APRIL 2025 £3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 40 ISSUE 4 Yorkshire & Lincolnshire’s new approach to employee healthcare Heightened efficiencyThe human touch of family businessKIRKBY 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.Welcome… It’s hard not to talk about Donald Trump nowadays given that every other week is a new version of tariffs or no tariffs. The UK looks like it may be in a position to receive less tariffs than the EU (likely because Donald Trump wants to push Nigel Farage as the next PM) but that’s still by no means a good thing. And given the economy in the US is suffering, it’s probably not a good thing to be a candidate in a future election here promoted by said person crashing the economy. What quickly becomes apparent in our own region and economy, however, is an element of selfish spinelessness. Obviously, everyone is aware that the method behind Trump’s threats is to threaten tariffs in order to destabilise other economies and force them to capitulate. Some may call it bullying and others may call it shrewd dealmaking, but it relies either way on the other party surrendering and taking the worse deal. So, it comes as a bit of a shameful moment to see certain industries (such as our automotive industry) reacting to proposed car tariffs by telling the UK Government it should turn to diplomacy and seek to avoid tariffs at any cost. First of all, it goes without saying the government – any government, in fact – will be doing that already. But it’s also obvious that the message from the car industry is ultimately just a self-serving one, asking the government to surrender to Trump’s dealmaking tactics because “they” do not want to feel their profits squeezed. But if we apply that logic to all industries – and all of them don’t want tariffs – then the only option is to fully surrender and give Trump whatever he wants. Profits will be maintained, the automotive industry will be secure, but every other industry and our civilian population will be negatively impacted. And what, then, when Donald Trump or a future President looks back on the moment and thinks “Well that worked well. Why not try it again” and comes in for a second time? Will the industry groups again petition the government to give in to preserve their own profits? Will the country back down a second time? A third? A fourth? It can’t afford to. While no one likes the tariffs proposed by Trump, the correct response cannot be to buckle to them, because once they are proven to be an effective weapon they will be utilised on a constant basis. Specific industries targeted may not like it, and they shouldn’t have to put up with it, but the reality of the situation is that the UK has to be prepared to stand up and push back – because if it doesn’t, then it’ll forever be taken advantage of. Good reading, as always. Michael Fisher Editor Editor From thecontents april 2025 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region. 10 Commercial property Yorkshire continues to strengthen its reputation as an industrial & logistics property powerhouse. 14 Ports News of tariffs from the US will have put a damper on the UK economy and its prospects of trade, and yet this may also be the sign many have needed to look at improving our trading relationship with the EU. • Associated British Ports (ABP) 18 Healthcare As NHS pressures mount, businesses in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are proactively investing in employee health, supplementing public services with comprehensive private care. 22 Factory automation spotlight A slew of issues impacting the manufacturing sector will start to force the industry’s hands. Factories need to automate now or they will be forgotten. 25 Office solutions Designing office spaces can feel as much an art form as it is a science. Here are some top tips, backed up by reasoning, as to what big businesses are considering in their offices when it comes to both retaining staff and boosting productivity. 28 Family business Amidst corporate dominance, family businesses thrive on human connection, ethical values, and a dedication to their communities in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. 31 Refrigeration Refrigeration is used across many industries, and the lessons learned in each can be applied to others. 34 Corporate hospitality Podcasts and webinars prove hugely successful for conspiracy theorists and controversial provokers. Could they be as useful in B2B circles as well? 36 AutoLink Up and coming motors that wouldn’t look out of place either as part of a fleet, or as an executive’s personal vehicle. • We put the Maserati MC20 through its paces. 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 18 22 31Group 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 - MOOFUSHI • INDUSTRIEBLICK • CHRIS CHAMBERS • KANNAPAT • JEZ CAMPBELL www.blmforum.net 256 Business Link www.blmforum.net Global technology solutions firm agrees deal for Harrogate offices Global technology solutions provider Arrow Electronics has taken 7,000 sq ft at Central House Harrogate. Property and investment company, CEG, has agreed a 10-year lease on the first-floor workspace at Central House with the company, which is at the forefront of cloud and AI advancements. Grace Lewis, investment manager at CEG, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome the Arrow team to the Central House business community. Following the refurbishment of the building, we have created a thriving business destination with innovative, contemporary space designed to encourage collaboration and productivity.” CEG delivered a £4m makeover of Central House providing a reception with break out spaces, café and courtyard. A suite of meeting rooms, cycle facilities and leisure club style changing rooms also benefit the building’s 1,000+ occupants. Central House offers almost 160,000 sq ft of prime workspace. The building is already let to 15 businesses with space available from 2,000 sq ft to 36,000 sq ft. Agents JLL and Carter Jonas market the building on behalf of CEG, and Knight Frank acted for Arrow. news Communicate Technology acquires Blaze Networks driving growth to £17m turnover in 2025 Communicate, a Rockpool-backed provider of cybersecurity and IT network solutions, has acquired Blaze Networks, a security-focused managed service provider with deep expertise in SD-WAN and advanced networking solutions. This marks Communicate’s fifth acquisition and its second since securing private equity investment from Rockpool in June 2024. With this deal, Communicate, based in Teesside and Leeds, is on track to grow its turnover from £6 million at the time of Rockpool’s investment in June last year to a projected £17 million in 2025. The acquisition enhances Communicate’s ability to deliver a fully integrated suite of services – including SD-WAN, SASE, cloud, backup, and disaster recovery – enabling customers to benefit from a more resilient, secure, and scalable IT infrastructure. Macclesfield-based Blaze Networks will continue to operate under managing director Ben Brassington. Blaze’s technical capabilities in designing and implementing multi-site, software-defined networking solutions will play a key role in expanding Communicate’s service portfolio, supporting organisations that require high- performance, secure connectivity across distributed environments. £400m digital and film hub planned for Doncaster Waterfront City of Doncaster Council is working with a developer on a £400 million transformation of the Doncaster Waterfront, aiming to establish a digital and creative hub. The proposed “Digital Cluster” includes a digital arena, film studio, hotel, multistorey car park, and around 300 residential units, including senior living accommodation. The project is part of Doncaster’s 25-year City Centre Strategy, which the council recently approved. The development is expected to attract investment, create jobs, and support Doncaster’s goal of becoming a centre for digital technology. Remediation work on the brownfield site is already underway, funded by the UK Government and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA). Soanes Poultry invests £850,000 in solar energy for factory East Yorkshire-based Soanes Poultry has invested £850,000 in a solar energy system to reduce its carbon footprint and lower operational costs. The company partnered with Boston Renewables to install a 1,648-module field-mounted solar array, which is expected to generate 727,000kWh of electricity annually—enough to power 269 homes. The system is projected to cut CO2 emissions by 156 tonnes in its first year, equivalent to planting nearly 5,900 trees. Managing Director Ben Lee said the solar panels were designed with an east-west orientation to maximise energy capture during peak factory hours in the morning and late afternoon. The investment aligns with Soanes Poultry’s broader sustainability strategy, which includes biomass energy, wind turbines, and energy-efficient refrigeration.www.blmforum.net Business Link 7 news Yorkshire outdoor media company acquires long- established Hastings firm Outdoor media company, Yorkshire-based CP Media, has acquired long-established Hastings- based Keegan Ford Sponsorship Limited, expanding its portfolio in local authority sponsorship. Over the last six years, CP Media has acquired a raft of operators in the outdoor advertising world, including Eye Airports, Adverta Transport Advertising and Lamppost Banners. However, this is the first acquisition in CP Media’s core sector, namely roundabout sponsorship. Mike Brennan, CEO of CP Media, said: “We’re growing well organically so we are very discerning about acquisitions. The companies that we buy have to fit our marketplace but equally importantly they have to fit our ethos, be high quality and have good reputations.” Mark Barfoot, managing director of Keegan Ford, said: “Having founded the company 23 years ago I am very proud of how we’ve grown both financially and reputationally. “Over the last year, I’ve been looking for the best place for the company, it’s concessions and our advertisers to go, as I look to finally retire. CP Media are the ideal next owners, as they also have both an excellent reputation and significant experience in our sector.” Sheffield training group diversifies with acquisition Sheffield-based Realise Training Group, backed by Endless’ Enact fund, has taken a step forward in its buy-and-build strategy with its acquisition of Smart Gas Training and Assessment Centre, based in Derbyshire. The announcement marks the next phase of its journey, as Realise formalises a new group structure and strategy, broadens its commercial offerings and diversifies into another regulated employment sector. The move comes at a time when regulatory and policy changes, brought in by the government, are driving demand for upskilling in key sectors, including more heavily regulated apprenticeship sectors linked to unlocking UK economic growth. Gregg Scott, CEO of Realise Training Group, said: “We are committed to not just off-the-shelf products such as apprenticeships, skills bootcamps or adult skills, but to being a fully integrated training solutions business. We listen to the training problems of organisations and our teams create a bespoke solution. “As well as supporting investment in green energy and the push for net zero through our Smart Gas acquisition, we are continuing to focus on reducing economic inactivity and promoting social mobility throughout the UK.” £93m refinancing package enables management buy-out at evo Andrew Gale, CEO of the business supplies distributor evo, has led a management buy-out, enabled by a refinancing package through the business’s existing lending syndicate of Leumi ABL (Leumi) and Close Invoice Finance Limited (Close Brothers). The deal facilitates a successful exit for funds managed by Endless LLP, evo’s long-standing PE shareholder. Headquartered in Normanton, the evo group has grown significantly under Endless’s ownership and is now made up of six different brands, generating in excess of £500m of sales and employing 2,000 people. It provides sourcing, storage, specialist and value-added fulfilment services to resellers, consumers, large public sector bodies and corporate organisations and offers the full range of business-critical supplies from everyday essentials, facility supplies, paper, furniture and technology. Andrew will continue as Chief Executive supported by Jon Maxted, evo CFO, and the evo Trading Board and team. With evo continuing its journey with both Leumi and Close Brothers, the refinancing marks evo’s third deal with Leumi and second with Close Brothers. The facilities provided are an £80m invoice finance facility and £13m in term loans. Commenting on the MBO and refinancing, Andrew Gale, evo CEO, said: “From Day 1 as Chief Executive the goal was to materially transform the trading results of evo and to enable an exit for Endless. Over the last two years as CEO, EBITDA has doubled with record EBTIDA results delivered in both FY24 and FY25, which has now enabled an exit for Endless to be delivered. “The evo business has made major strides over the last couple of years and we are excited about the opportunities in front of us. This refinancing and transaction unlock the opportunity for evo to take on fresh investment to support our ambitions in terms of product and geographical expansion, all within a balanced multi-sales channel model.” Mike Brenan, CEO of CP Media8 Business Link www.blmforum.net UK’s largest cold store facility completes in Grantham McLaren Construction Midlands and North has completed the UK’s largest cold store facility, developed for Magnavale Ltd, one of the country’s leading temperature controlled warehouse and value added service providers. The fully automated facility stands at 47 metres tall with a capacity for 101,000 pallets and represents a significant milestone in logistics and sustainable storage solutions. Located near Grantham, the purpose-built, rack-clad automated cold store has been designed to support Magnavale’s goal of creating Europe’s most efficient cold storage facility, operating at a standard temperature of -20°C. The 474,283 sq ft development can function at temperatures as low as -28°C and is powered entirely by renewable energy, reinforcing Magnavale’s commitment to sustainability. The facility features a five-storey office space, extensive external yards, an HGV marshalling area, and a large staff car park. Additionally, cutting-edge refrigeration plant ensures that the storage chamber maintains optimal conditions for frozen food products from leading retailers. news Doncaster pushes to become UK AI Growth Zone Doncaster has submitted a bid to become a UK Artificial Intelligence (AI) Growth Zone, backed by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and a separate industry-led proposal from global AI firm Automated Analytics. The initiative is supported by local tech and AI businesses, positioning Doncaster as a hub for AI innovation. The UK Government invited regional and local authorities to propose locations for large-scale AI infrastructure based on criteria such as access to large power connections, redevelopment potential, and existing tech or industrial ecosystems. Doncaster’s proposal highlights its energy infrastructure, AI industry expertise, and the upcoming Gateway One Digital Tech Hub. Automated Analytics CEO Mark Taylor stated that Doncaster has the infrastructure and talent to scale AI development beyond data centres and contribute to the broader AI ecosystem, including research and skills training. The bid aims to accelerate AI innovation, upskill the workforce, create high- value jobs in key industries, and support sustainable energy initiatives, including the planned reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Arrow Film Converters sale secures 55 jobs in Castleford Arrow Film Converters, a flexible packaging firm based in West Yorkshire, has been sold out of administration to Coral Products Plc through its subsidiary, Film & Foil Solutions Ltd. The acquisition preserves 55 jobs and ensures continued operations at the company’s Castleford production facility. Administrators James Clark and Howard Smith of Interpath were appointed on 1 April 2025 and have confirmed that the sale includes key assets such as flexographic printing machines and laminators. These will strengthen Film & Foil’s capabilities in specialist flexible packaging. The agreement also provides a six-month licence for the business to operate from its BRCGS-accredited Castleford site. Arrow Film Converters, which has been trading since 2003, reported a turnover of £17.9 million and a pre-tax profit of £231,295 for the year ending 31 July 2023. Drax partners with Power Minerals to build low-carbon cement facility Drax Power has signed a 20-year joint venture agreement with Power Minerals to develop a facility that will convert pulverised fuel ash (PFA) into Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM), a key ingredient for lower-carbon cement. The facility will be built next to Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, where Power Minerals will be responsible for construction, ownership, and operation. Drax will supply PFA, power, and water while sharing in the profits from SCM sales. No capital investment is required from Drax. The plant, expected to be operational by the end of 2026, will produce up to 400,000 tonnes of SCM annually at full capacity. Drax anticipates the project will generate approximately £5 million in additional annual EBITDA from 2027 through 2046. www.blmforum.net Business Link 9 news Aspire Furniture secures new 56,400 sq ft warehouse in Leeds Aspire Furniture, the bespoke wholesaler specialising in beds, mattresses, and bedroom furniture, has signed a three-year lease on a 56,400 sq ft warehouse facility in Leeds. Owned and managed by commercial and industrial property specialist Towngate PLC, the new facility will significantly expand Aspire’s storage capacity and streamline its growing operations. The news comes just one year after the business secured a £500,000 trade loan from NatWest to extend its UK footprint overseas. Aspire has seen near-constant growth over the past decade, evolving from a small operation in a spare bedroom to a multi-channel business with a thriving e-commerce platform, an annual turnover of approximately £22 million, and more than 100 employees. The new, Towngate PLC-owned facility will play a central role in supporting Aspire’s sales, providing the infrastructure and resources needed to meet rising demand. Due to its proximity to Aspire’s manufacturing facility in Leeds, the site will also drive greater efficiencies throughout Aspire’s logistics and operations. Delifresh plans expansion with new facility and job growth Delifresh, a Bradford-based food service supplier, is expanding its operations following a funding boost from HSBC UK. The company is moving into a new 80,000 sq ft facility in Bradford, where it plans to implement cutting-edge systems to enhance its operations. The £1 million investment will fund the complete fit-out of the new premises, which will feature advanced pick-and- pack technology, energy-efficient chilling systems, and an upgraded enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. These improvements streamline productivity, maintain high-quality standards, and enhance the customer experience. Founded in 2002, Delifresh supplies restaurants, hotels, and independent food service businesses across the UK. The company expects its workforce, currently at 417 employees, to grow as it expands its geographical reach and increases turnover over the next 12 months. Investment will also go towards upgrading its fleet. Workplace pensions provider snaps up space at new Leeds commercial district Workplace pensions providers TPT Retirement Solutions will move into Aire Park’s new commercial building, 3 South Brook Street, Vastint UK, the developer behind Leeds’ new 24-acre mixed-use district, has revealed. Established more than 75 years ago, TPT is taking 23,261 sq ft across the 5th floor of the building, which will include meeting rooms, collaboration spaces and workspace for its 250+ strong team. The pensions specialist is set to move from its current Canal Wharf offices and relocate to 3 South Brook Street as one of the building’s first occupiers. This is the second letting at Aire Park with TPT joining law firm Devonshires. Michael Cronin, head of portfolio at Vastint UK, said: “We’re delighted to welcome TPT to the Aire Park community. “Once complete, Aire Park, will feature over 800,000 sq ft of Grade-A offices, creating space for over 10,000 workers, we’re pleased to have TPT onboard from the outset of this exciting new commercial district within the Leeds South Bank and look forward to the future together.”Next >