TRANSPORT &LOGISTICS Strengthening linksSUCCESSSTORIES The best of 2013HUMBER BANKSWorking together forsuccessDECEMBER 2013 £3.50YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINEwww.blmgroup.co.ukVOLUME 28ISSUE 12A BRIGHTFUTURE01:Layout 1 25/11/13 09:27 Page 102:Layout 1 25/11/13 10:54 Page 1EnvironmentalBusiness Link Environmental is your ultimateguide to the expanding world of greenbusiness.38Environmental newsThe latest news from this fast-moving sector40Wind farming The wind industry seems to have found ahome in our region. We take a look at theimpact it’s having on business and the widercommunity as a whole43Nuclear power Nuclear remains an important part of the UK’senergy mix – and while there are obviouschallenges, there are also numerousopportunitiesRegulars4From the Editor5News8Accountants From riding out the storm to riding thewave by James Pinchbeck, Marketing Partner,Streets Chartered Accountants9LettersReader’s letters and replies25Business sceneLincoln Sportsmans dinner46AutoLinkAn executive car shouldn’t simply bea tool for getting you to the office orfor transporting you to clients. Itshould also inspire you and reflectwell on you and your company50EventsWe take a look at businessevents happening aroundYorkshire and Lincolnshire52Classified53Appointments54And finally…Features10Commercial propertyOur region is an enviable base for adiverse range of businesses frommanufacturing to retail, but what are wedoing to encourage further development?12The HumberPan-Humber collaboration is ensuringboth sides of the river can benefit• Hull Guildhall16HETA2012/13 apprentices in the programme atHumberside Engineering TrainingAssociation recently gathered tocelebrate their achievements over thepast year. 17ConferencingOur region is fast becoming first choicefor conference organisers18End of year success storiesIncreased innovation and a morefavourable financial climate has ensuredthis has been a highly successful year forour part of the world• GMI Energy• Lincolnshire County Council• Sam Allon• Inmotion!26ConstructionHaving suffered perhaps the most in thefinancial crisis, construction has turneda corner in a way few can hope toemulate28Transport and logisticsOur region is one of the UK’s leadingcentres for logistics – but new talent andideas are constantly required• IoSCM32Materials handlingMaterials handling is one of the mostphysical aspects of business, so whatdoes the future hold for this corner of theindustry in our region?36Mercury expoThe recent Mercury Expo, held atGainsborough’s Mercury House was ashowcase of business advice andnetworking opportunitiesContentsDecember 201310284046Small, medium or large business? Whatever your needs discover our successfulprogrammes to support your development:• Centre of Excellence for Business• Supported Internships• Apprenticeships • Staff developmentInterested? Call 01274 327222 or take a look online at www.shipley.ac.uk03:Layout 1 25/11/13 09:28 Page 1Maybe I’m getting older because the last twelve monthsseem to have flown by, and if it weren’t for the fact our staffhave got the decorations out I might’ve overlooked thatChristmas is almost upon us. I suspect that up and down the region most readers areeither looking forward to or dreading the office Christmasparty. The annual shindig is like marmite - you either lovethem or hate them. Most staff love them, I guess, whilstmost bosses simply endure them. The apocryphal tale of ‘Julie’ from accountsbeing found spread-eagled across the photocopier with the firms top sales rep isthe stuff nightmares are made of for both CEOs, and staff - well, could there beanything worse than coming into work on the Monday after wondering if thoseflashbacks are well founded or not? A minefield, then. But we hope you have a great time, whatever and whereveryour big Christmas bash is this year.Prior to our Christmas meltdown, we’ve got another great issue for you. In thisissue we take a timely look at the Humber Bank, and the continued contribution itmakes to the economic wellbeing of the region. This historic part of the UK hasfor centuries provided jobs for the folk of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, and willcontinue to do so for years to come. The fact that Hull has just been named UKCity of Culture for 2017 puts the icing on the cake of course so congratulationsto all involved.We also take a look at a number of organisations across our region who’vebucked the trend in recent times and are duly celebrating their success. And ofcourse we bring readers the usual assortment of news, views and businessadvice from professionals in the region.We sincerely hope you enjoy reading our latest offering as well as the regularupdates on www.blmforum.net where news is updated daily.And of course as we fast approach the festive season, we wish you a verymerry Christmas and happy new year.W S FisherEditorEditorSteve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)JournalistsSteve Williams (s.williams@blmgroup.co.uk)Mike Shields (m.shields@blmgroup.co.uk)Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)Editorial contactnewsdesk@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310305 Fax: (01472) 310317Sales DirectorTeri Cooper (t.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk)AdvertisingTel: (01472) 310310Kim Collins (k.collins@blmgroup.co.uk)Patrick Hewitt (p.hewitt@blmgroup.co.uk)Accounts & SubscriptionsAngela Sharman, Dawn Cook, John DownesTel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311Design & ProductionGary Jorgensen, Mark Casson, Rachel GreenTel: (01472) 310304 Fax: (01472) 310314(studio@blmgroup.co.uk)E-Mail:yorks-lincs@blmgroup.co.ukWebsitewww.blmforum.netAddressHaychart Ltd, Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N.E. Lincs., DN31 2QE.ISSN No:1462-2092All rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwisewithout express permission of the copyright holder, for whichapplication should be addressed first to the publisher. Whileevery reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor itsparticipating agents accept liability for loss or damage toprints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material ofwhatever nature submitted to this publication. The viewsexpressed in this publication are not necessarily the views ofthose held by the publisher.This magazine is now fully recyclable. By recyclingmagazines, you can help reduce waste and add to the 5.5million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paperindustry each year. Before you recycle your magazine,please ensure you remove all plastic wrapping, free giftsand samples. If you are unable to participate in a recyclingscheme, then why not pass your magazine onto a localhospital or charity?The magazine that caresWE CARE because we want to leave our world a better place than wefound itBusiness Link believes that being socially and environmentally responsible is the key tomaintaining a flourishing business that our customers will be pleased to use and our staffwill be proud to be part of.Community-From a very local point of view, we strive to be a ‘good neighbour’. We alsoextend that into the much broader local community, through financial support of local causesand charities. Environment-Our actions extend to: conservation of energy and natural resources,minimisation of waste and ensuring our trading partners do likewise.From theEDITOR…Yorkshire-Lincolnshire-Business-Link @blmforumblmforum.netCOVER PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/PHIL MACD PHOTOGRAPHY04:Layout 1 25/11/13 09:29 Page 1Business Link 5www.blmforum.netLATEST NEWSLift off for Boston technology hubBusinesses in Boston can now takeadvantage of cutting-edge digitalequipment free of charge thanks toonlincolnshire. The new BostonTechnology Hub at Boston Collegeis offering free use of a desktop 3Dprinter, a hand-held colour 3Dscanner and a high-precision lasercutter and engraver.The hub, one of five to belaunched by the LincolnshireCounty Council-run project, willgive people the chance to learnmore about emergingtechnologies, test out equipmentbefore making a purchase, access workshops and network. Councillor Colin Davie, Executive Member for Economic Development at Lincolnshire CountyCouncil, says, “We are very pleased to officially open the second of our Technology Hubs to thepublic. We believe that offering these resources free of charge will open up doors for them togrow their business by giving local employers the chance to get ‘hands on’ with some of the verylatest technology.” Bradford College and HEARTPartnership lead the way onCATSBradford College has held their second CATScolloquium – the latest in a programme of conferenceswhich has seen academics and experts from a range ofuniversities, colleges and business organisations cometogether.Bradford College is a key partner in a Credit Accumulationand Transfer Scheme Pilot Project, which is being led by theHigher Education Access Rewarding Transforming partnership.This national initiative aims to simplifyprogression and credit transfer from theprofessional qualifications of the CharteredManagement Institute and Institute ofLeadership & Management to a range ofHigher Education qualifications at HEARTpartner institutions.David Smith, Dean of Higher Education atBradford College says, “It has been a greatopportunity to bring together all the variouspartners involved in the project, so wecould look at the way in which creditaccumulation and transfers have beenintegrated into the different partnerinstitutions. It’s been extremely valuable!”First year trading sees FlexCommunications turn over £250,000Hull telecommunications provider Flex Communications hit their target this yearafter turning over a huge £250,000.Flex Communications was set up in 2012 withthe aim of providing businesses with a high level service to implementcommunications solutions, offering a range of Communication services from WiFiservices to CCTV, broadband and sound systems. In just under a year, thecompany now boasts seven members of staff, a permanent base on RugbyBusiness Park, a healthy client portfolio and a fleet of maintenance vehicles.Flex’s Darren Sunley says, “The Flex team has worked together for more thaneight years across a couple of companies. To launch Flex, we managed to obtain asmall start-up investment from a friend which allowed us to buy the tools weneeded to get the business going. Don Meredith of the Meredith Group also helped immensely by providing us with an office towork from.”Advanced growth forWest Yorkshire actuatorsupplierSilsden-based Advanced Actuators has reporteda 40% increase in turnover for 2013 andannounced two key promotions.Managing Director Chris Woodhead hasrevealed significant expansion plans with over 50%of current business secured through export andsays the changes will help sustain further businessgrowth.With over twenty years combined experiencewith the company, supplier of actuators andcontrol solutions to the industrial valve market, LeeEllerton has been promoted to EngineeringDirector and Graham Coulton has taken on the roleof Production Director.Chris says, “Lee andGraham’s new positionsbrings an increasedresponsibility for allcontracts from orderplacement to productdispatch alongsidethe launch of newproduct ranges andthe development ofour onsite facilities.Their strategicinvolvement withthe business meansI can take a greaterrole expanding theAdvanced Actuatorsportfolio in the MiddleEast and Far East,where we anticipate afurther 20% growth in2014.”Businessesacross the countryare being asked tocome up with new ways ofhelping people connect totheir communities. The UK’sinnovation agency, theTechnology Strategy Board, isteaming up with innovation charityNesta to offer business-ledventures up to £2.5 million forresearch and developmentthrough its Destination Localdemonstrator competition.The competition willinvest in projectsacross the UK.Businessesaffected by plans todevelop flood defences inthe Lower Don Valley area ofSheffield can still meet withdevelopers. More than 250 companiesin the valley are being asked to vote infavour of the proposals which includenearly forty separate interventions alongthe 8km stretch of the River Donbetween Nursery Street and theBlackburn Brook near the M1.Businesses have until 13thDecember torespond.05-07:Layout 1 25/11/13 10:23 Page 16Business Link www.blmforum.netThe Sheffield College celebrates doubleenterprise successThe Sheffield College is celebrating adouble success after winning two awards ata high profile enterprise event. The college received the EnterprisingLearner and the Enterprise Influencerawards at the Celebrating Enterprise eventheld at the House of Commons. The eventcelebrates the best in enterprise learning andskills across the UK and The Sheffield Collegewas the only further education college to beshortlisted. Alicia Nang won the Enterprising Learner awardafter setting up her own hair and beauty businessspecialising in African and Caribbean hair styling. Aliciacompleted the SFEDI Awards Level 2 Certificate inCreating and Starting Your Business and the Level 3 Award in Principles of Social Media in Maythis year at The Sheffield College.Andrew Sale, Head of Department, Enterprise and Employability, The Sheffield College, alsowon the Enterprise Influencer award. He was chosen because he champions enterprise skills forstudents, and advises other organisations nationally.Construction Dinnerraises £7500 forSheffield cancercharityThe organisers of the Charity ConstructionDinner, held at Baldwin’s Omega, raised £7,500for Sheffield-based Cavendish Cancer Care. Theevent, which was organised byarchitects HLM, together with Arup’sSheffield office, was attended by overtwo hundred people from property andconstruction companies across theregion. Anderson Green sponsored thesell-out event.Since 2001 the annual fundraisingevent, previously known as the CharityConstruction Ball, has now raisedalmost £170,000 for many localcharities.HLM director Nick Beecroft says, “Onbehalf of our co-organisers, Arup, the main sponsor and the charity, we would like to say amassive thank you to everyone that made the event such a success. We know that every pennyraised will be used to really help people to cope with cancer and we’re delighted to have beenable to play a small part in the ongoing success of this very deserving charity.”Action not words needed for economy,says new Chamber PresidentNew Sheffield Chamber of Commerce President Stephen Williams has called for“action not words” from the city region to help boost the local economy. Stephen, a property and relocation solicitor for Lupton Fawcett Lee & Priestley,takes over from Jon Stewart, a director at Siemens Metals Technologies, whohas been Chamber President for the last twelve months. Stephen says, “Now is the time to deliver growth, not just discuss what wehope to do to achieve it. The Sheffield Chamber should have a higher profile thanwe’ve had before. We are now at a stage where we can be more proactive anddrive forward activities which will enhance the environment for business growth.This is a great opportunity for the public and private sector to work in partnershipon the fantastic activities which are happening in this city and make significantstrides forward.”Start-up support forcity’s entrepreneurssecuredSheffield Enterprise Agency has taken on thecontract to run the pre-start element of SheffieldCity Council’s enterprise programme which workswith hundreds of people taking their first steps intostarting a company. SENTA assists with creating a business plan,identifying markets and whether theindividual has the skills todeliver. They will thenreview the viability of theidea, assess cash flowforecasts and pricing,providing the clientswith theinformation theyneed to make theirown decision onwhether or not togo in to business. Dr Sarah Bryanrecently establishedSB Holistic whichprovides a bespokemade-to-measuremassage and aromatherapyservice. Sarah says, “I’veattended three coaching sessionswith SENTA, including an introduction to businessand marketing, cash flow and guidance on tax.These have laid the foundations for me to run mybusiness more effectively. It’s a steep learningcurve, but very exciting.”SHEKnows Health & Safetyhas secured another contractwin for its virtual training facility, theMission Room. This unique trainingroom system creates a fully interactive anddynamic training environment, with 360°panoramic stills and video training contentbased on existing or unique, new bespokemedia. The company provided health andsafety training for the streetworks andutilities team at Galliford Try, thehouse building and constructiongroup.Lawfirm Last Cawthra Featherhas announced plans to relocate itsBradford city centre headquarters to OneSt James Business Park following an extremelybusy twelve months for the firm. The companyhas been at its current premises on SunbridgeRoad since 1999 and will move into the new11,000 sq ft offices before the end of theyear. Knight Frank advised LCF onthe deal.LATEST NEWS05-07:Layout 1 25/11/13 10:23 Page 2Executive search specialistpurchases York Place officeExecutive search and selection company Flint Hyde is marking amilestone tenth anniversary with continued growth and the purchase ofLeeds city centre offices in York Place comprising 4888 sq ft. The newpremises are also home to Flint Hyde’s sister company Vitae Selection.Founded in 2008 and experiencing exceptional growth throughout2013, the business recruits senior appointments globally across wideranging markets including consumer, oil, mining and advisory sectors.Both companies jointly employ 25 staff across their Leeds and Londonlocations.Richard Larking, commercialproperty specialist and partnerat the Leeds office of hlwKeeble Hawson, one of theregion’s biggest law firms,acted for Flint Hyde. He says, “The majority ofFlint Hyde and Vitae Selectionprojects stem fromrecommendations and thebusinesses have established apowerful reputation andprestigious client base,nationally and internationally.York Place sits in the heart ofthe business district andcomplements their ambitiousgrowth plans.” Business Link 7www.blmforum.netLATEST NEWSMechan wizards work magic in OzHeavy liftingspecialist Mechanis upping itsexport credentialsafter successfullycompleting its firstorder down under.Australia’sDowner EDi Railhas taken deliveryof a pair of tentonne bogierotators from theSheffieldmanufacturer,thanks to linkswith localdistributor UniqueRail. The rotators, which are the heaviest Mechan has ever produced, willbe used at Downer EDi’s Newport depot in Victoria to maintain up to tendifferent types of locomotive. This broad remit required designmodifications to increase lifting capacity and add extra bolt holes to thestructures. Richard Carr, Mechan’s managing director, says, “We are extremelylucky to have found an Australian distributor with such excellent industrycontacts and technical ability. Having supplied a similar order to Asia lastyear, we were confident the equipment would meet the needs of ourAntipodean colleagues. It was installed successfully by Unique and isnow being used by a very satisfied client.” Expansionmove for multi-million poundnurseryBanks Long & Co has sold asubstantial 15.59 acre site inSpalding to the multi-millionpound horticultural businessNeame Lea Nursery. NeameLea, which is part of a multi-faceted group of businesses,say the investment willcomplement the storagefacilities it already uses ateleven different sites aroundSpalding.The company, which also has a six acre site at Gosberton and furthercapacity at sites in Spalding and Cowbit, specialises in pack beddingplants during the Spring and Autumn, with potted bulbs following onduring the Winter and Spring.Managing Director David Ball says, “Our new premises will need aphased revamp, but they are going to be really important at peakperiods. We plan to put in state-of-the-art packing and production areasto ensure that this facility will be one of the best in the country.”Integrated marketing agency Lava has been appointed byLincolnshire County Council to provide PR, social media, eventmanagement and graphic design support to SUSTAIN Lincolnshire.The initiative, which is delivered by the council in partnership withthe University of Lincoln, with financial support from the EuropeanRegional Development Fund, helps Lincolnshire businesses cut theircosts, increase profits and become more sustainable.05-07:Layout 1 25/11/13 10:23 Page 3From ridingout the stormto riding thewave by James Pinchbeck, Marketing Partner,Streets Chartered AccountantsIt seems the headlinesincreasingly indicatepositive signs in oureconomy. Some, no doubt,may not be feeling thebenefit but there does atleast seem to be increasedbusiness confidence andoptimism.Businesses will have haddifferent approaches todealing with the challengesthey have faced, themajority have batteneddown the hatches andchosen to tick over – anapproach which might be referred to as riding out the storm. Itwould seem now though there is a need to ‘ride the wave’,whereby a business seeks to gain the advantage or benefit fromthe economic momentum being currently experienced.Few are likely to have seen their profit margins improve overthe last few years. As a result, reduced profit will have often ledto reduced working capital to fund development or up turns inbusiness. For those starting to see increased sales it must betime to look again at margins, as well as the funding andmanagement of working capital to support the business. If youare seeing an increase or predict one then it may be worthlooking to your bank for finance. Certainly the capacity or abilityto borrow is often greater or easier than you think.What and how we buy rarely stays the same. It must, thereforebe key to your thinking to consider not just the markets youserve, or could serve, but also the marketing techniques andtools you use to exploit such opportunities. Key trends toconsider include the growth of web-based trading, increasedoverseas trade and greater use of digital marketing.Dealing with the challenges faced can be a challenge itself,therefore seeking the advice of a commercially mindedaccountant could be a great starting point for the next stage inyour business life cycle.James Pinchbeck is Marketing Partner at StreetsChartered Accountants, a top 40 UK accountancy firm.Telephone 0845 880 0320, email info@streetsweb.co.ukor visit www.streetsweb.co.ukACCOUNTANTS8Business Link www.blmforum.netDon’t forgetyou can now read Business Linkon thego!Digital Editions now available on iPad & iPhoneWWW.BLMFORUM.NETIdeal for those who spendtime away fromtheir office08:Layout 1 25/11/13 09:30 Page 1Business Link 9www.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’LETTERSInvest for successDear Sir,Business investment is absolutely vital if we are tocontinue growing the economy. We must not forget the jobon deficit reduction is only half done and needs finishing.This needs to go hand in hand with business investment tocreate jobs, raise living standards and drive the recovery. Atthe heart of our realistic package of measures for theChancellor is an overhaul of the business rates system,which will boost the high street, manufacturers and factories.We want to ensure windows are opened up, not boarded up.John CridlandCBI Director GeneralHelping handDear Sir,The recent trade figures with the EU highlight theimportance of raising exports to the UK economy.Currently, the UK has a trade deficit with the EU ingoods and services of £3.3 billion. That longstandinggap needs to be narrowed as part of rebalancing theUK economy and putting it on firmer footing.Given the export growth potential among the smallestbusinesses they just need a helping hand to get onthe way. Small firms remain a key part of the drive toincrease the number of exporters.G MillwardSheffieldOn the right trackDear Sir,The Bank of England’s recent forecast confirmsbusinesses’ view that the UK economic recoveryis on track. But there are still hurdles to overcomebefore growth gets back to a sustainable level,including boosting business investment and trade.Activity in these areas should begin to pick upnext year and to support this we need theGovernment to maintain a stable businessenvironment, invest in infrastructure and helpfirms to sell their products and services aroundthe world.B RiddingsHullJust the jobDear Sir,I am pleased to see your magazine doesn’tfollow the lead of other doom mongers. Howoften do we read about the plight of theeconomy? Further signs of recovery can clearly be seenin the recent jobs figures. Unemployment isfalling faster and businesses have taken on124,000 more employees in full-time work. It isreally pleasing to see more regions benefitingfrom job creation. It’s clear that pay restraint iscontinuing to underpin employment growth.We expect wages to pick up next year, butsustained growth must come first to protectjobs.D WallsHalifax09:Layout 1 25/11/13 09:32 Page 1Next >