Cooper Parry teams up with Microsoft on new offer

A business advisory firm has teamed up with a global IT giant to help companies run their day-to-day processes and operations more efficiently – for a £1.

Cooper Parry, is working alongside Microsoft to help businesses and organisations access and implement Microsoft Dynamics NAV – an ERP software.

The software, used by thousands of businesses across the world, helps companies to integrate its finance, manufacturing, logistics, customer relationship management and supply chain systems.

Cooper Parry is now selling the licences for £1 for 3 users to all new customers as part of a winter campaign it is promoting with Microsoft. The offer, which finishes on 23 December, aims to help businesses get started with Microsoft Dynamics NAV, and is open to any organisation that has not previously purchased it.

Andrew Geer, Partner at Cooper Parry IT Solutions, said: “This promotion has been designed to help businesses run their processes more efficiently through the use of technology.

“This software will equip companies with a complete system to help them in the day-to-day operations of the business.

“Teaming up with Microsoft is part of our aim to help clients align their IT strategy with business objectives, resulting in improved business performance and a fast return on their IT investment.”

A few months ago, Cooper Parry strengthened its IT offering after it entered the Microsoft Top Ten UK Dynamics NAV Partner list - the only business advisory firm to have made the list.

It recently won its largest IT contract yet with one of the UK's biggest haulage firms.

The deal with Pall-Ex,will see Cooper Parry run the operations and supply chain of the firm's haulage network via the internet.

Pall-Ex said the new system was crucial to the long-term success of Pall-Ex in UK and Europe and would help improve customer service, transport management and extend its network.

Cooper Parry teams go the distance

COLLEAGUES AT BUSINESS ADVISERS Cooper Parry took part in a six week Pedometer challenge as part of the firm's HR led wellbeing programme.

The firm gave out free pedometers and invited teams of five to take on a challenge to clock up enough cumulative mileage to reach the South of France before the end of the six week period.

Eighteen teams took part across their three offices in the region and progress was plotted on Google maps each week.

The winning team– ‘Steptacular’ – were from the Nottingham office and walked 1,598.52 miles between them over six weeks which took them into Italy, beating their nearest rivals from the Leicester office, ‘Phil’s four foxes’ by 169.55 miles.

Team Captain, Carl Olpin said “We were fully committed to the task right from the start – it was good fun.”

Fellow team mate, Jennifer Manning-Ohren said, "We've shared a lot of banter along the way; it’s amazing how far you can get under your own steam and when there’s office pride at stake!”

They reached their weekly step total by teaming up after work at various locations across the county using head torches and reflective gear. They also walked in to work and arranged week-end walks.

Carl Olpin, Rob Brighton, Joanne Straw, Katie Cuthbert and Jennifer Manning-Ohren made up the winning team.

Jeremy Bowler, Chief Executive at the firm said, "We set this challenge as part of our 'wellbeing' programme. It has been by far the most successful internal event we have staged. It is great to see teams working together, not just in the workplace, but outside of that too. This team led most weeks and were able to achieve consistency of form, which made the difference.”

The winning team members were each given £50 worth of vouchers for their efforts.

Cooper Parry has been working hard to promote a healthy workplace and launched a wellbeing programme twelve months ago.

To date, the initiative has included, intranet and blogs focusing on all aspects of wellbeing, including advice on nutrition and stress management together with fitness tests. The firm invited a team from New Balance to visit their offices to do gait testing and give advice on running and the use of correct footwear. The firm also encouraged participation with and free sessions for British Military Fitness Groups. The firmed arranged for local masseurs to visit each office and gave free massage and relaxation sessions and practical advice on how to de-stress in the workplace. They have also made available a selection of fruit which has been given out to all team members at least once a month. They also implemented the firm’s Wednesday Walks – where team members were encouraged to leave their desks and do a planned walk at each office location at Wednesday lunchtimes.

Cooper Parry is a leading employer in the region, known for its emphasis on being active in the community, promoting the benefits of adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle in combination with helping the environment. They organise two corporate relays each year in Nottingham and Derby.

Cooper Parry win Leading Adviser in the Midlands Family Business Awards

A regional business advisory firm has been recognised for the services it provides to family-run companies by scooping an award.

Cooper Parry beat off strong competition to win the “Leading Adviser” category in the first-ever Midlands Family Business Awards.

The firm won the prize following a rigorous application process and assessment interview. Other shortlisted companies in the running for the award included PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Smith Cooper, Action Coach and Vistage.

Colin Shaw, the firm’s Chairman, said: “We are delighted to have won this award which is a major achievement for us and a real testimony to the work we do and the service we provide to family businesses in the region.”

“As a business we have always understood the huge role played by family businesses to the local economy and it is a real honour to be recognised for our part in helping them to thrive and contribute to the community in which we live.”

“Winning this award goes a long way to realising our vision of being number one in our chosen markets by growing, protecting and realising value for our clients.”

The award was announced at a ceremony hosted by The Wilson Organisation at Thrumpton Hall, attended by hundreds of family business owners and professionals.

Designed as a not-for-profit venture, all proceeds from the awards will go to three charities that support young enterprise and young people: The Children's Society, The Willow Foundation and The Venture Foundation.

Read More here

Rapala acquires Dynamite Baits in multi-million pound deal

Rapala VMC Group has finalised the acquisition of 100 % of the share capital of Dynamite Baits Ltd in a transaction originated and led by Cooper Parry Corporate Finance and Geldards law firm.

Nottingham based Dynamite which employees 60 people is, a manufacturer of groundbaits, boilies, liquid attractants, pellets and bagged particle baits for sport fishing.

Founded some 15 years ago, Dynamite manufactures and sells a wide range of baits in particular for carp fishing under its main brand Dynamite Baits and other sub brands. Dynamite is a market leader in premium carp baits in the UK and it has a good market share of the carp and groundbait market in other European countries. In 2009, the net sales of Dynamite were GBP 6.5 million of which some 20% was outside the UK.

Dynamite has its own efficient distribution system in the UK securing deliveries directly to some 1,200 sales outlets within 72 hours from receipt of order. Its products enjoy an excellent reputation for catching fish. The acquisition of Dynamite Baits brings Rapala into an important segment of the bait market in which it has not been represented before.

"Dynamite is an ideal fit for the Rapala family of brands," said Jorma Kasslin, CEO of Rapala. "Their products have a great reputation with anglers and are widely known for their quality. We intend to take this quality brand to the global marketplace via our network of Group distribution companies and to widen their product range. As a result of the Dynamite acquisition we are able to offer a wide range of products including baits, hooks, accessories, terminal tackle and fishing lines to the carp fisherman. In addition, in the UK we are able to combine the distribution of our group products with those of Dynamite."

"It was a difficult decision to sell the business that was founded by my partner and I some 15 years ago," said Marcus Twidale, Managing Director of Dynamite. "But the decision was made easier knowing that the Dynamite product range, quality and good service will continue, and that Dynamite is able to benefit quite significantly from some distribution and product synergies as a member of the Rapala VMC Group." Marcus will continue as the Managing Director of Dynamite after the acquisition.

This acquisition is part of Rapala’s strategy for profitable growth and it will make Rapala a strong player in the growing carp fishing market in Europe. Carp fishing is the fastest growing market in fishing throughout Europe. It contributes to the Group’s brand strategy and portfolio while it leverages Rapala’s unique sourcing and distribution platforms.

Rapala aims to significantly expand its sales to carp fishermen in the next few years by more than doubling Dynamite’s 2009 sales. Before this deal, Rapala had only moderate sales of carp fishing products predominantly in France and few East European markets.

The Shareholders of Dynamite Baits Limited were advised on the sale by David Browne and John Bryant of Cooper Parry Corporate Finance and David Tilly and Debra Martin of Geldards provided legal advice. Commenting on the transaction John Bryant, Director said, "It is fantastic to see a local business become recognised as a World leader in its field and we are delighted to have contributed to its success and ultimate sale."

Geldards Partners David Tilly and Debra Martin advised Dynamite on the disposal, assisted by solicitor, Jenny Allen.

David Tilly said: "We are delighted to have advised Dynamite on this deal. It's a real Nottingham success story and it’s great to see such a forward thinking company achieve success. This type of deal provides a lot of satisfaction for all involved."

Cooper Parry Corporate Finance seal deal for Parnutt Foods

Lincolnshire based Parnutt Foods has been acquired by Volac International, a leading international dairy nutrition group, in a transaction originated by Cooper Parry Corporate Finance.

Parnutt Foods is a successful and well-established specialist in young animal nutrition, with a particular focus on piglet and pet nutrition. Formed in 1985, the business has a strong reputation for product quality and customer service. The company’s founders, John Gibson and Paul Lane, will remain as directors of the company.

Volac and Parnutt Foods have worked together for a number of years and the acquisition will allow both companies to work with their customers by combining their joint knowledge to develop their young animal feed businesses in the piglet, equine and pet food markets across Europe.

Cooper Parry acted for the vendors. Corporate Finance Director Matthew Proudlove commented, "Our clients built up an impressive business and it strongly complements Volac’s product range. The deal will provide an exciting platform for further growth."

The vendors received legal advice from Gavin White, Corporate Partner at Fraser Brown who added "This was a great deal to work on – Parnutt are leaders in their field and with the Volac network behind it the business looks likely to go from strength to strength."

The terms of the transaction were undisclosed.

Danny Parker promoted to Partner

Regional Business advisers Cooper Parry have further strengthened their team by promoting Danny Parker to Partner.

Danny becomes one of twenty-four partners championing three offices in the region and a further office in London.

Danny works closely with his clients to provide strategic advice and support to help them create opportunities and tackle the challenges they face in their businesses.

He became a director at Cooper Parry in 2004 as an Audit Manager before quickly moving up the ranks to become a Director in 2006. Prior to joining Cooper Parry, Danny was part of the team at Dafferns in Coventry where he qualified, before going on to spend five years with KPMG in Nottingham.

Danny said, "I am delighted to be taking on the role of Partner and will continue to drive the ongoing growth and success of the firm. The promotion allows me to focus on my clients and to work with colleagues to help to maintain and grow our clients’ prosperity."

Commenting on the appointment, Cooper Parry’s Chief executive, Jeremy Bowler said, "We feel incredibly well placed as a business and Danny’s promotion is a key step in building the resource that we need to match demand from our clients. We have a clear vision to become No 1 in our chosen markets by growing, protecting and realising value for our clients and Danny will be an important contributor to achieving that vision."

Cooper Parry further strengthens Tax Team with appointment of Mark Pashley

Business Advisers, Cooper Parry have made a significant new signing - Mark Pashley as a Business Tax partner based in Nottingham.

Mark will focus on advising family businesses and entrepreneurial clients in minimising their overall tax burden, as well as being heavily involved in handling the tax issues that come out of transactional deal work.

Before his appointment with Cooper Parry, he was a Director at Tenon where he worked for ten years and before that was at PricewaterhouseCoopers for twelve years.

Mark said about his appointment, "I am delighted to have joined Cooper Parry as a business tax partner and really excited about further bolstering the tax capability in the East Midlands to help achieve the firm’s goal of being number one in the region in the core owner managed market of £5-£50m turnover businesses."

He continued, "As a local lad and having focused on the Nottingham marketplace for my entire professional career I am really excited about building a significant portfolio of new clients where my tax knowledge and commercial experience can add real value to business plans and objectives."

Philip Rogers, Head of Business Tax at Cooper Parry said, "This is a big signing for us, we are thrilled to have Mark on board, alongside the four other tax partners that we have, giving us real strength and depth to our tax team across the region."

Budget 2010 - Cooper Parry analysis

Alistair Darling presented his third and possibly his final Budget on 24 March 2010. As expected, the Budget focused on the tough choices ahead to support the fragile recovery of the UK economy as well as tackling the massive level of Government debt.

Click to view Cooper Parry's full Budget 2010 analysis

Cooper Parry and Browne Jacobson advise on £4.4m Venture Capitalist backed management buyout of LEEC Limited

Cooper Parry Corporate Finance and law firm Browne Jacobson have advised the management team of LEEC Limited on a £4.4m VC backed management buyout, funded by Octopus Ventures and Lloyds TSB.

LEEC, whose head office is in Colwick, Nottingham has established itself as the UK market leader in the design and manufacture of mortuary and laboratory products.

The Company provides a full turnkey solution to a variety of customers in the mortuary sector including the NHS, local authorities, universities and funeral directors, offering a unique service which includes consultation, design and manufacture along with ongoing maintenance and servicing.

The laboratory division manufactures and supplies a range of incubators, safety cabinets, drying cabinets and humidity cabinets for the healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical sectors and many others. New laboratory products are constantly being developed with the Company recently launching a state of the art CO2 incubator range, targeted primarily at the export market.

Equity funding was provided by Octopus Ventures, with debt and working capital facilities provided by Lloyds TSB which will allow LEEC to continue to develop new products, expand into new geographical markets and provides a solid platform for future growth.

The transaction was led by the MD Paul Venners who throughout his 21 years at the Company has been instrumental to the growth and development of the business.

John Bryant and Rob Burden from Cooper Parry Corporate Finance advised the management team on the transaction. John Bryant said, "We are proud to have supported Paul in his desire to purchase Leec Limited and work with Octopus Ventures helping to position the business for its planned growth into international markets." He continued, “It’s also a fantastic result for Cooper Parry, completing our second deal in a week.”

Law firm Browne Jacobson advised the management team, led by Mark Hughes and Paul McCannah, with Shaun McCabe advising on the banking arrangements. Mark commented, "The deal provides the opportunity to build upon the success already achieved by Paul over many years." He continued, "It is the latest in a series of mid-market private equity deals that we have been involved in and it is very encouraging to see a return to deals of this type successfully reaching completion."

Mark Nunny and Stuart Nicol from Octopus Ventures led the investment in LEEC Limited, Stuart said, “We’re looking forward to working with Paul in the next stage of the company’s development. We’ve been impressed by the company’s strong trusted relationship with its UK mortuary customers. Our funds will help to ensure that the company remains the market leader in this niche.”

Liz Fuge from Lloyds Banking Group said, “Our team, led by myself and relationship director Leo Magee, has worked closely with LEEC for many years. The company’s experienced management team has a strong track record and we were pleased to support this transaction with a collaborative approach from different divisions within the bank to provide the diverse funding solution required.”

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Nottingham Forest help launch 8th Cooper Parry Corporate Challenge

Nottingham Forest midfielders Guy Moussi and Radoslaw Majewski were down at the training ground with Nottingham business advisers Cooper Parry today to launch the firm’s team challenge that takes place alongside the Experian Robin Hood half marathon on 12th September 2010.

The Cooper Parry Corporate Challenge is an event specifically aimed at local businesses. Teams of five follow the same course as the Experian Robin Hood half Marathon with each team member running around 2.5 miles before passing over the ‘baton’.

Race Organiser, Melanie Campbell said, “This is our eighth year organising the event and we’re really pleased to have Nottingham Forest on board as partners.”

The Cooper Parry Corporate Challenge remains the UK's largest corporate relay and is the single highest contributor to the Robin Hood marathon charities. The event has raised some £200,000 over the last seven years for the marathon charities and in 2010 the firm hopes to increase their fundraising even more.

Ben White, Nottingham Forest said, “It’s great to be supporting Cooper Parry’s team event and we encourage businesses to take up the challenge and raise money for worthy causes. We will be putting forward a Nottingham Forest team and are already looking forward to the day.”

Last year East Midlands Development Agency (emda) won the race in a time of 1:27:53. In second place was MMD Mining Developments Ltd with a time of 1:28:41 and in third place, Perkins Restaurant, in a time of 1:31:57.

Cooper Parry Chairman, Colin Shaw, said: ‘It’s a great day for everyone, whether you’re a serious team of runners or just in it for fun. We all try to raise as much money as possible for charity, local businesses have great fun and get a little fitter along the way. Nearly £30,000 was raised last year and this was a commendable effort in the economic climate.’

He continued ‘It is genuinely a fantastic day out for all, but more importantly it is an opportunity for local businesses to give back to the community we live and work in.’

This year’s event takes place on Sunday 12 September 2010.

For businesses interested in entering a team please contact Melanie Campbell on 0115 9580212 or enter a team here