< Previous10Business Link www.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’LETTERSAll things unequalDear Sir,It was plain to see the Scots saw sense and votingno on Scottish independence but why on earth didour politicians promise to uphold Lord Barnett’sFormula, which even he admits publicly was “aterrible mistake” and “a national embarrassment”that Scots should receive over £1600 per personmore in public spending. It seems to me that theEnglish are the real losers here not the Scots.Also, as more power is to be handed to theScottish Parliament, surely the time has finally cometo end the right for Scottish MPs to vote on policyfor other parts of the UK, where they have nojurisdiction. If only the Welsh, Northern Irish and English weretreated with the same ‘equality’ as the Scots.K WallaceLeedsMuch to answer for…Dear Sir,As an executive on the move, I was amazed when I couldfirst link to my office emails via my smart phone andrevelled in the fact that I could be in touch whenever I wasaway from the office. But, that was before things escalatedto the stage where I find myself receiving texts and emails.Imagine if Alexander Graham Bell had invented somethingthat you could only type on and even then you had tosquint at a tiny keyboard while doing it. Then lets saysomeone else came up with a device whereupon one couldbypass the need for badly typed e-mails and texts. A devicethat allowed you to speak personally to people. Thereviews would say “this new device actually allows you tospeak to someone personally AND in a fraction of the time ittakes to type on a ridiculously sized keyboard.”Surely, everyone would rush out and buy one and howgreat not to see individuals walking around goggling intotheir smartphones, giving their thumbs rheumatism.P BarnettLincolnGet the show on theroadDear Sir,I was interested to read your piece on theregion’s transport infrastructure. It may well bethe case that the airports are of a high standardbut for those of us who have to travel acrossLincolnshire on a regular basis, I’d rather moremoney was spent on the ground. Whether it’scrawling through Boston or bumping over theatrocious road surfaces in some parts of thecounty, if even 10% of the cash spent onfeasibility studies for large scale air and railschemes was given to highway maintenance, itwould convince far more people to do businessin the county.P DaviesLincolnOur cool councillorsDear Sir,It’s surprising to see that councillors in Craven, don’t feel the needto follow the austerity measures outlined by government. Insteadthey intend to buy themselves tablet computers out of the publicpurse.One minute we’re all told about how we should tighten our beltsbut presumably that doesn’t apply to those in office who continue tofind new ways to splash cash on ridiculous items such as these. Surely, if they’ve managed this long without then they cancontinue to do so, or buy such items themselves - like the rest of usdo! P IbbotsenYork10:Layout 1 29/9/14 10:06 Page 1Business Link 11www.blmforum.netCOMMERCIAL PROPERTYWith a new raft of projects taking off,now seems to be the time to prospectfor new contracts within commercialproperty. Contractors and suppliers recentlyattended an event to find out moreabout upcoming supply chainopportunities for public sectorconstruction projects in Lincoln andLincolnshire.The ‘Meet the Buyer’ event wasjointly hosted by the University ofLincoln, Scape - which manages theEast Midlands Property Alliance – andcontractor G F Tomlinsonat Think Tankat the University of Lincoln. Fellowcontractors Robert Woodhead, Lindumand Wates Construction were also inattendance.Alan Coole, head of empa says, “Thisevent showed there is a definite upturntaking place in the constructionindustry, with suppliers and contractorsbeing able to take on more work and inturn more employees. This is reallygood news for construction in Lincolnand Lincolnshire.“The event gave attendees thechance to learn more about tenderingfor a wide range of supply chainopportunities in the local area in thepublic sector and many of them wentaway with a good range of newcontacts.”A recent example of constructionprojects taking off in a massive way isthe former St John’s Hospital inBracebridge Heath, Lincoln. Afterclosing down in 1989, the site is nowbeing re-awakened as developersMabec renovate its Grade II listedbuildings into luxury homes.St John’s, which was built in 1852,has a rich historical background. Used13 PHOTO: WATTS WHERE MEDIA LTDYorkshire and Lincolnshire areseeing a huge upsurge inconstruction activity and it’snot just new projects taking off.Heritage is being maintained inthe region too.Staff at the former St John’s Hospital Lincoln, with Colin Shields, pictured thirdin on back row left, with St Johns staff at prizegiving ceremony in 1975.The central staircase at thelong-empty former St John’sHospital, Bracebridge Heath,which is set for a £4 millionrenovation into luxury homesConstructingthe future11-13:Layout 1 29/9/14 10:12 Page 1ArmstronghouseOffering 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.Ground floor 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 sizes5 Town Hall Street, Grimsby DN31 1HNed@scotts-property.co.uk www.scotts-property.co.ukwww.shutterstock.com/terekhov igorwww.shutterstock.com/Yentafern11-13:Layout 1 29/9/14 10:12 Page 2www.shutterstock.com/YentafernBusiness Link 13www.blmforum.netCOMMERCIAL PROPERTYpredominantly as a hospital, St John’swas also home to disadvantagedfamilies who lived and worked on site.Set over 120 acres, the developmentis possibly one of the largest suchregeneration projects in the country atthis time.Steeped in history, the hospital wasinitially built at a cost of around £30,000and designed by architects Hamiltonand Thomas Percy.Now empty for more than 24 years,developer Mabec is sympatheticallyrenovating the site in line with itsoriginal age and architecture. St John’swill become St John’s Village, offering106 luxury homes and apartments -including 77 new build houses in thegrounds, as part of the £40 millionproject.Colin Shields, from Sleaford, used towork at the hospital as a nurse between1973 and 1981, with a short gap inbetween where he left to continue histraining.He says, “St John’s was a pleasantplace to work. It was a thriving place towork and amazingly self-contained.“After being left to ruin, now it isalmost recognisable again with theregeneration work taking place and I amlooking forward to seeing the endresult.”Leeding the wayIt’s not just in Lincolnshire thatproperty development is taking off in abig way. The Leeds City RegionEnterprise Partnership recently agreed a£4 million loan with developers AireValley Land to kick-start work on theTemple Green site of the Leeds CityRegion Enterprise Zone and lead tothousands of new jobs.The LEP loan will be used toaccelerate development on the 350-acresite by funding groundwork andremediation, as well as the constructionand installation of key enablinginfrastructure. The investment willprovide an immediate boost to localconstruction employment, with twentyjobs set to be created during the initialphase of work. Fully developed, theTemple Green site is forecast to delivera cumulative economic impact to theCity Region economy worth £1.5 billionby 2021.The Temple Green site – the largeston the Leeds City Region EnterpriseZone – will ultimately become a focalpoint for investment in sectorsexpected to make some of the biggestcontributions to jobs and economicgrowth in the City Region in the yearsahead, including health technologies,modern manufacturing and the supplychain, logistics and distribution.Similarly, large plans are afoot inSouth Yorkshire as a £65 millionproperty development has beenrevealed. New Era Square is a proposed20-storey mixed leisure, commercialand residential development which isset to transform an area betweenLondon Road and Bramall Lane, closeto the city centre.The project, which has receivedsignificant inward investment fromChina, is set to create more than fourhundred new jobs once constructionhas been completed.Planning application has beensubmitted to Sheffield City Council, withthe aim to start work on thedevelopment by early 2015 and Phase 1to be completed by the summer of thefollowing year.A consortium of six investors fromChina have put the funds forward forthe project, which has received supportfrom the Consulate-General Of ThePeople’s Republic of China inManchester, with Consul General PanYundong attending the project’s launchin Sheffield.Jerry Cheung, Managing Director ofNew Era Development says, “Thisdevelopment is a significant inwardinvestment in the Sheffield City Region.It is a landmark project for an area ofthe city which will be transformed into amodern, cultural and enjoyable locationfor all.“The investors from China are keybusiness individuals and are very keento promote and showcase the incubatorfacility we are looking to create inSheffield to their contacts in the FarEast. This will offer a fantasticopportunity for any business looking tobreak into the Chinese market. It wouldalso provide businesses in China with aUK market entry through Sheffield.“We began work on this project anumber of years ago, but in the last 18months we began to purchase land totake forward our plans and make thema reality. Plans to redevelop the areahave been discussed for more than adecade. These proposals will containthe spirit of those plans but with a morecosmopolitan feel incorporating allcultures, not just Chinese.“If granted planning permission, theproject is to start construction in early2015 with the aim to be completed bythe summer of 2016, in time for the newstudent intake that September.” It seems like recovery is now takinghold in the region, with large scaleprojects on hold for a long time nowlooking more likely in more and morecities and towns. A huge investment for Sheffield’s city centrelooks set to start construction in 201511-13:Layout 1 29/9/14 10:13 Page 3NETWORK BY NUMBERS14Business Link www.blmforum.netThis month we focus on the SouthBank, and over the page we take a lookat the major developments in the areathat should bring increased prosperity.Yet the region’s business scene hasalways been a vibrant one and TheBusiness Network South Humbersidehas been bringing people together for21 years.Indeed the group, which is run bylocal business owner Karen Locking ofEvolve Business Developments,celebrated its anniversary thisSeptember with a fantastic event atAbby’s Upstairs in Grimsby attended bymany top names from around theregion to enjoy lunch, live music andgood company.Karen says, “Research has longsupported the view that networking is akey factor in the success of fast growthcompanies. Many business peopleprefer face-to-face networkingopportunities because they preferactually knowing and meeting who theyintend to do business with. It’s anextremely effective format. It’s thereason we’re still here – it works!”The Business Network has memberswho have been attending since the earlydays of the organisation in the nineties –indeed, over 50% of the Network’smembership is made up fromcompanies that have been with them forfour years or more – though the birthdaycelebrations welcomed numerous otherguests. Karen was delighted to see somany people attend, and says, “It’salways great fun and guests have theadded benefit of seeing how we cansignificantly help to promote theircompany and establish a valuable groupof knowledgeable senior contacts.”Karen says the Network’smembership continues to growbecause of the increasing opportunitiesto not only build new businessrelationships, but also to generateexciting business opportunities. One ofthe great strengths of the group is thediversity of member companies – sothere’s bound to be someone worthspeaking to.The Business Network SouthHumberside’s events enable membersto benefit from a wealth of knowledgeand experience within the membership.The lunch events are preceded by freeseminars offered by members on awide variety of topics and those thereare plenty of opportunities for membersto promote their business.During lunch itself, members andguests – with a seating plan thatensures they meet as many newcontacts as possible – will be assistedby a table host who will get theconversation flowing and help make therelevant introductions. It’s a fantastic21 years ofsuccessThis month we pay a timely visit to the Business Network SouthHumberside - an organisation that has been helping companiesgenerate fruitful relationships for over two decades14-15:Layout 1 29/9/14 13:20 Page 1Business Link 15www.blmforum.netNETWORK BY NUMBERSway to speak to people you may nototherwise encounter and start youthinking of potential businessopportunities that may never havecrossed your mind!Members can also benefit from a freestand at the monthly events to givemembers and visitors an even greaterinsight into what on offers, whileattendees at events are restricted to asenior level – people who can influencethe buying and selling within theirorganisation. The Business NetworkSouth Humberside is also part of thenational Business Network group and afurther benefit for members is theopportunity to access the national list ofmembers to find relevant businesseswhere opportunities may arise.The regular venue for network eventsis the Forest Pines Hotel and GolfResort in Broughton, with eventsscheduled for Wednesday 8th October,Wednesday 5th November andWednesday 3rd December. At theOctober event, the seminar will bepresented by Peninsula Group as KeithLawson hosts a seminar providing anoverview of HR best practices for themodern business owner. He will coverrecent and upcoming changes toemployment law, including dealing withsickness and absence, maternity andpaternity, flexible working and socialmedia within the workplace.The Business Network SouthHumberside welcomes new membersand guests are invited to all their eventsto experience their way of working forthemselves. To register to attend, andto find out how to become a member,visit www.business-network-south-humberside.co.uk or follow@TheBNSthHumber on Twitter.GJCRISK MANAGEMENTwww.gjcrisk.co.ukGJC have worked with many organisations and have over 12 years practical experience in the Health, Safety & Environmental sector, helping organisationsacross multi-disciplined business sectors.Phone: 01472 852 335 | Mobile: 07960 877 416Tel: 01724 843431 / 07788697541 l Email: davidconnell@capricahealthcare.com l www.capricahealthcare.comAn independent, specialist, whole-of-market health insurance broker, we can add value to your business... Private Medical Insurance for Companies, Families & Individuals Cash Plan (Dental & Optical, Therapies) Dental Policies. Travel Policies. Employee Wellbeing... Health Screenings. Well Man - Well Woman Health Checks. Employee Assistance Programmes. Counselling (health, finance, family issues). Vaccinations. Absence Management. Annual health check.07730 52534914-15:Layout 1 29/9/14 13:20 Page 2SOUTH BANK16Business Link www.blmforum.netIn the past, those who live and worksouth of the Humber have sometimesfelt as if they receive rather a raw deal.Certainly, back when Humberside was agoing concern, there was resentmentthat the big decisions were generallybeing made on the other side of theriver.Those who remember those daysmay express some concern at the ideathat the two sides of the Humber shouldbe working together, but this time it’s onfar more of an equal footing and withoutcompromising their individual identities.The Hull and Humber Bondholdersassociation, for example, are amongthose organisations who ensure just asmuch time and attention is devoted tothe South Bank, and when they’repromoting the area on a wider scale,both sides of the river are prominentlyfeatured.Hence, when the Team HumberMarine Alliance recently invited seniorfigures from Germany’s wind andrenewables industries to the region, theitinerary included the Able MarineEnergy Park, Tata Steel in Scunthorpe,CATCH’s training facility and the Port ofGrimsby East, in addition to the highprofile developments on the NorthBank. Working together makes it easierto promote the exceptional facilities onoffer to international investors.The facilities certainly are exceptionalon the South Bank and extensivedevelopment over the next few yearsshould improve these still further. TheAble Marine Energy Park at NorthKillingholme has recently received a£15 million grant provided through theEnterprise Zone Foundations for GrowthCapital Grant Fund, following asuccessful bid from the Humber LEP.The grant was announced during a visitto the site this summer by Eric Pickleswhich also marked the start ofpreparation work on the £450 millionproject. the infrastructure programme isset to continue until March, creatingaround 350 full time equivalentconstruction jobs, while over 4100anticipated to be created when the parkis up and running.Other high profile renewable energyprojects on the South Bank includeE.ON’s Humber Gateway maintenancecentre, opened during the same visit byEric Pickles, and the operations base forDong Energy’s Westermost Roughwindfarm, both in Grimsby.The challenge now is ensuring thatthe region has the talent available totake advantage of these newopportunities. The launch of theHumber UTC in Scunthorpe shouldaddress that, as too should the move ofHETA into a new site on FoxhillsIndustrial Estate in Scunthorpe.Previously based on the TataSteelworks, the new larger site meansthe association can offer a morebespoke first year of training as well asa large portfolio of adult upskillingcourses for industry.Also likely to make a big impact is theflagship CATCH facility near Immingham.In a joint partnership, Safety Technologyand HCF are offering a full suite of land-based Global Wind Organisation andRenewableUK accredited courses on theCATCH site. The quality of the facilitiesmeans it is already attracting studentsfrom across the UK.HCF, which manages the CATCHfacility, is a not-for-profit, industry-ledpartnership and their CEO Dr Tony Flinnsays, “As the Humber region becomesthe epicentre of offshore wind energysupply, we want to ensure that we’rehere to provide the maximumopportunity for local people to embarkon valuable careers.”The renewables sector can benefitcompanies of all shapes and sizes onthe South Bank. One of the latestRegional Growth Fund grants awardedas part of the Growing the Humberprogramme has gone to ICF Grimsby, afamily-run company that specialises inreflective newsbags and safetyproducts. The company plans toexpand the business to take advantageof the opportunities offered by therenewables sector, specifically in theprovision of offshore kit and shuttlebags and bespoke industrial covers forplant and machinery.The renewable energy sector hasRenewedandrefreshedThe South Bank is well-placed to benefit from additional fundingand attention, to add to the already energetic business scene16-18:Layout 1 29/9/14 10:25 Page 1Business Link 17www.blmforum.netcertainly energised the South Bank andit’s likely to make a major contributionto the area’s prosperity – but it certainlyisn’t its only business success. Thearea’s ports have a strong tradition andthey continue to excel. Indeed, morethan ten thousand units were handledat the Port of Immingham in July, an all-time record. The month also saw morethan 27,000 terminal movements, whichis also a record, and the Port hashandled more containers already thisyear than in the whole of 2013.In Grimsby, meanwhile, two new lockgates costing £5 million have beeninstalled, replacing the existing systemwhich dated back to the nineteenthcentury, and alongside the recentlyopened River Terminal, this means thefacilities now offer exceptionalefficiency and flexibility for an everwider range of customers.An equally traditional contributor toThe South Bank’straditional industriesremain and are beingjoined by newdevelopmentsPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/BUDIMIR JEVTIC18 Safety Technology andHCF are offering a fullsuite of land-based GlobalWind Organisation andRenewableUK accreditedcourses on the CATCH sitein Immingham16-18:Layout 1 29/9/14 10:25 Page 2SOUTH BANK18Business Link www.blmforum.netDIESEL and ELECTRICAL EngineersGenerating SetsWith over 50 years of experience NORTH LINCS ENGINEERING LTDsupplies, installs and repairs mechanical and electrical industrial plant.Tel: 01507 328787 Fax: 01507 329306 www.northlincseng.co.ukthe South Bank’s prosperity is itsculinary prowess and food processinghas been highlighted by the HumberLEP as a major contributor to growth.Elsewhere in this issue we highlight theWorld Seafood Congress which willtake place in Grimsby in September2015 and looks set to be one of theindustry’s biggest ever gatherings withvisitors from all four corners of theglobe. Grimsby has certainly earned itsright to host such a prestigious eventwith the £5.6 million Humber SeafoodInstitute offering exceptional support tothe industry. As a priority sector, theGrowing the Humber Fund, which isadministered by North East LincolnshireCouncil, is investing strongly in foodprocessing.Something that’s often been an issuein Northern Lincolnshire is transport. Aswe’ve reported in that past, the region’srail links are currently underconsultation and many of the area’sgreat and good, including the local MPsand numerous businesses, have beencampaigning against the proposal thatcould see all train journeys fromGrimsby and Scunthorpe terminate inSheffield rather than continue to rundirectly to Manchester. Meanwhile, theM180 is never the most popular road,as those who frequently traverse itsfeatureless, soporific length will tell you,but resurfacing work this summerwhich saw the road closed for periodssaw it become even less loved.To address some of the majortransport issues, an additional £12.98million has been secured for transportprojects as part of the Humber LEP’sGrowth Deal negotiations – on top ofthe £15.9 million already allocated. Thetransport money will bring theelectrification of the Hull to Grimsby linea step closer with £7.5 million beingawarded – conditional on the outcomeof the DfT funded feasibility study aswell as an agreed business case.£1.48 million will go towards junctionimprovements, public realm works andimproved sustainable transport inGrimsby to help open up Cartergate –which when it’s complete will be a £12million mixed use development that willinclude 11,700 sq m of commercialfloorspace and should create around275 jobs. Funding is also in place toensure that next year we’ll see workbegin a rail gauge enhancementscheme for freight from the SouthBank’s ports to Doncaster to enablelarger loads to be carried, as well asaccess improvements to HumbersideAirport which can sometimes seem abit remote. It could sometimes beargued that it’s easier to arrive inNorthern Lincolnshire via boat or planethan it is by road but hopefully theinvestment will make someimprovement in this regard.The number of Assisted Areas in theregion has also been increased.Yarborough and Heneage wards inNorth East Lincolnshire no longerqualify for the scheme, but sixadditional wards on the South Bank,including key development areasaround Scunthorpe, have now qualifiedfor the status to further improve theircompetitiveness for major investments.SMEs in assisted areas can receivelarger capital grants for growth projectsthat create jobs – up to 30%, comparedto 20% in non-assisted areas - whilelarge companies can get 10% grants.Richard Kendall, Humber LEPmanager, says, “The Assisted Areas willhelp us to support more businesses togrow and invest around the Humber.The status is particularly important forenabling development to take place onour Enterprise Zone sites.”Although the energy explosion hasshone the spotlight on the South Bankin recent years, throughout the areathere is much energy and enthusiasmto ensure it remains a vibrant place todo business. Adding additional fundingand support to this should have hugelyimpressive results.Tata Steel in Scunthorpe was one ofthe major local employers visited by arecent delegation from GermanyPHOTO: CORUS“As the Humber regionbecomes the epicentre ofoffshore wind energy supply,we want to ensure that we’rehere to provide the maximumopportunity for local people toembark on valuable careers.”HCF CEO Dr Tony Flinn16-18:Layout 1 29/9/14 10:25 Page 3Business Link 19www.blmforum.netINTERNATIONAL LINKPete Ward, Deputy Chief Executive ofYoung’s Seafood, sponsors of theWorld Seafood Congress, will bewelcoming the industry to GrimsbyIn the build-up to the 2015World SeafoodCongress, two majorevents in ourregion haveemphasised theimportance ofthe seafoodindustry…20 With the World Seafood Congresstaking place in the UK next year atUniversity Centre Grimsby, all eyes arecurrently on the Humber region. As partof the build-up, the Humber SeafoodSummit proved a useful pre-cursor tothe World Seafood Congress next year,and the NorthSeafish Conferenceattracted international speakers andvisitors in their droves to discuss andshare ideas on the future of fishing,processing, trade and retail across thewhole supply chain.At the Humber Seafood Summit, heldin Grimsby and supported by BusinessLink and its sister publications, inspiringspeeches painted a vibrant picture forthe industry. Icelandic FisheriesMinister Sigurŏur Ingi Jóhannsson andSeafish chair Elaine Hayes opened theevent, with the minister speaking ofA hunger forsuccessPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ALEXANDER RATHS19-21:Layout 1 29/9/14 10:20 Page 1Next >