Manton Executives

Cheltenham man diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome opens first premises for six-figure start-up

by Business spotlightNews

A Cheltenham man who struggled to find work after being diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome has seen his bedroom start-up achieve a six-figure turnover – and has now opened his first premises.

Luke Manton, founder of virtual PA providers Manton Executives, has opened the business’s first permanent premises on the back of recent growth, and welcomed two permanent team members as part of ongoing expansion.   

Luke, who is 30 and grew up in Cheltenham, suffered brain damage and was diagnosed with Adult-Onset Tourette’s Syndrome in 2018. After a year-long job search proved unsuccessful, Luke decided to put his marketing and events experience to use and launched Manton Executives in 2020.

The business provides ad-hoc support with a range of online business tasks, from email and calendar management to video conferencing support and social media brand building, operating as a virtual PA from an hour per day.

Now, two years on from its launch, the business has a three-month waiting list for its services, which Luke and his team provide to businesses of all sizes as well as social media influencers and entrepreneurs.

Luke said: “It’s been a rollercoaster couple of years for the business from the uncertainty of setting up, dealing with lockdown, and then building a client base to now expanding, and having our first premises. It’s another huge milestone for us after achieving six-figure turnover this summer.

“It was a tough time for me before I set up the business. I had faced a lot of rejection and had put that down to my Tourette’s, so setting up on my own and then being successful has been a really positive experience, if challenging at times.

“I used to work on this site, and when I heard there was a unit available here, we reached out on a Wednesday and had signed for it on the Friday. It was a very quick decision, and now it really feels like the beating heart of the business as we continue to grow.”

“We want our office space to feel as much like a home as possible – a place that you look forward to working in and has a relaxed feel to it, as well as being inviting and comfortable for our clients.

“It’s all part of a collaborative, flexible working culture that we are building here and that really feeds into our interactions with our clients whether online or in person.”

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offer flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Lucy Iles, site manager at Space Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “Luke and his team are a fantastic addition to the Space business community, and a prime example of how our units are a great fit for business owners looking to open their first premises.

“The growth that Luke has overseen over the last couple of years is incredible, and we are thrilled to be playing a part in the next phase of his growth.”

For more information about Manton Executives visit www.mantonexecutives.com

To find out more about AC Lloyd Space Business Centres, visit www.aclloydspacebc.com

Pictured: Katie Dutton, Luke Manton and Jane Gillings of Manton Executives

WP 2

SPACE BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Street food favourites hitting the road from Cheltenham base

by Business spotlightNews

A street food business in Gloucestershire has set its sights on conquering the rest of the UK after expanding to a Cheltenham business park.

Cheltenham-based The Woozy Pig is hoping to take its high-quality burgers and hot dogs to festivals, corporate events and weddings nationwide after getting a taste for the national festival circuit.

The event catering business, which is run by professionally trained chef Matt Jefferies, only uses local suppliers and has become a favourite on the Cheltenham street-food scene with regular appearances at the Cheltenham Food Festival and other local events.

After moving to new premises at AC Lloyd Space Business Centre Cheltenham, the Woozy Pig has taken its street food truck to Wing Fest UK at the London Stadium and will head to Herefordshire for Lakefest, the UK’s fastest-growing family festival, in August.

Matt wants to take The Woozy Pig to more large-scale national events as it continues to grow.

He said: “We pride ourselves in using the best local suppliers to create real quality dishes for all sorts of events from weddings and celebrations to corporate functions and music festivals.

“We want to keep the momentum up now because we are gaining traction on the national circuit and are taking on more events in new places to showcase our food.

“Our new unit is a perfect size for us to achieve this as it is in a great location close to town with good national transport links for when we do head across the country for big events.

“We pivoted during lockdown to provide a ‘re-heat at home’ delivery service, which proved extremely popular and helped us to survive. Now that most of the major festivals are back up and running, we want to take our product to as many people as possible both in the region and across the UK.

“We are a fairly small team with just four of us working full time, so we gain huge satisfaction from seeing the business continue to grow, and having our fantastic base in Cheltenham at Space Business Centre and our amazing local suppliers has definitely played a part in that.”

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offer flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Lucy Iles, site manager at Space Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “It is inspiring to see the hard work that Matt and the team are putting into growing the Woozy Pig brand by consistently impressing wherever they go, and it is no surprise that they are making inroads on the national festival circuit.

“The Woozy Pig is a prime example of how our units can be a catalyst for entrepreneurs to turn a business idea into a success, and we hope that they will keep their strong local roots for years to come.”

Stay up-to-date with The Woozy Pig on Instagram by following @thewoozypig.

Trilvee pic

Pioneering transport start-up heads to Cheltenham for next phase of development

by News

An innovative technology start-up is looking to transform urban transportation from a state-of-the-art business centre in Cheltenham.

Trilvee, which is developing a teleoperated, on-demand transport service to minimise congestion and the need for parking and cut emissions in UK cities while reducing costs for road users, has launched the next phase of its development at AC Lloyd Space Business Centre in Cheltenham.

The company, which is based in London and comprises a team of software and automotive experts, is using the unit as a hardware and design workshop to test and develop prototypes, including a two seat, stabilised, three-wheel electric vehicle to meet most urban transport needs.

The lightweight fully electric vehicle reduces the energy used per mile compared to standard EVs without requiring the materials and energy of resource-intensive EV manufacturing, as well as mitigating the initial cost of a personal electric vehicle and reducing space and energy wasted on unoccupied seats.

Trilvee’s research suggests that around two thirds of all car journeys are single occupant and most of the rest are two.

Once a ride has been requested, an electric vehicle is driven remotely to the customer’s location. The customer gets into the vehicle and self-drives to their destination, whereupon they exit the vehicle, end their ride, and remote operators drive the empty vehicle to the next customer or for top up charging.

Trilvee hopes for its service, which is accessed by requesting a ride via a smartphone app, to start an initial trial in 2023 with full rollout to the public in 2024.

James Campbell, co-founder and Director of Automotive at Trilvee, said: “Space Cheltenham is a perfect development location for us as we have been able to tailor the unit to our specific needs while we perfect our design and hardware.

“It is a very exciting project that started as a conversation among colleagues in the automotive industry and eventually transitioned into an ambitious but achievable means of transport as we explored the potential benefits of on-demand, space-saving travel and how we might be able to bring it to market.

“The work that we are undertaking at Space is vital to our progress in the coming months and years, and the location in general provides opportunities for us to develop our extra-urban network further down the line, with inner-city travel the priority for 2024.”

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offer flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Lucy Iles, site manager at Space Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “It’s been fascinating to see the work that Trilvee has been doing and we are thrilled that they have chosen Space Business Centres as an ideal location outside of London to house their workshop.

“We are excited to see what James and the team can achieve over the next few years.”

For more information about Trilvee, visit www.trilvee.com

AC Lloyd Tachbrook Park-6353

Space Business Centre Warwick to create hundreds of jobs

by News

The final development in a major business and industrial park in Warwickshire is set to create hundreds of jobs and scores of new companies in Warwick and Leamington.

The Space Business Centre Warwick is being created by developer AC Lloyd Commercial and is designed to attract start-up and expanding enterprises and will be a mix of office, industrial and storage units and will provide short-term flexible accommodation to help the businesses grow.

The scheme, which will feature 61 units ranging from 200 sq ft to 500 sq ft, is the final development at Tachbrook Park which was started by AC Lloyd in the early 1980s, and is now home to hundreds of companies.

AC Lloyd has successful Space Business Centres in Gloucester and Cheltenham and has already had strong interest in the £5.5 million Warwick scheme which is not due for completion until the first quarter of next year.

Mark Edwards, Managing Director of AC Lloyd Commercial, said: “It is totally fitting that the final development to complete Tachbrook Park is designed to help companies grow and thrive as, over the last four decades, that is exactly what the park has done for the local and the region’s economy.

“Our Space Business Centres are designed entirely to help companies grow. There are monthly licences rather than longer leases, and there is a range of spaces and uses which make them suitable for a wide variety of businesses.

“We have found that they are the perfect springboard for young companies, many of which have been developed in people’s homes or garages, and they offer the first step on the commercial property ladder.

“The Warwick and Leamington area has always been a hive of innovation and entrepreneurship and we have been really pleased with the level of interest, and hopefully many of the future tenants will thrive and grow to be employers on the park.”

The completion of the steel frame work for the 35,000 sq ft development was marked by a visit from Warwick District Council Planning Cabinet Member Councillor John Cooke and Craig Humphrey, managing director of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Hub.

Humphrey said the post-pandemic timing of the development could be perfect for many young companies.

He said: “Many people used the pandemic to re-evaluate their working lives and anecdotally many have started their own businesses. Two years down the line many of them will be ready to make the step from home into dedicated premises, and this scheme will allow them to do that without the long-term commitment of a more traditional route.

“It is always really important for any area to have a pipeline of growing businesses, and the Space Business Centre will help feed that.”

Councillor Cooke, who is also a county councillor, said: “Tachbook Park is a jewel in Warwickshire’s commercial crown and is home to some of our key companies, so it is great to think that the future generation of economic drivers may well be starting life at this scheme.

“AC Lloyd has been shaping Tachbook Park across four decades, and this will ensure that continues well into the future.”

Gloucester

Gloucestershire business sites have all the ingredients for success JUNE BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

by Business spotlight

A group of independent catering businesses are leading a culinary uprising at two Gloucestershire business parks, with flexible licences and a prime location helping owners rise above the competition.

A pair of new arrivals in recent weeks has seen Space Business Centres in Cheltenham and Gloucester turned into independent catering havens, with eight local business owners now using the units to prepare, serve and deliver a range of culinary delights for local foodies and town-centre shoppers.

The Woozy Pig, a street food and event catering business, and Three Little Pigs, a family-run burger and breakfast takeaway and delivery outlet, both launched at Space Cheltenham and Gloucester respectively in the spring, joining the likes of Japanese-inspired Sushi Day, and artisan bakers and suppliers Boys Bakery, as well as Humble Crumb and Nicky’s Cakes & Bakes across the two sites.  

The Gloucester site, which is located just off Bristol Road, is home to a number of takeaway businesses including Sushi Day, the Cotswold Caterer, Humble Crumb, Nicky’s Cakes and Bakes and Three Little Pigs, creating a culinary community for business owners and visitors.

Fill Your Boots, a zero-waste loose food and household essentials shop, can also be found on site, while Boys Bakery uses the site as a place to conduct business and grow the across the region, supplying other businesses and restaurants while creating delicious artisan food and drink for the public on select days throughout the month.

The Woozy Pig, which serves legendary brunch burgers on Saturdays and Sundays, uses its Cheltenham location as a base for its festival activity, and is joined by Dirty Boys, a takeaway and sandwich shop. A number of the resident businesses will be attending the Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival which runs at Montpellier Gardens from Friday, June 24 to Sunday, June 26.

Luca Bagattin, owner of Three Little Pigs, said: “I have really enjoyed the first couple of months at Space Business Centre. The unit we have is just perfect for what we doing and we are extremely glad to have such nice people on site.

“Regarding our business, I am very happy that customers are recommending us and are happy with the quality of the food, which really pushes us to do better and better.”

Lucy Iles, Site Manager at Space Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “Our resident businesses have helped to create thriving business communities across both sites, which has been conducive to lots of success and growth especially with our food and catering businesses.  

“There is now a huge variety for people to enjoy whether they are popping in after doing some shopping or are looking for their new favourite takeaway treat, which perfectly complements the range of other businesses we have across our Space sites.

“Our tenants are very active on the regional festival circuit, and having a fixed location is a great way to boost their reputations, with happy customers able to seek them out whenever they are in town.”

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offers flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.