Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Huge italian rail wins for british steel
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On Line Group’s £5m statement of intent A £5 million statement of intent has been revealed by a South Bank engineering giant as it looks to establish itself as a national contractor of choice across heavy industry. On Line Design and Engineering’s new headquarters is with planners, as the major employer looks to further raise its profile, while keeping its heart in its Immingham homeland. More than 200 staff are now employed by the technical consultancy specialist, which has just been included in Westminster publication The Parliamentary Review of Construction and Engineering, as it works on $1 billion of capital infrastructure projects across the UK.
By david laister david.laister@reachplc.com @davelaister
Managing director Brendan Conlan said: “It is a statement to say we are here, we are making an investment to keep engineering design and project management within Humberside at a time when for many it is being offshored. “We want to make On Line a national engineering and design business. I have wanted to build a new office since I came here three and a half years ago. We have had three-and-a-half years of growth, double digit growth, and have trebled the turnover of the consultancy. Last year was phenom-
On Line Group’s new headquarters, which is now in for planning with North East Lincolnshire Council. Inset, Brendan Conlan, chairman of Catch and managing director of On Line Design and Engineering.
enal, and this year will have increased turnover again on the back of a phenomenal year again.” It is on track to go from £8.9 million in 2015 to £24 million in the latest financial results. Grimsby’s ID Architecture has brought the impressive proposal forward, and it is hoped consent for the build, on land neighbouring the current Pelham Road premises, will be granted in the new year. Impressed by the ID team, recently relocated to Garth Lane, it was selected from four detailed proposals, with enthusiasm for the project lapped up. Mr Conlan said: “We want to make
On Line a national engineering and design business. We’d like to be in by quarter one 2020, we are having the detailed design done in parallel to the planning, and hoping to put contracts in place by the end of quarter one, with a view to breaking ground in quarter two. “It is a statement of intent. We are not going anywhere. On Line has been here for more than 35 years, and the current building, and our clients, have served us well.” Paying tribute to his chairman Jeff Laird’s unstinting efforts throughout his career, he said: “This is us saying to clients ‘thanks for all the support, we
are now making this investment to be here to support you over the next period’. We are showing the Humber is still a place that can be relied on from a technical perspective.” Under Mr Conlan, who also chairs the Catch public/private sector training organisation based at Stallingborough, the company’s remit has been significantly widened. When he joined the work was 95 per cent petrochemical and 99 per cent in the Humber, now oil accounts for 65 per cent of the Continued on page 2
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www.humberbusiness.com and facebook.com/grimsbytel and twitter.com/grimsbytel British Steel’s Stress-Free heat treated rail in production.
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Steely resolve lands massive contracts
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ritish Steel has won two multimillion pound contracts to supply 86,000 tonnes of rail to Italy. The agreement with Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, the manager of the country’s railway infrastructure, includes 18,000 tonnes of its premium Stress-Free heat treated rail, and follows two other major deals at home and abroad. In September, the Scunthorpe team had its Network Rail contract extended for a further two years, with Belgium following with a four-year agreement in October. Richard Bell, British Steel’s commercial director for rail, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded these contracts which reflect the excellent working relationship we have with national rail operators and our ongoing commitment to delivering high quality rail in Italy. “For each of our agreements with RFI, Network Rail and Infrabel, we’ve had to go
through a rigorous tendering process so these contracts are excellent demonstrations of our ability to provide first class products and services in highly competitive markets.” Of British Steel’s latest contracts with RFI, one is for 68,000 tonnes of its standard grade rail and the other for 18,000 tonnes of its premium heat-treated SF350 rails. Both deals are for rail in lengths of 108 metres. The premium SF heat treated rail - with steel manufactured in Scunthorpe before being rolled in France - is on top of 68,000 tonnes of standard grade rail, and is designed for use in curved or heavy haul tracks where wear and fatigue are significant issues. Mr Bell said: “Our SF range is increasingly popular as rail is being asked to perform for longer in heavier traffic. We developed ‘stress-free’ heat-treated rail to address the industry needs for high resistance to wear, rolling contact fatigue and
On Line Group unveils new £5m statement of intent Continued from page one
business, of which less than 50 per cent is in the region as growth has come elsewhere. “We have always served clients in oil and gas, and over the last three years we have moved into utilities, with water, and nuclear also,” he said. “This is without diluting the existing work. We still serve three quarters of the refineries in the UK.” Rail is now being looked at as strategic plans are brought forward for the next decade. Employment demand
remains strong too, with headcount up from 105 to 220 in the same period, and no sign of slacking. “We have committed, over the next five years, to have a minimum of 20 apprentices and increase the headcount by a further 80 - these are all well paid, solid jobs,” Mr Conlan added. Grimsby’s Anglia Engineering Services has been rebranded as the manufacturing arm of On Line now, with recruitment divisions merged within the group too.
improved foot fatigue performance to extend the service life of rail and thereby reduce the whole life cost. “Products like this reduce the need for costly and lengthy maintenance and replacement programmes thereby maximising track availability and allowing trains to run for longer – major benefits for operators and their customers.” British Steel opened a rail logistics hub in Lecco, northern Italy, last year to service demand. It can provide a full range of high quality long length rail with just-in-time, and reliable, delivery anywhere in the country. Mr Bell added: “Our customers recognise we provide excellent quality and reliability and, as demonstrated by these contracts, Lecco is enabling British Steel to better serve Italy’s network providers with premium rail solutions.”
On Line Group’s new headquarters, which is now in for planning with North East Lincolnshire Council.
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Major expansion helps firm hoard the boards
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MAJOR plank of a significant phased expansion has completed for Scunthorpebased Caspian Access and Plant Hire Ltd, as it creates the single-biggest scaffold board production site in the UK. The Midland Road access specialist has invested in new premises, transforming the former Jack Tighe site on the neighbouring junction with East Common Lane, as it enhances its footprint following an acquisition. It, and additional land acquired, brings with it capacity for substantial further growth. Last December, Caspian bought out Gainsborough company John Brash. Eight staff and the machinery for grading and assessing the safetycritical boarding transferred, with an Immingham facility absorbed into the central location too. It is on target to turnover £16 million this year. Neil Garrison, managing director, said: “John Brash was the biggest scaffold board producer in the country. Part of the deal was we had to move the facility from where it was, and this is the new facility. We now have a site here, once finished, that will give us a capacity of two million boards a year, with what we had before and what we purchased. “Next year we will be looking to expanding and increase volumes.” It is a 100 per cent increase from where the business was a year ago, with 50 people now employed across the business. End-to-end, the boards at full capacity would stretch 5,000 miles, more than reaching the rapidly-developing Middle East
Caspian Access and Plant Hire managing director, Neil Garrison, right, with Barclays relationship director Chris Rushworth.
Business Month in review
Fifth Humber port and free trade zone
ECONOMY: Ambitious plans have been laid out in Westminster for ensuring North Lincolnshire succeeds after Brexit. The local authority claims that if fully realised, the plans outlined in the House of Lords could create 14,000 new jobs and pump £721 million into the economy. A ten point plan, previewed with local business leaders and first reported in October, calls for creating a fifth Humber port and free trade zone, improving road and rail links and boosting broadband coverage. Transport links in addition to the transformation of the fallow Able Marine Energy Park to thriving quaysides, as witnessed with neighbour Immingham, are also a key focus. The east-to-west rail connectivity should be improved and north-tosouth road connectivity should be transformed, according to the plan.
‘Best industrial base’ countries it can be traed back to serving, and the region it takes its name from. Launched by Grimsby exporter Bob Tyler, who remains a shareholder, his generalist operations picked up on the demand for scaffolding in the late Seventies as the UAE, Iran and the wider area emerged as a strong market. Domestic operations followed, with Mr Garrison joining and Caspian being formed in 1992, developing in Scunthorpe, with Hull and an enhanced Grimsby depot operation following. Not only does it now supply the vital plant, but provides safety training and is a recognised grading site for the industry standard. Expansion has been supported with new funding facilities from Bar-
clays, with further land purchased across East Common Lane through the bank’s Northern Powerhouse Fund. “We’ll be looking to put a building on there in the next two years,” Mr Garrison anticipated. He added: “We’ve been growing organically since we started out in 1992, and we have worked alongside Barclays for many years and they recently funded the acquisition. This new funding deal has enabled us to secure more land so that we can build an additional facility for our rapid expansion plans. We’re thrilled that Barclays has been able to support us with very tailored funding solutions for our continued growth plans and to take the business to the next level of our trading ambitions.” The £500 million Northern Powerhouse Growth Fund was established
to inject investment into businesses, and targeted at established businesses with ambitious growth plans, start-ups with high growth potential, companies with early-stage equity funding and businesses focusing on innovation, research and development, and technology. Chris Rushworth, a Barclays relationship director, put together the funding package for the deal. He said: “Caspian Access and Plant Hire is a great example of a thriving business that is expanding for the future and contributing to the local economy. The new funding from our Northern Powerhouse Fund will enable the company to increase stock and reach new markets and we’re delighted to be able to support Neil and his team with their growth ambitions.”
DEVELOPMENT: A major marketing campaign aiming to attract inward investment and create thousands of new jobs has been launched in North East Lincolnshire. ‘South Humber - Britain’s Best Industrial Base’ will spell out the benefits of locating to the area to an international audience, as a £30 million project to make 500 acres of land ‘oven-ready’ for economic development is launched. The bold claim has been backed up with research, underlining the skilled workforce, low cost land and transport links enjoyed by the area. It is part of the big sell of South Humber Industrial Investment Programme, based on these pillars, where it is hoped strong manufacturing and logistics businesses will be attracted to, building on the neighbouring port and existing sector strengths.
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Humber in prime position to supply nation’s green energy With an offshore wind sector deal understood to be imminent, generation records being blown away and the next auction round confirmed for May, the spotlight has once again been on the region’s enviable role in green generation this past month. David Laister reports.
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he Humber remains in pole position to serve up the nation’s future offshore wind ambition, after The Crown Estate revealed its proposed locations for the issuing of new seabed rights. Southern North Sea, East Anglia and Dogger Bank are three of five regions be immediately included, with further consideration being given to the Yorkshire Coast and The Wash – in which all developments to date operated and maintained out of Grimsby currently sit. Together, with the Energy Estuary at the heart, they are five of nine regions to be taken forward, with a further nine being dropped from what will be classed as ‘Round Four’ following extensive analysis. It has seen the entire wider Thames estuary, and the coastline from Dorset to North Wales ruled out. Significant development constraints have been identified, including defence ranges and exercise areas; visual sensitivity and overlap with busy shipping routes. Details of the proposed tender design were being shared at an engagement event with developers today. Jonny Boston, senior development manager at The Crown Estate, THE next phase of offshore wind comes after Race Bank Extension emerged in the final additions to current rounds, pushing the pipeline from Grimsby’s UK-leading wind cluster towards 8GW. The Round Three Hornsea zone, currently in construction and development with Orsted, is within the Southern North Sea region, with Sofia, Creyke Beck and Teesside at Dogger Bank (having been developed under that name
Map showing proposed region refinement for Round Four offshore wind development by The Crown Estate.
said: “We are pleased to share the work we’ve undertaken since the summer to refine our initial proposals for Round Four, building on the extensive and constructive feedback we received from statutory bodies and the market. “To reach this point, we’ve undertaken significant analysis, in close engagement with statutory stakeholders, to help build a detailed picture of seabed resource and con-
straints around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We will continue to refine this work as we progress with our plans, helping build the evidence base to reduce consenting risk, balance a range of needs on the seabed, and ensure developers are well placed to bring the strongest possible projects forward.” The Crown Estate will now work with technical partners and build the evidence base on the nine
regions being taken forward, enabling it to finalise the regions to be offered to market, ahead of confirming the launch of Round Four, and later, help to inform developers in their identification of sites. It is also commissioning additional work on key issues of uncertainty, including further assessments on marine protected area sensitivities, ornithology and visibility analysis.
The region refinement announcement has been welcomed by key stakeholders. Mark O’Reilly, chairman and chief executive of Team Humber Marine Alliance, said: “Grimsby and the Humber already has an excellent pipeline of projects in the North Sea and the possibility of new ‘Round Four’ sites as well as planned extensions can only strengthen the region’s position as one of the
Pipeline from UK-leading wind cluster heading towards 8GW before being split between developers Innogy and a joint venture between SSE and Equinor). With Hornsea already secured and the Danish giant’s East Coast Hub emerging, the latter are targets to land operations and maintenance on the Humber, with a sailing time to rival North East ports, and the benefits of an already-developed O&M cluster.
Sofia, from the same company as Triton Knoll, was granted consent in 2015. It is currently progressing through the latter stages of development, with a final investment decision on the 1.2GW farm dependent on a successful Contracts for Difference result, with the next auction due in May. Creyke Beck, a two-phase 2.4GW development, takes the name of the
onshore substation - north of Cottingham on the outskirts of Hull - which it will connect to. Consents were obtained in 2015, but an application to amend to allow larger turbines as technology developed is currently with the Government. It is being brought forward by SSE and Equinor, so too Teesside,which lands in the North East, as a further 1.2GW project.
Last month saw records tumbled for generation across the UK, with 7GW of offshore generation surpassed for the first time as Storm Diana brought winds of up to 80mph. Combined with onshore, 12GW of total wind generation was hit for a first time, just after 11am on Wednesday, November 28. Offshore peaked at 1pm.
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‘Truly a landmark achievement’ A major milestone has been reached on what will become the world’s largest offshore wind farm, with the export cable system installed on Hornsea One months ahead of schedule. Featuring 467km of cable, enough to stretch from London to Newcastle, as well as a further onshore lay of 38km to connect to the national grid at the North Killingholme onshore substation, it is the longest of its type ever to be installed. When fully operational in 2020, it will have the capacity to deliver back enough electricity for more than one million homes, from 174 turbines via three offshore substations, through a reactive compensation station, then to shore. Duncan Clark, programme director for Hornsea One and Two, said: “This record-breaking project is a step up in scale from the offshore wind farms we have today. It will be the first offshore wind farm in the world with a capacity
world’s leading offshore wind hubs. “The steadfast commitment to the offshore wind industry by regional stakeholders and business groups such as THMA and GRP is driving long term economic growth across the Energy Estuary.” Andy Goudie, chairman of Grimsby Renewables Partnership, said: “Grimsby and the Humber ports are in an excellent position to deliver an operations and maintenance hub as a global centre of excellence for the North Sea, with an infrastructure, talent pool and business community poised to build upon our firm foundations. “The Crown Estate announcements are welcome and supported as we work to deliver the largest global offshore wind farms, in order to secure the country’s green energy requirements. The needs remain clear, after new analysis illustrates a continuing upward trend in greenhouse gasses, and record temperatures. It is time to change, and Grimsby and the East Coast are prime for these developments, to deliver investment, jobs, and sustainable development.” It came as Orsted, Grimsby’s biggest inward investor in the sector, raised its ambition for offshore wind delivery for 2025 by 20 per cent from 12GW to 15GW. A spokesperson said: “The Crown Estate’s intention to lease more sites and the Government’s ambitions for offshore wind are both extremely positive for the future of the industry in the UK. Offshore wind can be the backbone of our energy system, while at the same time creating high value jobs and building supply chains.”
over 1GW, and at 120km out to sea, we are pioneering new technology and really at the forefront of scaling up clean energy infrastructure with each phase we complete. “I’d personally like to thank our team including all of the contractors who have enabled us to reach this milestone ahead of
Tideways’ Living Stone vessel at Hornsea One, as Orsted announces the export cable has completed.
schedule. Over 35 vessels were involved in delivering the installation, which was conducted safely and efficiently by all. An incredible feat of logistical co-ordination, and truly a landmark achievement for both the project
and the growing offshore wind industry across the globe.” Termination and testing is also being completed ahead of schedule, and is expected to conclude within the first months of the new year. Well over 100 of the 174 foundations have now been installed, and turbine installation is expected to start in the new year too.
Mark O’Reilly, second left, with Orsted’s Emma Toulsen, Lauren Little and Jason Ledden.
Team Humber Marine Alliance has reached its 250 members milestone with the addition of Ørsted. The Danish giant operates three offshore wind farms from its base in Grimsby and is currently constructing Hornsea One and Hornsea Two off the Yorkshire coast. Team Humber Marine Alliance, a not-for-profit business which represents the interests of the marine and offshore wind supply chain, is seen as the voice of the industry in the Humber and further afield. Chief executive Mark O’Reilly said that Ørsted had joined the organisation at a time when there was intense interest in the region
Orsted becomes 250th member of Team Humber Marine Alliance from other areas of the world that were embarking on their offshore wind journey. “They are seeking advice on how to ensure a robust supply chain and how we work together for the prosperity of our region,” he said. “The breadth of our membership has been key to this success and having such a highprofile business helping us mark our 250 milestone both adds to our credibility and provides great networking opportunities for our established membership.” Ørsted has been a regular
feature of the annual conference held by the organisation. Emma Toulson, Ørsted’s lead stakeholder advisor, said that Team Humber Marine Alliance played a vital role in connecting and mobilising the offshore wind supply chain as well as putting the region at the centre of offshore wind on a worldwide stage. “Joining Team Humber will help us access local expertise and contribute to the region’s ambitions,” she said. “We are looking forward to being part of this vibrant group of Humber businesses.”
Month in review
International steel deal completed MINERALS: A major international deal with Scunthorpe operations at the heart has completed. LKAB Minerals has closed the acquisition of Francis Flower, with both businesses playing critical roles in British Steel’s supply chain. Agreed in October, the buy-out was given international clearance last month. Both have a strong presence in northern Lincolnshire, with LKAB’s main UK operations at Flixborough and Francis Flower’s largest production stream embedded within the steelworks.
Indoor farm is unveiled AGRICULTURE: A huge indoor farm has been unveiled in Scunthorpe, with a solar-powered warehouse now geared up to grow 500 tonnes of herbs and produce a year. Jones Food Company has taken on a disused cold store on Foxhills Industrial Estate, with several fields of crops compressed by stacking 17 high in a nutrient-rich completely controlled environment. Claiming to be the world’s most advanced commercial vertical farm, a first harvest is being prepared for, with the potential to produce 12 crops a year across 5,120 square meters. Directors Dr Paul Challinor, Gary Thorney-Croft and James LloydJones are behind the high-tech venture.
Flatfish net frozen range SEAFOOD: Grimsby’s familyowned seafood processor, Flatfish, is behind a new frozen range launched by Waitrose & Partners. The Stirling Street operation, lauded for its industry-leading standards, is providing the up-market retailer with four new ready-to-cook choices, across more than 200 branches. It includes three British-caught lines - cod, hake and monkfish with the Stansfield family’s significant investment in fostering relations and best practice with vessel skippers to buy direct paying off.
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£6m record turnover in sight and ‘not worried about Brexit’
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specialist firm that exports advanced medical and security technology has just completed its biggest order in a proud 170year history. And the managing director behind Barton’s Braun and Co Ltd, Barry Shepherd has urged fellow South Bank companies not to cower from international trade as Brexit looms. The business will head into 2019 on course for a record £6 million turnover, after four huge cargo scanners have been sourced and installed for border points between Ghana, Togo, Nigeria and Benin, on behalf of the Economic Community of West African States. The project was worth £5.1 million, with Braun capitalising on a demand for British engineering quality, working with third party manufacturers in Hull, Lincoln and across Europe, to provide turnkey solutions for clients. It is strongest in Africa and Indonesia, and benefits from the requirement of countries where UK foreign aid goes, to buy British with a percentage of the budgets afforded. Director Lucy Lyon, Mr Shepherd’s daughter, and one of five siblings in the firm, said: “It makes it such an exciting year, having secured the largest contract we have ever had for security equipment.” A further £500,000 win for body scanners is being delivered for the Anti-Narcotic Force in Pakistan, working with the United Nations. Founded in London in 1848, by Henry Braun, a German engineer who had come to Britain in the 1800s, fine engineering model-making was the specialism, with working scale items from steam trains to
Braun & Co Ltd based in Barton. Barry Shepherd and Lucy Lyon by an anaesthesia machine. PICTURE: Sarah Washbourn
breweries produced for the world fairs of the day. The intricacy of it lent itself to medical deployment in the 1930s. At the time Mr Shepherd’s father, Reginald, worked for the son of Mr Braun, and were described as “both good engineers who developed a father-son relationship.” In 1936 Mr Shepherd Snr bought the company from Mr Braun Jnr and at the outbreak of war medical manufacturing turned to munitions, specifically grenades. The Blitz led to a relocation to Barton, with Mr Shepherd Snr familiar with the area having been born to a railway family, who used free travel to holiday in Cleethorpes. When the war ended the business
returned to the medical sector, and a step into chrome-plating saw it work for British Oxygen Company, and manufacture for what became GE. It was responsible for early innovation of an anaesthetic machine known as Boyle’s Machine. In 1963 it made the Lancet and The Times of London with a pneumatic self-compensating tourniquet machine. Mr Shepherd Jnr joined Braun on the sudden death of his father in 1972, selling an electrical business he had started, then working from the bottom up with consultants initially brought in to steer it through. “At the time it was 90 per cent work for BOC and 10 per cent for UK hospitals,” he said. That was intention-
Braun’s model of the Silver Link train next to the real thing with Reg Shepherd, left, and Mr Braun, right.
ally changed to a 60 / 40 ratio, but there was a sense of what was to come. “I could see 25 years ago there was no growth for us in the NHS. It was already starting to get tight for money, so we started to export in a small way. “We could then see customers wanted it easy. They wanted to buy
everything from us. We widened the range, and if we didn’t make it we forged arrangements with people who could make it for us.” From a factory in Pasture Road, Braun moved to Falkland Way Industrial Estate 11 years ago, taking an entire block of units on Harrier Road for assembly, inspection and quality control. A team of 15 now works there, alongside 50 global agents. From equipment it went to clinics and then hospitals, and now works with building contractors on the entire package, helping deliver 29 hospitals in Nigeria. “Because we built clinics, we were asked if we could build hospitals and we have now been asked if we can build housing,” Mr Shepherd said. It is closing in on a deal to provide 3,000 two-bed bungalow units in Cameroon, and there’s potential of a 200-bed hospital at the request fo the president for the Nigerian Air Force. “We have great agents and we’re not worried about Brexit,” Mr Shepherd said. “People are fearful about exporting, We are doing all the paperwork now because we are not selling to the EU, and it really isn’t difficult. If people are frightened they needn’t be, they should just give it a go.”
The original King’s Cross premises of Braun & Co Ltd ‘model makers and experimental engineers’.
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Month in review
HBP’s senior management team, from left, Lee Green, people director; Phil Denham, commercial director; Joanne Dixon, managing director and Tony Pearson, operations director.
UniKurve lives on in memory of Mike Curry
HBP hits the £10m mark for first time
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cunthorpe-headquartered HBP Group has hit the £10 million turnover mark for a first time, as it sets its stall out to be recognised as one of Britain’s best employers. The business IT and software solutions provider’s fifth consecutive year of growth has been celebrated, as it aims to provide a workplace to match its awardwinning client service. In celebration of the success, with Woodhouse Road-based HBP Systems hitting £5.3 million in 2017/2018, a raft of new measures have been brought in for the 62-strong team, including shorter days, increased holidays and more flexible working. Joanne Dixon, HBP Group managing director, said: “We have seen five consecutive years of growth now, with record turnover achieved. We have the highest level of customers we have had, the highest customer retention and the highest number of staff, “Everything is going in the right direction. The icing on the cake is our vision to work
IT firm aims to be one of britain’s best employers
towards the Sunday Times Top 100 Small Businesses To Work For,for which we will apply in March. “We feel we have the stepping stones in place to enable us to do it.” The past year has seen the performance arrive as holiday allowance was upped from 22 days to 28 days, with a people director in Simon Green appointed to focus on training, development and wellbeing of staff. The working day has also changes from a rigid 8.45am to 5.30pm to a flexible eight hour shift, giving back 22 days a year. Miss Dixon, a former Northern Lincolnshire Business Person of the Year, said: “The dayto-day running of HBP is by people, It is not a business with a £1 million machine that you would calibrate and maintain. Simon was brought in to look after our machine - our people.” A Microsoft Gold Partner, and Sophos Partner of the Year, a
team of 18 IT engineers make it one of the biggest employers in that field in the region, with the group as a whole numbering 111. It has Kamarin Computers in Peterborough, where there are a further 20 staff, Monpellier in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear with 17 and Copier Systems in Barnsley with 12. Phil Denham, commercial director, said: “A big introduction for us has been flexible working arrangements. Flexibility can be difficult in a service business, you have to be available at times when clients would expect, but we now have the ability in our teams to work different start and end times, while still covering core service hours. We are proud of our service level statistics, but what it means now is if people have families, if there is a school pick-up or drop-off, we have availability.
“We have grown significantly over the last four to five years, and now have the staff to cover all areas, enough scaled up to cover different people. IT is also so remote now, there is so much more that can be resolve from the office rather than sending people out. “We think we have got a really good foundation, now it is smaller developments, moving with the times, making sure the technology we are using is meeting the demands of business nowadays. We have no plans to change the fundamentals of what we do. With cloud and cyber security we are in a really strong place with both.” Apprentices are also being investigated this year in sales and account management roles. For Tony Pearson, operations director, the switches bring two key HR benefits. “It is so important for us - we want to make it a great place to work, we want to retain our staff and attract new staff,” he said.
LEISURE: A Grimsby fitness entrepreneur’s innovative creation is living on in his memory. UniKurve, an idea conceived on an Afghan battlefield by former infantryman Mike Curry, has been welcomed to an expanding health and fitness hub in Scartho. Mr Curry, pictured, died following a car accident in Tetney in November last year, and widow Amy is delighted to see classes using the equipment he brought to market taken on by Dave Lee Personal Training. He has set up his own studio, a new home for his clothing brand Fitness Shak and his partner’s The Beauty Reef business in the former Barclays Bank over the past few months, with the team geared up for the new year fitness rush. PROUD TO BE
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In association with
Finance director Neil Ellis, centre, flanked by, from left, Kevin Peart from Barclays; Darren Broughton of the Blackrow Group; and Andrew Marsh and Ben Carver from Barclays.
Manufacturers of Industrial Hygienic Doors
01472 311057 www.lincsdoors.co.uk
01472 889200 www.blackrow.co.uk
01472 210343 www.centralltd.com
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For support in raising your company’s profile in this sector call Angie Atkinson on 01472 806963 or 07920 823544
Expanding Blackrow grateful for Barclays backing GRIMSBY’S Blackrow Group is gearing up for further growth, securing new banking facilities to support the engineering firm’s expansion plans and improve the site. The deal has been reached with Barclays as it looks to increase turnover by 15 per cent in the next two years, taking it from £20 million to £23 million in time for the South Humberside Industrial Estate firm’s 40th anniversary. Established in 1980, the company has an extensive product range including
conveyor systems, gantry, mezzanine and platform manufacture, control and automation systems and pipework fabrication and installation. Neil Ellis, finance director at Blackrow Group, said: “We have recently won some major new contracts and we’re working flat out to maintain our existing orders. This new funding will enable us to compete for further new contracts and also help improve our existing site. “We are expanding our working areas and installing new kit and equipment
which will enable speedier turnaround for orders and we’re also hoping to expand our workforce as we continue to grow. “We only recently transferred our banking to Barclays so it’s great that they have been proactive to not only support our growth plans but to also provide financial support so quickly.” The firm employs 180 people at the sprawling Estate Road Seven site, working nationally for major food and energy clients.
Seafish draws up its post-Brexit Plan B
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NEW resource to support the seafood production industry in preparing for trade post-Brexit have been released by Seafish. The Rules of Origin and EU/ UK Free Trade Agreements information note summarises a report prepared by Global Counsel, which proposes how regulations could work should such a deal be agreed between the UK and the EU. It has been prepared as a worst case scenario could see tariffs applied, even if there is a pact with Brussels. Seafish explains how the UK seafood sector operates as part of a global supply chain and it routinely imports raw material from a range of countries depending on price and availa-
bility. If an EU/UK FTA agreement were to follow the ‘rules of origin’ as set out in existing EU FTAs much of the UK’s seafood production would not be eligible for preferential trade terms. This is because as it stands it requires all ingredients used in the manufacturing process to be wholly obtained in the UK. This situation would mean that even with an FTA, tariffs would be applied when the product is imported into the UK and when the finished product is then exported. Fiona Wright, head of regulation, said: “Leaving the EU will impact the UK seafood industry, but there is no organisation better placed than Seafish to help the industry manage this change and we play a vital role in identifying the potential implications
of Brexit and equipping the seafood industry to respond. “We have worked with the FDF and Global Counsel to support the production of the Rules of Origin report and we are now sharing the information note to
help the seafood production industry to understand how a new protocol could enable them to operate within a new free trade agreement.” The report uses Grimsby innovation fish fingers as a case study to help assess how the protocol would work for seafood products and proposes four solutions to ensure that existing UK seafood trades would be covered by a future FTA. While Icelandic and Norwegian fish would be fine, Russian catches may contravene. Work on the report began in March when the Food & Drink Federation, on behalf of its members, commissioned Global Counsel to assess the impact of applying the CETA and PEM protocols to a range of processed food products.
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Steely rise of machines from depths of recession Centre Line Machining staff with company directors Christine Greensmith, second left and Phil Greensmith, far right.
Business Month in review
High rise flats for our resort
CONSTRUCTION: The skyline of Cleethorpes is set to change forever after planners approved the development of three controversial high rise flats in the middle of the resort. North East Lincolnshire Council Planning Committee has approved the controversial Cleethorpes One high rise flats that will see the creation of three apartment blocks of nine, 11 and 13-storeys, which will also include commercial buildings on the ground floor.
Splash About
CLOTHING: Grimsby-based infant swimwear specialist Splash About has won gold for a second consecutive year at the 2019 Mother & Baby Awards. It comes just weeks after securing listings in 300 Sainsbury’s stores, as plans for further expansion are worked up for the new year. The Europarc business designs and develops some of the most advanced attire and floatation aids for babies and young children.
By david laister david.laister@reachplc.com @davelaister
E
XPANSION plans have been revealed by a Grimsby precision engineering firm as it marks its tenth anniversary. Centre Line Machining Ltd caters for customers in the food, packaging and freezer industries with niche engineering needs. Company directors Phil Greensmith and Christine Greensmith launched as the recession hit, starting off with a single computer numerical control milling machine purchased from eBay and three employees. Now it is looking into expanding the Spencer Street site to increase capacity. Now 10 years on, the company employs 12 people including three fully qualified apprentices and a new apprentice - Connor Dodson - who recently joined.
Expansion on the horizon for firm marking its tenth anniversary Mr Greensmith said: “When we started the company during the recession with workshop manager Jim Carter, I received little confidence from my peers, so it just goes to show when you have the expertise and seek a gap in the market, it can be made a success. It’s fulfilling to see the team expand over the years and our apprentices have grown in knowledge and confidence and we have provided them with full-time employment. “Business is thriving as customers seek precise metal work more than ever and we’re currently seeking opportunities to expand our site which will enable us to purchase more machinery, grow our team further and cater for the demand in this
niche engineering market.” Not only does Centre Line Machining create precise machine parts for companies such as Young’s Seafood, Aunt Bessie’s and Country Style Foods, it has also catered for a European Formula One team. “We can create bespoke products using our state-of-the-art machinery and years of knowledge in catering for a variety of metal work,” added Mrs Greensmith. “Nothing is too much of a challenge for us, we have even created a pair of metal flip-flops for a religious leader which are now placed in a shrine in India!” A celebratory event to mark the longevity of Centreline Machining was held at Lucarly’s in Humberston with employees, friends and family.
American giant buys cold storage firm A cold storage company with a major presence in Grimsby has been acquired by an American giant. Yearsley Group, which operates the huge Tower Central Distribution Centre off Wickham Road, has been bought out by Lineage Logistics Holdings in an undisclosed deal. Greg Lehmkuhl, president and chief executive of Lineage, a business founded in 2008 with a heritage that has seen major regional players across the US brought together, said: “Yearsley has demonstrated a strong commitment to developing long-
standing, bespoke customer relationships that is consistent with how we do business at Lineage. Bringing Yearsley into the Lineage family enables us to better serve customers in the UK market and further reinforces our international logistics capabilities.” The company is based in Michigan and controls 600 million cubic feet of space across 100 facilities. Last year it made a first international move with the acquisition of Partner Logistics, a leading automated cold storage provider in Europe.
“We see tremendous alignment between our two organisations, not only in our capabilities to diligently serve customers’ extended supply chains, but also in our dedication to supporting a values-based culture that empowers our growing international workforce,” Mr Lehmkuhl added. “Together, we are unquestionably the highest-calibre team in the cold storage space, and we are best positioned to creatively solve our customers’ most complex logistics needs.” It will now add Yearsley’s 12 UK cold stores, covering 32 million
cubic feet, and the 300-plus vehicle fleet. In Grimsby it operates the former Frigoscandia site, the 112ft cold store built amid great controversy in 1997 due to its height and proximity to Cleethorpes houses. Clients include neighbouring seafood giant Young’s. Headquartered in Greater Manchester, Yearsley bought the Grimsby site out of administration when then-owner Celsius First failed in 2006. It has a capacity to hold more than 35,000 pallets, with around 100 people employed there.
FOOD FACTORIES CO N S T R U C T I O N
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Process & Chemicals In association with
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Compounding line is tons better for Luxus recycling firm spends £1.5m on extra capacity
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echnical com- sectors including, returnable pounder and recycler transit packaging and civil engiLuxus has installed a neering. “Orders have increased for new £1.5 million compounding line at its some time so we required new equipment to enhance our Louth manufacturing facility. It will increase overall produc- infrastructure by supporting this tion capacity by 22 per cent, demand, particularly for the with the investment supporting development of polymer formuthe continuing growth strategy lations for the progressively of the UK’s largest high-end colour specifications independently-owned producer in these markets.” Since Luxus works with mateof recycled and prime rials from increasingly complex polymers. Now responsible for the man- waste streams to help meet cliufacture of more than 45,000 ents’ zero landfill goals, the tonnes of highly engineered compounding line will help satthermoplastic compounds isfy these demands. It will deliver material process annually to both domestic and improvements that global markets, this new include, better compounding line devolitisation will enable Luxus t h r o u g h to create an increased suradditional face renewal 10,000 tonnes. and filtration It is in to produce response to innovative the eversustainable increasing polymers that demand from are now much clients for faster Luxus managing closer to prime. processing time director Peter Atterby Luxus has been scales and greater developing highly specioutput, while still delivering the very highest quality fied thermoplastics compounds technical compounds based on based on prime and recycled a strong knowledge base devel- feedstocks for 50 years. It is a supplier to the oped by the Fairfield Industrial key major names in the global autoEstate team. Peter Atterby, managing motive industry and it was the director, said: “We are commit- first and still is the only UK busited to producing high perfor- ness to achieve approval for mance, yet sustainable com- its recycled grades in car pounds able to meet the interior trims, helping manufacdemanding service and long-life turers reduce their carbon footrequirements of rapidly growing prints.
www.cube3construction.co.uk T: 01469 541737
Luxus is now responsible for the manufacture of more than 45,000 tonnes of highly engineered thermoplastic compounds annually Chemical/Process - Marine - Food Renewable’s - Pharmaceutical - Precision General enquiries: 01472 351313 www.baconengineering.com
For support in raising your company’s profile in this sector call Angie Atkinson on 01472 806963 or 07920 823544
Hitek looks East with valuable new deals in Singapore Scunthorpe’s Hitek Electronic Materials is set to expand its business into Singapore and the Middle East. The company designs and manufactures solutions to protect sensitive electronic equipment from electromagnetic fields, corrosion and weathering. Clients include businesses in the medical sector, as well as aerospace and defence. Working with the Department for International Trade on workshops and support packages, it has
attended a major pan-Asian trade show in Singapore, and on the back of it has secured orders worth thousands of pounds, following up with return meetings to explore more opportunities. Hitek has also worked with regional trade officials to add the United Arab Emirates to current export locations South Africa, France, Italy, Germany and Sweden. Jim Lawton, managing director of the South Park Industrial Estate business, said: “Although we had relationships
with partners overseas that stretched back to the early 2000s, we didn’t seriously begin considering how we could export until 2012. “We knew that exporting could boost our profitability and resilience, but we still had questions on how best to go about it. In addition to financial support, having access to a trade adviser who knows an overseas market and details like local business customs and tax requirements is a real benefit. The support is out there, and if a company like
ours from Scunthorpe can find export success, many others can too.” Founded in 1985, Hitek has now added three new staff to make it a 30-strong team as export activity increases. Mark Robson, the head of Yorkshire and Humber for Department for International Trade, said: “HITEK Electronics is a great example of a local business that has made the most of the wealth of support available for British firms looking to find success trading overseas.”
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MORE THAN 100 COMPANIES KEEN TO SUPPORT ARRIVAL
Month in review
Power station ‘will put Siemens back on map’
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he UK’s most efficient gasfired power station will bring another first to the Energy Estuary for Siemens, 30 years after its first foray on the Humber. Keadby Two, a £350 million build in North Lincolnshire, was outlined to more than 100 companies keen to support the arrival. Scheduled for commissioning in 2022, Wesley Tivnen, managing director of the £6 billion engineering giant’s power and gas division, told of his pride at the effort put in to get to the construction phase for the 841MW installation. Speaking to those interested in playing a part, he said: “It is an evolution of gas turbines. Killingholme B was the first one in 1992, so we have quite a long history of large combined cycle gas turbines. This is the latest iteration. “We are super proud of this technology. It has put Siemens back on the map in terms of being competitive with high-end cutting-edge gas turbine technology. “Siemens has spent one billion euros in research and development of this gas turbine and this is the first application. Real specific challenges strengthened this requirement, including challenging performance
SSE’s head of project, Steve Davis, left, and Wesley Tivnen, managing director of Siemens Power and Gas, who presented ahead of meet the buyer opportunities for Keadby Two gas-fired power station at Doubletree by Hilton Forest Pines Hotel.
requirements to support SSE to capture as much value from a challenging market.” The SGTS-9000HL, as the turbine is known, will provide enough power for 640,000 homes - more than three million people - or a city the size of Berlin, where it will be manufactured. An alternative take continuing the German theme was the equivalent to 1,400 Porsche 911 Turbos. Mr Tivnen confirmed discussions are taking place with management
at Siemens’ Lincoln turbine production site to provide pre-fabrication of some of the auxiliary systems. “Hopefully we will be able to use the Lincoln facility,” he said, highlighting Brigg-based CLS Demolition’s role as his team looked forward to meeting scores of local companies across two sessions, with input from advanced manufacturing and engineering providers to accommodation and transport providers. “We are looking to do as much as
possible locally, which is why events like this are important, and the turnout is fantastic. It has been a broad range, from specialist technical through to bed and breakfasts and taxi companies.” Back-to-back sessions at Doubletree by Hilton Forest Pines Hotel at Broughton also gave businesses the opportunity to speak to Siemens Mobility about the new Goole train assembly and testing plant. Steve Davis, SSE’s project head, told how more plants of this nature could follow if Keadby Two proves a success, opening up further opportunities for those who succeed with the first. He said: “This is a big investment from SSE and Siemens. It is the first of its kind, highly efficient, and for gas-fired it is the best. “We signed the contract on May 30, 2018, and started the groundworks in the summer on the old site. Siemens is going to supply technology that, once built, will be the most efficient combined cycle gas turbine in the UK, supplying generation needed to support the integration of large scale renewables. SSE see this as the start of something new. The job has got to be a success, got to produce, and there is the possibility of another two after that.”
Buyers Beware of Tax Surprises Buying the shares in a company can be risky. The new owner is buying a corporate box with the potential of unknown liabilities hidden in it and there can be nasty surprises around underpaid tax.
Plans given the go-ahead
1. It can be difficult to establish the level of loss suffered for a breach of tax warranty;
Any sensible buyer of a company should ensure that they get a “tax covenant” from the sellers. The tax covenant (also called the tax deed) is a way of adjusting the purchase price for the shares by reference to tax liabilities of the company being bought.
2. Buyers do not want their awareness of tax problems to prevent claims against the sellers in respect of them. Disclosure (which is the process by which a seller can protect itself from a breach of warranty claim by providing information to the buyer) usually has no place in a tax covenant; and
A buyer will also ask for tax warranties, which are contractual promises about the tax history of the company.
3. The company can have secondary liabilities that arise after it is bought, which might not be captured by warranties alone.
Sellers often find it curious that a buyer wants tax warranties and a tax covenant for the same deal, but this is not merely belt and braces as tax is different to other risk areas (apart from the fact it is complicated!) for several reasons:
Tax covenants are usually drafted in a very powerful way and sellers of shares should get professional advice to ensure that it does not work unfairly against them.
RETAIL: Plans for a petrol station and drive-through coffee shop have been given the go-ahead for the first junction on the South Humber Bank. The development replaces proposals for a pub and restaurant on part of land known as Top Field, Barton, where a new Lidl supermarket is already under construction. A total of 60 new jobs could be created, with electric charging points and convenience store part of the proposal. It is being brought forward by EG Group, which manages roadside services across Europe.
‘Ready to embrace opportunities’
TRANSPORT: A government minister has described a £15 million South Bank rail enhancement project as an investment to “ensure Britain’s largest port remains competitive, resilient and ready to embrace the opportunities that come with our departure from the European Union”. Jake Berry, Local Growth Minister, was referring to the works now underway to upgrade the route between Immingham and Doncaster, boosting freight movement and helping keep more cargo off the region’s roads. Network Rail has partnered with Humber Local Enterprise Partnership and North Lincolnshire Council to invest, allowing high cube shipping containers to run on standard height wagons.
By Ian Sherburn, Partner in the Corporate & Commercial team at Wilkin Chapman solicitors
Tax covenants are an active area and there have been recent court cases. Also, they are having to adapt as new situations develop, such as the increasing use of insurance against risks in buying a company. If you would like further information, please contact Ian Sherburn on 01472 262610, email ian.sherburn@wilkinchapman.co.uk or visit wilkinchapman.co.uk
wilkinchapman.co.uk
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Ports & Logistics
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Auto-Trail motorhomes are on the move with WS Transportation, the exclusive haulage provider.
Haulage deal carries Auto-Trail forward
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R I M S B Y - bas e d motorhome manufacturer Auto-Trail has entered into an exclusive haulage partnership with a UK logistics provider. WS Transportation will deliver the luxury vehicles to dealerships nationwide from the factory gates on Europarc. Having worked with the Runcorn-headquartered business this year, the team described them as “very efficient and specialists in the haulage of automotive vehicles”.
It has now exchanged contracts to solely work with WS from the start of the 2019 season. Scott Stephens, director of sales and marketing, said: “After working alongside WS Transportation throughout 2018 it soon became apparent we were working in cooperation with a very professional and efficient company. We now welcome WS as the exclusive haulage company for our 2019 season and beyond. All our motorhomes will exclusively be transported
by WS Transport – this partnership is fundamental for efficient and smooth control over the delivery of our leisure vehicles to our stockists.” As part of the new partnership, Auto-Trail has unveiled its own Scania transporter, complete with company livery. Mr Stephens added: “This is a bright start to our future working with WS Transportation. We hope to see an entire fleet of Scania trucks with our unique livery on the road in seasons to come.” As well as the base in the
North West, WS operates from Dalton Airfield, strategically located between the A1 and A19 in North Yorkshire. Although orders have slowed, with caution around the financial impact of Brexit and concerns over diesel engines cited by managing director Dave Thomas as a small number of redundancies were made this autumn, the company is an integral part of the French Trigano Group, which enjoys a 42 per cent share of the UK market for motorhome sales.
Immingham Bulk Park lands international award
ABP operations manager, Craig Stephen, with Thomas Bell & Sons director, Matt Dawson, at Immingham Bulk Park.
IMMINGHAM Bulk Park has grabbed some global recognition after being crowned the best in its class, as expansion and more jobs loom at the port facility. With work underway to accommodate customers’ growing demands, it has been named as the Best Dry Bulk Port at the International Bulk Journal Awards. Predominantly serving the UK agricultural sector, the 1.5 million sq ft storage and handling facility saw off competition from Germany, Finland and the United Arab Emirates.
Judges heard how it can handle any conceivable type of dry bulk cargo, from bagged or loose fertiliser, to pumice or soya. At peak times the team can bag 3,000 tonnes of fertiliser a day – the only place in the UK with that capability. Mark Frith, port manager for ABP at Immingham, attended the ceremony in Ghent, Belgium. He said: “Given the hugely impressive international competition Immingham was up against, this award demonstrates just how important our facility in the Humber is for the bulks
sector. It’s a huge vote of confidence in our operations and is down to the terrific partnership that has been established between our staff, management and customers.” Facilities at Hamburg, Kokkola and Abu Dhabi had been in contention. In 2015 the Immingham Renewable Fuels Terminal, the world’s biggest dedicated biomass handling facility, was shortlisted for Best Specialist Dry Bulk Port or Terminal, Cargo Handling and Bulk Logistics Excellence.
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Callmac Scaffolding UK Ltd team members on the offshore substation in the North Sea.
Callmac completes ‘Operation Mission Impossible’ task
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HIGHLY complex scaffolding project for a North Sea wind farm, dubbed ‘Operation Mission Impossible’ when first tasked, has been completed by a Grimsby company. Callmac Scaffolding UK Ltd was appointed on the Dutch development, with the European offshore customer requiring the design and build of a twin corkscrew-shaped support to assist and guide subsea export cables from the seabed to the onshore substation. It had to withstand huge pulling forces from two directions, with five weeks of design work interspersed with meetings in Holland to bring forward a solution, before a fabrication company was contracted to profile bend scaffolding tubes and beams to the bespoke plan. It ensured the integrity of the valuable cables was never compromised. Dave McKenzie, managing director, said: “This took all our team’s input and vast experience to get right first time. This is a critical area of the installation process, and we then spent several days building and
GRIMSBY COMPANY PULLS OFF COMPLEX SCAFFOLDING PROJECT testing in the UK and completing trial builds to satisfy ourselves and the client. We came up with the solution and we’ve been told by our client this is the first time ever this has been used to pull in two subsea cables side by side.” Preparation began in June, with accessibility restrictions on the offshore platform a further consideration for the team based out of Grimsby’s Enterprise Village. Mr McKenzie said: “This is pioneering scaffolding and it’s quite refreshing after 32 years in the job to take on something completely different. I’ve worked offshore for many years going back as far as the Piper Alpha disaster in the late Eighties, so the years of experience has definitely come in to play here. “We are very proud as a company that the major wind farm operators show their trust in us time and time again.” Materials were shipped to Europe
for the quadrant build-out after testing, but bad weather saw delays, with a window opening that saw the task complete earlier this month. “It is often very difficult in the environment we work in to complete the tasks we are given, and our emphasis is all about safety first as this is one of the most dangerous environments to work in,” Mr McKenzie said. “Keeping that in mind the correct knowledge and understanding and the experience and a great team behind us we managed to pull off the ‘impossible task’ much to our client’s delight.” Continued growth in European offshore contracts has seen the order book filling up for 2020 and beyond. “This was a joint team effort from all the people within our company to continue pioneering in the way we operate in a safe and efficient manner, that keeps the growth of the company going forward,” he added.
Callmac Scaffolding UK Ltd’s complex scaffolding project for a North Sea wind farm, to aid a dual cable pull.
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Energy In association with
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Offshore wind ‘has given us the chance to progress further’
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Kim Davis ahead of her address to Grimsby Renewables Partnership at St James’ Hotel, Grimsby.
mall businesses in Grimsby have underlined the difference offshore wind has made to their operations. Industry-supporting organisation Grimsby Renewables Partnership invited members to give their accounts as part of the final networking event of 2018, having provided a conduit for local companies and major developers and their supply chains as it prepares to enter its 10th year. Hosted by St James’ Hotel, the town’s largest accommodation provider, deputy manager Paul George, reflected on the impact on the 260-bed venue. “It has been a game changer, it has given us a new lease of life,” he said. “We are no longer just relying on the refineries. It has brought lots of business in and given us the chance to progress further. “Four years down the line we are going to have 20 executive rooms built on what’s happened in the town.” The reception area will also be refurbished after Christmas, with a major overhaul of the bar and restaurant following. “We have upped our game in the least four years. We’ve had lots of new venues come up. The conference rooms have all been refurbished, all on the back of business we have been getting. “It is quite an exciting time for us.” Part of the Corus group, with six hotels, it now uses local contractors “becoming what we are all about,” Mr George said, referring to GRP. Kim Davis runs domestic and commercial cleaning company Kimmicleen, She told how small businesses were “much more adaptable to change, with a much better chance of handling diffrent economic situations”. The former financial adviser set up in 2009, having been suspended on a technicality from her role with a major multinational in Grimsby, and later winning two years’ salary by way of compensation for wrongful dismissal.
Craig Healey, general manager, and Paul George, operations manager, at St James’ Hotel, Grimsby.
“I was working six days a week, morning and night in flea-infested tenancies for a local estate agent,” she said at the time, having been offered a cleaning role at the house of a former colleague. Representing herself, the award was given without having to speak, and with the lump sum “bought a van and emblazoned it with my logo”. Work started to pour in, and a first subcontractor was taken on. She now employs nine staff. Joining GRP in 2014, and now a director, she said: “It has been instrumental in helping the business grow.” Referencing
clients Red and Orsted, she said: “It was a gradual process, it didn’t happen overnight, I built up a rapport, relationships. “Before I joined I was turning over £105,000, in 2018, the best year to date, it will be £250,000. There is no doubt this is attributed to GRP.” It also helped her launch her second business, a mobile gin and prosecco bar.” Cleethorpes business Ebb & Flo Living’s tale of diversification and a demonstration from Grimsby-based Raven Drones, an addition to the facilities management company, were also enjoyed.
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RIMSBY-area tech startup MyEnergi has launched its flagship product’s new range at a high profile event in the capital, with the ambition to revolutionise car charging at home and work unveiled. The team, supported on the day by investor and former Tesco chief Sir Terry Leahy, took over Sky Loft London atop Millbank Tower to demonstrate the Zappi. An innovative smart charger, it links renewable energy and electric vehicles. Since its launch in early 2017, it has won critical acclaim from the industry and strong sales have seen the Binbrook team built up. It also attracted £1.2 million from Sir Terry and investment house founder Bill Currie, who now hold equity in the firm. Jordan Brompton, MyEnergi cofounder and sales director, said: “I’m so proud of the team and what we’ve all achieved in such a short space of time. Our story really is phenomenal, and everyone has worked so hard, as we do everything in house from coming up with the concept, design, to manufacture. “This launch marks an exciting time of growth for MyEnergi as we’ve truly listened to customer feedback, stayed true to ourselves and stayed ahead of the game with innovation. We want to be around for many years at the forefront of the transport and energy revolution.” The full Zappi range is ready for regulations coming out in 2019, and it is claimed to be far easier to install, as the only charger where an earth rod is not required. Robert Llewellyn, the former Red Dwarf actor who now fronts YouTube channel, Fully Charged, was there too. He met Mrs Brompton at an electric vehicles event last summer, and was immediately hooked on the device, making a programme there and then. He said: “Being one of the first customers of the incredible Zappi charger and after using it on a daily basis, it makes the combination of solar panels and an electric car a no-brainer, it’s easy to use, reliable and saves me a lot of money.” Lee Sutton, co-founder and chief
A ‘rEVolution’ in charging as Zappi launch in London
Month in review
Seafood firms target rogue fish sellers SEAFOOD: Grimsby seafood leaders are helping in the battle to rid the industry of rogue traders, after an investigation was launched into mobile fish sales. With reputational damage and financial losses big risks should it go unchecked, town-based industry organisation Seafish and Grimsby Fish Merchants’ Association are supporting National Trading Standards, providing information and advice as they seek to bring offenders to justice. An investigation has been triggered with the North East regional branch, after reports of species substitution and pressure selling to the vulnerable. No Grimsby traders are under suspicion.
Wren continue expansion plan Robert Llewellyn, the former Red Dwarf actor who now fronts YouTube channel, Fully Charged, with MyEnergi co-founder Jordan Brompton
executive, told how in the next two years, MyEnergi will be playing a role in helping support the electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and with it increasing the uptake of the cars, as well as expanding exportation of their eco designs into other continents. The launch also heard from chief executive of Octopus Electric Vehicles, Fiona Howarth, who explained the successful partnership it now enjoys with MyEnergi as a green supplier. It provides the ability through spe-
cial tariffs to allow drivers to seamlessly access carbon-free driving at 1p/mile by automatically charging when the low, off-peak rate kicks in. She said: “We are thrilled to partner with MyEnergi and offer our customers some of the most revolutionary technology by pairing our dynamic EV tariff Octopus Go with Zappi, making the move to zero-carbon transportation and cleaner air as part of our commitment to better health for the next generation, with an outlook for more sustainable living.” Launched were new Zappi mod-
els, with both tethered and untethered, as well as a three-phase 22w Zappi for destination charging and a new MyEnergi hub device and app, offering internet connectivity for remote control and live data stream. It works like any regular charging point but has special eco charging modes which benefit homeowners with grid-tied microgeneration systems, like wind or solar generation. Two special eco charging modes adjust charging current in response to on-site generation and household power consumption.
Retailer backs British stocking home-made washing machines A Brigg electrical retailer has become one of the first to stock the only washing machines made in the UK. Huxford Electricals has taken advantage of North East-based manufacturer Ebac prioritising independents to spread the maximum economic benefit and to make sure the premium quality machines are accessible to everyone. Owner of the Olds Court Road business, Simon Huxford, said: “There is certainly a demand for British-made appliances and we are
Business
pleased to have partnered with Ebac and its latest venture to bring these British-made washing machines to our customers.” Ebac has invested £7 million in the development of its washing machines, and the new models are the first to be manufactured in Britain for more than a decade. They join an established stable of electrical goods, with Ebac Europe’s leading manufacturer of bottled watercoolers, a well as a manufacturer of some of the UK’s best-selling domestic dehumidifiers with air purification and laundry
drying features. Chairman John Elliott said: “We are delighted with the support we have received from Huxford Electrical, and indeed all of our retail partners. There seems to be a real appetite for a washing machine made right here in the UK. “We should be prioritising buying British. If people vote with their wallets, they will help rebuild our own manufacturing industries along with an expanding potential for export. We all want to support a growing economy capable of providing quality jobs for ourselves and our children.”
Simon Huxford of Huxford Electrical
RETAIL: Wren Kitchens has opened its 75th showroom nationwide, with two more to come before the year is out. The Barton-headquartered giant has launched in Basingstoke, hot on the heels of Cambridge and Plymouth in the past few weeks. Ayr and Eastbourne will also follow in a frenetic period. It has previously stated it is aiming for 150 locations, and has featured as a Sunday Times Top Track 250 entrant.
Wembley win for Melanie RETAIL: A Cleethorpes boutique owner has been named Influential Business Woman of the Year. Melanie Tillett, the matriarch at the helm of the eponymous Sea View Street outlet, was crowned at the National Business Women’s Awards at Wembley Stadium. It is the latest in a string of accolades for the business, which has embraced online retailing while ensuring the traditional high street bricks and mortar outlets evolve.
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Ongo to build 1,250 homes by 2026 developer already laying the foundations with 640 plots now finished or under way
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n ambitious house building programme has made significant progress in 2018 for Ongo. The programme which aims to build 1,250 units by 2026 is well under way with 644 brand new homes either completed or started being built during 2018. A mixture of tenure types have been built including rented and shared ownership homes. In total, 106 homes have been completed this year, with tenants now living in new builds in Scunthorpe, Harworth, North Hykeham, Nettleham, Thorne and Gainsborough and Doncaster. The homes are houses and bungalows ranging from one to three bedrooms. Ongo is also currently building its first homes for outright sale, set to complete in summer 2019. These homes are in Blyton and are a mixture of two, three and fourbedroom houses and bungalows. Any profit made from the sale of these homes will be invested back into homes and the local North Lincolnshire community. Another first for Ongo to come in 2019 is the first site of rent to buy homes. These homes are to be built with the aim to help people who don’t have a deposit saved to get on the property ladder. People living in these homes will rent them at less than market rent for up to five years, and save a deposit in that time, they will then have the option to purchase. The 14 two and three-bedroom homes are in the popular area of Ashby, close to schools, shops and other amenities making them ideal first time properties. Martin Phillips, development manager at Ongo, said: “We’ve had a really busy and exciting year with the progress of our developments. The Arc and new shops in Westcliff opening was a huge highlight for us in
On an Ongo site, from left, Steve Sowerby, Martin Phillips, Pete Stones, also representing Ongo, and James Bonsall also representing TG Sowerby.
2018 and it’s been great to see so many peo- additional jobs for local people. Businesses ple enjoying the new facilities. We’ve won including GS Kelsey, TG Sowerby Ltd and our first building design award this year MFM Developments have all worked in which was a highlight for me, and have partnership with Ongo on these projects. All developed specialist care and supported have recruited apprentices to work on the housing, as well as all the new homes across Ongo sites, giving them valuable hands-on experience. the region. Steve Sowerby, managing director of “The Westcliff precinct has now TG Sowerby, said: “We’re pleased been fully demolished to make to be working with Ongo, to be way for more new family delivering their new housing homes in the area, and we as part of the Westcliff can’t wait to see that proRegeneration Project, as ject complete in 2020.” well as their extremely Homes currently in These projects have prestigious market housprogress and due for already allowed us to ing site in Blyton. completion in the comoffer apprenticeships to “Working on these proing months are in two bricklaying jects has already allowed Scunthorpe, Ashby, us to offer apprenticeships Brigg, Balby, Blyton and students to two bricklaying students Kirton Lindsey. These are Steve Sowerby from North Lindsey College, a mixture of one to four-bedas well as a permanent employroom houses, apartments and ment position with our firm to a bungalows. All of which will support the need for affordable homes in North Joiner from Blyton. This work will allow us to offer further employment and apprenLincolnshire. This building programme has meant sig- ticeship opportunities with our firm in nificant work for local contractors, and 2019.”
Region-returning IoD chief: Brexit is taking up too much BUSINESS leaders’ leader Stephen Martin returned to Lincolnshire, praising the innovation and resilience of those in the region during uncertain trading times. The former chief executive of Scunthorpe’s Clugston Group is now director general of the Institute of Directors, providing a link between top tier business
and Westminster. He addressed guests at the IoD Greater Lincolnshire annual business lunch. A former East Midlands Director of the Year from his decade spent at the helm of the construction giant, he said: “IoD members are many times more likely to trade abroad than the average business. For those
that do, or for those with international supply chains, the uncertainty around what trade will look like come April 2019 is more than a thorn in the side. “And many more members have faced a lack of clarity over regulations - how they will be governed, and what they will be. Just as importantly, Brexit has taken up the bandwidth of
politicians at a time when the focus could have been on bolstering our skills system, our infrastructure, and devolution.” Speaking to an audience of 130 guests at Lincoln’s Bentley Hotel, Mr Martin added: “So at a time when politics seems forever stuck in a stalemate, what have IoD members been doing? Have you been sitting on
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Mick Clarke, managing director of JPP Gallery and Picture Framing.
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TRONG growth is the picture being painted by a Grimsby company as it builds its publicfacing picture framing and gallery business. JPP Gallery & Picture Framing is a sister company to the longestablished Sign of the Times, the signage, printing and workwear business on Cleethorpe Road. Michael Clarke, managing director, said when the former Humber pub was taken over to expand the sign business, plans were also laid ahead for the framing side of the business. “Framing has always being part of our range of services offered by Sign of the Times so it was seen as a natural progression for us,” he said. “After totally refurbishing our former sign premises we set about creating our new side to the business and launched our new branding, JPP Gallery & Picture Framing, offering a large
It’s looking so good for picture framing firm range of bespoke framing, mirrors, memorabilia and canvasses, plus a huge gallery of art.” Michael said that as at Sign of the Times “we strive to offer our customers a friendly professional service thus enhancing our customers to return time after time as customer service is our key”. “This being our retail side to
the business, we also have a trade element side and after a few acquisitions and large subsequent investments we now have a large modern manufacturing factory capable of producing between 600 to 800 frames per day, with plans to double our output over the next six months. “We currently supply retailers, wholesalers, photographers,
hotels, care homes and garden centres around the country, and we are looking forward to a massive growth programme over the coming months as our company continues to expand and the outlook is good.” He said a “massive thank you” to all of his staff and the E-Factor and Business Hive, for all of their advice.
of our bandwidth your hands, and waiting for the political chaos to subside? Of course not. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. You have been busy finding new ways, despite the odds, to grow, to develop, and to innovate.” The latest survey carried out just a few weeks ago, revealed around half of IoD members nationally have introduced a
new product or service to the market in the past two years. Mr Martin said: “The message from business to politics is plain and simple. It always has been. Set the rules, and we will play by them, creating prosperity as we go. But we need these rules to be clear, to ensure your enterprise isn’t wasted.”
Stephen Martin, second right, with Gary Headland IoD Greater Lincolnshire chairman, Dawn Barron, founder of Human Alchemy and Garry Smith IoD East Midlands chairman.
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Training
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Former HETA learner urges apprentices to aim for top
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former learner now making his mark in industry was welcomed back to the fold by Humberside Engineering Training Association as the achievements of the latest crop of apprentices were celebrated. Chris Sadler addressed an audience from HETA’s sites in Stallingborough and Scunthorpe and told of the progress he had made since he attended a similar awards night four years ago. He now works as a control and power technician at Total Lindsey Oil Refinery, where he won the apprentice of the year award and now has the opportunity to work towards a degree. He told the audience that their presence at the awards was success in itself, but he urged them to aim higher. He also spoke of the need to overcome setbacks and revealed that he was rejected by HETA first time round. He said: “To say I was devastated and lost is an understatement, but I took this as a message and a reason to work harder than simply give up, and two years later I reapplied and by some miracle obtained a sponsorship by Lindsey Oil Refinery. “The initial setback allowed me to see the value of the opportunity you all have. You are at the beginning of what I hope will be fruitful and
rewarding careers within engineering and industry, and that is something hundreds of others in your application year alone wanted, not even considering the thousands in previous years that all applied with the same hope and ambition you all had. Be proud of yourselves for getting where you are and be excited for where you can be in the future.” Chris acknowledged the inevitable nerves which strike apprentices as they take up their roles with employers, and he highlighted the part played by colleagues, mentors and managers as they become the biggest advocates for success. He also turned advocate himself as he underlined the benefits of continuing to study all the way to degree level. He said: “I completed two Higher National Certificates and am now studying at university. I used to hate the idea of anything academic but I can safely vouch for the advantages it brings and the bonuses it will add to your career. “I worked hard to attain the things I did and always tried to achieve my best. I also had an excellent support network around me especially from my personal mentor. “I am by no means the best at what I do – the list of stupid mistakes I have made, especially during my training is probably endless and there are without a doubt people in this room much more capable and much smarter than
Malcolm Joslin, left, chairman of HETA, with Chris Sadler, a former apprentice who now works at Total Lindsey Oil Refinery, at HETA South Bank Awards, Humber Royal Hotel, Grimsby.
me. There is no reason at all why any of you can’t and won’t have the same opportunity and achieve the same things that I have, if not greater.” Award winners: Outstanding Achievement Award (sponsored by Rocol) – Edward White of Cristal. IMechE Award of Excellence (sponsored by IMechE) – Samantha Dobson of Hitachi. Scunthorpe awards: Overall Electrical Apprentice (sponsored by Hitachi) – James Davey of Fuel and Electrical Solutions.
Overall Mechanical Apprentice (sponsored by Schenck Process) – Kieran Woodall of Schenck Process. Most Improved Multi Skilled Apprentice (sponsored by Clean Tech) – Jack Mansfield of Clean Tech. Overall Multi Skilled Apprentice (sponsored by Hitachi) – Liam Whitehurst of Hitachi. Excellence in Health & Safety (sponsored by ArcMaster) – Daniel Mather of Plasmor. Overall Apprentice (sponsored by 2 Sisters Food Group) – Jake Waters of 2 Sisters Food Group.
Stallingborough awards: Most Improved Instrumentation and Electrical Apprentice (sponsored by Total LOR) – Billy Reid of Wren Kitchens. Overall Instrumentation and Electrical Apprentice (sponsored by Total LOR) – Jacob Dales of M&J Seafood. Most Improved Mechanical Apprentice (sponsored by Lenzing) – Andrew Deakins of DS Smith. Overall Mechanical Apprentice (sponsored by Lenzing) – Euan MacMillan of EP SHB Ltd. Most Improved Multi Skilled Apprentice (sponsored by Howdens) – Max Morgan of Technica. Overall Multi Skilled Apprentice (sponsored by Cristal) – James Hopkins of Seachill. Most Improved Process Apprentice (sponsored by Total LOR) – Alex Farmery of Total LOR. Overall Process Apprentice (sponsored by BP) – James Smith of Lenzing. Most Improved Fabrication Apprentice (sponsored by Blackrow) – Jack Hill of Grayton Mechanical & Fabrication Services. Overall Fabrication Apprentice (sponsored by Blackrow) – Jensen Blewett of Phillips 66. Excellence in Health & Safety – Cameron Gibbs of Phillips 66. Overall Apprentice (sponsored by Total LOR) – Alex Gibson of Howdens.
Graduates join grocery and on-trade operator TWO graduates have joined the head office team of Grimsby’s Dee Bee Wholesale, the region’s largest grocery and on-trade operator, as part of its continued strategy for growth. Lewis Dyson has joined the buying team, having recently graduated from University Centre Grimsby after studying business management and Shannon Bahia will join the human resources team, having recently completed her Masters in human resources at University of Lincoln. Nick Ramsden, group managing director, said: “Dee Bee Wholesale continues to develop and grow and the appointment of both Lewis and Shannon shows our commitment to offering development opportunities within the area at an exciting time for the business. This is a significant investment for us and we are looking forward to coaching and supporting Lewis and Shannon as they start their careers.” Dee Bee Wholesale is part of The Ramsden Group, which now employs nearly 200 people.
Graduates Lewis Dyson and Shannon Bahia have joined Dee Bee Wholesale on completion of their studies in Lincolnshire.
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Forrester Boyd chairman, David Everatt, welcomes marketing manager Alison Mitchell to the firm.
Marketing manager delighted to join accountancy firm EXPERIENCED marketing manager Alison Mitchell has joined Forrester Boyd, one of the leading independent accountancy firms in the region. She joins the Grimsby-headquartered firm in the newly-created role, bringing a wealth of expertise, having worked for GBA Group in the automotive logistics sector, and latterly in allied professional services with law firm Wilkin Chapman. Alison will promote the business activities of both Forrester Boyd
chartered accountants and FB Wealth Management. She said: “I’m delighted to have joined the team at Forrester Boyd and I am really looking forward to helping the practice grow and build on its already strong reputation in the region and beyond. This opportunity provides a fantastic challenge in helping the firm to realise the opportunities that exist in the market place and ensuring that the client experience continues to deliver and exceed expectations.”
Forrester Boyd is recognised as one of the Top 50 practices in the UK. With the addition of the Wealth Management services offered, the firm offers clients a one-stop-shop for financial support and business advice. Practice chairman, David Everatt, said “We are all very pleased to have Alison on board with her expertise in marketing and her knowledge of the regional business economy and key sectors. She will be a great asset to the firm.”
Six new starters to support expansion
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APID Accommodation is ramping up once more, with six new staff across the enlarged organisation, as it now looks into the leisure market. Travel services have already been added to the Laceby operation, and having set that destination to support existing clients, the journey has seen a strong start. To support further expansion, with turnover anticipated to grow by 75 per cent to £3.5 million this financial year, travel and logistics industry specialist Ella Brown has joined in a business development role. Two travel assistants in Fern Eddowes and Holly Taylor, will also support the new division’s lead director, Rebecca AndersonSmith. Miss Anderson-Smith said: “When launching Rapid Business Travel we were really lucky to bring across the accommodation clients, so we hit the ground
Ella Brown, Jennifer Brock and Fern Eddowes at Rapid Accommodation.
running. We have started off big, which has been a real experience, but it has worked really well.” Previously at Modal in Immingham - part of Grimsby Institute Group - Miss Brown joins having committed work to the team previously. “Ella’s experience and contracts mean she fits perfectly in to a business development role for the group,” Miss AndersonSmith added. “She has travel experience with British Airways
and KLM which really helps her understand as she is in touch with everything. We like to provide the solution and she has worked in the industries we serve too, and was even a client first, having got Grimsby Institute on board.” She is also fluent in four languages which could prove useful too. Miss Brown said: “It is an amazing opportunity, I have always said I would work for Rapid if the opportunity came
up. It is the perfect job for me, having worked at airlines as cabin crew and ground operations, then taught about travel and tourism and most recently business development. It is everything all in one for me.” Connor Pickerden has joined as a software developer, with primary responsibility for Rapid’s app, with Beverley Pillinger as credit controller and Jennifer Brock as accounts assistant. Karl Hedison, financial director, said: “We are really happy with the growth. We are expecting to turnover £3.5 million his year, which will have gone from £2 million. “Now because we have Rapid Accommodation and Rapid Business Travel we are now looking at Rapid Leisure, which would be a natural progression. When we launched into accommodation people wanted flights, now business travellers want us to do personal holidays. We are exploring it at the moment.”
Tel 01469 577695 www.oldesigngroup.co.uk
Expertise will ‘enhance quality of services’ Nicola Evans Bridge McFarland clinical negligence senior solicitor.
A senior solicitor has joined Bridge McFarland in Grimsby. Nicola Evans will focus on supporting the victims of medical negligence, with her specialism is in complex claims involving serious injuries and fatalities. She has a wealth of experience in advising and supporting bereaved families and supporting parents of brain injured children as a result of birth trauma and has acted on a number of successful litigated claims. She said: “My first priority at the start of every clinical negligence claim is to ensure I provide support to my clients and understands their objectives from the outset. Clinical negligence claims are inherently complex in nature and can sometimes take several years to reach a conclusion. “My proudest professional achievement has to be securing compensation to provide financial support to a family of seven children who lost their mother to cervical cancer which would have been curable, had an opportunity to diagnose not been missed. “While no amount of money would replace a young mother the money secured helped to provide the grandmother with the support she required to care for the young family.” Nicola started her legal career as a paralegal at Stamp Jackson & Procter Ltd in Hull; and during a 14-year stay completed her law degree through the Open University while working full time, adding her Legal Practice Course. Upon qualification in 2012, she joined Hudgell Solicitors. Ian Sprakes, head of clinical negligence at Bridge McFarland, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Nicola has chosen this firm for the next stage of her career, I know she will be a great addition to our team.” Danielle Barney, who leads the Wellowgate team, added: “Nicola’s expertise will enhance the quality of services offered by the medical negligence department in Grimsby and we are thrilled to have her joining us”
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Motoring
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2018
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Join the adventure, hop into a HiLux ...
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HE Toyota HiLux has featured in TV series taking on the frozen wastes of the Arctic and the searing heat on an active volcano. It has become as much a legend for its off-road capability as the Land Rover. With global sales of more than 18 million it’s Europe’s best-selling pick-up, but like its competitors, the HiLux is much more than just a workhorse, becoming the lifestyle choice for many who will never see a farm or go off road anywhere. But it’s ideal for builders or contractors, who still want to be able to use it for family trips. Now the rugged Toyota pickup has got even better, with a new engine, increased size and off-road capability, capable of towing up to 3.5 tonnes and for
the first time with Toyota’s five year warranty. There is choice of body styles: single cab, four-seat extra cab and the five-seat double cab. As ever with the these types of vehicle, styling is now almost as important as off-road capability. It is definitely eye-catching, gone are the huge barges of yes-
teryears to be replaced with smart looking stylish vehicles, the only real giveaway as to the vehicle’s off-road capability is the high ground and wheel arch clearance. It looks dynamic with a colour matched front bumper and chrome grille and door handles, black integrated side steps, scuff
plates and 18-inch wheels. On and off-road it has impressive characteristics. Powered by a 2.4-litre 148bhp turbocharged diesel which offers plenty of pace when required and bags of torque, this model is mated with a six-speed automatic gearbox. On the road it is capable of reaching 60mph in 12.8 seconds and feels comfortable and stable with responsive steering with an excellent turning circle, while engine noise is pretty muted. Off-road there are four different driving modes. It switches from two-wheel drive mode, ideal for fuel-saving, to all-wheel drive, with auto disconnecting differential and rear differential lock for the rough stuff off road. ■■To find out more about the HiLux or the rest of the Toyota range, contact John Roe Toyota in Grimsby or Scunthorpe.
YOU’LL BE FINE
TOYOTA HILUX INVINCIBLE
John Roe Grimsby 174 Cromwell Road, Grimsby, DN31 2BA Tel: 01472 306052 johnroegrimsby.toyota.co.uk Scunthorpe John Roe Grange Lane North, Scunthorpe, DN16 1DP Tel: 01724 389052 scunthorpejohnroe.toyota.co.uk
/johnroetoyota
@johnroecars
Hilux Invincible 3.5t 2.4 D-4D 150 DIN hp Manual. Official Fuel Consumption Figures in mpg (l/100km): Urban 34.4 (8.2), Extra Urban 44.8 (6.3), Combined 40.4 (7.0). CO2 Emissions 185g/km. Model shown is Hilux Invincible 2.4 Diesel 6-Speed Manual at £31,830. Additional charges may apply on selected paint colours and finishes. Prices correct at time of going to print. 5 year/100,000mile manufacturer warranty. Terms and conditions apply. *Available on new leases of Hilux Invincible. Ordered and proposed for finance between 1st October 2018 and 20th December 2018, registered and financed by 31st March 2019 through Toyota Financial Services on Toyota Personal Contract Hire. Advertised rental based on a 36 month customer maintained contract, 8,000 miles per annum. Initial rental of £2,664 applies. All rentals are inclusive of VAT. Excess mileage charges apply. Metallic or pearlescent paint are not included. You will not own the vehicle. Other finance offers available but cannot be used in conjunction with this offer. Offer may be varied or withdrawn at any time. Participating Toyota Centres. Toyota Centres are independent of Toyota Financial Services. Indemnities may be required. Finance subject to status to over 18s. Toyota Financial Services is a trading name of Toyota Financial Services (UK) PLC; registered office: Great Burgh, Burgh Heath, Epsom, KT18 5UZ. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Terms and conditions apply.
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Property & Construction Month in review
COMPANY TO stART new product line FOLLOWING £500,000 expanSION
Appointment of new consul welcomed TRADE: Icelandic business leaders with significant interests in Grimsby have welcomed the appointment of a new consul as political uncertainty presents new challenges to the “unique” relationship. Solicitor Jonathan Goolden, a partner at town-headquartered law firm Wilkin Chapman, has taken on the role.
US plants in £549m deal
Nick Kirkham, managing director of Synerjy, with Steve Parker, E-Factor Business Growth Hub adviser.
Glazing specialist moves into historic building
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Grimsby glazing manufacturer is ready to start an innovative new product line after expanding into a historically-significant town property. Synerjy, specialist suppliers of high-quality windows, doors and conservatories, is adding WarmCore technology, a cuttingedge thermal performance aluminium window and bi-fold door system, following the installation of state-of-the-art equipment. It is part of Synerjy’s ambitious growth plans, which have seen the business purchase and sympathetically renovate the 15,000 sq ft Anglo Danish House on Grimsby’s King Edward Street. Now relocated from its rented premises in the town, it has invested £500,000 into the acquisition and overhaul, enabling managing director Nick Kirkham and his team to refurbish the site into offices, a soon-to-be completed showroom, and three manufacturing areas – including a dedicated precision engineering space for WarmCore products. Mr Kirkham said: “It’s always been a part of our long-term plan to have our own property, and in the new year we’ll start production on WarmCore. We’ve taken on three new staff since we’ve moved too, so we’re already growing.”
Anglo-Danish House, the new headquarters of Synerjy double glazing manufacturers, in King Edward Street, Grimsby.
CHEMICALS: Cristal-chasing Tronox appears to have reached a deal to sell two American plants as it seeks to remove a US regulatory block on the global buy-out. Ineos, the world’s largest chemical company, has emerged as a potential buyer of two Cristal plants in Ashtabula, Ohio. Should the $700-million (£549m) acquisition progress, the deal, which features the Stallingbrough plant on the Humber, will be able to complete.
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY EXPERTISE ACROSS THE HUMBER REGION
Humberville Road, Immingham Redevelopment opportunity Former police station & NIA 263.0 sq m (2,830
The former bacon factory is the immediate post-war work of Grimsby architect William Wells, itself located on the site of a 19th century smoke house. Three oak-lined smoke houses were used in the bacon preparation after fish, and remain, as do Art Deco-style staircases, parquet floors and panelled walls and doors in the first floor space. It was identified as a “historic asset of special interest” by North East Lincolnshire Council in 2015, and is across the Fotherby Street junction from Docks Beers’ brewery and tap room, itself a converted 19th century church. Coincidentally Synerjy has moved to front Royal Mail’s Grimsby location from The Old Sorting Office in Holme Street. To help secure the purchase of Warm-
Core manufacturing equipment, Synerjy was awarded a £30,000 Growing the Humber grant, thanks to an introduction to E-Factor’s business support service. Mr Kirkham added: “It’s a big thing to move from renting to purchasing a property, but with the new manufacturing space and new equipment, the process will be much more efficient. All it took was a phone conversation, E-Factor are easy to call when you need practical advice.” Synerjy has been trading for nearly 20 years, with Mr Kirkham advised by Steve Parker, E-Factor Business Growth Hub adviser. He said: “Nick was great to work with and was able to complete most of the work himself. The new premises look fantastic, really in keeping with this historical building and we wish him every success.”
External parking, garages & wash bay
£175,000
Laceby Road, Grimsby Former Police Station Modern detached NIA 193 sq m (2,076 sq 21 car parking spaces
£195,000 To find out more and search for available property please visit
www.clarkweightman.co.uk
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Retail Evolution solution DOUBLE-digit sales increases for Nisa partners converting stores to the Scunthorpe symbol group’s latest design have been reported. The delivered wholesale giant’s ‘Evolution’ format is allowing members to make huge gains in the convenience sector, analysis by the Waldo Way team has shown. Nisa partners who have converted their stores to the latest Evolution format over the past 12 months are enjoying sales increases averaging almost 12 per cent. A year ago, retailers converting could expect to see more than six per cent uplift in sales, but this year that average gain has doubled to 11.8 per cent post conversion.
Since the start of January this year, 42 stores have converted to the latest format which offers retailers a greater degree of flexibility. Head of format and development at Nisa, Darren May, said: “The move away from a one size fits all model to a more modular development format continues to prove successful for our retailers and the figures show that it is working for them. “Our store development managers work very closely with our retailers to ensure they deliver the best fit for them and their demographic, allowing the Nisa partner to hand pick and evolve concepts to suit the needs of their
Atlantic riding the wave with unit expansion
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seafood supplier has tripled its processing capacity after buying new premises and consolidating operations on one site. Atlantic Ocean Seafoods Ltd, wholesalers and exporters of cod and haddock, has taken on a further staff member following the purchase and extensive refurbishment of a dedicated unit in Prince Albert Gardens, Grimsby. The move from two rented properties, a processing site on South Humberside Industrial Estate and office space in Alexandra Dock Busi-
ness Centre, has allowed managing director Rob Miall to make the business’ operations more efficient, providing opportunity for further growth, with potential to employ more. He said: “There was a lot of work to be done, and we still have some work to do, but we’re now in a much better environment with a much better focus. With everything under one roof, it’s all go.” Atlantic Ocean Seafoods is investing in all areas of repair from flooring and security to lighting sensors and new equipment in order to
make the business more energy efficient. Since moving, 80 per cent of the business’ plastic, polystyrene and paper waste is recycled. To help with repair costs of the property, E-Factor Business was able to secure a £30,000 grant from the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership. Steve Parker, E-Factor Business Growth Hub Advisor, assisted Rob with funding enquiries after meeting at a breakfast networking event, creating business plans and forecasting before making the grant application.
own business. The aim is to give each store a unique quality and selling point, required to make a difference in the market place.” In addition to conversions, a further 41 new Evolution concept stores have been built since the start of the year, including several flagship stores such as John Stevenson’s 2,600 sq ft forecourt store that opened at North Allerton in July. Mr May said the latest concept takes on board emerging trends in the marketplace to create a store design that best captures additional footfall and spend while setting Nisa retailers apart from the competition.
Rob Miall, managing director of Atlantic Ocean Seafoods, with E-Factor advisor Steve Parker
It was great to be able to help a thriving business in Grimsby’s historic fishing industry with its move to the new premises E-Factor advisor Steve Parker
Rob added: “We couldn’t have done half the work without the grant. “Without Steve’s help, this just wouldn’t have happened.” The pair are now in the process of applying for another grant, which would help to purchase new scales. The business is also working towards accreditation in the Safe and Local Supplier Approval scheme for food and drink producers. Steve said: “It was great to be able to help a thriving business in Grimsby’s historic fishing industry with its move to the new premises.”
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c u n th o r p e - based building and civil engineering firm Britcon has completed major coastal road resurfacing and repairs for East Riding of Yorkshire Council. The £950,000 contract, on a 31-mile stretch of coastal highway from Bridlington to Withernsea, involved works in sensitive areas such as a market place, two key roundabouts and main town squares. Working with its partner and sister company, Specialist Surfacing, Britcon completed the twilight contract with a tight timeframe to include planning and resurfacing works and in some cases reconstruction of road surfaces. It followed Britcon’s success in being appointed as one of less than 30 regional contractors to the YORcivil2 framework in 2017. It is a collaborative construction framework for the procurement of civil engineering and highways contractors to carry out projects for 22 local authorities, other regionallybased public sector bodies and third sector organisations. Paul Clarkson, managing director at Britcon, said: “This is a fairly intensive project given that we had to complete the upgrades overnight in just five months.
Resurfacing work all went smoothly for Britcon team CIVIL ENGINEERS complete £950k contract on 31-mile stretch of coastal highway “The brief was much more complex than simple resurfacing and includes major repairs and reconstruction in some challenging areas. “By definition, the nature of this civils work affects residents, motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and businesses and as such our collaboration with all of these stakeholders was critical throughout the process. The Britcon and Specialist Surfacing teams are extremely well
experienced in managing delivery expectation against public interest.” Britcon has previously completed the £1.2 million installation of a new scheme to ease traffic flows at one of the busiest highway routes in Beverley, East Yorkshire. It has also completed many highway projects for DVSA with which it maintains a long-term partnership as well as the new state of the art toll collection facility on the Humber Bridge.
A view down Newbegin, Hornsea, where Britcon has competed a £950,000 contract
Britcon managing director Paul Clarkson.
24 GRIMSBYLIVE.CO.UK
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2018
Business
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Largo Foods, County Meath, Ireland. Vanilla Solutions complete business software upgrade completed.
Exit 2018. Brexit 2019? Whatever happens, we will have it all covered!
Snack giant Largo turns to Grimsby for IT Support IRISH snack giant Largo has turned to Europe’s Food Town for... IT support. The County Meath manufacturer, behind iconic brands such as Tayto, Hunky Dorys, King, and Perri, used Vanilla Solutions to upgrade business software system IFS. Michael McGinn, IT manager at Largo, from where the entire KP range of products is also distributed in Ireland, said: “We have been using IFS for about 12 years and it needed upgrading. Fundamentally, we wanted to create a completely new, stable and environment to ensure our technology was ready for further growth for the company. It was an important project for us and “I’m delighted to say that everything was migrated on time, as planned with no major issues.” With a near 50 per cent market share in snacks, it is a huge operator, requiring meticulous planning, with Keiran Garry project managing for the team, that is in the process of moving from managed office space on Grimsby’s Europarc to Brigg. Michael added: “We were impressed by everyone on the team from Vanilla. Kieran ensured everyone, from Largo and Vanilla, was
working together towards the go live and everyone we worked with from Vanilla was great – knowledgeable, patient and very helpful.” In evidence of the good working relationship between the two companies, Largo has signed up for a support contract. Mr Garry, one of a team of 32 split between North Lincolnshire and Newcastle, said: “IFS were delivering the core upgrade and we helped the Largo team configure the core solution to their precise needs. The project was split into three phases, starting from proof of concept to define the p ro j e c t s c o p e , through to detailed testing of the final configured solution before go live. “As part of the upgrade we also rewrote
interfaces making things easier for the Largo users and tidied up some of their processes, speeding them up considerably. We’ve given them a better platform to help them transform and grow their business. Go live went smoothly without any major hitches or problems.” Kieran Garry, project manager for Vanilla Solutions who headed up the Largo Foods upgrade.
A lot like in December 2016 and 2017, we once again look towards the new year with uncertainty still abounding. Just what will our relationship with the EU look like? What could no deal mean for the economy, and how much of a Brexit would the alternative actually amount to? We’re a lot closer but not much nearer to knowing - or finding out - and while the past month has seen pantomime season start early in Westminster, here on the South Bank of the Humber the narrative of what we can offer in 2019 and beyond has been made abundantly clear - oh yes it has! Together but apart, North East Lincolnshire Council and North Lincolnshire Council have laid out pragmatic, soundlybased and upwardly ambitious visions for a significant stretch of Europe-facing Blighty. First we had the South Humber launch, a focused campaign to market the swathes of economic development land unlocked between Grimsby and Immingham by NELC. Strong stats back favourable land and labour supply, travelling times and technical know-how. Working back down the bank from the estuary, and where it leaves off, in jumps NLC, with a fifth Humber port the attention grabber. Headline news from this publication in October, it has now been given a House of Lords launch, and it appears senior aides are listening. Killingholme has emerged as a potential ‘secret weapon’, a port location that could ease the pressure on the south and ensure vital goods are moved easily, should we face border delays. A conspiracy theorist
may consider the silence from Able House on the future of Able Marine Energy Park, the as yet undeveloped ‘big space in the right place,’ part of a wider plan to ensure we’re protected come a no deal - with millions of Government cash already pumped in to prime the site. Hard standing aplenty for a hard Brexit? It has had nearly as many cabinet member visits as we’ve had cabinet resignations, so it must be embedded in the minds of those most challenged. Of course, the development of this huge site predates the referendum - and the last three general elections – but it could be a gift horse should the worst-case scenario play out. And even the strongest remainers would see opportunity not to be knocked on our doorstep. For now, we wait on to see how it all evolves. There could be another vote, there could be another election, but the detail behind the aspirations laid out by the local authorities tasked with making the most come what may - for their own financial health if nothing else - is nothing short of admirable. Some quick wins would be welcome, particularly for North East Lincs, where the stalling of the £20 million cinema plan and the devastating news on Novartis’ future have dampened the drive for the Grimsby Town Deal and the gains made in offshore wind this past decade. While still in considerable net gain for job creation, the wrenching of such a strong player from the Humber Bank’s bosom will leave a hole hard to fill, while the box office leisure project brought belief for a town centre turnaround. Whatever comes, we’ll look to have it covered, and sign off wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.