North East crafting supplies company Katy Sue Designs acquired another Ƶ craft brand and moved its manufacturing to South Tyneside.
The South Shields-based seller of cake decorating, card making and paper cutting products has bought the Cosmic Shimmer brand and Red Rubber Stamp production from Creative Expressions. The Kettering-based business is closing down and its glitters, polishes, micas and colour-rich materials have been sold to card makers and artists for some time.
Katy Sue has acquired the equipment to continue making the products, and is transferring production to South Tyneside where it already makes silicone moulds and paper craft products.
Sue Balfour, CEO of Katy Sue Designs, said: “We’re proud to be a British manufacturer. In 2024 we were highly commended in the Ƶ Government’s 'Made in the Ƶ, Sold to the World' awards. When we learned that Creative Expressions was planning to close, we stepped in, determined not to lose this incredible made-in-the-Ƶ brand and the manufacturing capability that comes with it.
"All manufacturing will proudly stay in the Ƶ—with more local jobs and new designs on the way."
The acquisition follows the return of full ownership of Katy Sue to Ms Balfour, who bought out the company's investor. The business was launched 30 years ago in partnership with her mother Doreen Thompson, when the pair started by creating miniature porcelain dolls on their kitchen table to sell to collectors.
North East property agency Bradley Hall is on the move in Newcastle city centre after snapping up office space on Grey Street.
The commercial and residential estate agency has acquired 10,000 sq ft of office space at 33-39 Grey Street, Newcastle, as part of its ongoing expansion. Vaulkhard Group, operators of Barluga, which has occupied the building for 21 years, has purchased the ground floor, while Bradley Hall has acquired the remaining four floors of the Grade II star listed building.
The Grey Street base will serve as Bradley Hall’s headquarters, overseeing the company’s operations in its network of offices across the North East, Yorkshire, North West, and West Midlands.
The move follows several key milestones for the firm, including the opening of a new office in Birmingham, the appointment of its first chief operating officer and reaching the milestone of valuing over £1bn worth of property across its commercial and residential departments from March 2023 to March 2024.
Chief executive Neil Hart said: “Our team is growing, and we are committed to attracting and retaining the best talent in the industry. It was crucial for us to provide a spacious, high-quality environment for our staff. 33-39 Grey Street will offer an excellent space for our team to thrive, collaborate, and support our business growth as well as event space, expansive breakout areas and games room to enjoy, while also providing an impressive venue to host clients."
Tyneside technology consultancy Opencast has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s Digital Capability for Health 2 (DCfH2) framework, to provide NHS England and other public sector customers with innovative digital and technology solutions.
The company is leading a number of suppliers on the framework, which provides digital specialists roles to support public health and care programmes application development and management service requirements”. Other suppliers include partners Axiologik, Bluesmith Information Systems and RedRock Consulting and
Opencast has been expanding its healthcare portfolio including working with NHS England and the NHS Business Services Authority, as well as work with private sector clients including eConsult and the GMDN Agency.
Chief growth officer Harry Armstrong said: “Healthcare is a strategic priority for us – and this important healthcare framework win means we’re even better placed to deliver on our commitment to support public healthcare. All of our partners on this framework bring rich and highly relevant experience of work on cutting-edge innovation for the Ƶ’s healthcare sector, and we’re delighted to be partnering with them.”
Darlington-based Prudhoe Rosettes and Trophies is driving forward expansion plans after receiving a six figure investment.
The firm secured the funds from NPIF II – FW Capital Debt Finance, which is managed by FW Capital as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II). The investment, secured by business advisors and accountants Armstrong Watson, will pave the way for expansion of manufacturing capabilities, investment at its premises and the creation of new jobs.
Prudhoe Rosettes and Trophies was first launched in 1901 by George Prudhoe as stationers G. Prudhoe & Co. Ltd and it has manufactured trophies and rosettes since 1977 for use in shows and events as well as expanding into commercial printing. In 1999 the business acquired Alden Arts, a specialist range of canine jewellery and giftware. In 2024 the previous owners, David and Bridget Emerson, retired from the business which had been in their family for 123 years, and it was acquired by current owner and MD Neil Coaker.
He said: “We’re focused on investing in growth and taking the business to the next level. It’s very much business as usual for all our staff and customers but we’re seeking to enhance the service and products we currently provide. This includes an updated website and new branding provided by local business Maitland Web Designers. I’m working with Martin Arkle, our General Manager, who brings considerable experience having worked for Prudhoe Rosettes and Trophies since 1981 when he joined the business aged 16. Martin has been pivotal during the takeover of Prudhoe Rosettes and Trophies, and his unwavering support for the growth of the business both past and present can be seen in the early shoots of growth in a small space of time since the takeover."
Alex Gent, senior investment executive at FW Capital, said: “Every so often I am amazed by the variety of businesses we have in the North East that you have no idea were there. Prudhoe Rosettes and Trophies is one of those businesses. Visiting the site and seeing the care and attention with which awards for various shows and events were being put together was a treat, and being able to support the company with its continued growth plans under new ownership has been a pleasure."
A North IT consultancy has snapped up a Cheshire business in an undisclosed deal to boost its suite of services. Communicate, which provides cybersecurity and IT network solutions, has acquired Blaze Networks, a security-focused managed service provider with expertise in advanced networking solutions. The deal marks the fifth acquisition for Communicate, which has its network operations centre in Wynyard, Teesside, and its 24/7 security operations centre in Leeds.
It also the second transaction since the business secured private equity investment from Rockpool last June, putting it on track to grow its turnover from £6m to £17m in 2025. The company says the acquisition will boost Communicate’s ability to deliver a fully integrated suite of services to its customers.
Macclesfield-based Blaze Networks will continue to operate under managing director Ben Brassington.
Tony Snaith, CEO of Communicate Technology, said: “Bringing Blaze Networks into the Communicate group significantly strengthens our ability to offer cutting-edge, secure IT solutions. “Their expertise in SD-WAN and SASE complements our existing capabilities, allowing us to provide businesses with seamless, scalable, and highly secure network architectures. This acquisition is not only about expanding our service offering – it’s about creating real value for customers and fostering professional growth for our team as we continue to scale.”
