APRIL 2018 £3.50YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINEwww.blmgroup.co.ukVOLUME 33 ISSUE 04APPRENTICESHIPS& TRAININGBridging the skills gapCORPORATEHOSPITALITYThe right approachFACTORYAUTOMATIONAutomating the processENSURINGCOMPLIANCEENSURINGCOMPLIANCE01 .qxp_Layout 1 09/04/2018 11:04 Page 1Based in Lincoln and York, our commercial solicitors are working with a range of businesses helping them meet their compliance needs; such as privacy policies and external contracts - What first steps can we take with you?www.langleys.comSolicitorsTogether we canWDNHWKHÀUVWVWHSWR*'35FRPSOLDQFHCatering EssentialsfromCleaning and Hygiene Specialistswe concentrate...... on delivering premium products... on helping you maintain an excellent reputation... on providing value for moneyLet Chemexlook after your Hygiene Control Program so you can concentrate on running your businessChemex (Lincoln & Boston), Unit 14, Jessop Close, Brunel Business Park, Newark NG24 2TTTel: 01636 642740 Email peter.cussans@chemexuk.com www.chemexuk.comCatering Essentials from02.qxp_Layout 1 09/04/2018 09:09 Page 1April is here and the start of anew financial year beckons. It’s allhands on deck for businessleaders across Yorkshire andLincolnshire, and with last month’sspring statement, there’s a lot totake in. That’s why Business Linkis here to help with our Aprilissue.This month, we consider the impact of factory automationon the manufacturing sector and why some UK industriesare slow to pick up on it, and also look towardapprenticeships and their value in today’s difficultemployment market. Alongside our regular features on commercial property,corporate hospitality and motoring, this issue is packed fullof relevant information and up-to-date business news fromthe local region. With all that and more there’s no reason tonot be informed of business in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.Good reading, as always Michael FisherEditorThe 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 theEditor03.qxp_Layout 1 09/04/2018 09:13 Page 1CONTENTSAPRIL 20186NewsThe latest business news and success stories from around our region10Commercial propertyThe traditional office is due an upgrade, with businesses anddesigners factoring in health and wellbeing into their designs. 14Factory automationAutomation is a long term solution to a number of manufacturingproblems, so why are more companies not taking advantage?18Apprenticeships & trainingThe manufacturing and engineering industries have been hit hard bythe major skills crisis plaguing the country, and our region hascertainly not escaped the lack of skills job candidates are presenting.We thus need to become more proactive in training employees tosuit the needs of our businesses. Whether this be through in-housetraining or apprenticeships, more funding is now arriving to improvethe skills shortage.22PortsDespite new developments – both in terms of our ports and theGovernment’s approach to Brexit – there’s still more that can be doneto enhance the productivity of our ports. 26Rubb Buildings Q&AWe talk to Stephnie Coyle, Sales Executive at Rubb Buildings28HealthcareIs providing healthcare for your employees really worth it, can youreduce its cost, and what benefits can it offer for the employer? 32Carbon footprint is something we’ve been hearing about for over adecade now, but are any companies truly taking steps to reduce it –or is it just smoke in our ears?34GDPRDespite being only weeks away from GDPR kicking in, a number ofbusinesses have still not prepared for the changes ahead. Now is thetime to start your journey to becoming GDPR compliant, as BusinessLink explores. 36Corporate hospitalityWith the warm weather on the horizon many of us will be turning ourthoughts to enjoying drinks on summer terraces with clients, perhapsdays out to a sporting event or a hospitality marquee at one of themany county shows.• The Humber Royal Hotel • Millfields Hotel40AutolinkThe UK new car market dipped in February, according to figuresreleased today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders(SMMT). 80,805 new cars were registered, a -2.8% drop comparedwith February 2017, in what is traditionally one of the quietest monthsof the year ahead of the March number plate change.• Bentley Bentayga • Maserati Roadshow48MultimodalThe proposed Irish border and how this will affect trade lanesbetween Ireland and the UK will form part of the debate atMultimodal 2018, the free-to-attend show taking place at theBirmingham NEC from the 1st to 3rd May 2018.49The Mortgage Business ExpoThis year’s Mortgage Business Expo (MBE) Leeds is once againproving popular with the Yorkshire finance industry. MBE have seen a25% increase in financial professionals pre-registering to attend theevent. The expo will take place on 25th April at the Royal Armouriesand due to its ongoing success this will be the fourth year runningthe event in Leeds. 50EventsWe take a look at business events happening around Yorkshire andLincolnshire54And finally…Yorkshire-Lincolnshire-Business-Link @blmforumblmforum.netCONNECT WITH US14224204-05.qxp_Layout 1 09/04/2018 09:21 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)Tess Egginton (t.egginton@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 - ASHARKYU • MATYI BENOIT • FA11 • PAIKONG • CARLOS AMARILLOwww.blmforum.net1004-05.qxp_Layout 1 09/04/2018 09:21 Page 2Vapour Cloudsecures £1mBetfred dealVapour Cloud, the Yorkshire-based cloud techspecialist, has secured a contract worth in excess of £1million with UK bookmaker Betfred. The deal wassecured in association with pure technology group(PTG).The betting firm has invested in Vapour’somnichannel platform Höllr, as part of an extensiveproject to overhaul its call centre infrastructure.When fully deployed, the solution will encompassrecordable voice, video, SMS, email and social mediadialogue.Vapour CEO Tim Mercer said: “This really is a ‘nextgeneration’ solution, particularly suitable for businesseswith a B2C contact centre operation where security is a must. The call recording facility will automatically stop, for example, when acustomer inputs their card details.“The DTMF (Dual Tone Multiple Frequencies) tones will also be masked so that the operator hears only a flat sound, then as soon as thethree-digit CVC code is inputted, the recording will immediately re-start. This ensures the safe processing of extremely sensitive data.”Sheffield firm gets £4.3mto build hydrogenrefuelling stationsSheffield company ITM Power will receive £4.3 million from theDepartment for Transport to build four new hydrogen refuellingstations and to upgrade five existing ones to increase capacity insupport of a larger UK fleet of fuel cell electric vehicles.The money is part of funding worth almost £9 million given to aconsortium in which ITM sits with Shell, Toyota, Honda and HyundaiThe project has further funding support from the European FuelCells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.Police cars and taxis will be among nearly 200 new hydrogenpowered vehicles switching to zero emission miles, thanks to themulti-million pound Government boost.The companies will capitalise on the reliable mileage ofestablished fleets and see vehicles being procured by emergencyservices such as the Metropolitan Police, as well as Green TomatoCars and Europcar to support the growth of refuelling infrastructurefor hydrogen vehicles up and down the country.6Business Link www.blmforum.netNEWSHull’s Spencer Groupawarded for championingwomen in engineeringSpencer Group, the Hull-based multi-disciplinary engineering business,has been recognised for promoting the drive for gender balance in theNorth of England.The Group claimed the Medium Organisation prize in the 2018Northern Power Women Awards in recognition of its work championingfemale talent in a traditionally male-dominated sector.The Northern Power Women Awards celebrate women and menworking towards creating gender balance within organisations acrossthe entire Northern Powerhouse.The award recognised the company’s work to promote engineering asa career option for women of all ages and the leading role played in thisby Human Resources Director Yvonne Moir.Spencer Group is a leading supporter of the Women intoManufacturing and Engineering (WiME) initiative launched by the GreenPort Hull partnership.© Shutterstock / Mona Makela 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 09/04/2018 10:55 Page 1£40minvestment forLeeds-headquarteredPharmacy2ULeeds-headquartered online pharmacy,Pharmacy2U, has raised £40 million from investorsincluding G Square Capital and the BGF.The firm will use the money to fund the growth ofits online repeat prescription service, as it tries tobring the same online disruption which has shakenthe retail industry to the pharmacy sector.Former Boots manager Ted Smith and G Squarepartner will join the board as non-executive chairmanas part of the deal, after the departure of former HBOS banker and investor Andy Hornby.G Square led the deal, which makes it the majority shareholder in the firm. BGF’s participation in the fundraising follows a £7 millioninvestment in May 2017.Laurent Ganem, founder and Chief Executive of G Square, said the private equity firm was drawn to Pharmacy2U’s fast growth, momentumin the sector, and customer experience.www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 7NEWSLincolnshire solicitorssecures HSBC funding forexpansionLincolnshire and Nottinghamshire based law firm Ringrose Law Solicitors areembarking on ambitious expansion plans supported by a team of resources andexpertise from HSBC. The firm, which was established in 1885, currently operatesout of six offices in mid and south Lincolnshire. Focusing on the private sector,Ringrose Law specialises in important community matters such as family law,personal injury, employment law, wills, probate, mediation and mental health law.The support HSBC has provided has been invaluable to the firms operationsand ever-growing support network for its clients. Part of the expansion packagehas been to create a new commercial department with established andexperienced case workers.Paul Cooper, Senior Partner at Ringrose Law Solicitors, said: “Partnering withother local law firms and acquiring departments to create a larger networkacross Lincolnshire is a vital growth strategy for our business. It will allow us tooffer a better service for clients across the region and support smaller companiesin an extremely competitive market place.”Globe ConsultantsLimitedGlobeConsultantsLimited is anindependentplanning anddevelopmentconsultancybased in theheart of historicLincoln whichserves privateand publicsector clientsacross theregion andfurther afield.Phil Scraftonleads the teamof professionalconsultants whoalways seek tofind sensible, cost effective and feasible solutions toinvestment and development opportunities. Phil’s extensiveexperience means that challenges can always been seen asopportunities where creative solutions and the rightcombination of technical input from colleagues usually leadsto a highly successful outcome.Where possible, early contact about investment anddevelopment plans is preferable and will lead to the mostcost effective route to formal approvals being received.However, being brought in to resolve problems that havearisen through an ongoing application process is far fromunusual and Globe will always use its best endeavours toreview and refocus proposals to ensure the highest chancesof a successful outcome. For more information visit www.globeconsultants.co.uk© Shutterstock / ASDF_MEDIA 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 09/04/2018 10:55 Page 2NEWS8Business Link www.blmforum.netWordsandSpacesLtdtel: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 business32% of SMEs say Brexit hasnegatively affected their businessAlmost one in three SMEs (32%) said Brexit has negativelyaffected their confidence in their business’ success, according to anew report from Dun & Bradstreet and the Small BusinessResearch Centre.Those in retail and manufacturing were found to feel moststrongly about Brexit, and of all the SME owners spoken to acrossall regions and industries, not one said Brexit has made them moreconfident their business will succeed.Split by sector, those in manufacturing see Brexit as a biggerchallenge than any other industry, while 34% of retailers and 35%of manufacturers say evaluating the impact of Brexit is a priorityfor the next 12 months. Moreover, a third of SMEs believe their business simply won’tsurvive if the Brexit negotiations go badly. However, morepositively, 59% of the SMEs said they have complete confidence intheir success despite the current economic climate.MD Joanna Robinsonrecognised on ‘powerfulwomen’ listMansfield PollardManaging Director JoannaRobinson has been namedon Northern PowerWomen’s Future List, whichrecognises the influencersand change makers of thefuture who are alreadymaking a difference to theirenvironments andcommunities.Northern Power Women isa collaborative campaignthat aims to accelerategender diversity from theNorth of England. It encourages the transformation of business culture toincrease opportunities for women in business and showcase role modelsand best practice businesses that are driving and leading economic growth.“I feel privileged to have been named on the Northern Power Women’sFuture List, in the company of some exceptional business women andindustry leaders,” she said. “I am extremely proud to represent Mansfield Pollard on this list andwould like to thank my team for helping me to promote manufacturing andengineering to girls and women with the hope that we will inspire them topursue careers within the industry.”Joanna Robinson© Shutterstock / Pixelbliss 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 09/04/2018 10:55 Page 3TOWER FIELD SERVICESCat Tech Tower Field Services offers bespokemechanical services to oil refinery andprotochemical plants all around the world.Our team has vast experience in overseeing andundertaking the installation of all types of Towerinternals.Our Tower tray, packing and other internalsinstallation services has deep roots, with several ofthe senior team at Cat Tech being involved in thefounding of the Cana-Tex organisation.Since 1971, Cana-Tex had been the premier globalTower speciality contractor; performing Towermaintenance and plant turnaround projects aroundthe world. These origins, with the addition of newteam members, make Cat Tech Tower Field servicesa global operation which is both cost effective andtechnically experienced.We strive to create new ways to make yourTower work safer, faster and more productiveand that can make very good things happen foryour business.We thrive on exceeding our clients expectations and understand the need forupfront communication in relation to timescales and costs.No-one likes surprises in this industry and we ensure that everything is done, frompre-job planning, on site activities to post job reporting in a manner which allows ourcustomers to concentrate on their core business. Let us show you what we can do.We work hard to maintain an industry reputation for safety, speed anddependability. Ours crews have been trained by us, this allows us to staff a projectwith the proven skills necessary to produce customer satisfaction.It is our intention to demonstrate the benefit of utilising Cat Tech for all of yourTower work.The benefits of engaging Cat Tech are:lExperienced Tower specialists.lProven track record.lAbility to supply spares and replacements.lSpade to Spade service.lRevamps or modifications to Towers / Internals.lInspection of Tower internals.lSupervision of external/client labour force.lDetailed inspection reports.lCleaning of tower internals.lReactor tray field services.lTurnkey reactor tray field services.At Cat Tech, we continue tocreate new ways to makeTower work safer, faster andmore productive. And that canmake very good things happenfor your business. Contact usfor further information.Our well established salesteam have a wealth ofexperience. We take pride onensuring all enquires are dealtwith quickly and efficiently.UK: Cat Tech (Europe) Ltd.,1 South Park Road,South Park Industrial Estate,Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire,DN17 2BY UKPhone: +44 (0) 1724 871747Fax: + 44 (0) 1724 861928Bulgaria: Cat Tech Services (SouthEastern Europe) Ltd.,Devnia, Varna District,Povelyanovo, 20 Droujba Str,R Bulgaria, 9160Phone: +(35) 9519 92052Fax: +(35) 9527 46770China: Cat Tech Services (Shanghai)Ltd.,Room 1230 No.1, 58 Nong Huachi Road,Putuo District,Shanghai 20061 CNPhone: +(86) 2152 9175 08Fax: +(86) 2152 9175 05Singapore: Cat Tech Asia Pacific Pte.Ltd., 17 Fan Yoong Road,Singapore 629794Phone: +(65) 6264 6261Fax: +(65) 6264 6401South America: Please contact the UKThailand: Cat Tech Services (Thailand)Ltd., 2/1 Soi Banbon NuenpayomRoad, Maptaphut Sub District, MuangRayong District, Rayong Province21150 THPhone: +(66) 894 064 100Fax: +(66) 638 692 382MAKING YOURPLANT WORK…SMARTERwww.cat-tech.comPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/KAWINNINGS06-09.qxp_Layout 1 09/04/2018 10:55 Page 4Next >