan deductions and industry scheme deductions.

Mr Lewis said in his report that it is unlikely that any repayment will be made.

He said:

“If funds are available to pay a dividend to the secondary preferential creditors, this claim will be adjudicated accordingly.

“However, at present, it is not anticipated that there will be sufficient funds to do so.”

Mr Lewis added that there was “no likelihood” that unsecured creditors, who were previously estimated to be owed £868,267, would receive payment. 

According to the report, equipment from the company’s old offices on Cardale Park, such as computers, desk and chairs, had now been sold.

‘Cash flow difficulties’

Damian Brockway set up Amvoc, the trading name of A Marketing Vocation Ltd, from a small office in Dacre in 2010. It sold telemarketing services, initially in the legal sector, and grew rapidly, moving first to Pateley Bridge and then to large offices at New York Mills near Summerbridge.

It opened a new head office on Cardale Park in Harrogate in 2015, a facility in Leeds in 2018 and an office in Manchester in 2022.  It also had plans to expand to London.

At the time of its collapse, Amvoc employed 230 staff.

Staff were left shocked on March 17 this year when they received a late night email from Mr Brockway saying “all our offices are closed with effect from tonight”. It went on to blame “covid debts”.

Mr Lewis said in his administrator’s report that in September 2017, the company entered into a company voluntary arrangement as a result of “cash flow difficulties” because of the loss of a major customer and “significant bad debt”.

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate care provider hires learning development manager

Are you already thinking of how to reward your employees this Christmas? Why not choose the Harrogate Gift Card?

The Harrogate Gift Card can be spent in over 100 businesses in Harrogate town centre including retail, hospitality and leisure, whilst keeping the spend locked into the local economy.

Complete a corporate bulk order of over £250 and receive 15% discount from November 1 to 15 with the code ‘HGT15’.

Harrogate-based Vida Healthcare has appointed a new learning development and quality manager.

Arron Bolland will oversee the company’s new training facility, Vida Academy, on Starbeck High Street.

Mr Bolland will be tasked with overseeing the creation and implementation of continuous training programs for all staff roles at Vida Healthcare.

James Rycroft, managing director at Vida Healthcare, said: 

“Arron’s dedication to providing our residents with the best possible care is evident in his career progression throughout his time with us.

“His appointment to head up the Vida Academy team and drive our training and development offering forward was the natural next step for us.

“Vida Academy underscores our commitment to both our residents and staff, and we are looking forward to seeing the impact that Arron has on the career progression opportunities available to all our staff members.”

Harrogate estate agents wins industry awards

Harrogate estate agency Myrings has been recognised at a property industry awards.

The company picked up four accolades at the ESTAS Customer Service Awards 2023 – Gold for Sales in Yorkshire and Landlords in Yorkshire, Best in Postcode, and Agent of the Year.

Myrings staff at the awards.

Myrings staff at the awards.

The awards were based on more than 300,000 customer service ratings on the ESTAS review site, and the winners announced at an event in London hosted by TV property expert Phil Spencer.

Gemma Myring, managing director of Myrings, said:

“We are absolutely thrilled. We have always been very proud of our personal service and this proves we are delivering what we promise.”

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate consultancy firm hires new associate directors

Are you already thinking of how to reward your employees this Christmas? Why not choose the Harrogate Gift Card?

The Harrogate Gift Card can be spent in over 100 businesses in Harrogate town centre including retail, hospitality and leisure, whilst keeping the spend locked into the local economy.

Complete a corporate bulk order of over £250 and receive 15% discount from November 1 to 15 with the code ‘HGT15’.

A Harrogate consultancy firm has announce two new appointments as part of growth at the company.

Harlow Consulting, which is based at Cardale Park, has hired James Legard and Carolyn Black as associate directors.

Mr Legard has joined the firm from Purcell Architecture, while Ms Black has been appointed from the public sector in Scotland.

Jennifer Brennan, director at Harlow, said:

“We are delighted that two such strong candidates have chosen to join our growing team. James is adept at interpreting complex information to produce clear, actionable recommendations. He’s also particularly skilled in the fields of construction and heritage, which are important and growing research areas for us.

“Carolyn is a great fit for us, in terms of both her experience and values. Her diverse and expert skill set in social research will greatly strengthen our ability to deliver for our Scottish clients.

“Her understanding of the needs of the public and third sectors will be especially valuable in forwarding our mission to undertake projects with positive social impacts.”

Harrogate chamber event to focus on carbon emissions 

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce is set to hold its next meeting on November 13.

The event will focus on the way in which businesses can reduce their carbon footprint.

Zero Carbon Harrogate will introduce practical steps that businesses can take to tackle carbon emissions, including what resources and support are available.

The event will be held at Harrogate College from 5.30pm. More information is available on the EventBrite page.

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Trespass recruiting staff for new Ripon store

Outdoor clothing company Trespass looks set to open in Ripon after advertising for new staff online.

The firm has advertised for a store manager on the Indeed recruitment website.

Trespass is expected to move into the former Barclays building in Market Place East in the city.

A sign is in place at the former bank which states that the store is “coming soon” and is hiring.

Meanwhile, Jacob and Turner Ltd, which trades under the name Trespass, applied to North Yorkshire Council for advertising consent at the site in September.

It would see two signs implemented at the former bank.

The Stray Ferret has approached Trespass to ask if it had an opening date for its new store and how many staff it was looking to hire.

However, we did not receive a response by the time of publication.

The outdoor clothing specialist currently has a store on Harrogate’s James Street.

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It’s time to meet this year’s Stray Ferret Business Award judges!

Once again there is representation from some big hitters across the Harrogate district. The judges have been chosen for their wealth of experience in driving growth in a variety of sectors.

Each judge kindly gives their free time to participate in the process. Any judge with a conflict of interest in a particular category will step away for the duration of those discussions.

Last year’s judging panel is a tough act to follow so let’s see who has taken over the mantle.

Sarah Barry, Chief Executive Officer at Harrogate Town AFC

Sarah began her career in advertising at the Yorkshire Post and Harrogate Advertiser series before joining Harrogate’s first local radio station, Stray FM – which was the start of a varied management career in commercial radio before finally becoming the Managing Director of multi-award winning Stray FM – one of the UK’s most successful commercial radio stations of its size.

In September 2021, Sarah joined Harrogate Town AFC as CEO and in June 2023, Sarah was recognised at the Football Business Awards as the SkyBet League Two CEO of the year, as voted for by fellow SkyBet League Two CEO’s.

James Rycroft, Managing Director of VIDA Healthcare

James Rycroft formed Vida Healthcare in 2010 in order to offer exceptional care for people living with dementia. Over the years he has designed, developed and now operates 300 beds and employs over 500 staff.

All Vida’s homes have been rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission which is a direct result of James’ passion for quality care and quality environments.

Niall Gunn, CEO of Prosperis

Niall is an executive in retail financial services, wealth management and employee benefits with over 40 years’ experience in various executive roles with more recent focus on management. Niall operates at board level with UK regulatory approved designations, possessing excellent broad-based problem solving, communication and stakeholder management skills to ensure delivery and high effectiveness.

Experienced in developing strategies, functions and frameworks, transformational change and developing/managing existing teams.

He is the former Chairman of the Yorkshire Life & Pensions Society for an unprecedented three terms.

Heather Parry, Former managing director of Harrogate’s Yorkshire Events Centre

Heather Parry is an events professional who has spent the last 30 years building successful businesses on the Great Yorkshire Showground, including Pavilions of Harrogate, Yorkshire Event Centre, Fodder and the Harrogate Caravan Park.

Committed to good people management, communication, pushing boundaries for success and having a happy culture.

Once the deadline for entries has passed, the judges will assess each entry in the same format and without any material that goes against the terms and conditions.

The judges score the entry according to the criteria of each category. The judges will then meet to discuss their scores and make a final decision during a single day of judging. The judging process is final and all decisions are final.

It’s free and easy to enter. We will profile the great work of all the finalists, so we would encourage you to put forward your business today.

You can see a full list of award categories on our Awards page. Entries close January 19.

Flaxby firm Ilke Homes enters liquidation with debts of £320 million

Collapsed housebuilder Ilke Homes has been put into liquidation.

The company, which was based alongside the A1(M) at Flaxby, ceased trading and entered administration in June, causing the loss of 1,100 jobs and leaving a long list of creditors.

A final report from administrators AlixPartners shows the firm left debts of £320 million.

Among the sums owed by Ilke Homes was to government housing agency Homes England, which had an estimated debt of £68.7 million.

A court order has since been filed to Companies House on October 19 which states the firm will be placed into liquidation.

According to its report, AlixPartners estimated that HMRC, employees and unsecured credits are estimated to receive no money.

Photo of the main entrance to the Ilke Homes factory site at Flaxby, showing chain-link fencing and barbed wire.

Main entrance to Ilke Homes’ Flaxby factory.

Meanwhile, Homes England is likely to receive £82,000 — some 0.1% of the overall debt it is owed.

Employee claims were estimated to be £724,614, while HMRC was owed £2.1 million and unsecured creditors debt at the company totalled £249.3 million.

Catherine Williamson, administrator at AlixPartners, said in her report that during the administration period it was determined there was “significantly less value to be realised than originally anticipated” from the company’s assets.

She said:

“Based on current information, the administrators do not anticipate that any funds will become available to enable any distributions to be made to the preferential or unsecured creditors; however, the likely levels of return are estimated and are subject to change.”

AlixPartners has been appointed as liquidators of the company.

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Shortly after Ilke Homes collapsed, administrators said the firm had “faced the challenges of unprecedented inflation and a lack of land supply linked to planning processes”.

Officials at Ilke Homes said previously that it needed additional funding to fulfil a £1 billion order book and to protect jobs, adding that new investment was needed to build its pipeline of 4,200 new homes.

Meanwhile, the Stray Ferret reported in August that more than 600 former employees of the company were to take legal action following the administration announcement.

Manchester-based law firm Aticus said it had been instructed by staff members to investigate concerns around how the redundancy process was managed.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate-based Japanese shop celebrates 25th anniversary

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, October 26 at Banyan in Harrogate from 8am to 10am. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate-based authentic Japanese store has celebrated its 25th anniversary.

The Japanese Shop, which has a distribution centre on Hookstone Avenue, sells a range of Japanese goods including kimonos and dolls.

The business was first based in Westminster Arcade in 1998, but was forced to move online during the 2008 financial crash.

Since then, the firm has gone onto grow its online store and regularly hosts pop up shops at RHS Harlow Carr.

Jez Willard, who founded the company with his wife Hiromi, said:

“We were, and still are, so passionate about Japan and Japanese culture. 

“We feel a very strong sense of duty to offer our customers the combination of authentic Japanese gifts together with a genuinely first-class customer service experience, exemplified by our free gift-wrapping, which is actually common in Japan.”

Law society to host menopause event

Harrogate and District Law Society has partnered with a solicitors to set up an event focussing on the menopause in the workplace.

Called Menopause Matters, the event will be held at Bowcliffe Hall near Leeds on November 17 between 9.30am and 4pm.

It aims to “shed light on the implications, challenges, and nuances surrounding menopause” both in the workplace and in personal lives.

Proceeds from the event, which is in collaboration with Wetherby-based Hartlaw LLP, will go to towards Daisy Network, a charity dedicated to premature ovarian insufficiency, and the Harrogate and District Law Society.

Tickets cost £85 and can be purchased on the Eventbrite page.

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Business Breakfast: Minskip bedding company secures £100,000 funding

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, October 26 at Banyan in Harrogate from 8am to 10am. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Minskip-based luxury bedding company has secured £100,000 worth of investment to help expand the brand.

Floks, which is based at Yolk Farm on Minskip Road, has been awarded the funding from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

The company was founded by Sophie Platts after she came up with the idea for a bedding brand during the covid lockdowns.

The fund is managed by Mercia Asset Management and aims to award companies funding to help with growth.

The investment will help Floks to step up its marketing campaign and develop new products to expand the range.

David Wright of Mercia said: 

“Sophie has a wealth of experience in designer homewares. Floks builds on Yorkshire’s wool trade heritage and fills a gap in the market for sustainable luxury bedding that promotes healthy sleep.

“The funding will help her to expand the business and establish the brand as a market leader in premium British wool bedding.”

Ripon Racecourse nominated for awards

Ripon Racecourse has been shortlisted as a finalist at an industry awards ceremony.

The Racecourse Association’s Showcase and Awards are set to be held on November 23 at Aintree Racecourse.

The event aims to celebrate excellence and innovation in racecourse operations and raceday experience.

Ripon has been shortlisted in both the marketing and racing foundation green categories at the ceremony.

Jonathan Mullin, operations and marketing manager at Ripon Racecourse, said: 

“It’s wonderful for us to be finalists in two categories. We’ve managed to win an award at the last two Showcase Awards, at Hamilton in 2019 and at Pontefract in 2022, which is fantastic for a small independent racecourse and it’s great to be in with a chance once more.”

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Business Breakfast: Masham brewery announces leadership changes

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, October 26 at Banyan in Harrogate from 8am to 10 am. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

Masham brewery T&R Theakston has announced changes to its leadership structure.

Simon Theakston, joint managing director of the family-controlled business, will become company chairman from January 1, 2024.

Mr Theakston will continue to be actively involved in the brewery and supporting the board in his new position.

Meanwhile, Richard Bradbury will assume the role of sole managing director.

Mr Bradbury has been a director of T&R Theakston since 2015 and joint managing director with Mr Theakston since November 2020.

Mr Theakston said:

“This is a natural evolution from how Richard and I currently work together. 

“Having jointly charted the company through the challenges of the covid pandemic and the current cost inflation impacts on the brewing and hospitality sectors, this new structure will ensure Theakston’s continued growth as we look forward to its bi-centenary in 2027 and beyond.”

Council offers businesses net zero project grants

Business grants have been made available to firms across North Yorkshire.

As part of the government’s shared prosperity funding, North Yorkshire Council has made grants and support available for companies looking to take on net zero initiatives.

Support will be offered by York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub and grants will be made available for up to £2,000 or 80% of project costs.

More information on the application process can be found on the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub website.

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate environmental firm appoints director

The Stray Ferret Business Club’s next meeting is a breakfast event on Thursday, October 26 at Banyan in Harrogate from 8am to 10 am. 

The Business Club provides monthly opportunities to network, make new connections and hear local success stories. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A Harrogate environmental company has appointed a new director.

Adler and Allan, which is based on Victoria Avenue, has hired David Jarvis as operations and commercial director.

Mr Jarvis will take up the role in the company’s newly formed water division and will be tasked with overseeing the firm’s growth strategy.

He said:

“I am impressed by Adler and Allan’s purpose, vision, and plans for growth within the water sector.

“There is nothing I enjoy more than getting my PPE on and spending time out on site with teams delivering essential services, keeping taps wet and manholes dry.”

Harrogate estate agents backs food bank challenge

A Harrogate estate agents is backing a campaign to donate one tonne of food to local food banks.

Verity Frearson is supporting Harrogate’s Supplies Web Ltd, which is aiming to complete the challenge.

It would see one tonne of food delivered to food banks in Harrogate and High Wycombe, where Supplies Web Ltd has its southern branch.

Matthew Stamford (Director VF), Paul Graves (Director SW) & Mark Hague (Business Development Manager SW).

Matthew Stamford (director VF), Paul Graves (director SW) and Mark Hague (business development manager SW).

Matthew Stamford, a director at Verity Frearson, said the firm took on the challenge after being contacted by Paul Graves, a director at Supplies Web Ltd.

He said:

“When Paul contacted us to see if we’d be interested in getting involved in their food bank challenge we jumped at the chance.

“As a business, we have made ongoing commitment to give back to the local community and to help the people who need the most support.”

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