FEBRUARY 2021 £3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 36 ISSUE 2 TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS Simply the best ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHT Innovation through strife PRINTING AND PACKAGING Embracing the new RISING TO THE CHALLENGE RISING TO THE CHALLENGE 01.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 09:08 Page 1PROFESSIONAL, HIGH QUALITY AND LOCALLY DELIVERED DRIVER TRAINING AND HEALTH AND SAFETY COURSES. Our health and safety courses include safety passport, managing safely, leading a team safely and NEBOSH general certificate plus many others. • LGV Driver Training • Driver CPC • Transport Manager • ADR • Health and Safety COVID secure delivery for critical workers. 01469 577656 | enquiries@transafetraining.co.uk 9 Clifton Street, Stonefield Park Industrial Estate, Lincoln, LN5 8LQ tel: 01522 546118 email: sales@lincolncopycentre.co.uk www.lincolncopycentre.co.uk SINGLE USE MENUS / NOTICES AND SIGNS / INFORMATION LEAFLETS LOGOS AND BRANDING / STATIONARY / BUSINESS CARDS / NEWSLETTERS POSTCARDS / FLYERS / BROCHURES / VINYL BANNERS / ROLLER BANNERS / POSTERS / PLAN PRINTING Printing / Copying Graphic Design More than 40 years in business CLICK & COLLECT SERVICE Working within COVID-19 guidelines 02.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 09:33 Page 1February 2021 will be something of a hinterland for businesses. As of writing, it’s understood that lockdown measures will remain in place until at least the end of the month with all the difficulty and uncertainties that entails. Challenging as it may be to conceive, it’s almost been a year since the first national lockdown was implemented. Since then, businesses have adapted and evolved, but for those that remain shuttered under current laws, that might be small comfort indeed. Moreover, we’re waiting in anticipation for the March Budget (scheduled for 3 March). Although there’s still much uncertainty surrounding what, exactly, the Budget will bring, it’s safe to say we should be prepared for potential changes. As the government continues to roll out its COVID vaccination programme – with a view of offering a vaccine to every adult in the UK by September – things are certainly looking more stable than at the end of 2020. But it’s no exaggeration to say that it will be years before the economy and, indeed, ideal trading conditions return to normal. In the meantime, there’s plenty of ways businesses can get the most out of their operations and employees – such as swapping suppliers, making themselves more efficient, and training their staff. We break down these issues and more across various features in this issue, chief among them being our semi-regular meet the experts. 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 05/02/2021 09:35 Page 1CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2021 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region. 12 Commercial property With demand for industrial and logistics units showing no signs of slowing down in 2021, Yorkshire remains a key location for the sector. 16 Engineering spotlight It can be hard to talk about innovation when COVID, Brexit and lockdowns are causing problems across the region, but businesses must continue to adapt and innovate, and engineering will always be at the forefront of that. 22 Training and apprenticeships A shrinking talent pool, increased digitalisation, and economic influences are forcing the skills gap to widen, and it is affecting the nation’s productivity. However, training and apprenticeships offer a means to provide a talent pipeline for the future and ensure existing employees have the skills they need for success. 26 Business travel Business travel has been paused due to the pandemic, leaving its future uncertain, while factors such as Brexit and sustainability will cause further reconsideration of corporate travel when borders re-open and non-essential movement is allowed. 30 Printing and packaging The printing and packaging sector has an important role to play in reducing our reliance on plastic packaging, and companies and suppliers have stepped up to the challenge. 34 Meet the experts Whether it’s a new supplier, new contracts, or trading partners, it pays to find experts in their fields. 38 Pharmaceuticals Pharmaceutical firms continue to be critical in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. Given Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have a concentration of pharma and biotech firms, our region is playing a key role in this effort. 42 AutoLink Car sales crashed in 2020 as COVID-19 shut showrooms and Brexit nervousness grew. 46 Events We take a look at business events happening around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire 50 And finally… Yorkshire-Lincolnshire- Business-Link @blmforum blmforum.net CONNECT WITH US 12 22 30 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 09:37 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 - YAKOV OSKANOV • ANDRII VODOLAZHSKYI • GORODENKOFF • AEROGONDO 2 • FREEDOMZ www.blmforum.net 26 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 09:38 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. 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, just off J34 of the M1 in Sheffield, will welcome visitors soon, 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 by customers, shareholders, investors and other stakeholders. 6 Business Link www.blmforum.net NEWS Drax launches ambitious employability improvement initiative North Yorkshire’s Drax has become the first UK energy company to announce an initiative to improve employability for a million people by 2025. Through its ‘Mobilising a Million’ initiative, the renewable energy company will connect with one million people by 2025 to improve skills, education, employability and opportunity. The new target has been launched as part of its ‘Opportunity Action Plan’ – the culmination of its work with the Social Mobility Pledge team, which identified Drax as being a trail blazing, purpose-led business. The plan was developed in partnership with the Social Mobility Pledge, led by the Rt Hon Justine Greening. Drax said that, by pioneering cutting-edge carbon capture technology, it could make a major contribution to a post-COVID, green economic recovery by creating and protecting thousands of jobs in the North. © Shutterstock/ADragan Courtesy of ITM Power Yorkshire firm becomes first self-sufficient UK ambulance maker O&H Vehicle Technology has become the first ambulance manufacturer in the UK to be fully self-sufficient, having brought all aspects of its production process in- house. The move follows the commissioning of a new component manufacturing centre – the culmination of a combined £800,000 investment – at the firm’s 60,000 sq ft headquarters in West Yorkshire. Every internal aspect of the firm’s ambulances, including the ambulances’ lockers and componentry, will now be manufactured in-house from raw material, following a recent recruitment drive for local skilled workers and the procurement of over £800,000-worth of new machinery. The strategic move will allow O&H Vehicle Technology to wholeheartedly increase quality, efficiency and safety on their vehicle range utilised by the NHS on the front line, whilst increasing capacity and decreasing lead times on large quantities. Following a hugely demanding 2020 for the UK’s NHS ambulance trusts, 32-year-old O&H Vehicle Technology – part of Venari Group – has driven continuous improvement in a bid to support its customers to a higher standard than ever before. 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:52 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 7 NEWS Team17 acquires rights and assets for golf video game in £12m deal Team17, the games entertainment label, creative partner and developer of indie video games, has acquired all rights and assets for Golf With Your Friends (GWYF), for £12 million. The multiplayer golf video game was created by Australian developer Blacklight Interactive and published by Team17. The game first launched in 2016, Team17 then partnered with Blacklight Interactive in 2019 and was involved in the ongoing development and publishing of the title for its full release in May 2020 for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox. Since partnering together in 2019, Team17 has helped to more than double the number of GWYF owners to 5.5 million, through increased production values, new platforms, IP cross-over and positioning as a higher value proposition. The news comes as Team17 gave a trading update for the year ended 31 December 2020. Group performance is ahead of the Board’s expectations, with year on year revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth of c34% and c36% respectively. © Shutterstock/Elizabethmaher boohoo snaps up Debenhams IP for £55m boohoo, the online fashion retailer, has acquired all of the intellectual property assets (including customer data and related business information and selected contracts) of Debenhams from its joint administrators, for £55 million in cash. The group will only be acquiring the brands and associated intellectual property rights. Thus the transaction does not include Debenhams’ retail stores, stock or any financial services. Debenhams is in the process of closing down, with administrators unable to secure a rescue deal. boohoo has said it intends to rebuild and relaunch the Debenhams platform, helping further an ambition to lead the fashion eCommerce market, and grow into new categories including beauty, sport and homeware. It is planning to do this by creating the UK’s largest marketplace across fashion, beauty, sport and homeware, and expanding the range of products sold via the Debenhams marketplace. Debenhams is expected to relaunch on the boohoo platform in Q1 FY22. 20-year economic plan approved for South Yorkshire The South Yorkshire economy will be £7.6 billion GVA richer by 2041 after the twenty-year Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) was approved. The SEP sets out local leaders’ blueprint to drive the region’s recovery from COVID and transform South Yorkshire’s economy and society for people, businesses and places. It was approved by the Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority and Local Enterprise Partnership. It will mean by 2041 the South Yorkshire economy will look very different, with an extra £7.6 billion GVA, 33,000 extra people in higher level jobs, reduced income inequality and improved wages by over £1,500 for the lowest paid, and a net zero carbon economy. Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, Dan Jarvis, said: “The approval of the Strategic Economic Plan is a significant signal of intent to government, investors and people and businesses in our region. This landmark plan sets out how we will transform our region as we seek to overcome the biggest economic challenge in a generation.” Dan Jarvis © Team17 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:52 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 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:53 Page 3Fund launches to support anaerobic digestion innovation in Yorkshire Eligible businesses across Yorkshire are being urged to apply for a share of £600,000 to support their anaerobic digestion (AD) processes. The funding is being awarded through the ADCEY project (Anaerobic Digestion and Circular Economy Yorkshire), the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) and the University of York. Yorkshire Water’s Innovation Team will act as the ADCEY project’s Industrial Advisor and will offer a fuller understanding on how AD technologies and markets are evolving nationally and worldwide, as they are best equipped to know how to implement AD-based technologies. A total of 31 fully funded AD projects are available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the Leeds City Region, York, North Yorkshire and East Riding. Companies can access the expertise and the state-of-the-art scale up and analytical facilities of the BDC and of Professor James Chong’s research group at the University of York for help in researching or developing AD innovations. www.blmforum.net Business Link 9 NEWS Port of Immingham boosts connectivity with new Spain service ABP Humber and W.E.C Lines have launched a new service connecting the UK to Bilbao in Spain. The container service will be between the Port of Immingham and Bilbao and will be serviced by the MV Freya. The link will be a significant boost to retailers handling food and clothing from Spain. Last year saw a major £36 million investment to expand the terminal. This included the arrival of new equipment, including six state of the art Electric Rubber Tyre Gantry Cranes and two new Ship to Shore cranes. With the increase in demand, from the COVID-19 Pandemic and the decisions around Brexit, the new service is a reliable logistic solution for all parties. “This is fantastic news for ABP Humber and W.E.C Lines, increasing our connectivity around the world and Keeping Britain Trading,” Simon Bird, ABP Humber’s Regional Director. “The new facilities as part of the upgrade at the Humber Container Terminals means we are ready for what the year brings.” © Shutterstock/Vitaliy Kyrychuk Port of Immingham 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 05/02/2021 10:54 Page 4Next >