BUSINESS NEWS

FALMOUTH HARBOUR PRICE HIKE

Falmouth Harbour has revealed details of significant charge increases for leisure customers ahead of the 2022 season.

The increases will impact customers who use facilities including moorings, berths and boat parking.

Falmouth Harbour CEO, Miles Carden, says the increases – most of which have been limited to a maximum of 30% depending on the size of vessel - will rebalance

ENTRIES OPEN ON 30 UNDER 30

Nominations are now open for Cornwall’s 30 under 30 Awards.

Cornwall Chamber of Commerce along with Business Cornwall magazine, Don’t Cry Wolf, Pirate FM and Truro & Penwith College, are on the hunt for the best of Cornwall’s thriving young talent.

If you are a self-motivated, innovative entrepreneur, businessperson or professional making waves in Cornwall, then we want to hear from you or you can nominate an outstanding member of your team, a friend that inspires you, or even a family member you know has worked tirelessly to get where they are today.

To be eligible for the award, 30 under 30 candidates must living and working in Cornwall and be under the age of 30 on March 18, 2022. The judges want to see a range of nominations to represent the great diversity Cornwall has to offer.

Chamber chief executive, Kim Conchie, said: “I’m so excited to be warming up to our annual 30 under 30 Awards. It’s the event where we judge and meet some of Cornwall’s rising stars who inspire and engage the panel with their energy, knowledge, and enthusiasm.”

The closing date for nominations is March 18. For full details on how to enter, head to the cornwallchamber.co.uk website.

All 30 winners will be announced in the May issue of Business Cornwall, with an awards ceremony will be on June 17.

historically low charges while keeping them “competitive, fair - and in many cases still less than market levels”.

It follows a thorough review of pricing policy for both commercial and leisure operations by the Harbour management team.

“No one likes price rises but we have had to accept that we cannot maintain, keep safe and grow this spectacular and vibrant sailing and commercial harbour if we continue to under-charge for services we have a statutory duty to provide,” said Carden.

“We are faced with considerable challenges of increasing costs which are unavoidable and cannot be delayed any further as the future of the Harbour depends on it.”

After the initial rebalancing increases which come into effect for the 2022 season, Falmouth Harbour aims to maintain future charges at levels around the rate of inflation.

#30U30 #thirtyunderthirty

EDEN SET FOR MORECAMBE

Planning permission has been granted to build a new Eden Project in the north west of England.

The focus now for the Eden team is to obtain the funding and it has submitted a business case to the Government, asking for a £70 million public investment in the £125 million project.

David Harland, chief executive of Eden Project International, said: “Planning permission is a huge milestone on our journey towards making Eden Project North an exemplar project for Morecambe, Lancashire and the North of England.

“The project is now definitively shovel-ready and a compelling financial case has been made to Government.”

NEW COMPANY FOR A NEW ERA

Global spring manufacturer, Lesjöfors AB, has rebranded its operation in Cornwall.

The Swedish-owned company has more than 50 sites across the world, including two factories in Penryn and Redruth, which were formerly called European Springs & Pressings. They will now form a new company called Lesjöfors Heavy Springs UK

Michael Gibbs, MD of the newly-formed Lesjöfors company, said: “This is a really exciting new chapter for the Cornwall factories. Our new company and new name reflect a unified team under the Lesjöfors AB brand and the world-leading springs we manufacture for customers across the automotive, rail, agriculture, oil, mining, construction and energy sectors in the UK. “We have achieved a record-breaking order book over the last year; sales are up 35%, we’ve grown our team by 40% and our annual turnover is our best yet at £15 million. This year we’re investing £1 million in new machinery and every element of our performance has been driven by an ambitious and progressive team, propelled with investment support by Lesjöfors AB.”

European Springs & Pressings will continue its manufacturing operations in Kent.

A Falmouth company has been awarded European rights for an environment-friendly filter for superyachts.

Lizard Yacht Service has been appointed sole European distributor for the SeaClean System, which is designed to remove harmful particulates from marine diesel generator exhausts.

From its bases in Falmouth and Mallorca, Lizard Yacht Service provides parts and engineering services to luxury yacht and superyacht clients.

MD, Emlyn Jones, explained: “Luxury yacht owners want their vessels to be in pristine condition. Hull staining from the generator exhaust can require cleaning with abrasives. As well as the inconvenience, over time this repetitive cleaning can damage the hull. Diesel engine soot pollution has become a major factor in increased maintenance costs for yachts and other motor vessels.

“We are delighted to have been appointed sole European distributor and we are looking forward to bringing this innovative technology to the fast-growing superyacht market in Europe.”

EVERYTHING SHIP SHAPE

NEWS IN BRIEF

Cornwall Air Ambulance was called out to 1,092 missions in 2021. The crew responded to 733 incidents in the helicopter and 359 in the rapid response vehicles. Of these missions, 551 were to people injured in traumarelated incidents and 534 were in response to medical emergencies. Throughout the year, the critical care team carried out a total of 12 blood transfusions at the scene of an incident.

D3 Architects won a Best of Houzz award on the home renovation online platform, Houzz, for a second year running.

Penryn-based marine renewables company HydroWing has been awarded a berth at the Morlais tidal stream energy project in Anglesey. It plans a “phased approach” starting with a commercial demonstrator project in 2023 which will be operated by its newly-established Welsh operation - HydroWing Tidal Projects Ltd.

Penryn-based marine manufacturing company, Workfloat (also trading as ScaffFloat), has secured a £140k equity investment from the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF) as part of a £200k funding round led by appointed CIOSIF fund manager, The FSE Group.

Truro-based wine importer Old Chapel Cellars has become the first merchant in the UK – and only the second globally – to become a registered B Corp. It achieved the highly-regarded environmental and social certification last month, after undergoing a rigorous verification process. It joins Danish importer Østjysk Vinforsyning as the only B Corp accredited wine merchant to date.

Folk2Folk, the Launceston-based national lender for regional businesses, has surpassed £500 million in lending with a record level of £108 million lent during 2021, almost double that of the previous year.

THE BUSINESS AWARDS ARE BACK!

Businesses have until March 21 to submit their entries for the Cornwall Business Awards.

After a three-year hiatus, the awards are back in full force and will be presented at a gala ceremony in June.

From great places to work and customer experience, inspirational stories of success and growth to exporters and rising stars; the awards recognise companies that demonstrate why Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is such a great place to do business.

Now in its 16th iteration, the awards are organised by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth and Skills Hub. Operations manager, Kirsty Miles-Musgrave, said: “We are thrilled to have the Cornwall Business Awards back for 2022. After a break in both 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, we cannot wait to recognise the achievements of businesses across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, from those who have shifted the ways in which they work to others who have kept moving forward despite the challenges.

“Whether you believe your business is the best place to work, if you have a rising star on your team who deserves recognition, or if you’re doing your bit to help make our county cleaner and greener, there is an award category for everyone so jump online and get applying.”

The awards are completely free to enter, and businesses should register on the Cornwall Business Awards website. Any business or sole trader based in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly can apply with applications open until Midnight, Monday March 21.

cornwallbusinessawards.co.uk

SPACEPORT IMPACT REPORT

Spaceport Cornwall is preparing to release its Sustainability Impact Report and Action Plan, as it gears up for a first satellite launch this summer.

Small satellites are set to play a crucial role in the fight against climate change, with increased Earth observation leading to deeper ‘environmental intelligence’ - providing us with the data needed to inform policy both locally and globally.

But while the benefits of small satellite launches are increasingly evident, there are also detrimental impacts that cannot be ignored. Spaceport Cornwall says the report has been created to share those impacts - both offering and seeking opportunities to reduce them through open collaboration.

Before the report is released to the public, Spaceport Cornwall has launched a Sustainability Steering Group of environmental experts and stakeholders from across Cornwall. They will now work with spokespeople from each sector related to their areas of focus, asking them to review and consult on the findings and progress the action plan to its next stages.

Head of Spaceport Cornwall, Melissa Thorpe, said: “We believe transparency and openness need to be a priority in our industry, because the impacts and outcomes affect us all. That’s why we are calling for a steering group to help us further this report - we’re committing to do things differently – to show the world that space launch can be transparent and to change things for the better.”

A FISHERMEN’S TALE

PHOTO: MATTHEW FACEY

The Fishermen’s Mission charity is looking to raise £7.5k on Crowdfunder to publish a new book celebrating the Cornish fishing industry in Mevagissey.

‘Salty Cove’ is a collection of professional black and white portraits of those connected to the Mevagissey fishing industry and their accompanying life stories.

It is a living piece of social history, dedicated to the hard-working people from this beautiful part of Cornwall.

Fundraising manager, Julian Waring, said: “This book is three years in the making and reflects the energy of our dedicated volunteers in Mevagissey who have kept this project alive during the hard times of restrictions.”

For full details and pledge your support for the book, head to crowdfunder.co.uk before March 18.

SCAFFFLOAT IN AUSTRALIA

Penryn-based ScaffFloat has entered a new partnership downunder.

ScaffFloat is a patented plastic float that allows pontoons, barges and workboats to be built from standard scaffold components.

It has just launched its first pontoon in Australia, through Access Engineering Group (AEG), which has become an approved partner of the system.

The 8m x 4m is being used by the client to carry out maintenance works on Barrack Street Jetty in Perth and needs access above and below the water.

Damian Beausang, MD of AEG Group, said: “We have had a number of other enquiries for ScaffFloat in Australia and we expect this to be the first of many jobs where we provide safe floating access.

“In this case the client, Elite Concrete Protection and Repairs have said they are delighted with the bespoke access for their planned works, in particular how safe it is for the works close to the water.”

Toby Budd, MD of ScaffFloat, added: “We are delighted to have Damian and Access Engineering Group onboard and this first commercial job is a great start. It’s a real milestone that proves the ScaffFloat system is no longer limited to UK shores. We are now looking at starting manufacture in country so we can supply higher numbers of floats for other projects down under in the pipeline.”

IT’S POSSIBLE CAMBORNE

The Camborne Town Deal board has voted in favour of working with a recently formed community interest company (CIC) that aims to drive positive change and help local people.

Called ‘It’s Possible Camborne’, the CIC was set up by an experienced team of volunteer directors who live and work in the town and are passionate about turning aspirations into reality.

“We want to empower local people to get actively involved, encourage organisations to work together and attract and share resource,” said CIC chair Rose HitchensTodd. “We see our projects as collective efforts and tools for connecting and building a stronger Camborne.” Project applications have been invited and two, involving young people, are currently moving forward.

The first, entitled ‘Future Crew’ and funded into its second year by Camborne Town Council, encourages 10–16-year-olds to come up with their own plans for leading positive change. The second, Camborne Youth Tec Hub, focuses on providing access for the digitally excluded. SAM JACKMAN

BOOST FOR CORNISH INNOVATION

Calstock-based Boost Innovations, which has developed an innovative new type of breast prosthesis designed to boost confidence and aid comfort and usability, has just secured a £105k investment from British Design Fund.

The start-up was founded by friends and colleagues Sam Jackman and Rosie Brave in 2018, after seeing the many issues Jackman’s mum experienced using a breast form following treatment for breast cancer.

Sam explains: “Following surgery for breast cancer, my mum was given a breast prosthesis to wear. It was hot, it made her sweaty and was uncomfortable against her scar. It was also heavy and pulled her clothing down when she moved. So in the end she refused to wear it. But there were times when she felt it would be nice to have some shape under her clothes and we really struggled to find any alternatives.”

She continued: “It turned out that lots of women had a similar experience to my mum, and we decided that if nobody else was going to tackle the problem, then we would come up with a solution ourselves.”

With the support of engineer Chris Hawken, Jackman and Brave began developing the concept of an open structured breast form that also challenged the assumption that a breast form needs to imitate skin tone. Since launching the product in October 2020, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Boost already has a number of other prototypes and projects underway. This includes a digital breast form fitting service, which is being developed with Innovate UK and is set to launch in 2023. The start-up is also looking to expand internationally.