Hull Business Editions December 2017 by Humber Business

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Sewell Group expanding after investing in a west Yorkshire business By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

SHAKE ON IT: Jez Illingworth, left, and Paul Sewell have joined forces. Sewell family. They put the customer first, create a nice buzz around things they get involved with and they secure repeat business, which is also the way we work. “With our mutual regional aspirations and growth in West and North Yorkshire, this came up in Huddersfield. That’s a great fit, but the best fit of all is the people. “This is a great partnership between two like-minded, family-businesses, which helps rein-

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CONSTRUCTION FIRM INVESTS AND GROWS HISTORIC Hull firm Sewell Group has expanded after completing a major investment in a west Yorkshire construction firm. Managing director, Paul Sewell, says it was an easy decision to bring Huddersfield firm Illingworth and Gregory (I&G) group into the Sewell family with the investment. I&G is a long established, well respected, family-owned business, which specialises in maintenance and refurbishments, primarily in health and education, in West Yorkshire. Sewell Group’s investment in I&G makes the business a sister company to Sewell Construction and will help both companies capitalise on opportunities across the wider Yorkshire region. The Hull family firm, which started in 1876, has strengthened its position in West and North Yorkshire, where it runs offices and projects, with the move. Paul Sewell, managing director of Sewell Group, said: “People do business with people and the team at I&G are the type of people we want to work with. “They share our values and it was very easy to bring them into the

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BUILDING FUTURES: Front, Paul Sewell and Jez Illingworth and the Sewell team.

Bright start at Hilton hotel A HULL electrical firm has secured a £145,000 contract to manufacture lighting for Hull’s new DoubleTree by Hilton hotel. Sondia Lighting will be producing around 1,200 light fittings and passive infrared sensors (PIRs) for the corridors, meeting rooms, restaurant and Sky Lounge in the hotel on Ferensway, which is due to open this week. The work is of particular significance to Sondia Lighting, as the company was once based at the site of the new hotel. It is the first major contract for Sondia Lighting since the company’s move to Hull IPark development, which was assisted by the Green Port Growth Programme, supported by the Regional Growth Fund. The programme provided £100,000 of capital funding to enable Sondia Lighting to double its manufacturing operations in order to exploit the emerging opportunities within low carbon and renewable energy industries. The contract was awarded to Sondia Lighting’s parent company, Southgate Lighting, based in Bradford, through electrical contractor Wheatley. Gordon Taylor, managing director of Sondia Lighting, said: “We are delighted to play a role in such a prestigious project. The DoubleTree by Hilton contract is of particular interest to us, as we were based for many years on the site of the new hotel.

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Sewell on the go for building growth Continued from PAGE 1 force our strategy to grow across the wider Yorkshire region.” Sewell has already started working with I&G, with Sewell construction management trainee Cameron Hodgson moving across from the fir m’s West Yokrshire team to work at I&G in the run-up to Christmas. I&G’s managing director Jez Illingworth and construction director Dean Simpson will remain with the business and said the partnership creates an even brighter future for I&G as it looks ahead to the future. Mr Illingworth said: “It’s business as usual as far as I&G’s team, customers and supply chain are concerned. “We are very excited about becoming part of the Sewell Group family and by the mutual opportunities which lie ahead. “We share the same goals, values and ambitions, and it’s really positive to join forces with a fellow successful Yorkshire family business as we look to build the future together.” Working with and on behalf of partners, Sewell Construction has recently refurbished the grade twolisted Hull New Theatre and created the new £10m Ron Dearing University Technology College (UTC), transforming the Kingston Square area of Hull city centre. Construction of the new £9m Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre is also well underway on the site of the former David Lister School in East Hull. Work in West and North Yorkshire includes an extension and refurbishment of a hub and library in the heart of York and the recent completion of an extension and refurbishment at Athelstan Community Primary School in Sherburn in Elmet. I&G has completed work on a wide range of projects in the health sector, including reconfiguration of the existing accident and emergency department at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds.

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Brexit expert tells industry to be prepared for the worst

BREXIT: Allie Renison, head of Europe and trade policy for the Institute of Directors, called on business leaders to make contingency plans for a ‘no deal scenario’.

Firms need to have a plan in place for no-deal Brexit says trade speaker Allie Reninson

A LEADING expert on Brexit has called on East Yorkshire businesses in the region to get preparations in place for the worst case scenario as negotiations continue. Speaking ahead of a Humber Business Leaders Lunch, Allie Renison, head of Europe and trade policy for the Institute of Directors, called on business leaders to make contingency plans for a “no deal scenario”. Brexit talks have stalled recently following the lack of any agreement over the Irish border. Theresa May is under pressure to reach an agreement on the border before further negotiations can take place and Britain leaves the EU on March 2019 and the expert believes delays could be a cause for concer n. Ms Renison said that the most important thing business directors can do is begin preparations to ensure workers are not affected by trade negotiations. She said: “I want to talk about some of the preparation work and what we hope businesses are already starting to do. As long as no deal remains a possibility you can’t instantly bank on any

“

As long as no deal remains a possibility you can’t instantly bank on any specific assurances Allie Renison

By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

specific assurances. “There are plenty of businesses who are already in advanced stages of planning, which is important, but there are a lot who have not yet done that. “Business should develop protocols based on scenarios, for example if we’re outside of the customs union. “It’s important that organisations like ourselves show businesses what a contingency plan looks like. You need to look at your supply chain as well and what their plan should involve.” She says that any contingency plans would be particularly important if negotiations were to fail, and lead to a “no deal” scenario. “We know no deal is a possibility and that is ultimately what businesses have prepare for,” Ms Renison said. “There needs to be an anticipation that custom declarations may be enforced and those with high export percentage will therefore need everything in order. “Businesses need to do new audit checks. There may become specific time when new audit checks need to take place later down the line as well. We don’t know what would replace freedom of movement so that is bound to have a clear impact. “Obviously, changes won’t be the same for all sectors. For examples pharmaceuticals will be one particular area where recognising what is currently directed from EU law or the WTO is important.”

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Last week the Office For National Statistics revealed a fall in net migration to the UK by more than 100,000 in the year following the Brexit vote. Ms Renison, who will be speaking to business leaders at the University of Hull on Thursday December 7, said that there has been an “exodus” of EU nationals, but employers, particularly in processing industries, will need to prepare for changes in freedom of movement. She said: “A lot of employers in farming or food manufacturing, obviously important in East Yorkshire, will be particularly concerned about the effect of having large numbers of EU nationals on their staff.

“We are not seeing an exodus by EU nationals working here at the moment, so employers will hope there is not any sort of rapid change. We are starting to see it a little bit in figures released yesterday, showing more people leaving the UK. “There will be an issue in those processing industries where they employ lots of people, particularly EU nationals, and there could be rules brought in where people might need work sponsors for visas. These could be £84,000 to sponsor someone, so it would be a huge financial cost, and means that employers would not want to see that action taken retroactively.”

PLUS ALL YOUR DAILY LOCAL NEWS

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IN BRIEF

Christmas competition tough for local firms

GROWING: Martin Lauer, left, and Ken Sturdy have seen business grow since moving to flagship headquarters.

HULL: Retailers in the region must control costs and focus on the marketability of their goods and services as they seek to maximise revenue opportunities in the critical last weeks of the run-up to Christmas, says KPMG’s Jonny Marston. The tough trading environment is also suggested by the latest KPMG retail sales monitor, which found that UK retail sales decreased by one per cent year-on-year in October. Jonny Marston, restructuring partner at KPMG in Yorkshire, argues that retailers should not underestimate the challenges they face this December. He said: “For bricks and mortar businesses in particular, increased competition and the cost pressures caused by the devaluation of the pound have made the need to boost profits in the run up to Christmas even more acute.

Tech firms’ collaboration paying dividends already

Solicitors back Forces EAST YORKS: Murray Hills Solicitors, which has offices across East Yorkshire, has shown its support to the UK Armed Forces by signing the Armed Forces Covenant at its Bridlington base and in doing so has become the first organisation in the town to officially pledge its support to the Armed Forces community.

IT@Spectrum and The One Point growing By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

HULL technology firms IT@ Spectrum and The One Point says moving its flagship headquarters has paid dividends as it sees increased turnover, expands its customer base and increases recruitment. The two partner companies are marking a year since moving to new offices The View at Bridgehead business park, which has seen the pair develop a strategic partnership that has allowed for a year of growth. Now, 12 months on, the investment has delivered on the ambition, with turnover growing by almost 30 per cent across the two businesses from a combined client base of almost 1,400 organisations – an increase of nearly 15 per cent. This growth has translated to new jobs at the £2.75m purpose-designed offices with 18 staff joining over the past year, taking the workforce employed by the sister companies to more than 90. New clients now working with both businesses include consulting engineers Alan Wood & Partners and PBS Construction, both based in Hull. Ken Sturdy, managing director of office technology business IT@Spectrum, said: “The investment in our purpose-built headquarters has been a powerful state-

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ment to our customers, our staff and the print and software industry as a whole. “As well as being a great place for our staff and customers to enjoy, it has provided a fantastic platform for us to improve even further our service to clients and explore and develop innovative new products and markets. “It has also really brought our businesses together and has meant that, increasingly, customers choose to work with both companies. “We’ve introduced our clients to The One Point, they’ve introduced theirs to us and, in some instances, we have gone in together to see prospects as a joint offering and won the business.” Martin Lauer, managing director of IT services and telecoms company The One Point, said the close collaboration between the businesses benefited both existing customers, such as Hugh Rice, and new clients.

He said: “Hugh Rice was an existing customer of both businesses and had an issue with print devices supplied by IT@Spectrum. They made a call to the IT@ Spectrum support team, which now shares the same room with ours. “A member of our support team overheard the call, identified that the issue was due to an internet protocol conflict, and was able to fix it remotely, there and then. “Instead of waiting for an engineer to come out, Hugh Rice’s devices were back in action within minutes – the issue was resolved so much faster and more efficiently. That’s better for the customer and better for us.” The new offices has seen innovation as The One Point has launched a new service developing and delivering apps over the past year, including The One App, which enables clients to interact with the business instantly at any time.

• Set in 1.6 Acres • Superb Trading Position • Detached Two Bedroom Residence • Tremendous Potential to Establish a Superb Kennels and Cattery • 13 Family Kennels Plus 5 Day Kennels • REF 556804. EPC Band D. Business & Property Offers Around £299,950

FISH & CHIPS SHOP • Busy Main Road Site • Three Bedroom Accommodation • Showing £53,826 Adjusted Net Proﬁt per Annum • HIGHLY RECOMMENDED VIEW EARLY, THIS WILL GO • Weekly Turnover £3,500 to £4,500 • REF 559092. EPC Band D. Business and Property, Offers Over £299,950

FULLY LICENSED CONVENIENCE STORE WITH FULL LOTTERY

CAFE AND COFFEE SHOP

• Showing Net Proﬁts, Prior to Depreciation of Over £70,000 • Densely Populated Residential Area • RUN PREDOMINANTLY BY STAFF DUE TO OTHER BUSINESSES • HIGHLY RECOMMENDED SENSIBLY PRICED TO SELL • Weekly Turnover £25,000 • REF 557695. EPC Band D. Business £200,000

• 28 Covers Plus 6 Outside • Fantastic Location - Scope Here for So Much More • Worked in Easy Hours Over Five Days • Sensibly Priced Business and Freehold Property • Three Bedroom Accommodation • Weekly Turnover £1,200 • REF 559353. EPC Band D. Business & Property £199,950

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Scarborough

Bridlington

FISH & CHIPS, BAR & RESTAURANT

RESTAURANT AND BAR

• Run Entirely by Staff • No Expense Has Been Spared on the Recent Refurbishment • Stunning Open Plan Restaurant with Over 40 Covers • Very Well Fitted Commercial Kitchen with 4 Pan Range • Weekly Turnover £6,000 • REF 557802. EPC Band C. Business Offers Around £89,950

NEWS, SWEETS, TOBACCO WITH FULL LOTTERY OUTLET • Prime Position in the Heart of Hull City Centre • Showing Net Proﬁts Adjusted to £53,435 per Annum • Retirement Sale After 25 Years • PRICED TO SELL LOW OVERHEADS • Taking £7,000 Weekly • REF 557661. EPC Band E. Business £49,950

• Scope for More with Full Time Working Owners • Superb 60 Cover Restaurant & 40 Cover Function Room • Worked in Sensible Hours Over a Six Day Week • Fantastic Location. Genuine Reason for Sale • Weekly Turnover £5,000 to £6,000 • REF 557907. EPC Band E. Business £49,950

SANDWICH BAR, NEWS, SWEETS & FULL OFF LICENCE

Hull

Barton Upon Humber

BAKERY & CONFECTIONERY, CAKES

SECOND HAND BOOK SHOP

• WITH TEA ROOM AND COFFEE SHOP • Densely Populated Residential Area • The Coffee Shop / Café is Currently Unused • Scope to Introduce a Deli Here • Weekly Turnover £1,100 • REF 557819. EPC Band E. Business £19,950 PRICED TO SELL

• Worked in Very Easy Hours Over Six Days • RETIREMENT SALE AFTER OVER 25 YEARS • A Delightful Way to Earn Your Living • BUSY SITE IN THE TOWN CENTRE • Annual Turnover £30,723 • REF 557929. Awaiting EPC. Business £12,000

Hull

East Yorkshire Market Town

• Tremendous Potential • Prime Trading Site • Viewing Highly Recommended

• 2 Bed Accommodation • Taking £3500 weekly • REF 557308. EPC Band C. Business £39,950

SPECIALIST OFF LICENCE, CONFECTIONARY AND FULL LOTTERY OUTLET

• Bustling Shopping Parade Commanding Main Road Site • Retirement Sale After Over 12 Years • Cash Machine and Two Bedroom Flat let for £6,060 PA • BUSINESS AND PROPERTY ABSOLUTELY PRICED TO SELL • Weekly Turnover £7,500 plus Lotto • REF 557918. EPC Band E. Business and Property £159,950

Hull FISH & CHIPS SHOP • Densely Populated Residential Area • Two Bedroom Accommodation, Sub-Let for £450 PCM • Immaculate Throughout PRICED TO SELL • Taking £1,600 Weekly • REF 557005. EPC Band C. • Business £39,500 Business and Property £224,950

North Humberside

Hessle

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Burger manufacturer wins industry award HULL: City food manufacturer Cranswick has won regional recognition at this year’s EEF Future Manufacturing Awards. The firm, which is the UK’s leading manufacturer of burgers and sausages, won the Outstanding Export Award, which recognises manufacturers that have successfully developed and implemented a new international trade strategy. Cranswick was selected by a panel of judges drawn from business leaders, industry experts and academics, impressing with the way that it expanded into the Chinese market by developing specific products while maintaining its heritage credentials. With the regional titles now secured, Cranswick will now go on to compete for the national title at an awards dinner in London in January. Andy Napthine, group marketing controller, at Cranswick, said: “We are delighted to have won. It puts us on the map as a modern and innovative company. “This award is testament to our hard-working team who have been essential to delivering our growth plans and ensuring we go from strength-to-strength. We can’t wait to share this news with all our staff, customers and suppliers.” Terry Scuoler CBE, CEO of EEF, said: “By accessing new markets and discovering new trading partners manufacturers can grow and improve their long-term prospects. Cranswick fully deserves this award for the amazing work that it is doing in a highly competitive field. We wish them the best of luck for the finals.”

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Award-winning family firm plans ethical business growth Agencia continues to put ethos before profit in 20th anniversary year By Henry Saker-Clark

TEAM EFFORT: Joy Allen, Steve Pitts and Helen Gibson of Agencia.

henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

A FAMILY business from East Yorkshire, which is transforming lives internationally with its health and justice programmes outlined plans for growth as it brought together clients and contacts for a double celebration in Hull. Agencia, based at Hessle, marked its 20th anniversary and its success in a national awards scheme by reaffirming its international recognised ethos and by committing to take more services to more countries. Speaking at the Deep, Helen Gibson, managing director of Agencia, also unveiled the company’s new brand, which will be at the heart of the expansion programme. She said: “We are dealing in two of life’s most precious commodities – not gold, diamonds, money or anything fancy like that, but health and justice, and it is only when you haven’t got one of those commodities that you realise how important they are. “Our plan for the next 20 years is continued growth, but it has to be the right kind of growth. We want to continue transforming lives and communities and making a genuine difference, building on our strengths in our core markets of health and justice.” Keith Hunter, who stepped down from Agencia when he was appointed as Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner, added: “I was only there for a relatively brief time, but they were three of the most impactful years of my life and I keep in very close contact. “It is always going to be tight for a small business in this game, but, for the values it holds and the people it attracts and the desire to make a real difference, I hope Agencia will have a proud future and the next 20 years will see the consolidation and growth that the business deserves.” Helen outlined the challenges

that Agencia has overcome since it was formed by her father, Andrew, with a vision for improving healthcare services. She joined the business eight years ago as part of a succession plan with her father Andrew, the founder of the company. She was appointed managing director five years ago and was joined this year by her sister, Joy Allen, the head of HR and corporate services. In July, Agenica was voted the Best Small Business in the UK at the National Family Business Awards. Helen told guests at The Deep of some of Agencia’s activities. The attendance of dignitaries from Sarajevo highlighted work to tackle corruption, financial crime and money-laundering in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Service users were also present to vouch for the quality of Agencia’s work in tackling drug use and painkiller addiction in

Northern Lincolnshire. Helen said: “Agencia’s first job, back in 1997, was at a factory in East Hull. The second one was for the Ministry of Defence in German hospitals, which were treating British forces. “Now we have completed more than 400 contracts in 13 project countries with a repeat business rate of 87 per cent. We operate from offices in Hull, Scunthorpe and Sarajevo and we have earned our places on some of the top

Government frameworks. “We have had sleepless nights. We were nearly flooded, we came through the recession and we’ve constantly found how tough it is competing with the ‘big boys’. “We’ve rejected requests to whitewash reports and sacrificed about £100,000 worth of business by highlighting corruption, which would have been easy to overlook. But integrity is more important, and it paid dividends in the long run.”

MP awards special prize to community business HULL: On Small Business Saturday last weekend Hull North MP Diana Johnson announced the businesses voted the best by residents in a search for the area’s best small firms. More than 1,200 online votes were cast on the 12-strong shortlist of independent businesses

in Hull North. The overall winner was Hull Inks on Chanterlands Avenue, followed by five runners up: E.K Stitch on Cottingham Road, Fifty Squid Video on Inglemire Lane, Studio 123 on Greenwood Lane, Chanterlands DIY and Hardware on Chanterlands Avenue

and Ponti on Newlands Avenue. The MP visited each of the businesses on Small Business Saturday as part of the campaign, which aims to boost independent small businesses in local high streets. Diana Johnson MP said: “Very well done to Hull Inks in

Chanterlands Avenue for being voted for by local people to be my Small Business Saturday winner in Hull North. “It clearly provides a great service to the local community. There were so many excellent local businesses nominated and it was a tight and hard-fought contest.”

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BIGINTERVIEW

Tap chat: Online firm to bring call centre in-house

Hessle company, which specialises in online bathroom sales, turning a negative into a positive after ending KCOM deal HESSLE bathroom firm Victoria Plum will save jobs and continue recruitment, says CEO Paul McClenaghan as the firm reacts to KCOM’s recent announcement that it will close its Prospect House call centre. The online bathroom retailer had contracted the telecommunication company to do its call service, but said that recent strong growth has put it in a good position to bring more than 60 staff working on its account to work directly for them. Last month, KCOM announced that it has decided to close the Hull contact centre which employs 130 people in April after being “unprofitable for years”. The decision by KCOM caused immediate concern for the CEO of the Hessle-based bathroom firm, but he says he decided to turn the negative into a positive, and expand Victoria Plum by moving this work in-house. “It’s a real challenge,” he said. “Logistically we have had to work how we can bring the contact in house, which means investment in people, facilities, and even some simple concerns, like whether there are enough parking spaces. “We are working closely with KCOM to get a solution that works, and, obviously, when we first found out we considered all our options, but in the end it was absolutely the right decision to bring staff here. “Most importantly it is about giving our customers a good experience. We think that having the staff here will help us to keep our customers at the focus of everything we do.”

TAP CHAT: Paul McClenaghan, CEO of Victoria Plum, says his decision to bring customer service centre in-house has been challenging. Two years after moving to the Bridgehead business park, the firm now has 120 employees based there and an overall total of 232. By taking on KCOM employees the company expects this figure to rise to more than 300. The CEO said the online business has strengthened in the past year since winning a significant trademark infringement case, for which it is currently seeking substantial damages against Victoria Plumbing. Mr McClenaghan said: “The majority of our transactions takes place online now, with about a third over the phone and live chat. The live chat, particularly, is something we are constantly looking at, because it has been very successful for us as a way of properly communicating with customers. “We have seen strong growth in our business despite the challenges of Brexit and wider uncertainty and managed to read the climate well so far. “There is always a correlation between business growth and customer support. Getting deliveries done on time and being price competitive are factors that a make big difference for growing your customer base.” For the six months to October 2017 the retailer has seen double digit sales growth on a like-for-like basis and has received positive customer satisfaction, with the firm the highest rated major bathroom retailer on Trustpilot and being rated as world class for net promoter score (NPS). Pete Johnson, head of customer excellence, added that the firm would not only be saving jobs, but also recruiting for new vacancies as well. He said: “There will be an element of recruitment and new structuring that will take place. The staff coming from KCOM will be a part of this, but we are always looking to grow with other roles. “The way people see the brand is important and we have been pleased with our marketing. And customer opinion of us is very good compared with competitors when looking at customer satisfaction surveys.”

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Gas firm is given £9m for hydrogen research YORKS: Northern Gas Networks (NGN), on behalf of all the UK gas distributers, has been awarded £9m from Ofgem to support its hydrogen project, H21. The funding arrives from the regulator’s Network Innovation Competition (NIC) pot, and will provide critical evidence to support the viability of converting the UK gas distribution networks to 100 per cent hydrogen. Hydrogen, when burned, is zero carbon at the point of use, with only two by-products: heat and water, making it the ultimate clean fuel. With its head office in Leeds, NGN is the gas distributer for the North East, northern Cumbria and much of Yorkshire, transporting gas to towns and cities including Leeds, Newcastle, Bradford and Hull. Mark Horsley, CEO of Northern Gas Networks, said: “As a gas industry, we are pleased that the Government, and now our regulator Ofgem, recognises the benefits that a conversion of the UK gas distribution networks to 100 per cent hydrogen could bring.”

Wedded bliss booming HULL: WED2B, the wedding dress retailer which has a store on Alfred Gelder Street, has been named as the Uk’s 18th fastest growing company. Published this weekend, the 21st annual Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 league table ranks the top 100 private companies with the fastest growing sales over the past three years. Hull’s WED2B store opened in February 2017 and has helped thousands of local brides find their dream wedding dress. The company, which was started in 2009, has grown to be the UK’s largest bridal retailer, with 27 stores nationwide. Making its debut on the league table in 18th place, WED2B recorded sales of £15.1m in 2017. Todd Cassidy, managing director, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have been named as one of the fastest growing companies in the UK.”

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LOCK DOWN: Paul Batty with his invention, the Sashstop, a new innovative form of lock.

Innovative security is key to company’s award Hull-based Sutton Locksmiths given industry prize for its invention A HULL locksmith has won an important industry award for his new invention to doors more secure. Paul Batty, who runs Sutton Locksmiths in Hull, has created the Sashstop, which he says can be used to upgrade normal locks to make it harder for people to break into properties. The entrepreneur says that lock-snapping by criminals is increasingly becoming an issue in the industry and sought to create a mechanism that could attach to locks and make them harder to break. The product, which has been around for four years, won the top prize for Best New Product at the Master Locksmiths Awards. Mr Batty said it was a great achievement for the product, which is manufactured in Hull and Birmingham. He said: “I was at an exhibition for everyone working in the locksmith industry and we were lucky enough to walk away with the top prize. I think it is a great moment to show how far the business has come and a good news story locally.

By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

“We invented it and produced it ourselves, so were obviously really pleased to get this sort of recognition. It’s an additional security device to stop people breaking into a property. You can use it upgrade your grade as an attachment with its locking mechanism. “It’s a retro-fitted additional lock and is operational on both internal and external locks. It is just something we developed to give that extra level of security, because that is our jobs, to ensure doors or windows are locked securely. “What’s happened is that we invented it because my mother-in-law fell ill and I realised there was an issue with getting in and out of the house quickly, so developed something with that quick release mechanism.” Mr Batty, who runs the locksmith and glazing firm, says the success of the product is creating jobs in Hull and in

Birmingham. “There has never been anything exactly like it available,” Mr Batty said. “We have really been able to develop working on this, and it’s a long way from when I first started on double glazing. “People I’ve spoken to think we’ve found a gap in the market, so we just want to develop from here. A couple of years ago we spoke to people about producing the product, investing, but they weren’t interested. We’ve gone ahead so it’s great to get this positive reception. It’s all made in Hull and has allowed us to create jobs in Hull and Birmingham to produce it. “Its for safety and security. If you look at lock-snapping it is rife in certain areas. Big cities like Leeds have problems with it, but at the minute there is not really anything you can do to upgrade your systems to improve your security in that way. “I’d say it has probably been in development for between three and half and four years. We’ve put our blood, sweat and tears into this.”

Property professional returns to Yorkshire roots EAST YORKS: A Beverley property professional has returned to his East Yorkshire roots to work for leading regional experts Scotts. Bryn Jones, pictured, has taken his career in a new direction after working in the commercial industry for numerous years with national companies including Vodafone, SEAT and Mercedes-Benz. The 28-year-old has joined

Scotts as a graduate surveyor, in a role which will combine a full time traineeship with undertaking an MSc in Real Estate at the University College of Estate Management. Once successfully completed, his aim is to join the firm’s team of fully qualified and experience chartered surveyors, with offices in Hull and Grimsby. Born in Beverley, he was

educated at the town’s Longcroft School and is delighted to have now settled in East Yorkshire and join the Scotts team. He said: “I have seen a change in the area over the years, particularly in Beverley where there are some exciting developments. This was something I knew I had to do now, or I would never have taken the leap.”

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New staff at Insurance Partnership in the city HULL: The Insurance Partnership Financial Services (TIPFS) in Hull has increased its ranks with two new appointments. The firm has welcomed Jonathan Thacker as a paraplanner and Declan Pearson as an administrator. Jonathan says he is glad to be working in his hometown after commuting to a job in Leeds, where he has been specialising in the administration of DB pension transfers. He said: “I’m mainly involved in facilitating defined benefit transfers, ensuring the process is carried out in line with TIPFS guidelines and I have also been doing some fund research and report drafting for the advisers.” “I am really enjoying working at TIPFS so far. It’s a really busy firm so I’m learning a lot and the rest of the team are really friendly and welcoming.” Declan Pearson has joined the admin team from another financial services firm. He said: “It’s been a breath of fresh air joining TIPFS. “I am looking to climb the career ladder and currently studying CF1 to become a financial adviser. TIPFS offers great potential for progression and I’m learning a lot in my current role; processing new business, arranging client reviews and general client servicing to support the advisers.” Paul Newman, director of TIPFS said: “We are pleased to welcome Jon and Dec who are already proving to be great additions to our team. We look after the finances of more than 2,000 people in Hull and the East Riding .”

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TECH: Tom Findlay of Arc Studios and Sam Overton, below, of Trade Chimp are developing technology together.

Digital businesses join up for product development Trade Chimp and Arc Studios work together to secure investment TWO Hull firms have joined forces for a product development venture, which will see hundreds of thousands of pounds in investment over the next few years. Trade Chimp, a Hull-based online platform to help small businesses, has joined forces with C4Di-based software development experts Arc Studios. The agreement between the two companies sees Arc Studios, which built the bespoke software and user-friendly Trade Chimp app, take an undisclosed equity stake in the company. Trade Chimp provides operational and administrative support to tradespeople and small trades businesses around the UK with up to 10 staff, such as electricians, plumbers and gas fitters. Managing director Sam Overment said: “Reaching an agreement with Arc Studios at this crucial stage in our launch is a real milestone for us,

By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

cementing our future product development and freeing up capital resources. “Arc Studios is an ambitious team of tech professionals who have already established an excellent company – it’s a real win for us to have them on board. “As well as further developing our product offering, the joint venture demonstrates that Trade Chimp is here to stay and that users can expect more exciting things to come as well as the continuation of our excellent customer service.” Arc Studios will provide ongoing support in the form of new and improved features to the app, such as integration add-ons, so users can link up their Trade Chimp system with their preferred accounting package. Arc Studios director Tom Findlay said: “The creation of

the Trade Chimp app is one of the most exciting projects in which we have ever been involved and is quite clearly ground-breaking in what it has set out to achieve. “Here at Arc Studios we have a proud track-record of new product innovation and once again we have been able to apply the latest digital technology methods to create a genuinely unique, new, useful and relevant business development and administrative tool for small trades businesses.” John Connolly, managing director C4DI, said: “This is the perfect example of how tech innovation and enterprise can meet the needs of traditional businesses, such as electricians, plumbers and builders, giving them the cutting-edge applications they can use each day, from smartphone to desktop. “It is also a fantastic example of how C4DI has helped bring two entrepreneurial Hull-based tech

companies together, supporting them with the physical space and resources to focus on what are, quite clearly, ambitious and sustainable plans. “This is an exciting time for everyone involved.” The app’s creator says it will reduce trades’ companies’ dependence on paper time sheets, diaries, and spreadsheets, and help deal with payroll and invoices.

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HULL: A leading accountancy firm has unveiled an art exhibition at its offices as Hull 2017 UK City of Culture draws to a close. Smailes Goldie Group, which has offices in Hull and Barton, unveiled the artwork at an event for the firm’s professional contacts on Wednesday November 29.

The exhibition features works from mature art students at Hull College, which is a neighbour of the firm’s Princess Street offices. It follows on from a previous exhibition, which opened in the summer and that also featured a range of works by other students from Hull College.

Smailes Goldie Group is a member of the Hull 2017 UK City of Culture Business Club, alongside other city businesses and organisations supporting this year’s celebrations. Mark Sharpley, a Partner at Smailes Goldie Group, said: “These works really celebrate what Hull has

to offer and that is exactly why we have been supporting this year’s celebrations. “Our guests at the launch were clearly impressed with the quality of the works on display. At Smailes Goldie Group, we are proud of our local roots and the success this year has been for our city.”

With the Hull 2017 UK City of Culture celebrations drawing to a close, Smailes Goldie Group has also sponsored a film, The Twelve Months of Culture, a rewrite of The Twelve Days of Christmas which features people from across the city, including some of the firm’s staff.

FIRM SPARKS INTEREST IN RIVER BOATS TOURISM PAGE 3

ENGINEERS’ CAREERS IN THE PIPELINE APPRENTICES PAGE 6

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Wednesday December 13 2017

UPGRADED FLEET OF TRUCKS WILL DRIVE BUSINESS FORWARD Biomass supplier invests in vehicles and technology to further growth By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

INVESTMENT: Neil Holland, of biomass business Y-Pellets, which has invested in a new fleet of trucks and IT systems to continue growth in the UK. November and the operations have been getting improvements from late July. We are putting the investment in because we want to show that we are best in class. “We have seen growth in wood

pellet usage over the past few years, but it has been around in the UK since 2005. Renewable heat incentives were introduced and then the market significantly grew.” The company expects to deliver

thousands of tonnes of sustainably sourced EN Plus A1 wood pellets to private homeowners and businesses, including local authorities, hotels,

Continued on PAGE 2

SOCIAL marketing agency eskimosoup topped off a year that has seen awards success by becoming one of only a handful of companies to be accredited to NHS Commercial Solutions’ marketing framework. Following a rigorous competitive tender process, eskimosoup, which is based at C4DI in Hull, became one of nine agencies to secure approved status on NHS Commercial Solutions’ framework. The accreditation means eskimosoup is an approved supplier of social marketing services for the NHS to help people across the UK. The agency was appointed to the framework in recognition of its experience in using marketing positively for issues around emotional wellbeing, early detection of cancer and healthier lifestyle behaviours. The news follows last month’s recognition as campaigns director Amy Knight was awarded Young Achiever of the Year at the Hull Daily Mail Business Awards. Prior to this, in March, John Gilbert, managing director of eskimosoup, won Freelance Practitioner of the Year at the Association of Healthcare Communications and Marketing Awards. Mr Gilbert said: “Having historically been bashful of our achievements, we have accepted that accolades are important to prospective clients seeking reassurance that we will do what we say we will. “Although fronted by individuals; the awards are more accurately a reflection of the team effort underpinning eskimosoup as being trusted to help crack any social marketing challenge.”

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AN EAST Yorkshire biomass supplier is pushing for growth with significant investment in technology and a new fleet of specially designed vehicles to show it is “best in class”. Y-Pellets, based in Goole, is a national leader for the distribution and supply of biomass wood pellets and is now looking to support further growth at its busiest time of year. The firm says it is upgrading its delivery trucks at a time when some suppliers sub-contracting deliveries are failing to meet trading standard regulations. The firm has invested in new six and eight-wheel trucks, as well as in IT systems to transmit the data from each delivery to the customer’s head office and then onto the customer. Neil Holland, managing director of Y-Pellets, says the firm wants to continue growth in the region over the next two or three years and believes this investment can facilitate this development. He said: “We are obviously really happy to be located in the region and want to continue growth over the next two or three years, continuing our development in the area. “One of the things you need to grow a business is have up-front investment. So this is what we’ve done by putting money into specialised equipment. “We started with planning last

Social marketing agency secures approved status

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Upgraded fleet of trucks set to drive business forward Continued from PAGE 1 care homes, manufacturers and schools, especially across East Yorkshire and the Humber, the Midlands, the North East and the North West, over the forthcoming months. The investment will see Y-Pellets further extend its distribution capability to southern areas of England and north of the border into Scotland, strengthening its position in the growing UK biomass fuel industry. The managing director said heating incentives brought in by the Government in 2012 caused a significant increase and Y Pellets has benefited from growth in the market ever since. Mr Holland said: “There is now much more of an established market. There are plenty of firms now that started from different places, selling wood chip and things like that, and saw the opportunity to diversify and move into the biomass market. “We are coming into things with a very customer-focused point of view, and I worked in utilities, so the new opportunities for renewable energy was very interesting. “We range from small domestic customers to much bigger places, such as care homes and schools. Any business can benefit from using greener energy sources like biomass. “A variety of different incentives were brought including biomass and heat pumps. They are more expensive than normal to introduce, so the Government brought in an incentive for people to use them, paying people for the usage. “The incentives grew quickly, but it has started to stabilise more and the market is in quite a steady position. It makes it easier for us to strategise and was, therefore, a suitable time to invest.” The firms says it also plans to increase driver numbers as a result of investment, as the company expands its services further across the UK.

Commercial landlords risk falling foul of regulations Strict new energy-efficiency legislation comes into force next year By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

HUNDREDS of commercial buildings, including shops, offices and industrial units in the region risk falling foul of strict new energy-efficiency legislation, which comes into force next year, warns a commercial property specialist. From next April, owners who have buildings with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G will not be able to let them. Landlords who already have tenants in buildings with these low ratings will have a stay of execution until April 2023, by which date the ratings must have been improved. Nick Coultish, of Scotts Property LLP, is urging those who own or occupy commercial premises to be aware of the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, which will become effective from April next year. It is anticipated that about 20 per cent of commercial properties in the UK will fall within the “sub-standard” category, falling foul of the new regulations, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). “This is an issue that must be highlighted as we move into the first half of 2018,” said Mr Coultish. “There is no doubt that action is needed now within the commercial property sector to ensure that steps are being taken

WARNING: Commercial property specialist Nick Coultish, of Scotts Property LLP.

to bring the energy efficiency of buildings up to standard. “The Government is certainly taking the new legislation extremely seriously, proposing fines of between £5,000 and £150,000 per breach, based on the rateable value of the property if a new letting takes place on a property with a rating of F or G from April 2018, or where improvements are not made on premises with an F or G rating which continue to be let after April 2023.”

It is estimated by RICS that the property sector accounts for 32 per cent of the UK’s emissions and that more than 80 per cent of the buildings that exist today will still be in use in 2050. In order to meet long-term targets, it is seen as essential to reduce demand by improving the energy performance of such buildings. The new standards build upon existing legislation dating back to 2012, which made it a legal requirement for premises to be

let or sold to hold an Energy Performance Certificate. Alongside the certificate, the Assessor will have provided a recommendations report with suggestions to improve the rating. Mr Coultish said: “While the new regulations will be seen as a real headache by some landlords, they cannot be ignored as failure to act may render certain premises unlettable. “However, a simple review of the property can often reveal relatively simple compliance steps. “Continually looking for ways in which to make any business premises more efficient is sensible and reflects good practice. The outcome of a review may not be as complex or as expensive as many think. “Quite often, implementation of these recommendations (some of low cost) can help to improve the rating of the premises. “This may include changes to lighting, heating and insulation within the premises. This, in turn, may result in lower running costs and greenhouse gas emissions, providing good news in respect of reduced tenant out-goings and a reduced carbon footprint.” The changes are coming into force as a result of the Climate Change Act 2008. Independent of EU legislation, the UK is committed to reducing its emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050, compared with 1990 levels.

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ecently, the Sunday Times’ Business section reported on a string of incidents involving multi-national operators trying to force the hand of smaller businesses in trademark battles. By sending letters claiming infringement of their trademarks, together with requests to carry out a name change, the “big boys” were flexing their muscles in seeking brand protection. There is, of course nothing wrong with that, although some looked to be using the proverbial sledgehammer to crack some pretty small nuts. Regionally, there have been cases relating to brand management, with which Wilkin Chapman solicitors have been involved. Firstly, an agricultural business

Richard Frogson, par tner in the commercial team at Wilkin Chapman Solicitors

planned to launch a new brand name similar to a registered trademark owned by a supermarket chain. After a short investigation, it appeared that the supermarket had never used this mark in trade. Our clients applied for a new trademark, while also filing a revocation application against the super market’s mark, on the grounds of non-use of the brand in trade. The action was successful

and the supermarket giant agreed to the application to effectively strike out all of their rights in the registered brand. Secondly, we acted for a retail business which had created a brand name and logo incorporating its location. Unfortunately, the name was the same as that used by a household brand. Wishing to protect its branding, our client applied for a logo trademark. This was done knowing that their mark potentially conflicted with the existing registration, but also recognising that, objectively, there was little chance of confusion. The household brand served a notice of objection to the application, on the grounds of

similarity to its existing wideranging registered trademark. Refusing to back down, our client stood firm and, after an amount of legal to-ing and fro-ing, the household brand dropped its opposition. Although the above examples were successful, it is essential for business owners to check before launching a brand, as trademark infringement can be expensive. Simple, relatively inexpensive legal steps can be taken to ensure that a new business venture is not at risk. For more information, call Richard Frogson at Wilkin Chapman solicitors on 01482 398398, email richard.frogson@ wilkinchapman.co.uk or visit wilkinchapman.co.uk

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Providing Christmas homes for the homeless E YORKS: Yorkshire Building Society, which has two branches in Hull and one in Beverley, is supporting homeless young people this Christmas as part of its charity partnership with End Youth Homelessness (EYH). Thirty five young homeless people will have a home of their own this Christmas thanks to the Societyfunded Rent Deposit Scheme for EYH. The scheme is the first project of its kind to be rolled out on a national scale, and provides practical help to homeless young people in the UK who are ready to move out of supported accommodation.

BACK IN ACTION: River King, one of City Cruise Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five-strong fleet, is back in action following a full rewire by Pearson Electrical.

Electrical firm sparking interest in river cruisers Hull company getting boats back on the water in time for Christmas By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

A HULL electrical firm has helped to get much-loved York river cruise boats back on the water in time for Christmas. River King, one of City Cruise Yorkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five-strong fleet, is back in action following a full rewire by Pearson Electrical, based in Clough Road. The work is part of a three-year maintenance contract with the marine electrical specialist to upgrade and maintain the five vessels, keeping them in tip-top operating condition. The remaining vessels in the fleet will be fully rewired before the end of winter. The arrangement follows City Cruisesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, formerly YorkBoat, acquisition by London-based mirror company City Cruises, which operates the biggest fleet of tourist boats on the River Thames, alongside another smaller operation in Poole, Dorset. Over the past year the firm has seen its annual turnover grow by 20 per cent, following on from an expansion that has seen it expand its workforce fivefold in the past three years. Mark Mattinson, sales and marketing manager for City Cruises York, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pearson Electrical was the obvious choice for us to do this important work on our fleet thanks to its

EXPERTISE: The work is part of a three-year maintenance contract with the marine electrical specialists. marine experience and expertise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Its work so far has been outstanding. They have proved themselves to be a team of credible experts who go out of their way to do an excellent job. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have already demonstrated that they can produce top quality work to a tight deadline, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good to know that our full fleet will soon be equipped with wiring that surpasses the highest standards.â&#x20AC;? It signals significant growth for both businesses. City Cruises York has exciting plans to capitalise on the wider reach of its sister company to attract significantly more customers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and ultimately more visitors to York. For Pearson, this is one of a series of major new contracts

that are contributing to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest-ever growth. Mark Pearson, managing director of Pearson Electrical, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Safety is paramount when it comes to marine electrics and we very much respect City Cruisesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; decision to work to the highest standards possible. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s immensely satisfying for us to deliver jobs that give the client as well as their customers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; members of the public â&#x20AC;&#x201C; complete confidence.â&#x20AC;? With the help of the Green Port Hull initiative, Pearson signed a framework agreement for electrical maintenance support with RTS Wind, which installs and maintains wind turbines off the coast of the UK. It has also signed a maintenance agreement with A2SEA, whose two giant vessels transport new wind turbine blades manufactured at Hullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Siemens Gamesa factory out to wind farms in the North Sea. Mark Pearson said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our company is growing at its fastest pace ever, thanks largely to our relationship with the Green Port Hull initiative, which has provided us with access to invaluable support including help in securing unique industry-leading ISO accreditations.â&#x20AC;? Pearson Electrical has built up 30 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; specialist experience in the marine, industrial and hazardous area sectors.

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Area was creating jobs at one of fastest paces E YORKS: Firms in Yorkshire and the Humber created jobs at one of the fastest paces in the UK last month. The latest Lloyds Bank Regional PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) report shows that firms were hiring increasing numbers of staff for the 15th month running. However, the survey showed a slowdown in business activity growth. The Yorkshire and Humber PMI registered at 54.9 in November, down from 57.0 in October and the lowest reading for 12 months. A reading above 50 shows growth in the total value of goods and services produced, whereas a reading below indicates decline. Regional businesses recorded a rise in new orders, linking this to competitiveness in export markets and successful marketing campaigns. However, the pace of expansion showed little improvement from October’s 11-month low.

Best directors awards E YORKS: The search is on for the most talented and promising company directors. Entries have opened for the Director Of The Year Awards 2018, organised by the Institute of Directors (IoD). New categories have been added to recognise individuals who meet the highest standards of leadership in business, public and third sectors. The Yorkshire and North East awards will also include Lifetime Achievement and Judges Special awards. To enter, visit www.iod awards.com/yorks-northeast

RELOCATION: Deluxebase directors Phil Hudson, centre, and brother Rob, right, with Wykeland Group property director David Donkin.

Toy manufacturer makes a move to grow business Firm expands operations by moving headquarters to new offices By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

¨ȸȒɖƳ ɎȒ ɀɖȵȵȒȸɎ ǼȒƬƏǼ ɎƏǼƺȇɎ ¨ ³ ǣɀ ƳƺǼǣǕǝɎƺƳ ɎȒ ƫƺ ɀɖȵȵȒȸɎǣȇǕ Ɏǝƺ ³ȵȒȸɎǣȇǕ !ǝƏȅȵǣȒȇɀ ɯƏȸƳɀِ áƺ‫ټ‬ɮƺ ƫƺƺȇ ǝƺǼȵǣȇǕ ɎȒ ƫɖǣǼƳ ƬȒȅȅɖȇǣɎǣƺɀ ǔȒȸ Ɏǝƺ ȵƏɀɎ ‫ ׎ב‬ɵƺƏȸɀ ƏȇƳ Əȸƺ ȵȸȒɖƳ ɎȒ ȵǼƏɵ Ə ȵƏȸɎ ǣȇ ɀɖȵȵȒȸɎǣȇǕ ɵȒɖȇǕ ȵƺȒȵǼƺ ɎǝȸȒɖǕǝ Ȓɖȸ ȵƏɀɀǣȒȇ ǔȒȸ ɀȵȒȸɎِ

A TOYS and gifts manufacturer has expanded operations by moving its headquarters to new offices in Beverley. Deluxebase has doubled its office space by taking the second floor at Armstrong House, part of regeneration specialist Wykeland Group’s fast-growing Flemingate development. The company, which supplies products around the world, has relocated more than 20 people to the 4,000sq ft town centre offices. Established in Beverley in 1994, Deluxebase has a warehouse near to Beverley and offices in Hong Kong. Its nature-themed toys and gifts are supplied to thousands of tourist attractions, gift shops and toy shops and two of its biggest local customers are The Deep in Hull and Flamingo Land, near Malton in North Yorkshire. From its new headquarters, Deluxebase controls product design, sales and shipping for customers across the world. Deluxebase has relocated from offices in Lairgate, Beverley. Director Phil Hudson said: “We didn’t have the space we needed in our previous offices, so Ar mstrong House has given us the room we needed to continue to grow the business. “Armstrong House appealed to us because it’s an impressive, modern building in an attractive location for our customers to visit us from throughout Europe.”

Deluxebase is the latest business to move to the recently developed Flemingate site, which also homes cafés, restaurants and dedicated parking. David Donkin, property director at Wykeland Group, said he was delighted to welcome Deluxebase to Flemingate. He said: “This move underlines once again that Flemingate is a first-class business location. “As Beverley’s first Grade A office development, Armstrong House offers high-quality, modern premises in a central position in the town, with excellent facilities. “By relocating to Armstrong House, Deluxebase has become part of a thriving commercial community at Flemingate. “There’s a real buzz around the centre and it’s a great place for Deluxebase to do business and for their staff to work.”

Armstrong House offers spacious, open-plan offices which benefit from comfort cooling and daylight dimming lighting, as well as shower facilities and dedicated parking spaces. A total of 3,500sq ft of office space remains available on the first floor, which can be sub-divided into smaller suites, with potential occupiers encouraged to enquire about Armstrong House without delay. Deluxebase is the second company to choose Armstrong House for its new headquarters, following a successful move by Local Transport Projects. Nick Pearce, of agent PPH Commercial, which handled the Deluxebase letting, said: “This is the largest office letting in Beverley in the past five years and it highlights the importance of the Flemingate scheme in providing the only Grade A office space in the town.”

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BIGINTERVIEW

Meet the young entrepreneur taking mobile advertising to the next level

Ash Lewis has offices around the world and a list of impressive clients. Henry Saker-Clarke finds out why Ash TV is making a name for itself

21-year-old former Kelvin Hall school student is gaining acclaim for leading one of the region’s fastest-growing technology businesses, which has recently developed teams in Paris, Amsterdam and Germany. Smart advertising company Ash TV, run by Ash Lewis, has now struck a major advert placement deal with leading publisher Immediate Media. The publisher, whose portfolio includes huge magazine titles including BBC Top Gear, BBC Match Of The Day and Radio Times, is the latest to work with the Hull-based firm. The contract is one of a number which have propelled rapid growth for the mobile advertising specialists, based in Hull’s C4DI. The company, which only started last year, has already outgrown Hull city centre offices bought this summer, and seen an expansion which has led to opening offices in Amsterdam and London and development teams in Paris and Norden in Ger many. Mr Lewis said: “We run ads, targeted for mobile, on about 1,500 websites. We work with advertisers and publishers so that their products can reach customers on mobiles. I think the growth in video consumption, by people on their phones, has been obvious so that was something we wanted to tap into and a lot of brands have been interested in developing online this way. It’s been a big year since we started. We opened the offices here earlier in the year and now this is one of four countries where we have bases. “Headquarters is in Hull, because simply that’s where I’m from, and now we are in Alkmaar, just outside of Amsterdam, Paris and Norden in Germany. Ash TV provides an auto-playing video

“

advertising platform for mobile, where advertisers can target audiences by selecting their age, gender, location, interests and occupation. “This growth wasn’t down a specific strategy,” the young entrepreneur said. “Decisions we’ve made tend to just be pragmatic, reacting to issues we have. The reason we have an office near Amsterdam is because we had a customer there and the same in Paris. “The fact is 18 to 30 year olds are not watching TV like they used to. The way they are consuming adverts is changing and advertisers are having to adapt, and we think we have benefited by staying at the front of this development. “Every month we are having to tell customers that our products are changing because the landscape, the way people are consuming things through technology is rapidly changing. “Do we have any serious competitors in mobile video? I would probably say no.” Ash TV’s technology is supported by artificial intelligence software to target adverts using location and social media data. It provides real-time feedback to clients on the effectiveness and targeting of their advertising campaigns. Mr Lewis says he has been gaining experience across a range of areas despite his age, and says he wants to see other young people in Hull becoming successful in technology industries. He said: “I started off as a developer, mainly working at the NHS on healthcare databases from when I was about 15. “We have two 15 year olds who work with us. I’ve gone into classes and found people who have the talent and eagerness to work as developers and programmers. They were talented, so I don’t see why age should come into it.”

The fact is 18 to 30 year olds are not watching TV like they used to. The way they are consuming adverts is changing. Ash Lewis

‘IT’S BEEN A BIG YEAR’: Ash Lewis, of AshTV, which has its headquarters in Hull at C4DI but now has offices in Paris, Germany, and just outside Amsterdam. Picture: Peter Harbour

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BUSINESS

TV presenter Naga will host The Business Day E YORKS: Journalist and broadcaster Naga Munchetty will host The Business Day at Bridlington Spa on Friday June 8, next year. The presenter is best known for being one of the presenters on the BBC Breakfast TV show, and she will be joined on the day by headline speaker Joanna Lumley and Geoffrey Boycott, as previously announced. Her career started at the Evening Standard, but soon after she became a reporter for Reuters Financial Television. Naga also worked for Bloomberg TV, where she was a senior presenter interviewing major CEOs and bank managers. Naga aims to empower women around the world to achieve career success. In 2014, she was named in the Asian Power List as one of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most powerful Asian females alongside Jameela Jamil and Liberty director Shami Chakrabati. Tickets for The Business Day cost ÂŁ125 per person, or ÂŁ1,000 for ten. For more information, or to book, visit bridspa.com or call 01262 678258.

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BRIGHT FUTURE: From left, Chris Lakeman, Louis Rex, Arron Kearney, HETA instructor, Laurie Taylor, Ellis Choi and Corey Dimbley.

Young engineers have careers in the pipeline

Apprentices complete first part of training after intensive course YOUNG engineers are weighing up careers from underwater welding to pipeline work in Alaska after finishing the first part of their training and securing apprenticeships with companies in Hull and the East Riding. The group has just moved on from a ten-week intensive course at Humberside Engineering Training Association (HETA) as the first to progress from the summer intake of school leavers, and are already setting their sights on options after they complete their three-year apprenticeships with employers. The welders will be followed into industry this month by another group who are putting the finishing touches to their intensive course at HETAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s centre at Stallingborough. The remaining apprentices at Hull, Stallingborough and Scunthorpe will advance next summer. Arron Kearney, fabrication and welding instructor at HETA in Hull, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This first group has done really well and were all

By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

signed up by employers very quickly. The majority of our learners, who will leave during this academic year, have already secured apprenticeships and we are working hard to find employers for the remaining Traineeships. We have an exceptional track record of getting our learners into sustainable employment.â&#x20AC;? Laurie Taylor, who has joined CRK Engineering in Hull, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a worldwide shortage of engineers and if you have the right qualifications you can travel anywhere. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why I came to HETA.â&#x20AC;? Fellow apprentice Ellis Choi, a colleague at CRK Engineering, arrived at HETA as a late entrant. Ellis served as a technician in the RAF before leaving through injury. Corey Dimbleby and Chris Lakeman, who have both joined G & S Engineering in Hull, both went to HETA straight from school, as did Louis Rex, who has joined Brough-based Rexrob engineering and aims to help his dad

build the family business. They began work at HETA in September, having heard about engineering opportunities through a combination of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school visits, family input and recommendation from friends. Their course will take them to a NVQ Level 3 and will present opportunities to specialise in the disciplines that they have targeted, and much more. Mr Kearney said the intensive course has been specifically designed to provide more opportunities for young people to embark on engineering careers. Apprentices train full-time at HETA for ten weeks and spend the rest of their three years attending on day release from their employers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Apprentices used to spend a year here before moving on, but we developed the ten-week intensive course after consulting with companies,â&#x20AC;? Mr Kearney said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Employers want the apprentices to come here, get the basics and then learn the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own style of engineering.â&#x20AC;?

Contract manufacturer makes three promotions to support growth SPECIALIST contract manufacturer Grotech Production Ltd has made three strategic promotions to support future growth and develop existing sales. Stephen Moore has been appointed operations director to support the Goole businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to implement leaner manufacturing and deliver more highly profitable research

and development projects. Mr Moore has worked at the firm, which specialises in the agricultural and horticulture sectors, to diversify into automotive and household goods. Mr Moore also identified the opportunity for the company to become the first contract manufacturer to achieve Soil Association accreditation

through his experience of recognising the value of and implementing ISO quality standards. Debbie Plumb will head up sales and marketing, focusing on the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core strengths in research and development for businesses looking to bring a new product to market or trial. Tom Grayson will become

technical manager, where he will oversee research and development of new product ranges for customers. Managing director Martin Usher said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stephen, Debbie and Tom are ambitious to take Grotech Production Ltd to the next level by identifying new customers who need our experienced and expert research and development.â&#x20AC;?

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YOUR M ONEY

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YOURMONEY

Simple ways to save money this winter

POUND NOTES

Busy lives can be a dangerous distraction BUSY MUMS ‘BELIEVE HECTIC LIVES PUT THEM AT FRAUD RISK’ AROUND two-fifths of mothers believe their busy lives make them more at risk of fraud, research has found. Some 38% feel hectic schedules make them more susceptible to scams, according to a survey from Mumsnet and the finance industry-backed national awareness campaign, Take Five To Stop Fraud. More than a third (35%) of mothers surveyed say they’re approached up to six times a week by calls, texts or emails in which someone wants to obtain personal information from them.

Happy to have a full house THREE-FIFTHS OF ADULTS ‘WOULD CONSIDER LIVING WITH OTHER GENERATIONS’ THREE-FIFTHS (60%) of adults would be willing to buy a house with other members of their family and live in a multi-generational home, a survey has found. In fact, one in six (15%) of these said they would love to do so, Sarah Beeny’s estate agent Tepilo.com found. When asked what would make living in a multi-generational living bearable, separate living spaces came out on top, followed by separate bathrooms, separate kitchens, soundproof walls and a big garden. These factors were seen as generally more important than being able to fork out less for a mortgage or rent, the survey of 2,000 people aged 18-65 found. HOUSING PRICE HIKE THE total value of the UK’s privately-owned housing stock has passed the £6 trillion mark for the first time, according to research from Halifax.

We all feel the pinch at this time of year – but it is possible to limit the damage, says V ICKY SHAW

INTER can put a chill on the wallet, with Christmas bills throwing even the most carefullyplanned budgets off course, and plunging temperatures leaving us whacking up the heating in our homes. But there are some simple ways you may be able to cut back, which could make life easier when those January bills start landing on your doormat.

SIMPLE SAVERS’ TIPS

HAVE AN EARLY SPRING CLEAR-OUT IF you’ve overdone it on Black Friday, why not sell on unwanted items now? More than one in 10 (12%) of shoppers will have bought items on Black Friday only to find they already had something similar at home, a survey from Gumtree has found.

GOING AWAY FOR CHRISTMAS? BOOK FLIGHTS EARLY ACCORDING to research from American Express, on average, people in the UK spend £88 travelling to meet friends and family over the festive period, so it’s worth trying to book any rooms, flights or train fares early to try and secure

the best prices. You may also have rewards or points on your spending that could be used towards a hotel room deal.

SORT YOUR ENERGY BILLS RECENT research from MoneySuperMarket. com found that more than 30 fixed energy deals are set to expire in December – with a similar number having ended in November – meaning many customers risk being rolled onto more expensive tariffs during the coldest part of winter, when energy usage is at its peak. Often, when these tariffs end, providers will move customers onto a standard variable rate tariff, which could be their most expensive deal. Those with deals about to end may want to bear in

Take some of the pain out of winter with a few straightforward ways to save a bit of cash mind that MoneySuperMarket.com says the end-to-end switching process can take up to three weeks, but is often quicker. Meanwhile, British Gas has just announced plans to scrap standard variable tariffs (SVTs) for new customers as part of moves to introduce simpler bills. The Big Six firm says the reforms, which follow similar pledges made on SVTs by some other suppliers, will be delivered by the end of March. Stephen Murray, an energy expert at MoneySuperMarket. com, says: “At this time of year especially, with temperatures dropping and the thermostat creeping up every day, now is definitely not the time to be languishing on an expensive standard variable tariff, or inadvertently rolling onto one at the end of a fixed rate deal because you’ve done nothing.”

INSULATE YOUR HOME AS temperatures drop, bodies like Energy Saving Trust and Energy Saving Trust Scotland can help provide information on how people can insulate their home and potentially save on heating bills. Lagging pipes and insulating the loft can be effective ways to reduce heat loss. Lloyds Bank Home Insurance suggests

insulating exposed pipes in basements, attics, garages, kitchen cabinets and on the outside of the house.

EASE THE STRAIN OF CHRISTMAS BY LOOKING OUT FOR CASHBACK WITH prices rising, cards which offer cashback can help to take some of the pressure off when it comes to paying bills. But research from Moneyfacts. co.uk has found shoppers will find that interest-free deals on credit cards have been shrinking over the past six months, giving consumers fewer months to spread the cost of Christmas. Rachel Springall, finance expert at Moneyfacts.co.uk, says: “There are still some ways for shoppers to make the most of any spending, such as by earning some cashback with a credit card or current account, or even by making use of an interest-free purchase card to spread the cost of Christmas, but the offers are not as rewarding as they once were.”

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IN BRIEF

BUSINESS â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;VALUABLE ADDITIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: Lucy Dillon working at Humber LEP as part of the This-Ability programme to help people with disabilities get into full-time work.

Digital skills deficit is affecting productivity SMALL BUSINESSES: Productivity growth in the UK will continue to stall without Government and industry action to tackle a digital skills deficit in small businesses, according to new research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The research finds that more than a quarter, 26 per cent, of business owners in England lack confidence in their basic digital skills and more than a fifth, 22 per cent, believe a lack of basic digital skills among their staff is holding them back from increasing their digital and online presence. The FSB warns that small firms will be left behind unless the National Retraining Scheme, announced in the Budget to boost digital capability, is designed with them in mind. Mike Cherry, FSB national chairman, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know that embracing digital technology can help businesses in every sector to be more productive. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Firms risk being left behind unless they have the skills to take advantage of technology to remain competitive and responsive to their customers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to highlight the benefits of going digital and then make sure that small businesses and their staff can access basic digital skills training that meets their needs through initiatives like the National Retraining Scheme.â&#x20AC;?

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Helping employers become more â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;disability confidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Call for firms to become involved in scheme

BUSINESSES are being encouraged help support disabled people into employment opportunities by leading Hull companies and organisations. MPH Fulfilment and Humber LEP are two groups that have called on other employers to become involved in the This-Ability partnership, which helps employers to become â&#x20AC;&#x153;disability confidentâ&#x20AC;?. The national Disability Confident programme is a scheme designed to help employers recruit and retain disabled people and people with health conditions for their skills and talent. The partnership is run by Talent Match Humber in order to ensure employers are aware of the support available to take advantage of this rich untapped talent pool. Chantelle Snee, development officer for Talent Match Humber, says the organisation is working with employers to knock down barriers hindering some disabled people from working. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We started over a year ago and, since then, have been continuing to support employers taking on disabilities,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fact is they want to access this huge pool of talent, but often have questions over any changes they may need to make. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have found people going through talent matched who are disabled and passing with flying colours, but when they are applying for jobs they are coming up against barriers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is for us to work with employers to get rid of any barriers. Some employers, particularly SMEs, do need support for this but now they are massively reaping

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Employers want to access this huge pool of talent, but often have questions Chantelle Snee

By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

the benefits of accessing this talent.â&#x20AC;? The Humber Local Enterprise Partnership took on Lucy Dillon for work experience as part of the scheme and said she proved a â&#x20AC;&#x153;valuable additionâ&#x20AC;? to the team. Teresa Chalmers, executive director of employment and skills at Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Humber LEP is delighted to be contributing to the This Ability campaign, which has gained such positive momentum in the Humber. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As part of our continued support for our young people, the LEP offers a range of work experience opportunities. One of these included a placement for Lucy, who proved a valuable addition to our skills team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lucy was of great assistance in administrative duties, including preparation for Board meetings, production of marketing materials and assisting with diary arrangements.â&#x20AC;? MPH Fulfilment has employed a young person who suffers from mild autism and a mild learning disability, neither of which impact her ability, and the firm hopes many other businesses in the region follows its lead. Marc Henderson, MPH Fulfilment managing director, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to have understanding about what it means to be Disability Confident, Talent Match have shown me the way to go â&#x20AC;Ś you automatically think, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;what do we have to do to ensure safety in the work environment?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; when really itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just common sense. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Katie and Talent Match have taught me we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to change a lot, we just have to be aware and have understanding. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be happy to share our experience with other employers and show that somebody working on a busy factory floor has not slowed us down or created us any issues.â&#x20AC;?

RENEWABLES RESEARCH IS COMING ENERGY

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MECHANICS NOW DRIVING FIRM’S PLANS

PUSH TO FIND ENGINEERING DIVERSITY

MOTORING

INDUSTRY

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Wednesday December 20 2017

Hull woman toasts public speaking award

FUEL’S GOLD: More than £350m in capital investment has been put into Vivergo Fuels, with investors set to lose huge amounts if operations continue to be halted.

‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’ SAYS BIOFUEL FIRM

Vivergo Fuels MD says 150 jobs are at risk and farming could suffer By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

Hull firm, says the current amount blended in petrol means it is unprofitable and, therefore, costs too much to keep the plant running. The 150 workers at the plant have been retained for maintenance work, but no restart date is in place. More than 800 farmers, many of whom live in East Yorkshire, have also been affected by the plant’s shut-down, which began two weeks ago. The MD says that farmers are the

first to be affected and can be helped by the Government coming forward to “meet its own targets”. Mark Chesworth said: “We just want them to implement their own policy to their own timetable. “We believe that, unless they do their bit, the market is not sustainable. We want them come forward and meet their deadlines and targets. “A key issue is that supply is now coming beyond the demand growth, as some are sitting on our hands, in our view. “It means the market is unsustainable and we can’t continue like this

here. Something has to change.” More than £350m in capital investment has been put into the firm, with investors set to lose huge amounts if operations continue to be halted. When asked what he believed was the cause of delays in enacting policy, Mr Chesworth said: “Brexit. Recently it feels like all domestic policy has taken a back-seat, but, obviously, this is something very time-sensitive, so we want to make it clear that they should deal with the situation before it gets worse.

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THE managing director of a Hull biofuel producer says 150 plant jobs and hundreds of farmers who supply the farm are at risk because of “Government inaction”. Vivergo Fuels, based in Saltend and with offices in Hessle, says that “enough is enough” and is calling on the Department of Transport and increase the amount of bioethanol required in petrol. Currently all petrol is required to contain 4.75 per cent bioethanol, but the Government agreed to ensure all petrol had 9.75 per cent bioethanol by 2020. Mark Chesworth, who runs the

A PUBLIC speaker from Hull has become the first person in the UK and Europe to receive an internationally recognised accreditation. Clare Crowther, pictured, has become only the 70th person globally to qualify as an accredited speaker with leading organisation Toastmaster International. The accredited speaker status is awarded to members, of the 350,000-strong organisation, who can demonstrate that they are not only masters of the spoken word, but are also experts in their chosen subject matter. It has taken Ms Crowther three years to achieve this coveted status, having first been inspired to take public speaking to a professional standard through joining Hull Speakers. She is a highly accomplished programme management consultant and has worked with organisations in the UK and overseas including FTSE100 companies, SMEs, government departments and Higher Education establishments. Ms Crowther studied mathematical studies at Hull University and also acts as a volunteer mentor to Hull University Business School and on the Employer Led Programme for South Hunsley Sixth Form. She uses many of the skills and tips she has acquired in her acting training and appearances as an extra in theatre and film productions including “A Royal Night Out” which was filmed in Hull and “Flood” a dramatic production commissioned for Hull2017. She said: “I’m proud to be able to call myself the first ever Briton and European to achieve AS status, but at the same time, it’s unbelievable that I am the first.”

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Energy landmark completed Government action puts jobs at risk Continued from PAGE 1 “This is just production that needs to take place to help meet their own green targets. Everything we talk about in Parliament, with MPs, and with consumers, they agree with, but it has just been delay after delay. “Shutting down the plant was very much a surprise. We never expected it would get to this point.” Vivergo is pushing for E10 – a petrol blend of 90 per cent gasoline and 10 per cent bioethanol – to be forcibly enrolled by August 2018. Currently all petrol contains around 5 per cent bioethanol. The Department for Transport’s Energy Task Force recommended lifting the blend level and introducing E10 in 2015. But the department did not begin consulting issue until January 2017 and has not yet committed to E10. The firm has also clarified that “almost all” new cars made in the last three years can take E10 petrol without any adjustments. Bioethanol also helps to meet renewables and greenhouse gas emissions targets set by the Government, with bioethanol produced in the UK and Europe having on average 64 per cent lower greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Almost doubling the sustainable biofuel supply by 2020 demonstrates our commitment to reducing carbon emissions from transport to tackle climate change. “We are on track to make changes to the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). This will double the use of renewable fuels, reduce our reliance on imported fossil diesel and deliver emissions savings equal to taking another one million cars off the road. “We are working closely with the industry and motoring groups to consider the issues around a potential introduction of E10 and the role Government can play in this.” Large amounts of high protein animal feed for dairy farmers is also produced at the site using excess protein produced from the brewing of ethanol. This will then have knock on effect to farmers unable to purchase this feed.

Progress at £200m development paves way for renewables research By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

A MAJOR landmark of Hull’s £200m Energy Works development has been completed, paving the way for renewable energy research to be conducted in the heart of the city. Hull-based Spencer Group has steered the Energy Works scheme from concept to delivery and the company is now playing a key part in construction of the vast green energy facility. Up to 150 Spencer Group staff and sub-contractors have been delivering the £35m package of civil and structural works for the green energy power plant, the largest current development in the Humber. The firm has now completed the Energy Academy, a learning, research and development facility created in partnership with the University of Hull, on the Cleveland Street site. The building incorporates the control room for Energy Works as well as education and research and development facilities and is purpose-designed to offer operational staff, researchers and visitors wide-ranging views of operations on site with viewing windows on both floors. Richard Burgess, deputy managing director of Spencer Group, said: “Completion of the Energy Academy is a key milestone for the whole project. “From the outset the objective was for Energy Works to be more than a power plant and the construction of the Energy Academy demonstrates that ambition is being delivered. “Energy Works will be at the forefront of waste to energy technology in the UK and pave the way for further innovation in this field. The Energy Academy and the partnership with the University of Hull will play a key part in maximising the research and development opportunities Energy Works offers.” The partnership with the university will support two full-time PhD students and offer schools, other education insti-

‘APPY

CHRISTMAS DOWNLOAD THE HULL DAILY MAIL APP THIS CHRISTMAS AND ENJOY LOCAL NEWS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

POWER PLANT: Energy Academy will conduct research into renewable energy sources. tutions and the local community generally the opportunity to learn about renewable energy technologies. Specifically, the Energy Academy will support research related to the technologies within Energy Works and related processes. Energy Works also has a well-established relationship with nearby Stoneferry Primary School where pupils are learning about waste management and recycling and the necessity to save energy. Spencer Group operations director Andy Beach said: “As a Hull-based company, everyone at Spencer Group is very proud of Energy Works and the benefits it will bring to the city and region. “We’re also excited that the Energy Academy will play such an important role in providing insight and inspiration to take forward the renewable technologies within Energy Works. “The Energy Academy is unusual as it is an on-site facility as part of a working plant, rather than based in an educational institution. That means it offers

a great opportunity to combine academic research with operational evidence.” Spencer Group has been working on the project for the past seven years, working closely with principal contractor M+W Group. Spencer has also agreed to oversee operations once the plant is live.

Energy Works is due to begin generating electricity next year, using an innovative energy recovery process called fluidised bed gasification to produce sufficient energy to power 43,000 homes by processing 240,000 tonnes of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) annually, including Hull’s household waste.

AL AVAI SO L ON Y ABLE O TABL UR ET

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IN BRIEF

PRESTIGE PARTNERS: Neil Duncan, left, and Leon Taylor have invested their life savings to save Prestige Autocare.

Mechanics buy business and now it is motoring

Friends invest to save firm and four months later are seeing growth By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

A PAIR of Hull mechanics saved their business from going under and are now starting to see growth just four months later. Leon Taylor and Neil Duncan never saw themselves as business owners. But, after spending 25 years as mechanics, they witnessed the car body-work centre Prestige Autocare collapsing and decided they had to take the reins themselves. The pair say they have worked for the business for roughly 25 years combined, on and off, but saw the business facing closure this summer unless they took action themselves. Leon Taylor says he and his partner put their life savings into saving the Cleveland Street firm, and are now looking to regain a strong reputation in the area. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are a body shop thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been here for a while, and me and my colleague Neil took over nearly four months ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had both worked here, on and off, for 25 years. I had been for a while before going to do something else and then retur ned. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over the past ten years it had been going down. There had been issues and, at the end, we werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t getting paid and there were serious financial problems.

Employees either lazy or loyal survey suggests NEW research by global recruitment firm BPS World suggests that despite an unprecedented skills shortage, employees are far more loyal than expected. Its survey of more than 1,000 employees, working both part-time and full-time, found that staff usually stay with one employer for an average of four and a half years and a third say they usually stay in one role for more than six years. BPS World also asked respondents about the longest time theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve spent with one employer to date, and found that almost half (45 per cent) have worked for one company for ten years or more at a certain point in their career. Simon Conington, MD of BPS World, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Employers will be reassured to see that for the most part, employees are not jumping from job to job in a matter of months as some headlines would suggest.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The owner was going to shut it down and, then, the opportunity arose to take it on ourselves. If we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take it we would be losing our jobs.â&#x20AC;? Mr Taylor admits he never set out to be a business owner, but is putting his heart and soul into the firm now the opportunity has arisen. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know I would rather have a normal job working for someone, but we had to put our all in save the business and keep going,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had to give it a go.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we first moved here, everything was grand and we

were the only premier bodywork place around and got some good contracts out of it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It slowly demised, but we had always known the potential of it, so it made sense to take over the business and hopefully now we can fulfil that. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were fighting against liquidation. The firm went into liquidation three times in the past three years.â&#x20AC;? He said the decision was taken quickly and now the pair are looking to develop the firm from the ground up with help of a new apprentice.

Mr Taylor said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We both put our life savings into it and we have also managed to take on an apprentice. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to be able to take on a young lad and train them up, and develop the business again. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know it will take a lot of hard work, but we are putting the hours in and we hope it can make a real difference. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was employed on the Thursday, we closed on the Friday and we then bought it on the Monday. We put everything we have in. Our life savings, and I know the wife was nervous.â&#x20AC;?

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NEWS

Final turbine installed THE final wind turbine has been installed at a major UK offshore wind farm, using some of the first blades manufactured at the Siemens blade factory in Hull. All 91 wind turbines have now been installed at the Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm, run by Ă&#x2DC;rsted, previously known as Dong Energy. The wind farm is located off the North Norfolk coast and is using Siemens 6 megawatt (MW) wind turbines. The installation of the final turbine means the project remains on schedule, with the wind farm expected to be fully operational early next year. David Summers, project director for Race Bank at Ă&#x2DC;rsted UK, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m delighted that all turbines have been successfully installed at Race Bank. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This has been one of the more difficult projects to execute with challenging seabed conditions and a complex export cable route. Construction has progressed well and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re right on schedule. This is an important milestone to reach.â&#x20AC;? Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UK managing director, Clark MacFarlane, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Installation of the final turbine on any project is always a cause for celebration, but especially so for the completion of the Race Bank project. We will always associate Race Bank with the initial batch of turbine blades delivered from our Hull factory, a turning point in the UK renewable energy industry.â&#x20AC;?

PENSION EXPERTS: The team from Informed Financial Planning.

Financial planners expand and look to wealthy future Next year will see a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;bigger not betterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; strategy

A CHARTERED financial planning firm in Hessle has expanded into new offices and taken on new recruits following a year of positive growth. Informed Financial Planning has moved into larger offices at Waterside Business Park in Hessle, after outgrowing its previous offices. The firm has expanded its team throughout 2017 and now employs 28 people, of whom 13 are financial advisers or managers. Eight staff members have joined in the last year and three existing employees have been promoted to management roles. The firm now believes it has the strong team necessary to push forward in the future and says it does not anticipate the need for further recruitment over the next year. The expansion of the team follows a positive financial year, which has seen turnover increase by 75 per cent since October 2016. The firm advises business and individuals on a wide range of financial planning, pensions and wealth management matters. Informed Financial Planning says a key issue for many customer, recently, has been people seeking advice on pensions following changes to pension rules in 2015. Kevin Ferriby, managing director of the company, says financial advice is important to help people who want to take advantage of new freedoms available by moving to a defined contribution pension scheme. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have had many enquiries from people seeking advice on transferring a defined

By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

benefit pension to a defined contribution scheme to take advantage of the new freedoms,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Funds still need to be accessed responsibly as they potentially have to fund lifestyles for much longer than before. Financial advice is crucial so that the right choice is made for each personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s individual circumstances.â&#x20AC;? For next year, Informed Financial Planning says it will adopt a â&#x20AC;&#x153;better not biggerâ&#x20AC;? strategy. Following the significant expansion of the firm, it says that in 2018 it will focus on exceeding clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations with the quality of its service and advice. The firm has subsidiary offices in Leeds and Barnsley and will also be developing its business in these locations. Mr Ferriby said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We see pensions continuing to be a hot topic in the future. Changes are being made to the state retirement age all the time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although not currently law, changes are now being considered that will affect people born between 1970 and 1978; they may not be able to draw their state pension until age 68. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Given that everyone is now living longer, we will spend a larger proportion of our adult life in retirement, so retirement planning is now more crucial than ever.â&#x20AC;?

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BIGINTERVIEW

Infrastructure specialist eyes national expansion Henry Saker-Clark meets an East Yorkshire transport firm looking to expand its business across the British Isles AN EAST Yorkshire transport services firm has laid the foundations for its national expansion as it works on major contracts across the UK. Local Transport Projects (LTP) was developed by proud East Yorkshiremen Tony Kirby and Andy Mayo, after working on infrastructure for Hull City Council. Now the firm, which was established in 2004, counts many county councils across the UK as clients as it develops transport strategies for both private and public organisations. Last year the firm began life in a new home at the recently developed Flemingate complex in the heart of Beverley and the pair say they have continued to grow since. The shopping and offices development is one particularly close to the firm, which worked on highway design for the ÂŁ120m project by Hull developers Wykeland. LTP director, Tony Kirby said the Beverley base was ideal for the firm, which has completed work for some of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest firms, but they are now working further afield as well. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We both worked for Hull City Council on infrastructure in various positions. We had worked together since 1992 and wanted this next challenge. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve moved around a little bit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we were at East Ridingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s small business centre at one point â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but since then we have expanded fairly quickly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Flemingate office was a great opportunity as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done work around here and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a really visible area. We have worked with East Riding on cycling, but have worked with private companies in the area as well, like BAE, Smith and Nephew and RB. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of the work is digital-based though, so we do not find ourselves confined to local work. To be honest, if we only worked in East Yorkshire we would be restricting ourselves too much. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been keen to work all over the UK.â&#x20AC;? After recently being awarded on role on a multi-million-pound framework for

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We have worked with East Riding on cycling, but have worked with private companies in the area as well Tony Kirby

Get ready for the freeze HULL firm Arco is urging businesses in the area to prepare for the winter months as the region sees icy forecasts. The firm is recommending businesses plan ahead with its expert advice sheets for business winter weather needs, including advice against flooding, effective salting and how to be weather warning aware, which are available on its dedicated winter web page. Steven Summerscales, regional sales manager for Arco, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;As the big chill approaches, we want to make sure our customers in Hull are in the know when it comes to protecting their businesses against extreme weather. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a comprehensive range of solutions available at the Hull trade counter to keep workplaces both safe and open throughout periods of extreme weather and the experienced Arco team is on hand in store to provide expert advice for all winter-related requirements.â&#x20AC;?

ROAD WAGE: Andy Mayo, left and Tony Kirby have been working on transport projects. transport work across Scotland, the firm has continued to work on projects across the UK. The practice is the only specialist transportation SME to be listed on Scotland Excel and will provide transportation and traffic services to local authorities, the education sector, airports and other public bodies and service providers in Scotland. As the centre of procurement expertise for Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 32 local authorities, Scotland Excel has a ÂŁ968m contract portfolio supporting the delivery of roads, transport, construction, environment, social care, corporate, education and ICT services. Andy Mayo, also director at LTP, says that the business does much more than map out slip roads and has been pivotal in the development of a number of nationally important alternative transport projects. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve worked with Transport For London on projects based around motorcycle safety. More motorcyclists are killed in London than cyclists every year and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something that needs addressing so that is something weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve worked on. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are working on a cycling and walking programme in Wales as well, so this is something we think we are getting a good reputation for. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been able to take on new recruits recently and take on people from East Riding College as well. We have an apprentice and working on training in the industry is massively important to us. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a skills gap in the industry. I think, for a lot of people, they might not even realise some of these roles exist. We absolutely we want to see more talent locally, with people training as highway engineers and transport planners.â&#x20AC;? The firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is not just restricted to roads, and LTP has completed work on a number of recent schemes intended to increase the number of people cycling and therefore reducing traffic congestion. The company has been involved in work for Fermanagh & Omagh District Council on developing a high quality 4km cycle route in Enniskillen, working with council officers and other local stakeholders.

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6 Wednesday December 20 2017

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IN BRIEF

BUSINESS

Help to Buy loans popular across region A REGIONAL housebuilder says that the number of people taking out Help to Buy loans has been high across East Yorkshire. David Wilson Homes says the strength of the scheme is particularly evident at its Tranby Fields development in Hessle, where more than 50 per cent of new homes are being purchased through Help to Buy. In Hessle, a total of 583 Help to Buy equity loans have been taken out since its launch in April 2013. 76 per cent of these equity loans are to first time buyers, highlighting the popularity of the scheme in the region for those aiming to take their first step onto the property ladder. Sharon Hyde, sales manager at Tranby Fields, said: “It is great to see that the Help to Buy scheme is so successful, not only at Hessle, but across all of East Riding.

Small business owners ‘fear’ taking sick days THE Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) says that new statistics show that small business owners’ health is most affected by orthopaedic conditions, mental health and cancer. The organisation has reviewed half a decade of statistics about the health of its members and identified that just three conditions make up more than half of the initial referrals to its medical care and advice service FSB Care. Mike Cherry, FSB national chairman, said: “Being ill and needing to take time off work is a huge fear for anyone running their own business. “Nobody can wave a magic wand or promise an elixir, but our members are guaranteed that there will be a medical expert on the end of the phone who can support them through difficult times when they need it.”

Business

New scheme aims to get more women interested in engineering

Green Port Hull initiative looks to support national campaign to bring more diversity to industry A HUMBER initiative designed to encourage women and girls to consider engineering careers is supporting next year’s government-led Year of Engineering campaign, which aims to tackle lack of diversity in the profession. Green Port Hull’s Women into Manufacturing and Engineering (WiME) initiative was set up last year to address the imbalance in the manufacturing and engineering sectors. Eight women have been recruited since it was launched and it now has the support of 21 major employers from across the Humber region. As it enters its second year, WiME is taking part in 2018’s Year of Engineering, which will see hundreds of industry part-

By Henry Saker-Clark henr y.saker-clark@hulldailymail.co.uk

ners work together to help offer a million engineering experiences to young people in the UK. Dr Kirsty Clode, chair of WiME, said: “Using the experiences of women currently thriving in the industry has been instrumental to the success of WiME, so we are looking forward to offering support to the Year of Engineering’s nation-wide push to tackle the skills gap. The aspiration to offer a million direct experiences of engineering fits with our own very closely. “We hope the faces of our WiME campaign will be able to feature on the national stage and encourage women in our region and beyond to find out what

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INSPIRED: Louise Johnson, CAD apprentice at Spencer Group. careers in the sector are about.” Louise Johnson, 18, from Great Hatfield, is one of the eight women who secured roles via the WiME initiative. The former Hornsea School and Language College pupil began her job as a CAD apprentice at Spencer Group just weeks after receiving her A-level results. “I’m loving every minute,” she said. “As a design apprentice, I’m part of the big team, which services the various different sectors Spencer specialises in, such as mechanical and structural engineering. “My advice to young people during the Year of Engineering, particularly school-age girls taking an interest for the first time, is – ‘never think you can’t do it’. “You might look up at massive awe- inspiring structures and think ‘I can never aspire to work on something like that,’ but you absolutely can.” Yvonne Moir, head of human

Firms urged to offer part-time jobs for students BUSINESSES in Hull are being urged to show their support in a drive to increase the number of young people in securing part-time work while in full-time education. Hull City Council and local charity Child Dynamix would like to understand how organisations view the employment of young people in roles like Saturday jobs, what barriers there are and what informs their decision and

what barriers they may face in recruiting young people. A recent study by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, found that young people who combine work with full time education, gain valuable life skills and are more likely to secure full time jobs. Despite benefits to employers, young people and the wider economy, there has been a decline in young people combining work with study.

In 1997, 42 per cent of 16-17 year-olds were also working; this figure reduced drastically in 2014 to 18 per cent. Councillor Phil Webster, portfolio holder for learning, skills and safeguarding children, pictured, said: “This is a really important programme which explores the opportunities for young people across the city, and how they can combine working part-time with full-time learning.”

resources at Spencer Group, said: “At Spencer Group, we firmly believe anybody with the talent should have the opportunity to forge a career in engineering and we are proud to support initiatives like WiME and Year of Engineering, which help get that message out there. “There are thousands of young women like Louise waiting to be inspired and only through creative campaigns like these can we help them achieve their full potential.” Leader of Hull City Council Councillor Stephen Brady said: “It’s great to hear the core principles of WiME in addressing the gender gap in engineering are also at the heart of a national campaign.” The next WiME event will be in March, next year. Anyone interested can check www.greenporthull.co.uk/wime and also monitor the company’s social media accounts for further updates.

MAI-E01-S3

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YOUR M ONEY

Wednesday December 20 2017 7

YOURMONEY

How to save time and money on everything from TV to mortgages Work smarter not harder to get your finances into good shape, says A NDREW HAGGER

HAT are the two things people leading hectic lives wish they had more of? The familiar response would be time and money. And thanks to technology and smart new innovative companies, that choice is getting more attainable. The trouble is, we don’t always know about the latest services that can help us to save time and money. So we’ve checked out some of the latest apps and products to help you find better, cheaper and more convenient services in half the time. Here are five that could make your life that bit easier... PAY-AS-YOU-GO CAR INSURANCE ONE of the newest car insurance providers, Cuvva (cuvva.com) offers a new ‘pay-as-you-go’ service. It estimates people who only drive once a week for less than an hour could save almost £280 per year. Car insurance costs have soared by almost 11% in the last year and some experts predict it could break an average £1,000 next year. Insurance industry data shows there are more than 820,000 UK motorists who drive one hour or less a week. Based on the average £847 annual insurance premium that equals £16 per hour. Cuvva offers two types of insurance: short-term one-off from £7.80 an hour or from £16.20 a day, or a monthly subscription cover with a limited number of hours’ driving per month. For example, a 40-year-old from Norwich with five years’ no claims bonus and medium-sized car would pay £141.40 a year (in monthly instalments less than £12) to drive up to 12 hours a month. ONLINE MORTGAGE BROKERS AGILE new financial technology providers have recognised mortgages are an area ripe for an overhaul. With mortgage rates on the up since the recent base rate increase, many people on tracker and Standard Variable Rates (SVR) will be shopping for a better deal.

The average SVR is 4.67% and some lenders charge way over 5% (Kent Reliance 6.08%, Newcastle Building Society 5.99% and Leeds Building Society 5.69%). So there are big savings to be made now – at the click of a mouse and at a time to suit you. The key providers in this booming new sector include Burrow (letsburrow.com), Trussle (trussle.com), Habito (habito.com) and Mortgage Gym (mortgagegym.com). Using one of the new online mortgage brokers helps eliminate some elementary problems customers have faced up to now. For example, if you look at a best buy table on a comparison website it may be ranked based on the interest rate alone without factoring the impact of the product fee. Also, you don’t know if it’s the best deal based on your specific set of circumstances.”

Netflix, featuring shows such as The Crown, is much cheaper than Sky TotallyMoney (totallymoney.com) and ClearScore (clearscore.com) both offer free services to help people to understand their credit record and track their score month by month. Another useful tool that Totally Money provides is a ‘borrowing power’ report. This checks your credit report against all the credit cards in the market and tells you which ones you are most likely to be accepted for. For example, it may suggest two or three cards that you have a 90% or 95% chance of being accepted for – it’s a helpful indicator because people who already have a less than perfect credit record are sometimes reluctant and scared to apply for new credit in case they are turned down and it impacts on their credit score. FREESAT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TV SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES SUBSCRIPTION TV services don’t come cheap, with some bundles costing more than £70 a month. The tariffs are confusing, with many people not knowing what they are actually paying for. Recent analysis by Freesat found 98% of the most popular shows on Sky TV in 2016 were on free channels. This means the average paying customer could save more than £500 a year by switching to a free service. Free-to-air channels offer a great range of quality TV, and for viewers looking for surplus entertainment there are far cheaper options, such as subscribing to Netflix. Check out: Freesat (freesat. co.uk) and Freeview (freeview.co.uk).

GET YOUR CREDIT SCORE DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX FOR FREE RESEARCH from Amigo Loans revealed that many of us could be turned down unfairly for borrowing because more than one in three people who have checked their credit score have found errors on their file. New providers now offer quicker access to credit score information and details on whether they feel you will be eligible to apply for credit cards.

Motor insurance is a good place to start when looking for savings

A BANK THAT’S OPEN WHEN NEEDED MANY of us have remained loyal to the same bank since we started our first job and have sometimes put up with expensive products, below-par service and inconvenient opening hours. A newish name, Metro Bank, has opened 52 branches across the UK since 2010 with hours from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, 8am to 6pm Saturdays and 11am to 5pm on a Sunday – very different from your average high street bank. Metro also offers safe deposit boxes, free coin counting machines and can print you a debit or credit card instantly in store. It’s not just service where Metro excels – its products are straightforward and competitively priced. Its agreed overdraft rate of a typical 15% is one of the cheapest around, and it advertises a low personal loan rate of 5.9% no matter how much you borrow. Also, customers can benefit from fee-free debit card transactions when you’re abroad in Europe.

8 Wednesday December 20 2017

hulldailymail.co.uk

IN BRIEF

MAI-E01- S3

BUSINESS

Supermarket supports campaign for elderly RESIDENTS from a retirement housing property are celebrating after Sainsbury’s stores in Hull joined their campaign to help older shoppers. Staff and residents from Anchor’s Grove House in Beverley Road welcomed the supermarket chain’s support of their nationally recognised Standing Up 4 Sitting Down (su4sd) campaign. Older shoppers are being encouraged to take a seat for a rest by the supermarket at its Ings Road, Hull, and Sainsbury Way, Hessle stores. Tina Ward, manager of Grove House, said: “It is great that 600 Sainsbury’s branches across the country, including the three local to us, will support the Standing Up 4 Sitting Down campaign.

POWERFUL THINKING: Sheila Grainger hopes to export her hypnotherapy business around the globe.

Humber is eBay hotspot YORKSHIRE and the Humber has been named as one of the top five selling hotspots in the UK for online marketplace eBay. The firm says it has seen a number of success stories in the region including furniture firm Sleep Kings. The business was established by owner Kam Aslam in December 2011 and has grown to sell mattresses to customers across the UK. The firm now receives approximately 400 orders a day and generates an annual turnover exceeding £6m with a workforce of 20 members of staff. Mr Aslam said: “eBay is a complete one-stop solution – you can compare price points, follow trends, use selling tools – it’s so easy for sellers.”