Area Focus: Coventry
Coventry native joins local BID Plans announced for new Ricoh Arena hotel A new 150-room hotel at one of the Midlands’ premier sporting and leisure complexes is set to create more than 30 new jobs and have a substantial economic impact on the regional economy.
Wasps Group’s Ricoh Arena complex already boasts a 32,600-capacity stadium alongside 20,000 square metres of event space, including the 6,000-square-metre exhibition hall, casino and various lounges. The proposed hotel, which will be located at the stadium’s Car Park C, will further strengthen the group’s commercial operations. The Ricoh Arena stages more than 1,300 events a year, and an increase of bedroom stock on site could see it attract even more multi-day events. The new £15 million Hampton by Hilton hotel will complement the complex’s 121-room DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and will enable the Ricoh Arena to attract more conferences and exhibitions to the site. Plans for the new hotel will be showcased at MIPIM, the world’s largest commercial development and investment show, where Wasps are members of the Coventry & Warwickshire MIPIM Partnership. A planning application has already been submitted and, if successful, work on the new hotel could begin in the summer. The venue is scheduled for completion in Q4 2021 – in time for Coventry City of Culture and ahead of the Commonwealth Games which will be held in Birmingham in the summer of 2022. Stuart Cain, chief executive (venue) at Wasps Group, said: “This is an exciting project that will greatly benefit not only Wasps Group but the city as a whole. “The new hotel has the potential to create more than 30 new jobs in the hospitality sector and will bring in around £3.5 million per year to the local economy.” Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, said: “A hotel has always been part of the wider plan for the whole development, so I’m glad to see this progress. I’m sure it will enable the team to secure even more brilliant events at the Ricoh and of course it will create new jobs for local people.”
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Michael Mogan MBE has joined Coventry BID as sponsorship advisor to lead with fundraising efforts and bolster its events offering, as it continues to showcase and support the best of the city. Michael, who is a Coventry native, previously worked for Coventry
Cathedral, the Armonico Consort and has also freelanced for a range of charities. He joined Coventry University as its head of development and alumni in 2012 before being seconded to Coventry 2021 as fundraising director. It was here that Michael supported the winning bid, generating more than £4m for the campaign. His hard work and dedication resulted in him being awarded an MBE in 2018, further securing his excellent reputation within the city. In Michael’s new role, he will focus on linking the upcoming BID events programme with businesses in the region, giving them an opportunity to support some of the amazing things going on in the city ahead of 2021. Michael Mogan MBE said: “As someone who is a proud Coventrian and father of eight-year-old twins, I have always been a big fan of what Trish
and the BID team have done in the city. When the opportunity to work with them came up, it was too good to pass up! “I am incredibly excited to get stuck into my new role and help build awareness and support for Coventry and its businesses as the year progresses.” Trish Willetts, Coventry BID director, added: “We are absolutely thrilled to have Michael on board! The opportunity to keep his knowledge and experience within the city and continue to grow our programme of events is invaluable. “All eyes are on our wonderful city in the lead-up to 2021 and we’re excited to bring the wow factor to our great city this year, whilst also working closely with our friends at the council and City of Culture teams to support their initiatives.” For more information visit www.coventrycitycentre.co.uk
HydroGarden merges with German wholesaler Coventry-based HydroGarden has announced its merger with German hydroponics wholesaler, Grow In. By joining forces, the two companies create the largest hydroponics wholesaler in the European market, with nearly fifty years’ combined industry experience. By working with Berlin-based Grow In, HydroGarden aims to futureproof its position as a market-leading wholesaler despite the changing landscape of trade between the UK and the EU. Founded in 1995, Grow In is the brainchild of Robert Salinger and Stefan Mack who established one of the first shops in Europe to specialise in hydroponic equipment. Grow In has since expanded to form a company of more than 50 hydroponics experts, operating across Europe out of its
Berlin-based warehouse space, which totals 6,000 m² and holds thousands of product lines. HydroGarden has been supplying specialist hydroponic equipment to the trade since February 1996, in that time becoming the largest hydroponics wholesaler in the UK. The company offers an unrivalled range of products for the grower, from world-leading brands to own-brand flagship ranges. HydroGarden’s head of sales Tom Ellis will be joining the management board of Grow In and will be based in Berlin. His new role will be to develop and expand the combined business in mainland Europe. Jonathan Aldridge, managing director of HydroGarden, said: “HydroGarden has a strong customer base in Europe and our desire to continue to supply
these customers, regardless of the changes brought about by Brexit, means that we have been looking for a European base for some time. “We consider the location of Grow In and their approach to business to be an ideal fit.” HydroGarden is one of Europe’s largest Hydroponic wholesalers and is based over three sites in Coventry. It currently employs just under 100 staff and has an annual turnover approaching £30m. For more information visit www.hydrogarden.com
New website for commercial property agency An award-winning commercial property agency has a bright new look – after launching its new website. Coventry-based Bromwich Hardy has taken the wraps off its new site – https://bromwichhardy.com/ - after a revamp aimed at making it easier to navigate for customers and clients. Bromwich Hardy founding partner Tom Bromwich said the redesigned site had already received widespread praise and met with a warm welcome from clients.
“The new site has been customdesigned to be modern-looking and make finding the right commercial property for your business as straightforward as possible,” said Tom. “We have an ever-growing portfolio of properties we are marketing and wanted to make it as simple as we could for clients and customers to be able to find properties that would meet their requirements. “We are delighted with the results and the feedback we have received so far has been overwhelmingly positive. We are also seeing an increase in activity connected to the website which is already beginning to convert into an increase in business.”
Bromwich Hardy – which has won the most active agent award in Warwickshire for the past six years – was shortlisted for two more prestigious awards earlier this month. The agency is in the running for the Deal of the Year and Best Use of Technology honours at the FirstPro 2020 awards run by Coventry and Warwickshire First. Bromwich Hardy is a multidisciplinary team of commercial property advisors, founded by two of the leading specialists in the Midlands. Based in Coventry, the company has the skills, experience and resources to offer a full service to developers, landlords and tenants looking to buy, sell or rent commercial property in the region and beyond.
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