LDP Business, October 2009 by Liverpool Post & Echo

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INSIDE 4

LDP BUSINESS

NEWS

Awards for bars and restaurants

EDITOR Bill Gleeson 0151 472 2319

8 INTERNATIONAL TRADE

bill.gleeson@liverpool.com

Cable firm doubles turnover

DEPUTY BUSINESS EDITOR Tony McDonough 0151 330 4918

15 BIG INTERVIEW

Sir Michael Bibby, Bibby Line Group

tony.mcdonough @liverpool.com

20 New uses for lasers

BUSINESS WRITERS Alistair Houghton

Barry Turnbull

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

alistair.houghton @liverpool.com barry.turnbull @liverpool.com

HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS?

Neil Hodgson neil.hodgson @liverpool.com

Costs rise for developers

25 BIG FEATURE

Alex Turner

alex.turner@liverpool.com

HEAD OF IMAGES Barrie Mills

Small firms battle the recession

barrie.mills@liverpool.com

MARKETING EXECUTIVE Litza Gorman 0151 742 2352

PROFESSIONAL SECTORS

CBI chief backs financial services

ADVERTISEMENT DIRECTOR Debbie McGraw

LEGAL SECTOR

ADVERTISEMENT SALES Jackie McMahon 0151 472 5077 Trudie Arlett 0151 472 2476

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Focus on Warrington

37 TRANSPORT

PHOTOGRAPHY Trinity Mirror

City gateway improvements

38 EDUCATION

Schools that mean business

BUSINESS CLUB INQUIRIES 0151 472 2352 PUBLISHED BY Trinity Mirror NW2, PO Box 48, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L69 3EB.

THE LIST

43 SOCIAL DIARY

Carolyn Hughes out on the town

TELEPHONE 0151 227 2000

44 RESTAURANT REVIEW

FAX 0151 330 4942

Sapporo, in Liverpool

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.

NETWORKER

Barry Turnbull on getting hot under the collar

INDIA’S economy is growing at an annual rate of 7%. You can imagine India’s business community thinking to themselves: “Recession? What recession?” And, indeed, India’s businesses have been making an impact locally in recent weeks. Two weeks ago, I attended the opening of the refurbished One Derby Square. It’s the office building on the corner of Castle Street and Lord Street, opposite the city’s law courts, that used to house law firm Hill Dickinson, until the firm moved to plush new premises at St Paul’s Square. The building is now owned by Mordril Estates. It may be based in Hong Kong, but the family that owns it is Indian. Company director Anil Shivdasani was in town to greet the region’s

EDITOR’S LETTER property agents in a bid to stimulate interest in the 25,000 sq ft Mordril has refurbished, at a cost of £2.5m. Then, last week, we heard from Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India’s Tata family, when it unveiled its business plan for the years ahead. While last week’s announcement met with angry protests from trade union leaders about the firm’s intention to shut one of its West Midlands plants, Halewood appears to have come out of the review with

bright prospects. However much the unions howl, the fact is Tata have every intention of investing in the next generation of Jaguar and Land Rover models. That is not something you could necessarily have said of previous owner Ford. Halewood, it has been confirmed, will build the LRX “baby” Land Rover, securing the future of the plant for the life cycle of the car and quite possibly beyond. Tata’s decision represents a momentous investment of immense strategic importance to the region. Is there an Indian perspective at work here? Despite the

difficulties affecting both the car and property sectors here, money and confidence must be in greater supply there. We used to say that, when America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold. The saying recognised the influence of the US on the global economy. It seems now that the balance of power has shifted eastwards and when America catches a very bad dose of flu, the Far East shows complete immunity and gets on with life. As for conditions back here, things look a lot more stable today than they did six months ago. The cutbacks have largely been implemented.

What we have now is a degree of stasis, when what we really need is momentum. Whether the recovery turns out to be a U or V or W or U-bend or, as I heard over lunch recently, saxophone shaped, what the world needs now is for it to kick in and get under way. If the stock market is to be believed, the recovery can’t be that far away. It has risen substantially in recent months. Clearly, there is some optimism that quoted companies will start delivering improved earnings soon, something that can only happen when the real economy starts to pick up. Hopefully, the City dealers’ and analysts’ rosy outlooks won’t be ill-founded.

BILL GLEESON 3

NEWS

LFC picks Manchester firm to boost fan members

All Red . . . Kopites to be lured by Manchester agency

LIVERPOOL Football Club has appointed a Manchester-based creative agency to boost its fans membership scheme. Agency Iris has been briefed to build a campaign that puts fans at the heart of the scheme, called “All Red”. Ironically, Liverpool advertising agency Finch earlier this year won the job of promoting Manchester United’s membership programme, but that has since been shelved. LFC’s marketing push coincides with the 50th

anniversary season of legendary manager Bill Shankly joining the club, and will feature iconic Shanks images and quotes to resonate with fans. Digital activity will include banner advertisements and a new membership landing page for Liverpool FC's website. Along with a main launch event and digital activities, promotional initiatives will include collaborations with a selection of the club’s sponsorship partners, and there will also be direct mail campaigns.

Celebrating the best of the city’s leisure spots IVERPOOL’S leading bars and restaurants celebrated their achievements at the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival 2009’s inaugural

awards. The city’s best eateries and bars fought it out for prizes in nine categories at Pan Am, Albert Dock. The general public chose the winners, with major awards going to The Italian Club Fish, for Best Restaurant, and The London Carriage Works for Favourite Bar. Restaurant of Excellence went to Delifonseca, after beating off competition from 60 Hope Street and Gulshan. What’s Cooking was also recognised for its commitment in providing a family-friendly environment for diners. The awards followed the week-long festival that attracted more than 30,000 visitors alone to its Sefton Park launch with the likes of celebrity chef, Marco Pierre White, contributing to the day. Denise Harris, from organisers SK Events, said: “The awards evening was a great success because it provided the nominees and winners with muchdeserved recognition from the public. “It also brought to a perfect end a week of events, including the launch, that I know has had a very positive impact on footfall and business throughout the city.” Bill Doherty, director of business development and marketing for sponsor Hill Dickinson, said: "We are very proud to be associated with the awards ceremony for so many respected eateries and bars. “Liverpool is regarded as one of the premium culinary cities in the UK, and through last night’s awards we were all able to celebrate Liverpool's outstanding contribution to the food and drink scene.”

Best restaurant – Italian Club Fish, in Bold Street

Paul Lakin on Innovation Boulevard

Park’s on the road to success NEW sites for enterprise development have been opened up at Liverpool Innovation Park (LIP) after the completion of a £9.5m investment in a new road and site remedial works. The highway links Edge Lane with Wavertree Technology Park, creating a seamless connection with LIP and providing new plots for development. Northwest Development Agency's director of land, Paul Lakin, said: “We stepped in to support the development of this site when Marconi decided to exit, and it was always going to be a challenging proposition. “Obviously, it is a difficult time at the moment, and we know of various projects with funding

problems, but we can't intervene to support every scheme, only those that make a difference. “We see the innovation park as standing alongside Daresbury science campus as a critical site to attract new economy companies. It won't be transformed overnight, but it has strong fundamentals." The site comprises the former Marconi headquarters, Merseytram depot and Littlewoods building, plus several acres of vacant land that have now been cleared. Already, 65 companies have moved in to parts of the Marconi building and another 50,000 sq ft is to be refurbished by Space North West, a collaboration between the Ashtenne Industrial Fund and NWDA.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Film-makers in the spotlight

StepClever lends a helping hand to local production company Digital Salad SMALL and medium-sized companies which want to promote their business are often faced with difficult choices about the most cost-effective way of doing so. Do they go for the traditional advertising methods? Or do they look at newer social marketing methods? A new film and digital content production company, Digital Salad, based in the Liverpool Film Studios, north of the city centre, and given a start-up grant by StepClever, is providing the market with an affordable solution, enabling smaller companies to have on-going marketing campaigns. Debbie Boyd, client co-ordinator for Digital Salad said: “As a start-up company in March, 2009, StepClever’s help has been invaluable to us with their funding and business guidance.” Understanding that it can be really difficult for small

companies to sustain advertising and PR campaigns, Digital Salad's solution is to offer high-quality visual content with easily achievable budgets, starting with its “One-Minute Wonder” productions. The final product can be viewed on a variety of systems (including the internet and mobile phones), allowing the content or message to be moved around from one medium to another with ease, and hence gaining maximum exposure. By providing a budget tier system, smaller companies can now afford traditionally unaffordable creative marketing strategies, allowing them to compete in the market alongside bigger organisations. To date, Digital Salad has produced and is in production with promotional films for a wide variety of clients in both the corporate and entertainment industries.

Companies who have worked with Digital Salad include Shiverpool – Liverpool's ghost tour (company, website: www.shiverpool.co.uk), Brava Design,Wirral PCT, HSE (Health and Safety Executive), A Quiet Place, AFTAThought, The Jokers rock band and Hot Cake Music's ICU Girl. Companies who use Digital Salad can call on the expertise of director Kate Robinson and creative director Stephanie Clark. Kate has been involved in the film and advertising industry since 1973, with credits on a large number of high-profile films, commercials and music videos. Stephanie trained in graphic design and has worked for 15 years in the UK film industry. ■ FOR further inquiries, go to www.digitalsalad.co.uk or phone Debbie Boyd on 07967 271 533.

If you answer YES to any of these questions then you need to call us!

• Want to start your own business? • Need funding advice for an existing business? • Need advice on bidding for tenders?

Left to right: Stephanie Clark, Kate Robinson and Debbi Boyd, of Digital Salad

‘Calling All Creatives’ – Business Networking Evening STEPCLEVER, in association with Merseyside ACME, invites you to an evening of informal networking aimed at bringing together new and existing creative enterprises and other businesses working or living in the StepClever area. Do you work in the creative industries and are looking for incubator space? Or do you run a business and are looking to relocate to a dynamic

creative hub in the heart of the Liverpool city region? If so, then why not join StepClever for an evening of informal networking where you can meet fellow creatives and learn more about what is on offer, just a stone's throw from Europe's most creative cultural capital. This event is not exclusive to those working in or wishing to set up a creative enterprise. If you wish to act as a

supplier to artists, musicians or other creative industries, then come along and make contact with potential new customers. ■ THE event takes place on Wednesday, October 7, 6pm-8pm, at the Liverpool Film Academy (Old St Lawrence School), Westminster Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool L4 3TQ. To secure your place, or to check up on further information, just email: info@stepclever.co.uk

Stepclever offers FREE specialist advice to growing businesses in north Liverpool and south Sefton. We can also help you to access a range of funding advice and services, from finding business premises to putting you in touch with a dedicated Business Development Manager that can help you on a one to one basis through the whole process. For further information email

info@stepclever.co.uk Call 0800 030 4376 or visit www.stepclever.co.uk

Bafta and Emmy-award winning producer Colin McKeown (left) at a previous event

NEWS

TOTALLY

FRANK

Mersey briefs advise on Morgan’s Redrow deal

Frank McKenna is the chairman of Downtown Liverpool In Business THERE has been much debate in recent weeks about the future of regeneration body the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), with both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats declaring that they would scrap RDAs if they were to take power at next year’s General Election. They plan to transfer the powers of economic development, tourism and inward investment to local government partnerships; and in the Liverpool city region such a move would prove to be a massive step in the wrong direction. Liverpool’s steady progress over the past decade has in no small measure been due to the investments and interventions that the NWDA has made to secure the delivery of a host of major projects that, without them, would likely have been lost to the city. The Arena and Conference Centre, the Liverpool Science Park, the Cruise Liner Terminal and the new museum at the Pier Head are among many projects that have benefited from significant Agency support. Not only has the agency’s help been important to secure these major capital schemes, but we should also remember the part that the then NWDA chairman, Bryan Gray, and his colleagues, played in pulling together a successful events programme for the European Capital of Culture year. Before the agency took virtual control of the strategy, it was looking like 08 would be a chaotic disaster for the city. Even now, Liverpool’s reliance on the NWDA is obvious, as it gets set to take over £1m of funding from the Warrington-based organisation to pay for an appearance at the World Expo in Shanghai next year; and a grant has been agreed that will secure the

regeneration of the Garden Festival site that has been derelict for a quarter of a century now. That is not a bad track record by any standards, but when you put it up against the litany of incompetence that Liverpool City Council has been embroiled in during the same period, then the case for the Agency to remain is undeniable. From the Everton Football stadium fiasco, through to the failure to deliver the tram initiative, the City has lacked the leadership and coherence required to deliver when it matters. Screams of “bureaucracy” come from the opponents of RDAs, but again local government itself is littered with duplication of service, and in the area of regeneration our city has Liverpool Vision, the Liverpool Business Partnership, Liverpool First and a host of other bureaucratic layers that need to be urgently streamlined. Devolution of powers, greater responsibility for local councillors and the appearance of greater accountability to the public all sound like progressive ideas. However, the reality in the Liverpool city region is that we do not have the capacity to deliver a coherent and coordinated strategic plan that will serve the private sector, nor the wider community, effectively. Abolishing the RDA in the North-West would be bad news for Liverpool.

‘Abolishing the RDA in the N.West would be bad for Liverpool’

■ FRANK McKENNA is the chairman of Downtown Liverpool In Business, that now boasts a membership of over 300 – a membership that includes some of Liverpool’s most influential businesses and entrepreneurs.

Steve Morgan – improving return on capital at Redrow

CORPORATE lawyers at Merseyside law firm Mace & Jones have advised Harrow Estates on the £15m sale of its business to Flintshire-based house building giant Redrow. Liverpool-based corporate partner Ian Hodgkinson worked on the sale of Preston Brook-based Harrow Estates from the Bridgemere group of companies owned by Redrow chairman Steve Morgan. The deal involves the acquisition of five freehold land assets and options to acquire

seven further strategic land assets, together with the business of Harrow Estates, for £15m. Mr Morgan said: “We are returning Redrow to its traditional focus on a great product in the market for family housing. “We now need to enhance our ability to acquire land through selected acquisitions. “This is all part of our strategy to steer the business back to delivering a much improved return on capital employed as possible.”

George Davies returns with new store chain ROLIFIC Merseyside retail sage George Davies is to launch a new range of fashion stores. GIVe, a new womenswear concept, has already signed up for a unit in Liverpool One, as well as others in London, Sheffield, Bristol and Glasgow. The intention is to create a portfolio of just 25 stores across the country to maintain exclusivity. The market is “affordable luxury”, aimed at the higher end of the spending food chain. This week, the business will be launched at London Fashion Week with shop doors around the region opening at the same time. GIVe stands for George IV, as he hopes it will be his fourth successful brand launch. In the past, he has successfully launched Next, and then George for Asda, and more recently Per Una, for Marks & Spencer. One of the advantages of creating a new concept in the current climate is that retailers are now in the driving seat when it comes to negotiating rents and discounts. Landlords are keen to see empty space filled and prepared to offer deals such as rent-free periods and helping with fit-outs. However, they won’t do that if it means a risk, but Davies’s track record has meant he has been able to strike some favourable deals. His new GIVe stores, including the stand-alone in Liverpool One, aim to provide that with the focus very much on customer satisfaction. An in-store tailor will be on hand to make individual adjustments, cork foot models will allow customers to judge trouser lengths, depending on heel height, and, at the same time, sales assistants will be replaced by style advisors.

Track record: Merseyside rag trade entrepreneur George Davies

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INTERNATIONAL TRADE

E-Tech is on right track as rail investments boost growth Cable firm more than doubles turnover in three years, after move into international markets

A NEW rail system in Dubai is just one of a number of projects helping to boost the fortunes of a Liverpool cable accessories manufacturer. E-Tech Components, based in Gillmoss, has been focusing more on export markets in the last three years and is now seeing significant benefits from its expanded horizons. The company, which was created by a management buy-out five years ago, was achieving sales of £460,000 in 2006, but now attributes more than half of its £1.2m turnover to international trade. Managing director Chris Montgomery said: “Until 2006, overseas trade was a low priority for us. I had some experience of exporting from previous jobs, but we were not really aware of our export potential and when our website generated queries from the Middle East it took us a while to take them seriously.” However, after taking the first orders from Dubai, the firm began working with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and joined the Passport to Export scheme, which helps companies expand into new markets. The firm optimised their website for international markets, making them visible to overseas customers and leading to an increase in queries from around the world. Funding also contributed to the firm taking part in a trade mission to the Middle East Electricity Exhibition in Dubai. Mr Montgomery met buyers from all over the Gulf States, and, on his return to Merseyside, he already had a £26,000 order from a company in Oman, which is still an E-Tech customer today. He said: “Attending the Middle East Electricity exhibition with UKTI took us on to another level. “We had a great deal of interest from customers all over the Gulf

States and we returned this year and will be attending again, next time as exhibitors. “Without UKTI, we would not have considered going as the costs would have been prohibitive for a speculative trip, but that initial visit to the Middle East was the start of a big breakthrough for us and UKTI made it possible for us to take the risk.” E-Tech has won contracts for rail networks in the Middle East and India. They have supplied £70,000 worth of halogen cable connectors for the new Metro Rail system in Dubai, part of an ongoing project which will continue for another three years. The firm expects opportunities to arise from investment in Saudi Arabia’s rail system, as plans will see it eventually linked with Dubai’s Metro Rail. It is working on setting up a joint venture with Indian firm Bombadier, one of the largest train manufacturers in the world, and has already received orders totalling £150,000 from the company. E-Tech has customers in a range of markets including Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea and the USA and are international suppliers in the rail, oil and gas and windfarm industries. Mr Montgomery said: “UKTI have introduced us to plenty of new opportunities and offered assistance with all aspects of international trade, and we will continue to work with them to grow our business overseas – both in exploring new markets and in helping us negotiate the joint venture project in India. “Three years ago, I could not have imagined a situation where exports made up 50% of our turnover. “Now I can see our international business growing even more, and am extremely glad we made the decision to look overseas.”

E-Tech managing director Chris Montgomery – ‘extremely glad’ the firm decided to look overseas

Increasing number of businesses trading overseas leads to HSBC appointment

Jason Butler, of HSBC

ONE-IN-FOUR businesses in the North West trading internationally have seen sales rise by more than half, according to the findings of a report published recently. Going International, produced by HSBC, found that 85% of North West firms currently trading internationally deem their overseas ventures as profitable. The increasing number

of its customers which are trading internationally has led to HSBC’s commercial banking division appointing Jason Butler to the new position of Regional International Commercial Manager (RICM) within its North West team. Mr Butler was the head of commercial for HSBC in Liverpool and is a member of the Merseyside International Trade Expert

Panel. He will be one of four RICMs across the UK and will work closely with local commercial managers, enabling their customers to conduct business across borders, jurisdictions and language barriers with greater ease, and manage their payments and cash more effectively. Mark Tilleray, HSBC’s regional commercial director for the North West, said: “Many

businesses in the North West are looking beyond the UK domestic market, identifying opportunities for growth through international markets. “We’re also finding that businesses are looking to simplify their existing international banking. “Jason will help companies in the region to negotiate the challenges and complexities of doing business internationally.

“This is a very exciting development for us, and for those businesses we do, and will, work with in the future.” Mr Butler will provide advice on setting up international bank accounts and moving money around the globe, to handling cultural sensitivities, and arranging valuable introductions in key markets.

Special Edition: WORLD EXPO SHANGHAI 2010

‘BETTER CITY, BETTER LIFE’

Shanghai skyline

In association with

Liverpool Science Park Newsletter Issue four: Autumn 2009

Showcasing Liverpool

World Expo Shanghai 2010

Mike Taylor: the future of Liverpool

Interview with Mike Taylor, Investment Director at Liverpool Vision

Focus on the Northwest’s green technology

A look at the environmentally friendly approach

Digital creative industries

Spotlight on the UK’s Northwest region as a leading hub for digital creative industries

Meet Liverpool Science Park tenants Profiles on two successful tenant companies

Newsletter intro from CEO This is my final Newsletter as CEO of Liverpool Science Park, a project that I have led since its inception. Creating this successful new business for the City has been a fabulous experience and I’m pleased to be stepping aside at such a positive time in its development. Despite the severe economic turn down, overall the Liverpool Science Park community continues to thrive. Our first facility, ic1, is maintaining full occupancy. Our new facility, ic2, has welcomed its first five companies and there is strong on-going demand. In addition, we have developed a powerful programme of events and business networks that are well supported across the region. During my six-year tenure as CEO, there have been huge changes in Liverpool and its regeneration. Capital of Culture showcased to the world the breadth of Liverpool’s creativity and cultural assets. At the Science Park, our focus has been to contribute to the City’s future by growing its commercial knowledge-sector. In the last six years, we have delivered the first two phases of the Science Park; created nearly 200 high-value jobs; assisted over 50 companies with business support; linked companies up with the Universities and other research institutions; and provided a range of training opportunities. Supported by our partners across the City, our ambition for further expansion of the Science Park and of the commercial knowledge-sector remains strong; a vision that will pass to the incoming CEO, Chris Musson. I wish Chris every success in taking this exciting venture forward.

Showcasing Liverpool:World Expo Shanghai 2010 The World Expo takes place every four years and is an opportunity for participants to showcase investment opportunities and cultural distinctiveness to an international audience. This huge event is regarded as a once-ina-generation opportunity to consolidate existing and forge new relationships in the world’s emerging markets. Expo 2010 is expected to be at least four times larger than any other previously staged. Thousands more commercial and cultural organisations seeking to make new connections will be involved, making Expo the world’s largest-ever business fair. To see all of the exhibits will take visitors no less than ten days, Expo organisers estimate.

Visualisation of the interior of the Liverpool Pavilion 10

More than 70 million visitors are expected at the Shanghai Expo from 140 countries worldwide. The Expo location is in close proximity to the city centre of Shanghai, making it a very attractive visitor proposition both from a tourism perspective as well as from a professional business development footing.

Liverpool’s presence at Expo 2010 is being led by Liverpool Vision and will represent the whole Northwest region’s cultural and business assets celebrating the tenth anniversary of its twin city relationship with Shanghai. The Liverpool Pavilion will be housed within the Urban Best Practice Area of the 5.3 sq km Expo site which overlooks the Huangpu River. The design for the Liverpool Pavilion was recently unveiled, showing how visitors will be able to take a ‘virtual cruise’ from Shanghai to Liverpool. In addition, the pavilion will host interactive exhibits to highlight the City’s defining characteristics as the gateway to the UK’s Northwest. It will also contain a media and conference suite for presentations and meetings. Warren Bradley, Leader of Liverpool Council, commented that: ‘The designs and concepts behind the pavilion are a true reflection of the City, drawing on its maritime, musical and sporting heritage, its wider cultural offer and its extensive knowledge economy.’ Further information about World Expo 2010 and how to participate can be found at: www.liverpoolshanghai2010.com

Expo spotlight on the UK’s Northwest as a leading hub for digital creative industries Visitors to World Expo Shanghai 2010 will have the opportunity to take a virtual visit to Europe’s second largest Digital and Creative sector right here in the UK’s Northwest. It is widely acknowledged that the Digital and Creative Industries are now as important to the UK economy as some more traditional sectors– the Northwest such as Financial is home to and Professional the second Services. In the largest digital last decade, the creative sector Digital and Creative in Europe Industries have become a driver of innovation and economic growth alongside science and technology. Nowhere is this more evident than in our own region. Since 1995, the sector has expanded at around twice the rate of the overall UK economy, making the Northwest home to the second largest Digital and Creative sector in Europe, with 31,000 businesses employing around 321,000 people. The BBC’s decision in 2007 to move five major departments (that is, Children’s; Future Media and Technology; Learning; Sport; and Radio Five Live) to the Northwest as the anchor tenant of Media City UK in Salford Quays triggered the development of a wholly new environment for convergent media in the UK. Led by the private sector, Media City UK offers the unique

New Concept Gaming: company profile

combination of a dedicated world-class location for content and technological innovation within an established cluster of Digital and Creative businesses. It accesses a talent base that stretches across the North of England and to a knowledge base of universities and colleges with experience and expertise in the sector.

Playing computer games is not usually regarded as a way to get fit and healthy. New Concept Gaming (NCG), one of Liverpool Science Park’s creative companies, is aiming to change all that with the jOG - a device designed to get you fit as you play.

The BBC’s decision is reflective of the huge growth of the Digital and Creative sector in the Northwest where the whole spectrum of creative and digital activity is represented. Liverpool in particular is recognised for its strength in developing the UK games industry - a role reflected by the depth of interactive software talent across the Liverpool area. Computer games giant Sony Computer Entertainment is based in Liverpool, alongside its recently acquired Cheshirebased Evolution Liverpool is Studios and the recognised for Warner Brothers its strength owned Traveller’s in developing Tales.

New Concept Gaming was formed with the idea of challenging the ‘couch potato’ image of computer games by making games controllers that are healthy as well as fun. The revolutionary jOG means that players control and mirror the movements of on-screen characters, making the game truly interactive.

the UK games

Liverpool is industry also renowned for some highly successful niche markets in the Digital and Creative sectors - companies like New Concept Gaming who, based at Liverpool Science Park, are revolutionising games and how we play them.

Brendan Ludden, Managing Director, explains, ‘We take the concept of using games to improve health very seriously.’ Working with the Sport Science department at John Moores University, NCG has independent verification that players could use more than 6,000 steps in an hour of playing games using the jOG; which is about two-thirds of the recommended number of paces a healthy person should take in one day. The jOG is compatible with over 100 games and makes all your favourite games super-fun as well as improving your fitness. Currently available in the UK for £20, the jOG is also available in Germany, the Netherlands, Korea and China, and will soon be hitting markets in Spain and the USA. Following the success of jOG, New Concept Gaming is busy developing the follow on, jOG-plus, which will incorporate a wide range of advanced body motion detection into game control. We’ll soon be able to give up our gym memberships. For more information about New Concept Gaming and the jOG, go to www.newconceptgaming.com

Use the jOG to become Lara and get fit

Tomb Raider, Lara Croft image used with permission from Eidos Interactive, Ltd

Expo focus on the Northwest’s green technologies

With environmental awareness high on the global agenda, visitors to World Expo Shanghai 2010 will be given a snapshot of how our region is using its unique natural resources to lead innovation in tidal power, creating a clean, green alternative to fossil fuels. High tidal ranges (the difference in height between low and high tides) at three prime sites at the Mersey estuary, Morecambe Bay and the Solway Firth provide the Northwest with a rich tidal energy resource that can be used to create green energy. The Mersey alone has more tidal energy The Mersey has potential than virtually any other river in Europe. If fully exploited, tidal power more tidal energy generated in the area could provide up potential than to 5% of the UK’s electricity needs, and virtually any other supply half the region’s energy needs.

river in Europe

Work currently underway to harness the potential provided by the region’s unique tidal ranges puts the Northwest at the forefront of global research into tidal energy. The Northwest Tidal Energy Group (NWTEG) was launched in summer 2008 precisely to build on this rich potential. Based at Lancaster University, the group comprises key stakeholders from industry, public sector, research institutes and universities, and examines the best ways of harnessing the tidal power of the Northwest. Its 30 members range from private companies like Peel Energy, a division of transport and infrastructure giant the Peel Group, to the Environment Agency and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Peel Energy is currently looking at detailed engineering options for tidal power generation on the Mersey estuary. It hopes to generate energy from the site by 2020. UK government targets are to generate 15% of the UK’s energy from renewable sources by this date. The Government envisages that £100bn of investment is necessary to achieve this goal. The value of the green economy in the UK already stands at £106.5bn and is estimated to grow to a value of £127bn by 2014, employing 1.04 million people. As the Tidal power in sector grows, the Northwest will offer the region could a host of prime opportunities for those looking to invest. provide up to

Spotlight on energy efficiency: Constructive Thinking Renewable energy is not only about creating large infrastructure projects. A ground-breaking architectural company at Liverpool Science Park, Constructive Thinking, demonstrates that with the right expertise and innovative materials, individual buildings are able to generate up to 60% of their own energy requirements as well as creating 70% savings in energy consumption. Constructive Thinking works in the specialist area of energy research and applies its world-leading expertise to create sustainable buildings. The company was a recent winner of the ‘Retro-Fit for the Future’ programme run by the Technology Strategy Board. In two separate projects, the company demonstrated how cutting-edge technologies can be used to make homes highly energy efficient. Specialist materials and devices were used in homes in the conservation area of Lark Lane in Liverpool both to produce energy through the use of special roofing tiles, and to save energy - whilst remaining in keeping with the original architecture of the building. Hannah Moorhouse, Company Director, explained that ‘right from the start we have been committed to designing and building properties that will be environmentally sound. We reflect our research in both our work and the training we provide to others in the industry, from software used to design to the materials used in construction.’ For further information about Constructive Thinking please contact hannah@constructivethinking.co.uk

5% of the UK’s Large renewable energy projects form electricity needs only part of the region’s green economy.

Alongside the race for sustainable energy development, other niche areas of the green economy play an increasingly important role not only in boosting our economy, but in providing important expertise in saving our planet.

Port of Liverpool wind farm image courtesy of Peel Energy

Expo Creative Director: Interview with Mike Taylor, Investment Director at Liverpool Vision

Over a number of years Mike Taylor has worked with Dr Sarah Tasker (CEO of Liverpool Science Park) on strategy for business development and inward investment in the City. Mike has recently accepted the challenging role as Creative Director for Liverpool’s Pavilion at the World Expo Shanghai 2010. We asked him how he is getting on.

How important is the Expo to Liverpool? Exhibiting at Expo is about investing in our City’s future. Our key aims are to attract business, students and tourists to our City Region. We anticipate a tenfold return on our investment in Expo - bringing upwards of a £10m GVA in the next ten years. In addition, building relationships with the Chinese is essential to take advantage of their rapidly expanding economy.

What is your personal involvement with Liverpool Science Park?

If we want our economy to grow we need to do more to attract inward investment and business into the City. Capital of Culture showed us that we can make more of the City’s existing assets to break down old, dated misconceptions of Liverpool. We now need to do this within the business and knowledge sectors in order to continue to build our brand strength to show that we are a distinctive City and a quality investment destination. More information on how we are doing this can be found at www.liverpoolcitybrand.com Name your top five favourite things about Liverpool?

My role at Vision is to stimulate business start-ups, to support the growth of indigenous businesses and to attract inward investment into Liverpool. I have worked with Sarah over a number of years to ensure that we have in place the right support structures, incentives and networks to enable companies at Liverpool Science Park and across the City to succeed.

It’s the people every time; historical, present and future ...Liverpool is built on its people.

What are your thoughts on the success of Liverpool Science Park? Liverpool Science Park is a flagship project for the City; its success demonstrates the potential of the City to grow its knowledge economy. The recent opening of its second landmark building, ic2, is testament that the Science Park concept was strategically right for the City. It’s important that we build on current success and keep the momentum going forward. How did Liverpool’s participation in World Expo Shanghai 2010 come about? This year is the tenth anniversary of Liverpool’s twinning with Shanghai; our relationship with Shanghai and the unique regeneration of our own City means we are one of only 40 international cities to be selected to participate at Expo 2010.

The Expo theme is ‘Better City, Better Life’; and they have chosen as their emblem Haibao - a water crystal, a symbol of life Other than Expo, what are your main challenges as you look to fulfil your remit of supporting inward investment, business growth and business-starts in Liverpool? Liverpool Vision’s remit is built on four pillars of action – Quality Place, Global Connectivity, Vibrant Economy and Thriving People. In response to the current economic climate we have been developing a programme of specific interventions for business; this can be accessed at www.liverpoolbusinesslifeline.co.uk

The new Liverpool logo builds the brand to strengthen the image of the City as a quality investment destination

Liverpool Science Park upcoming events: If you would like an opportunity to network with other businesses and share contacts, why not come to one of the many events coming up in the Liverpool Science Park events diary: October 2009 14th October 8.30am–11.00am: Green Technologies Event

A chance to see some exciting new innovations and also to hear about the changes in law and funding opportunities that are now available.

November 2009 11th November 8.30am–10.00am: Knowledge Economy Business Breakfast November (date tbc): Liverpool Science Park Open Day with Striding Out

Have you recently graduated? Do you feel daunted by the thought of networking? If so then this event is designed for you. With a workshop on how to network, this event will provide you with vital skills and tips on how to get the best out of any event and how to identify valuable opportunities. For more information about our events please go to: www.liverpoolsciencepark.co.uk

Liverpool skyline

We thought you might like to hear what our guests have to say about our events: ‘I thoroughly enjoyed this month’s KEBB and have made lots of useful contacts - the best one yet!’ Craig Johnson, Rippleffect ‘Thank you very much for organising yesterday’s event. It was much enjoyed and really useful. I made some great contacts.’ Elaine Mason, Lloyds TSB International ‘I thought the meeting was excellent. The informal aspect was very good and left plenty of time for meeting up again with existing contacts.’ Brian Thomas, Apex Software Limited

Shanghai skyline

Liverpool Science Park partners & supporters:

Liverpool Science Park Innovation Centre 131 Mount Pleasant Liverpool L3 5TF

Liverpool Science Park Innovation Centre 2 (ic2) 146 Brownlow Hill Liverpool L3 5RF

t: 0151 705 3400 e: info@liverpoolsciencepark.co.uk w: www.liverpoolsciencepark.co.uk

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Bibby sails into the future BY ALISTAIR HOUGHTON

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Sir Michael Bibby says every company should have a story – and the Bibby Line Group has more stories than most. 15

THE BIG INTERVIEW SIR MICHAEL BIBBY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 OU could forgive a 202-year-old business for resting on its laurels – but that’s not the Bibby way. The Bibby name is among the most famous in Liverpool maritime history, and the models and paintings of ships visible throughout the Bibby Line Group headquarters show shipping is still a central part of the business. But today its interests stretch way beyond shipping from woodland burials to deep-sea diving and from corner shops to Transit vans with canteens in the middle. From his office in Duke Street, group managing director, Sir Michael Bibby, sits at the head of a £1bn-turnover group with tentacles stretching across the globe. It’s a group so big that any manager would struggle to be hands-on – and Sir Michael says he doesn’t even try. Instead, he leaves divisional managers to their work so he can look at the bigger picture. And while he displays a boyish enthusiasm for the companies already in Bibby’s empire, he always keeps an eye on the future. Sir Michael, the sixth generation of his family to run the business, wants to use Bibby’s cash pile to invest in new businesses that will help the company thrive for another two centuries and beyond. It has hit the national headlines in recent weeks with its bid to take over convenience store chain Nisa Today’s, and, while that battle is far from over, Sir Michael is always on the look-out for new opportunities. It’s that determination that saw him named Business Person of the Year at the Liverpool Daily Post’s Regional Business Awards in June. Sir Michael set up the group’s Bibby Holdings arm last year to act as a nursery growing new Bibby divisions. It includes businesses such as Woodland Burial Parks, which runs three woodland cemeteries. That may seem an odd match with Bibby’s other companies, but Sir Michael says he will consider investing in any company that can help Bibby grow. “We look at businesses where they’ve had a great track record of management and where there’s a great story,” he said. “I love stories. Every business should have a story to tell why it will work and what it’s trying to achieve. Burials was like that. “When we heard about it, we thought, ‘What have we got to do with cemeteries?’ But, the moment we looked at it, we saw it fitted with our corporate values of trust and integrity. “If you’re burying someone, you want to know the company will be there for a long time, that the plot will be looked after, that it’s high-quality. “It’s a great story of demand and supply. The company has a great track record of buying a site and making it successful, and it needed scale. It looked to us to help it roll out to be a multi-site operation and to provide the working capital. “It’s a great fit for both parties.” Bibby Line Group traces its history back to 1807, when John Bibby and his friend, John Highfield, set up a regular packet service from Parkgate, Wirral, to Dublin. In 1821, Highfield left the growing company and Bibby ploughed on alone, commissioning a thriving fleet and metals business. He became a director of the Royal Bank of Liverpool, an extensive property owner and one of Liverpool’s most

Bibby Line Group founder John Bibby

The Bibby group headquarters, in Duke Street, Liverpool

Sir Michael Bibby is proud of his company’s long history – but says it

wealthy and influential men. But, in July, 1840, John was murdered in a still-unsolved attack, his body left in a pond in Aintree. His sons took the business over, but an ambitious shipping clerk called Frederick Leyland rose through the ranks and plotted to take control himself. In 1873, John Bibby & Sons was renamed Frederick Leyland & Co. In a letter to the American painter, James McNeill Whistler, Leyland said the change would see “the name of Bibby and all belonging to them consigned to the limbo of forgotten things”. Instead, the third generation of Bibbys revived the shipping line and the group is today one of the North West’s best-known businesses.

guaranteed place in Bibby’s boardroom. “I’ve got three siblings and we were all told the same thing – there are two conditions if you want to go into the family business,” Sir Michael said. “One, you’ve got to be good enough. Two, you’ve got to want to do it. “We were encouraged to work for someone else first. I became a chartered accountant in London, and only joined at 28 when my dad retired. “I said that I would never work for him because we’d argue and he’d always win because he was the boss. “So, in March, 1992, I took a pay cut, I took a job here, and the rest is history.”

It has not all been plain sailing. The company has battled to survive recessions and immense changes in the shipping industry, including the container revolution, while in 1980 its bulk carrier Derbyshire went down in the seas off Japan with the loss of 44 people – the largest UK ship ever to have been lost at sea. Sir Michael went to Rugby School and Trinity College Oxford, taking summer jobs at the family firm. After working as an accountant in London with Coopers & Lybrand and Unilever, he joined the business in 1992 – the year his father, Sir Derek Bibby, retired from the board. Sir Michael said his father, who took his own life in 2002 after a long battle with leukaemia, made it clear his children would not have a

In 2000, the group’s previous chief executive, Simon Sherrard, retired to become group chairman. Sir Michael, who was by then running Bibby’s shipping business, took charge of the group as managing director but kept his shipping role – a decision he now regrets. “I did both jobs, which proved to be a mistake,” he said. “I tried to do too much and didn’t do anything particularly well.” So, in 2003, Sir Michael handed on the shipping reins and focused on the group role. His management style, he laughs, is “far too laid back” – but that’s all part of a deliberate policy to leave divisional managers to get on with their work.

THE BIG INTERVIEW SIR MICHAEL BIBBY

must continue to diversify and seek new opportunities “I’m a non-executive chairman on the boards of our companies,” he said. “I don’t have my mobile on, most of the time. There’s no single decision that could require my immediate input. “We have excellent management teams and leaders in these businesses, growing and developing them. My main role is looking at where we allocate equity in the group, and ensuring our values are being maintained. “If I was hands-on, we wouldn’t attract decent managers.” The group remains a family business, with the majority of its shares held in family trusts. That, says Sir Michael, means the group can take a long-term view in a way

that would not be possible if it were listed. “We can concentrate on running the business,” he said. “We don’t have to respond to short-term share pressures. We can take long-term decisions. “If you’re a PLC, you can’t work that way. You’ve got quarterly profit figures and people say, ‘What are you doing with that money?’ “There’s a real advantage to being a family business.” In recent years, Bibby has sold off many of its ships and maritime assets and has sought to pay off debts and diversify its operations. In August, 2007, it bought 51% of convenience store chain Costcutter, which has fared well despite the recession, and which Sir Michael

says has been a “great investment” for Bibby. He talks enthusiastically about the investments Bibby has made in the chain, including the My Costcutter IT system which allows shopkeepers to compare their prices with those of local rivals. But Sir Michael says organic growth is not enough for Costcutter, and so Bibby has made two offers to take over Scunthorpe-based buying co-operative Nisa. Bringing the businesses together will, according to Sir Michael, create a group with the buying power to compete with supermarket giants that have moved aggressively onto Costcutter’s turf with ventures such as Tesco Express. Nisa is a business Bibby knows

well. Bibby provides distribution services to Nisa, while Costcutter itself is part of the buying group. Nisa has rejected two offers from Bibby, but the Liverpool group now plans to contact Nisa’s 674 members with details of the £134m takeover bid. Sir Michael insists that Nisa shareholders would back the offer, given the chance. “The facts are we have requested a list of shareholders,” he said. “We need to make sure they’re informed about the offer. “It’s the obvious thing for both businesses. It’s now up to Nisa to come back. The ball is in their court. “We need to grow these businesses. The obvious way is to bring them together.”

Bibby’s distribution business, which works with Nisa, reported record profits in 2008 as it focused on sectors less affected by the recession. “We’re one of the biggest spare parts distributors for people like Toyota and Fiat,” said Sir Michael. “While new car sales have been absolutely destroyed, people are making their current cars last longer. They get it serviced at dealerships, so the supply of car parts has been extremely good. “We deliver a lot of milk, and cows still produce milk even in a recession. The market has been good in grocery retail.” Other parts of the Bibby empire, however, have been hit by the world downturn. The shipping industry has been particularly affected as global trade has dried up. Dry bulk trading last year fell by more than 90%, though there has since been some recovery as the Chinese government’s stimulus package has increased demand for raw materials. That recovery is good news for Bibby, which commissioned the 57,000-tonne dry bulk carrier, MV Shropshire, before the worst of the recession hit. The building of the vessel in China was delayed, and so it could not be sold before the market crashed. Prospects looked grim, but Bibby has now secured a 12-month charter contract for the vessel. Sir Michael says Bibby will now look to expand its fleet still further. “We’ve sold most of our ships in the past three years,” he said. “We need to reinvest. “We think there’s some way further for ships’ values to fall. We’re looking to reinvest in 2010 when we believe markets will have bottomed out.” MV Shropshire will be managed by Bibby’s ship management arm, which has offices in the UK, Europe, India, the Philippines and Singapore. Bibby trains seafarers in technology including “dynamic positioning”, the GPS technology used in the offshore industry. It has opened training centres in India and Ukraine – the only such facilities in those countries, Sir Michael says. Bibby also has a fleet of eight floating accommodation barges, run through its Coastel division. The most high-profile use of Bibby barges is as floating prisons, which have been used as far afield as the Netherlands and West Africa. Its most ambitious project is the Bibby Renaissance, a barge which Bibby has converted into a 332-room floating three-star hotel, aimed at the oil and gas industry. The ship, converted at a cost of $30m, is completely self-sufficient and can handle its own power, water and waste disposal needs. Sir Michael said: “Gas terminals are often in remote areas without infrastructure, but require a large expat workforce to go and build them. These vessels are ideal for that. “We are hopeful we will be able to arrange a charter by the end of this month. “We took a speculative commitment to refurbish this unit. The most likely work for it will be in Asia. It’s a big commitment that will dictate how this business performs in the next 12 months.” Bibby’s fastest-growing division in recent years was its Aberdeen-based offshore arm, which serves the oil and gas industry worldwide. The company operates three “state-of-the-art” diving support vessels and offers a wide range of

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

THE BIG INTERVIEW SIR MICHAEL BIBBY

Sir Michael Bibby won the Business Person of the Year award at this year’s Liverpool Daily Post Regional Business Awards CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 16 services to the offshore industry, from sub-sea construction and repair work to the supply of diving support services and equipment. The company has focused on the North Sea fields, but it is now looking to win business further afield in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. “We have the best assets today in the North Sea,” said Sir Michael. “We established ourselves from nothing in 2003 to become a credible North Sea contractor, which is a remarkable achievement.” Sir Michael says offshore has been the Bibby division hardest-hit by recession, as smaller oil producers are cutting back on their capital expenditure. But the business is still trading profitably and he expects there to be some recovery next year. Last year, Bibby Financial Services secured £340m from a banking consortium to help it expand its work. The business has had a mixed performance during the recession. More firms sought its factoring services as an alternative to bank lending, but many existing customers suffered financial difficulties. It now has operations in 11 countries and plans to expand its international operations still further when markets recover. Sir Michael said: “The key for us

is that we have long-term financing in place until 2012. We have considerable head-room for growth. “We’ve seen record levels of new business because SMEs particularly often struggle to get financing out of banks. But we’ve also seen record levels of companies going into administration, thanks to a lack of demand or margin pressures from customers. “To some extent, the funds we’re lending out haven’t been moving.” Sir Michael says that, since June the business has seen fewer companies collapse – a sign, perhaps, that the UK economy is bottoming out. While a recession is bad news for most, it can present new opportunities for businesses with cash to spend. Sir Michael is keen that Bibby keeps looking out for new investments. Bibby’s group investment criteria are simple enough to fit on one sheet of paper. The group will invest in companies with considerable growth potential – “each investment”, it says, “must be able to demonstrate the potential to achieve £10m in pre-tax profits within a 10-year time frame.” Bibby makes an initial majority investment in each company and agrees a “road map” to 100% Bibby ownership. The management team must have a good track record and

must be prepared to stay with their business under Bibby ownership. Sir Michael is keen to stress that Bibby is not acting like a classic venture capitalist, out to make a quick return on its investment. “The difference between venture capital and us is that we own a majority stake and we don’t have an exit plan,” he said. “We’re a long-term investor. We’re trying to build the new divisions for 10 years’ time for Bibby Line Group. “We’re not trying to make a quick buck by buying a company and selling it after three or five years.” Sir Michael’s enthusiasm shines through again when he talks about Bibby Holdings’ most recent acquisition, Bury-based plant hire firm Garic. “It’s a great management team with an excellent and innovative product range,” he said. “They take a Transit van and redesign it with a flushing toilet in the back and a canteen in the middle. “You don’t need a portable toilet or a canteen unit. You can take people to a site and back for the cost of a Transit van. “And, in three years’ time, the vans have probably only done 27,000 miles each because they’ve been sitting on site. It saves customers money and it’s a good investment. “It was a great business to invest in when prices were reasonable, with a massive opportunity to roll it out round the country.”

Bibby has converted the Renaissance into a 332-room floating hotel Keeping entrepreneurs on board is central to Bibby’s acquisition strategy. “It’s the first thing we look to do,” said Sir Michael. “If you look at our financial services business, the guy running it is somebody who we bought the business from in 1990. David Robertson is now chief executive of Bibby Financial Services. “This ability to keep entrepreneurs in the group is a big challenge, but it’s where we get the most success. The group isn’t just about Michael Bibby. It’s about these businesses.” When not at the family business, Sir Michael spends time with his

wife and twin boys at their Wirral home or in North Wales, while he also enjoys “competitive sports” such as skiing. As the Bibby group grows, Sir Michael is keen to ensure that all its component businesses share the same values. In recent months, he has led a project to define those values to ensure that all customers know what to expect when they knock on the door of a Bibby business. “I try to live up to the values we espouse,” he said. “I hope people see I act with integrity, trustworthiness and fairness. “That doesn’t mean that everybody has to like me. It means I’m respected for the decisions I make.”

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: LASERS

The laser ignition system developed in Liverpool

Bright sparks gear up Researchers working to revolutionise ignition systems RESEARCHERS in Liverpool have teamed up with Ford to develop a pioneering laser ignition system that could revolutionise motor manufacturing. Many car companies are now creating gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines that cut emissions and are more economical than ever – but their reliance on the good old-fashioned spark plug means they still can't reach optimum performance. Tom Shenton and Geoff Dearden, academics at the University of Liverpool, have developed a new laser ignition system in the laboratory that has been proven to work and they are now making further investigations into precisely how advantageous the system is and how cost-effective it can be made. Dr Shenton, a reader in the engineering department, said: “The automotive industry is under ever-increasing pressure to increase fuel efficiency and reduce levels of harmful emissions. In principle, laser ignition offers the potential to deliver both. “In practice, though, the combination of problems and uncertainties involved in using a laser to power combustion in mass produced petrol engines has deterred most researchers. GDI won’t realise

its full potential until there’s an alternative to the 90-year-old technology we still rely on to ignite the fuel. “Spark plugs impose severe constraints on our ability to achieve ultra-lean burn by igniting the charge in a fixed position.” The team has been working in partnership with the Ford Motor Company, and has also received a £198,910 grant from the Carbon Trust to develop the new laser ignition system. Mark Williamson, director of innovations at the Carbon Trust, said: “For many of us, a car makes up a major part of our carbon footprint. We have to find ways to make vehicles cleaner if the UK is to hit its carbon emissions targets. “Laser ignition is a really exciting technology because it improves the efficiency of petrol cars and could also speed the uptake of cars that run on biofuels derived from sustainable organic materials such as algae.” Once the efficiency of the laser system is determined, the next move will be to test it on a vehicle. The eventual aim, if all goes well, would be to put it into production on cars manufactured by Ford. Such a system would have the performance of a petrol engine and efficiency of diesel power.

Investigations – Geoff Dearden

ALICE project lights up global laser conference EXPERTS from around the globe recently gathered in Liverpool for a conference on the latest developments in free laser technology (FEL). Two hundred and sixty delegates visited the BT Convention Centre, as well as Daresbury Innovation Centre, where they learnt about the cutting-edge ALICE project – named after local author Lewis Carroll. FELs have a wider range of frequency than normal lasers and can be more effective in certain situations. One application being looked at is removing pimples associated with acne without burning the patient's skin. At Daresbury, the £25m ALICE (Accelerators and Lasers in Combined Experiments) project will culminate in the development of the UK's first operational free electronic laser later this year.

Mike Poole, director of the Accelerator Science and Technology Centre, said: “The event is a highlight in the calendar for the FEL community, and gives scientists from across the world the chance to come together to discuss progress and new ideas on the physics and technology of this fast-evolving area of science. “ALICE is a unique world-class research and development prototype whose cutting edge technology will enable advances in areas including security and medical imaging. “ALICE produces radiation which can be used to significantly enhance airport security, for instance, due to its ability to detect bombs and non-metallic items through clothing that would normally only be possible with a personal search. “It can also provide significant potential for non-invasive medical imaging.”

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: LASERS

Light at the end of the tunnel

Spectacular light shows are just one type of application for laser technology

Laser consortium seeks to support region’s industries NORTH-WEST industries are in position to take advantage of groundbreaking new research into laser technology. The North West Laser Engineering Consortium (NWLEC) has confirmed an £882,000 investment from the Northwest European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The NWLEC is a strategic alliance between the universities of Liverpool and Manchester, bringing together the expertise of both universities to research and develop laser capabilities for the benefit of Northwest industry. It was established in 2005 with a

£2.5m investment. The centre has developed international capability at the forefront of laser applications in micro and nano technology. However, the technology remains unproven in an industrial context and industry needs access to expertise and support in order to further assess its benefits and adapt the technology to provide optimum solutions. This investment will address these barriers by putting in place new knowledge exchange activity to demonstrate that the technology developed by the NWLEC can be applied and exploited by industry

SCIENCE FICTION WHEN laser technology was first developed 50 years ago, there was much talk of death rays being developed, a subject picked up enthusiastically by the science fiction media decades after Buck Rogers burst on the scene with a ray gun. In fact, lasers (Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation) are used in a variety of ways, including light shows,

DVDs, eye surgery, fibre optic cables and industrial cutting and welding equipment. It was just a few years ago that the US military developed a laser with enough power to shoot a rocket out of the sky, prompting talk of a Star Wars programme. Lasers emit a powerful beam of light that is concentrated in an intense point – a development predicted by Einstein, back in the 1920s.

partners. It will enable experts to work with companies to provide the interface between the knowledge base and companies that want to utilise the technology. John Flamson, director of strategic partnerships and development at the University of Liverpool, said: “The university is committed to working with external partners to improve the competitiveness of the regional economy. “This new project will help us to translate cutting-edge laser technologies to the local business base, strengthening university-industry collaborations, and adding value to the university’s considerable expertise in this area. “We are delighted that our collaboration with the University of Manchester can continue to build the advanced engineering sector of the Northwest.” Alan Manning, ERDF programme monitoring committee member representing business and skills, said: “Ensuring that Northwest companies are able to exploit innovation and knowledge is a key priority of European funding and a crucial element in boosting competitiveness and productivity. “I am pleased to welcome this latest investment, which will develop greater capacity for companies to utilise this technology and build on links with industry.”

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS?

Eco-drive adds to building cost Commercial developers put energy efficiency at top of their agenda TWO years ago, it was hoped the days of major commercial developments in Liverpool requiring public sector support were over. Between 2002 and 2007, the price of Grade A office space in the city centre had risen from £16 per sq ft to between £20-£22 per sq ft, and it was hoped this figure would continue to rise and commercial schemes would become viable in their own right. Then the credit crunch happened, followed by recession, and the commercial property market went into freefall. Now those developers who even dare to build office space in this climate have found their costs have gone even higher, thanks to stringent energy efficiency rules. The Government is committed to huge cuts in CO² emissions over the next few years and believes making the UK’s commercial and residential building as green as possible will make a major contribution. In August, it was announced that the third phase of Liverpool’s St Paul’s Square development would go ahead, creating 109,000 sq ft of Grade A accommodation. The project will cost developer ECf more than £30m to build, but it could not have gone ahead without £8.8m in grants from the Northwest Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). ECf boasts the building will be one of the North-West’s most energy-efficient buildings and this commitment will have undoubtedly added to the cost. Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) were introduced in October, 2008, and in April next year he Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) becomes law. CRC is a mandatory emissions trading scheme which aims to cut CO² emissions by ensuring that qualifying organisations purchase allowances which will (initially) be priced at £12 per tonne of CO². The idea is that allowances are purchased at the start of the year, equivalent to the intended energy usage that year. From April, 2013, allowances will be traded on the open market. The introductory phase of the scheme will apply to larger retailers or businesses whose electricity use through half-hourly meters was greater than 6,000 megawatt hours during 2008. Starting this year, all commercial buildings with half-hourly meters

CBI’S TAX CREDIT CALL

St Paul’s Square, phase three, will be one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the North-West will be contacted. Almost certainly, commercial landlords with large property portfolios will at some point fall within the scheme, and serious thought does need to be given now to what basis they plan to pass on the cost of allowances to their tenants. All the above have to be factored in by developers and building contractors when construction costs are being calculated. And, in some cases, clients and potential occupiers are demanding

environmental standards that exceed current regulations. Ian Orton, director of George Downing Construction (GDC), the in-house contracting division of Liverpool property group Downing, said: “Many clients are now requesting that a 10% renewable energy quota is factored into new developments and for some public sector contracts it is becoming a requirement. “The challenge is that

EMPLOYERS’ body the CBI is calling on the Government to maintain and improve the research and development tax credit scheme to help Britain lead the way in low-carbon innovation. The call is just one of 10 recommendations for government made by the organisation in a new report, Pulling Ahead: Innovating for Low-carbon Leadership. The CBI also makes three recommendations for business. Other proposed measures include further policies to support cutting-edge industries that help cut carbon, changes to government procurement to foster take-up of low-carbon technology, and accelerating national infrastructure projects in areas like energy generation. R&D tax credit schemes give companies tax relief, and can either reduce a company’s tax bill, or, in the case of certain small or medium-sized companies, provide a cash sum. The credits allow relevant companies to deduct up to 175% of qualifying R&D expenditure when calculating their profit for tax purposes. John Cridland, the CBI’s deputy director-general, said: “Britain has great expertise in low-carbon technology and research. This must be encouraged and supported by government, but we also need policies that help to implement advances in technology in practical and commercially-viable ways. “It is encouraging that the UK is already home to the R&D centres of many international companies. What is more open to question is whether this can be sustained.”

sustainability is still a relatively new consideration for planning authorities, as well as developers and architects, which naturally leads to additional cost and time burdens before a scheme can be brought to life. It has become essential to appoint a specialist sub-contractor from the outset, who can help you meet targets, avoid problems and make decisions early. “It is an evolving area and there are only a limited number of

sustainability experts; however, the situation is improving and processes are becoming a lot smoother. “Ultimately, the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term challenge. As environmental legislation gathers pace, clients and development partners, particularly in the public sector, will be increasingly looking to work with similarly environmentally-minded organisations, so it will pay to be ahead of the game.”

Sir Stuart to outline five-year eco plan in Liverpool

MARKS & Spencer chief executive Sir Stuart Rose will talk about the retail giant’s five-year plan to slash its carbon emissions at an event in Liverpool. Sir Stuart is the guest speaker at the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce annual dinner on Thursday, November 26. The dinner, this year being held in Liverpool’s

Anglican Cathedral, will be the highlight of the Chamber’s contribution to Liverpool’s Year of the Environment. Appointed to Marks & Spencer in May, 2004, Sir Stuart became executive chairman in June, 2008. He is also a nonexecutive director of Land Securities, owner of St John’s shopping centre,

and chairman of Business in the Community. He will be speak about the “greening” of Marks & Spencer. He will outline “Plan A”, the company’s five-year eco plan. It has pledged to meet 100 commitments to become carbon-neutral, send no waste to landfill, extend sustainable sourcing, set new

standings as a fair partner and promote healthier lifestyles. Sir Stuart said: “Plan A isn’t only important to us, it’s important to our customers. They have told us the commitment remains important. They value the difference between us and other retailers.”

Sir Stuart Rose, executive chairman of Marks & Spencer

HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS?

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Andy Fielding (North West Regional Director of Processing, Royal Mail, right) presents Stephen Hankinson, from the Roy Hankinson Group, with the Royal Mail Green Award, at this year’s Liverpool Daily Post regional business awards night, in June

Hankinson aims for Euro green award Wirral paint firm wins top accolade for its environmental and recycling efforts WIRRAL-BASED Hankinson Painting Group has a chance of representing the UK in the European Business Awards for the Environment. The company is one of the UK’s leading painting and decorating contractors, and has completed more than £100m-worth of projects for major public and private sector clients. It has been named as one of the winners in the Green Apple Environment Awards. The awards, which are a feeder to the European event, are organised by the Green Organisation, an independent non-profit making

environmental organisation that promotes environmental beast practice. The award to Hankinson recognises the firm being the first painting company in the UK to recycle all of its waste paint tins, waste paint and solvents. Chief executive Stephen Hankinson said: “Everybody in the company has made a commitment to environmental issues, and this is a huge pat on the back. “To be now considered to represent the UK in the European Business Awards is a tremendous honour.”

This year, the Green Apple Awards, now in their 16th year, attracted more than 500 entries. Hankinson will receive its award in a special ceremony at the House of Commons later in the year and may then be selected for the European awards. Amy Rosser, environmental co-ordinator for the company, added: “As well as reducing our carbon footprint, we have also raised environmental awareness throughout the entire company, and the support that I have received from everybody has been absolutely outstanding.

“To win an award of this calibre makes us all feel extremely proud.” Hankinson was also the winner of the Royal Mail Green Award at the Daily Post Regional Business Awards in June and was “highly commended” in the Environmental Leadership category of the 2009 Contract Journal Awards. The firm will now also be invited to join the National Green Heroes, an elite group of environmental achievers who spread the green message around the world. ■ WATER treatment specialist Arvia Technology has been named a Global Cleantech 100 company by

Guardian News and Media and Cleantech Group. Arvia is a spin-out from the University of Manchester and has offices in Liverpool. It is one of only 13 UK-based companies listed and one of only two in the north-west of England. The Global Cleantech 100 is the first ever list highlighting the most promising private clean technology companies around the world. It is supported by the Carbon Trust. Arvia’s chief executive, Martin Keighley, said: “Being listed in The Global Cleantech 100 is a tremendous achievement for Arvia Technology.”

Government man to speak at city energy conference ORGANISERS of a major national green energy conference in Liverpool have unveiled the agenda and a list of industry expert speakers. The inaugural Green Power Forum (GPF) is being held at the city’s new BT Convention Centre on October 15. Guest speakers will include energy expert Hergen Haye, of the Government’s Department for Energy and Climate Change, and Kelly Butler of BEAMA – trade association

for the electro-technical sector. Other speakers include John Felgate, of Stiebel Eltron, and Justin Broadbent, from ISO Energy. Green Power Forum chairman Mark McManus said the aim of the conference was to spread the latest knowledge, learning and expertise in renewable, lowcarbon and sustainable energy technologies. Mr Haye, director of heat

policy at the DECC’s Renewable Energy and Innovation Unit, will highlight forthcoming Government policy and legislation planning. The conference is specifically targeting professionals responsible for making homes, buildings and communities greener. Among those expected to attend include architects, consultants, developers, engineers, energy managers,

facilities managers and representatives from local authorities and housing associations. GPF is an independent forum. It is made up of energy suppliers, renewable energy manufacturers, energy support agencies and business groups. Members include Stiebel Eltron, North West Energy Support Agency Envirolink, Nu-Heat, ISO Energy UK, and Liverpool Chamber of Commerce.

Liverpool’s BT Convention Centre

THE BIG FEATURE

Time to get tough

Small firms need to get a grip when times are hard. Fight back, instead of getting collared by the recession

BY BARRY TURNBULL

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When the going gets tough . . . the tough get going. Small and medium-sized businesses lie at the core of any vibrant economy. We look at how some are coping with recession and what support is on hand.

THE BIG FEATURE SMES USINESSES are faceing greater challenges than ever before. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the UK economy, and as such have been at the sharp end of the downturn. The issues and challenges vary from the simple to the complex but, at the heart of every business, cashflow and funding remain paramount. It is widely reported that the problem has been massively influenced by the clearing banks' reluctance to part with cash, although some strongly deny this, and point to positive moves that have been taken. What other help is on offer? Well, there are a myriad of loan schemes and grants as well as new temporary tax breaks. Support agency Business Link is being inundated with enquiries about what help is out there. The truth is, there are no straightforward solutions at such a time of uncertainty. There remains a lot of gloom out there, although the latest business confidence monitor for the North West suggests optimism is at its highest since the recession began to bite. That optimism is reflected by the fact that many entrepreneurs and companies are taking the opportunity to forge ahead with growth plans to take advantage of the current situation. Take Deborah Stone. The fledgling entrepreneur has faced lots of challenges – both personal and professional. As a cystic fibrosis sufferer, it has been far from easy, but a driving desire to run her own business has seen her succeed against the odds. The 31-year-old runs a gift company with a shop in Halewood and a website and has also opened a hairdressing salon. Ms Stone is often too ill to work every day, but she has even been known to conduct business from her hospital bed. She battled to complete her exams at school and then a degree in orthoptics before getting a job she loved in the NHS. But, after six years, and before the age of 30, she had to retire on medical grounds. However, she was determined not to feel sorry for herself. The mother-of-one said: “I’d always had something at the back of my mind about wanting to run a business, so when I left full-time work it seemed an ideal opportunity. I took some advice from FreshStart in Knowsley as I really didn’t know how to go about it, but eventually I got a business plan drawn up. “I started a card and gift shop called Gigglebucket in 2006 and then opened another one. I felt there was also an opportunity to expand the business online. We sell stuff through e-bay at the moment but are developing our own website too. “I think part of the inspiration for me is overcoming adversity and maybe encouraging other people in a difficult situation that it is possible to get out there and do something yourself.” Ms Stone considers herself fortunate, and, despite the fact that the current life expectancy of cystic fibrosis sufferers is still below 40, she is determined to make the best of every day and provide as much as possible for her family. As a result of her drive and determination, she has been nominated in a government-backed awards scheme that recognises those who have succeeded despite illness or disability. The go-getter is hoping to land the Triumph over Disability

Deborah Stone – overcame a severe disability to build a successful business prize next month at a glittering ceremony in London. Barclays’ Stephen Ward, sponsors of the Trading Places awards, said: “Trading Places celebrates inspirational people who have struggled through adversity to get their businesses up and running. Even with the odds against them, they’ve made a success of their business and their lives, and I congratulate Deborah on her hard work.” One more established entrepreneur, the bars and restaurants creator, Tim Bacon, is also adapting to the troubled conditions by pressing on with expansion plans. But even his track record has not persuaded banks to loosen the purse-strings. Two years ago, he and his partners sold the Living Room chain for £28m, and concentrated on building the Gusto and Blackhouse Grill brands. Now he is hungry for further opportunities. "We have a site in West Kirby that is awaiting planning permission. Fingers crossed, that will go well, but if not we will take it to appeal, which should be heard in November. All so unnecessary, but that's life, I guess. "We have just brought a night club in Hale, south Manchester, which we are now in the process of developing and we are currently in legals on three other sites in the Manchester area, so we are not standing still.

“Funding has been a combination of personal money and help from the landlords. Banks are next to useless at the present moment." Bacon is also monitoring the situation at Premium Bars and Restaurants, owner of the Living Room chain, which is currently in administration awaiting a buyer. "Administrators have a preference to sell the entire company as a whole, I suspect it will be a management buy-out of some description. We are nonetheless monitoring the situation to see what develops." Meanwhile, Gusto and Blackhouse still continue to trade well, with the like-for-like position 3% ahead for the year to date. Mexican fast food chain Barburrito may have a donkey as its symbol, but it's no slouch when it comes to business development. The quick-growing firm has secured an additional £2.5m of funding to open seven new outlets and is looking at possible locations including a second one on Merseyside to complement the successful Liverpool One venue. The chain, backed by Haydock-based venture capitalists Cenkos, says the time is right to take advantage of the depressed property market. Co-founder Morgan Davies said: "There's no denying that many in the food and drink sector are cutting back on staff and quality in order to save costs. “At a time like this, you can have a

pessimistic outlook or, like us, you can be optimistic and look at the opportunities that are around. The downturn hasn't affected our business and we feel that, with deals to be done on property, this is an ideal time to expand. “You can talk to landlords about helping with fit-outs and rent-free periods at the moment. As well as doing that, we are recruiting more staff and have been doing some aggressive marketing." A recent campaign included a £10,000 giveaway of burritos in Liverpool, which had customers forming huge queues outside the store. Mr Davies added: "We wanted people to try the food and to spread the word, which was expensive but hopefully will be worth it. Sales have grown over the past year on the back of our offer, which is fresh food made on the premises at a good price. “People are looking for value-for-money, so it's businesses like high-end restaurants that are tending to suffer." The long-term objective is to create a national brand. Cllr Gary Millar is the Town Hall's expert on business, enterprise and tourism. He also owns Parr Street studios and hotel, and earlier this year launched the popular Studio 2 bar. His role at the council is demanding, but he says it would not have been possible a few years ago: "I

was one of those people who believed I had to be hands-on at all times, and that no-one else could do it the way I wanted. “A number of events conspired to make me rethink my attitude, and that just trying to make money wasn't the most important thing. “I got involved in charitable work and also learned to delegate, so now I rely on good people running the business, although I still do the books and keep on top of things. It has become tougher for us, like any other business, but you have to be able to adapt to different environments. “In general terms, I think the support out there is pretty good. NWDA has reduced some 300 products to 30 and the Business Link website is getting more visitors than ever, as have initiatives like StepClever.” Innovative concrete mixing firm Nurock had a funding problem with a difference – it desperately needed a short-term injection of working capital to meet a lucrative new order. The bank was helpful to an extent, but also drew a line in the sand over the amount of money it could make available, so managing director Graham Jones was forced to look at alternatives. The solution came in the form of £75,000 from the Northwest Development Agency’s Transitional Fund, a pot of cash providing sums

THE BIG FEATURE SMES

Millions hit money-saving site Former chef cooks up a recipe for success with myvouchercodes.com

between £50,000 and £250,000 for needy firms. Nurock was allocated £75,000 to enable it to meet the new order. Mr Jones said: "We had a large public sector order come in, and needed extra capital to be able to deliver it. “We needed support to help us grow, and I was made aware of the transitional fund and applied through the development agency. “Without it, things would have been really difficult and it's an order that will lead to a long-term contract, so we had to get it.” Nurock has secured a £368,000 funding package, including £250,000 from Merseyside Special Investment Fund, to help with its expansion plans. Emma Jones runs Enterprise Nation, a company dedicated to helping home workers. She recently went on tour across the UK meeting people from all walks of life and said: "I have met hundreds of people – from Scotland to Shropshire – who are spotting gaps in the market or turning a hobby or skill in to a way of making a living. Businesses based at home are making the most of free or low-cost technology to sell goods around the world and to partner with others. “Amazing businesses are being run behind closed doors, and they represent a true bright spot in the UK economy.”

ANY recession will create winners as well as losers. While some businesses struggle, others take advantage of the opportunities available, especially at a time when saving money is a big priority. One man who has grasped the opportunity is 29-yearold Mark Pearson, whose online cash saver business has seen trade go through the roof. Around 8m users a month are flocking to myvouchercodes.com, which provides money off hundreds of goods and services from hotel rooms to fast food. Total turnover for clients who advertise was £281m last year, while the company itself has been valued at £30m. Not bad for a Prescot lad who started his career studying catering at Roby College and thought he'd made it when he landed a position at Claridge's Hotel. Mr Pearson said: "I was 17 when I was student chef of the year, and the celebrity chef thing was getting into full swing so it seemed a glamorous profession to be getting into. I was offered a few positions in London and got my first job at Claridge's. It was a very scary environment with lots of shouting and long, hard hours. “I was there three years and during that time Gordon Ramsay took over which was amazing, mad and crazy. I was then offered a partnership in a gastro-pub which initially went well but when the hassle started with chefs not turning up, etc, I felt I wasn't ready to manage such a situation. I was burning myself out working seven days a week.” Pearson's Eureka moment came when he attempted to access a voucher offering a discount on train journeys

between London and Liverpool. He explained: "It took me ages to find the code for a 5% discount and I thought to myself that there must be an easier way of doing this. I already had a website so I built a free-to-use service and set about attracting businesses offering discounts. Within weeks, it began taking off through word-of-mouth and using search engine optimisation. “At the time, promotional codes were not widely known; it was a sort of secret world, but once we got going it really opened the floodgates. We tapped into affiliate marketing whereby you earn a commission for directing traffic to retailers. “Retail sales were £281m last year, and our own turnover was £2.5m and this year will be £9m." Pearson believes people's spending habits have changed. He said: "The downturn has certainly helped accelerate the growth of our business and we can monitor how spending has changed. High value goods like electricals have slowed, while stuff like toiletries have taken off. It's just a question of how big we can go. At the moment it seems limitless. I’ve a good senior management team in place and am now concentrating on coming up with new ideas. The intention is to push into Europe and beyond. We were the first and are the biggest. “There have been approaches about a takeover, but I have resisted so far because I believe we can achieve so much more. We have been able to grow without external funding.” Mr Pearson has treated himself to an Audi R8, but otherwise rarely spends big.

Merseysider Mark Pearson has hit on a gap in the market to launch a new website

‘Get creative’ is the message for those making their next move

Felix Clarke – research vital

CREATIVE industries are at the sharp end when a recession begins to bite – but can be one of the first to benefit when things pick up. More and more people are trying their hand at creativity after losing their jobs. Felix Clarke, of support and marketing firm Online BusinessBuilder, said: “The creative industry has a unique perspective on recession, we are the first to feel the cold, as clients cut budgets and also the first to experience the upturn as confidence starts to grow. “We also get to see first hand the sheer bloody-minded refusal to accept defeat and

the resilience of modern business people. Reinvention is the key word at the moment. I have seen car finance experts reinvent themselves as bloggers, house builders transformed into solar heating engineers, and mums emerging as everything from online teachers to pet sitters. “The technology and the know how to simply ‘start again’ is now readily available and much more affordable than in the past. “It is perfectly possible to set up a home business for less than £1,000 and at the moment, when it is a matter of ‘needs must’, thousands of people are doing just that.

“Obviously, people need to do the research and get some sound advice before taking plunge.” And things could become even easier for would be creative industry entrepreneurs because help and advice is on the way. In recognition of the economic and social power of the UK’s burgeoning creative industries, the government has launched a scheme to generate 5,000 and 10,000 new jobs for young people in the culture and creative industry sectors. Called Lifting People, Lifting Places the scheme will provide cash and advice for start-ups in the creative sectors.

THE BIG FEATURE SMES

How to ensure your business Businesses have many hurdles to overcome at the moment . . . but some of them can seem the size of Becher’s Brook

Public and private sector assistance is still out there for those under-pressure businesses with time THERE are numerous obstacles and hurdles to negotiate when running a business at any time, but, when credit is squeezed, those small problems can grow to elephantine size. As banks have been dragging their feet over extending credit, imposing stricter lending criteria, the Government has moved to introduce several initiatives designed to help struggling enterprises. In addition, there is also a wealth of information out there to be accessed. So, exactly what help is at hand? If owners of businesses have the time – and, let's face it, they already have pressing issues to address – they can explore the complex world of public sector assistance. Of course, it's not only that research is required but the process of applying for available loans and grants can be incredibly time-consuming. JEREMIE (The Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises Initiative) uses EU financial know-how to support small businesses around Europe. Resources are derived from EU Structural Funds for the funding period 2007-2013, and in England are filtered via the regional development agencies. Traditionally, cash has been offered as a grant, as long as there is matched funding in place, but now there are a range of finan-

cial products available such as loans. Last month, the Northwest Regional Development Agency announced that £15m of additional and new transitional finance has been made available to assist businesses in the region through the current challenging economic conditions. Another critical element of the NWDA’s finance portfolio is the new long-term Venture Capital and Loan Fund which is currently in development. VCLF is a combination of loan, equity and mezzanine funding to support business growth. Loans range from £50,000 to £250,000 with equity and mezzanine finance available up to £2m. There are other mechanisms of support through schemes such as the Innovation Vouchers Programme. The scheme enables businesses to apply for a voucher, valued at up to £3,000, to help business owners, entrepreneurs and social enterprises to proactively engage with the NorthWest knowledge base, including colleges and universities. Additionally, over £2m has been earmarked from the NWDA’s Grant for Research and Development (GRAND) programme over the next two years, to help companies test the commercial potential of an idea, a

technology, innovative new product, process or service. A third of the Government's new £750m strategic investment fund has been earmarked for low carbon businesses and technologies, such as low emission vehicles, nuclear power and renewable energy. The fund will be distributed over the next two years, with £400m made available during 2009/10 and a further £350m during 2010/11. Outside the public sector, some banks are insisting the doors are still open. A few weeks ago, Yorkshire Bank launched a £100m fund specifically designed to cater for the requirements of firms struggling to get to grips with cashflow. The fund is based on invoice financing which means that companies can get money from the bank, instead of waiting to be paid by customers. Ian Spink, managing partner in Liverpool, said: "It's a good way for businesses to keep the cash flowing during these difficult times, as they don't need to rely on chasing the debt, although that does remain their responsibility. "One in three UK companies are now waiting longer to be paid by debtors since the onset of the credit crunch . Poor payment practices in the public and private sectors can

drastically affect cash flow for small firms, at a time when businesses are doing their best to hold on to precious funds." Those clients that are approved access to funds can draw up to 85% of the value of the invoice owed to them. Mr Spink added: "It only makes sense to be cautious at this time, but the principles of the business remain, in that we are looking at strong management teams with good strategies in place." Yorkshire, unlike many other banks, did not expose itself to sub-prime mortgage business or high-risk international investments. William Hogg, chairman of the fund, added: "What we are trying to do is introduce some certainty for SMEs at a very uncertain time in the market-place." In the current climate, many businesses are being forced to look at alternative ways of keeping the cash moving. Wallasey-based Bridging Finance has found a sharp upturn in trade as a result, providing short-term loans based on property security. Steve Barber said: "The advantage we have is that we can organise something in seven to 10 days for facilities lasting from a month to six months. The banks, especially now,

can't move at that sort of speed, so for businesses who need to fix a short-term cashflow problems it's ideal. “People may need liquidity for a variety of reasons, from paying bills and suppliers to capital raising. I'd say we have seen a 30% rise in enquiries. “We don't need business plans, it's self-certification as long as there is a property to secure against the loan. Sums from £30,000 to £1m are available.” Another way the Government is attempting to ease the pain is by allowing companies to defer VAT and other payments. But industry figures have warned that the deferrals have placed a timebomb under the UK economy that could likely explode in the autumn. Officials from Revenue and Customs said that 172,000 small and medium-sized companies are now shelving payments of VAT and PAYE until their fortunes improve. According to the Revenue, around 60% of the current outstanding bill has been shelved on a three-month basis. The Revenue has allowed around 22,000 firms to continue with deferrals after initial agreements have come to an end, it said. "We won't simply let companies continue to defer," said a spokesman.

THE BIG FEATURE SMES

Insurance credit still a headache

Small firms at risk despite government pledge

Ian Spink, of Yorkshire Bank

Des Veney, of Haines Watts

isn’t a faller to do their research

"They have to prove to us that they are doing all they can to improve their businesses in an effort to pay us back." The relaxed line taken by the Revenue on VAT payments has been cited as one of the major reasons behind the lower-than-expected level of company failures in Britain in 2009. So far, official figures show that fewer than 2,000 firms have gone to the wall in Britain this year, making a mockery of earlier predictions of an insolvency epidemic in 2009. Des Veney, of accountants Haines Watts, said: “My understanding is that it has helped over 185,000 businesses spreading payments of £3.3bn. “The majority of the arrangements are for three months or less, and over 90% of the expected payments have been received. “The arrangement allows a business to pay its tax in instalments. If a business misses a payment, then HMRC knows quite quickly and their normal debt management policy would take effect. “In my view, if a business uses the scheme because of cash flow issues, but they are a profitable business with slow payers, then it probably won't affect them from an insolvency

point of view; in fact, it will help them and they should survive. “However, if it is used because there is a serious cash flow issue and the likelihood is that they will never be able to pay it, then a business will have problems which were there in the first place. It may delay the inevitable, but, on the other hand, helps healthy businesses who are suffering cash flow problems in the short term.” On a brighter note, confidence among business professionals in the North-West has moved into positive territory for the first time in two years, according to the latest UK Business Confidence Monitor. However, significant challenges, including access to finance, still represent a barrier to future growth. Michael Sale, president of the Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountants, said: “The latest BCM survey suggests a return to positive growth, signalling the end of the UK recession. This is reflected in the North-West, where turnover is expected to rise by 2.0%, sales volumes are forecast to rise by 1.6%, and gross profits are expected to rise by 1.7% over the next 12 months. “However, while there is no doubt that the UK economy is on its way to recovery, we shouldn’t underestimate the challenges ahead.”

ONE of the biggest headaches facing businesses is the declining availability of trade credit insurance. Cover is taken out by firms to protect themselves from customers who receive goods, but fail to pay up when they go bust. Such is the extent of the problem that Government pledged £5bn for a top-up scheme, but so far only around £8m has been claimed. There have been numerous problems, including the fact that the scheme excludes firms who have had all their cover withdrawn and also does not cover most construction companies. As a result of lobbying, the Government has tweaked the scheme by removing the lower limit of £20,000 and making the upper limit £2m. Edward Rimmer, chief executive of Liverpool-based Bibby Financial Services, said: “At last, the Government has realised more needs to be done to drum up usage of its trade credit insurance scheme. “Since its introduction, we have urged the Government to remove the £20,000 lower limit of top-up cover, believing it too low for most businesses in the current environment, as most debts remain at the smaller end of the market. “Now, however, with this removed, more of the nation’s businesses should be able to benefit. Increasing the upper limit to £2m is also good news and broadens the scheme’s attractiveness to most businesses within the UK. “However, as the scheme still does not include reinstating limits that have been pulled completely, the number of companies who could benefit from the revised scheme will remain relatively low. “Finally, with the current

Construction firms have been severely hit by insurance cover withdrawals downturn expected to last well beyond the next 12 months, the planned ending of the scheme, in December, 2009, simply doesn’t provide help for long enough to businesses hoping to trade beyond the end of the year. “We support the Government in its attempts to attract more businesses to the scheme, but the fact is, take-up remains low. And, until the Government can offer even longer terms on this security, then I believe this will continue to be the case.” Phil McCabe, of the Forum for Private Business, added: "So far, it's been a flop. It has benefited only a handful of struggling firms and extending it in this way will not significantly improve it because most vulnerable

firms have had credit withdrawn completely." Commenting on the survey’s findings, Construction Products Association chief executive Michael Ankers said: "There has been significant impact on companies in our industry from the withdrawal or reduction in the level of credit insurance available. “Around 95% of companies have seen credit insurance totally withdrawn from at least some of the companies they supply, and even where insurance has been maintained, the average reduction in cover is more than 30%. For many companies, the situation has been much worse. "Nearly 30% of companies have closed or reduced accounts, while 20% are trading without credit.”

Bank rules a big headache for SMEs BANKS have been criticised for imposing stringent rules for businesses attempting to access finance. The Forum of Private Business (FPB) says lenders are demanding charges, increasing interest rates and asking for personal guarantees as preconditions for

lending to small businesses, and that includes those seeking assistance under the Government’s Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme. According to the FPB’s latest research, the cost of finance is a major issue for 63% of respondents. Almost one in five

(19%) said it had become a “very serious” concern. Spokesman Phil McCabe said: “It is becoming clear that steep interest rates, a range of charges and demands for additional security are combining to create a significant cost barrier preventing viable yet struggling firms

from securing the funding they need. “Plus, our interest rate has gone up from 2.5% to 4.6% per year above base, and they have also insisted on a personal guarantee. “The tragedy is that, as a result of this, often these small firms are not able to satisfy orders and have to close their doors.”

NEWS LDP BUSINESS CAMPAIGN

Help to beat the credit crunch Business Link Northwest advises small firms looking to access debt funding

SINCE the credit crunch hit two years ago, small businesses have found debt funding much harder to come by than they did previously. Perception and confidence also now play a major part. In some cases, businesses are fearful of even approaching banks or other lenders assuming the answer will be no. Certainly, affordable finance is much more difficult to come by in the current climate, but lenders are open for business and the right approach can pay dividends. At the end of last year, business support agency, Business Link Northwest, recognised that SMEs needed all the help and advice they could get if they were to be successful in gaining debt finance. It launched an initiative called Access to Finance and appointed former banker Gaynor Dykes to run it. It is a confidential, independent and free-to-use service to help businesses secure the funding they need to move forward. Since March this year, 43 Merseyside companies have been directly assisted, successfully securing £3.4m worth of finance. This has helped to create 114 local jobs and safeguarded a further 299, according to Business Link Northwest. Of the finance secured, 61% was to be used as working capital, 9% to support new product launches and 9% for new plant, equipment or machinery. Other purposes have included new premises (7%), property repairs or alterations (5%) and research and development (5%). Access to Finance has been designed to support businesses to develop funding strategies and enhance their appeal to lenders and investors in both the public and private sector. Ms Dykes has more than 18 years’ experience within the banking industry, gained predominantly at the Yorkshire Bank, followed by seven years of working directly with businesses supporting them with a wide range of finance-related and other business issues. She said: “The availability of finance for businesses in the North West has changed significantly with more businesses now seeking alternative sources of finance, rather than traditional providers. “When we work with a business, we look at the range of finance options that are open to them. We will look, for example, at what assets they might have. “We explain what avenues are open to them and then link them to the finance providers. “However, we are not financial advisers and we do not get involved in putting deals together. We are facilitators who are there to offer support and guidance.” Ms Dykes said the lending market remained difficult, but said there were options available and said small firms shouldn’t just assume they would automatically be turned down. She added: “The problem on both sides is confidence. Small firms often may not have the confidence to approach finance providers for fear

of what the answer might be. At the same time, the banks don’t always have confidence in the economic forecasts of a business. “It is a difficult situation and it is a challenge for both banks and businesses.” Last month, LDP Business teamed up with Business Link Northwest to launch the Supporting Our Businesses campaign. It aims to highlight the perils faced by small firms battling through the current recession and also highlight the support that is available. On the day the campaign was launched, we revealed how 12,000 companies – around 18% of those in the city region – were in danger of collapse, due to the economic downturn. In the days following the launch of the campaign, Merseyside’s business and political leaders were swift to give their backing. Organisations such as the Forum for Private Business, the Federation of Small Businesses, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Liverpool in Business said it was vital as much support be given to small firms to help them through the tough times. This week, another major business group threw its weight behind the Supporting Our Businesses Campaign. Private Sector Partners (PSP) represents 140,000 firms in the North West. Its leader, Len Collinson, said: “We welcome any initiative that benefits businesses in the region. PSP would like to see more help for local manufacturers and retailers on high streets. “We must avoid the creation of ghost towns.”

Gaynor Dykes – says there is funding available for firms from lenders, despite the credit crunch

HOW YOU CAN GET HELP FOR YOUR BUSINESS FROM BUSINESS LINK PETER WATSON, managing director of Business Link, said the campaign “recognises the challenges that businesses are facing across Merseyside, and the wider North West region”. He added: “It will demonstrate the positive action both

Business Link Northwest and its partners, alongside the Liverpool Daily Post, are taking to provide vital support to companies. “Business Link works in partnership with a wide range of organisations across the region and many of

them are already providing extra help for businesses in the current climate. “Business Link is the primary gateway to business support in Merseyside, and it’s essential that companies understand, and access, that help.

■ IF YOU run a business and want to find out more about how Business Link can help you, then call 0845 00 66 888. You can also email info@business linknw.co.uk or alternatively visit www.business link.gov.uk/northwest

PROFESSIONAL SECTORS

Government consults firms on pension plans

Pensions Minister Angela Eagle

THE Government has launched a consultation on its plans to automatically enrol workers into company pension schemes from 2012. From 2012, all workers aged over 22 and earning more than £5,000 a year will be automatically enrolled into company pension schemes, although they will retain the right to opt out. Individuals will

have to pay in at least 4% of their salary to the scheme, with employers contributing 3% and the Government adding 1%. People who do not have access to a company scheme, or those who work for an employer whose scheme does not meet the minimum criteria, will instead be enrolled into personal accounts, into which the same

contributions will be made. But concerns have been expressed about the cost of the scheme for small businesses, many of whom do not currently make contributions to their workers’ pensions. Angela Eagle, Minister for Pensions and the Ageing Society, said the consultation would run until November 5.

Financial sector ‘not a walled City garden’ HE director-general of the CBI, Richard Lambert, says the Government must remember that the financial services sector is vital not just to London but to the whole of the UK – including cities such as Liverpool. Mr Lambert said politicians should not try to score points by criticising the industry when it played an important role in the whole nation’s economy. Speaking earlier this month, Mr Lambert said: “In a free society, it’s not the job of a politician – or, for that matter, of a regulator – to argue that a particular form of activity is or is not of social value. We badly need a sense of perspective about what the financial sector is, and how it works. “It’s not a walled garden, barricaded off in the City. Rather, over 70% of the workforce is located outside London, generating output per head which is well above average and spreading decently-paid jobs right across the UK.” Professional Liverpool chief executive Mark Chadwick says the sector is crucial to the North-West. His organisation is working to expand the financial and professional sector in the region by more than 50% in the next decade. Last year, it took a 100-strong delegation to London to promote Liverpool to the City. Mr Chadwick said: “Liverpool city region has got some clear strengths in asset management, wealth management and maritime law. There’s a very significant cluster in Chester, with employers such as MBNA and Marks & Spencer. “Financial services contributes about 200,000 employees. It’s a very important part of the economy.” ■ BUSINESS support agency UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is running a financial and professional services roadshow in Liverpool on Wednesday, October 7, to help companies learn more about the latest opportunities in the Gulf and Chinese markets. For information, call Bracken Events on (0115) 947 5666.

BUSINESS MATTERS with Steve Sankson, of the Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest in Merseyside STEVE SANKSON, Regional Director for The Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest in Merseyside highlights the steps the bank is taking to support SME businesses at the present time. ■ EARLIER this year, NatWest announced a series of initiatives to help SMEs in the North-West deal with the effects of the recession. One of these initiatives was a series of seminars across the region designed to offer clear and unbiased information on how to manage a business through the economic downturn. These have been organised in conjunction with other professional advisors, including local accountants, solicitors and public bodies such as Business Link. The aim is to provide business owners with practical guidance, not only on how to survive the recession, but also on how to reposition for growth and take advantage of opportunities that exist in the market. Some key themes emerged from the seminars. ■ Take a step back – revisit your business plan and ensure that you have a clear picture of what is happening to your company at present. Be honest, don’t kid yourself and be prepared to ask some tough questions. Have a “Plan B” in case events take a different turn – be it funding options; alternative suppliers; different routes to market; ■ Examine every aspect of the business, including your management team, and ask are they still the right people for the circumstances? If you need to bolster the team, would an experienced non-executive help?; ■ A robust financial model is essential to make informed decisions. You need to be able to stress-test your business. Ensure you know your exact break-even point and examine the impact of lower prices and narrowing margins. Do you need as much stock? Reducing this will help release cash. Can you renegotiate contract or payment terms? Can you improve your credit control? Less conventional types of

finance, such as invoice discounting, can provide an ongoing stimulus to cash flow; ■ Are you making best use of the different advice that is available? Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Talk to your bank, accountant or other professional advisors – the sooner you make them aware of a potential problem, the quicker they can respond. You should also take advantage of the free advice offered by public sector bodies to explore the range of public sector finance available for your business; ■ Find new customers. They do exist. You may need to explore different ways of accessing those customers; don’t just rely on your traditional markets. Do you know why your existing customers buy from you? Make sure you understand what it is that they value and maximise that aspect of your business above all else. Marketing can help you to get to know existing and potential customers, but you need to ensure that any activity is focused and offers value for money; ■ Increasing sales is a simple equation of how many customers you have, how often they buy from you, and how much they spend. Focus on any one of these variables to increase sales – not simply by reducing price; ■ Talk to your customers, your staff and your suppliers. Let them know what you are doing, how you are doing it and what you are planning. A lack of information increases uncertainty; ■ Consider new ways in which you can engage with your customers, such as social networking. Social media is a growing phenomenon, it is more cost-effective than traditional advertising, and research suggests people trust blogs and consumer reviews more than traditional advertising methods. Social media and networking sites provide you with the chance to talk directly with your customers and obtain valuable feedback on your business. Engage with them and ask for their thoughts or ideas as to what they would like to see from your business. This will make them feel wanted, and give you an edge over your competitors.

‘Are you making use of different advice that is available?’

CBI director-general Richard Lambert – we need a sense of perspective about what the financial sector is

PROFESSIONAL SECTORS LEGAL

LEGALLY

SPEAKING

with Philip Farrar, of Hill Dickinson Liverpool

ONE of my employees recently suffered an industrial accident, which resulted in him being signed off work for six weeks. This sick leave period overlapped with a period of annual leave, which he had booked prior to sustaining the injury. Does this time count towards his holiday entitlement, despite him being ill during that time, or does he have the right to take another period of annual leave? If so, when can he take that additional time? I’m only a relatively small company and having an absent employee for such a long time will significantly affect our productivity levels.

THE provisions for statutory holidays (28 days for full-time, five days a week staff) are found in the Working Time Regulations (WTR) but they do not specify what happens here. Previously, many employers might have stuck to their guns and maintained that it was holiday. However, this issue has only recently been considered in the European Court of Justice, where the employee’s position was upheld. The answer is straightforward: your employee has the right to a minimum period of statutory holiday and if he is sick or injured in what would otherwise be that holiday, he is entitled, under the WTR, to be granted annual leave at a different time. You can make other arrangements for any contractual holiday you might grant in excess of the statutory amount. The basis for this decision is that the purpose of paid annual leave is to enable the worker to rest and to enjoy a period of

relaxation and leisure, whereas the purpose of sick leave is different; it is given to the worker so they can recover from being ill. As such, employees have the WTR to ask for leave to be reallocated if it has been affected by sickness or injury. This can be in the same holiday year or can be taken into the next annual leave period, that is, the following year. Clearly, this recent decision could be costly for employers like you but you should be aware that an employee can claim in the Employment Tribunal if their statutory holiday is not granted. However, what pay the employee receives for the sickness absence period will depend on your contract and you will be in the same position if the employee’s sickness-absence had fallen outside of any booked holiday (during which absence holiday is accrued). To protect your company going forward, you may need to look at making some changes to sickness policies and procedures. For example, you may wish for your employee to provide, where appropriate, suitable medical evidence of the illness they had when on sick leave, although this may not be straightforward if they are away from home when the illness or injury occurs. You will, however, need to bear in mind the selfcertification processes and the position of any disabled employees for whom this may be a more common problem. The central advice is to not lose sight of the advantage of encouraging quicker returns to work by operating an appropriate sickness policy and support, as well as steps to avoid absence in the first place.

‘Sick leave is for the worker to recover from being ill’

Retirement age stays at 65 – but for how long?

Legal challenge fails, but lawyers say change could be on the way HIGH Court challenge to scrap the compulsory retirement age was rejected last week. Mr Justice Blake ruled that the Default Retirement Age did not contravene age discrimination laws, dismissing a challenge by charities for the elderly. But he stressed he might not have reached the conclusion without the Government announcing it would bring forward the review to next year, instead of 2011. Merseyside lawyers say that, while employers can stick with the status quo, change could soon be on the way. Mr Justice Blake said: “I cannot presently see how 65 could remain as a DRA after the review.” Age Concern and Help the Aged, now merged as Age UK, argued that the Default Retirement Age introduced by the Government in 2006 is unlawful because it does not comply with an EU Directive against age discrimination. But the Government argued the EU directive on equal treatment in employment permits member states to allow differences in treatment, on the grounds of age, if they are objectively and reasonably justified by a legitimate aim. Under UK law, a British employer can dismiss a member of staff without redundancy payments on their 65th birthday. Employees do have the right to request working beyond retirement age, but, although employers have a duty to consider these requests, they need offer no justification for refusal. Age UK said the ruling was a blow for older people who needed to work longer to secure a decent retirement in the face of recession and a drop in returns on savings and investments. It challenged MPs to demonstrate their support for older workers by acting urgently to overturn the “outdated” legislation. Andrew Harrop, head of public policy at the charity, said: “Today’s ruling does not spell the end of our campaign to win justice for older workers. “In fact, we will be stepping up our fight to get this outdated legislation off the statute book. “Despite the judgment, ministers still have the opportunity, this side of a crucial General Election, to give real

Martin Edwards, head of employment law at Mace & Jones – strong indications that the retirement age may have to change help to people in their 60s by outlawing forced retirement. They should amend the Equality Bill which is currently making its way through Parliament. “In his ruling, the judge makes it clear that the only reason he has allowed the law to stand is because ministers have already caved in to our pressure for a review of the law. “He makes it clear that forced retirement at 65 is unsustainable.” Martin Edwards, head of employment law at Liverpool’s Mace & Jones, said: “The retirement age remains at 65, but there are strong indications that the judge thinks that will have to change in the not-too-distant future. “He did say that, if the Government hadn’t already announced it was going

■ PHILIP FARRAR is a partner in the employment team at law firm, Hill Dickinson Liverpool.

Stuart Jones, employment partner at Weightmans – watch this space

to review the decision next year, he might have come to a different decision.” Stuart Jones, employment partner at Liverpool law firm Weightmans, said: “My overall view is that, while this has happened, this will run and run and it may change in due course. I think it’s a watching brief for the employers. Watch this space. “My advice to all my clients is that’s the law as it is and it may be subject to appeal. “While it’s a win [for the Government] at the moment, my own view is that things may change in due course either by way of political pressure or an election.” Mr Jones said there were many pros and cons to the current system. He said: “The pros are there’s a system whereby people will retire at a certain age. There's a very set procedure and most employers like to have processes and procedures in place. “But the other side of it is that there’s a question mark for employers about removing people from the workplace – people with a lot of experience and skills – and replacing them.” Andrew Cawley, head of pensions for KPMG in the North, said: “This ruling piles on the pressure for individuals to ensure that they have adequate retirement savings, as rising life expectancies mean that there are more years of retirement to fund.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Warrington’s Golden vision Warrington Borough Council’s Andy Farrall believes the town ‘has been transformed from just being an Ikea destination’, in the last 20 years

Recent successes are being used as a launchpad for former new town’s ambitious long-term plans

IVERPOOL comedian John Bishop summed up the stereotypical view of Warrington when he appeared on the Manchester leg of the BBC1 prime time programme, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow. “We have this rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester and it’s unnecessary. Let’s be honest, between Liverpool and Manchester, what is there?” he asked. “Warrington. “And let’s be honest, before the Swedes built a shop, we didn’t even know it was there.” That view, though, has long been outdated, with Warrington developing a growing reputation in recent years as an increasingly important regional economic hub.

Andy Farrall, director of environment and regeneration at Warrington Borough Council, said: “Warrington has been transformed from just being an Ikea destination to a proper town centre. “It’s been doing very well as an office destination for the last 20 years, largely driven by location, location, location – the crossroads of rail lines and key motorways, availability of land and it being a cluster of knowledge-based industry. “It’s always been very attractive for homes, and up until a couple of years ago we were consistently overachieving our targets for residential development. “We have always provided a mix of family homes and town centre flats. We have some deprived neighbourhoods and we have worked

at bringing those up. Warrington, up until a year, a year and a half ago, has been a growth town. The opportunity has led the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), among others, to see it as a place for development. “We have been affected by the recession, but not as much as we thought it would.” Partly that’s because of the work that had been completed before the economy nose-dived. “Warrington has done very well. In the period before the crunch, it did many things that other towns would be proud of,” said Mr Farrall. “For example, Golden Square: a major new shopping destination and one of the biggest new destinations outside Manchester and Liverpool – while other towns have struggled. We

achieved a very big scheme which has made a very big difference.” The Golden Square shopping centre general manager, David Allinson, oversaw the £150m redevelopment of the town’s main shopping centre, which was completed in May, 2007. The original 300,000 sq ft centre opened in 1979 and attracted 6m visitors a year. The two-year redevelopment project more than doubled the size of the shopping centre to 750,000 sq ft and now welcomes 14m shoppers a year. Mr Allinson said: “It has changed beyond all recognition – it’s a completely different place. “The biggest positive was we could attract retailers who had never been in Warrington before, like

Debenhams, who didn’t have a full line department store. On the back of that, we attracted new brands like Zara, Jane Norman, Oasis – all the real quality fashion brands. “We were also able to offer existing retailers, like Next and WH Smith, who had very small stores, much bigger sites and they have more than doubled or trebled in size.” Golden Square also houses independent, Warrington-based retailers including jewellers Boutique Hoco and coffee shop chain BeOffee. Food is providing Mr Allinson with plenty for thought as he looks to attract more people to the centre. “We are about halfway through the

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WARRINGTON

The Golden Square shopping centre has been transformed, and is a symbol of the town’s confidence and ability to attract major names to the town CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 process of developing a really good catering offer in the Old Market Place,” he said. “In the last 12 months, we have had Nando’s and Ask open, and we are looking to get another two or three restaurants. “Because of the size of the town centre and the relative size of Golden Square, it’s true to say that, as Warrington develops, that only helps us.” There are good reasons for Mr Allinson to be extremely positive about the opportunities for the centre in the coming years, because Warrington has some very ambitious plans. Mr Farrall said: “Two years ago, the priority would have been Omega but our priorities have shifted.

Omega is still an important site for us but we have really focused on the town centre big time. “Bridge Street Quarter is being completely redeveloped – a mix of leisure, offices, shops, a food store – a mixed-use site around open streets which link us with the Mersey. “We have master-planned all that. In the next month or so, we will be going into the market to try and find partners. We now own about 75% of this land. “The longer-term project is Warrington Waterfront. This is a 20-year prospect.” The vision is extensive and exciting. The plans for the riverside quarter include a convention and exhibition centre, performing arts centre, homes, hotels and offices. There are to be riverside

developments close to Bridgefoot, office developments to the south of the existing Centre Park development, which is currently home to the NWDA, and major residential areas, including replacing Howley Industrial Estate with a residential development. “It will knit the town centre with the Warrington waterfront,” added Mr Farrall. “It is a significant opportunity, although there are significant infrastructure issues as we have to move railway lines, but some of the areas could happen in a couple of years’ time. “It will keep regeneration going in Warrington for 20 years.” Another long-term plan is Central Hub, where there are plans for a major office development near to Warrington Central station and its

bus station. Regeneration of this area has been under way for a few years, with the Halliwell Jones stadium, which opened in 2004, and residential developments near Central station laying the foundations for future developments. An enhanced cultural quarter around Palmyra Square – already home to arts and entertainment venue Pyramid & Parr Hall – is planned, linking the town centre with Bank Quay station. Nearby, the Town Hall and its Golden Gardens are also to undergo major improvements, and there is a programme of public realm work planned to improve pedestrianised areas and improve key strategic routes. “The major scheme at Golden Gardens is an easy one,” said Mr

Farrall. “We are going to the market in the next couple of months. Our initial priorities are Golden Gardens and Bridge Street Quarter, and Warrington Waterfront is the longer-term. Third in terms of timescale is Central Hub. “The focus for the council is the town centre and the waterfront, and we have been working for the last couple of years on our masterplan. These are private schemes, although we own much of the land.” Warrington, though, is not just looking to the future as it already has a wide range of commercial activity taking place. Mr Farrall said: “Warrington’s hinterland has four strategic regional sites: Omega, Daresbury – 70% of the people who work there live in Warrington – Parkside and

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WARRINGTON

Warrington Central. That must make us the biggest concentration of sites in the North West.” The sites – identified by the NWDA – are designed to create the infrastructure to entice high value and knowledge driven activity into the region. In the 2009 review, carried out by GVA Grimley and published in July, the number of sites across the North West increased from 25 to 33, with Warrington Central among those added to the list. “Warrington Central is a high-density, city centre commercial and living, lifestyle waterfront development,” said Mr Farrall. “Daresbury is scientific, Parkside is industrial and distribution, Omega will be business. They are all very competitive.”

The Omega site has been beset by delays and opposition since it was announced in 2001. The £1bn scheme is for a 575-acre business park, to be built on the site of the former Burtonwood World War II United States Air Force base, and could house up to 24,000 jobs over 25 years. It had funding problems last year, and the NWDA refused to put more public money into it, saying the “strategic rationale” for the site had changed in the years since the plans were first drawn up. A new masterplan for Omega is expected imminently, but will not include a 2,500-capacity Titan prison. Despite the extensive delays with Omega, Warrington has a solid reputation for commercial property. A report by officebroker.com

ranked Warrington eighth in the country for enquiries by business services firms considering relocation. This placed the town within a group of large cities, including Birmingham, Leeds and Edinburgh – and ahead of north-west competitors Liverpool and Manchester. This followed on from a strong commercial property take-up in 2008, despite the sector’s significant problems. The Warrington Annual Property Review, produced for the borough council by BE Group, revealed that the local office market recorded its second highest number of deals of more than 2,000 sq ft since 1997. By the end of 2008, total office space take-up had increased by 20% from the 2007 level to reach more than 250,000 sq ft.

This coincided with a new high prime office rent achieved by MEPC Birchwood Park, where the high profile Bridgewater Place attracted relocations from Rolls-Royce and UKAEA at just under £18.50 per sq ft. And it is not just in commercial property that Warrington is doing well. The Cities Outlook 2009 report, produced by research and policy institute Centre for Cities, ranked Warrington eighth in its economic prosperity index, higher than any other northern city. Leeds, in 17th position, and Manchester, 19th, were the nearest other northern cities in the 64-city study. It also performed highly based on its size, as Warrington and York were the only smaller Midland and northern cities which ranked highly.

It is no coincidence that both of these cities have very strong transport links, especially rail, with journeys to London now under two hours. And these will be slashed further when the £34bn high-speed rail line from London to Scotland is developed, with the journey from Warrington to the capital taking just 66 minutes – not much longer than the peak-hours driving time from Warrington to Liverpool. “By train, Manchester and Liverpool are 20 minutes away and London is two hours away. We couldn’t get a more accessible place for business,” said Mr Farrall. “The high-speed rail link will make us very accessible – to get the

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WARRINGTON

Officials hope the £30m community sports village at Orford Park, Warrington, will be a landmark for the town 34 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 really high-speed trains and be just an hour away from London will be great. We don’t know too much about that and where the station will be, because there will be new lines, but we are keen to be involved.” Getting people involved is a key plank of one of Warrington’s other major schemes: the £30m community sports village at Orford Park. They say their aim is “to deliver a landmark facility providing new opportunities, encouraging participation and social cohesion across the community through provision of a broad range of activities, all underpinned by healthy living opportunities.” It will provide a wide variety of leisure, health, education facilities on one site, combining the Building Schools for the Future programme with the desire to leave a legacy from the 2012 Olympics. Warrington Council, working with bodies including NWDA, Sport England, Football Foundation and NHS Warrington, is creating a sports hub that will combine a swimming pool and pitches with community facilities and a library. It is scheduled to open at the end of 2011. Mr Farrall said: “It will have a retailer on the front and we are building new schools in the adjacent area and we will link it to the college. We are seeing it as a campus. “The first phase is the park and sports hub. It costs £30m and is in for

planning permission at the moment and starts on site later this year. “The Government culture and sports secretary of state is seeing it as an exemplar. The private sector development – the dowry – helps fund it and provides revenue in the future. “This is a critical project because it’s in part of one of the most deprived areas in the UK. We work very well with the community, with individual prosperity and their living environment. “Quite often, you need a landmark development to create a step-change. The Halliwell Jones stadium was that for sporting life in Warrington. It was also the first stage of the regeneration of Central Hub, which has Halliwell Jones and the Tesco package.” The Halliwell Jones stadium has also provided a launchpad for the Rugby League team’s ambitions, which were partially sated by winning the Challenge Cup last month, for the first time in 30 years. It will have lifted the town’s profile – which is otherwise known as the birthplace of DJ Chris Evans, who is also enjoying a resurgence after being named as Terry Wogan’s successor on the Radio 2 breakfast show. But there is an acceptance that what Mr Farrall describes as “the profile issue” needs addressing. “Birchwood has the biggest concentration of nuclear and knowledge-based firms in the UK. All

Warrington Wolves won Rugby League’s Challenge Cup in August the research and engineering is here. They are doing very, very well because of the recent changes to government thinking. “But the nuclear industry is a quiet industry. “Warrington is incredibly good at what it does. Everyone in the investment industry knows it’s here and we are always on the list. “We have been more successful than many of the core cities. We are too quiet. “We are putting that right. We

have set up our own regeneration company, called Warrington and Company, and have just established the website for it. Its role is to deliver the big schemes in Warrington. One of its roles is to market ourselves better, and we are working on that. “You will see a big change in the marketing of Warrington.” The change in perception hoped for is a consequence of changing realities. The Warrington At Night strategy addresses a problem that has affected the town’s reputation in

recent years, of being an insalubrious place to go in the evening. This co-ordinated approach is designed to make the town centre safer and more appealing in the evening. It ranges from the simple short-term solutions, of enhancing late-night access with more taxis and evening buses, and increasing the presence of police in the town centre at night, to the long-term plan to increase the amount of town centre residential space. “If you had come to Warrington a couple of years ago, you would have got a poor impression of Warrington at night,” said Mr Farrall. “For the last year, we have had a partnership with the police called ArcAngel and we have been taking concerted efforts in terms of ensuring premises do what they are meant to, working with door staff, and we have closed streets at weekends in the town centre. “We have reduced alcohol-related crime in pubs by 40% and it has been designated as a national policing exemplar. “We need to get more things for people to do and see in the town centre. We are working on a longer-term Warrington At Night strategy to get more things happening.” There is, though, already lots happening to improve business, industry, leisure and living. And Ikea is still worth a trip, too.

TRANSPORT

in association with

MARK DOWD IMPROVEMENTS to the Bidston Moss Viaduct emphasise the important role that the Mersey Tunnels play in the economy of our region – and their contribution to the Merseyside Local Transport Plan. There are some who claim the aims and objectives of the Mersey Tunnels are not compatible with those of Merseytravel and the Merseyside Local Transport Plan (LTP). This isn’t true. The LTP is not just a public transport strategy, it deals with all modes of transport including car, lorry, bus, train, taxi and walking. It does not support unfettered car use across Merseyside, and the existence of the tolls in the Queensway and Kingsway Tunnels provides a highly effective mechanism for demand management. Tolls also help ensure that traffic volumes do not exceed capacity; that vehicles flow freely and safely, and that the infrastructure and equipment is not put under further operational pressure as a result of queuing/ standing traffic. The tunnels handle over 26m private car journeys every year, with an average occupancy level of 1.5 persons per vehicle, which equates to 39m people. There are also around 300,000 bus journeys, with over 7m passengers a year, or almost 20,000 a day. A free flow of traffic is key to maintaining traffic movement around the city centre and ensuring bus services remain within their timetable – a breakdown in either tunnel results in major delays to both private and public transport. They are not a burden on the levy and are funded by

the users, not the local taxpayers. But, with running costs of around £11m a year, they can never be free. HEALTH Minister Andy Burnham recently described Merseytravel’s learning and development programme as “brilliant”, and HRH Prince Charles presented our Merseylearn team with a major prize at the annual Business in the Community (BITC) Awards for Excellence. We launched our Skills for Life programme over five years ago, working closely with the five trade unions within our organisation, and we have three learning centres. Access to learning, which includes a wide range of subjects from IT to languages, is available at any time to accommodate shift patterns. Staff are encouraged to brush up their skills, rather than being told they need to fill their skill gaps. We focus on the benefits it will give to them and their families, as well as to our business. So far, 95% of our staff now have at least a National Vocational Qualification at Level 2, with many more progressing onto higher levels. There are companies which question the time and investment needed for a Skills for Life programme for their staff. The Merseylearn programme has generated a £186,110 saving per year from reduced absenteeism. There has been a 50% reduction in customer complaints, and staff turnover has fallen to 4%. An investment in staff skills is an investment in the future of the company.

Bidston Moss viaduct, in Wirral, will be strengthened between 2010 and 2011

£85m road revamp No serious disruptions during bridge improvement plans

A KEY £85m scheme to improve the gateway road into the Mersey tunnels from Wirral is finally to get under way next summer. Design work on the viaduct strengthening operation is currently taking place, prior to a major remedial operation. At the moment, heavy goods vehicles are restricted to one lane on the highway that is used by 50,000 vehicles a day. Problems with the Bidston Moss viaduct were actually identified 10 years when new legislation allowed for 40-tonne heavy goods wagons. Graham Deakin, project manager for the Highways Agency, said: “We have know for a few years that

there were strength issues and that work would be needed. “It has been complicated in that different sections of the road are owned by three bodies, which are the Highways Agency, Wirral Council and Merseytravel. “The work will make for improved traffic flow and will restore the two lanes in each direction. “Hopefully any disruptions will be kept to a minimum, as a lot of the work will be going on underneath.” The Highways Agency appointed Costain to draw up designs. Bidston Moss Viaduct is a 730metre long box girder bridge which carries the M53 over the A554 roundabout and the Birkenhead to

New Brighton railway. It was opened in 1970 and is the main route into the Kingsway Tunnel, under the River Mersey, and is used by over 50,000 vehicles daily, including 3,000 heavy goods vehicles. As a safety precaution, heavy goods vehicles were restricted to the inside lane of the main carriageway, a 3.5-tonne limit imposed on the outside lane and the entry and exit slip roads reduced down to one lane. A further restriction in early 2005 reduced the capacity to cars only on the viaduct for a time. A strengthening contract was carried out between November, 2005, and 2006.

Hall Lane bottleneck due to be uncorked at last

Kingsway tunnel – tolls help ensure that traffic volumes do not exceed capacity

TRANSPORT links from the M62 into Liverpool town centre have been given a £17.1m seal of approval. The new Hall Lane Strategic Gateway will make it easier for commuters by delivering a new east-west highway into the city. The Department of Transport will invest most of the total £18.7m

costs for the new scheme. It is hoped that it will re-direct traffic away from residential areas. The replacement highway will remove a troublesome bottleneck and make the route much easier for drivers, which the Government believes will attract new businesses, visitors and investment into the city. A DoT spokesman said: “Remov-

ing the current bottleneck will cut journey times from the city centre to the M62 and beyond. This will reduce the economic burden of congestion on local businesses, as well as attracting visitors and assisting recovery in Liverpool.” Work will begin in October, 2009, and is expected to be completed by July, 2011.

EDUCATION

A computer-generated image of the new IT facilities planned for King David School, as part of Liverpool’s nine-year £500m Building Schools for the Future programme

Schools shake-up harmonises The man behind the delivery of a £500m nine-year revolution of Liverpool’s education facilities tells REVOLUTION in the provision of education for Merseyside youngsters has begun. Over the next nine years, more than half a billion pounds will be spent on creating the best conditions to deliver teaching and learning across the region, under the Government’s nationwide Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The education sector is aware of the changing needs of business for their workforce of the future, and BSF is aimed at improving teaching facilities to deliver better results. Companies both large and small have expressed concerns over a skills gap that they claim is hampering efficiency and productivity. Employers’ organisation, the Confederation of British Industry, (CBI) is in no doubt that literacy and numeracy skills require urgent attention.

CBI spokeswoman Fiona Murray said: “We have been quite explicit about what we want: numeracy and literacy, written and oral, and team working and problem solving.” She said there are also problems in the fields of science and mathematics where the CBI believes more young people should go on and study at a higher level, adding: “We are very supportive of BSF, because we have to provide the opportunity to bring lessons alive.” Neil Dutton, on the other hand, believes schools need to encourage more entrepreneurial skills in pupils to create small firms of the future. The regional organiser for business support organisation, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said: “I recently spent a day with a large group of young people from across Merseyside, many of whom were embarking upon A-Levels or awaiting A-Level results.

“These young people told me enterprise, self-employment or working for a small business was never discussed with them as a serious career option, if at all, and that their schools seemed only interested in encouraging them to go to university, and that that was because it made their school appear successful and that the school had targets to hit. “Not all young people are academic, or want to do more education after their standard years of schooling have come to an end. Not all young people want to go to university, as they are concerned that they will end up in considerable debt and are still not guaranteed a job.” He added: “If a young person has talent in a particular field, or a great interest in working in a particular sector, they should not be discouraged from looking at joining a small business, starting an

apprenticeship or embarking upon self-employment to make the most of that talent.” But Merseyside BSF leaders argue the programme set to shape the region’s new education provision will address all these concerns. Ron Rampling is the Children’s Services Project Director for Liverpool’s BSF programme and he explained the scheme will be delivered in two separate instalments, called wave two and wave six of the national programme. Wave two is worth £150m of building work, including five new schools and a refurbishment, and £10m of infrastructure for internet communication technology (ICT). Wave six entails £310m, ranging from three new build schools to various refurbishments, plus £50m of ICT. New-build schools will replace existing sites – the first in wave 2, a

50-place residential special school in Woolton, opened earlier this month – and some schools will share “co-location, not joint operation,” said Mr Rampling. “We’re not looking to amalgamate any of these schools, we’re just looking to offer the best quality facilities for them by concentrating them on one site.” He is at pains to point out that BSF is about transforming education provision, not building new schools. “This is a transformation of the activity of educational learning, of producing high achieving, highly aspirational, highly skilled young people through the secondary system, and it’s being enabled by a massive building programme. “I think it’s really important to emphasise this is a transformation programme about skills, about employment skills and about opportunities and aspirations for

EDUCATION

Ron Rampling, Children’s Services Project Director for Liverpool’s BSF programme

business and learning sectors

Neil Hodgson how it will address employers’ and entrepreneurs’ fears on skills young people.” He added: “The building programme is being driven by what schools want to do in terms of delivery and finding their own vision of their own ethos, their own specialism and how they see teaching and learning in the future. “This is to ensure that every community has the highest quality facilities for their young people. “In terms of built environment, we’re not looking for an institutional environment, we’re looking for an environment that is welcoming, warm, exciting places where children will want to come, as a place to be as much as a place to learn, where there will be a flexible and personalised environment available to them so they can make choices about how they want to learn, what they want to learn and where they want to undertake that activity. “And it will be an environment

that will be able to change to accommodate the unknown futures in terms of whatever business needs or economic needs might be.” He said the new system will welcome input from local employers and business organisations to broaden the choices for pupils. “The experience of learning is going to be very different, so that the economy of Liverpool is in a position to accept an increasingly skilled workforce from schools. “We want to bring in businesses and employers, something our schools have always been making attempts to do but there have been physical barriers to that which have been defined by what buildings they have had to operate in. “Our new facilities will try and enable those barriers to be removed and draw those employers in.” He admitted: “I don’t think we’re doing enough liaising with people

Neil Dutton, of the Federation of Small Businesses like the CBI or the FSB. I think it’s a discussion we need to extend a lot more than we have so far.” And in response to the FSB’s concerns, he said: “Liverpool is

emphasising in its own approach to BSF the concept of individual creativity and we want to make sure that our programme can emphasise that in whatever fashion in the

learning environment, so that those individual entrepreneurial skills can come out of it. Creativity in all subject areas is absolutely essential, including entrepreneurial skills.” He said that inclusiveness defines BSF: “The programme isn’t about offering greater opportunities to that minority of pupils that are going to succeed anyway. “It’s about offering opportunities for all pupils, some of whom are not feeding into the system. “This is creating a way in which all pupils, including the ones that are not successful in the school environment and disappear before the end of their statutory school period, enjoy that school experience and succeed in that experience and move forward with it. “That is what will measure or not whether this programme is a success, not whether we get the buildings up on time.”

ADVERTISING FEATURE

A sign of genuine quality

Local company Benson Signs looks to the future, after 40 years of business success WHEN you drive along Great Howard Street, into or out of the city centre, you’re certain to notice the offices of Benson Signs. Of course, it’s the bold signage that draws the eye, brings it to your attention and makes you remember what you’ve seen. This is what Benson Signs do. This is why they have worked with everyone from successful local companies to global brands and Premier League football teams. Senior project manager, Mark Williams, explains: “We are set up to be able to look after everyone’s signage needs; from the man coming in off the street to multi-national companies, from one-off sign requests to multi-site national rebrands.”

All work, from the design stage right through to final production, is completed on-site

History Benson Signs was established in Liverpool back in 1969 by Chris Benson, who still runs the company to this

day. By the mid-1980s, the business was firmly established as a leading figure in the high technology sign industry, allowing the firm to move to its current location in Liverpool’s Northern Docks area. Thanks to continuous and ongoing re-investment in plant and equipment, Benson Signs has been a real Merseyside business success story. The firm offers everything from full colour digitally printed signs and banners, hand fabricated signs in timber and metal, plus intricate laser-cut logos and signs – offering possibly the widest range of in-house sign production facilities in the North-West. The business Benson Signs certainly has an impressive operation with all work, from the design stage right through to final production, being completed

under one roof at its Great Howard Street site. Located just minutes from Liverpool city centre, the company’s premises offers 45,000 sq ft of design and production space, including 3,000 sq ft of space to store client’s products. Such a scale of operation means that, while its roots and many of its clients are based in the North-West, Benson Signs is able to be a company that thinks and deals on a national level. Of course, in order to aspire to this level of success and industry recognition, Benson Signs has to have a workforce to match. The company prides itself on employing innovative staff, able to excel in problem solving and forward thinking in all areas of the industry. Thanks to the close-knit, hardworking team at Benson Signs, clients see that their ideas are swiftly turned into finished products.

ADVERTISING FEATURE How Benson Signs has reduced its own environmental impact ■ Installed photo voltaic solar panels ■ Conversion of company’s own signage to LED ■ All factory and office lighting upgraded to energy-efficient ■ Installed two solar water heating systems ■ Fitted new high-efficiency gas boilers ■ Upgraded insulation in premises ■ Replaced air-conditioning with evaporative cooling ■ Set up tax-free “cycle to work” scheme

Expert craftsmen combine with the latest technology to meet the client’s needs There are over 40 highly experienced members of staff at Benson Signs, most with more than 10 years with the company, all working hard to ensure the needs of the customer are clearly met. “The sign industry is essentially a people industry,” says general manager, Kevin Leary. “Staff have to work closely with both clients and other members of the team, so we look for individuals who have both people skills and are expert craftsmen, and we combine this with the latest sign-making technology.” Another way, apart from the expertise of their staff, in which Benson Signs gives added value to its customers is through its on-site production. Having all of the production and design team in the one location means the business can retain tighter controls on quality and delivery. Through not being reliant on third parties to manufacture for the business, Benson Signs is able to maintain exacting standards of care where a client’s work is involved,

allowing the team to react quickly to the changing needs of the customer. Forward thinking Even the choice of equipment used to produce the signage bears the sort of quality hallmark and progressive line of thought that runs through everything Benson Signs does. “We’re constantly looking to acquire new equipment to enhance our service to clients and reduce production costs,” says Kevin. While Mark adds: “And this sort of forward thinking can improve the quality of the product, the speed in which it can be delivered, and the cost to the client also.” With virtually all production processes carried out on the premises, Benson Signs has invested in state-of-the-art facilities and the latest technologies. These include CNC router and laser profiling, automated 3-D letter manufacture, large format digital printing and powder coating facilities. Benson Signs understands that continued investment in machinery, staff and facilities is essential in

The company has installed solar panels across its rooftop to provide ‘green’ energy

order to meet and even exceed the needs of its clients. But a forwardthinking mentality needs to apply to the long life of the product itself, and to the environmental responsibility of producing and using it. The environment To these ends, Benson Signs recognises the importance of recycling, along with making sure its own operation is run in as environmentally friendly a way as possible. Working alongside specialist companies, Benson Signs is able to recycle between 70% and 80% of waste products. What’s more, through registration with the WEEE (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment) Scheme, the company is able to dispose of the electrical components of old, redundant signage in a safe and ecologically sound manner. Another way in which the company has been actively looking to assist clients is through the conversion of their illuminated signage to LED (light emitting diodes). Such lighting systems are

increasingly replacing the previously widely used likes of fluorescent tubes and neon. In comparison to LED, these other systems have a much higher level of energy consumption, which has a knock-on effect in terms of higher energy bills and a greater impact on the environment and future maintenance. Also, LED technology lasts longer and is becoming increasingly brighter than its predecessors. While the initial outlay can sometimes be more for LED signs, the energy savings make the product a more viable long-term solution in terms of overall cost. What’s more, Benson Signs is registered with the Carbon Trust as an approved supplier and, as such, can assist clients fitting LED signs. “We are able to work closely with clients who meet the criteria set by the Trust in obtaining interest-free energy-efficient loans to assist in the purchase of LED signage,” explains Above: Creative staff are key to the Mark. “We can even make the success of the business application on the clients’ behalf, making their life a little easier.” Below: A CNC router in operation

■ FOR all your signage needs, deal with a forward-thinking, environmentallyaware, company. Contact Benson Signs, 96-98, Great Howard Street, Liverpool, tel: 0151 298 1567.

Congratulations on achieving 40 Years in Business!!! Proud to be associated with Benson Signs when quality matters

NORTH WEST

Proud to be associated with Benson Signs Wishing them every success

St Johns Road, Bootle

Our business is supply install and maintenance of Panasonic Business Telephone Systems. Please see our website. www.octagoncommunications.co.uk

HEAVY TEXTILES

0151 933 9059

CONGRATULATIONS to Chris Benson Signs, we wish you continued success and are delighted to have been associated with Chris Benson Signs for over 20 years.

THE NETWORKER

THE BUSINESS LIST Tuesday, September 29

The Southport group of the Liverpool Society of Chartered Accountants is holding a seminar on common VAT issues, with Barry Stocks of BTG as the main speaker. It is at the offices of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Hoghton Street, Southport, from 6pm-7pm and is free to members. Contact Alex Pilkington on 01942 497015 or e-mail alex.pilkington@icaew.com.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15/ NWDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND AGM

Friday, October 2 The latest Sixty Really Useful Minutes seminar is How apprentices can help your company grow, with John Myers, employer services director from the National Apprenticeship Service. It is from 9am-10am at Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. To book, call 0151 227 1234 or e-mail events@liverpoolchamber.org.uk.

Monday, October 5 The Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, together with the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency and market experts Copernicus, are having a Netherlands International Business Day. Companies can receive a free 45-minute individual consultation to explore the opportunities within this market. To book, contact Elena Enciso on 0151 227 1234 or e-mail export@liverpoolchamber.org.uk.

Tuesday, October 6 The next 1stuesday breakfast event is at 7.45am at Foodini Restaurant, The Heath Business and Technical Park. It is free to Halton Chamber members and £10 for non-members. To book, contact Nicola Holland on 01928 516142 or email nicolah@haltonchamber.com.

Wednesday, October 7 A seminar will go through the process of taking an idea to market, from initial concept, design and development, to creating a hit seller in the market. The event will look at a variety of case studies. Speakers will include experts from British Design Innovation Northwest and consultants from the field of product design and innovation. The

NWDA chief executive Steven Broomhead will address the annual conference on the Agency’s response to the economic downturn THE Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) is holding its annual conference and AGM at the BT Convention Centre. It will reflect on some of the agency’s key achievements, as well as its response to the

downturn and how NWDA business finance products are being used by the region's businesses. NWDA chief executive Steven Broomhead will present an overview of some of the work it and its partners have

free event is at ic2, at Liverpool Science Park, from 4pm-6.30pm. To register for this event, visit http://tinyurl.com/ideatomarket.

undertaken this year. Event host Jim Hancock will also interview the NWDA's newly-appointed chairman, Robert Hough, on the region's future challenges and priorities, and there will also be an opportunity to pose questions to the

Kirkdale’s Liverpool Film Academy is the venue for a Calling All Creatives business networking evening, from 6pm-9pm. StepClever, in association with Merseyside ACME and Liverpool Vision, will host the event, which is aimed at bringing together creative enterprises and individuals living, working or looking to relocate to north Liverpool and south Sefton. Attendance is free but advance booking is essential. To register or for further information e-mail info@stepclever.co.uk.

The Start-Up Breakfast is a good introduction to networking for new businesses. Hosted by business advisers from St Helens Chamber,

and tackle the challenges facing the sector due to the economic downturn. The event is free to attend. ■ FOR further information and to register online, visit www. nwda.co.uk/agm09

Wednesday, October 14

Wednesday, October 7

Wednesday, October 14 ic2, at Liverpool Science Park

agency's board. A separate event will be taking place in the afternoon to launch the North West Manufacturing Strategy, a new framework to support the ongoing growth of the manufacturing sector

The emerging green technologies sector has products and services that promise to save businesses money while saving the planet. Liverpool Science Park is hosting a free event about how businesses can benefit, and also to inform about changes in the law and funding opportunities. To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/lspgreen.

Wednesday, October 23 St Helens Chamber is holding a Start-Up Breakfast for new businesses on October 14 the free event will provide an informal taster of networking. It is from 7.45am-9am, and breakfast and refreshments will be provided. To book, call 01744 742035.

A roundtable meeting with Greg Watkins, executive director of the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) will be held at Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. It will be followed by one-to-one sessions booked by pre-arrangement. To book, contact Elena Enciso on 0151 227 1234.

SOCIAL DIARY THE NETWORKER

Tracey Ricketts, centre, scientific committee secretary, with Brian Rickets, left, and North West Cancer Research Fund chairman John Lewys-Lloyd, at the Butterfly Ball

Kate Cornmell, left, and Louise Newton, from Smart Storage, at the Butterfly Ball

CAROLYN HUGHES GENEROUS guests at North West Cancer Research Fund’s annual Butterfly Ball are expected to have raised a staggering £12,000 to provide fundamental research into the causes of the disease. The Butterfly Ball, held at the Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel, at Ledsham, near Chester, was hosted by Radio Merseyside’s Willie Miller and guests were treated to dinner and dancing, set to the dulcet tones of Dr Jazz and the Cheshire Cats. ■ David M Robinson jewellers hosted a customer event with watch makers Audemars Piguet at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

Clients were invited to a clinic with three-times winner of the PGA European Tour and 2008 Ryder Cup Team member Graeme McDowell. ■ Franco Colangeli, the genial host of Castle Street’s Bar Italia, welcomed Liverpool Chamber’s members to an Italian-themed Platform Lunch. ■ The Mayor and Mayoress of Wirral, Andrew and Kathryn Hodson, held their second charity ball at the Thornton Hall Hotel. The event was held in aid of the Mayor’s Charities, and raised £6,000 for several worthwhile local causes.

From left, Gary Mead, Alan Hansen, Mark Boler, Graeme McDowell and David Brookes, at Royal Birkdale

Ian Carruthers, of Armstrongs Solicitors, at the Butterfly Ball From left, Graeme McDowell, Gary Mead, Paul Sproston, John Robinson and Mike McComb, at Royal Birkdale

Suzanne and Andrew Thompson, of Thornton Hall Hotel, at the Mayor’s Charities event

Mayoress of Wirral Kathryn Hodson, left, and Heather Caley (House of Hilbre) at the Mayor’s Charities event

From left, Heidi Kenworthy, Helen Wilson, Nicholas Palmer, David Turner and Franco Colangeli, with Jenny Stewart, of Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, at Bar Italia

THE NETWORKER

BUSINESS LUNCH Barry Turnbull and Sarah Collinge recall Sushi parties and snake and kidney pie at Sapporo Teppanyaki HEN we lived in Singapore, many moons ago, my father, an RAF quartermaster, used to come back with all manner of goodies seized from the store-room. On one occasion, he announced he had a special treat lined up, and like a rabbit out of a hat, he pulled a slithering reptile from his kit-bag. Snake and kidney pie, he announced, was going to be the dish of the day. I watched with some repulsion as he skinned the rubbery reptile, chopped it into pieces and fried it with Chinese spices. The pie bit was a joke, but the flesh of the venomous varmint was dispatched with some gusto. I opted for baked bean soup. In other parts of the Far East, the likes of dog and bird’s nest soup are regarded as delicacies, but to my mind they sound as appealing as watching TV’s Born Survivor, Bear Grylls, crunching on live cockroach and scorpion. Mind you, I used to recoil at the thought of eating raw fish, but times have changed. Sushi has now got a big following; it’s tasty, nutritious and healthy, and there can be no greater testimony to the fact that heart disease among Japanese men is about a third of their Western counterparts. Which brings me to Sapporo Teppanyaki. Liverpool's first, and still the finest, restaurant specialising in dishes from the Land of the Rising Sun. It's a classy venue and famous for theatrical cooking at the tableside with chefs wielding menacing choppers and tossing eggs in the air. However, our visit was on a Monday lunchtime, and let's just say, the staff weren't exactly rushed off their feet. My companion was Sarah Collinge, of the Liverpool hairdressing dynasty, who had two reasons to celebrate; marking 25 years of training thousands of stylists and moving into new premises on Bold Street. The former Barclays bank building will double as head office and graduates training salon. The company director explained: "I've been waiting for this day for 15 years. We have long wanted to amalgamate parts of the business under one roof, but it's been a long time coming. It was important that we got the right location and I love Bold Street because it's so full of life, and reminds me of Soho." As we scanned the menu, she revealed that she once hosted a Sushi dinner party in London, back in the 1980's, when the culinary scene was as exciting as a prawn cocktail, and

people switched on a microwave oven with all the trepidation of entering a nuclear reactor. To start with, we shared a platter of nigiri sushi (£11.95), a glorious, gluttonous combination of fish and rice served with radish, pickled ginger and wasabi. Slices of fresh salmon and tuna and the accompaniments danced a merry jig on the tastebuds. Sarah explained that her passion is training new generations of hairdressers, and the company's track record has seen it given Beacon status by the Government, only awarded to benchmark businesses. This year, a record 170 students will go through the NVQ programme, many of them from other salons. She said: "I suppose in one sense we are training people for competitors, but we have always strongly believed that, if it helps raise standards for the industry, it's a good thing. When the recession began to bite, I think some employers may have seen training as a way to save money, but it has come back strongly this year for us and I would hope that's because of the high standards we set. “Making sure we produce people of the highest possible quality is at the heart of our philosophy.” As Sarah enthused about her work, we tackled a plate of seafood tempura (£7.95), a mouth-watering marriage of king prawn, squid and sea bass, deep fried in a melt-in-themouth batter. The dishes were complemented by a glass of dry and spicy Italian Sauvignon Blanc (£3.95). The Collinge association with crimping stretches back 100 years, when grandfather Wilfred opened his barber's shop, but it was her father Peter, a legendary figure, who put the family name on the map. He was to the North-West what Vidal Sasson was to the glittering sixties scene. Her brother, Andrew, is another celebrated scissor- wielder who has crimped Royalty and rock stars. His first job was washing Margaret Thatcher’s hair and last year he prepared Princess Anne’s son, Peter Phillips, and bride Autumn Kelly, for their Royal wedding. One

Sarah Collinge takes time to chill out, after big changes to the company hairdressing business bee that is buzzing under the Collinge bonnet is the fact that private businesses, unlike colleges, get no financial help with training. Sarah explained: "The colleges get all the help for students and facilities but, if you find one that does a better job than us, I'd be surprised. It does seem to be a bit of an uneven playing field. I think our track record and the number of people we have trained who have started their own business, speaks volumes." Training someone to NVQ Stage 3 and to a more advanced level can take around three years, so it's a lot of investment in time and care. Mind you, it's not in the Sushi chef class, as the top practitioners in Japan can spend a decade learning the trade – longer than it takes to become a doctor. Three years alone are spent learning how to perfect rice dishes. But the amount of time and effort pays off when it comes to the quality of the food that is produced. I did try my hand once at home, but the result was pretty

Andrew Collinge

uninspiring and I don’t fancy spending years honing my technique. Much better to rely on the experts. For our third and last sharing platter, we opted for prawns in garlic sauce (£7.25), an exquisite blend of cream and crustacean, and spicy tuna (£6.25), piquant morsels of firm fish. The beauty of Japanese cuisine is that, being so light and delicate, there is no feeling of over-indulging even after a good tuck-in. Probably because there aren’t vast quantities of carbohydrates to weigh you down. Another feature of the menu is the variety of dishes available. As well as the tasters we enjoyed, there are main courses featuring chicken, duck and beef fillet or banquets such as the challenging Emperor menu at £40 a head and plenty of noodles and salads. Sarah said: “I’m very impressed. I’ve not been here for quite some time, but the food was really delicious.” There were other matters on her mind, though. Any new move is usually fraught with problems and theirs has been no different. Water was off for some time and the information technology system went down. The company has taken the

opportunity to modernise all its systems. So, for instance, the diary is no longer a book with scrawled messages but a touch-screen device which also monitors how long students are taking to deal with each customer. “What we can do”, adds Sarah, “is look at a job in progress and shift things around if one customer is going to take longer than we initially thought. “It should all make for a much more efficient way of working. We have also taken on an IT systems manager to oversee the system. “I think we have a lot of benefits moving forward and we have already found that a lot of us being under one roof it’s easier to get together and socialise, which hasn’t been too easy in the past.”

DETAILS Sapporo Teppanyaki 134, Duke Street, East Village, Liverpool L1 5AG Tel: 0151 705 3005 sapporo.co.uk

City Rendezvous Restaurant

Romantically known as the Chung-Ku, situated in Liverpool’s breath taking spot. It’s ironic & timeless architectural design with panoramic windows, host a dramatic sea view - A dining experience to be enjoyed & relished.

Our world is Green or is it! The word green means different things to different people or different context. For instance, green for eco-friendly. Green as for “green shoot” in times of economic recovery. Also for a light hearted view, green can mean inexperienced or the initiated. At the moment, there is no sign of green shoots yet and might we suggest that most of us are definitely not ‘green’ in that we have become used to the harsh reality of this recession. The unwelcome news from the current media is because the globe is NOT green enough, the climate change has seriously damaged our crops and therefore reduces the supply of our imported goods, which has been taken for granted for too long. All is not lost however, for we will endeavour to search out quality ingredients the world over, just to satisfy and please our clients.

Romantic evenings Family & friends dining Corporate business Functions & Conferences Weddings & Parties Hen & Stag nights (free dancing tuition for bride & groom) private parking for 120 cars for diners

Weddings, Parties, Hen & Stag nights catered for, and as a unique experience we offer a free dancing lesson with a professional instructor to help prepare for the big day and have some fun whilst relaxing.

With 360 seats, City Rendezvous is ideal for private/corporate functions & conferences, treat your friends/business associates to over 30 dim sum’s with it’s stand alone department and our traditional Chinese banquet. Columbus Quay, Riverside Drive, L3 4DB

t: 0151 726 8191 or 07504 858213

www.chung-ku.com 45

THE NETWORKER

BARRY TURNBULL . . . Our hero joins Mad Dogs and Englishmen in the midday sun and finds a piano bar too hot to handle HERE'S an oftquoted saying that some folk are so hell-bent on freebies that they would go to the opening of an envelope. I wouldn't go that far, but in one column last year I did recount how much I'd enjoyed going to the opening of a multi-storey car park. It gets even better. This month, the occasion was the ribbon-cutting of a new road. It was a searing September afternoon, but not only was the grand opening being held in a hothouse marquee, I was also wearing a suit, collar and tie. As the sun's rays heated up the canvass, it began to get just a tad uncomfortable. Still, there was always the fresh orange, dainty canapé Yorkshire puds and mini chocolate cakes to attend to. As I munched on the tidbits, Liverpool Vision PR man Jonathon Caswell sidled up and reminded me of a conversation we

had about pies – he living in Wigan and me being a former resident. "It wasn't Greenhalgh's I was thinking of," he informed me, "Gallagher's, now there's a pie". The occasion at Liverpool Innovation Park (LIP) was to mark the completion of a highway linking Edge Lane with Wavertree Technology Park, which will also open up new land for development. The grandlytitled Innovation Boulevard was also described by Liverpool Vision chief Jim Gill as a helpful route for local commuters in the know – by which, I take it, he meant a rat-run. As the guests sweated and fidgeted, the speakers – including Mr Gill, Paul Akin, from the NWDA and verbose Welshman Wayne Locke, head of Space Northwest, the site developers – rattled through their pearls of wisdom. The only person looking cool was Sylvia Pollock, the site marketing manager, who was resplendent in a red dress. All the speakers spoke of their confidence in the site as a pot-

ential generator of "high-value" jobs, although, in the background, loomed the old fading Littlewoods Art Deco building, which has apparently been earmarked as a single site for two schools. The remainder of the site includes the former Merseytram depot and the Marconi electronics manufacturing plant. There were tours around the site which proved interesting. An open courtyard area within Marconi revealed a green oasis, landscaped grounds and a water feature. There is even a derelict luxury flat where executives entertained high-fliers, including Margaret Thatcher. Presumably she was whisked in via the back entrance with a bag over her head. I also had another hot-under- thecollar experience recently when I visited a large city centre restaurant with a number of professionals. It was roomy and seemed to be fairly airy – until we sat down. Whether the hot summer night and the proximity of the kitchens had pushed the temperature up, I know not, but soon beads of sweat were forming on various brows. Not far away stood a huge industrial-type fan, which looked like the ideal solution. I attracted the attention of a waiter who toddled off muttering something . . . and did little about it. It was getting to the point whereby the heat was becoming unbearable, so a second request was made. By this time, a pianist and singer were going through a rather tired repertoire of standards commonly found in a fading cabaret lounges from Blackpool to Bognor. The waiter came over to apologise profusely: “Oh yes, we get lots of complaints, but the fan is so loud it drowns out the piano, so it’s staying off.” A good reason to switch it on at full blast, I would have thought. Never again . . . O HERBERT'S high-falutin’ bubbly bar, Champu, is no more. The crimper admitted the venture became like a “black cloud” hanging over him and he was “elated” to be rid of it. Can’t recall too many people being delighted at losing £250,000, but better than throwing good money after bad, I guess. It must be admitted that a recession wasn't really the right time to be opening a Champagne lounge with prices ranging from £60 to £1,200. Not only that, there were no other drinks that could be bought on the premises and fellows had to wear a jacket. On opening night, I quaffed free pink Champagne, minus jacket, and overheard someone bemoaning the lack of brown ale . . . which kinds of sums it up.

Hairdresser Herbert Howe in happier times at his bubbly bar, Champu, which has since closed

Open Day& Night We would be delighted if you could join us for one of our open events. There are two separate dates when all four of our schools will be open. You will get the chance to meet the teachers, see the facilities and learn about our curriculum and other activities. If you are unable to make an open event then please remember that we welcome visits all year round. Open Evening Thursday 8 October 5pm – 7pm Open Day Saturday 10 October 9am – 12:30pm Come along and see why we are one of the North West’s leading independent day schools for boys and girls aged 4 –18.

Senior Boys

Senior Girls Extensive school bus service (12 routes) available throughout the North West. A Level Results 2009 Boys and Girls combined: 80% A B grades with 12 pupils into Oxford and Cambridge

Junior Boys

www.merchanttaylors.com The Best Education For Life

Stanfield Mixed Infants & Junior Girls

Mixed Infants and Junior Girls 0151924 1506 Senior Girls 0151932 2414 Boys’ Schools 0151949 9333

The Merchant Taylors’ Schools, Crosby: a company limited by guarantee in England: Company Number: 6654276. Registered office: Liverpool Road, Crosby, Liverpool L23 0QP. Registered Charity Number:1125485.

For Christmas all wrapped up, pick up our new brochure.

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mas all wra

pped up

Whether you are celebrating with family, friends, or colleagues we guarantee you a magical time, a service that is genuinely warm and friendly, ﬁrst class cuisine and all set in a truly individual setting. This year in addition to the wide choice of wonderful festive menus, we are also delighted to invite you to stay over with us and experience our new luxurious guest rooms.

To view our Christmas brochure online visit

www.formbyhallgolfresort.co.uk

or call 01704 875 699 to request your copy. Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa, Southport Old Road, Formby, Merseyside L37 0AB 48

Christmas Brochure Out now