Call for big players to enter M.E.N. Business of the Year

THE dynamism and diversity of Greater Manchester’s growing stable of companies with a turnover in excess of £100m with head offices elsewhere will be fully celebrated later this year.

An array of entrants meeting these criteria are expected to grace the M.E.N’s Business Awards 2020 this autumn.

We’re delighted that the category – officially entitled ‘Head office outside Greater Manchester with a turnover of £100m plus’ – has been sponsored by CMS. The judges are looking for ‘a substantial operation which equates to a number of employees, longevity in the region and evidence of a positive impact within Greater Manchester.’

Here’s a snapshot of just 10 of the burgeoning companies that meet the criteria for entry into this category... company invested £6.5m in the refit of 31 stores across Greater Manchester.

Fintech company Klarna was founded in 2005 in Stockholm, Sweden, with the aim of making it easier for people to shop online. It has grown into one of Europe’s largest banks – with the UK an increasingly important market. Last year, it chose Manchester as the location for its second UK office.

Earlier this year, it made the headlines when it opened its hugely anticipated Manchester office – its first corporate site outside of London.

The ecommerce group has taken over six storeys in the historic Hanover Building, which is now part of the £800m, 20-acre NOMA development.

Last month the world’s largest software maker launched a new ‘permanent workspace’ at the University Academy 92 (UA92) campus in Trafford. The tech giant, which it says has almost 200 people based in Manchester, said the new facility will have space for 40 people at one time.