suffolk
Alan Ridealgh, Muntons managing director
Muntons
Export for success
Innovating locally
Ahead of the IoD visit, we take a look at what makes this company tick
Quite simply, companies that export are more successful
How the East of England Co-op is growing ethically in Suffolk
Inspiring and connecting the county's business leaders
CONTENTS / AUTUMN’14
IOD Luke Morris, Chairman
4
Forthcoming IoD Suffolk events
5
Sponsorship
6
5
Expanding into International Markets 12 Join the IoD
32
FEATURES Protecting the Director
7
Tax avoidance
8
Selling your business
10
11
Business Insider | East of England Co-op 11 Business profile | Muntons Plc
16
Planning the office Christmas party
18
Platform for change
22
First class training
24
Across the region
26
Wellbeing
28
Shoe care for your best pair
29
12
PEOPLE Martin Chambers, Editor
3
IoD member profile | Andrew Cann 14
COMPETITION iBrew Brewing System
Published by: Tilston Phillips Magazines Limited 141 Norwich Road, Ipswich IP1 2PP enquiries@tilstonphillips.com www.tilstonphillips.com Designed by: Toni Escriche Image of students on page 24 used by kind permission of West Suffolk College All rights reserved. Reproduction, in part or in whole, without the prior consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. The content of this magazine is based on the best knowledge and information available at the time of publication. All times, prices and details of events were correct at time of going to press. The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers, proprietors, the Institute of Directors or others associated with this production. Š Tilston Phillips Magazines Limited 2014
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Bringing you certainty through our expertise 01473 346046 www.poundgates.com Pound Gates St Vincent House, 1 Cutler Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 1UQ Pound Gates & Co Ltd, trading as Pound Gates, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, and is an ISO and Investor in People accredited company.
WELCOME
This autumn edition is packed full of successful business endeavour, and we look at what makes many of our local companies tick. Martin Chambers
Welcome to your autumn edition of IoD Suffolk Magazine. Summer has passed already, and with it the successes and failures of our sportsmen and women, competing through a season packed full of sporting endeavour.
We also delve into the ideas and experiences shared at the IoD business breakfast, whether women-only parking spaces are a good idea, and how listening to your significant other can make you a better leader.
This autumn edition is packed full of successful business endeavour, and we look at what makes many of our local companies tick.
Additionally, there is the campaign for better rail services in East Anglia, which every reader is called on to support. We look at the ideas driving the campaign, what the future holds, and what you can do to keep it on track to a successful outcome.
Prior to an IoD company visit, you will get a taste of the ingredients that make Muntons a world player in the food and drink market. Ethics and local sourcing is making the East of England Co-op a success in Suffolk, and you can get a flavour of this inside.
Martin Chambers – Editor
www.iod-suffolk.co.uk Follow @SuffolkIoD
Caroline Kearney Suffolk Branch Administrator 07917 699498
EDITORIAL Martin Chambers Editor 01473 286155
ADVERTISING Marina Jacobs Advertising executive 01473 286155
caroline@iod-suffolk.co.uk
martin@tilstonphillps.com
marina@tilstonphillips.com
IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 3
LUKE MORRIS / IOD SUFFOLK CHAIRMAN
Join our IoD Suffolk Business Club As we look forward to our forthcoming 2014 events and think ahead to our 2015 events programme, we have a very important group of people to thank. Our IoD Suffolk sponsors: Barker Gotelee, Ensors and Pound Gates.
I mention it at every event, and I mention it again here. The one thing that we absolutely rely on as a branch is the support of our headline sponsor partners. Put simply, we would not be able to operate our programme of events without them. We met with representatives from Ensors, Pound Gates and Barker Gotelee recently and I was really encouraged with their feedback, not only from their perspective as sponsors of the IoD but also as members of the IoD. They were very clear in agreeing the main objective of our events programme: for business leaders in Suffolk to share practical perspectives on the challenges they face. Topics such as generating new ideas, dealing with growth, expanding in to international markets, transferring knowledge within an organisation, dealing with change and being a flexible employer all continue to be pertinent.
are highly respected businesses with strong roots in Suffolk. The fact they have re-affirmed their commitment to IoD Suffolk for 2015, giving our committee of volunteers continuity of headline sponsorship partners and further reenforcing our relationships with them, is particularly valuable given some of the initiatives we have planned for the coming year. Collaboration, and this idea of "what can we learn from each other" will be central to our 2015 programme.
We also welcome non-members at all our events. Do join us. We’d love to meet you.
I'm delighted that, in particular, the sponsors have agreed to work more closely than ever with us in preparing for the Annual Conference for 2015. This event goes from strength to strength and, based on some of the initial discussions, 2015 looks like it will be the best yet.
Our 2014 theme of "Fresh Thinking" certainly seems to have struck a chord.
We will continue to invite regional business leaders to tell their stories, sharing in their successes, their failures. What they have learnt. What others can swipe.
Ensors, Pound Gates and Barker Gotelee
On the page six, we have details of our
4 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
sponsorship opportunities. We have room for more sponsors, so if you think your business would benefit from sponsoring our events programme for a year or a one off event, please get in touch. The easiest way is through our website: www.iod-suffolk.co.uk
Luke Morris IoD Suffolk Chairman and Partner, Larking Gowen
IOD FORTHCOMING EVENTS FOR MEMBERS AND NON MEMBERS
Company Visit to Muntons Plc
see our feature on page 10
11th September 2014 | 18:15 - 20:30 Muntons Plc, Cedars Maltings, Stowmarket, IP14 2AG Members: £15.00 (£18.00 inc. VAT) - Non-Members: £18.00 (£21.60 inc. VAT) Muntons started out as a family-based business in the 19th Century. Today they supply food industry and brewing customers all over the world. Join us for a factory tour and the opportunity to try some samples. We will finish the evening with some light refreshments and networking.
IoD Suffolk Annual Dinner in association with Milsoms Hotels & Restaurants 16th October 2014 | 19:00 - 23:30 The Hangar, Kesgrave Hall, Hall Road, Kesgrave, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP5 2PU Members: £60.00 (£72.00 inc. VAT) - Non-Members: £72.00 (£86.40 inc. VAT) Our guest speaker is local business entrepreneur Jan Cavelle, founder of the Jan Cavelle Furniture Company based in Haverill, and from where they supply standard and bespoke furniture to top end interior designers all over the world including China and The Cayman Islands.
Bring your clients, colleagues and partners to this prestigious black tie gathering at The Hangar, Kesgrave Hall in Ipswich.
Jan is a regular columnist for Real Business magazine and involved in teaching, coaching and encouraging enterprise in Britain.
Jan Cavelle During the evening we will be raising funds for Ormiston Families, a leading charity for children and young people in the East of England.
IoD Suffolk Christmas Drinks 10th December 2014 | 17.30 - 19.30 Suffolk One, Scrivener Drive, Ipswich, IP8 3SU Free of charge You are invited to bring clients and colleagues to our pre-Christmas drinks party at Suffolk One College. The event is free of charge but we do ask that you register before hand. Drinks and canapés will be served and there is an opportunity to view some amazing pieces of art produced by the sixth form students. You may find something you would like to buy for Christmas.
IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 5
SPONSORSHIP
SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES 2015 Events programme main sponsor | 12 months 10 events per year: a mix of Business Breakfasts, Annual Conference, Annual Dinner, Company Visit and Christmas Drinks
You get two tickets to each event You will be included in all PR photographs taken at each event
Your logo appears on all the 2015 events programme promotional material and at each event
Our events are promoted through mailers, business diary dates and in the regional press where possible
Your logo appears on www.iod-suffolk.co.uk and www.iod.com You get a half page advert in each 2015 edition of our quarterly magazine
You are invited to a sponsors lunch to help shape our programme of activities
Package costs: £5,000 +VAT
Annual Conference May 2015 | Single Event Sponsor Your logo appears on all promotional material for the event and in the IoD Suffolk Magazine publicising the event
Your logo appears on www.iod-suffolk.co.uk and www.iod.com You get two tickets to the event
You also get a half page ad in the Conference edition of the magazine You can have a banner stand at the conference and your company literature is included in the delegate packs
Package costs: £1,500 +VAT
Annual Dinner October 2015 | Single Event Sponsor Your logo appears on all promotional material for the event and in the IoD Suffolk Magazine publicising the event
Your logo appears on www.iod-suffolk.co.uk and www.iod.com You get a table for 10 at the event
You also get a half page ad in the Conference edition of the magazine You can display a banner stand at the event
Package costs: £1,500 +VAT
Business Breakfast | Single Event Sponsor Your logo appears on all promotional material for the event and in the IoD Suffolk Magazine publicising the event
Your logo appears on www.iod-suffolk.co.uk and www.iod.com You get two tickets to the event
You can display a banner stand at the event and distribute your company information
6 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
Package costs: £500 +VAT
PROTECTING THE DIRECTOR
RETENTION OF TITLE If you sell goods, as part of your credit control arrangements your business to business terms and conditions should include a retention of title clause. Such a clause will assist in giving you priority over secured and unsecured creditors of your buyer should your buyer fail to pay for the goods because it is insolvent, or for some other reason which may be specified in the clause. There are several variations on the clause ranging from basic (title to the goods is retained by the seller until it has received full payment for the goods) to basic with the addition of an all monies clause, mixed goods clause or proceeds of sale clause. However, court decisions have severely restricted the effectiveness of complex mixed goods and proceeds of sale clauses, so in some cases basic retention clauses or clearly separate clauses are the better option. Often the best that a welldrafted retention of title clause is likely to achieve for a seller is: • The right to enter the buyer's premises without trespassing • The ability to recover goods stored at the buyer's premises which can be identified as the seller's, possibly to the extent of all sums owed by the buyer to the seller • A possible action for damages for conversion against a receiver or liquidator personally who sells goods which were identifiably the seller's In some circumstances this may actually be quite valuable, especially if you are providing large quantities of products or the products are particularly valuable. However, the effectiveness of a retention of title clause may be affected if its operation is inconsistent with the overall trading relationship between the parties and will be of little or no benefit where the goods supplied are perishable or supplied in completed form for immediate resale.
When including a retention of title clause a seller should also be aware that in standard terms of sale, risk in the goods is usually stated to pass at the time of delivery of the goods. This is on the basis that the seller will not wish to remain responsible for loss or damage to the goods up to the time when title passes, given that the effect of the basic retention of title clause is that title does not pass until the buyer has paid for the goods. The result is that, if the goods are destroyed after delivery, the buyer will remain liable for the price. To guard against the risk of the buyer being unable to pay, the seller should include a provision requiring the buyer upon delivery to insure the goods with a reputable insurance company and to ensure that the seller's interest in the goods is noted on the policy. If, due to the value of the goods, such a provision is key to a seller, it should be aware of the battle of the forms, since the buyer’s purchase terms may provide for the passing of risk to be delayed until, for example, payment has been made, which would leave the risk with the seller. A seller might consider other credit control arrangements to help protect cashflow, particularly where there are doubts as to the financial viability of a buyer, such as: • Reducing the period of credit allowed to the buyer or the amount of credit, or both
Tracey Dickens is a partner at Birkett Long LLP and will be pleased to provide further advice. Contact her on 01206 217326 or tracey.dickens@birkettlong.co.uk
• Taking alternative forms of security, such as a bank guarantee or letter of credit • Obtaining credit insurance. Note, it is likely to be a precondition to obtaining such insurance that you have a satisfactory set of standard terms of business in place. Retention of title is an area which is regularly considered by the courts, with the result that particular clauses are liable to become ineffective by a court decision at any time, so a review of retention of title clauses is a particularly important aspect of the overall review of standard terms which sellers should be carrying out on a regular basis.
TAXATION
Tax avoidance By Fiona Hotston Moore – Partner, Ensors Chartered Accountants
Over the last two or three years tax avoidance has been a hot topic and has received far more interest from the public, press and politicians than ever before. However, what seems to have been lost in the debate is the overriding principle that tax payers are entitled to arrange their affairs within the law to minimise their tax liabilities. If we go back just a few years, before the politicians muddied the water, it was straightforward: tax avoidance was defined as ‘minimising your tax bill within the legal framework’ and tax evasion was defined as ‘bypassing paying tax through unlawful actions’. Whilst not entirely black and white most professionals could advise their clients with
reasonable confidence as to what actions were legitimate to minimise tax bills and what would be considered tax evasion potentially resulting in a prison sentence for the client and their adviser. Legal tax avoidance had existed for centuries and if we look back to the seventeenth century property owners were openly bricking up their windows to legitimately avoid the infamous ‘windows’ tax. However, the frenzied activity whipped up by the press and politicians has changed the tax planning arena for tax payers and their advisers. We are now in an era where the line between legitimate tax planning versus dirty tax evasion is blurred. The press has managed to change the public sentiment to such an extent that Starbucks, facing public resentment about how little UK corporate tax it was paying and the resultant damage to its customer footfall, volunteered to pay £20 million tax to protect its business. Historically tax planning, including the use of tax structures, was not undertaken without considerable research and with the input of tax advisers and legal counsel. So called "tax schemes" tended to be supported by weighty legal opinions of tax counsel and a detailed analysis of tax law. These legal opinions supported the tax planning undertaken by individuals and corporates who took comfort from the supportive legal opinions when planning their affairs. These tax payers have recently come under intense and often biased press and political scrutiny. HMRC now have a new tool to combat abusive tax avoidance, this being the new General Anti- Abuse Rule (GAAR). However, GAAR unfortunately
lacks detail and whilst HMRC have insisted it is not intended to catch reasonable choices made by tax payers there is a lot of uncertainty in how GAAR will be used and there is no general opportunity to get advance HMRC approval for a transaction. Sadly, only time will tell how HMRC intend to actually use this new tool. It is, of course, right that HMRC should seek to collect the appropriate tax due but this should remain within a legal framework. It is concerning that recent pronouncements on tax collection on historic tax avoidance schemes indicate HMRC would like to move the balance of power from the courts to HMRC. For example this summer an estimated 45,000 tax payers will receive Accelerated Payment of Tax notices. These notices will require tax payers to pay the tax upfront on tax avoidance schemes rather than deal with the tax at settlement which can mean deferring payment for many years. This change of practice is retrospective and there will be individuals who have invested in tax schemes in a number of tax years who are about to receive substantial tax bills (some amounting to millions of pounds) and HMRC are not expected to be overly sympathetic to requests for time to pay. In the meantime both our major political parties claim to be determined to crack down on tax avoidance so the landscape is likely to remain uncertain for clients and their advisers whoever is in power next summer.
www.ensors.co.uk Fiona.hotstonmoore@ensors.co.uk Twitter - @hotstonmoore www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/fiona-hotston-moore
WE’RE MOVING!
We’re on the move Lindacre Land Rover Service Centre are moving to a larger premises on 1st September 2014. The new site boasts state of the art facilities which will greatly enhance the customer experience whilst still maintaining the unrivalled quality, service and value that has become synonymous with Lindacre.
Lindacre Land Rover Service Centre 1A Olympus Close, Whitehouse Road, Ipswich, Suffolk. IP1 5LJ Tel 44 (0)1473 461 751. Fax 44 (0)1473 744 048.
www.lindacre.co.uk
Are ‘she-spots’ a good idea? The idea of women-only parking spaces is beginning to take off around the world, but as yet the UK has not been affected. They have been a hit in the countries where they’ve been installed – South Korea, China, Italy, Germany, Kuwait, Indonesia, Austria and Malaysia. Thailand has recently introduced them into its airports. Some countries are spending millions on women-only parking spaces, often referred to as ‘she-spots’. In most, the ‘she-spots’ are outlined in pink and are much bigger and longer than standard parking zones. According to reports, these ‘she-spot’ developments are a ploy to promote female friendly cities. Some people wonder if they are encouraging a female touch or simply implying that women are bad drivers?
Many women are annoyed because they feel demeaned. President of British Women’s Racing Drivers’ Club, Susan TP-Jamieson, said: “It is very patronising that women are being singled out.” Here in Suffolk, Richard Anscombe, chief executive of the Framlingham-based AtlasFram group, said: “There are not enough women in the boardrooms and senior management positions across the UK's companies and organisations as things stand today. I look forward to the day when the split is 50:50. ‘Pink Parking’ in my mind would only serve to undermine women’s position as equals to the menfolk of the UK.” “Wider parking bays are a bit of an obsession for me,” said Bridget McIntyre, owner of Dream On and a board member of Southwold brewer Adnams. “I go to a physio in Ipswich who has done this, though not the colour bit, and I think it's fab. “We've put more space in for parking at Dream On and it seems to help. I've canvassed the team here and views are mixed but the majority decision is ‘yes’ to big spaces. “Now on to the more serious bit - colour! It would create a smile to paint spaces pink and make them just for women. We did however have various views on shade, and tone of the
Bridget McIntyre
pink. We would love Suffolk to be the trailblazer for this.” Statistics prove that women are not bad drivers and that men are more reckless, especially young ones. Some say that the easiest solution would be to widen all parking spaces rather than just for women. In general, the spaces are too small and not very wide, making it difficult for men and women to park and get out of the car. But we know that councils rake in more by making parking spaces small so it could be a question of watch this (parking) space.
What do you think? Give IoD Suffolk Magazine your thoughts by contacting us.
IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 9
A WORD FROM THE ACCOUNTANTS
Selling your business? With the UK officially out of the recession, now might be a good time to think about selling your business. How you pass on a business will depend very much on your particular circumstances; the nature of the business; and the interest of potential buyers. However, there are three main exit options for owner-managed businesses: • sell the business to family members and / or management; Emma Smith
As confidence in our economic recovery improves we are seeing an increase in the number of businesses changing hands and on much improved terms. There also appears to be an improving willingness for banks to lend, creating more finance options for any potential purchaser, thereby making your business more marketable.
• sell the business to a third party; or • introduce a management team to run the business on your behalf. A well thought through succession plan can not only ease some of the stress of a change in ownership but forward planning can also help achieve a maximum price and tax efficiencies.
Your corporate finance advisor or accountant will be able to advise you further. This could be one of the most important decisions you ever face and I recommend you take some early professional advice. If you are interested in finding out more, Larking Gowen is holding a breakfast seminar ‘Business value and succession’ on 15 October 2014. Please call Emma Smith on 01473 833411 or email emma.smith@larkinggowen.co.uk to book your free place or to arrange a free, no obligation meeting. 1 Claydon Business Park, Great Blakenham, Ipswich, IP6 0NL
This article is designed for the information of readers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, information contained in this article may not be comprehensive and recipients should not act upon it without seeking professional advice. Larking Gowen is registered to carry out audit work in the UK and Ireland by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. ©Larking Gowen.
WE SEE THINGS FROM WHERE YOU’RE SITTING At Barker Gotelee, we know that you’re looking for more than just expert legal advice. The close working relationship we forge with each of our clients ensures we understand matters from all sides.
01473 611211 www.barkergotelee.co.uk
For life, land and business
10 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
BUSINESS INSIDER
Innovating Locally
Roger Grosvenor, Executive Officer for Retail at the East of England Co-op
In the first of an occasional series, IoD member Andrew Cann of planningdirect.co.uk looks at how the East of England Co-op is growing ethically in Suffolk. Barely a week goes by without the Co-op Group or its former Chairman grabbing the headlines. With the group owing billions of pounds and the success of its rescue plan as yet unclear, the future doesn’t look bright for the Co-op. However, locally the picture is very different. The East of England Co-Op, independent of the national group and based at Wherstead Park, Ipswich, has held its own in recent years against stiff competition in all parts of the retail sector. With fierce competition from discounters and even fiercer competition on the local shopping parades from Tesco among others, it’s taken real innovation for the Co-op of much of Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk to thrive whilst pursuing the mutual’s ethical policies. LOCAL SOURCING The most distinctive innovation made by the Co-op has been the ‘Sourced Locally’ brand. Launched in 2007, the initiative supports 140 local businesses who produce 2,400 products for the Co-op’s stores. It has even developed new products, such as Hadleigh Maid Walnut Whips and this year Crush Foods has begun producing cold pressed rapeseed oil for its own label.
Since launch, ‘Sourced Locally’ has helped create 400 jobs on the farms and in the factories of the suppliers. Whilst benefiting the local economy the initiative underscores the Co-op’s unique values, draws in customers and importantly contributes to the bottom line. As Roger Grosvenor, Executive Officer for Retail at the East of England Co-op, puts it: “Our underlying policy is to give suppliers a fair price; offer customers a fair price and to make a fair profit - three simple pledges for success.” Roger also points out another benefit of the policy its direct deliveries from no more than 30 miles “cut food miles drastically and ensure fresh produce arrives in store in peak condition – often on our shelves on the same day of picking”. It’s a philosophy that works with higher customer satisfaction levels and a 30% increase to £12m revenue for locallysourced sales last year. NEW STORE CONCEPTS Since the launch of ‘Sourced Locally’, the East of England Co-op has continued to innovate in many areas. Key to drawing new customers to the Co-Op, perhaps unfamiliar with its ethical selling proposition, has been the development
of other store styles. The Darsham Hamper, opened in April, was conceived as the flagship store for locally sourced products. Offering the shopping experience of a premium quality retailer, the store promotes the quality inherent in products available in Co-op stores across the region. Of course the Co-op is a major wine importer and the expertise inherent in that operation has been wed to the local supplier scheme with the advent of Le Chateau. Setting up in Norwich in 2011, the store sells Co-op sourced wines, including wines from Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk alongside fair-trade brands from around the world. A BRIGHT FUTURE The East of England Co-op, whilst having some concerns over events at the troubled group, is someway through a rebranding exercise emphasising its independence. In addition it aims to grow through its ethical viewpoint rather than despite it. It is re-affirming its uniqueness through innovation. With a dividend payout of £3.5m to members last year (anyone can join) it’s a strategy that’s working. Read more at IpswichSpy.Com
IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 11
PREVIOUS IOD EVENTS
EXPANDING INTO INTERNATIONAL MARKETS Business Breakfast in Association with IoD Cambridge Branch The Jockey Club, Newmarket, 8 July 2014 Quite simply, companies that export are more productive, grow faster and perform better than companies that don’t and the job of UK Trade and Investment teams across England is to encourage and support more firms to do more and better international business.
Thinley Topden from UKTI’s Team East shared some interesting figures. The team has 20-plus International Trade Advisers located across the region, and is your first port of call for advice and guidance whether you are an experienced exporter or just starting to think about international trade. “As the country emerges from a challenging economic climate, the role of exporting remains crucial both in helping reduce the trade deficit, and providing a way for firms to grow and increase their own productivity and competitiveness. Economically, exports contribute about 60% of GDP growth; around one in four jobs in the UK are linked to overseas business, with up to 4.2m jobs linked directly or indirectly to our trade with EU countries. And as UK exporters account for 70% of business R&D, exporting helps to create the types of firms which will be the backbone of the UK economy in the future. For individual companies the benefits are 12 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
clear: exporting gives businesses a distinct competitive advantage. Exporting companies tend to be more resilient during an economic downturn, with research consistently showing that companies which export to any country, in any financial climate, perform better than those which don’t. In a survey, 44% of companies active abroad reported increased turnover over a three-year period; with exporters 11.4% more likely to survive than non-exporters. Exporters consider direct growth to be the biggest benefit of doing exporting; 38% of entrepreneurs said exporting led to a level of growth not otherwise possible.
Productivity and innovation increase too. Accessing potentially millions more customers in overseas markets can increase sales volumes and reduce unit costs; firms beginning to export have been found to gain a 34% productivity uplift in the first year alone. And the good news is the demand for innovative, quality British products and services across the world has never been greater.”
To find out how UKTI can help your business expand overseas contact them today: 0845 641 9955; email info@uktieast.org.uk or log onto the website at www.ukti.gov.uk.
SHARING THE EXPORT EXPERIENCE
THE SUREFLAP STORY “We have used UKTI extensively and always recommend them to businesses who are looking to build their export business. The Overseas Market Introductory Service (OMIS) has been our most useful resource, allowing us to use local embassy staff to investigate both the market and services within each region needed for each new business.” Dr Nick Hill, SureFlap
SureFlap Ltd launched its first product in 2008 based on an idea how to stop neighborhood cats invading the home of Cambridge Physicist Dr. Nick Hill and his cat Flipper. The SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap uses a pet’s existing microchip to allow the owner’s pet into the house, barring access for any other animal. Since launching in our home market of the UK we have built a global business and sell our product range across the world. Over time we have migrated from a network of distributors to a model based on direct supply to both trade customers and individual consumers. In each market outside the UK we have established operations based on the use of third party fulfilment warehouses. Early adoption of cloud-based platforms has enabled us to operate efficiently in each region without large investments in local premises and personnel. The additional key element to making such a setup work well is establishment of local customer service. Only with this key element operating well does it provide the accurate and timely feedback that the business is operating smoothly. Once all elements are in place further demand is generated through the introduction of local sales and marketing resources. The future is bright for SureFlap, as we launch our latest product range of Microchip Pet Feeders, allowing owners to ensure that pets in multi-pet households eat only their designated food. This new range has had a fantastic reception to date and promises great potential for future global expansion.
THE WAND COMPANY STORY “Exporting is vital to the UK and any company wanting to grow their sales. The UKTI gave us real on-the-ground help realizing our goal of increasing our sales through exporting. Using the UKTI’s OMIS programme we were able to successfully launch our product in the Japanese market and increase our exports by over 90%.” Chris Barnardo, The Wand Company Quality-led approach turns a single idea into a business Like many businesses, ours started out with a single product idea inspired by Harry Potter. Our plan was to squeeze the guts of an infrared remote and a motion-sensing chip into a wand-shaped housing and thus make the world’s first real magic wand. Given the popularity of the films, we imagined that our product would have a worldwide market, but our question was, how to get at it. Recent years have seen the rise of the fungadget market and its supply by a handful of niche online retailers. We approached the most prominent and found that by doing so we had secured access to the all the customers we needed to launch our product.
The Kymera Wand really captured people’s imaginations and thus helped the story achieve the PR holy grail of going viral. As a result retailers came to us and we were able to pick and choose those partners best suited to our needs as a growing company. Our end user is very passionate and appreciates our approach of providing immersive, quality-driven products that
despite their expense, offer great value. The typical owner of one of our products knows we understand their passions, and many contact us to tell us what products they would like us to develop next. We use this valuable insight to guide our product developments, which has led to our highly successful Doctor Who Sonic Screwdrivers, our latest prop replica Original Series Star Trek Phaser remote control and a multimillion-pound turnover. IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 13
IOD MEMBER PROFILE | ANDREW CANN
The man who beat Tesco Hadleigh was in the national news last year after a 15-year-long battle to stop Tesco opening a supermarket there finally came to an end. However, what is less well known is the man behind the victory - Andrew Cann, who was brought in by Hands Off Hadleigh and the business community once they decided they needed to “bring in the professionals”. Andrew is well known in political life. As a leading Suffolk politician he memorably challenged the controversial rule of Andrea Hill at Suffolk County Council. However, whilst a prominent local politician Andrew has always been involved in business. After graduating from the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies, Andrew joined Hutchison Ports UK, became head of their UK Procurement function, before helping to secure planning permission for some of their large infrastructure projects - be it road, rail or port-related. After leaving Hutchison two years ago and taking his experience from politics, business and planning, Andrew launched PlanningDirect to take on and win difficult planning cases. His first job was representing and leading the campaign in Hadleigh. This fight was conducted over 18 months in the teeth of opposition from the local council, who were set to benefit from the proposal, and a well funded Tesco operation. So just how was such a one-sided battle won? Andrew explains: “Like all controversial planning applications, understanding and winning the technical arguments is simply not enough.” Andrew adds that his approach to planning, whether objecting or
representing a client, is significantly different to the norm. “Winning difficult planning applications is about winning the technical arguments but importantly winning the emotional or political arguments as well. “Through the team I put together at Hadleigh we found a winning legal argument but that wasn’t sufficient - I ensured that the decision makers wanted to support our side as much as reason with our argument. Without giving the decision makers a strong motivation to support your point of view they will not take up your technical reasoning. This can be achieved through a myriad of techniques and we certainly used them all at Hadleigh.” It is an approach that is very successful, Andrew has never lost a case, but an approach that standard planning consultants do not follow. As Andrew explains: “Normal planning consultancies and architecture firms provide a solid planning service, but they are simply not set up for large-scale and controversial applications. That can be very frustrating for clients after paying through the nose for fees.” Andrew is now involved in a variety of projects from hotel development, to retail and residential work. Recently he has taken on sustainable transport work
Andrew Cann, the "Red" Adair of planning issues
(he was responsible for Hutchison Ports UK’s successful strategy) and unusual requests include applying for brown tourist signs. Andrew explains he has a fee structure that attracts work: “I don’t believe in charging sky-high fees whether we win or lose. I tell a client at the outset what the chances are of success and the various means of achieving this. To demonstrate my confidence, and give value, I build in a no-win-no-bonus element to any project fee. It keeps costs low if we lose (not that that has happened yet) and rewards me for success.”
Planning Direct Winning planning advice
PlanningDirect.co.uk
14 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
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IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 15
Muntons gives editor, Martin Chambers, food for thought
MALT! Who goes there? Malt; noun, barley or other grain that has been steeped, germinated, and dried, used for brewing or distilling and vinegar-making. Malt, malt whisky, malt vinegar, malted milk, malt extract, malt loaf, Maltesers. No prizes for guessing the common factor. But you may not know that Muntons of Stowmarket is a premier league player in world food and drink markets, producing a diversity of products based on the concept of malt. Malt is at the core of a host of products, ranging from Scotch whisky to beer, malted milk drinks, biscuits, bread, and a whole range of other things including those little chocolate balls mentioned above (Maltesers). Muntons managing director Alan Ridealgh says: “If you eat Maltesers anywhere in Europe or in other parts of the world the main ingredient comes from here. Similarly, if you eat Kellogg's Cornflakes anywhere in the world the malted element will come from here.�
Alan Ridealgh, Muntons managing director
You can almost divide Muntons down the middle in terms of sales revenue and profitability. Just over half comes from the traditional malt areas like brewing and distilling, and the rest from malted ingredients which go into producing bread, biscuits and malted drinks. It was the malted ingredients that Muntons started with in the 1920s, importing malt and malt extract, before beginning to make malt.
BUSINESS PROFILE
MUNTONS SALES REVENUE (2013 financial year)
Muntons has more than kept abreast with the changes in drinking habits in the UK, and in the USA. As pubs here have closed and former giant brewers have faltered, the rise of craft brewing industry has given Muntons a new niche. Mr Ridealgh explains: “Craft brewing requires high quality products, not commodity-based products, and that's where we sit. “Most of our competitors in the world on the malt side are very, very big. We might produce 180,000 tonnes of malt and we sit 20th in the league of producers, but the top 10 are all one million plus. The top two or three are over two million. “So they are set up to supply the commodity lager brewers but that leaves us lots of opportunities with what we call the specialist brewers. Both in the UK and in the US there is more malt used in the craft brewery sector than there is in the entire UK brewing industry.” And Mr Ridealgh takes pride in the fact that his company may have had a hand in the burgeoning of the craft beer industry. “We supply craft brewers all over the UK and North America. We are the largest producer of home brew kits in the UK and in Europe. A lot of the craft brewers started by making beer with our homebrew kits. In the US it has grown and grown on the back of very bland commodity beers. “We are well known because of that in the US. Most of our business in the US is with the craft breweries. Last year there were 1,800 new craft breweries in the US. A lot of the craft brewers are making heritage beers, and they are using heritage recipes, so if they are making a British type beer they want to use British malt. We provide it.” One big factor in the Munton’s success story is the growth of the UK distilling
industry. “There is now more malt used in distilling in the UK than there is in brewing,” says Mr Ridealgh. “Distilling has become the main market for malt in the UK. It is quite a dynamic market to enter. It is good for us.” On the malted ingredients side of the business, Muntons is growing its markets in Asia, with centres in Singapore and Thailand. A factory, due to open in 2015, is being built in Thailand. The malt and malt extract will be made in Stowmarket and shipped out to the factory where it will be made into the type of product that is proving popular across Asia. “It's win-win really from our point of view,” says Mr Ridealgh, “we will be doing more business here and we will be doing more business in Asia as well.” Marketing director Andy Janes added: “From a marketing standpoint we have to realise that there are fundamental differences between the market here and in Asia. The Asians have a different appreciation of the product than we do here. In Europe is essentially going into the product to enhance the flavour, whereas in Asia a lot of people use it for its nutritional value.” Malted milk drinks are a common sight on corner store shelves and service stations in Asia, a lot more so than in Europe. “Here in Europe we are trying not to eat so much, especially high calorific foods, whereas in Asia the malted drinks which they are taking help to supply them with the sugars and grains and milk, which they need for a balanced diet. “It has also become fashionable. The perception of malted milk drinks in Europe is that it is an old man's drink, drunk hot, drunk in the evening, drunk in the winter. In Asia, quite often it is drunk in the morning and drunk cold.” Muntons has been on the Stowmarket site since 1948 and has been a major
BY DIVISION Malt £54.8m Malted Ingredients £52.9m
51% 49%
BY REGION UK Europe Asia/Pacific North America Rest of the World
57% 13% 13% 12% 5%
£61.4m £14.3m £13.5m £12.9m £5.4m
player in the area, employing now around 300 staff. As a business they are very keen on the principle of sustainability, keep reducing their carbon footprint, recycle 99% of waste, and feature regularly in the Sunday Times list of best green companies. Many of the staff at Muntons have been with the company a long time, creating problems with getting in staff with new ideas, a problem often resolved by simply adding to the workforce. “We don't have a very big turnover of staff,” says Mr Ridealgh. “The reason is people like working here. What has always struck me about this company is that we are a family owned and British based. We use British raw materials sourced within a 50-mile radius of our two maltings (Stowmarket and Bridlington). We are one of the few companies that create wealth within the UK, and we bring wealth into the UK from what we are doing abroad. “One of the challenges in the business is that as we grow around the world we keep that passion in the business wherever we are. Our success is 100% based on people. We are in the top 10% of spend per head on training of any industry. We believe it is very important. “I always ask employees why do they think we train so much? The answer is, we do it for our customers. We spend a lot of money on training for our people to impress our customers.”
Visit Muntons with the IoD Suffolk Branch 11th September 2014 6.30-8.30pm Book online at www.iod-suffolk.co.uk IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 17
CHRISTMAS PLANNING
Planning the office Christmas party The annual Christmas party can be as stressful as it is fun. Between the process of planning, getting all of the supplies, sending out invitations, and meeting everyone's expectations, by the time the process is over, you're likely to be ready to drop. However, here are a few guidlines you can follow to make the office party planning process easier - and hopefully keep your stress levels low(er!) as well...
much you have to spend, it gives you time to get creative in how to stretch your money farther.
SCHEDULE THE DATE WELL AHEAD OF TIME Christmas is always a busy period. Everyone else is planning their own family parties, as well as trying to complete shopping, decorating, and other various activities. By setting the date of the party well in advance, you ensure everyone has time to adjust their schedules to match. This also allows you to make adjustments for potential problems that may arise closer to time.
SET THE 'STYLE' OF THE PARTY Are you going to plan everything from scratch, or or do you hire a company to plan for you or do you join a ‘party within a party’? How many people are coming, and is the party in the morning or at night? All of these questions have to be answered. A daytime party will have a totally different feel than a night time party; for instance, your booze budget will likely be smaller if you have a party at 10am rather than 7pm.
WORK OUT YOUR BUDGET Parties have a way of taking on a life of their own, far exceeding any expectations of cost. Set your budget in stone early in the planning stages. If you know how
WORK OUT THE THEME It's a Christmas party, so the theme will likely be somehow related to Christmas. However, there are a variety of options beyond this. It might be a Victorian-style
18 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
party where the ghost of Charles Dickens pays a visit, or it could be a Christmas on the beach theme. Deciding the theme of the party is entirely up to you; take into account what the guests might enjoy the most and go with that, but be careful to fit it into your budget. CUISINE CHOICES If you are planning a large event, the next step is to work out the sort of food that will be served. This will largely be based on theme; keep in mind that many venues will provide catering services at your request. ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION The office Christmas party is still a workrelated activity, so make sure that you set the boundaries of acceptable behaviour while acknowledging that employees will want to let their hair down.
And whilst you can't control your guest's consumption practices, you can limit the ability for them to get drunk by limiting the selection of drinks. Plan out what sort of drinks will be served – cocktails with a Christmas theme or seasonal, mulled wine. It's up to you, and the possibilities are nearly endless. Finally, be respectful of employees who do not drink. Ensure a plentiful supply of alcohol-free alternatives and lots of water. Keep an eye out too for any younger members of staff – employers cannot allow under-18s to drink. WHERE? Figuring out where to host the party is the next step. Do you hold it at your office, or at a rented venue somewhere? Depending upon the number of people you expect to come, holding it at your home might not be a good idea. Suffolk has a great range of venues and just a selection of some of the best are advertising here. From the vast party space of The Hanger at Kesgrave Hall, one of the county’s largest venues, and where the IoD are hosting their annual dinner to the intimacy of a small soirée in the Red Room at The Crown at Woodbridge that offers superb food within a relaxed setting. Alternatively you could escape to Aldeburgh on the Suffolk Coast for the excitement of a lively festive-themed party night at The White Lion that offers live music (including ‘Elton John’ and ‘The Beatles’ nights) or a relaxed festive evening at The Brudenell. Nearer to Ipswich are the popular themed party nights hosted by Ufford Park Woodbridge or if you’re looking to maximise your budget take advantage of a great offer - 50% off room hire at Ipswich Sports Club - just book before 1st November, see details on the following page. Continued p20
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IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 19
GETTING HOME Consider how your employees will get home after the party. Issue advice in advance about not drinking and driving - an employer may still be responsible for its employee driving home from an office party. Think also about providing transport home, such as laying on coaches to leave at set times during and at the end of the event or ending the event before public transport stops. At the very least encourage employees to think about how they will get home, provide phone numbers for local registered cab companies and suggest employees check the time of their last train home. THE MORNING AFTER Be clear about your expectations regarding absence the next day - but don't expect miracles from those who do turn up for work. Ensure that all staff know the extent to which you will be lenient about coming to work late and that, if your expectations are breached, disciplinary action may be taken. Be careful - a past history of festive tolerance, particularly where alcohol consumption at lunchtime is concerned, could be used as evidence that disciplinary action against an individual is unfair. FINALLY Consider providing clear written guidance to all employees about acceptable standards of behaviour at work-related social events, equal opportunities and harassment, as well as the disciplinary sanctions that could result from breaches of the rules. Make it clear that fighting, excessive alcohol consumption, the use of illegal drugs, inappropriate behaviour, sexist or racist remarks and comments about sexual orientation, disability, age or religion will not be tolerated. While party policies may seem Scrooge-like, they are a valuable precaution for employers and demonstrate that reasonable action has been taken to protect employees.
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20 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
LEISURE & CONFERENCING
Time to: Re-Plan, Re-Package & Re-Promote
Stuart Robertson Head PGA Golf Professional The Doctorgolf Academy Ufford Park Woodbridge, 01394 382480 mail@ doctorgolf.co.uk
With the latest assessment of the state of business in the country looking more positive, there are many businesses that are beginning to turn the tide and look to prosper as we come out of a long recession. Those businesses that have taken the time to:
RE-PLAN Taken stock of where the business was, researched their business sector taking in any new ideas and evidence from this country as well as influences from abroad; looked at ways they can still be competitive by reducing costs, forging better arrangements with suppliers, upskilling/re training the workforce or just taken time off the daily treadmill to look at where the business should be heading! RE-PACKAGE Are your customers still purchasing the same quantity of items – could you package smaller bundles? Are they buying as often – could you set up a standing order to increase frequency? Are you available when they want you – time is precious, could you offer your service at a weekend or evening? Is there a pattern in your last 6 months trading that could suggest a change of emphasis or different strategy to acquire more business? RE-PROMOTE Are you marketing your product/service to the right consumer? Have they changed their buying habits? Are the timings of your
promotions relevant to your customers now? Is that weekly/monthly advert the best way to generate NEW leads? Are you using social media to the maximum? Is your website tablet/smart phone friendly? All of these questions and more should be looked at on a regular basis for your business to stay at the forefront of your sector. Often a fresh look from an unrelated pair of eyes can make all the difference to where your business is and where it could start heading. Someone without the in depth knowledge of your business sector can offer a nugget of inspiration to help you look at new ways of attracting a different customer to those which you already have or service. I encourage you to solicit opinions from friends that may not know a lot about your business to tell you what their views/experiences are of those businesses in your sector – you may be surprised at how your business is viewed and it may reveal a way that you can develop a new product or service that the customer requires!
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IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 21
TRANSPORT
Platform for change How campaign can get rail services back on track Train operator tells Martin Chambers new franchise is the key to delivering quality services
From left Jonathan Denby from Abellio Greater Anglia, David Burch, director of policy at Essex Chamber of Commerce, Chris Starkie, managing director New Anglia LEP, Chloe Smith, MP Norwich North, and Ben Gummer, MP for Ipswich
Anyone who has experienced a rail trip on the Great Eastern Mainline from East Anglia to London Liverpool Street will know that things are not quite right on the line. Regular travellers on the commute from Suffolk to London know that there are a lot of things fundamentally wrong with the experience. Overcrowding and delays are two of the biggest complaints from commuters who want to see better returns from the price of their tickets. One Essex passenger, an ex-colleague of mine, and a regular from Colchester to London said of her commute: “Have you read Dante’s Inferno? New levels of hell are being introduced into my daily journey.” A campaign for change on the Great Eastern Mainline (GEM) has been set up, aiming to deliver: 22 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
• a faster and more reliable service • more seats and more carriages • a better quality travelling experience • significant investment in track infrastructure East Anglia’s trains are some of the oldest on the network with an average age of 25.5 years, and as there will be no new rolling stock before the new franchise is awarded in 2016, they will only get older. And it is the next franchise, and most crucially the length of that franchise, which will determine how much improvement will be made to East Anglia’s rail services. The region’s train operator, Abellio Greater Anglia has welcomed the Great Eastern Mainline Campaign, and indeed, it sits on it as one of the stakeholders. It sees no conflict of interest though, as
more investment and a longer franchise, for which they will be bidding, gives them a platform for delivering better services. Jonathan Denby, head of corporate services with Abellio Greater Anglia, told me why they were involved in the campaign. He said: “We took on the franchise in February 2012. It was an initial short-term contract to July 2014. One of the things we were very clear about from the start was that the period we would be operating in would be crucial for future investments in the region, and we were acutely aware that to date, East Anglia had not had its fair share of investments, particularly in enhancements and upgrades, and we were also aware that in East Anglia, as a generalisation, the stakeholders hadn’t worked together, so if you look at Essex they were interested in one thing, Suffolk
something different, Norfok something completely different again. “In some cases it was conflicting, there was no co-ordination. Specific counties were looking at local aspirations which mattered to them, but they weren’t batting together for the wider region, so what you were finding was the Department for Transport and the government were not getting a clear message from the region.” “Whatever happens at the next franchise, Abellio will be bidding to win. Although there is no guaranteeing that we will win, it is so important that whoever wins gets the upgrade for the trains that we need. If that is not specified or contracted by the DfT as part of the franchise process, then whoever wins it is a real issue for customers in the region. “This period now is really crucial in influencing the specification and the investment in this next franchise, because next spring they are due to start the process for letting the next franchise. That franchise should be awarded in the summer of 2016 and commenced in October 2016.
“It is really important for us to influence that spec and make it a really high quality, high investment, high aspiration franchise, because of course, as Abellio we are looking to win, but even if we don’t, passengers in the region must get the investment they deserve and merit.” The train operator has a series of shortterm upgrades planned to begin rolling out next year, in what is called a ‘refresh’. Carriages will gain plug points for business passengers to plug in their laptops and smartphones, new carpets and seat covers, better lighting, upgraded toilets, and new paint, and this will have to see them through to 2019, the earliest point at which the new franchise will be able to deliver new rolling stock. Jonathan Denby expects the new franchise to last from seven to 10 years, although it could be as long as 15, and as he philosophically puts it: “The length of the contract does shape the art of the possible.” He believes that it is only fair that this region gets the rail investment it needs.
case for saying it is our turn and that is why we are so proactive in influencing that. It is absolutely right that we are batting as hard as we can for our customers in our region to ensure that those crucial decisions that completely set the framework for whoever wins the franchise are the right kind of visions in achieving the right kinds of investment. “That will deliver for customers whatever happens out of the franchise process. Whoever wins it, the passengers and stakeholders must get the investment they deserve. “The railway is not a separate part of the region, it is an integral part of our infrastructure that allows our region to succeed. As someone who lives here and cares for it you want to see it succeed because it has so much going for it and we do very well, and as a train operator we have made significant progress in the time we have had the franchise. “What we really want is to see a real step up with much better trains and much better rolling stock.”
“Our region is one of only two which are net contributors to GDP and here is the
Sign up for the campaign Campaigners across East Anglia are urging rail passengers and businesses across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk to join the campaign calling on government for greater investment in the Great Eastern Main Line. Almost 600 have signed up so far, but your support will help. The overall goal is to achieve London to Chelmsford in 25 minutes, Colchester in 40, Ipswich in 60 and Norwich in 90. With support for the campaign gaining momentum across the region, the Great Eastern Rail Campaign was launched, calling on commuters, businesses and all rail users to get behind the cause and sign up via the new website: www.newanglia.co.uk/gerailcampaign and follow the campaign on twitter with #gerailcampaign. IoD member Stephen Britt, managing director of Anchor Storage near Debenham, is also a member of the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce transport infrastructure board, one of the stakeholders that inputs into the Taskforce. He said: “Whether it is through the chamber or on their own, the IoD need to promote this campaign. Your readers need to be asked what they want. “In the short term we want to find out why we still keep getting these equipment failures on both track and trains, and these issues with broken down trains. We need to hold Network Rail and the rail operator to account and ask what is going on.
“They will say to us it is because of years of underinvestment in infrastructure and rolling stock. We as a chamber are trying to hold the operator and network rail to account on this. “In the long term we want to look at the franchise and specify what we want. They won’t be able to do anything until the new franchise starts, and then it will be a three year wait for the delivery of the first train. So it is going to be a five-year wait before we see any new rolling stock, and this is a big issue. We probably need to find a short cut for that, but if it involves governments giving guarantees or money then it is not likely to come.” Mark Pendlington, chairman of New Anglia LEP and co-chairman of the Great Eastern Main Line Rail Taskforce, said: “This is a rallying call for all those who want a better rail service across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. For too long East Anglia has suffered from underinvestment in our rail network. Let’s make our voice heard loud and clear to influence government and get
the rail service the three counties need and deserve. The people of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex can help us do that by signing up to our campaign.” Ian Dinmore, commenting online about the campaign, wrote: “What the LEP should be doing is campaigning for a much longer franchise - the proven case is the Chiltern Franchise whose 20 year franchise has enabled them to heavily invest in rolling stock and infrastructure improvements including new lines and stations.” Independent research suggests that significant enhancements to capacity, line speed and service quality on the GEML would bring an economic benefit of around £3.4billion to the region. To sign up for the campaign, go to: info@newanglia.co.uk To see the businesses and partners supporting the campaign, go to: http://www.newanglia.co.uk/businesses-andpartners-supporting-the-great-eastern-railcampaign-2/
IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 23
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
First Class Training with Opportunities Workshop The job market, it seems, is undergoing a radical overhaul which has placed apprenticeships and on-the-job training back into the very heart of the workplace. With the government moving to a model of direct employer contributions for apprenticeships and loans for adults to access Further Education qualifications, savvy employers are keener than ever to invest in their workforce. Angela Hagan investigates.
people and businesses with the skills to grow through increased sales and effectiveness. Through this they targeted seven key areas - creativity, technology, efficiency, enterprise, sales, marketing and customer service. So what sets them apart from the rest? Crucially, they pride themselves on providing high-calibre teaching with an impressive team of current industry experts. Their qualification portfolio is business-led featuring sales, marketing and social media amongst others. And their IT apprenticeships are all delivered in conjunction with Microsoft and all their well-attended training programmes are accredited by recognised awarding bodies such as Pearson and SFEDI. Indeed the newly appointed Skills and Equalities Minister Nick Boles believes the modern apprenticeship is now giving the standard three year degree a real run for its money. This is partly influenced by the near tripling of university tuition fees back in 2012 but also this change in government support for workforce training. It’s resulted in an increase in the number of young people opting for three years of paid on-the-job training rather than starting work with a low grade degree from a poorly ranked university (and a rather large loan to boot).
recruitment services to employers and individuals in the East of England. Their message is simple and clear - they believe investment in training needs to demonstrate a clear return. Hence their rather dogged and unflinching focus on areas with irrefutable bottom line impact such as sales and marketing. They have also developed short-focused training sessions to minimise students’ disruption to their day to day jobs and maximise productivity.
“With over 1.8 million starts since 2010,” says Boles, who was appointed to his role in July of this year, “and our reforms to improve rigour and quality, apprenticeships are now a respected and rewarding route into the world of work.”
Directors Chris Hodson and David Morley are the brains behind the business who bring to the table an impressive track record of 30 years of senior level recruitment experience between them. They first worked together back in 1997 at one of the UK’s leading employment agencies Reed and both went on to set up numerous successful businesses and divisions within the employment and training sector.
Opportunities Workshop in Ipswich provides first class training, advice and
They set up Opportunities Workshop in summer 2012 to focus on equipping
24 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
Their attention to detail and passion for delivering high quality training is clearly paying off as they are hitting a 98% qualification achievement and 60% of their unemployed learners return to work within three months. They’re both highly creative and strive to deliver an individual and tailored service to their clients. “Our view,” says Chris, “is that big isn’t necessarily beautiful and we want to grow the business to a decent size by providing good quality programmes without losing touch with the client businesses - that’s where our interest is.” To speak with Chris or David call or drop in for a coffee and a brainstorm at: Opportunities Workshop, 12 Northgate Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 3DB. info@opportunitiesworkshop.com 01473 857140
Develop through ‘Develop Anglia’ Develop Anglia is the new brand for exceptional business training from West Suffolk College. Develop Anglia offers professionalism, quality and extensive commercial training and development solutions for Senior Managers and businesses across East Anglia. Currently working with over 1800 business, we have recently expanded our facilities by opening a significantly larger training suite at IP City, Ipswich. The new premises allow easy access from the A12 for those in the East of the region. This will be in addition to our training facilities offered at Bury St Edmunds. Develop Anglia has also recently launched a new website, which allows state of the art accessibility to course materials and booking information. We are constantly developing new provision and working with our partners to identify the skills businesses are going to need in the future. We believe that with the right training and development everyone can be a better leader and manager, and if an employee is invested in, they in turn will invest in that business.
One such course is an Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Training Level 7. This course is designed for new senior executives and for those preparing for the highest levels of management. The ILM Level 7 qualification is for those professionals who seek to develop themselves as leaders and managers, who recognise they must satisfy various stakeholders and who want to invest in their own personal brand. We at Develop Anglia believe that skilled managers and leaders hold the key to creating productive, engaged, high-performing workforces, which drive business and economic success. Our ILM course tutors are extremely highly qualified and credible trainers and you will leave the course a better and more effective leader, whilst gaining valuable new relationships with fellow learners. This qualification will allow individuals to:-
• Develop and enhance their personal brand • Develop, implement and evaluate highlevel, strategic business cases • Embed their leadership and management development back in the workplace ILM is Europe’s largest independent organisation focused on leadership and management development. Over 95,000 managers each year embark on an ILM course. ILM courses are also available for Team leaders and Supervisors. Courses are running IP City 15 September 2014 and at Bury St Edmunds 12 September 2014. Invest in yourself, you are worth it! Please contact info@developanglia.co.uk or 01284 716246
IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 25
ACROSS THE REGION
New business growing
N2S set for profit boost after recycling services expansion
The latest economic indicator from Lloyds Bank reveals that new business growth is the strongest in five months.
An IT lifecycle management company has continued its year-on-year growth by making a major investment into its recycling services.
The bank’s Purchasing Managers’ Index shows that new order growth has accelerated to fastest since February, that output and employment growth has eased slightly but remains strong, and that input cost inflation has jumped to a five-month high. In July, a strong rise in new orders drove a sustained expansion of output in the East of England private sector. Job creation and output growth eased slightly when compared to the previous month but were solid overall. Meanwhile, input cost inflation picked up to its fastest since February as purchasing managers commented on the higher price of certain raw materials. The headline Lloyds Bank East of England Business Activity Index - a seasonally adjusted index that measures the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors - registered 57.8 in July, down from 58.9 in June. Although the lowest reading for 13 months, the Index still pointed to a sharp pace of output growth. When commenting on the increase in output, firms pointed to a stronger economic environment and a greater volume of new orders as the main factors behind the rise. New business placed at East of England private sector firms expanded sharply during July. Moreover, the pace of increase was the strongest in five months and was sharp overall. Payroll numbers in the East of England private sector continued to expand in July, despite the rate of hiring easing slightly when compared to the previous month. The rate of employment growth remained above that of the wider UK economy. Anecdotal evidence suggested that the sustained expansion of hiring came largely as a result of generally strong business conditions, buoyed by expectations of further business activity growth in the coming months. July data also indicated that backlogs of work decreased during the month, albeit at a fractional rate. Total average input costs rose markedly when compared to the previous month. Surveyed companies generally pointed to higher raw material costs as the main factor behind the rise. Meanwhile, firms continued to increase their selling prices in July. That said, the pace of output price inflation eased to a three-month low. Firms stated that stronger market conditions and higher cost burdens were the primary factor behind the rise in tariffs in July.
26 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
Network 2 Supplies (N2S) – the UK’s leader in IT lifecycle management – has made a £250,000 investment to install a cable granulation plant at its Bury St Edmunds site. The new plant will generate up to £30,000 additional revenue each month. Three new jobs have also been created as a result of the development. The new system will benefit N2S clients by allowing them to dispose of their redundant cables in a safe and environmentally friendly manner, but also by creating buyback value of cable and copper remains found following the granulation process.
With a capacity to input up 800kg per hour, the new plant looks set to boost the company’s profits as it continues to make its mark on the global market.
The granulator shreds industrial cable and copper wires reducing the materials to a sugar size granule and then separates the copper from the plastic. The copper can then be recycled into new cables and the plastic can be reformed into fence posts and outdoor seating.
The launch of the granulation plant comes just weeks after N2S announced two significant contract wins, which will generate up to an extra £1m revenue each year, and will see it carry out IT lifecycle management services across global locations.
The new granulation plant at N2S in Bury St Edmunds
Sally voted president of East of England Co-op’s board After five years serving on the East of England Co-operative Society’s board of directors, Sally Chicken has been elected president.
more of our staff working across the region and finding out first-hand how we can help them best serve our members.”
The 16-strong board of directors also elected Colin Barrett, as vice-president for the year ahead.
Colin Barrett has obtained the Institute of Co-operative Directors’ Certificate and currently serves on the audit committee. In 1993, he became a director of the Colchester and East Essex Society, serving terms as vice-president and president prior to the merger with the Ipswich and Norwich Society. Colin is married with two grown-up children and lives in Colchester.
Sally, who lives with her family at Chelmondiston in Suffolk, was elected to the board in May 2009 and sits on the East of England Co-op’s ‘Remuneration and Search Committee’. Sally is a strong supporter of the East of England Co-op’s "Sourced Locally" initiative, to bring local produce into stores direct from local growers and producers, and has been involved with credit unions for over 20 years. Sally said: “I’m thrilled to have been elected president. I look forward to helping the board manage its routine meetings as well as tackling some of the major strategic issues facing all cooperative societies at this time. I also hope to get out and about to meet many
Sally Chicken and Colin Barrett
Across the Region
Regional business stories
Ufford Park - now recognised by Visit England Recently, Ufford Park Woodbridge, has chosen to move itself from being associated and recognised by AA to Visit England in the hospitality industry. Having recently come away from the Best Western brand, they felt that they are able to showcase more of the business through Visit England and market themselves in Suffolk in a more positive way. The assessors of Visit England work to a very strict criteria to check the accommodation facilities meaning that the star ratings achieved are well deserved. As well as this, it benefits Ufford Park with members discount schemes that offer significant reduced costs and offers from a wide range of marketleading suppliers. Being a member of Visit England allows you to stand out from other competition with the same star rating, by offering extra awards such as their ‘gold and silver’ awards. These awards give an opportunity to gain recognition of high achievement. Properties that receive these are thought to be ‘the best of the best’ and so Ufford Park are going to be striving to achieve these to show to the public the quality of what they are able to offer for a 3 star hotel. Tarnia Robertson, Director said: “An added bonus of being recognised by Visit England is that no matter what our current star rating is, we can still strive to improve our product by
aiming for 3 star Gold – this would also be a natural progression for us should we decide to move into the 4 star market in the future.” Unfortunately, Ufford Park Woodbridge narrowly missed out being awarded coveted Visit England Breakfast Award at the first
initial inspection, however, Tarnia Robertson said: “There was literally one thing to improve on to win this prestigious award. So I am very confident that we will achieve this at our next inspection – certainly our guests regularly comment about our superb breakfasts so I am very hopeful”.
Stansted Airport offers top tips on supply chain opportunities More than 120 delegates, representing local and regional businesses gathered at Stansted Airport during the summer to pick up some top tips about how to do business with companies at the airport. The oversubscribed seminar, sponsored by the airport and organised by BE Group and Marketing Kinetics, is the forerunner for the airport’s main annual event, Meet the Buyers, scheduled for October. Speaking at the event, Stansted Airport’s corporate social responsibility manager Marcella M’Rabety, said: “ The collective purchasing power of the 190 on-airport companies is enormous and by linking with local companies we can maximise the efficiency of our supply chains and ensure we deliver maximum economic benefit for our region. “Momentum is also building towards this year’s Meet the Buyers event. Bookings have been fantastic and we have over 100 companies confirmed to participate. There are still spaces available – so there’s plenty of opportunity to get involved.” Meet the Buyers 2014 will be held at the Inflite Jet Centre, Stansted Airport on October 2. Last year 135 delegates representing 115 local businesses attended and met with local, regional and airport-based organisations, and 1,000 sales appointments were pre-arranged between buyers and suppliers across the day generating £1.8million of new business orders. Businesses interested in finding out further information about Meet the Buyers can visit www.stanstedmtb.co.uk, or call 0207 700 0008, or email angela.sobers@be-group.co.uk. IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 27
WELLBEING
HELPING BUSINESS TICK People remain at the heart of any business, however small or large Suffolk, who recognise their responsibilities and take them seriously, and as part of this they seek advice and guidance from Occupational Health specialists, such as ourselves. One such organisation is Muntons plc, who we have worked with for the past nine years to help maintain good standards of workplace health and to ensure their employees are able to carry out their roles in a safe and effective manner.
Mark Braithwaite, Managing Director
The investment involved in engaging, developing and retaining a skilled and productive workforce can never be underestimated. Along with the need to ensure the financial investment in a workforce is protected, comes the duty of care associated with being a responsible employer.
Typically the range of support and advice provided includes helping an employer meet legislative requirements, such as the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) through the provision of an appropriate Health Surveillance programme.
Our involvement with a workforce commences when an employee joins an organisation, by establishing a baseline of an individual’s health in relation to their job role. From this we can advise the employer of an appropriate health surveillance and monitoring programme, which will continue to keep track of an employee’s health and their capability to do their job in a manner that does not put them or their employer at risk. By investing in the health and wellbeing of their employees, a business will often be rewarded with a productive and engaged workforce that actively contributes to making the business tick and ultimately its level of success. For more information about Occupational Health please call 01449 766913, or visit www.gipping.co.uk
At Gipping OH we are fortunate to work with many organisations throughout
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28 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
Reach Suffolk business leaders and decision makers by advertising with us. 07769 802237
SARTORIAL ELEGANCE
Shoe care for your favourite pair The old saying “you can judge a man by his shoes” is just as true today as it ever was. They reveal whether he takes pride in the little things. If he throws on a nice suit and pairs it with cheap, clunky lace-ups, he's not what you'd call a detail man. And if he leaves his pricey wingtips scuffed and unpolished, he may not be the suave character you're looking for. At Coes, we understand the pride and passion a gentleman invests into his favourite pair of smart shoes, and we couldn’t agree more. That’s why we’re offering an exclusive offer for IoD readers - a free shoe care kit worth £30 with every shoe purchase of £100 or more. Furthermore, everyone who takes advantage of this generous offer will be entered into a competition to win a shoe care kit worth over £100.
As an indispensable tip, it’s important to remember that every shoe has its own special character. Its true allure will not appear to its best advantage unless it is worn with an appropriate outfit and on appropriate occasions. At Coes, we only sell the highest quality brands, brands who appreciate the necessary precision and art of shoemaking. “It takes time and effort to look good and stand out from the crowd. That’s why we don’t rush the manufacturing process of our shoes. It’s that impeccable attention to detail which makes sure our shoes look the business and you get noticed.” – Goodwin Smith. Prolonging the life of a pair of high quality leather shoes can become a pleasant routine task for the owner, as long as he possesses a fully-equipped shoe care kit. When you buy a new pair of shoes, you want them to maintain the condition in
VE I US L C EX
R E F F O
which you first bought them (that’s why they caught your eye on the shelf in the first place). By following a few, simple rules, you can keep the ‘fresh out of the box’ look for longer, instead of surrendering them to the pile of worn-out shoes at the back of the shoe cupboard. Here are our five golden rules of shoe care: 1) When polishing, take great precision and care – use a small tight swirling motion, gradually moving across the entire surface area rather than a nonchalant wiping motion. 2) High quality shoes should always be put on with a shoe horn, regardless of the type of shoe. Lace-ups, buckled shoes and slipons are all susceptible to heel damage. When taking off lace-ups, the laces should first be loosened at every point, allowing the foot to slip out of the shoe easily and effortlessly, whilst protecting the shoe from any stretching or damage. 3) Custom made shoe trees should be inserted into the shoes immediately after removal. They’ll preserve the shape of your shoes, prevent them from developing deep creases, absorb moisture, and even make them smell better – it’s a no brainer. Coes are equipped with the perfect models to protect your shoes.
4) Your shoes should be wiped down and polished with shoe cream after each and every wearing. This is still advisable even if they appear to have lost none of their original gleam. 5) If the shoes are not going to be worn for an extended period of time, take precautionary measures. After applying a thin coating of shoe cream, insert into a textile shoe bag and place the shoes inside their original box, standing on their soles.
William Coe, Coes of Ipswich t: +44 (0) 1473 256061 e: info@coes.co.uk
Valid until 30th November 2014
SPEND £100 ON SHOES AND RECEIVE
A SHOE CARE KIT WORTH £30 The care kit includes wax polish, brushes, shoe horn and duster cloth. This offer is only valid to IoD readers, with mention of this article.
20- 2 8 NO R W I C H R OA D I PS W I CH I P1 2 N H T EL: 0 1 4 7 3 2 56061 O P E N TU E S D AY – S AT U RDAY 9 AM–6 PM FR EE CUSTOMER C A R PA RK
coes.co.uk IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 29
MUNTONS IBREW COMPETITION
Muntons – who? Type Muntons into Google and you will find on the first page links to their website; then references to homebrew, malt, their US operation and some spurious information about garden plant supports (nothing to do with Muntons in Stowmarket). Type in ‘homebrew Muntons’ and the page is awash with references to their beer kits and homebrew products - this is the face of Muntons; the side that reaches the consumer. Yet homebrew, whilst important is only a small part of their business. Andy Janes, Muntons marketing manager explains... Muntons make 170,000 tonnes of malt every year much of which is sold into the brewing and distilling industry, to make beer and whisky. They further process their own malt into 50,000 tonnes of ingredients used in the food and baking industry, for breads, confectionery, vinegar production, night-time drinks, breakfast cereals and a host of other uses. But it is in the homebrew market where their corporate brand gains most recognition. Although only a small part of their business at just over 2,500 tonnes per year it is important; homebrew is a rare commodity, it is a recession growth product. Times get hard, people question where they are spending their money and homebrew springs to mind.
The UK homebrew market has trebled in size since the credit crunch and recession hit back in 2008 but this is not just seen as a way to save money. Modern homebrew is all about making good beer, good wine cheaply – not cheap beer and wine. It is primarily this, along with the fascination of homebrewing as a hobby that has driven the market to grow even though the recession is over. Homebrewing attracts people from all sectors of the demographic divide; you are as likely to see A’s and B’s homebrewing as you are C1’s, C2’s or D’s. Some interesting statistics – last year Muntons sold enough home beer making kits to brew 49.5 million pints of beer and enough wine kits to make 2.4 million
bottles of wine. These were bought not just by customers in the UK but by customers in a further 25 countries globally. The UK market is estimated to be worth £28 million at retail prices, split 50% beer, 30% wine, the balance brewing equipment and ancillary products. It is currently a male dominated market with women making up just 20% of brewers. But things are changing with growing interest in craft brewed beers making real ales an attractive drink not just to men but to the women as well. Real ales are a heady mixture of the sweetness of malt beautifully counterpointing the bitterness of the hop – you could say a sweet and sour source!
Win! A taste of Muntons! We have an ibrew complete home brew system to give away. TO ENTER email: sales@tilstonphillips.com or send your name, address and telephone number to: Muntons ibrew Competition, 141 Norwich Road, Ipswich, IP1 2PP Closing date: 30th November 2014 Rules and Conditions The winner will be the first entry drawn at random from all entries received by midday on the closing date, 30th November 2014. The prize is open to readers of IoD Suffolk Magazine who are aged over 18 and reside in the UK, except for committee members of the IoD Suffolk branch, contributors to IoD Suffolk Magazine and employees of Tilston Phillips Magazines Limited. The prize is subject to availability, non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash. By entering, contestants are bound by the above rules..
30 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
BUSINESS BOOKS
How listening to your significant other can make you a better leader An interesting new take on better leadership has hit the shelves as top corporate psychologist and author Dr Patricia Thompson advocates self awareness and introspection on a personal level to get the job done as a better leader on a professional level. Dr Patricia Thompson
“It sounds a little strange, but I wrote this leadership book as a result of relationship breakup,” says Dr Thompson. “Five years ago, the end of a relationship with someone I thought I would marry caused me to really engage in some deep reflection. All of that introspection caused me to understand myself much more fully, resulting in valuable personal growth.”
such as how their personal upbringing, values, and beliefs affect how they approach their work and the people they manage. Further, many executives see their personal and professional lives as separate, and as a result, don’t reflect on how lessons learned in one area of their lives can be applied to make them more effective in other areas.
“On the surface, addressing behaviours outside of the office may have little impact at boardroom level but, achieving clarity personally is key to attaining improved leader status professionally,” she says. “Although I was focusing entirely on myself on a personal level, the unintended side effect was that I got much better on the job. I had a better understanding of my quirks, habits, strengths, and not-so-good aspects of myself. It allowed me to better understand my own biases, monitor my reactions with clients, and improve my ability to connect with and influence others.”
She says this is a mistake. “During coaching sessions, it’s funny the number of times I hear things like, ‘My wife has been telling me this for years,’ or ‘Don’t tell me husband this – he will feel totally validated!’ While a lot of us might think the complaints of our significant others only impact our home lives, the reality is that we often unknowingly play out a lot of those same behaviours in the workplace.”
Having coached senior leaders for more than 10 years, Thompson argues that self-awareness is the key to leadership excellence. “We’ve heard for years that selfawareness is necessary for strong leadership – it is the foundation for emotional intelligence and understanding the impact you have on others.” “Yet,” she contends, “I’ve found that most leaders do not engage in the sort of selfreflection that allows them to have the level of self-awareness associated with consummate leadership.” With busy schedules, competing priorities, and demands from shareholders vying for attention, she argues that many senior leaders simply don’t take the time to think about issues
She assures us that it doesn’t take years on a psychologist’s couch to gain the sort of insight of which she speaks. The book, which draws heavily on research, her years coaching corporate leaders, and personal experience, provides a thoughtprovoking and actionable template that readers can use to gain greater selfknowledge and overall effectiveness.
To address this need for greater selfknowledge, Dr Thompson wrote the interactive and insightful leadership book, The Consummate Leader: a holistic guide to inspiring growth in others… and in yourself. “The book is designed to take the reader on a journey to better selfunderstanding. While a lot of books simply focus on certain behaviours, I don’t know of another leadership book that takes a step-by-step approach to guide you through how to reflect on how areas like your experiences in childhood, worldview, spirituality, and beliefs inform how you lead.” In her accessible and often humorous style – using notable lessons from Nelson Mandela to SpongeBob SquarePants – Thompson reveals why truly outstanding leaders not only focus on strategy, metrics, and execution, they also tend to their minds, bodies, and spirits.
The Consummate Leader is available at from all good bookshops and online.
IoD suffolk | autumn 2014 | 31
JOIN THE IOD
Are you a member of the IoD? New members to Suffolk branch Join us and you’ll discover a unique mix of opportunities to learn and be inspired by interesting speakers; meet other directors, senior managers and professionals and enjoy a variety of social occasions with a big member discount. Many of our members take advantage of other IoD benefits including the superb meeting space and facilities in Pall Mall, London, which are free to use; free one-to-one expert advisory sessions and free business information queries answered within 24 hours.
As an IoD Suffolk member you are also entitled to free access to a dedicated workstation in the new e-touchdown on the 5th floor at Eastern Enterprise Hub in the James Hehir building on Ipswich waterfront. See www.eehub.co.uk
• IoD Travel Services • IoD Car Rental • IoD Director’s Liability Insurance • IoD ProfessionaL Indemnity Insurance • IoD Home and Contents Insurance • IoD Health Plans For a complete list of the current affinity member benefits, please see www.iod.com/speciallynegotiated To find out more about joining IoD Suffolk branch please contact: Caroline Kearney, Suffolk Branch Administrator 07917 699 498 caroline@iod-suffolk.co.uk Institute of Directors Suffolk Branch 25 Wilding Drive, Grange Farm, Kesgrave Ipswich IP5 2AE
32 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2014
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