< PreviousArmstronghouseOffering a prime position in Grimsby, Armstrong House onArmstrong Street is ideally located. Close to the ports ofGrimsby and Immingham, motorway links and the town centre,off-street parking is also available for all staff and visitors,meaning it’s convenient too. Our spacious, welcoming officesare located on the ground floor and are both secure and CCTV-monitored, giving you the ultimate peace of mind.At Armstrong House, the flexible in/out terms of contractmean confidence when it comes to affordability and with a rangeof office sizes there are opportunities for all types of business. Ifyou require virtual office services, prices start from just £15 permonth. For more information, or to discuss your office requirements,give Scotts Property a call today on 01472 267000 and askabout Armstrong House.Offices to letPrime location in GrimsbySuperb Location -- Close to the ports of Grimsby &Immingham- Great motorwaylinks- Close to the town centreSecure off street parkingHigh speed internet availabilityEasy in/out termsA range of affordable office sizes333335 Town Hall Street, Grimsby DN31 1HNed@scotts-property.co.uk www.scotts-property.co.ukwww.shutterstock.com/terekhov igorwww.shutterstock.com/Yentafern10-12_Layout 1 01/09/2015 14:29 Page 1www.shutterstock.com/YentafernWWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGESBusiness Link 11www.blmforum.netCOMMERCIAL PROPERTYIt’s a competitive world and one wherehuman resources come at a premium. So,attracting and retaining the right calibreworkforce calls for a concerted effort to makeyour company a more attractive propositionthan your rivals. Since a key factor that drivesemployee engagement is pride in working forone’s company, a well-constructed design andworkplace is key to a successful recruitmentand staff retention.Where recruitment is concerned, the issue ofunsatisfactory offices can be a serious one,and many of the staff working for the country’smost successful employer’s site theenvironment in which they work as a keyreason for their happiness with their currentemployment. On the flip side of this a propertycan also be a crucial factor for a new employeedeciding whether or not to accept a job offer. We’re not saying here that everyone shouldtry and imitate the Google offices, althoughthey are incredible places, with rooms to playsports, relax in a sky lounge, slide downfireman’s poles and have different themedGondolas dotted around, which serve asmeeting rooms - in fact, how any Google12 ÁBusinesses are doing everything in their power torecruit and retain the best people but topcandidates nowadays expect ever-more creativeworking environments, which means something asseemingly superficial as a poorly thought outlayout, location or office environment canseriously hamper recruitment and hold backbusiness growth. Designedfor talent10-12_Layout 1 01/09/2015 14:29 Page 212Business Link www.blmforum.netCOMMERCIAL PROPERTYpride for employees.Location is another factor cited bystaff as influences such as noise andlack of privacy affect morale and canadd to stress. For any company looking to relocateor improve its current office orworkplace, here’s a few points worthchecking. First up, ask yourself if the workplacebrings the outside in – artificial lightingis all good and well but buildings withplenty of natural light has a far morepositive effect on staff and thisincreases productivity. As previouslymentioned, good heating andventilation is a must - a comfortableworkplace increases activity and showsstaff the employer cares about them. Likewise spending eight hours or morein the workplace means things likepoor kitchen facilities can affect officemorale so, it’s important to get thisright too. employee gets any work done is amystery, but they do attract incrediblytalented people. What this does go to show is that ittakes a little more than simply a freshcoat of paint and a new carpet toinspire. Natural daylight, high ceilingsand getting the heating/ventilation rightare important factors. But,environmentally friendly systems withinthe offices are another factor pointedout when talking to employees, as fewus want to work in a company thatdoesn’t care about its carbon footprintthese days. Developers and landlords are findingthat offices and workplaces which offermore natural light, and support the useof more energy efficient lighting andheating, as well as renewable and localmaterials, are therefore more likely toattract tenants. These are all aspects ofoffice and workplace design thatimprove comfort and create a source ofIs there enough space toaccommodate the correct number ofstaff and do staff have the rightequipment to do the job. Other factors include: security, abreakout area for staff to relax in and,if the workplace is large enough toaccommodate, a coffee shop/bar orrestaurant on site.A workplace should also bedesigned so that staff get theopportunity to enjoy regular breaksfrom their desks plus a colour schemethat inspires them. Last but by nomeans least, once you’ve found theoffice or workplace that willaccommodate all this don’t cheapskateon office furniture and include a littlegreenery around the office within thatinventory. All these things can have a hugelypositive effect on a company’s workingculture and are a lot less expensivethan recruiting and training new staff.WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/CREATISTA10-12_Layout 1 01/09/2015 14:29 Page 3Business Link 13www.blmforum.netSomething to say? Write to: Business Link Magazine, Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby,North East Lincolnshire DN31 2QE or email: letters@blmgroup.co.ukReaders’LETTERSReaders’LETTERSBuilding from the bottomDear sir,We are deeply concerned that an inflexible approachby local authorities could be preventing smaller housebuilders from taking on otherwise viable projects. It’s alose-lose situation for everyone – smaller developers,local authorities and those in desperate need of localaffordable housing.When considering whether to make use of the levy,councils should take a more flexible approach. Theyshould consider the size of the proposed project whendeciding how to set the levy, and ensure small housebuilders aren’t overburdened with unaffordable costs.This approach will help to deliver the houses we needin the places we need them. It will also support localsmall businesses and their suppliers which are at theheart of our local communities.G Millward, SheffieldMaking the gradeDear sir,Congratulations to all those pupils receiving their results.Whether they got the grades they wanted or not there areplenty of further study and apprenticeship options availableto launch their careers. Business wants exams at 16 years old to be a stagingpost on a path to 18 for all young people, not an end inthemselves. That is why we want the Government toconduct a wholesale review of 14-18 year-old educationwith the aim to create a system that delivers academic,vocational and combined options for all young people.And employers value attitudes and resilience just asmuch as academic results, so we must make sure thatexams aren’t the only target our schools and colleges have.Katja Hall, LondonA mixed pictureDear sir,As we expected, growth in the UKeconomy is back on track once againfollowing the loss of momentum overthe first quarter.I believe we will see similarly decentgrowth through the rest of the year aslow oil prices and inflation help driveconsumer spending and businessactivity outside the oil sector.But performance is mixed acrosssectors, with UK manufacturers goingthrough a tough time as the strongerPound hits sales into the Eurozone.Meanwhile, the Eurozone is stillgrappling with uncertainty over theGreek bailout.P Bayley, YorkGoing greenDear sir,The most critical challenge governments around the world face isgetting a strong climate deal in Paris at the end of the year. Momentumfor an ambitious deal is there, but we’ve got to keep up the pace.Business has a role to play in finding solutions to cutting emissions andboosting energy efficiency, which will also create jobs and drive growthin all parts of the country.Firms operating in the sector have seen a number of piecemealchanges on onshore wind subsidies and the Green Deal, but forbusinesses to deliver effectively, they need a sure and stable policyenvironment in which to invest and innovate - that means certainty, notchop and change.It’s right that the Government ensures consumers’ bills remainaffordable, but it needs to work closely with industry in order to providelong-term value for consumers.Alan Short, Lincoln13_Layout 1 01/09/2015 14:14 Page 114Business Link www.blmforum.netPORTS & LOGISTICSRevolutionisinghaulageDespite the loss of tradeand income, the Calaiscrisis is offering theYorkshire and Lincolnshireregion the opportunity toalign itself as the heart ofthe UK’s haulage industry.The Yorkshire and Lincolnshire regionboasts outstanding port facilities, and awealth of logistics firms. But theindustry has been duly shaken by thecrisis in Calais. As well as drivingbusiness and trade to alternativetransport methods, it has also put apublic spotlight on the domestichaulage industry but, more specifically,the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire region. The crisis has seen many firmslooking to alternative transportmethods to continental Europe,bypassing the need of Calaisaltogether. The port of Hull, forexample, has seen a major upsurge inthe number of haulage traffic, mostnotably container ferries, in the wake ofthe crisis. Although the crisis issymptomatic of many overwhelmingPAUL J MARTIN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM14-17_Layout 1 01/09/2015 14:52 Page 1www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 15and start building up resilience for thefuture so they do not get caught againshould Calais go down. They need tothink about using Northern ports.” Upping the number of shipping linesand services available from Hull wouldindeed have drastic effects in thenumber of containers it handles. Andit’s not just Hull, there’s plenty ofopportunity for ports across the Humberto accommodate more shipping routes. For the region to prosper, thediversion to Yorkshire and Lincolnshireports needs to be more than a shortterm solution. The ports and logisticsindustry generates £700 million per yearfor the local economy. So what’s onoffer to warrant bypassing southernports? Greater Lincolnshire alone hassome of the best and biggest ports inthe UK – Grimsby and Imminghamcombine to form the UK’s largest port inand unsettling global issues, perhaps itcan serve as a springboard forsomething worthwhile in the haulageindustry. Professor Amar Ramudhin, Director ofthe Logistics Institute at the University ofHull, claims that the port of Hull is ideallyplaced for rebalancing shipping traffic.He believes that directing traffic to thisport would offset the industry’s currentreliance on southern ports. Indeed, heclaims that Britain must revolutionise itsapproach to haulage by puttingYorkshire at the heart of the industry if itis to remain resilient and productivethroughout the crisis and into the future. In a recent interview, Mr Ramudhinsaid: “The situation in Calais is just astarting point. It is not sustainable andwe are starting to see how the freightnetwork is not resilient. Shippers need totake a hard look at their supply chainsterms of tonnage, handling around 54.7million tonnes of cargo annually. It’s ahighly interconnected network, boastingdirect routes to and from Europe, Northand South America, Africa, Australia,The Middle East and The Far East.North East Lincolnshire is a popularchoice for short-sea shipping solutions,which cut bills and save energy. It alsoprovides a wealth of quaysidewarehousing, covered storage facilitiesand open-storage areas. While the Calais crisis edges towardsresolution, the effect it has had on thehaulage industry could well be a lastingone. If any good has come from thesituation, then driving more of theindustry towards the Yorkshire andLincolnshire region is certainly a silverlining. If the region wasn’t the heart ofthe industry before, then it could wellbe in future. PAUL J MARTIN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COMMARCEL VAN DEN BOS / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM14-17_Layout 1 01/09/2015 14:52 Page 216Business Linkwww.blmforum.netJohn Lewis to create distribution hub in LeedsJohn Lewis is set to open a new customer delivery hub at Logi Leeds,Muse Developments flagship 110 acre development in the Leeds City RegionEnterprise Zone.The retailer, which has signed a 20 year-lease on a 50,5000 square footstate-of-the-art distribution warehouse, will create 65 jobs at its new facility.The hub will service orders from the John Lewis shop in York that opened inApril 2014, and the new shop in Leeds – set to open next year. At 252,000square foot, the Leeds shop will be the retailer’s biggest full line departmentoutside of London.Recognising shopping habits are changing, and with omnichannel givingshopper more choices than ever before, the retailer is strengthening itsdistribution network to ensure it continues to deliver a coordinated andconvenient shopping experience to its customers. Logic Leeds has been supported by a landmark £2.5 million grantagreement with Leeds City Council, funded through the government’sBuilding Foundations for Growth Programme. Work will start on site shortly, with completion scheduled for spring nextyear.Award aims tofind county’sexporter of theyearAs part of the Lincolnshire Media Business Awards 2015,the search is on to find the county’s exporter of the year. TheLincolnshire Exporter of the year Award is co-sponsored byStreets Chartered Accountants and HSBC Bank Plc, and aimsto highlight and award organisations which saw steady and sustained rises in their export activity. The award is open to first time exporters and wellestablished companies alike. The criteria for the award explores what challenges the entrants have had to combat to generate and maintain business; what competitive advantagethey can provide, and what future development plans have been put into motion. James Pinchbeck, Streets Chartered Accountants’ Marketing Partner, comments: “This award not only celebrates our county’s exports, but also helpsto promote what can be achieved by those looking to export or to develop their overseas markets.” The cut off point for entry is mid-September, while the Awards Ceremony take place in October. Minister for Transport visitsBoroughbridge cold storageand transportation operation Andrew Jones, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State forTransport and MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, visited ReedBoardall Group’s 55 acre cold storage and transport operation inBoroughbridge. Mr Jones was welcomed by Keith Boardall, chief executive ofReed Boardall Group, and his son Marcus - deputy chiefexecutive. He was taken on a tour of the company’s newest coldstore by Andrew Baldwin, Managing Director of the group’s coldstorage division. The operation comprises 158 kilometre of rackspace and provides 142,000 pallet capacity in total. Mr Jones also joined Howard Gill, Managing Director of the transport division, to view some of the newest trucks in Reed Boardall’s 180-strongfleet. The group recently invested in another 50 Volvo tractors, complete with the latest safety technology. Reed Boardall operates 24/7,delivering on average 2,000 pallets a day, and stores around £100 million worth of products on behalf of its customers. Mr Jones says: “It is a boon to North Yorkshire to have such an important business and employer based here.”PORTS & LOGISTICSPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/GYN9037GRZEGORZ PETRYKOWSKI / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM14-17_Layout 1 01/09/2015 14:53 Page 3Distributor Mr Flyer shortlisted inthe BiYInspired AwardsHuddersfield based door-to-doordistribution company, Mr Flyer, has beenshortlisted in both the New GenerationAward and One to Watch Award at thisyear’s BiYInspired Awards. Following the company’s growthsuccess, Mr Flyer has been recognised forthe One to Watch Award as a business on‘the cusp of great things’, while ManagingDirector Andrew Robinson himself is in therunning for the New generation Award,which aims to recognise the most dynamicbusiness owner under the age of 35. When Andrew first started the company in a backroom of his house, he was anoptimistic 24 year old with barely £50 to his name. In the four years since, his relentless enthusiasm has paid off in spades. Mr Flyer is now a reliable quality leaflet distribution service, which continues to go from strength to strength. It has continuously doubled its turnoveryear on year, allowing the business to become leaders in their industry and cementing an enviable position as Yorkshire’s premier door-to-doordistribution company. In fact, Andrew has enjoyed so much success that he’s opened a second base in Leeds. Yorkshire transport and haulage sector continues on the roadto recovery The region’s transport and haulage industry is continuing to show good signs ofrecovery, outperforming the UK average by nearly 7 percentage points, accordingto the latest research by R3, the insolvency trade body.The research reveals that the proportion of Yorkshire transport and haulagecompanies at higher than normal risk of insolvency fell by 2.96 per cent in August –whereas the UK-wide figure rose by 0.98 per cent.According to the figures, Yorkshire was among the top performing regions in thetransport and haulage sector, with only 26 per cent of businesses in the regionhaving a higher than normal risk of insolvency, compared with 30 per cent in theNorth West and 33 per cent nationally. Of the 3,691 active transport and haulagecompanies in Yorkshire, only 975 are not identified as being at higher than normalrisk.These latest figures put Yorkshire’s transport and haulage businesses fourthacross the regions in terms of insolvency, the only others at lower risk are theNorth Eats, Northern Ireland and the South West.”Davies Haulage Ltd enters involvefinance facilityDavies Haulage has been operatingthroughout the UK for seven months,and has now entered an invoicefinance facility from Aldermore tosupport its growth. Michael Davies,the company’s Director, has seenstrong opportunities for growth in theroad haulage market and the financeprovided by Aldermore will enablehim to cater for increased demand bypurchasing new vehicles and taking onnew staff.Aldermore was recommended to Michael by an invoice finance comparison company,who advised that Aldermore’s reputation for dependability, trust and building strongrelationships made it a natural choice for a growing company.Michael commented: “When I was looking at different finance providers, the mostimportant thing for me was getting good service. Aldermore came recommended and I’mpleased to say that they’ve lived up to their reputation for really supporting their customersand helping them build their businesses. All the dealings I’ve had with Aldermore so farhave been extremely positive and I’m looking forward to working with the team to continuethe growth of Davies Haulage.”www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 17SIG completesAinsworth GroupacquisitionSIG, Europe’s leading specialist solutions provider tothe construction industry has announced theacquisition of the Ainsworth Group for an undisclosedsum.The Ainsworth Group is a distributor of thermal,acoustic, fire and building insulation products operatingfrom six branches across the South East, South West,Midlands and Wales. The business has a strong positionin the technical insulation market, with an excellentreputation for service and technical support.In 2014, SIG completed 12 corporate transactionsacross several countries. The acquisition of theAinsworth Group continues the company’s strategy ofgeographic infill sin its core markets. Phillip Golsborough, who led the Irwin Mitchell teamon the deal, said: “This transaction is Irwin Mitchell’s firstfor SIG and was a great team effort. We are delighted towelcome such an important Yorkshire-based plc as aclient of the firm.”Based in Sheffield, SIG is the European leader inproviding specialist solutions to customers in exteriors,interiors and air handling sectors. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/STEVE BUCKLEYTAINA SOHLMAN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM14-17_Layout 1 01/09/2015 14:53 Page 418Business Link www.blmforum.netENGINEERING There has been a huge rise in thenumber of robots in the manufacturingindustry over the past few years, withrobotics companies reaping the rewardsthanks to huge increases in orders.Because robots are able to carry outrepetitive, specialised tasks such as endof line picking and packaging, theyrepresent a valuable and cost-effectiveaddition to any business. This reportexamines the latest machines that couldmake a major difference to the wayproduction lines flow.There is only so much a human-beingcan do on the production line. Nomatter how sharp our eyesight may be,or how dextrous we are with our hands,the bottom line is that robots cancomplete tasks much more quickly andaccurately than manual operatives canever hope to. Therefore it makes soundbusiness sense to invest in robotics,especially if your business is handlingprecision parts, assembling minuteelectronics, or inspecting products on amass scale.Intelligent solutions such as vision-assisted robotic applications arerevolutionising the end of line pickingand packaging process. Many robots aremodelled to imitate the reflexes of ahuman arm, and they are programmedto operate with a degree of “hand-eye”coordination beyond the capacity of ahuman being. These robots are usuallyequipped with 3-D laser technologiesand integrated with thelatest software, allowinga single trainedoperative to programeach machine withspecific, highly detailedinstructions. As such,they do not merely sortproducts on theproduction line in acrude way; they canspot even the smallestflaws in packaging andcan even identifypotentially damaged ordegraded products. These technologiesoffer significant cost-savings: it takes just asingle operative toprogram a robot,whereas in the past several employeeswere required to sort through units onthe production line. Because of thegreater degree of accuracy offered byrobotics there is also less wastage.Robots don’t need to pause for a break,or clock-off like human operatives do,so much more can be achieved within ashorter space of time.Robotics have been used mostfrequently to facilitate the packaging ofproducts. Rather than physicallypackaging each unit themselves, robotsare often used alongside traditionalpacking devices as infeed loaders: theymight organise products inthermoforming machines, or insert foodproducts directly into cartons or bags.In heavier industries, robots aretransforming the ways traditionallymanual operations such as cutting andwelding are carried out. The latestrobotic arms are compatible with mostbrands of welding equipment andequipped with up to six axes,guaranteeing maximum flexibility andimproved operating speed. In order to maximise efficiency at theend of the production line robotics arebeing used to palletise goods. SomeNo matter how sharp our eyesight may be, or howdextrous we are with our hands, the bottom line isthat the improvements in efficiency and cost-savingpotential of integrating robots into themanufacturing process cannot be ignored.Robotics-Better than human?18-21_Layout 1 02/09/2015 09:43 Page 1www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 19machines use vacuum technology to liftproducts quickly and cleanly, whileothers employ side-clamps which areable to handle unwieldy, bulky loads.There are myriad benefits to using thesemachines: the palletising process issped up significantly, and safetystandards are improved – heavy-dutyoperations can now be carried out inenvironments that could pose a healthrisk to human labourers.Companies in the Yorkshire andLincolnshire region are beginning toexplore the possibilities of integratingrobotics on the production line.become more productive and newtypes of jobs are created to meet thedemands of automated industry.The use of robotics in manufacturingis on the rise. These sophisticated newmachines are able to carry out taskswith a greater degree of accuracy thanever before, and they do so much morequickly than human operatives canmanage. The production line is beingrevolutionised, and companies arerealising the cost-saving potential ofintegrating robots into themanufacturing process. It is a bravenew world, and an exciting one at that.PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/IURIIEnterprising local businesses areinvesting in technologies ranging fromlaser micro-jet cutters to bionic handsand even multi-material 3D printers.Their adoption of these newtechnologies has been aided in largepart by the EPSRC National Facility forInnovative Robotic Systems at theUniversity of Leeds, a £4.3 millionpound initiative aimed at developingand showcasing the latest, mind-boggling robotics systems. Furthercollaboration with roboticsmanufacturers can only encouragegrowth in the region, as businesses18-21_Layout 1 02/09/2015 09:43 Page 2Next >