DECEMBER 2014 £3.50YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINEwww.blmgroup.co.ukVOLUME 29ISSUE 12TAMING THEDRAGON 2The sequelTRANSPORT ANDLOGISTICSThe only way is up2014 REVIEW Success stories fromaround the regionDRIVING BUSINESSGROWTHDRIVING BUSINESSGROWTH01_Layout 1 28/11/2014 11:24 Page 1CROFTCARPETSWhere the customer always comes firstOpenMon - Sat10 - 5pmSunday by Appointment5 - 6 HIGH STREET, LINCOLN LN5 8BG (NR SOUTH PARK ROUNDABOUT)01522 523004 l07944218982 l WWW.CROFTCARPETS.CO.UKTransform your home!With fresh, modern & easy to maintain carpets, curtains & blindsFor Carpets, Curtains, Blinds,Vinyl, Laminates orReal Wood Floor. 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Spend over£500 andget £100cash backS&P Garages, your one stop shop for everythingMercedes-BenzCall 01522 521777 or visit www.sandpgarages.co.ukMain dealer service levels at independent priceslSales lService lPartsl Courtesy cars l Warranty Work l MOT FacilityFamily run business with a 100% commitmentto high levels of customer service S&P Garages, Wrightsway,off Outer Circle Road, Lincoln LN2 4JYMercedes Benz Approved Repairer02_Layout 1 02/12/2014 16:13 Page 1Regulars4From the Editor5News8BusinessA business plan with a difference byJames Pinchbeck, Marketing Partner,Streets Chartered Accountants9Appointments10LettersReader’s letters and replies33AutoLinkFor readers who want the ultimateChristmas present, there are some verytempting executive cars on the market thisseason36Business sceneCanwick Park Golf Club annual dinner46EventsWe take a look at business eventshappening around Yorkshire andLincolnshire49Classified50And finally…Features11Commercial property The commercial property market continuesto pull ahead, and some of the largestdeals of 2014 have taken place in recentmonths14International Link / Business travelBusinesses in our region are using thefantastic transport links to look overseasfor new opportunities – but it’s somethingthat requires careful study17Construction machinery and equipmentConstruction opportunities abound for ourregion’s companies – but they must beprepared to meet the highest standards20ConferencingParty planning is a year-round activity andit’s never too early if you’re looking tomake a splash with your event22Meet the expertsNetworking and outsourcing has ensuredlocal businesses can enjoy huge successwithout excessive overheads24Supporting business growthJames Pinchbeck, Marketing Partner atStreets Chartered Accountants addressesthe challenges for businesses looking togrowwww.blmforum.net26Taming the Dragon 2Lincolnshire businesses were given thechance to pitch for Dragon-style finance atTaming the Dragon 228Success stories2014 saw our region shine on the worldstage – and its legacy should seecontinued growth in years to come30Transport and logisticsYorkshire and Lincolnshire’s logisticsoffering is improving still further with newdevelopments and greater collaboration44SecurityThe Christmas period is an attractiveopportunity for criminals. We look at someof the best ways to protect your assetsover the festive seasonEnvironmentalBusiness Link Environmental is yourultimate guide to the expanding world ofgreen business.38Environmental newsThe latest news from this fast-movingsector38Finance Despite the reduction in certain subsidies,it’s still possible to invest in energyefficiency without prohibitive outlaysCONTENTSDEC 20141711443803_Layout 1 28/11/2014 12:09 Page 1As we enter the last few weeks of 2014, it’s often easier tolook back at the mistakes you’ve made in business over thelast months, than concentrate on your successes. HR failureusually tops the list, but perhaps you’ve been guilty ofovertrading, or not worked hard enough at establishing newmarkets.However, you can rest assured that there’s always someone worse off thanyou. Looking back over the last year, there’s been some prime contenders forthe Clanger of the Year Award.Take, for example, those in the finance department at beleaguered Tesco,who during the autumn must’ve dreaded what was coming next as a series ofaccounting errors hit the supermarket giant hard. Imagine waking up to that ona Monday morning and trying to drag yourself to your desk.What about the three main party leaders who, so terrified that the Union wasgoing to break up, all travelled north of the border, on the same day, to try andpersuade/bully/plead with the Scots to vote No? Cries from England of: “Quick,rebuild Hadrian’s Wall” on the day they were up there cannot be verified.Let’s not forget Sir Richard Branson, whose attempts to monetise spacetravel ended in human tragedy, and a press conference so stage-managed thateven the most battle-hardened PR must’ve been baulking at it. Perhaps the grass isn’t greener on the other side after all. Let’s continuecelebrating our own successes. That’s something we do this month with ourreview of 2014, and indeed every month in our pages. The region isn’t restingon its laurels either, and much of the growth this year has come from projectsthat are sustainable and should be bringing success to our part of the worldfor many years to come.On behalf of everyone at Business Link, a very merry Christmas and a happynew year – see you in 2015! W S FisherEditorEditorSteve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)JournalistsSteve Williams (s.williams@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)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 - CWYATT1 • ALASTAIR WALLACE • JOINGATE • JURGENFR • STOCKPHOTO MANIA • FUYU LIU04_Layout 1 28/11/2014 10:06 Page 1Business Link 5www.blmforum.netLATEST NEWSPioneering developmentsecures first lettingA landmark commercial property which played a keyrole in the regeneration of Sheffield’s Wicker area hassecured its first tenant. Saville House, on Savile Street,is now home to regeneration company Places forPeople, which has taken 7000 sq ft of top-floor space ina deal brokered by the Sheffieldoffice of Knight Frank.Developer Urban Propertiestransformed a derelict sixtieswarehouse and storage buildingto create Saville House. It standsat the Northern gateway to thecity centre and became thecatalyst for development of thearea, which has also seen Tesco’sflagship 79,950 sq ft superstoreestablished across the road.Denis Ziman, director at UrbanProperties, says, “It is fitting thatSaville House, having played amajor role in the regeneration ofSheffield’s Wicker area will nowhave as its first tenant a companythat itself is concerned withregeneration.”Knight Frank’s Peter Whitely ispictured with Urban Properties’ Ann Monaghan andPlaces for People’s Luke Dawson.Andrew & Co crowned best for innovationNewark and Lincoln law firmAndrew & Co LLP has beencrowned the winner of aprestigious national award forinnovation. The firm won BestInnovation at the LawNet Awardsin recognition of its clear approachto strategic planning and recentachievements working in therenewable energy sector.The judges praised Andrew &Co for showing a clear line of sightbetween strategy andimplementation across the firm in building a range of specialist commercial services. Arecent example of this approach has been within the Energy and Renewables team, whichhas seen the firm become sector leaders in a very short period.Julie Bailey from Andrew & Co, says, “Innovation and forward thinking is the key todifferentiating yourself in a competitive market place. Our three-year strategic plan providesa clear route for the future of our business. We are only able to deliver this by meetingclient needs effectively and having strong relationships that mean we and our clients cansucceed together.”Constructing careers at BarrattHomesBarratt Homes NorthMidlands has taken on 25new apprentices, thecompany’s biggest everapprentice intake, six ofwhom are currentlyworking across its sites inLincolnshire.Four of theseapprentices, all of whomare from Lincoln, are busybuilding quality new homes at the company’s Manor Farm development on TiberRoad. Tom Atkins, Luke Swales, Tom Kinsley and Robert Cantwell are alsostudying at local colleges. Luke Swales is studying an NVQ Level 2 in Bricklaying at Lincoln College. Hesays, “I first got interested in the industry after doing a five week course calledPathway to Construction. I want to make a career out of this and hopefully getpromoted after I qualify.”The homebuilder’s parent company, Barratt PLC, was recently named as the MacroEmployer of the Year at the recent National Apprenticeship Awards.Mechan secures future of historic London bogiesSheffield-based Mechan is using its advanced engineeringskills to breathe new life into railway equipment still servingLondon almost a century after its introduction. The rail depotmaintenance specialist has refurbished two accommodationbogies, believed to date from the twenties, for LondonUnderground’s Acton Depot. Because the accommodation bogies are so old and little isknown about their manufacture, Mechan had to strip theunits down and carry out reverse engineering to establishhow they were constructed. Worn parts were then replaced,and they were shot blasted and repainted. Lee Pitts, Mechan’s sales manager, says, “Consideringtheir advanced age, Acton’s accommodation bogies were inremarkably good shape and although we knew little abouttheir provenance, the technology behind this type ofequipment is still recognisably the same. We were, therefore,able to use our engineering skills to achieve an extremely high quality finish. They returned to the depot ready to serveanother hundred years.” Bradford workplaceequipment supplier Slingsbyhas seen off competition towin a prestigious CenterParcs Supplier Award, aftersupplying an extensiverange of products to thecompany’s new WoburnForest Village. Slingsby,which has a longstandingrelationship with CenterParcs, supplied a wide rangeof products to the new site,as well as managing theinstallation of almost threemiles of shelving andracking in seventy separateback of house storage areas.Manufacturer Really UsefulProducts has acquiredadditional warehouse anddistribution space inNormanton at EurolinkIndustrial Estate. Ownedand managed by PelotonProperties, EurolinkIndustrial Estate forms partof Normanton IndustrialEstate, which isstrategically located justoff Junction 31 of the M62.Really Useful Productsalready occupies 54,000 sqft in Normanton and hasagreed to take a further21,000 sq ft on a five yearlease.05-07_Layout 1 28/11/2014 11:26 Page 1LATEST NEWS6Business Link www.blmforum.netCity council recognised as Top100 Apprenticeship EmployerCity of Lincoln Council has been recognised in the Top 100Apprenticeship Employers list. The list, which is compiled annuallyby the National Apprenticeship Service in partnership with City &Guilds, was announced at theNational Apprenticeship Awards,which took place during The SkillsShow in Birmingham.After a tough selection process themost exceptional apprenticeshipemployers were put forward tofeature in the list. The council wasselected by a panel of judges fromthe employment and skills arena fortheir exceptional contribution to apprenticeships. The councilcurrently employs seven hundred staff, of which 66 are apprentices.Jane Newman, Work Based Learning Manager at the council,says, “All of our apprentices are highly valued members of the teamand 97% are offered a full time position with us or one of ourpartners. Together they are helping us to improve our currentperformance as well as being a vital resource for successionplanning in the future.”Design agency joins forces withHuddersfield creative hubDesign andbrand agency TheEngine Room hasmade it possiblefor creatives fromaround WestYorkshire to sharetheir work anddevelop their craftat The MediaCentre inHuddersfield.Students,freelancers and industry professionals came together to hear expert talks,showcase their work in small groups and have their projects appraised byexperienced reviewers.Behance Portfolio Reviews have been held around the world, providinginvaluable exposure for aspiring creatives, as well as the chance to learn newtricks of the trade from their peers and experienced reviewers.Brent Woods, Managing Director at The MediaCentre, says, “We mustn’t underestimate the valueof professional feedback in the early stages of adesigner’s career. The portfolio reviews areexceptional opportunities for design professionalsto share their experience with a new generation ofdesigners – to provide them with the critical insightand inspiration needed to hone their craft.”Leeds manufacturer MPM, which providescomponents and tooling to a wide range of industries,has scored a double win at the Composite UK Awardsfor the second year running. Production Leader JonnyHaley beat off stiff competition to win Employee of theYear. Patternmaker Kaylee Mitchell was awarded withApprentice of the Year for her quest to continuallylearn, and for improving factory efficiency and safety.Equipment supplier isRotherham’s young entrepreneurSam Goddard ofspecialist equipmentsupplier ResponseVehicle Lighting hasbeen namedRotherham’s YoungEntrepreneur of theYear. Sam, whoestablished ResponseVehicle Lighting in2010, also receivedthe award for BestEstablished Business.Selling online, thebusiness now has a customer base reaching as far afield as Brazil,Australia, the USA and Japan. The business has also just taken on its firstmajor contract with South Yorkshire Police to supply to them withemergency blue lighting for their new fleet of undercover vehicles.Sam says, “Getting to the position Response Vehicle Lighting is now inhasn’t been easy, so it’s great to get recognition for all the effort we put in.The financial reward is also very welcome as it will go toward my goal ofeventually being able to rent out a larger unit and employing staff.”Allan Wood, regional executive at principle sponsor UK SteelEnterprise, is pictured with Sam.05-07_Layout 1 28/11/2014 11:26 Page 2Business Link 7www.blmforum.netLATEST NEWSCelebrating womenhigh-fliersWomen networkers havechallenged businesses acrossLincolnshire and the EastMidlands to help them torecognise and reward talentedfemale managers andentrepreneurs.Angels Bring Business islooking to honour the best ofthe best at a celebration at theDoubleTree by Hilton in Lincolnon Friday 13th March. DirectorsWendy Spalding-Siracusa andJosephine Peacock are aimingto make the second AngelsAwards ceremony even better than last year’s inaugural event. Wendy, Commercial Partner at Sills & Betteridge, says, “Womenmake a huge contribution to the region’s economy in so manydifferent ways, whether they are on the board of a major companyor at the helm of a sole trader business. “Many just quietly get on with the job of juggling their business,home and family commitments and they are very adept at keepinglots of balls in the air. But we want to hear about them and tellmore people about what they do.”For more information about nominating, or attending, visitwww.angelsbringbusiness.com.Telematics provider welcomesMP following rapid growthTelematicsprovider TheFloow has beenvisited by PaulBlomfield,SheffieldCentral MP,following a yearof rapidinternationalgrowth andexpansion –with clientsnow spanningEurope and reaching as far as the US and Canada. The Floow welcomed theMP to its headquarters as part of his ongoing interest in businesses committedto providing local employment and international trade opportunities.Paul Blomfield says, “The Floow is an impressive young business in theregion, breaking new ground in the field of telematics and providing increasingnumbers of sustainable job opportunities. Given the nature of the work that theorganisation does, which can operate without geographic boundaries, it isgreat to see that the Floow are now representing Sheffield on an internationallevel.“It is impressive to see the success that the company has achieved duringthe short time that they have been in operation, especially in terms of theirglobal outreach.” WordsandSpacesLtdtel:01724 352156 mob:07736 952885 fax: 0871 989 5784 email: stuart@wordsman.co.uk twitter:@stuartpearcey Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 2QEI’ll write blogs, websites, ads, articles, leaflets, news releases and newspapers; I’ll design print and buy it. I’m Stuart Pearcey. How can Imake your life better today?www.wordsman.co.ukWhere goodcopywritingmeans business05-07_Layout 1 28/11/2014 11:26 Page 38Business Link www.blmforum.netBUSINESS Don’t forgetyou can now read Business Linkon thego!Digital Editions now available on iPad & iPhoneWWW.BLMFORUM.NETIdeal for those who spendtime away fromtheir officeA businessplan with adifferenceby James Pinchbeck, Marketing Partner,Streets Chartered AccountantsWhether you’re required to do abusiness plan to support bankborrowing or to change thefortunes of the business, typicallyit is a challenge that requires agreat deal of time and ideas whichcan often be in short supply. Theeasy option is to defer theplanning, with the preferencebeing to maintain the status quo.The likelihood though is thatnothing will change, your businessis unlikely to grow, and invariablyyour competitors could gain acompetitive advantage.The question, then, is how can business planning be mademore interesting? Depending on your preference there are manydifferent ways to approach your planning exercise.By hypothesising over future events and how they could impacton your business, you can take a viewpoint on what you maywant to do in the future. For example, you may want to considerthe impact of a change of government. Closer to your businessyou may want to consider the impact that might be causedthrough the loss of a key customer, or the threat of a competitorentering your market.Sustainability planning is another factor. A growing number ofbusinesses are increasingly concerned about ensuring they canderive income for a longer term future. It’s an approach whichrequires planning to focus on what you need to do to ensure youhave both a market in the future as well as the capabilities toservice it.Customer needs are constantly changing and typically manysuppliers are too complacent. Getting back to basics and speakingto long standing, new and potential customers can be a greatdriver for developing any business plan.These are just some ideas on a fresh approach to the businessplan. Ultimately though, the success of any plan is down to itsimplementation. Therefore, whatever approach you decide to taketo its creation, ensuring a clear, accountable and measurabletimescale of delivery is essential to avoid the great failure toimplement. James Pinchbeck is Marketing Partner at Streets CharteredAccountants, a top 40 UK accountancy firm. For moreinformation, visit www.streetsweb.co.uk, emailinfo@streetsweb.co.uk or call 0845 8800320.08_Layout 1 28/11/2014 10:07 Page 1Business Link 9www.blmforum.netElevation Recruitment Leeds appointsManaging DirectorElevation has appointed one of the region’s leading recruitment specialist Managing Directors to head up itsexpanding Leeds office. Abigail Simpson brings fifteen years of business development experience, alongside ademonstrable track record of growing recruitment teams and businesses, to the firm’s Leeds operation.As an entrepreneur and prior to joining Elevation, Abigail spent seven years as Managing Director and equitypartner of a multi-disciplined, specialist recruitment business.Group Managing Director Greg Parkinson, pictured with Abigail and Director Lee Bhandal, says, “Abigail’sprimary focus is to lead and manage Elevation’s high quality service delivery across the West Yorkshire regionand support, mentor and lead the Elevation teamacross our six specialist brands.“Abigail has an excellent technical understandingof the finance industry and forms solid businessnetworks with clients and candidates, which hasresulted in her being a trusted recruitment partneracross Yorkshire, adding real value to the ElevationRecruitment team.”Total LOR appoints Corporate ServicesDepartment ManagerGeoffrey Moore has been appointedManager of Total LOR’s Corporate ServicesDepartment, which is made up of sevensupport operations for the business.Geoffrey says, “I’ve been with the TotalGroup for 28 years in a variety of roles thathave provided an excellent foundation formy new position. This is because for each ofthe sections that I now oversee in theCorporate Services Department –Purchasing, HR, Legal, Internal Control,Finance, Occupational Health and ICT – myprevious positions have already given me some valuable insights into how thosedisciplines operate.”He has come to the North Killingholme refinery after six years in Brussels and Paris asManager and then Vice President of SAP Business Systems, a division of the InformationSystems Division of Total’s Refining & Chemicals operation. Before that he was based inHouston, Texas, for five years as Business Manager for Styrene within the StyrenicsDivision of Total Petrochemicals Inc.DTZ has expanded its Leeds office with theappointment of Nick McTague as Senior Surveyor toits National Industrial and Logistics Agency team.Previously with Edward Symmons LLP, Nick’sexperience encompasses all sectors of the Yorkshirecommercial property market and specialisation inacquisitions, disposals, lettings and marketing.Freshtime expands teamwith new appointmentsFreshtime UK has enlarged its in-house team with twonew appointments. Kelly Tuplin and Michaela Watsonhave both moved to Freshtime from Cucina Sano, part ofBakkavor.As a New Product Development Technologist, Kelly willbe developing new recipes and packaging innovation andreviewing product nutrition. Kelly studied foodmanufacturing at the University of Lincoln and worked asa Senior Specification Technologist at Cucina Sano for sixyears.Michaela Watson has taken on a new role as QualityAssurance Compliance Manager. She handles legal andproduct safety, audits risk assessments and deals withcustomer complaints. Michaela has over ten years ofexperience in the manufacturing industry, and beforemoving to Freshtime worked for Bakkavor, LincolnshireField Produce and Home Farm Produce.She says, “I got my first taste of Freshtime when Iworked weekends in the factory when I was younger. It’sgreat to be back and part of a business that is expanding.”Trio for promotionsat CBRE LeedsThe Leeds office of property firm CBRE haspromoted three staff following a host of newappointments. Robin Bullas is now Director andboth Alex Hailey and Clair McGowan areAssociate Directors.Richard Sunderland, Managing Director ofCBRE’s Leeds office, says, “We have investedin growing our Leeds team with a host of newappointments throughout the course of theyear. As a result we have an even more diverseand dynamic team working on a broad range ofhigh profile projects across the region andfurther afield. The recent promotionsdemonstrate our dedication to providing careerprogression within the business and ourongoing commitment to attracting andretaining exceptional staff who will grow with the business. “The city is firmly on the map following the success of the First Direct Arena, Trinityand the Grand Depart and we fully intend to capitalise on this presence to attract inwardinvestment into the region.”Leeds law firm Ison Harrison Solicitors has extended itsCommercial Property operation by appointing SeanGallagher to swell the existing team to six. Sean bringshis ten years of experience to the team and to all clients inthis critical sector. He specialises in site acquisitions andinfrastructure agreements, ancillary contracts, commerciallandlord and tenant transactions, lease renewals andplacement of bank securities.APPOINTMENTS09_Layout 1 28/11/2014 10:08 Page 1Next >