DECEMBER 2022 £3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 37 ISSUE 12 The future of portsA year of transitionStaying safe 01.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:37 Page 1Units 4b & 4c, Harpings Road, National Avenue, Kingston-upon-Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire HU5 4JF Tel: +44 (0)1482 440222 Email: esales@eyh.co.uk Web: www.eyh.co.uk eyh .co.uk EAST YORKSHIRE HYDRAULICS Hydraulic engineering - design, build, installation and service. • Complete hydraulic systems • Installation and commissioning • Hydro-pneumatic accumulators • Hydraulic equipment • Cylinders Single Source Hydraulic Solutions Design, build, installation and service of hydraulic systems, cylinders, accumulators and equipment. CHARTERED CERTIFIED ACCOUNTANTS To find out how to get your business on the up visit www.dextersharpe.co.uk Offices in Boston, Bourne, Horncastle, Lincoln, Louth, Skegness & Spilsby We pride ourselves on providing a pro-active, friendly and accessible service. Experts in Accounts and Tax Returns Tax Planning and Book-Keeping Audits and Business Advice We’re here to get you in the right direction Keeping business on the up… 02.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:38 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 When it comes to December we tend to look at the past year and do a sort of review on how it’s been. Those words alone probably fill many in the region with fear because let’s be honest: the past year has been rather awful. We came out of COVID with hopes for a recovery and we have become the only country in the G7 who has a smaller economy than it had during COVID. Every other country has recovered but for us. Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have long been the gateway into Europe, especially eastern Europe, and much of our economy relied on migrant workers and also trade deals with the bloc. Losing out on that has been difficult for many, especially with a whole year having passed with Minsters specifically assigned to find the “benefits of Brexit” and apparently failing to do so despite being paid with taxpayer money. It won’t surprise anyone to know that governance has been an issue either. Our own is on its third Prime Minister of the year and what is probably its fourth budget. The last one sent inflation rocketing and forced the Bank of England to step in. That’s not a good look for the Conservative party, and not a good look for the country either. What is fast becoming clear is that instability and madness are fast becoming the norm in the country, and our region cannot do anything to change that. Instead, businesses are going to need to buckle up and look out for themselves and do what they can to weather the storm. There is potential in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire; our ports are strong, our links solid, and our manufacturing sector is one of the most developed in the UK. Some of the biggest problems we face, however, are manning those with full rosters of employees, as a lack of access to migrant workers and wage stagnation have led many to seek new work. It’s been a tough year – and while we will look forward to 2023 with hope, it would be remiss of us not to say that business leaders are likely to go into the new year with high levels of caution. Michael Fisher Editor 03.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:39 Page 1DECEMBER 2022 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region. 12 Commercial property Positive progress has been made for the rejuvenation of a number of disused sites across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. 16 End of year success stories Surrounded by economic and political uncertainty, rising costs and supply chain struggles, businesses have had to combat a multitude of challenges in 2022. But that doesn’t mean it’s been a year with no positive news for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. 20 Ports and logistics Solving the skills crisis in the logistics industry, as well as utilising our region’s ports, will prove critical if the region is going to thrive in the current harsh economic climate. 24 Engineering With Brexit preventing skilled migrant workers coming to the UK, the engineering sector has been struggling to find new talent. With critically small amounts of female and BAME engineers, however, there may be a market ripe for recruitment – if old barriers can be broken down. 27 Health and safety One year ago, the biggest health and safety problem was COVID – and while the world united to face that, it seems some of the old problems with health and safety practices remain even now. 30 Invoice and finance solutions As the region (and the country) slides into a recession, banks are less likely to lend – but it’s up to business to drive the economy to stability, so many leaders are looking to alternate forms of finance, particularly those surrounding invoice financing. 34 Corporate hospitality Christmas parties are designed to be fun and are important for maintaining staff, but there are a lot of things that can go wrong – it’s best to be aware of these in advance. 38 AutoLink There are many different cars around these days, so we figured it was worth looking at a few vehicles to tickle your fancy for the new year. 42 Events We take a look at business events happening around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. 46 And finally… Yorkshire-Lincolnshire- Business-Link @blmforum blmforum.net CONNECT WITH US 16 20 30 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:40 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 - FREEDOMZ • BBSFERRARI • MONKEY BUSINESS • EKATERINA_MOLCHANOVA • KOKLIANG 1981 34 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:40 Page 2Planning granted in Sheffield for UK’s largest open-die forge Sheffield Forgemasters has secured planning permission for the construction of a building to house the UK’s largest open-die forging press. The new 12,700 sq m structure will sit adjacent to the existing forge building on Brightside Lane and as well as housing a new 13,000 tonne press, will include offices and a water pumping station. The building forms part of a recapitalisation programme by the Ministry of Defence, which will see up to £400 million invested in the site over ten years to upgrade the company’s defence- critical assets. Gareth Barker, chief operating officer at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “Securing planning permission for our new heavy forge line is a true landmark in the company’s history and will see work accelerate across the site as we move into 2023. “In the early part of 2022, we undertook a major logistical exercise to ship the new press from Japan and place it in safe storage in the UK. “The new facility will significantly improve our throughput of large, complex forgings and will enable us to push the envelope in terms of forging techniques and processes, as well as improving accuracy and reducing downtime.” 6 Business Link www.blmforum.net NEWS Senior Architectural Systems expands manufacturing capacity in Rotherham Senior Architectural Systems, the aluminium fenestration solutions provider, is set to expand its manufacturing capacity with the opening of a new facility in Rotherham. Located close to Senior’s existing head office and main manufacturing centre in Denaby near Doncaster, the new Rotherham site on Mangham Road will provide an additional 90,000 square feet of usable storage and production space. Together with Senior’s established sites in South Yorkshire and Scotland, the new facility will increase the company’s overall UK manufacturing capacity to 220,000 square feet. The move is part of Senior’s wider strategic expansion plan to enhance the thermal-efficiency of its entire product range and to significantly increase production of its low U-value and UK patented PURe® aluminium windows and doors system. Once the new site is fully operational, Senior will be able to maximise the space in its existing Denaby HQ. Set of York city centre buildings snapped up A set of prominent buildings in York city centre have been bought by property investment and development specialist Helmsley Group. Helmsley has acquired the adjoining 1 Feasegate and 1-2 St Sampson’s Square, which are let to footwear and clothing retailer Size?. The buildings, which were acquired for an undisclosed sum from a major UK fund manager through commercial auction, comprise a total of 3,710 sq ft and include three upper floors alongside the ground floor retail space. The purchase follows a series of recent acquisitions by York-based Helmsley in the city, including grade I listed Cumberland House and 2 Lendal. The group has also purchased several buildings on Coney Street, including numbers three to seven and 19, as it accelerates its vision for the regeneration of the area through its Coney Street Riverside proposals. 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:42 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 7 NEWS Broadland wins battle for Stamford Bridge investment opportunity A long income and strategic land opportunity at Stamford Bridge near York has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to well-known North Yorkshire property group, Broadland Properties. The site, known as Bridge Works, has been sold by Columbia Threadneedle, which was advised by the investment team at Leeds property consultancy, GV&Co. Scarborough-based Broadland Properties was represented by CBRE. Bridge Works is let to global manufacturer, XANDOR Automotive and offers 143,989 sq ft of buildings and office space, within a 7.41 acre site, with more than nine years unexpired on the lease. Garry Howes, director of investment at GV&Co, said: “Bridge Works is a very well-maintained, income producing prime strategic investment opportunity, located in an affluent area, just five miles from the City of York. “When this is combined with the fact that it is let to a global company and offers asset management potential through the regearing of the lease, we were able to generate significant interest in it from both local and national investors.” Plans submitted for £16m apartment scheme in Halifax town centre A build-to-rent provider has submitted a full planning application for 122 apartments in Halifax town centre. Plans by Placefirst for the £16m project at Cow Green will see the prominent former multi-storey car park site transformed into high- quality homes for rent. If approved, the scheme will deliver a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments with bike storage and electric car charging points. Designed as a nine-storey building by JM Architects, the development takes inspiration from the town’s rich heritage and will integrate with the Council’s wider Cow Green highway improvements through attractive landscape features and public realm. Placefirst is working collaboratively with West Yorkshire Combined Authority on the delivery of the scheme. Pre-application advice has been sought from Calderdale Council and a public consultation took place in October. Maddox Planning is acting as planning consultant. If approved, work is expected to start in mid-2023 and would be completed by 2025. Hull offsite manufacturer purchases factory M-AR has completed the purchase of its existing manufacturing facility in Hull to strengthen its position and ensure it can keep pace with current demand as well as prepare for future growth in the offsite construction sector. M-AR is currently embarking on a significant programme of growth underpinned by continuous re-investment into the business, including purchasing new equipment, hiring more staff and undertaking innovative training programmes. The recent purchase of its dedicated 100,000 sq ft manufacturing facility, which is valued at £3 million and can produce around 400 modules per year, is a key part of this plan. The move from leased to purchased facilities, as well as bolstering its asset book, gives M-AR total control over its premises, enabling its team to make any necessary adjustments to the layout to better suit processes and bring greater production efficiencies. Plans are already underway to increase the factory’s usable production space as demand is forecasted to continue to increase going forward. This move also marks M-AR’s commitment to, and investment in, its home city of Hull, where it has been based since 2007. 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:42 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 30/11/2022 13:42 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 9 NEWS Shift Left goes global with acquisition by Planit South Yorkshire IT and quality engineering consultancy, Shift Left, has been acquired by Planit, an Australian-headquartered global leader in quality engineering and application testing services. The move sees Shift Left join the Tokyo-based NRI Group, employing 13,500 people around the world and with a market capitalisation of US$15.7bn. Following its acquisition of Shift Left, Planit is now contending for the second spot amongst specialist quality engineering service providers, worldwide. Mike Weale, CEO of Planit, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Shift Left to the Planit group and leverage their suite of services and strong customer base to expand our offerings throughout the UK and into Europe. We see these regions as key to executing our Vision 2030 strategy, and have aggressive plans for expansion. Thanks to this acquisition, the combined entity has now grown beyond 300 people in the UK.” Shift Left was co-founded by Alan Upton and Dave Rigler seven years ago in Yorkshire, and has since grown to service clients across the UK and Europe. The Shift Left brand will remain in operation with its senior management continuing to lead the business. 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. © stock.adobe.com/bit24 Iceland Seafood decides to exit UK market Iceland Seafood has decided to exit the UK market, saying that the operation is no longer a strategic fit. Iceland Seafood UK previously invested in operating facilities in Grimsby and merged its operations from Bradford and Grimsby into this location. The investment and decision of the merger was completed in March 2020, just before the pandemic began, and the renovation and installation of the factory was very much affected by COVID-19 and later Brexit along with difficulties in overall operations. Iceland Seafood has now decided that it plans to exit this market from a value-added perspective and has mandated MAR advisors to support the process. Iceland Seafood said: “Although it has been concluded that the UK operation is not a strategic fit for Iceland Seafood anymore, the excellent facilities and strong management team in Grimsby can be a great addition to other companies in the sector.” © stock.adobe.com/NAMPIX 06-11.qxp_Layout 1 30/11/2022 13:42 Page 4Next >