JANUARY 2021 £3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 36 ISSUE 1 SUPPORTING BUSINESS GROWTH Securing support IT AND TELECOMS Pending updates LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORT Moving logistics in a crisis A NEW ERA A NEW ERA 01.qxp_Layout 1 08/01/2021 09:07 Page 1CHARTERED CERTIFIED ACCOUNTANTS To find out how to get your business on the up visit www.dextersharpe.co.uk Offices in Boston, Bourne, Horncastle, Lincoln, Louth, Skegness & Spilsby We pride ourselves on providing a pro-active, friendly and accessible service. Experts in Accounts and Tax Returns Tax Planning and Book-Keeping Audits and Business Advice We’re here to get you in the right direction Keeping business on the up… Businesses across the UK are looking at their day to day operations, asking how they implement best practice as they begin to recover from this pandemic. For those in the hospitality industry, food safety plays a key role in protecting your customers and staff, as well as gaining consumer confidence. Speak to your local Chemex Expert for support and guidance on reopening safely, without breaking the bank! Contact Peter Cussans at Chemex Lincolnshire for friendly help and advice. peter.cussans@chemexuk.com | Tel 07941733201 02.qxp_Layout 1 08/01/2021 09:19 Page 1In a move that should surprise no one, we’ve been placed into a third national lockdown. Unlike last time, the restrictions (and the fines for flouting those restrictions) are much more severe. Although the decision once again seemed to be made at the eleventh hour, ultimately it’s good news for our ongoing fight against COVID-19. Unfortunately, it’s come at one of the worst possible times for many businesses. Not only has the Brexit transition period come to an end, but the post-festive period is often a difficult one for businesses. However, bosses and employees alike have learned a lot from the previous two lockdowns and businesses will endure. While 2021 might feel familiar, the nation is entering a new era. After four years and three Prime Ministers, we finally, finally secured a half-decent Brexit deal with the EU. It’s not perfect, it won’t please all quarters, but it’s a damn sight better than a no-deal (which had seemed inevitable). No doubt there’ll be teething troubles, but at least now we can put an end to speculation, uncertainty and second guessing. After all that’s said and done, it’s still a new year and that means it’s an ideal time to take stock of one’s business and see where efficiencies can made and how operations can be made leaner. That’s the theme of our first issue of this new decade, from our productivity & efficiency in manufacturing spotlight, to our supporting business growth feature. Therein, you’ll find advice, guidance and support to aid you on your journey into 2021 and beyond. It’s a brave new world, so let’s make it count. Stay safe and 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 08/01/2021 09:20 Page 1CONTENTS JANUARY 2021 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region. 10 Business Lincolnshire Q&A We spoke to Gill Harvey, Visitor Economy Adviser for Business Lincolnshire. 12 Commercial property We take a look at some of the most exciting developments recently unveiled and reaching new milestones in Yorkshire. 16 Productivity and efficiency in manufacturing Embracing automation and staff training can have a transformative effect on a manufacturing business’ productivity and efficiency. Often, it all starts with a workflow assessment. 20 Reed In Partnership Q&A We caught up with Nicola Whelan, head of delivery support at Reed in Partnership. 22 Supporting business growth As the pandemic continues to intensify and the nation is once again placed in lockdown, businesses need access to support now more than ever. 26 2021 business predictions It’s that time of year, when Business Link magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead. 30 IT and telecoms Over the last year, companies have found their IT and telecoms systems tested under the strain of COVID-19. For some companies, it’s validated investments in robust digital infrastructure and cybersecurity solutions, while for others it has laid bare the need to upgrade their communications technology. 33 Employment law A new year means new legislation, but will this year be calm and easy for business, or a legislative nightmare? 36 Logistics and transport In light of the latest lockdown and with communities cut off, logistics and transport has come more into the public eye than it ever has in recent years. 39 Renewables Hailed as the ‘Energy Estuary’, the Humber has a brand recognition that’s appealing to investors and industry bigwigs and forms the keystone of the Northern Powerhouse agenda. 38 Corporate hospitality With the pandemic far from over, video conferencing remains key to communication and keeping events running. 42 New year, new suppliers Changing suppliers is a great way for a company to begin any new year but, amid the continuing coronavirus crisis, it can also be a means for companies to reduce overheads and reinvest elsewhere in their businesses. 46 AutoLink As the interest in electric vehicles (EVs) rises in response to a fresh push from the Government, car enthusiasts are not only looking at new EVs, but considering converting their classics. 50 Events We take a look at business events happening around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire 54 And finally… Yorkshire-Lincolnshire- Business-Link @blmforum blmforum.net CONNECT WITH US 12 16 30 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 08/01/2021 09:23 Page 1Group Editor Steve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Editor Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Assistant Editor Dominic Cuthbert (d.cuthbert@blmgroup.co.uk) Journalist 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 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 - MILOS MULLER • ANIMAFLORA PICSSTOCK • RAWPIXEL .COM • GORODENKOFF • DUNCAN CUTHBERTSON www.blmforum.net 36 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 08/01/2021 09:25 Page 2Clean fuel specialist opens Sheffield Gigafactory ITM Power, the AIM listed clean fuel specialist, has reached practical completion at its first Gigafactory at Bessemer Park in Sheffield. According to a company update, the handover of the completed building from contractors suffered “only a minor delay” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The completed fit out of the 1GW facility included an expansion of the existing offices, enlargement of the stack manufacturing and production areas and a dedicated ATEX rated space for factory acceptance testing of products, all coupled with the necessary 5MW power supply on site. The Gigafactory also houses the 24-hour remote and technical monitoring centre that will support ITM Power’s after-sales service proposition, the Marketing centre, Technology centre and component stores. The site will welcome visitors in the near future, with the creation of a conferencing facility, as well as a Hydrogen Academy to support the training of apprentices, local engineers and customers, together with facilities for site visits. 6 Business Link www.blmforum.net NEWS West Yorkshire devolution deal order laid in Parliament The West Yorkshire devolution order has been laid in Parliament; the next significant step in turning the landmark devolution deal into law in February 2021. The deal, which West Yorkshire’s five council leaders agreed with the Government in March 2020, will bring at least an additional £1.8 billion public investment into local control over the next 30 years. It will enable the five councils and the Mayoral Combined Authority to take more decisions on the issues that affect local communities by supporting transport improvements, adult education, skills and jobs, infrastructure, housing and regeneration, and the region’s economic recovery. The devolution deal builds on more than 15 years of successful partnership working between West Yorkshire councils and the wider Leeds City Region, which includes securing the £1.2 billion local enterprise partnership (LEP) Growth Deal, – the country’s largest – establishing a £1 billion Transport Fund to deliver local transport improvements in West Yorkshire and York. © JPIMedia © ITM Power Furlough and government-backed loan schemes? extended Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough scheme) for one month until the end of April 2021, as well as loan schemes. The government will continue to pay up to 80% of the salary of employees for hours not worked until the end of April, with a cap of £2,500 a month. Employers will only be required to pay the wages, National Insurance (NI) contributions and pensions for hours worked, as well as NI contributions and pensions for hours not worked. The eligibility criteria for the UK-wide scheme will remain unchanged and these changes will continue to apply to all devolved administrations, the government said. Mr Sunak also confirmed he would be extending the government-guaranteed Covid-19 business loan schemes until the end of March. These loan schemes (the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme and Bounce Back Loan Scheme) were previously extended until the end of January 2021. 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 08/01/2021 09:32 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 7 NEWS Verner Wheelock passes ISO 9001 renewal with flying colours Verner Wheelock has passed its 3-year ISO 9001: 2015 re- certification audit - without incurring any non- conformances. ISO 9001:2015 is a quality standard. The food industry training company ensured that its Quality Management System (QMS) was kept updated to reflect changes in working processes since the outbreak of Covid-19, including remote delivery of courses and flexibility in staff working. Verner Wheelock’s QMS was first developed by Mitch Morrison and MD Alison Wheelock in 2017. It has helped focus on customer feedback and trainer performance and analyse the data in more detail. “To have achieved an audit with no non-conformances is really excellent news following a tough year.” said Morrison. “It shows we have suitable systems in place and our staff are totally committed to delivering training with consistently high levels of customer service, whatever the circumstances.” For information on all Verner Wheelock courses, including auditing training, please visit www.vwa.co.uk. © Shutterstock/a2 studio Smart battery rental business raises £2m Mobile Power, a Sheffield-based smart battery rental business, has raised £2 million to support its deployment of solar-powered battery charging hubs across Sub- Saharan Africa. The funding round was led by Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP), which is funded by the UK government’s International Climate Finance. Following the successful funding round, the company is now set for rapid expansion, with plans to enter the Nigerian market next year whilst supporting various existing partnership projects in Uganda, Zambia and Gambia. Through Mobile Power’s innovative rental model, customers are able to rent smart 50Wh lithium-ion batteries at a low cost and in 24-hour increments. Customers can make payments either in cash or using mobile money, making the service inclusive to those without mobile money or areas with weak phone signal. The batteries are suitable for lighting, phone charging, fans, TVs and radios and are charged at solar-powered ‘MOPO Hubs’, providing a lower carbon option to other local alternatives. © Shutterstock/Andrey_Popov Hallam ethical hackers to provide cyber support to small businesses Computing students at Sheffield Hallam have been commissioned by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to support small, medium, and sole trading businesses with cyber security. The student “ethical hackers” are part of the North East Business Resilience Centre (NEBRC), a non-profit organisation which exists to help businesses be cyber safe, delivered by an expert team of trusted professionals and police officers alongside students from Sheffield Hallam and Northumbria University. Through the £100,000 programme, the NEBRC will support the self- employed and micro-businesses of less than 10 employees across the Leeds City Region at a time when so many businesses are facing ongoing change and distribution as a result of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions. Shahrzad Zargari, course leader in computer security with forensics at Sheffield Hallam, who is leading the University’s involvement in the NEBRC, said: “This is fantastic news for our students who can now help more small businesses build their resistance to cyber-attacks…” Mitch Morrison 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 08/01/2021 09:32 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 08/01/2021 09:33 Page 3Strong festive period drives sales at Morrirsons The Christmas and New Year trading period have helped to boost sales at Morrisons. The Bradford-headquartered supermarket reported a 9.3% rise in like-for- like (LFL) sales excluding fuel over the festive period. For the first 22 weeks of half two to 3 January, LFL sales excluding fuel were up 8.1% which comprised contributions from retail of 7.2% and wholesale of 0.9%. Despite this rise, LFL fuel sales were down 23.1% – a decline the business attributed to the impact of tier restrictions put into place during the trading period. Three new stores were opened during the period, at Helensburgh, Glenfield and Dalton Park, bringing the total opened to six this year. The company said it expects profit before tax and exceptional items for 2020/21 to be in the range £420 million - £440 million, prior to a rates payment of £230 million. www.blmforum.net Business Link 9 NEWS © Shutterstock/Daniel Jedzura Plant & Bean to open Europe’s largest plant-based meat production facility Plant & Bean, a developer and manufacturer of plant-based food products, is set to open Europe’s largest plant-based meat production facility in the UK. The new factory will enable efficient product manufacture and distribution across Europe, helping brands to meet fast- growing demand for plant-based meat. Among Plant & Bean customers, large-scale production is acknowledged as essential to removing the cost barrier that currently prevents mainstream consumers from buying plant-based meat products. By producing at scale, locally, these brands can also significantly shorten supply chains, resulting in significant cost-savings. Located in Boston, Lincolnshire, the 65 acre / 263,000 m2 site, will have a planned initial capacity of 55,000 tonnes, and will provide sub-scale companies, larger international brands and retailers with a fully-certified European manufacturing platform to help them meet growing demand for plant-based meat products and accelerate international expansion. © Shutterstock/Ceri Breeze Scarborough named local authority with highest personal insolvencies Scarborough has been named as the local authority with the highest personal insolvencies in England and Wales, pre-COVID data from the Insolvency Service shows. Insolvency trade body R3 points out that even prior to the economic impact of the pandemic, many adults in the region were already struggling with Yorkshire and the Humber the third highest for personal insolvencies, rising to 29.5 adults per 10,000 from 28 the previous year. This is above the average level of personal insolvencies across England and Wales which was 26.1 per 10,000 in 2019. Scarborough saw the highest concentration of personal insolvencies of any local authority at 50.8 per 10,000, increasing from 47.8 in 2018. During 2019, Scarborough experienced 453 new cases of personal insolvency and Hull had 1,000. “The latest statistics once again show a picture of winners and losers by region, with nine out of the ten local authorities with the lowest insolvency rates being in London, while eight of the ten highest were in coastal areas,” said Eleanor Temple, chair of R3 in Yorkshire and a barrister at Kings Chambers in Leeds. “With higher personal insolvency rates a symptom of wider deprivation, it is concerning that a town in our region now has the highest rates of personal insolvencies across the whole of England and Wales. “The statistics are a stark reminder of the continuing North South divide with the North East, the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber ranked as the three regions with the highest levels of personal insolvency. “The endemic hardships being faced across the North once again highlight the need for debt advice services to be targeted and tailored for people living in less affluent areas.” Eleanor Temple 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 08/01/2021 09:34 Page 4Next >