SEPTEMBER 2022 £3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 37 ISSUE 9 Waste not A culture of late payments Ensuring a smooth fit-out 01.qxp_Layout 1 06/09/2022 09:21 Page 1TheHSEhaverecentlyhighlightedhowworkplacenoise couldbecontributingtostresslevelsinemployeesworking inthehospitalityindustry.Businessesinthisindustryare beingurgedbytheHSEtoreassessnoiselevelsastheyfear thiscouldbecontributingtoworkplacestress.Thiscomes afterarecentsurveywhichexposedrestaurantsinLondon ashavingthehighestworkplacenoiselevelsinEurope. SafetyFirstGroupLimited|TheMount|566EtruriaRoad Newcastle-under-Lyme|Staffordshire|ST50SU T:08450042133•E:enquiries@safetyfirstgroup.co.uk www.safetyfirstgroup.co.uk Isworkplacenoisecontributingtoemployeeburnout? Protectemployeesfromexcessivenoisewith aworkplacenoiseassessment-findoutwhat yourequiretobecompliantfromourexperts. Everythingwedoisdrivenbyourbeliefthat ‘SafetyAlwaysComesFirst’ Stokesley Metals Limited have a full set of licenses to work in the scrap metal recycling industry. We are also an authorised vehicle de-pollution processor, we have an on-site de-pollution plant where we safely remove substances that are harmful to the environment before scrapping cars and other vehicles. 02.qxp_Layout 1 06/09/2022 09:21 Page 1From the Editor So, here we are with a new Prime Minister in Liz Truss and a vast lack of detail on how she is going to help with the cost of living, the pressure on businesses or just about anything. It seems the Conservative party hasn’t learned much from Boris Johnson’s ignominious exit, and there have been rumours that the party intends to throw the next general election – and even some that Liz Truss will be ousted by Christmas to try and bring Boris back. It’s a sad day not only for democracy but for our businesses and the people of the country who need quick and effective leadership, and who will instead receive backstabbing, politicking and cronyism. For those of us doing business in the region there is little more to look forward to than the possibility of control soon being under our own banner thanks to the devolution deal. This won’t be an immediate change but might be a necessary one all the same as many politicians have all but stopped pretending they care about the country outside of London. While I was initially cautious about devolution and the idea of regions being able to make their own decisions, it’s hard not to see the benefits of it now when the Conservative party has been all but useless while power transitions. We’ll be looking forward to the day that an elected mayor can enact real change in our region that bolsters business and transforms the environment. There will be a lot of work to be done, but it’s achievable work. 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 06/09/2022 09:22 Page 1SEPTEMBER 2022 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region. 12 Commercial property The need for greener buildings is clear as the world continues to battle climate change. In Yorkshire, a number of developments are ready to lead the way to a more sustainable future. 16 Food and drink industry spotlight The food and drink industry faces fresh pressure from the cost of living, driving consumer buying behaviour toward cheaper, long-lasting foods. With the UK economy struggling, it might be time to look toward exports. 20 Finance The difficult state of the economy has left many businesses with worsening cash flow, which could have knock-on effects on those requiring payment from them. We look at the options available when invoices aren’t being paid on time. 24 Office solutions With many businesses looking to rejuvenate their offices in response to new working habits, forming the right team to ensure a seamless project is key. 28 Recycling and waste management Recycling is not the optional choice it once was, and a record-breaking heatwave for a summer and fresh governmental attention may mean that getting on top of the issue now rather than later is preferable. 32 Education and training Hiring is difficult right now, which is why internal training up of existing employees is the go-to option for businesses, especially in the worsening economic climate. • Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate Q&A 38 Corporate hospitality The cost of recruitment is through the roof, and companies are finding it hard to find good staff, which means it’s all the more important to keep hold of the ones you have. We look at ways to accomplish this, and why the idea of “entitled employees” might be less of a curse and more of a blessing. If you play your cards right. 40 Family business While family businesses face a raft of challenges – like many other businesses in this economy – the solutions are often not so simple; they never are where family is involved. 42 AutoLink As the number of hybrids and electric cars increases on our roads, more of us that need a tow-friendly vehicle will be planning to make the switch. So here are a few top electrified cars to whet your appetite. 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 16 28 32 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 06/09/2022 09:23 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) 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 COVER PHOTOS: BMW • STOCK.ADOBE.COM - ANITALVDB • MURATTELLIOGLU • FIZKES • MOODBOARD 24 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 06/09/2022 09:23 Page 2Major expansion for Leeds-headquartered Northern Accountants Leeds-headquartered Northern Accountants has announced two major growth plans in Liverpool and Hull, as the business edges closer to £2m GRF. The team has completed the acquisition of Birkenhead- based TAC Accountants – a property and construction specialist with 167 clients – for an undisclosed sum. Currently turning over £250,000 per annum, TAC will retain all of its team, including founder Ben Thexton, who is now a director of the new-look firm. With an already high propensity of construction and landlord customers, plus a strong relationship with the construction industry, Northern Accountants will leverage the acquisition as a springboard for further expansion in Merseyside. At the completely opposite end of the M62, Northern Accountant’s expansion is continuing in Hull, with the appointment of new director Ricky Field. Ricky joins from cbaSadofskys Chartered Accountants, where he has worked for 23 years and became a partner in 2009. A well-known name in this city, Ricky will work closely with two existing Hull-based Northern Accountants colleagues, as they take new office space at The Beverley Enterprise Centre. 6 Business Link www.blmforum.net NEWS Global sports performance company catapults into 34 Boar Lane in Leeds An international sports performance analysis company is moving into the iconic 34 Boar Lane in Leeds. Catapult has just agreed a deal to take 5,608 sq ft of office space on the second floor of the recently refurbished building. Owner Kinrise is behind the transformation of 34 Boar Lane, a 57,000 sq ft building with 46,000 sq ft of office space over five floors and cafes and restaurants on the ground floor. It is located immediately opposite Leeds Railway Station in the heart of the city’s professional and retail quarters. Victoria Harris, office agent at global property consultancy Knight Frank in Leeds, which is marketing 34 Boar Lane, said: “This significant deal is a resounding endorsement of the quality of this magnificent building, with a company with offices across the world choosing 34 Boar Lane. “Ever since we started marketing 34 Boar Lane, we have been choosing our tenants very carefully. The spirit and ethos of the building is crucial. Catapult is a fast-growing growing and progressive global company and fits this aspirational culture perfectly.” Art poster company secures £150k to expand sales to Europe The North Yorkshire company behind an iconic art poster brand has secured a £150,000 loan from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), to help expand its sales in Europe. Athena has been an art publisher for over 50 years and previously ran a chain of high-street stores. The new company is now owned by Simon Coates, previously a director of the original Athena company, and his business partner Nick Morgan. The duo moved the business online in 2012 and now supply a range of up to 250,000 product lines from their factory workshop in Easingwold. The company, which employs a 20-strong team, is also a leading supplier of picture frames via the website Vivarti, providing artworks for consumers, hotels, commercial interiors and buy-to-let investors. The business, which had already begun selling into Europe, has undergone a transformation in the past two years to adapt its systems to comply with changes in export regulations, and European sales are now starting to grow again as a result. © Shaun Flannery/shaunflanneryphotography.com Left to right are Nick Morgan and Simon Coates of Athena with Andy Clough of Mercia 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 06/09/2022 09:26 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 7 NEWS Rampant fraud shows no sign of slowing A £266m money laundering case has eclipsed the latest KPMG Fraud Barometer data for Yorkshire as experts warn of ‘rampant fraud’ across the UK. There were 12 fraud cases that exceeded £100k prosecuted in Yorkshire’s courts in the first half of this year, a steady increase on last year’s figures (H1 2021: 10). The value of a high-profile money laundering case worth £266m has skewed this year’s figures with total fraud value reaching more than £272m, up from £7.4m in the first half of last year. Tax fraud, which includes undeclared income, failure to pay income taxes and unpaid capital gains tax, was the most common type of fraud across Yorkshire. Annette Barker, head of Forensic at KPMG in the UK, who is based in Yorkshire, said: “We’re seeing fraud levels rise around the country as fraudsters take bold measures for their financial gain. The major money laundering case in Leeds might have taken the spotlight, but it shouldn’t distract from the underlying and cumulative threat that lower value fraud cases continue to have.” Asda to acquire 132 convenience stores from The Co-op Leeds-headquartered Asda has agreed to acquire 132 sites from The Co-operative Group (Co-op) in a transaction with a cash value of £438m, as part of its growth strategy to move into the convenience market and bring Asda value to more local communities. The purchase includes 129 established, high-quality sites with a grocery retail store of between 1,500 and 3,000 square feet and attached petrol filling station, and three development sites. They are located nationwide and will create a new and distinct format for Asda in the convenience market. The transaction is subject to normal conditions and will be financed through a combination of existing cash resources and bank finance. The circa 2,300 colleagues currently employed in the Co-op stores will transfer to Asda’s employment under TUPE transfer following completion and after a transition period. The stores being acquired as part of the transaction delivered net sales of £863 million and pro forma EBITDA of £53 million for 12 months to June 2022, with potential to grow EBITDA further when development opportunities and other synergies are taken into account. Major town centre regeneration scheme commencing in Huddersfield Planning has been secured to kick-off a major regeneration project to be known as Trinity One, on a highly prominent gateway site in Huddersfield town centre. The former Kirklees College site occupies approx. 6 acres of prime land fronting the ring road. The site is also home to the Grade II listed original Huddersfield Royal Infirmary which is to be retained at the heart of the scheme. The dilapidated 1960’s college buildings are to be demolished and cleared and as part of the plans, Lidl GB will facilitate a modern, larger store featuring 127 car spaces, alongside 229 new build/conversion apartments and a HQ Office building. Lidl intends to eventually relocate its existing store on Castlegate. The setting and importance of the Grade II listed building have been the focus of how the scheme is to be delivered, and the approved plans clarify how this will look and feel at the heart of such a major mixed-use scheme. Contractors are appointed to commence work imminently, starting with demolition of the non-listed buildings. © stock.adobe.com/ Feng Yu 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 06/09/2022 09:26 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 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 06/09/2022 09:26 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 9 NEWS Hull performance marketing business under new management Hull-based performance marketing agency Summit and technology brand Productcaster have been bought by Managing Directors Ryan Thomas and Martin Corcoran. Corcoran, who joined the business in 2015, and Thomas, who joined in 2017, acquired Summit from TCC Global after co-operating in a management buyout that saw them take 100% control of the agency. Corcoran, who has moved to become CEO of the business, said: “We were always interested in buying Summit and know with certainty we have purchased a business with great people, products and clients. “We are lucky to count Three Mobile, Joules, H Samuel, Ikea, The Range, Levi’s, Ann Summers and many more amongst our corner-stone clients and we are in no doubt other agencies in this space would be lucky to have such a strong track record in performance marketing and such prestigious client list. “The business has clear positioning and heritage within online marketing and eCommerce as well as being highly differentiated through its proprietary Productcaster technology, which leads the European Comparison-Shopping Service market garnering 200m clicks on Google every month. “We’ve seen incredible growth across all parts of the business in the last 12 months and by doubling our media spend with Google year on year, we know we’re one of that fastest growing Google Premier Agencies in the UK.” Hat-trick of deals completed at The Bourse in Leeds A hat-trick of deals has been completed at The Bourse, an office and retail complex in Leeds city centre. IT healthcare services provider Synanetics, E-commerce and marketing agency Ayko and dental practice Smmmile have all taken space in Equity House, one of the three self-contained buildings which comprise the 50,000 sq ft Bourse. Synanetics have taken 966 sq ft of quality office on a five-year lease; Ayko have taken 1,476 sq ft, also on a five-year lease; while Smmmile is occupying 2,360 sq ft on a ten-year lease. The rent is £21.50 per sq ft. The Bourse is a landmark building on Boar Lane less than 100 yards from Leeds Station and features 50,000 sq ft of space over three buildings, overlooking a central courtyard. Each of the buildings, Equity House, Sterling House and Bond House, has its own designated entrance with an NCP multi-storey car park to the rear. The Bourse has undergone a comprehensive multi-million pound refurbishment to provide Grade A offices of the highest standard. Victoria Harris, senior surveyor with Knight Frank in Leeds, who advised landlords Paloma Capital on the Synanetics and Ayko deals, said: “We are delighted companies of the calibre and reputation of Synanetics and Ayko, together with Smmmile, have taken quality space at the Bourse. These three deals underline the Bourse’s reputation as one of the finest office buildings in central Leeds.” 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. © Giles Rocholl Photography Martin Corcoran 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 06/09/2022 09:26 Page 4Next >