AUGUST 2022 £3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 37 ISSUE 8 Forging a greener future Unpredictable timesCrunching the numbers 01.qxp_Layout 1 04/08/2022 11:31 Page 1Units 4b & 4c, Harpings Road, National Avenue, Kingston-upon-Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire HU5 4JF Tel: +44 (0)1482 440222 Email: esales@eyh.co.uk Web: www.eyh.co.uk eyh .co.uk EAST YORKSHIRE HYDRAULICS Hydraulic engineering - design, build, installation and service. • Complete hydraulic systems • Installation and commissioning • Hydro-pneumatic accumulators • Hydraulic equipment • Cylinders Single Source Hydraulic Solutions Design, build, installation and service of hydraulic systems, cylinders, accumulators and equipment. Printing|Copying|Graphic Design LOGOS | BRANDING | BUSINESS STATIONERY FLYERS & POSTERS | BROCHURES | NEWSLETTERS A0 COPYING & SCANNING | OS MAPPING CAD & PLAN PRINTING | PRINT FINISHING High Quality Print & Design in Lincolnshire N 01522 546118 E sales@lincolncopycentre.co.uk www.lincolncopycentre.co.uk 02.qxp_Layout 1 04/08/2022 11:32 Page 1From the Editor Last month saw the hottest summer on record and much drama about it! While many called back to a summer fifty years ago (despite this summer being 10 full degrees hotter than even that) businesses had to contend with staff all but melting in offices. Over here, we had our air conditioning working hard which paradoxically meant most of the staff wanted to stay at the office rather than go home, but that’s not always a possibility for many non-office-based industries like manufacturing or – heavens forbid – working in a forge works. It does draw rather neatly into our focus for this month’s issue which is on the questions of carbon emissions, environmentalism and green industry. After all, with emissions reaching an all-time high and Yorkshire and Lincolnshire especially being above the national average due to our industrial heritage, it may well be that air conditioning won’t be enough in the future! We take a look at the Humber bank and how much has been done to take advantage of its placement and potential – and what plans lay in the future. Along the same vein, we focus on sustainable print and packaging and also the Government’s Net Zero plans and how businesses in our region are working toward them. Good reading as always. Michael Fisher Editor VISIT WWW.DEXTERSHARPE.CO.UK FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Dexter & Sharpe Chartered Certified Accountants At the heart of Lincolnshire We provide a comprehensive range of services, if you would like to find out how we can help you or your business why not head over to the contact us page to find your local office. Our 130 years of experience has taught us to initially listen more than we talk. When we talk, you’ll find that it's plain jargon-free practical advice which is not only accurate but tailored to your specific needs. Having gained a full understanding of your business our aim is to ensure this timely advice helps you and your business achieve its objectives. For a pro-active, friendly and accessible service or your FREE Consultation contact one of our teams: Horncastle: 01507 526071 - Boston: 01205 311966 - Spilsby: 01790 753340 Bourne: 01778 393656 - Louth: 01507 609933 - Skegness: 01754 763222 - Lincoln: 01522 533588 AGRICULTURE • CHARITIES • CONSTRUCTION • FINANCIAL & CONSULTING • MANUFACTURING • MEDIA • MOTOR RETAIL & REPAIR • TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS • VETERINARY 03.qxp_Layout 1 04/08/2022 11:33 Page 1AUGUST 2022 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region. 10 Commercial property Yorkshire’s logistics schemes are in high demand. 14 Printing and packaging With so much focus and attention on the climate after record breaking heat waves across the region, wasteful packaging practices may soon find themselves in the crosshairs. 18 Business services Business service has never been more complicated with skills shortages, rapid digitisation and ever dwindling pools of recruitment due to Brexit. While the challenges are great, those who achieve them may well reap the rewards.. 22 Supply chain management Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are in a prime position to excel as a logistical hub, with Lincolnshire taking the lead in accessing key opportunities. 26 Net Zero spotlight Businesses must start taking action if the country’s 2050 Net Zero target is to be reached. 30 Accountancy review The economy has taken a turn for the shambolic of late but that’s just the latest in a long line of changes accountants have had to put up with over the years. What is chaos for us is business as usual for the sector. 34 Humber bank The Humber bank has long been neglected for the potential it offers not only to manufacturing and its transport links but to the renewables industry. 40 Corporate hospitality Any corporate event requires solid planning to triumph. 42 AutoLink Electric vehicles are coming thick and fast now, and new innovations in battery life and efficiency mean that they might soon be capable of the long commutes that have been holding them back this far. 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 14 34 42 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 04/08/2022 11:33 Page 1Group Editor Steve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Editor Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Journalist Tess Egginton (t.egginton@blmgroup.co.uk) Eleonora Gallina (e.gallina@blmgroup.co.uk) Editorial contact newsdesk@blmgroup.co.uk Tel: (01472) 310305 Fax: (01472) 310317 Sales Director Angela Cooper (a.cooper@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 those held by the publisher. COVER PHOTOS: STOCK.ADOBE.COM - MARK MAREEN • KAMILPETRAN • AKE 1150 • HACOHOB • NARAWIT 26 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 04/08/2022 11:34 Page 2New bio business park could create 500 jobs A new bio business park is planned in York that will help the region build on its success in this sector and could create over 500 skilled jobs. A partnership between York-based developer North Star, and contractor Simpson, along with the Biorenewable Development Company (BDC) is proposing the development on land next to the existing commercial park just off the A64, opposite the Highwayman café. It has been named York Vale Bio Business Park. The BDC is an open-access R&D biorefinery centre, and a subsidiary of the University of York, working between academia and industry to convert plants, microbes and biowastes into profitable biorenewable products. It operates a successful bio park in Dunnington, which is owned by Simpson. This is now fully occupied, with a waiting list of companies wishing to take space. The new business park will provide flexible space for new firms and successful companies to grow into, within this fast-expanding sector. A planning application is expected to be submitted to City of York Council in the coming months and work could start next year. 6 Business Link www.blmforum.net NEWS Ringrose Law launches industry leading technology to enhance their client experience Ringrose Law has launched Perfect Portal - the digital onboarding and client- centric technology solution for law firms - to enhance client experience. The technology includes new client onboarding software, allowing the firm to centrally deal with all enquiries coming into the business, creating a personal service to clients, understanding their needs, and ensuring they are dealt with by the right person. The technology includes a Ringrose Law app for clients to download at the start of their matter that supports every area of law, with integrated features from electronic verification of identity, open banking for verification of funds, payment on account, document completion, digital signing of documents, matter updates and more. The app allows clients to upload and access documents and receive updates on their file 24/7, whilst still receiving a personal one-to-one experience with their legal adviser. The firm has already launched the software for their Personal Injury & Medical Negligence Teams and Residential Conveyancing Team and hopes to have integrated it into all departments by the end of the year. For more information contact wecanhelp@ringroselaw.co.uk Hush Acoustics invests £500,000 in move to new Yorkshire factory Acoustic insulation manufacturer Hush Acoustics has completed its move to a new site in Sheffield which provides significantly more capacity for production and stockholding of its soundproofing product range. Having outgrown its former site in Liverpool, Hush Acoustics was keen to capitalise on its potential for growth and support the high demand for soundproofing solutions from the UK building industry. With no suitable sites available in Merseyside, the company looked further afield for its new home and settled on an ideal building in Sheffield, one of Yorkshire’s manufacturing heartlands, which will be ideally suited to facilitating its long term plans. Hush Acoustics’ new HQ and factory at Tinsley Industrial Estate covers more than 15,000 sq ft, an increase of 46% on its previous site, providing employment for 15 people. The additional space is already giving the company extra storage for raw materials and finished product stockholding, along with ability to increase production volumes – all of which ensures it can keep lead times to a minimum and respond quickly to customer demands. 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 04/08/2022 11:35 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 7 NEWS Duo of Scarborough retail centres snapped up Commercial property and investment company Evolve Estates has acquired two prime town centre parades in the North Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough. It has added to its burgeoning retail portfolio The Balmoral Centre, a 57,339 sq ft covered retail centre anchored by Wilko, and Bar House, on Aberdeen Walk, which has 17,602 sq ft of retail and leisure space over three floors. It acquired the parades for an undisclosed sum, taking this year’s retail acquisitions to more than £48m. Sebastian MacDonald-Hall, of Evolve Estates, said: “Scarborough is a beloved seaside resort and we’re pleased to have secured these well-known, popular parades, bringing them into our in-house portfolio. “We are committed to focusing our efforts on regional retail centres and neighbourhood parades where we can see there is incredible potential. The Balmoral Centre and Bar House provide us with significant opportunities to add significant value and we are already looking to identify how we can revitalise these centres further.” Transformation on the cards for landmark Leeds office building A planning application has been submitted to rejuvenate a landmark office building in Leeds City Centre, to give it a sustainable future. Palace Capital plc has put forward plans to transform Bank House on King Street, upgrading the existing office space and adding a complementary three storey extension to the top of the iconic building. Once completed, over 110,000 sq ft (net) of carbon neutral office space will be created. The formation of a new eight storey atrium is central to the proposals and is intended to be a dramatic circulation space at the building’s heart. The existing building is let on short term leases, but the building will not meet new and emerging Government sustainable regulations in the future if no changes are made. The proposals will transform the building into an exemplar development and is set to attain sustainable standards beyond Leeds City Council policy requirements and achieve BREEAM Outstanding and EPC A ratings. Reaching this EPC A Rating would put the revamped Bank House in the top 3 per cent of commercial buildings in the UK. Platinum Stairlifts opens new manufacturing centre of excellence after £6m fit-out A stairlift manufacturer has opened the doors to its new state-of-the-art production facility, following a seven-figure investment. Platinum Stairlifts, based in Keighley, has been manufacturing home mobility solutions in the North of England for more than 25 years. After more than a decade of working out of many separate manufacturing facilities, the business has now consolidated production into one, 60,000 sq ft site – in an investment worth more than £6m. The move was supported by a seven-figure asset finance solution, provided by Lloyds Bank. Originally signing the lease in 2020, the two-year fit out of the facility is now complete, which included the installation of new plant equipment and machinery, such as cutting-edge tube bending, steel handling and laser cutting tools. The site has been designed to enable optimal material flow, helping to drive efficiency and eliminate waste in the manufacturing process. The Balmoral Centre, Scarborough 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 04/08/2022 11:35 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. 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 04/08/2022 11:35 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 9 NEWS West Yorkshire textile business secures £2.1m to support management buy-out OakNorth Bank has provided a £2.1m loan to Europa Wools, the West Yorkshire-based trader and processor of natural wool, to allow Richard Morsley to take 100% control of Europa Wools, while allowing his sister to exit the business. Founded in 1988 by David and Lynn Morsley, Europa Wools’ expertise, which now spans more than 30 years, has seen the firm become a major player in the global textile industry, specialising in wool from New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain. The family-run firm supplies over one million kilograms of textile raw materials to the international wool trade every year, making it one of the industry’s leading wholesalers in the UK. Europa Wools is also a large scale processor of raw wool from its own commercial mill in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, which sees it supply manufacturers from all over the world. It supplies manufacturers both domestically and internationally, including spinners of weaving, knitting, upholstery and carpet yarns, as well as felt-makers, technical non-woven and home-ware manufacturers. Financial adviser continues East Yorkshire expansion with acquisition Yorkshire-based financial advisers Navigation Wealth Management has acquired BRC Wealth Management, as part of the firm’s continued growth of its East Yorkshire operation. The strategic acquisition will add nearly £40 million Funds Under Management to the Navigation portfolio. BRC owner Martin Baltazar will also be joining Navigation’s Financial Advisory team. Matt Hammond, Chief Executive at Navigation Wealth, which has offices in Beverley and Wakefield, said: “We are delighted to welcome BRC to the Navigation family at such an exciting time for the firm. Not only do we have a highly skilled adviser joining us in Martin, the acquisition will also help support the recruitment of additional advisors in the East Yorkshire area, which will prove a huge asset for both our clients and stakeholders.” Navigation Wealth, which provides holistic wealth management advice to personal and business clients across the UK, has seen rapid growth over the last 3 years with its team more than tripling in size. 07710 792907 • 07711 206611 enquiries@dustandgocleethorpes.co.uk www.dustandgocleethorpes.co.uk Contract Cleaners Commercial /residential cleaning, deep cleaning, weekly cleans, daily antibacterial wiping of touch points/surfaces and much more. We also have disinfection machines which are used as standard on all deep cleans and contract cleans. We currently have contracts for: • Schools • Pubs • Offices • Workshops • Houses All our staff are DBS checked and fully up to date with relevant training needed. © stock.adobe.com/ Studio Romantic L-R: Martin Baltazar with Navigation Wealth’s Chief Executive Matt Hammond. 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 04/08/2022 11:35 Page 4Next >