FEBRUARY 2015 £3.50YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINEwww.blmgroup.co.ukVOLUME 30 ISSUE 2SOUTHYORKSHIREInvesting in thefutureRENEWABLEENERGYSaving cash as well asthe planetBUSINESSGROWTH Innovate toaccumulateFORWARDTHINKINGFORWARDTHINKING01_Layout 1 09/02/2015 09:22 Page 1wsc2015.comVisit the World Seafood Congress 2015 website to:• Register for the World Seafood Congress• Become a sponsor• Guest speaker Sir Ranulph Fiennes confirmed5-9SEPTEMBER 2015WORLD SEAFOOD CONGRESSGrimsby Institute, Nuns CornerGrimsby, NE Lincolnshire DN34 5BQSKILLS SUSTAINABILITY INSPECTIONUPSKILLING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTUREwww.wsc2015.comwww.seafish.org @world_seafoodHOSTED BYPLATINUM SPONSORASSOCIATE BODYHOSTING VENUE02_Layout 1 09/02/2015 08:35 Page 18TaxationHave you failed to file your tax return?asks Erica Manderfield, Tax Director,Streets Chartered Accountants9Appointments10LettersReaders’ letters and replies17Business sceneLincoln Sportsman’s Club21Business sceneMarket Rasen Round Table Chairman’s Ball40AutoLinkCompetition is fierce in the executive carmarket which is good news for buyers asbuild quality and comfort are better thanever46EventsWe take a look at business eventshappening around Yorkshire andLincolnshire49Classified50And finally…Features11Commercial property Increased interest in quality officedevelopments has led to a host of majorprojects across the region14South YorkshireSouth Yorkshire’s sporting prowess isdriving innovation and development in theregion – with the emphasis on educationpromising firm foundations18Ports and logisticsThere are challenges ahead for the supplychain, yet the industry remains one of themost powerful in our region22Energy and renewablesGas prices may be down, but renewableenergy still provides more stability when itcomes to the cost of resources27Engineering and constructionThe quest for quality is helping theengineering sector reach new standards inhealth and safety30Seymour & CastleCelebrating fifty years of successwww.blmforum.net32Food, chemicals and process industriesYorkshire and Lincolnshire’s food sector isone of the most advanced and successfulin Europe – but it can’t afford to rest on itslaurels34Business servicesCashflow is as important as ever, but whatcan be done to protect against unexpectedshortages?36Business growthSmall and mid-sized businesses have longbeen renowned for their innovation andvalue to the UK’s prosperity – but how canwe ensure this continues?44Business travelOur region is investing in infrastructure toallow it to fulfil its potentialRegulars4From the Editor5NewsCONTENTSFEB 20151411221803_Layout 1 09/02/2015 09:21 Page 1There seems to be a growing consensus from certain partiesin the government that the word “profit” is somehow disdainful,although the politician at the epicentre of this brouhaha hasrecently been back pedalling for all he’s worth. I’m not going towaste energy adding my own feelings to those of Mr Pessina orDigby Scott, except to say it seems odd a political leader wouldtry to harangue a person whose company has created so manyemployment opportunities in the UK – whether or not their HQ is based in theUK. Clearly, it’s not the best way to attract inward investment.Moving on, I like to think we’re all in the same boat when it comes to running abusiness. You’re a business owner, and so am I. The one thing that we both liketo happen is getting paid on time. Late payment though, is an issue that affectsbusinesses of all sectors and sizes; especially growing firms, like ours. Accordingto the CBI, an average SME is owed £38,200 in late payments, which just isn’tcricket in this day and age.Now previously there were calls for companies to publish payment informationonline, but businesses are now being urged to go further and include this data intheir annual reports, so information can be reported to Companies House to aidcompany comparisons. We all know that good relationships with our suppliersare a key factor in the success of our businesses, but there is still way too muchbad practice out there, and the culture of late payment must be challenged. Afterall, getting paid on time should be a right – not a luxury.There’s plenty more food for thought in this month’s issue though. We featurenews and comment that’s relevant to your business, as we focus on Yorkshireand Lincolnshire’s key sectors and we have more expert advice on hand fromleaders in their fields. The region continues to innovate and this is reflected inour pages too. Make sure we carry on doing that by keeping us informed of yournews and events and don’t forget to log onto www.blmforum.net, inbetweenyour printed issues or subscribe to our newsfeed.Good reading as always,W S FisherEditorThe magazine that caresWE CARE because we want to leave our world a better place than wefound itBusiness Link believes that being socially and environmentally responsible is the key tomaintaining a flourishing business that our customers will be pleased to use and our staffwill be proud to be part of.Community-From a very local point of view, we strive to be a ‘good neighbour’. We alsoextend that into the much broader local community, through financial support of local causesand charities. Environment-Our actions extend to: conservation of energy and natural resources,minimisation of waste and ensuring our trading partners do likewise.From theEDITOR…Yorkshire-Lincolnshire-Business-Link @blmforumblmforum.netCOVER PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM - SASINT • GENCHO PETKOV • PHIL MACD PHOTOGRAPHY • SOLIMAN DESIGN • ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/CLAUSELSTEDEditorSteve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)JournalistsSteve Williams (s.williams@blmgroup.co.uk)Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)Editorial contactnewsdesk@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310305 Fax: (01472) 310317Sales DirectorTeri Cooper (t.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk)AdvertisingTel: (01472) 310310Accounts & SubscriptionsAngela Sharman, Dawn Cook, John DownesTel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311Design & ProductionGary Jorgensen, Mark Casson, Rachel GreenTel: (01472) 310304 Fax: (01472) 310314(studio@blmgroup.co.uk)E-Mail:yorks-lincs@blmgroup.co.ukWebsitewww.blmforum.netAddressHaychart Ltd, Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, 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.This magazine is now fully recyclable. By recyclingmagazines, you can help reduce waste and add to the 5.5million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paperindustry each year. Before you recycle your magazine,please ensure you remove all plastic wrapping, free giftsand samples. If you are unable to participate in a recyclingscheme, then why not pass your magazine onto a localhospital or charity?04_Layout 1 09/02/2015 08:41 Page 1www.blmforum.netNEWSBusiness Link 5Farming Ministervisits HolbeachPromoting agri-technology to the next generation tocreate a highly skilled food workforce and building onthe potential of food exports were key issues raised bythe Farming Minister George Eustice MP when hevisited Holbeach.Mr Eustice was at the NationalCentre for Food Manufacturingto launch the GreaterLincolnshire Local EnterprisePartnership’s Food Board andAgrifood Plan 2014-2020.The Food Board is made up ofsenior figures from food andfarming across GreaterLincolnshire and its purpose isto inform and advise the LEP onissues and challenges whichface the sector such as watermanagement, planning,transport infrastructure, thetranslation of research toindustry and skills requirements.The agrifood sector in GreaterLincolnshire employs around 56,000 people and isworth £2.5 billion annually to the economy.After the launch Mr Eustice toured the NationalCentre for Food Manufacturing and QV Foods nearby.He is pictured with Mark Tinsley, who leads onagrifood for the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, and UrsulaLidbetter, Chair of the LEP.Sheffield logistics firm celebraterecord salesSheffield haulage company DBLLogistics is celebrating the firstanniversary of its move to a newwarehouse facility with a 32%increase in sales.The company has seensubstantial growth since its moveto its new £2 million HuntsmanDepot on Tinsley Park Road. Staffnumbers have increased from 25to 33, including three additionalwarehouse staff, two drivers and three office staff members, with plans to hire up to anadditional four employees by the middle of the year.Managing Director David Clarkson says, “I am delighted to see DBL Logistics go fromstrength to strength. The move to a new facility has played a massive part in our successover the last twelve months as it has enabled us to grow the business further. As a result,we have enjoyed one of our best years to date.”Construction begins on 3Sovereign SquareJoint developers Bruntwoodand Kier Property have begunconstruction on 3 SovereignSquare in Leeds city centre. Planning permission for thescheme was granted by Leeds CityCouncil last summer andcontractors Kier Constructionbegan site preparation inNovember. With construction nowunderway an eighteen month buildtime will see the building ready foroccupation in the summer of 2016.Once complete, 3 Sovereign Square will offer 93,240 sq ft of BREEAM Excellent Grade Aspace across six storeys. At ground level this includes 10,750 sq ft of retail and leisureaccommodation. The upper floors of the building offer open plan floor plates of 16,450 sq ft.Craig Burrow, director at Bruntwood, says, “Since gaining planning permission we havebeen working hard behind the scenes to get this speculative development underway. We’vehad a positive response from a number of occupiers and we are confident this will be afantastic addition to the city.”New Leeds school is set to become aleading lightWork is underway on a brand new £2.1 million state ofthe art school in Cookridge that will become home to one ofthe government’s first Free Schools in the UK to caterspecifically for pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders orrelated Communication Disorders.The Lighthouse School is designed by Leeds’ BrewsterBye Architects and Strategic Team Group is the project’slead contractor. Located on the site of the former CookridgeHospital, the work will see the Robert Arthington buildingcompletely restored, redesigned and transformed.Mark Henderson, Director at Brewster Bye Architects,says, “We have specifically designed this school to beextremely practical as well as hugely inspiring. Whereverpossible we are maintaining and restoring all the character features within the original building, which dates back toaround 1900, and complementing them with modern elements such as large windows and folding sliding doors thatwill all combine to create a superb learning environment.”Robin Hood AirportDoncaster Sheffield hasseen a 112% increase inthe amount of cargo ittransports. The figures,which represent thenumber ofconsignments in andout of the airport, showa second successiveyear of growth. Thefigures representtonnage through theairport year on year for2013 and 2014.Hot on the heels of recentletting activity within thebuilding, The Roast Cafe, nowrebranded ‘The Riverside’, hasextended its lease in theground floor of 1 WhitehallRiverside, Leeds. NFU Mutualhas recently also concludedthe £150,000 receptionimprovement programme saidto deliver an ‘unrivalled’ arrivalexperience. Adam Cockroft ofDTZ says, “Recent lettings andlease extensions show thecontinuing expectations of thehighest quality buildings todeliver occupier’s goals. Withother advanced interest, weexpect the building to be fullylet in the very near future.”Project5_Layout 1 09/02/2015 09:24 Page 16Business Link www.blmforum.netNEWS£9 million Russian rollscontract for Sheffield engineerSheffield Forgemasters has secured contracts for forged steelrolls with Russia worth more than £9 million. The orders, fordeliveries in 2015, are from Russian steel producing giants,Severstal and Magnitogorsk Iron andSteel Works and the rolls will be usedin the production of steel for theAutomotive industry.Dr Steve Price, sales director atSheffield Forgemasters, says,“Winning these contracts is a greatcoup for Sheffield Forgemasters andcomes after several years of difficulttrading conditions in the globalforgings and castings industry, which is still having a negative effectfor many businesses.“We are the world’s largest supplier of steel rolls into Russia andit is a great testament to our sales team here, our Russian agentBrightwell, and the strength of our manufacturing excellence thatboth Severstal and MMK continue to place high value orders here inthe UK.”WheelPro is made tomeasure for MechanSheffield rail depot equipmentspecialist Mechan is introducing thelatest automatic wheel measurementtechnology to the UK and Irish markets.The firm is adding the WheelPro fromSpanish manufacturers Visiona to therange of products its supplies tocomplement its own lifting and handlingequipment. Compatible with any type of tracks,WheelPro can be installed inside oroutside a depot, enabling a wheel profileto be determined within +0.05mm. It isavailable in three standardconfigurations to suit metro, regional orhigh speed trains and can be adapted tomeasure the parameters of vehiclestravelling at speeds of up to 120kilometres per hour. Richard Carr, Mechan’s managingdirector, says, “We are pleased to besigning a four year exclusive deal withVisiona and look forward to enjoyingan excellent working relationship.WheelPro is a welcome addition toour existing range of depotmaintenance products.” The Sheffield office of Knight Frank has announced the completionof a number of sales and lettings totalling almost 500,000 sq ftacross Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire - with a further 80,000 sq ftunder offer. Yorkshire’s industrial team has concluded deals on anumber of properties in Sheffield, Worksop, Dewsbury andGoldthorpe. The deals include the sale of 109,000 sq ft on BrightsideLane in Sheffield to Sytner and a 108,000 sq ft letting at MantonWood, Worksop to Greencore for a new food processing facility.Holmfirth firm expandsbusiness with Leeds agencyacquisitionWSI Yorkshire hassuccessfully expanded itsbusiness and acquiredthe digital marketingagency Cloudspotting.Both companies are nowsitting under the newlyformed parent companyAttercopia. The addition to thenewly formed Attercopiagroup will improve thedigital marketingcapabilities of everyone involved and increase the range of services onoffer to all clients.Steve Harvey Franklin, Managing Director of Attercopia, says, “Thisrepresents our second acquisition in as many years, these are veryexciting times for our teams and for our clients. Cloudspotting is arespected brand with a number of financial institutions such as RedmayneBentley and Ecology Building Society. “I have been impressed by the goodwill that Cloudspotting has built upover the years. The acquisition can only strengthen our offering to existingCloudspotting and WSI Yorkshire clients and we are all very excited aboutwhere this new venture will take us in 2015 and beyond.”Project5_Layout 1 09/02/2015 09:25 Page 2www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 7WordsandSpacesLtdtel: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 businessHCA and St Paul’sDevelopments launch44 acre EZ siteThe Homes andCommunities Agencyand St Paul’sDevelopments havecompleted anagreement to createa 750,000 sq ftlogistics hub on a 44acre Enterprise Zonesite near Junction 31of the M1.The HCA, advisedby CBRE, hasappointed St Paul’s Developments as development partner to deliver themajor industrial and warehousing scheme, known as 31 East, which will bea welcome addition to the South Yorkshire property market whereavailable stock is in extremely short supply.31 East is a 44 acre site on Todwick Road, Dinnington adjacent to theexisting 45 acre Dinnington Business Park. Rotherham Council’s recentlycompleted upgrading of the A57 from junction 31 of the M1 to Todwickcrossroads has given the site strategic importance. Outline planningconsent was granted for industrial usage and plans determine the site canaccommodate a total 750,000 sq ft of space with the capacity to develop asingle standalone building of 450,000 sq ft.Lincolnshire team helpsrestore power to famouslighthouseA team ofengineers fromLincolnshirehelped restorationefforts in Scotlandfollowing stormdamage to parts ofthe electricitynetwork north ofthe border.The team, whichcame fromNorthernPowergrid’s north Lincolnshire operations, travelled hundreds of miles tolend a hand as part of a vital UK energy industry mutual aid agreement.The agreement aims to provide additional strength to engineering teamsso power can be restored for customers as soon as possible whennetworks are damaged by severe weather such as high winds orflooding.As part of the work some of the team was responsible for restoringpower to Tarbat Ness Lighthouse on the North West tip of the TarbatNess peninsula on the east coast of Scotland. The 53-metre highlighthouse was built in 1830 by Scottish civil engineer, RobertStevenson, famed for designing and building lighthouses.Project5_Layout 1 09/02/2015 09:25 Page 38Business Link www.blmforum.netTAXATIONDon’t forgetyou can now read Business Linkon thego!Digital Editions now available on iPad & iPhoneWWW.BLMFORUM.NETIdeal for those who spendtime away fromtheir officeHave youfailed to fileyour taxreturn?asks Erica Manderfield, Tax Director,Streets Chartered AccountantsAre you one of the890,000 who failed tofile their Self-Assessment Tax Returnby 31st January? If so,do you need to worry? All those who shouldand haven’t filed a taxreturn will face anautomatic fine of £100.Further fines, penaltiesand interest will occur for those that fail to complete their returnafter three, six and twelve months. You can contact the HMRCwith a reasonable excuse, but this is only likely to lead to anextension of time to complete your return at best.What should you do next? The best approach is to ensure youcomplete and file your return without delay, with a fullexplanation in the ‘white space’ as to why it is late. To avoidfurther interest accruing and a 5% surcharge on any tax payableyou will need to ensure any tax due is paid before 28th February.However, you will still get a £100 fine for late filing and a smallinterest charge.If you continue to do nothing, those that file after three monthsfrom the deadline will be subject to a daily penalty of £10, up to amaximum of £900. If you are six months late, you then face afinancial penalty of £300 or 5% of the overall tax. Over twelvemonths late means a further fine of £300 or a further 5% chargeof the overall tax liability. No “capping” applies to these penalties.The failure to file a return could trigger a tax investigation. Ifyou didn’t realise you needed to complete a self-assessment taxreturn, making a voluntary disclosure to the HMRC is alwaysviewed more favourably in terms of any penalties levied.If you have an accountant or a tax adviser seek their advice.You may find paying for this may be cheaper than any fines youcould face. You may also wish to consider taking out Tax EnquiryFee Protection – a policy which will pay for professional fees thatresult from most types of HMRC enquiry or investigation.Erica Manderfield is a Tax Director at Streets CharteredAccountants, a top 40 UK accountancy firm. Telephone0845 8800320, email info@streetsweb.co.uk or visitwww.streetsweb.co.uk08_Layout 1 09/02/2015 08:48 Page 1www.blmforum.netAPPOINTMENTSBusiness Link 9Major growth sees communicationsagency expand Manifest has appointed three new members of staff to its PR team following a period of majorgrowth. Having increased its turnover by 35% in the last year alone, the marketingcommunications agency is investing in people to manage the substantial success experiencedsince its move to Leeds two and a half years ago. Manifest has responded to its significant expansion with the appointment of Helen Bailey asPR Account Director, and Richard Savage and Louise Watson as PR Assistants.Nev Ridley, Managing Director at Manifest, says, “Over the past twelve months we haveincreased turnover by 35% to £2 million, won eighteen new clients, including the coffee brandGrumpy Mule, as well as growing accounts that are already on our books. We are keen to build on this and have therefore invested in appointing yetmore talent to our team. We are confident that these investments will continue to yield results.”Minty takes NFU Lincolnshire reinsLincolnshire NFU has a newchairman. Dairy farmer MintyWilloughby, from Thurlby nearAlford, has taken over from ChrisGodson. She will serve thecounty’s farming organisation fortwo years, representing NFUmembers locally and regionallyand on the organisation’s rulingbody, NFU Council.Minty and her husband Kevinrun the family farm which includesthe Marshdale herd of pedigreeHolsteins and 330 acres of arable crops and grassland. As well as a hundred acres ofpermanent grass, the farm grows winter wheat, oilseed rape and spring barley.Minty says, “There are so many challenges facing farmers, growers and our wholeindustry. I know that NFU is the organisation to lead our industry through these challengingtimes. Local NFU branches should have more influence in the way NFU is run and I want toinvolve them not just in discussing NFU policy but in more social activities, too.”McAusland Turner, Hull’s oldest marine surveying and consulting firm, haswelcomed on board a new marketing manager. Erika Kepersaite graduatedfrom Hull University Business School last year and during that time gainedprofessional experience with some of the biggest names in the communicationsindustry. Managing Director Albert Wetherill says, “With Hull and the Humberat the heart of the renewables industry, we are confident her skills will keep usat the top of our field as we move forward into exciting times.”Hutton, Millmore andMoran to lead ClarionRoger Hutton and Ryan Millmore have been appointedas joint managing partners of Leeds law firm Clarion.Richard Moran has been appointed as senior partner. Allthree join finance director Hugh Brown on the executiveboard.Since the 2007 MBO led by Hutton, Moran anddeparting managing partner Mark Burns, the firm hasdoubled in size, growing to 117-strong team includingnineteen partners.Roger Hutton says, “Mark has made a majorcontribution to our growth and success over the lastseven years, helping us to build a distinctive brand as ahighly commercial alternative to the global firms. Ryan isa fantastic colleague who began life with Clarion as atrainee solicitor in 1998. “Already, we are on track to meet our performancetargets for this financial year and we have some ambitiousplans to further develop our business and clientrelationships going forward.”Nippon Gohsei’s new MD tocapitalise on recent investmentsNippon Gohsei (UK) has appointed anew managing director as thecompany looks to exploit significantrecent investments at its Saltendfacility in Hull.Hideki Ono will ensure that thecompany’s UK strategy and productdevelopment are implemented, fullyutilising new production facilitiesincluding the second manufacturingline for its Soarnol food packagingproduct.A graduate of Osaka University, Hideki has more than thirty years’ experience inresearch, development and sales as well as plant management. He has been with NipponGohsei since joining from university in 1978 and was most recently executive officer atthe company’s Mizushima plant, the only other facility worldwide to manufactureSoarnol.He says, “The expansion of our UK and Hull manufacturing facility follows a continuedupsurge in demand for Soarnol. This represents an excellent opportunity for us todevelop markets and products for Soarnol, the full potential of which is only now justbeing realised.”Regional law firm Andrew Jackson has recruited seniorsolicitor Joanne Brennan to its growing propertydepartment. With over twenty years’ specialistexperience covering both freehold and leaseholdproperties, Joanne will provide clients with a completerange of residential conveyancing services from thefirm’s York office. The Sheffield College has appointed a new Principal in HeatherSmith. The new post covers all the College’s main sites –Hillsborough College, Norton College, Peaks College, Sheffield CityCollege and The Sheffield College of Applied Engineering. Heatherhas 26 years’ experience within further education and strongconnections to Sheffield. Prior to the new appointment, Heather wasPrincipal of Hillsborough College, Norton College and Peaks College.09_Layout 1 09/02/2015 08:48 Page 1Next >