Having announced that it would build its revolutionary aircraft in South Yorkshire, Hybrid Air Vehicles has signed up as the newest patron of Doncaster Chamber. Welcoming them aboard, Dan Fell, Chief Exec of Doncaster Chamber, said: “It is a tremendous honour to have such an innovative and cutting-edge business in our network, one that is doing really important work for the planet. Hybrid Air Vehicles is making huge waves in the world of aviation right now and is set to change the industry for the better with their forward-thinking approach. “Now that they have become patrons, I am pleased to say that we will be working together even more closely. Their imminent expansion into Doncaster will have major economic benefits for the region —  including the creation of more than a thousand highly skilled jobs —  and will put us at the heart of an ambitious vision for a greener future. Suffice it to say, we are very excited to see what that entails.” Headquartered in Bedfordshire, HAV is a pioneer in the field of green aviation technology and is currently making huge strides when it comes to sustainability. In particular, their trailblazing Airlander 10 vehicle — which is part plane and part airship — promises to revolutionise the aerospace industry by showing what can be done to reduce emissions. Capable of boarding 100 people at a time (or ten tonnes of freight) the helium-filled craft is estimated to have a carbon footprint that is up to 90% less than that of a standard jet aircraft. It can also remain airborne for up to 5 days, offering high endurance. It is therefore very exciting to know that these state-of-the-art vehicles will be built right here in Doncaster. Last week saw major progress on that front, as the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) approved £7m’s worth of funding that will ultimately pave the way for HAV’s plans. This loan will enable Hybrid Air Vehicles to begin investing in the region, paving the way for a £310m production programme which will lead to new facilities, job opportunities and supply chains for the manufacturing of Airlander 10.  

Leading figures from the UK’s manufacturing industry are being encouraged to think outside the box in a bid to recruit more people and fill a slew of unfilled vacancies up and down the country. That was the message from Laura Ibbotson, Head of HR UK at Doncaster-based Heras, when she addressed delegates at this year’s Make UK – a national conference for manufacturers in London. Laura was one of a panel of experts discussing the topic of Talent: Recruiting Outside the Box, which was looking at ways to reignite the manufacturing industry’s recruitment strategies to overcome the current minute talent pool of candidates available to businesses. Laura, a chartered fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said that forging educational partnerships was fundamental for manufacturers to help create pathways into careers for local young people. “Building strong links with the local community has been one of the strategies that we have employed at Heras – with a focus on educational establishments because it is a great opportunity to showcase the careers available in our industry and create a future talent pipeline. “We have worked extensively with one local academy in particular in Doncaster, which has been reciprocally beneficial in engaging with young people and showing them the vast array of opportunities that are open to them if they pursue a career in manufacturing. “We are in the process of launching our latest initiative: teacher externships, providing teachers with work experience on site so that they can take their experience and learnings back to the classroom.’’ Laura also told the assembled group about how the company uses neuro-linguistic programming profiling to assess if a candidate is right for the role and the team and to ensure the business does not recruit mini-mes. Heras uses this profiling to manage teams to their full potential and to retain them. She also discussed the importance of embracing and using emerging technologies such as Linktree – which allows users to share multiple links on social media. Heras is using this to clearly communicate with candidates and ensure they are fully informed and have a clear understanding of Heras before the interview process commences. Laura rounded off the session by offering three insights:

• Manufacturers should work more closely with their HR teams.  “Businesses need to change their approach to recruitment, and the best way of achieving this is working with the people experts – your HR department.”
• Leaders should drive diversity as a way to benefit from employing different people with different skills and experiences. “Many businesses have aspirations on issues such as diversity, but they have to free themselves from entrenched views and ‘if you always do what you always do’ approaches in order to be more accessible and flexible.”
• Don’t pay lip service to events such as International Women’s Day, ensuring that the drive for diversity happens continuously throughout the year if they want to attract and retain talent. She said: “Live it, breathe it and believe in it.”

A North Yorkshire couple who ditched careers in IT and switched to selling fly-fishing supplies to established retailers and distributors around the world now employ 25 staff and sell to America, Canada, South Africa, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and across Europe. Ann and Andy Kitchener oversee the Selby-based Semperfli, which now has a global market to provide more than 1,400 products including threads, ties, wires and chenilles to create flies to catch species including salmon, trout, sea bass, zander and tarpon. The success of the company, which carved out a reputation in the sector after developing Nano-Silk, billed as the world’s strongest fly-tying thread, saw it receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade. The Kitcheners have been aided by Heidi Green, a senior business advisor at Selby District Council, who helped the couple secure funding for new equipment and advice from consultants to develop the firm. That support has been even more important amid the dramatic rise in inflation that has seen Semperfli experience significant increases in running costs of up to 20 per cent. Ann, the company’s chief exec and herself a keen angler, is one of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse export champions. She said: “We have managed to develop our business around the globe and we now supply to some of the leading fly-tiers in the world – but we wouldn’t have been able to do that without the support we have received from Heidi, who has been absolutely brilliant in providing that valuable insight we have needed. “The launch of the new North Yorkshire Council is a really welcome development, as it will mean that businesses in the county will be able to access advice from one single organisation. “It can be confusing for people to know where to turn, but the new council will still have the local knowledge and expertise that is currently available while looking towards a county-wide plan to drive forward business and the economy. “We have had to contend with rising costs like all businesses have, and we have had to look at the way we operate to take into account increasing prices for shipping, energy and wages. Without the help and advice we have received, the situation would have been a great deal more challenging.” While working alongside Selby District Council, Mr and Mrs Kitchener have identified organisations that have provided funding, including a five-figure grant through the University of York that helped purchase spooling and labelling machinery. The expertise of management consultants has also been used to develop the business, which sells products that are environmentally-friendly to take into account the often sensitive natural habitats where the flies are used, while funding has also been secured from the Department for International Trade. The company now has a 90-strong team of ambassadors across the world including some of the biggest names in fly-fishing and fly-tying. Andy Kitchener said: “One of the biggest challenges we faced when we were setting up was to find suitable premises, because there simply aren’t enough units for businesses locally. “We ended up building the initial premises ourselves close to our home in Selby, but we soon outgrew that. With the growth of our company, we needed to find bigger premises and ultimately found our ideal new base making sure we could stay in the town. “We have some hugely talented and experienced staff, and we didn’t want to lose them if we had decided to move elsewhere. The new premises are fit for purpose to help the business develop, and there is low-energy lighting and insulation and we are looking to install solar panels which will help keep running costs down as well as lessen the impact on the environment. “We have developed a real reputation globally, which is of benefit to not just Selby, but also the economy in North Yorkshire and nationally. North Yorkshire is home to such a varied and diverse mix of businesses, and that is what makes the county so special. We are indebted to the help we have received, and to know that expertise will be available in the future is vital to ensure we can continue to grow the business.”