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ETFuels says its decision is a major vote of confidence in the Humber region

Port of Immingham has been selected as the location for a new advanced fuels refinery which will create up to 50 permanent jobs.

ETFuels has chosen the Associated British Ports-owned site for ‘Project King’s Road’ which will convert renewable e-methanol into sustainable aviation fuel for supply into the UK’s aviation fuel network and for export into international markets. The move promises the creation of 500 jobs in the construction phase and 50 permanent roles thereafter.

ABP says the plant will benefit from access to the Humber’s extensive fuel storage, pipeline and distribution infrastructure, and connections to the UK’s aviation fuel supply network. It has also pointed to Immingham’s deep water port facilities.

Lara Naqushbandi, CEO of ETFuels, said: “Project King’s Road represents a major vote of confidence in the Humber and in Britain’s industrial future. The Humber is already one of the UK’s most important energy and logistics hubs. We believe it can also become the country’s leading hub for next-generation fuels production.

“What attracted us to Immingham was the combination of outstanding infrastructure, a highly skilled industrial workforce and direct access to one of the largest fuel distribution networks in the country. Combined with access to some of the world’s most competitive renewable fuel feedstocks from our Texas platform, it gives Britain a genuine opportunity to build an advanced fuels industry capable of competing with the best projects anywhere in the world.

“This is about much more than a single facility. It’s about creating a new advanced manufacturing capability for Britain, attracting investment into the Humber and establishing a strategic industry that can deliver jobs and growth for decades to come. We named this project after the road it sits on. That’s deliberate — we’re not building a facility that happens to be in Immingham; we’re building something that belongs here.”

Andrew Dawes, regional director of the Humber ports for Associated British Ports, said: “Immingham is already Britain’s largest port by tonnage, key to ABP’s twin missions of Keeping Britain Trading and Enabling the Energy Transition. Project King’s Road is exactly the kind of long‑term, high‑value industrial partnership that brings these priorities together – one that puts our world‑class port infrastructure, deep‑water berths and established fuel‑handling capabilities to work in safeguarding reliable, resilient energy supplies for the UK, while delivering substantial investment and high‑quality jobs. We look forward to working closely with ETFuels, Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority and the wider Humber industrial community to make this project a reality.”

Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, said: “Greater Lincolnshire has always been a region that makes things, moves things and powers the nation. Project King’s Road represents exactly the kind of investment we want to attract: innovative, industrial and ambitious. This project has the potential to create high-quality jobs, strengthen our energy sector and place the Humber at the forefront of a new global growth industry.

“A project named after its home in our community signals that ETFuels intends to be here for the long term. That matters to us. We look forward to working closely with ETFuels and partners to maximise the economic opportunities for our communities.”

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Disclaimer: I am not an investment advisor or professional. This article is my own personal opinion and is not meant to be a recommendation of the purchase or sale of stock. The investments and strategies discussed within this article are solely my personal opinions and commentary on the subject. This article has been written for research and educational purposes only. Anything written in this article does not take into account the reader’s particular investment objectives, financial situation, needs, or personal circumstances and is not intended to be specific to you. Investors should conduct their own research before investing to see if the companies discussed in this article fit into their portfolio parameters. Just because something may be an enticing investment for myself or someone else, it may not be the correct investment for you.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Alvin, Simon and Theodore are heading back to work, and the deal behind their return is a quiet masterclass in how a family business should treat its most valuable asset.

Big Shot Pictures, the family-entertainment company led by former Paramount co-chief executive Brian Robbins, has taken a 25 per cent stake in the 68-year-old Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise in partnership with Bagdasarian Productions, which owns the property. New digital-first, short-form content is planned for later this year, with a theatrical film to follow in late 2028, timed to the Chipmunks’ 70th anniversary and distributed under Big Shot’s first-look deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment.

The numbers behind the world’s smallest boy band are anything but small: 38 studio albums, more than $1 billion at the box office and five Grammys.

For UK business owners, though, the interesting part is not the nostalgia. It is the ownership story.

Ross Bagdasarian Sr invented the trio in 1958 by speeding up his own voice on a $200 tape recorder, naming the characters after the top executives at his record label. When he died suddenly in 1972, his son Ross Bagdasarian Jr inherited the franchise at just 22, a reminder of why succession planning deserves attention long before it is needed. He and his wife Janice Karman have owned it ever since, recording the Chipmunks’ helium voices from a studio in their own home.

“These characters are literally embedded in our DNA,” Bagdasarian Jr said.

The couple learned the hard way what happens when intellectual property falls into the wrong hands. In 1996 they licensed partial ownership to the company later known as Universal Studios, then sued in 2000 for breach of contract, claiming the studio had failed to actively promote the characters. They won, and reclaimed full ownership.

It is a cautionary tale for any smaller firm signing away rights to a bigger partner. A well-drafted licensing agreement should set out exactly how your IP can be used, and the Intellectual Property Office’s guidance on licensing warns owners to be wary of licensees who might lessen the value of the asset.

Since the four live-action films released between 2007 and 2015, the Bagdasarians have kept the rodents off the big screen for more than a decade, turning down suitors while the computer-animated series “ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks” ran on Nickelodeon from 2015 to 2023.

“We’ve really waited for the right place and the right person to bring our little grab bag of Chipmunk goodies back to the public.” Bagdasarian Jr said. “And this for us feels like absolutely the right thing.”

The plan now is unashamedly digital-first. Robbins expects the Chipmunks to appear on feeds almost like influencers, with clips of the trio reacting to cultural moments or covering classic songs. It is a strategy that follows the audience: Ofcom’s Media Nations 2025 report found YouTube is now the UK’s second most-watched service, behind only the BBC.

“It’s about having the Chipmunks really playing into the zeitgeist and trying to live in real time with pop culture,” Robbins said.

“If we had started maybe a few weeks ago, we definitely would have had Alvin showing up to a certain big wedding at Madison Square Garden,” Bagdasarian Jr said.

The lesson for SMEs is worth restating. Protect your intellectual property early, license it on your own terms, and if a deal goes sour, fight for it. Then wait, however long it takes, for the right partner. Nearly 70 years on from that $200 tape recorder, patience has left one family in control of a billion-dollar asset.

Jamie Young

Jamie Young is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, covering SME finance, employment law and Westminster policy since 2016. He has reported on every Budget and Autumn Statement since 2018, helped make sense of the ‘covid era’ and the bounce-back loan scheme from launch through the fraud investigations, and broke the magazine’s coverage of the 2024 late-payment reforms. He joined Business Matters straight from completing his BA in Administration from Exeter University and is NCTJ-qualified. Reach him at jyoung@cbmeg.co.uk

Available for over a year

New regulations begin today (Wednesday July 15th) for shoppers using Buy Now Pay Later. Consumers using services like Klarna and Clearpay will now be given more protection but also a greater risk of rejection, as new affordability checks begin.

BNPL schemes often provide interest free payment options over several months and have proved immensely popular. Experian estimates that a 100mn transactions were made that way last year, adding up to about £7bn.

Meanwhile, new data from one of the country’s largest free money advice services, Money Wellness, shows BNPL has become an increasingly common feature of customers’ finances over the past four years, with June recording 4,520 customers seeking help with BNPL debt. That’s the highest June on record and second only to the traditional post-Christmas spike seen in January.

Presenter Felicity Hannah talks to the Financial Conduct Authority to find out if the new rules are going to improve things for shoppers. She’s joined by an expert panel answering listener questions – Mick McAteer of The Financial Inclusion Centre, a UK not-for-profit policy and research group. and Matthew Sheeran from Money Wellness.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Producer: Craig Henderson
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson

Photo credit: Pakorn Supajitsoontorn via Getty Images.

(This episode of Money Box Live was first broadcast on BBC Radio Four at 3pm on Wednesday 15th July)

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