JANUARY 2025 £3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 40 ISSUE 1 Seamless integrationFinancial lifelines Driving towards a sustainable futurePrinting|Copying|Graphic Design LOGOS | BRANDING | BUSINESS STATIONERY FLYERS & POSTERS | BROCHURES | NEWSLETTERS A0 COPYING & SCANNING | OS MAPPING CAD & PLAN PRINTING | PRINT FINISHING High Quality Print & Design in Lincolnshire N 01522 546118 E sales@lincolncopycentre.co.uk www.lincolncopycentre.co.uk 45 YEARS IN BUSINESSThe 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. Happy New Year A new year means new beginnings, new hope, but also new challenges. While it’s obviously bad form to start a year on a rough note, it’s obvious a lot of businesses in the UK are looking toward a new president in the US with no small amount of nerves. President Donald Trump has made over 200 “day one promises” including tariffs and America-first policies. Even companies here who don’t trade with the US could end up feeling the consequences of this, as many will remember that the “credit crunch” was in no small part led by a failure in the US financial sphere. That still impacted us here. Of course, there’s just as much a chance all that talk was bluster for election season. Politicians the world over regularly make campaign-winning promises they have no intention to keep, so it’s hard to say what will come for sure. Businesses would be wise to focus on making their operations as lean as possible however, and those who deal directly with or sell to the US may want to consider their futures if they haven’t already. Here in the UK, it’s not quite as doom and gloom but our political scene is gripped by the same fever – which is a problem of its own. The role of government is to support and enable the country’s economy and to look after its people, but all parties (equal blame meant everywhere) are focused more on scoring cheap points now, causing constant arguments and battles that mean nothing outside of parliament is achieved. Our regions often feel like they don’t get much support from the south at the best of times, and that’s a theme that’s likely to continue for 2025. It’ll be up to us to make the most of the economy we’re given, and to thrive to succeed despite it. Good reading, as always. Michael Fisher Editor Editor From thecontents january 2025 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region. 10 2025 business predictions It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead. 14 Commercial property 2024 closed with a number of fresh deals across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, with investors, businesses and developers setting their sights on the region. 18 Productivity and efficiency spotlight It’s no good having a fast production line if it takes too long to check and approve the finished goods, or to switch the line over to a new batch. 22 Corporate finance The state of the economy, rising inflation and the cost of living have all made payment of bills tricky, which is expected to cause a culture of late or unpaid invoices. We look at the options available to businesses in this situation. 26 IT and communications There’s nothing quite like a downed IT system to paralyse a company – showing just why it’s important to get it right straight away. 30 New year, new suppliers Loyalty is its own reward, or so the saying goes, but 2024 has been a difficult year with the state of the economy and the geopolitical strife, and local businesses are having to cut costs wherever they can. Sometimes it’s best to shop around when it comes to suppliers. 32 Corporate hospitality If you’re thinking about presenting at a conference in 2025, here are some big tips from someone who has had to do it for the last few years. 34 Logistics With high demand for greener logistics, HGVs have become a key point of interest facilitating change. 38 AutoLink A new year means new motors. 42 Renewables UK businesses stand at a green crossroads as renewable energy capacities surge. From wind power dominance to legal considerations, we explore the profitable path to sustainability. 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 10 34 42Group 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 Angela Cooper (a.cooper@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 - AM • SOONTHORN • PUGUN & PHOTO STUDIO • KITTIPHAN • TIPPAPATT www.blmforum.net 266 Business Link www.blmforum.net Planning permission secured to redevelop Bank House office building in Leeds Yorkshire-based property company Rushbond Group has secured planning permission for the redevelopment of the landmark Bank House office building in Leeds city centre – once the regional headquarters of the Bank of England. The developer will embark on a programme to refurbish the circa 90,000 sq ft building to create Grade A office and associated amenity rich floor space. Plans also include an internal extension and the creation of a multi-level central atrium, transforming this significant building into a sustainable, energy efficient, accessible, best in class scheme. The former bank vaults at lower ground floor will be repurposed to create a new auditorium, and those on the ground floor into a suite of meeting rooms. Rushbond also has plans to substantially restore the iconic exterior and create a new roof level business lounge and terrace. Richard Baker from Rushbond said: “For more than 50 years, Bank House has been a landmark in the heart of the city’s commercial and financial district, and our planned redevelopment will ensure it meets the requirements of modern businesses.” news Grimsby-based card payment solutions provider sold to US company Card Industry Professionals – the Grimsby-based card payment solutions provider – has been acquired by Shift4, a US-based company that is a global leader in payments and commerce-enabling technology, listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The deal provides an exit for Mercia Ventures, which backed the company in 2022 using funding from the first Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF). It achieved a 2x return on investment. Card Industry Professionals provides card terminals, point of sale and online payment solutions to thousands of SMEs such as retailers, hair salons and hospitality venues. The business was founded in 2017 by award-winning young entrepreneur Ciaran Savage, who was joined by his mother, Lyn Savage, as Operations Director, and John Selby as Sales Director, both of whom have many years of experience in the UK payments industry. The company now employs a 20-strong team in Grimsby, has a nationwide network of over 150 sales agents and processes over £60m worth of transactions per month. Leeds utility company makes strategic acquisition Leeds drainage and wastewater utility specialist Lanes Group has acquired North West septic tank specialist S&C Foster, supporting the company’s strategic growth plans in the UK utility market. Lanes Group is a national drainage company providing services for utility, rail, local government, transportation, construction, telecoms and domestic sectors. The company was established in Leeds in 1992, and is now made up of a network of 25 locations in the UK, with a workforce of more than 4,000 people. Founded in 1990, Preston-based S&C Foster provides both domestic and commercial tanker, jetting and liquid removal services in Lancashire and the surrounding regions. The acquisition will support Lanes Group’s ambitions for UK expansion, bringing together two strategically aligned businesses, bolstering Lanes Group’s existing commercial activity in the North West. Estates consultancies reveal plan to merge Two estates consultancies have revealed their plan to merge, creating a new estates advisory business. East Yorkshire-based Shared Agenda and Leeds- headquartered Community Ventures will merge from January, creating new larger estates consultancy Sewell Advisory. The new business will employ more than 60 people, and will operate across the UK. The two businesses have already been working together on projects for some time, with both being part of the wider Sewell Group of companies. The decision to formalize the merger was made to help grow the company and ensure all clients could benefit from the strength and depth of expertise available across both businesses. As part of the wider Sewell Group, both companies are part employee-owned. From left: Lyn Savage, Ciaran Savage and John Selby of Card Industry Professionals with Maurice Disasi of Mercia Ventures. ©Darren Casey DCimagingwww.blmforum.net Business Link 7 news Rotherham expansion for industrial specialists Two growing businesses have expanded into a Rotherham industrial estate. Specialist hire company RVT Group, which offers tailored solutions for dust control, fume extraction, ventilation, noise barriers, water treatment, environmental monitoring and climate control, has enlarged its depot facilities after taking 35,000 sq ft of industrial space at Vector 31 in Waleswood. The company, started in 1993, had outgrown its existing unit in Chesterfield, while existing tenant Preformed Windings, which manufacture high-voltage diamond coils for high-voltage motors and generators, has relocated into a 10,000 sq ft unit at the industrial scheme. Agents Knight Frank secured the unit for RVT, which has sites across the UK including two offices in Dartford plus branches in Northampton, Chester and Scotland, and also negotiated the move for Preformed Windings, which has more than 50 years of experience of partnering major OEMs and rewind shops worldwide. Management buyout completed at CTW Hardfacing A management buyout (MBO) has been completed at CTW Hardfacing. Based in Sheffield and established in 1972, CTW Hardfacing provides long term wear resistant solutions to a wide range of industries. In a linked transaction, CTW Hardfacing also acquired the trade and assets of a larger supplier, which will further bolster the range of services offered. The transaction was led by Jack Ware and Peter Wilmer of the Hawsons Corporate Finance team. BRM Solicitors provided legal advice on the transaction. NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland Invoice Finance supported the transaction with a funding package that included a term loan, a commercial mortgage and an invoice discounting facility. NatWest were advised by Clarion. This is the second MBO that Hawsons Corporate Finance have completed for CTW Hardfacing. The first was in 2018 where Mark Hill and Adrian Carr bought out former owner Ken Cooke. The purpose of the current MBO was for Adrian Carr to buyout his business partner Mark Hill to become the sole shareholder of the group. Leeds startup behind fair pay app for hourly workers secures investment A mobile app that enables hourly workers to track their hours and easily raise pay disputes has been named among seven companies receiving a £200k investment from PraeSeed, a six-week cohort investing programme for early-stage businesses. WAC helps workers across areas like hospitality keep better records of their hours worked and pay received, with tools to manage holidays, days off and extra shifts tailored to everyone from zero-hour contract workers to full-time staff. Founder and CEO George Fairhall launched WAC, which has over 350,000 downloads, after years spent working in hospitality, where she continuously encountered the issue of not being paid correctly – a problem WAC is actively tackling. In a bid to champion low-paid workers and ensure no shift worker experiences the frustration of missed hours and incorrect pay, Fairhall also stepped away from a potential career in law. Following the PraeSeed programme, WAC’s founder Fairhall says the business plans to prepare for a larger seed fundraising round and to explore partnerships with B2B companies. George FairhallTOWER 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/KAWINNINGSwww.blmforum.net Business Link 9 news Innovative first aid business secures investment for growth Yorkshire-based Mini First Aid is expanding with investment from Finance Yorkshire. The company was founded nine years ago by Kate Ball who has successfully grown the business which now operates more than 70 franchises covering most of the UK. Mini First Aid provides first aid training and education to people of all ages with its original parent and carer classes proving most popular. Other classes are aimed at children and adults with workplace training available. Kate started the business from her home after her brother died suddenly from heart failure. His student friends called the emergency services but the students did not know how to do CPR. Later, pregnant with her first child, she found there was little in the way of first aid training for parents-to-be. A £100,000 investment from Finance Yorkshire’s Loan fund will support Mini First Aid in its growth ambitions which include new product development and staff hires including a marketing manager. Joinery giant joins Barton business site The first tenant has started trading at a new business site which has the potential to create up to 50 jobs, and the company behind the development will soon start work on a second location. Howdens, which has more than 800 depots across the UK and Europe, has taken the largest unit of about 9,000 square feet at The Trade Yard at Falkland Way in Barton-upon- Humber. Allenby Commercial has three more units available at The Trade Yard, with a fourth coming on the market after completing its festive role supporting a nationwide charity’s Christmas campaign. The company also confirmed it will start work during the first quarter of 2025 on The Trade Yard Immingham, where planning permission was secured during the summer for six new units. Sheffield solicitors help push diversity and inclusion in legal careers A new committee to encourage equality, diversity and social inclusion in the legal profession has been set up in Sheffield. The Sheffield & District Law Society has launched its new EDI Committee which features a group of 12 legal professionals who are passionate about promoting and supporting equality, diversity and inclusion in and around Sheffield. Wake Smith private client associate Stephanie Chung and trainee solicitor Anna Woodcock have joined the committee which will work with local law firms, affiliated organisations, and local solicitors to build a more diverse profession. They join other committee members from law firms across the region. Stephanie Chung said: “Our focus for the year is social mobility and raising awareness about different routes into the legal profession and bringing together junior and experienced legal practitioners.” L-R: Paul Wainwright (Finance Yorkshire), Kate Ball (Mini First Aid), Matt Ball (Mini First Aid), Alex McWhirter (Finance Yorkshire). Wakefield cyber security firm secures backing for growth Palatine Growth Credit’s Growth Credit Fund has completed a deal to provide growth capital to tech businesses Talion, a BAE Systems spin-out. Headquartered in Wakefield, Talion provides defence industry- grade cyber security services to large corporates around the world. Employing security, information and event management (SIEM) technology and a designated Security Operations Centre (SOC), it offers end-to-end cyber services including threat detection and response, dark web tracing and sensitive data storage. The business was originally established as BAE Systems’ Cyber Security Unit, set-up at the request of the UK Government to provide critical infrastructure protection for the 2012 Olympic games. In 2020, Talion was formed through a management buy- out led by Keven Knight and Mike Brown. It has grown to annual revenues of £7.5 million. Palatine are providing the business with £3 million of growth credit to support Talion’s organic growth and team expansion. The business also has VC backing from Mercia Asset Management. Next >