< PreviousWordsandSpacesLtdtel:01724 352156 mob:07736 952885 fax: 0871 989 5784 email: stuart@wordsman.co.uk twitter:@stuartpearcey Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 2QEI’ll write blogs, websites, ads, articles, leaflets, news releases and newspapers; I’ll design print and buy it. I’m Stuart Pearcey. How can Imake your life better today?www.wordsman.co.ukWhere goodcopywritingmeans business10Business Link www.blmforum.netNEWSClipper securese-commerce deal withGerman retailerLeeds-based ClipperLogistics has secured anew contract with Germanhome and living retailer,Westwing.Westwing has a marketpresence in more than adozen territories aroundthe globe, including Franceand Italy.The contract comes asWestwing expands theiroperations from Germanyinto Poland. Clipper will beresponsible for inbound deliveries, repacking, storage and orderfulfilment.Matthias Siepe, Managing Director of Westwing Germany, said:“Clipper offers us with a reliable, convenient and quality service andwe look forward to a successful business relationship.”Clipper CEO Tony Mannix added: “We’ve worked in mainlandEurope for a number of years and established ourselves as arespected logistics solutions providers with pan-European capabilities.“Our experience has served us well in being awarded this contract,and in being able to establish and provide the solution needed toWestwing and their customers.”Pharma firm opens £23mHull R&D centreIndivior, thespecialitypharma firm, hasopened a newstate-of-the-artresearch anddevelopmentcentre in Hullfollowing a £23millioninvestment.To date, thisis the firm’slargest capital investment in R&D.It is part of Indivior’s ongoing efforts to see drug addiction recognisedand treated as a chronic disease.The firm envisions all patients around the globe will has access toquality treatment for chronic relapsing conditions and co-occurringdisorders of addiction – such as alcohol use disorder and schizophrenia.The centre – which will house over 50 employees – is equipped withcutting-edge scientific technologies and is constructed to environmentaland energy-saving standards.Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry said: “It’s great that thispioneering work is taking place in Hull and has the potential to deliver life-changing treatments.”The new R&D building will be named the Chapleo Building after Indiviorfounder Dr Chris Chapleo.© Shutterstock / Nixx Photography 06-10_Layout 1 01/09/2017 09:20 Page 5readers’www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 11Suitably ImpressedDear Sir,Thoroughly enjoyed your review of the Ford Mustang inyour latest issue and must say was surprised by the lowprice tag.I am always impressed by the cars that your reportersget to test – you must have queues of staff lining up toapply for a job at Business Link. It must be difficult for youthough fitting in all these road tests while juggling theeditorial diary so if ever you find yourself too pushed orwant a female perspective just drop me a line and I’llgladly step in – I won’t even charge for the privilege. V CairneHullBrexit woesDear Sir,Having read a few of your readers commentson the impact of the Brexit I’d like to offer myown. Since the pound tumbled, following the EUreferendum and people’s feelings were madeclear over EU workers in our country, many staffare returning home. Not just because of the raging prejudism andconcern about their future, but because pay inthe EU has now overtaken that in the UK. With our government crippling businesseswith more and more taxes and red tape, plusrising costs of supplies due to currencyexchange rates, we like so many other Yorkshirebusinesses are finding it almost impossible tocompete with companies abroad. So, unless the government does something totackle the issue, then all too many SME’s willfold.R SwintonBradfordSomething to say? Write to:Business Link Magazine, Armstrong House,Armstrong Street, Grimsby,North East Lincolnshire DN31 2QE or email:letters@blmgroup.co.ukPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/NIKODASH / I AM WAYFun in the sun linestreasury pocketsDear Sir,Another wet and cloudy summer in Britain which has, nodoubt, had many of us jetting off for sunnier climes. A move that will have the government rubbing its handsas they rake in extra funds for the treasury through the likesof: Air Passenger Duty, Holiday Insurance Premium Tax andof course VAT on those essential purchases before we go.It might not seem much to you and I, but to put this inperspective, these taxes levied on us amount to some £3.1billion for the tax man and that’s without their take onpassports which recently shot up in price. Hard to believe for putting a bit of distance between usand the office isn’t it? Shouldn’t the government be taxingthe airlines more and the passengers less or have I got it allwrong?T SimmonsLincoln11_Layout 1 31/08/2017 11:28 Page 1PROPERTY12Business Link www.blmforum.net© Shutterstock / Tom PlesnikDemandcontinuesDemandcontinues12-15_Layout 1 31/08/2017 12:16 Page 1www.blmforum.netPROPERTYBusiness Link 1315 ÁThe UK commercial property sector remainsas strong as ever. Hotspots such as Leeds andSheffield continue to rack up high levels ofinvestment and development, especially interms of office space, while Bradford and itssurrounding areas remain attractive tomanufacturing and warehouses. Although aboom in residential housing has led some toconvert their office space into rented flats, thishas still not been able to quell the desire anddemand for high quality office space.Research from Colliers International foundthat, combined, the deals on existing stock withon-going negotiations are likely to make 2017 arecord year for office transactions in Leeds. Inthe first half of the year alone, almost 340,000sq ft was bought and sold in 60 deals. “Our latest market snapshot reveals thatthere have only been three deals over 20,000sq ft in H1 including 45,058 sq ft, which was letto Burberry at 6 Queen Street; 26,968 sq ft toWillis Towers Watson at 5 Wellington Placeand 22,441 sq ft to BW Legal at 1 Apex View,”said Roddy Morrison, Director in ColliersInternational’s Leeds Office’s national capitalmarkets division. Whilst this could suggest thatthere was still some uncertainty around the EUreferendum, which has had an impact onoccupiers’ real estate strategy, we believe thatprospects for H2 2017 are looking muchhealthier.”This follows the already published resultsGrade A office space remains at a premium, and our region continuesto take advantage of that, posting results far above and beyond 2016. 12-15_Layout 1 31/08/2017 12:16 Page 2ArmstronghouseOffering 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.Last remaining office suitesPrime 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 sizes33333Armstrong House, Armstrong Street,Grimsby DN31 2QETel: (01472) 310301 • Email: s.fisher@blmgroup.co.ukwww.shutterstock.com/terekhov igorwww.shutterstock.com/Yentafern12-15_Layout 1 31/08/2017 12:17 Page 3www.shutterstock.com/Yentafernwww.blmforum.netPROPERTYthat Leeds experienced a 28% increasein office take-up in the first quarter, inwhat was already a sign that 2017would be a strong year for commercialproperty. The largest of theseacquisitions was for 46,000 sq ft ofspace at 6 Queen Street by Burberry, inwhat has been said to be the biggestcity centre deal to complete for overtwo years.It’s not just Leeds which has beenrecording success, of course. InHarrogate, independent financialadvisors Ascot Lloyd recently movedinto a former council office site, whichwas transformed into grade A officeaccommodation by ScottsdaleProperties Ltd. Patrick Finnegan fromScottsdale had the following to say;“We are pleased that Scottsdale Houseis to be retained as offices rather thanbe converted to residentialaccommodation. We see this as beingvital in order for the survival and growthof Harrogate Town Centre. Without thecontinued presence of offices andbusinesses in the town centre, localshops and services are not sustainable.”The story is much the same inSheffield, which posted results in thefirst quarter of 2017 of 170,000 sq ft inoffice take-up. That is only 30,000 lessthan the figure posted for the entirety of2016 – and shows a vast improvementon previous years. According to KnightFrank’s Sheffield offices, the deals havebeen occupier driven, rather thanthrough inward investment.“There was a blip last year followingthe first announcement about Brexit andthen it was business as usual,” BenWhite of Knight Frank said. “There arecurrently over a dozen active enquiriesfor space over 10,000 sq ft.Following a shortage of highspecification office accommodationthere is now speculative development,such as Acero, the latest phase of theDigital “Campus with 80,000 sq ft ofGrade A space offering large andflexible floor plates. In addition is SteelCity House offering 66,000 sq ft ofGrade A office space in the Heart of theCity, both ready for late 2017, whichwhen added to existing well-appointed,city centre accommodation such as 3 StPaul’s Place, Westfield House and TheBalance, occupiers do have somechoice.“With supply of prime officesdiminishing, we are now looking atrental growth in the office sector, whichis positive news for investors anddevelopers.”The demand for Grade A office spaceremains strong, and that is clear acrossthe entire region, with healthy interestposted regardless of larger politicalstandings. As investment opportunities,office space remains strong and stable –and that may be a rare commodity intoday’s world. © Shutterstock / Shahid Khan© Shutterstock / TornadoflightBusiness Link 1512-15_Layout 1 31/08/2017 12:17 Page 416Business Link www.blmforum.netFOOD & DRINK SPOTLIGHT‘From farm to fork’ is a unifyingconcept which describes the journey offood through the supply chain – fromraw ingredients to finished products instockists, suppliers and, finally, thehands and homes of consumers.Traceability has become synonymouswith British produce, resonating withimporters in the same way as ourindustry’s animal welfare standards andhigh-quality produce. Indeed, CCTV inslaughter houses has now becomemandatory to safeguard livestock andensure Britain remains at the forefrontof welfare. An eye for exports The latest figures from the Food andDrink Federation show that the UKexported a record amount of food anddrink during the first half of 2017.Exports were up by 8.5 per cent year-on-year, reaching £10.2 billion – thelargest first half exports value onrecord. This growth was spearheadedby the strong global demand forBritish manufacturedproduce, a significant share of whichfalls well outside of the EuropeanUnion. It’s no coincidence that the UKachieved its best half on record as thenation negotiates its post-Brexit future.The financial terror that resulted fromthe result of the referendum waspalpable. The stock exchange was aflutter, sterling plummeted and businesswas awash with uncertainty. Indecisionand worry remain, of course, but theabove figures paint a picture atodds with what we’ve beenled to believe. This isBritain taking charge ofits own destiny andforging a new path.TOASTto successMajor export deals, the rise of automation and keeping up with consumer trends isheralding major successes for our region’s food and drinks industry. © Shutterstock / DronG16-19_Layout 1 31/08/2017 12:20 Page 1www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 17FOOD & DRINK SPOTLIGHTCompanies are looking beyond the Blocto sell the products. For foodcompanies, this has culminated in trademissions to actively push Britishproduce overseas. The results arepaying off in dividends, with demandfor British goods reaching fever pitch. Although the Middle East is amongthe markets domestic producers aremost anxious to break into, it is China –and its 1.3 billion populous – that ismost heavily sought after. To put theimportance of this market in context,the total value of British food and drinkexports to the China rose by a third lastyear to £465 million. To capitalise on this growth, FoodMinister George Eustice has unveiled anew export deal which, he claims, couldboost the UK’s food industry by £200million and support 1,500 jobs.Cranswick Country Foods in Hull and anunnamed Lincolnshire company areamong those approved to beginexporting pork to China. The dealincludes the UK’s first ever export of pigtrotters. Although this offal has fallenout of favour with British consumers, itis a delicacy in China. This is a vote ofconfidence for the meat industry in ourregion given that it was only inDecember that bird flu was found in afarm in North Yorkshire and in a flock of6,000 turkeys in Lincolnshire. “China is a hugely important marketfor our world-class food industry and byopening up access even further, moreUK businesses can take advantage ofthe growing appetite for our food anddrink,” said Mr Eustice. “British food isproduced to the very best standards ofwelfare, quality and safety and thisgrowth in exports to China is creatingmore jobs and opportunities for ourpremium pork producers who canguarantee quality from farm to fork.”Next-gen manufacturingBusiness events, exhibitions andsurveys are all pointing towards onekey trend affecting all sectors –automation. Put simply, this describesprocesses that were once accomplishedby human workers now being handledautomatically. A step further is theinflux of artificial intelligence. Together,this represents the future landscape ofmanufacturing. The food industry isheavily reliant on human workers at allstages. From seasonal labour forpicking fruits and vegetables, workerson the production line, to drivers andloaders during distribution. As the UK’sbiggest manufacturing sector – and oneof the key industries in our region –automation is critical to stayingcompetitive and securing new trade. The food industry is an early adopter18 Á© Shutterstock / Zapp2PhotoVERSALINE CENTRIFUGAL PUMP COMPLETE WITHTROLLEY AND 1 PHASE TO 3 PHASE INVERTER. READY TO SHIP FROM ORDER WITHIN 2 DAYS FROM LITTLE AS £1,330.www.hpeprocess.com • Tel: +44 (0)113 252 671216-19_Layout 1 31/08/2017 12:20 Page 218Business Link www.blmforum.netFOOD & DRINK SPOTLIGHTof automation, with processing, sorting,weighing and myriad other machinesonly able to operate at such a fast pacebecause of automation. A new roboticssystem developed by the University ofLincoln’s National Centre for FoodManufacturing could fundamentallychance the way food is manufactured.The Automated Processing RoboticIngredient Loading system (or APRIL, forshort) has been developed byPeterborough’s OAL, who provideprocess and automation solutions to thefood industry. This new fully automatedsystem can mix, load and cookingredients in a manner reminiscent ofprofessional chefs, albeit on an industrialscale. It achieves this through a mix ofmodern cooking and materials handlingtechnologies. APRIL is intended to boostproduction and efficiency, while alsoimproving the quality of food produced.The success afforded by a humanworkforce alone is finite. The future ofmanufacturing exists in automation. Packaging Food packaging develops in tandemwith its contents, so it’s onlyappropriate that while consumers callfor increasingly convenient yet healthyproducts, packaging would evolve also.Convenience food is so oftenassociated with high salt, fat and sugarlevels and an assortment of nighunpronounceable additives. But asconsumers search for healthier optionsthat can be eaten on-the-go, there havebeen numerous new launches. Coupledwith this is sustainable packaging.Flexible packaging and pouches are theobvious choices here as they are easyto store, transport and recycle, and arealso easily printed onto. Moreover, theyare aligned to the millennial trend offood sharing due to their size, and theyoften have a zipper or lockingmechanism to allow for portion control.What is becoming more important isthe apparent freshness or, rather, thewholesomeness of food products.Therefore, transparent windows thatshow a product inside its package aremuch more common on supermarketshelves. Aside from aesthetic appeal andproviding nutritional information,packaging also serves to protectproducts. The latest technologies arealso seeing packaging being utilised inthe battle against food fraud.Counterfeit food and beverage productsare rife, leaving consumers unable totell the difference. All food productssold through legitimate channels mustconform to stringent regulations.Counterfeits don’t. This means aconsumer can be exposed to anynumber of banned preservatives oradditives or left exposed to potentiallydeadly pathogens. Smart labeltechnology could help to detectspoilage and contamination as well asprovide an authentication method sothat consumers and suppliers canguarantee a product’s authenticity. © Shutterstock / Mark AgnorAt Lincolnshire & Counties Training Solutions (LACTS) we provide training courses for organisations both large and smallacross a wide range of sectors, including Health Trusts, Local Authorities, Education, Business and Industry.We are recognised and authorised by the leading UK governing bodies such as, AOFA, FOFATOand BALI to trainaccredited Food Safety, Health and Safety, HACCP, First Aid, Fire Safety, ROLO and a host of other qualificationsthroughout the whole of the UK.For more information call 07775877057or visit www.lacts.co.uk16-19_Layout 1 31/08/2017 12:20 Page 3The final wordBusinesses arebeholden toconsumer trendsand must respondaccordingly. If theoverall state of thefood and drinksindustry provesanything, it’s thatthe customer is stillking. The recentpork export deal toChina is meetingthe country’shunger for premiermeat, whileconsumers are calling on food companies for ever more healthyand convenient products. Nowhere is this better realised than withNorth Yorkshire’s own Quorn Foods. With veganism rising 360 percent from 2006 to 2016, the market has gone beyond a tiny nicheand snowballed into a highly profitable market segment. To attractthis growing contingent, Quorn Foods recently introduced its firstvegan range. Although its products have always offered vegetarianfood, its products contained egg white as binding agent, meaningit wasn’t suited for vegan eaters. This combined with the growingtrend for ‘flexitarianism’ – in which meat eaters swap out animalprotein for quorn or soy – means the brand is currently on track tobecome a billion dollar business by 2027. This is on top of the spate of acquisitions, mergers and officemoves taking place across our region’s flourishing food industry.By leveraging trade deals beyond the Bloc, embracing automationand catering to changing consumer tastes and habits, the future isjust around the corner. www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 19FOOD & DRINK SPOTLIGHTHaribo expandsPontefractpresence with£150kinvestment Haribo is extending its Pontefract footprintwith a £150,000 investment. As part of this, thebrand has extended its Front Street retail outlet. Tripling the size of its existing shop, the newunit is bigger and better than ever before. Itnow houses an extensive range of treatsincluding those made within the UK and aselection of exclusive products imported fromHaribo factories across the world.Store Manager Gavin Jones said: “Through our investment we will be improving the look and feel of the site, both internally and externally,whilst also extending the space so that we can increase the range of products on offer. Excitingly, we will also be extending our hours ofopening to include Saturday trading.”© QuornYorkshire frozen foodspecialist snapped upin £152m dealHeron Food Group, the Yorkshire-headquartered budgetfrozen food chain, has been acquired by B&M Bargains in a £152million deal.B&M acquired Heron – which operates 251 stores across theNorth – through its EV Retail subsidiary.“[The] transaction secures for Heron’s loyal and hardworkingworkforce a perfect long term home within the B&M Group andprovides an exciting platform for the roll-out of more Heronstores nationally,” said David and Andrew Heuck from Heron.B&M Chief Executive Simon Arora added: “The addition of acomplementary, proven discount convenience grocery brand toour own structural growth story gives the combined business aneven longer, exciting growth runway.“I look forward to working with David and Andrew Heuck andthe Heron team to drive forward our shared ambition to deliverexceptional value for money to shoppers across the UK.”© Heron Food Group16-19_Layout 1 31/08/2017 12:20 Page 4Next >