LDP Business Monthly - February by Liverpool Post & Echo

LDP

M O N T H LY R E G I O N A L B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E

BUSINESS

Finance for the future S

ix-page special on the North West Fund

w w w . l d p b u s i n e s s . c o . u k March 2011

Speeding ahead

Biggest Mersey plc back on track

●Tough times: Boat Show demise hits hotels ● Bridge builder: City firm looks East ●Wind power: Turbines mean jobs 1

INSIDE

LDP

BUSINESS

NEWS

Sunken Boat Show hits hotels

EDITOR Bill Gleeson 0151 472 2319

BIG FEATURE

North West Fund is launched

bill.gleeson@liverpool.com

Firm builds bridge to the East

DEPUTY BUSINESS EDITOR Tony McDonough 0151 330 4918

BIG INTERVIEW

BUSINESS WRITERS Alistair Houghton

PROFESSIONAL SECTORS

tony.mcdonough @liverpool.com

Steve Corcoran, Speedy Hire

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Focus on West Lancs

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Wirral landmark for sale

alistair.houghton @liverpool.com

Peter Elson

peter.elson @liverpool.com

Neil Hodgson neil.hodgson @liverpool.com

Alex Turner

alex.turner@liverpool.com

HEAD OF IMAGES Barrie Mills MARKETING EXECUTIVE Cath Reeves 0151 285 8428

INTERNATIONAL TRADE Opening a passage to India

ADVERTISEMENT DIRECTOR Debbie McGraw

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY App for HIV sufferers

HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS? Cities look to slash emissions

TRANSPORT

Easyjet makes APD call

EDUCATION

Finding the right people

ADVERTISEMENT SALES Julie Cowley 0151 472 2311 Neil Johnson 0151 472 2705 PHOTOGRAPHY Trinity Mirror PUBLISHED BY Trinity Mirror NW2, PO Box 48, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L69 3EB.

BUSINESS LUNCH Bar Italia, in Liverpool

THE LIST

TELEPHONE 0151 227 2000

FAX 0151 330 4942

THE NETWORKER

Alistair Houghton gets phone rage

LDP Business is printed monthly and distributed with the Liverpool Daily Post. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the publisher.

SOCIAL DIARY

Carolyn Hughes out on the town

THE pace of change in the digital age is very fast indeed. Not only does news travel quickly, but so do ideas. Things that may once have seemed improbable, now appear irresistible: democracy in the Middle East being a fine example. As well as speed, another feature of the modern world is the unpredictability of events. As Libya demonstrates, some apparently hardline regimes are cracking. Who would have expected that? Where next? Syria, Iran? Imagine how the world would look if there were pro-western, liberal democracies in two of the three nations named by George W Bush as forming the axis of evil. It

ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER Jackie McMahon 0151 330 5077

EDITOR’S LETTER would solve a few grave geopolitical anxieties, if it were to happen. The internet lies behind the rapid and unpredictable nature of events. It was used by no more than 50 dreamers who longed for reform in Egypt. A few days later, there were 250,000 people descending from Cairo’s suburbs to overthrow that country’s dictatorship. And why should they not do so? Why should ordinary

Egyptians not stand up for themselves and overturn insupportable corruption? The internet is making self-determination inevitable. Having proved its political power beyond any doubt, the question is how far can the internet go economically? Last week’s suggestion that FarmVille, an internet-based “game” for wannabe agriculturalist geeks,

could be worth $7bn may appear bizarre. The whole FarmVille phenomenon is a bit odd. Who would want to spend real money buying pretend farm supplies? And yet there is a global marketplace of a few million people prepared to spend small change playing farmers. As a result, the company makes millions. Twitter is reportedly worth billions, despite earning just a few tens of million. Facebook’s stock placing earlier this year valued it at $50bn. This flurry of high valuations has led some to fret about a repetition of the dotcom bust. But we are a decade on

from that disaster. This time round, the online market is much more developed all round the world. It has a more realistic chance of being sustainable this time round. If it is strong enough to overthrow Mubarak or Gaddafi, the internet must be able to make many more millionaires out of computer gaming, gambling or holidays. Of course there are risks. In the political world, it may be that extremists step into power vacuums. In the world of business, valuations may again prove excessive. But as long as we adhere to fundamentals, things should work out just fine.

BILL GLEESON 3

NEWS

Wealth manager pins hopes on European Tour

Angus Millen and golfer Jamie Donaldson

MILLEN Capital is getting into the swing of things again in 2011 with its sponsorship of European Tour golf professional Jamie Donaldson. The wealth management firm, based in Exchange Flags, has backed the Prestbury golfer for the second year. Donaldson enjoyed his most successful Tour season in 2010, finishing the season ranked 46th on the European Tour. He also qualified for the season-ending Race to Dubai.

Angus Millen, who founded the firm in 1998 to specialise in alternative investment strategies, said: “By sponsoring Jamie last year, we were able to provide a unique VIP experience for clients and their guests at St Andrews, Wentworth and Celtic Manor. Jamie also provided one-to-one coaching at the Millen Capital Golf Day.” The firm believes its partnership with Donaldson has contributed to the growth and increased profile of the business.

Sunken boat show ‘a calamity’ for hotels T

HE collapse of Liverpool Boat Show is catastrophic news for Liverpool’s hotel sector, said its trade association. The city’s hotels rely on big events to fill their rooms, as there is not enough business otherwise, said Liverpool Hoteliers Association chairman, Stephen Roberts. “The future of the Liverpool visitor economy is increasingly dependent on major events here,” said Mr Roberts, who is also Liverpool Crowne Plaza City Centre general manager. “Between these events, there is insufficient consistent business to keep everyone busy. However, when these events have been on, their impact is of such magnitude that hotels and businesses do prolific business. “Liverpool now has a rich choice of properties and venues for visitors, but we need the big show events like the Boat Show to move through the year. “The Grand National, at Aintree, looks positive this year and the Labour Party Conference, in September, will be a good event for business. “But we need more than just two such big events. There is a very big gap in between to keep everyone going. “There’s a desperate need for the city to attract overnight visitors, which is why events must be on a national scale. That’s how the local economy benefits.” Mr Roberts said that reports there were huge advance hotel bookings for the Liverpool Boat Show were grossly exaggerated. “Many hotels had yet to see bookings for the Boat Show, but were hoping for a surge of late reservations coming down the pipeline.” The worst aspect was the long-term damage done to the city’s national image, he said.

■ CRUISES call: Page 34

Stephen Roberts, Liverpool Hoteliers’ Association chairman

North West has so much potential – CBI North West director Damian Waters

Government has to help NW – CBI THE Government needs to speak up for the North West, in the absence of the axed Northwest Development Agency (NWDA). That is the call from employers’ body the CBI, which is concerned the region’s economy could lose out to national rivals. Regional director Damian Waters says the North West should be prominent in any attempt by Government to “rebalance the economy”. “The North West is an economic powerhouse and has so much potential,” he said. “However, there is a feeling that, with the demise of the NWDA, not only are we losing out to London, we are also being outmuscled by Wales and Scotland – two

smaller economies – which have the weight of the elected Assembly and Parliament lobbying hard for them.” He added: “The North West desperately needs more powerful lobbying to fight its corner and champion all our strengths. This problem needs urgent action.” He believes the Government needs to move fast to encourage public sector growth as the region braces itself for impending public sector job losses. Mr Waters said: “Both Liverpool and Manchester are making real strides in forging trading ties with China. “But we really need national Government, which has the ear of the Chinese Government, to support that.”

NEWS

BUSINESS MATTERS With Peter Rimmer, of PwC’s tax practice, in Liverpool Entrepreneurs’ relief: too good to ignore! FOLLOWING the increase last year in the headline rate of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) from 18% to 28%, by far and away the most significant area of tax planning for owner managers contemplating the future sale of their company is how to access the lower 10% rate. This applies to gains of up to £5m realised on business assets (so called entrepreneurs’ relief (ER)). Potential saving If ER is available, then a potential tax saving of up to £900,000 can be achieved per individual (ie, £5m taxed at 10%, rather than 28%). Even better, with careful planning, it may be possible to ensure that more than one individual benefits from ER, therefore increasing the total potential tax saving even further. For example, a husband, wife and two children can have £20m of ER between them. If they were all entitled to claim the relief on the sale of a family company, they could have a cash tax saving of up to £2.7m when compared to the position with all of the business held by one individual.

Trading status The legislation permits some non-trading activities to be undertaken and, in practice, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) consider that companies whose trading activities constitute at least 80% of its business should qualify. If there is any doubt about the “trading” status of the company, it is possible to obtain clearance from HMRC. It is important to regularly monitor a company’s trading status and to consider whether any new “investment” activity (eg, property investment) could inadvertently prejudice the availability of ER for shareholders. Proceeds ER will be available on any cash proceeds on a qualifying sale; however, loan notes are often given instead of cash as they are redeemable over a period of several years. The gain attributable to the loan notes is normally taxed when the loan note is repaid, which will be 28% if ER is not available. Alternatively, an election can be made to tax the loan notes at the time of the share sale, when ER may be available. Sellers, therefore, often have a choice – pay 10% on their loan note at the time of sale (and thus before they receive the cash) or defer the gain and pay 28% (or more) at a later date. There are ways to mitigate the problem of having a tax liability without ever receiving the cash (ie, if the issuing company can’t repay the loan notes) but specialist advice will be needed. ER is, indeed, too good to ignore and discussions well in advance of a sale with a tax adviser may help to ensure that shareholders are best placed to benefit from the 10% rate of CGT.

‘If ER is available, a saving of up to £900,000 can be achieved’

Conditions A sale of shares can qualify for ER, provided a number of conditions are satisfied. The main conditions are that, for the 12 months before the sale, the exiting shareholder: ● needs to hold at least 5% of the ordinary share capital and voting rights; and ● must be an employee or director. Additionally, throughout the period, the company must be a trading company, or the holding company of a trading group.

■ Web: www.pwc. co.uk/north Telephone: 0151 227 4242

City has key role Business Secretary Vince Cable writes for LDP Business LIVERPOOL has a vital role to play in this country’s future economic growth. Every day, businesses from the city take decisions about from where to source materials, about whether to invest in a joint venture, or about how to break into a new market. Liverpool’s history as an international trading city is well-known, and it is still home to regional or national offices of companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Shop Direct, RSA Insurance and B&M Retail, in addition to being home to the UK headquarters of many shipping lines, including Japanese firm NYK and Danish firm Maersk Line. Its ports, airport, road, rail and logistics assets make it well placed to take advantage of growing international trade opportunities. The fact is that Liverpool’s private sector business base has grown at 6.2% over the past five years, higher than the national average, and we want this to continue. This month, the Government has published a

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Trade White Paper which tackles issues raised recently by the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, and others, particularly in terms of improving access to trade finance and insurance products. The widening trade gap shows it won’t be simple – or quick – since although British exports are rising, imports are rising at a faster rate. Unfortunately, despite many encouraging local examples, the

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Business Secretary Vince Cable

coalition Government was forced to take tough decisions to cut the deficit and reduce unsustainable public sector spending, and we know that this will mean difficult choices at a local level. Yet, with public sector jobs accounting for 40% of all employment in the city, the current position is simply not sustainable. This coalition Government is intent on doing all it can to create the right conditions for private sector-led growth – including reducing burdensome regulation and encouraging more lending to small and medium-sized firms – and is putting international trade and investment into the UK at the heart of its plans. Ultimately, though, the coalition Government is looking to create an economy where more British companies start selling their high-quality products and services to rapidly-growing emerging markets such as India, China and Brazil. We want an export-led economy that creates jobs and growth. I know Liverpool has a role to play.

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THE BIG FEATURE

Evergreen fund takes root

Decision makers: Andy Leach, chief executive of North West Business Finance, centre, with the fund managers of the North West Fund, at the Liverpool launch

BY PETER ELSON

▲ ▲

The Northwest Development Agency plants its legacy to safeguard the future growth of the region’s small and medium-sized firms.

THE BIG FEATURE . . . NORTH WEST FUND

Expansion capital for small firms

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

T IS being hailed as the new lifeline to small firms. The timing could not be more apposite as optimism about the economy for 2011 starts to drain away. The North West Fund (NWF), backed by the European Union, is a £185m venture capital pot and the biggest self-perpetuating “evergreen” fund in the UK. Not only that, but £70m – or 40% – is ring-fenced for Merseyside small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It will provide venture capital and loan funding to existing and start-up businesses across the whole region. The NWF’s goal is to attract a further £200m-plus of private sector match-funding for the EU cash, bumping the total fund up to £400m. It is claimed this will create, or safeguard, up to 14,000 jobs by the end of 2015 and follows smaller similar schemes in Yorkshire, North East and Wales. Companies can apply to the NWF for up to £2m of funding between July and August this year. Already, there have been more than 300 applications or enquiries in the first six weeks of operation. The first two deals were done two days after the fund was opened on December 20, 2010, and two more since then. A further 150 enquiries are under active review by the fund managers. The tranche of cash is divided into six sectors: Development Capital, Business Loan, Venture Capital, Biomedical, Energy & Environmental and Digital & Creative. Six fund managers have been chosen to run each of the venture capital loan fund divisions. Interestingly, however, these did not include Liverpool-based Alliance Fund Managers (AFM) which initially ran the interim loan fund for the first few months. The fund managers are YFM Private Equity, FW Capital, Enterprise Ventures, Spark Impact, CT Investment Partners and AXM Venture Capital. Initially, £170m of the NWF will be allocated to the fund managers. They have a mandate to invest their allocation before December 31, 2015. The £15m remaining will be available for further allocation and investment by the end of 2015. With its abolition looming, the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) regards the NWF as its great legacy project. The NWDA has led the development and creation of the NWF from drawing-board to launch over the last two years, and will continue to support it until the agency closes in 2015. Half of the fund consists of a £92.4m EU European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant, which makes it the biggest ERDF project of the 2007-13 programme. The other 50% is a £92.4m loan, from the European Investment Bank (EIB). A new private, not-for-profit organisation, Northwest Business Finance (NWBF), was set up to oversee the delivery of the fund and is chaired by Lord Daresbury. “There are a lot of small and medium-sized firms out there which be interested in this,” said Lord Daresbury. “The £400m fund total is

Development Capital is biggest NWF cash pot

THE biggest of the NWF sectors is Development Capital, worth £45m in committed funds. This will be run by YFM Private Equity, based in the Plaza, Liverpool city centre. The fund will provide expansion capital for small and medium-sized firms in the form of flexible equity and loan packages. YFM Private Equity has been running the £10m interim venture capital loan fund for the past few months. Simon Cleaver, YFM Private Equity investment director, said: “Obviously we are delighted to be chosen. “We thought our proposal was very good, so we believed we had a chance. “The NWF is a good organisation run by people who know how funds work. “It’s a very commercial and sensible outfit, whereas in the past some public money organisations have not had the same approach. “What we want to do is give entrepreneurs the chance to make a lot of money. “We’re for the later stage businesses which don’t fall under the other categories. “These later stage firms have got revenues and are either profitable or close to it. “I’m absolutely looking forward to it. There’s a bit to go in the economy before full business confidence returns. “It’s a really interesting gap in the market, in which the banks would have lent in previous better times, but don’t want to at present.

Simon Cleaver, of YFM Private Equity – we want to give entrepreneurs the chance to make a lot of money “The companies we’re targeting are good ones which have come through the recession and want to build business onto the next stage. “So we provide a layer of equity where the banks can’t get the security they want. “It’s the bit in between pure venture capital and banking capital. “We’re reviewing eight to 10 enquiries at present, but there’s still a lack of confidence by people only beginning to think about a growth phase.

“It’s important for us to get out into the market place and tell people the funds are here, talk to them and look at business plans. “There’s no issue about the lack of companies eligible, but their confidence. “They’ve probably got plans which need to be dusted off after sitting on the shelf which can be looked at again. “The EU Objective 2 funds of 2003-8 were similar, but without the focus and investment team to do these deals.”

Business Loan boss ‘very optimistic’ Vital fund ‘certainly worth the wait’ – Robert Hough, chairman of the Northwest Regional Development Agency, at the North West achievable and the timing at this stage in the economic cycle could not be better. “With our own website now running, more applications can be passed down more quickly.” David Malpass, NWDA European Programme director, said: “The money is already in the holding fund and not waiting to be drawn down. “This means the money is ready to go to companies as soon as the deals are agreed.” Andy Leach, NWBF chief executive, said: “While it has taken longer than expected to establish, I believe the North West

Fund is now in a position to provide investment capital to a range of businesses across the region at a critical time. “We had 39 applications to run the funds, the selection process was quite complex and difficult. “It was a very thorough process and the standard of applications was quite high. “The fund managers we have appointed are a combination of established regional players and new entrants to the region.” The biggest of the funds is Development Capital, worth £45m. This will be run by YFM Private Equity, based in the Plaza,

Liverpool city centre. It has already been running the £10m interim venture capital loan fund for the past few months. Robert Hough, NWDA chairman, said: “The NWDA has worked hard to secure this vital fund for the North West, but it has certainly been worth the wait.” The six sectors eligible for funding have been identified by the NWDA as priority growth sectors that would benefit from focused investment. David Read, NWDA head of business finance, said: “We have identified sectors where there are significant growth opportunities.

“Also, these cover types of projects which will create inward investment opportunities for companies attracted to looking at the North West region.” Mr Leach added: “We will avoid competition between the sector sub-funds. “Undoubtedly, there will be some border skirmishes. “But there’s an awful lot of investment opportunity out there and the sectors should not have to compete.” John McGuire, NWF investment advisory panel chair, said: “We’ve appointed people who we think can do the job and we’re

Fund launch not here to second guess their decisions. There’s no shortage of SME customers for the banks. “The problems (to be resolved) are about the terms (of loans) and the nature of security arrangements. “Otherwise, the Government will start breaking up the banks as they are not good for UK plc.” Lord Daresbury said: “We’ve set the structure up so between the board and the fund managers is John McGuire’s advisory board, which has helped us select the fund managers.” Neil Gatt, founder and former chief executive of La Tasca

restaurant chain, keenly backs the NWF launch. Mr Gatt, who sold La Tasca to Penta Capital private equity group for £28.2m and is now setting up the Pesto restaurant chain, believes the NWF initiative is vitally important. “The North West is awash with innovators and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Mr Gatt. “I hope this fund will help these people when the banks won’t help. “Putting everything you have and what you don’t into a new venture is a daunting experience. “I hope this fund will keep the North West open for business.”

THE Business Loan fund is the second largest in the North West Fund with £35m committed to it. It will be managed by FW Capital, with a team led by Gary Guest. The Business Loan fund will provide loans of between £50,000 and £250,000 for small and medium-sized firms with actual or potential revenue streams, which may be having difficultly securing bank funding. Mr Guest said: “At this stage, we’re doing a lot of networking with key introducers and funders across the region. “We’re letting them know about the project is

Gary Guest, FW Capital and how it fits the market. I’m very optimistic about it all. There’s a huge amount of interest in the fund and we have more than a 100 applications. “We’ve already made

two loans since NWF was opened in December, and we have a number of others in the pipeline. “They’re assessed on a commercial basis. Not all will be successful, but we’re looking for established, profitable SMEs wanting to grow.” FW Capital has run a similar fund in the NorthEast for over a year and that is performing well ahead of expectations, said Mr Guest. “A key objective is to react at a local level with local knowledge,” he said. “We’ve not recruited the full team yet, but four of us have a combined track record of 105 years!”

THE BIG FEATURE . . . NORTH WEST FUND

Expansion capital for small firms

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Development Capital is biggest NWF cash pot

THE BIG FEATURE . . . NORTH WEST FUND

Revving up the speed boats of the economy

Cash pot: 40% of the North West Fund has been ring-fenced for Merseyside firms

NWF offers an edgier, more commercial scheme

Getting funds to the SMEs

European bank sees North West Fund as key long-term proposition for economic stability THE object of creating the North West Fund (NWF) is not an end in itself, said the UK boss of the European Investment Bank (EIB). The true goal is to get funding into the hands of firms which need it. The NWF is now the biggest EU JEREMIE (Joint European Resources for Micro-to-Medium Enterprises Initiative), in the UK, available for companies based in, or relocating to the North West. It follows three similar smaller UK schemes in Yorkshire, the North East and Wales. Simon Brooks, EIB vice president for the UK, said: “Our object is not to create the North West Fund. “The aim is to get the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the finishing line as well-financed companies. “We’ve only run the early legs

of this race and are not there yet. But the prospects are very encouraging indeed. The NWF has taken a long time to set up, but it’s important to get it right. “I anticipate it will get a lot of SMEs over the finishing line. “The funding will work best where the private sector won’t come in or is non-existent. “We’re over the worst part of the financial crisis, so we’re able to set up things to fill the hole. “We’re also able to pay particular attention to projects which were seen as too risky, for example the creative industry.” Set up in 1958, the EIB is a public sector bank which is designed to add value to the private sector banks’ services. It became involved in the UK from 1973, after the country’s entry into the European Common Market.

Last year, the EIB, which is based in Luxembourg, lent £4bn in the UK, with a significant amount spent in the North West for key infrastructure projects. Among health and education projects, it helped finance 50% of St Helens and Knowsley hospital construction, in partnership with Lloyds TSB and Barclays. “A lot of what we do is invisible,” said Mr Brooks. “The banking sector is a bit reluctant to lend to SMEs, as they are unable to offer long-term security. “We try and improve the flow of funds by using private partners. “While we expect our loans to be repaid, we’re not looking to maximise our returns, but to get worthwhile projects under way. “We insist some of the benefit of cheap finance goes to the SMEs.” Mr Brooks believes the

“standard bank product” works well across the UK. “The attraction for us of the UK is the ability to find good systems of support and manager,” he said. “But our role has become more important during the years of financial crisis. “We can lend and borrow over a longer term and take a far more patient view than private banks. “However, we don’t have branches, so we can’t support individual SMEs without a partnership with the banks. “The overall prospects are very encouraging indeed. It’s taken a long time to set this up, but it’s essential we got it right. “At the Liverpool launch, we talked about endowing a fund which will be able to intervene in a number of different ways which SMEs can’t get through banks. “It’s a horses for courses

approach and a very promising model for the UK. “This is through a combination of EU grant money and the financial expertise of the EIB. “The benefit is that this will deploy a bigger fund than if it was just European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) money. “As long as our fund managers select enough potential winners, I think the NWF will get a lot more SMEs over the finishing line.” Agnes Lindemans, European Commission head of UK regional operations, which monitors fund programmes, said: “This is an important milestone in the North West’s competitive economy. “SMEs urgently need support as the flow of funds from routine sources has become very difficult. “The NWF will lead to the innovation and prosperity for financial stability.”

THE NWF’s Venture Capital fund is the third largest of the six sectors, and it has a £30m committed fund. Managed by Enterprise Ventures, it will provide early-stage finance for small and medium-sized firms covering proof of concept, pre-start, start-up, seed capital, gap venture finance and venture capital funding. Richard Young, Enterprise Ventures (EV) fund manager, said: “I think this is a very good scheme. “It offers a new, edgier, more commercially-driven initiative than those implemented previously by the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA). “This is a major initiative designed to help SMEs at a time when funding is so difficult. “Yet these same SMEs are critical for our economic recovery. “They are the speed boats of the economy, rather than the oil tankers. “But they make a 90% contribution to our economy and account for 60% of UK sales. “I’m delighted that 40% of the fund will be directed to Merseyside. “Small businesses were the engines of the economy on which Liverpool was built, as it grew into a world-trading power. “We’re helping that entrepreneurial spirit, which made Merseyside great, to rise again.” EV has now completed its first equity investment, with a £100,000 loan to an early stage company, Glamorous Travel, of Manchester. It is a tailor-made special interest tour package operator with programmes for Chinese nationals visiting the UK and the European continent. Mr Young said: “This funding will support the business to allow it to take advantage of a market in Chinese inbound tourism, which is growing at a rapid rate.”

Dr Penny Attridge, of Spark Impact fund managers

Spark plugs biomedical

Richard Young, of Enterprise Ventures – delighted that 40% of the Fund will be directed to Merseyside

THE NWF’s Priority Sector Funds covers the Biomedical sector, which will have committed funds of £25m. Fund manager Spark Impact has successfully run a seed fund in the East Midlands. “There’s no reason why we should not be able to replicate this in the North West,” said Dr Penny Attridge, of Spark Impact, which has also been involved in Isis College Funds supporting opportunities out of universities. “The bio-medical sector is very technologically based and it’s a very exciting portfolio,” said Dr Attridge. “We’ve already got 40 prospects in the pipeline from the drug, medical devices, diagnostics, service and manufacturing firms. “They range from one-man bands filling a gap in the market to companies facing an

equity gap, or getting products into clinical trials, or diagnostics awaiting field trials.” Spark Impact maintains close links with the NHS. It also brings together clinicians, academics and end-users to resolve problems. “It’s about applied solutions to applied problems in a very exciting sector,” said Dr Attridge. “Within Liverpool, there’s an entire bio-medical centre with the strength of that in Manchester. “Daresbury is also a fantastic, energetic facility which is a great research base for the region to have. “This is a sector which is going somewhere. AstraZeneca tells us it wants strong links with SMEs to fill gaps in its drugs pipeline. “We also intend to keep bureaucracy to the minimum.”

Entrepreneurs old and new flocking to £15m digital and creative fund IT MAY be just a few weeks old, but the £15m North West Fund for Digital and Creative has already had almost 100 expressions of interest. And for David Smith, investment director at fund manager AXM Venture Capital, that’s a sign of the strength of the sector in the area. The North West’s regeneration bodies have long seen the digital and creative sector as crucial to the region’s growth. Mr Smith is confident his fund will be able to help companies grow to grab new opportunities at home and overseas.

He said: “We’ll probably be looking at well over 100 applications by the end of the month. “We’ve got all different types of applications, and we’ve been really impressed by the thoughtfulness of the plans that have been submitted. There’s some raw talent and first-time entrepreneurs, and a lot of serial entrepreneurs coming back for another go. “We’re seeing people who are more than paying the overheads running their business, and using that money to subsidise new innovations in the background. “They’re already trading and swe can invest in them easily.”

AXM has opened an office in Water Street, Liverpool, which will be run by Rajesh Sharma. Mr Smith said: “If you look at digital and creative, the UK, this country, is probably the second or third-largest exporter of creative assets in the world. “It’s a massive business, and both Liverpool and Manchester have big creative sectors – gaming in Liverpool, for instance, or music in Manchester, or digital production in both cities. “The sector is already important to the region in terms of jobs and economic output. We’re pushing at an open door.”

The new digital and creative fund aims to help North West firms follow in the footsteps of Hollyoaks producer Lime Pictures

THE BIG FEATURE . . . NORTH WEST FUND

Revving up the speed boats of the economy

Cash pot: 40% of the North West Fund has been ring-fenced for Merseyside firms

NWF offers an edgier, more commercial scheme

Getting funds to the SMEs

Dr Penny Attridge, of Spark Impact fund managers

Spark plugs biomedical

Richard Young, of Enterprise Ventures – delighted that 40% of the Fund will be directed to Merseyside

The new digital and creative fund aims to help North West firms follow in the footsteps of Hollyoaks producer Lime Pictures

THE BIG FEATURE . . . NORTH WEST FUND

MSIF continues its support for SMEs Liverpool equity and loan investor shrugs off North West Fund disappointment IT CAME as something of a surprise when Merseyside Special Investment Fund (MSIF) failed in its bid to run the North West Business Loan Fund. MSIF, through its Alliance Fund Managers (AFM) arm, had put in a bid to run the £35m fund, part of the £185m European-funded North West Fund (NWF). It had already been managing the Northwest Development Agency’s Merseyside Small Loans for Business Fund. However, instead FW Capital was tasked with running the fund. Despite this setback – which led to handful of job losses – MSIF survives and aims to thrive with its recently launched £25m legacy fund. Chief operating officer Lisa Greenhalgh is certainly looking forward, rather than back. Clearly, not getting control of the loan fund was a disappointment, but all she will say of it now is “we have moved on”. MSIF was set up in 1996 to manage money from the European Regional Development Fund, part of the Objective 1 programme, that was intended to help small businesses in Merseyside. It offered mezzanine, equity, seed and loan funding to businesses and entrepreneurs in Merseyside who may have struggled to get funding from other sources such as banks. Between 1996 and 2008 (when its original funds closed for investment) MSIF invested more than £134m in 1,356 businesses, creating and preserving 13,511 jobs and bringing in excess of £245m private sector investment to the region. The firm claims its model was replicated in other parts of Europe. Now, thanks to the return on those investments, MSIF has been able to set up the Merseyside Loan and Equity Fund, which aims to invest £5m a year over the next five years. Individual investments will range in size from £50,000 to £2m in the form of loan, mezzanine and equity finance. Ms Greenhalgh said: “We have been working very hard since MSIF’s previous funds closed for investment to put the Merseyside Loan and Equity Fund in place. “It is fantastic that not only has MSIF achieved all of its investment targets and social objectives, but has now reached its ultimate goal of creating a stand-alone successor fund which is ready to again invest in and support local businesses.” However, MSIF will no longer offer seed

funding which is designed to help start-ups or very early-stage businesses. The aim of the legacy fund is to offer finance to established businesses with at least two years trading history. “There will be no more seed funding as that is very high risk,” added Ms Greenhalgh. “Wee will be filling in the gaps where the NWF isn’t able to invest, like management buy-outs. “They will also exclude sectors like retail, agriculture and textiles where we will be prepared to invest.” With bank funding now fiendishly difficult to secure for many businesses, the need for the funds provided by MSIF and the NWF has never been greater. Since 1996, MSIF has established a reputation for taking a chance on firms that were rejected by other lenders or sources of funding. Decisions on funding are made by the AFM team which comprises investment directors Malcolm Jones, Marion Savill and Paul Humphray. To be eligible to apply, firms have to be based in one of the five Merseyside boroughs – Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral. Ms Greenhalgh said: “We are still there to help businesses that can’t get traditional funding, but we are going to be slightly more selective. “We get people coming to us who have been unable to get funding from the banks and we also get banks approaching us asking us to share the risk. “In some cases, people may come to us without even going to the bank because they believe the bank will not lend to them. “On the equity side, we tend to be approached more by corporate finance professionals.” MSIF, which employs 13 people at the Cunard Building on Liverpool’s waterfront, is also continuing to look after the NWDA’s Merseyside Small Loans for Business Fund, which is overseen by Chris Walters. This fund provides loans for small and medium-sized enterprises from £3,000 to £50,000. This can provide backing for earlier stage businesses, including start-ups, and includes an element funding specifically for the retail sector. “Its aim is also to back technology businesses, including those in the biotechnology, creative, digital and energy industries.”

Cunard Building, home to Merseyside Special Investment Fund

Sector with huge potential suffers from poorest UK capital investment

Adam Workman, of CT Investment Partners

THE Energy and Environmental fund has £20m committed, and is the fifth biggest of the six NWF sub-funds. It is managed by CT Investment Partners, which was spun-out from the Carbon Trust in 2006. “Our aim is to create venture capital for lowcarbon businesses by looking at the whole supply chain,” said

Adam Workman, of CT Investment Partners. The company is one of the most active in Europe in its field and, for example, for 25 businesses found £140m of leveraged private investment to go alongside £30m of public money. “There’s a wide range of investors out there to act as local business angels,” said Mr

Woodman. “These include bringing into the North West generalist venture capital funds, specialist environmental funds and global corporations. “The key challenge when looking to finance is to bring in a range of investors whose own needs are satisfied. “It’s a recognised

challenge in energy and environment that it’s capital intensive, and has the lowest venture capital levels in the UK. “We’re trying to stop companies going through the perpetual cycle of having to fund-raise by bringing the funding in earlier. “I feel very optimistic and expect to get people past the finishing post.”

PROFESSIONAL SECTORS

LEGALLY

SPEAKING

With Paula Milburn, partner at Hill Dickinson, specialising in family law

I HAVE heard that new rights for cohabiting couples are going to be brought in. I am thinking of allocating shares in my company to my new partner – will the new laws affect me if we split up in the future?

SIR NICHOLAS WALL, President of the Family Division of the High Court, has called for changes to the law to improve the rights of non-married couples to claim money and property from the other on separation. A growing number of people are choosing to live with one another outside marriage. About one in six couples now live with one another, rather than get married. With falling marriage rates, lawyers are seeing an increasing number of cohabitation claims and, unlike in marriage, if one partner is not named as a joint property owner or is not a party to financial investments then with the current piecemeal legislation covering cohabitation claims they may have no or limited financial and property claims. This can result in a party who has lived with their partner in their house for 20 or 30 years having no claims on separation, or a relationship of a few months’ duration enabling one party to “walk away” with half the savings placed into a joint account or half the equity in a jointly owned property, even if one party paid the deposit. While traditionalists argue that it is only through the commitment of marriage that financial claims for property, maintenance and a share of company assets should flow, the current legislation produces anomalies. If the partner is employed by a family company and allocated shares for dividend

purposes to minimise tax, they are then able to claim a share in the family company by virtue of the shareholding, and make claims to the employment tribunal if their employment is terminated when the relationship breaks down. The claims may not be considered unreasonable if the couple have been in a long-term relationship, but the partner will have the same shareholder rights, however long or short the relationship. Accordingly, the tax-saving plan can exact a very heavy price if the relationship breaks down. Even on current legislation, if company shares are allocated to a partner, they will have potential claims. It is, therefore, necessary to weigh up the possible tax or other benefits of share allocation against the potential for shareholder disputes or other claims in the event that the personal relationship breaks down. The current legal system governing cohabitation claims can produce injustice for both partners unless advice is sought at an early stage and relationship agreements drawn up. As a family lawyer, I am always surprised by the care taken in preparing shareholder agreements, but frequent lack of relationship agreements. Any changes to the law may help focus business owners to appreciate that it is as important to consider relationship agreements as long-term business and tax strategies – as unromantic as that may be.

‘One in six couples now live together rather than marry’

■ PAULA MILBURN is a partner at Hill Dickinson LLP and specialises in advising on family law disputes involving company assets and in the preparation of relationship and pre-nuptial agreements. Email: paula.milburn@ hilldickinson.com or telephone 0151 600 8704.

Trade advice service to build China bridge Partnership is designed ‘to make deals happen’

Mitchell Charlesworth’s David Darlington, with Christine Lee and Wu Xiaomin MERSEYSIDE accountancy firm Mitchell Charlesworth has set up a partnership with an Anglo-Chinese law firm which it is hoped will create a bridge for SMEs in the two countries to develop trade links. The bilateral trade advice service is being provided alongside Christine Lee & Co, a law firm with offices in the UK, China and Hong Kong that is the chief legal adviser to the Chinese Embassy in London. Mitchell Charlesworth partner Paul Wainwright believes opportunities exist in China for UK firms across sectors including raw materials, chemical manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, financial services and property development. He said Chinese firms were also interested in investing in local firms specialising in a range of sectors including computer games, household appliances, automotive parts and agricultural products, such as fertiliser and animal feed. “The partnership will offer in-

depth understanding of law, finance and culture in both the UK and China,” said Mr Wainwright. “We believe this is the first partnership of its kind specialising in bilateral trade advice to SMEs here and in China. “With our background as an SME specialist with expertise in tax, deal structures and due diligence we know we have a huge amount to offer together with Christine Lee & Co’s knowledge of Chinese law and business contacts. “Moreover, with the Prime Minister wanting to increase bilateral trade with China to £60bn a year by 2015, we know this is a terrific market.” Christine Lee argues that there is great potential to develop trade links between the North West and China, and she hopes her firm’s partnership can help to make deals happen. “We cannot state this strongly enough,” said Ms Lee. “There is massive interest among SMEs in China to do

business with SMEs on Merseyside and the North West. The type of business they want to do includes joint ventures, research and development and mergers and acquisitions. “The stumbling block, however, is that many simply do not know how to do it and how to make contact with UK firms. “The same goes for UK SMEs wanting to enter the China market. That is where this partnership comes in. We will act as a bridge between firms in the UK and China, sharing contacts and expertise in the key areas of law and finance – to make deals happen. “It is critical to point out that Chinese SMEs see the North West as a hugely attractive investment region because London is seen to be swamped with competition.” Wu Xiaomin, the Chinese Embassy’s consul, added: “More Chinese businesses are coming to the region and they need help to understand British business and the culture here. This kind of trade is the future.”

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Speeding beyond hire BY ALISTAIR HOUGHTON

Speedy Hire chief executive Steve Corcoran

▲ ▲

Speedy Hire became Merseyside’s biggest plc through leasing tools in the UK – but now its ambitions stretch to new markets at home and overseas

THE BIG INTERVIEW . . . STEVE CORCORAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

TEVE CORCORAN keeps his mind open and his office open plan. Speedy Hire, as its name suggests, has built its name on hiring out tools and equipment to the construction sector. But the recession proved that the company cannot rely on UK construction alone. And so, as chief executive of the £351m-turnover group, Corcoran is expanding overseas, while at home he is taking inspiration from Tesco in a radical reshaping of the company’s nationwide network of depots. Today, Speedy equipment can be found anywhere from your local building site to London’s Olympic Park and the oil fields of the Persian Gulf. And even the grand old name, Hire, is set to take a back seat as Corcoran bids to promote the company as a services group and not simply a leasing company. The leaders of many smaller firms have their own plush offices so, as the leader of Merseyside’s largest listed group, Corcoran could be forgiven for having an office the size of the pitch at his beloved Stamford Bridge. But, instead, he and his fellow directors sit in an open-plan suite, around a group of desks indistinguishable from the cluster occupied by their PAs just around the corner. And, from their cluster, those directors are reshaping the company for the future. Speedy Hire has had a turbulent recession. As a business dependent on the construction sector, it was hit hard as building projects around the UK were cancelled or postponed. After a period of acquisition and expansion before 2007, Haydock-based Speedy had to retrench, shedding jobs as it fought its way back to growth. But just this month, in its latest interim management statement, Speedy served notice that it has was seeing revenues rise. With the construction market showing signs of life, its core UK hire business looks set for growth. But, even through the recession, Speedy has been diversifying. It is focusing more on major infrastructure projects, moving away from its traditional reliance on commercial construction. Speedy’s international arm is winning work throughout the Middle East. And, in its communications in the UK and abroad, the company has started dropping the word “Hire” as it begins offering a range of outsourcing and consultancy services that Corcoran believes will help Speedy treble in size. “The ambition to grow ourselves as a services group is pretty much my vision,” he said. “I firmly believe, and I’m on record as saying, that we can exceed £1bn in revenues. “We now have the stability in the marketplace and the ability and financial structure to support that. “We were heading very comfortably towards that, right until 2008, when things all changed. “But that doesn’t detract from what we are trying to do. The vision and ambition hasn’t changed. The timetable has.” The cautious yet ambitious Corcoran preaches the power of

Steve Corcoran pictured this month at Speedy Hire’s Haydock headquarters Picture: ANDREW TEEBAY

Speedy is moving its Middle East HQ to Abu Dhabi, above

Following the customer to win Middle East business

teamwork and communication: “I went to grammar school but not to university,” he said. “I’m pretty much a ‘developed through the ranks’ kind of person. “I’m committed to the team and to getting the job done. If you work together, you can normally find solutions to most things.” That work ethic and team spirit date from the Londoner’s seven years in the Royal Engineers. During his time in the military, he served in Northern Ireland and spent time in Germany, Kenya, and Canada. He said: “The military gave me a real grounding in terms of the value of teamwork, getting the job done, discipline, no clockwatching, and looking at a challenge and finding an answer. “The military gave me great skills.” After leaving the Army, Corcoran moved into the rental

sector in which he was to spend his career. He worked at companies including Mowlem, before joining Speedy’s southern arm in 1987. “I’ve been in the rental industry for the best part of 28 years,” he smiled. “It’s what I know. “I’ve been at this company for over 20 years. Obviously I like it here. And I’m committed to it.” Speedy itself dates back to 1977, when John Brown became managing director of Livesey Hire in Wigan. In 1982, he bought Speedy Fixings Power Tools and adopted the Speedy brand across the business. In its early days, Speedy focused on lending tools to small firms, but over time it began securing longer-term agreements with major contractors. When Corcoran joined, Speedy had just 13 depots. But, as he rose

through the ranks, the company grew rapidly. It evolved to focus on five key areas – small tools, accommodation, power (portable generators), lifting and materials handling, and supply survey equipment. In April, 2001, Corcoran moved to the North West to become Speedy’s chief operating officer. He succeeded John Brown as chief executive in 2005. Corcoran led the company on an acquisition drive, with deals including the 2006 acquisition of Lifting Gear Hire for £13.5m and the June, 2007, purchase of Hewden Tools for £115m. Speedy – which had listed in 1989 under the Allen Group name – soared into the FTSE-250. “The industry was massively fragmented,” said Corcoran. “There was no clear leader, no consistency in terms of service and standards. We thought that

gave us a great opportunity. We set about some aggressive consolidation and expansion plans from 2004 on. “In 2007, we undertook the largest acquisition in our space – Hewden Tools, which was probably our nearest competitor. “At times, we were trading pretty much at full capacity. They were trading at well below. That gave us an opportunity for growth. “It gave us geographical stretch, market stretch, product stretch. It was a good deal. “Everything was progressing nicely. Then the world changed, in September, 2008.” The construction market was already wobbling in the wake of the credit crunch. But the collapse of Lehman Brothers saw confidence tumble still further, and Speedy saw business fall away. “Because of the acquisition, in

the first half of 2008,” said Corcoran, “we’d seen 32% growth. “Suddenly the market dramatically fell. That left us with substantial overcapacity in terms of sites, fleet, and people. “It was a torrid 24 months for our people, our shareholders and the business. “I’m encouraged at the way we stood up to the challenge. We’ve come out much stronger as a business. “Throughout it, we were committed to spending on IT, and delivering on customer service, as well as advisory and international work “It was difficult. It was painful. It was challenging. “But we didn’t take our eye off the long-term value of the business. We’ve positioned the business for long-term growth.” Corcoran says the UK business’s increasing focus on

infrastructure projects in areas such as water, waste, energy and transport is beginning to pay dividends. It has, for example, secured a five-year sole supplier agreement with Thames Water estimated to be worth £45m. Last year, it also sealed a one-year rolling contract involving preferred supplier status with Balfour Beatty, and a three-year deal with Babcock to support its marine, nuclear, networks and infrastructure divisions. “We’re moving the business increasingly away from construction,” said Corcoran. “It’s our traditional home and it will always be a core marketplace. “But, equally, the infrastructure markets, the industrial markets and the engineering sector all have needs for our products. We think there’s more we can do.” The most high-profile project

on which Speedy is working is the development of the Olympic Park, in London. It is part of a consortium offering tool hire and support services to the project’s developers. “It’s a very important programme of works for us,” said Corcoran. “We’re certainly doing double-digit millions out there per annum. “Construction is getting to the peak finishing stage. Then we get the shopping centres, the Transport for London infrastructure work, the legacy work post-Games. There’s still a lot of value.” And with all that plant invested in London, Speedy is now looking ahead to the capital’s next great construction project – the Crossrail to build new train lines under the city.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 0

ITS roots may still be firmly set in North West soil, but Speedy Hire’s business now stretches as far as the Middle East. Speedy’s international division was launched in October, 2009, to service infrastructure and oil and gas projects throughout the region. Today, Speedy equipment and expertise is being used in projects from Dubai to Cairo. And, says chief executive Steve Corcoran, its work is about more than simply hiring out equipment. “We provide asset management,” he said. “We support procurement. We run workshops and logistics services for our clients. “It’s a true outsourcing programme in terms of plant services.” Corcoran says Speedy’s relationship with Al Futtaim Carillion (AFC) – Carillion’s Middle East joint venture – is the “bedrock” of its international arm. The group plans to work with Carillion and other companies it already deals with, such as Costain, to win business. “We will be working very closely with clients in selected markets,” he said. “We will be working with people we know. It’s a follow-the-customer concept. If AFC are the client and they say they’ve got a major project starting in Abu Dhabi, then fabulous

– we’ll go to it.” The group can then parachute in “Speedy in a box” – a management and support team ready to run the project from a set of offices onsite. Last year, Speedy started work on AFC’s $3.2bn Cairo Festival City site in the Egyptian capital. But that project is now at a standstill after the country descended into political turmoil. Two Speedy employees have been evacuated from Cairo to Dubai as the company waits for the project to resume. “AFC has a huge amount committed to the project,” said Corcoran. “Once stability and clarity have returned, we will be able to continue on site.” Speedy has also signed a three-year deal with Costain to support its activities on Abu Dhabi’s Das Island offshore oil and gas complex. The international division is currently based in Dubai, but later this year it will move to a new purposebuilt hub in Abu Dhabi. The division is looking to potential future projects elsewhere on the Arabian Peninsula, in Oman and in Qatar. “This is not some mad chase for exports,” said Corcoran. “It is very measured and very controlled. We choose who we work with and where.”

THE BIG INTERVIEW . . . STEVE CORCORAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

Steve Corcoran pictured this month at Speedy Hire’s Haydock headquarters Picture: ANDREW TEEBAY

Speedy is moving its Middle East HQ to Abu Dhabi, above

Following the customer to win Middle East business

CONTINUED ON PAGE 0

THE BIG INTERVIEW . . . STEVE CORCORAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 “In terms of its overall value, Crossrail is greater than the Olympics,” said Corcoran. “It’s an incredibly complex engineering project. It’s very intensive in terms of equipment.” Bigger clients, with their fixed-term contracts and clear contract specifications, offer bigger growth prospects and more visible revenue streams. Smaller clients are, says Corcoran, “promiscuous in their needs” compared to those large firms. They will hire from a wide range of different tools and services, and their needs are difficult to predict, while their main focus is on price. Speedy is not giving up on those small firms, and is planning a marketing push targeted at them later this year. And the company is now planning to restructure its branch network so it serves the needs of customers large and small. Corcoran’s vision is inspired by the way Tesco does business. Just as the superstore giant has Tesco Extra, Tesco superstores and Tesco Express stores, so Speedy will have Multi Service Centres (MSCs), Superstores and Local centres. The MSCs – aimed at large construction firms – will stock all of Speedy’s equipment and will also offer access to Speedy’s advisory services. The superstores will offer a smaller range of equipment for large contractors, while the local stores will offer a range of tool hire more suited to small firms. Speedy already has its first MSC up and running in Birchwood, Warrington. “We think it’s the biggest hire operation in the UK,” said Corcoran. Work is now under way on the group’s first five superstores. Corcoran expects the conversion programme will take five years to roll out. At the end of it, he expects to have 10-12 MSCs, up to 60 superstores, and around 200 local stores. “We will shrink from 315 to 260/265 sites,” he said. The new system will also allow Speedy to experiment with its pricing models. “We can then sweat assets to yield more,” said Corcoran. “If you buy a pint of milk at the Express store, you pay more than you would at the superstore. It’s the same thing.” Speedy’s UK arm remains its core business, but in 2009 it announced it was setting up two new divisions – International, and Branded & Advisory Services. The international arm has won contracts in the Middle East, including work in Abu Dhabi (see panel on Page 19). It may be a fledgling business, but that international arm is critical to Speedy’s future. Corcoran said: “In 10 years, we believe the international business will be at a commensurate level to that we have in the UK.” Speedy’s BAS arm reflects Corcoran’s desire to move Speedy away from simply being a hire company and towards being “a more formalised services group”. It offers training in subjects from health and safety to complying with environmental legislation, while it will also offer testing and maintenance services to clients who own their own equipment. And to show it is

Steve Corcoran, then chief operating officer at Speedy Hire, pictured in 2004

Picture: VISMEDIA

moving ever further from that word “Hire”, Corcoran says Speedy can even help clients to buy plant or equipment. “We’re the biggest provider of hired services in the UK,” he said. “We buy more machines than anybody else. We should have the right ability to sell it for a reasonable price and still make a decent margin ourselves. “Even if our client buys a machine, they will still need service and maintenance for it. “When it goes offline (for maintenance), they will still need to hire from us to maintain productivity. “Previously, if they were going to buy equipment and we were not involved, we lost the business. Now, we’re still involved.” That diversification means the name Speedy Hire will no longer suit the company.

So, in what Corcoran says is a “gentle and subtle shift”, the company is increasingly referring to itself simply as Speedy. The company will eventually change its name. But Corcoran insists a rebrand is not top of his priority list. He said: “If we were to be making a big emphasis around brand changes and positioning, it might look like we were fiddling while Rome is burning. The critical thing is making sure the business is in the right place. “We don’t want to give people the impression that our eye is off the ball.” Corcoran is as cautious as any other plc boss. Rather than making bold assertions himself, he will draw attention to an analyst’s statement before pointing out “we haven’t made any statements contesting that

thinking”. But he is clearly upbeat about the company’s prospects. “Our drive right now is to get the UK back on track,” he said. “I’m confident we have done so. “We’ve had three quarters of growth. We’ve seen progress in areas such as volumes rented and average hire rate. “We saw that momentum continue despite the poor weather in December. “It would be foolish to say there was no impact. Of course there was. But all it did was forestall some growth and momentum that was there already. And we’ve picked that up post-Christmas.” Corcoran, who is married with three children and lives in Knutsford, is a keen Chelsea fan and goes to many of their games in the North West. Unsurprisingly – and

particularly after Fernando Torres’s recent transfer from Liverpool FC to Chelsea – Corcoran enjoys football banter with his colleagues. That banter is much easier to enjoy in an open-plan office, such as the one used by Speedy’s directors. The layout is Corcoran’s idea – and is symbolic of his open management style. “If you put people in small rooms, they tend to stay in them, shut the door and hold their own discussions,” he said. “Within the team, there’ll always be something that comes up, whether it’s on the operational or finance side, that has an impact or bearing on another part of the business. “We’re always hearing each other’s issues and can support each other. It helps quicker and faster communication.”

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ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT This entrance to the Concourse Shopping Centre is set to become the terminus of Skelmersdale’s new High Street Picture: ALISTAIR HOUGHTON

Renewing a new town Alistair Houghton reports on the latest plan to transform Skelmersdale’s fortunes

‘

THE Skelmersdale centre will provide a climax to the town in the social and architectural senses. It must be a successful and stimulating place and could be a big attraction in the larger area of South Lancashire.” They could be words from the latest masterplan to transform Skelmersdale, a town that is West Lancashire’s commercial centre but which has an image problem unmatched by any other North West community. But, instead, those optimistic words come from the original 1964 New Town Planning Proposals for Skelmersdale. That climactic town centre was never created. And it’s an omission for which Skelmersdale still suffers. The town, it’s fair to say, has an image problem. And that’s a

problem for the whole borough of West Lancashire. It’s a problem perhaps best epitomised in Skelmersdale’s Wikipedia entry, which was recently amended by one disgruntled reader to say the town was “Simply put, not a pleasant area to live or work in.” The online entry – since removed – added: “Skelmersdale has gained an unsightly reputation among both its townspeople and the people of surrounding areas up to Wigan”. That entry may be an example of online troublemaking, but it’s also a reflection of the way the town is all too often perceived. Officials at West Lancashire Borough Council are all too aware of the problem, and have been leasing plans to transform the centre of Skelmersdale. At the moment, the town centre

has an unfinished feel, with life dribbling out beyond the Concourse Shopping Centre. It feels less like a British town centre and more like a collection of buildings dotted hither and thither in a sprawling urban park. At the moment, there’s little between the town’s two shopping hubs, the Concourse and the Asda superstore, except a car park, some muddy verges and a graffiti-scrawled stone monument. But, in years to come, so the council hopes, that unpromising walking route will become a thriving high street including a cinema, bars and restaurants. It won’t quite make Skelmersdale look like its West Lancashire neighbour Ormskirk, with its traditional market town streets, but it may make it a place that feels more welcoming to visitors from the town and

beyond. Cllr Adrian Owens, West Lancashire Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration and estates, said: “When you step back, there’s some people who have no reason to visit Skelmersdale at the moment if they live somewhere else. “They have an image of Skelmersdale that’s perhaps unfair. “If we can get quality facilities in the town centre, it will improve the image of the town and the image of the borough.” The high street is the cornerstone of the £350m plan to regenerate Skelmersdale. The project also includes new housing, a new bus station and improved road links, and a revamp of the Tawd Valley to create an urban park. The future of the masterplan may have looked uncertain

through the recession, but Cllr Owens is hoping that there will soon be signs of life on Skelmersdale’s high street. “We have a supermarket that has got a very keen interest in the site,” he said. “It’s a major supermarket chain wanting to build another supermarket in town, which all the retail studies say there’s a need for. “Allied to that, the idea is that there’d be a multi-screen cinema, a budget hotel with perhaps 80 beds, perhaps some family-style restaurants and some more retail. “The great thing about this is that it would start to link the Concourse towards Asda. “It’s almost the start of the High Street. “There’s clearly market interest there. We might be able to make

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT . . . WEST LANCASHIRE

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT . . . WEST LANCASHIRE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 that happen.” Before work starts, however, someone will need to put in the infrastructure needed for the street – from the road itself to the utilities needed by retailers. “Skelmersdale town centre is unfinished business,” said Cllr Owens. “If you go round Skelmersdale, a lot of people will tell you they never finished the town off. “They use the example of the hospital – ‘we were promised a hospital and we never got it’. “We are trying to finish it off to some extent, give it a more traditional town centre with a high street, provide those public amenities that people want, high-quality parks, a night-time economy. “But the problem is that, because of how the town developed, there isn’t some of the infrastructure there we need. “Several millions of pounds worth of high street needs to be put in that the market isn’t going to finance.” And that is where the Government’s Regional Growth Fund comes in. The council, along with its development partner, St Modwen, has submitted an application to the fund for the money to build that infrastructure. “We think it’s a strong bid,” said Cllr Owens. “It’s private sector-led – it’s led by St Modwen and it has the support of the borough council and the Homes and Communities Agency. “It’s led by St Modwen, asking for some funding for the public infrastructure that isn’t capable of being delivered by the market, but would secure this new development with the supermarket, cinema and retail complex with the proper infrastructure. “The market would then be able to bring new development along the High Street. “Otherwise, it might be just a development springing up in the middle of nowhere.” The growth fund has received more than 460 applications, so competition is tough. But Cllr Owens believes Skelmersdale is well-placed to secure the investment. He said: “What the fund is looking for is bids that can hit the ground running and deliver private sector jobs. This bid would deliver up to 400 private sector jobs. We could have people on site this time next year. That would already be 80 construction jobs.” And, Cllr Owens points out, that 400 would just be from the first phase, not taking into account the jobs that come with other shops or developments on the high street. The regeneration work will continue even if this funding bid fails. But Cllr Owens said: “It cannot go ahead in the form we’d want it to. It won’t be to the same quality. It won’t go ahead as soon.” If the superstore and cinema plan goes ahead, the council hopes the rest of the high street will be developed over the next few years. The street may be some way from completion, but there are other developments already in progress that will help improve Skelmersdale’s centre. Building work is well under way on the £40m Skelmersdale

BOROUGH IS BOXING CLEVER AS FIRMS KEEP INVESTING FOR GROWTH

The Co-operative’s base in Skelmersdale town centre – the company is planning to build another town centre office block

The masterplan for Skelmersdale’s town centre shows the new high street running from the Concourse, centre, to Asda, top left and Ormskirk College building near Asda – a building which will itself link to the new high street. The college will also have a restaurant and hairdressing salon open to the public. And, just this month, developer St Modwen revealed that it has signed a deal with Co-operative Financial Services to build a 100,000 sq ft office development which will host 900 workers. The Co-op wants to merge its two existing sites in the town into one central site. The move will not only secure jobs, but, says Cllr Owens, will also boost the town centre as a whole. He said: “We’re going to have the Co-op hopefully securing its staff in town. We’re trying to create more footfall in the town centre. “We want to create a buzz and a busyness in the town centre that makes people want to come. “The key thing for the town centre is making people feel safer. “At the moment there’s large,

wide-open expanses of concrete and grassed areas, with not many people in. “If you have a formal high street there’ll be pavements, and so people will feel it’s more complete and more secure. “There’ll be people overlooking. People in the buildings will be able to see the street.” Jayne Traverse, the council’s executive manager for regeneration and estates, said: “We’re trying to improve the whole area for people who live here. We don’t have a cinema in West Lancashire at all. That’s going to raise the profile of the whole area.” The council also wants to revitalise the Tawd Valley, in the centre of Skelmersdale. It wants to improve footpaths along the River Tawd to make the area into an urban oasis for residents and visitors. Ms Traverse said: “One unique selling point of Skelmersdale is that we have the Tawd Valley

there. It’s a jewel in the crown. As we move the vision forward, we have to improve that.” As well as the Co-Operative Bank, Skelmersdale’s other major employers include footwear giant Hotter Shoes and food giant PepsiCo. The borough council’s own West Lancashire Investment Centre, meanwhile, provides a home for fledgling firms. West Lancashire, of course, doesn’t stop at Skelmersdale. The council is also keen to promote development in Ormskirk and Burscough, and the rural areas that make up so much of its land area. It is, for example, working to improve the borough’s tourism offering. Ms Traverse said: “We have partnerships with British Waterways. We have the lovely Leeds-Liverpool Canal, and we have produced some visitor guides focusing on various locations along the canal.” Rural businesses often suffer

because of their isolation. But Cllr Owens says a Lancashire County Council scheme to improve broadband speeds will help those firms compete with urban rivals. He said: “We know there are a lot of small, rural businesses around here that are almost hidden. One thing we have identified is that the speed of broadband is not great in the area. “I’m delighted that the county council has announced a really big commitment to spend millions of pounds giving Lancashire state-of-the-art, high-speed broadband. “There are a lot of highlyskilled people in rural areas. They rely on broadband for the livelihoods. This is a great step forward.” Speaking of skills, Cllr Owens is keen to discuss how the council is working with Skelmersdale and Ormskirk College to help ensure that the borough is producing workers with the skills needed for

Ormskirk’s Church Street, above, offers a complete contrast to Skelmersdale’s modern streetscape today’s jobs market: “In the borough generally, we’ve got quite a skilled workforce,” he said. “But in Skelmersdale there are areas with entrenched long-term unemployment. There needs to be up-skilling there. “We work closely with the college here. “As a council we are promoting apprenticeships. We’re putting our money where our mouth is. “We employ two modern apprentices. We know times are tough, but we need to train the skilled employees of the future.” The region could be hard hit by any forthcoming public sector job cuts, but Cllr Owens hopes the Skelmersdale town centre redevelopment will help generate some of the private sector jobs the area needs. He said: “I was surprised when reading our regional growth fund bid to see that one in seven employees in West Lancashire go to work in the public sector in other areas. The borough is very

vulnerable to public sector funding reductions. “That’s a very good reason why, when we have a plan that can deliver 400 jobs, it should be viewed favourably.” Overall, Cllr Owens believes West Lancashire is well-placed to attract more investment from across the UK. Asked how he would sell the borough, his patter is polished. “We are in the Golden Triangle between Liverpool, Manchester and Preston,” he said. “We have a great, skilled workforce. But we also have lots of people looking for work, if somebody wants to set up here. The team here works really hard with inward investors. “We’ve got fantastic road links from here. The M58 is not a motorway that gets snarled up. “If somebody wants to relocate from an expensive city centre, our rates out here are cheaper.” In a way, the team with a new vision for Skelmersdale is

referring back to more words contained in those original 1964 planning proposals for the town. The report said: “Towns must not be thought of as monuments to designers; towns are for people. “They provide the backgrounds against which people live. People need a wide choice of things to do and see and to satisfy these functional and mental requirements a town should have character and atmosphere. “A new town with all its physical planning advantages can suffer from the lack of atmosphere that comes from a place or building having what might be called depth in time. “This is the task facing everyone concerned with the development of Skelmersdale.” That vision for the town was never fully realised. The people of West Lancashire will now be hoping that 2011’s vision will result in the action needed to ensure Skelmersdale’s Golden Triangle keeps shining brightly.

TRM Packaging managing director, Trevor Maund WEST Lancashire hosts some of the North West’s biggest employers and most surprising business success stories. Hotter Shoes, in Skelmersdale, has grown quietly to become the UK’s biggest shoe manufacturer. The company designs and makes lightweight shoes for the over-50s market, and then sells those shoes through mail order, via its website and through its own network of shops. Hotter’s Skelmersdale factory makes more than 1m pairs of shoes every year and employs 350 people. And, unlikely as it seems, the plant is one of the town’s few tourist attractions, as it occasionally hosts tours for Hotter’s loyal customers. PepsiCo, meanwhile, is proud of the ways the 550 staff at its crisp factory engage with the community in Skelmersdale. A PepsiCo spokeswoman said: “For instance, last year we launched our Kitchen Garden project with Midstream Garden Centre – a unique opportunity for our employees to grow fresh fruit and vegetables in an allotment on site. As part of this initiative, we encourage them to bring their families along and enjoy the green space we’re providing. “Our employees have also formed partnerships with local schools to help with IT, science, and business and we have introduced site visits for families of employees to see them at work.” In the small town of Burscough, TRM Packaging

has been investing for growth despite the recession. Its factory, which employs some 230 people, makes more than 600,000 cardboard boxes every day for the food and healthcare industries. Managing director Trevor Maund took the brave decision to keep investing in the company despite the recession – and says that is starting to pay dividends. “We have invested in our productivity so that we can be competitive in the marketplace,” he said. “I recognised that we would need to invest with a view to having the capacity when the market recovered. “We’ve just completed more investment – we’ve spent something in the region of £5m over the end of 2010 and the start of 2011. That increases our capacity by about a third.” Mr Maund said TRM’s West Lancashire location meant it was ideally placed to serve its national customer base. “It works quite well because we’re right in the centre of the country,” he said. “We have customers from Scotland down to Birmingham and Cardiff. “We’re only 15 minutes from the M6.” The company employs people from Burscough, Ormskirk and Skelmersdale – and West Lancashire has offered the firm a loyal workforce. “We’ve got lots of people who’ve done 20 years’ service with the company,” said Mr Maund. “We find that once we’ve got them, they stay with us.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT . . . WEST LANCASHIRE

BOROUGH IS BOXING CLEVER AS FIRMS KEEP INVESTING FOR GROWTH

The Co-operative’s base in Skelmersdale town centre – the company is planning to build another town centre office block

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Bidston Observatory – offers views across Merseyside and North Wales

Historic Wirral landmark brought onto the market Bidston Observatory complex split into three separate sites COMMERCIAL property agents in Liverpool have been instructed to find a buyer for one of Wirral’s best-know landmarks. Mason Owen is marketing the Bidston Observatory complex, not far from Birkenhead. The complex contains three plots, each of which is for sale separately, and includes the Grade II-listed Victorian observatory and surrounding land, the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory and surrounding land

and the site of the former Braehead Cottages, which lie outside the listed wall on the main access road. Set in an open space atop the Bidston Ridge, the three plots extend to around 45,000 sq ft. The former Bidston Observatory plot measures 14,500 sq ft and is situated on the south western section of the site. The area is set in landscaped gardens and includes offices, residential accommodation and

car parking. The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory’s site extends to approximately 29,100 sq ft. The building includes a four-storey laboratory and office facility. The Proudman laboratory is held on a 99-year ground lease dated June 1, 1973, from Wirral Council, at a current rent of £1,800 per year (subject to review). The former Braehead cottages plot is a potential residential development site to the east of the

observatory measuring approximately 0.17 acres. Suitable for hotel, leisure or residential use, the site is surrounded in heathland designated as open space in the local development plan, and enjoys views over Liverpool Bay, Birkenhead and the River Dee towards the Welsh hills. Andrew Owen, head of business space at Mason Owen, said: “This is a unique opportunity to buy a piece of local history.

“These plots are available individually and each one offers a prime development opportunity for residential, leisure and hotel. “We are confident that this complex will attract a lot of attention from interested parties. All offers will be seriously considered.” The landmark sits on the ridge of Bidston Hill and occupies a central position on the Wirral five miles from Liverpool city centre and 23 miles from Chester.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Enjoy top shows in style Club Class at the Echo Arena invites you to party just like the stars during 2011

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Arena Club Class is our most exclusive members club, giving a relationship and a range of benefits that non-members simply cannot get their hands on. Arena Club Class benefits: ■ Exclusive VIP box; ■ Purchase up to 12 tickets within the box; ■ Pre- and post-show hospitality; ■ Complimentary car parking; ■ Complimentary cocktail upon arrival; ■ VIP invitations to selected events; ■ 2011’s highlights include Usher, Westlife, Peter Kay, Katy Perry, Lee Evans, Justin Bieber, JLS, The Script and many more. ■ FOR further information regarding annual or single event hire, please contact Dan White, Commercial Manager – ACC Liverpool. Telephone 0151 703 7233, or email him: Dan.white@accliverpool.com or go online: www.echoarena.com

With Arena Club Class, you can enjoy an amazing hospitality experience before and after all the best events the Echo Arena, above, has to offer, with up to 12 tickets available per show

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Trading on colonial heritage

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Inward investment into Stanlow refinery THE Stanlow oil refinery is expected to become the latest business in the region to fall under Indian ownership, after Essar Energy entered an exclusivity period with Shell. A £700m deal has been agreed in principle, and it is expected to be completed by the middle of the year. Shell had been looking for a buyer for the Ellesmere Port site for 18 months. It would see Essar Energy join Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata Motors and Apeejay Surrendra Group, which owns Typhoo, as Indian companies with major investments in the region.

North West partnership is exploiting the logistics opportunities of bilateral trade with India

Indian firmm Essar Energy, has agreed to buy Stanlow oil refinery

JLT expects growth to come from key deal with Indian distributor

UK operation seen as best-placed to lead on expansion

Andrew Smithurst, left, chief executive of Cardinal Maritime, with Les Wright, managing director of Supply Chain Solution “WHEN I landed in Hyderabad at midnight, six guys came to pick me up. I was on an internal flight, came through the brand new airport, they were waiting for me. “They had a bunch of flowers and gave me the Tilak, the spot on my forehead. They gave me a great welcome because I had come to see them.” That was the experience of Andrew Smithurst, chief executive of consolidator and freight forwarder Cardinal Maritime, whose global travels take him to India five or six times a year. “If you make the effort to go out there and meet the people, you have almost got a friend for life,” he added. “I get asked a lot ‘do you know anyone in such a country?’ they treat you like a friend and they are very gracious.” Cardinal Maritime, based in

Sharston, near Manchester Airport, is working with Liverpool firm Supply Chain Solution (SCS) on a number of joint programmes. Managing director Les Wright, who founded SCS in 2007, said: “Because of the global nature of our website, we were starting to get enquiries that were bigger than we could handle, either volume or cashflow. “What we needed to do was develop our business and find a strategic partner, which is where Cardinal Maritime came in. “It’s not just the physical logistics and the finances, it’s bringing the whole thing together so global logistics can be provided from one site for North West businesses.” SCS specialises in temperaturecontrolled freight and has found the pharmaceutical sector has

proved fruitful. He added: “We have seven warehouses in India, which includes both temperature controlled and general warehousing. “As examples, we have a 3,000 sq ft temperature-controlled warehouse near Mumbai Airport which is used exclusively for the handling of pharmaceutical goods. “In Delhi, we have about 60,000 sq ft warehouse, about 200km away from the city area, which is used exclusively for pharmaceutical shipments. “As India’s economy continues to expand, and more products are sourced there for export to global markets, we will continue to expand our services.” India is the second-largest market for Cardinal’s consolidation services, behind only China. It offers direct weekly

consolidation services from Delhi, Nhava Sheva, Chennai, Tuticorin and Tiripur, as well as fast transits from the smaller Indian ports. “It’s a growing economy that we all want to be involved in,” said Mr Smithurst. “As far as the consolidation, we have five or six boxes every week from all over India. It is a major trade route.” He believes the historic links between the two countries helps in getting a foot in the door of Indian firms. “The Indian people think very highly of the UK and they want to do business with the UK,” added Mr Smithurst. “There’s massive potential. “I find it a little bit easier to do business in India than, say, China, because of the history and the affinity with Britain. “It’s just a matter of building up

trust and a relationship and taking it from there.” However, while there are cultural advantages to dealing with India over its Far East economic rival, his experiences have left him in no doubt that, in one respect at least, India remains in the slow lane. He said: “In China, it has almost been ‘what recession?’, and in India there hasn’t been that sort of problem either. “But, as far as infrastructure goes, China is miles ahead of India. The Indian road system isn’t good, you can’t get anywhere. “What I have learned from experience is when I go somewhere like Mumbai, I base myself in an airport hotel and get the agents to come to me because it takes so long to get there. The system of travelling around on road needs bringing up to speed.”

RUGGED computer manufacturer JLT Mobile Computers has signed an exclusive deal with an Indian distributor, as it looks to Asia to grow its business. The UK division of Swedishowned JLT is heading up the company’s Asian expansion from its base at The Heath Business and Technical Park, in Runcorn. Its managing director, Mark Muslek, is spending about a week a month abroad to develop international partnerships. Mr Muslek said: “What they have asked me to do – because we are stable in the UK and the team I have got can almost manage without me – is to look at other areas, the Middle East and the Far

East, because they are markets we are not in. “Culturally, commercially, and because of issues like language, it was felt it was easier if I did it. “They don’t have a recession over there, so that’s what we have started to do for the last six months. “Unfortunately, the deals take a while to come to fruition on both sides. The international deals do take a lot more time to set up.” But he has now had his first success – Apoorva IT Solutions, a Hyderabad company, will be JLT’s exclusive distributor in India. “Before I went to Apoorva, I had had at least 25 phone conversations,” he said.

“To people in the Middle East and Far East, it’s much more important to get to know you and know a little bit about you and your family – and if they are comfortable with that they will look to do a deal. “When I went to India, we spent two days being shown around, two days meeting clients and the last day doing a deal. “The last day wouldn’t have happened if the first four days hadn’t gone well. “European business people tend to cut to the chase. In the Middle East and Far East, people are much more interested in you as a person – are they happy with you? – and then they move on to the details of a deal.”

CONFERENCE TO ENCOURAGE BUSINESSES TO LOOK TOWARDS INDIA MERSEYSIDE businesses are being encouraged to exploit the “fantastic opportunities in India” and boost UK exports to the fast-growing marketplace. The North West is second only to London and the South East in terms of exports to India, but the UK has slipped down the international pecking order. In 2005, it was the fifth largest exporter to India but had fallen to 18th last year. The UK India

Business Council (UKIBC), a Government-backed organisation which looks to increase bilateral trade, believes the country offers huge potential for growth for SMEs as well as much larger firms. It expects more than 500 businesses to attend its annual conference in Manchester on March 10. UKIBC chief executive Richard Heald said: “I urge Liverpool’s businesses to leverage fast-

growing economies like India which weren’t hit as hard by the global financial crisis. “This is very different to previous global recessions because there are now powerful economies like India, China and Brazil which are providing huge opportunities for local businesses right here in the North West. “The UKIBC is here to show Liverpool’s businesses the practical steps they need to take to start

forming partnerships with Indian business and government. “It can seem like a huge leap, but small businesses around the world are finding fantastic opportunities in India every single day.” The conference will focus on six key sectors – infrastructure, skills and education, technology, life sciences, advanced engineering and manufacturing, and in retail, the logistics and supply chain.

To advertise here contact Julie Cowley. Telephone 0151 472 2311 or email julie.cowley@liverpool.com or Neil Johnson, Telephone 0151 472 2705 or email neil.johnshon@liverpool.com

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Trading on colonial heritage

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

North West partnership is exploiting the logistics opportunities of bilateral trade with India

Indian firmm Essar Energy, has agreed to buy Stanlow oil refinery

JLT expects growth to come from key deal with Indian distributor

UK operation seen as best-placed to lead on expansion

To advertise here contact Julie Cowley. Telephone 0151 472 2311 or email julie.cowley@liverpool.com or Neil Johnson, Telephone 0151 472 2705 or email neil.johnshon@liverpool.com

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The University of Liverpool's HIV iCharts team – Professor Saye Khoo, Sara Gibbons, Kay Seden, and Professor David Back

Instant and easy iPhone access to drug information for HIV patients

University pharmacologists launch app for HIV sufferers and healthcare professionals THE University of Liverpool has launched an i-Phone application, called HIV iChart. It provides healthcare professionals and HIV patients with instant and easy access to information about drug interactions. The app is based on the University-developed website (www.hiv-druginteractions.org), HIV iChart. This is a tool that provides HIV patients and healthcare

professionals with immediate access to information on potential drug interactions between anti-HIV drugs and other medications that a patient with the disease may be taking. In HIV therapy, patients take a number of anti-HIV medication (antiretrovirals) and may also take other drugs to treat co-existing diseases. Drug interactions can have an impact on the effectiveness of one or both drugs, and may also

impact on the severity of the side effects of the medication. For this reason, some drugs should not be used, while others must be given with caution, possibly requiring adjustment. Prof David Back, the University’s Professor of Pharmacology, said: “We are delighted to launch this application for i-Phones that will provide HIV patients and healthcare professionals with instant and easy access to

information about HIV drug interactions which is relevant, reliable and up-to-date. “HIV iChart can be used on a hospital ward or in a clinic, in primary-care units, health centres and the community. “Besides the HIV drugs interaction website, this tool will increase awareness of how to manage the disease more effectively.” Dr Ian Williams, Chair of the British HIV Association (BHIVA),

said: “This technology provides a marvellous opportunity to greatly increase the ease of access to drug interaction information.” HIV iCharts is available free of charge and is compatible with both the iPhone and iPod touch. The application was created by the HIV Pharmacology Group and developed with eMedFusion, a division of the KnowledgePoint360 Group. It is supported by the Elton John Aids Foundation, MSD and Janssen.

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HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS?

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS?

Wind creates a jobs boom Onshore and offshore sectors see employment soar 91% in three years

How Liverpool’s Castle Street will look when the pavements are widened – an example of the city’s drive to cut carbon emissions

Cities step up efforts to cut emissions Research study focuses on the drive to slash CO² in Britain’s urban conurbations A STUDY has been published examining how well the property sector in British cities – including Liverpool – is doing in achieving carbon emissions targets. The Government expects the property industry to lead the way in securing the UK’s tough commitment to carbon emission reductions. Research by property consultant GVA examines the part property is playing across the major cities, as well as what can improve, and the likely impact on the commercial sector. The report – Emission

Impossible – Can cities deliver on their carbon reduction targets? – looks at the UK’s major cities. These include Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield. Overall it shows that progress is being made in carbon reduction across these main cities, although it’s clear there’s still a lot of work to do. According to the research, Manchester saw the lowest level of carbon emission reduction of all of the cities monitored.

However, this can to a large extent be explained by the strong population and economic growth that the city has seen, making the research much more of a success story for Manchester than first appears. In terms of the poorer than average property impacts, this appears to be a consequence of the relative significance of the traditional industrial sector. This is despite major growth in the retail and office sectors in the city over the last decade, and Manchester scores reasonably well on these sectors in terms of

property-related CO² emissions. In terms of transport emission reductions, Manchester is second only to London and sets the highest total for carbon reduction out of all of the cities. Liverpool is targeting a 35% reduction in CO² emissions by 2020. Between 2005 and 2008, the city’s absolute CO² emissions reduced by 4.1%, which was the sixth-largest reduction out of the 11 cities detailed in the report. Liverpool also achieved the fourth greatest reduction in business CO² emissions per employee

between 2005 and 2008. Emissions for commercial property in the city have improved (as measured in terms of CO² emissions per occupied sq m). The city has improved by two places to seventh, compared with the last report. Steve Martin, director leading GVA’s sustainability agenda in the North West, said “The new GVA research report looks at areas for cities to address and offers best practice ideas for reduction, making it a vital tool for discussion and change for everyone involved.”

VPhase wins £30,000 for device that slashes bills A CHESHIRE-BASED developer of energy-saving technology has won £30,000 in an awards scheme to promote the growth of green businesses. VPhase, in Capenhurst, has won the cash as part of the Shell Springboard programme. VPhase received the award for its VX1 voltage optimisation device, a product which lowers and

regulates household voltage use, so that devices and appliances continue to operate as before, but by using typically around 25 volts less. This reduction of domestic voltage in turn leads to a decrease in household electricity bills of between 6% and 12%, the firm claims. Rick Smith, chief executive of VPhase, said:

“We believe the VPhase device can make a difference in the fight against climate change, and it’s incredibly rewarding that a wellestablished programme like Shell Springboard has acknowledged this potential. “The funding and recognition received will assist us to press ahead with our ambitions for Voltage Optimisation. These include tackling fuel poverty and

reducing CO² emissions in the UK.” James Smith, chairman of Shell UK, added: “Lowcarbon innovation creates real opportunities for British industry. “The UK has huge talent and creativity in this area. In the last six years, Shell Springboard has awarded 50 small businesses with a total of £1.6m to advance their new business ideas.”

EMPLOYMENT levels in the UK wind energy industry have soared by 91% in the last three years, according to new figures. RenewableUK, which represents the renewable energy industry, said the growth in employment stands in contrast to the overall UK employment level, which has shrunk during the same period by 3.4%. The Liverpool city region is attempting to cash in on this boom by grabbing a slice of the huge £15bn wind farm planned for the Irish Sea. Companies like Cammell Laird and Peel Ports are bidding to get involved in the manufacturing, assembly and logistics elements of the project. The jobs study was jointly commissioned by RenewableUK and EU Skills, the sector skills council for the power sector, from Warwick University’s Institute for Employment Research (IER) and Cambridge Econometrics. The findings are based on primary data collected from 253 companies with business activities in the wind and marine energy sectors. Of the 10,800 full-timeequivalent employees working directly in the sectors, 56% are associated with large-scale onshore wind (turbine output of over 100kW), followed by 29%in offshore wind, while 7–8% of the overall workforce is employed in small-scale wind and around the same proportion in wave and tidal energy. The report identifies 9,200 full-time employees as working in the large-scale wind energy industries in 2009/10. A comparable study commissioned by RenewableUK from Bain & Company, in 2008, recorded 4,800 full-time employees in the sector for the 2007/8 period. Maria McCaffery, chief executive of RenewableUK, said: “Two conclusions from the results of this study are obvious – this sector has withstood the negative GDP growth of the UK recession and bucked the overall employment trend in a spectacular way by a near doubling of the workforce. The increase in jobs has, to a large extent, mirrored the increase in electricity contributions from renewable sources.”

Natural resource – turbines sited in Liverpool Bay, with the snow-dusted Welsh hills forming a dramatic backdrop

Arvia and Magnox scoop Rushlight Award at ceremony

Rick Smith, chief executive of VPhase

LIVERPOOL water and waste treatment firm Arvia Technology, and nuclear operator Magnox, scooped a Rushlight clean technology award at one of the UK and Ireland’s premier environmental events. The companies jointly walked away with the coveted Rushlight Clean Environment Award, in

recognition of their partnership in developing the Arvia Titan, a solution for the treatment of radioactive oil waste. Retrieving and processing this type of waste material is a major challenge, as part of decommissioning and cleaning-up the UK’s nuclear legacy.

Held in London, the Rushlight Awards recognise those sustainable businesses that are making a positive difference to the environment through innovation and technological advancement. Arvia Technology developed low-carbon, waste and chemical free

technology for the treatment of water and waste water. However, innovative collaboration with nuclear specialists Magnox Ltd revealed a new and high-value, sustainable solution. A full-scale Arvia Titan unit is now in operation in North Wales.

Arvia’s technical director and founder, Dr Nigel Brown, with Arvia’s chief executive, Martin Keighley

HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS?

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS?

Wind creates a jobs boom Onshore and offshore sectors see employment soar 91% in three years

How Liverpool’s Castle Street will look when the pavements are widened – an example of the city’s drive to cut carbon emissions

Natural resource – turbines sited in Liverpool Bay, with the snow-dusted Welsh hills forming a dramatic backdrop

Arvia and Magnox scoop Rushlight Award at ceremony

Rick Smith, chief executive of VPhase

Arvia’s technical director and founder, Dr Nigel Brown, with Arvia’s chief executive, Martin Keighley

LEISURE ECONOMY

Cruises ‘crucial’ for hotels

Starting terminal turnarounds is the single biggest opportunity for Liverpool visitor economy ALLOWING Liverpool to run turnaround cruises from the Pier Head is an “absolute necessity, not a nicety” for the city’s hotel industry, warns a hotel chief. “It represents the single, biggest positive opportunity that exists for Liverpool’s visitor economy,” said Stephen Roberts, Liverpool Hoteliers’ Association (LHA) chairman. Marcus Magee, Hilton Liverpool One general manager, and others share exactly the same opinion, said Mr Roberts. “Creating a cruise and stay market is a necessity, not a nicety to sustain Liverpool’s visitor economy,” he said. “The Daily Post’s Get On Board campaign has been a fantastic success in raising awareness of this situation,” said Mr Roberts. He is also general manager of Liverpool Crowne Plaza Hotel City Centre, at Princes Dock near to Liverpool Cruise Terminal. Restrictions on the £15m EU grant used to fund the terminal only allowed cruise visits, not turnarounds, as this would give Liverpool an unfair commercial advantage over other cruise ports. However, as Cllr Joe Anderson, Liverpool City Council leader, has agreed to start repaying the grant, the Government is reviewing the turnaround ban. Mr Roberts said: “The City of Liverpool is built on sea trade across the world, and it should be a power again in that business. “Let’s just try and get the cruise turnaround problem resolved and batter every door down until it happens. “It’s more than a nicety to have, it’s an absolute necessity. “Otherwise, I have very severe concerns about where our hotel business is going to come from. “We need to maximise our assets. It’s how the city developed originally. “And, unsurprisingly, 300 years later, we’re still here on the same big river with its opportunities. “Liverpool’s hotels en masse want Cllr Anderson to ensure his dealings with the Government lead to a positive conclusion in the review of the terminal.”

Stephen Roberts: getting into the cruise and stay market will be the saviour of Liverpool’s expanding hotel industry Mr Roberts was speaking in the wake of the Liverpool Boat Show’s cancellation. The city’s hotel and hospitality sector was poised to do exceptional business if the Boat Show had been a success. “But now the bigger challenge will be the huge long-term impact and image problem which will result from the Boat Show’s

cancellation,” he said. “The Boat Show would have been a fantastic shop window for the ‘new’ Liverpool on so many different levels, appealing from the high-spenders through to mass tourism. “Who will fill the void and be able to get a newly devised Boat Show off the ground for the future, in the present negative

climate we have created? We really need all interested parties in the city to plan together to fill the gap. “We need more than cobbling together something for short-term gain this year and instead grab this huge opportunity.” As a backdrop to this conundrum, new hotels continue to come on stream in Liverpool,

such as Indigo, Chapel Street, and Days Inn, The Strand. Mr Roberts dismissed suggestions of hotel closures, saying they would “struggle on” in the hope of better times. “But other general managers of established big hotels have expressed their concern to me about growing over-supply of hotel rooms,” he said.

Boutique Hotel Indigo set to open in Liverpool city centre ahead of schedule A NEW Liverpool hotel aimed at business travellers is due to open ahead of schedule this summer. David Hughes, general manager of Hotel Indigo, in Chapel Street, in the city centre, said he was now looking at an opening date of June 1 – 10 days earlier than originally planned. Hotel Indigo is an

up-market brand owned by global hotels giant, InterContinental, and the Liverpool outlet is being built and operated by Merseyside-based Sanguine Hospitality. Sanguine already operates a number of InterContinental hotel brands in Liverpool including Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Staybridge Suites.

The £15m Hotel Indigo is located close to the 20 Chapel Street office development and will incorporate the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar and Grill. It will offer 151 rooms and will employ around 70 people. Mr Hughes told LDP Business staff recruitment was already well under way. “In the US,

InterContinental has labelled the Indigo concept as an ‘upscale boutique brand’. “It is aimed at the savvy traveller who likes the nice things in life.” The hotel is drawing on Liverpool’s cotton-trading heritage for the design of its rooms. Each room will contain a large mural with a cotton-related

image. Mr Hughes added: “We want to make the service as personal as possible. “There will be a person in the hotel who will be on hand to offer guests information about Liverpool. “When you open a hotel, you need to know where it fits into the marketplace – you need to have a unique selling point.”

David Hughes

TRANSPORT

Political parties have not implemented any of our suggestions yet – Paul Simmons, Easyjet UK regional general manager, at Liverpool JLA

Easyjet urges APD tax rethink

Carrier calls on coalition Government to deliver on promise to review controversial ‘eco’ levy BUDGET carrier Easyjet is stepping up pressure on the coalition Government to overhaul the controversial Air Passenger Duty (APD) tax. Current legislation means passengers can pay from £12 to £170 in tax on their journey, depending on distance travelled. Paul Simmons, Easyjet UK regional general manager, said the airline lobbied all political parties before last May’s General Election and was assured a review of APD would be initiated once a new Government was formed. However, he said the coalition Government has failed to address the aviation industry’s concerns. He said: “APD is still high on our agenda.” Easyjet, which is the second

biggest carrier by passenger numbers at Liverpool John Lennon airport, is calling for a change in how the “environmental” tax is levied. Rather than applied per passenger, which Mr Simmons says takes no account of new fuel-efficient aircraft, he said the tax should be charged per plane. “If this is about environmentalism, then share the tax fairly, according to the environmental impact. “It should be based on the size of the plane, which would encourage people to fill their planes. The more passengers you have, you can defray the tax and the carbon impact per passenger decreases.” He added: “The current tax

does not encourage environmental behaviour. “We made these points to the political parties before the election, but they have not implemented anything yet.” Easyjet is also calling for overseas passengers transferring to flights in the UK to pay their share: “It is unfair that UK passengers and passengers at regional airports like Liverpool pay APD tax but transfer passengers, for example flying in from America to Heathrow and transferring to a Frankfurt flight, don’t pay the tax, even though the flight starts in the UK.” He also highlighted an anomaly involving private planes, which are exempt from APD tax. “The Chelsea owner, Roman

Abramovich, parks his Boeing 767 outside our Luton office. A normal configuration on a 767 would involve about 250 seats. He may only have five on his private jet, but he still pays nothing. “And if he were to charter a plane for the Chelsea team to travel to a European game, he would not pay tax, but fans flying to the same game would. It’s a question of fairness. “We should bring these people into the tax net.” He added: “We meet the Government on a regular basis. They promised it and made very clear promises in the coalition agreement and now it is time to deliver on those promises.” Ryanair, the biggest operator at JLA, backs the call for change.

Head of communications Stephen McNamara said: “This £12 tourist tax is nothing short of tourism suicide as the UK Government continues to lose jobs and tourism revenues by taxing tourists, instead of welcoming them. “The Government must follow the example of their Belgian, Dutch, Greek and Spanish counterparts by immediately scrapping their stupid and regressive tourist tax in an effort to avoid any further devastation to tourism and jobs. “Tourism is one of the UK’s most important industries, and employers and the £12 tourist tax are making the UK an uncompetitive destination for inbound tourism.”

LEISURE ECONOMY

Cruises ‘crucial’ for hotels

David Hughes

TRANSPORT

Political parties have not implemented any of our suggestions yet – Paul Simmons, Easyjet UK regional general manager, at Liverpool JLA

Easyjet urges APD tax rethink

EDUCATION

Universities take headache out of headhunting at SMEs A collaboration by three Liverpool universities offers Merseyside’s small business sector a

cost-effective alternative to sourcing skilled candidates for key jobs, writes Neil Hodgson

Graduate to Merseyside programme leader Steve Wood Picture: COLIN LANE

RADUATE unemployment is at its highest level for decades, with recent Government statistics showing one in five new graduates is now unemployed. The 20% figure for the third quarter of 2010, revealed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), is almost double the 10.6% rate before the start of the recession. Unemployment among graduates is also rising faster than the UK jobless rate as a whole, and the Government is urging employers to exploit the wealth of untapped skills offered by graduates. A Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spokesman said after the recent jobless figures: “Graduates face a challenging time and are having to work hard to maximise their

Ian Young, director of Team Logic – says the Graduate to Merseyside scheme is ‘excellent’ chances of success. As part of our programme to get Britain working, we want employers to invest in students and graduates by offering work experience and internships that will develop their skills and boost their prospects.” A European-funded scheme embracing all three Liverpool universities is making inroads into achieving that aim by tackling career development for graduates by specifically targeting the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, which new Confederation of British Industry directorgeneral John Cridland said will be responsible for creating nearly two-thirds of all new jobs in the wake of last October’s Government spending review. Graduate to Merseyside was launched last summer and is headed by Steve Wood, at the University of Liverpool Careers

and Employability Service. It currently has a database of more than 800 students from the University, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Hope University, who it seeks to match with relevant jobs in small companies throughout the region. Even returning graduates who may have studied elsewhere are eligible. Mr Wood said: “It is about retaining graduates and helping graduates access business.” The project’s “USP” is that it will not cost participating firms anything, other than a graduate’s salary. Professional search and recruitment agencies can charge up to £2,500 per person, which is prohibitive for most small firms. So, says Mr Wood, companies can benefit from a free service which aims to find the best solution to their skills gap,

including management of the selection and interview process by his team. He explained: “The idea is it is business-led, so businesses can access the skills of recently qualified graduates.” It is also a move by the universities to establish clear links with the region’s SME sector: “People see us up on the hill and don’t realise what initiatives there are to help businesses.” The unit can work with businesses in one of two ways. First, if a firm has identified the need for someone, for example, an IT specialist, and, secondly, where the team has assessed a business and shown gaps in its structure that could stifle growth. “The gap is hopefully where a graduate could go. “It could be that the managing director of a small business,

which is typically the case, tends to do their sales and admin, all the stuff of running a business, and maybe the graduate can come in and free up the time of a boss to take the business forward.” Again, Mr Wood’s team would manage the selection process, based on the company’s profile of its ideal candidate, including detailed information on the role and what academic skills would be required. Selection would involve advertising the role on the universities’ internal systems and using its database to target likely candidates. Mr Wood explained: “The graduate would apply to us at first, so the business only ever deals with us. “We also vet the businesses, so they don’t exploit anyone.” A cohort of about six graduates will be forwarded to the business

based on their skills, and also attitude, so the best match can be made. “We arrange all the interviews and would expect the graduate to do some research on the business. “The first question they get is, ‘what is your understanding of what we do here’? If they can say, ‘you make so many widgets’, it’s quite impressive.” He said there are no age constraints on the process: “You could be two years off retirement age, but we would put you forward for a role.” Throughout the whole recruitment process, the team monitors progress to ensure the right outcome. The aim is to assist 250 businesses over the next two years, and in the first six months since the June launch, it has dealt with more than 30 placements. “The key thing is job creation.

“I am a firm believer that every job has got someone’s name on it and our job is to try and match individuals up with that job.” The vast majority of opportunities are full-time jobs, although they obviously involve a probationary period, but Mr Wood insisted: “It’s down to the graduate to ensure they make themselves invaluable within the business.” Placements could also lead to further job growth opportunities: “A business might grow after taking on a graduate and grow in different directions. We are looking at job creation at graduate level, but there’s potential for other job creation, such as a marketing manager, etc.” Links have been established with Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, The Mersey Partnership and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

“The FSB says there are 26,000 SMEs on Merseyside. We have to find the ones in there that would benefit from taking a graduate on. “Our agenda is to assist the business to grow, and the graduates coming through the system, and build good links between the universities and the local community.” The project is funded until 2012, but Mr Wood believes it offers a viable model into the future: “More funding might come in, or the universities might want to pick it up and fund it themselves.” Mr Wood has been involved in similar duties for the past 12 years, under different funding mechanisms, and, he said, historically, graduate placement programmes can expect an impressive 80% retention rate. However, given the impending shake-up in university funding, he sees an opportunity for the

programme to act as an invaluable service to attract potential students of the future. “Under the new funding models graduates would say, ‘What I am paying for my fees, is there a good chance of me getting a job’? “Initiatives like these are core. We can say to any potential student, you come here, and alongside academic growth you will get help with employability. “We will help you with work experience, summer placements, and when you graduate, if you want to stay in this area, we can help you with that employment process.” Heswall environmentallyfriendly software solutions firm Team Logic is one of the firms to undergo that process, which director Ian Young described as “excellent”, in its recruitment of an IT graduate for a role in customer support from a

four-strong shortlist within 24 hours. He said: “Team Logic has used the service twice now and been able to employ qualified highquality personnel who wanted to work and develop their career. We obtained a high-quality shortlist and excellent, well-qualified candidates.” Liverpool design and build firm Rigo Spa also called on the team to find a CAD designer during its recent expansion. Managing director Richard Gowland said: “The main sifting through and short listing of candidates was already completed for us, which dramatically reduced the time we had to spend looking at applications. We picked four of the best candidates from approximately 10 CVs and within two weeks of interviews we had commenced employment of a new employee from the process.”

EDUCATION

Universities take headache out of headhunting at SMEs A collaboration by three Liverpool universities offers Merseyside’s small business sector a

cost-effective alternative to sourcing skilled candidates for key jobs, writes Neil Hodgson

Graduate to Merseyside programme leader Steve Wood Picture: COLIN LANE

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BUSINESS LUNCH

0151 530 5300

Bill Gleeson meets Carl Cross at Bar Italia, for a chat about where best to invest his very small fortune

ARL CROSS was a regular guest on the radio show I used to present for CityTalk, when it was a talk station. On numerous Friday afternoons, we would talk about the ups and downs of stock markets, both here and overseas. But, since the plug was pulled on the show, I haven’t seen much of him, so I thought it was time to catch up with the Rensburg Sheppards’ senior investment director and local Conservative Party chairman. We agreed to meet at Bar Italia, a place that receives a lot of favourable mentions from colleagues for its good food and friendly atmosphere. Bar Italia offers an extensive menu. For his starters, Carl chose Avocado e Gamberetti, avocado and prawns in a bed of shredded lettuce topped with marie rose sauce. The chef was happy to oblige Carl’s request for an extra serving of salmon to be added to his dish. My wife Frances, who was accompanying me as my sighted guide, selected the Funghi Salati in Padella, mushrooms sauteed in garlic and nutmeg, topped with mozzarella cheese and glazed. I chose Funghi e Gamberetti con Aglio, mushrooms and prawns sauteed in garlic, white wine, lemon juice and paprika. Carl said his starter was “very nice; very tasty with succulent avocado. The salmon was very fresh. It was a variation of prawn cocktail and the texture and taste were magnificent”. Frances and myself also enjoyed our starters. The paprika went well with the prawns, and it was served with a very nice stock. While we ate, I asked Carl about whether the merger of Carr Sheppards and Rensburg a few years ago was now bedded down. He said: “The merger of Rensburg and Carr Sheppards took place over five years ago now, and the business has been fully integrated for some time. With complementary geographic positioning and similar cultures, the two groups fitted together very well indeed.”

I was curious about where the seat of management was located within Rensburg Sheppards’ empire. Carl explained: “Rensburg Sheppards’ chief executive, Jonathan Wragg, is based in Yorkshire, but clearly each office is responsible for managing its own affairs within the group structure so the Liverpool office is run from here in the city.” For his main course, Carl chose Filetto Stroganoff, strips of fillet steak, coated in a sauce of paprika, lemon juice and white wine finished with salad mushrooms and cream served with rice, vegetables and chips. I chose Spaghetti Matriciana, pasta cooked with streaky bacon, tomatoes, chilli pepper, garlic, basil with parmesan cheese. Frances selected Farfalle con Pollo, butterfly pasta tossed with a julienne of young vegetables, strips of chargrilled chicken and mozzarella with flakes of fresh parmesan. Carl said Rensburg had been successful in attracting new investment business, despite the tough economic conditions. He said: “With interest rates at record lows, returns from cash have never been lower and that, together with our comprehensive financial planning service and integrated investment management service, is really paying dividends for us.” I referred to a recent column written for the Daily Post by Carl’s colleague, John Haynes, which included a great deal of analysis about China. Carl said John was a Mandarin speaker. I asked Carl whether he thought China was a good place to invest money at the moment. Carl said: “Well, each client is different. But, yes, we are keen on including exposure to emerging markets in portfolios wherever appropriate. That might well include China as a material economic power in the Far East.” A keen politician, Carl is on the Conservative Party’s list of approved Par-

Bar Italia, situated in Castle Street in Liverpool’s central business district liamentary candidates, has previously served as a councillor in Halton and is currently chairman of the Merseyside Conservative Party. He said: “I’m Merseyside area chairman now, so that keeps me occupied, overseeing campaigning across the region. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a councillor in Halton, but stood down in 2008 to concentrate on this and other areas.” So how does he respond to Ed Balls’s outburst last week when he said the Governor of the Bank of England should stay out of politics, a reference for his perceived support for the cuts? “I think any Bank of England governor has the right to comment on any government’s economic policies. Every government inevitably has a political agenda, so the input of someone with no political axe to grind is, I believe, useful,” Carl replied. As for local politics, I told Carl, the big news is the way the cuts are resulting in huge job losses, library and sports centre closures and cuts to social care.

Carl Cross

“Sadly, this is an inevitability of the horrendous economic position we have found ourselves in. “It’s never easy but the private sector has been making these difficult decisions for the last few years. So, public sector organisations should have to as well. If we cannot reduce this massive structural government deficit, we will all face a much more precarious future. “People cannot live by perpetually borrowing more and more to pay for everyday costs. Sooner or later, something has to give. So, too, with governments and councils,” he said. I asked him who was right about the Big Society initiative – Liverpool Council Leader Joe Anderson or David Cameron? “You’d expect me to say this, but David Cameron,” said Carl. “Let’s be honest, a lot of this is just politics. That’s never likely to change. “But, from my own experience as a councillor, there was a tremendous amount that could be cut without frontline services being affected. I’m not suggesting that services won’t be immune – they clearly will be – and some

painful decisions will have to be taken. But they probably should have been taken earlier.” Of his Stroganoff, Carl said: “It was very tender strips of fillet. Very nice, very rich delicious mushroom-based creamy sauce. Vegetables just about on the point of al dente, not too hard, but nicely crisp.” My spaghetti was perfectly cooked. It was very generous with the bacon and was strongly spiced with chilli. Carl, who eats at Bar Italia from time to time, explained why he likes the restaurant: “It’s individual and family owned, not part of some fake chain and Franco, the owner, is always on hand to greet the customers. It feels genuine because it is.”

DETAILS Bar Italia 48a, Castle St Liverpool L2 7LQ Tel: 0151 236 3375

www.baritalialiverpool.com

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THE BUSINESS LIST Friday, February 25

The monthly Daresbury Business Breakfast brings together around 100 people working for hi-tech companies. The breakfast is at Daresbury Innovation Centre, starting from 8am. For more details, see www.daresbury sic.co.uk/events

0151 530 5300

TUESDAY, MARCH 15/ LIVERPOOL BUSINESS FAIR

Wednesday, March 2 St Helens Chamber is holding a seminar on how to succeed overseas. The free event, from 9am-11am, is designed to enable new and existing exporters to learn more about how to succeed overseas. It will cover the range of UKTI services available, how to develop and expand export business and how to get paid by overseas customers. See sthelens chamber.com/events/

Friday, March 4 A free seminar is being held for UK architects, master planners, interior designers and supply chain companies looking to expand overseas. Find out where the opportunities are and meet experts from UK Embassies and High Commissions in some of the key markets for the construction sector. It is at RIBA North West, Wood Street, Liverpool from 10am-3.30pm. Bookings must be made by February 25 – contact Mo Dowlut on 020 7215 8579 or email mo.dowlut@ukti.gsi.gov.uk.

Wednesday, March 9

Liverpool Business Association organises business fairs across the city region throughout the year

Blankstone Opticians and Notting Hill London's Oliver Goldsmith store and Vintage Archive are hosting a networking evening themed around Breakfast at Tiffanys for the corporate, SME and lifestyle sectors. It is from 5.30pm-8pm. For more details, contact Joel Jelen at Ubiquity PR at joel@ubiquitypr.co.uk

COMPANIES from across the city region will descend on the Anglican Cathedral for the Liverpool Business Fair later this month. The fair, which is marking its 10th anniversary, attracts a wide variety of

Thursday, March 10 Liverpool Chamber of Commerce is launching a speed networking event at LILA, North

exhibitors and hundreds of business visitors to its event. It combines an exhibition with a full day of seminars and marketing clinics. There will be a series of workshops, including tendering for

John Street, Liverpool. It is £10 for members and £15 for non-members. To book, see www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk

public sector contracts, public relations, improving profitability through maximising existing relationships, selling online. Networking zones and a speed networking session will

bring businesses together, while there will also be start-up support and business information services available. The event is free to attend and is on from 10.30am-3.30pm. Visitors don’t need to

Thursday, March 17

Chamber of Commerce event has active table networking followed by lunch and a new format which it says gives everyone a platform to meet the people to generate business. It costs £25 for members and £30 for non-members. Book online at www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Hopkins Coaching is starting its latest management development programme. The participants will meet at Cheshire View, Christleton, Chester, for two hours every month for four months. For more details, see www.hopkinscoaching.co.uk

Thursday, March 24

Tuesday, March 22

Speed networking at LILA

Knowsley Chamber of Commerce’s regular breakfast networking event is being held at the Village Hotel, Whiston, from 8am-9.30am. It costs £12 for members and £24 for non-members and a light breakfast is served on arrival. To book and for more details, see www.knowsleychamber.org

pre-register and can just turn up on the day. There are also still opportunities available for companies wishing to exhibit at the business fair. ■ FOR more information, see tinyurl.com/livbiz11

Hard Day’s Night Hotel

Tuesday, March 22 A networking lunch is being held at Hard Day’s Night Hotel from 12.15pm-2.30pm. The Liverpool

Jamie Peate, insight director at McCann Manchester, will look at the importance of choice editors in brand communications at a CIM Merseyside seminar. The event is at Liverpool Management School. Registration begins at 6pm and is free to CIM members, £25 for non-members. To book, visit www.cim.co.uk

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ALISTAIR HOUGHTON

. . . in which our hero tells you the important story of how he . . . hang on, he’ll have to get back to you

O YOU think you could still do business if you switched your phone off ? No, me neither. In my role as an observer of business etiquette, it’s become obvious that the idea of switching your phone off at a business event is as old-fashioned as wearing a bowler hat and a monocle. Not so very long ago, it was the height of rudeness to check your phone during a meeting, or when talking to someone. But now it’s positively de rigueur. And the rise of smartphones has made things even worse – or better, depending on your viewpoint. Now you can check not just your calls but your email, the internet, and Twitter, all in the palm of your hand. We’ve all been to meetings where someone starts checking their texts. We’ve all been chatting to someone about something terribly important when they suddenly announce they have to disappear to take a call. Not so long ago, I had a meeting with someone who kept checking two smartphones on the table in front of him throughout our conversation. But then, that’s what he had to do. Information, after all, is power. My first mobile phone was a reluctant – and cheap – purchase. In

my university days, those phones were something posh folk used as social status symbols. They seemed to have a sixth sense, these future members of the ruling class, who knew just when to slide their phone onto the dinner table so it rang into life with the largest possible audience, and so everyone knew that the very best people could have phone conversations without wires, whereas people like you had to use the grubby payphones, downstairs, next to the bar. The whole loud, mundane mobile phone conversation – “I’m on a train!”– became a comedy cliché. But that’s because it was true. So keen was I to resist the lure of the mobile that, when it became apparent that people wanted to get hold of me wherever I was, I opted for the a curmudgeonly compromise of a pager. I’ve still got it somewhere, buried in one of the boxes within boxes of the relics of my youth. It was a robust beast, surviving more than one toilet immersion with more dignity than its owner who had to plunge into toilet bowls to find it.

VENTUALLY, I had to go mobile. My public demanded it. Well, my mother. But I went for the most no-frills option I could find. Never

mind smartphones – even camera phones were too smart for me. I stuck to a minibrick that could make phone calls and texts, though only if you asked it nicely. I’d have stuck with a tin can and a piece of string if I could. But four years ago, when the latest of my scratched and battered handme-down phones began giving up the ghost, I decided to submit to the iPhone juggernaut, combining my phone and music player into one, easy-to-lose package. And now? Well, I’ve become one of those people who seem unable to leave their phone behind. I can check Twitter anywhere and everywhere. So I do. And I’m not the only one.

AST month saw a selection of geeks – myself included – take part in Social Media in Liverpool Week. Those events included a meeting about a Swan Pedalo, a talk on science fiction pub crawls, and a Social Media Social. I even acted as MC for Social Media Café – not the hip, move-bustin’, fist-pumpin’, lyrical-flowin’-type MC, unfortunately, but more of a “making introductions at a Rotary club dinner”-type host. But what all these events had in common was everyone spent most of the events staring at their smartphones. Phone use wasn’t popular, it was practically mandatory. After all, there’s no point talking about social media unless you’re actively social media-ing. And so everyone had to balance the attractions of the event in front of them with the importance of telling the world that they were there.

A true smart phone: this phone box in the wonderfully-named Upperthong, West Yorkshire, is being converted into a library

ND the smartphone has even invaded one of Britain’s most sacred rituals – the pub crawl. A short while before Social Media in Liverpool Week, the city hosted its second “Twitter pub crawl”. The idea was that people who have conversed through Twitter can get to know each other in real life. But, despite their best intentions, most people kept looking at their phones. And, in Revolution bar, in Wood Street, word spread through the party that a discount on drinks was available via an iPhone app. And so, on a busy Friday night in Partytown, a tribe of Tweeters, faces blue-lit by the glow from their iPhones, battled to get enough reception to download an app to download an e-voucher that got them two drinks for the price of one. If smartphones can get networkers cheap drinks, then they’re not going away anytime soon.

Treat yourself to the finest

He is the greatest goalscorer in Everton’s history and that is why we named the most prestigious of all our matchday hospitality lounges after the legendary William Ralph ‘Dixie’ Dean.

With a combination of fine food, wines and liqueurs, an outstanding level of service and padded Directors’ Box stadium seating, guests in the Dixie Dean Suite enjoy a fabulous occasion every time they join us here at Goodison Park. It is the perfect location for client entertainment or a refined business get-together. Matchday in the ‘Dixie’ includes champagne and canapés on arrival prior to a sumptuous four-course gourmet meal. And with attention paid to every last detail it is easy to see why Everton’s food is award-winning. “The food we do in the ‘Dixie’ is top end and easily a couple of rosettes if it was a public restaurant,” explains Everton’s Executive Head Chef Gareth Billington. “We’ve got a good team here and that allows us to produce the standards that we do. Our chefs are extremely highly skilled and they all take a lot of pride in what they put out.” This pride is continued in the service which is attentive without being obtrusive. While guests enjoy their meal, an Everton legend will be on hand ready to answer

questions, tell a tale or reminisce about the triumphs and tears of days gone by. They will also be among the first to receive news of the day’s teamsheet - information which will be immediately announced for all to mull over and debate.

To find out more about our outstanding Dixie Dean Suite package or hospitality in any of our other matchday lounges, call a member of our Corporate Sales team on 0151 530 5300, email corporatesales@evertonfc.com or visit evertonfc.com/hospitality.

Then, when it’s time for kick off, guests can head out to the Directors’ Box to find a padded seat in a prime location – perfect for watching the action unfold. In these cold winter months, the Club even provides blankets to keep supporters warm throughout the 90 minutes. It is these little touches which make the Dixie Dean Suite packages not only incredibly popular but, with prices starting at just £300+VAT, fantastic value for money. As a recent guest told us, “the service delivery in the Dixie Dean Suite is beyond excellence”.

Forthcoming Fixtures

BIRMINGHAM CITY 8PM 9 MAR FULHAM 5.30PM 19 MAR

So why not come and try it for yourself? Hospitality packages for all our lounges are on sale now for all the remaining games of the season, meaning if you know when you want to join us, you don’t have to wait to guarantee your place.

Book online today at evertonfc.com/hospitality or call the Corporate Sales team on 0151 530 5300

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Morné Ritter, assistant general manager of the Blackhouse Grill, Chester, with contest winner Hannah Lee

Paul Quinn, of the Living Room, with Dave Dooley, at last week’s menu tasting session

CAROLYN HUGHES

Leigha Andrews and Jane Wren, of Jackson Canter, Quality Solicitors, at one of the north Liverpool debt advice days

HANNAH LEE, from Chester, got more than she bargained for when she pulled her Christmas cracker at the Blackhouse Grill, Chester. Having completed her entry form, which was drawn at the end of January, Hannah won a £2,000 Kuoni Gift Card, which was the top prize in a joint promotion between the Newgate Street restaurant and Kuoni, which ran from September, 2010, until January, 2011. ■ THE Living Room, Victoria Street, hosted one of their regular menu tasting sessions last week where a selection of

starters, main courses and sweets were sampled for quality and taste purposes. ■ TWO debt advice days held in north Liverpool, in partnership with Jackson Canter, Linskills Solicitors, Local Solutions, Riverside Housing, Pertemps, and North Liverpool CAB provided help and support across a range of issues for local residents. The event was funded by Liverpool City Council community resource unit. ■ AIDEN BYRNE has opened his second restaurant, The Collingwood, on Black Horse Hill, five minutes from West Kirby Marina.

Living Room head chef Russell Croston shows off some of his tempting creations at last week’s menu tasting session

Alan Kneale and Bernadette Turner, directors of Debts Rescue Ltd, at one of the debt advice days

Aiden Byrne, with Sarah Broadley Willis, in The Collingwood restaurant, West Kirby

Anthony Harper and Roy Dickinson, both from the Living Room, demonstrate some of the cocktails on offer

Practical advice to boost your business Our comprehensive seminar programme has been carefully planned to help you win new business, boost your proﬁts and make sure you are delivering best practice The future of IT – Gaining a competitive advantage 16th March 8.30am - 12noon

How to create and manage a budget 2nd March 8.30am - 12noon

This workshop introduces delegates to budgeting to enhance financial planning, helping to highlight any financial problems before they occur and assisting you to make appropriate financial decisions for your business.

Discover where the key industry players see major returns on IT investment taking place in 2011 and how these developments can boost your business.

‘Tender Surgery’ - Putting the theory into practice 17th March 8.30am - 12noon

How to succeed overseas 2nd March 9.00am - 11.00am, FREE

The event will explore the range of UKTI services available to your business, how to develop and expand your export business and how to get paid by overseas customers.

Successful branding 3rd March 8.30am - 12noon

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain individual and/or company feedback on your previously submitted tender documents or prequaliﬁcation questionnaires from leading experts in writing winning tenders. This course is vital to continually improving the content, presentation and structure of your tender submission.

Managing performance for results 22nd March 8.30am - 12noon

Learn how to create a powerful vision for your company or brand and how to deﬁne and build it to create customer loyalty and to persuade new customers to choose you over the competition.

This half day workshop focuses on developing business goals and measures relating to your own organisation.

Inﬂuencing positive health and safety behaviour 9th March 8.30am - 12noon

Managing customer relationships 24th March 8.30am - 12noon

This practical programme is designed to provide all levels of management with key understanding around the issues of health and safety behaviour and how such behaviour can be affected both positively and negatively.

This seminar will cover everything you need to know from the personal skills that are required to maintain excellent relationships to understanding Key Performance Indicators and providing high quality reports to a client.

Seminars are priced at £49 +vat for St Helens Chamber Members & £99 +vat for Non-Members.

For full details on any of these seminars and to book your place: visit www.sthelenschamber.com/events email events@sthelenschamber.com or call us on 01744 742028 or 01744 742397

An exclusive and intimate setting awaits you for the

2011 John Smith’s Grand National

Thursday 7th to Saturday 9th April.

T H U R S DAY 7th LIVERPOOL DAY

F R I DAY 8 th LADIES’ DAY

S AT U R DAY 9th A P R I L 2 011 GRAND N AT I O N A L DAY The John Smith’s Grand National comes round just once a year – don’t miss your opportunity to be part of the biggest sporting and social event of the season. Join us with fine dining available in Paddock Lodge,home of former racecourse owners,theTopham Family. Enjoy an exclusive and intimate setting overlooking the colourful Parade Ring. Prices start from just £200 [Thursday] and includes admission ticket, food and beverage and a grandstand badge for viewing the racing. Other dining options are also available.

Book now at aintree.co.uk/hospitality or call 0151 522 2911 44