JANUARY 2018 £3.50YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINEwww.blmgroup.co.ukVOLUME 33 ISSUE 01TRANSPORTAND LOGISTICSDelays possibleCOMMERCIALPROPERTYStrong foundationsCORPORATEFINANCEFinancing the futureA SIGN OFTHINGS TO COMEA SIGN OFTHINGS TO COME01_Layout 1 09/01/2018 09:40 Page 1Meetings & Conference FacilitiesThe Best Western, Oaklands Hall Hotel, Grimsby offers an array of meetingand function spaces perfect for one on one meetings or functions andconferences for up to 200 people. Whether it's a private board meetingrequiring absolute discretion, an annual conference for 200 delegates or acanapé and champagne reception for your annual party, here at theOaklands Hall Hotel, we can cater for your every business need. lEasy access to A18 (M180) and A46l15 minutes of Humberside Airport and Grimsby Town rail linkslFree wi-fi throughout the Oaklands Hall Hotel, GrimsbylEffective communication – The use of phones in function roomslPrompt responses to enquires – Our reception team are on hand 24 hours a daylComprehensive half day, day and 24 hour delegate packages starting from £16 p/pFor room hire, delegate rates and more information on catering andavailability, please get in touch with a member of our meetings and events team via telephone (01472) 872248or email meetingsandevents@oaklandshallhotel.co.ukThe Oaklands Hall HotelBarton Street, Laceby, Grimsby,Lincolnshire DN37 7LFTelephone (01472) 872248www.oaklandshallhotel.co.ukContactus for furtherinformation 01472 87224802_Layout 1 09/01/2018 09:40 Page 1A New Year brings with it a freshbeginning and that’s just what theeconomy needs. After two years ofpolitical and financial uncertainty,businesses can’t be blamed for wantinga safer port to weather the storm. A brand New Year also means therelease of the January issue of BusinessLink, and we’re not pulling our puncheswith this one. As a hotbed of innovativetech companies, our region is speciallyplaced at the precipice of Britain’sfuture, and our IT & telecoms featuretakes a peek at what’s going on.Likewise, as hotbed of logistics,Yorkshire and Lincolnshire is a havenfor the transport industry, vital to thecountry’s wellbeing, and we explorewhy in our transport feature. Manufacturing is also on the agenda,specifically productivity as our exposéwill uncover – not only what’s going onin the region but what businesses cando to beef up their own productivity. Our region is leading the chargewhen it comes to renewables, and ourfeature shows exactly why. Financetakes a starring role in our latest issue,The magazine that caresWe carebecause we want to leave our world a better place than we found itBusiness Linkbelieves that being socially and environmentally responsible is the key tomaintaining a flourishing business that our customers will be pleased to use and our staff willbe proud to be part of.Community- From a very local point of view, we strive to be a ‘good neighbour’. We also extendthat into the much broader local community, through financial support of local causes andcharities. Environment- Our actions extend to: conservation of energy and natural resources, minimisationof waste and ensuring our trading partners do likewise.From theEditorA New Yearbrings with it afresh beginningand that’s justwhat theeconomy needs.After two yearsof political andfinancialuncertainty,businesses can’tbe blamed forwanting a saferport to weatherthe storm. as we take a look at some of the risksand challenges facing corporate financespecialists. Though we’ve only been carrying thehospitality feature for the last fewissues, you’ve made your response loudand clear. In this now regular feature,we look at a range of issues affectingthe sector and its important relationshipwith the corporate world. As always, our commercial propertypages are your go-to guide for topicsaffecting the market and major newdevelopments. Then there’s all the latestnews to get stuck into. What morecould you want to kick off the NewYear. Here’s hoping it’s a better one thatthe last twelve months. Good reader, as always…Michael FisherEditor03_Layout 1 09/01/2018 09:41 Page 1CONTENTSJANUARY 20186NewsThe latest business news and success stories from around ourregion10LettersReaders’ letters and replies 11Corporate financeIt’s instinctual to go on the defensive in adverse conditions,something the last few years have demonstrated in spades. Inbusiness terms, this manifests as a slowdown in investment, withthe brakes put on new deals and a cooling off of merger andacquisition activity14Commercial propertyAs we enter a new year, the focus is firmly on the future. Withthat in mind, Business Link spoke to some of the most pivotalpeople in the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire commercial propertymarket to gauge where the market is headed next18Annual Greater Lincolnshire LunchThe Institute of Directors recently held its perennially popularAnnual Greater Lincolnshire Lunch at the Bentley Hotel inLincoln20Productivity and efficiency in manufacturingWith Brexit on the horizon and the economy becoming morecompetitive than ever, it’s important for manufacturers to be asproductive as possible • Q&A - Intellect Engineering26Transport and logisticsThe widening skills gap and growing demand from customersmeans there’s rocky roads ahead for the transport and logisticsindustry30IT and telecommunicationsNothing is quite as disruptive to business as IT problems, andnot in relation to cyber security, but plain old errors, problemsand outdated drivers that can cripple a company33Corporate hospitalityTeamwork is given as one of the main intangible benefits of anyorganisation, and used as an excuse for much that goes wrong.How does one foster this elusive trait in staff, however?• Q&A - St James Hotel38RenewablesWith a slew of major developments in the wind sector, ourregion has played a key role in helping Britain achieve itsgreenest year on record. Although the nation is set to buildupon this achievement, more work is needed42AutoLinkThe new year is often a time for reflection and, of course, anexcuse to change up that car you’ve perhaps grown a littleweary of driving in recent months46EventsWe take a look at business events happening around Yorkshireand Lincolnshire50And finally…Yorkshire-Lincolnshire-Business-Link @blmforumblmforum.netCONNECT WITH US20263304-05_Layout 1 09/01/2018 10:09 Page 1Group EditorSteve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)EditorMichael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)JournalistsDominic Cuthbert (d.cuthbert@blmgroup.co.uk)Stuart Pearcey (s.pearcey@blmgroup.co.uk)Editorial contactnewsdesk@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310305 Fax: (01472) 310317Sales DirectorAngela Cooper (a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk)AdvertisingSam Trott (s.trott@blmgroup.co.uk)Vicky Hunt (v.hunt@blmgroup.co.uk)Kerry Randerson (k.randerson@blmgroup.co.uk)Tel: (01472) 310310Accounts & SubscriptionsAngela Sharman, John DownesTel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311Design & ProductionGary Jorgensen, Mark CassonTel: (01472) 310304 Fax: (01472) 310314(studio@blmgroup.co.uk)E-Mail: yorks-lincs@blmgroup.co.ukWebsitewww.blmforum.netAddressHaychart Ltd, Armstrong House, ArmstrongStreet, Grimsby, N.E. Lincs., DN31 2QE.ISSN No: 1462-2092All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwisewithout express permission of the copyright holder, for whichapplication should be addressed first to the publisher. Whileevery reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor itsparticipating agents accept liability for loss or damage toprints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material ofwhatever nature submitted to this publication. The viewsexpressed in this publication are not necessarily the views ofthose held by the publisher.COVER PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK - ZHAO JIAN KANG • TEUN VAN DEN DRIES • WEERASAK SAEKU • ZEPHYR_P • NUMBER1411www.blmforum.net3804-05_Layout 1 09/01/2018 10:09 Page 2SMEs to benefit from VR suite at Ron Dearing UTCLocal SMEs are set to benefit from the newGreen Port Virtual Reality Suite at Hull’s RonDearing University Technical College.The VR Suite has been funded by a grant fromthe Green Port Growth Programme and isthought to be the only such facility in the UKwithin a school that will be used routinely bylocal businesses.It will enable businesses to drive innovationand productivity and allow them to work withRon Dearing UTC students to help develop theirdigital skills using cutting-edge VR technologies.Ron Dearing UTC will host, maintain andmarket the facility as well as providing expertiseand support to local businesses in its usage.The suite features a combination of fixedinstallations and portable VR devices, and relatedsoftware, to ensure flexibility and maximisecollaboration with industry. The suite’scentrepiece is a 4K-resolution active wall whichallows for a fully immersive VR experience for upto 30 people.6Business Link www.blmforum.netNEWSHETA aims tostrengthen linksbetween employersand educationHumberside Engineering Training Association (HETA)is rolling out a strategy to strengthen its links withemployers and education.HETA celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, and willmove into a new HQ in the summer. It is raisingawareness in schools of the opportunities presented byapprenticeships and to secure the support of morebusinesses as the UK tackles skills shortages.Its vision is for the new centre to improve thecompany’s facilities and services to support youngpeople embarking on careers in engineering and to meetthe needs of mature workers, including helping peoplemake the change to engineering from other sectors andenabling employers to up-skill existing workers.The drive to build partnerships extends across bothbanks of the Humber, with HETA’s site at Stallingboroughand a Scunthorpe centre which opened three years agoadding to the range of high-tech facilities and tuition onoffer.Majority of British SMEs failto insure key peopleOnly a quarter of UK SMEs have insurance covering key people in theirbusiness, according to research from Royal London.Half of senior decision makers in British SMEs who have heard of this type ofinsurance, don’t think it is important to have a policy.This could be driven by lack of awareness, despite 3 out of 10 of all SMEshaving experienced the loss of a key employee for three months or more due toa serious illness.Smaller businesses would face the biggest impact if they lost a key employee,but 57% of businesses with less than 50 employees, who are aware of key personinsurance, don’t think it is important.Larger SMEs – with 50 to 249 employees – are more likely to haveexperienced the loss of a key employee to serious illness or death and nearly halfhave taken out a policy.© Shutterstock / dotshock06-09_Layout 1 10/01/2018 09:49 Page 1PD Ports securesHumber Contractwith oil specialists PD Ports has secured a four-year contract to operate the importlogistics and front-line quality inspection for oil specialists Kerfoot attheir port facility in Goole.Through its Humber-based shipping and inspection team, PD Portswill provide the stevedoring and tank management for a selection ofimported high quality oils to be used in the food, technical and personalcare industries.“This new contract further highlights the pride we take in developing strongpartnerships with our customers at PD Ports, understanding their business and itsrequirements to ensure we provide solutions that deliver tangible benefits and addvalue to their supply chains,” said Sandy McKinlay, Humber Regional Manager/UKInspection Services Manager at PD Ports.Steve Savage, Group Operations Director at Kerfoot, added: “We awarded the contract toPD Ports based on the team’s wide-ranging knowledge and expertise, providing us with theconfidence and trust we require in a supply chain partner.”Strong Christmas tradingsees Nisa in good spiritsfor New YearChristmas has proved profitable for Scunthorpe-headquarteredwholesaler and convenience retailer, Nisa, after the company posted itslatest results.Total sales were up 17.7% to £277.2 million for the 10 weeks to 31December 2017, with Fresh sales sliding up 23.1% to £43.1 million. Like forlike sales, meanwhile, saw a modest rise of 1.7%.The retailer attributed its performance to an increase of 269 storesserved in the 10 week period, with substantial organic growth of 106stores, and two new contract wins totalling 163 stores.Investment was also key to success, with Nisa beefing up its seasonalpromotions to drive member sales during the festive period. This, it said,shows that its existing members remain loyal and continue to buy moreyear-on-year.In addition to the 140 Costcutter stores that recently commencedtrading with Nisa, a further 1,090 are now expected to start trading fromJanuary 2018.Check Point securitycredentials validated withCyber Essentials Plus AwardsCheck Point® Software Technologies, a leading provider ofcybersecurity solutions globally, has become the first Israeli cyber-security vendor to be awarded two Cyber Essentials Plusaccreditations under the UK government’s Cyber Essentials scheme.The accreditations, which were presented by British Ambassador toIsrael David Quarrey, certify that both Check Point’s internal processesand its cloud-based threat prevention service, Check Point CapsuleCloud, meet the basic and advanced criteria required to preventcyber-attacks.The assessment was conducted in Tel Aviv by British CyberEssentials Certification Body, SJG Digital, who visited Check Point’s TelAviv HQ to perform an in-depth analysis of the information systems. Nick Lowe, Regional Director, Regional Director, UK & Ireland, said:“Achieving the most comprehensive Cyber Essentials certifications isfurther evidence that through Check Point Infinity, our customers arealways one step ahead of the threat environment while benefitingfrom the very same technology that we use within our own networks.”www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 7NEWS© Shutterstock / Bratus Iurii06-09_Layout 1 10/01/2018 09:49 Page 2NEWS8Business Link www.blmforum.netHuddersfield Town ‘signs’graphic display specialist LeachPremier League football club HuddersfieldTown AFC has signed a deal with local graphicdisplay company, Leach Impact, who will supplylightboxes for the club’s John Smith’s Stadiumreception.Six individual displays have now beendesigned, made and installed, in partnershipwith integrated marketing agency FantasticMedia. The result is an ultra-bright welcome thatvisitors would expect from Premier Leaguefacilities.Sean Jarvis, Huddersfield Town’s CommercialDirector, said: “For over a century, LeachImpact’s displays have transformed majorinternational brands across the globe. So, thereseemed no better partner to help take our visualidentity to the next level during this excitingyear at the pinnacle of the football pyramid.“The new graphics provide the extra wowfactor as soon as people step inside our stadiumreception, and together with our iconic Terrierbrand, will hopefully leave a lasting impression.”Motoring brand invests intech for New Year growthLeeds motoring brand G3 Group has invested in a number of internalinnovations as the company prepares for further growth in 2018.A gating app developed by G3 Remarketing’s technical team willimprove the security of vehicles on site, the company said.Linked to the company’s new key safe system, the barcode-driven appcan determine the real-time location of a vehicle, whether it is beingvaleted, inspected, photographed or is waiting in a bay ahead of a sale.Elsewhere in G3’s RMS Receivables division, an investment in newpayment gateway technology has strengthened the company’s PCIcompliance in keeping with increasingly stringent FCA requirements fordebt recovery.Moreover, the entire Group has migrated to a new GDPR-compliant ITand telecoms infrastructure. With an in-built data recovery and backupstrategy, the company’s database of core services is now mirrored in real-time to enable business continuity in the event of an outage, systemfailure or cyber-security attack.Vacancies for legal professionals in Yorkshire have risen by 39%month-on-month, with particular demand for conveyancingexperts, according to new survey data from specialist recruiterClayton Legal.The research – based on the recruiter’s data on advertised roles– echoes encouraging figures from the Land Registry which showthat the property market enjoyed a revival in the third quarter of2017.“Firms in the region have been reporting significant growth inrecent months so it’s perhaps unsurprising that we have seen suchan increase in demand for legal professionals,” said LynnSedgwick, Managing Director at Clayton Legal, which has an officein Leeds.“In addition, strong activity in the remortgaging sector inYorkshire has heightened demand for conveyancing professionals.This is largely due to the recent increase in interest rates, whichled to an eight year high in remortgaging last month. This, in turn,fuelled demand for experts who could quickly deliver remortgageconveyancing before the new rates took hold.”© Shutterstock / Africa StudioVacanciesfor legalprofessionalsspike inYorkshire06-09_Layout 1 10/01/2018 09:49 Page 3www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 9NEWSWordsandSpacesLtdtel:01724 352156 mob:07736 952885 fax: 0871 989 5784 email: stuart@wordsman.co.uk twitter:@stuartpearcey Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 2QEI’ll write blogs, websites, ads, articles, leaflets, news releases and newspapers; I’ll design print and buy it. I’m Stuart Pearcey. How can Imake your life better today?www.wordsman.co.ukWhere goodcopywritingmeans businessBusiness Link sponsorsIoD Director of the YearAwards 2018Business Link is proud to be sponsoring the IoD Director of theYear Awards 2018 – a celebration of the achievements of the region’smost hardworking and innovative business leaders.The aim is to raise awareness both among IoD members and thewider business community of the significant contribution businessleaders can make to society and to economic prosperity in our region.Categories include: ‘Director of the Year – Emerging’; ‘Director ofthe Year – Global’; ‘Director of the Year – Family Business’ and‘Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Director and Board Practice’.Attended by business leaders, entrepreneurs, government andmedia representatives, the annual Awards have recognised directorsfrom diverse regional businesses across all of the East Midlandsbranches.Heald MD awarded MBE Debbie Heald,Managing Directorof Hornsea-headquarteredHeald, has beenawarded an MBE inthe Queen’s NewYear’s Honours Listfor her services toSTEM and Export. The business wasfounded in 1987 byMs Heald’s partnerRod as anagriculturalengineering business. She purchased a 50% stake in the business backin 1994.Over the years Ms Heald and the business have been recognised in anumber of industry and business accolades including the Institute ofDirector Awards. She also undertakes a voluntary role as Director and Treasurer of thePerimeter Security Suppliers Association (PSSA), an industry bodycomprising of members of the security industry.“It is a complete shock but an absolute honour to be awarded anMBE and I would like to extend my appreciation to all the team atHeald, our distributors and customers throughout the world who havebeen instrumental in the success of the business,” said Ms Heald.Debbie Heald06-09_Layout 1 10/01/2018 09:49 Page 4Next >