West & North Yorkshire Business Q2 2019 by West & North Yorkshire Business

West & North

Yorkshire

usiness PRODUCED & PUBLISHED BY WEST & NORTH YORKSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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eagle has landed West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

CONNECTING, SUPPORTING & REPRESENTING BUSINESS IN THE REGION

Q2 2019

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West & North Yorkshire Business

WELCOME 3

Broaden your business horizons The uncertainty around Brexit remains and international traders continue to look for new markets. I’m pleased that our experienced Chamber International team is helping companies find customers in China, Turkey and the USA, as you’ll see in this quarter’s magazine.

Sandy Needham Chief Executive West & North Yorkshire Chamber

08455 240 240 editor@yorkshire-business.co.uk www.yorkshire-business.co.uk @WNYorkshire_Biz

York is carrying out a “narrative project” with input from Wayne Hemmingway and reviewing its development plans and transport. Leeds is engaging business on plans for Leeds Station and working on the Leeds Manufacturing Festival. In Bradford the push for a city centre station on the proposed Northern Powerhouse Rail line continues and the recruitment of manufacturers and schools for the Bradford Manufacturing Weeks 19 is going well. It’s a busy time in all sorts of ways. The elections for the three Leadership Groups will take place shortly, followed immediately by Annual Elections, when new Presidents and Vice Presidents will be selected. It’s been a pleasure over the last two years to work with Bridget Meynell, York & North Yorkshire Chamber, Paula Dillon, Leeds Chamber and Nick Garthwaite, Bradford Chamber. They’ve done a great job of speaking on behalf of members and making sure your views and issues are raised and I’d like to thank them for the contribution they have made.

West & North Yorkshire Business

4 CONTACTS 6

MEMBERS’ NEWS

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REGIONAL NEWS

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14 POLICY

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CONTRACT LAW GUIDE

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AZUMA LAUNCH

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28 INTERVIEW

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32 MANUFACTURING

West & North Yorkshire Business is a quarterly business

EDITORIAL editor@yorkshire-business.co.uk

is comprised of a targeted audience of the major decision

advertising or promotion without the express permission

Printed by Hart & Clough www.hartandclough.co.uk The Chamber group includes Chamber International, Business Enterprise Fund and West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

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39 INTERNATIONAL

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This magazine is published by the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

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care to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate on the date of publication.

SUCCESSION PLANNING

36 FINANCE

of the editorial team. West & North Yorkshire Business has taken all reasonable

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Education and opportunities

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makers and senior executives across both the Yorkshire region and the wider UK business community.

News from across the region

Local and regional issues

magazine produced by the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. The audience for this publication

News from Bradford, Leeds, York & North Yorkshire

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AD:VENTURE

47 RECRUITMENT Ambition:Leeds

FEMALE STARTUPS Natwest

50 PROPERTY

Puddle Digital

52 EDUCATION

CU Scarborough

53 TRAINING We are IVE

54 56

SOCIAL IMPACT Raising the Bar

AVENUE HQ Barclays

58 SOCIAL

What you missed online

60 MANUFACTURING

Ex-Pressed Steel Panels

62 PROFILES

Saville Group and Portakabin

63 ENTERTAINMENT

Shakespeare Rose Theatre

ANNUAL DINNER York & North Yorkshire Chamber

66 EVENTS

Upcoming events

West & North Yorkshire Business

CONTENTS 5

Guide to contracts 64 28

York & North Yorkshire Chamber Annual Dinner

Paving the way forward

Raising the Bar launch

14 Leeds train station improvements

Local agency, global business

West & North Yorkshire Business

BRADFORD NEWS

Made in Bradford There’s a lot going on in the city right now. I recently visited the refurbished St George’s Hall, to see ‘Rita, Sue and Bob too’. Not one to take your mum to, but written by Bradford-born Andrea Dunbar, it was appropriate the play was performed here. Sticking with the arts, I believe that the ‘new Odeon’ (we await the re-name with bated breath!) will be a game changer for the city. It will bring challenges around transport and infrastructure in the city, which will be tackled, in part at least, by Transport for the North’s new strategy that I helped unveil at a local launch in the spring. Regional stakeholders had the opportunity to ask questions relevant to their locality. There was special attention, of course, on the regional benefits of the Northern Powerhouse Rail city station plan. ‘Bradford Manufacturing Weeks’ (7-18 October) will build on last year’s inaugural success when almost 3000 young people engaged with our manufacturers, via work experience, factory tours or in-school activity. The recent launch of BMW 2019, with a lively audience of schools and manufacturers, assured me that the sector remains in fine fettle with a soon-to-be growing pipeline of new recruits coming through due to the enhanced image, perception and profile of manufacturing among young people. As I prepare to hand over the presidential reins to Suzanne Watson, I want to say what an absolute privilege it has been to serve over the last two years. I have enjoyed my time in the role tremendously and I wish Suzanne, the business community and the people of Bradford success for the future. Nick Garthwaite President Bradford Chamber

Nadcap accreditation for local lab Keighley Laboratories Limited has received congratulations from Nadcap following successfully passing the Materials Testing Laboratory audit and obtaining Nadcap accreditation. Nadcap accreditation for Materials Testing Laboratory has been achieved by Keighley Labs as a result of the efforts they have invested in meeting strict industry and customer requirements. Debbie Mellor, Managing Director said: “This achievement is important for Keighley Labs as it demonstrates our commitment to delivering the highest standards of material testing services.”

Winning tender for Keighley IT firm Keighley based IT provider Cosurica has been selected by Keighley Town Council to supply, install and support new IT systems for over 40 staff and council members. Work begun in May and involves installing a wide range of products, including secure public and private wi-fi networks throughout the Civic Centre. Cosurica will implement various systems for the Town Council to enable easier and more secure sharing of documents and other data. Cosurica will also provide on-going end-user support and systems management services.

West & North Yorkshire Business

Winning employers Ramsdens Solicitors are delighted to announce their latest win, this time at the LPM Practice Excellence Awards 2019. Ramsdens won the People and Engagement Award, demonstrating their excellence in employee engagement. The LPM Practice Excellence Awards launched in 2019 and annually celebrate best practice in legal business management.

Unlocking their potential

Helping the homeless

Building affordable futures

Bradford is one of twelve opportunity areas in England chosen by the government to help unlock the potential of England’s young people. This government-funded scheme will be led by Bradford Council.

Yorkshire based law firm Gordons has raised more than £20,000 for the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity Centrepoint.

Incommunities have launched a programme to complete over 250 rented homes for local home hunters over the next two years and over 1000 new affordable homes by 2025.

A key priority of the programme is strengthening governance within schools across the district.

The firm has supported Centrepoint with a number of initiatives over the past 12 months, including collecting and donating Chrismas presents and a staged ‘Gordons’ Got Talent’ event.

The plan, backed by over £10m of new funding, intends to overcome the challenges facing young people and those who support them.

Gordons has also helped Centrepoint’s young adults prepare for the world of work by offering one-to-one mentoring by individuals from the firm.

Bradford Council is currently seeking to bring together employers who are interested in their employees becoming involved school governors.

The funds raised are equivalent to sponsoring all of Centrepoint’s beds across Yorkshire for a year through the charity’s Sponsor a Room initiative.

This programme includes developments on sites in Bolton Woods, Manningham and Thornbury. Many of these homes, provided by Incommunities, have and will be released for affordable rent alongside some shared ownership and market sale units. Angela Perry, Incommunities Assistant Chief Executive, Asset Management said, “We pride ourselves on our track record of building affordable homes for local people and we are on track to complete our plans to build 1400 properties by 2025.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

LEEDS NEWS

Striving to be better This is the last time I will be writing in the magazine as Leeds Chamber president. I’ve enjoyed the two years, and hope that I’ve been worthy of the role. Leeds is a fantastic city but one should always strive to be even better, and I think that we have done that – even under very challenging circumstances. I know that I leave the Chamber and Leeds business community in good hands and that my successor, Amanda Beresford of Shulmans, will take the city to even greater heights. While there is still economic and political uncertainty, national and internationally, we will continue to lobby for local businesses along the lines of the recent successes below. Our report last year on housing shortages was well-received, and one off-shoot of it was the launch of the Leeds Planning Protocol earlier this year. The protocol, developed with Leeds City Council, was a first for a major UK city. 2018 saw the first cohort of students complete their education at University Technical College Leeds. The UTC is helping to address local skills shortages in manufacturing and the impact on young people’s futures cannot be underestimated. Leeds Manufacturing Festival, launched last year, is to be repeated too. There have been many other great things the Chamber has done but space prevents me elaborating further. Thank you for your support and I wish you all success and happiness for the future. Paula Dillon President Leeds Chamber

Overseeing restaurant restructure Leeds-based law firm Blacks Solicitors has overseen and helped coordinate the restructuring of ownership of Fazenda Rodizio Bar and Grill for investment vehicle LLB Investments Limited. Both Blacks and Fazenda are Chamber members. City District, which owns and operates the restaurant chain and brand, chose Blacks due to an existing relationship and the firm’s extensive experience of advising on shareholder acquisitions. Dave Paterson, Corporate Law Partner at Blacks who led the team throughout the deal, said: “It has been fantastic to work with the team at City District to achieve a management buyout with paves the way for City District to grow and strengthen the Fazenda brand.”

Championing mental health Leeds law firm Clarion has been recognised in the inaugural Behavioural Wealth Awards for its mental health initiatives. Launched this year by Addcounsel, one of the UK’s leading providers of individualised care programmes for those with behavioural health issues, the awards are open to organisations in both the public and private sectors. The Mental Health Champion Award recognises initiatives in the financial, legal and private client advisory world to improve mental health within these sectors. As part of its commitment to creating an environment where people enjoy coming to work, Clarion has established a positive and open culture. From strong internal communications and recognition of hard work and talent to encouraging caring for colleagues, the law firm strives to find ways to promote good mental health. From promoting it’s own Health and Wellbeing month in January to free yoga and massage sessions, Clarion promotes a great work culture for employees.

West & North Yorkshire Business

Q2 Q1

Racing ahead for charity In May, The Merrion Centre in Leeds celebrated the city’s incoming Tour de Yorkshire by launching its very own version of the race. Shoppers were encouraged to take part in its largest ever cycle challenge, ‘Get on your Bike’, which aimed to cycle the total distance of Tour de Yorkshire on static spinning bikes.

Working in partnership with leisure tenant Pure Gym, the shopping centre set to raise money for both company’s charity partners, Candlelighters and Mind. Over 30 shoppers and colleagues embraced the challenge and smashed the target by lunch time.

Cyclists continued to race ahead throughout the afternoon and achieved a distance of 582 miles and raised £128 for the charities. The money raised will go towards families facing children’s cancer and in providing advice and support to individuals suffering with mental health.

Making the FT1000

Anniversary for community hub

GF Genovate Ltd has been named for the first time this year in the prestigious FT1000 ranking of Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies.

Platform’s tech hub for start-ups and SMEs is celebrating its first anniversary following a successful 12 months.

Since it began, the FT1000 is a special report ranking businesses from 31 European countries by revenue growth. Compiled in partnership with Statista, the list showcases companies that achieved the highest compound annual growth rate in revenue between 2014 and 2017. GF Genovate is very pleased by the news as it came in at a very healthy number 22 – making it the fastest growing Energy Company in Europe. Stakeholders see GF Genovate’s ranking in the FT1000 as an affirmation of their commitment to steady and carefully managed growth.

Launched by Bruntwood SciTech in April 2018, the tech hub at Platform is now home to more than 70 digital and tech companies. The hub was created with £2m from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, via Leeds City Council, to support the creation of over 1,000 new digital tech jobs over the next decade, joining a network of other specialist tech hubs. The tech hub offers companies from the region’s rapidly growing digital technology sector business support and expertise. Such support includes access to finance, markets and talent, delivered in partnership with leading national and local partners to help drive their growth.

West & North Yorkshire Business

YORK & NORTH YORKSHIRE NEWS

Keeping on the front foot is key to success It’s been a pleasure to lead York & North Yorkshire Chamber for the last two years. The City of York and surrounding area of North Yorkshire is a wonderful part of the world due to its heritage, tourism and many attractions, however, we never rest on our laurels – success is a double-edged sword. We’ve therefore been ensuring that the key policy issues raised by members stay at the forefront of the thinking of decision-makers. Key stakeholders in the region give freely of their time on the Leadership Group and The Property Forum to inform us of the key issues and successes and we make sure we get in front of the right decision makers to encourage forward momentum. We will continue to lobby our councils on your behalf particularly on the issues you tell us are important to you including transport & infrastructure, skills & recruitment, and of course Planning. We are pushing against Highways England and the Department for Transport for the cost of dualling the A64. The Property Forum and Leadership Group have both been used as platforms to spell out how and why the York Central project is necessary to keep the city on the front foot with its image, profile and reputation. Housing and the urgent necessity of a fit-forpurpose Local Plan is another area on which we have been liaising with politicians. We continue to gather views, information and data through various methods of contact with members – policy meetings, surveys, networking, etc. – to ensure that we are the voice of business. Thank you for your support for the last 2 years and I hope to see you at a chamber event soon. Bridget Meynell President York & North Yorkshire Chamber

Time to change During mental health awareness week, City of York Council committed to raising awareness of positive mental health and the support available, as well as challenging stigma, by becoming a time to change employer. The council’s Chief Executive, Mary Weastell, signed the pledge and was joined by colleagues from across the council, Tim Madgwick, Chair of York’s Mental Health Partnership, York CVS and Time to Change. The Time to Change employer pledge is a way for organisations to demonstrate their commitment to changing the way everyone thinks and acts about mental health in the workplace and make sure that employees who are facing these problems feel supported. The pledge comes after last year the city’s Health and Wellbeing Board launched its mental health strategy and created a new mental health partnership to deliver it. One of the partnership’s main priorities is making sure York is a mental health friendly environment.

Chinese visitors Chinese travel is booming throughout the UK, with China being the second top country visiting York with 9% of all overseas tourism to the city. York was named as the fourth fastest growing city in the UK for room nights booked by Chinese visitors between 2015 and 2017. The Grand, York, has spotted this opportunity and developed a host of fitting tactics to hep welcome Chinese guests. In doing so, the

hotel has grown total revenue with the Chinese market by an impressive 130%. Their tactics include: launching and maintaining a Weibo profile, the Chinese equivalent to Facebook; international travel PR by becoming part of UKInbound and China Travel Outbounds schemes; and Chinese adaptions, such as Chinese signage, translated menus and Chinesefriendly food and drink options.

West & North Yorkshire Business

Funding graduate outcomes Health and social care students in North Yorkshire are set to benefit from a grant worth almost £250,000 as part of a project to boost graduate outcomes on the North Yorkshire Coast. CU Scarborough, part of the Coventry University Group, received

the funds from the Office for Students (OfS) as part of the OfS Challenge competition to support local graduates. The project aims to radically increase the number of local graduates going into the health and social care sector on the North Yorkshire Coast.

The grant funding will be used to employ four new staff at CU Scarborough including a dedicated Health and Social Care Outreach Officer who will work both with local colleges and hard to reach groups to encourage prospective HE students to consider health related courses and careers.

A new HR school

Making music for mental health

The Connors Company, a coaching and people development business based in York, is launching HR School, specifically focused on teaching soft skills HR to line managers and HR professionals.

Music Production students from York St John University have collaborated with professional musicians to produce an album, recorded at Abbey Road, in aid of a mental health charity.

Debbie Connors, Managing Director, who has worked in HR for over 20 years explains the reasons behind setting up HR School: “In all the time I‘ve been doing HR, I’ve realised that we continue to treat the symptoms and not the cause. It’s no coincidence that the same people issues keep cropping up time and again.

The compilation, called Smoke Rainbows, was released in May by the charity Help Musicians UK in aid of their mental health initiative. The money raised will go towards the charity providing an around the clock listening ear support service from Help Musicians UK. Each year third year BA Music Production students take part in a project at the legendary Abbey Road studios in London. The longstanding collaboration provides students with unsurpassed professional learning experience in one of the world’s best recording studios.

“At HR School, we want to equip line managers with tools and techniques that serve to reduce the causes of conflict at work and promote positive management practices.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

WEST & NORTH YORKSHIRE NEWS

Keep moving I have been travelling around our region recently and speaking to a number of business and civic leaders. Apart from the issues around transport, skills, housing and Brexit, there has been another theme emerging: the future of our towns and cities. Too many are failing or struggling. We may read about this or that town or city being a great place to live and some of Yorkshire’s places feature highly, but they are the select few. We know the signs: low footfall, vacant shops, poor quality retail, dirty streets, no evening economy (or an unseemly one), fear of crime, lack of investment, a feeling of being ‘left behind’. A strong and successful town/city centre is vital to a successful economy and social wellbeing. Do we know the answers? How do we improve the vitality and vibrancy of places? I believe it starts with an understanding of the good, bad and ugly. We need to be honest in that analysis. Each place will have a different answer to its future, although some generic issues, such as transport, will be common. Ensuring a more flexible approach to planning and uses will be key. Collaboration between civic leaders and businesses needs to be at the heart of the discussion. The Chamber intends to raise the level of debate. We are fortunate to have great towns and cities with an enviable legacy and heritage, but we must make sure they are well placed for the present and more importantly the future. Gerald Jennings, FRICS Chair of the Board West & North Yorkshire Chamber

Advising on Brexit Tudor International Freight advise Yorkshire’s exporters and importers to prepare for a no deal Brexit. To keep businesses operating as usual in the event of a no-deal Brexit, HMRC are urging EU importers and exporters to become familiar with three new programmes: Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI); Customs Declarations Service (CDS); and the Transitional Simplified Import and Export Procedure (SIEP). Details regarding these programmes can be found online. Tudor Freight International also urges companies to consider their supply chain and whether they are confident they will make the right preparations to ensure delivery will continue as smoothly as it currently does.

A national first The UK’s first tree health centre is set to be built at the Yorkshire Arboretum, located near Castle Howard in North Yorkshire. The Yorkshire Arboretum has raised funds to build the UK’s first purposebuilt facility to expand public awareness about the threats posed to our trees, including pests and diseases. The Tree Health Centre will offer training courses given by specialists and cater to all levels of expertise. The large and diverse collection of trees as the Yorkshire Arboretum, its location, reputation and connections with plant health professionals, make it ideal for this.

West & North Yorkshire Business

Millions contributed for new mine Local payments from Sirius Minerals to the development of Woodsmith Mine towards protecting and enhancing the environment, developing skills, supporting tourism and increasing rail provision, have reached £5million. This announcement comes just two years after its construction commenced in May 2017. The contributions to North York moors National Park Authority, North Yorkshire County Council and Redcar

and Cleveland Borough Council form part of Sirius Minerals’ planning permission for its new multi-million pound fertilizer mine near Whitby and underground mineral transport system to Teesside. Measures include annual contributions for landscape and ecology projects, funding towards tourism promotion and an extensive education and skills programme to tackle skill shortages in the area.

Enhancing our airport

Reliable rail

Major progress has been made on a project to improve the passenger experience at Leeds Bradford Airport, the Aviation Minister saw first-hand on a visit earlier this year.

TransPennine Express (TPE) is continuing to focus on enhancing the reliability of services for customers as part of its upcoming timetable change.

At Leeds Bradford Airport, Aviation Minister Liz Sugg saw construction begin on a major extension to the main airport terminal building, the airport’s biggest investment to date.

This will build on changes made back in December which led to a significant improvement in the reliability and punctuality of trains across the North.

The extension will significantly improve travel experiences for passengers, including larger immigration and baggage reclaim areas, better departure gate facilities, and more shopping and food outlets.

The additional adjustments came into effect in May. Following these changes, TPE has also updated their bike reservation policy so cyclists can pre-book space up to ten minutes before travelling.

This progress continues to build on the major investment already going on in the area, including more than £170million being invested by Government in wider public transport improvements to the Leeds area.

Over the next 12 months, TPE will begin operating brand new Nova trains as part of a £500million investment in improving rail services across the North.

West & North Yorkshire Business

All change at Leeds

Key gateway to the Northern Powerhouse If you have passed through Leeds station in the last few months you can’t fail to have noticed that it is undergoing a bit of a makeover right now. The Chamber has been a strong advocate for improvements to the station and over the last 7-8 years has been lobbying Network Rail and others to ensure this major gateway into the UK’s third largest city provides the welcome commuters, tourists and investors deserve.

Work is currently underway to replace the dark wooden panelling and open up the roof to bring light into the main concourse. In addition, the existing ticket barrier line will be straightened and extended by removing the existing shop frontages between Boots and WH Smiths. Together these schemes will provide significantly reduced queueing into and out of a much more open, light and airy station concourse. This will be ready for September 2019.

Leeds Rail Station is already the busiest transport hub across the whole of the North of England and currently has over 31 million passengers per year; to put in context this is more than Manchester Airport. With proposals for HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and regional and local upgrades this number will grow significantly. We recognise and support government’s ambition to rebalance the UK economy and support the Northern Powerhouse concept; this can be greatly improved by seamless and integrated transport connectivity.

Away from public attention work has already been completed to upgrade the station’s signalling system but this is only the beginning. Soon work will commence on building a new Platform 0, increasing service capacity at the station and boosting the number of trains per hour in and out of the station. Further improvements are planned to both the station and to national, interregional, regional and local rail connectivity which will, over the next 15 years culminate in high speed trains arriving in the city.

It is hard to understate just how game changing this will be, not just for Leeds but for the wider region. Improving connectivity and increasing capacity will transform the regional economy. Better connectivity widens the available labour market for employers and job opportunities for individuals. Freeing up capacity on the network will provide more room for local services and also creates opportunities to move more freight off the road and on to rail. The programme of activities is overseen by the Leeds Station Senior Steering Group, chaired by Network Rail Director of Finance, Jeremy Westlake. The Chamber has been represented on this group by President, Paula Dillon and by Vice President Amanda Beresford. This ensures the business voice continues to be heard as work progresses. Today we are seeing phase 1 of ambitious plans to transform Leeds station. Details of the overall masterplan can be found here http://chmbr.co/leedsstationplan

West & North Yorkshire Business

TRANSPORT & INFRASTRUCTURE 15

Keep HS2 on track Chamber reacts to Lords’ HS2 report

Recent speculation about the future viability of the HS2 scheme has been challenged by the Chamber. A House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee said it was “far from convinced” that the £55.7bn price tag was credible, and the Government should publish a new cost-benefit analysis. The committee did, however, add that the priority for new infrastructure should be the North. It called on the government to build new connections between cities from Liverpool to Hull – the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) scheme – at the same time as the second phase of HS2, in order to guarantee construction. The Chamber has been consistently leading the charge in the campaigns for both HS2 and NPR and has stipulated that this will continue. Reacting to the Lords’ report, Gerald Jennings, Chair of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This part of the world is in desperate need of major rail investment which will bring about transformational change in our rail network and the Chamber is pleased that the report recognises this. The existing network has not really changed since it was built by the Victorians yet we expect it to provide more and more services. “It simply can’t meet current and future demands which is why we must build new lines. HS2 and NPR will deliver this transformational change and help unlock economic growth and better connect businesses, employers and consumers benefiting not just in Leeds and York but across the whole of the UK. It is not a choice between one project above another, the North needs investment across the network so that local, regional, and national services meet future needs. “Already in Leeds we are seeing millions of pounds of new investment into the city and some of this can be attributed to the likelihood of HS2 coming to the city. Even more investment will come to the city and beyond once there is certainty about the project and that is why the Chamber expects government to confirm its commitment to the whole HS2 route at the next Spending Review, and for other vital infrastructure projects, including Northern Powerhouse Rail.” HS2, NPR and other transport-related matters affecting or raised by Chamber members are discussed in a dedicated business group that meets quarterly and is managed by the policy team. The group is chaired by Addleshaw Goddard’s Sara Gilmore.

For further reading, see the Parliament website’s article at http://chmbr.co/hs2lordsreport

HS2 and NPR will “ deliver this

transformational change and help unlock economic growth and better connect businesses, employers and consumers benefiting not just in Leeds and York but across the whole of the UK.

”

West & North Yorkshire Business

16 EMPLOYMENT & SKILLS

The future of work: evolution or revolution? Brexit uncertainty continues to challenge businesses across the region, as Parliament remains deadlocked over our future relations with the UK’s largest trading bloc. In our latest economic report, published in March, we highlighted the slowing down of investment decisions as companies hold off major purchases until they better understand what trading conditions they face. Speaking at the recent British Chambers annual conference, our Director General Adam Marshall said, “Businesses are frustrated and angry and many feel politicians have focused on soundbites, not substance; on politics not prosperity.” Yet, despite this the underlying economy remains strong, with Yorkshire outperforming the UK at this moment. However the data masks a problem which the Chamber believes is much bigger than Brexit, something which has been many years in the making and will harm our businesses if left unchecked. Here at the Chamber we believe the biggest challenge will be, “How do we make our businesses appealing in order to attract and retain future talent?” Leeds has been one of the real success stories for the UK economy over the last three decades, the current political trials and tribulations notwithstanding, the city has fared well in adapting its economy to changing times. Charles Dickens once described Leeds as a city of a thousand trades, and whilst the trades may have changed it is still enormously diverse, something which has helped it weather global challenges. Our region is known for its strong financial and legal services community. This is undoubtedly true, with global banks, accountancy practices and law firms not just being based here but

leading national and international deals from here. Manufacturing too remains strong in our region; to paraphrase Mark Twain: ‘Rumours of the sector’s death have been greatly exaggerated’. Yes, this has changed over the last thirty years, reducing headcount significantly since its peak; nevertheless, the Leeds City Region is still the UK’s largest concentration of manufacturing jobs of any LEP area, serving a very wide range of industries. Other sectors too have a significant presence in the region, including retail & hospitality, creative and cultural; and we can’t forget our education sector which bring international students from around the globe. But the sector which is having the greatest impact on the future is the digital sector. Technological change is happening at a pace we have not seen before and it is impacting all sectors. Within manufacturing, Industry 4.0 is seeing the convergence of engineering with digital, through automation and much greater data exchange between systems and processes. The phrase, ‘What can be automated will be automated at some point in the future’ rings true. Technology is also making the world a smaller place connecting business with customers around the globe. Our own international trade team are supporting an increasing number of companies who are picking up opportunities because they have been found online. But technology is also opening up opportunities for individuals too, meaning geographical location is not always the impediment to employment that it was previously. The rise of the digital nomad, as they have been called, puts increasing pressures

on organisations to secure the talent they need here in our region. So with a rapidly changing labour market in an ever smaller world how do we ensure we can continue to recruit young people with the skills we need to allow our businesses to grow and take on the world. By 2020, 20% of the workforce will have been born after 1995; known as ‘Generation Z’ these post-millennials bring a new and exciting dynamic which our businesses must acknowledge. This hyper-connected workforce learned to swipe before learning to speak, they have an attention span of 8 seconds and bring a different set of values. Research says 60% want a job with social impact; that 70% want to start their own business; that they will have 17 jobs and 15 homes in their lifetime. These people are mobile and have choices. So how will your company attract and retain this future workforce. For example, can you demonstrate the social impact your company is having? You may wish to view the Chamber’s ‘Raising the Bar’ website where support is available. As business leaders we must think about the future of work, the way we carried out business in the past is unlikely to carry on into the future. Just look how, since its launch in 1989, Leeds-based First Direct disrupted the banking sector by bringing telephone banking to the world. The inexorable rise of digital technology and smart phone apps will accelerate the displacement of traditional jobs and as businesses we must evolve. Undoubtedly Brexit will present challenges but we will survive; however, if we are unable to hire our future workforce we will be consigned to history.

West & North Yorkshire Business

Zoning in on the main issues Bradford Chamber’s Property Forum has been engaging with key stakeholders recently in a number of initiatives. The problems associated with the shortage of land sites for employment use is being addressed by specialist consultants, appointed by Bradford Council to help find solutions. An update from the consultants, Peter Brett Associates and Aspinall Verdi, was given to the property sector last month [June], and the Forum continues to work closely with the teams involved. The local authority’s plans for three ‘business development zones’ in the District (in Bowling, Shipley and Keighley) has also been assisted by the Forum. Steering group members, including the Chair and Vice-Chair, Marianne McCallum and Jonathan O’Connor, were able to give detailed information on historical uses and occupancy, logistical and other practical issues with the three zones, and put consultants in touch with other business, including both occupiers and agents, likely to have thoughts and suggestions about the plans. Three site visits have also taken place in the last couple of months: to the New College Bradford (6th form college), Newhall Nano Park at ProLogis, and a city centre ‘Walk & Talk’ tour of key schemes. Led by the Council’s Assistant Director for Economic Development, Shelagh O’Neill, stopping points included Broadway, City Park and Sunbridge Wells – some of the city’s recent successes – but also ongoing projects such as High Point, Oastler Market and Darley Street. The tour concluded at The Lofts luxury complex in Little Germany, a scheme being delivered by Bridge Atlantic Investments. Marianne said afterwards: “It’s useful to get these coal-face updates on what’s happening, even for those discussing these things on a regular basis. It shows not only that the world hasn’t come to a standstill due to Brexit, but also that there is interest within the property and investment community, and commitment from the local authority to keep up the city centre regeneration programme. The city’s profile has changed in recent years; events like this help to promote its potential for growth. The event brought together people who know the city well with others less familiar.” Faye Hutchinson of Evora Construction added: “Bradford has an overwhelming amount of un-tapped development potential. It was fascinating to see the abundance of ornate stone-built Victorian buildings in the city. The growth and development plans are impressive too, with the new indoor market being planned, a national events and concert centre in the former Odeon cinema and new housing for the site of the former market. The luxury Lofts apartment development sets a new standard, and it would be fantastic to see further developments like this to bring people back to live in the city once more.” Representatives from companies in Sheffield, York and Leeds, as well as Bradford, attended the event, which also included members of ‘Women in Property’.

Representing business nationally West & North Yorkshire Chamber works with colleagues across the British Chamber of Commerce network (BCC) as part of the BCC Employment & Skills Group. Jane Gratton from the BCC leads this activity and the group brings together representatives from across the UK together to formulate the Chamber response to national policy issues. The BCC meets monthly with the Secretary of State and special advisors from the Department for Education; they also meet weekly with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy to feed in views on key topical issues relating to skills challenges faced by business. Currently we are discussing the following: • Immigration policy, formulating a response to the Immigration White Paper • National Living Wage, the Chamber holds regular talks with the Low Pay Commission • Review of Post-16 qualifications • Augar Review, formulating Chamber response to Post-18 funding of education • Apprenticeships, including funding reforms and apprentice levy issues • National Retraining Scheme, consulting on how this new £100m fund will be implemented • Technical education and the introduction of T-Levels We know that access to skills is a key issue for Chamber members and that it is often a barrier to growth. I would encourage all Chamber members to share their thoughts on this most important of subjects. Your views are important to the Chamber and will be fed in at the highest level so do get in touch with me if you would like to know more. Mark Goldstone mark.goldstone@wnychamber.co.uk

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18 YORK & NORTH YORKSHIRE

Planning ahead: York & North Yorkshire York & North Yorkshire Chamber representatives have been engaged in lobbying activities with various stakeholders to enhance the area in relation to transport and planning. A64 ‘dualling’

York Central

Traffic flow assessments have indicated that a number of bridges to cope with additional traffic may be necessary – this would push up the costs of dualling the A64 from Hopgrove roundabout to Barton Hill. This could then raise questions about the scheme’s overall value and the matter is with the Department for Transport for review. The Chamber is seeking clarification from Highways England.

Plans for the development of the York Central site have been delayed due to a request to ‘call in’ the previously approved planning decision.

Congestion A public consultation on addressing Harrogate and Knaresborough’s congestion issues ends on 8 July. Two broad packages have been put forward. One is based on encouraging changes in behaviour and includes developments in public transport, cycling and walking. Extending pedestrianisation in Harrogate, increased parking charges and the introduction of congestion charging are also proposed. The second package contains similar measures plus the option of an inner ring road. Both are at an early design stage. In discussions with the local authority, the Chamber has acknowledged peak travel time problems but stressed that both centres must remain ‘open for business’.

Earlier this year, the Chamber formally supported the planning application, which was subsequently approved by committee. However, the development now needs to be considered by a relevant government minister due to the call in request from the local MP. The Chamber has since repeated its support for the scheme to government.

York Rail Station Plans to transform the front of York Railway Station are continuing. The removal of Queen Street Bridge and re-organising the layout leading into the station are key aspects of the project, which is to be funded through the West Yorkshire-Plus Transport Fund and Leeds City Region Growth Deal. More information can be found at www.york.gov.uk/stationfront

New York narrative The Chamber has joined a project to help shape how York is perceived in the world, and how it can best exploit the changing city infrastructure and economy. York & North Yorkshire Vice-President, Andrew Digwood of Rollits LLP, has joined the steering group of the York Narrative Project. Leeds City Region Economic Partnership has provided funding to York Council, which has already commissioned experts in this field to help the city meet changing expectations and move with the times. As well as the steering group meeting regularly, a range of public consultations and stakeholder events will be held to test ideas, understand perceptions and create a marketing strategy, among many other things. The project’s ambitions include nurturing existing talent to boost the local feel-good factor, enhance perceptions of the city, attract new investment, and attract more ‘high value’ visitors who stay for longer. Andrew said of the project: “The Chamber is keen to be involved in the ‘York Narrative Project’ and are confident that we can bring something to the table. The challenge will be to present a narrative for York that demonstrates the many ways in which our city is modern, inviting and accessible while at the same time protecting and celebrating the wonderful heritage and culture that we have here. If we have the right people involved, I’m sure that we can come up some viable solutions to take the city to even greater heights.”

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ECONOMY 19

Better up North Yorkshire companies outperform the UK but Brexit uncertainty playing on the minds of business Uncertainty around Brexit held back decision-making for many businesses in our region according to feedback from our Q1 economic survey in March 2019. In the run up to our expected departure from the European Union, companies indicated they were reticent to make major investment decisions as they awaited the outcome of Brexit talks. The survey, carried out in partnership with Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, highlighted strong employment across the region, it also highlighted an underlying positive story about the region’s economy. Manufacturers reported increasing sales over the first quarter, both home and abroad, outperforming the national average. Some of this has been attributed to companies focusing on UK markets where customers higher up the supply chain are looking for a degree of certainty with regards delivery times and prices. There were strong indications too that manufacturers have been stockpiling and building inventory in order to stave off any negative outcomes of a disorderly exit from the European Union which will explain the increase in sales across the sector. Of course this ties up cash, making companies a little less agile and potentially harming their ability to respond positively to opportunities and threats. Service sector businesses continue to record growth in domestic sales although the pace slowed in the first quarter, down slightly from its four year peak at the end of 2018. Employment across the service sector remains strong also with 44% of companies attempting to recruit in the first quarter of 2019. Chamber chairman, Gerald Jennings said: “Major decision-making is being put on hold pending the outcome of Brexit negotiations. While underlying factors like sales and employment remain reasonably good, companies are holding back on making big investment decisions. Rising input costs in 2019 are having an impact too, in part down to the recent double-edged sword of currency volatility; it appears that more companies are now looking to pass on those additional costs.” Roger Marsh OBE, chair of Leeds City Region LEP, added: “Businesses have been taking a pragmatic approach to the potential impact of Brexit with many more in 2019 looking at both tactical levers and strategic thinking. We have continually made the case to government to ensure local business issues were being heard and, along with the Chamber themselves, push for policies that support economic growth regardless of the outcome of Brexit.” The next report will be published at the end of June. To see a copy of the full report please go to http://www.wnychamber.co.uk/the-quarterly-economic-survey/

Major decision“ making is being put

on hold pending the outcome of Brexit negotiations. While underlying factors like sales and employment remain reasonably good, companies are holding back on making big investment decisions.

”

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20 FEATURE Good lawyers talk to you about your business Luisa D’Alessandro, Commercial Partner at Schofield Sweeney works in contract law, covering all types of commercial agreements. Her practice includes the digital sector including IT contracting, e-commerce and data protection.

Data protection has become a hot topic over the last year, with the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). What impact has this had on the businesses you deal with? I think there has been a lot of hype and scaremongering, focusing on the potentially large fines for breaching GDPR, and we have worked with our clients to allay concerns. The issues behind GDPR, personal data and privacy are not all new, and there has been legislation around this for many years. We have run training seminars for clients to bring them up to date with the new legislation, to become aware of the changes, their responsibilities and the risks to their businesses. Although the ICO, the governing body for data protection, is responsible for enforcement, it also helps with compliance and good practice in a positive way by offering advice and guidance. As for contractual arrangements, while GDPR is important, the media focus has perhaps sometimes led clients to focus disproportionate attention on GDPR and potential fines, whereas clients need to manage risk on a range of other issues too. Clients might ask questions about GDPR in contracts and what we often find is that the impact of that issue is low compared to others and by looking at contracts more closely, other risks are uncovered.

Business people are looking to do deals, make sales and engage with people. When should a contract be considered? Signing on the dotted line may be the end of the sales process, but it also seals a working relationship, and the contract defines what each party needs to deliver.

When is the best time to think about the nitty gritty of a contract? Being aware of what a commercial agreement would typically cover can be really helpful as it enables to you to factor things in to your discussions and negotiations with your counterpart, whether that’s a buyer or seller. The sooner you think about the contract, the better. For example, what is the deliverable scope, what are the risks, what are the obligations? There are some common issues which are covered in the guide on the following page. Early engagement can be commercially beneficial, aside from helping to protect your legal position.

There is a push for investment and promotion of the digital economy in Leeds specifically, and Yorkshire generally. This must be an exciting and challenging time to be working in the technology sector. Are there any specific things to consider for IT contracts? A key thing is being clear on what is being purchased or supplied for the price. IT projects often have several stakeholders, each with differing requirements and a varying understanding of what is achievable. That makes it all the more important to ensure the contract is clear about what will be delivered and when without the need for additional explanation. A typical issue with large scale IT projects is that when parties enter into a contract, they may not necessarily know the full scope of the deliverables, so you would build mechanisms into the contract to

account for that. For example, a change control mechanism is helpful to facilitate and control how changes under the contract are managed and dealt with so that there is a process and procedure for the parties to consider changes, discuss what the ramifications are and agree a way forward. It’s about building flexibility into the contract, not just leaving it to chance. Many IT projects can snowball out of control quickly, with different stakeholders, requests and requirements changing the course of a project. A good contract will make it fair for both parties to handle additional work and manage costs.

Generally, contracts are entered into in a positive way, with everyone wanting to get off on the right foot, but you do have to acknowledge that things can go wrong and do go wrong. Termination rights have their place in a contract, but quite often, terminating a contract isn’t necessarily the best commercial outcome. A lot of management time and additional resources will have been invested in the relationship, and further costs, risks and gaps in supply are likely if a contract ends unexpectedly. Thinking about mechanisms and remedies that are put in place for when projects go through their natural cycle and maybe don’t pan out as anticipated, can help both parties resolve issues together, in a positive way, therefore avoiding business disruption. As IT projects can impact a business long term, it is worth thinking about what will happen when a contract comes to an end. Consider for example, what obligations should perhaps continue after the end of the relationship and what assistance the two parties might give each other in order to effect a proper and orderly exit.

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Talking of an ‘orderly exit’, how does Brexit impact contracts? Brexit is a difficult topic, because everyone knows it’s an unknown quantum, and therefore difficult to foresee. We are talking to our clients about this, but the commercial and long-term legal ramifications are largely unknown. It is likely that many things will continue as they are for a while after Brexit, for example, GDPR legislation will still be effective in the UK. Because of my role, I talk to different people in many sectors, and I do hear different viewpoints and approaches to Brexit, from those who haven’t planned to those who have bought extra stock and have contingency plans.

Contracts may not necessarily have provisions in them specifically to mitigate the effects of Brexit but maintaining a dialogue and good working relationship with customers and suppliers is good business practice and could help overcome some of the contractual challenges Brexit may give rise to.

Contracts are commonplace in business, and it is not always commercially viable for a lawyer to scrutinise every single one. It may be more prudent to think about what is high value or business critical, and consider the risk if something was to go wrong. In those cases, you would be well advised to seek legal advice.

For those who want to handle contracts themselves, whether this is to save costs or for noncritical projects, I would say the best advice I can give is be as clear as you possibly can. Even if it’s obvious to you, get it down on paper. It can be tempting for people who have been involved and talking about a deal for a while to assume that the other party completely understands and is in sync with what they are thinking. Putting things on paper can often flush out any gaps and misunderstandings. Your lawyer should be able to identify the legal ramifications of a contract, but just as importantly, talk to you about your business.

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Common contracting pitfalls This guide to common contracting pitfalls will help you think about what needs to be considered for a contract. Typical issues with commercial agreements

Identifying the parties

Commercial agreements come in many forms and can cover a whole variety of sales and purchasing arrangements. While each will be specific to a particular set of circumstances, there are a number of common themes which come up time and time again when entering into commercial contracts.

One of the most important points in any commercial agreement is to properly identify the contracting parties. If this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done correctly, there is a real risk of confusion around who is obliged to do what. Worse still, the agreement may even seek to bind an entity which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t actually exist which can lead to all manner of problems when it comes to enforcement. Common pitfalls include referring to a trading name as opposed to a corporate entity or including incorrect registration details such as an incorrect company number.

This guide addresses some of the topics which a commercial agreement will typically cover and provides some hints and tips on how to avoid some of the problems that can typically arise.

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CONTRACT LAW GUIDE 23 Being clear about what the agreement covers

Remedies if things go wrong

One of the most frequent failings in commercial agreements, is a failure to clearly and fully set out the scope of the deliverables, whether they be services, products, a combination of those or indeed some other deliverable or scope of appointment. Whether supplying or purchasing, it should be a fundamental element of any agreement that it is clear on the face of the document, what is being supplied or purchased. This will have an effect on other key provisions throughout the agreement including remedies for a failure to perform, termination rights and additional sums payable beyond the agreed scope of work.

When entering into an agreement, parties do of course, hope that things will work out. However, the time to think about what might happen if they don’t is before the agreement is signed. Therefore, it is important to set out what remedies the parties will have if matters don’t go as well as expected. For example, in an agreement for services, if a service provider fails, consider things such as whether the services could be re-performed (which is not always possible if they are time critical for instance), whether those services should be re-performed by the provider or whether the purchaser might source an alternative supply and recharge the costs, whether some kind of credit may be appropriate or even a loss of priority of supply or perhaps, exclusivity.

Sometimes, depending on the type of agreement in question, the parties may not always know what the deliverables will be when they enter into the agreement. In that case, the contract should allow for possible changes. In simple terms, this can be done by a contract variation but it is worth including a mechanism to specify how the parties will actually manage the change process, for example, through a change control mechanism (not be confused with a change of control provision).

How long the agreement lasts There are many options for dealing with the term of an agreement. For instance, contracts can be for a fixed duration, a minimum term with renewal terms or can be ongoing without a specified duration. They might require some action in order to renew or continue or might be worded such that they end if the parties fail to take some action. Some common problems in this area, include a failure to clearly define an agreement’s duration or use of wording which is potentially conflicting. Similarly, a failure to understand how renewals and terminations operate, often leads to parties becoming locked in unwittingly, so incurring fees for longer than intended. Notice periods need to be carefully worded, bearing in mind for example that there is a difference between when notice can be served and when it becomes effective.

Price and payment Although not always, in most cases, there will be some kind of fees payable. How a payment is to be calculated, when it is to be invoiced, when it falls due, what currency it is to be paid in and the ramifications of a failure to pay on time are just some of the issues which should be typically taken into account in price and payment clauses. Where complex payment calculations are involved, including a worked example can be very useful. Another helpful tip is to always ensure that the provisions are clear on the face of the document. For example, if the payment is to be calculated using a percentage calculation, state exactly what the percentage is to be applied to.

The main aim should be to include remedies which are appropriate to the nature of the agreement, without necessarily going straight to a termination of the agreement for a breach and the associated costs of finding an alternative provider or replacement customer.

Terminating the agreement While termination should in many cases be a last resort, it may sometimes be the only realistic option. This might be because other remedies may have failed, because the nature of the breach is such that termination is the only suitable result or simply because the parties (or one of them) wants to walk away. Termination provisions are important and the circumstances in which those rights may be exercised should be as clear as possible. For instance, contracts often allow termination for “material breach” but it can be helpful to specify clauses which if breached, should lead to a termination right. It can also be useful to have a right to terminate for repeated breach if for example, a party is frequently in breach of particular obligations, albeit that each breach alone, may not be viewed as material.

What isn’t in the agreement It is of course, easier to focus on what is included in a draft agreement as opposed to what is missing. However, when reviewing a commercial agreement, it is important to consider whether any issues are not dealt with which ought to be and to include sufficient provisions to make sure that at least all the core issues are dealt with. Moreover, the parties should bear in mind that where certain matters are not addressed in an agreement, the law may, depending on the circumstances, imply certain terms. A good example of this relates to the ability to claim interest for late payments. If a contract does not include an interest on late payment clause then there will be a right to claim interest at the statutory rate (which is often higher than a rate which parties would normally select).

For further information visit our website www.schofieldsweeney.co.uk/commercial or contact Luisa D’Alessandro on 0113 8494057 or luisadalessandro@schofieldsweeney.co.uk.

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Rail revolution: LNER Azuma trains introduced

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) introduced the first of its world-class Azuma trains into passenger service in May, on the London King’s Cross to Leeds route. With further trains being rolled out across the entire fleet, passengers are beginning to enjoy some of the many benefits the new trains bring. The brand-new, high specification trains have been specially designed to provide a superb travelling experience for all, being faster, smoother, quieter and more reliable. The 65-strong fleet of Azuma trains are replacing the existing fleet of 45 trains operated by LNER on the East Coast route which connects destinations in Scotland, North East England, Yorkshire, the East Midlands and London. Each train has about 20% more capacity which translates to about 100 more seats on each service. An increase in seats as well as more trains, means that better value fares will be available for customers travelling to and from Yorkshire (and the rest of the East Coast). Power sockets are installed at every seat, with free and improved Wi-Fi allowing passengers to stay connected whilst on the move. There is more legroom

for added comfort, ergonomically designed seats, plus plenty of overhead and under seat storage space. David Horne, Managing Director of LNER, said: “The launch of the first Azuma trains was a pivotal moment for LNER in demonstrating the transformation of services for our customers and communities that we serve. “Establishing new standards in rail travel is part of our DNA, and the new Azuma trains are already making the customer experience better than ever. They will improve travel for customers with improved reliability, greater levels of comfort and an increase in the number of seats compared to the current fleet.” Azuma trains boast a dedicated ‘Let’s Eat Cafe Bar’ in addition to the ever-popular at-seat trolley service in Standard Class. Customers in First Class will enjoy complimentary two-course meals freshly prepared in the onboard kitchens using locally sourced ingredients. Customers are able to book tickets for travel on the LNER website where services operated by Azuma trains are clearly highlighted. A new traffic light seat reservation system alongside clear digital displays above seats in First and Standard Class make it easier for customers to find reserved or available seats on-board.

West & North Yorkshire Business

FEATURE 25

Azuma roll out gathers pace Following the successful introduction of the first few Azuma trains on their West Yorkshire services, LNER has announced that the first of the new trains to enter service on the London Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cross to York route will be from the 1st August. This date will also see the trains start to serve the North East and Edinburgh. Once fully launched, there will be more opportunities for passengers to journey to and from smaller stations across Yorkshire, including Bradford and Harrogate. One service a day will be increased to six, significantly increasing the regionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; connectivity with the capital. With a new timetable from December 2021, more regular journeys between London and Edinburgh will take just four hours, and regular journeys between London and Leeds in two hours will become typical throughout the day.

For further information on LNER, Azuma and how you can book your travel with them, visit www.lner.co.uk

West & North Yorkshire Business

26 FEATURE

Business support At LNER we know how important business travel is. Whether you’re a regular traveller or just on the occasional trip, we make business travel work for you. Our dedicated team specialise in both leisure and business travel and are situated across the country to deliver a national service with a local feel. They’re happy to help you with a range of support and offers. If you’re a frequent traveller but don’t always know when you’ll need to travel, the Business Carnet would be ideal for you. It gives you the flexibility to travel at any time and saves you money – five fully flexible return tickets for the price of four. Or if you’re planning a team away day, we’d be happy to talk you through our Group Travel Service which can give you significant savings and on-board refreshments. To make the trip extra special and give your guests the VIP treatment, you can even hire an entire carriage! We’ve also got you covered when it comes to overnight trips. We work with a network of hotels in key destinations to offer a joined-up approach – including train travel, conference facilities and accommodation. For more information on how we can support your business, please visit our Business Hub at www.lner.co.uk/business

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Put your best foot forward

A business that started at a kitchen table is now selling in shops, online and in homes all around the world. We talk to Mark Granger, Director of Operations at Pavers, about the history, successes and challenges of running a global business with over 1,700 staff and over 170 stores in the UK and Ireland. The business remains close to its Yorkshire roots and is headquartered on the outskirts of York.

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INTERVIEW 29 Getting the right fit

The sky is not the limit

Pavers was established by Catherine Paver, in 1971, because she found it difficult to buy shoes with a comfortable fit. Cathy started from home and sold through events at people’s homes, parties and catalogues, eventually moving into retail stores and outlets in shopping malls.

Why did you expand in TV?

When the internet arrived (yes there was a time before the internet!) Pavers embraced the new opportunity and developed an award-winning e-commerce website in 2000, expanding into their own TV channel soon after. Wherever you are, on the high street, on the move, or on your sofa, Pavers have sales channels that deliver their products with excellent customer service.

Growth through acquisition The family run business, now in its third generation, has embraced change and grown organically. What changes have you made to continue this expansion? In the last couple of years Pavers has taken on two additional businesses. We bought Jones Bootmaker in 2018, a well-known brand with 47 locations, that had fallen into difficulties. Regrettably, we had to close a few stores, however we are looking towards a brighter future through the retention of 34 stores and re-launching jonesbootmaker.com. In addition, we took on the high-profile brand, Herring Shoes, which is very much an online business aimed at the upper end of the market. Pavers now has a comfort brand, middle market brand, Jones Bootmaker and a high market brand, Herring Shoes.

Right up your street The high street has taken a bit of a battering over the last decade. How has this affected Pavers, and how do you account for your success? We’ve looked at this as an opportunity because, whilst it’s tough in trading, we have got Pavers onto the high street, in the right locations, with the right commercial deals.

Online to your door How have you combined mixing bricks and mortar with online sales? Obviously having a very user-friendly website is important, but behind the scenes is our warehouse, ensuring that the product availability is there for our customers. We make sure that we have good stock availability and a very quick route to market, so when our customers come into our store they can find the products they require.

An opportunity became available to purchase a channel on the Sky platform, and we took advantage of this new route to market, investing in producing shows on a pre-recorded 24-hour loop, showcasing the products. In marketing terms, there is a bit of cross pollination through all of the channels, our strategic aim was to get ourselves in a position where we are available to the customer however they wanted to purchase. On the high street, in shopping malls, online, in their pocket and on the sofa, whatever channel the customer wants to purchase from, our product is available.

Happy staff, happy customers The tone of voice in your marketing material is warm and friendly, is that something that’s natural from your business? Absolutely. Our strategy, our vision, and our values are all about being a very friendly and easy organisation to deal with, and we hope that transmits itself through the website and when people interact with us in-store. Our customer service is the core to our success. One of our strategic imperatives is our people and we spend a lot of time developing our people. We were awarded the Investors in People award in 2016 and we see that as the essence of our business. Making sure our people are fully trained, fully skilled, and motivated to deliver the service elements that we want as a business is at the core of Pavers’ success.

Foundation of success What have you done to help motivate staff? The Pavers Foundation was established in 2018. The Paver family and the business wanted to create a charitable legacy after the passing of our founder, Cathy. The Pavers Foundation is an employee-led initiative, with four members of the family and five staff members on a committee to adjudicate and allocate what we contribute in the areas of health, education and community. The Foundation is funded by a percentage of company profits, an incentive for staff and the business to do well.

West & North Yorkshire Business

30 INTERVIEW

Positive environment

Plans for the future

Local issues

Your site here in York uses solar panels, is that as much about saving the planet as reducing costs?

What are you investing in at the moment?

As a large, and growing, business, how do you engage with the wider business community in York? How do you handle local issues that affect your business?

Absolutely. Our Head Office was always designed with the environment in mind. We’ve tried to put as many features into our buildings as we can, including LED lighting in the warehouse which minimises our impact on the environment, it’s a bonus that it helps the bottom line too.

Our biggest investment right now is an extension to the warehouse here in York, which will double the footprint of the business. The expansion will allow the business to grow further over the next five to ten years, which will allow us to remain in York for the foreseeable future. This is great news for existing employees but also for the York economy as we will be creating new job opportunities as we continue to grow as a business.

Ingredients for growth

World of opportunity

Your plans are to nearly triple your turnover. How do you account for success?

As a business that sources products globally, how has Brexit affected your model?

When I joined the business in 2008, we had a turnover of around £40 million. This year, if everything goes to plan with the acquisitions, we should turnover around £150 million, which is quite an increase. As a business, we understand our niche and we don’t try to be all things to all people. We always try and build on the strengths that we have and look at the areas that we can address, in terms of overcoming any weaknesses we take the right opportunities and guard against threats.

It’s mainly from a supply chain perspective. We have buyers and agents who visit various locations in Brazil, Europe and the Far East. You can’t get away from the fact that Brexit could impact any business. We’ve had to think about pre-loading product, to ensure we are protected from issues such as getting products across borders, into the warehouse and then, of course, making them available to our customers. Our plan is that if Brexit were to have a real negative effect from a European supply perspective, we must ensure alternatives in other parts of the world and we could move that business from Europe. That’s not the way we want to go, but we must have a contingency plan.

We engage with the Chamber, which helped us secure planning permissions initially. We can enlist the Chamber’s support in smoothing certain things through, they can also act on our behalf on some of the issues that we face for instance with landlords. I think by engaging with the Chamber in some of the issues that face our business they can put our points of view to both the councils and the political side of the business and ascertain what would help us as an organisation.

Getting away from it all How do you unwind? What do you do to get away from it all? I love most sports, I used to play cricket and football, I still play golf, squash and racquet ball. So, I would say I’m quite active despite the advancing years! I’ve been lucky enough to visit one side of the world to the other and spent quite a lot of time in the States. I have travelled to Australia, New Zealand, most of Europe, India and Dubai. Travelling is fantastic, I love experiencing other cultures.

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West & North Yorkshire Business

32 MANUFACTURING

Securing the future of manufacturing

Now in their second year Leeds Manufacturing Festival and Bradford Manufacturing Weeks are heading in the right direction for enhanced success. Both events aim to increase the work experience opportunities in manufacturing, showcase engineering across West and North Yorkshire.

Bradford Manufacturing Weeks Leeds Manufacturing Festival The Bradford Manufacturing Weeks 2019 launch took place in May at Bradford College. To help meet the demand from schools, colleges, and young people across the Bradford district this year the initiative will run for two weeks. Bradford Chamber president and MD of international chemicals and detergents manufacturer, Christeyns, Nick Garthwaite said “It has become more apparent over the last few years that the demand for apprentices has increased. This is superb news and one of the things we are trying to do with this year’s Bradford Manufacturing Weeks is highlight the apprenticeship opportunities available throughout the year – so that it’s easy for young people to see which companies and sectors have opportunities and when to apply.” In 2019 we will be holding additional supporting activities to keep Bradford Manufacturing Weeks engaging, informative, interactive and inspiring. Bradford Manufacturing Weeks is sponsored by Barclays, Naylor Wintersgill, Gordons, Mitton Group, Dale Carnegie, E3 Recruitment, and the University of Bradford. It is organised by Bradford and Airedale Manufacturing Alliance, with support from the Bradford Chamber of Commerce. www.bradfordmanufacturingweeks.co.uk

Business leaders from around 50 Leeds manufacturers joined forces at Leeds City College Printworks Campus in March to launch this year’s Leeds Manufacturing Festival. The festival, which runs until October, will include an extensive programme of events linking young people with potential employers. Festival organiser Graham Cooper, a director at Agfa Graphics in Leeds, said: “There’s a misconception among young people, which I think comes from their parents and to some extent their teachers, that manufacturing is no longer a viable career option in this country, that it’s a dying industry. In fact, it is thriving and nowhere more so than here in Leeds, where there are some incredibly hightech and exciting businesses that simply not enough people know about. Leeds Manufacturing Festival is sponsored by RSM, Womble Bond Dickinson, The Works Recruitment and Leeds City College. It is organised by Leeds Manufacturing Alliance, with support from Leeds Chamber of Commerce, Leeds City Council and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) For more information on Bradford Manufacturing Weeks 2019 and Leeds Manufacturing Festival visit their website www.leedsmanufacturingfestival.co.uk

West & North Yorkshire Business

FINANCE 33

Matchpoint

Two young Leeds entrepreneurs reach game point thanks to support from Business Enterprise Fund. WeTennis is a ground-breaking digital tennis platform created by Jake Fox and Cameron Almas. The online sports app is a response to the duo’s passion for tennis. Aimed at the global amateur and recreational tennis community, WeTennis provides performance statistics, match data and the ability to discover new players.

Jake Fox, Chief Operating Officer of WeTennis, said: “It’s so exciting for us to be introducing a new app to the tennis community. Our research found that tennis is the world’s fourth most popular sport, so we knew there was a huge market.” Inspired by the popularity of apps aimed at runners and cyclists, Jake and Cameron researched and completed the initial development of the WeTennis concept before approaching BEF for £40,000 startup funding.

Delivered in January 2019, the funding enabled the development of advanced product features ahead of a summer 2019 launch. It also enabled WeTennis to connect with the Lawn Tennis Association’s court database, allowing users to search over 10,000 courts in the UK. Jake Fox continued: “The loan from BEF has been vital for product development. Julie and the team have been phenomenal in helping us improve our business plan and they shared our enthusiasm for the project – they were committed to our success!”

To find out more about WeTennis visit: www.wetennis.app

West & North Yorkshire Business

34 HEADING

Five top tips

for business succession planning by Greg Dixon, Gordons LLP

West & North Yorkshire Business

BUSINESS SUCCESSION PLANNING 35 When the inevitability of change occurs, having an effective business succession plan in place will help to secure certainty and stability. Here are my five top succession planning tips for business owners. 1. Make a will / check your will is up to date and valid If you are a shareholder, particularly a majority shareholder, in a privately-owned business, a will is an absolute must. The will can be the key document in the business succession planning process as, in most cases, it will determine where that individual’s shares (and associated voting rights) will end up. If there is no will, or if the will is invalid, the default intestacy rules will apply. These rules create the ideal opportunity for a shareholding and its voting rights to be fragmented. With multi-generational businesses, the intestacy rules provide the perfect environment for acrimony between family members already involved in the business and others who have had zero interest in the business up until that point. Often, particularly where young children are the next generation in a business, using a trust in a will is a really useful tool. They keep a shareholding and its voting rights together in the hands of trustees who ensure the benefit deriving from those shares filters down not only to the right people but, crucially, at the right time and in the right way, taking into account their individual circumstances.

2. Consider cross option agreements A death in any business at shareholder level can have a profound impact on operations. A clear concern of the surviving shareholders is that they may find themselves suddenly in business with individuals with whom they had no prior relationship, or even who they dislike or consider lack the relevant business acumen, drive or interest in the business. The very real threat of this is that key business decisions are not made quickly or at all. To tackle this, shareholders can enter into an advance cross option agreement to give the surviving shareholder(s) the ability to purchase a deceased shareholder’s shares. This is achieved by life cover which all shareholders take out and hold in a trust arrangement for this eventuality. This can equally apply to the critical or terminal illness of a shareholder.

3. Check the company’s constitution / review any shareholders’ agreement Succession planning can come unstuck if a company’s Articles of Association impose restrictions which a shareholder doesn’t know about. There may be a requirement, for instance, that shares cannot be held by anyone other than a bloodline relative. This may scupper a will which gives shares to a spouse, partner or stepchild for example. Similarly, a Shareholders’ Agreement, which can be a great way of formalising the wishes of shareholders on various issues, can contain provisions such as pre-emption rights (which equally could appear in the Articles) providing for shares of a deceased shareholder to be offered to the surviving shareholders in a certain order.

4. Consider Inheritance Tax and the availability of Business Relief As a general rule, shares held for at least two years in trading, private limited companies attract 100 per cent relief from an inheritance tax charge on death, irrespective of value. Assets held outside of a company but used in that business may also attract some relief, though a director’s loan account will not. To reassure yourself that your death will not trigger a potentially catastrophic tax charge and to check whether your particular circumstances or business structure may be restricting this important relief in whole or in part, it is a good idea to seek specialist tax advice. If a problem is spotted, there may be a quick fix to create a more tax efficient position.

5. Get a Financial Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) Finally, the mental incapacity of a shareholder, be it temporary or permanent, can throw a spanner in the works for a business. A simple step to protect against this is a Financial LPA. This can cover a person’s complete financial life or specifically their business interests. In any event, the LPA will enable shareholder decisions to be made without disruption or procedural uncertainty. The LPA can also be vital should there subsequently be a need to sell the business.

For further information please visit www.gordonsllp.com or for advice please call Greg on 0113 227 0100

West & North Yorkshire Business

36 FINANCE

Self assembly Business Enterprise Fund supports a new home for creative talent in Bradford

West & North Yorkshire Business

Assembly Bradford is a creative co-working and event space established by David Craig and Haigh Simpson. Located in the independent quarter of North Parade, Assembly Bradford provides self-employed creatives and freelancers with the low cost and flexible space, services, and networking opportunities to get inspired and collaborate. In June 2018, Assembly Bradford received a ÂŁ12,000 Start Up loan to transform the space into a light and modern co-working studio with sofas and bespoke desks, a dedicated Skype room, and all the mod cons required by most start-ups and growing businesses. Since its launch, Assembly Bradford has helped attract or retain 30 new small businesses and freelance workers in Bradford.

It is home to designers, marketing experts, web developers, animators, architects, writers, fundraisers and illustrators. It is also home to Bradford BID, the business led organisation which is looking to make significant, targeted and sustained improvements to the City Centre. David Craig, Co-Founder and Director at Assembly Bradford said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The investment has allowed us to grow to the point where we are exploring further expansion. Our investment manager made the whole process easy, allowing us to concentrate on running the business.â&#x20AC;?

To find out more about Assembly Bradford visit: www.assemblybd.com

West & North Yorkshire Business

38 PROFILE

Russell Turner Managing Partner

When it comes to mental health – why, as an employer, should you care? The answer is binary and simple: One, people matter – it’s as simple as that. The human side of caring should come above all else. Two, because business is business and caring for your employees makes good business sense. At Garbutt + Elliott we work hard to ensure we create a positive workplace, where we constantly strive to improve our culture around mental health. We have taken strong measures, working with NHS initiative, Mindful Employer, to ensure that we are able to provide our staff with the support they need. Mental health and wellbeing at work is about supporting people and providing a safe environment so that they feel understood and valued. By creating a culture where people are encouraged to talk about their mental health and where both employee and employer seek solutions when needed, you create a more productive, happy and successful working environment. Research by the Mental Health awareness charity Mind, confirms that

a culture of fear and silence around mental health has a huge impact on employers and is costly beyond just finances, negatively affecting both staff productivity and rates of employee turnover. Their research shows over 20% of employees had called in sick to avoid work, 14% had resigned due to workplace stress, a further 40% had considered resigning and 30% did not feel that they could talk to their manager. HR consultancy AdviserPlus’ records suggest that since 2013, 33.9% of absence days in the financial services sector have been due to mental ill-health. Furthermore, research from CABA, a charity that supports chartered accountants' wellbeing, shows that 32% of employees would hide mental distress from their workplace. Garbutt + Elliott are mindful of the prevailing phenomenon of presenteeism in the financial industry, where people do not stop working even when they are ill. We continue to position ourselves as a company where we encourage, rather than

silence conversation about mental health and regularly remind our staff ‘it’s okay to not be okay’. We strive to ensure our employees have a healthy work/life balance, creating a nonpressured setting and actively encourage staff, at all levels, to work within their expected hours. We have a strong flexible working culture, to enable well-balanced family lives. Ultimately, we believe that our reputation for encouraging work/life balance and openness around mental wellbeing is making us increasingly attractive to potential employees. We already employ the top regional talent who stay with us for years – not least because we provide a supportive, friendly and pleasant working environment. With reports suggesting that offering wellbeing support can increase employee engagement and productivity by 23%, we hope that by continuing our good work on creating a collaborative, supportive and communicative working environment, we are providing the building blocks to a mentally well-balanced life.

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INTERNATIONAL 39

New export adviser joins Chamber International Laura Patterson has joined Chamber International’s client services team as an export adviser. She joins from a West Yorkshire textile company where she was a bilingual export administrator managing client accounts in South America, Canada, USA, France, Spain, Italy and Portugal handling orders from inception to delivery. After gaining a languages degree in French and Spanish, Laura Paterson worked in Guadeloupe, Chile and France with the British Council as a language assistant in schools. She then completed a master’s degree in applied foreign languages and international business at the University of La Rochelle, France. At Chamber International, she joins an expanding team advising businesses throughout the UK on a wide range of export opportunities, requirements and procedures. She says: “I feel very privileged to be part of the Chamber International team. I have already developed my knowledge of international trade significantly and I’m looking forward to advising and supporting new and existing exporters at a time when Brexit has got many more businesses and individuals interest in international trade.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

Our alliance provides an aligned set of values and services to enhance the export capabilities of Yorkshire companies requiring a head start in this dynamic and diverse market.

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INTERNATIONAL 41

Turkish delighted

as Chamber International launches new alliance to boost UK exports Seamless support for companies wishing to start, or enhance, their exports to Turkey will be available through Chamber International’s new partnership with British Chamber of Commerce Turkey (BCCT), based in Istanbul. The alliance creates a far closer working relationship between the two organisations than usually exists within British Chambers of Commerce global network with a focus on fasttracking UK exporters to BCCT advisers who will provide tailored support and advice. Although a long-established export destination for UK companies, British Chamber of Commerce Turkey says the country still holds huge potential for UK businesses in its own right and as a stepping-stone to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) markets and central Asia. BCCT chairman, Chris Gaunt, who has 30 years UK drinks industry experience in senior management positions with HP Bulmer and Allied

Domecq and 15 years with Coca Cola, says: “ We are excited about this new alliance with Chamber International which creates strong joined-up support from Yorkshire to Istanbul to make UK companies’ exports to Turkey as friction and risk-free as possible. “Our alliance provides an aligned set of values and services to enhance the export capabilities of Yorkshire companies requiring a head start in this dynamic and diverse market. “Given Brexit’s unpredictable outcome and the potential disruption exporters will face, it is crucial to ensure UK companies gain this type of support to enable existing trading agreements to continue unhindered and new export opportunities and supply chains are identified so the UK does not lose its overseas market share with a damaging knock-on effect for British businesses and the wider economy.” BCCT was the second overseas British chamber, established by a group of British businessmen in 1887 in the region that later became Turkey, after one set up in Paris in 1873.

During the last five years, BCCT has supported more than 2,000 UK companies. Among its services are providing market information and detailed, tailored market research reports, business partner searches for UK clients looking for distributors, agents or joint ventures, arranging meetings with potential partners and local marketing, including PR and event management. During 2017-18, 60 per cent of BCCT support services were to sectors including food and beverage, healthcare and medical, business and consumer services, education and training, defence and security, energy, advanced manufacturing technology, and the construction supply chain. Chamber International director, Tim Bailey says: “The UK is second only to Germany in terms of Turkey’s largest trading partners and BCCT have an excellent team in place to support UK companies. We are keen to hear from companies in construction, design and innovation, defence and security, specialist textiles, fashion design and technology who are looking to sell to Turkey.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

42 PROFILE “It’s the employers who come into school who will attract young people. Go into the classroom and talk to young people.” Amy Shenton

Suzanna Hindle, an apprentice at engineering firm Saftronics in Leeds

Apprenticeships: Apprentices Jess Sugden, Amy Shenton and Jake Sheffield took the stage at a Leeds Manufacturing Festival event, hosted at the premises of MPM Ltd, to share their perspective on why they chose apprenticeships over other career paths and lessons for employers wanting to recruit young people into their business. Jess, who completed an apprenticeship in business administration and is now moving onto a level 4 apprenticeship in procurement, pointed out that schools too often push young people to apply for university rather than looking for a career in industry. So, it’s important for employers to go into schools and promote the opportunities that apprenticeships offer.

“It’s the employers who come into school who will attract young people. But go into the classroom – to technology and other classes – and talk to young people, not just school assemblies,” said Amy. For young people, there was some equally direct advice: “Do your research on what you want to do and the kind of company you want to work for,” said Jake, an apprentice with engineering company Saftronics. “Go to open days and visit different companies. Make sure they are offering progression.” Saftronics specialises in the design and manufacture of power distribution and process control systems for major utilities companies. Managing director Mark Godfrey sees apprenticeships as increasingly important in bringing new people into the business and developing the skills they need.

West & North Yorkshire Business

PROFILE 43

(L to R): Ben Wilson and Jess Sugden, MPM Ltd; Tracey Dawson and Amy Shenton, Daletech Electronics; Paul Stead and Jake Sheffield, Saftronics

“Apprenticeships give us the opportunity to develop and grow people to fit our business from day one.”

our future workforce “Our workforce is split 50:50 between the shop floor and office staff and we’re increasingly looking at other areas of the business, not just engineering, that could be helped by apprenticeships,” he said. “Apprenticeships are the future for our workforce – they give us the opportunity to develop and grow people to fit our business from day one.” Although less so in Leeds than other parts of the country, there has been a dip in the number of apprenticeships starts since the government introduced the apprenticeship levy two years ago. “Yet there’s increasing recognition of the benefits that apprentices can bring to business as well as a wide range of support and funding for employers looking to set up an apprenticeship programme,” said Julia Massey, head of Leeds City Council’s employment access and growth team.

The Leeds Apprenticeship Hub run by the team offers dedicated support to match young people with employers. She explained that the service can also advise employers on apprenticeship standards, training providers, how to access funding as well as promoting vacancies across an extensive network of schools, colleges and social media platforms. Leeds City College is one of the region’s biggest apprenticeship training providers. Last year, it helped 2,500 businesses across the Leeds City Region, delivering training for around 10,000 apprenticeships. “We offer a combination of block release, day release and bespoke training programmes and we’re increasingly seeing employers using apprenticeships to develop and train existing staff as well as new recruits,” said the college’s business engagement adviser Kevin O’Reilly.

For more information about practical and financial support available to help employers recruiting apprentices, contact Leeds Apprenticeship Hub on 0113 378 7003 or email: employmentleeds@leeds.gov.uk

West & North Yorkshire Business

44 PROFILE

Building an establishment

Leading construction company welcomed as new Patron of the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

Esh Group has joined the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce as a Patron member on the back of a strong order book and plans to expand its operations. Working out of its regional headquarters in Leeds, the awardwinning construction group operates across Yorkshire providing civil engineering, commercial build, property services and facilities management services to a wide range of public and private sector clients. Stuart Leslie, Head of Operations for the Yorkshire and Humber region, said: “After 10 years trading in Yorkshire we are well established, have an experienced management team and a healthy mix of secured work across all sectors. We must now forge strong and meaningful relationships with the wider business community and play our part in supporting the economic success of the region.”

Having been appointed to both YORcivils and YORbuild frameworks and more recently Bradford Council’s Education framework, representatives from Esh Construction, the Group’s construction arm are particularly interested in supporting leadership groups relevant to procurement, transport, economic growth, housing and planning. Esh Group is renowned for its financial stability, employing a local work force, procuring local and its social value activity was awarded the Queen’s Award for Social Mobility in 2018 and has pledged to support the Chamber’s ‘Raising the Bar’ campaign. Alistair Gill, Head of Yorkshire Business Development at Esh Group, said: “We are excited at the prospect of increasing our engagement with local education, providing employment opportunities, growing our supply chain and engaging in communities near to our sites. We

already work with 6,000 students in Yorkshire each year and hope our Patronage will act as a catalyst for collaboration, allowing us to do even more as our business grows.” The announcement of the Patronage coincides with the Group’s 20th anniversary, the modernisation of its brand and the launch of a new digital platform which will be rolled out gradually during 2019. Susie Cawood, Head of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, added: “We are delighted to have secured Esh Group as Patrons. Esh brings a wealth of experience to the table both from a construction perspective and from its experiences as a long serving Partner member of the North East Chamber of Commerce.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

46 SUPPORT

Celebrating 3 more years of intensive support for regions start-ups AD:VENTURE, the ERDF part funded programme supporting start-ups and scale-ups with practical support and match-funded grants, has been awarded an extension by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Testament to the success of the programme, which has actively worked with over 1,513 businesses and 1,019 individuals, AD:VENTURE will now run to 2022, making it a six year programme with a value of £18.2m. Engaging with 710 young people to explore enterprise or self-employment and delivering a schedule of more than 200 events, resulting in 287 additional jobs, the balance of both practical and grant assisted support delivered by professionals has provided significant benefits to business. 96 organisations have received matchfunded grants since the programme launched in late 2016, with 125 approved projects representing a total combined worth of £2.3m, securing £665,849 from the AD:VENTURE programme. Delivered by a consortium of public and private sector organisations, the programme offers tailored packages of support to start-up businesses throughout the Leeds City Region. Access to workshops, seminars and specialist sessions is complemented by one-to-one assistance from professional Business Advisors, enabling personalised support tailored

to the needs of each organisation and the challenges they are facing to growth and future success.

we were also finding it difficult to raise the funds, as the equipment and tooling isn’t cheap.

Chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and NP11, Roger Marsh OBE, comments: “The success of the AD:VENTURE programme really does tell its own story. The business community throughout the Leeds City Region is vibrant, diverse and growing. Having ongoing access to the support, advice and guidance from experts, as well as funding provision, can only enhance this further.

Securing the grant made all of the difference and we went from kitchen table to furnished offices almost overnight. It was great. Not only was the environment different but we were also able to approach the business with a different mindset”

“Knowing that start-ups and young organisations are attending workshops and accessing the bespoke help that they need is reassuring. It shows that we have in place the provision we need to nurture entrepreneurship across our region and to become an example of best practice for others.” Working with partners across Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield and York, the extension means the AD:VENTURE programme will continue to deliver the same model of support across each town and city. Michael Burnham of Hyrdo-Flux in Batley comments: “Without AD:VENTURE there is no way we could have put our idea into practice. Not only did we need some guidance and governance to make sure we were following the necessary processes, but

Mark Langdale from Candle Digital, based in Halifax said: “We can’t recommend AD:VENTURE or Leeds Beckett University enough. The support we have received is far beyond anything we could ever have expected. We would suggest to any start-up or young business that they investigate the advice, guidance and sessions that are on offer and make the most of them” Director of Crimson Bear based in Craven, Paul Johnson, comments: “When we launched the business we always intended to grow but by accessing the AD:VENTURE programme we were able to move our plans forward and put them into practice far sooner. Thanks to the grant and the practical support we were able to benefit from, we are now on track to turnover £2m, which is excellent news.” For further details about AD:VENTURE please visit www.ad-venture.org.uk and for regular updates follow @ADVENTURE_LCR.

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PROFILE 47

Ambition Leeds: Nurturing talent and ambition in the heart of the city Ambition:Leeds is an innovative, employer-led training centre putting the needs of the retail and hospitality sectors first. Housed in the heart of the city centre in City Exchange (Albion Street), it was created in response to a demand for skilled recruits to join the workforce and is designed to support the collaboration between businesses and educators addressing the complex and changing skills needs of these key sectors. While retail experiences a constantly shifting landscape, retail and hospitality are still the two largest private-sector employers in Leeds. With a key focus on recruitment, careers and opportunities, and developing talent innovation, Ambition:Leeds is supporting existing staff to improve and expand knowledge and skills and helping attract and retain new talent while improving service standards and business performance. A joint project between Leeds City Council, Landsec and LeedsBID, Ambition:Leeds brings together a range of established and wellrespected education partners in Leeds City College and Leeds Beckett

University to deliver bespoke retail and hospitality training. Programmes are for those already working in the retail and hospitality sector or for those with aspirations to do so, with the aim of providing easy access to seamless training and ‘at a glance’ progression routes. The combination of courses ranges from entry-level, apprenticeships and masterclasses to aspirational higherlevel and degree programmes alongside accredited courses, in key areas including customer service, HR and finance to leadership & management. Establishing and maintaining strong employer engagement is critical in ensuring Ambition:Leeds supports the sectors, with collaboration taking place at various levels. Input from an Employer Board oversees operational business and monitors delivery, progression and achievement. “It is essential to engage local businesses strategically in addition to the day to day engagement we will have through the delivery of training and organisational development activity. We want employers to have a direct influence on the training we offer, keeping activity relevant and value-adding,” said Ambition:Leeds Manager Dianne Wainwright.

Since launching in October, Ambition:Leeds’ work has included a partnership with the Prince’s Trust, helping young people into employment while connecting employers with those who are “work ready”, looking at the establishment of an effective route into schools to showcase career opportunities, a series of masterclasses for those currently working in the industry and a Retail & Hospitality Conference addressing the impact of changing customer behaviour on the consumer economy in Leeds. Ongoing opportunities include bitesize digital training and first aid to mock employment tribunals and management masterclasses, the development of a Boot Camp for Leadership & Management combining training sessions, workshops, coaching sessions and networking events to deliver a bespoke, Leeds-centric approach, plus a programme for unemployed people from the local community to improve their prospects.

If you are interested in finding out more about opportunities through Ambition:Leeds, please visit www.ambitionleeds.co.uk contact tel: 0113 467 2795 or email dianne. wainwright@ambitionleeds.co.uk

West & North Yorkshire Business

for female

start ups The UK is the start-up capital of Europe yet only one in three UK entrepreneurs are female. A report commissioned by NatWest and HM Treasury has revealed what it is holding women back and how these issues can be overcome.

West & North Yorkshire Business

NATWEST 49 The Alison Rose Review looked into the barriers facing female entrepreneurs and outlined a number of recommendations to improve female start-up and scale-up rates. Implementing the recommendations could contribute an additional £250 billion to the UK economy. The review, which was sponsored by NatWest’s CEO of Commercial and Private banking Alison Rose, found five key barriers that lead to lower rates of entrepreneurship amongst women:

The biggest barriers are: 1

Low access and awareness of capital

2 Greater risk awareness 3 Perceived missing skills and experience 4 Disproportionate primary care responsibilities 5 Lack of relatable sponsorship/ mentorship/role models The report has found three main areas of opportunities to improve the situation and has set out eight recommendations in response:

Opportunity 1: Increase funding for female entrepreneurs • Initiative 1: Work with UK’s largest private equity funds to encourage investment in female entrepreneurs. • Initiative 2: Increase transparency of funding allocation through a new Female Entrepreneur’s Investment Code that commits financial institutions to gender diversity.

Opportunity 2: Provide greater family care support for female entrepreneurs • Initiative 3: Review existing and create new banking products aimed at entrepreneurs with family care responsibilities

Opportunity 3: Expand awareness and access to support, including mentorship and networking opportunities offered by existing and new networks • Initiative 4: Expand existing mentorship and networking opportunities • Initiative 5: Accelerate the development and roll-out of entrepreneurship course NatWest is exploring a number of additional initiatives with UK based partners: • Initiative 6: Set up an “established entrepreneur advisory board” to drive investment and support to female entrepreneurs. • Initiative 7: Creation of a first-stop shop digital platform • Initiative 8: Improve access to expertise by expanding the entrepreneur and banker in residence program Sam Perry, Director of Commercial Banking at NatWest, said: “Without question women-led businesses have a vital role in the economy. We know that tailored support from specialists can make a great difference in overcoming these barriers and our accredited Women in Business specialists as well as our three-stage business accelerator programme are just some of the ways we are supporting business in Yorkshire.” NatWest launched its Women in Business programme in 2003 and currently have more than 500 accredited Women in Business specialists working across the UK.

The Women in Business specialists understand the different challenges that female business owners face as well as the way they think and run their business. The NatWest Accelerator programme is run at 12-sites across the UK including Yorkshire. Since the launch of the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator programme, the bank has prioritised supporting female entrepreneurs and ensuring that there is a positive gender balance across all of our propositions including the hub in Leeds, Yorkshire. Women make up 47% of the participants across the programme. Sam said: “It’s clear there is a great deal of good work going on already to support women but there is always more we can do. We are working with our partners across Yorkshire to develop new initiatives and take action on some of these recommendations.” Part of the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Business Enterprise Fund (BEF) is a not-forprofit social enterprise, set up to provide alternative business finance and support to entrepreneurs across the North. Stephen Waud, Chief Executive at BEF, said: “We welcome the Alison Rose Review as a hugely important report that raises the awareness of, and tackles the funding challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in the UK. As part of our alignment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we actively promote funding support to female entrepreneurs and have a commitment to address the funding gap highlighted in the report. 38% of all our start-up finance last year went to female entrepreneurs. That’s over £700,000 to help kick-start female-led businesses. More needs to be done across the finance sector and it’s encouraging to see initiatives being established by Natwest and their partners.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

50 With smart offices and great staff that look after us and our clients, CityHub helps give us the professional image we need to promote our business. Steven Burles Puddle Digital

Digital hub

Excellence has ripple effect on local agency with global ambitions

West & North Yorkshire Business

PROPERTY 51 Puddle Digital started by Steven Burles, a serial entrepreneur, has taken his love of graphic design and turned it into a solid business, building a portfolio of blue chip clients over the last decade. “I started at Bradford College, getting a degree in graphic design and then benefited from working at some of the best design agencies country, which got me working on clients like Adidas, Nike, Disney and Nickelodeon,”said Steven. Returning to his roots, Puddle Digital was set up in Keighley, the business model focused on delivering the design and marketing services clients demanded. “In world that we live in today, it doesn't matter what your location is, what matters is the quality of your work, your customer service and your relationship with that client. These are the three main things that we base the business on.” A recent expansion to CityHub in Bradford has put them in the right place to service their clients in Yorkshire, with great transport links, and the super fast broadband is essential for a digital business, with clients around the world.

As Puddle Digital started doing more brand work, they needed meeting rooms for up to 15 people, and trialled using the penthouse and boardroom at CityHub.

Building a growing team of designers, developers, copywriters and a social media managers enables Puddle to offer a complete and versatile service, covering all the marketing bases.

“The clients reaction to the service at CityHub, and the professional image it gave us was great, and contributed to winning some new business,” said Steven.

The talented team are a mixture of university graduates and apprentices, with Puddle Digital taking on, and training, an apprentice every year for the last three years.

Specialising in branding, marketing and managing social media for clients such as Timothy Taylors, Puddle Digital’s approach is to work closely with clients, to become an extension of their marketing team, build a good relationship, and use their expertise and experience to push the brand forward in the marketplace.

“Apprentices are great for us, we can start from a blank slate and can get them to do things how we want. Not everybody wants to go to university and get into large amounts of debt,” said Steven.

Puddle Digital are very particular about the clients they work with, understanding their needs and making sure they are a good match because they want to engage and build a relationship for years, not just a one off project. Most of Puddle Digital’s clients are established business, in the manufacturing sector. “Most of our clients produce something, whether that’s a pint of beer or a sleeping bag.”

Business success is not just measured in profits, but has helped Puddle Digital support education and business in Bradford. Steven is on a business advisory board for Project Search, which runs out of Bradford Royal Infirmary, which helps young adults with learning difficulties get into employment. “We are corporate partners for One in a Million, a fantastic free school based here in Bradford, which helps children that may be struggling at home to get a really good education.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

52 PROFILE

CU Scarborough is part of the Coventry University Group and is based on the stunning Yorkshire coast. Today’s students are increasingly focused on their career after graduation. That’s why we’re determined to give the very best learning experience; the very best facilities and the very best chance of a successful career after graduation. We meet the demand of our students by offering degrees in career-focused areas such as: Business, Computing, Counselling, Cyber Security, Engineering, Early Years, Education, Health, Law and even Nursing.

Our learning model is unique. There are no end of year exams. Teaching in blocks means there are no traditional end-ofyear exams, all courses are assessed in six week blocks.

We offer a high number of teaching contact hours in small groups

Our degrees are industry linked The majority of our degree course content is aligned to recognised professional qualifications in the field. We also use industry professionals to teach students skills which will be relevant to their future workplace.

Qualifications for those already in the workplace Higher and degree apprenticeships are available from CU Scarborough. We work in partnership with the Skills Funding Agency to deliver higher and degree apprenticeships in: • Management & Leadership • Digital & Technology Solutions • Cyber Security • Engineering and Manufacturing • Law • Project Management Coventry University was ranked 13th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2019 and is a great success story for the Yorkshire region.

Full-time students have twenty hours of classes each week four hours a day - including a small group tutorial each week. We get to know our students well. That’s why we have a Gold Award in the Teaching Excellence Framework.

We offer life-shaped learning Throughout all courses the timetables remain stable and based around a morning or afternoon slot, never both. This means studies can be fitted around work, family or other commitments.

visit. CU Scarborough Ashburn Road, off Valley Road, Scarborough YO11 2JW talk. 01723 336732 | 01723 336700

We keep fees low

write. ac5463@coventry.ac.uk

Our degrees are affordable, with lower fees than many in the sector. We’re determined to give value for money and allow students to leave with lower debt.

connect. Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

see. www.coventry.ac.uk/cus

West & North Yorkshire Business

PROFILE 53

IVE Our vision: We believe that creative innovation lies at the heart of economic, environmental and human resilience at a time of great uncertainty. By 2022 IVE InnovatIVE will be a sector leader in supporting the development of creative leadership regionally, nationally and internationally. Sharon Le Goff, newly appointed Business Development Manager at We are IVE. IVE is a not for profit training company. We have a 20 year track record of developing the creative leadership skills that lead to sustained innovation. Here at We are IVE we believe creativity is a form of human intelligence and it is human creativity that generates the ideas that drive innovation. Creative innovation lies at the heart of economic prosperity, environmental sustainability and ultimately human survival.

We also offer Unconscious Bias training and Diversity Labs to help your team understand the impact of unconscious bias on their working lives, we work towards eliminating discriminatory behaviours making your company a more diverse, inclusive and productive place to work. We want to create a place where all can thrive. I believe in tribes of leaders and champions and I have a collaborative approach, I am always open to connect with other organisations that share the same values and vision on diversity. I truly believe that when you have an authentic and inclusive culture with strong and consistent actions across all levels of the organisation it drives innovation and attracts and retains the very best of talent.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our vision is to build a creative nation that embraces change.â&#x20AC;?

As Business Development Manager together with the IVE training experts we will be helping to build a creative nation that embraces change for the future through IVEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wide range of training and consultancy services. We offer expertise creative leadership training and consultancy services to established and emerging businesses from all sectors. We make ideas happen, productivity increase and creative innovation flourish. Our clients include the power, chemical, engineering, military, manufacturing, tech and services industries. We work with some of the most inspiring and innovative companies out there!

At IVE any profits we make from our training services go into our charitable programmes that support diverse, talented groups of young people to find their own creative potential to discover exciting employment opportunities and make a positive contribution to their community and the economy as the creative leaders of the future.

I have a plethora of knowledge and experience gathered from a varied career working with global and international enterprises ranging from organisers of fashion exhibitions and events, global brands, corporate businesses and publishing houses. I have travelled all over the world to seek inspiration most recently in San Francisco, New York and California to soak up their culture of innovation. I identify myself not only as an innovative, creative and dedicated woman but also as a mother of two children- this shines through my desire to create a prosperous and better future for all.

What causes innovation to happen? Improve your business today. E: sharonl@weareIVE.org W: WeareIVE.org

Raising the Bar launches its initiative for 2019 The West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce showcased improvements and changes to Raising the Bar at its 2019 launch this June. The launch night was a great success for recognising the outstanding social impact businesses have within their local communities and for demonstrating how their achievements can be rewarded through the Raising the Bar Awards.

West & North Yorkshire Business

RAISING THE BAR 55 Sandy Needham, Chief Executive of the West & North Yorkshire Chamber, unveiled several changes to the initiative at the event, including a revamped benchmarking tool, which businesses can use to regularly monitor their social impact and benchmark their impact against other businesses. Amber Greenhalgh, Commercial Director for B&M Waste Services, gave an impassioned talk at the awards on what social impact means to B&M Waste and how they secured their Environment and Community award wins last November. Amber described how her team used the benchmarking tool to track their social impact in relation to their work in the local community and education, contributing towards their 2018 success. Amber said: “We’re very proud to have been recognised last year with not just one, but two Raising the Bar awards for our work in the community and in protecting the environment. Our previous submission showcased our efforts (as a carbon neutral waste management company) in assisting businesses to move up the waste hierarchy, minimising waste and recycling as much as possible. “We extend our encouragement to other local businesses to nominate themselves for this year’s awards, there are some truly fantastic efforts being made across Yorkshire which should be recognised and celebrated.” Commenting further on the new changes, Sandy Needham, Chief Executive of the West & North Yorkshire Chamber, said: “I hope businesses will use the measurement tool, get ideas from the case studies and top tips on the Raising the Bar website and encourage their suppliers, clients and colleagues to get involved. Having a great company culture and an interest in the wider community makes good sense for everyone and are aspects that really do help to recruit and retain the best people.” The launch was held at the new coworking and office space Avenue HQ Leeds, with the event space being generously provided by Barclays Eagle Labs.

Hitting the mark

Use the newly improved Raising the Bar benchmarking tool to evaluate and record your good impact on the local community. This year, the Chamber is excited to announce the improvement of the Raising the Bar benchmarking tool. We took feedback from those who used our tool and entered the awards in 2018 to ensure we could make using our tool as easy and useful for businesses as possible. We have enhanced the original tool and added extra features for your benefit.

Record your activities If you don’t have a clear system in place for monitoring your social impact initiative, our benchmarking tool is a great way to get started. You can update the tool at any time, making it easy to add new information whenever you complete a new activity or reach a milestone.

Benchmark against other companies Our tool has a scoring system in place which means you can easily compare yourself to other local companies and their social impact initiatives. Benchmark yourself against the local business community and see if you need to improve or if you are outperforming the rest!

Improve your social impact Raising the Bar exists to both celebrate and encourage good social impact for local businesses. Once you have completed the tool, you can evaluate your next steps in your personalised pre-populated Action Plan which outlines potential ways to improve your social impact initiative. To use the Raising the Bar benchmarking tool, visit: www.raising-the-bar.org.uk/social-impact/

Share your success on social media @RtBYorkshire raising-the-bar-yorkshire West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

West & North Yorkshire Business

Space for high flyers Barclays has been revealed as the major new partner at Avenue HQ, a new, flexible workspace which recently opened in Leeds to support the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing entrepreneurial business community.

West & North Yorkshire Business

FEATURE 57 ‘Avenue HQ Leeds, supported by Eagle Labs’ becomes the second partnership between Avenue HQ and Barclays, following the success of their first site in Liverpool. The Leeds space, based in the heart of the city centre, will house over 300 businesses and provide a combination of co-working and private offices; giving businesses the space to grow and expand. Split across five floors, there are also large event spaces and several meeting rooms available to members, as well as a coffee shop and a rooftop bar, both open to the public. As well as offering help and support to all members; Barclays Eagle Labs has their own floor dedicated to incubating high-growth businesses. The Eagle Lab Incubator is a destination for all high-growth businesses within the city looking to grow and scale their business. All members benefit from Eagle Labs’ initiatives and expertise which includes access to funding, mentoring and an events agenda designed to educate,

connect and inspire entrepreneurs. The Lab is supported by local Barclays’ Business teams who are on hand to offer support to local businesses. Barclays also have specialist HighGrowth Managers on site to provide support to local companies and entrepreneurs. This is the twenty third Eagle Lab across the UK, following success in locations such as Belfast, Manchester and Cambridge. The launch of the new Eagle Lab follows the creation in 2018 of a new business unit at Barclays called Barclays UK (BUK) Ventures. BUK

“Our aim is to bring together ambitious entrepreneurs and inspiring businesses, fuelling collaboration and creating opportunities.” Ventures has an independent mandate to deliver new customer experiences at pace and scale – ultimately driving growth for communities, business and Barclays – and is responsible for growing the Eagle Lab network. Caroline Pullich, Barclays’ Head of SME in Yorkshire said: “We’re really pleased to be partnering with Avenue HQ and this launch will further our investment

in Yorkshire’s entrepreneurs. The city’s businesses are hungry for flexible workspace and we want to help local entrepreneurs to win the ‘champions league’ of growth and job creation. “Leeds is famous for its culture, buildings and people, and has long been at the forefront of industry providing a network to the rest of the world. Technology is transforming the speed at which start-ups can grow and scale, and by providing practical resources alongside our financial expertise we intend to help people succeed. The Eagle Lab at Avenue HQ

will take our relationship with local entrepreneurs one step further, providing them with access to our specialist high growth team, the tools and resources that will help them accelerate growth.” Avenue HQ look forward to the benefits this partnership will bring to existing members of their Leeds site, having seen its success at their Liverpool site. With further expansion planned for Avenue HQ, with a second Liverpool site opening in April, and having won ‘Co-working Space of the Year’ at the 2018 IPSE Awards, the flexible workspace operator is going from strength-to-strength. This partnership with Barclays signifies great opportunities for the company, and its community of members. Matthew Kennedy, founder and CEO of Avenue HQ, said: “Avenue HQ has proven to deliver high-quality collaborative spaces, enabling startups to work alongside, and be supported by, established businesses. We are therefore delighted to secure

this partnership with Barclays for our Leeds site. Combining our flexible membership packages, workspace and events spaces with expert support, and an extensive events calendar, we will create a central hub for businesses of all sectors and sizes within Leeds and the surrounding areas. Access to a national network of Barclays Eagle Labs provides a wealth of opportunities for businesses to expand beyond the city, as well as for us to welcome businesses from other locations.

West & North Yorkshire Business

58 SOCIAL

What you missed online The Chamber has seen great activity across all social media platforms in the past several months. The selected posts below are examples of some of the valuable information and discussions shared by the Chamber and our members on a daily basis. We would love to know your thoughts on this quarter’s magazine and your local Chamber. What would you like to know more about or see more of in the future? Did any articles stand out to you?

Leeds Chamber @LeedsChamber

Nathan Clay @NathanLawBlacks

We’re all set for the Advanced Social Media #LearningLunch here at @ClarionLaw #Leeds, led by Jade from @social_comms #socialmedia #digitalmarketing

Excellent lunch @DoubleTreeYork with @YNYChamber & guest speaker Neil Ferris @CityofYork telling us about the growth of the city & future plans #York #networking

North Yorkshire Law @NorthYorksLaw

Sandy Needham @SandyNeedham1

We really enjoyed attending the @WNYChamber business breakfast at @MiddletonsYork this week. We’re thrilled to support our fellow #York #businesses and hear about their plans for 2019!

Julia Lee of Commonsense Initiative gave an outstanding & inspirational talk on route to becoming 1st Rugby League Referee in Great Britain. Great achievement for someone who was constantly told “girls don’t..” Look out for the play “Ref” when it comes around. @WNYChamber

Get involved with the regional business discussion on Twitter by tagging us @WNYChamber and mentioning #YorkshireBusiness.

Our profiles Twitter @WNYChamber

LinkedIn West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

Caroline Pullich @PullichC Delighted to support @RtBYorkshire launch event this eve opening with @cwinn90 @WNYChamber held at @avenuehq_lds nominations open 5th Aug closes 4th Oct you must nominate!!

Facebook

Bethan @BethanVincent Great lunch with @YNYChamber followed by a very useful session on cyber crime with @YHROCU! Great tip on using https://ghostproject.fr #chamberevents

West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

Keane Creative @Keane_Creative Thank you @YNYChamber for a great event. Always good to catch up with familiar faces, meet new people and find out more about their business. #chamberevents West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

Michael Edwards @MEEliteEdge If you haven’t spent the last two hours eating your body weight in meat @LeedsChamber networking, you have missed out!

putting you ahead 0333 323 5292 www.luptonfawcett.law Offices in Leeds, Sheffield and York

West & North Yorkshire Business

60 MANUFACTURING

Ex-Pressed Steel Panels secures licensing agreement with Ford Motor Company A Yorkshire-based specialist in top quality, hand-finished steel panels for classic cars has announced a prestigious licensing agreement with US multinational the Ford Motor Company. Ex-Pressed Steel Panels Ltd already ship worldwide and now the British-made panels will be officially endorsed by Ford.

ESP specialises in manufacturing a broad range of panels for vehicles from the 1950s and later, for lines which have been discontinued. Most of the panels the company produces would otherwise be unobtainable, and bespoke panels can also be created for those vehicles with unique specifications.

Ex-Pressed Steel Panels has more than three decades’ industry experience and covers dozens of models of cars in all, supplying hand-finished aluminium and steel panels from its UK-based workshop in Cowling, North Yorkshire.

Models such as the Anglia, Capri, Consul, Zodiac and others will be among those Ex-Pressed will fit with panels, alongside the Cortina, Escort, Sierra and Granada, all with Ford’s seal of approval.

A spokesperson for Ex-Pressed Steel Panels said: “We are, of course, delighted to have worked out this licensing arrangement, not least because it’s the first deal of its kind to be struck outside the United States. “We’re looking forward to ensuring classic Ford models look as good as the day they left the showroom. We’re delighted to be making high-quality British goods and believe the move will be excellent for the British automotive industry, and the classic car sector especially. “All of us are really looking forward to working with such a prestigious company as Ford. They’ve seen our panels and are clearly impressed with what we do, and trust in us to deliver a product equal to the original.”

Mike McColgan is an active member of the steering group for Bradford and Airedale Manufacturing Alliance, a network of Manufacturers bringing together a range of local bodies to give manufacturers a powerful voice across the Bradford and Airedale Region. Through the Bradford and Airedale Manufacturing Alliance companies engaged in manufacturing in the region can access a dedicated business advisor who will signpost to relevant funding and support, organise factory visits to gain insights into good practice, enable networking between manufacturers, offer help with supply chain issues and opportunities and provide a single point of contact for manufacturers’ questions.

Leadership & Management training • Maximise the potential of you

and your staff • Create high performing teams • Classic and cutting edge theory • Tailor a programme for your

organisation • Training needs analysis • Add personality assessment tools

such as TMSDI/ Myers-Briggs • Accreditation available

40% funding may be available for eligible courses and businesses in the Leeds City Region through The Skills Service.

www.york.ac.uk/cpd/leadershipandmanagement The Skills Service is managed by the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges and funded by the European Social Fund (ESF)

West & North Yorkshire Business

62 YORK & NORTH YORKSHIRE CHAMBER ANNUAL DINNER PROFILES

Saville Group

Portakabin

Saville Group is the driving force in specialist audio visual solutions with an unrivalled history that spans over half a century of innovation and industry leadership. This unique heritage coupled with our ability to embrace new technology means we have the resources and experience to deliver critical business messaging in a way that informs, educates, inspires and engages in a world where true communication empowers people and organisations.

Designed and manufactured offsite, Portakabin has delivered award-winning buildings of outstanding quality and exceptional service for over 50 years.

An ingrained passion to exceed is core to our DNA, it sets us apart and is the perfect reference that sets the standard in how we shape our partnerships with clients and colleagues. We are continually driving the AV industry forward: pioneering collaborative ways to do business and reinventing live events through our two highly specialised operating brands. Sparq is a dynamic technical event production specialist, which pushes boundaries, raises expectations and inspires amazing live events. Its 360 service provides full production right through to simple kit hire – and everything in between. No matter what the size or scale of the show, the Sparq team work in collaboration to create stunning live experiences, which will truly delight audiences and generate lasting memories. Visavvi sets the standard for modern business collaboration with integrated solutions designed to deliver success. Harnessing technology inventively so organisations can communicate and collaborate smoothly and seamlessly wherever their location. Visavvi create business meeting spaces that encourage user engagement and adoption, driving business agility and all delivered with passion, experience and ingenuity. Discover a new era at www.saville.group Email: info@saville.group Phone: 0370 606 1100

Employing more than 1,750 people across ten European countries, Portakabin creates offices, hospitals, schools, laboratories, universities and factories where before there was only empty space. Today it delivers spaces to work, to heal, to learn, to innovate, to study and to create. It does this quicker and with less impact on the environment than traditional buildings and with the precision, passion and pride of our specialist employees. One of company’s most renowned projects is Global Academy; a state-of-the-art University Technical College. With Global Academy, the design team at Portakabin joined together traditional and modular construction methods, allowing the structure to grow at twice the speed of a fully traditional build. The offsite element reduced build time to just 12 months meaning the school was open in time for enrolment for the new term. With a 4 Star rating by the recognition scheme Investors in Zero Waste, the business diligently invests in its recycling and waste management processes; the manufacturing site in Huntington has achieved zero waste to landfill every year since 2011, encourages employees to cycle to work or car-share and instils sustainable logistics policies. Customers in both public and private sectors benefit from a series of market-leading products and services which have been engineered to meet a range of diverse and continually changing requirements – quickly, efficiently and with much less disruption than traditional site-based construction. www.portakabin.co.uk

West & North Yorkshire Business

PROFILE 63

Award-winning pop-up Shakespearean theatre returns to York for summer 2019 Following its inaugural season last year, when it played to 80,000 people, garnering critical and popular acclaim as well as awards for ‘Best Cultural Experience’ and ‘Best Attraction’, Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre returns to York promising Revenge, Heroism, Magic and Mischief with this year’s line-up of plays. More than 400 years ago, the first audiences for Shakespeare’s plays enjoyed an experience that was as intimate as it was exciting, crowded in close to the actors and the action, in a small theatre in the bustling city of London. In Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre an experience every bit as exciting, intimate and immersive will be offered to today’s audiences in a dramatic playhouse setting beside the iconic 13th century Clifford’s Tower in the heart of the historic city.

Inspired by the famous London Rose Playhouse built in 1587 (12 years prior to The Globe), the theatre will combine state-of-the-art scaffolding technology, corrugated iron and timber with the historic 13-sided design of an Elizabethan theatre. It will house an audience of 900, with 560 seated on three tiers around an open-roofed courtyard, and standing room for 340 ‘groundlings’. Outside the theatre, Shakespeare’s Village will set the scene, with free wagon performances, a traditional Elizabethan garden with box-edged beds of cottage flowers and herbs, and the thatched ‘Bear Arms’ pub showcasing the best of Yorkshire’s food and drink. Four of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays will be performed by two companies of actors in repertory over the 10-week summer season: Hamlet, Henry V, The Tempest and Twelfth Night. Traditional in conception, yet fresh and fun in delivery, these enduring favourites will be directed by some of the UK’s leading theatre directors, led by

Damian Cruden, Artistic Director of York Theatre Royal. The unique environment of Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre creates an extraordinary connection between actors and audience. While an interactive experience awaits those closest to the stage in the courtyard, no seat will be more than 15m from the action, providing plenty of breathtaking, spine-tingling, heart-stopping moments! With gruesome murders, grand poetry, otherworldly creatures and romantic confusion, audiences will experience the comic heights and tragic depths of Shakespearean theatre in a memorable setting. Our Awards: • Best Cultural Experience - York Culture Awards 2018 • Outstanding Cultural Collaboration – York Culture Awards 2018 (for our productions with York Theatre Royal - Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream) • Best Attraction - Minster FM’s Listener Choice Awards 2018

West & North Yorkshire Business

64 YORK & NORTH YORKSHIRE CHAMBER ANNUAL DINNER

York & North Yorkshire Chamber Annual Dinner The President of the York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce celebrated her final Annual Dinner as President at this year’s York & North Yorkshire Chamber Annual Dinner. Bridget Meynell, Managing Director of Minster FM, delivered an impassioned speech to the hundreds of Chamber members who attended the annual dinner in April. Showing her pride for the local district, Bridget brought attention to the many great facets of York & North Yorkshire. Sir Ranulph Fiennes was the keynote speaker at the event. Ranulph gave attendees an insight into the life

MAIN SPONSOR York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce Part of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce