PARTNERS
LICHFIELD & TAMWORTH CHAMBER PATRONS
CONTACT: Marilyn Castree T: 0845 603 6650
Sixty-five years of success, by George!
D
Richard Hinton (left) with Tim Rookes, former Red Cloud managing director, who is now a director of the newly merged business
New merger is first class
A Lichfield-based IT company has merged with a similar business in neighbouring Castle Donington. The two are First Class Technologies of
Lichfield, and Red Cloud IT Solutions, and will trade under the former’s name. Richard Hinton, MD of First Class
Technologies, said: “This new partnership strengthens our portfolio of IT managed services with the addition of Red Cloud’s specialist Cloud knowledge. This means we can now offer our clients an enhanced level and range of services, including in-house, hybrid and cloud solutions. “First Class Technologies has a successful heritage stretching back over 19 years and has always prided itself on providing excellent customer service and building long term relationships. This merger makes perfect sense for us and our clients, so I and the management team couldn’t be happier.”
Expert advice on deal
A Lichfield accountant has helped the management team of an accident claim specialist buy the firm from its owner. The claim specialist is Spencers Solicitors, based in Chesterfield. Roy Farmer (pictured), of Dains Corporate Finance, advised the firm’s management on the transaction to take over the firm from previous owner John Spencer. The deal saw the firm’s
managing director since 2013, Robert Landman, acquire a majority
stake in the business, with John Spencer retaining a ‘significant’ minority stake and becoming non- executive chairman. Mr Landman has been with the business for more than ten years. Mr Spencer said: “When it is your name above
the door, finding the right person to take on your business can be difficult. That is why I am delighted to be handing over the reins to Rob as I know the firm will be in very safe hands.” Roy Farmer said: “The deal allows Rob and his
team to further develop its direct-to-market offering, whilst remaining focused on developing its brand in the region.”
26 CHAMBERLINK APRIL 2016
rayton Manor Theme Park has celebrated the end of its momentous 65th anniversary season as the owners, staff,
suppliers and friends gathered to remember and honour its success over the years. The family-owned and run attraction has
come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1949, when the late George Bryan and his wife Vera arrived with the vision of building a family leisure attraction. From the opening of the Drayton Manor Hotel
five years ago, to the launch of hugely popular rides such as Shockwave and G-Force, the park is home to a 15-acre zoo, a 152-seat 4D cinema and Europe’s only Thomas Land.
The leisure industry is constantly developing and we always want to go above and beyond for our visitors’
During the lunch, long-serving staff and suppliers were shown a video about a new book about the history of the park, written by Fred Bromwich, which is due out soon. It was also announced that bronze busts of
George and Vera will be displayed at the park during the 2016 season. The park kicked off its 65th anniversary
season with the launch of a £2.5 million expansion to Thomas Land. The season also proved memorable in terms of visitor numbers, with the annual Fireworks Spectacular weekend attracting nearly 33,000 visitors over three days
From offices to new homes
at the end of October 2015. Set to the soundtrack to the ‘War of the
Worlds’, the Fireworks Spectacular was the biggest display the park has seen in 25 years and has since won national recognition at the Access All Areas, Event Production Awards for ‘Best Visual Spectacular’. On top of this, the season ended with yet
another record breaking attendance for its ‘Magical Christmas’ event, with a 34 per cent increase in visitors from the previous year.
Tribute: the bronze bust of George Bryan
Lombard House
A Lichfield city centre office block is under new ownership and will be converted into flats, after the completion of a deal by leading real estate company Cushman & Wakefield. The building is Lombard Court, in Lombard Street, which has a Grade II listed frontage. Behind
this is a modern office development of 9,506 sq ft, which will be turned into flats by new owner Uvee, a residential property developer. Uvee specialises in developing affordable rented properties for young professional tenants, and
is known for schemes aimed at tacking the spiralling cost of living in London and other cities. Lombard Court was previously owned by Wesleyan, and all of those who bid for it were
developers. Joint agent on the deal was Kingstons, a Lichfield-based agent. David Rigby, associate director of Cushman & Wakefield’s Birmingham-based office agency, said Lichfield was an increasingly popular location for young professionals.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60