Business Breakfast: Ripon company invests £500,000 in new manufacturing machinery

The Stray Ferret Business Awards will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event will be a celebratory night with prize draw and afterparty.

Richard Flinton, the chief executive of the new North Yorkshire Council is the guest speaker. Early bird ticket prices are available until February 9 and available to buy here. Bring your team, network and have fun. 

A Ripon company has invested £500,000 in new machinery to improve its manufacturing base.

Econ Engineering invested money into new Bystronic Xpert Pro press brakes, which are used for bending sheet metal.

The two new acquisitions, one of which is a 2500KN 3.1m machine, the other a 3200KN 4.3m machine, means the firm will be able to press materials up to a length of 7.4 metres.

This latest investment comes on the back of the family-owned and run business – which makes more than eight out of 10 winter maintenance vehicles on the UK’s roads – purchasing a £250,000 welding robot and the opening of a £7m engineering facility in Sowerby, Thirsk, which has now become home to Econ’s 1,000-strong gritter hire fleet.

Jonathan Lupton, Econ Engineering’s managing director, said: 

“The purchase of these two new press brakes is a further demonstration of our commitment to investing in new technology within our manufacturing process.

“The opening of Sowerby has given us more space within our Ripon headquarters to accommodate the press brakes and the laser cutter, which help to boost efficiency and reduce waste.

“One of our strengths is being able to adapt our products to a customer’s individual specification, and this technical advancement will enhance our ability to craft each vehicle to meet their exacting needs.”

Harrogate developer starts work on £4.5m business park

Artist’s impression of the Marrtree Business Park, Clifton Moor, York.

Artist’s impression of the Marrtree Business Park, Clifton Moor, York.

A Harrogate developer has started work on a £4.5 million new business park in York.

The 2.4 acre park will be built on the site of the former B&M store at Clifton Moor in the city.

Marrtree Investments is constructing the scheme, which will create a 27,000 sq ft of modern business space across four units ranging from 4,000 sq ft to 8,000 sq ft, as well as a Starbucks drive-through café.

William Marshall, director of Marrtree Investments, said: 

“We are really pleased to be bringing more of the high-quality modern business space, for which Marrtree has become well known, to York.

“Since the pandemic, well-thought-out, ergonomic workplaces, where people actively want to come to work each day, have become more important than ever and that’s what we aim to deliver with all our business parks and the kind of space that is in short supply for York employers.”

The new units are due to be completed in the autumn.

Harrogate-based HACS construction group has been appointed as main contractor for the construction of the business park.

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Business Breakfast: Bettys of Harrogate wins national retailer award

The Stray Ferret Business Awards will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event will be a celebratory night with prize draw and afterparty.

Richard Flinton, the chief executive of the new North Yorkshire Council is the guest speaker. Early bird ticket prices are available until February 9 and available to buy here. Bring your team, network and have fun. 

Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate has been named specialist retailer of the year at the Food and Travel Reader Awards.

The awards, which were founded in 2012, were held at the Royal Automobile Club in London’s Pall Mall.

Bettys was nominated in the category alongside Berry Bros & Rudd, Cheeses of Muswell Hill, HG Walter, Cockburns of Leith and The Umbrella Project.

Simon Eyles, Bettys managing director, said: 

“Bettys is delighted to have scooped this prestigious award, and we want to say a huge thank you to all the Food & Travel readers and the Bettys customers who voted for us.

“It’s a very proud moment for us to have our shops, whether in our Yorkshire branches or online, honoured by our customers in this way.”

Last call for EU funded workplace support scheme

Mike Sweeting, human resources officer at Aldwark Manor.

Mike Sweeting, human resources officer at Aldwark Manor.

A Knaresborough non-profit has made a final call for small businesses to take advantage of a workplace support scheme.

The Thriving at Work programme is led by Better Connect and aims to help firms create an inclusive workplace, in particular for staff who are neurodiverse, disabled, or experiencing mental health challenges.

The support, which is EU funded, is aimed at businesses across the Harrogate district and North Yorkshire.

The programme includes:

Mike Sweeting, human resources officer at Aldwark Manor which undertook the scheme, said:

“We’re very much on a journey of development, looking specifically at retaining our team, attracting the best new talent into the business, and ensuring we cultivate a great working environment where we show commitment to the development of our team.”

As the UK is no longer a member of the European Union, businesses must sign up by March 31, to take advantage of Thriving at Work’s fully funded inclusive workplace support, which will be delivered by June 30, 2023.

For more information, visit the Better Connect website here.

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate’s Windsor House opens pilates studio for tenants

The Stray Ferret Business Awards will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event will be a celebratory night with prize draw and afterparty. Richard Flinton, the chief executive of the new North Yorkshire Council is the guest speaker. Early bird ticket prices are available until February 9 and available to buy here. Bring your team, network and have fun. 

Harrogate’s Windsor House has opened a dedicated yoga and pilates studio for tenants.

Towards the end of last year, Boultbee Brookes – owners of the former Grand Hotel which is now home to more than 115 businesses – trialled lunchtime yoga classes..

As a result, the company has now created a dedicated yoga and Pilates studio, where two instructors are offering morning, lunchtime and evening classes, four times a week to its tenants.

Karen Winspear, Boultbee Brooks’ building manager for Windsor House, said: 

“When we introduced a weekly yoga class, we weren’t sure just how popular it would be.

“It proved to be a great success, and that led to us taking the step to not only increase the number of yoga classes, but to also introduce Pilates classes.

“We have created our own studio, and I’m delighted to announce that regular classes, led by Jess Barnard, for yoga, and Fern Summerton, for Pilates are now in full swing.”

Further information about Windsor House can be found at its website here.

New Harrogate business group launched to support women

Pictured from left are Carol Beeley and Sarah Shaw from LWL Harrogate and Jan Moxham of Lilypad Restaurant.

Pictured from left are Carol Beeley and Sarah Shaw from LWL Harrogate and Jan Moxham of Lilypad Restaurant.

A new business group has been launched in Harrogate aimed at offering professional support and friendship to women working in the area.

Part of the nationwide Ladies Who Latte (LWL) network, the group is free to attend and open to all women who are in employment, own a business or are starting a business.

The group will meet at Lilypad restaurant on King’s Road between 9.30am and 11.30am on the second Wednesday of every month, with the first event on February 8. 

It is being led by Carol Beeley, director of On The Spot Accountants, and Sarah Shaw, a European strategy consultant with WEConnect International.

Ms Shaw said:

“If you’ve always been nervous about networking, or are looking to meet like-minded working women in an open and relaxed setting, please do come along.

“Even if you can only spare half an hour to drop by for a quick coffee, you’ll be given a warm welcome.”

LWL is for women who want to build a professional, local support network and feel part of a business community. It offers them the opportunity to promote themselves while sharing their knowledge and passion with others, gaining inspiration and confidence to drive their ambitions and business forward.

For more information on Ladies Who Latte, visit the group’s website here.

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Business Breakfast: Harrogate law firm opens new office in Hull

The Stray Ferret Business Awards will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event will be a celebratory night with prize draw and afterparty. Richard Flinton, the chief executive of the new North Yorkshire Council is the guest speaker. Early bird ticket prices are available until February 9 and available to buy here. Bring your team, network and have fun. 

A Harrogate law firm has expanded and opened a third office in Hull.

Truth Legal, which is based on Victoria Avenue, has also employed two new lawyers to staff the new office on Bond Street in the city.

The Hull base will be overseen by Frances Ledbury, specialist immigration lawyer, and Olivia Pickering, an experienced paralegal.

The new office joins Harrogate and Leeds as Truth Legal’s locations.

Georgia Parkin, managing director at the firm, said:

“2022 was a great year for the business, our most successful to date during which we celebrated our tenth anniversary.

“To kick off 2023 with the opening of a new branch gives us the best possible start to the New Year. We’ve experienced a rapid period of expansion, particularly over the past three years, opening successful immigration law, family law and business services departments in that time.

“A real upturn in demand for our services prompted the decision to open in Hull, offering the East Riding and Lincolnshire greater access to a dedicated, specialist legal team with a proven track record.”

Harrogate entrepreneurs to be offered business advice

Start ups in the Harorgate district are being offered free support through the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub this March.

As part of the Strive Incubator programme, 30 entrepreneurs with a business idea will be able to access one-to-one advice and a series of workshops covering over 20 topics, from finances to marketing.

Delivered primarily through weekly live training sessions with regular one-to-one advice and on-demand online learning, the incubator programme is designed to make it easy and exciting to start a business.

Andrew Raby, manager of the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub, said: 

“The StriveLive start-up incubator provides a hugely valuable programme of support to our local entrepreneurs allowing them to scale their ideas and make a tangible impact upon our local economy. 

“We are very much looking forward to supporting all the entrepreneurs as they progress through this year’s programme.”

Daniela Genova, founder of Cafe Lago di Como in Harrogate who took part in the scheme, said: 

“Strive is an amazing place to learn absolutely everything you need to know about business. 

“But most importantly the team work very hard and they are always available for any questions or concerns. We really enjoyed it and we have learned a lot from the project.”

The Strive project is commissioned by the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub and supported by City of York Council and Harrogate Borough Council.

The next scheme will start on March 16, 2023.

For more information on the scheme, visit the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub website here.

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Judges shortlist finalists for the Stray Ferret Business Awards

A judging panel made up of leaders from top local businesses and organisations have shortlisted finalists for the Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023, sponsored by Prosperis.

It wasn’t a simple task, with more than 100 entries across 10 categories, which highlighted the strength of the local business community.

Our four judges were Marcus Boardall, chief executive of Reed Boardall, Black Sheep Brewery chief executive Charlene Lyons, Cloud Nine founder and chief executive Martin Rae, and James Farrar, chief operating officer of York and North Yorkshire LEP.

The judging panel met at West Park Hotel in Harrogate in the morning and debated well into the afternoon.

On Friday, January 20, the Stray Ferret will announce the shortlist for each of the 10 categories.

From growing businesses to the up-and-coming stars of the future, the categories are designed to allow businesses to showcase their strengths.

The glittering, black tie awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, March 9 at Pavilions of Harrogate. To book your tickets, click or tap here.

More pictures from the judging day:

There were lots of entries for the judges to get through.

Our judges enjoyed debating about each of the entrants.

Marcus Boardall of Reed Boardall and Martin Rae of Cloud Nine.

James Farrar of the York and North Yorkshire LEP and Charlene Lyons of Black Sheep Brewery.

Business Breakfast: Housing developers partner to begin £16m Knaresborough scheme

The Stray Ferret Business Awards will be held on March 9 at the Pavilions of Harrogate. The event will be a celebratory night with prize draw and afterparty. Richard Flinton, the chief executive of the new North Yorkshire Council is the guest speaker. Early bird ticket prices are available until February 9 and available to buy here. Bring your team, network and have fun. 

Yorkshire Housing has partnered with major housing developer Countryside to start work on a new £16 million development in Knaresborough. The company’s have agreed to work together to build the 64-home scheme on the former Trelleborg site in the town. Work will start on the development, which includes affordable housing, in March this year and be complete by March 2025. Sian Grindley, director of development at Yorkshire Housing, said:

“We’re really pleased this scheme has been given the go-ahead and it’s great to be teaming up with Countryside to deliver high-quality homes to over 60 families, that they can be proud of.

“We’re committed to providing affordable and sustainable homes with cost-effective heating, power, and thermal efficiency at a time when it’s needed more than ever. “The scheme also brings us closer towards our target of delivering 8,000 new homes across Yorkshire.”

Andy Poyner, managing director, Yorkshire, Countryside Partnerships said:

“Countryside Partnerships is committed to regenerating areas and creating communities that people can be proud of. This site will combine spacious, high-quality homes with an exciting and evolving community where people will love to live.”

Harrogate kitchen company launches rebrand

A Harrogate furniture company has rebranded for 2023. Nest Kitchens, which is based at Thompsons Yard off Skipton Road, will now operate under the name Studio Nest. The firm said it wanted to reflect the changes in what the company offered as part of its rebrand. Holly Simpson, director of Studio Nest, said:

“We are an approachable residential design studio, focused on delivering bespoke furniture and interiors in our signature modern rustic style throughout Yorkshire.  “Known for being refreshingly modern and forever classic, ultimately our spaces are reflective of the style, dreams and lifestyles of our clients.” 

The studio on Thompsons Yard will remain open Monday to Friday for design consultations.

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New veterinary practice planned for Pannal

A new vets could open on a Pannal business park.

Claro Hill Vets Ltd has lodged a proposal to convert two industrial units at Thirkill Park into a veterinary practice.

The plan would see the practice create 25 full time jobs, according to documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.

The vets would be open Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 6pm and 8am until 1pm on a Saturday.

Carter Jonas, which submitted the application on behalf of the developer, said in documents to the council:

“The business is a new advanced small animal veterinary practice with start of the art facilities, offering high end veterinary services to the local community as well as excellent employment opportunities for local people.”

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

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Harrogate barber swaps shop for van

A Harrogate barber has taken his business on the road in a former ambulance.

Christopher Anderson, who ran Bespoke Barbers on Westmoreland Street, has opted to take on clients in his new van.

The move comes as his shop in Harrogate closed its doors on December 23.

Mr Anderson, who ran the barbers for eleven-and-a-half years, said it took some consideration to take the business one the road.

He said:

“Over a year ago I started to seriously think about the possibility of professional van life.

“With a great deal of research and procrastination the dream became a reality. It has been hard to share my vision and thanks to a great deal of patience and support I’ve made it.”

The Bespoke Barbers van.

The Bespoke Barbers van.

Mr Anderson described it the move onto wheels as a steep learning curve, but added he was glad to have done it.

For more information on Bespoke Barbers, visit their Facebook page here.

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Stray Ferret Business Awards: Does your business deserve the Best Digital Marketing Campaign Award?

The Stray Ferret Business Awards 2023 are for businesses across all sectors in the Harrogate district.

In these final few days before entries close, we are revealing the last of what our judging panel is looking for when it comes to each of the 10 categories.

The final category up is the Best Digital Marketing Campaign Award, which is sponsored by Next Chapter.

Digital is clearly the way forward. This award recognises the work of businesses that have run incredible campaigns on purely digital campaigns.

Companies looking to enter need to provide information on the digital marketing plan, including its aims and objectives. Also provide statistical information on why the campaign was a success.

Does your business deserve to win the Best Digital Marketing Campaign Award at the Stray Ferret Business Awards? Entries close at 12pm on January 16. It’s simple and quick, so enter today!

Click here or the banner below to enter for the Stray Ferret Business Awards, sponsored by Prosperis.

Business Breakfast: Harrogate opticians donates high-visibility vests to primary school

Now is your time to shine with the Stray Ferret Business Awards. We are encouraging businesses of all sizes from right across the Harrogate district to enter for our awards and get recognition from our top panel of judges. Entries close on January 16.

A Harrogate opticians has donated high visibility vests to a local school.

Specsavers on Beulah Street donated the jackets to St Robert’s Catholic Primary School to help children stay safe on school trips during winter.

Fraz Khan, store director, said:

“The winter weather, fog, rain and darkness that closes in early in the afternoons make it more difficult for drivers to see pedestrians, and especially children.

“By providing the high visibility jackets to our neighbouring school, we can help to tackle concerns around road safety and make it easier for children to be seen. As part of the initiative, we are also hoping to raise awareness of regular eye test for children, as untreated sight problems can lead to more serious issues in the long term, if not addressed.”

Miss Collins, headteacher at St Robert’s, added: 

“We’re really grateful to have received this donation, the vests will be so helpful in making sure the children are clearly visible when we take them on trips and visits and means that adventures outside of the classroom don’t have to be put on hold until the spring.”

Housing developer hosts energy saving event at Harrogate scheme

A housing developer is set to host an energy saving event at its Harrogate scheme to help new homeowners.

Redrow will host a series of events at its Granby Meadows development between Saturday (January 14) and Sunday (January 22).

Prospective homebuyers will also be able to use Redrow’s energy performance certificate calculator tool, which is designed to help people compare the energy savings to their current properties and highlight the benefits of a newbuild.

James Holmear, director of Redrow, said:

“Our research shows people are more eco conscious than ever before and are looking at ways to be even more energy efficient, especially in relation to their homes.”

For more information, visit the Redrow website here.