MAY 2023 £3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 38 ISSUE 05 A shift towards online training Making finances work for you Finding the right course for your business 01.qxp_Layout 1 02/05/2023 15:04 Page 1From the Editor May heralds a lot of changes not only for our region but the country as a whole. King Charles III will be coronated on an additional bank holiday to take place on the 8th, and many will be curious to see what changes (if any) his ascension to the crown will bring. The former prince was always a staunch conservationist and supporter of UK interests, more so than many other current royals who appear to be more interested in their own affairs. It’s hard to argue that he wasn’t a hard worker before the coronation, so it’s hard to imagine he will slack afterwards. Businesses in our region may have more pressing concerns with the state of the economy however, which isn’t improving drastically despite assurances that inflation has now peaked and will go down. Employment issues remain, and the increase to the National Living Wage will push many to ask themselves uncomfortable questions about their ability to stay in business. Though, in a sense, it may be good that those questions are being forced on businesses that might be going through difficulties – as horrible as that sounds – because the theme is likely to continue as the cost of living gets worse and worse, and businesses that cannot afford to pay their staff enough to live a proper life may find their staff migrating to those who can. 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.com 03.qxp_Layout 1 02/05/2023 15:05 Page 1MAY 2023 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region. 10 Commercial property With a plethora of deals and new schemes hitting headlines, Yorkshire remains a hotspot for industrial and logistics property, developers and investors. 14 Corporate finance Managing finances is crucial for any corporate organisation, but it’s not always enjoyable for owners who would rather focus on building their brand and customer base. But there are ways to break this task down into manageable areas to tackle as needed. 18 Relocation and inward investment Moving your business can be a daunting task, but it can also bring significant benefits such as access to new markets and better infrastructure. However, if a full-scale move is not feasible, inward investment can be a great alternative that offers similar advantages. 22 Online training In the world of hybrid and remote working, the way people learn and develop their skills has been forever changed. 26 Energy and environmental management Reducing corporate waste is increasingly being viewed as essential for assuring the long-term future of businesses, both to save money but also avoid costly government penalties. 30 Security In an era of online threats it can be easy to forget about physical security – and that’s exactly what criminals want. 34 Corporate hospitality For corporate events to be successful, solid planning is essential. 38 AutoLink We take a look at some of the new motors that might be hitting our roads this 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 14 18 22 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 02/05/2023 15:06 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 - SONYACHNY • LOVELYDAY12 • INSTA_PHOTOS • ALICE_PHOTO • IPOPBA 26 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 02/05/2023 15:06 Page 2New jobs to be created as almost 17 acres of North Lincolnshire land and property bought by Rainham Steel Company Major investment is to lead to the creation of up to 60 new jobs following a deal in which independent international steel stockholder and distributor Rainham Steel Company has bought almost 17 acres of commercial land and properties in North Lincolnshire. The business, which already services the UK, European and world markets from a 70 acre site and distribution facility in Scunthorpe, is to use the Althorpe Wharf site, in Station Road, Keadby, as a base for manufacturing reinforcement bar products. The sale of the land, which was owned by RMS Trent Ports Limited, included open storage land and a number of industrial warehousing facilities, with a deal close to asking price agreed. Rainham Steel Company is now to invest around £3.5m into developing the site over the coming year, installing plants and machinery in the existing facilities on site. Longer term plans are to build a dedicated new building on site. 6 Business Link www.blmforum.net NEWS Jaso wins cranes contract worth more than £10m with Sheffield Forgemasters Jaso Industrial Cranes has been awarded a contract worth more than £10 million to supply brand new overhead cranes for the UK’s largest open-die forging line. The seven cranes will service Sheffield Forgemasters’ new 13,000 tonne Heavy Forge, which is under construction at its Brightside Lane site and will range from 20 tonnes to 380 tonnes individual lifting capacity. Jaso beat five other world-class crane suppliers in the tender process to be awarded preferred bidder status for the design, supply and installation of all overhead cranes required for the state-of-the-art facility. Steve Marshall, manufacturing transformation director at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “Jaso Industrial Cranes has been appointed as our preferred bidder for all seven of the overhead cranes required to operate our new forging facility. “The tender process was very tightly contested, but Jaso have a significant amount of experience in supply of cranes for hot metal and steelworks, which is extremely important for the work that we are undertaking.” The cranes are due to be supplied and fitted between March 2025 and July 2025. Prime Leeds city centre retail building changes hands in £2.5m deal A prime retail building in the heart of Leeds city centre’s main pedestrianised area, on the corner of Commercial Street and Trinity Street, has changed hands in a £2.5 million deal. The 6,500 sq ft building, which is spread across five storeys, has been sold by a major UK Fund Manager which was advised by Leeds property consultancy, GV&Co’s investment division. The property has been acquired by a private investor and is let to Japanese and Asian-inspired restaurant and take-away chain, itsu. Garry Howes, director of investment at GV&Co, said: “This is a landmark building on one of Leeds city centre’s busiest streets as well as being next to the northern entrance of Trinity Leeds, meaning thousands of people walk past it every day. “It also benefits from a very popular tenant in itsu, a long lease until 2032, and a fixed uplift in the rental income. This made it a sought-after investment opportunity with a number of UK fund managers and private companies all expressing an interest.” 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 02/05/2023 15:07 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 7 NEWS Trio of fine knitwear companies sold out of administration Interpath Advisory has secured the future of three fine knitwear businesses based in Yeadon, near Leeds. Jack Brodie Limited, The Edinburgh Knitwear Company Limited and Pennine (London) Limited are connected by virtue of common directors and shareholders. The companies had seen significant revenue growth in recent years, prompting management to invest in stock to meet demand, as well as investing in their direct-to-consumer channels including their websites. However, more recently, the companies began to experience significant pressure on working capital and, after assessing all their options, Rick Harrison and Howard Smith were appointed joint administrators to the entities on 19 April 2023. Immediately following their appointment, Interpath Advisory concluded a sale of the business and certain assets of Jack Brodie Limited and The Edinburgh Knitwear Company Limited to Jamm Logistics Limited. In a separate transaction, Interpath Advisory concluded a sale of the business and certain assets of Pennine (London) Limited to Belgium-based Amitex NV. Business confidence in Yorkshire remains strong as firms focus on growth Business confidence in Yorkshire remained strong in April at 30% for the second consecutive month, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Companies in Yorkshire reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, down 11 points at 41%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, up 13 points to 21%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 30%. Yorkshire businesses identified their top target areas for growth in the next six months as evolving their offer (41%), investing in their team (35%) and investing in sustainability (29%). The Business Barometer, which surveys 1,200 businesses monthly, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide. A net balance of 7% of businesses in the region expect to increase staff levels over the next year, up 13 points on last month. © stock.adobe.com/tadamichi © stock.adobe.com/BarTa © stock.adobe.com/Volodymyr North Yorkshire timber business secures six figure loan to invest in technology A family-run timber business has received a six figure loan to invest in technology and help fulfil growing customer demand. Fall Timber Ltd, which was founded more than 45 years ago and is managed by its second generation owner, Helen Fall and her husband, Matt, received the loan from NPIF – BEF & FFE Microfinance, which is managed by BEF and FFE, and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund. Supplying timber for national building projects as well as agricultural clients, self-builders and gardeners, Fall Timber moved to its current site in Leeming Bar Industrial Estate during the pandemic. Helen, who has a background in operations working for brands such as Rolls Royce, Deloitte and Credit Suisse, said: “The loan from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is going to play a vital role in keeping up with customer demand. “The need for timber isn’t going away and with the additional funds, we’re planning on investing in cutting technology to improve productivity, which may require some research and development. Traditional methods of cutting timber are incredibly labour intensive so with the support of technology, we’ll be able to supply customers much quicker.” 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 02/05/2023 15:07 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 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 02/05/2023 15:07 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 9 NEWS Accountancy group acquires Yorkshire firm Accountancy group Azets has acquired Naylor Wintersgill, the £4m+ independent firm of chartered accountants, business and tax advisors, based in Yorkshire. The acquisition is Azets’ eleventh in 12 months. Naylor Wintersgill, which will rebrand as Azets with immediate effect, delivers accounting, audit, corporate finance, tax, payroll, and HR advisory services to SMEs, private clients, and not-for- profit organisations across the Yorkshire region. The acquisition sees Azets expand its presence and deepen its advisory expertise in Yorkshire, adding two offices to its UK network which now totals 90. Naylor Wintersgill has been based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, for more than a century. Acquiring Naylor Wintersgill adds 67 people into the Azets team, including eight partners. Managing Director Victoria Wainwright, who started her accountancy career as Naylor Wintersgill’s first apprentice in 1991, will continue to lead the team as office managing partner. Largest Build to Rent funding deal to date secured for Leeds City Centre Legal & General (L&G) and Glenbrook have announced the funding of a £140m residential development in Whitehall Riverside in Leeds, committing to the delivery of 500 new homes. This marks the third scheme funded by L&G in the city and, upon practical completion, will bring the number of new rental homes it has delivered in Leeds to over 1,000. Glenbrook is leading the development of the Whitehill Riverside scheme, with completion expected in April 2026. The Whitehall Riverside development will be made up of residential apartments, all designed for rental occupancy. The development consists of a mix 1, 2, and 3-bed flats and includes resident facilities such as a concierge, lobby, gym, podium gardens and terraces. The project resides on the banks of the river Aire and includes ground floor retail and 60 parking spaces. The development sits within a new residential and business district in Leeds City Centre. As part of the wider masterplan for Whitehall Riverside, the development will act as a catalyst for the creation of a new mixed-use riverside destination. © Tom Bird New occupiers set to move into Leeds office development CEG has secured a new tenant at Globe Point, the 40,430 sq ft seven-storey office development on Globe Road within the Temple district of Leeds. Brand design agency, Robot Food, is moving to a 1,848 sq ft suite on the ground floor. Independent café operator, Butlers, will also officially launch the 65-covers café at the entrance and reception lounge to the building. Simon Forster, founder and exec creative director at Robot Food, said: “Since moving to Leeds over 10 years ago Holbeck has been our home. Globe Point offers us the perfect opportunity to create a contemporary hybrid working space, designed around our needs in the area we love. The quality of the build, the workplace amenities and the commitment CEG has for the area is what attracted us, and we can’t wait to occupy this visible ground floor space.” Olivia McDowell, investment manager at CEG, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Robot Food team into the fast-growing business community at Globe Point. Designed to set the highest quality benchmark for the Temple district, Globe Point provides contemporary, sustainable space in a landmark building. “Butlers has for many years provided a fantastic and healthy café bar offer at our Number One Kirkstall Forge development so we are delighted that tenants, and the public, will now benefit at Globe Point. It will bring vibrancy to the lounge area and I’ve no doubt they will put the event space here to good use as well, bringing a lively buzz to the ground floor entrance.” The new tenant joins Jaywing in the building which will provide a home for more than 400 people. © stock.adobe.com/Pixel-Shot 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 02/05/2023 15:07 Page 4Next >