APRIL 2024£3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 39 ISSUE 4 Taking care of the staff Taking family businesses to the next level The future nowKIRKBY LINDSEY ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING LTD HULL T: 01482 223937 • E: info@kirkby-lindsey.co.uk ECLIPSE ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING LTD YORK T: 01904 692783 • E: admin@eclipse-electrical.co.uk Experts in the repair, rewind and supply of electric motors, geared motors, pumps & fans. Hazardous Area Motor (ATEX) Repair specialists with fully certified IEC Ex service facility. Visit www.kirkbyeclipse.com for more information.From the Editor Is it a bad thing if the government is paralysed? The political mudslinging continues between the various parties, leaving the country’s government paralysed by internal strife and debate. Perhaps we’ll see yet another unelected prime minister within the coming weeks or months, but one thing is for certain – there won’t be any meaningful changes coming to our region’s businesses. But one has to ask: is that a bad thing??? It may be a little hyperbolic of me but I think a lot of people would agree that everything the government has touched of late hasn’t quite worked out as they’ve hoped it to. Perhaps, then, we should be relieved that they’re being kept busy and away from our region, so that they can’t make life more difficult for us. Of course, that’s not for lack of trying. Companies House will be receiving new powers to combat financial crime by accessing and sharing data with other agencies. Of course, that’s unlikely to be used to target the big tax avoiders because their lawyers are too expensive. Instead, it’ll be used to clamp down on SMEs across the country who can’t afford to fight back too hard. On brighter news, there is evidence that inflation will begin to ease in the second half of 2024 and towards 2025, and economists are hopeful for a bounce back effect that could see some genuine improvement in the economic outlook. It’s hard to say whether this is a result of any direct action taken by the UK or whether it’s just the inevitable bounce from such a big fall, but if GDP improves then we may feel that in our region, and it may mean more options for the next government (whichever that may be) to improve the UK market. Good reading, as always Michael Fisher Editor Smarter, cleaner, greener. We keep world trade moving Clarksons is at the heart of global shipping Integrated service offering, powered by intelligence Tel: +44 1469 574649 enquiries.customs@clarksons.com www.clarksons.comAPRIL 2024 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region. 10 Commercial property With myriad redevelopment and regeneration projects underway across Yorkshire, the region is set for significant transformation. 14 Factory automation spotlight From single machines to fully integrated robotic systems, factory automation is revolutionising manufacturing processes and reshaping industry standards for efficiency and quality. 18 Family business Family businesses stand as pillars of resilience and innovation, seen as the embodiments of a unique blend of tradition and adaptability. 22 Ports and logistics Given the logistics industry’s importance in keeping shelves stocked and the country running, should there be closer involvement between the sector and the government itself? Is it time for there to be a minister of logistics? 26 Office solutions With many businesses looking to rejuvenate their offices in response to new working habits, forming the right team to ensure a seamless project is key. 30 Refrigeration In a world where product integrity and safety are paramount, refrigeration systems silently play a crucial role across a variety of different industries – from food to pharma and beyond. We explore how these unsung heroes ensure quality, preserve freshness, and safeguard sensitive materials in unexpected ways. 34 Healthcare As the NHS navigates turbulent times amidst service cuts, funding discrepancies and staff leaving in their droves, the private health sector is witnessing an unprecedented surge in demand. 38 Corporate hospitality For corporate events to be successful, solid planning is essential. 42 AutoLink We look at some motors coming this year, and what’s on the horizon for the next. 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 14 30 34Group 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 - • ANNASPOKA • MURATTELLIOGLU • RIDO • GRISPB 26125-year lease signed for Doncaster Airport A 125-year lease to take over the former Doncaster Sheffield Airport has been signed, Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones has announced. She said the lease agreement is the first stage in the process to reopen the airport, and the next stage would be the appointment of an airport operator. “This is a significant day in our ambition to reopen the airport as the lease has been signed. I was determined to find a way to secure the future of aviation in Doncaster and this agreement helps us along the way to reopening our airport and seeing planes taking off once again. “I am optimistic that I can announce a partnership later in the spring. I would like to personally thank Doncaster Council officers who have worked tirelessly with great dedication, insight, determination and skill to get us to where we are today. This has been no mean feat. Let’s look forward to the future with an airport that will help boost the economic and growth fortunes of our city, South Yorkshire and the north.” 6 Business Link www.blmforum.net NEWS £3m raised by hydrogen generator firm to boost uptake of green energy Suiso – a Rotherham company developing an innovative hydrogen generator that could boost uptake of green energy – has raised £3m from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia Ventures and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, and Mercia’s EIS funds. The company plans to create generators the size of shipping containers that could be placed on site to power factories, hospitals, and warehouses or at filling stations to fuel hydrogen-powered vehicles. Producing hydrogen where it is needed eliminates the high costs involved in distribution from a large, centralised plant, which has been one of the key barriers to adoption. It also allows businesses that want to decarbonise their operation to start much sooner than waiting for large-scale hydrogen plants to be built. The latest investment will enable Suiso to scale up its technology and begin a pilot project. The company, which currently employs five staff, expects to create seven new jobs in the next six months. 336-acre sustainable urban extension scheme gains approval in Skegness Plans to transform part of the East Lincolnshire coast have taken an important step forward, following unilateral approval of the 336-acre sustainable urban extension scheme in Skegness. The news means the town is on the cusp of receiving more than £300m in economic benefits, delivering hundreds of local jobs. Projections undertaken by the Gateway team showcase the scheme will deliver employment benefits of £289.7m, £20.5m and £16m in Gross Value Added (GVA) measurability for commercial, industrial and retail sector jobs. The proposed Local Development Order is seeking to expedite the delivery of up to 1,000 new homes and more than 49 acres of combined business, industrial and community space. Situated to the west of the town, on land principally owned by Croftmarsh, with additional areas owned by the Scarbrough family, the Skegness Gateway scheme is set to breathe new life into an area of the Lincolnshire coast that drastically needs change in order to secure its future, boosting the local economy and providing the education and jobs for local people that will encourage them to stay in the area. Clockwise from left are James Birkett, Sean Maora, Krithikan Natarajan, Sam Kerr, Kiran Carr-Malcolm and Stuart McKnight © stock.adobe.com/phive2015www.blmforum.net Business Link 7 NEWS Digital compliance leader secures significant investment SmartSearch, a provider of digital compliance and anti-money laundering (AML) software, has signed an agreement to receive a significant equity investment from Triple Private Equity. With its investment, Triple will now take a majority share in the Ilkley-based business and will work alongside the existing management to deliver on the company’s next stage of growth, with SmartSearch founders and existing shareholders also retaining a minority in the company. Founded in 2011, SmartSearch is trusted by more than 7,000 client firms and 60,000 users in a diverse range of regulated markets including legal, accountancy, property and financial services. Its customer base includes over 1,000 property firms, one in two of the top 100 accountancy firms and one in three of the top 200 legal firms. Guy Harrison, CEO of SmartSearch, said: “Triple are an excellent match for SmartSearch in its ambitious next phase of growth. The business is especially looking forward to calling on their deep expertise in scaling mission critical, B2B risk and compliance software.” Renewables company makes eleventh strategic acquisition Green Building Renewables has expanded its nationwide network into Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire with its eleventh acquisition. Newark-based JL Phillips Renewable Energy Limited increases the company’s turnover to £42 million as it remains on track to reach its £100 million turnover target by the end of 2025. Since 2021, Green Building Renewables has increased its turnover more than tenfold from £3m to over £40m. Its rapid growth reflects the increasing demand for renewable technology in domestic and commercial settings. Managing Director of Green Building Renewables, Chris Delaney, said: “JL Phillips is our eleventh acquisition and it demonstrates our commitment to continually investing in renewables and low carbon technology across the country as we aim to build the largest renewable installation company in the UK.” Chris Joubert, Merger and Acquisition Director at Green Building renewables, added: “JL Phillips is the second acquisition of the year for the company. We are in active conversations with other companies, and we are confident that by the end of the year we will have complete coverage of England through our nationwide local network.” Historic Hull firm acquired by marine fuel specialists Whitaker Tankers, a long standing, family owned shipping business based in Hull, has been acquired by marine fuel specialists Lindsay Blee. Whitakers is an internationally renowned fuel transportation company, operating a fleet of sea going tankers and specialising in ship bunkering services. Mark Whitaker, Managing Director, whose family has owned the business for 144 years, said: “The success of the Whitaker business has only been achieved through the incredible hard work and professionalism of our staff ashore and afloat – and as there will be no changes in this regard we are confident that there will be a smooth transition to the new owners, of whom we wish the very best in their new venture.” James Hills, Managing Director of Lindsay Blee, added: “We are thrilled and very proud to be adding Whitaker Tankers to our organisation. We look forward with excitement to working together with the Whitaker team and building upon their well established success and reputation for quality and service.” © stock.adobe.com/Song_about_summerTOWER 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 Sustainable aircraft firm and Doncaster Council agree terms on production site The City of Doncaster Council and Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd, the sustainable aircraft technology firm, have agreed to locate the production programme for Airlander 10 at Carcroft Common. Carcroft Common is a 50-hectare site identified by the City of Doncaster Council for development to unlock new economic growth. The freehold for the site will be acquired by Hybrid Air Vehicles under the terms of the agreement. Hybrid Air Vehicles will now initiate activities leading towards a planning application, working with the local community and other stakeholders as part of the planning and preparation process. Subject to planning approval, Hybrid Air Vehicles will develop new flagship facilities for Airlander 10’s production, testing, and certification operations, capable of producing up to 24 aircraft per year at the site. It will house cutting-edge aerospace production equipment, such as new assembly lines for Airlander’s composite- based airframe, propulsion systems, and electrical and avionics systems. Airlander 10 is a new type of ultra-low emissions aircraft capable of carrying 100 passengers, or ten tonnes of payload. © Hybrid Air Vehicles The Sheffield College extends footprint at Pennine Five The Sheffield College has extended its footprint at Pennine Five, adding another 3,692 sq ft to its current agreement to accommodate its growing education and training provision for adult learners. The latest addition means that the college, which educates and trains around 13,000 young people and adults a year across all of its campuses, now occupies six floors at Pennine Five – totalling over 22,000 sq ft of space. Pennine Five is home to the college’s adult learning centre, which provides courses including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), maths, digital and employability courses. Andrew Hartley, Deputy Chief Executive at The Sheffield College, said: “Pennine 5 offers high quality modern teaching facilities which enhance students’ learning experience and inspire them to progress and go further in their education and careers. “We have built a strong community at Pennine Five and are pleased to extend our facilities there in partnership with RBH Properties.” Major milestone reached in new Leeds city centre PBSA development A new purpose-built student accommodation scheme being built in the heart of Leeds city centre’s Arena Quarter has topped out and the scaffolding has now come down to reveal the new Merrion Street landmark, ahead of the development opening this summer. The part five, part seven and part nine storey building has been designed by Brewster Bye Architects and is being delivered by Urban Developments (York) Ltd on a site previously occupied by a bar and nightclub. In late 2022, Q Investment Partners (QIP), the Singapore headquartered private equity real estate firm, acquired the scheme in a deal worth approximately £15m. Once complete the development will offer 88 high specification studio apartments with associated amenities, including a lounge, gym, study rooms, a cinema room, laundry facilities, staffed reception area and cycle spaces, and will be operated by Prestige Student Living. Next >