JUNE 2018 £3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 33 ISSUE 06 It’s all set to happen at the 134th Lincolnshire Show Next level logisticsChoosing bespoke events 01 .qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2018 11:04 Page 1*T’s & C’s apply18+ www.napoleons-casinos.co.uk/hull Napoleons Hull, 193-203 George Street, Kingston Upon Hull, HU1 3BS 01482 221 133 hull@napoleons-casinos.co.uk DINE In Style £5 BETDRINK3 COURSE MEAL £24 .00 PER PERSON Monday - thursday £29 .00 PER PERSON FRIDAY & Saturday AFTERNOON SLOTS Matchplay WITH AFTERNOON TEA TO INCLUDE: SANDWICHES CLOTTED CREAM SCONE FRUIT CAKE & MACAROON PLUS TEA OR COFFEE 2pm until 5pm, Monday - Saturday 1 £20 Matchplay* per person A BIRTHDAY? Celebrating EAT FOR FREE MEMBERS ONLY Celebrate your birthday with us and for parties of four people or more when booking the “Dine in Style’ package Mon - Thurs only, the birthday girl or boy eats for free! Simply quote ‘Birthday Offer’ when booking your table and bring valid ID to prove it’s your birthday that month.* * * Let us take the strain of organising that next event… Up to 50 Guests Our Welholme Suite can accommodate up to 50 delegates and our Westward Lounge is also available for training, small meetings and private dining that can cater for up to 25 delegates or guests; a projector, screen and flip charts are available for use in both rooms. Up to 70 Guests For larger functions, Bargate 53, provides the perfect setting for Wedding Receptions, Business Meetings, Birthdays, Anniversaries and Wakes, catering for 70 seated guests or 150 for buffets. Whatever your occasion may be, our chefs will provide a menu to suit your needs. Please call 01472 356068 to arrange an informal meeting with our restaurant manager. Millfields Hotel, 53 Bargate, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN34 5AD Tel: 01472 356068 Email: info@millfieldshotel.co.uk Website: www.millfieldshotel.co.uk Now taking bookings for Christmas 02.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2018 11:05 Page 1It’s sometimes startling the pace at which things move. Here we are in June, another royal wedding later, and with well under a year until the completion of Brexit. There’s scarcely time to stop and catch your breath, something my editorial team can relate to. We’ve not pulled our punches with this issue. As well as exploring the flourishing agri-business sector, we also take a look at the region’s construction industry and what’s going on when it comes to insurance. As one of the nation’s key logistical heartlands, we take a look at the latest developments in the industry. It’s also time for our latest Meet the Experts instalment, where industry leaders from across the region come together to share their collective wisdom and experience. It always makes for compelling reading and demonstrates the level of talent right across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It might be summer, but it’s the time of year that business leaders and company heads should be planning their Christmas parties and shindigs. Don’t worry if you’ve not made a start yet, our informative Christmas in June feature has all the information and advice you need to get started. Being as Business Link is a family business, we’re well aware of the importance of family businesses. This month’s feature will look at the highs and lows of running a family business and their importance to the economy. Our regular commercial property pages offers insight into the biggest trends and deals taking place in the regional property space, while our news and events pages ensure you never miss a thing. That about wraps up our June issue, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention The Lincolnshire Show. Our sister publication, Lincolnshire Today, is hosting a marquee by the main ring with tipples and nibbles, so be sure and drop in for a visit. Good reading as always Michael Fisher Editor The magazine that cares We care because we want to leave our world a better place than we found it Business Link believes that being socially and environmentally responsible is the key to maintaining a flourishing business that our customers will be pleased to use and our staff will be proud to be part of. Community - From a very local point of view, we strive to be a ‘good neighbour’. We also extend that into the much broader local community, through financial support of local causes and charities. Environment - Our actions extend to: conservation of energy and natural resources, minimisation of waste and ensuring our trading partners do likewise. From the Editor 03.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2018 11:05 Page 1JUNE 2018 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region 12 Commercial property The stranglehold of uncertainty is fading from the commercial property market both across the UK and our region 16 Corporate hospitality The bright lights and glamour that come with throwing large corporate events can be a great opportunity to gain businesses. However, it is often more intimate events that are tailored to the attendees’ interests, and allow the host to talk to each guest that create an impression 22 Construction, machinery and equipment Innovation is on the horizon for construction machinery and equipment. Is it time to embrace the digitalisation and electrification of what we use in the industry? 25 Insurance Insurance is oft-bemoaned as an unnecessary cost, but the consequences of not taking it seriously can be staggering 28 Family business It’s often said that small and medium sized enterprises are the backbone of the British economy. Looking a little closer, many of these same businesses are family-run, so it might be more pertinent to say that family businesses are, in fact, the backbone of Britain 31 Agri-business Agribusinesses in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have witnessed a rough winter and spring, adding to numerous stresses already on the industry. But where does agriculture stand right now, and how can it change? 34 Lincolnshire Show The Lincolnshire Show is among the county’s most highly anticipated annual events, bringing together business, agriculture and lifestyle for a celebration of everything that makes this region special. This year is one of the most important in the show’s esteemed history as it celebrates the hundred year anniversary of the RAF 38 Ports and logistics As a nexus of land, sea and freight, our region is perfectly positioned to serve the logistical needs at the national level and for businesses to extend their reach internationally. That hardly means that Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are immune to challenges within the logistics industry, such as the increased demand from the e-commerce industry, a lack of quality facilities and a dwindling workforce 42 Meet the experts Experts from sectors across our region share their vast expertise, experience and insight 44 Christmas in June It’s an age-old tradition, and one that many companies have to start planning even in June, but is it really worth holding a Christmas work party in this day and age? 48 AutoLink Convertible cars are ideal for adding a little bit of appeal to your commute. True, they might not be as practical as their tin-topped alternatives, but nothing lets you value a sun-drenched day like a cabriolet. Here are some of the best drop-tops on the market • XL Responsive Vehicle Leasing Q&A 54 Events We take a look at business events happening around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire 58 And finally… Yorkshire-Lincolnshire- Business-Link @blmforum blmforum.net CONNECT WITH US 16 22 34 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2018 11:07 Page 1Group Editor Steve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Editor Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Journalists Dominic Cuthbert (d.cuthbert@blmgroup.co.uk) Stuart Pearcey (s.pearcey@blmgroup.co.uk) Tess Egginton (t.egginton@blmgroup,.co.uk) Editorial contact newsdesk@blmgroup.co.uk Tel: (01472) 310305 Fax: (01472) 310317 Sales Director Angela Cooper (a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk) Advertising Sam Trott (s.trott@blmgroup.co.uk) Vicky Hunt (v.hunt@blmgroup.co.uk) Kerry Randerson (k.randerson@blmgroup.co.uk) Tel: (01472) 310310 Accounts & Subscriptions Angela Sharman, John Downes Tel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311 Design & Production Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson Tel: (01472) 310304 Fax: (01472) 310314 (studio@blmgroup.co.uk) E-Mail: yorks-lincs@blmgroup.co.uk Website www.blmforum.net Address Haychart Ltd, Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N.E. Lincs., DN31 2QE. ISSN No: 1462-2092 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without express permission of the copyright holder, for which application should be addressed first to the publisher. While every reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor its participating agents accept liability for loss or damage to prints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material of whatever nature submitted to this publication. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of those held by the publisher. COVER PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK - BANNAFARSAI_STOCK • OLGA SAPEGINA • FOTOKOSTIC • MAZDA • KAMARA PHOTOGRAPHY www.blmforum.net 31 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2018 11:07 Page 2North Lincs Engineering Ltd Drax to pilot bioenergy CSS project at North Yorks power station Drax is to pilot the first bioenergy carbon capture storage (BECCS) project of its kind in Europe, which, if successful, could make the renewable electricity produced at its North Yorkshire power station carbon negative. BECCS is vital to global efforts to combat climate change because the technology will mean the gases that cause global warning can be removed from the atmosphere at the same time as electricity is produced. This means power generation would no longer contribute to climate change, but would start to reduce the carbon accumulating in the atmosphere. The demonstration project will see Drax partner with Leeds-based C-Capture and invest £400,000 in what could be the first of several pilot projects undertaken at Drax to deliver a rapid, lower cost demonstration of BECCS. The first phase of the project, which began in May, will look to see if the solvent C-Capture has developed is compatible with the biomass flue gas at Drax Power Station. 6Business Link www.blmforum.net NEWS Time is right for Yorkshire businesses exporting to US There has never been a better time for Yorkshire businesses to export to the US – that’s the message from Harriet Cross, the British Government’s Consul General to New England. Ms Cross made the comments during a recent visit to Leeds when she and Kirsten Chambers, Consul and Head of Trade & Investment at the British Consulate General, shared updates on export and trade opportunities across the Atlantic with Yorkshire businesses. The event, hosted by Clarion, was organised by ExportExchange, a peer-to-peer mentoring initiative aimed at supporting overseas trade in the region, and was attended by a number of fledgling and experienced exporters. “Having been born and bred in Yorkshire, I understand the region and its strengths, and can clearly see how well-aligned it is with New England,” said Ms Cross. Two companies which are successfully doing business in the States are Leeds-based jukebox manufacturer Sound Leisure and plastic storage box manufacturer Really Useful Products in Normanton. (L-R) Chris Black; Kirsten Chambers; Mike Pickles and Harriet Cross (L-R) Jason Shipstone, Caspar Schoolderman, Andy Koss, Prof Christopher Rayner & Carl Clayton We specialise in the Supply, Installation and Reconditioning of Industrial and Marine Diesel Engines and Generating Sets. Our team of Service Engineers can Repair, Maintain or Commission Land based or Marine Installations Worldwide. Tel: 01507 328787 • Email: mark@northlincseng.co.uk • Website: www.northlincseng.co.uk 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2018 11:16 Page 1Yorkshire’s billions in hidden cash could be used to fund growth Businesses across the North of England have around £116.4 billion tied up in working capital, according to analysis of more than 5,000 UK businesses from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Working capital is the amount of money that a company ties up in the day-to-day costs of doing business, and tends to increase as businesses grow or as efficiency falls. The fact that the amount of money tied up in things like inventory or unpaid invoices nearly doubled (up by 95%) in the past year could be a positive sign for the Yorkshire economy. But tying up too much money in day-to-day costs puts pressure on cash flow and experts fear that the fact that working capital now accounts for such a large proportion of North of England firms’ revenue could leave many firms ill-prepared to respond to change. The report also found that, across the UK, revenue growth nearly quadrupled during 2017 to 8.3%, from 2.1% in 2016. www.blmforum.net Business Link 7 NEWS With investments from more than 150 companies, creating almost 4,000 jobs, 2017/18 was a successful year for Sheffield City Region’s inward investment team. Targets were exceeded for both foreign inward investments and in UK- owned investment projects – the latter particularly in Doncaster, which is becoming renowned for its logistics opportunities. Key to economic growth was strong collaborative working with local authorities, as well as the city region’s two universities and other partners. The new figures show that investment from foreign companies was spread across a range of sectors, with the food and drinks sector accounting for the largest amount of projects in total. Domestic investment comprised around 80% of total investment in the SCR, with 125 companies creating 2,508 of the total 3,857 new jobs. Manufacturing and engineering sectors continued to dominate the domestic investment projects in 2017/18, accounting for 22 of the 125 inward investments. The remainder of the projects were spread across a range of sectors. Crawshaw adds ASDA alum as new CEO Crawshaw Group, the Rotherham-headquartered chain of budget butchers, has appointed ASDA alum Jim Viggars as its new CEO and Nick Taylor as Chief Financial Officer. Mr Viggars has over 30 years’ experience within the meat industry across procurement, customer strategy and agriculture. Between 2005 and 2015, he was the Head of the Fresh Meat Department at ASDA. Prior, he was Buying Manager for ASDA’s pre-packed pies division and was previously a fresh meat buyer for the group. During 2015-2017 he was the Sales Director for UK Import & Distribution Services importing grass fed beef into Europe. Mr Taylor, on the other hand, joins Crawshaw having served as CFO of Janan Meat, a premier dedicated Halal Lamb and Mutton meat processor, since January 2017. Mr Viggars will replace Noel Collett as CEO, who is stepping down from the Board to pursue other opportunities. Mr Taylor, meanwhile, will replace Alan Richardson as CFO, who has left Crawshaw to take up an opportunity outside of the Group. © Shutterstock / Shahid Khan Sheffield city region smashes inward investment targets © Shutterstock / Linda Bestwick © Crawshaw Group DDS Roofing We are a local and independent roofing firm with over thirty years’ experience. We have been serving the local community for over ten years. All our team are friendly and professional and take pride in the high standard of workmanship that we provide. For more information, call us today! We cater for domestic and commercial clients in need of quality roofing for their homes or businesses. Our comprehensive range of services includes: • Roofing service • Re-roofing • Slating • Tiling • Fascias and Soffits • General property maintenance 35 College Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN34 4TN Telephone: 01472 267709 Mobile: 07980 962009 Email: derrick.saxby@homecall.co.uk 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2018 11:16 Page 2Amazon deal boosts sales for Lincolnshire manufacturer A significant contract with Amazon has allowed Grantham-based manufacturer Viking Signs to continue to grow sales over the last twelve months. Viking Signs has signed a deal to become a direct supplier for the online retailer’s new business division, supplying up to 30,000 products for the B2B market. The company is now looking to target a clutch of new contracts after it tapped into support from the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP) to work towards the ISO 9001 quality accreditation, which is important for improving efficiencies and competing for larger orders. Supported by a Manufacturing Growth Manager and an experienced industry consultant, the firm is very near to completing the process and will shortly be undertaking the Stage 1 assessment that will then lead to full certification in a few months. NEWS 8Business Link www.blmforum.net Words and Spaces Ltd tel: 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 2QE I’ll write blogs, websites, ads, articles, leaflets, news releases and newspapers; I’ll design print and buy it. I’m Stuart Pearcey. How can I make your life better today? www.wordsman.co.uk Where good copywriting means business Investment drive to bring overseas investors to key Yorkshire projects International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox has launched a new drive to bring more than £30 billion of investment to 68 projects across the UK – including several in our region. “This is a bold and ambitious programme,” he said, “building on the UK’s position as the leading destination for foreign investment in Europe through the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, helping to build a Britain fit for the future.” Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI Director-General, added: “The UK has a strong standing when it comes to attracting investment to these shores. That investment leads to real, tangible benefits for people and communities – more jobs, prosperity and choice.” Of the 68 projects, those in our region include: £400 million for Kirkstall Forge in Leeds; £2,900 million for Sirius Minerals Polyhalite Project in North Yorkshire and Teeside; £750 million to York Central; £400 million to Axiom Regional Shopping Centre in Wakefield’ £200 million to Aero Centre Yorkshire in Doncaster, and also £100 million for Unity Doncaster. Darren Joint, Managing Director of Viking Signs 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2018 11:16 Page 3TOWER FIELD SERVICES Cat Tech Tower Field Services offers bespoke mechanical services to oil refinery and protochemical plants all around the world. Our team has vast experience in overseeing and undertaking the installation of all types of Tower internals. Our Tower tray, packing and other internals installation services has deep roots, with several of the senior team at Cat Tech being involved in the founding of the Cana-Tex organisation. Since 1971, Cana-Tex had been the premier global Tower speciality contractor; performing Tower maintenance and plant turnaround projects around the world. These origins, with the addition of new team members, make Cat Tech Tower Field services a global operation which is both cost effective and technically experienced. We strive to create new ways to make your Tower work safer, faster and more productive and that can make very good things happen for your business. We thrive on exceeding our clients expectations and understand the need for upfront communication in relation to timescales and costs. No-one likes surprises in this industry and we ensure that everything is done, from pre-job planning, on site activities to post job reporting in a manner which allows our customers 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 and dependability. Ours crews have been trained by us, this allows us to staff a project with the proven skills necessary to produce customer satisfaction. It is our intention to demonstrate the benefit of utilising Cat Tech for all of your Tower 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 to create new ways to make Tower work safer, faster and more productive. And that can make very good things happen for your business. Contact us for further information. Our well established sales team have a wealth of experience. We take pride on ensuring all enquires are dealt with quickly and efficiently. UK: Cat Tech (Europe) Ltd., 1 South Park Road, South Park Industrial Estate, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN17 2BY UK Phone: +44 (0) 1724 871747 Fax: + 44 (0) 1724 861928 Bulgaria: Cat Tech Services (South Eastern Europe) Ltd., Devnia, Varna District, Povelyanovo, 20 Droujba Str, R Bulgaria, 9160 Phone: +(35) 9519 92052 Fax: +(35) 9527 46770 China: Cat Tech Services (Shanghai) Ltd., Room 1230 No.1, 58 Nong Huachi Road, Putuo District, Shanghai 20061 CN Phone: +(86) 2152 9175 08 Fax: +(86) 2152 9175 05 Singapore: Cat Tech Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., 17 Fan Yoong Road, Singapore 629794 Phone: +(65) 6264 6261 Fax: +(65) 6264 6401 South America: Please contact the UK office on +44 1724 871 747 Thailand: Cat Tech Services (Thailand) Ltd., 2/1 Soi Banbon Nuenpayom Road, Maptaphut Sub District, Muang Rayong District, Rayong Province 21150 TH Phone: +(66) 894 064 100 Fax: +(66) 638 692 382 MAKING YOUR PLANT WORK… SMARTER www.cat-tech.com PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/KAWINNINGS 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2018 11:16 Page 4Next >