TuTuesday, esday,August March 15, 2012 2016 June 21, 19, 2012 Tuesday,
www.humberb www.hum berbusiness.comusiness.com www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/business www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/business
Road tofocus recovery: Firm’s on Store numbers future finances thrive page seesee page 2 3
President’s for Cooking uppraise a treat: offshore Young’s operator goes gastro
On aMary roll: Online Will approve business miletone high street leases?
see page page 16 11 see
seepage page22 X see
‘Britannia’s seafood Offices are final piece could rule the waves’ of potato empire puzzle by Dave Laister Business Editor by Dave Laister
SPEAKERS: Sir Roger Carr, left, and Gavin Esler. TRANSFORMATION COMPLETE: Richard Arundel, managing director of potato processor AKP. Picture: Jon Corken
dave.laister@grimsbytelegraph.co.uk Business Editor
E N
dave.laister@gsmg.co.uk
FFORTS to bring more British fish to Grimsby early £3-million as has been have intensified key reinvested into the making lations between home Lincolnshire a of thenorthern UK’s leading processing hub for the needs sectorcentral and Scotland’s catching ofmight some of furthered. the UK’s biggest were potato sellers. Several high-profile skippers from theWold number Elsham hasone justlanding becomeport the of Peterhead toured fish new headquarters forthe AKP Group, market and a pioneeringgiant supplier to supermarket processingand plant, with positive Morrisons major chip talks held during an encouraging manufacturer McCain. trade mission. A state-of-the-art office block, Supply andcontrolled the potential value temperature potato such provenance purely British storage facility anda grading line, product with couldextensions bring was to at the together centre of discussions existing handling areasafter haveNorth just Sea quotas for key species been completed, with the were significantly expanded. The 13-year-old firm headed by Richard anticipated move came days after Arundel moving the whole an initial visit back northinto by athe Humber administration area delegation from York. in November. Theson group includedtown Jimmy The of Grimsby centre Buchan, of television’s The and Freeman Street markets Trawlermen fame, who chairs grocer David Arundel, who alsothe Scottish used to actFishermen’s as a potato merchant to Organisation (SFO), asshops, well as the area’s fish and chip three forces other skipper owners, joined with Suffolk together withBruce the SFO quota businessman Kerr in 1999. manager, assistant harbour The former KP potato storage master and senior processing facility which has now been representative from Peterhead. substantially developed, was They met influential acquired in 2007, when afigures project from Flatfish, Icelandic Seachill, began to grow skin finished Young’son and cluster potatoes the Isle oforganisation Axholme. Seafood Grimsby & Humber, with “We wanted to show we could Seafish the – the industry authority – produce required quality organising the event. locally that supermarkets were Grimin sby ’s legacy from a largely buying from Herefordshire, lost catching industry of its own Scotland or even importing,” he was “Morrisons spelled out by Mikeus Mitchell, said. backed with it who has justtobrought the Forward curtain and we went Yorkshire down on a 34-year career with (the scrapped regional Young’s Seafood, though he development agency) putting remainsaan advisor to the together plan. We then tied the businechain ss. supply up and got the funding.” He told how 70 per cent of UK-consumed seafood is handled That equated to £700,000. With here, how all major retailers buy Morrisons’ rapid growth in the here,world, and ofthe thebusiness greatest has been retail concentration of cold storage in propelled quickly, and working Europe clustered in the town, & and with Eastoft-based L Harrison thethe largest brands in to theallow market. Co, infrastructure for
Top table is set for CBI dinner
Sir Roger Carr, president of the CBI and Gavin Esler, best known for his role as a presenter on BBC Newsnight, have been confirmed as the guest speakers at one of the region’s leading business gatherings later this year. The CBI Yorkshire and Humber Annual Dinner takes place at Leeds University on October 10. It will be one of the first events with John Fitzgerald, port director for Grimsby and Immingham, as chairman of the region. Mr Esler is an award-winning television and radio broadcaster, novelist and journalist. His latest book, due to hit the shelves next month, focuses on lessons that can be gleaned from leaders in how they tell stories, and will be the subject of his speech to the area’s business bosses, and their guests. For more information about the dinner, which is 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
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
WARM WELCOME: Grimsby author Dr Stephen Bloy, right, signs a copy of his book, Hidden Truth, for Scottish skipper Jimmy Buchan, on his visit to Flatfish Ltd, as directors Nigel Clarke, Steve Stansfield, Reece Stansfield, and Richard Stansfield look on. further increases has now been put Mr Buchan said: “It is our in place. pleasure be here you “We havetotaken twowith years to and get shows how important to toitthis,” said Mr Arundel.fish “Weisgot this area and why we have been the grant funding for storage and invitedoperations down. To hear 40 million grading in 2009, and people within four hours2010, of built theare storage throughout here is a tremendous statistic, to be open for that harvest. We thathad ’s three quarters of the UK. have potatoes in from 2010 and We have been inspired andhas we will 2011, and the whole project takefinished that home. It the hasoffices been great been with just to be here to see this.” now. The desire delegation “Our is to was havegiven morea tour of Flatfish in producers Stirling Street, quality potato local ato business hascut just beenon this site. Itthat would down recognised as an inspiring transport costs. There is stillTop a lot Company byhelp the London of1,000 potential, it will the Stock Exchange, and gained one environmental footprint and this of the strongest British part of the world has the Retail ability to Certification assessments. grow some of the best potatoes in theWith country, what we are fuel that costsisdropping, majoring on.” abundant stocks and more vessel building, involved are keen to A total of all 44 people are now
Your daily port of call for regional business news
£20m milestone passed employed, handling 120,000 tonnes on the workOfdone far. ofbuild potatoes a year. that,so35,000 Steve Norton, chief with executive of tonnes are self-grown, a Seafoodgroup Grimsby & Humber, said: growing in this region and “We had a wonderful to around another site in visit Suffolk, Peterhead in November contributing the balance. and identified15 clearly wherewere we can Recently employees collaborate as angraduate industry. This added, with three return visit further strengthens trainees also part of the company, this relationship. specialising in growing, logistics is good to hear of investment and“It technical elements, including in new vessels in Scotland, and agronomy . The remaining great to see anseen increase inof quota. investment has a fleet six There will bebrought times ofin year when Mercedes rigs to deliver they cannottoprocess everything in the potatoes customers, with the Scotland and Morrisons’ we can do itpacking on the primary route Humber. near Harrogate. operations “Here the largest critical mass Keen to is cultivate a prosperous of processors and the gateway future for Lincolnshire potato to the consumer. I really hope this is farmers, the 32,000sq ft storage the beginning a ft very and facility and 4,000ofsq twolong storey rewarding trading–relationship. office development which drew We all need to work together, inspiration from Genesis Officethe
Park on Grimsby’s flagship industrydevelopment, has shrunk, there will be Europarc will be more consolidation, we face officially opened this week by common problems and we Agriculture and Horticulture Development chairman shouldn’t letBoard the matter of 300 John Godfrey himself a are miles changeCBE, all that. There North farmer. someLincolnshire really good things we can do Mr Arundel added: “We’rea lot of it with North Sea fisheries, looking forward to opening the is Marine Stewardship Council new acccold reditstore ed.” and grading facility – the uncharacteristic weather The visit came just days conditions have brought us aafter Grimsby’s year, Royalbut Dock challenging thehad opening welcomed a recently event is just Kirkella, rewards for everyone’s built distant water freezer factory hard work. sternnew trawler to the town. Owners “The facility will not only enable us the to meet demand of trialled port the facilities our biggest customers, but to we’ve successfully as they seek bring also improved the thesuccessfully Hull-registered 86m vessel quality and of our back to thefreshness Humber more potatoes frequenby tly.reducing transportation, handling and using ● latest Continued on page six. the cold store technologies.”
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 Lincolnshire in seedcorn, loan and equity linked investments – ranging from £15,000 to £2-million – is there to help small and medium sized businesses meet their growth and development requirements. The figure amounts to 224 investments in 183 small and medium sized enterprises since August 2010, leading to more than 4,600 jobs created and safeguarded in the region. In the last quarter alone, the venture capital and loan fund completed 30 investments totalling more than £4.3 million. Alex McWhirter, chief chairman executivePeter of Finance SCUNTHORPE United Swann will Yorkshire, said: “We are to building address Lincolnshire Ironlooking & Steelforward Institute’s annual on these figures and helping more companies dinner next month. achieve growth in the coming months. It comes ahead of a big order for the vital “We urge established and stageofcompanies construction material that is early the focus the to continue toafter speak us to see if Finance organisation, thetoclub secured planning Yorkshire can help turn their ambitions into a reality.” permission newEuropean 12,000-seater Supportedfor byathe Union,stadium. it has attracted The event,investment in its 83rd year, place at Regional The £30-million from takes the European Baths Hall on Friday, April 22. Development Fund, £15-million from Yorkshire PresidentSingle Dave Programme, Collins will also at the event, Forward’s andspeak £45-million match funding from the European with entertainment from BillyInvestment Flywheel. Bank. For information www.finance-yorkshire.com details emailvisit claire.freeman@tatasteel.com.
Iron chairman’s LISI dinner date
CONTENTS:Energy P8-9 Chemicals 10 Energy 12-13 Food 14-15 Business Support Support 12 16 Careers Training 14 17 Business Careers 18 Ports & 15 Logistics 20 Training Commercial Vehicles 23Vehicles Commercial Laister’s Last Word 21 CONTENTS: P6 Chemicals P8 Ports and Logistics 10 Business Solutions Food 16 17 Commercial 18 Property Diary 2028 Commercial Property
Calling PROVIDER all retailers PROFESSIONAL OF Safety, Health & Environmental opportunities exist on...Training ©LW
GTE-E01-S3 GTE-E01-S3
COURSES AVAILABLE IN: E K^, EĂƟŽŶĂů ŝƉůŽŵĂ ͻ E K^, EĂƟŽŶĂů ĞƌƟĮĐĂƚĞ ͻ /K^, DĂŶĂŐŝŶŐ ^ĂĨĞůLJ See Page 3 for more details... Turn to page 3