Business Direction 16

Direction

Business

UKTI at Malvern Festival of Innovation page 16 Winners of the Chamber Business Awards page 22/23 Economic Forecast for Herefordshire and Worcestershire page 24

Big Interview: Alan White - page 28/29 ÂŁ2.00 where sold

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

November/December 2013 Issue 16

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Branding. It’s obvious

rands. We We trust trust them rands. them better, better, buy them more frequently, buy them more frequently, pay pay more for for them, them, and more and are are prouder prouder when we we have have them. them. when In the the largest largest global global market In market test test ever*, ever*, the leading brand sold 27% more the leading brand sold 27% more product — — even even though though most product most people people preferred the taste of its competitor. preferred the taste of its competitor.

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BrandonMotor Limited • Company 07967133 • 24 Cleeve Road 4NR • Member of Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce *Based Pepsico’s ‘Pepsi Challenge’ versusNo: Coca Cola and published market share data.B50 Results are indicative only. Pepsico, Pepsi and Coca Cola are trademarks of their respective proprietors. *Based on Pepsico’s ‘Pepsi Challenge’ versus Coca Cola and published market share data. Results are indicative only. Pepsico, Pepsi and Coca Cola are trademarks of their respective proprietors.

UKTI at Malvern

Bu sin ess

Dir ec tio n

Winners of the

Festival of Innovation

Chamber Business

Economic Forecast

page 16

Awards page 22/23

FIRSTWORD

ire page 24 e and Worcestersh for Herefordshir

WELCOME TO THE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER EDITION OF BUSINESS DIRECTION : Alan White - page 28/29 Big Inter view n published Business Directio

rce r of Comme ershire Chambe shire and Worcest

by Hereford

£2.00

where sold

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16

hwchamber.co.uk Business Direction, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce’s full colour bi-monthly publication. Designed and produced by business people for business people. Distributed to 6,000 businesses including selected retail outlets across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Editor Kelly Key 0845 641 1641 ext 213

kellyk@hwchamber.co.uk Emily Martin 0845 641 1641 ext 232

emilym@hwchamber.co.uk

Editorial businessdirection@hwchamber.co.uk 0845 641 1641 ext 213

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Distinctive Publishing, Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2385 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

The theme for this edition is innovation and the two counties for a long time has excelled in this area across many sectors and industries. Looking back, there is the manufacturing of carpets, development of boilers, research and development with DERA which has become Qinetiq and Morgan Motor Cars to name a few. Looking forward, we need to do more and working in partnership with the two local enterprise partnerships - Worcestershire and The Marches, we are looking to support and drive innovation forward. In Worcestershire we have the Malvern Hills Science Park and today’s edition includes a interview with Alan White Chief Executive, and in a previous edition we featured the Hereford Enterprise Zone, these are two of the sites which are important to developing innovation in the two counties. At our recent awards held at The Chateau Impney, we had an award for ‘Excellence in Innovation’ which had over 25 entries, the winner of this category was Gtech who design and manufacture cordless and bagless vacuums as well as innovative gardening equipment. In the theme of awards, I am pleased to announce that Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce has been shortlisted for Chamber of the Year. We will find out at the Chamber Awards Gala Dinner on Thursday 28 November at the Brewery, London.

popular, is a great opportunity for businesses to network and gain crucial businesses contacts, as well as promote their company and raise their profile within the community.

The next Business Expo will be on Wednesday 13 November from 8am-3pm at the Chateau Impney, Droitwich. The exhibition, one of the Chamber’s most

Mikea@hwchamber.co.uk

Tourism is a major industry across the two counties and contributes significantly to the economy and employment.

Autumn/Winter sees great opportunities in both counties with the Flavour of Hereford Festival and the Victorian Christmas Fayre in Worcester City, which sit alongside excellent events organised in the market towns and villages.

The business community seems to be comfortable in recovery and many exporters especially manufacturers are confident of growth. We continue to look for options to support these businesses and in partnership with HSBC we have formed an Export Club, and with Stanford Marsh a very successful Manufacturing Forum.

Enjoy the build up to Christmas, once again we will be supporting the Worcester Christmas Carol Concert on Monday 16 December, and this year for the first time we will be supporting a similar event at Hereford Cathedral on Thursday 19 December.

CONTENTS

ADVERTISING Distinctive Publishing, Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2337 Helen.smith@distinctivegroup.co.uk

FEATURE EDITORS John Dean & Francis Griss deangriss@btinternet.com

Subscriptions www.hwchamber.co.uk/view-our-businessmagazine Tel: 0845 641 1641

Disclaimer: Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the publisher accepts no responsibility for omissions or errors within this publication. Editorial submissions are included at the discretion of the editor. The opinions expressed in articles and letters within this publication are not necessarily those of the Chamber. All offers, promotions and competitions appearing in Business Direction are the sole responsibility of the advertiser/ promoting party and Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce does not accept any responsibility for any representations made within them.

3 First word

28 Big Interview: Alan White

4 Chamber news

30 Cover story: Innovation

5 Business news

32 Feature: Regeneration

7 Business news

40 Members news

8 Business news

44 Conference Worcestershire

9 Business news

45 Destination Worcestershire

12 Business news

48 Chamber training

15 International trade

50 Business news

17 International trade

51 New Members

22 Awards dinner

53 Business news

24 Policy

55 Business news

22 Business news

56 Movers and Shakers

26 Chamber events

58 Last word

22

28

Our Patrons are:

November/December 2013 Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

03

CHAMBERNEWS

NEW STRATEGIC MEMBER: ISO QUALITY SERVICES LTD ISO Quality Services Ltd is an independent organisation that specialises in the implementation, certification, training and auditing of ISO and BS EN Management Standards.

Established since 2000, it is one of the UK’s leading ‘total solutions’ provider and has adopted a simple, cost effective and no nonsense route to BS EN ISO certification. They work with a variety of clients including SMEs and large international multimillion turnover companies. The main standards they certificate are: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, BS OHSAS 18001 and ISO 27001.

Jennifer Appleton, Operations Director said ‘ We chose to become strategic members of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce as we feel that there are many synergies between ISO certification and membership. Through continued support of the chamber, we have been able to grow our business, identify new suppliers and keep up to date with local and national business initiatives. We look forward to the relationship between the organisations flourishing further this year.’ www.isoqsltd.com

YOUNG APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR CIPD CENTENARY AWARD 2013 AT HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Jennifer Appleton, Operations Director

NEW STRATEGIC MEMBER: HARRISON CLARK RICKERBYS LTD Harrison Clark Rickerbys Ltd is delighted to be confirmed as a Strategic member of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

The firm of solicitors provides a complete spectrum of City-quality legal services to businesses and private clients across the South and West Midlands, M5 corridor and southwest of England. Harrison Clark Rickerbys Ltd was formed following a merger in 2013 between two long established regional law firms, Harrison Clark Ltd and Rickerbys LLP but has roots going back to 1796. The firm has a total of 350 staff and partners based in Worcester, Cheltenham, Hereford, Ross-on-Wye and the Thames Valley as well as serviced offices in central London and Birmingham.

Harrison Clark Rickerbys’ work in all aspects of law is nationally and internationally recognised and the firm has been a member of MSI Global Alliance, one of the world’s leading international legal and accountancy

left to right: Andy Caldicott, Partner at Harrison Clark Rickerbys, Robin Walker MP & Jonathan Brew, Senior Partner at Harrison Clark Rickerbys,

associations, since 2007 and is annually recognised for the quality of its work through listings in Tier 1 of the prestigious Legal 500 and Chamber and Partners directories of the major law firms in England and Wales. www.hcrlaw.com

SUTCLIFFE & CO NEW STRATEGIC MEMBER SERVICE As organisations are increasingly dependent upon data and electronic information they are at risk of malicious or accidental loss of data and disruption to their systems. Sutcliffe & Co Insurance Brokers are offering Chamber members Cyber Liability Insurance at a discounted premium to protect against a wide range of incidents, including breach of own and third party data. In the event of a claim the policy can cover the following: Technical support, Legal support, Reputational support & crisis management, Loss of profits, Fines & penalties, Notification of customers, Intellectual property

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Duncan Sutcliffe and Simon Egerton from Sutcliffe Insurance

Abigail Robbins has completed a Modern Apprenticeship to an excellent standard, and has been presented with a Young Apprentice of the Year CIPD Centenary Award 2013.

The Award was presented at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday 9 October, by The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). The organisation was formed in 1913 and with this year marking the centenary anniversary of the organisation, the Apprenticeship Award was a great way to celebrate locally.

Mandy Wynn, CIPD, judged the Award and said: “We had lots of applicants in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire area, all of which were to an excellent standard. Abigail was by far the best applicant, although everyone who was nominated should feel like they have achieved something.”

The staff at the Chamber have been very supportive during Abigail’s progress and she will be continuing with her development in HR. Dawn Hardman, HR Services Manager, Chamber of Commerce said: “We hope that Abigail’s achievement and success will encourage others to begin a career in HR through a modern apprenticeship” Mike Ashton, Chief Executive, Chamber of Commerce said: “Abigail brings light and brightness into the company and works very hard in her role. She is a confident individual who gets on with everyone, and she is very valuable to our organisation.”

Abigail was delighted to win the award and said: “Thank you to my team for supporting me through my apprenticeship; it has been an enjoyable and informative experience” www.hwchamber.co.uk / www.cipd.co.uk

www.sutcliffeinsurance.co.uk

November/December 2013

BUSINESSNEWS

HENRY PEPPER HIRED BY APPRENTICE STAR JO Worcestershire public relations agency Henry Pepper PR has been appointed by a former star of BBC’s The Apprentice to manage a series of nationwide media launches.

The Bewdley-based agency has been hired by Jo Cameron, who starred in series two of the hit BBC show, to promote her ‘Achievers Academy for Women’ initiative as she launches into more regions across the UK. 2012 Guards’ Chapel service attended by around 500 guests

BRItiSH LAND SUPPORTs HEREFORD CATHEDRAL British Land, the owner of the Old Cattle Market development in Hereford, has become the principal sponsor of Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust’s annual Advent carol service, which is held in central London.

The service will take place on the evening of Tuesday 3 December.

The annual service held in the Guards’ Chapel, Wellington Barracks, with a reception following the service in the Officers’ Mess, is sung by the cathedral choir with readings from well known readers, all of whom have a strong Herefordshire connection. Among them this year will be renowned actress Miranda Richardson and Country life Editor at Large, Clive Aslet.

This year’s Royal guest will be HRH The Princess Royal. www.herefordcathedral.org/how-to-help/ hereford-cathedral-perpetual-trust

The academy, which aims to motivate and inspire groups of women leaders, has grown to have 15 ‘leadership circles’ with 200 members across the country - including groups in Worcester and Wyre Forest. www.henrypepperpr.co.uk Jo Cameron with Lorraine Henry from Henry Pepper PR

PIXLEY BERRIES LAUNCHED A NEW CRANBERRY & APPLE CORDIAL From September a new variant was on the shelf in Waitrose beside Pixley Berries Blackcurrant and Pixley Berries Blackcurrant & Raspberry Cordials.

Pixley Berries are delighted that Waitrose has taken the cordial and is confident that it will please all Cranberry lovers out there.

Edward Thompson, Grower of Pixley Berries comments: “My brief to the taste team was to develop a new cordial using some fantastic cranberry juice. We spent years trying to source juice of its calibre, fortunately, we found a traceable source from a named bog: ‘Cranberries from Edgewood Bog, Cape Cod, Massachussets’. The juice from the berries pressed at Pixley was outstanding and the team were charged with creating a delicious drink, capturing the famously dry characteristic of the berries in a cordial”.

www.pixleyberries.co.uk

SIXWAYS STADIUM FIREWORK DISPLAY Sixways Stadium will again host its annual firework display – an event which draws in crowds of around 5,000. The Sixways firework display has been running for many years and has now been restructured to make it even more accessible to people.

Sixways has now also teamed up with Jubilee Fireworks to present this year’s display. This exciting ‘Kids Pop Party’ will take place Saturday 2 November and will feature special guests Area 51, as seen on Britains Got Talent.

In 2012 Sixways introduced allocated seating to ensure every member of the audience has a perfect view of the fireworks and prior entertainment. Due to the ever-growing popularity of this event, Sixways has now decided to introduce a standing area on the pitch this year to accommodate a greater audience.

Tickets are available for just £6 for adults and £3.50 for children. www.sixwaysstadium.co.uk www.warriors.co.uk

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

05

ADVERTORIAL

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sk and investigation management services New Employee Shareholder scheme could benefit

team of tax investigation ("TRIM") specialists understand how disruptive an Food and Drink companies and their employees n by HM Revenue & Customs (“HMRC”) can be. That's why we strive But employers could find reluctance among employees to The results key benefitsfor of the new ‘Employee matters quickly and secure the best relinquish some of their employment rights in exchange A new scheme which allows companies Shareholder’ status include:for tax-advantaged shares and clearly the level of and businesses.

Up to £2,000 worth of shares may be awarded to the to give employees shares in return for reduced employee rights could potentially bring benefits for the right food and drink for cash” and the business businesses and their employees.

sh ecks will undoubtedly lead to igation cases as HMRC Businesses that could benefit include high-growth bridge the ortax companies, those gap. in financial difficulty with turnaround potential.

The new ‘Employee Shareholder’ employment status, which came into effect from 1st September, enables companies with more than 250 employees, or those which for any other reason cannot enter into ‘Enterprise Management Incentive’ share option schemes, a means to incentivise employees by offering them shares in a tax-efficient manner.

employee shareholder tax free, and a further £48,000 may be awarded subject to income tax and National Insurance.

willingness to do this will depend on the total value of the shares on offer at the time of issue. The scheme has interesting features, both for the employer and employee, that could be attractive to certain businesses, but it will be interesting to monitor the take up of the scheme in the sector going forwards. Alongside EMI share options, this adds another tax efficient option to employers looking at share incentives.

We successfully resolve disputes day in and day out because The company enjoys a corporation tax deduction equivalent to the total value of the shares granted to Tom Morgan is a Partner for Baker Tilly, covering we know how the taxman thinks the employee at the time of issue.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire. He is a qualified The Employee Shareholder’s gains on the eventual disposal, or transfer of the shares, are generally exempt from capital gains tax.

The scheme should allow food and drink businesses greater flexibility to manage their workforces. It also provides a means for companies with limited cash resources to incentivise their employees now, without the need for a large cash outlay. This characteristic is helpful if the firm wants to make investments, for example, in new technology.

Chartered Accountant with 15 years’ experience

To speak to your local Baker Tilly specialist providing accounting, audit and business advisory services. He specialises in please contact Jackie Hall or Ian Hodgsondealing on 01482 607200 or with larger owner managed businesses and is also Baker Tilly’s email jackie.hall@bakertilly.co.uk or ian.hodgson@bakertilly.co.uk

Under the scheme, a company offers shares to There could be great upside potential for employees employees in exchange for giving up certain participating in the scheme. Shares awarded now employment rights, such as the right (in certain will likely be at low valuations and so have scope specified circumstances) to claim unfair dismissal, or for substantial tax-free capital gains as the recovery Bakerredundancy Tilly UK Audit LLP, Baker Tilly And Advisory Services LLP, Baker Tilly Corporate Finance LLP and Baker Tilly Restructuring statutory payments, or Tax to request flexible continues.

And Recovery LLP are not authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 but we are able in certain circumstances to working arrangements.

Regional Sector Head for Food and Drink.

Tel: 01432 352222 www.bakertilly.co.uk Email: tom.morgan@bakertilly.co.uk

offer a limited range of investment services because we are members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

We can provide these investment services if they are an incidental part of the professional services we have been engaged to provide.

Baker Tilly & Co Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority to conduct a range of investment business activities.

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November/December 2013

BUSINESSNEWS

COULD YOU BE AN UNFIT DIRECTOR? In a recent case Tom Esler, a Partner and Litigation Specialist at mfg Solicitors, successfully represented a Director who in the course of succession planning, appointed new directors to allow him to plan his move away from the company. This proved to be an error as the companies success quickly deteriorated resulting in appointment of liquidators. A defence was successfully argued at trial that our client had honestly relied upon his Co-directors. The Court accepted that argument and dismissed the Secretary of State’s unfitness application.

It goes without saying that any director receiving notification of a possible disqualification action should take legal advice from an experienced insolvency solicitor. It may be the best call you ever make. www.mfgsolicitors.com

HEREFORDSHIRE HOUSING LAUNCHES FACILITIES MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES Herefordshire Housing Ltd, well known locally as a social housing provider is rapidly developing a reputation for providing a quality facility management and maintenance service for local businesses. Highly skilled and experienced trade teams deliver a wide range of services including heating servicing and maintenance, general repairs, cleaning and grounds maintenance.

Tom Esler, Partner and Litigation Specialist, mfg Solicitors

The company has a strong reputation for delivering high quality work at competitive prices and is proud to have developed a strong relationship with local, family run company HFT Forklifts Ltd.

SANCTUARY APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME TOP AWARD Sanctuary Group has been recognised as one of the best employers in the West Midlands after being presented with another accolade for its well regarded apprenticeship programme.

The Worcester based organisation picked up the ‘Highly Commended’ prize in the Macro Employer of the Year category (5,000+ employees) at the county’s regional finals of the National Apprenticeship and Training Awards.

Sanctuary’s nationwide apprenticeship programme, part of the organisation’s talent agenda, has already supported around 250 young people into work.

Worcester MP Robin Walker, who is both a member of the Business Innovation and Skills Select Committee and is supportive of apprenticeship schemes, said: “I would like to congratulate Sanctuary on its award.

Apprenticeships are hugely important to helping young people access a meaningful career, but also bring fresh talent to growing businesses and I would encourage other organisations to follow Sanctuary’s example.”

Working with HFT Forklifts has been a mutually beneficial relationship since they now service Herefordshire Housing’s plant machinery.

Business Development Manager Penny Southwood said: “The expertise of our trade colleagues and purchasing power means that we are well placed to offer competitive pricing and a wide range of services.

As an established and reputable business employing over 80 trades colleagues we have the capacity to deliver on large and small contracts.” www.hhl.org.uk

INVESTORS IN PEOPLE GIVE DRPGROUP THE GOLD STANDARD The drpgroup have been awarded Gold status from the Investors in People programme.

Investors in People specialise in transforming business performance through people. The renowned scheme rewards businesses that show continued focus on the development of their team. The drpgroup have been a part of the scheme for over 10 years and have been able to achieve the Bronze, Silver and now Gold status.

They came out above average, meeting well over the 165 evidence requirements for the Gold award. www.drpgroup.com

www.sanctuary-group.co.uk

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

07

BUSINESSNEWS

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS CELEBRATES ITS 10TH BIRTHDAY Environmental Management Solutions recently celebrated their 10th birthday. The Herefordshire based environmental consultancy, which started from humble beginnings back in 2003, now works with major construction companies, housing associations, alongside residential and business owners across the UK.

Herefordshire College of Technology – Triple T’s collecting their Winners’ award from the Herefordshire Finals from Jesse Norman

HEREFORDSHIRE BUSINESSES URGED TO GET BEHIND AND SUPPORT YOUNG ENTERPRISE Young Enterprise has launched a new club to inspire local companies to get involved with the charity’s work in schools.

As part of its 50th anniversary, Young Enterprise in Herefordshire has launched the 50-50-50 club, whereby 50 local companies each donate a minimum of £50 to support the charity’s flagship Company Programme in schools and colleges.

The company has gone from strength to strength and Jamie Perkins-Best, Managing Director, would like to thank all of his clients for their continued support. To celebrate, the company are offering 1 free place on an asbestos awareness course (worth £45), all you have to do is like Environmental Management Solutions on Facebook and Twitter between November and December; a winner will be announced on Monday 6 January 2014. (@EMSAsbestos) The company specialise in asbestos surveys, alongside geo-technical and contaminated land services.

Environmental Management Solutions carrying out Asbestos work

www.ems-asbestos.co.uk

The Junior Achievement – Young Enterprise European Final was broadcast on BBC Breakfast to over seven million viewers, presented by Steph McGovern, the face of business for the programme.

The final saw over 250 students from 34 countries compete for the title of Junior Achievement, the event followed a surge of cross-party support from senior political leaders, who back a major expansion of enterprise education to tackle youth unemployment. www.young-enterprise.org.uk

£48 MILLION PAYOUT TO VIRGIN ATLANTIC OVERTURNED BY WRAGGE & CO Wragge & Co’s Intellectual Property (IP) team has overturned 100 years of law in a ground-breaking Supreme Court ruling this summer.

Zodiac Seats UK Ltd faced a £48 million bill for damages for infringement of a patent for flat-bed Upper Class aircraft seats. Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited alleged Zodiac had infringed a European patent. The Court of Appeal found the patent had been infringed.

Wragge & Co took the case to the Supreme Court, alleging that the fact that the patent had been amended substantially by the European Patent Office defeated any claim by Virgin Atlantic for damages. The Supreme Court agreed and overturned the ruling. www.wragge.com

MALVERN INSTRUMENTS ‘OPEN INNOVATION’ STRATEGY A presentation by technology specialist Dr Richard Tweedie at NanoFormulation 2013 illustrated the benefits of an ‘open innovation’ approach to product development. His talk focused on the ‘open innovation’ pathway adopted by Malvern Instruments in collaboration with The University of Leeds to develop a new sample dispersion system for Malvern’s Mastersizer 3000 laser diffraction particle size analyzer.

The Aero S dry powder disperser was launched alongside the Mastersizer 3000 in September 2011.

The open sharing of information and expertise between Malvern Instruments and The University of Leeds accelerated the system’s development

by bringing together academic and commercial understanding, know-how and engineering expertise. Not only did this ‘open innovation’ and collaborative working deliver a truly innovative product designed to solve real-world challenges, it offers an example of successful technology transfer that has benefitted all parties involved. www.malvern.com/malvern/pr.nsf/id/ pr2762 The Mastersizer 3000 with the Aero S dry powder disperser

Funding Finder

A funding search which provides details of a range of funding opportunities and grants available to businesses, including European, public sector, lottery, Venture Capital and loan funds. Chamber members have the additional benefit of email alerts when new relevant funding opportunities are available.

Tel: 0845 641 1641 or visit www.hwchamber.co.uk/funding-finder 08

November/December 2013

BUSINESSNEWS

CELEBRATIONS AS SPECIALIST HEREFORD GYM REACHES ITS FIRST BIRTHDAY Outstanding results for Luctonians Rugby Club and Corporate Members mark the first anniversary for Ady Watts Personal Training Gym based in Rotherwas, Hereford.

(Left to right) Consultant Surgeon Stephen Lake, Hospital Director Ben Nicholson and Consultant Steve Pandey.

NEW £0.75m PRIVATE BOWEL CLINIC OPENS FOR PATIENTS A private Midlands hospital has unveiled a new state-of-the-art bowel clinic as part of an investment into its patient services. Spire South Bank Hospital in Worcester has opened the Worcestershire Bowel Clinic following a £0.75m investment.

The new clinic has been set up after 12 months of planning by respected Consultant surgeons Mr Stephen Lake, Mr Steve Pandey, and Mr Mike Scott and comes as people in their sixties are being urged to have screening for bowel cancer.

The high-tech clinic, which has two consulting rooms and a dedicated endoscopy unit, uses latest technology for gastroscopy and colonoscopy procedures which also gives a ‘rapid’ walk-in, walk-out service that significantly improves consultation times.

www.spirehealthcare.com

IS YOUR ORGANISATION PERFORMING AT ITS OPTIMUM? Vikki Holloway, Director of Corporate Wellbeing Solutions believes that the performance of the whole, is dependent on the performance of the parts.

Following the success of the recent NSAD, Corporate Wellbeing Solutions can offer further advice, team-building, training and tailored solutions for your company. www.corporatewellbeing-solutions.co.uk

When one part breaks the whole ‘machine’ fails, likewise, teams can only function effectively as a group if they are also able to function effectively as individuals.

National Stress Awareness Day (NSAD) has recently taken place to support employers to get the most from their teams and to help raise the importance of having a healthy work place. Recent studies show that stress related illnesses are now the leading cause of long term absence and work related stress is costing the economy an astounding 6.5billion each year with 10.4million working days being lost to stress in 2012.

Director of Rugby, Alex Davidson says: “Luctonians are delighted to be working with Ady Watts and his team for the 2013/14 season. Since joining the National Leagues we have set about ensuring that we focus our efforts on ensuring opportunities for player development Ady Watts’ training is a big part of this.”

Opened in Sept 2012, on the Rotherwas Industrial Estate, the Ady Watts Personal Training and Strength & Conditioning business began with the sole focus of getting exceptional fitness, rehabilitation and performance results for their clients. After a fantastic first 12 months the staff at Ady Watts’s facility are celebrating their clients’ successes. www.adywatts.com

BISHOP FLEMING IN LINE FOR RECORD 5TH NATIONAL AWARD So far, Bishop Fleming has been named as the country’s fastest growing Top 40 accountants for the second year running, has won the national title of ’best tax practice in a regional firm’, has secured ‘outstanding’ accreditation from Investors in Clients, and has been listed as one of the UK’s 12 ‘best accountancy employers’.

The judges of the National Accountancy Awards have now announced that Bishop Fleming has also been shortlisted for the ‘Best Mid-Tier Firm’ accolade.

Partners and staff at Bishop Fleming’s offices will now have to wait until November to hear whether they have won this award - and have been voted the nation’s best accountancy employer.

Vikki Holloway, Director of Corporate Wellbeing Solutions

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Those awards will be announced at the National Accountancy Awards in November, at a gala event in London, arranged by Accountancy Age, the profession’s ‘bible’. www.bishopfleming.co.uk

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ADVERTORIAL

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INDUSTRY ACCREDITED SECURITY SPECIALISTS

Octaga Security Services celebrates one year to date supplying total security solutions Herefordshire-based Octaga Security Services Ltd is celebrating one year to date supplying a total security solution to the exciting £90m retail and leisure streetscape, the Old Market, Hereford.

On schedule to open in Spring 2014, the 300,000 sq. ft. site is being funded by British Land and developed by Stanhope Plc, while the leading UK building and civil engineering company, Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd manage the construction.

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Not only is the site the first major retail development in Hereford for over 25 years, it will also be the only new city centre scheme to open in the UK in 2014.

Octaga’s Chief Executive, David Allison, remarked “We are delighted and exceptionally proud to be a part of such a prominent site in the heart of Hereford and fortunate to be in close proximity to it. This has allowed us to confidently fulfil our contractual commitment and our accreditations have served us well in both securing the initial contract and ensuring continued stability and a high level of security to our client, Sir Robert McAlpine.”

Contracted to support the site throughout the duration of the construction, Octaga Security Services manage full logistical support to the site, incorporating static manned guarding resource of SIA Licenced Security Officers, mobile and foot patrols, radio communications and technical security including design, installation and maintenance.

We are delighted and exceptionally proud to be a part of such a prominent site in the heart of Hereford and fortunate to be in close proximity to it. This has allowed us to confidently fulfil our contractual commitment and our accreditations have served us well in both securing the initial contract and ensuring continued stability and a high level of security to our client, Sir Robert McAlpine.

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November/December 2013

ADVERTORIAL

Charles Cameron and joint partner of CitySigns, Darren Wilkins.

CitySigns sign a new two year deal with the Worcester Warriors CitySigns are delighted to announce that our successful long-term partnership with Worcester Warriors is to continue after signing a new two year contract as the club’s Official Signage Partner.

CitySigns, who provide bespoke signage, digital printing and vinyl graphics in the Midlands and beyond, has enjoyed a thriving relationship with Warriors that extends back over the last decade.

The team at CitySigns, based at Ball Mill Top Business Park, have helped enhance and develop the look of Sixways as the club has featured in the top-flight in England.

And CitySigns has now reaffirmed its sporting pedigree by agreeing a new two-year deal with Warriors.

Joint partner Darren Wilkins said: “Our relationship with Warriors goes back over 11 years now and we’re delighted to once again be handling all signage requirements for the next two years.

“All our staff are excited by the prospect of a busy few months preparing the signage and advertising at Sixways.

Charles Cameron, CEO at Warriors, said: “As a club we always strive to work with and support local businesses and CitySigns has always been a great supporter of the Warriors.

“We have a very strong working relationship with Darren and his team and so are delighted to reaffirm our position and continue our partnership together over the coming years.”

Since it was established in 1960, CitySigns has experienced significant development and growth to become one of the leading providers of signage solutions in the Midlands.

The company is based at Ball Mill Top where they boast state-of-the-art printing equipment, a showroom, two digital print rooms, design studios, a clean application area and a large production area.

If you would like to know more about CitySigns call the a member of the team on 01905 640007 or visit www.citysigns.co.uk

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

CitySigns is based at 2,700 sq ft premises at Ball Mill Top Business Park – home of the latest print technology. It’s a far cry from our founder Horace Wilkins’s small signwriting workshop at the back of a city centre cinema, set up in 1960. Horace’s skill and dedication to quality signage inspired the company’s growth and development and established CitySigns as a leading name across the Midlands.

In 2003, Horace passed the day to day running of the business to two of his children, Darren and Deanne, who are now joint partners. They have continued to modernise the business whilst maintaining the high standards of quality, professionalism and customer service set

by Horace and his wife, Marilyn.

Ongoing growth and the introduction of new technology has prompted CitySigns to move several times in its history and, in 2010, the company took over a two storey unit at Ball Mill Top. Our new HQ boasts state-of-the-art printing equipment, a showroom, two digital print rooms, design studios, a clean application area and space for delivery and collection values. We also invested £85,000 on a brand new state of the art flat bed UV printer – the first of its type in the UK.

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BUSINESSNEWS

WEST MIDLANDS LAW FIRM WINS LEGAL 500 ‘TOP TIER’ ACCOLADES Leading West Midlands solicitors’ firm, Harrison Clark Rickerbys, has gained a number of top rankings in this year’s prestigious ‘Legal 500’ listing of the major law firms in England and Wales. The most widely used legal directory in the UK, the Legal 500 is considered to be ‘the bible of the legal business’; ranking law firms for their expertise and performance to help clients identify the best one for the job. The listing is based on firms’ achievements, the quality of their teams and customer feedback.

ETL staff at their Hereford Head Office

ETL SYSTEMS WINS PRESTIGIOUS QUEENS AWARDS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE FOR A THIRD TIME Impressive overseas sales growth has helped ETL Systems win the prestigious Queens Award for International Trade for a third time.

The successful British brand, recognised internationally for quality, has posted impressive new or increasing sales in the Ukraine, Slovenia, Poland, Argentina, Indonesia, Japan, New Caledonia, Chile and significantly increased sales in the US. ETL Systems is a privately owned global specialist in the design and manufacture of specialist RF equipment, providing innovative and high quality solutions to the satellite industry since 1984. A large

In this year’s Legal 500, published on Wednesday 25 September, Harrison Clark Rickerbys’ teams in Worcester and Hereford were ranked as First Tier in the West Midlands in three practice areas: corporate and commercial, dispute resolution - commercial litigation, and private client - family. www.hcrlaw.com

team of dedicated in-house engineers work closely with customers to originate RF design concepts and enhance existing products. The main sectors which they operate include broadcast, telecoms, satellite communication, marine, system integration and military/government.

LAURA STRENGTHENS THE HEWETT TEAM

ETL’s head office is based in Hereford, UK, with a specialist RF research and development office in London and a recently opened sales office in America – ETL Systems Inc.

The IT specialist division at Hewett Recruitment has expanded with the welcome addition of Laura Hewett, Louise’s daughter. Laura brings 6 years of commercial experience in the software industry where she worked as a Senior National Account Manager, running a £60m portfolio including Tesco and Asda. Her collaborative approach and commitment to her customers fits perfectly with the Hewett ethos.

www.etlsystems.com

TEXTLOCAL REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN SUNDAY TIMES TECH TRACK 100 Business Mobile Messaging specialists, Textlocal, have been listed at number 45 in this year’s ‘The Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 2013’.

Laura said: “It’s a very exciting new beginning for me, I’m loving building new relationships with both clients and candidates. My background is proving very useful in this environment and the team are great to work with and have been extremely welcoming.” www.hewett-recruitment.co.uk

The league table ranks Britain’s 100 private tech companies with the fastest-growing sales over the last three years. Tech Track 100 is compiled by Fast Track and published in The Sunday Times, on Sunday 15 September.

To be featured in the league table at number 45 is fantastic news for Textlocal, a rapidly growing business based in Chester and Malvern. Founded in 2005, Textlocal, who are market leaders in the field of Business Mobile Messaging, have grown by 75% over the past three years, and have no intention of slowing down any time soon. www.textlocal.com

Alastair Shortland, CEO and Founder, Darren Daws, Managing Director, Textlocal

Laura Hewett

Chamber Legal Advice Line

This service offers members unlimited access to free help and advice on commercial and employment law, environmental health, taxation and VAT issues.

Website: wwwhwchamber.co.uk/legal-advice-line

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November/December 2013

focusonlegal

Covering your digital assets in your will.

Take a moment now to put a list together in your head of all the online accounts you have – banking, photo libraries, social media or even those belonging to your own business. As hard as you think, you’ll probably miss some out. So, what sort of problems are the executors of your estate going to have after you’ve died?

Without easily accessible information, you might find your digital assets will be lost.

Some of the typical digital assets you may have: • A Paypal account.

• Online savings and investments.

• Winnings or credits on gambling websites (including lottery websites).

• Social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc.

• Photographs stored on online sharing websites, libraries or your computer hard drive.

• Credits on shopping or auction websites.

• Personal or business websites or blogs.

• Emails held in a variety of accounts.

Storing your information On your death your executors will need to track all your assets. To make this easier for them you should keep an up to date list of all your assets, and for digital assets, user names and passwords. Keeping this information securely and up to date is difficult. Here are some suggestions on how you could do this, along with their associated risks:

No method is without risk and the greatest problem is keeping everything up to date, so deciding what to do comes down to what works best for you.

• Prepare a note of the information, with directions for executors and keep this with your will (held securely with your solicitor). You’ll have to remember though to update it every time you change information.

Perhaps a yearly update would be a good idea, but take care with security.

• Removable storage devices such as a USB flash drive is one way of recording the information, but you may have problems keeping it secure. Solicitors or other professionals may find this difficult to store on your behalf. Plus there’s the added risk of the information becoming damaged or corrupted.

• Secure access to your solicitor’s extranet site via a password. This is good if you need regular access to the information to update it, but the information is only as secure as the extranet site.

• Digital estate planning websites but similarly to using a solicitor’s extranet site, the information is only ever as secure as the place where it’s kept.

• Using a password protected area on your hard drive.

You can then give a single password to your executors or have this held with your will in a sealed envelope.

You could do the same with a USB as a backup.

Problems could occur if the computer is stolen or damaged though.

Jean Newton

Partner & Head of Private Client and Residential Property For additional information, please contact Jean Newton on 01905 721 600 or via email: jn@parkinsonwright.co.uk www.qualitysolicitors.com/parkinsonwright

QualitySolicitors Parkinson Wright

Proud to wear your company name on your chest?

Certainly Dominos Pizza, Which? and many more nationally recognisable brands are. They all benefit from the skill of a unique manufacturing company based in the Worcestershire countryside.

SNA UK use both leading production techniques and traditional methods to produce branded items such as name badges. They are proud to have become leaders in their field.

“Through our relationship with Arrivista Business Coaching we are better focused on meeting the needs of all our clients. With a highly responsive and innovative team we are seeing exciting growth in sales”, said Stephen Sellers, Business Development Director.

“Effective communication is at the heart of good business practice....”

Opens Doors structure of resource to be very flexible whilst still delivering both a high quality product and service.”

Contact Stephen Sellers –

Stephen@snamanufacturing.co.uk

“We have developed an effective sales and marketing strategy which will enable us to sustain this growth for the long term. Most importantly we have the right balance and

Focuses Opinion Broadens Horizons Enhances Reputations Public Relations & Marketing Communications

Free initial consultation Contact Joy Smith on T: 01562 631466 or email: joy.jcm@btinternet.com

t: 01905 21247 www.museumofroyalworcester.org Open Monday to Saturday �� am – � pm Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day

GIFT SHOP CHRISTMAS 2013 Selling exquisite vintage and antique Royal Worcester: Porcelain China Tableware Cake Stands Figurines Collectables Gifts

‘Royal Worcester’ and the C�� crown device are registered by and used under kind permission from Portmeirion Group UK Ltd to whom all rights are reserved.

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Established in 1962, we are committed to providing a service equal to the highest professional standards, whatever your building project.

We have offices both in Hereford and Gloucester, but operate without geographical constraints and provide a full and comprehensive service to all our clients on every Project, from Inception to Completion.

We have a team of highly motivated, dedicated and professional staff with the skills required to work with a wide range of clients and contractors in both the Public and Private Sectors.

• Quantity Surveyors • Project Management • Design & Build Adams Fletcher & Partners Hereford Office Contact: John Crooks Office 9 The Rural Enterprise Centre Vincent Carey Road, Hereford HRW 6FE Tel: 01432 355432

Gloucester Office Contact: Nick Denman 17 Brunswick Square Gloucester GL1 1UG Tel: 01452 306241

W: www.adamsfletcher.com November/December 2013

internationaltrade

ACORN INTERACTIVE DELIVERED BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Acorn Interactive a great place to start for ‘international trade in a nut shell’ International trade processes are made easier with the help of Acorn Interactive, a free and easy to use online resource, provided by the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, for those needing assistance with exporting and importing.

Acorn provides guidance and special expertise with all aspects of exporting from handling letters of credit to temporary help whilst your staff are ill or on holiday. First time exporters may find the website an invaluable tool when it comes to documentation and financial services, as it can save businesses lots of time with all of the resources in one place.

From documentation, financial services, shipping goods, legal services, on-line training, information on countries, international marketing and language services, Acorn combines all manner of international expertise for import and export with helpful tools and information.

If you are new to international trade, Acorn is the perfect one stop shop with all of the help you will need, including a jargon busting glossary of terms to help get you started.

You do not need to be a member of the Chamber of Commerce to register for your free account, however, when registering please make sure that under the Provider / Region tab, you select Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce to ensure you are registered to the correct area.

If Acorn sounds like something you think would benefit your business you can come along to the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday 27 November 2013, for a free Acorn Introduction workshop. The workshop will give you an overview of the main aspects of the brand new export website for all of your export needs. To book a place visit www.hwchamber.co.uk/export-training www.hwchamber.co.uk/acorninteractive.aspx

L-R Andrew Perkins (Xitek Sales Director) and Martin Richards (Xitek Managing Director) with Xitek’s 100th export.

100TH EXPORT ROLLS OFF THE PRODUCTION LINE Malvern electronics company, Xitek, celebrated 100th shipping export recently.

After entering the export market only two years ago, Xitek has experienced rapid growth and now regularly sends its electronic products to customers in the USA and the Middle East.

Xitek Sales Director, Andrew Perkins, was delighted to achieve this milestone. “We have had support

from Hereford and Worcester Chamber of Commerce, taking part in their Passport to Export scheme as well as training our staff in export documentation. This has given us the confidence to compete in the global marketplace and increase our export volume quite considerably.” www.xitek.co.uk

TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION

75% of the world’s population don’t speak English. Translators and interpreters on behalf of the Chamber are highly skilled in more than 150 languages to help make trading overseas easier.

Website: www.hwchamber.co.uk/translation-and-interpretation-service

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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internationaltrade

INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADVICE AT MALVERN FESTIVAL OF INNOVATION of exporting. On Friday 8 November, Linda Smith, Head of International Trade for UKTI Herefordshire & Worcestershire will be speaking at the event, sharing her expertise in export sales opportunities and commercial international relationships to help create and improve new business overseas.

On Thursday 7 and Friday 8 November 2013, Malvern Theatres will host its second Festival of Innovation. The exhibitions and symposia are free to attend and open to business professionals, students, and members of the public.

There will be lots of innovative companies showcasing their latest products and services, as well as organisations that support cutting-edge companies as they start out and grow, including UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and Defence & Security Organisation (DSO).

UKTI works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets and will be available to speak to businesses and give advice on all aspects

UKTI Defence & Security Organisation provides further specialist export advice and assistance, working closely with both industry and the Ministry of Defence and other international Government departments and agencies, and will also be on hand to talk about country information and to offer their expertise.

Overall, the Festival will be an excellent opportunity to share your thoughts, voice your ideas, try new products, try new services and glimpse the future.

Although the event is free, you will need to book a place to guarantee a ticket on the day. www.festival-innovation.com

Linda Smith, Head of International Trade, UKTI

INNOVATION COMPANY KEYNETIX DOUBLE EXPORT SALES WITH SUPPORT OF UKTI Finalists in the 2012 UKTI Export for Growth Awards, Keynetix have progressively expanded their export markets over the last two years with the assistance of the UKTI’s Passport to Export and Global Gateway to Growth schemes.

When the company was founded in 1998, their target market was UK focused. However, in 2011 they joined the UKTI’s Passport to Export programme, designed to help companies begin to develop export sales opportunities, resulting in the beginning of an exciting new export journey.

Keynetix specialise in Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Data Management and their

software has evolved over the past 20 years to seamlessly handle all aspects of geotechnical data workflow, whether for an on-site logging system, a corporate archive or anything in-between.

The company decided to join the Passport to Export scheme as they were looking for information and funding to help them attend overseas exhibitions as part of their export research. As well as being provided with export support, staff at Keynetix also attended various training courses and were offered one to one sessions with a communications expert.

Roger Chandler, geotechnical data management specialist and Managing Director of Keynetix Limited said: “The financial support and training that we have received from UKTI through the Passport to Export and Global Gateway to Growth schemes have helped us focus our export growth

strategy, successfully carry out a number of overseas research visits and helped to reduce the financial risk. I would recommend both of these schemes to any company looking to expand their export business.”

You can see Roger at the Malvern Festival of Innovation, on Friday 8 November at Malvern Theatres, where he will be talking about Keynetix’s exporting journey and how a software business can develop an international network. You can book your free place online at www.festival-innovation.com www.keynetix.com / www.hwchamber.co.uk/ doing-business-overseas

Export Documentation

The E-cert online provides you with a fast, easy and secure way of submitting your export documentation.

Chamber Members receive a 50% discount. Website: www.hwchamber.co.uk/exportdocumentation

UKTI Herefordshire & Worcestershire 016

November/December 2013

internationaltrade

SME’s EXPAND INTO FOREIGN MARKETS WITH SUPPORT OF UKTI A recent study provided insights into the strategies adopted by SMEs to expand their businesses into foreign markets. The study showed that West Midland SMEs frequently look to UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) for support in obtaining the knowledge and contacts needed for expansion.

overcame these barriers through market research and by engaging with businesses and distributors already established in the potential new markets.

SME managers identified a need for agents to assist businesses with preparing the requisite legal paperwork.

SME managers indicated that major obstacles to establishing export activity include the understanding of new markets, transportation costs, international financial transaction delays, and country-specific documentation. The study showed that SMEs

The study showed that UKTI was a valuable source for SME managers navigating these new relationships by providing forums for information sharing and best-practice exchange. Respondents indicated that their businesses often base their export strategies

on recommendations from counterparts with whom relationships were established through UKTI. The study concluded that SMEs managers improve their export activity by sharing ideas on product differentiation, product branding, and effective advertising. Looking forward, SME managers indicated that they will increasingly focus on using social media to advertise in new markets and on defending products sold in foreign markets without strong copyright enforcement policies. www.hwchamber.co.uk/doing-business-overseas

0845 641 1613 internationaltrade@hwchamber.co.uk Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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LISTERS JAGUAR FLEET

MONTHLY PAYMENT ÂŁ328.17 DEPOSIT ÂŁ1,969.02 36 MONTHS.

Please contact Jon Williams or Victoria Frith 01905 793216

JAGUAR XF DIESEL SALOON

WWW.LISTERS.CO.UK/JAGUAR

Duration

01905 346 800

Monthly Payments On the Road Price

LISTERS JAGUAR DROITWICH

Customer Deposit

9WRRS`[W\abS` @]OR 2`]WbeWQV E@' '/G

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Terms /ZZ `S\bOZa O\R SfQSaa [WZSOUS `ObSa O`S SfQZcaWdS ]T D/B O\R O`S acPXSQb b] dSVWQZS OdOWZOPWZWbg Q`SRWb O^^`]dOZ [O\cTOQbc`S`¸a ^`WQS QVO\USa d]Zc[S `SZObSR P]\ca O\R ^c D/B Q][[S\QW\U W\ []\bV ^OgOPZS Pg 2W`SQb 2SPWb 1= 3[WaaW]\ DOZcS( ' U`O[a YWZ][Sb`S BOfOPZS PS\S¿b 7\ bVS SdS\b ]T QO\QSZZObW]\ ]T O\ ]`RS` g]c eWZZ PS ZWO 8OUcO` 1]\b`OQb 6W`S If you wish to place an order please contact Listers Jaguar Worcester (JCH) on 01905346800. 8OUcO` 1]\b`OQb 6W`S Wa O b`ORW\U abgZS

RANGE ROVER EVOQUE

NOW ONLY ÂŁ380.43 A MONTH DEPOSIT ÂŁ2,282.58 48 MONTHS. Please contact jlr.fleet@listers.co.uk

Listers Land Rover Droitwich Kidderminster Road, Droitwich, Worcestershire, WR9 9AY

01905 793 216 listers.droitwich.landrover.co.uk

LAND

Duratio

Monthl On the

Terms - All rentals and excess mileage rates are exclusive of VAT and are subject to vehicle availability, credit approval, manufacturer’s price changes, volume related bonus and purchase through Lan

by Direct Debit. - In the event of cancellation of an order, you will be liable for such costs to be confirmed to you in writing. - All other terms and conditions are as per the Master Hire Agreement or C If you wish to place an order please contact Listers Land Rover (LRCH) on 01905797777.

Land Rover Contract Hire is a trading style of Lex Autolease Ltd. Registered in England and Wales with Company Reg. No. 1090741. Registered Office: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2 7HN.

2.2d 2013 [163] Luxury 4dr Auto 14 36 Months ÂŁ328.17 ÂŁ32,375.00 ÂŁ1,969.02 30,000

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nd Rover Contract Hire Supplier Network. - The payment terms are 1 payment of ÂŁ2,282.58 (ex VAT) in advance followed by 42 monthly payments of ÂŁ380.43 (ex VAT) commencing in month 2 payable Customer Agreement between yourselves and Land Rover Contract Hire.

ADVERTORIAL

Message to all Employers Workplace Pensions – when will you be “in it”?

The Pension Act 2008 has introduced the legal requirement for all employers, starting with the biggest in October 2012, to “Auto-Enrol” all eligible workers into qualifying Workplace Pensions.

Failure to do so will result in a range of fines and, in extreme cases, a custodial sentence.

Q: I’ve read a bit about this – when does it affect me?

A: The date by which you must have started to enrol your eligible workers into such a scheme is known as your “Staging Date” and a list of these can be found on The Pensions Regulator’s website.

If your staging date (based on the number of relevant employees in a company’s PAYE scheme) is less than 12 months away, you will already have received a notification letter from them.

Q: Will we have to offer this to everyone?

Q: What will happen if we don’t do anything, or are wrong or late on any aspect of this?

A: This is a legal requirement and the Act contains a comprehensive list of fines and sanctions, including imprisonment for the most wilful breaches of this law.

Q: Can we do it ourselves?

A: The Pension Act 2008 provides for a default pension scheme to be available to all who want it – The National Employment Savings Trust (“NEST”) but there are several other providers of “Auto-Enrolment” schemes currently out there.

However, selecting which one is the most suitable for you, your payroll systems and the staff who operate them is by no means a simple process. Furthermore, there are onerous and complex communication processes and duties between you, the pension scheme provider, the Pensions Regulator and your employees – both current and future.

Why not get professional and skilled assistance and guidance right from the start?

For an initial, no-obligation discussion or meeting, please contact me: Simon Higginson Dip PFS: Office: 01527-577775 Mobile: 07790 772868 Email: simon.higginson@afhgroup.com

A: The table below shows who is covered by this new requirement, and to what extent.

Q: We’ve already got a company pension scheme – this won’t affect us then, will it?

A: Existing pension schemes will NOT automatically qualify as a suitable Workplace Pension Scheme and it is therefore crucial that you establish whether this needs altering in any way as soon as possible.

AFH Wealth Management is a trading style of AFH Independent Financial Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This article should not be construed as advice and is for generic information only. Please contact us before proceeding with any course of action.

Earnings (2013/14)

Age 16-21

22 to SPA*

SPA* to 74

Under lower earnings threshold (£5,688 p.a.)

Entitled worker (can join, but no compulsory employer contribution)

Between lower earnings threshold and earnings trigger (£9,440 p.a.)

Non-eligible jobholder (can ask to join – and have employer contribution)

Over earnings trigger for automatic enrolment

Non-eligible jobholder

Eligible jobholder

Non-eligible jobholder

(* - State Pension Age) 020

November/December 2013

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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CHAMBER BUSINESS AWARDS 2013 Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce have revealed the winners of the Chamber Business Awards 2013. The businesses were presented with their richly deserved awards in front of 400 business leaders from across the two counties at the prestigious Awards ceremony held at the Chateau Impney Hotel on Thursday 26 September.

The Awards, organised by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, takes place annually and are an unquestionable success year upon year. This year was the Chamber’s twelfth Awards ceremony and was celebrated with a theme of localism and all things made and created in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The ceremony was attended by over 400 people including some of the two counties’ most influential business men and women.

For the second time, the Chamber Business Awards incorporated the Worcestershire Ambassadors Corporate Social Responsibility Awards, designed to recognise and applaud businesses across Worcestershire for their ongoing commitment and efforts to give something back to their community.

Granville Orange, Head of the Worcestershire 022

Ambassadors commented: “The Corporate Social Responsibility Awards which is in its third year, is an ideal platform for showcasing Worcestershire businesses, highlighting their commitment, innovation and creativity in integrating Corporate Social Responsibility into the business culture.”

Mike Ashton, Chief Executive of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The quality of the entries this year was amazing, we have a lot of business that we can be really proud of and I am glad that we have the opportunity to celebrate their successes.”

The Corporate Social Responsibility Awards which is in its third year, is an ideal platform for showcasing Worcestershire businesses, highlighting their commitment, innovation and creativity in integrating Corporate Social Responsibility into the business culture. granville orange Worcestershire Ambassadors

November/December 2013

THE WINNERS OF THE CHAMBER BUSINESS AWARDS Nicklin LLP Business of the Year Award 2013 Gtech QinetiQ Award For Most Promising New Business Fleet Innovations LTD

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GrowthAccelerator Award For Growth Business of the Year e-Response Recruitment

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Hewett Recruitment Award For Sustainability in Business - Herefordshire Hidelow House Cottages Hewett Recruitment Award For Sustainability in Business - Worcestershire Southco Manufacturing

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Sanctuary Group Award For Commitment to People Development - Worcestershire University of Worcester

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Sanctuary Group Award For Commitment to People Development - Herefordshire Cargill Meats Europe Central Technology Belt Award For Excellence in Innovation Gtech

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Winner of Growth Business of the Year sponsored

by GrowthAccelerator - eResponse Recruitment Paul Alekna eResponse Recruitment, David Ledbury from GrowthAccelerator and Joe Alekna, eResponse Recruitment.

Winner of Award for Sustainability in Business - Worcestershire sponsored by Hewett Recruitment - Southco Manufacturing Ltd. Sadie Lewis, Jerome Delalandre and James Pengilley from Southco Manufacturing Ltd with Louise Hewett from Hewett Recruitment.

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Malvern Instruments Award For Exporter of the Year Haygrove Tunnels

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Winner of the Worcestershire Ambassadors Award for CSR in the Community - Worcestershire sponsored by mfg Solicitors - Modus Creative.

Guy Marson, Roger Marshall and John Keane from Modus Creative with Maynard Burton from mfg Solicitors.

Winner of the Chamber of Commerce Awards for CSR in the Community - Herefordshire - Kingspan John Garbutt from Kingspan with Mike Ashton from Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

Winner of the Award for Commitment to People Development sponsored by Sanctuary Group - University of Worcester. Malcolm Armstrong, Louise Smith, Rob Sykes with Amanda Gonsalves from Sanctuary Group

Winner of Most Promising New Business sponsored by Qinetiq - Fleet Innovation. Nigel Morris, Fleet Innovations with Andy Crooks from Qinetiq.

Winner of the Award for Commitment to People Development (Herefordshire) sponsored by Sanctuary Group - Cargill Meats Europe. Kathleen Morrison and Susannah King from Cargill Meats with Amanda Gonsalves from Sanctuary Group.

Winner of the Worcestershire Ambassadors Award for Outstanding Contribution to CSR by an Individual sponsored by Outlook Finance - Donna King, St Pauls Hostel. Donna King from St Pauls Hostel with Derek Fradgley from Outlook Finance

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Winner of the Award for Excellence in Innovation sponsored by Central Technology Belt - Gtech Nick Grey, Gtech with Alan White from Central Technology Belt.

Winner of the Award for Exporter of the Year sponsored by Malvern Instruments - Haygrove Tunnels Stella Baker and Mark Woodhead with Simon McCaskie from Malvern Instruments .

Winner of the Award for Business of the Year sponsored by Nicklin LLP - Gtech. Nick Grey from Gtech with John Painter from Nicklin LLP.

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Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

THE WINNERS OF THE WORCESTERSHIRE AMBASSADORS CSR AWARDS mfg Solicitors Award For CSR in the Community - Worcestershire Modus Creative Award For CSR in the Community - Herefordshire Kingspan Insulation Worcestershire Ambassadors Award for Outstanding Contribution to CSR by an Individual -Sponsored by Outlook Finance Donna King - St Pauls Hostel

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policy

Area Council Representatives chair of herefordshire area council & CONSTRUCTION Stuart Speight, Director, IE Developments Ltd, stuartspeight@iedev.co.uk

chair of worcestershire area council & IT Andrea Borwell-Fox, Director, Borwell Ltd, andrea@borwell.com

ECONOMIC FORECAST FOR Herefordshire and Worcestershire

ACCOUNTANTS Tom Morgan, Partner, Baker Tilly, tom.morgan@bakertilly.co.uk

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Roger Wilkins, Partner, Wilkins Surveyors Ltd, roger.wilkins@hallsworcester.com

The Quarterly Economic Survey for Q3 2013 shows improvements in most key areas including turnover and employability, for both manufacturing and services compared with Q2. Most balances are now stronger than their long-term historical averages.

The Chamber has 2 area councils, one for Herefordshire & one for Worcestershire. Each member represents a sector and feeds back to the Chamber an update on what is happening in their industry, any support they require from the Chamber and their views on local issues. Below is a list of the representatives, the sector they represent and contact details, should you wish to contact them with any specific issues.

Herefordshire

INSOLVENCY (Herefordshire & Worcestershire) Louise Hookham, Director, Harrisons Business Recovery and Insolvency Ltd, louisehookham@harrisons.uk.com THIRD SECTOR Peter Rowland, Fundraiser, Macmillan Cancer Research, pjr@shadeoak.freeserve.co.uk TOURISM Glyn Morgan, Chief Executive, Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust, glyn.morgan@herefordcathedral.org DESIGN/MEDIA Graham Biggs, Director, The Naked Creative, Graham@thenakedcreative.co.uk EDUCATION Robert Sparks, Employer Engagement Manager, Herefordshire and Ludlow College, sparksr@hlcollege.ac.uk IT/COMMERCIAL PROPERTY William Lyons, Director, V8 Media / Kingchip Properties Ltd, william@kingchip.co.uk BANKING Mark Smith, Relationship Director, Lloyds TSB Bank Plc, mark.smith5@lloydsbanking.com LEGAL Colin Gordon, Partner, Gordon Lutton Solicitors, c.gordon@gordonlutton.co.uk TRAINING Rachel Carr, Director, Business Checkmate, rachel@businesscheckmate.co.uk

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Worcestershire

EDUCATION Professor Geoffrey Elliot, Professor University of Worcester, g.elliot@worc.ac.uk MANUFACTURING Jim McBride, Director, LESK Engineering Group Ltd, jim@leskengineers.co.uk TOURISM Chris Everall, Business Development Manager, Avoncroft Museum, business@avoncroft.org.uk BANKING Darren Morris, Senior International Commercial Manager, HSBC, darren1morris@hsbc.com WEALTH MANAGEMENT Lauren Tunnicliffe, Head of External Relations, English Mutual Ltd, LaurenTunnicliffe@englishmutual.com DESIGN & PRINT Mike Lapac, Director, Universal Display, mike@universaldisplaylimited.com

The turnover balance has increased by 10% and the profitably balance has increased to 58% (higher than Q2). 67% of local manufacturers are expecting an increase in turnover, 12% more than Q2 and 61% believe profitability will improve, 20% more than Q2. Confidence figures for the local service sector show 69% believe they will see an improvement of turnover (an increase of 8% from Q2) and 61% expect profitability to increase (an increase of 2% from Q2).

The outlook on employment is positive with an increase in attempts to recruit. The manufacturing employment balance increased 13 points, to +32%, an all-time high for our survey. The manufacturing employment expectations balance rose nine points, to +29%, also an all-time high for our survey. The service employment balance rose five points, to +20%, the best level since Q3 2007. The service employment expectations balance rose four points, to +26%, the best level since Q4 2007. Both service balances are now above their long-term historical averages, but employment expectations are still lower than in their pre-recession levels in 2007.

The main factors of concern for businesses remain the same as the last five quarters, these include competition, corporation tax and inflation (49% and 29% and 21%). Overall, the Q3 results show a strengthening recovery, but many risks persist.

LEGAL Sally Morris, Head of Employment Division, mfg Solicitors LLP, sally.morris@mfgsolicitors.com

If you have anything you wish to be raised at the Area Council please contact President Jim McBride on jim@leskengineers.co.uk, Mike Ashton, Chief Executive mikea@hwchamber.co.uk, your sector representative (detailed above) or Head of PR & Policy, Kelly Key, kellyk@hwchamber.co.uk with any issues, concerns or points you would like raised on your behalf.

November/December 2013

ADVERTORIAL

Discover bespoke training It is common knowledge that staff development and training is a key factor in the success of businesses across all sectors.

When faced with today’s turbulent financial environment, managers know that getting the most out of their staff is paramount. That’s why North East Worcestershire (NEW) College in Redditch and Bromsgrove has developed a comprehensive programme of bespoke training solutions and qualifications to ensure that your employees are equipped with the key skills to get your business through these tough times.

The skills shortage and the pressure this places on employers is a common theme with nearly half of the 694 organisations surveyed by the Confederation of British Industry and the vocational qualifications body EDI telling researchers they were struggling to find staff with skills in science, technology, engineering and maths.

Hereford and Worcestershire has a number of training providers and pathways available for current staff and young people to develop the skills that businesses

need, be it through work-based apprenticeships or via more traditional teaching methods. However, to ensure that your investment in pays off, it’s important to work closely with a training provider that can tailor their training programmes to develop your staff and take your business forward.

Training providers need to play a role in supporting local businesses too, and that’s why NEW College prides itself in ensuring the delivery of work-ready candidates with the relevant knowledge and experience to fill the skills-gap.

In addition to our wide variety of recognised business qualifications, the Unique Skills People are able to support your business needs through delivery of a range of bespoke training programmes. All programmes can be taught using methods that will most benefit your business:

Standard Training This is delivered on your premises or at our training facility. This standard service will provide an “off–the-shelf” course which will be delivered to order.

this service we are able to use real-life data, case studies and materials that relate directly to your business thus helping your delegates engage fully, encouraging the ractical application of learning after the course has been delivered.

Bespoke Training Many of our clients prefer for us to create and deliver training which has been designed specifically for them. We work in partnership with the client to design a bespoke programme specifically to suit both the client’s budgetary requirements and business needs. Bespoke packages allow the option to choose from a wide range of delivery methods ranging from one-to-one coaching sessions to outdoor team building exercises. This service incorporates a training needs analysis as well as a post course evaluation; for many clients this offers the most comprehensive and valuable service.

To find out more about what NEW College can offer you or your company call the Unique Skills People on 01527 548 871

Customised Training You may wish us to tailor one of our existing courses to suit your individual requirements. When providing

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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chamberevents

Networking CALENDAR november/december 2013 Meet the Chief Executive sponsored by Cotswold Mini/BMW and Nothing but the Grape Wednesday 6 November, 5.30-7.30pm The Courtyard, Hereford HR4 9JR Join us for an informal pre-festive gathering to meet Ian Archer, the new chief executive of Herefordshire’s busy regional arts centre, members of the Board and Business Development team. Find out about the Courtyard’s community work, future plans and how this registered charity engages with the business community, including their Business Club which currently has its highest ever membership. Canapés and drinks will be provided.

FREE EVENT – book via events@hwchamber.co.uk

Hereford Curry Club in association with Harrisons Business Recovery and Insolvency Ltd Friday 8 November, 12.30-2.30pm Champagne Signature Bar and Restaurant, Pomona Place, Hereford HR4 0EF Organised as a partnership between H&W Chamber of Commerce and Harrisons Business Recovery and Insolvency Limited, the Curry Club offers businesses the chance to network and enjoy a delicious Indian buffet over lunchtime! £14.50 inc VAT Members and Non-members Worcester Arts, Craft, Food & Drink Market Saturday 9 November, 9.00am-5.30pm Cathedral Plaza and High Street, Worcester This free to attend event takes place in Cathedral Plaza and the top of the High Street. All products will be handmade by local artists, makers and artisan food producers. The market provides an excellent opportunity to buy some early Christmas presents!

FREE EVENT – No booking required Chamber Business Expo Wednesday 13 November, 9.00am–3.00pm Chateau Impney Hotel & Exhibition Centre, Bromsgrove Road, Droitwich WR9 0BN With around 70 exhibitors, the Business Expo gives your company the chance to showcase your products and services.

For more information visit www.hwchamber.co.uk/expos FREE Seminars at Chamber Business Expo Wednesday 13 November Chateau Impney Hotel & Exhibition Centre, Bromsgrove Road, Droitwich WR9 0BN 9.30-10.00am: Modern Threats to a Modern Business 9.30-10.30am: Meet the Installer- meet installers and suppliers of money and energy saving technologies 10.15-10.45am: Export Finance - How a small business can fund an export order NEW 11.00-11.30am: Utilising Social Media to Grow your Business 11.45am-12.30pm : Taming Today’s Technologies – Making technology work for your business 1.30-2.00pm: Incubate for export - An introduction of how to start your export journey For more information or to book, visit www.hwchamber.co.uk/expos Worcester Christmas Lights Switch On Thursday 14 November, 4.00-6.00pm Worcester City Centre The switch on of the festive lights and the start of late night shopping in Worcester city centre!

Expect entertainment and activities for the whole family, including appearances from a few special guests! Organised by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce and CrownGate Shopping Centre, there will be entertainment throughout CrownGate leading up to the countdown and switch on in front of the Guildhall on Worcester High Street.

For more information visit www.visitworcestershire.org

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Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Worcester Networking Breakfast Friday 15 November, 7.30-9.30am Worcestershire County Cricket Club, New Road, Worcestershire WR2 4QQ Networking breakfasts are an excellent way of raising your profile, making new business contacts and hearing best practice from fellow Chamber members.

Our speaker at this event will be Malcolm Harbour, MEP.£15.00+VAT Members, £30.00+VAT Non members

Malvern Networking Breakfast Thursday 21 November, 7.30-9.30am Abbey Hotel, Abbey Road, Malvern, WR14 3ET Networking breakfasts are an excellent way of raising your profile, making new business contacts and hearing best practice from fellow Chamber members.

Our speaker will be a representative from Malvern Hills District Council who will be providing attendees with an update on the Pickersleigh project. £15.00+VAT Members, £30.00+VAT Non members

Redditch HR Forum in association with Hewett Recruitment Tuesday 26 November, 11.30am-2.00pm The Southcrest Manor Hotel, Pool Bank, Southcrest, Redditch, B97 4JS Chamber HR Forums, run in association with Hewett Recruitment, are designed to provide an exclusive and confidential environment to share ideas andNEW best practice whilst spending time with fellow HR specialists.

Our legal speaker at this event will be Lisa Kemp from mfg Solicitors who will be talking about issues with female employees returning to work from maternity and updates to family friendly policies. £22.50+VAT Members, £30.00+VAT Non members

Worcester HR Forum in association with Hewett Recruitment Thursday 5 December, 11.30am-2.00pm Worcestershire County Cricket Club, New Road, Worcester WR2 4QQ The HR Forum is aimed at HR Representatives from businesses with over 20 employees. A confidential forum designed to allow you to share best practice and seek advice and support from peers in an open and supportive environment. £22.50+VAT Members, £30.00+VAT Non members

Herefordshire Women’s Business Forum in association with Thorne Widgery Accountancy Tuesday 10 December, 9.30-11.30am Thorne Widgery, 2 Wyevale Business Park, Kings Acre, Hereford HR4 7BS Our first event was a fantastic success with more than 35 attendees and a very informative talk from Andy Edwards of Thorne Widgery. We are delighted to follow this launch with a second event at the new Thorne Widgery offices and are looking forward to welcoming and encouraging more networking amongst Herefordshire business people. £15.00+VAT Members, £30.00+VAT Non-members

Worcester Networking Breakfast Thursday 12 December, 07.30am-09.30am Worcestershire County Cricket Club, New Road, Worcester WR2 4QQ Networking breakfasts are an excellent way of raising your profile, making new business contacts and hearing best practice from fellow Chamber members. £15.00+VAT Members, £30.00+VAT Non-members

November/December 2013

Dates for your Diary HR Forums for HR Professionals in association with Hewett Recruitment Tuesday 26 November 2013 Redditch Thursday 5 December 2013 Worcester

Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre

Thursday 9 January 2014 Hereford Tuesday 4 February 2014 Redditch Thursday 13 March 2014 Worcester Each event runs from 11.30am until 2.00pm and costs £22.50 (£27.00) for members, and £30.00 (£36.00) for non members.

Worcester City Centre

Thursday 28 November 4.00pm – 9.00pm Friday 29 November 11.00am – 9.00pm Saturday 30 November 10.00.am – 8.00pm

WHY ATTEND THE CHAMBER BUSINESS EXPO?

Sunday 1 December 11.00am – 5.00pm

• Promote your products and services • Engage with business contacts • Generate sales • Discover new suppliers • Attend free seminars

WHAT’S ON

Worcester Victorian Christmas Fayre is the Midlands most prestigious Christmas Street Fayre and is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year. More than 130 stalls have been confirmed for this year’s Fayre with a wide range of colourful crafts, festive gifts and speciality foods on offer. This year’s event is the first to be organised by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce and will include a focus on local makers producing their products within 30 miles of the county.

A unique atmosphere is created by seasonal decorations, traders wearing Victorian themed costumes and a variety of street entertainment.

This year organisers will extend the event to include entertainment in Angel Place and CrownGate Shopping Centre to spread the festive cheer even further around the city.

The event itself attracts more than 100,000 people over the course of the four days and provides a valuable boost to the county’s economy, supporting local businesses including hotels and restaurants.

• Business Exhibition with 70+ stands • Export Zone – Sponsored by UK Trade & Investment www.ukti.gov.uk – As part of national Export Week (1115th) this zone will focus on helping local firms grow and boost their bottom line by exploiting opportunities overseas. Meet international trade experts face-to-face, gain practical export advice and take advantage of two free workshops – ‘Structuring Finance for Export Orders’ and ‘Incubate for Export’.

• Business Support Zone – Sponsored

by Smarter Working West Midlands – featuring organisations that can offer fully or partly public funded support to qualifying businesses in the region.

To register your attendance at any of our free seminars on the day, please visit www.hwchamber.co.uk/expos

• Resource Efficient Worcestershire – Renewable and energy efficient technologies can really help save £1,000’s on your energy bills. Find out about match funded grants available to improve your own energy, water and waste, meet different installers and suppliers, see the products, hear presentations and case studies and ask questions!

• Networking Zone – Guaranteed to have a buzz! Ideal meeting point and break out area to secure future business.

• Free Seminars – including presentations from BT Business, Resource Efficient Worcestershire, UK Trade & Investment, Sutfcliffe & Co Insurance Brokers.

For more information please visit

visitworcestershire.org/christmasfayre

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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Biginterview

‘New thinking needed to encourage innovation’ Innovation is the buzzword in business at the moment, the word used by politicians to point the way forward for the economy in the years to come.

However, business development expert Alan White believes that a whole new approach is required in order to unlock the potential of innovative thinking.

The former Para who now runs the Central Technology Belt (CTB), which helps Midlands business grow through innovation, believes that we need to reassess the way we approach problems in order to unlock the potential of new ways of thinking.

Alan, who is also Chief Executive of Malvern Hills Science Park, said: “I do not think we do enough, as a country, to encourage innovation and I think the public sector can take much more of a lead.

“Take the Army as an example. When the Army’s battle tank was coming to the end of its life, the Army said ‘we need a new tank’ and went out to companies saying ’can you produce a new tank for us?’

“I think that was the wrong question to ask. We should have gone back to the role of a tank, which is to kill other tanks, then we should have asked the question ‘how do we kill tanks?’

“Ask the British public that question and you might come up with a different answer, you might come up with the idea of helicopters, for example.

“We need to do more to unleash the British public on coming up with solutions. That is the way to foster innovation.

“Take high speed rail as another example. The problem is how do we get people to communicate better but we have come up with a 19th Century solution to a 21st Century problem, the idea of a high speed rail service.

“Perhaps a better solution is to look at the idea of communication and conclude that, in order to help people communicate better, what we actually need is better and faster broadband rather than faster trains.”

As the man leading the Central Technology Belt, Alan is able to put some of his ideas into practice.

CTB is a commercially neutral, not-for-profit organisation with a remit to drive innovation and growth for private and public sector clients.

The organisation primarily helps clients to achieve growth from technology innovation, linking into government initiatives, increasing competitiveness and creating new jobs.

CTB was created in 2001, works across the Midlands and can call on support from organisations such as Birmingham Science City, universities and other specialist centres.

In 2010, CTB pioneered the Technology Intersect open innovation service to identify and incubate innovators in technology businesses, universities and government.

It was based on the idea that collaboration holds the key to encouraging new ideas, an idea that finds a warm welcome within the companies that CTB works with.

Alan said: “The Intersect is a piece of software that allows us to identify those companies that we think are ready to move onto the next stage in their development.

“Once we have done that, we approach them and our experience is that innovators are happy to talk to us.

They are happy to accept help.

“They do not hold their ideas close to their chest.

They are very open to the idea of working with other organisations, particularly if they have part of the technology that may be causing them problems and other organisations can help resolve the problems.”

The result of the approach is that more than 45 opportunities for businesses to innovate have been identified over the past two years through Intersect and CTB has hosted a range of collaborations with potential for growth and job creation.

Alan, who came to work for CTB in 2006, said: “We are able to provide the companies with access to the technical support that they need.

“We can put them in touch with organisations that allow them to move onto the next stage in their development.

“We have also been able to provide funding for proof of concept work, which supports them as they try to find out if an idea really does work.

“We have plenty of success stories. Of course, we have had some failures but that is the nature of innovation.

Sometimes, you get something that seems like a bright idea but you end up concluding that it will not work and you move onto something else.

“Once a company has moved onto the next stage in its development, our job is done and we then look for the next one to help.”

“We can put them in touch with organisations that allow them to move onto the next stage in their development.We have also been able to provide funding for proof of concept work, which supports them as they try to find out if an idea really does work. We have plenty of success stories. Of course, we have had some failures but that is the nature of innovation. Sometimes, you get something that seems like a bright idea but you end up concluding that it will not work and you move onto something else.”

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Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

November/December 2013

Biginterview

Alan White Central Technology Belt www.centraltechnologybelt.com

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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coverfeature

Awards acknowledge innovative thinking Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce has revealed the winners of its Business Awards 2013 and innovation played a key role when the judges deliberated on their selections.

The successful businesses were presented with their awards in front of 400 business leaders from across the two counties at a ceremony held at the Chateau Impney Hotel.

One of the most keenly contested awards was the Central Technology Belt Award For Excellence in Innovation, which went to Gtech, with Dytecna Ltd, Fleet Innovations and Rimilia Holdings Ltd shortlisted.

Gtech also won the Nicklin LLP Business of the Year Award 2013 and Fleet Innovations also won the QinetiQ Award For Most Promising New Business BD set out to discover what makes a successful innovation-based company.

GTECH The awards for design specialists Gtech recognised the success of the company’s innovative new cordless vacuum cleaner, AirRam, which since its launch in April 2012 has driven growth in profitability of 350%.

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Nick Grey, Owner of Gtech

Nick Grey, Owner of Gtech, said: “We’ve had a phenomenal year with the AirRam, and the management team and everyone at Gtech has used all of their skills, commitment and intelligence to make it happen.

“The fundamental design and engineering delivers an outstanding vacuum cleaner, which many of our customers tell us has turned a day-to-day chore into a pleasure.

“Its success has enabled us to invest in more engineers and develop three teams which are busy developing some amazing products that will make vacuuming easy and even enjoyable.

“It just goes to show that British design and engineering skills are alive and kicking, especially in Worcestershire.”

In 2012, Gtech’s turnover doubled to £8m and it was reported to be the fastest growing floor care brand

November/December 2013

coverfeature Steve said: “The three strands of deployable AD systems, the needs of humanitarian aid and the Cube packaging came together with the quickQUBE.” The reduced footprint of the quickQUBE required a complete rethink of the way an Anaerobic Digester is currently designed and typically used in large-scale facilities.

In the quickQUBE, the core operational equipment is contained within an 1.5m3 frame and the digester now comprises a collapsible bladder.

Two of the main problems that exist in disaster recovery are power and sanitation control and the quickQUBE is unique in providing both through a single system. www.dytecna.com

Fleet Innovations Ltd, Trip Stick

Rimilia by value in 2012 by global research specialists GfK. In 2013, turnover is £14m with a projected turnover in excess of £20m. www.gtechonline.co.uk

Fleet Innovations Ltd The judges were impressed by the PEAK Mileage Capture® system, which provides detailed journey information and has been developed by Fleet Innovations Ltd for all types of organisations.

The Trip Stick, a GPS/USB dongle, is easily installed into the cigarette lighter or USB port of any vehicle by the driver uses GPS to track the driver’s journey with incredible accuracy.

Once a mileage claim is due, the process uploads all journeys to a web-based PEAK (Precise Easy Accountable Knowledge) system, a mileage expenses portal.

A clear overview of all journeys appears, including date, time, start/end address and mapped route, as well as CO2, pence per mile and journey cost. For all private trips, personal information is removed.

Digester, designed to be deployable to the most remote locations in response to humanitarian aid needs.

Steve Harrison, Business Development Manager, said: “To slightly misquote Thomas Edison, ‘Innovation is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration’.

“Pure hard graft on the everyday job can occasionally release a little flash of inspiration that makes all the difference. In this case, it required a series of parallel activities to align and provide the spark.”

Dytecna also have a number of Clean Technology and Renewable Energy systems in development including a solar cooker (known as Albedo) aimed at the humanitarian aid sector in collaboration with the University of Oxford, and a deployable Anaerobic Digester (the bioQUBE) for use in small farm, industrial and food processing organic waste disposal.

Also in the Dytecna design portfolio is an equipment packaging solution known as the ‘Cube’, a 1.5m3 framework designed

Rimilia provides a software solution that is rapidly gaining market share across the globe.

The software is independently recognised as enabling organisations to achieve world class performance in a traditionally difficult process - matching cash received to the invoices to which they relate.

Rimilia’s software Alloc8 automates this process, resulting in not only quicker and more accurate processing, but also providing a cleaner sales ledger from which credit controllers can chase those customers that have yet to pay rather than those whom already have.

The award for Innovation provided an opportunity to gain further independent recognition for the innovative approach that Rimilia has taken in revolutionising what most organisations see as a necessary but non value adding administrative task.

As it achieves growing sales not only in the UK but across Europe and now also in the USA, Rimilia viewed the awards as a prestigious platform to publicise its ongoing success. www.rimilia.com

Currently the company only offers the solution in the UK but is soon to be opening up in Germany, Australia and the USA and is working with UKTI and the Chamber to make this a reality.

Managing director Alex Baker said: “We stand out because we have been first to market and have built and continue to develop the concept of GPS Mileage Capture, which previously did not exist.

“It is our desire and passion to remain at the forefront and to be the number one mileage solution in the world.

“Our objectives are to continue to develop and innovate, reduce the cost of the solution for our customers and launch new innovations such as new devices/reporting suites and added value solutions.” www.fleetinnovations.com

Dytecna Dytecna was shortlisted for a flash of inspiration that changed thinking on Anaerobic Digestion technology.

That inspiration led to the quickQUBE micro Anaerobic

for protection and deployment of valuable resources to very remote locations.

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Dytecna quickQUBE Anaerobic Digestion technology.

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ADVERTORIAL

Worcestershire Regeneration Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (WLEP) is working closely with Worcestershire County Council and the district councils to identify sites for regeneration and potential inward investment.

Four ‘Game Changer’ sites are central to this plan, each of which is in a strategic position with good access to motorway links. These are located at different parts of the county: in Redditch, Kidderminster, Malvern and Worcester.

Of great importance for the future prosperity of the county, the LEP and its partners have developed a strategy to bring the sites forward to market as quickly as possible.

At Kidderminster, work is already well underway to develop a mixed commercial and residential centre in an area that includes the former British Sugar site.

The site will benefit from on-going major investment in the construction of the Hoobrook Link Road (connecting the A451 Stourport Road to the A442 Worcester Road, and thence via A449 to M5 Junction 6). Eventually, up to 2,000 jobs will be created.

Malvern Hills Science Park is already well established in Worcestershire but it is now a victim of its own success and is bursting at the seams in phases 1, 2 and 3. Plans are therefore afoot to considerably develop the Science Park and Phase 4 is due to start construction in early 2014. Its location, close to QinetiQ in the Malvern Hills, will enable Worcestershire to further nurture and grow its R&D and other start up businesses including the burgeoning cyber security expertise of the area, and to

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enhance its reputation as a leading player in providing facilities for cutting edge entrepreneurs.

The Redditch Eastern Gateway development, close to A435 and M42 via Junction 3, will offer high quality office and industrial premises that will capitalise on the site’s excellent access to the motorway network.

Around 40 hectares of land will be available for development, with the potential to create up to 1,600 jobs in the immediate area.

The fourth ‘Game Changer’ is the M5 motorway corridor between Junctions 6 and 7 at Worcester, including 72 hectares of land located immediately east of the motorway. Currently a greenfield site, this area will eventually be home for a new ‘ Worcester Technology Park’, attracting high-tech manufacturing companies to the county and potentially generating up to 9,000 jobs in the future.

In addition to the four ‘Game Changers’, other potential development and redevelopment sites have been identified and are being brought forward, including Bromsgrove town centre, the Shrub Hill area of Worcester City, and locations at Throckmorton, Longbridge and Worcester South.

Worcestershire has so much to offer potential investors and businesses. Its uniqueness as a county comes from its combination of excellent geographical location, good infrastructure and connectivity, industry and business credentials alongside historical and cultural significance, first class schooling and health and an exquisite natural environment.

Being able to offer a variety of attractive, well located sites to potential investors is at the heart of the

Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership’s strategic plan. By encouraging businesses to invest , it will ensure the future prosperity of the county for all.

For too long Worcestershire has hidden its light under a bushel and failed to promote itself fully. To address this issue, a new investment film and brochure, targeted particularly at inward investors, is being developed for circulation to both international and domestic audiences. This will include full details of the ‘Game Changer’ sites.

Working with its partners, including the County and District Councils and UKTI, the LEP will be raising the profile of Worcestershire as a great place to invest, work, live and play.

For too long Worcestershire has hidden its light under a bushel and failed to promote itself fully. To address this issue, a new investment film and brochure, targeted particularly at inward investors, is being developed for circulation to both international and domestic audiences.

November/December 2013

ADVERTORIAL Healthcare Centre

Artrix

Parkside

Regeneration

Artrix

Parkside

A £60m town centre regeneration is on your doorstep How will your business benefit?

There’s never been a better time to invest in the historic market town of Bromsgrove as a multi million pound regeneration programme takes hold.

A glance at the headlines reveals the improvement works already happening in a push that is creating the conditions for a new generation of great business in Bromsgrove: n A brand new high street complete with improved market n A brand new train station, doubling in size n A brand new combined police and fire station, a first for the UK n A brand new health and dental facility n A brand new library in a new all-agency civic centre n A £1.2m heritage lottery project for historic local architecture With a series of new commercial opportunities complementing this unprecedented cash injection, enterprising investors now have more access than ever to the rewards lying in wait in Worcestershire’s highest-earning local market.

Businesses around Bromsgrove have long benefitted from the town’s ideal central location and immediate access to the M42 and M5. Superb transport links and a highly skilled, mature local workforce have proven ideal for the multitude of firms that populate a belt of technology parks around the town, supporting

consistently low vacancy rates and high property values throughout the area.

And now the historic town centre lying at the heart of this thriving local economy will be capable of matching the aspirations and expectations of local residents.

The group forging ahead with this programme, the Bromsgrove Town Centre Regeneration Partnership, didn’t get here by accident. Local agencies got round the table in 2008 to focus their powers and resources on what was an ageing town centre in need of a boost.

Five years later and a formal town centre action plan laid out by district planners is now enabling a swathe of improvements to Bromsgrove’s public and commercial sectors - and is attracting inward investment that could top £100m as entrepreneurs seize previously untapped opportunities.

Factor in the areas of residential growth now set out in Bromsgrove’s new Local Plan and the fertile conditions for prosperity have been seeded. The question is, what will you do with this opportunity?

For all the key info on everything related to doing business in Bromsgrove including regeneration project contact details, visit www.betterbromsgrove. com - brought to you by Worcestershire County and Bromsgrove District councils, NHS Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Fire and Rescue Service and West Mercia Police.

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Commercial opportunities in Bromsgrove town centre Prime anchor retail site, end of High Street *under offer*

Retail growth site, Windsor Street Office-led mixed use site, Stourbridge/Birmingham road junctions Residential ‘care village’ site, Recreation Road *under offer*

Retail park site, Birmingham Road *planning permission granted for 8,500 m2 Sainsbury’s food store and retail units*

Townscape Heritage Initiative Find out what support is available to protect and enhance the history at the heart of Bromsgrove through this ongoing Heritage Lottery-funded project: www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/thi.

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ADVERTORIAL

Are you Planning Growth in Worcestershire or Herefordshire?

If you are a developer, landowner or a business planning to deliver sites or even to expand your own premises in the future, what thought have you given to how you are going to achieve this? The planning framework within Worcestershire and Herefordshire will have a significant impact upon what is possible but do you know what that framework says and how it is likely to change over the foreseeable future?

CALLING ALL LANDOWNERS AND DEVELOPERS IN HEREFORDSHIRE AND WORCESTERSHIRE! If you have land in or adjacent to any established settlement in Herefordshire or Worcestershire and want to realise its potential, have a development project upon which you need planning advice or require assistance in any one of the following areas, please contact us:n planning applications and appeals n development plan representations n viability assessments and negotiation of section 106

agreements n development and options appraisals n market assessments n land and commercial property valuations n capital grant funding applications

FREE INITIAL, CONFIDENTIAL AND NO OBLIGATION CONSULTATION FOR THOSE QUOTING THE CODE: RCAPLAN

www.rcaregeneration.co.uk Email: info@rcaregeneration.co.uk Telephone: 01905 887686 Unit 6, De Salis Court, Hampton Lovett, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, WR9 0QE

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As a Planning and Development Consultancy based in Droitwich and led by two Directors with over 35 years’ worth of experience in the sector, supported by highly qualified and experienced staff, RCA Regeneration Limited will be able to assist you.

We know this because most of our staff have, at one time or another, worked for the local planning authorities within the two counties. Indeed, some have spent time working on the very frameworks that now are in the process of development. So we think that we have a pretty good handle on things.

For those of you not familiar with the planning system, the story is a complicated one but one which we will seek to simplify as much as possible.

It all starts with the National Planning Policy Framework or NPPF, the Holy Grail for all planners throughout England. This document was published on 27th March 2012 and at 59 pages (excluding the contents and foreword) it was the Coalition Government’s attempt to simplify the planning system and replaced over 1,000 pages of Planning Policy Statements and Guidance Notes. Local Planning Authorities were given one year from the date of its publication to get their emerging local development plans adopted or accept that the NPPF’s provisions would take precedence where existing local plans were either absent, silent or out of date.

In Worcestershire and Herefordshire this one year of grace was never going to be sufficient to allow the local planning authorities to get their plans adopted. Only Wyre Forest District Council adopted its Core Strategy in advance this period, whilst its detailed site specific policies, which are contained within the Site Allocations and Policies Local Plan and the Kidderminster Central Area Action Plan only underwent Examination in Public during late 2012/early 2013 and were adopted on 24th July 2013.

Redditch Borough and Bromsgrove District Councils, who appear to be trying to co-ordinate some of their plan-making process, still have a considerable way to go in finalising their plans and putting them forward for examination by an independent inspector. Redditch Borough Council is now preparing a Local Plan rather than a Core Strategy. The new plan is known as Local Plan No. 4. Draft Local Plan No.4 was published for public consultation between 1st April and 15th May 2013. Public consultation was also held on Redditch Housing Growth. On 30th September 2013, Bromsgrove District Council published its Proposed Submission version of the Bromsgrove District Plan for a six-week formal representation period (ending on 11th November 2013) prior to its submission to the Government for independent examination.

In South Worcestershire, Worcester City, Wychavon and Malvern Hills Councils are progressing their planning policies through a single South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) which has recently had the first stage of its Examination in Public (EiP) before an independent inspector appointed by the Planning Inspectorate (PINS).

At the start of October 2013, the EiP began into the SWDP. The submission version of the SWDP outlined the strategic housing, employment and retail growth

November/December 2013

RCAREGENERATION

requirements for Worcester City Council, Malvern Hills District Council and Wychavon District Council up to 2031. Alongside this, the SWDP identified the specific sites that the three Local Authorities considered appropriate for development.

Rather than seeking to examine the entirety of the SWDP, the Government appointed Inspector opted to undertake the examination in two parts; with this first stage focusing solely on the strategic growth figures for housing, employment and retail. Once satisfied with the overall levels of growth, the Inspector intends to undertake a further EiP to analyse the site specific policies.

However, on 30th October 2013, the Inspector’s interim conclusions into the examination of the overall growth figures were made publicly available. While noting that the employment figures were sound and a revision was necessary to retail figures, significant concern was raised over the housing growth strategy.

The SWDP proposed an overall housing growth target of 23,200 over a plan period of 2006 – 2030; with the three Council’s considering that this figure represented the full, objectively assessed housing needs across the Plan area. However, in our view (a view supported by many others who attended the EiP) the 23,200 figure reflected zero jobs growth, an approach which is clearly unsustainable. This figure was derived from the SWDP’s Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA); however the Inspector has concluded that the SHMA had “three fundamental shortcomings”.

1. The SHMA did not use official population or household statistics but rather it sought to calibrate household representative rates with Council Tax records. The Inspector concluded that this “adjustment introduces a degree of inconsistency into the household projection process”.

2. The SHMA was also interlinked with an economic forecasting model which the Inspector had concerns over. These concerns were based on the economic forecasting model focusing on a public sector austerity scenario but such a scenario had not been revisited in light of actual spending cuts. Alongside this, the economic forecast could not provide evidence to justify the significant drop-off in agricultural employment.

3. The overall housing figure relied on an increase in older people’s economic participation and thus decreasing the need for in-migration to fill gaps in the employment market and thus impacting upon the need for more homes. The Inspector concluded that there was a lack of “convincing evidence to support” the Council’s assumptions in this regard.

In his conclusions, the Inspector has requested that the Councils undertake further analysis to derive an objective assessment of housing need over the Plan period. However, the Inspector did state that “it appears from the evidence before me so far that the objectively-assessed housing need figure for the Plan period is likely to be substantially higher than the 23,200 figure identified in the submitted Plan” (RCA Regeneration emphasis).

Alongside the above, the Inspector noted that the submission version of the SWDP will lead to over 2,000 affordable homes not being delivered during the plan period. However, the Inspector concluded that the “recalculation of the assessment of housing need which I am asking the SWCs to carry out is likely to lead to an increase in the Plan’s overall housing requirement”. This in turn will positively contribute to the opportunities to deliver an increase in affordable housing across the Plan area.

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

The Inspector’s findings will have significant impacts upon planning and development across the three Council’s administrative areas; not least in affecting each Council’s ability to demonstrate a 5 year housing land supply as required under the NPPF. The Inspector’s conclusions are also likely to have far-reaching implications for the adoption of the SWDP. With the Local Authorities needing to undertake further analysis to produce a robust and objectively assessed housing target, it is anticipated that the SWDP will face a significant delay before it finally becomes the statutory development plan for South Worcestershire.

In Herefordshire, the Council’s draft Core Strategy was approved for consultation by Full Council on 19th July 2013. However, during the progression of the Plan, significant constraints to growth were identified, particularly with regard to the impacts of development upon the River Wye Special Area of Conservation.

Natural England and the Environment Agency are working upon a nutrient management plan which will shape the precise phasing of the Council’s long-term growth objectives. Once this has been completed then the Council will advance their Core Strategy to pre-submission consultation. This consultation will focus on the soundness of the plan and whether it is legally compliant.

As RCA Regeneration is leading on a number of significant planning applications across Worcestershire and Herefordshire, as well as presenting at the SWDP EiP, we are well placed to advise landowners and developers alike about significant opportunities to bring forward new developments.

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memberSnews

HOW PSYCHOMETRICS CAN HELP MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION

(Left to right) Jim Smith, Jenny Gage (both sight concern), Rachel Summers, Laura Smith (both mfg Solicitors)

The search for new staff has brought together companies from the two counties covered by the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce. Independent, family-owned cider and perry maker Westons, long-established in Much Marcle, were looking to make an important recruitment decision and sought help from Worcester-based consultancy Inspired Partners who had previously delivered a series of leadership training modules for the company. Inspired Partners are able to work with a number of psychometric tools but in this instance supported Weston’s decision to use a combination to include TalentQ. The tools examined the individual’s behaviours and competencies to predict how suitable the prospective candidates were for the available position and these predictions were further tested through tailored questions in their interviews. By adopting this robust approach to recruitment, Westons were able to ensure the most suitable candidate was recruited first time. www.inspired-partners.com/

ST RICHARD’S HOSPICE RECRUITING MORE STAFF St Richard’s Hospice is taking on more staff to grow the charity’s services for patients and their families, allowing them to meet increased demand.

The Worcestershire independent charity now has 180 full and part-time employees having taken on 13 new staff and one apprentice in the last year. The hospice plans to employ nine further staff in the current financial year.

New positions include expanding the Hospice at Home team of experienced health care assistants, who help patients to remain in their own home at the end of life.

The team provides additional nursing care for patients as well as psychological and emotion support for patients, carers and families.

MFG SOLICITORS GIVES £5,000 WILLS BOOST TO EYE CHARITY Patron member mfg Solicitors has donated £5,058.33 to Sight Concern Worcestershire following a successful discounted will-writing initiative.

The firm’s Kidderminster office drew up single wills for over 100 people in Wyre Forest as part of the two-week campaign earlier this year. The money raised will be used to back Sight Concern’s delivery of services across Worcestershire.

Laura Smith, assistant solicitor at mfg Solicitors, said: “The volunteers and support workers at Sight Concern undertake so much inspirational work behind the scenes to support people affected by sight loss. It’s a pleasure to have done our bit.” www.mfgsolicitors.com

www.strichards.org.uk

PLANS TAKE SHAPE AT LEADING HEREFORD CARE HOME Plans to almost double the capacity of a leading care home in Hereford are now just weeks away from completion.

The work to add a 30 bedded wing to the existing 42 bedrooms on site at Hampton Grange Nursing Home in Hereford is on schedule to finish by the end of the year, with new residents being welcomed from January 2014.

The new wing will accommodate residential clients, rather than those requiring nursing services. This, Richard Claridge, Owner of the Claridge Nursing Home Group, says: “Will fill a gap which currently exists in the market in Herefordshire. Whether it’s for a short spell of respite care whilst family members take a break, or for a long term stay, we will provide hotel standard surroundings coupled with the reassurance of high quality care.” www.claridgenursinghomes.co.uk

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November/December 2013

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Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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DISCOVER HISTORY CELEBRATES 10TH BIRTHDAY

10 years ago, Discover History was formed to provide fun hands on living history workshops to schools.

Following this success, it then led on to providing reminiscence sessions in care homes, talks for WI and Probus clubs, living history for museums as well as providing corporate entertainment for local and international businesses.

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Helen Lee of Discover History says: “What we have offered to corporate businesses over the past ten years has varied depending on their needs and requirements, each tour can be tailored to individuals needs and has included games and quizzes along the way providing the perfect opportunity for team work and networking” Not wanting to just offer tours, Discover History have provided team building workshops and entertainment at various venues to break the ice and make your staff work together and chat. From making them join the Civil War Pike block to loading a medieval cannon, it has provided staff the opportunity to develop their team building skills in a fun and interactive way.

This autumn PSG Events have been supporting a wide range of clients with events all over the UK. These have ranged from a major three day educational conference in London to an important corporate ‘Summer Ball’ in Warwickshire. They have also worked locally with the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce staging our impressive annual Awards Dinner, which this year took place at Chateau Impney Hotel.

In between all of this, they were asked to provide a video conference link between a company in Arkansas,

THE ABBEY HOTEL - FINALIST FOR FAMILY BUSINESS AWARDS The 4 star Abbey Hotel Golf & Spa in Redditch, along with its sister hotel Lea Marston Hotel & Spa in Sutton Coldfield, are delighted to have been announced as a finalist in the 2013 Midlands Family Business Awards.

www.discover-history.co.uk

FREE INTERNET AND BREAKFAST AT HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS Award winning Holiday Inn Express Birmingham Redditch now offers free Internet & Breakfast with every stay.

Whether your travel experience is business or leisure related, your health is still an essential part of the journey, that is why Holiday Inn Express offers a nutritious free Buffet Breakfast with your selection of Hot favourites so you can start your day feeling energised and ready for your trip. What’s more, you can access free Wi-Fi at the Holiday Inn Express Birmingham, Redditch, to make staying in touch during your stay easier.

Now in its fourth year, the Midlands Family Business Awards is a charitable initiative organised

by Nottinghamshire family business, The Wilson Organisation. Through the awards they aim to create an ethical, friendly and supportive community.

There are ten categories which local companies can enter, with The Abbey Hotel entering and becoming a finalist in the ‘Service Excellence’ category.

The 2013 Midlands Family Business Awards will reach their climax on Thursday 14 November at the Great Hall at Birmingham University, where the winner of each of the ten categories will be announced at a glittering black tie evening reception. www.theabbeyhotel.co.uk

USA and an important meeting being held in the Chateau Impney Hotel, Droitwich. Providing such a service is new for PSG Events and the company will continue to promote this service across the region.

The team at PSG will work with you and for you to provide a bespoke and comprehensive package of support to ensure your conference, awards dinner, company event, road show, AGM, fashion show or product launch fulfils all your objectives. www.psgevents.com

TOP BARN ACTIVITY CENTRE TEAM BUILDING FACILITIES Top Barn Activity Centre has been in existence for nearly 30 years and was purchased in 2007 by David & Di Harper with the vision to provide a space to develop people, improve skills and encourage relationship building. Since then substantial investment has been made for various land and water based adventure activities including a climbing wall, zip wire, ropes course, archery, indoor and outdoor rifle range. A 10 acre lake provides facilities for canoeing, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing and power boating. Top Barn Activity Centre is therefore able to offer a training resource where qualified instructors run various accredited courses. The site is also equipped for initiative games such as raft building which challenge and motivate people towards working as a team. The most recent investment is the development of a tented village providing accommodation for 44 people which gives an opportunity to expand the business with residential packages. www.topbarn.co.uk

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Room Hire

The opportunity to hire spacious and well-equipped rooms at the Chamber’s head office in Blackpole, Worcester. www.hwchamber.co.uk/book-a-conference-room 044

November/December 2013

DESTINATIONworcestershire

SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY CELEBRATES TWO EXCITING MILESTONES

Adam Henson and Ellie Harrison with Mark PhilipSorensen, whose family own the Dormy House Hotel and Farncombe Estate.

OVER 250 GUESTS ENJOY ‘THE DO AT THE DORMY’ Five months of hard work transforming the Dormy House Hotel near Broadway were marked recently when around 250 invited guests celebrated and socialised at `The Do at the Dormy`. The special event followed the re-opening of the popular Cotswolds hotel last month after a £10 million refurbishment.

Celebrities Adam Henson and Ellie Harrison from BBC TV’s Countryfile joined staff, consultants and contractors involved in the building work and re-opening, and a wide range of local guests – for instance tourism organisations and local traders, the Mayor and Mayoress of Evesham and members of the Broadway Golf Club next door.

The first celebration was the success of the Railway’s 2012 Share Offer which passed the £2m milestone on the closing day of the scheme (Monday 30 September 2013). And secondly, in an emotional ceremony on Sunday 6 October, flagship GWR 4-6-0 no. 4930 ‘Hagley Hall’ was carefully shunted from The Engine House Visitor Centre at Highley to the locomotive works at Bridgnorth.

The locomotive’s restoration is one of the key projects for the Railway and is being supported by the 2012 Share Offer, as well as the SVR Charitable Trust (SVRCT) and the Friends of Loco Hagley Hall Group.

Commenting on the Share Offer, Nick Paul CBE said: “The 2012 Share Offer scheme outlined our ambitious plans for this wonderful Railway. Today our supporters have shown tremendous generosity in helping us drive towards achieving that ambition.

We extend our warmest thanks to everyone who has worked hard and helped us over the last 12 months.” www.svr.co.uk

The next stage in the Dormy’s development is to refurbish the final 6 of 40 bedrooms and to open the House Spa to day members and residents in February. www.dormyhouse.co.uk

‘NEW LOOK’ FOR ST ANDREWS TOWN HOTEL St Andrews Town Hotel, in Droitwich Spa, is now a stylish 31 bedroom hotel following an extensive refurbishment under its new owners Aidan and Sarah Stevens. Appealing to both business and leisure guests, the ‘new look’ St Andrews includes a range of stylish bedrooms, elegant function rooms, a luxury bridal suite and a relaxed bar. Their smart restaurant, now known as ‘the dining room’, was awarded ‘Best Local Restaurant’ at the Droitwich Food & Drink Festival earlier this year.

St Andrews is an ideal venue for meetings and conferences as it is situated only minutes away from both the M5 motorway and Droitwich town centre and offers plenty of car parking space. With Christmas approaching they also offer a great location for your work Christmas party or family meal.

Aidan says ‘St Andrews has always been a much loved part of the local community offering a friendly and personal service. It is the perfect setting for both business or leisure guests, and we are very excited about developing the hotel further.’ www.st-andrewshotel.com

BROCKENCOTE RATED AMONG THE BEST IN THE UK The restaurant at Brockencote Hall Country House Hotel has been awarded three AA Rosettes in the 2014 AA Restaurant Guide. Brockencote Hall has also won AA Inspectors’ Choice / 4 Red Stars for accommodation. The AA identifies the highest performing hotels in Britain as the Inspectors’ Choice, denoted by Red Stars. This is the supreme honour, used to recognise hotels that stand out as the very best.

The AA awards cap an amazing 2013 for Brockencote Hall. After winning Hotel of the Year at the Worcestershire Welcome Awards, followed by Adam Brown scooping Visionary Chef of the Year with Visionary Dining, the hotel recently received a Highly Commended in the Visit England 2013 Awards for ‘Small Hotel of the Year’. www.brockencotehall.com

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

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CAN’T SEE WHAT YOUR AFTER? TRY SOMETHING BESPOKE

Special Offer 30% discount off your first days bespoke training for Members* Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce have a long history of providing relevant business training, coaching and support for its members and the wider business community. Many of our current clients opt to use our Bespoke Training Services. A bespoke training course can be tailored or wholly customised to meet your organisations needs.

How it can save you money The standard bespoke daily rate for Chamber Members’ is £810+VAT. Up to 12 attendees can attend any course saving you over £80 per delegate.

What we can deliver

People are your most valuable asset and development of their skills is essential to your business. Attendees will leave with the ability, confidence and motivation to be more productive in the work environment.

love psychometric assessments because they measure personality and ability and help screen job applicants.

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How it works

Room Hire

An enquiry can be submitted by emailing training@hwchamber.co.uk or calling 0845 641 1641. After a discussion has been had about your requirements, you will receive a proposal via email. If you want to take the training forward, we will organise a date to suit your business needs.

Any of our public training courses can be delivered as a bespoke day. The trainers will work with you to tailor the course content and delivery style to your specifications. Don’t worry if you can’t see the course you want in our current training calendar, we have a team of trainers who can work with you to devise the right course for your business.

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With a number of spacious well-equipped rooms, ample free parking and free refreshments throughout the day, the Chamber facilities are a popular solution.

Alternatively you can hold the training at your own premises.

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The benefits

Effective recruitment and selection are the first vital step in creating a winning team. Our dedicated team of HR Professionals can support your business with all aspects of HR support including recruitment, selection and interviewing. The initial consultation is FREE with no obligation.

If you want to deliver your own training, our facilities offer the perfect environment to do so from. Conference rooms at Severn House are spacious and well equipped.

Situated 5 minutes away from Junction 6 off the M5, they are suitable for meetings, away days, your training sessions or even just some thinking space. Members receive a discount on all Conference rooms. *training must be booked and paid for before Wednesday 20 December 2013 and take place before Monday 31 March 2014.

For more information about any of these services contact Chamber Training on training@hwchamber.co.uk or call 0845 641 1641

Many employers are now using psychometric assessments to measure the capabilities of applicants, compare the most able candidates, and find the best match between employer and employee. Employers

November/December 2013

CHAMBERBUSINESStraining

If your business requires any type of training, coaching or consultancy then the Chamber Training Centre can help you. Please find below a list of courses for November 2013 to March 2014 Colour & Grey

NOVEmber Courses

december Courses

February Courses

Intermediate Microsoft Excel Monday 4 November £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Managing Disciplinary Issues & Managing Grievance Wednesday 11 December Colour & White £180+VAT Members / £210+VAT Non Members

Social Media Strategy Friday 7 February £80+VAT Members / £95+VAT Non Members

Assertiveness and Confidence at Work Tuesday 5 November £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Search Engine Optimisation Wednesday 11 December £80+VAT Members / £95+VAT Non Members

Intermediate Microsoft Excel (2007) Friday 7 February £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Letters of Credit Wednesday 6 November £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

january Courses

Incoterms (2010) Tuesday 11 February £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

Incoterms (2010) Thursday 7 November £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

Managing Absence and How to Manage Under Performance Wednesday 8 January £180+VAT Members / £210+VAT Non Members

Managing Equality, Bullying and Harassment Wednesday 12 February £180+VAT Members / £210+VAT Non Members

Writing Effective Press Release Friday 8 November £80+VAT Members / £95+VAT Non Members

Train the Trainer Monday 13 January £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Communicating for Success Wednesday 12 February £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Fire Marshal Training Monday 11 November £80+VAT Members / £95+VAT Non Members

Managing People in the Team Tuesday 14 January £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Managing Agents and Distributors Thursday 13 February £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

Customs Compliance Wednesday 13 November £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

Writing Effective Marketing Copy Wednesday 15 January £80+VAT Members / £95+VAT Non Members

Internal Quality Auditor Training Thursday 13 February £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Professional Telephone Techniques Wednesday 13 November £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Introduction into Microsoft Excel Friday 17 January £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

VAT on Exports Tuesday 18 February £150+VAT Members / £175+VAT Non Members

Advanced Microsoft Excel 2007 Friday 15 November £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

IOSH Working Safely Tuesday 21 January £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Dealing with your first Export Thursday 20 February £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

Successful Telesales Tuesday 19 November £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

International Trade Compliance Management Wednesday 22 January £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

Effective Presentation Skills Tuesday 25 February £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Selecting and Managing Agents & Distributors Tuesday 19 November £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

What’s New - Changes in International Trade Thursday 23 January £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

The Exporter’s Guide to International Payments Wednesday 20 November £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

Effective Time Management Thursday 23 January £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

december Courses IOSH Managing Safely Tuesday 3 - Friday 6 December £495+VAT Members / £595+VAT Non Members

Emergency First Aid at Work Wednesday 29 January £80+VAT Members / £95+VAT Non Members

February Courses

Managing Performance in the Team Tuesday 3 December £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Advanced Export Documentation Tuesday 4 February £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

Finance Skills for Managers and Team Leaders Wednesday 4 December £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Role of the Team Leader Wednesday 5 February £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Basics of Export Documentation Tuesday 10 December £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

Tariff Classification Explained Wednesday 5 February £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

Creating a Customer Care Culture Tuesday 10 December £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members

Letters of Credit Thursday 6 February £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

MARCH Courses Conducting Effective Team Appraisals Tuesday 4 March £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members IOSH Managing Safely Tuesday 4 - Friday 7 March £495+VAT Members / £595+VAT Non Members PowerPoint for Presentations Friday 7 March £150+VAT Members / £188+VAT Non Members Advanced Import Procedures Tuesday 11 March £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members IPR (Inward Process Relief) Wednesday 12 March £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members Basics of Export Documentation Thursday 13 March £225+VAT Members / £250+VAT Non Members

049

businesSnews

IT SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES NAP Computer Solutions Limited is a skilled IT provider specialising in the support and maintenance of computer systems across a broad range of industries in Worcestershire and the Midlands.

The company’s area of expertise is in producing reliable IT systems in order to help businesses that use computers to, amongst other things, control industrial processes, manage inventories and sales and run busy professional offices.

With eighteen years’ experience in a range of technologies, industries, practices and legislations, NAP Computer Solutions Limited can provide practical help and advice to your IT department. Working onsite or via the latest remote technologies, they manage your systems effectively, from servers through to desktops.

Moreover, their proactive maintenance plans prevent problems disrupting the smooth functioning of your business’ IT operations. www.napcomputersolutions.co.uk

THE POWER OF PRINT The use of quality printed materials and branded promotional items can help your marketing have real impact.

Today’s complex and competitive business environment requires a mix of marketing approaches.

As well as web-based activity many companies are realizing the power of using printed materials.

Simon Hodgetts, Director of local print, display and promotions firm SB Print, says: “People still like to

have something printed to look at and refer back to,”printed stationery, leaflets, brochures, newsletters and business cards as well as branded promotional products can all make a real impact with clients and be great communications tools. New digital technology means our customers have a wide choice of products and print runs to suit their budget and marketing needs.” www.sbprint.co.uk

TITANIA WIN 2 AWARDS AT PRESTIGIOUS COMPUTING SECURITY CEREMONY 2013 On the 17 October 2013 security and compliance software development company Titania won 2 Computing Security Awards for their network security auditing software Nipper Studio.

The national awards, now in their 4th year, were set up to recognise the leading technology, innovation, companies and individuals in the information and computing security industry.

For the 2nd year running, Titania’s Nipper Studio software scooped the prize for Enterprise Security Solution of the Year and also picked up the prestigious Editor’s Choice award. Editor Brian Wall, concisely described the software before presenting Titania with the award, “This year’s Editor’s Choice takes a refreshingly new approach to what it does. It handles complex tasks simply. It’s fast and it’s classy. And it nipped in just ahead of the others.” www.titania-security.com

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Ruth Inglis and Ian Whiting, CEO Titania

November/December 2013

newmembers BEWDLEY

May’s Eggs & Cider Co 01531 660631

The Old Chequers Inn 01905 381275

Once Upon A Tree 01531 670263

On-Site-Support (CAD) 08001 976281

Pixley Berries (Juice) Ltd 01531 670228

Pure Magnetic Ltd 08456 581888

DROITWICH SPA

LEOMINSTER

Listers Jaguar & LandRover 01905 797777

Minuteman Press Leominster 01568 617725

Smith & Williamson LLP 01905 675150

Foxcombe Consulting 01299 403202

BROMSGROVE Global Business Assistance 08454 590433 www.gbassistance.com

www.listers.co.uk/LandRover

S.E.S. Ltd 01905 794720

www.startelectricalservices.com

EVESHAM Unwind Hypnotherapy 01386 870893 www.unwind.uk.com

HEREFORD Ady Watts Enterprises Ltd 01432 271576 www.adywatts.com

www.mayscider.co.uk

www.onceuponatree.co.uk

www.pixleyberries.co.uk

www.leominster.minutemanpress.co.uk

MALVERN Beacon Bookkeeping & Accountancy Limited 01684 869693 www.beaconbk.co.uk

Bronte Porcelain Limited 01684 310888

www.bronte-porcelain.com

HTJ Associates 01886 832061 Neva- Hawkins Fleet 01684 573291

www.oldchequersinn.co.uk

www.autocadtraining.co.uk

www.pure-u.com

www.smith.williamson.co.uk

Taylor Made Fitness 01905 312851

www.taylormadefitness.co

Trophies Direct 01905 612525

www.trophies-direct.co.uk/

Webflex 01905 340333

www.webflex-ltd.com

Wild Wood Rooms Ltd 01905 362789

www.wildwoodrooms.co.uk

Worcester Chiropractic Centre 01905 560084

Hereford United Football Club 08442 761939

www.neva-hawkinsfleet.co.uk

www.herefordunited.co.uk

REDDITCH

OUT OF AREA

Kidwells House 01432 264625

DQ Cupcakes 01527 521279

ACN European Ltd 01452 830141

www.kidwellshouse.com

Lyde Court 01432 357753

www.lydecourt.com

www.acneuro.com

ROSS-ON-WYE Firebird.com Ltd 01989 762269

Mary Stevenson Garden Design 01981 200232

www.firebird.com

www.msgd.co.uk

WORCESTER

Xytron Ltd 01432 273469

Brook Street 01905 731591

www.xytron.co.uk

www.brookstreet.co.uk

KIDDERMINSTER

Evolve Print Limited 01905 357691

Avensys UK Limited 01562 745858

www.evolveprint.co.uk

Suberashi Photo

www.fairwayselectrical.co.uk

www.avensysmedical.co.uk www.suberashi.co.uk

The JCM Consultancy 01562 631466 www.thejcm.com

Visual Security Services 01562 747241

www.visualsecurityltd.co.uk

LEDBURY Greendawn Accounting Limited 01531 631270

www.greendawnaccounting.co.uk/

www.worcester-chiropractor.co.uk

Fairway’s Electrical Limited 01905 611876 Fisher German LLP 01905 453275

www.fishergerman.co.uk

Industrial & Tractor Ltd 01905 763777 www.intrac.co.uk

ISO Quality Services Ltd 01905 670303 www.isoqsltd.com

Bespoke Handling 01981 541081

www.bespokehandling.co.uk

Business in the Community - West Midlands 01214 512227 www.bitc.org.uk

Incontrol Marketing Ltd 01386 257757

www.incontrolmarketing.co.uk

J & M Remedial Services 01452 721532

www.jandmremedialservices.co.uk

Medfoods Ltd 02085 784379

www.medfoods.co.uk

Peribase Ltd 01684 773770

www.cranesbillnursery.com

Search International Ltd 01216 297775

www.searchinternational.co.uk

The Prince’s Trust 01217 729272

www.princes-trust.org.uk

Museum of Royal Worcester 01905 21247

www.museumofroyalworcester.org

Chamber Legal Expenses Insurance

No matter how well you plan and manage your business you never know when you are going to face unexpected legal fees. Members are entitled to free Legal Expenses Insurance (terms and conditions apply). Call 0845 641 1641

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

051

ADVERTORIAL

TWO COMPANIES FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS Bromsgrove based LBS Events have agreed a three year, six figure contract, with regional marketing agency Nexus Creative Limited.

Nexus Creative’s Colin Foxall and John Deeley of LBS

LBS Events deliver high-class hospitality at some of the most famous events across the world. Specialising in Formula 1, the company offers hospitality at: Abu Dhabi, Silverstone, Singapore, Austin and Monaco Grand Prix.

Managing Director, John Deeley says, “The hospitality that we provide is second to none. I can assure our clients of fantastic viewing at all the Grand Prix events, however Monaco is our signature event. Guests ‘live’ on a luxury VIP Super Yacht with gourmet food, drink and entertainment. The yacht is moored in Monaco harbour, close to the race wall for perfect viewing. With LBS Events, we aim to offer bespoke experiences to meet each individual client’s requirements. We have worked with the team at Nexus Creative for some time, especially through my other company, Vale Vehicle Movements. Nexus Creative has been instrumental in taking VVM from being a small local company to the national market leader in a relatively short time and have done it very cost-effectively.”

Colin Foxall, Commercial Director at Nexus Creative said, “We are obviously delighted. To be part of a company’s growth from the original concept, and then be asked to market them both nationally and internationally is an exciting prospect.” www.nexuscl.com |

052

www.lbsevents.co.uk

November/December 2013

BUSINESSNEWS

REDUCE YOUR HEATING BILL THROUGH RENEWABLES! With fuel bills steadily increasing many businesses are turning to renewable energy to help control these costs whilst also contributing towards their carbon targets. Most of us will be familiar with solar panels with many leading businesses providing an excellent example of how the technology can be used to reduce on site electricity consumption and foster a positive reputation – think Bentley, Sainsburys, and Walmart. But what about heating systems? The government are now supporting the take up of renewable heating technologies by offering businesses a financial incentive.

Caplor Energy recently took one step further in reducing its carbon footprint by installing a biomass boiler to heat five properties at its Head Office in Herefordshire. The boiler is proving to be a great investment, with a payback period of only 4 years and an initial rate of return of 25%. www.caplor.co.uk/energy

Gareth Williams with the new log biomass boiler at Caplor Farm, Herefordshire.

Eco2Solar celebrate their win: (l to r) Kim Mann, Krannich Solar (award sponsors); Gail Lobb, Eco2Solar; Paul Hutchens, Eco2Solar; Francesca Minett, Eco2Solar; Andrew Smith, Eco2Solar; Gareth Chantler, Eco2Energy and Nick Hewer.

ECO2SOLAR TRIUMPHS AT NATIONAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY AWARDS Midlands renewable energy specialist Eco2Solar has been named National Solar PV Installer of the Year 2013 at this year’s Energy Efficiency and Renewables Awards. The prestigious industry awards, organised

by Energy Efficiency Exhibitions at the Ricoh Arena, recognise the achievements of energy efficiency professionals across the UK. Against competition from fellow finalists including Kirklees Council Building Services, Dodd Group and Carbon Zero Renewables, Kidderminster based Eco2Solar came out on top for their solar installations work and contribution to the community and local charities.

The ceremony was hosted by Channel 4 Countdown’s Nick Hewer and with entertainment by comedian Jimmy Carr.

It follows a string of award wins this year for Eco2Solar including the IOD (Institute of Directors) West Midlands Environmental Award; Midlands Entrepreneur of the Year at the Midlands Business Awards and National SME Construction Company of the Year at the National Constructing Excellence Awards. www.eco2solar.co.uk

KARNDEAN DESIGNFLOORING MARKS 40TH ANNIVERSARY WITH PROMISE TO GIVE BACK Karndean is launching its ‘40 Free Floors for 40 Good Causes’ campaign on Facebook from October 2013, to celebrate 40 years of design leadership and innovation in luxury vinyl flooring. They are calling on the public to nominate individuals, families, businesses and other worthy causes that deserve to win a free Karndean floor. There will be 15 worthy winners chosen from the UK, 15 from the USA and 10 from Australia and New Zealand. The first three floors will be donated to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Dogs Trust and Worcestershire based Pitmaston Primary School.

And the giving doesn’t stop there. Inspired by Smokey the dog, the Great Dane who is still present on Karndean’s logo today, Karndean is showing its support for the Dogs Trust by donating £1 for every Facebook ‘like’ pledging to raise £5,000 by the end of the year.

Founded in 1973 by young entrepreneur Michael ‘Mike’ Walker, Karndean Designflooring now employs more than 300 people globally. www.karndean.com

LITTLE CHICKEN MARKETING Little Chicken Marketing use creative solutions to help you make the most of your marketing activities.

Working closely with our clients as a partnership, Little Chicken Marketing deliver comprehensive strategic marketing plans with clear actions designed to boost profits and support growth.

L-R: Jo More and Jo Morgan, Little Chicken Marketing

We have enjoyed designing new websites and marketing collateral for www.sml-law.co.uk and www.

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Group shot taken in 1983 outside the black and white house in Offenham with Mike Walker and Smokey the dog (front).

wylecopflowers.co.uk (in progress) as well as re-vamping a designer’s online catalogue. We also developed an SEO strategy that has seen an existing website go from page four to the first page on Google.

Not all businesses require such an in depth service, which is why we will tailor the marketing requirements to specific needs, from managing a merger, brand reviews, creating marketing collateral, event organising and PR initiatives to website creation – design, copy writing and managing the process, and social media campaigns. www.littlechickenmarketing.co.uk

053

FEATURE

Paul Barton

SALES TRAINING SUCCESS! Local agency Peach Recruitment is celebrating the launch of its sales training courses this month.

In the last 12 months the company has seen a huge increase in demand from its clients for experienced sales staff but has been disappointed at the lack of proven individuals looking for work in this field. So Peach has partnered up with local award winning training & coaching firm Arrivista to help meet the demand by delivering three types of professional sales courses endorsed by the ISMM.

looking to start a career in sales, or develop their existing skills, then it’s the perfect step to help them on their way.” Simon Williams, Director at Arrivista said “Having run our highly successful SalesENRICHED programme for the last 6 years, we are thrilled to be helping Peach; it’s a great opportunity to get local people trained up and moving on that career ladder.”

For more info:

www.peachrecruitment.net

Peach Partner Sarah Mayo-Evans commented; “If candidates are

Vale Fire & Security is an independent installer of fire & security products. We provide Installation, Maintenance, Fault Finding and Repair Services all over Herefordshire & Worcestershire, to all types of systems. With over twenty years experience in the industry we are dedicated to ensuring our customers get the very best fire and security protection available.

Whether it is a modern high specification office, factory, shop, school or home, every system gets the same attention to detail to ensure you get the level of protection necessary and a system designed to suite your individual needs that will meet current industry standards.

 

More than 18 months after the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Malcolm Scott Consultants’ clients are feeling the benefit of the Government’s primary Planning Guidance. In particular, the presumption in favour of sustainable development. A number of projects have been able to utilise the NPPF’s guidance and have successfully argued developments are sustainable in order to gain planning consents.

The presumption in favour of sustainable development has increased significance for residential development, when a local planning authority cannot demonstrate a deliverable 5 year housing land supply- as is the case for many authorities, in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. Where there is a lack of 5 year housing land supply and a lack of an up to date development plan, it should follow that planning application is only refused if there is demonstrable harm as a result of a proposal.

This has allowed the practice to gain a number of planning permissions for residential development outside of settlement boundaries - where residential development is usually restricted.

Tel:- 0845 4741102 0333 3440812

 

malcolm scott consultants’ clients benefit from National Planning Policy framework

There is an opportunity for landowners with sites well located to existing settlements to gain planning permission if a scheme can be argued to be sustainable. Whilst sustainable development is not a new concept in the planning system, Malcolm Scott Consultants have worked with clients and Planning Officers to produce well thought through proposals in order local planning authorities can readily see a scheme is clearly sustainable: economically, socially and environmentally.

If you have land which you consider may be suitable for residential development or would like to talk through any other matter please call Malcolm Scott Consultants on 01905 726 353.

Paul Barton is a Director at Malcolm Scott Consultants.

For further information, please contact Paul Barton at: Malcolm Scott Consultants Ltd, Grove House, 1 Loves Grove, Worcester, WR1 3BU T: 01905 726353 F: 01905 611221 E: paulb@malcolmscottcons.co.uk

We offer free advice, free quotations and risk assessments We Provide maintenance contracts for Security & Fire Systems.

We care about the quality of our work and our customer’s expectations. So ensure that our systems meet the requirements of the Standards.

We have professional engineers on call 24 hours a day 365 days a year

For All Your Fire & Security Requirements Call

0800 8600842 Unit 1 Brookend Farm, Brook End Lane, Kempsey, Worcester, WR5 3LF. Fire Protection, Security Alarms, CCTV, Access Control Systems, Bespoke System Design & Integration, Gate / Barrier Automation.

054

November/December 2013

businessNEWS

MUTUAL SUPPORT BY LOCAL TECHNOLOGY BUSINESSES Award winning Worcestershire technology company Postcode Anywhere has enhanced its operating systems with the recent installation of new technology from another awarding winning Worcester business.

Hoge 100 has installed a new finance system into Postcode Anywhere to integrate with the company’s existing CRM system. The growth of Postcode Anywhere, which offers software to search for any UK and international addresses, led to the need to enhance its system and Hoge 100’s new software has added greater functionality and efficiency Postcode Anywhere’s database.

Head Chef Tom Court

Liz Collier is Hoge 100’s Project Manager at Postcode Anywhere who comments: “Their previous software was not fully integrating and so was clogging up their finance and CRM systems. We installed our Access software which has immediately enhanced Postcode Anywhere’s capabilities and which also has the ability to be easily upgraded and expanded in the future,

GETTING CREATIVE IN THE KITCHEN The Granary Hotel and Restaurant in Kidderminster has appointed Worcester based Creative Design and Digital Agency NinetyFive Creative to handle the brand development, marketing and PR for the relaunch of their award winning restaurant.

The restaurant, which is managed by owner Richard Fletcher and overseen by Head Chef Tom Court, is currently undergoing a programme of refurbishment in preparation for the launch, which will see it offering a unique dining experience.

NinetyFive Creative have been brought in to handle the re-brand, including all supporting PR and marketing activity, with a brief to raise awareness of the restaurant and position it as a fine dining experience. This will include unveiling a new name, and developing a website to support the restaurant.

Whilst The Granary remains open and is already very busy leading up to the festive season the refurbishment and re-brand will be taking place seamlessly over the next few months. Dinners will be invited to challenge their senses and visit the newly refurbished restaurant with new decor and menus. www.granary-hotel.co.uk www.ninetyfivecreative.com

to last forever in terms of company turnover and growth.” www.hoge100.co.uk www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk

INNOVATE TO WIN! The University of Worcester in partnership with Shropshire Council and other West Midlands’ local authorities and selected universities is pleased to announce the first of a series of half-day workshops designed to help you think differently about your business; be more competitive in your market, and win (and more importantly, keep) new customers.

World War Two gardening at Avoncroft

AVONCROFT MUSEUM SCOOPS PRESTIGIOUS SANDFORD EDUCATION AWARD FOR SIXTH TIME Avoncroft has now won a total of six prestigious Sandford Awards in recognition of the quality and excellence of their educational services for school and group visits.

Tracey Ayre, Avoncroft’s Learning & Events Officer says: “Our educational services and museum facilities have been scrutinised against some of the largest and most well- known heritage establishments in the country and we have met their high standards. I am very proud of what we have achieved and a huge thank you to all our Education team”.

The SIG project (Stimulating Innovation and Growth) is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, aimed at SMEs (from micro-businesses to those employing fewer than 250 employees), and designed to encourage business growth and innovation.

The first of a series of workshops will take place at The Hive, Worcester on Tuesday 19 November 2013 9.00 – 12.30p.m. The workshop will include a briefing on the SIG project, future workshops and free consultancy, as well as opportunities to apply for grant finance to support your business innovation. Further workshops will take place in Hereford and Worcester, so watch this space! For further details, contact Serena Worley s.worley@worc.ac.uk or 01905 542239 www.worcester.ac.uk

Avoncroft runs a lively programme of visits for students of all ages, all of which are designed to support the National Curriculum. Hands-on sessions are based on construction, design, technology, science and nature and there are educational sessions available that will suit most age groups. www.avoncroft.org.uk

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

055

moverSandshakerS

JON STURGESS, BISHOP FLEMMING The Worcester office of Bishop Fleming has lured a major-player from “Big Four” firm, Ernst & Young.

AMANDA COLLIS, KIDWELLS HOUSE

Jon Sturgess has joined Bishop Fleming as a Senior Manager to head the firm’s Worcester office Corporate Services team.

Having trained with Baker Tilly, Jon Sturgess spent more than eight years at Ernst & Young, where he progressed to Audit Manager, handling clients with turnover ranging from £10m to £300m. www.bishopfleming.co.uk

Caroline Baker, Gail Ellson, Raj Chohan, Rebecca Brown, Kelly Egginton, Curo Chartered Accountants Worcestershire-based Curo Chartered Accountants continues to grow at a rapid pace and has recently added five new recruits to its award-winning practice.

Curo’s expansion has continued throughout the recession and its latest growth corresponds with news that the economic recovery is gaining momentum across most sectors.

The team is now strengthened by further experienced technical staff for both the audit and taxation offerings.

www.curoca.co.uk

Kidwells House, have appointed a new Marketing Manager at their 4 star Guest House on Newtown Road, Hereford. Kidwells House previously known as The Alberta is changing name under the same ownership as it has had for the past 20 years. Amanda’s primary role is to build relationships with local businesses and increase use of the Guest House by local businesses when they have staff and employees staying in Hereford. Amanda has lived in Herefordshire all her life and is looking forward to meeting new faces at networking events in Hereford. www.kidwellshouse.com

TRISH VENABLES, HALLMARKHULME Worcester’s oldest law firm, HallmarkHulme, has appointed a new Partner. Head of probate Trish Venables rapidly established herself as a key member of the team after joining the 223-year-old practice’s private client department in June 2012.

Mrs Venables is one of a small group of solicitors in the West Midlands with the skills of deputyship administration, allowing her to look after a person’s financial affairs if they no longer have the mental capacity to do so themselves. She has also been a passionate member of the Solicitors for the Elderly organisation for the past ten years.

The mother-of-two’s wide range of specialist areas also includes funding for long-term care, estate planning and residential and care home contracts.

KARRIANNE RAWLINGS AND BECKI GOODYEAR, CLARKEWOOD CONSULTING Becki Goodyear (left) has taken over Business Administration and Karrianne Rawlings (right) has been taken on a new Apprenticeship framework which was only released a few months ago specifically designed for trainee recruiters. www.clarkewoodconsulting.com

JAMES PHELPS, JESSICA BEDDOWS, ANITA LENEGAN AND NATALIE SMITH, HARRISON CLARK RICKERBYS Harrison Clark Rickerbys, have had number of recent promotions.

In the Worcester Office, James Phelps, has been promoted to Senior Associate. Jessica Beddows has also been promoted to Associate Solicitor in the Private Client team and Anita Lenegan promoted to Associate Solicitor in the Family Law department.

In the Hereford Office, Natalie Smith has been promoted to Associate Solicitor after joining the Private Client Team from the firm’s Cheltenham office. www.hcrlaw.com

www.hallmarkhulme.co.uk

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November/December 2013

BUSINESSNEWS

Left to right: Richards Sandy’s Rob Richards, Harriet Matthews, Ally McLaughlin and Nick Sandy celebrate the expanded team

DAN CLIFFORD-SMITH, MAGIC WHITEBOARD LTD Dan has recently taken on a Business Apprenticeship at Magic Whiteboard, where he will be learning all of the aspects of running a small business.

Dan said “I have so far been with the company for 2 weeks and have already learnt so much. I went to the Sainsbury’s HQ last week to meet two of the buyers that Neil previously met at the Stationery Trade Show. I went to the Autumn Fair Trade Show at the NEC two weeks ago, to meet new suppliers and buyers. This year I will be going to Hong Kong and Frankfurt to source new products that the business can sell.

ALLY MCLAUGHLIN AND HARRIET MATTHEWS, RICHARDS SANDY Local Chartered Accountancy firm, The Richards Sandy Partnership, are delighted to announce the expansion of their professional team – with Ally McLaughlin joining them from another local firm as an Associate, and Harriet Matthews joining them as a Trainee Chartered Accountant.

Both Ally and Harriet are former Royal Grammar School (RGS) Worcester pupils and both live in the local area. Harriet Matthews has recently successfully completed her A-level exams at RGS Worcester and joins the practice as a Trainee. www.richards-sandy.com

www.magicwhiteboard.co.uk

PHIL ROBERTS AND JACK GRAHAM, NINETYFIVE CREATIVE Worcester based Creative Design and Digital Agency NinetyFive Creative is delighted to announce two new appointments to their creative team.

Phil Roberts has taken up the role of Lead Digital Creative and Jack Graham the role of Graphic Designer.

HANNAH SCOULAR, PEPPERNECK LTD Hannah Scoular, who lives in Malvern, has recently joined Pepperneck as PR Specialist in order to assist with the expansion of the firm’s portfolio. Hannah, who has experience in both conventional and digital PR, is looking forward to the challenges of her new position and particularly working with international clients.

She says; “Pepperneck has developed an excellent reputation for providing export marketing support to UK and international clients. Along the way it has developed a notable client base which I am very excited to be working with.”

THELMA STOBER, SANCTUARY GROUP

Having worked for a number of agencies and large international brands, Phil has expertise in Graphic Design, Illustration, and Art Direction. As well as leading the creative team, Phil will be delivering brand solutions and high end conceptual design.

Jack Graham has joined the team after working as a Graphic Designer for Birmingham City. Having studied Visual Communications at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, Jack has a particular interest in branding and is looking forward to working in an agency environment. www.ninetyfivecreative.com

www.pepperneck.com

Business Direction published by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce

Sanctuary is delighted to announce that it has appointed Thelma Stober to its Group Board.

LIAN HIGGITT, OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL Midlands based distribution firm, Oakland International, has announced the appointment of Lian Higgitt as their new Head of Customer Service based at the firm’s temperature-controlled storage and warehousing facility in Redditch.

A senior public sector solicitor and accredited mediator, Thelma is currently Corporate Legal Adviser to the Local Government Association and its associated companies, where she delivers legal advice.

Thelma was named one of the top 100 Lawyers in the UK for her contribution to securing and bringing the 2012 Olympics to London. www.sanctuary-group.co.uk

www.oakland-international.com

057

lastword

NEXT ISSUE OF BUSINESS DIRECTION...

The theme for the next edition of Business Direction is ....Business Crime. For the Last Word we looked at some statistics about Business Crime and tips on how to prevent it.

Are we winning the fight against the criminals? n Research carried out by AXA among business owners showed 85 per cent stating that they are either less worried or no more worried about the threat of crime to their business than a year ago So what can you do to help maintain the downward trend? Practical steps business can include; n Installing quality CCTV and alarm systems so that premises are properly watched even when staff are not on site. Many systems can link to the police or specialist security companies that operate round-the-clock.

According to AXA’s annual Business Crime Index, which monitors the levels of crime committed against UK businesses, the number of offences is dropping.

After two years of rising crime rates, the report, released in the summer, showed that figures for the previous twelve months saw a significant fall in both the number and average cost of business crime.

AXA compiles its index based on the claims records of its customers on an annual basis. During 2013, all categories of crime monitored by the AXA index saw a fall in levels aside from deception and trickery which recorded a very slight increase.

Highlights of the index revealed: n 14 per cent drop in rates of business crime n 13 per cent drop in average cost of business crime n Theft, the most common type of business crime, down 11 per cent n Arson and malicious damage levels down 15 and nine per cent respectively n Three quarters (73 per cent) of postcode regions show a drop in crime n The most common crime committed against business remained as theft in 2013, accounting for three quarters of all crime. However, the rate of thefts dropped by 11 per cent year on year while those involving violence dropped by 10 per cent. The average cost of theft claims remains similar to 2012 at just under £4,000.

n Developing and maintaining robust cash handling procedures which ensure that criminals cannot gain access to money stored on the premises or being transported to the bank. n Developing and maintaining clear crime prevention policies and procedures and ensuring that staff members are trained in their application. This creatures a culture of crime prevention throughout the company. n Keep computers and other valuables safe and secure, and out of sight wherever possible. Some businesses use shutters at night, although advice should be sought from the local council’s planning officers before they are installed to make sure they do not fall of local planning policies. n Finding ways to design out crime; does your site have shadows in which criminals can hide, would improved fencing make the site more secure, do staff feel safe when moving around the site, are there blindspots which allow intruders to gain access to the building? All such weaknesses should be corrected. n Ensuring your company has robust IT procedures to guard against viruses, hacking and computer fraud. Are passwords secure, do all computers have appropriate protection software, do employees understand the importance of safety and understand the way hackers and fraudsters operate? n It may also be worth shredding important hardcopy documents once they are not required or bringing in a specialist document disposal firm. The last thing a company wants is sensitive information falling into the wrong hands.

Business Carol Service Financial Planning firm English Mutual, along with Hewett Recruitment, Harrison Clark Rickerbys and Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce is inviting businesses from across Worcestershire to close their offices early on Monday 16 December and join them at Worcester Cathedral for a very special Carol Service. Herefordshire businesses are being offered the same opportunity at Hereford Cathedral on Wednesday 18 December.

Lauren Tunnicliffe, English Mutual said: “We are keen for as many businesses as possible, in the city and beyond, to close early on that day, bringing all staff members together to celebrate Christmas.”

The service will begin at 4pm with carols, followed by Mulled wine and mince pies in the cloisters.

Should you wish to get involved please get in touch - laurentunnicliffe@englishmutual.com

To include a news story in the business crime edition of BD please send your stories to businessdirection@hwchamber.co.uk 058

November/December 2013

christmas party venue with a difference…

welcome to cellarz!

We’ve saved the best until last… forget the formality this Christmas and get the party started!

Join us in the distinctive and unique surroundings of Cellarz – the party venue with a real WOW Factor! Cellarz has its own exclusive chic bar, private entrance and toilet facilities. Dance the night through from 8.00pm ‘til 1.00am to our resident DJ (Bar closes at 12.30am).

let us begin…

Your evening starts at 8.00pm with a Cocktail and a selection of Crolines, Olives and Nibbles on arrival.

light supper

Mini Hot Dogs Mini Burgers and Chips (vegetarian option available) served at 9.00pm

late night munchies

Selection of Fresh Dough Baked Stuffed Crust Pizza served at 11pm

CONFERENCES · MEETINGS · CORPORATE EVENTS · SPECIAL OCCASIONS *Please note non-refundable deposits are required upon booking.

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West Midland Safari Park, Spring Grove, Bewdley, Worcestershire, DY12 1LF

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If you are interested in holding your event at this unusual location, or exclusively at Spring Grove House or Tree Tops Pavilion, please contact the Events Team personally on: events@wmsp.co.uk Tel: 01299 406460 · www.wmsp.co.uk/corporate

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