The Business - Issue 2

The official publication of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

ISSUE 2 w 2018

Sir Paul Smith

Staying ahead of the game

MC Construction

Keeping it in the family

Chamber debate

Andy Burnham one year on

Cyber security

How secure are you?

Manufacturing summit The future of engineering

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A very warm welcome to the second edition of The Business.

We’ve had some great feedback from members on the first edition and copies have been flying off the shelves at the Chamber’s offices.

As officially the best Chamber of Commerce in the UK, we want to have the best magazine as well. Working with our partners at Mix Media, we want to ensure The Business is a world away from the usual run of business magazines and reflects the rich diversity of people and companies that Greater Manchester is home to.

This second issue is even better than the first, with another leading figure on the front cover in the shape of world-famous designer Sir Paul Smith, who has recently opened a store in Manchester. He follows in the footsteps of former Olympic cycle champion Chris Boardman, who featured on our first front cover, and there will be more high-profile names from the worlds of business, arts and politics in future editions.

In this issue you can read about Greater Manchester’s first-ever Engineering & Manufacturing Summit, which was the culmination of all the work we have been doing in this prominent sector over the past 18 months (see pages 46-49). You can also get the latest information on the economic outlook for Greater Manchester with the results of the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey on pages 8-11. This is followed by updates on Chamber news, membership, international trade, events and skills.

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Cibo

Welcome

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REAL FOOD WITH I TA L I A N H E A R T & S O U L Following a full refurb to both restaurant and kitchen, CIBO (an informal Italian word meaning ‘food’) brings luxe looks and a cool café style to the city centre – with a menu

The official publication of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

Inside you’ll also find in-depth sector reports on key areas such as property and construction, finance, technology, and arts and culture. We also look at some leading local companies, with case studies focusing on Manchester & Cheshire Construction, the name behind a number of major developments across the city, and Stockport brewer Robinsons.

If you would like your company to be profiled as a case study do let me know.

The regional update section (pages 70-79) has a page on each of the 10 boroughs in Greater Manchester, bringing you all the news from our members across the region. On these pages you can read about everything from Bolton’s tourist boom to the Tameside company exporting to Iran.

I’m sure you’ll enjoy this second issue of The Business. Don’t forget, if you have a great story that you’d like to share, want to advertise or would like to give us some feedback, let us know by emailing communicate@gmchamber.co.uk with ‘The Business’ in the subject line.

Simon Cronin Member Communications Manager simon.cronin@gmchamber.co.uk

we want to ensure The Business is a world away from the usual run of business magazines and reflects the rich diversity of people and companies that Greater Manchester is home to.

ISSUE 2 w 2018

focussing on fabulous flavours, simple cooking and the

The Business magazine is published on behalf of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

freshest local and Italian produce on offer.

by Sir Paul Smith

MC Construction

Keeping it in the family

W W W.C I B O .U K .C O M

FOLLOW US ONLINE

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in the magazine, neither the Chamber nor the publisher can accept responsibility for any omissions or inaccuracies it contains.

Staying ahead of the game

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The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Chamber. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format (including, but not limited to, any online service, any database or any part of the internet), or in any other format in any media whatsoever, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Chamber debate

Andy Burnham one year on

Cyber security

How secure are you?

Manufacturing summit The future of engineering

The Mix Group

Commercial Sales

Unit 2 Abito 85 Greengate Manchester M3 7NA

Gary Williams 0161 946 6262 gary@wearemixgroup.com

Editor Jim Pendrill jim@wearemixgroup.com Design & Artwork John Hope john@wearemixgroup.com Photography Dan Eden Printed by Stephens & George

www.gmchamber.co.uk

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CONTENTS

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Legendary British fashion designer Sir Paul Smith reflects on his business career as he opens a new store in Manchester.

QUARTERLY ECONOMIC SURVEY

Key findings from our latest review of the Greater Manchester economy.

CHAMBER NEWS

All the latest news and information from the country’s largest Chamber.

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

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CASE STUDIES

Interviews with leading companies from across the region:

w MC Construction w JA Harrison w Robinsons

42 SECTOR REPORTS

In-depth analysis and comment on Greater Manchester’s key industries, as well as discussion of current issues facing business leaders.

w Property, Construction & Development w Manufacturing & Engineering w Finance w Technology w Marketing w People w Arts, Culture & Leisure

DEBATE

A year since mayor Andy Burnham’s election, business leaders discuss his priorities now.

72 70 REGIONAL UPDATES 80

A summary of the latest news and views from around the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester.

AND FINALLY

Stella Bowdell, Director of Membership, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

OUR PATRONS: THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT www.gmchamber.co.uk/patrons

Elliot House, 151 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3WD w E: info@gmchamber.co.uk w W: www.gmchamber.co.uk Membership: 0161 393 4322 w Events: 0161 393 4343 w International Trade: 0161 393 4348 Marketing & Campaigns Director: Chris Fletcher: 07966904149 w chris.fletcher@gmchamber.co.uk w Twitter: @gmcc_fletch Member Communications Manager: Simon Cronin: 0161 393 4335 w simon.cronin@gmchamber.co.uk Digital & Social Media Manager: Joanna Preihs: 0161 393 4336 w joanna.preihs@gmchamber.co.uk Marketing & Campaigns Manager: Charlotte Maloney: 0161 393 4337 w charlotte.maloney@gmchamber.co.uk

@gmchamber

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/gmchamber

/greatermanchesterchamber

Greater Manchester Chamber

/gmchamber

Teaching Intensive Research Informed

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BIG INTERVIEW

SIR PAUL SMITH

“I continue to find inspiration everywhere around me. You can find it in the arts, music, architecture, travel or even humour.

If you can’t then you’re not looking properly.

You have to look and see, not just look.”

Sir Paul Smith, Fashion designer

The digital world may be moving at break-neck speed all around us, but 71-year-old Sir Paul Smith still believes in his tried and trusted methods.

“Some people might see my methods as very old-fashioned, very ordinary in some respects. But what I do know is that they work, however fast the modern world might be moving.”

Whether it’s still using ink in the studio, still working in his London store most Saturdays, still cutting out patterns on the kitchen table, or still writing personal thankyou postcards to clients, Sir Paul continues to stand by his approach.

With an estimated fortune with his wife Pauline of around £270m, Sir Paul – who remains majority shareholder and chairman of his privately-owned company - certainly has no need to work in his shop most weekends.

But he insists that it makes him feel alive. “I love it, it’s wonderful. It’s what

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keeps me in tune with everything.

When I was building up the business it was learning by doing, and that is still my ethos today. I am still very handson and wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Sir Paul says he has made great efforts over the years to instil this culture across the wider business.

“There are lots of things which I insist must happen in our company and most of it comes down to communication. It’s about talking to people in person rather than just emailing them. It’s about creating a culture that people respect. It’s about having a culture where you ask, don’t tell. Where you discuss. Where you are polite and open doors.”

He cites a recent brainstorm within the office as a perfect example. “I got all our designers together, put on some Joy Division records, and we just sat there brainstorming for three hours. It was an incredibly creative process which led to loads of new ideas. It was fantastic.”

New store The legendary fashion designer, whose products are today wholesaled in more than 60 countries and who has shops across every corner of the globe, is speaking to us on a visit to Manchester to mark the opening of his first store in the city on New Cathedral Street.

The occasion is therefore an apt opportunity to ask him what he thinks about the rise of online fashion and whether the physical store even has a future at all in this fast-changing retail landscape.

He is keen to stress that his own business was “ahead of the game” in terms of setting up an e-commerce operation back in the 1990s, but also insists that it still has to form part of a wider multi-channel strategy.

“When it comes to your online offering you need to get the basics right.

Unfortunately many people today forget about all the ingredients that you need to be successful in retail. They think that just setting up online will bring in customers,

but how will anyone know you even exist?

There can be lots of bits missing from the jigsaw. Stores are still important for that physical visibility. People might order online but if you have only ever had an online presence then eventually people could forget about you. Having a bricks and mortar operation is part of the same jigsaw.”

As a measure of the importance he still gives to the store network, the business devotes the same level of attention to new stores as it does to new products.

“We have a dozen in-house architects working for us and we ensure every shop is deliberately different,” he adds. “We are also very choosy on where we locate them. We recently opened a new store in Berlin where we had waited five years just to ensure we were in the exact location we wanted to be in.”

Some of his stores have also taken on a life of their own. For instance the famous pink wall of his store in Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, is something of a phenomenon on Instagram. “Someone

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SIR PAUL SMITH

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told me recently that it was one of the most photographed buildings in the whole of the US.” Global brand So in this vast online space how exactly do you develop a successful brand today? Sir Paul accepts it’s not without challenges.

“The short answer is that it’s very difficult, especially in areas such as suits and shirts where the market is very overcrowded. What is important is that you develop a point of view, that you develop a specific skill. What exactly is your offering? Is it hand-made, is it machinemade? Are you looking to portray a modern image or one more rooted in the past? Why exactly should anyone be interested in you and your products? It is all about positioning, about finding a way in an overcrowded world to be successful.”

He points to the company’s ‘A Suit to Travel In’ campaign in 2015 which saw the launch of a range of non-crease wool suits.

“The fact that it didn’t crease was the one thing that was unique about it, so that was what we had to explain to the consumer.

So we developed a marketing campaign which featured Olympic gymnast Max Whitlock doing a gym routine dressed in the suit. It got half a million hits on social media and within ten days we had sold

15,000 suits. It comes back to thinking outwards rather than straight ahead and doing the obvious.”

He says this is also a good example of the importance of keeping your brand interesting and special. “It’s something that the likes of Apple do very well.” Sir Paul himself has certainly been successful at keeping his brand interesting over the years. For instance in more recent times he has become particularly well-known for a number of collaborations (see below) with other manufacturers, from fabric companies to camera and cycle manufacturers.

He admits that he is sometimes a victim of his own success in this regard and has to keep a close eye on ensuring the partners are always the right ones. “I do get asked to do a lot of collaborations and say no to most things,” he adds.

History Nearly fifty years since pouring his then modest savings into his first shop, Sir Paul shows little sign of slowing down. “This is the job I love, this is my lifestyle,” he stresses.

He is still clearly full of ideas too. “I continue to find inspiration everywhere around me. You can find it in the arts, music, architecture, travel or even humour.

If you can’t then you’re not looking properly. You have to look and see, not just look.”

It is also 50 years since he met his wife Pauline and he still talks fondly of how heavily influenced he was by her in those early days. “She was studying fashion at the Royal College of Art and because of Pauline’s couture training I learnt from her the old-fashioned way of designing clothes.

I got all our designers together, put on some Joy Division records, and we just sat there brainstorming for three hours. It was an incredibly creative process which led to loads of new ideas. It was fantastic.”

“In those early days I used to just open my shop on Fridays and Saturdays and spend the rest of the week as a freelance designer, stylist and textile designer. That was really crucial because that’s where I learnt all about design, communication, individualism, personality, quality. That Monday to Thursday stuff really helped me in my career.”

Sharing his wealth of business experience and educating tomorrow’s entrepreneurs is something that Sir Paul

Collaborations

In recent years Sir Paul has made a number of collaborations with other manufacturers across a broad spectrum of industries.

Collaborations include the hugely successful Anglepoise lamps collaboration which launched in May 2014 with the Anglepoise®Type75TM table lamp and which has been ongoing in various guises since then. The product is testament to the designer’s deftness in instilling modernity and new life into a well-loved design classic.

Paul Smith has also created special edition handwoven rugs with the Rug Company which has been ongoing for two years and feted as a best-selling

feels particularly passionate about to this day.

For instance during his recent visit to Manchester he also took time to speak to MBA students at Alliance Manchester Business School about the challenges of running a business today.

“Wherever possible I like to interact with the next generation and it’s important for me to share my experiences. Sometimes you can actually find the questions quite challenging which is excellent and makes you think ‘that’s a good point’.”

And if there was one message he would give to aspiring entrepreneurs today what would it be?“The world is full of designers so you have got to work out ‘what is your point’. You have to push yourself to think differently. No-one needs yet another designer, therefore you’ve got to understand why someone would employ you. And also, if you ever think to yourself that you’ve made it in your career then you definitely haven’t.” w

design for the interiors brand.

Since 2002 Paul Smith has also worked with US fabric company Maharam to transform suiting concepts into upholstery, and last year the partners produced their first dot pattern.

Other collaborations include deals with camera specialist Leica, and cycle manufacturer Pinarello. Sir Paul’s own passion for cycling goes back to his childhood where his ambitions to become a racing cyclist were crushed following a bad accident - an event which actually spurred him to embark on a career in art and fashion.

Sir Paul also partnered with David Bowie on a T-shirt to mark the release of

Ingredients for company success

In Sir Paul’s words… w Adopt a very flat management

structure and operate an open door policy.

w Communicate constantly and create a culture that people respect.

Ask, do not tell. Discuss. Be polite with each other. Create a relaxed atmosphere.

w Have honest meetings. Constantly ask questions such as: ‘What about this?’‘Do you think we should do that?’

w Make room to break rules and think about things differently.

w Do things that are right, not easy. w Never assume. Check, check and check again.

Bowie’s final album Blackstar which was released just after the singer’s death in 2016. The pair had known each other for almost 40 years. w

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QUARTERLY ECONOMIC SURVEY

Q1 - 2018

The latest data from our Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) confirms continuing growth in Greater Manchester, although the rate of growth in 2018 is likely to be lower than 2017.

Rates of growth in employment and recruitment may also be slower this year.

Overview

Our Manchester Index™ rose from 27.7 to 28.2 in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the last quarter of 2017, which shows that growth and business confidence within Greater Manchester remains broadly steady.

We are forecasting that growth in Greater Manchester is likely to be between 2.5% to 2.75% in 2018. This slight softening in

Employment

Employment growth remains positive, but the labour market is likely be more challenging in 2018. The latest data shows anticipated employment growth across all sectors, although this is slightly weaker than over the past year.

With strong order books in both the construction and services sectors, we expect employment to remain stable.

Recruitment levels show around 60% of all firms attempting to recruit at the beginning of 2018. Encouragingly, the majority of businesses are looking to fill full-time, skilled positions. However the growth in employment since 2013 has increased recruitment difficulties for all sectors, particularly construction with over 80% of construction businesses reporting that it is now more challenging to recruit new staff compared to 2017.

Unemployment nationally continues to fall (currently around 4.3%), which means that the people companies are attempting to recruit are already likely to be in work. This has implications for wage inflation and may result in further recruitment challenges. w

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performance has been caused by slightly lower growth in the manufacturing sector than expected, as well as lower profitability expectations. However most other measures in the survey are relatively stable and export sales have actually shown further improvement.

Nationally, UK exports continue to be aided by the depreciation of sterling, but input costs

have increased because of the increase in import prices. Inflation continues to remain at 3% and further increases may lead to a weakening in consumer demand.

So overall the latest survey data is positive for the Greater Manchester economy but there has been a slight slowdown towards the end of 2017, which may continue into 2018. w

Domestic demand

There has been a slight easing in domestic sales in both the manufacturing and construction sectors, and growth rates for both these sectors are softer than the heights reached after the economic recovery.

Sales across different sectors present a contrasting picture. Whilst new orders in manufacturing have shown a slight decline, the order book for the construction sector has improved.

The upturn in the manufacturing sector that began towards the end of 2016 seems to have been reversed. Meanwhile new services sector orders have remained steady, roughly at the same level since Q3 of 2016. Given the size of our services economy this must be viewed as very positive for employment and business confidence. w

International trade

The depreciation in sterling after the EU referendum helped to boost international sales, especially in the manufacturing sector. Since then international sales have increased further in Q1 of 2018 and the international sales order book for manufacturing companies also continues to grow.

International orders in the construction sector did however contract in Q4 of 2017, however the data for Q1 of 2018 shows that the contraction has been reversed with businesses within the construction sector reporting more new export orders.

Sterling has strengthened since the sharp falls seen in mid-2016 and further appreciation could cause a slowdown in export sales. However, economic growth in the UK’s chief export markets within the EU and beyond remains strong and UK exports will certainly be aided by the strong international recovery. w

What better way to understand the challenges and opportunities of businesses in the current economic climate than by asking them directly?

That’s why we’re delighted to once again support Greater Manchester Chamber with its economic survey.

Confidence and investment

THE QUARTERLY ECONOMIC SURVEY IS SPONSORED BY

Proud Sponsors of the QES

Confidence within both the services and manufacturing sectors in terms of both turnover and profitability continues to remain strong in the latest data. However confidence levels show a softening trend for construction. Annual construction sector output has consistently increased since early 2013 but has recently shown a decline. There are still many ongoing construction projects across Greater Manchester but the sector may be concerned about continued growth when the current spate of building activity is completed. w

The regional economy is of utmost important to Search, its clients and candidates, highlighting the challenges and opportunities, and ultimately providing the insight to help us all succeed.

And there’s a lot to feel confident about.

While the labour market is set to be more challenging, employment growth remains positive, and the latest survey data indicates employment growth is anticipated across all sectors.

Brexit

Whilst the transition deal with the EU means that there will be no major changes in the UK’s international trade until 2021, uncertainty over the future terms of the relationship with the EU may impact business confidence. The political landscape is challenging, and businesses need the government to offer clarity on Brexit negotiations and simultaneously be sufficiently focused on domestic policy. On that front, there have been recent positive developments and new investments planned for the coming years across Greater Manchester. The outlook for the city therefore remains strongly positive. w

We value the work of the Chamber and its members, and we hope this latest survey provides useful insight for businesses across the region.

search.co.uk

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QUARTERLY ECONOMIC SURVEY

Q1 - 2018

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Electric vehicle survey

As we embark on the electric vehicle (EV) revolution we took the opportunity in our latest QES to ask businesses whether the city was ready for EVs and whether it could position itself as a market leader.

407 business responses 9 running electric fleets

MANCHESTER BUSINESS ELECTRIC VEHICLE SURVEY 2018 WHAT IS STOPPING MANCHESTER BEING THE EV CAPITAL?

174 indicated costs too high WE SAY: Can we model the cost differences for you to show you savings?

28 businesses considering electric vehicles

229 responded no charging points WE SAY: Could you provide infrastructure and make money on it?

WHY? MONEY MATTERS 58% said tax 45% said running costs 53% said health and environment

The results here show that businesses are aware of the need for transition and want to learn how they can benefit from these exciting new opportunities. However it is also clear that at the moment we do not yet have the infrastructure required for EVs. w

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The QES is big, comprehensive, authoritative and timely …

As part of the national British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) survey, we poll approximately 5,000 members every quarter with over 30 questions on the state of business. The results of the BCC national survey are closely watched by both HM Treasury and the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee. The great advantage of our Greater Manchester survey is that it is immediate.

The GM QES is the first to be published in each quarter. w

With over 150 specialist consultants across the North West, we have a strong presence across a wide range of commercial and industry sectors.

We’re here to provide expertise and value to both our candidates and clients at every stage of the recruitment process. We are proud of the repeat business we receive from people who soon realise who they can trust and who represents them in the most positive way.

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For further information, please call us on 0161 835 8600 or email manchester@search.co.uk

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CHAMBER NEWS

CONCERNS ON BREXIT power new Campaign Hub

Greater Manchester Chamber has successfully launched a new online campaign hub with a call to government to listen to business on the real impact of Brexit. www.chamber.online is a project run by Greater Manchester, London and Bristol Chambers. The site brings together three major metropolitan city regions – each with an elected mayor – to campaign on issues and allow member to member networking.

The first joint campaign – “Terms of Trade: the Reality of Brexit for Business” – was officially launched in the Houses of Parliament when members and executives from all three chambers presented their findings to a group of MPs and other senior officials.

Colin Stanbridge, Chief Executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “The long Brexit process has been debilitating to firms’ resilience. Now we have a transition period of 21 months, or 90 weeks, that may not give many small to medium firms adequate time to plan and prepare for a potential cliff edge on New Year’s Eve 2020. From where we stand, the proposed transition period looks unrelated to business needs and that is a real worry.”

As the campaign continues and the Chamber is looking for real life examples from its members on what impact Brexit is having on their business and decision making now. For more information visit the website. w

Chamber wins GOLD

2018 ARTS PRIZE to be presented at annual dinner Returning for a third year, Greater Manchester Chamber is once again holding a competition for contemporary artists.

Joy Sewart, Head of Skills Development at Greater Manchester Chamber, said: “Our aim is to find and build the careers of artists and help develop artistic talent across the region. There is a wealth of talent out there and our job at the Chamber is to provide a platform to showcase and celebrate the work of our contemporary visual artists.”

The 2017 Arts Prize attracted 220 entries from some 90 artists. Last year’s winner was 24-year-old Helen Davies from Oldham and her work, and that of the runners-up, was displayed in a summer exhibition at the Chamber’s offices in Elliot House. This year the artwork will be displayed at a pop-up exhibition at Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery.

The overall winner and three runnersup will be presented with their awards at the Chamber’s annual business dinner on 17th May at Victoria Warehouse. w If you are interested in supporting the 2018 Arts Prize, please contact arts@gmchamber.co.uk

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Greater Manchester Chamber has been awarded the prestigious Investors in People Gold.

Investors in People recognises employers which invest in and support their staff. Only 16% of the organisations which are assessed receive the gold standard.

Clive Memmott, Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Chamber, said: “We’re very proud to have received Investors in People Gold. Only a few organisations make the gold standard, which makes it very special.

“Our staff are at the centre of everything that we do. This award recognises both the support we give our staff and the positive environment they help create so that they can continue to do great work for our members and right across the Greater Manchester business community.

“Coming on the back of the Chamber of the Year 2017/18 award, this is more evidence that we are making huge progress towards our strategic goals around quality service and delivery, and being recognised and acknowledged as the pivotal business organisation in Greater Manchester.”

Investors in People has set the standard for better people management since it was launched in 1991.

The internationally recognised accreditation is held by organisations across the world. Investors in People is underpinned by a rigorous assessment process, which reflects the very latest workplace trends and the essential skills and structures required to outperform in any industry.

Charlotte Maloney, Marketing Manager at Greater Manchester Chamber, said: “I am so pleased to be part of an award-winning organisation that continuously strives to be the very best. Since joining the team nearly two years ago, I have always been given tremendous support in developing on both a professional and personal level.

“As an organisation I am so proud of the way in which we constantly seek out innovative ways to inspire both our staff and the local business community. From taking part in charity events, be it a bake sale or a 10k run, through to volunteer days and mentoring schemes, it’s clear that we are all genuinely valued. This award is the culmination of the hard work, dedication and passionate commitment of all the staff here at the Chamber.”

Greater Manchester Chamber is part of the sixth generation of Investors in People and the next assessment will take place in 2020. w

BO OK NOW 0161 832 1400 RO S S O R E S TAU R A N T & B A R 43 Spring Gardens, Manchester M2 2BG W W W. RO S S O R E S TAU R A N T S .C O M

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JOIN IN THE FUN WITH: Spectacular theming and scenery Live singers and aerial acrobats Delicious hot and cold canapés Superb three course dinner • Christmas crackers Survivors breakfast • Dodgems • Waltzer State-of-the-art disco with intelligent lighting Starlit ceilings and professional set lighting Charity casino* • Full event management • On-site security Free cloakroom • Free car parking

AN EXPERIENCE NOT TO BE MISSED!

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Greater Manchester Chamber launches CHAMBER SECURE

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With the GDPR data regulations drawing ever closer, the Chamber has been working hard to develop an offering for our members to help support them in preparing for the May 25 deadline and the cyber world beyond.

We want to ensure that Greater Manchester businesses have access to cost-effective expertise and advice on cyber security and GDPR implementation.

We all know that protecting your business online is more important than ever before. The changing world of cyber means that businesses are having to take more steps to keep their networks secure and to defend their data. For instance in 2017 it was reported that there were almost 40 new cyber threats each day.

Preparing for GDPR is not just about ticking a

few boxes for legal compliance. It needs a holistic review of technology, organisational processes, staff training and cyber security controls.

Our members have asked for help and, in response, we have developed Chamber Secure, in partnership with IT Lab and Morson Cyber Security.

IT Lab is a leading IT solutions and managed services provider with a strong connection to the Greater Manchester region. IT Lab understands the profound impact that good technology and practices can have on your business.

Morson Cyber Security provides a comprehensive cyber security offering and will work with our smaller business members who need protection against an ever-evolving cyber threat.

Our new partners have come together to deliver affordable, scalable solutions that are the best fit for your business, and your position.

Whether you’re a small business who needs

a little GDPR support, or a large business that needs a full cyber health check, there’s a solution within Chamber Secure that can help you get compliant.

Stella Bowdell, Director of Membership at Greater Manchester Chamber, said: “Businesses are not only facing the increased possibility of cyber security issues, but the significant changes that they need to make for GDPR. With so much pressure on our members to prepare and protect, it was vital that we chose the right partners to support them.

“IT Lab and Morson both have the right level of expert knowledge and experience to inform and support our members, and we’re delighted to have them on board.” w To find out which services can support you and your business in your GDPR and cyber journey, please contact Lucy Mulligan, Head of Member Services, at lucy.mulligan@gmchamber.co.uk.

Final ANNUAL DINNER tickets on sale This year’s Chamber annual dinner is all about celebrating the ‘best of the best’.

We’ll be celebrating our win as national Chamber of the Year 2017/18, while we’ll also be joined by members who won seven of the regional Chamber business awards, and the two who went on to win national awards.

The dinner will highlight Greater Manchester’s sporting history and the fantastic work of our members. The winner of the Greater Manchester Arts Prize 2018 will also be announced during the evening.

Our host for the evening will be Andrew Ryan, one of the most in-demand acts on the UK comedy circuit.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, will also be joining us on the evening as he celebrates one year in office.

The evening will close with a funk and soul DJ set at the after-dinner party with the fabulous Craig Charles. w

We are especially pleased to be working with the following sponsors for the evening; w Esprit Group Ltd w Join The Dots w Manchester Airport Group w Manchester Camerata - entertainment sponsor w Westfield Health The annual dinner will be held on May 17 at Victoria Warehouse in Old Trafford.

Tables are available in formations of 10 or 12.

If you wish to book a table, please contact the events team direct at events@gmchamber.co.uk.

0844 499 4040 | www.BestPartiesEver.com *A small charge applies www.gmchamber.co.uk

15

CHAMBER NEWS

THE CHAMBER AWARDS 2018 ARE OPEN! The Chamber business awards are here to recognise and reward the best of British business. They are now open for 2018 entries and Greater Manchester Chamber is inviting all our members to enter. Now in their 14th year, the awards are a highlight of the business calendar, recognising the key role that local businesses play in driving the UK economy.

The awards have nine categories, covering everything from ‘Export Business of the Year’ to ‘Digital Communication Campaign of the Year’ – there’s a category to suit every type of business, covering all sizes and all sectors.

Greater Manchester Chamber members won seven of the nine awards in the North West heats last year, our best year yet, and we’re looking to build on this for 2018.

Stella Bowdell, Membership Director at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said: “We were absolutely delighted last year to see so many of our members winning the Chamber awards at a NW regional and national level. The quality of the entries that we receive is always a great reminder of just how innovative, people focused and progressive the businesses in Greater Manchester are, and that success deserves to be recognised and celebrated.

“I’d urge even more businesses to get involved this year- it’s a simple entry process – and members have frequently told me that completing the entry reminds them and their teams of just how much they’ve achieved, and how good they really are. We look forward to congratulating more regional and national winners again for 2018!” w

Last year’s Chamber business awards winners

THE 2018 CATEGORIES ARE:

w Small Business of the Year w Export Business of the Year w Best Use of Technology w High Growth Business of the Year w Employer of the Year w Education and Business Partnership w Customer Commitment Award w Workplace Wellbeing Award w Digital Communication Campaign of the Year

Entry is free for Chamber members and closes on 29th June 2018 – good luck!

For more information and advice, please head to http://chamberbusinessawards.co.uk/ or call 0161 393 4321 and speak to one of the Chamber team.

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WHY ENTER? Here is what some our 2017 winners had to say: Richard Gahagan, CEO of Adam Recruitment:

“We were extremely proud to win this as Greater Manchester Chamber covers so many business sectors, as well as businesses that have been established for decades.

“Our market relies on strong social media to help us promote our clients and roles to candidates.

This particular campaign is so important because it is often the point in their career where they are looking to transition into something new, hence the campaign ‘New Year, New Job.’” w

Robin Burman, Chair of Stockport Homes’ board:

“We were delighted to be recognised for the work we do to provide excellent services to our customers. We are constantly striving to improve the services offered to our customers – that’s why we’re here.” w

CHAMBER NEWS

HELP YOUNG PEOPLE GET EXPOSURE TO THE WORLD OF WORK

Greater Manchester Chamber is delighted to be working with the Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation, which runs the Greater Manchester Talent Match project.

Greater Manchester Talent Match brings together the voluntary, public and private sectors to support 18-24-year-olds who have not been in employment, education or training for 12 months.

GM Talent Match is funded by the Big Lottery and has engaged with more than 1,800 young people across the region. Since January this year more than 50 Chamber members have pledged their support to the programme, agreeing to provide opportunities for young people to gain workplace experiences and develop their employability skills.

Nationally, the number of young people spending 12 months or more not in employment education or training (NEET) increased by more than 100,000 to 811,000 in

2016. These figures, however, exclude a large number of economically inactive young people who are not claiming out of work benefits.

Recent research by GM Talent Match shows that within Greater Manchester there are around 15,000 who are NEET but not in receipt of welfare support. Supporting this group is a strategic aim for GM Talent Match and a priority within the Greater Manchester Strategy.

Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Clive Memmott called upon businesses to back GM Talent Match and help improve the confidence and boost the self-esteem of young people.

He said: “There are clearly a large number of young people we need to engage with.

Maximise their potential and we maximise the region’s potential. We as employers, need to support them on the road to getting a job, building motivation and raising aspirations.”

There are lots of different ways you can show your support, from meeting a young person for a coffee and catch up, to providing work experience. Every interaction you can provide will help to boost their confidence and expose them to different work environments.

The following is a list of the different opportunities you can support and details of how you can get involved:

w Offer a 1:1 coffee and catch-up session for a young person.

w Host a world of work visit. w Attend an event hosted by Greater Manchester Talent Match.

w Offer a pre-employment workshop. w Create work experience placement opportunities.

w Create traineeship or apprenticeship opportunities.

w Provide mock interview and feedback sessions.

w Attend the Greater Manchester Talent Match employers’ workshop.

As a thank you and recognition for the time and support you provide, Greater Manchester Chamber will award each participating company with a GM Social Value Award. By supporting just one opportunity you will receive a Bronze GM Social Value Award certificate and logo for you to use on your website and email signature. w For more information on how to provide support, please email professionalservices@gmchamber.co.uk

Oldham means business Our investment team offer a bespoke service to businesses. We can help businesses of all sizes and sectors find the perfect solution to their business needs.

Whether you’re a start-up, established business or relocating, we can tailor our support to your requirements.

You will deal with a single point of contact to help you progress your business needs.

We can help with:

Premises – use our local knowledge and networks to find your ideal site in Oldham Finance – Oldham Enterprise Fund provides finance for businesses to start-up, grow and invest in Oldham Business support – our extensive offer and flexible approach provides support tailored to your business needs Recruitment support – through Get Oldham Working we can help you attract and employ new staff Our investment team are waiting to hear from you.

For more information on how we can support your business contact us on 0161 770 2077 email: invest@oldham.gov.uk or visit: www.investinoldham.com

www.gmchamber.co.uk

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Get miles away with FLYING CO In 1984 Sir Richard Branson looked at the UK aviation industry and stated; “Air travel should be exciting and enjoyable.”

And so, Virgin Atlantic was born.

Back then we only had one aircraft flying London to Miami. But by the end of the decade we had flown over one million passengers. And as the first airline to offer individual TVs to business class

passengers, we were setting trends too.

Fast forward 30 years and we now fly over five million people a year to more than 30 of the most amazing destinations around the world - America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. And in keeping with the times, we’ve also progressed to meet the needs of businesses and travellers alike.

That’s why we launched Flying Co, our corporate loyalty programme. We believe business travel should be enjoyable, convenient and brimming with great rewards. By joining Flying Co, businesses earn Flying Co miles on all aspects of business travel including flights, hotel stays and foreign exchange which they can then put towards different travel awards including reward flights, upgrades, Clubhouse invites and hotel stays.

With Flying Co not only will the business be rewarded, but the travellers themselves, They’ll earn Flying Club miles in addition to the miles earned for the company. Flying Co miles are a great way to give hard working employees the rewards they deserve.

Fly in style Customers can now choose how they fly in Economy with our three new ways to fly - Economy Light, Classic and Delight.

And if they’re travelling in Premium they can speed through the airport with Premium check in and priority boarding, and settle into a spacious leather seat to enjoy a chilled glass of welcome bubbly.

Upper Class customers can enjoy cocktails in the Clubhouse while in the air they can relax into their suite as they are served imaginatively designed dishes and fine wines, before stretching out in their fully flat bed.

However they travel they’ll be able to enjoy over 300 hours of fantastic inflight entertainment and stay connected to the world below with WiFi*.

*charges apply

Take off from…

We fly from London Heathrow and Gatwick Airport to over 30 of the world’s most exciting destinations. And from Manchester Airport we fly to Atlanta, Boston, Las Vegas, New York, Orlando, San Francisco and Barbados. w

The sky’s the limit Business is more rewarding with Flying Co There’s no doubt that business travel should be easy, enjoyable and brimming with great rewards.

For more information or to join Flying Co give us a call on 0344 4122415 or visit virginatlantic.com/flyingco.

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So that’s why, by joining Flying Co, your business will earn miles on all Virgin Atlantic and Delta flights, car hire, hotel stays, foreign exchange and more to put towards all sorts of rewards.

Rewards like flight upgrades, reward flights and Clubhouse access.

For more information, please visit virginatlantic.com/flyingco or call our dedicated Flying Co team on 0344 412 2415

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Meet the EXPERT After a successful launch in 2017, the Chamber is once again holding a Meet the Expert event on June 15th.

This time, the event will offer a pool of expertise covering not just exports, but imports and overseas investment.

With Brexit around the corner, companies must be looking proactively at the different trading scenarios and preparing themselves to mitigate the risks and capitalise on the opportunities it will bring.

Here at the Chamber, we want to help our members and customers get ‘Brexit ready’ by connecting them with experts who can provide practical advice on how to grow your business in these challenging times.

We understand that exporting is vital to generating economic growth, but we also know that many companies are dependent on imports, whether they are meeting demand locally or from overseas.

These businesses all need to manage the impact of Brexit and

BOOST YOUR BUSINESS WITH CHAMBER TRAIN

the uncertainty that comes with it.

Many companies may be considering opening a branch office or even a manufacturing facility on the continent to continue accessing benefits from the single market post-Brexit. Whatever your Brexit strategy is, you will benefit from attending our Meet Expert event.

Customer feedback “It was informative, hands on, incredibly interesting and helpful for me and the business.”

Social Media Strategy

“Great knowledge, experience and objective handling.

The group exercises also helped put what I’d learnt into practice in an interactive manner.”

Why you should participate

Chamber Train courses are designed to support both your business and personal development.

All the courses are practical and hands-on, so you are implementing the skills you are learning right there and then. w

w Save time and money by meeting a wide range of experts under one roof

w Get valuable information and

practical advice about doing business overseas, which can help you manage risks more effectively, make you better prepared and thus improve your chances of success

w Get to know the business

opportunities offered by a wide range of markets - whether you are looking to export, import or invest overseas

w Opportunity to network with

other companies and exchange practical advice w

Manchester visits CANADA

Amy Cawley (second from right) with the trade delegation in Canada

Amy Cawley, International Trade Coordinator at Greater Manchester Chamber, reports on the Manchester trade visit to Canada.

The British Consulate General in Montreal and Manchester City Council recently began investigating a potential partnership due to the similarities between the

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two economies. The similarities include: investment, political cooperation (with both cities now having an elected mayor), and education and culture. For instance Montreal has its own renowned International Jazz Festival like Manchester, while we also have the bi-annual International Festival.

With this in mind, both Montreal and Manchester are committed to organising further delegations to explore more opportunities.

As part of the above partnership, Greater Manchester Chamber was asked to organise a trade delegation to Montreal to visit the city and explore the business opportunities. Last month, the Chamber organised for three companies (Parkcloud, Linum Consult and Touchstar Technologies) to accompany the Chamber on this visit. We were welcomed by the British Consul in Montreal and his team, who arranged a three-day programme for the delegation.

The visit included an introduction to the Canadian market, a programme of meetings with potential buyers, and a reception with the British Quebec Business Coalition, an organisation facilitating trade between the province of Quebec and the UK. We met with the province’s energy firm, Hydro Quebec, which also visited Manchester

“Hugely practical and relevant information.

The advice given is easy to implement to deliver immediate improvements.”

Bid and Tender Writing Training

Chamber Train facts

w Acquire an understanding of the wide range of business support services available to companies wishing to do business overseas

Cold Calling Made Simple

w Trained over 4,000 businesses and The cost is £25 plus VAT for Chamber members and £35 plus VAT for non-members.

If you want to be involved, please email exportbritain@gmchamber.co.uk.

individuals

w 97.9% individuals rated the training courses as excellent w 100% of individuals that have been

through the professional training courses would recommend them to a friend or colleague

Visit www.chambertrain.co.uk to see all our training courses - don’t forget members get 20%!

in January 2017 to explore investment opportunities. Quebec produces 99% of its energy from hydroelectric power, which is both cheap and clean. As a result, the province, and Montreal in particular (where nearly 50% of the province’s population resides), is investing heavily in the electrification of transport.

A meeting was also arranged with Air Canada, which employs almost 6,000 people at MontrealTrudeau Airport, and with Chamber member S1E Immigration which is currently supporting some of our members in the Canadian market.

All the companies found the visit interesting and well organised, with the meetings being incredibly useful. They all hope to return to the region to do business in the future. w If you’re interested in being involved with future missions or would like more information about the mission above or the North American market, please email Amy at amy.cawley@gmchamber.co.uk.

www.gmchamber.co.uk

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS

CHAMBER NEWS

GOLF & BUSINESS TOGETHER

May 17 ANNUAL DINNER 2018 Victoria Warehouse

6.30pm - 11.00pm

It was a great start to the year for Golf and Business Together (GBT) with our first event at Hillside Golf Club, sponsored by Skipper, being a sell-out.

A fine score of 39 points from Simon Higgins of Orion won a £250 bag of Luke Sport prizes and a voucher for the Worsley Park Marriott. In second place, Gareth Jones from Bob Jones & Son Accountants, came in with a score of 35 points. The conditions at Hillside made for a great round and it was a stunning day much enjoyed by all who attended.

Our second event at the prestigious West Lancashire Golf Club was another huge success which also provided an introduction to one of our two main tour sponsors - Catax (Tax Relief Uncovered).

22 A4B TAMESIDE Curzon Ashton FC

8.00am - 10.00am 24 PURE NETWORKING Elliot House

5.30pm - 7.30pm 25

All the ‘Action for Business’ events or ‘A4Bs’ are free to attend for Chamber members.

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION LUNCH The Bridgewater Hall 12noon - 2.30pm

Plus, if you’re interested in event sponsorship or raising your profile, you’ll receive a discounted rate.

30 A4B BOLTON Last Drop Village Hotel & Spa

8.00am - 10.00am

Email events@gmchamber.co.uk for more information.

June

Tour Schedule

May 16th June 14th July 6th August 1st September 7th September 27th

5 A4B ROCHDALE Mercure Norton Grange Hotel 12noon - 2.00pm 7 A4B SALFORD A J Bell Stadium 12noon - 2.00pm 8 HEATHROW SUMMIT A J Bell Stadium 8.00am - 4.00pm 12

WIGAN BOLTON BURY CONSTRUCTION CLUB DW Stadium 8.00am - 10.00am

14 STOCKPORT BREAKFAST CLUB Alma Lodge Hotel 7.15am - 9.30am 20

A4B MANCHESTER Cloud 23 Hilton Deansgate Manchester 8.00am - 10.00am

Aug

6 A4B OLDHAM Hotel Smokies Park 12noon - 2.00pm

8

4 A4B BURY Village Hotel Bury 8.00am - 10.00am

10 A4B WIGAN Kilhey Court Hotel 12noon - 2.00pm 18 CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT Emirates Old Trafford

8.00am - 5.00pm

21 BUSINESS WOMEN’S NETWORK Albert Square Chophouse 12noon - 2.30pm

25 TASTY NETWORKING Victoria and Albert Hotel 3.00pm - 5.00pm

28 QES BREAKFAST Elliot House

8.00am - 10.00am

31 A4B STOCKPORT Bredbury Hall Hotel & Country Club 12noon - 2.00pm

2 A4B BOLTON Holiday Inn Bolton Centre 8.00am - 10.00am GMCC TRAFFORD EXPO (A4B TRAFFORD) Emirates Old Trafford 12noon - 2.00pm

9 STOCKPORT BREAKFAST CLUB Alma Lodge Hotel 7.15am - 9.30am 15 A4B MANCHESTER Cloud 23 Hilton Deansgate Manchester 8.00am - 10.00am

Look out for details of the next Engineering & Manufacturing Forum in the Chamber’s Events Brief.

Celtic Manor Resort Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club Chorlton Golf Club Worsley Park Marriott Formby Hall Caldy Golf Club

For more information, please email mark.brown@gbtevents.co.uk or visit our website gbtevents.co.uk

A player at Hillside Golf Club

July

Matt Watts from Lowribeck Promotions won the event with 33 points and Eddie Frost of Genesis Asset Finance was second with 32 points.

We have a super year ahead with great venues and amazing prizes to be won, and the tour final will take place this October in Barcelona. This year Alston Bar & Beef is also sponsoring a nearest the pin hole, with prize vouchers for its gin bar.

Meanwhile, we would like to say a huge thank you to all our members, guests and sponsors and to our other main tour sponsor Adsertor (Discover the Undiscoverable) for all their support.

We look forward to seeing many more new faces on our exciting 2018 tour. w

53 King Street Manchester M2 4LQ 0161 835 9560

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www.gmchamber.co.uk

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CASE STUDY

MC CONSTRUCTION

THE

FAMILY WAY

Manchester and Cheshire (MC) Construction has made its name taking on challenging contracts.

But as Managing Director Dave Lowe explains, its success is also rooted in a deep commitment to nurturing its staff.

It’s not often one gets greeted at the reception desk for an interview by the family border terrier. But as the inquisitive Charlie walks around my feet to check out this new visitor, I quickly realise that his presence isn’t unusual in the slightest.

For behind the very unassuming façade of MC Construction’s Salford head office lies a family-run construction business probably like no other in the city. The dog, which belongs to MD Dave Lowe, is named after Dave’s father who founded the business with fellow joiner John Purcell nearly 50 years ago.

History is all around us as Lowe leads us into a boardroom full of black and white portraits of the joiners and builders

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who made the business what it is today.

Indeed Lowe takes great pleasure in recounting the stories behind characters such as Jim ‘the bone’ Smith. “These were hard men, the men who were the lifeblood of this business in times gone by.”

He was given the idea for adorning the boardroom with these evocative photographs when he dug them out from his dad’s retirement do. “I just thought it would be nice to put them all on show. It shows the real sense of history we have here.”

It isn’t the only nod to the past. Beside the kitchen area is a huge cartoon mural, with one image depicting his dad Charlie ferrying a wheelbarrow. “That picture

sums up my dad all over. He liked to get stuck in and get his hands dirty, to be one of the lads. Like father like son, I’m exactly the same. I’ve worked here ever since leaving school and started out as a bricklayer. I’ll never forget one of my first jobs which involved going up the side of a 20-storey block of flats in a very precarious cradle. Health and safety wasn’t what it is today and my mum would have had a fit if she’d known what I was doing.”

Lowe’s approach to getting stuck in still applies today. “I still empty the bins and fill the dishwasher in the office, and frankly it’s important that I do this. I don’t expect others to do jobs that I can do myself.”

Different approach From the outset the founders of the business wanted to do things differently.

As Lowe adds: “Both my dad and John disagreed with the approach of most of the major contractors at that time, who laid off most of their site-based workforce at the end of a project, or just before Christmas, so that they didn’t have to pay holiday pay. When they set up the business they were determined to do things differently and recruited a direct labour force which they kept on through both good and lean times.”

That philosophy and commitment to staff has stayed with the business ever since, epitomised by the company winning the Commitment to People Development

If people have the right attitude and right work ethic you can teach anyone most things. Our whole team has a proactive attitude to solving problems. We want our staff to challenge us and really be part of this business, we do not want wallflowers. award at the national British Chambers of Commerce Business awards last year.

“Our staff are at the heart of everything we do and we engage with them at every opportunity. A culture of learning and development is embedded in the business and we invest a lot in staff training and have a proud record of nurturing our own

talent and promoting from within. Five of our seven directors previously held junior positions at the company, and the average length of service overall is more than 10 years. At the end of the day we want knowledge and experience to stay within the business, we want people to stay here and develop themselves.”

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www.gmchamber.co.uk

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MC CONSTRUCTION

As well as staff in the office the company has a nucleus of joiners and multi-skilled labourers working direct for it too. Lowe says the only time he uses agency staff is for general labourers or for specialist roles such as crane staff operators who are not needed all the time on a project. “But when you get up to site manager level you need your own people and clients will ask us for a site manager by name. A lot of companies use the agency model and I won’t knock it as it works for some people, but it doesn’t chime with our values.

“Our model works and means you get that buy-in from your staff. We have actually turned down jobs where we would have had to put in a temporary site manager. It just doesn’t work for us and we have learnt that from bitter experience.”

Recognition Lowe says the wider recognition has been fantastic for the business and really helped raise its profile. “I was particularly delighted to win the British Chambers award. I would rather win an award that says you are looking after your staff well more than anything. Finding decent staff is hard in our industry, you need to be doing all you can to make sure your company is as attractive as possible.

“What I love is when someone who starts off at the bottom of our company works their way up into a more senior position, that’s always fantastic to see.

I am a firm believer that it is not about your skillset, it is about you as a person. If people have the right attitude and right work ethic you can teach anyone most things. Our whole team has a proactive attitude to solving problems. We want our staff to challenge us and really be part of this business, we do not want wallflowers.”

Growth It’s an approach that continues to serve the business well. Back in the 1970s it was originally known as a concrete repair specialist, before moving from general contracting to civil engineering.

As Lowe adds: “The business used to do a bit of everything and still does to an extent, whether it’s internal or external refurbishments, structural alterations, or new builds. We focus on clients with significant property portfolios and get a lot of repeat work. We always look to build longterm relationships.”

In particular the refurb market has become an area of specific expertise. “A decade ago, just before the economic crash, we had a big rethink because we wanted to try and focus on one particular part of the market. The answer that came back after talking to clients was the refurb market as we had always specialised in doing rather horrible and challenging refurbishments.

Today more than 90% of our refurb work is in live environments where we are working around a building that is still open to the

THE OLD AND THE NEW

public or staff. In such circumstances the building job can be the easy part, the hard bit is doing it while everything else is going on around you. Anything that requires a bit of head-scratching and working in a tight, confined space with awkward access is right up our street.”

Lowe says a good example (see below) was the refurbishment of the Ancient Worlds Gallery at The University of Manchester. “This was a typical kind of job for us. In this instance we were working around students, staff and school visits, not to mention obviously a lot of very precious objects.”

Downturn Such a focus on the refurb market would prove a very timely decision in the wake of the recession. “We were actually able to continue growing the business through the recession which we are incredibly proud of.

Of course you could take the view that we were also just lucky to focus on the refurb rather than the new build market which collapsed so spectacularly.”

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Lancaster Castle Another contract has been with the Duchy of Lancaster which appointed MC to work on roof repairs and an external refurbishment of Lancaster Castle. MC is on site at the moment carrying out further works as a result of the original contract completed in 2017. As Lowe adds: “At the end of the day people like doing business with people they can trust. It’s about forging relationships, spotting future opportunities and being resilient.

The Castle is part of the Duchy of Lancaster and last summer my wife and I were fortunate enough to be invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace which was really special.” w

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There is tram, train and bus access to the offices and staff will benefit from a full range of retail and leisure outlets on the doorstep.

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Future Lowe says the business, which is on track to hit a £20m turnover this year, will continue to look to increase the size and value of its contracts. As well as continuing to grow its main contracting arm MC Construction, the company is also extending its offering into M&E services via MC Facilities Services, and into development via MC Developments which is headed up by Mike Purcell.

Adds Lowe: “We thought it was definitely time to take another hard look at the development market and we have recently picked up some sites for residential. What we are already noticing is that all three parts of the business are now feeding into each other.”

However with one eye on what happened to the market in 2008, Lowe will not be rash. “To be honest we are not sure yet exactly what direction MC Developments will take us in, and we are at heart quite a conservative company so won’t take unnecessary risks. We have seen lots of competitors grow very, very quickly and then get into trouble. We do not want to be one of them and become busy fools.” w

GH

HI

Ancient Worlds Gallery, The University of Manchester MC has completed a number of contracts for the University in recent years, gaining repeat business on the back of previous work. One of MC’s largest ever contracts was a £9.5m upgrade of the Grade II listed Samuel Alexander Building which houses the University’s School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.

However a particularly notable £1m contract was for the Ancient Worlds Gallery within the University’s Manchester Museum (pictured left). The refurbishment created three new bright and inviting galleries in contrast to the dark and oppressive feel of the previous rooms. The six-month project included the installation of bespoke display cases and audio/ visual equipment, and the museum remained open throughout the works. w

Meantime the company also realised that it needed to better formalise its management structure and Lowe stepped up to the helm to become MD in 2011.

As he explains: “With myself and my brother Ian in the business, as well as two of John’s sons Chris and Mike, it always felt like we were working in one big family but we realised that in order to give the business the direction it needed we needed someone at the top driving it all. We just sat down and had a discussion about it, and everyone decided that person should be me.”

Lowe admits he is a born worrier which probably makes him ideal for the job. “As we have grown our jobs have become longer and bigger and this has given us more comfort. But I am always thinking about where the next contract is going to come from, so I never allow myself to enjoy the moment. However we are on a lot of frameworks now which helps us scale the business, such as with Manchester Airports Group and with a new public sector framework across Greater Manchester and the North West.”

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CASE STUDY

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01925 825950

www.wythenshaweoffices.co.uk

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27

CASE STUDY

JA HARRISON

Sure, there were sleepless nights and we kept asking ourselves ‘are we doing the right thing’.

But today I can definitely say that the move is already paying real dividends.

LEAP OF FAITH A year since moving to a state-of-the-art factory business is booming at gasket specialist JA Harrison.

Operations Director Martin Shepherd tells the story behind the move.

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As Martin Shepherd proudly welcomes us to his new Chadderton factory he apologises in advance if we get interrupted. He has just returned from a rather hectic mid-week trip to a recently acquired gasket business in Dorset and has plenty of catching up to do. In fact, as he admits, he is currently spending every week on the road “bedding” the company in, as he puts it.

Indeed, no sooner have we sat down in his office than one of his team knocks on the door wanting to pick his brains on a new prototype gasket that is causing some difficulties on the shop floor.

Shepherd gets out his glasses, flips the gasket over in his hand a few times, and within an instant recommends the best course of action.

The encounter perfectly illustrates the way Shepherd, who has worked in the family business ever since leaving school at 16, likes to work. “I’ve only ever had one job and I only know this business. It’s a job you do ‘by feel’, and I’ve always been the hands-on practical one.”

Shepherd is referring specifically to his working relationship with his siblings, Keith and Elaine, who are both in the business too. “For instance Keith, who is Managing Director, has always been more the sales guy while I suppose you’d call me the ‘maker and doer’ in the family. It’s a combination that works well.”

Family way Martin has clearly inherited his skills from his father Alan who ran the company for many years with his cousin Peter Wild.

Alan is still chairman of the company and officially opened the company’s new £2.8m state-of-the-art production hub on the Greengate Industrial Estate last year.

These are certainly exciting times for the business which manufactures gaskets, seals and sealing technology solutions to companies and OEMs worldwide. Its products, which can range in size from just 3mm to 3 metres in diameter, are used in a wide range of industries and are regarded by users as a benchmark standard within the industry.

The company is also a worldleading producer of PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) products, a synthetic fluoropolymer that has numerous applications, while its wider portfolio of gaskets and seals are supplied directly and indirectly to companies such as Rolls Royce, Vauxhall, Siemens, British Gas, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.

The company also supplies to power stations, gas pipelines, oil rigs, manufacturing plants, cargo and cruise ships, and even football stadiums.

For instance gaskets and seals used to construct the City of Manchester stadium, now the Etihad, came from JA Harrison.

Growth The business has grown strongly over the past 20 years or so, both through generic growth and strategic acquisitions. Today, as well as a number of factories in the UK, the company also

has operations overseas. For instance a particular growth area is the Middle East where it has a joint venture with a gasket manufacturer in Abu Dhabi serving the oil and gas, and shipping industries.

Shepherd says for a long time JA Harrison was seen as a supplier to trade, not to the end user, and so was very much out of the limelight. “But then we had what I would describe as one of those light bulb moments. We realised there was no reason why we couldn’t start selling direct, so we really started to change the way we looked at things.”

He says the acquisition of Radcliffebased hard gasket specialists Corrugated Joint Ring Co was particularly significant in this regard.

“In retrospect the deal was significant because it made us very aware of new technology and manufacturing methods too. The business also had some major customers in sectors such as chemicals which we could then leverage to help us grow significantly.

“The deal also meant we started to work with higher-end and more demanding customers who expected the very highest standards from us.

We took on a quality and compliance engineer and upgraded all our ISO, environmental, and health and safety standards. In this regard it was also about changing the attitude and mindset of staff. We were continually raising the bar as we sought to drive change throughout the business.”

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www.gmchamber.co.uk

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CASE STUDY

JA HARRISON

³

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Factory move Little surprise then that in recent years the company had started to outgrow its existing Cheetham Hill facility. “We would convert or acquire another building on the site only to find we were quickly running out of room again.”

Shepherd says a key moment was a visit from a potentially significant customer from Texas. “It was another of those light bulb moments. He really liked our products but not the building, which proved to us that it was definitely time to move.”

Even so, he still describes the move as “a leap of faith”. “We used the proceeds from the sale of our old building to essentially buy the new factory, while we then borrowed £1m for the refurb cost.

For some companies of our size borrowing this amount might have felt too risky, but we were a long established business

presentations to customers and they are simply blown away when they come here.

For a gasket manufacturer this facility is as good as it gets, and we can now deal directly with major players in sectors such as aerospace, nuclear, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, food processing and defence.”

and had the depth of experience and background to make the leap of faith. Sure, there were sleepless nights and we kept asking ourselves ‘are we doing the right thing’. But today I can definitely say that the move is already paying real dividends.

“For instance since opening we have already had a number of high-level

Jobs The new factory, which incorporates computerised industrial presses, lathes, ovens and cyber-safe security systems, is expected to generate at least 30 jobs, as well as a number of apprenticeships, over the next three years.

Shepherd says one of the great benefits of the new factory is its flexibility.

“We have a very diverse customer base which is a real strength to us. For instance if one sector is a little quiet we can shift resources into another fairly seamlessly,

Founded in 1900 by James Arthur Harrison the company was originally based in Ardwick and was established as a metal founder and mill furnisher serving the textile industry, a sector that was enjoying significant growth and prosperity at that time.

The Shepherd family bought the company in 1940 at a time when the company was manufacturing essential machinery components for munitions factories across the North West, in particular ensuring ongoing manufacture of Lancaster Bombers. In the late 1960s the company moved to a new purpose-built facility in Cheetham Hill, and would go on to make a number of acquisitions including hard gasket specialists Corrugated Joint Ring Co. and Cardiff-based Alliance & Heat Shield Engineering.

In more recent years the firm has entered a number of joint ventures overseas, and has operations in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Australia. w

and the new factory gives us the room to do that much more nimbly and efficiently.”

He says the more specialised plastic side of the business, and the company’s expertise in the PTFE market, is a particular growth area. Does he therefore see the business becoming more specialised in time?

“It’s a good question and one we have thought about a lot, as obviously the more specialised we become the higher up the value chain we could go. However I don’t think we are at that point yet. Also, to get there we would need to bring more skills and talent into the business in order to make us more innovative. One of the big issues we face here, like the rest of the manufacturing sector, is the skills shortage. Something I would certainly like to do over the next few years is strengthen our links with universities and get graduates to come in here, look at all our processes, and suggest what changes we could make.”

Competitive Meantime there is plenty to go at within existing markets. “One of the things this new factory also enables us to do is be much more globally competitive and responsive, and benefit from the

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accelerating onshoring trend. Production is increasingly being brought back closer to UK factories, say from the Far East, and we can benefit from that. Some very big companies are knocking on our door now and we have the capacity at our new factory to look at their demands, whether

it be through adding extra shifts or potentially expanding the shop floor.”

To accommodate and capitalise on this growth Shepherd admits that the family will also need to start bringing in more outside knowledge into the business. “To be honest this is something we have shied away from in the past but we have reached a tipping point now. We are turning over £7.5m and we need to consider it.”

And finally what about the ‘B’ word which we have managed to successfully avoid talking about all morning? Will Brexit have any impact on the business?

“Personally I think it is an opportunity,” says Shepherd. “Deals will still have to be done with our European partners. But as a firm we are now very busy in other parts of the world too, such as in the Middle East. For us it is business as usual. We just need to get on with it.” w

www.wmdc.org.uk

Tel: 01942 705449

Email: jburns@wmdc.org.uk

www.gmchamber.co.uk

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HERE’S TO YOU! CASE STUDY

ROBINSONS

William (left) and Oliver Robinson are today’s guardians of the Robinsons brewing empire. Here they reveal how they are evolving the company to meet the demands of today’s fastchanging consumer.

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The weight of history is all around as you climb the cobbled steps of Hillgate to reach Robinsons’ historic brewery in the heart of Stockport. As your senses take in the heady mix of sights, sounds and smells you realise, from the outside at least, that this scene hasn’t changed an awful lot since the days when George Robinson started brewing the first Robinsons ale some 170 years ago.

Behind its walls today the business is headed by cousins William and Oliver Robinson, sixth generation descendants of the founders, and keepers of the family flame. A role then surely not without its pressures, both economic and historical.

Oliver is quick to scotch my claim that they are somehow burdened by history.

“We honestly don’t feel that way. For William and I the most important thing is that we love coming to work. This is not just a job for us, it is our passion. Yes, the world is changing and we as a business have been forced to pick up the pace in recent years. But we often remind our team that we can all be critical of ourselves. But what we also need to do is stop and think about all the really good things that we do too.”

He stresses that the model, whereby he runs the beer division and William is MD of the pub division, works well. “We are the same age, have known each other since we were children, and have worked together in the business now for 20 years.

We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, we are prepared to learn from each other, and we are a check on each other. The key thing is that we are always open and honest.”

Challenges The pair have certainly faced considerable headwinds in recent times as fast-changing consumer lifestyles have forced brewers to review their strategies.

One of the most striking trends is that young people are simply drinking less. One in five millennials abstains from alcohol, while on average someone born in 1995 drinks half the units of alcohol compared to someone born 25 years earlier. As Oliver adds: “By 2020 they will make up half the working population.

Their demands are different and changing fast, and we have to be alive to that.”

For Robinsons that has meant employing a broader strategy that encompasses these changing habits. For instance, this includes the production of more low alcohol beers and seasonal beers. “We have become more creative with our beers and our marketing, and our range has evolved,” he adds.

A major trend has been the increasing popularity, especially among younger drinkers, of craft beers. However Oliver says the market has become very confusing. “There is actually nothing more craft than cask ale which we have been brewing here for generations. What we’ve been doing is evolving our craft ale offering with new beers while also reinvigorating some historic favourites such as Old Tom.” Balance However Oliver stresses that you have to be careful that you get the balance right when responding to trends. “Some 20% of our pubs sell 80% of our craft beer, which goes to show that craft beer is not for everyone. It also shows that you have to be careful in terms of chasing every trend. For a business like us you cannot be an early adopter because some of the trends come and go in the blink of an eye. We can react quickly if we need to, but at the end of the day we need repeat purchases, not quirky purchases.”

One of Robinsons’ most successful ventures in recent years has been the launch of its Trooper beer with rock band

Iron Maiden. The beer has sold more than 20 million pints in five years to over 55 countries, and earlier this year the company launched a new Iron Maiden beer Light Brigade. The beer has been developed in support of Help For Heroes with 6p of each pint and 5p of each bottle sold donated to the charity.

Oliver says the band’s front man Bruce Dickinson has been instrumental in Trooper’s success. “He’s visited the brewery, been in the lab, looked at the hops, tasted the beers. Trooper has brought a lot of benefits to the wider company, such as also providing a boost to our off-trade (supermarket) sales.”

However Oliver rules out more such rock band tie-ups in the near future. “You have to be careful that you don’t get too distracted. We have had big bands come to us recently asking us to do beers for them but we have said no.”

Iron Maiden front man Bruce Dickinson

Pub estate Today Robinsons has 270 tenanted pubs - where licensees rent the pub and purchase all drinks from the brewery - across a great swathe of the North West, Cumbria and Wales. The size of the portfolio also allows the company to keep very close to these emerging consumer

There is actually nothing more craft than cask ale which we have been brewing here for generations.

trends. As William adds: “Our estate is an eclectic and diverse mix, all the pubs are very individual, and we can learn from the most successful licensees. When people walk into a pub they don’t just want a carbon copy, they want something special with its own character.”

He says the “shared experience” has become increasingly important in terms of a pub offer. “People want an experience, whatever that might be. You increasingly see some very creative things going on in pubs now to attract more footfall. It is all about the experience.”

The cousins firmly believe that this sense of experience - and community that pubs bring to the world will ensure they have a viable future. Adds William: “My feeling is that people increasingly crave a sense of community and belonging in today’s world. They want that ability to come together as equals and have a nice evening with their family and friends, and that’s what pubs can offer.”

Oliver picks up on the point. “People want to get away from their phone and talk. It’s as if we have somehow lost our ability to communicate. I personally wonder how long before there is a social media backlash.” He says the recent decision by pub chain JD Wetherspoon to close all its company social media accounts, following concerns about misuse of personal data, is a case in point. “I think they are onto something there, it will be interesting to see the reaction.” www.gmchamber.co.uk

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CASE STUDY

ROBINSONS

We have become more creative with our beers and our marketing, and our range has evolved

Industry That all said, the traditional pub is under fire like never before. Robinsons has not been immune, reducing its pub estate by 100 over the past five years.

However, William stresses that this reduction doesn’t worry him. “What is important for us is that we invest in the right pubs. Not all pubs are brilliant businesses and some can be resistant to change. To be frank we had too many pubs, some were not good enough. But while we have lost 100 pubs we have also invested in more than 100 pubs over the same period to make them better. What is worse? Running a pub that is a drain on a licensee and which is not working for them, or running a sustainable business and investing in those pubs that are working?”

At the same time the company has also invested heavily in its own managed estate of pubs which also have a strong food and accommodation offering.

Three years ago it had just one managed pub, today it has ten. Adds William: “With a managed pub estate you need scale to make it work which is why we have increased the number. But we will always do what is best for each pub, so if it is best to keep it as a tenanted pub that is what we will do.”

And what about the brewing side, are there plans for further expansion there?

Oliver says although the brewery is full at the moment there are no immediate plans to build any new plants. Is this not a rather conservative attitude to take?

“Absolutely not, we will always do what is right for the business. There was nothing conservative about our recent £7m investment in a new brew house for instance.”

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Stockport

A walk around Robinsons’ excellent Visitors Centre with its old photographs and mementos shows you just how synonymous the brewery is with the town.

But while Robinsons’ fortunes have stayed on the up in recent years, the same cannot be said of Stockport town centre which has been plagued by shop closures. Indeed the number of boarded up shops outside the brewery along Hillgate tells you all you need to know about the declining fortunes of many of our town centres.

The cousins care passionately about what happens in the town and believe a brighter future

Future One gets the definite sense that this generation of Robinsons are going to be here to stay for some while. Indeed, from a business perspective the wider strategy is clearly paying dividends with the business seeing an 8% increase in turnover to £68.3m in the year ending 2016, on profits of £4.1m.

And with the cousins both only 47 this year (Oliver is just a few months older) any talk around succession seems premature.

As Oliver adds: “Between us we have six children but we will not just shoehorn them into the business. If they do come to work here we will expect them to have gained an extensive background elsewhere in business first. We would actively encourage them to do what suits their skills and to seek out wider business and life experiences.” w

could be around the corner. Says William: “Hillgate actually used to be a series of terraced houses and I feel it would make a lot of sense to consider returning it to housing as part of a move to bring people back to the town centre.

“Yes, the town has had a real knock in recent times with some big retail names leaving, but the marketplace is doing very well and the Redrock development is now coming through, so let’s see what happens. People talk about the death of the high street but you only have to look at what somewhere like Altrincham has achieved in recent years to see what is possible.” w

A NEW EXPERIENCE AUTUMN 2018

MOMENT IN TIME DEBATE

With Whitehall preoccupied with Brexit, does this create even more of an opportunity for Greater Manchester (GM) devolution?

ROBERT HOUGH: Brexit is an enormous distraction and there has been a consequential neglect of other parts of the agenda. Given this, I would stress that being on the front row of the devolution bus is absolutely vital, and GM is in that position. This is actually a vitally important moment.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

A year into mayor Andy Burnham’s term in office we brought together business leaders to discuss his key priorities and how the devolution agenda is progressing.

HEATH THOMAS: Brexit is a big distraction but I think, equally, that the devolution agenda is still there. However politics has got itself mired in quite a lot of pointsscoring over the last 18 months, not just with Brexit.

TOM BLOXHAM: Brexit leaves a political

void. Everyone is so busy worrying about it that the big issues we face - about health, housing, poverty, and economic growth - we are not worrying about. It is a void for GM and other places to get stuck in and make some difference. The

other interesting thing is the Manchester versus Greater Manchester debate.

Where I live, if you walk 100 yards one way it’s Trafford, 100 yards the other it’s Salford, 100 yards the other way is Manchester. No-one cares about these boundaries except elected politicians.

You go abroad and no matter where exactly you’re from in GM you would say you’re from Manchester. What devolution allows, and what mayor Andy Burnham has done a good job at, is seeing Greater Manchester as the economic unit, rather than the specific city of Manchester.

VIKAS SHAH:

The challenges that we are facing as a region are far bigger than each of the components, to the extent that we are facing huge challenges around inequality and poverty. It is fine walking around Spinningfields in the city centre, but journey a couple of miles up the road and you see what the rest of Manchester is suffering with. The politicisation of these issues prevents a lot of people working together to solve them. We need to get away from political points scoring.

JILL RUBERY: One of the problems is that devolution has also gone off the agenda at the national level. There is a void affecting what GM can do as well.

HOUGH: The golden period was when

we had Cameron, Osborne, Heseltine, Clark and O’Neill all pushing the Northern Powerhouse, those were really the golden days for devolution and there was a clear path to devolution. We have lost a great deal, so further to my earlier point, being on the front row of the first bus back then was really important. Therefore those city

regions which have got their act together are in a good position for the future.

SHAH: I agree around the opportunity

of devolution, however the governance mechanisms supporting it haven’t advanced, to the extent that we have been given this beautiful sports car with a steam engine running it. We cannot take bold chances and innovate both our social and real economy to catch up.

There is no point in devolution occurring if political mechanisms across GM don’t change. ´38 www.gmchamber.co.uk

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DEBATE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH ERIC SOLOMONS: If I was to poll my clients and ask them whether devolution has been good for Manchester, I think they would mostly agree. But are they just agreeing with that because, broadly speaking, the economy is relatively benign for them at the moment? Or do they fundamentally agree with it?

Therefore the next question is if the economy takes a dip because of Brexit, how is that going to influence the way they feed back into that debate?

³

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BLOXHAM: We always want more

power and more things. We have got to recognise that this is a whole new institution and I think GM is slightly ahead of some other boroughs. We have a history of local authorities working a lot better together than other local authorities and there is a balance needed. Yes, we want more devolution, but we also need to focus on the powers we’ve already got and make the most of those. Co-operation between the local authorities of GM is improving all the time, people want to get on with what is best for Manchester. Compared with some other local authorities GM is getting its act together and doing remarkably well.

HOUGH: I would endorse that. GM is seen as a city of excellence in terms of how it’s organised. It is envied throughout England. We are being hard on ourselves by suggesting otherwise. In the round it has been an outstandingly successful model.

Do we think that residents of GM support devolution?

changing nuances such as ‘that’s not what we agreed over here, we thought we agreed this’. Take the example of the adult skills budget which we don’t have any real control over even though we are supposed to. The levers of change that we have are quite limited. Health and social care is actually the one area where we have the most levers and that is my biggest worry. There we have 37 organisations and I worry about what people think they will lose. They have all got to give up things. People want to see change, but in the health and social care world it will take five to 10 years to see real significant change on the ground.

RUBERY: The real risk with health and social care is that the budget is still determined at a national level and the problems are therefore not resolvable at the local level. If you look at the fees being paid for social care across all the local authorities in GM they are appallingly low. I don’t know what the strategy is to deal with this huge underfunding of social care. Devolution is an opportunity, but it is a very constrained opportunity, the funding problem still remains.

Heath Thomas

“What have been the quick wins?

What are the key messages?

What is the strategy for the city region?

And how are we going to message that across the city region, nationally and internationally?”

MIKE BLACKBURN: I suspect a lot of

people support devolution because it’s not Whitehall. I agree with what Tom says with one slight caveat. I think devolution is little understood by most people and most of it is actually quite dull and boring! If you look at the powers that GM has they are actually very limited. With the Brexit situation and ministers taking their eye off the ball, it means civil servants are playing muddy water games and slowing things down,

Devolution is an opportunity, but it is a very constrained opportunity, the funding problem still remains.

Jill Rubery

RUTH MCCARTHY: If you look at the property

BLOXHAM: It comes back to would we

rather be governed by civil servants in Whitehall or by elected politicians in Manchester who understand Manchester? There is a lot more to be done but there is a wonderful opportunity for us here to grab. Also, what Manchester has shown time and time again is competence. We have been very lucky to have a talented set of politicians across the political spectrum.

SHAH: The other wonderful thing at the

moment is Manchester’s international visibility. Andy Burnham regularly speaks to mayors of other cities and having such visibility opens us up to international scrutiny, which is important, and to international opportunities where we can learn from places that are doing things extremely well or have gone through similar challenges and demographic changes. The pace of change externally to our city is sometimes moving faster than the pace of change internally.

Manchester innovates well and having the mayor there to be that voice and promote the vision of Manchester abroad helps us learn those techniques to apply across the region.

market what Manchester has done very, very well is that it has built a brand. You go abroad and people know Manchester, not only because of the football but also because of other things such as our huge developments. Property agents will sell Manchester at the international level, it is about building up that brand. Andy Burnham is a good brand ambassador who speaks well and presents well on behalf of Manchester, and regardless of whatever powers we have that is often what you need, that public figure such as former city council chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein. You need those figures and personalities.

BLACKBURN: We are also seeing progress

in terms of structures. A good example is how the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) has changed immensely in how it engages with the city region, which is a huge positive. In particular it has created one single office for the whole of GM rather than having multiple offices, and it has integrated itself into the structure of Manchester. ´40

THE

PANEL Vikas Shah MBE

is CEO of the Swiscot Group, a textiles and commodities trading business in Manchester.

He is also chairman of a number of charities and NGOs in the region. w

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Mike Blackburn OBE

is Chairman of the Local Enterprise Partnership in Greater Manchester and also holds other nonexecutive roles. He is a former regional director for BT. w

Ruth McCarthy

is Head of Real Estate Commercial at Manchester-based JMW Solicitors. w

Eric Solomons

is office Managing Partner at RSM Manchester.

He is also an audit partner specialising in a number of different sectors including real estate, retail and recruitment. w

Robert Hough CBE

is a Director at Peel Holdings and currently chairman of the group’s airports division. He is a former chairman of the North West Development Agency. w

Heath Thomas

is a Director of Real Estate Finance at RBS in Manchester. w

Tom Bloxham MBE

is Chairman of property company Urban Splash and also Chairman of the Manchester International Festival. He is also a former Chancellor of The University of Manchester. w

Lindsey Cooper

is a Partner at RSM in Manchester who heads up the restructuring team. w

Professor Jill Rubery

is Director of the Work & Equalities Institute at Alliance Manchester Business School. She is the recent co-author of the GM Human Development Report which assessed standards of living, health and education across the city region w. www.gmchamber.co.uk

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DEBATE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH HOUGH: In terms of getting that mandate from business, bodies such as the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the Chamber of Commerce and ProManchester are all important.

Andy Burnham is a good brand ambassador who speaks well and presents well on behalf of Manchester, and regardless of whatever powers we have that is often what you need…

BLACKBURN: Absolutely, and they are all

massively engaged. Going back to these two or three big issues I think we need more coherence on them. High speed rail is a multi-billion investment. We have to do what is right for GM and the whole of the North, this is a moment in history to make that investment. If we do what is proposed we will not ever build after that for 100 years so let’s build it right. In the grand scheme of things, an extra billion to do those things now for the next century is nothing. We would recover that in the next decade and more.

Ruth McCarthy

LINDSEY COOPER: If I was to pick out a

priority it would be the care sector. We are seeing a massive amount of care homes struggling, the rates paid by the local authority are just not enough.

Residents are having to move out of homes and the associated cost of all of that is horrendous. Yet we don’t appear to have the autonomy we need to pay higher rates. The model just doesn’t work if you’re not in a position to be able to afford to pay.

³ What should be the mayor’s priorities? For instance. should high speed rail be one and what is the latest with the project?

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If I was to pick out a priority it would be the care sector. We are seeing a massive amount of care homes struggling, the rates paid by the local authority are just not enough.

BLACKBURN: We need two or three key

messages, not 300 because that is just noise, and in my view his priorities should be transport, digitisation and decarbonisation. In terms of the high speed rail line, we are now being asked to contribute to a station at Manchester Airport while Manchester Piccadilly is also going for the cheapest option. The further north you go from Euston the money is being taken off the table. The latest proposal from government is to have a stop at Manchester Piccadilly from the high speed rail across east to west, rather than a turnaround or through station, which means you will never get trains going from Liverpool to Hull or Sheffield as quickly as we want to do, and never get a transformational programme.

That is where the voice of the mayor is really starting to play a game. We need the voice of business to step up as well.

We need a coherent voice.

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Ultimately we are very centralised around Westminster and until we get that sorted out we are actually not going to be able to do a lot of the things that everyone agrees we need to do.

Eric Solomons SOLOMONS: Does this come down then to SHAH: Getting businesses to be more

civically engaged is really important. We have a lot of noisy micro-businesses who we hear about, and we also have some incredible success stories which are very politically engaged. But drive into Trafford Park and we have a swathe of large businesses which are silent and which are not civically or politically engaged. Encouraging them into the political debate is important, such as with the skills agenda. For instance there is a big move into technology and digital, but at the same time we are not matching that with people going into engineering.

The skills agenda has to be critical and is also critical to attacking deprivation in a meaningful way.

Tom Bloxham

the fact that one of the biggest issues we face is the structure of our country and the way that finance is devolved? How that affects the issues we are grappling with and what we want to achieve?

Ultimately we are very centralised around Westminster and until we get that sorted out we are actually not going to be able to do a lot of the things that everyone agrees we need to do.

RUBERY: There are however risks if you devolve the tax raising to regions because the tax base for Greater Manchester is much lower than London.

BLOXHAM: We are on a journey. We cannot do everything in one go and we always want more powers and money.

Let’s also step back a bit to 20 years ago in Manchester. Through a vision and moving away from the old industrial past to new creative and service industries, Manchester has rebuilt its economy and brought people back to the city centre.

The job is by no means done but we are on a journey. It is dead easy to blame the mayor’s office for not doing this or that, but we also need to ask what we can do as citizens of Manchester to help. We are all saying we want this to work, so what else can we do?

MCCARTHY: I agree. A basic human need is to contribute. The people around this table, we all have a huge amount to contribute. w

Brexit leaves a political void.

Everyone is so busy worrying about it that the big issues we face - about health, housing, poverty, and economic growth - we are not worrying about.

It is a void for GM and other places to get stuck in and make some difference.

Lindsey Cooper THOMAS: I think that’s where the

mayor has to come in and co-ordinate those messages. Remember it’s only been 12 months since he was elected which, in the overall scheme of things, is absolutely nothing. There is still an opportunity for the mayor to step forward and co-ordinate those messages. What have been the quick wins? What are the key messages?

What is the strategy for the city region?

And how are we going to message that across the city region, nationally and internationally?

RUBERY: In my view there has to be a clear

message about inclusion. Homelessness, affordable housing and skills are really important, especially if one is to overcome the political problems of moving from ten local authorities into the notion that Greater Manchester will look after everyone and not just the city centre. I don’t think you cannot have the social part in there, that has to be the underlying rationale for devolution. I’m not denying that we need to get the business side correct, but unless there is an inclusive growth agenda you are not going to get the support for devolution.

Robert Hough

The golden period was when we had Cameron, Osborne, Heseltine, Clark and O’Neill all pushing the Northern Powerhouse, those were really the golden days for devolution and there was a clear path to devolution.”

www.gmchamber.co.uk

41

SECTOR REPORT

PROPERTY, CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Environment The result is that businesses are instilling this culture and mind-set into their own organisations and buildings, and this in turn is having a revolutionary effect on Manchester’s office stock.

Mike Horner, Regional Director at Muse Developments, agrees that we are seeing a major shift. “Companies that have typically been in their accommodation for 15 to 20 years are now looking around and seeing that the quality of accommodation available has considerably moved on. At the same time companies want accommodation that fits their image and is fit for purpose, and something we increasingly see is that businesses are very aware of keeping their staff and talent. Young people are very discerning today about where they work and who they work for, and the workspace environment is a key part of that.”

Horner says a lot of office space is becoming more informal and quirky, and also has leisure elements appearing within it. “The distinct boundaries between retail, leisure and office are going. For instance, if you look at retailers today they are rapidly trying to reinvent themselves because of the pressures on the high street, and some of their spaces are becoming far more leisure experiences.”

A recent refurbishment by Peaks & Plains Housing Trust is an exemplar of strong design

Culture Bancroft echoes the view that companies increasingly want their offices and buildings to reflect what they stand for as a business, and that for potential new staff first impressions are really important.

“The appeal of buildings, the look of buildings, is what attracts young people.

The effect on your workforce of moving to more creative environments can also be truly empowering. I have seen companies move from a tired location into a new especially designed space and the effect can be extraordinary on that business. The whole ambience of the company changes, and your staff change too. We all work better in more creative environments.”

She says companies need to open their eyes to what is possible, and that goes for their whole approach to design too.

“As a business we have done some phenomenal spaces, even for some traditionally conservative sectors.

Although older workers may still want traditional working environments, younger people who have grown up with technology are now coming up through these organisations and demanding change. They are not going to tolerate something staid and traditional. Large organisations have by and large grasped this nettle, although I think there is still quite a way to go for a lot of smaller businesses.”

Interior design Bancroft says forward-thinking businesses looking to create a very definite ambience already employ their own interior designers and embrace features like soft seating in break-out and café areas which, significantly, are also sited at the heart of buildings rather than in some dark corner.

“A designer can bring a completely new perspective to things because they are often working across a number of different sectors,” she adds. “For instance I recently saw a business bring in tiered seating into their offices because the designer they were working with had a background of also working in the university sector.”

Simon Millington, Director of Manchester interior designer specialist Incognito, says it comes down to translating a space so that it better works for people. “It might be contentious to say but interior design is the reason why people build buildings in the first place.

The building is just a shell around the design inside. Companies are far more aware of what they can do with office space today.” ´44

Manchester has always been outward looking but I think one of its secrets is that there are no real rules when it comes to design.

Simon Millington, Director of Manchester interior designer specialist Incognito

Greater Manchester’s office market is thriving against the backdrop of record levels of demand. But the city is also upping its design game in response to the workplace revolution.

Like cities across the country Manchester is witnessing a dramatic change in its working environment and atmosphere.

As Jill Bancroft, a Director at Boltonbased Brown & Bancroft Interiors says, many offices have become something of a “home from home” for employees.

She believes this is in part something of a backlash to the working at home culture

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which perhaps hasn’t taken off to quite the degree many expected.

“I actually think that a lot of people don’t want to work at home on their own all the time. Instead people want to come together, set up their laptops in a comfortable office space, and want to interact with other people. Who wants to work on their own at home all the time?”

She also believes that the “coffee

house culture” of everyone working remotely in cafés is also losing its lustre.

“People want to come together, they want to interact, want to engage with other businesses. It used to be frowned upon if people sat together in a coffee area in an office because the perception was that they were somehow not doing any work. I think that idea has now been completely turned on its head.”

(left and centre): Transformation at 111 Piccadilly

New fit-out at Queen’s House

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SECTOR REPORT

PROPERTY, CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Design and development across Greater Manchester

New Bailey, Salford The English Cities Fund (ECF) recently announced that it had let 157,000 sq ft at New Bailey to HMRC which is taking the entire third building on the site on a 25-year lease.

ECF is a joint venture between Muse Developments, Legal & General and Homes England, and the new building is opposite Salford Central station and fronts a large new area of public realm. The new building is due to start on site in early 2019 with completion due in early 2021.

One New Bailey is already home to businesses including Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and WHIreland, whilst Two New Bailey Square is on site and due for completion by the end of 2019.

Mike Horner, Regional Director at Muse, said the success of One New Bailey had given the whole project momentum. “New Bailey is a natural next Grade A location in Manchester. The major financial institutions are interested and we are attracting a lot of interest from potential occupiers. The fact that it is opposite Salford Central and links in with the new Ordsall Chord connecting all Manchester’s main rail stations is a major selling point.” w

111 Piccadilly, Manchester Brown & Bancroft Interiors was appointed by Bruntwood in 2017 to commence the refurbishment to 111 Piccadilly, a 17 storey commercial office building located adjacent to the rail station.

Phase 1 saw a complete transformation of the existing ground floor reception space with all the suspended ceilings stripped out to expose a feature coffered ceiling. The introduction of American white oak feature timber cladding throughout the reception and the lobby created a modern, light and contemporary environment. Work is now progressing on upgrades to the other floors. w

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Stockport Exchange The urban regeneration specialist Muse is also delivering this £145m mixed-use regeneration scheme in partnership with Stockport Council.

The next phase of the scheme will see 2 Stockport Exchange, a new 60,000 sq ft, six-storey office building, developed next to the existing 50,000 sq ft office created during the previous phase of works.

Tenants at One Stockport Exchange already include musicMagpie, which took one floor as their new UK headquarters, and national bus operator Stagecoach which occupies three floors. The wider development also includes a 115-bed Holiday Inn Express.

Mike Horner, Regional Director at Muse, described the whole site as a transformational scheme. “Within six months the first building was 100% let and that gave us confidence to proceed with the second building. The new pedestrianised public space outside the rail station has also created a new attractive gateway to the town centre while the Holiday Inn Express has proved very successful, so the scheme has been a success all round.” w

Queen’s House, Manchester Brown and Bancroft Interiors was instructed by Lexington Communications to fit out its new third floor premises at Queen’s House, Manchester.

Relocating from Zenith Building on Spring Gardens to accommodate a growing team, the 4,000 sq ft suite was designed to give a contemporary feel featuring bright, statement furniture, crittall-style glass partitions, exposed services and an atrium with living wall. The open plan office space, which houses 30 workstations, has hot desks, touch down areas and team collaboration zones. w

(above and below right) Open spaces at Peaks & Plains

Although older workers may still want traditional working environments, younger people who have grown up with technology are now coming up through these organisations and demanding change.

Jill Bancroft, Director at Bolton-based Brown & Bancroft Interiors

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Manchester offer In Manchester this revolution is in part driven by investment from outside the city which adds to the melting pot of ideas and innovations.

Adds Millington: “The way people perceive Manchester has changed a lot in recent years and I can say this because I have a number of clients overseas.

Manchester has always been outward looking but I think one of its secrets is that there are no real rules when it comes to design. This really appeals to sectors such as tech and, of course, Manchester has a great talent pool of tech graduates too.”

He concedes that cost inevitably plays a part for companies in the South East deciding to relocate operations to the North and this is a key driver of the refurb market, but is not the whole story. “Manchester has that package that people are looking for both in terms of talent pools and a supply of creative buildings that can respond to what the client is after and which can offer that

variety of work settings. There is a real confidence in the city at the moment and European funds also see strong yields here and attractive price points.”

Horner agrees that it’s not just about cost for inward investors looking to move up to Manchester or open satellite offices. “These firms realise the quality of life is very attractive too. Manchester is an international city now and offers a lot of what London can offer without the cost and congestion, while you also have the countryside on your doorstep. It makes Manchester an obvious choice after London if companies are looking to open up a regional presence.”

Bancroft says you tend to see inward investors dipping their toe in the water and maybe taking one floor of a building to begin with. “Once they realise the city’s wider offer they invariably take more space.”

New and old She adds that Manchester is also blessed with some fantastic old buildings. “The city has the beauty of old and new, and what people sometimes forget is that you can transform old buildings too and really revolutionise spaces. You can retain the heritage of an old building but then have a modern look and feel inside. That could mean, for instance, exposing the M&E within the building and uncovering ceilings which, in turn, can sometimes uncover gems.”

She also returns to Millington’s point about Manchester’s great talent pool of students and universities. “This is incredibly important and Manchester has also been clever in terms of creating an offer around specific sectors such tech, financial services and the creative sector. It’s in Manchester’s DNA that people are prepared to try different things and it continues to push boundaries with new buildings and developments. But it is also about transforming ugly ducklings into real swans and the city does this really well too.” w

New city quarter develops at Two New Bailey Square

Manchester is an international city now and offers a lot of what London can offer without the cost and congestion, while you also have the countryside on your doorstep.”

Mike Horner, Regional Director at Muse Developments

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Lynda Shillaw CEO of MAG Property

WHY SOCIAL VALUE IS ESSENTIAL TO PLACEMAKING

More and more, employees and consumers of today are looking beyond pound signs when deciding who to work for, buy from and invest with. Now they are aligning themselves with those companies which are proactively making a positive impact beyond their bottom line.

Many businesses are developing a strategic focus on being socially responsible as well as commercially driven, but doing so in an effective way requires a strong vision and unfaltering commitment.

Taking such an approach helps strengthen a brand, especially where the positive influence of social purpose permeates the company’s DNA. Delivering products, services and a mission that result in not just a great bottom line but a greater good connects business to the widest possible stakeholder groups, knitting them into the communities they serve and exist within.

IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL PURPOSE Increasingly, occupiers of all sizes are looking to locate in buildings and places that not only suit the function of their businesses, but also match their aspirations to make a positive impact on their staff and the wider world. As such, developers and landlords need to acknowledge that decision-makers’ wish lists

have changed dramatically from the traditional priorities of location, size and price to include variables like sustainability, work life balance and community.

This is why our ambition for Airport City Manchester is to create a world-class destination that delivers a positive and lasting impact to the local community, where the creation of 11,600 new career opportunities, during the next 10 to 15 years, will build on the 3,000 jobs already created.

INVESTING IN COMMUNITY FABRIC Drawing inspiration from local neighbours and key stakeholders across the region, our vision for Airport City will see the delivery of a diverse programme of initiatives and commitments. These range from sustainable transport, green space and high-performance buildings to global apprenticeships, community food projects and wellbeing activities.

In doing so, it’s possible to attract like-minded businesses that are driven not only by commercial endeavour but also a corporate purpose and the opportunity to translate their ambition into realised local impact; businesses that understand the potential within the local community and workforce and see positive engagement with those communities as key to corporate success.

0800 849 97 47 www.airportcity.co.uk

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MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS Panel One: Brexit, Barriers, Best Practice Susana Cordoba Head of International Trade, GM Chamber Frank Howard Chairman, Hockley International Mark Street-Docherty CEO, Elucigene Diagnostics Ian Walker Managing Director, Sherwin Williams

How are you planning for when we leave the EU and mitigating against it? And what do you see as the opportunities of leaving?

WALKER: We have a significant challenge

The Oldham Event Centre played host to the Chamber’s first ever Engineering and Manufacturing Summit. It was a day full of strong debate and views on the future of the industry.

The day began with an opening address and rallying call from Wayne Jones OBE, a former President of Greater Manchester Chamber.

Jones, Member of the Executive Board Global Sales and Aftersales at MAN Diesel & Turbo, said the biggest problem facing the engineering and manufacturing sector was perception.

“Over the last decade there is this perception that manufacturing is dying and reducing. Yet significantly, although the number of people working in our sector has gone down, GVA (Gross Value Added) has increased which tells us we are an extremely efficient sector. Unless we start changing some fundamental perceptions then we are going to have continued difficulties.”

Jones said a major problem remained misuse of the word ‘engineer’. “Engineers do not fix washing machines! An engineer

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is the most abused job title that you come across. A doctor is a qualification, not a profession, and that doctor could be in engineering as much as in the medical industry. Yet young people perceive engineering as something of a dirty word. This is something we have to dramatically change.”

Jones went on to introduce the three key themes of the day – Brexit, Industry 4.0 and skills. “In terms of Brexit, whether you voted leave or remain the only thing you will both be is frustrated. If you voted remain you will be extremely frustrated at the vote, if you voted leave you will be extremely frustrated at the progress.

This is absolutely critical to our industry as well as other sectors.”

He said Industry 4.0 represented a “monumental” change for the sector, while on the subject of skills he bemoaned that there were “shortages of engineers

everywhere”. As he added: “We have a route in this country that says if you go to university this is the only route, which it cannot be for a balanced economy.

We need graduates for sure, but we also need apprentices. That seems to have been lost in this government and previous governments. Skills does not just mean graduates but skills across the whole spectrum of our industry. For me this is one of the key things we need to solve in the future.”

Emma Parr, Chamber lead for the engineering and manufacturing sector, said the aim of the summit was to showcase the great work of the engineering and manufacturing sector across the city region. “This is the largest sector within our Chamber membership, accounting for some 800 of our 4,800 members. It is essential that we engage with our members and we can learn a lot from each other.” w

Wayne Jones OBE, a former President of Greater Manchester Chamber and Member of the Executive Board Global Sales and Aftersales at MAN Diesel & Turbo

with Brexit because everything we do is manufactured in the UK. We have a hub and spoke model. The hub is Bolton and we then send out right across the whole region from here. Brexit, and what happens next, is a key question for us. The way we are mitigating it is that we are looking at manufacturing facilities in mainland Europe because our business model is to export everything out of the UK. If tariffs come in then we become uncompetitive with our numerous competitors on mainland Europe, so we will have to go and manufacture in mainland Europe. It is particularly frustrating at the moment because we have investments waiting to go in the UK but we are not accessing them or making them go because we don’t know what is going to happen. The opportunities are that we will be able to look further afield in the Middle East and Africa to try and offset that.

STREET-DOCHERTY: It’s a bit of a guessing

game but we are in the same position.

If the worst case scenario comes, the question we are asking is where do we manufacture within Europe as around 65% of our revenue comes through our European network. We will probably still maintain an office and develop products here in the UK, but from a

manufacturing point of view it is very likely that we will buy one of our partners we are working with in Europe at the moment.

A number of our partners already have established manufacturing facilities similar to our own here in the UK. HOWARD: I was a great supporter of Brexit

because of the regulations in Europe. Most of our raw materials come from China and India and our exports are outside the EU, so I don’t regard it as a big problem for our business.

The UK sells more to Ireland than China and Germany sells five times more to China than the UK does. Why this imbalance between the UK and Germany?

CORDOBA: At the moment only one in five

companies in the UK export which is below the EU average. It is about culture, risktaking, and in some cases the language barrier. We do have to tackle those things.

We do need to take more risks because there are a lot of opportunities. One of our fastest growing markets for instance is the Middle East.

HOWARD: I have been going to China regularly. The Chinese are after quality.

They buy the top model, they don’t buy basic. Your market is high-quality products whether it’s fashion, cars or whatever.

Communication can be a problem though if you are trying to ask technical questions.

There is a perception that you can do international trade just by going online. Is that really the case?

HOWARD: Face to face is very

important. Every time we make a personal visit to any market we always secure some business or get a repeat order.

WALKER: I would completely echo that.

We get lots of inquiries via email and the internet saying ‘we want to be your distributor’ and ‘we can do everything for you, we can build a factory for you’. It’s not the right approach, you have to go. Firstly, do your own research and find out the right partners. Secondly, you have to meet them.

It’s just like building a relationship with new customers in the UK. HOWARD: You can research products on the internet but you have no idea whether the person who is answering you is one man in an internet café or a factory with 2,000 people. You have to go and see.

However given the cost of travel is there not an opportunity to use more communication technology?

WALKER: There is an initial place for that, but you’ve still got to go out and see what is exactly there. I had a call last week from a guy in Detroit who has an opportunity to build me a plant in Egypt and has 50 workers ready to go. There is no way that will be taken any further until there is due diligence, and even after that there would have to be a face to face meeting in the location.

STREET-DOCHERTY: Lots of our meetings we have with international partners are done online. But I do agree that at some point you have to go out there, especially before you start signing any contracts. It’s also important to go out and see the partner’s customers too.

CORDOBA: I would echo everything that’s

been said. If you want to build a long-term relationship then it is essential that you meet up with people. w

Emma Parr, Greater Manchester Chamber lead for engineering and manufacturing

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SECTOR REPORT

MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING

The economic view

Panel Three: Brains Not Brawn

Panel Two: Trends, Tech, Transformation

Raam Shanker Equitus Engineering Dr Georgina Harris Head of Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University Wayne Jones MAN Diesel & Turbo

Greg Carter CEO and founder, Growth Street Richard Halstead Regional Membership Engagement Director, EEF Mike Morris Maestro Business

What can be done to address the skills shortage in the sector?

³ What does Industry 4.0 actually mean?

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HALSTEAD: The third (digital) industrial revolution took about 20 years. We are in the fourth industrial revolution right now and it is about connectivity. People get frightened by 4.0 when actually we are already moving towards the fifth industrial revolution which is personalisation. 4.0 is about smarter products, smarter production and about generating data to improve processes. It is also about smarter supply chains and smarter leadership and skills.

MORRIS: Industry 4.0 amounts to connectivity, to flow in the factory and getting products through the factory faster.

This can be done at relatively low cost.

The software platforms that are available nowadays are coming in at hundreds of pounds or maybe a few thousand pounds.

SMEs might think 4.0 is for the Siemens or Rolls Royce of this world, but this is available to them too.

CARTER: 4.0 takes a lot of inspiration from digital businesses which themselves took inspiration from the lean manufacturing revolution. These are trends such as: the vast availability of data; having the ability to analyse that data and make use of it; and having the technology which enables us to interact with machines in novel ways. We are seeing businesses start to adopt these technologies, though not necessarily under the banner of 4.0. There is a lot more to be done to promote the banner of 4.0 in order to accelerate adoption.

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HARRIS: At primary school age all

children are engineers, all are scientists.

As engineers we are not very good at selling the job. Engineering is not just manufacturing, it is not just dirty welding.

If something hasn’t been grown in the natural world it has been engineered.

4.0 is about smarter products, smarter production, and generating data to improve processes. It is also about smarter supply chains and smarter leadership and skills.

How do you transition companies to 4.0?

HALSTEAD: It is about showing best

practice and communicating, about visualising data around your facility.

Often it can be about embracing simple technologies that can make a big difference. But as well as awareness being an issue there is fear. Part of our role as advisers, and as people close to the manufacturing community, is to dispel that fear and the myths. Let’s take you to factories that are doing 4.0 and then you can start to think about how to do it. It is about sharing best practice.

MORRIS: It comes down to company need. What is your problem? How can we make it better? It could be something like automated payroll or it could be about getting different legacy systems talking to each other. Ultimately it is about people. To demystify 4.0 it is about overcoming your fears and embracing change management.

CARTER: A lot of these innovations are

opex costs rather than capex, so we are not talking about ripping up a whole factory and putting in a new set of machines. We are talking about making use of digital tools which makes this very approachable, especially for smaller businesses. The challenge is around skills. I think one of the most in-demand professions over the next few years will be data scientists, those who are able to take this information and make sense of it, and programme machines and robots.

SHANKER: What goes parallel to skills

is the right mindset and attitude, and having the willingness to learn how to do something. As a society in general we need to not just focus on skills but on how we bring about a culture change among youths.

JONES: There is a reason why we have these skills shortages and it goes back to the perception of the industry. Children can, for instance, be influenced by parents who might see manufacturing as some kind of dirty word or industry.

Poll results

SHANKER: Absolutely, we need to change the perception of engineers. And we have to be clear about the purpose of engineering. It has to be driven by industry leaders saying ‘we are working towards a greater cause’ beyond quality, cost and time. Those at the top of the company also need to be clear about what their business stands for. Visibility is crucial too, we need to come together as a collective voice in terms of determining what we need. Let’s bring solutions to the table, rather than problems.

JONES: It is about resource. What does our country need in the future? Bigger businesses have a role to play. For instance why not have bigger businesses being some kind of foster for apprentices who can then go into the SME network?

Why not pool the resource? Politically let’s keep it simple too, we make everything so complicated. Look at the number of training bodies we have. Someone needs to start pulling these things together and saying ‘we know we have skills shortages, these are the things we need to do, let’s implement them and get on with it’.

That’s what we do every day in our own businesses.

HARRIS: The Perkins review from a few years ago is a superb document, it is a revelation. There is a complete recipe card of what needs doing there, yet it’s been sat there for three years and I haven’t seen any progress. w

The fast-changing nature of the manufacturing economy across both the North West and Greater Manchester was the subject of a presentation from Christian Spence, former Head of Research & Policy at GM Chamber.

He began by outlining how although the manufacturing sector only represented about 10% of the UK economy, its impact was felt across a much greater scale. Manufacturing is responsible for half of UK exports, 70% of R&D investment, and underpins innovation, apprenticeships and training. The North West also has the largest density of manufacturing in the UK, contributing over 15% of total UK manufacturing output.

Spence said since the recession some UK regions had performed very strongly, especially the West Midlands, where half of the increase in output in manufacturing was due entirely to the automotive sector. “It shows that with investment, and by developing your international relations and working closely with regional and national governments, outcomes can be turned around.”

Regional picture Since the recession the manufacturing landscape had also changed considerably across the North West. Spence said a big change was that growth across the region had become much more fragmented and spread out, with counties such as Lancashire and Cheshire performing very well.

Across Greater Manchester he said the 2008 recession was bad for many, but not bad for all. “There were parts of the GM economy that managed to not only ride the recession, but considerably expand their output.”

He said sectors such as transport were now less important to the GM manufacturing economy, with chemicals, pharma, wood, paper, printing and fabrication becoming more significant.

Productive Spence stressed that the manufacturing story in the UK was not necessarily one of a sector shrinking and dying. “It is a sector for whom innovation, productivity and regeneration is at its heart. Sectors within manufacturing are producing more with less, and that is a very good news story. It is only through increased productivity that we genuinely grow our economy, and in a globalised world our own manufacturing sector has to compete not only with supply chains down the road but with developing economies which will always be able to beat us on price. But if we do things right they will not beat us on value and quality. w

During the summit we sought the views of our audience on the subjects discussed via our Slido polls.

Here are a selection of the responses on the day:

HALSTEAD: Everyone is struggling to

find skills, and with Brexit coming along the lack of skills will hit the shop floor because EU workers are sadly starting to leave, so we are going to have shop floor issues as well as technical issues. That’s going to further drive automation. w

Chris Fletcher, Marketing & Policy Director Greater Manchester Chamber

www.gmchamber.co.uk

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SECTOR REPORT

FINANCE

DAY OF THE

MiFID

Amid all the debate around new data and gender pay regulations in recent months, 2018 has also seen the quiet introduction of significant regulations affecting the investment industry.

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In a year when regulations are seemingly hitting businesses from all directions, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) has certainly gone well under the radar.

So what exactly is it all about? Well, in short, it’s the framework of EU legislation for investment intermediaries that provide a whole range of services to clients around financial products such as shares, bonds, derivatives, and other financial instruments.

In the light of the financial crisis – and in a move designed to strengthen investor protection and improve further the functioning of financial markets – the regulations have now been updated further, morphing into what has become known as MiFID II. Caroline Monk, is a Partner at Manchester-based accountants and business advisors Beever and Struthers which has many clients in the investment industry. She says its impact is huge for anyone operating in this industry.

“What this essentially boils down to is making trading in financial products more transparent and more cost-effective.”

A recent study by consultancy Opimas estimated that MiFID II will cost the finance industry more than €2.5bn to implement, while €720m will be needed annually by the industry to maintain compliance over the next five years.

Monk says although the regulation is well-intentioned, one of the big issues with it is its sheer size and scope. “MiFID II has something like 1.4 million paragraphs which is quite astonishing. By the time that all sinks in, and given its length, I think it will take a while for it to sink in within the industry. In the meantime there is a danger that its objectives will begin to lose contact with what happens in the real world.”

However Monk supports its overall objectives. “Essentially this comes down to all firms having to put more resource into compliance functions within their business. The financial services industry is no different to any other sector in that businesses would always rather put more investment into fee-earning parts of business than compliance. This directive essentially means more transparency.

Consumers will know what they are paying for and how they are paying for it.”

Caroline Monk, Partner at Beever and Struthers

As a result of Brexit the UK is going to have to fight that little bit harder to maintain its leading position in financial services, and this legislation actually gives us the opportunity to really gold plate our industry.

Forward-thinking Monk says forward thinking firms are already embracing the new legislation.

She says a good example is Manchester advice and investment management group Castlefield, a client of hers which particularly specialises in responsible and sustainable investment.

“Ultimately you either rant about bureaucracy or you accept that it is not going to go away and that you need to deal with it and apply it to your business.

Castlefield is an example of a firm which has really embraced MiFID II and shown the benefits it can bring.”

Sarah Hanlon, Head of Compliance at Castlefield, echoes the view that MiFID II is designed to offer greater protection for investors and increased transparency in the markets.

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FINANCE

For us, MiFID II simply brought into focus how investment firms should be conducting business, providing both transparency and investor protection.

Sarah Hanlon, Head of Compliance at Castlefield Partners

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“We manage investments on behalf of clients, including around 80 charities and a growing number of socially responsible investors of all types. In addition to ensuring markets operate in an orderly fashion, a key part of the investor protection framework within MiFID II introduced requirements to mitigate conflicts of interest risks associated with third party research, ensuring the provision of research does not form an inducement to trade.”

Opportunity Hanlon says that investment firms must now must make explicit payments for external research and demonstrate that the research contributes to the investment decisions, and therefore is not an inducement.

She adds: “We saw this as an opportunity to build on our existing internal research structure which specialises in environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, choosing to grow our in-house team of researchers. An integral part of how we invest money involves consideration of non-financial critical success factors, broadly grouped as ESG criteria. We believe that our approach to ESG criteria is one of our key strengths, as they are embedded in our investment process.”

With this in mind, Castlefield has developed a proprietary investment selection system to assess the merits of competing investment choices.

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Explains Hanlon: “It is used across and within asset classes and it provides a consistent framework for assessing all investment opportunities that we consider for clients. We call it the ‘BEST’ system which stands for Business and financial, Environmental and ecological, Social, and Transparency and governance. It is a responsible investment process which incorporates four main criteria to assess both financial and non-financial attributes, which we believe will affect long-term investor returns.”

As she adds: “For us, MiFID II simply brought into focus how investment firms should be conducting business, providing both transparency and investor protection. This is in line with the corporate governance standards of good practice in relation to board leadership and effectiveness, remuneration, accountability, and relations with shareholders, which Castlefield seeks from the firms we invest in.”

UK industry Monk says that implementation of MiFID II by the UK financial services industry can only add to its reputation for strong, robust and reliable advice. She adds that

Brexit concern Given the size of the UK financial services industry it is little surprise that it has been one of the most active lobbyists in the continued debate over what shape Brexit will take.

The UK’s wealth management industry manages around £2.7tn for overseas clients and, significantly, more than half of the overseas client money managed from the UK is managed on behalf of European clients.

According to the Investment Association there is £105bn of UK

this will become even more important in the wake of Brexit.

As she adds: “As a result of Brexit the UK is going to have to fight that little bit harder to maintain its leading position in financial services, and this legislation actually gives us the opportunity to really gold plate our industry. It’s a real opportunity for UK financial services firms that operate right across Europe, especially given the uncertainty over passporting rules.”

Passporting rules allow finance companies to sell their services across the continent with a local licence, rather than getting a licence to operate in each member country where it does business. Because of the uncertainty over Brexit, many UK companies have been setting up regulated subsidiaries in cities across the continent in order to hedge against the risk of disruption to their business.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has ruled out keeping financial passporting with the EU after Brexit, although she has signalled that the government still wants to strike a deal that would allow UK companies to sell services across the EU. Adds Monk: “Because MiFID II is actually a global requirement the UK industry can use this to its advantage.” w

investors’ money in overseas funds that could potentially be affected should the ability to passport funds be lost as part of the Brexit negotiations.

Meanwhile confusion continues to surround how exactly Brexit will affect UK compliance with MiFID II as countries which are not part of the EU - but which want to sell their products and services in the area - must open a branch within EU borders operating in equivalence with European regulatory standards. w

Following the merger of Stockport College and Trafford College to form The Trafford College group, we can now offer you more flexibility, choice and opportunity to improve your business through training programmes tailored to meet your business objectives and employee needs. Call us today to find out more.

Nik Walker Director of Commercial, International and Partnerships T: 0161 296 5815 M: 07803454570 E: nik.walker@stockport.ac.uk

Jane Keys Director of Aprenticeships & Business Development T: 0161 886 7044 M: 07966185115 E: jane.keys@trafford.ac.uk www.gmchamber.co.uk

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TECHNOLOGY

ONE STEP AHEAD

New EU regulations are helping turning cyber security into a boardroom issue.

“As humans we are all fallible. We all make mistakes and it is only by sharing our experiences that we learn from them.”

Carolyn Harrison, a Director at Assured Clarity and expert on tackling cybercrime, is talking about the minefield that is data protection and cyber security today. In particular she is recounting one particular episode that she’d definitely rather forget.

“Many years ago I remember going for a quick drink after work and then leaving without taking my briefcase which had a laptop inside. I’ll never forget the panic I felt, even though I had only left it for a few minutes. Thankfully it was where I left it, but it shows how we can all be tripped up.”

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Today she says individuals and organisations are just as likely to be tripped up by social media. “People think they are invisible when they are behind an electronic device, they think they can hide. I know a number of senior executives who have posted things on Facebook which they should not have.

But even if you’re not on Facebook it can still be impossible to hide if someone you are with makes a post they shouldn’t.”

It is just one example of the challenges that us all, whether as individuals or employees, face on a daily basis. Harrison says the sheer complexity of cyber security continues to pose huge challenges for all organisations.

“One of the issues with cyber security, especially for SMEs, is that invariably companies are often just too busy trying to survive and make a profit to give this the time they should. Directors are often doing the job of 10 people in a larger organisation and they just don’t have the headspace to devote to this.

“What often happens is that you will have a conversation with them about cyber security and they will then go away and promise to do something, but then subconsciously put it to one side.

Sometimes the company will have an inhouse IT person and they think they then have the subject covered, or they may outsource data security and think that is enough. But it isn’t.”

Recognition Within larger organisations Harrison concedes that recognition of the threat is much greater.

As Katherine Kearns, Executive Principal Consultant at the Manchesterbased NCC Group - a global leader in cyber security and risk mitigation - adds: “In general organisations are a lot more aware of the size of the threat, what the possible threat is, and who the attackers could be.”

So what do organisations need to be doing to counter the threat?

Kearns says long gone are the days when simply not opening web links or attachments was enough. “Organisations need to remember that anything can be broken and there is always a way in.

Attackers are looking for an opportunity and some are determined to get in.”

One of the things her own firm does is create risk frameworks that help companies assess their risk position long-term. “We want to do what is right for the customer and developing a robust risk management approach is where we are increasingly helping businesses.”

Kearns says there is actually a danger that organisations can go overboard and try and do too much. “Companies can spend all the time and money at their disposal to defend themselves, but longterm cyber resilience is the key.

“There are fundamental questions that a company needs to be asking. What exactly are we trying to protect? What are we up against? Who are the likely attackers and what is their motivation?

Companies need to understand the vulnerability and assess where the holes are. At the same time they need to work out their risk appetite. How much are they prepared to throw at this? Ultimately the level of risk appetite is driven by the senior management of the organisation.”

Complexity Dr Daniel Dresner is academic coordinator for cyber security at the University of Manchester and also Research Director at the IASME (Information Assurance for SMEs) Consortium. He says the CEO or boss of the organisation needs to fully understand the size and complexity of a problem, and echoes Kearns’ comments over trying to do too much.

GDPR is the best thing to happen to cyber security since sliced bread.

It makes people really think about their data security far more seriously.

GDPR will also act as a catalyst for cultural change and wider transformation within businesses.

Carolyn Harrison, Director at Assured Clarity

“There is no point trying to do too much at once. The analogy I use with cyber crime is that it’s like a garden wall. Building a wall does not stop people climbing over it, but it will prevent most people from trying to get in. So that means you only need to worry about the people who have the cheek to try and climb over.”

Part of his role at IASME is to ensure that SMEs take the basic steps they need to, and he says this also applies to non-technical systems.

“Companies need to be taking a multidisciplinary approach to cyber security.

It is not just about the technical side, the governance side needs attention as well. For instance back in 2007 there was a famous data breach of child benefit data when two computer discs went missing which contained the personal details of all families in the UK claiming child benefit. What that breach showed us was that the system shouldn’t have allowed that to happen in the first place. The chance for security is hedged by the balance of people and technology combined in the process.”

Kearns says another complication is that the nature of the threat is everchanging. “Attacks have become more sophisticated and attackers will always be one step ahead. Security is a cat and mouse game and the security arena is constantly changing which means your risk management approach needs to be updated constantly. The

‘attack’ vectors can be very different depending on your business, and different companies face different types of risks, which is why it is so important to understand the business and its risk environment.”

Advanced persistent threat Kearns says the advanced persistent threat is also becoming more common. “This type of threat is not easily detectable and is often planted on a network to cause slow, long-term damage. The motivation is typically a financial gain, anything from blackmailing the organisation to syphoning and selling the data.”

She adds that phishing – the attempt to obtain sensitive information by disguising as a trustworthy entity – remains a threat too and is becoming ever more sophisticated. “Something we increasingly find is ‘spear’ phishing where you see a highly targeted phishing activity such as the attacker aiming to extract sensitive information or access credentials from a particular individual, for example an IT manager or Data Protection Officer.”

But wouldn’t these members of staff precisely know when to spot such malicious activity? Not necessarily, says Kearns. “Phishing emails are becoming ever more realistic and they can fool even the so-called experts within an organisation.”

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Katherine Kearns, Executive Principal Consultant at the NCC Group

Attacks have become more sophisticated and attackers will always be one step ahead...the ‘attack’ vectors can be very different depending on your business, and different companies face different types of risks.

GDPR Another key driver that is making organisations more aware of cyber security and their obligation to address it, is regulation. Indeed, although businesses are themselves getting better at identifying threats, this is also partly driven by compliance and financial audits demanding more compliance.

A significant driver in this regard is the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which came into force this month. The Regulation aims to strengthen and unify data protection across the EU and sets a new standard for consumer rights regarding their data.

Harrison believes GDPR will have a huge impact on cyber security. “GDPR is the best thing to happen to cyber security since sliced bread. It makes people really think about their data security far more seriously. GDPR will also act as a catalyst for cultural change and wider transformation within businesses. I am already seeing companies form GDPR working parties which are bringing together disparate parts of an organisation that do not

usually speak to each other. For many years I have been trying to educate people that cyber security is actually all about information security and GDPR reaffirms this.”

She says the wider context is that organisations and individuals alike have simply slept walked into the big data culture. “Ultimately your IT department is not responsible for HR or the physical security of a building, nor for the processes or procedures. Parking cyber security in the IT department is one of the reasons why we have got ourselves in such a mess with this. Boards thought that this was an IT problem when it should have been a board issue from the start. GDPR has finally made it a board issue.”

Kearns adds that GDPR has made a lot of businesses think much more closely about security and compliance.

“We are seeing different approaches from organisations now. Some companies are only interested in tackling issues around GDPR and its data implications on a piecemeal basis, while others are linking GDPR with their wider internal security transformation.

GDPR advertorial.pdf

TOP TIPS for cyber hygiene Implement policies to update and patch systems, conduct regular vulnerability scans, and establish configuration and control management that will help to secure your systems.

With GDPR compliance essential by 25th May, risk concerns around data are running high.

Business email compromise is big business, estimated to net cyber criminals around $9bn a year. Phishing campaigns with fake w login pages for common portals are rife. Prevent unauthorised access by enabling multi-factor authentification (MFA) for your critical systems. breach costing you a little versus a lot. Improve visibility of what is going on with your networks and systems through monitoring for abnormal behaviour. Automated security rating services can continuously monitor the security performance of your business and your supply chain.

It is essential that your employees comply with GDPR and w

cyber awareness. The biggest security risk to your business is human error and could cost you millions. Use approved online training courses to ensure employee awareness and minimise risk.

05/04/2018

The analogy I use with cyber crime is that it’s like a garden wall. Building a wall does not stop people climbing over it, but it will prevent most people from trying to get in.

So that means you only need to worry about the people who have the cheek to try and climb over.

Dr Daniel Dresner, Academic co-ordinator for cyber security at the University of Manchester 16:39

MITIGATING RISK AHEAD OF GDPR

It has never been more crucial to stay on top of updating your systems and applications. Be diligent with your processes. w

Quickly detecting and responding will be the difference in a w

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also forces organisations to look more closely at the security posture of their suppliers. “We are seeing a lot of businesses come to us asking to do due diligence on suppliers on the back of GDPR,” adds Kearns. w

What GDPR does is really help companies understand themselves much better, and helps create a risk management framework. It makes them think.”

Another dimension is that GDPR

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Know who has access to data

Know where your data is

Allow clients to manage consent

Think of the most recent file you sent to a client.

Can you say confidently exactly who can access it now? Whatever tool you use, make sure you know

Make sure you keep all of your documentation in one central location. If you need to remove or update a file, make sure you can do this in one

Can your clients quickly and easily opt out of marketing communications? When clients opt out, how much of your time does this take up? Do you

who has access to your data and that you are able to revoke access at any time.

place without needing to circulate dozens of copies of the document.

need to manually update any records? Make sure as much of this process is automated as possible.

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BEING

UPFRONT

Brands, reputations and marketing campaigns can be derailed in an instant by social media.

So just how do you avoid the pitfalls?

Like millions of others, an email recently popped into the author of this report’s inbox from Facebook.

The note began: “We’ve updated our terms to better explain our service and what we ask of everyone using Facebook.

We’ve made it easier for you to control your data, privacy and security settings in one place, which you can do at any time in settings. We’ve also updated our data policy and cookie policy to reflect the new features we’ve been working on, and to explain more about how we create a personalised experience for you.�

The email went on to tell us about new updates, tellingly including more details about “how our systems process things that you share, such as text, photos and videos�, and “how we share information, systems and technology

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Making b2b more human

Time to invest in your brand to drive growth?

Be sincere in your response. Apologise if necessary but put your side of the story over in a robust, polite and appropriate manner to get across your message and limit the damage.

E

very business owner I’ve met (including myself) is engaged in the pursuit of proďŹ table growth. It’s a demanding, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately rewarding vocation to see your business grow as the result of a focused business strategy.

Kevin Feddy, Kevin Feddy Media

across the Facebook company products, including WhatsApp, Instagram and Oculus.�

The email came in the wake of the data scandal that engulfed the tech giant when details of Facebook users were obtained by Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics firm that worked for the Donald Trump campaign.

Facebook has since introduced privacy changes aimed at restricting developers’ access to data, but the company admits that the scandal has damaged trust in the brand. As Rob Sherman, deputy chief privacy officer at Facebook, recently said: “I think one of the clear messages we’ve received over the past few weeks is that trust is really important. We have a lot of work to do to regain the trust of people in our service.�

Scandals The case is just one example of how even the mightiest of organisations can be tripped up by damaging revelations.

Indeed 2018 has been marked by a string of scandals afflicting various organisations and sectors, showing in particular how the power and speed of social media can so quickly tarnish reputations. Another striking example has been the scandals engulfing the charity sector, with the likes of Oxfam rocked by allegations of sexual misconduct.

As well as the reputational damage, there is also the financial damage to consider. For instance Oxfam has been warned that it could forfeit millions of pounds of UK government money in the wake of the scandal, while several

major advertising groups have threatened to boycott Facebook if it doesn’t offer better user privacy controls. Consumer goods giant Unilever, one of the world’s biggest online advertisers, recently threatened to pull ads from digital platforms if they didn’t do more to mitigate the spread of what it dubbed “toxic� online content.

Although the above are highprofile cases involving global companies and organisations, the power of social media today means that allegations that have the potential to damage a business (even if later proven false) can go viral with such speed that it can often leave executives floundering for the correct response.

So, in such circumstances, what should your business be doing to mitigate damage?

Kevin Feddy is a former business editor of the Manchester Evening News and today runs his own consultancy Kevin Feddy Media. He says rule number one is that if a complaint about your business or organisation is made

on social media and warrants a response, it is generally wise to issue a sensible and constructive reply and promise to investigate. “You need to do this promptly, then let the person know privately what you are doing about it, without fanning the flames. If it’s likely that the news will come out, have a media statement prepared so you are not caught on the back foot.�

He says you must avoid at all costs getting caught up in social media debates. “I have lost count of the PR disasters which have befallen companies and organisations due to inappropriate responses or comments on social media. They can quickly go viral, be warned!�

Being upfront Although the citizen journalist is becoming an increasing force via social media, once a story breaks then the relationship with accredited journalists is still key.

He adds: “If you say you will get back to a journalist, then do so.

Journalists monitor social media,

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www.gmchamber.co.uk 11/04/2018

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so be honest and upfront if you receive a media inquiry about something that’s gone wrong. Be sincere in your response. Apologise if necessary but put your side of the story over in a robust, polite and appropriate manner to get across your message and limit the damage. Keep your message clear, simple and unambiguous to avoid repercussions.”

Andy Poole, director at Citypress PR agency in Manchester, echoes the point. “Resist any temptation to try and keep a lid on it. If your company becomes embroiled in a scandal or it’s a campaign that goes wrong, it’ll prove more effective to be honest from the start. Trying to hide facts or choosing a position of denial will only prove more damaging to corporate reputations and the future of the company. It’s also likely to prolong the public and media interest in the story. The public and media will use social media to keep asking questions that they want answers to.

Being upfront will help quell speculation.

KFC

Earlier this year the fast food chain hit the headlines after it was forced to shut down restaurants across the UK because it ran out of chicken after switching to a new delivery partner.

In response the company issued a high-profile, humorous apology, taking a full page advertisement in British newspapers apologising for the problem.

The bright red advertisement showed an empty bucket with the chain’s initials scrambled to say “FCK” on

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it, alongside an apology that began: “A chicken restaurant without any chicken. It’s not ideal.”

Andy Poole, director or Citypress PR in Manchester, says: “When they apologised via a national advertising campaign, they did so with a clever rearrangement of the company’s famous KFC initials, an upfront apology and language that fitted their brand. This won them media plaudits and proved popular with the public on social media.” w

“Accept that something has gone wrong, be honest about what shouldn’t have happened, and be clear about what you’ll do now to rectify the situation. This will help appease public anger and turn the focus on the situation from what has gone wrong to what you’ll now do to try and put it right.”

Feddy says it’s also about actions as well as words. “You need to be making any changes necessary in the business or organisation to avoid a repeat of the situation or tackle the problem. Do this swiftly too and consider making this known. It can help limit the damage and rebuild and restore a tarnished reputation.”

He adds that, if necessary and possible, explain the background to a problem. “It could be the result of something outside your control which people would understand. Often, how a matter is dealt with, or at least how you are perceived to be dealing with it, can significantly affect your business in the future.”

Brand impact Poole says when a campaign goes wrong or your reputation is coming under attack, it can be easy to default to being the ultimate professional. As he adds: “There’s no doubt that if something is wrong that it should be taken seriously and treated professionally, but this mustn’t come at a cost to the brand values and tone of voice that have previously built trust and credibility with the public.

“If you end up trying to repair a situation in a very corporate way, people will view it as insincere and won’t consider your actions as authentic. This will be even more evident if you’re trying to make a public apology. Every situation will require careful consideration, but aim to make your actions personable and keep them on-brand.” Poole says a good example (see left) was the recent logistics problem that befell KFC. He makes the point that wider marketing campaigns can also be easily derailed in today’s social media climate too. “It’s impossible to predict the future and one hundred per cent know how the public will react to a campaign. However, taking the time during the planning stages can really help limit the risks of a campaign being derailed.

“Proper planning can often be rushed due to the eagerness or need to get something live and generate results.

Avoiding this and spending time properly

Andy Poole, director at Citypress

Trying to hide facts or choosing a position of denial will only prove more damaging to corporate reputations and the future of the company.

It’s also likely to prolong the public and media interest in the story.

“When developing a campaign, it’s all too easy to get caught-up in the excitement of what will work,” he adds.

“You’ve had the great idea and it’s natural to obsess about why it’ll fly with the public. Similarly, thinking positively and productively is very much an aspect of many workplace cultures. Not many people want to be labelled as the ‘negative one’ or to proactively talk about failure.

“However when planning the campaign spend as much time questioning what could go wrong and why people wouldn’t like what you have to say and how you’re going to say it. You can make this more robust by testing your ideas on sample groups of the target audience, which can be done face-to-face or digitally.”

He says another good tactic is to involve people from within your organisation or network that aren’t directly connected with the campaign.

“Share it with them and they’re more likely to give a fresh and objective view of what they think about it. Once you’ve done this, you can plan for the worst case scenarios.

This way, if something does go wrong, you’ll be better prepared to act in a timely way that limits reputational damage.” w

What NOT to do in a crisis w Never say ‘no comment’ to the media.

If you cannot go into detail explain the reasons why this is the case. Even an acknowledgement that a matter has been brought to your attention and is being investigated is better than stonewalling.

w Don’t delay your response. w Don’t be obstructive to journalists.

They are doing their job and deserve to be treated respectfully.

w Don’t attempt to cover things up. With social media especially, things can quickly turn horribly wrong. w

understanding how audiences are behaving, what motivates them and what matters to them in their worlds, will help create a campaign that they ‘get’.”

Taking a step back Poole says if a campaign starts to go west the important thing is to take a step back and not to rush into posting statements and responding to criticism.

“The always-on nature and immediacy of social media inadvertently puts pressure on companies to act quickly and say something externally.

The consequence of this though is companies end up scrabbling around, not checking the facts and firing out messages that do more harm than good. Before you respond publicly, use social media to fully understand why your campaign is causing a backlash and exactly what is angering or upsetting people.”

He adds that today there are plenty of measurement and tracking tools that can help provide content and sentiment analysis. But similarly, you can use the common search and trending tools on social media platforms to look at how people are responding to your campaign. www.gmchamber.co.uk

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PEOPLE which has been doing a lot of work to encourage more diversity in the boardroom. Francke says there is overwhelming evidence that more diverse management teams produce better business results, give a significant boost to productivity, and outperform competitors – as well as leading to better cultures within business.

So why does she think the drive to recruit more female managers has stalled?

“What we have found through our research is that you still lose a lot of women at each level of management as you go up the ladder, which has been precisely borne out by the gender pay figures. Many companies might think they are doing enough to tackle gender diversity, but the pay gap has made them realise just how far they still have to go.”

For that reason Francke also believes the reporting of pay gaps is a welcome development. “It has to be a good thing, it is starting the conversation. But company behaviour also remains key here too. A lot of businesses continue to behave in ways that hold women back.

For instance it could be an inappropriate remark here or there which still happens.”

CALLING IT OUT

The gender pay gap has shone a light on the lack of women in senior executive positions.

It has also emphasised the need for more joined-up thinking to tackle the problem.

Talking to Sally Penni - a black, female barrister - you realise just how much gender and colour still influence life chances today.

Sally, a self-employed barrister at Kenworthy’s Chambers in Manchester and founder of Women in the Law and Business UK, isn’t shy about the particular challenges she has faced throughout her career. “I realised from an early age that my gender even more than my race would actually be an issue for me. I knew I would have to be more than twice as good as my peers to succeed.”

Penni’s own experience, and her tenacity to become successful at her chosen career, make her an ideal

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person to quiz about the continued lack of diversity in the British boardroom.

For instance a recent study by the Runnymede Trust found that although the black minority ethnic (BME) population was set to rise to 27% of the UK population by 2051, today just one in 16 top management positions are filled by the BME population.

In terms of women in the UK boardroom the figures have improved somewhat in recent years (see overleaf), but there is still a long way to go to reach anything like equality.

Indeed the recent furore over the gender pay gap, forced into the open by legislation demanding companies

with more than 250 staff report their pay gap for the first time, has illustrated just how far we still have to travel to reach equality.

To improve the situation Penni says the starting point has to be strong role models. “When I go into schools today and talk to children about having successful careers I ask them to remember one thing above all else, namely to find people they admire and try to emulate them. We all have our role models. Personally I admire someone like JK Rowling who was sat there in her flat on child benefit but decided to follow her dream. Despite being repeatedly knocked back she kept on trying, it’s a lesson for us all.”

Gender pay Penni does believe the publication of gender pay figures represents something of a watermark. “The number of women in leadership roles and the gender pay gap are intrinsically linked. The very fact that companies have had to report gender pay has really concentrated minds. It has made people ask why there is a gap in the first place and how it can be tackled. Much of the gap can simply be explained by the fact that men have greater skills in workplaces because they have been working in those organisations that much longer.”

Ann Francke is Chief Executive of the Chartered Management Institute

Me Too impact The reporting of gender pay figures has coincided with the wider global MeToo movement. Francke says one implication of this is that women are more likely to ‘call it out’ when it comes to inequality or unfair pay and practices in the workplace.

“This has to be welcome too. If you do not call things out and talk about behaviours then nothing will change. It is no good just shrugging your shoulders, that is not going to change anything. I think women are being encouraged and emboldened by MeToo. At the same time companies are crunching the data on both gender pay and diversity in the workplace and realising they have to respond to this.”

So what can be done to tackle the problem and increase diversity in the boardroom?

Penni believes companies could be investing far more in leadership programmes for women. “One of the big problems is that the current generation of business leaders, and those before them, have simply not been proactive enough in tackling this. Another problem is that I think there is an attitude, maybe subconsciously, that ‘women in business’ is somehow a job done, when actually there is still an awful lot to be done.”

Ann Francke, Chief Executive of the Chartered Management Institute

If you do not call things out and talk about behaviours then nothing will change.

It is no good just shrugging your shoulders, that is not going to change anything.

Francke agrees that sponsoring talented women to go for promotions is a good starting point. But she says it should form only one part of a clearly defined strategy which also incorporates more flexible working and more resources towards initiatives such as shared parental leave.

“One of the big things companies could do would be to improve their flexible working arrangements so that this isn’t stigmatised. Ensure workers are measured on their performance and not the amount of time they actually spend in the office. In a lot of companies that is entirely possible to do with the technology we have at our disposal today. In too many companies workers are still stigmatised if they leave work early and dare to fit work around their lives. Another thing companies should be doing is having a better balance on hiring panels and ensuring they don’t just consist of three white middle-aged men.”

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Resources While supporting this logic Penni says one of the issues, especially for SMEs, is that they cannot always afford to pay maternity leave or adopt more flexible working arrangements. “These companies need help from government.

If you look at the Nordic countries, which are held up as great examples of flexible working, don’t forget that people pay for it with their taxes. So there is a wider debate to be had here about how we pay for change. We cannot just expect companies to foot the bill. Government needs to provide incentives and be proactive on this. The introduction of Shared Parental Leave (SPL) is a good case in point. More fathers would love to stay at home and look after children but they simply cannot afford to under the current SPL arrangements.”

Diversity Francke says to reap the benefits of a diverse workforce it’s vital to have an inclusive environment where everyone feels able to participate and achieve their potential. While UK legislation – covering age, disability, race, religion, gender and sexual orientation among others – sets minimum standards, an effective diversity and inclusion strategy goes beyond legal compliance and seeks to add value to an organisation, contributing to employee wellbeing and engagement.

A good example of an inclusive environment is the university sector where such approaches are now commonplace. Stuart McKenna, Equality and Diversity Manager at Manchester Metropolitan University, says equality has always been an important cornerstone of the institution. “We are building on firm foundations. If we are going to attract

In terms of changing behaviour, legislation should not be the driver.

Organisations themselves need to go the extra mile, they need to see the business benefits.

Stuart McKenna, Equality and Diversity Manager at Manchester Metropolitan University

the best staff and students from the widest pool then we have to deliver on this agenda.”

McKenna points to the success of Manchester Met’s equality staff network within which there are four different forums based around disability, gender, race and LGBTA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies), which then report direct to the senior leadership team at the university.

He says the key to the success of these forums is that membership is open to anyone. So, for instance, men can sit on gender forums and non-disabled people can sit on disability forums. “This can then become a very powerful agent of change as you are ensuring that all voices are heard and the proper action is taken.”

Picking up on Penni’s experience, he acknowledges that particular issues can be faced by black women in terms of their career.

“As a black female academic do you face double the barrier to be successful?

This is something we’ve been looking at and what we have found is that overall disadvantage can indeed be much more than the sum of its parts.”

McKenna says companies are increasingly realising the business benefits of embracing diversity in the workplace and following the public sector lead.

“I think the public sector has always been ahead of the game in these areas, but the private sector is definitely starting to wake up to this. However in terms of changing behaviour, legislation should not be the driver. Organisations themselves need to go the extra mile, they need to see the business benefits. However a big challenge remains for smaller businesses.

Invariably they won’t have big HR functions and diversity simply might not be a business priority.” w

SHARE OF WOMEN ON BOARDS IN EU Greece

Ireland Spain

9.3% 13.7% 18.2%

Germany

Netherlands UK

Italy

Sweden

25.7% 25.7% 25.8% 26.7% 31.7%

France

34.8%

Norway*

* Norway not EU

A drive to increase quotas for women on company boards across Europe is beginning to have a major impact.

The trailblazer was Norway which in 2008 obliged listed companies to reserve at least 40% of their director seats for women. Since then several European countries have set similar quotas of between 30% to 40%. In the UK the proportion of women among directors of large companies increased to 27% in 2017, more than double a decade ago.

However a recent report in The Economist* newspaper stated that in Norway the quota has prompted some firms to delist rather than comply, while in France some companies have decreased the total number of board members to increase the percentage of females.

The report says perhaps the “most

42%

puzzling shortcoming of the quotas” is that they have had no discernible beneficial effect on women at lower levels of the corporate hierarchy. The report says the expectation was that they would encourage companies to promote more women in order to fill the upper echelons faster. That, in turn, would help shrink the wage gap between men and women.

But a study in Norway found the quotas had no effect on the representation of women in senior management in the firms where it applied.

Barrister Sally Penni from Kenworthy’s Chambers in Manchester, adds: “No woman wants to be in a boardroom based solely on their gender and not on merit. But as progression is taking so long it may be time to revisit the quota issue.” w

SALFORD BUSINESS SCHOOL

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INDUSTRY We develop graduates who mean business.

Find out more about our business-informed, industry-relevant Business, Finance and Law programmes

www.salford.ac.uk/business-school +44 (0)161 295 2222 sbs-admin@salford.ac.uk

*Ten Years on from Norway’s quota for women on corporate boards: The Economist, February 2018 EU member states, 2015 SOURCE: European Institute for Gender Equality

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BECOME UNSTOPPABLE

SECTOR REPORT

ARTS, CULTURE & LEISURE

We have broadened our programme so that we get quality speakers talking about a wide range of interesting subjects.

It is all about celebrating creative writing and interesting thinking.

Sir Michael Morpurgo will address the keynote ‘Sermon’

WORD ON THE STREET In the wake of Manchester’s successful bid to join UNESCO’s worldwide Creative Cities network as a City of Literature, we look at what the status will bring to the city.

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Manchester, home to the UK’s first public lending library - and great writers such as Elizabeth Gaskell and Anthony Burgess – has now joined cities such as Dublin, Barcelona, Prague and Melbourne as a UNESCO City of Literature.

The city’s successful bid was coordinated by a consortium including Manchester City Council, the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the Manchester Literature Festival, plus representatives from the city’s writers, publishers and literary organisations.

So what will the status actually mean for the city?

Those behind the bid say a programme of cultural events and community writing projects will now be developed to celebrate the new status.

The bid’s steering committee has also drawn up plans for a programme that includes a libraries festival, the establishment of a new writers’ hub, and far-reaching initiatives to support new writing across the city.

The bid also builds on the fact that Manchester already boasts two of the country’s most highly regarded writing schools – the University of Manchester’s Centre for New Writing, and the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Opportunity Charlotte Platt is from Manchester Literature Festival which provides an annual focal point for all the city’s literary endeavours, and which already brings some of the most inspirational writers from around the globe to the city.

She said the new status presented a great opportunity for the city to further promote its literary heritage and credentials.

“As a festival we are really looking forward to harnessing our collective energies in the development of some ambitious new projects, collaborating with international partners and engaging more people from across Manchester in transformative reading and writing activities.”

This October marks the 13th anniversary of the Literature Festival which is held in the autumn to capitalise on the run-up to the Christmas book launch market. Last year the festival attracted more than 15,000 visitors, a significant increase on the year before.

Platt says part of the appeal of the festival is that it is held at various venues across the city and that it deliberately brings something “very distinctive” to the festival circuit.

“Last year the theme was debate and protest which obviously played strongly on Manchester’s strong heritage with the Suffragette movement. We also held a crime event at John Rylands Library which shows how the festival is all about exploring the city and collaborating with its iconic buildings. It is about marrying the word with place and it is a very diverse programme, while we also organise literary walking tours across the city.”

Manchester Sermon The centrepiece of the festival is the Castlefield Manchester Sermon held at Manchester Cathedral where a well-known writer and thinker of the day is commissioned to write a narrative on an issue of their choice.

Past speakers have included Lionel Shriver and Jeanette Winterson, and this year the speaker at the event on October 12 is Sir Michael Morpurgo who is best known for children’s novels such as War Horse.

As Platt adds: “The Sermon is all part of giving people the opportunity to meet their literary heroes in a different environment and context.”

Challenges Platt admits that it is getting harder to attract writers in general to attend literary festivals because so much marketing is now done online. But she hopes that the city’s new literary status will be another strong draw to writers coming to Manchester. “What you tend to find is that top writers will maybe only attend three of four festivals a year, so you have to make a strong case to them. The UNESCO status can only help give us a stronger offer to attract them here.”

The nature of the festival’s offer has also widened over the years. For instance instead of solely focusing on new literature it has now veered into running more academic debates too in fields such as economics. “It goes without saying that the quality of what we offer is important, particularly the ability to attract big-hitters.

But we have broadened our programme so that we get quality speakers talking about a wide range of interesting subjects.

It is all about celebrating creative writing and interesting thinking.”

Funding The festival is funded by Arts Council England, Manchester City Council and box office sales, and one of the conditions of its funding is that 30% of events are free. Platt admits that although the festival always breaks even, it is very much a “hand-to-mouth” not-for-profit operation.

She says funding from the Arts Council has been static in recent years, so there is an opportunity for businesses to get more involved with the festival.

“We would definitely like to grow our links with Manchester businesses who are interested in supporting a very local cause,” she adds. w *This year’s festival runs from October 5th to 21st

www.gmchamber.co.uk

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ARTS, CULTURE & LEISURE

JAZZ

New work Festival Artistic Director Steve Mead says this support is perfectly illustrated by the originals commission this year (see below) which has been awarded to Esther Swift.

“Not only does it promise to be an intriguing piece of new work, but it helps us build on our historical achievements in celebrating female creative talent across our programmes. The 2018 suffrage centenary, and our appointment as a Keychange Associate, naturally add a special dimension.

“Our priority for the festival is to sustain its solid reputation for balanced, adventurous programming

ALL THAT

that continues to inspire audiences and support artists, and which always questions the norm.”

As Babcock adds: “We are expanding what we are doing well beyond the festival. The festival has always been about championing new work and looking at ways of giving artists a platform for the rest of the year.”

Over the past year the festival has also secured increased funding from the Arts Council which has enabled it to expand its in-house team. However the festival still relies on an army of up to 150 volunteers to make the whole event happen. w

ORIGINALS COMMISSION The 2018 Irwin Mitchell Manchester Jazz Festival originals commission has been awarded to Esther Swift as part of the festival’s continued efforts to champion women in music.

Each year the prize provides a regional artist with an opportunity to present new work. Harpist and composer Esther Swift will perform her composition Light Gatherer, an instrumentation of voice, harp quartet, string trio, piano, saxophone, trombone and percussion.

The work showcases the harp in an unusual and unexplored contemporary jazz language.

Esther will take words, explore their meaning and sound, and then create a series of pieces which experiment with texture, purpose and expectation.

This year's festival programme kicks off with a show by Agbeko who bring their hard-hitting Afro-funk and ethio-jazz sound to Salon Perdu on July 20th.

Other highlights this year include a show by the Cross Currents Trio - Dave Holland, Zakir

Hussain and Chris Potter - at the RNCM on July 21st.

One of the big hits of last year's festival, Mancunion singer/songwriter Mali Hayes, returns for a show at Night & Day on July 24th with her pure, simple and melliflouous voice. On the same night you can also catch Bristol's We Are Leif who are inspired by New York’s contemporary jazzinfused scene.

Details about all this year's programme can be found on the festival’s website. w

BUSINESS SUPPORT FROM BURY COUNCIL

It isn’t just the city’s literature scene that is gearing up for a bumper 2018. Preparations are well underway for this summer’s Manchester Jazz Festival which is celebrating its 23rd year.

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Manchester’s award-winning jazz festival – the longest running music festival in the city - will bring its exciting, eclectic mix of events to a variety of venues across the city centre from July 20th to 28th.

Recognised for celebrating contemporary jazz through adventurous programming, the festival runs a mixture of paid-for and free events, and last year attracted 60,000 people to all events with up to a third of tickets paid for.

For the past nine years the festival has been run out of a hub on Albert Square from where free shows are put on, while the Salon Perdu Spiegeltent acts as the main indoor venue. As Josh Babcock from the festival says: “The free outdoor stage at Albert Square is a great way for us to put on music and expose people to sounds and music that they perhaps wouldn’t usually hear.”

The festival also uses a number of partner venues including the Royal Northern College of Music, Matt & Phreds jazz club on Tib Street, and St Ann’s Church.

Northern focus The festival, which this year will host nearly 100 shows, has always had a very strong focus on showcasing northern artists, while it is also known for its very eclectic mix of performers such as harp, folk, and R&B oufits.

However organisers are keen to stress that the event is not just a nine-day festival held once a year. The festival also runs talent development programmes throughout the year, while it has also long championed women in music through its programme.

Last year half of the bands that played at the festival included women in their line-up and the number is expected to be similar this year. 2018 also sees the festival become associate members of the PRS Foundation Keychange initiative which empowers women to transform the future of the music industry, and encourages festivals to sign up to a 50:50 gender balance by 2022.

• Join our Bury Means Business database today and receive useful updates.

• Business support delivered with our partners: • Start Smart / Start up • Access to finance • Growth support • Digital support • Skills / Training • Receive tailored support to improve the health and wellbeing of your workforce.

• Help to get the answers you need for your business from various council departments through one contact.

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69

REGIONAL UPDATE

BOLTON

TOURISM BOOST brings £432m to Bolton

Crowds at the Bolton Food and Drink Festival

Bolton’s tourism industry generated almost £432m for the town in 2016, according to new figures.

An additional £11.4m flowed into the local economy while the total number of visitors also increased from 6.5 million to 6.6 million. The figures have been released by Bolton Council as part of an annual report which outlines tourism performance.

The four-day Bolton Food and Drink Festival, which attracted more than 260,000 visitors in 2016, and the Ironman UK Triathlon, were among the events which fuelled visitor numbers.

The growth is also attributed to popular attractions such as Bolton Museum, Aquarium and Archive, which is among the top ten most visited attractions in Greater Manchester. The Octagon Theatre, Bolton’s historic halls - Smithills Hall and Hall i’ th’ Wood - and Moorgarth’s £23m refurbishment of the Market Place Shopping Centre, have also drawn visitors into the town.

Deputy Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Ebrahim Adia, said: “These figures show that Bolton is continuing to attract visitors, with a record number of people

choosing to spend time in our town and spend their money here. Bolton has so much to offer including fantastic events, picturesque countryside and attractions such as Bolton Museum and the Aquarium which continue to pull people in.

“The retail and leisure offer has also improved in the town centre with investment in the Market Place Shopping Centre, and the rich mix of what Bolton has to offer is drawing visitors. We also recently unveiled our £1bn masterplan which will continue to further regenerate our town centre.” w

REGIONAL UPDATE

More businesses head to

BOLTON’S FLAGSHIP BUSINESS PARK

Plastics supplier Northern Building Plastics and Vaclensa, one of the UK’s biggest suppliers of professional cleaning machines, have signed 10-year leases at Logistics North.

The deals were signed just two weeks after two new units totalling 52,871 sq ft were completed at the site.

The two companies are just the latest big names to move to the North West’s largest commercial development, which is owned by Harworth Group plc. They join the likes of Aldi, Amazon, Lidl, MBDA, Komatsu, Costa and Greene King.

More than 2m sq ft of commercial space has been built at Logistics North since it received outline planning consent in 2013. More than 1,500 people are already employed on site and the development is expected to create around 5,000 jobs when completed.

Ian Ball, Executive Director of Income Generation at Harworth, said: “These are two excellent deals reflecting Logistics North’s status as one of the north’s leading manufacturing and distribution locations. We are now keen to maintain this momentum as the remainder of the site is developed over the next three years.” w

OCTAGON wins further pledges towards redevelopment The Octagon Theatre has taken a step closer to its major redevelopment with several charitable trusts pledging their support.

The Octagon Reimagined project will set the stage for the next 50 years by transforming the look of the building, updating backstage facilities, and increasing accessibility.

The Foyle Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation have both donated £100,000 towards the £1.5m fundraising target to help secure the theatre for generations to come. The Wolfson Foundation has also supported the appeal with £50,000 and The Sir James & Lady Scott Trust has pledged £30,000 towards the

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project.

A combined sum of £145,000 has already been secured from The Oglesby Charitable Trust and The Granada Foundation, both of which have chosen to support the Octagon in its efforts to encourage and promote the study, practice and appreciation of the arts in the North West.

Funding pledges are also already in place from Arts Council England and Bolton Council.

Roddy Gauld, Chief Executive of the Octagon, commented: “These grants are highly competitive, and so it says a lot about the excitement and ambition of our plans that we’ve been so successful.” w

Artist’s impression of the revamped Octagon

BURY

CLOUGH & WILLIS appoints new managing partner Clough & Willis has confirmed that Shefali Talukdar, its Managing Partner of 15 years, is retiring and that Lee Marston will take over. In his new position Marston will manage the firm’s day-to-day operations, drive its strategic growth and continue to develop its people and working practices.

He became a partner in 2001 and has headed up the Family team since 2000.

He is a resolution accredited specialist in the financial side of divorce and children disputes, and was a founding member of the Family Law Panel. He acts for a cross section of clients and has expertise in acting for the owners of large businesses.

Said Talukdar: “I joined Clough & Willis in 1991 so to say the firm is in my blood is an understatement and deciding to step down and retire has been an incredibly hard decision.

However, I know the business will be in the very best of hands as Lee and all the other partners are determined to build on the foundations that we have created together over the past couple of decades.”

Talukdar was also made a deputy district judge in 2015 and she will continue to sit as a judge once she retires. w

Shefali Talukdar and Lee Marston

PENNINE signs deal with Dutch software company

Pennine has signed a UK partnership agreement with Netherlands Steve Watts customer care software provider, CC4Skype. The new deal gives Pennine access to CC4Skype’s Microsoft-certified omnichannel contact centre solution.

Designed specifically for Skype for Business (SfB), it enables customer interaction via telephony, social media platforms and chat to email. In addition, it incorporates extensive customer interaction reporting tools and can be integrated with key Customer Relations Management and Unified Communications applications.

CC4Skype, a market leader in contact centre solutions for SfB, boasts a track record in both SME and large-scale corporate environments across Europe, the Middle East and Australia.

Commenting on the new partnership, Pennine’s Sales Director Steve Watts said: “Skype for Business continues to grow in importance both within our wider product portfolio and across our diverse client base. What CC4Skype brings is a very powerful and affordable application which is specific to contact centres, a sector in which Skype for Business has previously struggled to gain real traction. Not only does it enable the enhancement and streamlining of customer communications, but it’s also impressively intuitive. That means it’s easier to introduce and for its benefits to be realised and its investment recouped.”

Gerry de Graaf, Global Channel Leader at CC4Skype, added: “Pennine is an important addition to our European partner network. The company has both an impressive skillset and reach, serving a contact centre client base which spans SMEs through to international blue chips.” w

Major investment for WARTH BUSINESS PARK Warth Business Park is set to undergo a £4m investment programme by St. Modwen to regenerate the 14.3-acre site.

St. Modwen’s investment is underpinned by increasing confidence in the local market and a lack of available office and industrial space in the Bury area.

The multi-let 283,860 sq ft industrial and business park, located between Bury, Radcliffe, the M66 and M60, will be partly reconfigured to deliver new industrial and office accommodation ranging in size from 1,500 sq ft to 50,000 sq ft, as well as see significant investment in other existing areas of the site.

Warth is the largest singleownership industrial estate in Bury and comprises industrial and office space, a business centre, self-storage and storage compounds, and an on site café.

David Nuttall, Senior Development Manager for St. Modwen, said: “Warth Business Park is a well-known site, conveniently located between Bury and Radcliffe and is easy to reach from the M66/M60. It has always attracted good levels of demand from a range of local and national occupiers.

“We have confidence in the local market and know that this investment will help address the current lack of supply in the locality. We have a variety of accommodation

on site and a range of good quality tenants. We’re looking to build on this solid base, create opportunities for growth and create value by delivering a range of high quality refurbished units for the Bury market.”

The investment programme will include the removal of redundant units, the construction of new office accommodation, replacement roofs and a comprehensive installation of new electric, water and data infrastructure. In addition the business centre will undergo external improvements, and significant masonry repairs will be carried out to the original mill building.

Cllr Rishi Shori, Leader of Bury Council, said: “We are delighted to support this superb development by St Modwen. The success of our local economy is vital and is one of our highest priorities.

This project will attract new businesses and jobs and complement the regeneration initiatives that are taking place across the borough.”

Warth Business Park, the home of McPherson Paints until the mid-1990s, has been operating as a multi-let business park for more than 15 years. But investment has been minimal in recent years and there had been an ad hoc lettings strategy until St. Modwen acquired the site in 2015. w

Aerial view of Warth Business Park

www.gmchamber.co.uk

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REGIONAL UPDATE

MANCHESTER

REGIONAL UPDATE

MANCHESTER HOTEL INVESTMENT highest of any UK regional city Hotel investment in Manchester was higher than in any other UK city outside of London in 2017, according to international real estate advisor Savills, with nine deals totalling £179m. This was 52% greater than the £117m seen in Edinburgh, the second highest regional city by volume, and more than double Manchester’s £83m total in 2016.

Overseas investors were the dominant buyer type, accounting for £146m of the deals, with Singaporean and US investors leading the way.

Savills highlights Dominvs Group’s £54.5m sale of the Holiday Inn to US-based Starwood Capital, and Westmont Hospitality’s £52.5m sale of the Lowry

Hotel to Singaporean City Developments Ltd (CDL) as among the most notable deals of last year.

The latter underlines the particularly strong demand from Asia-Pacific buyers in Manchester, where half of all hotel acquisitions in the UK regions by this buyer type were located in 2017.

There were 1,127 individual hotel rooms sold in Manchester last year, marking a 32% increase on 2016. At £144,560, the average price per room was 36% higher than the UK average (excluding London) of £106,290.

Tom Cunningham, Hotels Director at Savills Manchester, commented: “Manchester is a truly global city with high levels of recognition thanks to

Raised Floor Solutions has secured contracts worth £3m for construction projects in Greater Manchester.

Twenty-two regional based contracts have been awarded to the composite flooring specialist since September last year, ranging from student accommodation schemes to high schools, health centres and luxury apartment blocks.

The projects will see Raised Floor Solutions supply and install over 65,000 sq m of Kingspan Multideck steel decking, and design and install nearly 50,000 sq m of concrete flooring.

Amongst the wins is Citu NQ on Tib Street in the Northern Quarter, a scheme of 183 apartments, and X1’s The Landmark on Liverpool Street in Salford, which has 191 apartments and townhouses.

Manchester is currently experiencing a huge building boom having seen an estimated 400% increase in residential units under construction in the city centre over the last two years. Added to this are new office schemes, education facilities, medical research and healthcare centres, retail destinations and hotels.

Raised Floor Solutions Managing Director Graham Hewitt said: “This is an incredibly exciting time to be involved in the construction industry in Greater Manchester. The landscape of the region is evolving and the transformation goes handin-hand with the £1bn expansion of Manchester Airport and the arrival of HS2 in 2033.

“Public and private investment on this scale only serves to attract further investment as businesses flock to establish a base in the region. With businesses come jobs and with jobs come people, creating a need for more accommodation, more services and more amenities. This is reflected in the broad range of construction projects we’ve been fortunate enough to secure.” w

Oldham town centre MASTERPLAN MOVES AHEAD Oldham Council’s town centre masterplan has taken a significant step forward with the purchase of Oldham Magistrates Court.

The courts were closed permanently by HM Courts and Tribunal Service in 2016 and transferred to the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The acquisition of the site on West Street from the HCA now

paves the way for the immediate demolition of the building which will allow the council to manage the long-term future of the site and the development of the area as part of its ambitious masterplan.

The masterplan centres on a number of significant areas of publicly-owned land which total around 21 acres. These include the Tommyfield Market, the Civic

Centre, Oldham Police Station, the former Oldham Sports Centre, the Magistrates Court, and the current Oldham Coliseum Theatre. The plan involves new homes and new and refurbished employment space which could be worth up to £50m a year to Oldham’s economy.

Cllr Jean Stretton, Oldham Council Leader, said: “The purchase of the Magistrates’ Court shows we

CORNERSTONE celebrates 10th anniversary

Business GROWTH BOOM

Exports Drive Growth at POLARIS MEDIA

Web Applications UK has been awarded the Investors in People accreditation after completing a rigorous assessment process.

Following documentation reviews, site visits and employee surveys, the assessor said of Web Applications: “From the initial context meeting through to the conclusion of the assessment, there was a strong narrative

indicating that Web Applications UK Ltd is an organisation with a clearly defined ethos and sense of purpose.”

At the same time the software company achieved the Health and Wellbeing Award, demonstrating advanced level practices across the themes of physical, psychological and social wellbeing.

Chief Executive Craig Dean said: “Developing our staff, helping them succeed, and ensuring their health and wellbeing is at the heart of our ethos and culture, and to receive this award is an acknowledgement of that commitment. We are going to reflect on the extensive feedback and will continue to drive improvements in the future”. w

Manchester PR firm Polaris Media has won a collection of new maritime industry clients at home and overseas.

The company, run by journalist brothers Ben and Sam Pinnington (pictured left to right), has been appointed by its

Oldham Council is investing £6.2m in upgrading the borough’s roads as part of its Highways Improvement Programme 2018.

The 12-month programme of works follows recent harsh winters and wet summers, which have taken their toll on the 856km of roads that the council maintains.

Cllr Fida Hussain, Cabinet

Member for Environmental Services, said: ““Despite the unprecedented ongoing cuts to our funding and well-known financial challenges we recognise it is vital to continue to invest in our key infrastructure wherever possible.

“We are already on site working on some of these schemes, so people should start to see the

benefits and improvements from this pretty quickly.

“As always with infrastructure works, this may mean some temporary inconvenience in terms of traffic disruption, but we will be monitoring this closely to ensure that we keep this to an absolute minimum.

“That short term pain will be offset by better driving conditions

across the borough as we tackle this backlog and I would like to thank local people in advance for their patience.”

Once the council has completed the individual schemes, it will be contacting residents asking them for their feedback on the work to help improve how it works in the future. w

Loganair has announced significant investment in services from Stornoway in the Western Isles, with a new timetable designed to further improve links to Manchester and the North West.

Following December’s announcement of the first ever non-stop services linking Stornoway with Manchester, Loganair is increasing flights this summer to two non-stop services per week. In addition to the Saturday service from late June to early September, a Wednesday flight will now operate from late June to late August.

Loganair Managing Director Jonathan

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its international airports, forward-thinking City Council, strong visitor numbers and numerous sporting, business and leisure events every year.

The strength of its hotel investment market is a reflection of this, and we expect 2018 to be another robust year.” w

Hinkles said: “This is fantastic news for the tourism industry on Lewis and the Western Isles in general. It also allows greater flexibility of business and leisure trips from Lewis to the North West of England. A combination of the Wednesday and Saturday flights will provide options for three, four, seven, 10, 11 and 14-night stays at both destinations. This will increase flexibility, whether for those using the new non-stop links to access the wide variety of onward flights for both leisure or business trips from Manchester Airport, or for those using the services to reach the Western Isles for long or short holiday breaks.” w

first Portuguese client, the port and logistics park, Blue Atlantic, based in Setubal near Lisbon.

In addition, two Polish maritime engineering companies have also come on board, Baltec Marine based in Gdansk and Gdynia headquartered Intermarine, which has just opened a new engineering facility in the Port of Portland in Dorset following a six-figure investment.

Closer to home Polaris

has won a deal with Liverpool Seafarers Centre to promote the charity’s work supporting the 50,000 seamen who travel through the city each year.

Polaris will undertake this work at pro-bono rates. Elsewhere, Polaris has won new orders from existing client Oman Shipping, one of the biggest shipping lines in the Gulf. Said Ben: “We have worked hard in recent years to diversify and grow new markets overseas.” w

Design and digital marketing agency Cornerstone Design & Marketing has celebrated its 10th anniversary. The agency based in Lees was founded

by Managing Director David Wadsworth from his parents’ attic, since when the business has grown steadily and currently employs 10 people. Its services including graphic design, website development, digital and social media marketing campaigns, print, advertising, signage, video, photography and PR. w

are making great progress in our plans to transform the town centre.

Oldham is already benefitting from several regeneration schemes like the Old Town Hall, the Cultural Quarter and new Coliseum Theatre, and the Independent Quarter. This masterplan is the next stage in ensuring a bright future for our residents and bringing our aspirations to fruition.” w

Latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that Oldham has more than doubled the number of business start-ups from just under 50 per 10,000 working age population to nearly 105 since 2012.

Oldham now has the fourth largest business start-up rate in Greater Manchester behind Bury, Manchester and Trafford.

This is significantly higher than the North West average of 93 per 10,000 working age population and the UK average of 100.

A comprehensive programme of business facing support has been established in the borough in recent years. This includes targeted start-up assistance for new entrepreneurs, as well as growth support services for existing businesses which are mostly delivered by Growth Company and People Plus.

Cllr Shoab Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills at Oldham Council, said: “We have strived to support an inclusive economy and provide the right environment to support residents to set up successful businesses.” w

LOGANAIR introduces further Stornoway to Manchester services

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The Lowry Hotel

Firm secures £3m of CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

OLDHAM

(L-R) Nicola Adamson (Cornerstone), Fiza Shadab, Cllr Shadab Qumer (Mayor of Oldham), David Wadsworth (Cornerstone) and Sarah Smethurst (Cornerstone).

Web Applications UK recognised with INVESTORS IN PEOPLE ACCREDITATION

Council to invest £6.2m in ROAD IMPROVEMENTS

Citu NQ on Tib Street

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REGIONAL UPDATE

ROCHDALE

Contractor appointed for £80M DEVELOPMENT

Genr8 Developments has appointed construction firm Willmott Dixon to build Rochdale’s £80m retail and leisure development Rochdale Riverside.

Delivered by a joint venture between Genr8 Developments and Kajima, in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council, the development comprises approximately 200,000 sq ft of retail and leisure accommodation.

The appointment of Willmott Dixon is another major step forward for the scheme which will bring 24 new retail and leisure units and a six-screen cinema to the heart of Rochdale town

centre.

The news comes after Boots, JD Sports and River Island announced they would be investing more than £3m opening new stores within the development.

Contracts for work packages connected to the build, including groundwork, steelwork, roofing and cladding, will be awarded in the coming months. The contract is expected to plough millions into the local economy, with Willmott Dixon estimating a spend of £21.5m direct with companies across Greater Manchester.

Anthony Dillon, Managing

Rochdale Riverside

Director of Willmott Dixon in the North West, said: “As a locally based company we are delighted to have been appointed for this flagship project which will be a fantastic new addition for the town as well as a catalyst to encourage

new inward investment. We’ll also support the local economy by using businesses from the area whenever possible during the build programme. We want to leave a lasting legacy that all can be proud of.” w

LOCK 50 BUSINESS CENTRE celebrates decade in business Managed workspace Lock 50 Business Centre has celebrated its 10th birthday. The building, which is named after the Rochdale Canal lock it is located alongside, was opened a decade ago to provide prestigious waterside office accommodation for businesses.

To mark the anniversary, over 50 guests including current and former tenants and representatives involved with the centre joined Cllr Liam O’Rourke,

Cabinet Member for Business, Skills and Employment and John Searle, Director of Economy, for a celebration event.

Speaking at the event Cllr O’Rourke said: “It’s clear how important Lock 50 is and what a contribution regeneration has made right here. We’ve seen companies move in and grow, creating more jobs along the way, such as Zen Internet, one of Rochdale’s best-known companies.” w

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NETZSCH, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of pumping technologies and systems, has purchased a special version Zenith 400 helical profile grinding machine from Precision Technologies Group (PTG) company Holroyd Precision.

The Zenith 400 will be installed and commissioned at NETZSCH’s manufacturing facility in Brazil and NETZSCH will use the Zenith 400 to produce a range of pump screws. These will then be used in a number of the company’s innovative pumping technologies, which include cavity, multi-screw and rotary lobe pumps.

“We are delighted that NETZSCH has recognised the high-precision capabilities offered by the Zenith 400,” commented Holroyd Regional Sales Director, Steven Benn. “The immense flexibility that Zenith 400 machines bring to production strategies was also a major factor in NETZSCH deciding to place this high value order with us.” w

w 2018

SALFORD

NYCOMM completes major expansion

A major warehouse expansion has been completed by communications supply specialist The Nycomm Group.

Work began last Spring to increase floor space by over a third, with the multi-million-pound scheme at Agecroft on the outskirts of Manchester now fully operational. The company has evolved from its traditional telephony roots into a complete solutions specialist.

Group Finance Director David Bennett says the project is a symbol of how Nycomm is gearing up for an even brighter future to capitalise on increased sales demand. “Over the last 36 years we’ve come a long way. The business continues to diversify and we sell all manner of communication and technology solutions from a simple cable clip through to complete unified communications systems.”

Nycomm worked on the warehouse in partnership with construction specialists The Casey Group. w

HYDRO PLANT proposed for Salford Quays Salford Quays could become home to a hydroelectric plant large enough to power 500 homes.

Energy company Renewables First has submitted a request for a formal screening opinion from Trafford Council over the proposed scheme, which would straddle the Manchester Ship Canal. If approved, the plant’s turbine would reportedly have a generating capacity in excess of 500kW. The opportunity for generating power using the canal has also been explored by Peel Energy, which has planning permission for a scheme up to 1.2MW in capacity.

The newly proposed plant would be based at Mode Wheel Locks, the last set of locks on the canal before it enters the Salford Quays basin, home to the 36-acre MediaCityUK development. MediaCityUK houses more than 250 businesses, including BBC North and ITV, and has won awards for its sustainability credentials.

Broughton House chosen as CHARITY OF THE YEAR

Rochdale manufacturer supplies factory in BRAZIL

Zenith 400

REGIONAL UPDATE

Broughton House, the Salford home for ex-servicemen and women, has been chosen by Urban Vision as its charity of the year for 2018.

The money raised by Urban Vision’s 390-strong workforce will go towards a new multi-million pound Veterans’ Care Village with building work due to begin in the Spring.

Urban Vision is a joint venture between Salford City Council, Capita and Galliford Try. It delivers a range of property, engineering and planning services across Salford to boost development and regeneration.

Barry Pilkington, Partnership Director at Urban Vision, said: “We are delighted to announce that Broughton House is our chosen charity for 2018.

To provide rounded care for our young and old veterans alike on a single, dedicated site here in the heart of Salford is so very impressive, and a vision we are extremely proud to be a part of.”

Urban Vision staff will be taking part in the 10km Great Manchester Run this month, while other sponsored sports activities are planned in the run-up to Armed Forces Day on June 30.

Julie Verne, Development Director at Broughton House, said: “We are delighted to be working with Urban Vision as its chosen charity and we look forward to supporting its efforts to raise vital funds for veterans in Salford and Greater Manchester.” w

The development has a ‘tri-generation’ energy centre that provides low carbon combined heat and power (CHP) to buildings across the estate through a district heating network. As well as providing electricity and useable heat, the system works in conjunction with a canal water cooling system to keep buildings cool in summer. w

Unlimited Potential is in the INNOVATION 100

Unlimited Potential has been recognised as one of the 100 most innovative companies in Greater Manchester, in a report produced

by BQ and the Business Growth Hub (part of The Growth Company).

This new initiative is designed to shine the spotlight on some of Greater Manchester’s most forward-thinking small and medium sized businesses.

The firms recognised come from across Greater Manchester and include sectors as diverse as food and drink, manufacturing, healthcare and digital.

The report was also supported by Dehns, Catax, the University of Salford and the Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banking Group.

“As a social enterprise, we are really pleased to be recognised in the Innovation100,” said Chris Dabbs, Chief Executive of Unlimited Potential. “We want Greater Manchester to be recognised for social innovation, as well as innovation in other fields.”

BQ’s Bryan Hoare said: “We’re delighted to give companies the chance to see some recognition for the hard work they put in to innovate their businesses.

“Innovation is the key to unlocking future growth, job creation and prosperity for the region, and what these businesses are already doing is incredibly impressive in lots of ways.”

Chris Greenhalgh, Head of Innovation at Business Growth Hub, said: “It’s our aim with Innovation100 to raise the profile of those businesses innovating in different ways, inspiring others to innovate and achieve growth.

“What the Innovation100 companies underline is that while innovation can often be related to products, it can also apply to developing disruptive business models, applying new processes and delivering new services. Innovation can be found across many different facets of business, across different sectors and different sizes of companies.” w www.gmchamber.co.uk

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REGIONAL UPDATE

STOCKPORT

REGIONAL UPDATE

Green light for second office at STOCKPORT EXCHANGE A planning application for the next phase of development at the awardwinning Stockport Exchange has been given approval by Stockport Council.

National developer and urban regeneration specialist Muse is delivering the £145m mixed-use regeneration scheme in partnership with the council and the next phase will see 2 Stockport Exchange, a new 60,000 sq ft, six-storey office building, developed next to the existing 50,000 sq ft office.

The existing office was completed in 2016. Music Magpie took one floor as their new UK headquarters, with national bus operator Stagecoach occupying the other three floors. The

GREAT GROUNDS expands to Staffordshire A commercial landscaping and grounds maintenance company has expanded its operations into Staffordshire with the support of a £50,000 European grant through the Business Growth Programme.

Great Grounds currently employ 17 people at its North West base and intends to increase staff numbers by a further five at its new Staffordshire depot as a result of receiving the grant.

Managing Director Tony Millar said “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded the grant. The application process was rigorous, but ensured that every detail of our expansion plans was carefully thought through. The grant has brought forward our growth plans and means that we can now start recruiting in the next few months.”

The company’s specialisms range from watercourse maintenance to invasive weed treatments, and it works particularly closely with primary schools in terms of both providing landscape and maintenance services and by providing careers workshops.

The grant is also being used to purchase specialist equipment and to convert part of the barns at the company’s Staffordshire Moorlands site into a quirky exhibition and meeting venue, in addition to providing offices to accommodate a new business development team. w

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ground floor retail space is also fully let, with a Sainsbury’s Local and coffee shop Cafelito.

Phase Two of the wider scheme also delivered a 115-bed Holiday Inn Express, which frequently achieves over 90% occupancy, and is trading ahead of forecasts. The new pedestrianised public space outside Stockport rail station has also created a new attractive gateway to the town centre.

The flagship development at Stockport Exchange is part of a £1bn investment programme currently underway across Stockport. The wider project aims to deliver up to 375,000 sq ft of office space and 28,000 sq ft of commercial floor space. w

STOCKPORT SUCCESSFUL in town centre living grant bid

Stockport Council has won three major bids from the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF). The £8.5m grant will help unlock key brownfield housing sites in Stockport’s town centre, opening up and enhancing previously underused

areas of the town and the river Mersey. The aim is to create new green spaces and bring iconic historic buildings back into use, which will in turn drive further development and investment.

The grant will be used to overcome the barriers of infrastructure costs and poor land conditions for Stockport’s new Interchange, the Weir Mill complex, and for the Hopes Carr (Hempshaw Brook) development which is bringing more than 500 new homes to the town centre.

The HIF is a £5bn government capital grant programme to invest in council-led projects for the potential building of new homes in areas with the greatest housing demand. This grant funds key local infrastructure projects such as new roads, flood defences, green infrastructure and land remediation work. w

AURORA STOCKPORT completes over 100,000 sq ft of deals

Deals on over 100,000 sq ft of premium industrial space have been completed at Aurora Stockport, as the new industrial park next to the M60 reaches completion.

The trio of deals will see CAF Rail, Aeroco and Anglian Windows join Baumuller at the park, with the companies choosing to make it the base from which they plan to grow their businesses over the coming years.

The popularity of Aurora Stockport has been evident from day one. Demand for the space has been so high that only four of the units on the industrial park are still available, with advance negotiations underway on two of these.

From its prime position, the modern 146,000 sq ft industrial park, developed by Stockport Council, gives companies the opportunity to run their businesses from high spec premises in one of the best-connected locations in the North West.

CAF Rail UK has announced that it will be moving into the park’s largest unit. The rail manufacturer

has been looking for a North West manufacturing base close to its Manchester Airport office, having secured several high-profile contracts with Network Rail. Drawn to Aurora Stockport by its quality of premises, first class location and skilled workforce, the move will see CAF create 30 jobs.

Leading aircraft maintenance specialists Aeroco Group, whose customers include Virgin Atlantic, Boeing and flybe, has taken a 15-year lease on two units totalling 20,506 sq ft. Operating from Stockport for the first time, Aeroco’s new facility will provide the company with the space it needs having successfully won a number of commercial contracts over recent months.

Anglian Windows’ investment at Aurora sees the company continue to grow its presence in Stockport. Manufacturing windows, conservatories and doors, the home improvement specialist will use its new 15,356 sq ft base to increase its production capacity following growing demand from customers. w

TAMESIDE

Tameside firm wins £200,000 WORTH OF ORDERS from IRAN Denton-based engineering and fastening business Francis Kirk Group has passed the £200,000 order milestone after opening up trading opportunities in Iran.

The family-run business, which celebrates 150 years of trading history this year, appointed a distribution partner in the Middle East 18 months ago - The Alipoor Company - and is now reaping the rewards.

The £200,000 total order value covers a range of products including the Philidas self-locking nut, but also includes other fasteners, tools and washers from main branded suppliers stocked by Francis Kirk including Molyslip, Bondlock, Bibielle and Dormer Pramet.

Managing Director Tom Kirk said that the sales emphasis had been on quality not price, and that the company had capitalised on manufacturing sectors in growth areas in Iran like the

automotive industry where the Philidas nut is widely used in the production of Renault cars. It also has wideranging applications in the oil, mining, rail and earth moving machinery sectors which are well represented in the region.

Kirk commented: “It is pleasing that the order total to date is wider than just Philidas. We have invested a lot of time meeting people face to face, explaining the breadth of supply from us and ease of access and quality.

British goods come with their own credentials in terms of standards and manufacturing companies in Iran aspire to buy. We took advantage of that.”

In August last year the company appointed a new distribution partner in Dubai – Integrated Auto Supplies – which has also played a key part in extending export activity in the Middle East in the last 12 months.

Activity has taken the

Property sector rises to meet TOWN CENTRE CHALLENGE

(L-R): Shahrooz Alipoor of The Alipoor Company and Tom Kirk

fifth-generation business to £7m turnover in 2017, compared to £4.75m in 2016. Adds Kirk: “Export has always been key to our business. We’ve concentrated on redeveloping exports again – especially in the Middle East – but also in Europe, Australia and the US and we are delighted with the progress we are making. Today, exports account for 35% of our turnover and we are committed to further increasing it to 60% over the next five years.” w

The property and construction sectors came together in Stalybridge to meet the Greater Manchester Town Centre Challenge.

Launched in November last year, the Town Centre Challenge aims to foster collaboration between the industry and public bodies to unlock the potential of Greater Manchester’s towns.

Stalybridge was announced as Tameside’s nominee and a summit was convened in the former mill town

by Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Tameside Council to co-ordinate the best approach.

With local authorities becoming increasingly active participants in the property market, the Challenge aims to provide a platform for them to collaborate with landowners, developers, and national bodies such as Housing England, to utilise their statutory powers to remove the barriers that affect the viability of town centre developments.

Tameside Council Executive Leader, Cllr Brenda Warrington, said: “We have a golden opportunity before us to work together to come up with a vision for regeneration that is unique and bespoke to Stalybridge and Greater Manchester.” w

Work starts on LUXURY APARTMENTS Tameside-based Bardsley Construction is to help developer Adlington on a £11.5m apartment scheme in Southport.

The new site will provide independent living for purchasers over the age of 55, with the option of support

and a community all under one roof.

The development of one, two and three-bedroom dwellings will feature a restaurant, homeowners’ lounge, hairdressing salon, activities and crafts room, spa suite and landscaped gardens. w

New digital entrepreneurs take plunge at ASHTON OLD BATHS Seven aspiring digital businesses have won the chance to base and develop their ventures at Tameside’s most innovative working space, Ashton Old Baths.

They include a video producer, a children’s portrait photographer, a designer of wedding stationery, a publisher of an online football magazine, a social media consultant, a music promoter, and a property services adviser.

They are the first beneficiaries of the enterprising Digital Dozen programme run by specialist business incubation experts Oxford Innovation in partnership

with the property’s owners Tameside MBC. Everyone will get a dedicated desk on the ground floor of the baths, and a whole range of high-quality tailored support. This includes one-on-one mentoring and access to an innovation director, providing diagnostics and support around business and entrepreneurship capabilities and needs.

Also covered are a range of workshops on specific growth topics, and business and social events to help build a community of supportive peers, suppliers and advocates. w www.gmchamber.co.uk

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REGIONAL UPDATE

TRAFFORD

REGIONAL UPDATE

Council buys GRAFTON CENTRE as part of ongoing investment Trafford Council has bought one of Altrincham’s main shopping locations, the Grafton Centre, to kick-start the next phase of the town centre’s transformation.

Altrincham has already undergone a hugely successful multi-million pound revitalisation, led by the council and its partners.

Shop vacancies have fallen by almost 75 per cent and there has been a significant rise in footfall – up five per cent year-on-year since

2016. More than 25 new bars and restaurants have opened since the transformation began, with £140m of private and public sector funding being invested.

The town centre is bucking the national trend of high street decline. The turnaround has its roots in the improvements to the public realm and the market quarter, which have acted as a catalyst to further regeneration in the town.

The Grafton Centre,

built in the 1970s at the junction of George Street and Regent Road - with retail outlets on the ground floor and a seven-storey hotel leased to Travelodge above - is a key town centre site.

The council will be bringing forward its proposals for the Grafton Centre in the near future and these will focus on further enhancing the retail and leisure offer in Altrincham, which will in turn attract further investment into the town.

The Centre is also an excellent investment opportunity, generating a financial return which can be used by the council to support frontline services.

Cllr Alex Williams, Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Investment, said: “We are delighted to have been able to secure this opportunity, which is a mark of our determination to continue to restore Altrincham’s fortunes, putting the heart back into the centre and bringing vitality to our town. By working with landlords, businesses and residents we are transforming Altrincham into a modern, vibrant market town. This investment will be central to further improvements and regeneration in line with our vision.” w

INFORMED SOLUTIONS Floorbrite enjoys wins Queen’s Award for Innovation RECORD TURNOVER Altrincham-based Informed Solutions was the only tech and digital company in the North West to be named among this year’s Queen’s Awards for Innovation winners, in recognition of its digital transformation work across government projects.

Informed Solutions has helped accelerate the digital by default agenda, moving complex services online and making them more secure and resilient, as well as more accessible, personalised and user friendly.

Examples of the company’s digital transformation work include: making it easier for innocent victims of violent crime and acts of terrorism to obtain compensation; facilitating British citizens abroad having their identity authenticated and key documents legalised (e.g. birth certificates and professional qualifications) through a secure online global service; and analysing and mapping crime incidents to support policing services with insights to help make public transport safer.

The leading independent provider

Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden launching the new website during a recent visit to the company

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of digital transformation also recently helped oversee a significant increase in young people engaging in the democratic process through the work it did with the Boundary Commission for England on the Parliamentary Review.

Founder and Global CEO Elizabeth Vega, who set up Informed Solutions over 25 years ago, said: “It is a fantastic honour to be recognised for innovation at this level, making the Queen’s Award particularly satisfying. We’ve worked really hard to create a strong workplace culture that enshrines the values of creating innovative solutions, producing work to the highest possible standard, and being trusted and ethical professionals that only take on innovation projects that we believe we can deliver.

“From modest beginnings some 25 years ago, we’ve weathered numerous economic challenges and scaled up the business to work globally with blue-chip clients and governments.

“Our talented and committed people have helped us achieve lots of digital firsts along the way – from being the first company to commercially put maps on mobile phones which changed the way people navigate their world, to being the first to deliver a secure cloud-based service for UK government. Our aim is to reimagine what’s possible, manage the risks of delivering large-scale innovation projects, and deliver transformational business change through smart, collaborative working. We haven’t stopped pushing boundaries and this award is down to the incredible hard work and talent of our people.” w

Nik Wyers

Sale-based cleaning and facilities service provider Floorbrite has announced record turnover of more than £15.5m for 2017 – an increase of £3m on 2016.

The company’s goal for the next two years is to achieve £20m turnover by 2020, a target that the family-run business is confident it will hit.

Floorbrite, which employs more than 1,400 people across the UK, including at bases in Leeds and Birmingham, has continued to build on its year-onyear growth by expanding its portfolio of clients and services into new and emerging areas of the market.

The firm, which is owned and operated by the Wyers family, continues to enjoy a 25-year relationship with CBRE as one of its most

long-standing clients, as well as having developed relationships with JD Sports, BooHoo, St John’s Ambulance, Urban Splash.

New clients include Kier and Zenith Vehicle Hire.

Nik Wyers, Joint Managing Director at Floorbrite, says: “We’ve always believed that if we’re going to do something we have to do it well, but more importantly we’ve never been afraid to fail. The key to growing a business is to take calculated risks, which is exactly what we’ve done over the past seven years.

Thankfully the risks have paid off and we’re in a position to announce record turnover figures for 2017.

“Our plans for the next 12 months are to continue to grow our portfolio across the UK. The facilities market is incredibly buoyant at the moment and we’re pleased to be able to offer clients, both new and old, a vast array of high quality services through our own channels and close team of partners.”

Floorbrite was set up in 1972 by the late Martin Wyers and is now owned and operated by Chairman Linda Wyers, Joint Managing Directors Alex Wyers and Nik Wyers, and Marketing Director Nina Wyers. w

WIGAN

NEW FUTURE for world famous WIGAN PIER revealed Exciting plans for a multileisure destination have been revealed for the regeneration of Wigan Pier.

Step Places has been chosen by Wigan Council, in partnership with the Canal & River Trust, to take forward a world-class vision to transform the historic Wigan Pier Quarter into a striking modern destination.

The plans to transform the currently derelict 18th century industrial buildings into a mixed-use leisure destination will be a catalyst for wider development in the area.

Wigan Pier is a historic site on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in central Wigan. It was originally a coal loading jetty where wagons would unload coal on to canal

barges. It became famous through a music hall joke

by George Formby Snr and through its appearance in the title of George Orwell’s graphic description of the plight of the English working class in the early 20th century novel The Road to Wigan Pier.

In 2014 Wigan Council announced the start of a 10 year regeneration programme to create a ‘New Road to Wigan Pier’.

The three former industrial buildings on the Pier which will be transformed include The Warehouse, The Orwell public house, and the Education Centre.

The development partner Step Places is a rebrand of the FirstStep Group which is well known

across Greater Manchester and the North West for its regeneration schemes.

Harinder Dhaliwal of Step Places said: “Our proposals will see the buildings become a multifunctional leisure venue promoting arts, culture and events. We are truly excited to be part of a partnership delivering such a world class venue and bringing life back to Wigan Pier, respecting its past and heritage and the fact that these significant buildings have such local and national importance.”

The wider Wigan Pier Quarter has recently undergone a renaissance with the development of the Pier Centre conference centre and performance venue. w

Brownfield land targeted for THOUSANDS OF NEW HOMES Thousands of new homes in Wigan will be built on previously developed land, new figures reveal.

Wigan Council has published its brownfield land register which identifies 130 disused sites suitable for new housing development.

The borough has a strong track record in delivering brownfield sites for housing, with almost 1,000 homes built on previously developed sites over the last two years, two-thirds of the total completed.

The 130 identified sites have the potential to accommodate 9,600 homes in the future.

Wigan Council has a 10-year ambition to deliver enough quality housing to match demand and provide jobs and economic growth for the benefit of residents.

As set out in its Economic Prospectus, the council aims to create 10,000 jobs, enable the building of 10,000 new homes and create 12,000 apprenticeships over the next decade.

Karl Battersby, Wigan Council’s Director for Economy and Environment, said: “The council is committed to maximising housing delivery on previously developed sites in the borough. Brownfield land will make a significant contribution to addressing housing needs over the next 20 years and a key objective is to reduce the amount of green belt release needed to meet housing needs. The sites in the brownfield register will contribute to this need.”

Around 70 sites within the brownfield register already have planning permission, totalling around 5,400 homes, with the remainder deemed to be available, suitable and deliverable in the short to medium term.

Due to the borough’s mining and industrial past, a proportion of the brownfield sites have development constraints which need to be overcome, including contamination and mine shafts. w

W.HOWARD celebrates landmark anniversary The W.Howard Group is marking 60 years in business this year.

The Group, consisting of W.Howard Limited (Manchester & London), Polyco Limited (Powys) and W.Howard Kildare Limited (ROI) was originally established in 1958 as a traditional timber merchant, serving the local house building and construction industries in the North West.

In 1995, the current Group chief executive Jonathan Grant and his father Alan Grant decided to invest in plant to manufacture and distribute primed MDF mouldings.

Today the business has become one of the UK and Europe’s preferred partners to merchants, manufacturers and distributors within the construction and manufacturing industries, operating from four sites across the UK and Ireland.

As a leading manufacturer and supplier of primed, veneered, and foil wrapped MDF profiles, its head office is in Astley features a 100,000 sq ft factory and a 80,000 sq ft distribution centre.

In the South East it operates a dedicated collection and distribution depot based in West Thurrock.

In 2009 the company acquired Newtown-based foil and veneer wrapping specialist Polyco, and then in 2016 it bought Balcas Kildare to form a new company W.Howard Kildare.

Group Managing Director Graham William, said: “The fact that the business has not only survived but thrived under many different and often challenging market conditions over the past 60 years, is a real testament to the hard work and commitment of everyone in the team past and present. We have seen so many changes in the industry during this time and we are immensely proud of how the

business has developed strategically and grown with each opportunity.

“Looking forward we are dedicated to building on our established reputation in the market and continuing to be innovative in our approach to both the business and the products that we offer.” w www.gmchamber.co.uk

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AND FINALLY

Making us PROUD

Businesses have an opportunity to get involved with some fantastic initiatives across the city.

As the voice of around 5,000 Greater Manchester businesses we’re often asked to promote initiatives. Often these help us, and our members, to demonstrate our social responsibility and have a tangible impact right in the heart of our local communities.

With so many approaches it can be hard to work out what to get involved with but I would like to highlight four great projects that we’re proud to be associated with.

The first is Mental Health Awareness week, which starts on May 14th, where we are working with PwC and Barclays on their This is Me Green Ribbon campaign which encourages employers to set up effective, in-house channels of support and awareness.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is launching this initiative and will be speaking at our own annual dinner where all 700 people attending will be given green ribbons to wear on the night.

Various large firms have already engaged with this campaign and we’re encouraging SMEs to do the same.

We’ll be letting our members know how to access information and set up tools to put their own initiatives in place throughout May. The second is the Cancer Champion social movement which has been set up by the Greater Manchester Health & Social Care Partnership to mobilise Greater Manchester people and organisations on cancer prevention and early detection.

The goal is to create 20,000 individual ‘cancer champions’ from local organisations across the city, and during the next couple of months the campaign will be raising awareness on cervical and breast screening. Given the low take-up rate in some Greater Manchester regions - especially amongst younger women - I think it’s our collective responsibility as employers to get behind this drive.

The third initiative is MASH (Manchester Action on Street Health) which is a tiny but incredible charity that supports women engaged in sex work on the streets of Greater Manchester.

Many of the women come from violent and abusive backgrounds, and the MASH centre and mobile support

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van helps these women every single day.

They help them access local services, support those who want to escape ‘the beat’ and, in the majority of cases, simply help with things like free condoms, sexual health checks, access to hot meals and provide a safe, friendly space.

I’m really proud to have become a first ambassador for MASH and as a Chamber we are now working with the charity on launching the first cohort of ambassadors in order to educate businesses and raise much needed funds. This really is a case where even a small amount of money can make a massive difference to someone’s life, and I’m happy to speak with anyone who wants to know more.

Finally, I recently met Caroline Roberts Cherry, of Saffron Cherry TV and a trustee at the Royal Exchange theatre.

Caroline is executive producer on an exciting project due to air on BBC North West on 8th June. Emmeline Pankhurst, the making of a militant is presented by Sally Lindsay and features Emmeline’s great-granddaughter Helen uncovering parts of Emmeline’s story that have never been told, as well as unseen archive footage.

As champions for Lydia Becker, one of Emmeline’s inspirations, we were thrilled to hear that Lydia is also featured in the documentary. The twitter campaign for the programme is using the tag #BeMoreEmmeline and we’ll be adding our own #BeLikeLydia.

We hope to get Caroline involved at the Chamber to talk about the making of the programme and the commitment required to get this important story told from Manchester by a Manchesterbased company. So keep an eye on our website for this over the coming weeks as we will be able to share some exclusive Lydia Becker material with Chamber members.

We’ll be in touch with members soon about these projects, as well as our Social Value Awards and our Chamber Social Enterprise Hub, set in the heart of Bolton. In the meantime, if you want to know more, please drop me a line: stellabowdell@gmchamber.co.uk. w

Stella Bowdell, Director of Membership, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

Many of the women come from violent and abusive backgrounds, and the MASH centre and mobile support van helps these women every single day.

40% of children in Manchester are leaving primary school overweight or obese. Walking is one of the cheapest, easiest and most cost-effective ways there is to reduce this figure.

More children walking to school also means: • Reduced congestion and improved road safety around the school.

• Improved air quality and lower CO2 emissions.

• Increased footfall to local businesses.

WOW, Living Streets’ flagship walk to school initiative, increases walking rates by 23%, with a corresponding drop in car use. Sponsoring a local school to take part in WOW costs around than £1.50 per child and can have a significant long-term impact.

E: elise.downing@livingstreets.org.uk T: 020 7377 9794 W: livingstreets.org.uk/wow

Get in touch now to talk about how your business can help children in Greater Manchester to walk more in 2018.

Living Streets (The Pedestrians’ Association) is a Registered Charity No. 1108448 (England and Wales) and SCO39808 (Scotland).

Company Limited by Guarantee (England and Wales), Company Registration No. 5368409.

Registered office 4th Floor, Universal House, 88-94 Wentworth Street, London E1 7SA.