In the Spotlight - Accessing Finance to Grow your Business
Photographs are available on Flickr.com. Photographs taken by 08 businessconnect member Atmosferik.
Geoff Stevenson from Liverpool Chamber emailed this morning: "Short note to congratulate you on last night's event at the Cunard Building - it was very well delivered. Again, well done, it was an enjoyable night."
Jackie Waters from Memory Catchers emailed: Just to say thanks for last night's event. The tour was great, especially seeing the original 1910 boardroom furnishings all in place still, and the archive room with all the documents firms had left behind-could have spent a fortnight in there - definitely looking to do the full 1 hour tour again some time! It was fascinating, and I met a lot of nice people and made some great contacts, so it was a great success! Thanks again for a brilliant evening."
Speakers demonstrated how they have negotiated the best deal for their business and how they made their investment a success. In a lively interactive session delegates had the opportunity to question the panel and receive priceless expert advice and direction.
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About the Speakers
Mark Fuller
Mark Fuller is the Managing Director of the Merseyside Special Investment Fund's in-house fund management company. Mark heads up a thirty strong team at MSIF and is responsible for the running of the Fund and ensuring its strategic and operational objectives are met. MSIF has funds totalling £107m and has invested in over 1000 businesses since it was created in 1996.
Mark spent the first six years of his working life in the Far and Middle East as an engineer in the oil industry. On returning to the UK Mark qualified as a Chartered Accountant and entered the Venture Capital industry in 1992 where he became one of the principles involved in a highly successful regional Fund. Mark joined MSIF in 2002. He is a huge supporter of Merseyside and committed to ensuring MSIF makes a tangible and sustainable impact on the local economy by backing quality businesses.
David Edwards
David Edwards is vastly experienced in the Merseyside business arena. He was formerly Managing Director of one of the region’s best known companies, Max Spielman, which he took from five local shops in 1982 to almost 200, including four in Paris, in 2001 when the company was sold. At the time of sale it was the most profitable film processor in the UK.
He was recently appointed by MSIF as non executive chairman of In Time Watch Services, a Southport-based watch repair business which has been backed by MSIF’s Venture Fund. David is passionate about his role and believes the key to a successful business is respect for the consumer, front line team motivation and sales development.
Tony Harford and John McDonough
Tony Harford and John McDonough are Directors of Knowsley based toughened glass manufacturers Impact Safety Glass. They founded the company in 2004 after their former employer had declared there was no future in the supply of single toughened safety glass. The company now employs 49 staff and turnover is expected to reach £3.5m this year. Impact Safety Glass were last year’s winners of the MSIF and Liverpool Echo Kickstart awards.
Andy McCall
Andy joined Langtons in 1989 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1992. He was appointed an audit manager in 1993 with additional responsibility for clients' special projects. As a result, Andy has gained a wealth of experience in the field of business development with particular emphasis on corporate finance. Andy became a partner in May 1996 with responsibility for the firm's Corporate Finance department and has subsequently succeeded in developing Langtons Corporate Finance into a niche adviser on corporate acquisitions, disposals, raising finance and undertaking due diligence work for clients such as 3i Plc, Merseyside Special Investment Fund, North West Equity Fund, HSBC, Halifax Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and Barclays Bank plc.
Mark Rathbone
A partner in Brabners Chaffe Street in the Corporate Department, Mark advises a wide range of local and national, private and public sector organisations in corporate transactions, corporate finance, joint venture and shareholding arrangements and general corporate and commercial advice. Mark has a strong reputation for delivering commercial and workable solutions to complex and multi partnered problems.
Mark’s clients include Tower Project Finance LLP (for whom he has completed transactions with a total deal size of over £300m), BAFANA Soccer Developments Limited, Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, SITA, Merseyside Special Investment Fund, RBS and Riverside Housing Association.
Ian Tomlinson
In 2001, the Cybertill business was created from the vision of Ian Tomlinson. With Ian as its Managing Director, the business has grown in the space of six years from a concept sketched on the back of a napkin to a leading supplier in the competitive field of EPoS and e-commerce.
Ian Tomlinson has a strong background in direct sales and sales management. In 1991, he joined Abacus Limited, a supplier of EPoS hardware and systems to niche retailers. A year later, he was appointed Sales Director with an equity shareholding and was responsible for the company’s positive change in direction to a software house.
Since the establishment of Cybertill, Ian has closely controlled both the evolution of the software and the successful expansion of the business. The company now boasts a client base of 2,000+ UK and international store locations, 400+ e-commerce businesses and countless catalogue operations. Reputed for his dynamism and commercial flair, Ian Tomlinson’s achievements have been recognised by his nomination for a number of national awards for technology and entrepreneurship.
