JANUARY 2020 £3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 35 ISSUE 1 A different kind of data centre A new startThe right side of the law 01 .qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 09:10 Page 1Cargo Training International n AIR, SEA AND ROAD TRAINING n REGULAR UK & USA COURSES n WORLDWIDE IN-HOUSE PROGRAMMES n CAA APPROVED FOR ALL YOUR DANGEROUS GOODS TRAINING NEEDS FOR ALL OUR TRAINING DATES & VENUES VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.cargotraining.com UK OFFICE: PO Box 176, Shepperton, TW17 8WP Tel: 01932 769 682 • E-mail: sales@cargotraining.com USA OFFICE: PO Box 580026, Houston, Texas 77258-0026 Tel: 1800 700 4980 • E-mail: cti@cargotrainingusa.com Cargo Training International, CTI, are providers of dangerous goods training / hazmat training courses in the UK, USA and Worldwide RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT TAX RELIEF SPECIALISTS GET YOUR CASH FROM HMRC Call COODEN TAX CONSULTING NOW! Call us on: 01424 225 345email us on: info@coodentaxconsulting.co.uk www.coodentaxconsulting.co.uk Office 8 Charter House 43 St Leonards Road Bexhill on Sea East Sussex TN40 1JA @CoodenConsults Validate your claim, No Win No Fee RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT TAX RELIEF SPECIALISTS 02.qxp_Layout 1 06/01/2020 09:27 Page 1While Labour were busy front-loading their manifesto with more policies and promises than you could shake a chief whip at, the Tory party built its entire election campaign around a single simple promise – get Brexit done. For good or for ill, Boris Johnson is here to stay, and at least now we have more certainty than we did this time last month. So we enter the New Year with much the same Government as before and plenty of the same issues persisting. But that need not be the case for businesses, who can use the excuse to shake up their suppliers, as explored in our handy New Year, new supplier feature. Elsewhere we take a look at how a Japanese business concept can help pave the way for lean manufacturing, while the emphasis is on data centres in our IT feature. As one of the most important regions for renewables, we celebrate the contribution Yorkshire and Lincolnshire is making and the work that’s taking place across the area. There’s also a look at logistics and employment law. We haven’t scrimped on the regulars either, with plenty to keep you busy during the New Year period. 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 19/12/2019 09:11 Page 1JANUARY 2020 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region 11 Commercial property To get the measure of the year ahead, Business Link has invited commercial property industry experts to share their insight and explore what the next twelve months entail in the market here in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. 14 Productivity and efficiency in manufacturing Improving productivity and efficiency shouldn’t be simple one-time targets, but rather a continuous improvement programme, and the organisational framework of 5S provide the first fundamental steps for a company to take when implementing lean manufacturing. 18 IT and communications As the demand for digital increases and global data traffic rises, the footprint of data centres will continue to grow. The industry standard is not only energy intensive but results in excessive carbon emissions, but that looks set to change with the launch of a new kind of data centre. Employment law Given the consistently changing legislation in the field of HR, even the most conscientious employer could well find themselves inadvertently breaking the law. Business scene In December, The Institute of Director’s (IoD) once again held its Annual Lincolnshire Lunch at The Bentley Hotel in Lincoln. Renewables Renewables is a fast-growing sector in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, and our region is leading the way in offshore wind with numerous wind farms operational or planned off the coast. Logistics and transport As we sit in a period of transformation, environmentalism and technology breakthroughs, the logistics and transport industry stands at the precipice of change. 34 New year, new supplier This year, Business Link is calling on businesses to inspect their supply chain, examine each and every one of their suppliers and ask themselves a simple question – am I getting the absolute best? If not, then now is the time to change. Corporate hospitality Today, more is expected from corporate events. A unique venue or use of interactive technology can vastly enhance attendee experience. AutoLink If you’re thinking about a new car for 2020, check out what we’ve been driving since the last issue. • We put the all-new Bentley Continental GT Convertible through its paces Events We take a look at business events happening around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire And finally… Yorkshire-Lincolnshire- Business-Link @blmforum blmforum.net CONNECT WITH US 18 30 40 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 09:13 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) 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) Sam Trott (s.trott@blmgroup.co.uk) Vicky Hunt (v.hunt@blmgroup.co.uk) Kerry Randerson (k.randerson@blmgroup.co.uk) Tel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311 Tel: (01472) 310304 Fax: (01472) 310314 Haychart Ltd, Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N.E. Lincs., DN31 2QE. 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 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 COVER PHOTOS: BENTLEY • SHUTTERSTOCK - ROEL SLOOTWEG • MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES • CONNECT WORLD • VASIN LEE www.blmforum.net 26 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 09:13 Page 2Sheffield Forgemasters to lead £10.5m research project Sheffield Forgemasters will lead a consortium of partners in a landmark £10.5 million research project. The company will explore industrialisation of Electron Beam Welding (EBW) in civil nuclear assemblies, with the potential to integrate welding into the manufacturing process, offering material improvements and vast reductions in manufacturing time and cost. Sheffield Forgemasters has been awarded £8 million to lead strategic partners in the project, from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the largest single grant given under its £20 million Nuclear Innovation Programme. The company will collaborate with partners from CVE, TWI, Arc Energy, NAMRC, The University of Manchester and Cambridge University. It will also work with an invited steering committee of Rolls Royce Civil Nuclear, Rolls Royce (Submarines), Cavendish Nuclear, the MOD and the UK Atomic Energy Authority. The company will install an electron beam welder capable of welding 3.0m diameter cylinders under localised vacuum and without traditional welding preparation, offering narrower welds than traditional methods plus the ability to weld as part of the manufacturing process, prior to quality heat treatment. It will then manufacture a civil nuclear component to demonstrate a full-sized small modular reactor pressure vessel. It will also produce several grades of steel alloys suitable for civil fission and fusion nuclear applications within the project’s research element. “This is a landmark project for the UK, building on three years of work we completed in partnership with Innovate UK (the UK’s innovation agency), to refine the basic science of electron beam welding in nuclear applications,” said Jesus Talamantes-Silva, research, design and technology director at Sheffield Forgemasters. “It is our largest research project to date, which launched in August, running until March 2021, and the implications of accelerating this technology for civil nuclear power are significant, but could also benefit other sectors including defence, offshore and petrochemical industries.” 6 Business Link www.blmforum.net NEWS 1.6m UK businesses ‘virtually invisible’ to financial system More than 1.6 million UK businesses can struggle to access growth funding or trade credit because there is insufficient information available about their financial track record, according to analysis from Experian. This lack of credit information means these SMEs can be considered higher risk when it comes to lending. These ‘SME Invisibles’ are either too new to file their first set of accounts, or only submit a balance sheet which doesn’t include profit and loss. As a result, they may struggle to access the growth funding needed to take their business to the next level, or even trade credit to buy products and materials. Experian has taken this Invisible population of 3.5 million and reduced it to 1.6 million by adding new data sources. These sources include voluntary Credit Account Information Sharing and the Government’s mandatory Commercial Credit Data Sharing scheme, which covers Current Account Turnover data as well as credit accounts. Delivering high- quality accredited training courses For over twenty-five years, Cargo Training International has been delivering scheduled training courses and specialist in-house courses across the UK and beyond. Courses explore the spectrum of dangerous and hazardous goods, covering everything from air, road, sea and multimodal and everything in between. Full dates, details and pricing can be found about all these fully accredited and approved courses on the company’s helpful website. Here interested parties can find out exactly what they’re getting and what courses are taking place near them. Importantly, courses can also be easily booked online where enquiries can also be submitted. Of course, the company also offer in-house training, offering tailored programmes to companies who wish to hold courses for their own staff. This can be a cost-effective way of training for larger organisations or for those who require more tailored courses. To find out more and to book a course, visit www.cargotraining.com. © Shutterstock /foxaon1987 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 09:15 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 7 NEWS Small business owners cautiously optimistic on year ahead Nearly nine-in-ten small business owners in the UK are confident they will achieve their main goal in 2020, according to research commissioned by Vistaprint. The study of 500 small business owners found their top 2020 objectives include substantially increasing revenue and growth and reaching new customers. Over one-in-five are also focused on generating repeat customers. And although almost one in ten said the main reason they started their business was to earn more money – a third are yet to breakeven. As a result, one-in-ten consider this to be their main goal for 2020, although one in five are aiming to simply ‘survive the next year’. When asked how they are currently feeling about 2020, UK business owners are most likely to say they feel confident, optimistic and prepared. However, one-in-five do feel apprehensive about what is to come. © Shutterstock/Jacob Lund Industry veterans must embrace tech savvy approach to future - report Very few leaders working within the manufacturing and industrial sectors are embracing technology, especially those working in the later stages of their careers, according to a new research report. The findings from the ‘World Class Leader Report’, produced by Leeds-based executive search and recruitment specialist TS Grale, show that successful implementation of the latest technological advancements is a huge challenge for most older business leaders. From automation, to social media opportunities, the report reveals that many business leaders lack the skills to implement future technology solutions. Jason Saunders, co-founder and Director at TS Grale, said: “If veterans within the manufacturing and industrial industries resist the pace of change and fail to embrace technology, they risk losing out to their competitors.” He added: “Of course not every technological advancement is going to be relevant – but by bringing in tech-savvy people from other industries and learning from them, business leaders can embrace the future.” © SAhutterstock/sdecoret SMEs further stretched by late payments Although fewer invoices were paid late in 2019, those that were paid late took twice as long as in 2018, the latest MarketFinance Business Insights reveals According to the analysis, almost two-fifths of invoices issued in 2019 (worth over £34bn) were paid late. However, the number of days an invoice was paid late in 2019 has doubled to 23 days from 12 days in 2018. Invoices paid late were typically larger in value (£34,286) than those paid on time (£24,624). The number of invoices with long payments terms (anywhere between 60-120 days) being paid late almost doubled between 2013 and 2019. This figure rose from 13% being paid late in 2013 to 23% in 2019. Over the 6-year period, analysis found that larger debtors insisted on longer payment terms (49 days) than smaller debtors (37 days). In addition, when invoices were paid late, these larger debtors also settled much later (94 days) compared to smaller debtors (42 days). © Shutterstock/Olivier Le Moal 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 09:15 Page 2TOWER FIELD SERVICES Cat Tech Tower Field Services offers bespoke mechanical services to oil refinery and petrochemical 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: l Experienced Tower specialists. l Proven track record. l Ability to supply spares and replacements. l Spade to Spade service. l Revamps or modifications to Towers / Internals. l Inspection of Tower internals. l Supervision of external/client labour force. l Detailed inspection reports. l Cleaning of tower internals. l Reactor tray field services. l Turnkey 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 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 09:16 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 9 NEWS © Shutterstock /SAKhanPhotography Sheffield, Wakefield and Bradford have all been named as some of the best locations in the UK to run a business, with Leeds pipping London and coming first. The cities were reviewed by the Leeds City Region LEP using nine metrics – including price per sq ft for commercial rent properties, broadband speed and number of finance & support schemes available from government. Having developed the ranking system based on evidence from a variety of metrics linked to setting up and running a business, the LEP aims to highlight some of the best locations around the country for business leaders to set up shop. The three best areas for business leaders to pay attention to were revealed as Leeds, Kirklees and London, with the former leading the way as the number one location for businesses across all metrics. Leeds pips London as best UK location to run a business CPI & Leeds Uni to produce new Polio vaccine CPI, who connects academia, businesses and funders to bring bright ideas and research into the marketplace, has announced a new project with multiple stakeholders to develop a low-cost, scalable manufacturing process for a new, non-infectious, stable vaccine against poliovirus. CPI is supporting the development of a manufacturing platform that aims to facilitate low-cost production and accessibility of this vaccine in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), in some of which the disease is still prevalent. This work supports development of a new virus-like particle (VLP) polio vaccine manufacturing platform which will create a cheap, scalable and robust vaccine production system. Developed by researchers at the University of Leeds (funded by WHO, in partnership with the Universities of Oxford, Reading and Florida, the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, the Pirbright Institute and the John Innes Centre), VLPs are empty protein shells that are produced using a yeast strain, Pichia pastoris. To begin scaling up VLP production, CPI is leveraging its state-of-the-art facilities and manufacturing experience with Pichia pastoris. Using ambr250, a multi-parallel bioreactor, CPI will enable the high-throughput development of the fermentation process required to produce VLPs, allowing the parameters of multiple fermentation processes to be screened simultaneously. This rapid exploration of the design space will offer a fully scalable, robust system for VLP polio vaccine production. This research is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care using UK Aid funding and is managed by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and delivered by the Future Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub at Imperial College London. © Shutterstock /OneSideProFoto 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 19/12/2019 09:16 Page 4Next >