Tu esTuesday, day, Febr uary21, 16, 2012 2016 June 19, 2012 Tuesday, August
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Electrical engineers’ Firm’s focus on success on Lincs farm future finances
The voiceupwith a Cooking a treat: trans-atlantic tale Young’s goes gastro
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Offices are final piece of potato empire puzzle by Dave Laister
TRANSFORMATION COMPLETE: Richard Arundel, managing director of potato processor AKP. Picture: Jon Corken
Business Editor
dave.laister@gsmg.co.uk
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early £3-million has been invested into making northern Lincolnshire a central hub for the needs of some of the UK’s biggest potato sellers. Elsham Wold has just become the new headquarters for AKP Group, supplier to supermarket giant Morrisons and major chip manufacturer McCain. A state-of-the-art office block, temperature controlled potato storage facility and grading line, together with extensions to existing handling areas have just been completed, with the 13-year-old firm headed by Richard Arundel moving the whole administration back into the area from York. The son of Grimsby town centre and Freeman Street markets grocer David Arundel, who also used to act as a potato merchant to the area’s fish and chip shops, joined forces with Suffolk businessman Bruce Kerr in 1999. The former KP potato storage facility which has now been substantially developed, was acquired in 2007, when a project began to grow skin finished potatoes on the Isle of Axholme. “We wanted to show we could produce the required quality locally that supermarkets were buying in from Herefordshire, Scotland or even importing,” he said. “Morrisons backed us with it and we went to Yorkshire Forward (the scrapped regional development agency) putting together a plan. We then tied the supply chain up and got the funding.” That equated to £700,000. With Morrisons’ rapid growth in the retail world, the business has been propelled quickly, and working with Eastoft-based L Harrison & Co, the infrastructure to allow for
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Big space with benefits: Huge enterprise zone hits the market
SPEAKERS: Sir Roger Carr, left, and Gavin Esler. DAYS after long-reaching strategic plans for the development of northern Lincolnshire were unveiled, a key site for economic development has been opened up to investors. The Brocklesby Estate, a major land owner, is bringing to market more than 50 acres of port-neighbouring plots. Sir Roger Carr, president of the CBI and Gavin Esler, Just weekfor North EastasLincolnshire bestlast known his role a presenterCouncil on BBC unveiled its pre-submission draft Local with the Newsnight, have been confirmed as Plan, the guest economic strategy looking ahead to 2032 speakers at one of the region’s leading alongside business it. gatherings later this year. A key both is the Humber Thepart CBIofYorkshire andSouth Humber Annual Dinner Infrastructure Project (SHIIP), a takes placeInvestment at Leeds University on October 10. £30 million scheme to open up more of the bank to It will be one of the first events with John employment use. Fitzgerald, port director for Grimsby and ItImmingham, follows NorthasLincolnshire commitments chairman ofCouncil’s the region. to Humberside and Able Marine Energy Mr Esler is Airport an award-winning television andPark radio andbroadcaster, neighbouring logistics centre, as reported last novelist and journalist. month. His latest book, due to hit the shelves next month, SHIIP further links Grimsby and focuses on lessons that can beImmingham’s gleaned from employment together with new leaders in areas, how they tell stories, andenterprise will be the zones, and has been described as “one of the bosses, subject of his speech to the area’s business biggest investments that the council will ever make”. and their guests. ● Full story oninformation page 23. about the dinner, which is For more frequently well represented by the South Bank and features a drinks reception within Parkinson Court, home to the famous Marks & Spencer archive and art gallery, e-mail katya.menhennet@cbi.org.uk or visit http://yorkshire-annual-dinner.eventbrite.com
Top table is set for CBI dinner
£20m milestone passed
A FURTHER £4-million of investment across the region this last quarter has seen the total funds issued by Finance Yorkshire climb to £23-million. The money, available to firms in northern further increases has now been put employed, handling 120,000 tonnes Park on Grimsby’s flagship Lincolnshire in seedcorn, loan and equity linked in place. Europarc development, will be of potatoes a year. Of that, 35,000 investments – ranging from £15,000 to £2-million – officially opened this week by tonnes are self-grown, with a “We have taken two years to get is there to help small and medium sized businesses Agriculture and Horticulture to this,” said Mr Arundel. “We got growing group in this region and meet their growth and development requirements. Board chairman around another site Suffolk, the grant funding for storage and NNOVATION inin green energy Development by Dave Laister The figure amounts to 224 investments in 183 Godfrey CBE, himself a contributing grading operations in 2009, and small and medium sized enterprises since August is aboutthetobalance. be rolled out John Business Editor farmer. built the storage throughout 2010, Recently 15 employees 2010, leading to more than 4,600 jobs created and nationwide with were a major North Lincolnshire dave.laister@gsmg.co.uk to be open for that harvest. We Mr Arundel added: “We’re added, with three graduate safeguarded in the region. In the last quarter alone, sales push as fledgling techhave had potatoes in from 2010 and trainees also part of the company, looking forward to opening the the venture capital and loan fund completed 30 nology manufactured Grimsby new 2011, and the whole project has circulating offers. facility cold storewithin and grading specialising in growing, in logistics investments totalling more than £4.3 million. becomes proven. been finished with the offices just – the uncharacteristic weather and technical elements, including Having set up Hyrax Solar Power Alex McWhirter, chief executive of Finance now. conditions brought usago a at agronomy . The remaining Entrepreneur Stuart Dixon has Companyhave Ltd 18 months Yorkshire, said: “We are looking forward to building challenging year, butPark, the opening investment has seen a fleet of six brought together enhanced solar Westside Business he is now on these figures and helping more companies “Our desire is to have more is just rewards for everyone’s panels, heat pumps andin to deliver event seeking to take it mainstream, with achieve growth in the coming months. Mercedes rigs brought quality potato producers local to a growing refrigerants to customers, bring a system work. number of early the potatoes to withtothe hard this site. It would cut down on “We urge established and early stage companies successes blossoming market that can create heat for primary route Morrisons’ packing transport costs. There is still a lot to continue to speak to us to see if Finance “The new facility will as notcase only studieus s. to meet the demand of water and space, day and night. operations near Harrogate. of potential, it will help the Yorkshire can help turn their ambitions into a reality.” enable environmental footprint and this Dixon said: “I used Supported by the European Union, it has attracted The former BirdsaEye engineer ourMr biggest customers, butto we’ve Keen to cultivate prosperous manufacture under floor heating £30-million investment from the European Regional part of the world has the ability to future and keen is proud successfully improved the for innovator Lincolnshire potatoof the also systems, and being an inventor Development Fund, £15-million from Yorkshire grow some of the best potatoes in thermodynamic solarftinstallations, quality and freshness of our farmers, the 32,000sq storage kind ofby person, I thought there was Forward’s Single Programme, and £45-million match the country, that is what we are that canand generate through rain and potatoes reducing facility 4,000 sq ft two storey a greener way of doing it all. funding from the European Investment Bank. majoring on.” in darkness due to the enhanced transportation, handling and using office development – which drew For information visit www.finance-yorkshire.com capacity thefrom specialist fluid ● latest Continued page four. the cold on store technologies.” inspiration Genesis Office A total of 44 people are now
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