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FIND A NEW JOB
IN THE PICTURE
THE BIG INTERVIEW
Looking for a new job? Don’t miss our 8-page supplement – inside
See who was making connections at the Post’s networking event – p6&7
‘People ask me how I got started – and I put it down to drink’ – page 10
Business bristolpost.co.uk
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FEB
2014
NORTH BRISTOL FOCUS
FRINGE BENEFITS How clusters of skills and expertise plus land available for development mean Bristol’s northern fringe is booming EPB-E01-S3
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Profile
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Aerospace
Printing
Latcham invests £1m in new technology
Robin Goddard Regional director Close Brothers
Career in business brings rich rewards Age: 53 Sector: Finance Size of company: FTSE 250 Listed Born: Manchester Educated: Surrey First job: Paper Round Influences and inspirations: Influence, my father, inspiration, my brother. Irritations: Laziness. Hobbies: Golf, sailing and holidays. What first inspired you to become involved in business? I wanted to be able to have some control over my future. Looking back is there anything you would have done differently in the course of your career? No. What part of your job do you enjoy the most? Interacting with owner managers and finding ways to help them. What piece of advice would you give to anyone considering setting up their own company? Be prepared for sleepless nights and a lot of stress, but get it right and the rewards are worth it. ● Close Brothers is a financial services firm with an office in Queen Street, Bristol
Get in touch Assistant Editor (Business) Gavin Thompson Call 0117 934 3336 Email gavin.thompson @b-nm.co.uk Twitter @gavin_thompson1
Writer Rupert Janisch Email business@ b-nm.co.uk Advertising Robert Rodgerson Call07828 941469 Email robert.rodgerson @b-nm.co.uk Advertising Jane Chapman Call 01179 343025 Email jane.chapman @b-nm.co.uk
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● Bristol-based Aertec Solutions engineering and consultancy firm is looking at how to use technology from video games to improve aircraft manufacturing
Role-playing Video games may shape aircraft work Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
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N engineering and consultancy firm is using computer game technology to shape the future of aeroplane manufacturing. Aertec Solutions, based in Brandon Hill, is working with the technology subsidiary of Airbus Group on a plan to apply video game technology to new branches of industry, including that of aerospace. Pedro de Melo, director of the Bristol-based British Aertec Solutions subsidiary, said: “The technology currently employed in the world of video games, touching on virtual reality, allows for the status and con-
dition of objects and people to be available at any given moment, in addition to precise tracking and the detection of a range of parameters. “The aim is to apply this type of system to an industrial context so that, for example, the behaviour of manufacturing plant employees may be distinguished, providing all the possible information to optimise work, contribute to their decision-making and ultimately improve management and operations.” Aertec Solutions opened its Bristol office just a year ago, where it employs five people. Among the team is the firm’s general director Antonio Gómez Guillamón, who is spending a year in the city in a reflection of the region’s importance in the aerospace and technology markets to the firm. Winning the contract with Airbus Group Innovations has justified the
fir m’s expansion into the area. It sees growth in the British market as central the firm’s international expansion plans. This particular initiative seeks to investigate video game technologies, analyse them and establish new practical applications that may later be adapted to the aircraft industry. The aim is to develop prototypes which could form the basis of further development. Company innovation director, Pedro Pablo Sanchez, said: “There are two reasons why this project holds so much significance for us. Firstly, for its contribution to the innovative processes currently being developed by Airbus Group to apply in their future aeronautical programmes and, secondly, because Aertec Solutions is now an active part of the UK Technology Strategy Board.”
● A PRINTING firm has invested £1 million in new technology, including a range of Xerox printers. Latcham Direct, based in Hengrove, employs 80 people and provides printing and document management services for customers such as the NHS, local authorities and financial services providers. The investment reflects the firm’s need not only to expand its printing capacity, but combine it with documents produced for the web and email, too. Managing director, Mike Hughes, said: “Xerox’s cutting-edge technology continues to partner well with our high quality, complex digital print requirements, allowing our business to remain a leader in digital print and fulfilment solutions. “Our investment will allow us to offer the latest innovations and best possible support to our customers, to meet their current and future needs.” Mike Holyoake, general manager graphic communications operations at Xerox UK, said: “The combination of Xerox digital printing equipment and cross-media solutions opens the door to new formats and web services that integrate fully with a digital print portfolio.”
Research
Uni uses high-tech kit to check cows’ health ● A UNIVERSITY is working with a dairy specialist to find ways to monitor stress levels in cows. UWE Bristol and Glastonburybased Kingshay will use 3D imaging technology to monitor cow health in a stress-free and unobtrusive way. The three-year project is supported by the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board. Dr Mark Hansen, from UWE’s Centre for Machine Vision, said: “We are building a prototype adapted for use on farms that takes simultaneous images of each animal in 3D and 4D as they walk through. It will capture their cow body condition score, live weight and mobility, including gait and posture.”
Best deals - How the numbers stack up Business current accounts
Business savings accounts
1.01% State Bank £10,000 deposit of India
Cambridge & Counties 1.8% Bank £10,000 deposit
0.25% £1 deposit 0.12% £1 deposit
Co-operative Bank
United Trust Bank
1.55% £500 deposit
United Trust Bank
1.50% £500 deposit
0.1% Unity Trust £25,000 deposit Bank
1.5% Shawbrook £5,000 deposit Bank
0.05% £1 deposit
State Bank 1.49% of India £10,000 deposit
Allied Irish Bank (GB)
1.36% 0.05% National £500 deposit Counties BS £1,000 deposit
Source: Business Moneyfacts moneyfacts.co.uk
Inflation (CPI)
2.0 0.6 0.5 3.99
Weekly earnings
%
%
Corporation tax
23 20
% Main rate
%
Small profits rate – below £300,000
Base interest rate Employer NI rates .8% % Standard rate on Ave mortgage rate %
13 10
earnings above £148 per week
.4%
Employees in salary-related pension scheme earning up £770 p/w
Petrol prices bristolpost.co.uk/business .32p
129 136 137 73
Unleaded
.85p Diesel
.96p Super unleaded
.65p LPG
Source: PetrolPrices.com
www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Alternative finance
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Awards
Producers urged to join the race for food and drink honours ● BRISTOL food producers and restaurants are being encouraged to enter the Taste of the West awards. Taste of the West gold, silver and bronze award-winners’ logos are recognised as signs of quality and provenance countrywide, helping to boost business for the winners. Chief executive John Sheaves, pictured, said: “We are delighted to have launched the 2014 awards as we look forward to another recordbreaking year in this, our 21st year. “We are actively encouraging all producers to enter their products into the programme. We are also looking for owners and managers of pubs, restaurants, cafés and shops to enter the retail and hospitality categories. In fact, everyone who
● Taste of the West awards chief executive John Sheaves
believes in the high quality of local and regional food and drink should get involved.” New for 2014 is the division of the fish category – fresh fish and fish products. Cider has also been divided into two categories – apple ciders and perry, and flavoured and fruit ciders. The judging of all food and drink entries takes place over the Easter holidays, and the bronze, silver and gold winners will be announced at the end of April. The 2014 awards ceremony will take place in the early autumn, where the best-of-category winners and the winner of the coveted champion product will be announced. Last year’s winners included Marshfield ice creams.
● Oliver Mochizuki and Derek Ahmedzai
Crowd-puller Duo’s platform for cash Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
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PAIR of entrepreneurs have launched a crowdfunding platform to help people raise money for creative and social projects in Bristol. Oliver Mochizuki and Derek Ahmedzai created Fundsurfer.com to provide an additional source of funding in a climate where lending from banks has become restricted, as well as addressing the loss of grants and funding for the creative industries amid public sector cutbacks. Fundsurfer is a crowdfunding medium, where people launch a project, then share it with friends and contacts, asking for small pledges to make up the total amount needed. Oliver, who is 35 and lives in Horfield, said: “We created Fundsurfer.com to offer a simple, yet highly effective, platform to raise funds. “Currently, bank lending to small businesses and funding for creative and social projects has been cut dramatically. “With councils expected to deliver 100 per cent of services for 60 per cent of the budget, there is huge scope for disruption of traditional funding models. This applies to all sectors and industries. In the future, all kinds
of companies will be involved with crowdfunding.” In November, Fundsurfer joined the Bristol SETsquared Centre, which nurtures new businesses with potential to grow, based at the Engine Shed in Temple Meads. Nick Sturge, director of the Bristol SETsquared Centre, said the business was a great addition. “A ready flow of investment for any project – be it a film, community project or start-up business – is a game-changer,” he said. “Bristol and Bath need more investment activity and we are keen to support any business that strives to disrupt this market. Crowdfunding is a hot topic at the moment and Fundsurfer’s model is appropriately innovative – as we would expect from a Bristol business.” The business was founded in 2012. Previously Oliver co-founded Brisfest and works as a film producer. Derek, from Bishopston, has been building websites for more than 10 years. Derek, 37, said: “We are in discussion with key figures from the public and private sector to create a number of partnerships across Bristol. It is no exaggeration to say that in the future billions, if not trillions, of pounds will go through crowdfunding platforms.” The pair have recently been invited to California to meet interested investors.
Nuclear
Oldbury recycles 140 tonnes of back-up battery cells to reduce risk and cost associated with the Magnox programme through innovative approaches to decommissioning.” In total, 636 battery cells weighing approximately 140 tonnes and containing 37,000 litres of battery acid have been removed and the lead within them recycled. The value of the materials was used to reduce the cost of the work.
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● LARGE batteries that used to supply vital back-up power for Oldbury nuclear site have been taken away and recycled. The 475V batteries became redundant after the station stopped generating power. Oldbury site director, Mike Heaton, said: “The completion of this project marks another successful step in hazard reduction and decommissioning of the site. Our aim is
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Wednesday, February 12, 2014
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Commercial feature
MoT hold-ups drove us to radical solution to cover the running costs and eventually recoup the investment, the firm has opened up the lane to other companies. It has a VOSA tester on site three days a week, but is hoping to extend that to Monday to Saturday once it has enough customers coming in – that could add up to 80 tests each week. Juan says the MoT lane will never be a big profit-maker for the company, but has mutual benefits for his business and other firms in the area that can make use of it, paying just a small pit fee on top of the VOSA charges. The MoT lane is just one of the services Eurotaxis offers over and above a typical taxi firm. It runs a commercial-vehicle recovery service for breakdowns, can carry out repairs and maintenance work, and can collect and return vehicles for their MoTs. And its coach hire arm takes people across the UK and Europe. Eurotaxis undertakes around 8,000 to 10,000 taxi journeys every week, and buses about 5,000 children to and from school. Juan said: “The key to growing the business has been hard work and family.” His wife Anne is the managing director, sons Keith and William are directors and son-in-law Toby runs the workshop. Juan said: “It is very important that it is a family business. It gives you trust, and know how, from length of service. For example, Keith has been with the business for about 20 years.” As to his own involvement as company secretary, Juan, 63, has no plans to retire. He said: “I enjoy this too much.” And he still gets behind the wheel regularly. Juan said: “I still drive every day – buses, taxis, whatever. I enjoy the driving. There is no hassle. There is no stress. Driving is driving.”
Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
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YATE taxi and coach-hire company is opening its doors to other businesses after investing in a commercial vehicles MoT lane. Eurotaxis has been a phenomenal success story since it was founded by Juan Sanzo in 1980. It has grown from a one-man operation, after Juan bought a “battered old” Austin for £200. Now the firm has 180 vehicles – taxis, buses and coaches – and a turnover of £5 million a year. It employs 95 people and uses a number of other self-employed taxi drivers. That growth, however, caused Juan a headache. Every commercial vehicle has to be MoT-tested each year. And unlike with a personal car, you cannot take it to many garages. There are a select number of specialised testing lanes in Authorised Testing Facilities. Difficulties in getting Juan’s fleet of vehicles to the nearest centre, and lack of available appointments, prompted Eurotaxis to come up with a radical solution. Juan said: “You can never get an appointment – it was a real problem. And when you did it was taking four hours to take a vehicle for testing and then bring it back. “So we decided to invest £150,000 in building our own lane to do it in-house.” It took six months to get through the red tape and logistical hurdles. But the lane finally opened for business in November, just before the fir m’s 33rd birthday. The benefits for Eurotaxis are the time and cost savings in not having to get its vehicles to the test centre. And
● Eurotaxis directors Keith and William Sanzo
Further growth is very much achievable for us
W
ITH the Government’s continuing frugality, it may seem that the transport industry has been regulated an exponential amount. Rising costs of fuel coupled with increasing traffic congestion mean that for many operators profits are being squeezed like never before. Established more than 33 years ago and still a family-run taxi and PCV operator, Eurotaxis has seen many changes, the largest of which was amalgamating two sites and
Know how William Sanzo Director Eurotaxis
moving to a purpose-built transport yard in Yate. Only last year we were based on a small, dusty yard in Westerleigh
with our maintenance facilities based eight miles away, and our nearest VOSA Authorised Testing Facility 16 miles away in Avonmouth. If you think that some PCV vehicles will only do eight miles per gallon, we were wasting a small fortune in fuel and wages commuting daily between the sites. After 13 years, we finally found a suitable location and moved to a purpose-built transport yard in Yate with on-site facilities. However, we still had the 32-mile
round trip nearly twice a week for a PCV vehicle to go to the ATF for its MoT. We have invested £150,000 in a new ATF lane at our depot in Yate. The ATF lane is now open to the public and to other operators. Since its opening day we have seen all kinds of vehicles on site, from horseboxes to coaches, from HGVs to buses. Some individuals or operators who do not have maintenance facilities have even brought their vehicle to us for its MoT preparation where we have guaranteed it
will pass its MoT. Alongside our ATF lane we have invested in our vehicle-recovery infrastructure with a Mercedes Actros and a Mercedes Atego. So far there have been numerous HGV and PCV operators who have used our maintenance and recovery services as a one-stop shop for their vehicles. Our other significant investment last year was building a classroom and becoming an authorised centre to give the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence. We see that growth – although difficult at the moment – is, with the right infrastructure and commitment, very much achievable.
Not Just Taxis
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eurotaxis.com 0333 666 66 66
Recovery & Repairs
Mini Buses & Coaches
Taxis & Weddings
ATF - HGV & PSV MOTs
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Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Start-ups
Sector
Theatre chief puts the spotlight on success
MP’s insight into thriving business base A NOT-FOR-PROFIT company is promoting new businesses in one of the less obvious parts of the city. While areas such as Avonmouth and the M4 corridor are seen as the powerhouses of the economy, poorer parts of Bristol can be neglected. But Bristol Spaceworks is proving there are entrepreneurs in Easton, where its business centre is fully occupied, and it hopes to expand to other areas. Local MP Stephen Williams visited the centre to meet some of the businesspeople and see what they do. Chief executive Matt Johnstone said: “It was a very worthwhile trip and gave our local MP a real insight into the thriving business community that exists within the Easton Business Centre. “As a not-for-profit company our ethos is providing affordable space so we protect our customers from surging property prices when our space is full by fixing prices for 12-month periods, but with the added bonus that they can terminate with one month’s notice. “We are very keen to work with Bristol City Council and other partners, or secure other sources of central or European funding, to ensure property assets which are not being used are converted to commercial space to provide job opportunities where they are often needed the most.”
● MP Stephen Williams meets Jas Singh of Auriga BRJK20140207B-022 Energy
● Tom Moore with Peter Cadwell of Crystalface Pictures: Jon Kent BRJK20140207B-008
● Easton Business Centre
● Mr Williams with Jonathan Lee of FireBee Engineering BRJK20140207B-008 Solutions
Bristol Spaceworks was founded in 1985 using the old Co-op building in Chelsea Road, Easton, offering cost-effective space for entrepreneurs. Over time, the centre has also attracted a number of small charities as well as self-employed artists. It now has four sites – the purpose-built Easton Business Centre,
the former Co-op, a former library in Trinity Road and an old Victorian schoolhouse in Barton Hill. Companies using the centres include Tom Moore’s Crystal Face, which produces bespoke crystal engravings from pictures and even baby ultrasound images. Another firm is Auriga Energy, founded by Jas Singh to develop zero
emission hydrogen fuel cells. The technology has already been used on the Hydrogenesis ferry developed in Bristol. Jonathan Lee, whose firm FireBee Engineering Solutions provides design and product development advice for new businesses, pressed the MP to lobby for more help for start-ups in the city.
Retail
Growing force Cleaning firm’s store launch brings five new jobs Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
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● Dominic Turner and son Adam assisted by Kärcher staff; below, the showroom in St Philip’s Causeway
fir m’s range. It is housed in a 688 square metre former car showroom in St Philip’s Causeway, which the firm bought last October. Since then it has undertaken an extensive refit with four floors, including a servicing and workshop area, offices and two floors of showrooms. The ground floor is dedicated to Kärcher’s home and garden range, including its best-known yellow pressure washers, steam cleaners, garden watering systems and its new window vac.
“ Unlike dot com businesses, we don’t sell a phone or a product; cleaning is an application. Cleaning requires know-how. Markus Asch
The first customers on opening day, Dominic Turner and his three-year-old son Adam, had a whale of a time with the spray lance on the Feel The Power pressure washer demonstration. The professional business provides a range of commercial pressure washers, vacuum cleaners, scrubber driers, sweepers, dry ice blasting machines, vehicle washes and drinking and waste-water treatment systems. The firm’s equipment is used in street cleaning around the UK, the London Eye and even Mount Rushmore in the United States. The store is hosting the firm’s product launch roadshow tomorrow, showing off its latest professional machines.
● A LEADING light in the theatre world will deliver the first talk in the new series of Bristol Distinguished Executive Address Series tonight. Rosemary Squire, pictured, is co-founder and joint chief executive of the Ambassador Theatre Group. The firm has managed to grow despite a tough economic climate, when funding for the arts has been squeezed, and it has recently bought the biggest theatre in Broadway – the Foxwoods Theatre. The address series provides an opportunity to hear about challenges and issues and decisions made by business leaders first hand. Rosemary will give a founder’s perspective on creating the largest live theatre group, talking about how to make theatre pay without compromising what’s on stage and how to persuade city investors to see the arts as a viable business prospect. The group owns dozens of UK theatres, including the Bristol Hippodrome The event, to be held at City Hall, starts at 6pm. It is delivered by the Bristol Business School at Bristol UWE in partnership with ACCA, Bristol City Council, Bristol Post, Business West, CBI, CMI, FSB, IoD and the West of England LEP.
Property
Solicitors ‘excited’ by Harbourside switch ● A FIRM of solicitors has moved to a refurbished Harbourside office. Fox Hartley Solicitors has taken 3,047 square feet at Bull Wharf, Redcliff Street, moving from its Broad Street base. Trevor Fox, from the firm, said: “We are very pleased to be moving to Bull Wharf. It looks out directly onto the Floating Harbour on one side and the new court centre on the other. The area has been rejuvenated since I moved down to Bristol 15 years ago. Everyone here is excited about the move.” The building was refurbished in 2012 and has been let by the Bristol office of DTZ on behalf of the owner – a fund managed by Scottish Widows Investment Partnership.
Contest
Deadline approaches for women’s awards ● ENTRIES are flooding in for the Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards, sponsored by Bristol UWE. Businesses range from comedy to formal wear, tradespeople to nurseries, and recruitment to hospitality. Awards will be given out at a gala ceremony at the Bristol City Centre Marriott on Wednesday, April 2. The closing date is February 21, so it’s not too late to take part. Go to www.bristolpost.co.uk/wiba.
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GROWING business specialising in cleaning equipment has invested in a new base in Bristol, creating five new jobs. Kärcher is best known for its pressure washers, but also makes a range of cleaning products – from vacuums to detergents. There are 14 independently-owned Kärcher centres around the UK, but Bristol’s is the first run by the firm itself, in a show of confidence in its products and the market. Markus Asch, vice chairman of Kärcher, who came to Bristol to open the new store, explained the philosophy to focus in-store rather than online. He said: “Unlike ‘dot com’ businesses, we don’t sell a phone or a product; cleaning is an application. Cleaning requires know-how – application-specific know-how that we can share with our customers face-to-face.” The opening was hit by bad weather, but it didn’t keep the customers away from the new centre, which aims to be a one-stop shop for domestic and commercial customers, offering sales and service across the
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Wednesday, February 12, 2014
In pictures Bristol’s business community Bristol Post’s Bristol Connected
B ● Mike Jackson, WebStart Bristol, with Jonathan Williams, Bishop Pics: Michael Lloyd BRML20140205H-009 Fleming
RISTOL Connected – the Bristol Post’s first new regular networking event – got off to a fantastic start at the offices of accountants BDO. Tickets for the free event were snapped up long before the day and despite bad weather about 80 people were there. Paul Wilson, chief executive of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, told attendees about the success of the Going for Growth campaign, run with the Post. The campaign has seen so far £11.85 million in grants approved for local businesses to help them grow and create jobs. He shared a few of the success stories from the campaign, including Friska Foods, a fresh fast food business run by Ed Brown and Griff
● Jim Heal, Rudge Brothers, and James Flooring, with Alistair Watson, BRML20140205H-003 Science City Bristol
● Debbie Pritchard, BDO, and Mark Warren, Jenner Property Group BRML20140205H-004
● Phil Miller, Amy Morse, Matt Rogers and Ricki Critchell BRML20140205H-002 Holland that has three outlets and now plans to open more. “Entrepreneurs like Ed and Griff are exactly what Bristol needs,” said Paul. Graham Randall, head of the Bristol office of hosts BDO, talked about
● Janis Sinton, Taste Capital; and David M
the Business Pulse, a joined initiative with the Post giving small and medium-sized businesses a voice. The Pulse is a survey of businesses’ views on issues chosen by a high-profile steering group. Post assistant editor, Gavin
Thompson, s group include rge Ferguson, Skellett and ecutive directo really do have decision-make
● Catherine Frankpitt, LEP, and Mary Martin, Busines
Royal visit
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● The Prince at Bristol Robotics Laboratory
Pics: Simon Galloway BRSG20140210B-09 ● Right, the Prince at the Engine Shed; left, at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory BRSG2014 0210B-03 (left); BRSG2014 0210A-06
PRINCE Andrew met entrepreneurs and inventors on a visit to Bristol this week. The Duke of York went to the Engine Shed business centre in Temple Meads, where he met the founders of companies in the WebStart Bristol and SetSquared incubators. He then called in at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, a joint project between Bristol’s two universities, but based at UWE. The Prince said: “I am very impressed with the connectivity between the universities and the business world. “There is no barrier today to starting your own business, just a question of whether or not we have the facilities, and this is a wonderful facility in the heart of Bristol, next to the railway station.”
● Prince Andrew talking to Nigel Legg at the BRSG20140210A-15 Engine Shed business centre
● Staff and guests c
● Prince Andrew visiting Bristol Robotics BRSG20140210B-01 Laboratory
THE HR Dept celeb business by taking ents out to dinner tion. The employment based in Kend Gloucestershire, ch ents to entertain in The firm, which pr medium-sized busin ally-based advice a grown to nearly 50 o UK. The HR Dept was Tumelty in late 20
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Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Get in the picture
Taste Tech; Gonzalo Trujillo, Heron vid Mouncey, Smith and Williams
n, said: “Our steering cludes Bristol mayor Geouson, LEP chairman Colin and Bristol chamber exirector James Durie, so we have the ear of the leaders, makers and influencers.
siness West BRML20140205H-008
Send us photos from your event, with names please, to business @b-nm.co.uk
● Above, Paul Wilson, LEP; right, guests at the event networking and listening to a speaker
“This is a great opportunity to make your business heard.” Nick Davies, chief executive of Neighbourly, set out how the new social network will bring together businesses and communities to fill the gap left by public sector cuts.
● The next event will be at Thrings, off Victoria Street, from 6-8pm on Wednesday, April 9. To register for tickets you must go online to Eventbrite, where you can find the event by searching for “Bristol Connected”.
● Zoe Colosio, Neighbourly, Jo Reid, Juliette Randall, Arnos Vale BRML20140205H-039
“Who says banks aren’t lending? Ours has £250m for owner managed businesses.” GALLERIES GALORE
ests celebrate the anniversary
The HR Dept 10th birthday
ment advice specialist, Kendleshire, South e, choose which cliin in a raffle. ich provides small and businesses with locice and support, has y 50 offices across the
cated to Bristol with husband Mike Stevenson after years of working in the corporate world, Sue decided to use her expertise for the benefit of smaller businesses, whether they were taking on their first member of staff or had several hundred employees. Demand grew and she began to receive inquiries from outside Bristol and the South West. Keen to keep
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the local connection to customers, Sue created a licensee model, which sees HR experts launch and run HR Dept offices around the UK under the HR Dept brand. Unlike traditional franchise operations, however, The HR Dept's offices work together co-operatively, sharing skills and expertise and even covering each other's holidays to ensure clients can always access first class advice and support.
We’re not surprised to hear that our bank has set up a loan fund for businesses like ours. They funded the launch of our specialist care centre six years ago and they recently lent us almost £2m to expand, creating 50 new jobs. Like us, they care for the individual. Dr. Angela Nall, General Manager, Pathfinders Complex and Specialist Care
0845 045 0900*
Visit our website or call 8am-8pm Monday to Friday to contact your local branch Jason Fleming, Senior Branch Manager, Bristol Branch, 19 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PB
Our business is business banking
aibgb.co.uk
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celebrated 10 years in king a selection of clinner at the Riversta-
was launched by Sue te 2003. Having relo-
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*Telephone lines open from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays in England and Wales. Calls may be recorded and monitored for security and training purposes. BT landline calls to 0845 numbers will cost no more than 5 pence per minute. Charges from other service providers may vary and calls from mobiles usually cost more. Allied Irish Bank (GB) and Allied Irish Bank (GB) Savings Direct are trade marks used under licence by AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c.), incorporated in Northern Ireland. Registered Office 4 Queen’s Square, Belfast BT1 3DJ. Registered Number NI018800. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.
AIB2 BO
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Expert eye Peter White Senior director and head of Bristol agency BNP Paribas peter.white @bnpparibas.co.uk
Vital to ease burdens on businesses
T
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HE activity level of developers based in North Bristol, and more specifically South Gloucestershire are encouragingly high. There has been a substantial increase over the last decade and this has been predominately based around the residential sector. The majority of this recent residential development has revolved around the major Plcs, who have the largest appetite. The current planning of Lyde Green is a good example of this, but many more instances of development exist. The Crest development at Harry Stoke and the proposed scheme for the former Filton Airfield site by Bridge House and BEA both support this recent expansion. This will provide a combination of at least 8,000 new homes and 60 hectares of employment land. This has the ability to create in the region of 1,000 new jobs. The new residential and commercial development is positive for South Gloucestershire and North Bristol, but there are concerns that this increase in activity may lead to strains on the local infrastructure. There is a desperate need for the local government to ensure this is avoided. There must be sufficient organisation to ensure the necessary arrangements are in place to amalgamate this new business successfully. The creation of local enterprise partnerships to assist this is of limited help. The economy is currently too dependent on a narrow range of industry sectors. It is now vital that local authorities provide more support to reduce burdens for businesses, particularly in terms of planning, lower tax levels, and other administrative burdens. If achieved, South Gloucestershire can look forward to being a more competitive region within North Bristol.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
North Bristol focus Northern heights The industries making mark for city worldwide Boasting some of the city’s biggest employers, Bristol’s northern fringe of Filton, Emersons Green and Cribbs Causeway is booming, as Gavin Thompson reports
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HE north Bristol fringe is the Rolls-Royce of business districts. And not just because the engine-maker has a plant in Patchway. The area, most of which actually falls within the boundaries of South Gloucestershire, is home to the city’s marquee industries of aerospace, advanced engineering and silicon. These are the industries Bristol can shout about, upon which its global reputation is built and on which organisations such as the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership and Invest in Bristol and Bath will promote brand Bristol. The area has benefited from the cluster effect whereby expertise and talent build up around successful companies, such as Airbus. The plane-maker employs 4,000 people in Filton, more than 2,000 of them engineers. Workers at the site design wings and design and test landing gear across the fleet, as well as assemble wings for the A400M transport plane before shipping them to Seville to be attached. The man in charge of the Filton operation is 51-year-old Mark Stewart. “Airbus has built on 100 years of aviation expertise in the region going back to Sir George White (founder of the Bristol Aeroplane Company).” He said Bristol had a “critical mass” of aviation expertise, pointing to firms such as GKN which is major supplier to Airbus and the National Composite Centre in Emersons Green, in which Airbus is a key player. There are also a host of smaller firms in the supply chain brought here to be close to the big boys. Mark added: “Filton is the engineering capital of the UK.” It’s not just engineering. Since the 1970s Bristol has become a hub for silicon and semiconductors, second only to California. Originally American firm Fairchild Semiconductor opened a design office here in 1972. One of its team Peter Cavill went on to establish Inmos in 1978 which developed a new generation of microprocessor called the transputer. From there a cluster developed that continues to grow today.
● An apprentice work on a A400M wing cover; below, Mark Stewart The spirit of innovation is echoed across other sectors too. The Bristol and Bath Science Park in Emersons Green houses dozens of high-tech businesses, from a man who invented heated gloves to keep his son’s hands warm playing rugby to Marine Current Turbines, a big player in the development of tidal power sources. Drive around the loop of Aztec West and the drab warehouse buildings contain a seemingly endless number of successful businesses, from Aardman Animations to Metryx, which supplies machines to measure the tiniest imperfections in microchips during mass production. It wasn’t always such a buzzing business hub, however. David Mace, regional senior director at property experts GVA, said the real economic driver for the city’s northern fringe was the building of the motorway network in the 1960s and 70s. That infrastructure giving easy ac-
cess to London, the West Midlands and the South West made the area attractive to businesses and stands in direct comparison to the lack of investment in anything similar for south Bristol. The business property sector remains less buoyant than the city centre, where the professional services firms such as lawyers, bankers and accountants want prominent buildings with which to impress their clients. But north Bristol is more about making, creating and getting things done than showing off. Over the next few years, there’s another industry getting things done here - house building. With the sale of Filton airfield to developers and major developments around Emersons Green, thousands of new homes will be appearing. Keith Simmons, managing director of Taylor Wimpey in Bristol said “house building is business” and one that will be in the area for some time
as these big developments unfold. “If you build 100 homes a year, that’s 150 jobs on site,” he said. “If we were opening a factory employing 150 people, they’d give us a grant.” These new homes will in turn bring thousands of new people with their spending power to the area, needing furniture, removals, white goods, professional services and so on. The developments will also mean more employment land, usually a planning condition of building large numbers of homes. Mr Mace explained: “House builders realise they have got to bring employment too. Planning requirements are very much driving for people to be able to live, work and play in the same location.” With Cribbs Causeway’s shops and entertainment nearby, plans to develop Bristol Zoo’s Wild Place animal park and an application currently going through the council for a manmade surfing lake in the area, combined with the skilled, high quality jobs already there, it’s an ambition the northern Bristol fringe is very well-placed to deliver.
www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Silicon heritage proves crucial ● WITH chips and processors in many of the mobile phones and tablets on the market today, Nvidia is an example of a thriving sector in north Bristol. The firm, which employs 203 people and continues to grow, last year moved into new offices in Aztec West. It could have moved away from the area, but Bristol’s strong heritage in silicon was a strong factor in staying local. Pete Hughes, vice president, modem hardware and silicon, said: “Bristol is one of a handful of locations worldwide that is a centre of excellence for microprocessor and wireless communications expertise.” Steve Allpress, vice president, mobile communications software,
Case study agreed, pointing to the strong universities of Bristol, UWE and Bath providing a good crop of potential candidates and the strong history of “silicon expertise”, which dates back to 1972 when American firm Fairchild Semiconductor chose Bristol to locate a design office. Mr Allpress said: “The technology we develop here in Bristol delivers the latest 4G functionality to smartphones, tablets and other connected devices – and it takes the smartest engineers to develop. “Bristol is a great area to recruit engineering talent, with access to
● Nvidia’s mobile technology engineering facility at Aztec West
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students from great institutions like the University of Bristol.” However, the specialised nature of the work means that new recruits need more training before they can be let loose on products. Those very smart people work in what looks rather like a stripped-down, open-plan office that hasn’t been decorated yet, and with a lot more plug sockets. Here the developers and testers sit prodding, poking and creating. There are hot and cold areas to test chips in different climates. They even have a mobile phone base station, so they can test chips in different devices in a real-life situation. Nvidia hopes to grow to 250 employees over the next two years. That expansion is a vote of confidence in the future of the north Bristol area.
Unlocking the potential offered by north Bristol Housebuilder’s viewpoint By Keith Simmons, of Taylor Wimpey ● TAYLOR Wimpey has long recognised the potential of the north Bristol area and in recognition of that potential we’re due to start work on a major new residential development in Emersons Green within the next two weeks. The initial 223 two-bedroom apartments and two, three, four and five-bedroom houses will comprise the first phase of the Lyde Green development, which will ultimately deliver more than 2,000 new homes, together with a range of community facilities including primary and secondary schools, a community hall and sports pitches. Not only is this fantastic news for those seeking a new place to live, it will bring significant economic benefits to the region. As part of our Section 106 agreement, we will be making a number of financial contributions towards highways improvements and public transport, primary and secondary education, health provision, library services, public art and the community forest. In fact, Taylor Wimpey Bristol contributed a massive £7 million towards local infrastructure during 2012 for the benefit of the communities where we build our new homes, and the company contributed £175m nationally. There is further investment to come for the local area under the
New Homes Bonus – an initiative that enables local authorities to share in the economic benefits that development brings through the Government match-funding the council tax raised from the building of new homes for six years, with an additional amount for affordable homes. Another positive effect our development will have in the region is the creation of new jobs. Research by Michael Ball, professor of urban and property regeneration at Reading University, suggests that every new home built creates 1.5 full-time ‘direct jobs’, while the Home Builders Federation estimates that an additional 4.5 jobs are created indirectly through the supply chain. At Lyde Green, the result is approximately 375 new on-site jobs and more than 1,000 supplier jobs. An influx of workers to the area will have a positive knock-on effect for local businesses, from the petrol station where they fill up their work vans to the local cafe where they buy a sandwich at lunchtime. Local suppliers to the construction trade will also see a rise in trade. Lyde Green represents a significant investment in the north Bristol area and is just the start of more to come. Taylor Wimpey is actively seeking further residential development opportunities across the South West, where there is a recognised need for housing. We have already presented proposals for a further two developments in the greater Bristol
● Keith Simmons, managing director of Taylor Wimpey Bristol area – Cossham Street in Mangotsfield and Somerdale in Keynsham. We recognise the demand for high-quality housing in this beautiful part of the country and are determined to unlock the development potential of each of these sustainable locations. And with each development that gets the go-ahead we will be making a number of financial contributions towards improving community facilities in the local area as part of the planning agreement. Our commitment to pursuing new development in the Bristol area demonstrates that the industry continues to thrive. Consumer confidence is
returning to the housing market and the Government’s hugely popular Help to Buy scheme is giving first-time buyers the opportunity to step on to the property ladder, while existing homeowners are taking advantage of the scheme to trade up. Under Help to Buy, purchasers can secure a Government loan for 20 per cent of the full price of their new home – meaning they only require a 75 per cent loan-to-value mortgage and a five per cent deposit. Thousands of homebuyers have benefited from Help to Buy since it was launched last April, and many more are expected to take
advantage of the scheme in 2014. As further evidence of the strength of the market, Taylor Wimpey Bristol is investing in more staff and is currently seeking three management trainees and three apprentice site managers to oversee several exciting new developments which are being brought forward in the local area. This investment in staff reflects our confidence in the market as we expect demand for high-quality new homes to continue to rise in the South West. To register an interest in one of our superb new homes at Lyde Green, house-hunters can visit www.taylorwimpey.co.uk.
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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
The Big Interview
‘RED TAPE IS DRIVING PEOPLE OUT He’s been one of the city’s business high-flyers - literally for years. Don Cameron tells Gavin Thompson about balloons, red tape and adventures over the Atlantic
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T all started with a beer, Don Cameron tells me when I ask how his career in balloon making, which recently saw him appointed MBE in the New Year Honours, began. “People ask me how I got started and I put it down to drink,” he says. “I used to be a member of a gliding club and in the bar one day a few of us started talking about this new kind of balloon that had just been invented in the States using propane burners and nylon fabric. “We ended up building the first modern hot air balloon in Western Europe. We started to do bits for other people then it became a part-time job. Eventually I gave up my real job and started developing
“ The UK needs people to start businesses. But it’s hard work, you certainly don’t work 9-5. I remember I worked a whole year where my income was negative. But it’s worth it in the end – it’s fun apart from anything else. Don Cameron
Vital statistics
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Name: Don Cameron Age: 74 but not planning to retire yet! Place of birth: Glasgow School: Allan Glen’s (a grammar type school with a science bias) First job: Bristol Aeroplane Company Hero or inspiration: My grandfather.
the balloon business.” The business has grown from Don’s Cotham home, spent a decade in St Michael’s Parish Hall nearby, before moving to Bedminster more than 30 years ago. That he doesn’t regard it as a real job tells you something about the adventure Don has been on. But that doesn’t mean it has been easy. “The UK needs people to start businesses,” he says. “But it’s hard work, you certainly don’t work 9-5. I remember I worked a whole year where my income was negative. But it’s worth it in the end – it’s fun apart from anything else. “I’m lucky in the sense that my business is a bit spectacular, although that does mean we have a lot of competition. If you want to make money, go into a business like cleaning drains – something that no one else wants to do.” The balloon business attracts many enthusiasts, which means they are prepared to do more for less money. That said, it’s not cheap. A standard balloon will set you back around £20,000. If you want it shaped like a magic castle or Darth Vader’s head it could near £100,000. And despite the fun, it’s not a business on an upward trajectory. Cameron Balloons has been making fewer and fewer balloons each year, from 130 in 2010 to just 82 last year. Don has no doubt where the blame lies.
“Regulation of the balloon industry has moved to Europe and because the new regulator is very lazy it regulates balloons as if they are a small aeroplane,” he says. “This has massively increased costs and is driving people out of ballooning.” Don explains that the burden of red tape is perhaps more manageable for the pleasure trip balloon firms, as they can spread the cost over many flights. But it is prohibitive for the private enthusiasts. “If you only fly your balloon a few times a year, this is adding hundreds of pounds to the cost of every flight,” says Don. “It is putting off new people
THE BIG INTERVIEW WITH DON CAMERON Find out what advice Don has for start-up businesses by visiting our website bristolpost.co.uk/business
from getting into ballooning, they look at the costs and everything that’s involved and say ‘blow it’.” Examples of that red tape include pilots having to be re-tested every few years, balloons having to undergo more lengthy airworthiness tests and getting “certification to prove you have a certificate”. All of which costs money and time. Don says you used to be able to get an inspector to look at your balloon “for a beer” but now because the test is more involved and takes much longer, you have to pay. If you can find an inspector – as many have got fed-up and quit. The problem, it seems, lies in the transfer for control from the Civil
www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
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Business diary
OF BALLOONING’
Chinese New Year Reception: Bristol China Partnership welcomes the Year of the Horse with gala banquet at Zen tonight. Tickets £40 for members and £50 for non-members. Contact Dianne.francombe@ bristol-china-partnership.com or call 0117 956 7096. Wednesday@6: Bristol Institute of Directors informal free networking at The Radisson Blu from 6-8pm, February 19. Call 0117 3707785 to register. FSB South Gloucestershire seminar: Wednesday, February 26, 6.45pm-9.45pm, Aztec West Hotel, Almondsbury, BS32 4TS. Register at www.fsb.org.uk. Ready for business workshop: Workshops for anyone who is exploring starting a business at Brave, The Coach House, Upper York Street, Bristol, 10am-4pm, Thursday, February 27. Free. Contact readyforbusiness @businesswest.co.uk. Emerging Europe trade mission: Join Trade Minister Lord Livingstone on mission to discover benefits of exporting to a region with huge potential for novice and experienced exporters in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. March 3-7. Contact Angela.Maynard-Smith @uktisouthwest.org. FSB Bristol branch networking event: Free for members networking, 9.30am-11.30am, Wednesday, March 5, 9.30am-11.30am, 1 Friary Temple Quay BS1 6EA. Register at www.fsb.org.uk. Wednesday@6: Bristol Institute of Directors informal free networking at The Radisson Blu from 6-8pm, March 5. Call 0117 3707785 to register.
My downtime Perfect weekend: I go to balloon events quite a lot in the summer. Favourite book or film or TV show: I don’t watch TV a lot, but I have many books. Hobbies: Too many – I am convenor for philosophy at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution. Vice Chairman of the Town Council in Portishead. A member of the Royal Aero Club Council and the British Balloon and Airship Club Committee. Sailing, ballooning. Member of the Balloon Fiesta Committee. I do a little bit for the Children’s Hospice and the Bristol Samaritans. I speak at Burns Suppers (but only in late January).
My working day Wake up: 7am Breakfast: Egg and beans sometimes Start work: 9ish Typical working day: Unpredictable! Go home: Typically 5.30pm Take work home/attend evening functions: Yes, often
machine”, as Don puts it. Sewing machines take up the top floor of the factory, while on the ground floor are the engineers, baskets, administration staff and more sewing machines (easier access for repairs). The middle floor is largely empty, so there is room to “spread things out” when putting the balloons together. One of the ways it is trying to beat the regulation issues is with exports further afield. Europe has been its biggest market but balloons are gaining popularity in the Far East, with Myanmar and Taiwan among the destinations for Cameron Balloons’ goods.
Customers over the years have been varied. Don is proud that the only two balloons to go all the way around the world were made by the firm, one co-piloted by then employee Brian Jones. And he’s something of an adventurer himself, having both failed then succeeded in crossing the Atlantic in a balloon and being the first and only person to fly from the UK to the Soviet Union by such a mode of transport. “No one will take that record from me,” chuckles Don. “The Soviet Union ceased to exist soon afterwards. “That trip was as much a triumph over bureaucracy than technical
challenges. It took an age to get permission and in the end they insisted I had a Russian co-pilot. It worked out well though and he became a good friend. The only thing was every time he come over to Bristol he would bring along a bottle of vodka...” Don still flies regularly, though hasn’t been up in a balloon for about three months largely due to the dreadful weather of late. But he’s looking forward to his next opportunity. He says: “It’s an adventure every time you get in a balloon. It’s a journey with an unknown destination.” Not unlike running a business, perhaps.
Bristol Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast: Liaise with like minded people and enjoy a full English breakfast in the contemporary setting of Goldbrick House. 7.30am-9.30am, Thursday, March 6. £11 members, £20 non-members. Contact events@businesswest.co.uk. Ready for business workshop: Workshops for anyone who is exploring the concept of starting a business at Leigh Court, Abbots Leigh, BS8 3RA, 10am-4pm, Tuesday, March 11. Contact readyforbusiness@ businesswest.co.uk. Doing Business in India: UK India Business Council is taking a business delegation to Delhi, Gurgaon and Bangalore, March 10-17. Contact angela. maynard-smith@uktisouthwest.org. Email your business events to gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk. Events are sometimes cancelled without us being notified so please check with organisers before travelling.
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Aviation Authority to the European Air Safety Agency. But despite the problems, 77-year-old Don has no plans to step back from the business he clearly loves. “They’ll probably have to carry me out of here in a box,” he says. The firm, in St John’s Street, Bedminster, employs 60 people including engineers working on burners and fans, and machinists sewing the balloons together. Some of the technology has developed over the years, such as computer cutting of letters and the way some of the balloons are designed, but “a sewing machine is still a sewing
The Set.Social: Monthly informal networking night at The Set, a collaboration club at Bath Road Studios. First Wednesday of every month, aims to bring together like-minded people in the South of Bristol to Meet. Think. Create over drinks and canapés. from 6pm
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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Up and coming
Movers & shake-ups The future of business
The latest appointments news. Send your news to business@b-nm.co.uk
Leisure
Caterpillar play cafe prepares to spread its wings Rupert Janisch Business@b-nm.co.uk
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NEW mum from Windmill Hill has launched an innovative toddler-friendly cafe in Bedminster and is hoping to open her second venue in the next three years. Melody Beard opened Hungry Caterpillar Play Cafe in Cannon Street last November after being frustrated by the lack of venues where she could take her baby. Speaking to other mothers, the 31-year-old realised there was demand for space which allowed children to play safely while also accommodating their parents, without the constraints of a playgroup. After support from start-up group BRAVE Enterprise and with financial backing assisted by the South West Investment Group (SWIG), Melody’s business is up and running and already proving to be extremely popular. Hungry Caterpillar has a safe play area for children up to five years old, games and crafts for all ages alongside workshops, activities and language classes for both adults and children. For grown-up customers, it also provides free wifi, newspapers and magazines. Originally planned to be a solo venture, Hungry Caterpillar has developed quickly and turned into a
● CONSTRUCTION firm Midas is taking action to bolster its supply chain as the company predicts sustained future shortages of skilled labour in the region. It has appointed Colin Muller as head of procurement and supply chain, with the aim of cementing long-term relationships with current and potential suppliers and sub-contractors Colin joins the Midas Group from Cowlin. He said: “With the economy on the up, skills and labour are already being stretched. We are taking the right steps to ensure that the challenges in the industry are being managed effectively.”
“ I sort of idealised
running a business alongside having my daughter around and it hasn’t worked out like that at all. Melody Beard (right)
family business, with Melody’s husband Tom leaving his job at Bristol Zoo to work full time at the cafe. She said: “We are still getting to know the market, finding out what works for our customers. We are having our first supper club on February 14 which has sold out, and are fully booked for birthday parties until May. “We are planning to keep growing and would like to open our second cafe in the next three years.” And she said her biggest hurdle has been starting the business while raising her two-year-old daughter: “I sort of idealised running a business alongside having my daughter around and it hasn’t worked out like that at all. I now have my daughter with me three days a week and she has childcare on the other two days.” John Hector, business mentor at BRAVE Enterprise, has worked closely with Melody on the business. He said: “Melody has worked extremely hard to start up a vibrant play cafe that is already proving to be very popular with the local
Education
community in Bedminster. She has shown endless drive and determination, and, perhaps most importantly, had researched the market thoroughly and talked to local parents about their needs. She invested time and energy in developing a robust business plan in order to access start-up finance from SWIG.”
Unable to access traditional finance due to a lack of security, Melody applied to SWIG for funding and was successful in her application for a Government-backed Start-Up Loan as well as a loan through the South West Microcredit Fund, part-financed by the Competitiveness European Regional Development Fund.
Legal
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Agent welcomes new apprentice Rachael gets her property break AN estate agents in the Somerset village of Wrington has welcomed its latest new face into the team. Scott Higgins, pictured, is the fourth apprentice at Debbie Fortune Estate Agents, after starting his career path at the company at the beginning of January. Scott joined the firm under the National Apprentice Service, which gives students the opportunity of pursuing an alternative progression route to degree level qualifications whilst gaining job specific skills. Company managing director Debbie Fortune said: “As an ambassador for the NAS, I am a keen supporter of apprenticeships. “We work closely with Weston College, which administers the scheme and provides the training, and I would urge employers to consider an apprenticeship. It is a great way to
build a business whilst helping to improve the shocking statistics relating to youth unemployment.” Scott lives locally, and is a former pupil of Churchill School, later moving to Weston College where he studied for an advanced diploma in IT. He said: “I am so pleased to have been accepted at Debbie Fortune Estate Agents. My first few weeks have gone like a flash and every day is different. “It is an exciting and fast-moving environment to work in and I hope that I will be able to pursue a career with Debbie, but I know I will have to work hard to meet her high standards.” For more information about apprenticeships, either contact the Business Enterprise Centre at Weston College or visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk.
RACHAEL James is embarking on a career in property law, having joined specialist firm Hoffman Male as a trainee conveyancer. The 22-year-old has joined the fir m’s Bristol team, working alongside partner Yvette Morcombe. She has a law degree from Swansea University, where she also took her legal practice course before starting with her new employer. Rachael said: “I was looking for a career in property, as that area of law really interests me. “There is a lot of variety and challenge in the role. “I am delighted to be starting with Hoffman Male and I’m already really enjoying working with the team.” Bristol partner, Yvette Morcombe, said: “I am delighted that Rachael has joined us and at such an exciting time in the progress and development of the Bristol office.” Rachael is currently commuting to the firm’s offices at Aztec West, near Almondsbury, from her home in Newport, Wales.
● Rachael James Hoffman Male, which specialises in wills and probate as well as conveyancing, is looking to expand its team following the upturn in the property market – fuelled by renewed confidence and the Government’s Help to Buy scheme – and is keen to develop new talent.
● CARE provider Brunelcare has appointed a new chair of trustees. Steve Boardman, below, brings 25 years’ health care expertise, including director positions at two local NHS trusts. Steve said: “Our aim is to help meet the needs of an ever increasing elderly population. However, we are working in the context of an austerity policy which imposes significant cuts in the public sector finances that pay for our services and in the benefits system, which supports many of our tenants, residents and clients. “Fortunately, we have an excellent management team and wonderful, committed, caring staff.” ● ONLINE market research company OnePoll has appointed Chris Martin as research director. Chris has nine years’ experience in market research in research agencies and client brands, including Synovate and the Money Advice Service. He said: “There is an increasingly large demand for consumer research packages that offer clients’ detailed insight presented in an interactive and digestible manner. I will be spearheading OnePoll’s new full-service analysis package.”