NOVEMBER 2022£3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 37 ISSUE 11 Rising pressureInvesting in waterKeeping hold of the good ones 01.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 09:48 Page 1www.geodis.com GEODIS Unit 5, Bridge View Henry Boot Way Hull HU4 7DW Tel: 01482 598550 humber.ff.uk@geodis.com Road Transport Customs Ocean Freight Insurance Airfreight Special Cargo 02.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 09:49 Page 1The magazine that cares We care because we want to leave our world a better place than we found it Business Link believes that being socially and environmentally responsible is the key to maintaining a flourishing business that our customers will be pleased to use and our staff will be proud to be part of. Community - From a very local point of view, we strive to be a ‘good neighbour’. We also extend that into the much broader local community, through financial support of local causes and charities. Environment - Our actions extend to: conservation of energy and natural resources, minimisation of waste and ensuring our trading partners do likewise. From the Editor Another month; another Prime Minister Writing these notes has become dicey in recent months. We obviously have to write ahead of publication and printing, which means that these notes will be written toward the end of one month, for inclusion in the next. That hasn’t been a problem many times in the past, but the recent Governmental upheaval (we’re told it’s not chaos) has left me rolling the dice. Do I quote the PM as Liz Truss, suspecting as I might that she won’t remain in power? Will I look the fool for saying someone is the PM when, by the time the magazine is on people’s desks, they have been relegated to the role of janitor? This time, I’ve been lucky. This time. I’m not the only one, however. Financial companies and associations have been emailing me none stop with their deep and well thought out analysis of a budget that keeps being yanked away and changed every few seconds. It quickly got to the point where eager financial advisors desperate for my time were telling me, in their own words, that they “couldn’t be a***d” to make comment until they knew for certain that Truss’ budget would stay. Two days later, one day after telling us she was not a quitter, she quit. So, we have a new person at the helm, taking over after Liz Truss’ record-breaking (not in the way she might like) stint in power. It’s hard to imagine what Rishi Sunak will be able to do, not for reasons of doubt toward him or his policies (what little we know of them) but because of the sheer sense of defeat among the party. Already, allies of Boris Johnson are suggesting it is over, and that a General Election must be held, while others who supported Liz Truss over Rishi Sunak before have suddenly been struck with amnesia and are assuring us they believed in Sunak from the very beginning. Business, unfortunately, cannot sustain itself on half-truths and non-comments. A General Election may well be the “right” thing to do morally speaking, and in keeping with democracy, but our economy needs quick and decisive action to fight inflation, and to tackle the cost of living crisis, and a messy and scrambled election battle is, in my opinion, not the answer. If Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party want to show us they deserve to be, or stay, in power, then now is the time to make that clear. Mr Prime Minister, the country is watching, and it is time to make your case. Michael Fisher Editor 03.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 09:49 Page 1NOVEMBER 2022 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region. 12 Commercial property It’s not the end of the year yet, and the commercial property market remains as explosive as ever. Here are some of the deals that have taken place this month. 16 Manufacturing spotlight With so many people seeing work in factories to be menial or unattractive labour, it may be time to take another look at replacing labour workforces with machines. 20 Materials handling The region’s many distribution centres rely on efficient materials handling to see goods shipped out across the country but rising costs have placed more pressure on the supply chain than ever before. 24 Water and waste management Water treatment is in the spotlight in recent times, as raw sewage dumped into UK rivers shows the darker side of the industry 28 Training and education How many employees have said, “I’ve had enough, enough of the endless Teams calls and emails, enough of putting my career on hold, of feeling stressed out and overlooked by my employer and I’m not paid enough!?” All these comments are more relevant than ever as they are currently leading to a major skills shortage in the region, and throughout the UK. 32 Business services Services involved in the day to day running of a business are usually safe from axing, but those seen as “extra” by employers might not feel the same way. Are they truly an extra, though? Or has their value been misjudged? 36 Men’s health Men’s health is in people’s mouths, or above it, this November. Are you taking part? 40 Corporate hospitality Employees are increasingly demanding benefits beyond pay and a better work-life balance. While many may argue it’s not the employer’s duty, it’s worth nothing that some do, and that can be a cause for worry if they’re competition. 42 AutoLink Winter is just around the corner, so we check out three 4x4s that may well whet your appetite for on-road driving - and the rough stuff! 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 20 24 36 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 09:50 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: STOCK.ADOBE.COM - ALFA27 • METHAPHUM • FREEMAN83 • KADMY • BLUE PLANET STUDIO 16 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 09:50 Page 2Yorkshire and the Humber sees month-on-month fall in insolvency-related activities Despite the increasingly pessimistic economic outlook, numbers of businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber experiencing insolvency-related activity saw a decrease last month, falling by 13.1% in September compared with August 2022 – the second largest drop of any of the regions and nations in the UK. The research from insolvency and restructuring trade body R3, which is based on an analysis of data provided by CreditSafe, shows that while 267 businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber suffered from insolvency-related activities in August, this fell to 232 in September – the lowest number in the region since January. Yorkshire and the Humber was one of eight regions and nations in the UK which saw a month- on-month drop in insolvency-related activities (which includes liquidator and administrator appointments and creditors’ meetings). Eleanor Temple, chair of R3 in Yorkshire and a barrister at Kings Chambers in Leeds, comments: “While is it somewhat reassuring to see the region holding its own with a drop in insolvency-related activity last month, other indicators of economic distress, such as a fall in business start-ups and an increase in late payments, are slowly but surely on the rise, both here and across the rest of the UK. “With no sign of global energy markets stabilising, together with turmoil in the markets in the UK in recent weeks, there’s little doubt that business and consumer confidence has fallen to the lowest levels since 2008. The latest ONS figures for August show that the UK economy is already starting to shrink as businesses and households struggle in the face of rising costs, increasing the likelihood that we will fall into recession.” 6 Business Link www.blmforum.net NEWS Huddersfield-based Zapato Brewery taps into further growth through investment and refurbishment Yorkshire-headquartered brewery Zapato is anticipating its highest performing year to date – having invested a £30,000 sum across the business, growing its workforce, and carrying out an extensive refurbishment of its headquarters in Marsden. Boasting its very own tap room, beer garden and ‘Zottleshop’ at the Huddersfield HQ – along with a wealth of exclusive experiences – Zapato has been complementing the community’s budding craft ale scene since its transition to the area in 2017. Zapato’s riverside space within a former textile mill has undergone a huge transformation in a bid to provide a tranquil environment for the expanding workforce — as well as the growing population of visiting beer fanatics. The renovation work was undertaken by Zapato’s own team and local tradespeople, with company founder Matt Gorecki spearheading the operation from initial design through to physical build. Yorkshire-born chartered surveyor becomes one of the youngest to achieve RICS Fellowship status Yorkshire-born James Brook, founder of Novello Chartered Surveyors has recently been awarded a prestigious fellowship from the Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). At just 31 years old, this is a hugely impressive accolade for someone of his age – most chartered surveyors become fellows much later in their careers. He is one of the youngest Fellows out of 134,000 RICS members worldwide. James was awarded Fellowship status for his work in setting up Novello Chartered Surveyors alongside cofounder Jack Pye. Together they have grown the business from four to 28 employees in just three years despite launching on the cusp of the coronavirus pandemic. The business has grown exponentially due to offering a highly detailed premium service that guides clients through the process rather than just producing reports. The team has increased from four to 28 employees and they now cover Yorkshire, the South East, and London. 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 09:52 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 7 NEWS Legal 500 Directory highly ranks Sills & Betteridge LLP Another proud announcement from the firm as it reveals news of its latest results in the world’s leading legal directory The Legal 500. The firm’s position as one of the region’s top legal services providers, has been reaffirmed by retaining its position as a ‘Leading Law Firm’. Their family law team achieved Tier 1 status for the first time and all other service areas submitted held their positions in the tier rankings. 15 lawyers across 7 practice areas were given special individual mention for their standout contributions in their field, including Corporate Lawyer James Conduit who retained his position as a Leading Individual, Family Lawyer Chrystal Theofanous who was newly recognised in the same category and Siobhan Thompson also a Family Lawyer who received the accolade of Next Generation Partner. To view the firm’s results please visit www.legal500.com/ firms/3052-sills-betteridge-llp/1604-lincoln-england/ Family-run Leeds business helps communities celebrate remembrance Sunday ACS Stainless Steel Fixings – a family run business in Cross Green – is offering its support to local communities this month, creating free of charge Silhouette Soldiers ahead of Remembrance Day. The initiative sees ACS create steel structures of soldiers which can be displayed for Remembrance Sunday services and other community events. It is the second year ACS has made the offer. In 2021, it created 376 silhouettes which were donated to companies including Crest Nicholson and Telford Homes PLC, as well as local communities in need. Now, ACS hopes to create even more of the structures for 2022, inviting businesses and individuals to place an order. Colleagues at its 51,850 sq ft factory in Leeds will create four sizes of silhouettes, ranging from the small 155mm model up to an extra-large 1.5m structure – each expertly cut from a mild steel, with the welding carried out by ACS’ team of local apprentices. Multi-million pound investment brings 37 new gritters to Yorkshire and The Humber A £44m national investment by National Highways includes 37 new high-tech gritters for Yorkshire and the Humber to help keep road users on the move when severe weather hits. The region has two new winter maintenance depots, one just off the A64 at Malton in North Yorkshire and another off the A63 near Newport in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Senior Network Planner for Resilience Gordon Thackeray, who heads up National Highways’ winter operations in the region, said: “The rollout of our new state-of-the-art gritting vehicles is complete, with every machine in position and ready for the winter season ahead to help keep our road users safer on the roads, whatever weather conditions we face. “National Highways always strives to explore and embrace innovation to benefit our road users. These vehicles are environmentally friendly, have cutting-edge technological features and can be driven at a higher speed than older models. “We now have a total of 58 vehicles ready to be deployed across Yorkshire and the North East and all of them will play their part in helping our autumn and winter operations team, including our drivers, to carry out their vital work over the next few months to treat the road surfaces whenever and wherever it is needed.” 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 09:52 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 31/10/2022 09:52 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 9 NEWS MBO at specialist recruitment firm Unite People, the Leeds-based civil engineering industry- focused recruiter, is building for growth following the completion of a Management Buyout (MBO), which will support the business’ scale-up ambitions. Founding director and 50 percent shareholder, Ross Bayston, has acquired the shareholding of fellow director Tom Perkin, to become the sole owner of the business. The MBO has been funded by Aldermore Bank, who provided Unite People with a seven-figure funding package to support the MBO, along with the funding needed to scale the business over the medium term. Tom will exit the business to pursue other opportunities outside Unite People’s current areas of focus. Ross Bayston, CEO of Unite People, said: “Completing the MBO and being supported by Aldermore will enable the business to expedite its growth plans, whilst strengthening relationships with our client base. I strongly believe there’s a unique opportunity for Unite People to become the most recognised staffing firm within the civil engineering sector, in the UK and internationally. “Tom and I have worked exceptionally hard to create a business that has set itself apart from other recruiters in the construction related industries and the company is now in a strong position to scale up further. I wish Tom well in his future endeavours and thank him for his dedication and contribution to our business.” York Against Cancer announce contractor for new cancer support centre in York York Against Cancer are pleased to announce that Lodestone Projects have been appointed to construct the brand-new Leveson Centre, a support centre for people living with cancer, at the York Community Stadium, with work commencing this week. Project Management company Turner & Townsend have been managing the contractor tender process which was sent out in the summer. Two companies were shortlisted with Lodestone Projects coming out on top after careful assessment. The tender criteria was based on Quality, time management & Cost which were all successfully met through Lodestone Projects detailed proposal. James Gilyead, Director at Turner & Townsend commented; ‘‘Turner & Townsend are delighted to be working with York Against Cancer to help to produce an outstanding cancer support centre, we are proud to be involved in such a meaningful scheme that will see true benefit to its users. Having appointed Lodestone Projects as the principal contractor, we are confident that their experience, innovative thinking and attention to detail will bring exactly what York Against Cancer are looking for’. Lodestone Projects experience of fitting-out similar sized units includes the University of Leeds Clothworkers Central, Skipton Building Society branches across the UK and Fibre Extrusion Technology CAT A & B refurbishment. Josh Donnelly, Managing Director at Lodestone Projects says “I am very proud and appreciative that Lodestone Projects have been trusted with the delivery of the new Leveson Centre. York Against Cancer is an important and life changing organisation which is truly making a difference to people’s lives. This will be a game changer for the region, with amazing people providing world class support and care for those who need it. We are absolutely delighted to be part of a fantastic team delivering this much needed facility.” 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. 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 31/10/2022 09:52 Page 4Next >