postbusiness thisweek ShopDirect’s brightfuture Big Feature 4-5
Isyourworkplace coldenoughfor apolarbear?
Networker21
Plane spoken Liverpool Airport’s latest CEO plots new course
LittleAtom lookingto BigApple
Creative10-11
Birthofan entrepreneur Womenin Business 15
Thescience ofgrowth
Economic development 18-19
P12 &13
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
post business news
Bright spark Shaun, 17, honoured as Apprentice of the Year SHAUN Wiltshire, from Whiston, has been named Apprentice of the Year by the North West Training Council (NWTC) and his employer Marine Specialised Technology (MST). The 17-year-old is in the first year of his electrical engineering apprenticeship with the Brunswick Business Park-based military and commercial workboat builder. His training programme is a joint venture between MST and NWTC which started in 2011 and has so far resulted in six apprenticeships being awarded. Mr Wiltshire was awarded the honour after consistently achieving excellent grades at college and for his positive attitude. MST supported the award with the gift of an electrical multimeter as recognition of his hard work. The firm extended special thanks to the youngster’s supervisor, Tony Kay, and his training mentor, Steve Creswell. Philip Hilbert, a director with MST which boasts a £16m turnover, said: “The apprenticeship scheme has been hugely successful and is helping to develop our next generation of electrical and mechanical engineers, something which we believe is essential to our company’s future.”
Steve Stuart, corporate finance partner at Brabners Stuart
MST production manager Jeff Abbott, left, presents Apprentice of the Year Shaun Wiltshire with his award
Baby specialist retailer creates 77 jobs with Aintree opening by Neil Hodgson
POST BUSINESS STAFF
neil.hodgson@liverpool.com
NEARLY 80 jobs have been created with the opening of a children’s nursery retailer superstore in Aintree. The Aintree Racecourse Retail Park opening by baby specialist Kiddicare is its second of 2013 and the fifth in total for the Peterborough-based company that plans to open 10 superstores this year. Its other stores are in Nottingham, Dudley, Thurrock and Rotherham. The Liverpool site opened yesterday and has created jobs for 77 staff, all living within a 10 mile radius of the store.
Kiddicare chief operating officer Grant Henley said: “Bringing the Kiddicare brand to the North West of England is another major milestone. “Kiddicare Aintree is more than just a store. It’s 41,000 sq ft of world-class shopping: a state-of-the-art experience with over 3,500 brilliant baby products at prices that absolutely won’t be beaten. That’s a guarantee.” Store manager and mum-of-three Linda Tottey said: “Kiddicare Aintree will be the heart of the community; we can’t wait to welcome mums and dads, bumps and babies, aunts and uncles, grannies and granddads. “Lots of our colleagues have children, too, so it’s a real celebration of family.” The firm said its strategy involves
connecting with the community and the new store features an event room free for customers to use offering a daily schedule of baby yoga, baby massage, toddler play sessions, ante-natal classes and drop-in sessions with expert healthcare advisers. A large community table next to the play zone in the Kiddicafé offers a place for mums to meet, make friends and share parenting tips: “Kiddicare Aintree is a real social hub,” added Ms Tottey. Among other services provided at the store are free car seat fitting and safety checking for all car seats, free customer WiFi, free weekday winter buggy MOTs, free car parking and 365 day returns. Other features include a baby gifts
Top marks for Liverpool food outlets FOOD lovers have given Liverpool city centre’s lunchtime offer a thumbs up according, to a mystery shopping survey. Satisfaction levels have reached an all time high according to the survey, commissioned
STEP INTO MY OFFICE
by Liverpool City Central BID, in which 30 food outlets scored an 89% approval rating – compared to 77% when the survey last took place at the end of 2011. Of those assessed this January and February, five scored top marks
(Bella Italia, Buffalo Jacks, Café Rouge and Carluccio’s and Soul Café) compared to none in the last survey. Equally, just three eateries scored below 80% and none below 72% – unlike last time when 11 had scores
below that rating. Jeff Caplan, managing director of Storecheckers which surveys dozens of cities across Britain, said: ‘”Liverpool’s dining experience has achieved a phenomenal approval rating.”
list which works like a wedding list but for baby. Ms Tottey said: “Our product selection is just fantastic. We have everything for baby all under one roof.” Yesterday’s grand opening featured free gifts for the first 100 children and a £500 voucher for the winner of a 60-second trolley dash competition. Kiddicare is ultimate owned by supermarket chain Morrisons which acquired the family-owned business, formed in 1974, for £70m in 2011 in a bid to attract more families with young children. Morrisons bought 10 former Best Buy sheds, as the US electrical chain downsized, as part of its drive to expand the reach of Kiddicare.
Patent advice BUSINESSES are being urged to protect their products with patents to cash in on new UK tax breaks which come into force on April 1. Merseyside patent attorney Forresters says the new “Patent Box” legislation will reduce tax on profits from patented technologies from 23% to 10% and is included in April’s Finance Act.
‘Retail on its own is no longer For News, to sufficient Sport keepand the Business big players on your going, phone e-commerce Text LDP is playing to 67800 more and more of a role. That’s also true of professional services’ To watch the full video interview, go to www. ldpbusiness. co.uk
European first for JLA hotel THE deputy manager at the Hampton by Hilton Hotel, next to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, is the first employee in Europe to win a Spirit of Hampton Award. Martin Lote was given the award by parent company Hilton Worldwide for his outstanding level of customer service. He was nominated by his team at Hampton by Hilton Liverpool John Lennon Airport after he drove to the Midlands to reunite a guest with urgently needed belongings he had left behind at the hotel. Mr Lote, who has been at the hotel since 2010, said: “I am delighted to receive this prestigious award and to be the first in Europe to do so is a fantastic.”
Thursday, March 28, 2013
news post business
Santander in £1m funding deal for Premier Vehicle Rental COMMERCIAL vehicle rental business Premier Vehicle Rental will be investing in more than 50 new vehicles after securing a £1m asset finance deal with Santander Corporate & Commercial. The business, which is registered in Liverpool and also operates in Grantham, currently has 450 vehicles in
its fleet and is looking to significantly increase this number over the next couple of years as part of its organic growth strategy. Premier services more than 40 commercial clients. It was established in 2009 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Road Range, a Mercedes Benz commercial vehicle franchise
for Merseyside and North Wales. In addition to its Liverpool and Grantham sites it also has depots in Deeside and Newark. Managing director Brian Kempson said: “Santander has really taken the time to understand our business and deliver an innovative funding
solution which will help us achieve our goals of business growth. “The team at Santander has shown real enthusiasm for what we want to achieve and have communicated clearly with us – it has been a refreshing way to work with a bank.” Phillip Roscoe, relationship director for Santander Cor-
porate & Commercial, said: “Premier Vehicle Rental is an excellent example of a strong, well managed local business with the potential to significantly grow. “We are delighted that they have chosen to work with us and I am looking forward to building our relationship in the years to come.”
Essar moves 450 tonne plant in £23m oil refinery project by Neil Hodgson
POST BUSINESS STAFF
tony.mcdonough@liverpool.com
ESSAR Oil UK has successfully completed the delivery of a huge £23m piece of kit as part of an upgrade of its Stanlow refinery. The 450-tonne giant steel regenerator head is part of a key petrol-producing unit being installed by the India-facing energy group in a refurbishment of the Ellesmere Port site. The head for Stanlow’s flagship residue catalytic cracking unit – the largest of its kind in Europe – was the biggest load seen on the M53 motorway for more than a quarter of a century as it made the four-mile journey from Ellesmere Port Docks in just over six hours on Monday morning earlier this week. The residue catalytic cracking unit, which is vital to Stanlow’s annual production of three billion litres of petrol, is being prepared for a major refurbishment later this year. The replacement of the giant head is a key element of the project and will give the refinery unit another 25 years of life. Volker Schultz, chief executive officer, Essar Oil (UK), said: “Moving a load of this size is a complex technical operation and it is a credit to all the teams involved that it was completed safely and ahead of schedule. “The project represents a significant multi-million pound investment and is further proof of our determination to ensure Essar Oil UK is sustainably profitable and growing moving forward.” He added: “The Stanlow refinery is a major economic driver in the region and this is a clear demonstration of our confidence in its future growth.” Essar bought the refinery from oil giant Shell in August, 2011, paying £216m in two annual instalments, and a further £564m for the crude oil and fuels stored on the site. It also announced a four-year invest-
The 450 tonne steel regenerator head makes progress along the M53 earlier this week ment plan worth some £250m for the plant which employs about 950 staff and a further 500 to 1,000 contractors on the site at any one time. Stanlow is the second biggest refinery in the UK producing 296,000
barrels of oil each day, or 14.6 million metric tonnes per annum. It is responsible for about 15% of UK transport fuels, including around three billion litres of petrol, 3.5 billion litres of diesel and two billion litres of jet
Matthew wins Chamber challenge PENSBY school leaver Matthew Bell has won an apprenticeship with Liverpool Chamber of Commerce’s training department after triumphing in its recent You’re Hired challenge. The chamber ran a compet-
ition for a number of students during National Apprentice Week earlier this month to design a potential website. The student who showed the most aptitude would be given an apprenticeship, and young Matthew was judged to
have all the qualities that the chamber needs for the role. He will begin his apprenticeship after completing his GCSEs later this year and he said: “The apprenticeship is such a huge opportunity, and I am ecstatic that I won.”
fuel per year, which is piped to both Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport. The Essar Group has operations in more than 25 countries across five continents, employing 75,000 people.
New directors ST HELENS Chamber of Commerce has welcomed three new directors. Neil Taylor, director of Wind in the Willows Childcare has re-joined the board, Gary Charlton, UK operations director at glass maker Pilkington is a new arrival, and chartered surveyor and group chief executive of developer Langtree, John Downes, also joins.
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Training for HGV drivers on offer A SPECIALIST recruitment agency in Ellesmere Port has teamed up with a Flintshire training firm to tackle a looming HGV driver shortage. The partnership between Driving Force, a division of gap personnel, and Chevron Training, will help hundreds of drivers in the North West complete Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) training before a September 2014 deadline. European legislation states all professional drivers must complete CPC training, which can cost hundreds of pounds. Drivers, along with their employers, will be liable for fines if they drive without a Driver Qualification Card after the deadline. Recent surveys suggest many drivers do not intend to complete the training because of the cost and are thinking of changing career or retiring. However, Driving Force will cover the cost of CPC training with Chevron for newly-registered drivers, while Chevron refers drivers who are on the lookout for work to the agency. John Sutcliffe, Driving Force operations manager, said: “By partnering with Chevron we hope to solve a problem for both drivers and the industry as a whole.” Driving Force supplies drivers to more than 100 clients a day across the UK through a range of sites across the country.
ISP extends MoD deal BOOTLE marine firm International Safety Products (ISP) has extended an eight year relationship with the Ministry of Defence after signing a new agreement involving specialist safety suits used in emergencies at sea. The firm, based on Hawthorne Road, has renewed a deal to continue servicing Intrepid Once Only Survival Suits, used when escaping stricken vessels, that it supplies to the MoD. ISP has provided more than 30,000 of these suits to the MoD since 2004.
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
post business big feature
Bill Gleeson
Speke retailer’s
Chancellor fails to understand UK’ s housing problems
A decade of big losses fails to dent optimism about Shop Direct’s prospects. Bill Gleeson reports
GEORGE Osborne’s attempt to revitalise the country’s house building industry have met with a mixed reception. Many commentators have expressed surprise at what they see as the naivety of his proposal, unveiled in last week’s Budget, to offer government guarantees for up to 20% of the purchase price of a newly-built home worth up to £600,000. In some ways it looks like a bold measure, but in other ways it smacks of desperation. His measure addresses the relatively recent problem of a mortgage shortage as banks and building societies develop more prudent lending policies. They require a greater margin for loss of value and handling the costs of defaults. Mr Osborne’s 20% gives them that. But such an interventionist measure wouldn’t be required in a healthy and properly functioning free market. However, these dysfunctional mortgage market characteristics should turn out to be a temporary phenomenon. The under-supply of mortgage funds is likely to be rectified by market forces in the years ahead. As market equilibrium is restored, the shortfall should be resolved. His proposals, however, do nothing to address a longer established structural fault in the UK housing market, namely the under-supply of houses. Every month, the British press covers economic data such as inflation, interest rates and unemployment. In the US, they focus on the same data, plus one crucial, additional item that we ignore here in the UK. This item is housing starts. The number of new homes under construction matters to Americans. In Britain, however, we have had dreadful restrictions on house construction for many years. Yet our population is rising, our people are living longer and, over the longer term, incomes have been rising. Other factors are also contributing to the rise in the number of new house-
HOP Direct has been in the ownership of the Barclay family for just over a decade. Back in 2002, Sir Frederick and Sir David Barclay paid £750m to buy the business, then known as Littlewoods, from the Moores family. When the Barclays took control, they undertook a root and branch reform of what was a struggling business in a bid to create a digital age, multi-channel retail operation. The transformation of the business began with the sale of the high street stores to AB Foods, which converted them into Primark shops. The Barclays splashed out £590m to acquire GUS’s catalogue business. The new owners relocated the head office from Liverpool city centre to a disused aircraft hangar at the site of the former Liverpool Airport in Speke and there was further investment in its financial services, print and home delivery brands. Right from the start, the Barclays said they wanted to exploit the potential offered by the internet and millions of pounds of investment was poured into the creation of a new IT platform. The express intention was to convert the group from an old-fashioned catalogue retailer into a 21st century digital age business. In some senses, this enterprising strategy has worked. Around 80% of the group’s retail sales now come from digital channels, a development that continues to gather momentum. The latest shopping trend sees smart phones and tablets account for an increasing part of the business. As a result, Shop Direct has become a modern business that has captured market share in a competitive environment. In another sense, however, the strategy has yet to bear fruit. Ten years on, Shop Direct and its associated print, distribution and financial services companies continue to run up big losses. It has taken much longer and more money than previously anticipated to create a sustainably profitable business. An analysis of the profit and loss account of the retail group’s holding company, Shop Direct Holdings, shows that it has reported total financial losses of £766m over the nine complete financial years it has been in Barclay ownership. The only years of profit to date were 2010, when it made £1.8m profit for the financial year, and 2004, when Shop Direct made a £176m surplus that was virtually entirely attributable to the sale of the high street stores to AB Foods. More than half of those losses were accrued in the last two accounting periods. Since May 2010, Shop Direct Holdings, which was previously known as March UK, has incurred £563m of losses. The company has long argued that the figure for profit/loss for the financial year isn’t the most appropriate measure of the group’s underlying performance. The company has been keen to promote
holds in Britain. While demand factors such as these persist at a time when supply is restricted, the housing market will remain a oneway bet. House prices will, eventually, start to rise again. And that would be a social disaster. Many millions of our young people have been excluded from owning their own home by these planning restrictions. It is something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. It means they are less able to achieve the ordinary ambitions of life, including having a place to bring up their kids. If Mr Osborne is serious about giving young people the chance to get a foot on the housing ladder he must address the problem of under-supply of all types of homes, social and private. The lack of housebuilding is also an economic problem. The housebuilding sector ought to be at least twice as productive as it is today. Think of all the employment and business opportunities that would be created for both large and small firms. At this time in particular it also misses a chance to provide badly needed stimulus to the economy. It is, however, unlikely that the Chancellor’s new measure will cause the sort of sub-prime problems that some commentators have suggested it might. Yes, it’s not a good idea to lend money to people who can’t afford to repay it. That’s just asking for trouble. Yet, while some unfortunate individuals might come a cropper, the scale and scope of last week’s proposals are not sufficient to raise any real macro-economic threat. Today’s tepid housing market is, after all, far from coming to the boil. In the end, the mortgage scheme is not much more than a gesture from a hamstrung Chancellor who can’t, or won’t, tackle the fundamental problems of the country for fear of upsetting his Liberal Democrat coalition partners. Long may that last.
S
other measures of profitability, such as EBITDA (earnings before interest, depreciation, tax and amortisation), arguing that such measures better reflect the underlying profitability of the business. A business that is investing heavily for the future is bound to be incurring significant depreciation charges. The 2012 accounts show a depreciation charge of £75m. In the case of Shop Direct, there have also been some significant one-off redundancy costs. The increasing volume of online transactions is replacing orders taken by phone, meaning the group needs fewer call centre staff. The savings should improve margins in the future. Shop Direct Holdings’ latest accounts break down the group’s losses by class of business. This segmental analysis shows its retail and financial services operations lost a combined £57.7m, while the Yodel parcels business lost £110.4m. It’s a lot of money, even for the billionaire twins, whose wealth has been estimated at £2.25bn by the Sunday Times’ Rich List. However, there is no sign of their patience running out.
‘We are on a path towards making a profit’
Far from it. The Barclays are seen by observers as long-term investors. They are not known for cutting their losses at an early stage. It is one of the advantages of being a family-run business rather than having to account to external investors like a publicly quoted company does. It’s the sort of long-termism that has traditionally been thought missing from British business, which too often is governed by short-term objectives. Furthermore, the full potential of any retail business was never going to be crystallised during the current tough economic conditions affecting all retailers. Even though its online strategy has won Shop Direct market share, the fact is price competition has been severe as rivals have fought tooth and nail to stay in business. Under the leadership of new chief executive Alex Baldock, Shop Direct began briefing its management and staff about its latest three year business plan at a series of events held at Liverpool’s Arena and Convention Centre last week. Mr Baldock told the Liverpool Post: “I’m confident we have the plans and people in place to create a world class retailer at Shop Direct and the financial
Thursday, March 28, 2013
big feature post business
5
best days lie ahead of it Inside Shop Direct’s Skyways House headquarters at Estuary Commerce Park in Speke
Shop Direct chief executive Alex Baldock
Roll-out of 4G could add £1.8bn to UK retail sales as consumers embrace mobile shopping
structure of the business is positive. “A world-class digital retailer needs to make healthy returns and that is also part of our plan and we are on a path towards profitability. “I have found the shareholders to be very supportive of the business and its plans and we all believe Shop Direct’s best days lie ahead. “We believe we are uniquely well placed to deliver on the fundamental purpose of Shop Direct, which is to make good things easily accessible to more people. We can do that as a digital department store by offering an increasingly personalised e-commerce service to our customers.” Personalisation is the marketing technique of the digital and information age that allows retailers to optimise the timing and targeting of their advertising and promotions. Retailers such as Shop Direct and Tesco, which hold vast amounts of information about buying habits, can target individual consumers with tailored advertising and offers. This could even include knowing when somebody is likely to be out shopping and targeting them with text messages and
other information to alert them to offers on the website which the customer can then access through their smart phone or tablet device. One day, the economy will return to growth. When it does, those retailers that have invested in web and mobile technologies will be best placed to benefit. Shop Direct has done that. It should, therefore, be a question of when, not if, it starts to make sustainable profits. Patrick O’Brien, retail analyst at Verdict Research, said: “The biggest problem for Shop Direct is just how much improvement we have seen in the online channels of other retailers. They have improved and many more retailers have come online in the last few years. It’s a much more competitive area than it was. “Shop Direct has done a number of good things. It’s rationalised its brands down to a number of key ones, but ASOS’ growth puts them in a poor light. A big chunk of its business is in the clothing market. It’s now a major market player. “Shop Direct’s business is positioned in such a way that it should benefit from the eventual economic recovery.”
‘Shop Direct is a major market player’
HIGH-SPEED 4G could boost the British retail sector by an estimated £1.8bn in a year, a new study suggests. The faster broadband service is expected to reduce the frustration caused by slow or unreliable internet access which can deter consumers from making purchases on smartphones. Retail analysts believe the national 4G roll-out could prompt a 113% surge in mobile shopping, something that lies at the heart of Shop Direct’s growth strategy. Olivier Ropars, senior director of mobile commerce at eBay Europe, which compiled the report, said: “Consumers today want convenience and speed. The arrival of universal 4G will bring with it a more immersive, instant and intimate shopping experience than ever before – putting the most exciting features of mobile retail as we know it into high definition. “It won’t just turbo-charge the way we shop. It will truly give us the ability to shop anytime, anywhere.
“That means an extra £1.8bn of consumer spending up for grabs.” The study revealed more than half (55%) of consumers use a smartphone or tablet when shopping more frequently than this time last year, when mobile spending totalled £1.59bn, according to retail research agency Conlumino. It showed just under a third of Britons now use their phone before making a purchase, either to browse, check prices or to buy an item. Further findings revealed more than half (50.3%) of mobile shoppers were frustrated by internet speeds and just under half (49.6%) complained about reliability. Conlumino identified the proportion of customers who claimed they would buy more if these problems were eradicated. Its analysts questioned these shoppers about how much they would spend with faster and more reliable internet access to estimate the monetary impact of 4G on the
retail sector, arriving at the figure of £1.8bn. Neil Saunders, director of Conlumino, said: “Retailers today must take every chance to engage consumers, inspiring them and giving them every possible opportunity to buy and interact with their brands. “An omnichannel approach is key to making this happen and with universal 4G on the horizon, retailers can’t afford to stand still.” Conlumino interviewed 2,081 consumers about their mobile habits and opinions on 4G in February and March. The findings come as Britain’s hard-pressed retailers were afforded some relief last week when official sales figures were better than expected. Online sales were particularly strong. Total retail sales grew 2.1% in February, while internet sales were up 10.1% as shoppers returned to the high street after a snow-hit start to the year, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggested.
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
post business wealth management
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
US to continue with its policy of ‘printing’ more money market analysis
by Anjali Roberts
LIVERPOOL OFFICE OF CHARLES STANLEY THE US Federal Reserve concluded its March meeting with no change to its ultra-easy monetary policy stance and made only minor alterations to its economic and policy projections. The Fed gave no indication that the $85bn per month bond purchase programme might be reduced at any time in the near future and markets continue to expect that the programme will be maintained at the prevailing rate throughout 2013. Ben Bernanke, the Fed Chairman, concluded the potential costs associated with quantitative easing are ‘manageable’. Interest rates in the US are not forecast to rise until mid-2015 at the earliest. The minutes from the meeting stated that the US economy is expected to return to moderate economic growth and forecasts for the unemployment rate over the next couple of years were moved slightly lower. Conversely, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) specifically pointed to a ‘more restrictive’ fiscal policy and ‘continued downside risks’ thus
Anjali Roberts
edging its forecasts for growth and inflation lower. However, investors can take comfort from a minor reduction in the forecast level for US interest rates in mid-2015, a point at which most had expected a return to normal monetary policy. The Fed also reviewed its bond purchasing programme at the meeting but made no alterations to its existing strategy. The conclusion was that quantitative easing is expected to continue to ‘progress towards its economic objectives’ at the current rate. In the press conference afterwards Ben Bernanke admitted that clear and early guidance regarding the pace of quantitative easing going forwards would be helpful, although this may be difficult as it is uncertain how the programme actually supports the US economy. Mr Bernanke seems to be in favour of eventually winding down the asset purchases but has so far given no indication as to when that might be. The Fed is currently more concerned with the underlying health of the US economy and the ongoing problems in the euro zone. The Fed Chairman has implied in the past if conditions warrant it the pace of bond purchases could actually be increased; it is clear the Fed do not believe we are out of the woods yet. The one issue that was not mentioned in the minutes of the meeting or at the press conference afterwards was the outlook for inflation. The lack of any comment relating to inflation may imply that the Fed does not view it as a potential side effect of quantitative easing going forward, however, this seems unlikely. It could also be due to the fact inflation is currently below target as per the official measure, even though inflation expectations have risen in recent months. It appears that the Fed is currently more concerned with the growth outlook and macroeconomic issues outside of the US than the threat of future inflation. Their focus may shift, however, if stronger US data is published over the coming months and inflation expectations continue to rise. While the sugar rush of asset purchases is set to continue for the foreseeable future, any change in the economic backdrop is likely to result in a swift change of policy, and investors need to be wary of that.
living costs and stagnant wages means they will only be able to take between three and six months off. Some 44% of parents who said they are worried how they will manage financially when their family expands said that the stress has caused them to row with their partner. Clare Francis, personal finance expert at MoneySupermarket.com, said: “Having to adjust your lifestyle to cope with the new arrival is hard enough, but with many couples seeing a fall in income due to one of them giving up work or taking
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OVER half of Britons think money is the filthiest item they touch and their fears are founded, according to new research. Out of 1,000 Europeans surveyed by MasterCard, 83% believe handling cash is dirty while 54% of Britons think escalator handrails and library books are cleaner than money. On average, European banknotes and coins contain 26,000 bacteria while UK currency has 18,200 bacteria. New currency only has 2,400 bacteria. Ian Thompson, Professor of Engineering Science at Oxford University, said: “Brits’ perceptions of dirty cash are not without reason. The euros we tested harboured an average of 11,000 bacteria, which, for a number of pathogenic organisms, is sufficient for passing on infection. “Previous studies of bank notes have indicated contamination with potentially harmful bacteria such as Klebsiella and Enterobacter species which can cause disease in humans.”
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The US will continue with its policy of quantitative easing
Money worries force mums back to work NEARLY half of working mothers-to-be are planning to cut short their maternity leave due to financial worries, research has found. Some 45% of expectant mothers who currently work said that they cannot afford to take a full year out of their job, MoneySupermarket found. One third of those surveyed said that they will spend between six and eight months at home with their newborn before returning to the workplace. A further one in 10 said the squeeze on their finances amid high
notes
maternity leave can heap further pressure on families when they least need it.” The research was carried out among 315 expectant parents between January and February. The Government confirmed plans in last week’s Budget for a tax-free childcare scheme worth £1,200 a child for working parents from 2015. Minimum statutory maternity pay rules mean that mothers receive 90% of their average weekly earnings for the first six weeks of maternity leave, followed by further payments, which can vary.
A LACKLUSTRE Isa season will leave savers having to work extra hard in the coming weeks to seek out the best deals, experts have warned. Those who want to make the most of their new annual tax-free cash Isa allowance of £5,760 from April 6 will struggle to find anything which beats the eroding effects of inflation. Financial information website Moneyfacts said that the top fixed-rate Isa deal on the market at the moment has a rate of 3.1% and is being offered by the Halifax, but savers need to lock their cash away for five years.
House prices on the rise HOUSE prices recorded their strongest monthly jump in three years in March as market conditions continue to blossom, property analyst Hometrack said. The 0.3% rise was driven by a boost to London house prices, with concerns over the crisis in Cyprus and the eurozone likely to send more cash flowing into the English capital in the coming months, the study said. The national increase in house prices this month marks the highest growth seen since March
2010. Prices soared by 0.7% month-on-month in London, showing the strongest uplift since February 2010. Three-fifths of London postcodes saw prices increase in March and London properties now spend just under five weeks on the market before they are snapped up – the shortest average time period seen since October 2007. London has enjoyed strong demand from wealthy overseas buyers who see the capital as a “safe haven”.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
news post business
TNAR in talks over European expansion A LIVERPOOL firm which pioneered the Aqua Running training technique adopted by national and international sports organisations is extending its global reach. TNAR, set up ex-Liverpool FC reserves player Terry Nelson, uses gravity suits in swimming pools which reduce the impact on muscles and help sports stars recover from injury. His system is used by several Premier League clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester United.
Terry Nelson Spanish football giants Real Madrid also use his suits and earlier this month he took part in a business roundtable, including Lord Coe, at the British Embassy in Madrid, which discussed TNAR’s potential. He is set to return to the embassy for talks on licensing and export opportunities in Spain. Mr Nelson is also involved in similar talks with Portuguese club Porto and Istanbul-based Turkish side Galatasary. His suit will also be featured around the world on the Reuters Innovation Channel TV programme.
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Splendid setting for Regional Business Awards’ gala dinner by Bill Gleeson
POST BUSINESS STAFF bill.gleeson@liverpool.com
THE Liverpool Post’s Regional Business Awards will return to their traditional home of the historic St George’s Hall after a three-year break. Around 500 guests from the region’s business community are expected to attend the black-tie event which is now in its third decade and has become a prominent feature in Merseyside’s annual business calendar. “We are delighted that the Liverpool Post is holding the 2013 Regional Business Awards at St George’s Hall,” said a spokesperson for the hall. “The Grade I-listed hall is widely regarded as one of the finest neo-classical buildings in the world. “Popular with tourists and residents alike, it is one of the city’s landmark buildings and attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. “And 2013 has already been a busy year for the hall as it has played host to some exciting events including the Liverpool City Region Apprenticeship Awards which showcased our region’s bright young stars. “We are looking forward to welcoming some of the region’s most high profile business representatives to enjoy what promises to be a spectacular evening in beautiful surroundings. “We wish all the businesses entering this year’s awards the best of luck and we look forward to seeing you in June.” Now that the deadline for submitting entries for this year’s Liverpool Post Regional Business Awards has passed, it’s time to reserve your place at the big event before all of the tickets are snapped up. Tickets have traditionally been in strong demand at this stage in the runup to the popular event. It is important to act now to avoid disappointment. The final takes place on the night of June 13. Hosted by former BBC broadcaster Peter Sissons, the night will see awards handed out to the winners of 11 categories. The categories were open to businesses of all sizes and cover a range of business activities, including employment practices, environmental policies, export initiatives and investment record. Judges will consider the financial performance and growth prospects of firms. Former award winners include Redrow founder Steve Morgan, haulage entrepreneur Steve O’Connor, Bibby Line Group and shipyard Cammell Laird. Liverpool Post editor Mark Thomas said: “We are looking to recognise those firms and entrepreneurs whose
THE POST L I V E R P O O L
St George’s Hall will host this year’s Regional Business Awards’ dinner endeavours are making a difference to the local economy. “It is all the more important that we do that in these difficult times. “It is precisely the sort of people that will be gathered in St George’s Hall this June who will help this region build for its post-austerity future and create the jobs that will give hope to thousands. “The Regional Business Awards are a fantastic night and always a sell-out event – so don’t be slow to sign up for seats now for the big night itself. “We will have a great keynote
speaker and the event itself is always attended by some of the region’s most influential people and provides an excellent networking opportunity. “As always we are grateful to our sponsors for their continued support, without which this event would not happen.” To buy tickets for the awards dinner visit our special awards website at www.regionalbusinessawards.co.uk or email events@liverpool.com or call 0151-472 2570. You can also follow the progress of the awards on Twitter at @LP_RBA
REGIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS2013
Yacht Club nets catering contract at city’s tennis showcase A CATERING company led by Liverpool food entrepreneur Adam Franklin has been named the official caterer to the 2013 Liverpool International Tennis Tournament. Yacht Club Outside, owned by Invincibles Catering, will provide all the catering at the
corporate hospitality facilities at the Calderstones Park event in June and for the following two years. Yacht Club Outside operates from Liverpool Marina events venue and restaurant Yacht Club Liverpool. Invincibles Catering also operates
Franklins Deli in St Paul’s Square and Invincibles at Preston North End. Adam Franklin, chief executive of Invincibles Catering, said: “The tournament has become an annual highlight in Liverpool’s expanding social calendar, so we are
delighted to be a part of it in such a big way. “We have exciting plans in place and we very much look forward to working with the tournament team.” Tournament director, Anders Borg, said: “This new long-standing partnership is
very exciting as we take the tournament forward through the next few years.” The tournament, now in its 12th year, attracts thousands of spectators. It has attracted tennis legends from Martina Navratilova to Novak Djokovic.
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
post business the bottom line
notes ■
A TRIPLE whammy of wet weather, weak consumer confidence and currency movements sent annual profits and sales falling at B&Q and Screwfix owner Kingfisher this week. The group said the second wettest year on record in the UK wiped £25m from its profits by cutting customer numbers and sales of seasonal products. Kingfisher, which has major operations in Europe, also took a £39m hit on the impact of translating euro and Polish zloty sales into sterling. Chief executive Ian Cheshire said: “We have had a tough year, impacted by unfavourable foreign exchange, record adverse weather in the UK and declining underlying markets in each of our three key territories.” But he said Kingfisher was “very confident” in its prospects as self-help meant it ended the year in “good shape”, including £38m of net cash on its balance sheet. The group said pre-tax profits for the year to the start of February fell 13.3% to £691m. The harsh conditions meant like-for-like sales, measured at constant currency, fell 2.9%.
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Chinese troubles blamed for first drop in sales in 22 years by Bill Gleeson
POST BUSINESS STAFF bill.gleeson@liverpool.com
MERSEYSIDE based soft furnishings company Caldeira has suffered a huge setback as a result of problems at its factory in China. Caldeira, which also manufactures cushions at a factory in Kirkby, has registered its first drop in annual sales in its 22-year history. The firm, which was the subject of a BBC documentary last year, said sales fell from £21m in 2010 to £16.5m in 2011. Caldeira China, known locally as Zhejiang Hao Sheng Textiles, suffered a loss of over $2m in 2011. Following a breakdown in relations, the company’s former joint venture partner, who was also the general manager of the subsidiary, has been bought out of the business leaving it 100% owned by Caldeira. In contrast, Caldeira says its US operation saw sales double during the year with the company now supplying five of America’s biggest ten retailers. Its 14-store soft furnishings retail chain, which trades as Fabric Warehouse, also lost money during the year as the pressure on the UK high street led to a 6% drop in sales. However there was better news for Caldeira UK which remained profitable and continues to lead the UK cushion market. Overall, the group reported a loss of £1.75m for the period against a loss of £166,000 in 2010. A revaluation of the Caldeira factory in China has enabled the company to overcome what it says was “an extremely challenging period.” Caldeira managing director Tony Caldeira said: “The 2011 results were very disappointing and the circumstances behind the losses were even more disappointing. Legal action against the company’s former business partner is currently being considered. “Thankfully, for over 20 years the company has reinvested its previous profits, which has given it a strong balance sheet and the significant rise in the value of the company’s Chinese factory has offset some of the money lost in 2011. “Trading continues to be challenging but the Caldeira team are successfully implementing a turnaround strategy which has seen some major improvements in the recent performance of every division of the group.” Mr Caldeira added: “I have a good
Staff at work at Caldeira’s Kirkby cushion factory and, inset, founder Tony Caldeira
Chinese business and some great Chinese staff. “We needed continuity of supply for our customers around the world.” Caldeira’s 200,000 sq ft Chinese factory, opened in 2003, is based in the city of Hang Zhou, about 200 miles to the west of Shanghai, where the firm employs 70 staff. Mr Caldeira added: “Chinese prices are rising more quickly than at home, so we are looking to bring more pro-
duction back home, but there are certain products that the Chinese will make for the foreseeable future.“ He added: “US sales are growing rapidly. We are now supplying five out of the top ten US retailers, including Bed Bath & Beyond, West Elm and TJX Group, parent of TK Maxx, which has 1,000 stores in North America. “In total, we must be in over 3,000 stores in America. “A lot of that product comes from
Knowsley as well as China.” Mr Caldeira said the UK is “ticking along.” “The UK has been the rock and core business of the group for the last 20 years,” he added. “We sell around £5m of cushions to the UK each year.” Customers include BHS, Next and TK Maxx. Mr Caldeira added: “The difficulties in the retail sector in the UK are common knowledge. “All of our businesses are safe and currently being turned around “I don’t regret going into China. Going into China in 2003 was the right move for the company. “Its still good to go out globally and invest, but sometimes you have to keep a close eye on things. “We hopes sales continue to grow in china and we hope to return to profit soon in the retail business. “The result for 2012 is much better than 2011.”
Housebuilder Bellway announces strong profits and sales HOUSEBUILDER Bellway announced a 9.6% rise in half term sales of £502.5m this week and a 47.5% leap in pre-tax profits of £59.9m during the six months to January 31. The firm, which has a regional office in Hunts Cross, sold 5.8% more homes, up to 2,597, and saw the average selling price improve by 2.6% to £187,426. Land investment rose to £145m from £105m, boosting the group’s land bank
to 32,025 plots, up from 31,136 compared with last July. It also revealed that 94% of its full year target volume for sales is already reserved or legally completed. Chairman John Watson said: “The group has delivered another strong set of results, having achieved further growth in volume, average selling price and operating margin and this has contributed to an improvement in return on capital employed.”
Demand has grown strongest in the south of England, which accounted for 51% of the group’s legal completions. Chief executive Ted Ayres said the availability of affordable, higher loanto-value mortgage products has remained a constraint that has tempered consumer demand. He added: “The board welcomes the recently announced Budget measures to support the housing market. While it is too early to assess the effect these
measures may have, we remain hopeful that they will lead to improvements in mortgage accessibility.” Liverpool stockbroker Panmure Gordon maintained its “hold” recommendation on Bellway’s shares after this week’s announcement. Analysts Mark Hughes and Rachael Applegate said: “Bellway has reported a robust set of results, with profit before tax a touch ahead of our expectations.”
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
small business post business
notes
small
business of the week
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“WE’RE here to help” was the message from Edge Hill University at a successful launch event to celebrate its new Employer Engagement initiative. The University, near Ormskirk was recently awarded funding from the Co-Funded Employer Engagement scheme to expand its work with businesses. As part of the £825,000 project, a UniversityBusiness Partnership Event took place earlier this month to launch the scheme to North West business leaders. Employer Engagement Project Manager Lisa Knight said: “We are here to help businesses thrive and enhance their performance, so we wanted to use the event to tell them that we are here, we are open for business and that we have a pot of money that needs to be spent. “It was also good to showcase that we have fantastic staff at Edge Hill with industry experience who can help develop innovative solutions that make a real impact on businesses.” Over the coming months the Employer Engagement team are hoping to work with as many businesses as possible and have a number of events planned, including a Technology Expo on the May 21, and an Enterprise Conference on June 13, to showcase the help that is available. For further information about the initiative please contact Lisa Knight on 01695 584496 or email her at lisa. knight@edgehill.ac.uk
by Neil Hodgson LDP STAFF
neil.hodgson@liverpool.com
I
NTERIOR designer Angela Gardiner knew the downturn was seriously starting to bite when even footballers were working to a budget. The founder of Lower Heswall-based Oyster Grey said prior to 2008 clients would not give the cost of a project a second thought. “Before 2008 you would just say ‘this is the price’,” she said. “Business was good just before the downturn. “Now, a lot of our clients are being very cautious. Every client now has a budget and an indication of what they have to spend. “Everyone is very price sensitive and we’ve never had that before. “No-one would say ‘how many inches lining are you using’ and ‘how many hours of labour?’. “Footballers are among our clients, and even some of the footballers are sensitive to pricing.” Ms Gardiner realised she would have to change the business model to match the change in business conditions, so she decided to diversify. Prior to the downturn Oyster Grey would subcontract fabric work, such as curtain making. Ms Gardiner said: “I knew there were a couple of ladies locally who had traditional skills in curtain making. “I have a three-storey house with plenty of room so now we have our own seamstresses trained in the art of hand-stitching as well as people coming out of college who can’t get a job.” She said: “In our workroom we have seven people, and four designers in our shop. “Our workroom is so good we sent examples out to top designers in the UK and they came back and said that our standard of work is fantastic, and it has just developed from there.” Now, Oyster Grey provides bespoke fabric work for a range of outside clients which complements the original design business that Ms Gardiner, a mother of four youngsters aged from one to nine, started from home. She said: “Interior design was my passion. I did art at college and it developed over time. “I had been working from home but then four years ago an opportunity came up to take over the lease of the village Post Office.” Since then the business has grown, mostly through word of mouth, although much of the work in these austere times is makeovers as people opt to renovate or expand their homes rather than move. Ms Gardiner said: “We do quite a lot of makeovers now. “In this area people are expanding their own properties. They are building on their gardens and going up. A lot of properties are bungalows so they are going up a level to take in the views of the Dee.” She said projects can also differ significantly: “Some people will do a bedroom and that will be it for 30 years, while some people turn over their houses every 12 months.” She said depending on the client’s requirements just one room could range in price from £1,000 to £40,000. Oyster Grey has its own unique style, said Ms Gardiner, but they work with clients to achieve the perfect look.
Angela Gardiner outside her Oyster Grey interior design business in Lower Heswall
Designing around the effects of a downturn “We are very good at picking out the colours to reflect the clients’ tastes. “We have mood boards, and it is about helping people design their own schemes. “The whole aspect of design and interiors depends on the individual. “We can create a scheme that is beautiful and within anyone’s budget. It is down to the individual. It is all about the fashion and the quality.” And she is keen to ensure that as many other local businesses benefit: “We source all our materials from local people, where possible. “Our upholstery is local, we have a team of decorators and we work with kitchen fitters and carpet fitters.” She said Oyster Grey commissions will often involve a host of other local jobs and trades.
Angela Gardiner and staff in the workroom at her Heswall home
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AWD Chase de Vere, a national firm of independent financial and corporate advisers with a Chester office, has launched AE+, a service created to meet the Auto Enrolment needs of small- and medium-sized firms. The company says AE+ is a suite of products and services designed to enable employers to meet their own objectives, ranging from complying with the minimum legal requirements to structuring a cost-effective full benefits package. It is a flexible three stage process focusing on analysis, design and delivery, where employers can select as many of the stages as they want or need, based on their budget, objectives and in-house capabilities. Spokesman Jon Dixon said: “The challenge for SMEs is how they plan for and then embed a complex set of new regulations into their daily working processes.”
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
post business creative & digital
comment
by DR RICHARD WILSON
Get tax relief working to give us level playing field AT TIGA, the trade association representing the UK games industry, we welcome the news that the Government is planning to legislate for Games Tax Relief in the current Finance Bill. Its introduction at the earliest opportunity is the video game industry’s top priority. Although Games Tax Relief has not yet received state aid clearance from the EU Commission, TIGA has been assured that the UK Government is committed to this relief, will be legislating for this relief in the Finance Bill and will deliver this relief. This tax relief is vitally important because its introduction will enable the UK to compete on a level playing field against our overseas competitors who already have tax breaks. Tax relief will also power investment and job creation and address the market failure in the under-production of culturally British video games. TIGA stands ready to
work with the UK Government and EU Commission to accelerate the introduction of Games Tax Relief. Businesses need to see the measure introduced as soon as possible to aid commercial planning. As revealed in the Budget, the introduction of a £15m digital competition through the Technology Strategy Board and an increase in the Skills Investment Fund to £8m will also strengthen the UK video games development and digital publishing sector. Together with Games Tax Relief they make a helpful hat trick of policy measures. We also welcome news that corporation tax will be reduced to 20% in 2015, that the seed enterprise investment scheme would be enhanced, that R&D tax relief will be increased and that an employment allowance worth up to £2,000 for businesses would be introduced. ■ DR RICHARD WILSON is chief executive of TIGA
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Atoms in conversation over New York events by Alistair Houghton POST BUSINESS STAFF
alistair.houghton@liverpool.com
EVENT management company Little Atom Productions is set to return to New York next month as it bids to take its successful In Conversation event format to North America. Little Atom, founded by Gemma Aldcroft and Karen Podesta, has organised several In Conversation events in which Liverpool-born celebrities are interviewed in front of a live audience. The duo visited New York for a research visit earlier this year. They have now won backing from UK Trade & Investment and Liverpool Vision so they can return to the city to develop their connections and visit potential venues. And they are already in talks with two “very exciting New York celebrities” about taking part in In Conversation events there. Ms Aldcroft said: “When we were last in New York we had a fantastic meeting with Rich Gemma Aldcroft, left, and Karen Podesta, of Little Powell, the Vice-Consul for Creative and Digital at the British Atom Productions at the Empire State Building
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consulate. He was very helpful and put us in touch with some amazing people and insisted we returned as soon as possible to follow up on the business leads he helped us to generate. “We are fortunate that our first trip went so well and to have been introduced to some great contacts. We’re now hoping that they will put in an extremely good word for us.” Little Atom’s founders have also been invited to visit the British Film Commission and to the UKTI reception at the Tribeca Film Festival. Ms Podesta said: “It will give us a fantastic opportunity to meet representatives from the US film and event industries and make valuable contacts with a view to growing our business in New York.” Previous stars of In Conversation events included David Morrissey, Paul McGann and Janice Long. Little Atom also offers event management services to the creative, charity and corporate sectors across the UK. Earlier this year it secured a £25,000 loan from Merseyside Special Investment to support its growth.
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
creative & digital post business
www.ldpcreative.co.uk
Ben Hatton
The next big thing in retail
The media delegation outside Camp & Furnace as part of their tour of Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle creative district
European delegation sees the creative sides of the Triangle by Alistair Houghton
POST BUSINESS STAFF
alistair.houghton@liverpool.com
A GROUP of journalists from across Europe has visited Liverpool to explore what its digital and creative sectors have to offer. The group of 10 print and web journalists were taken round Liverpool Science Park and the Baltic Triangle as part of a North West tour. Their day started with a visit to the Science Park, where they met representatives from Liverpool John Moores University’s Open Labs project and from digital firms Hammerkit,
Spark Revolutions and Scraperwiki. They then headed to the Baltic Triangle to meet Sound City chief executive Dave Pichilingi and to see a preview of the new film documenting Liverpool’s music history, The City that Rocked the World. After visiting app development agencies Citrus Suite and Apposing, they crossed the road to Baltic Creative to meet representatives from other companies including Atomicom, which recently won funding from support agency Creative England. In the afternoon they visited eatery and events venue Camp & Furnace and met Tim and Paul Speed, the brothers behind the Elevator Studios develop-
ment. From 2007, they converted the Victorian warehouse, which faces Parliament Street, into warren of offices, studios and rehearsal spaces. The journalists then got the chance to visit Elevator for themselves as they went to meet several entrepreneurs based there. They included Clemens Wangerin, founder of online analytics company Setgo, Roy Jones of digital incubator PacificStream and the teams behind innovative digital music businesses Sentric Music and Ditto Music. Alan Welby, executive director for key growth sectors at Liverpool City Region LEP, said: “The city region’s creative and digital sector is a key driver of our knowledge economy and
as such it is important we promote the region’s credentials on a national and international level. “Creativity is at the heart of what the city region is about both in music, culture and technology and the visiting journalists saw firsthand what we have on offer here – a skilled workforce, unbeatable lifestyle and world class businesses at the cutting edge of innovation.” Kevin McManus, head of creative and digital at Liverpool Vision, said: “The journalists got a really good feel for the sector and its vibrancy. I hope they went away convinced Liverpool is a great city in which to be a creative or digital business.”
Bakery brand site helps to bring in the dough
This bird has flown to new home to fly the flag for Ellesmere Port
MARKETING agency Liquid has developed another project for baking giant Warburtons with the creation of an online “brand room”. The site includes an overview of the Warburtons brand, guidelines on how to use it, and an image library. It is managed by Warburtons and can be accessed by the group’s 4,000 staff. Chris Mitchell, managing director of Liquid, said: “We love working with Warburtons and it was great to be able to provide a solution that enhances the overall running of their business.” Darren Littler, director of innovation at Warburtons said: “After our re-brand in 2011, we were keen to adopt the new logo and branding across all our sites and give
PR AGENCY LittleBird says it will “fly the flag” for Ellesmere Port after moving to a new home in the town. The company, which specialises in online and social media communications work with SMEs, has moved into Pioneer House, North Road. The agency has secured several new accounts this year, including Wirral hotel Inglewood Manor and Liverpool’s Bullen Healthcare. PR director at LittleBird, Nic Spindler, said: “Pioneer House provides the perfect location for LittleBird’s new office. With clients based in Manchester, Daresbury, Chester, Wirral and Liverpool we wanted to ensure
Chris Mitchell employees the correct guidelines on how to execute the brand. “Liquid have developed an excellent live digital solution that can be constantly refreshed and it has had a very positive effect.”
Pioneer House that our location was easily accessible. “The convenient positioning of Pioneer House just off the M53 with its strong transport links made Pioneer House an easy choice for us. “With the local council
focusing heavily on investment in the area it’s an exciting time to be working in Ellesmere Port. We are very much looking forward to flying the flag for the area and to encouraging other businesses to invest here too.” Chester West and Cheshire Council’s Ellesmere Port Programme Manager, Tony Clark, added: “I’m delighted that we’ve attracted LittleBird Agency to base their business here in Ellesmere Port. “They are exactly the type of business that we want to bring to the area a growing business with a clear vision for expansion. I wish them every continued success in their new offices.”
PRODUCT LISTING ADS (PLAs) – brands and retailers, take note. According to Brand Republic, PLAs will be fundamental to retail success on Google Shopping in the next 12 months. Google announced the end of its free Google Product Search program last year, and launched Google Shopping, its commercially based product listing channel. Brands are advised to move fast, because by the end of June, all campaigns will be transitioned to a fullypaid experience on Google Shopping. The beauty of PLAs is their visual ad format. Consumers have access to more product information as brands are able to specify the price, title and image – a better and more efficient user experience. Brand Republic has released a guide highlighting the four top tips for utilising Google Shopping: practice, costs, data and target strategy. When it comes to PLAs, brands need to begin testing sooner rather than later. Those already moving full steam ahead must optimise their feeds to get the most bang for their buck. Calculating costs is also important. Many brands have not included Google Shopping in their 2013 marketing budget and are advised to do so, or risk losing out. Data is absolutely crucial. Google Shopping will only serve ads with the most accurate data and relevant content. Finally, brands need to look strategically at how they measure their business. Targets such as brand, product type or price will trigger PLAs. Brands are strongly advised to familiarise themselves with Google Shopping. PLAs are forecast to be huge for digital retail – who can afford to miss out in today’s marketplace? ■ INTERNET entrepreneur Ben Hatton is founder and managing director of digital agency Rippleffect. Follow Rippleffect on Twitter @rippleffected
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
post business the big interview
Neil Hodgson meets MATTHEW THOMAS, Liverpool John Lennon Airport chief executive
L
IVERPOOL John Lennon Airport (JLA) aims to reposition itself by moving away from its perception as a short break budget airline base to a holidays and business hub. And new JLA chief executive Matthew Thomas is also confident that the airport’s latest operator, Norwegian, can deliver a new period of growth and open up US and Asian routes for Merseysiders through Norwegian’s Oslo hub. Mr Thomas took over from former chief executive Craig Richardson earlier this month, stepping up from his role as commercial director for JLA parent group Vancouver Airport Services. He is keen to establish links with city stakeholders such as hotels, restaurateurs and the leisure sector in a bid to maximise the potential from inbound passengers, saying: “We need to work very hard to partner up with Liverpool. It is not just about an airport. We are talking to stakeholders about the value of an airport.” He said his message has been well received so far: “It’s exciting. I’m meeting lots and lots of faces and you’re never quite sure how you are going to be received but, whether it’s having a lucky smile or a dazed expression on my face, it is going quite well.” He said: “I want to make the airport one that Liverpool can be proud of. We are candid enough to recognise we have a long way to go, but our intentions are honourable and we are determined and I would like to think that people can see that.” Vancouver acquired a 65% controlling stake in JLA in June 2010 and invested £12m on upgrading security systems and the airport’s retail offer. Mr Thomas said: “Post-acquisition it was all about transforming the operation and customer experience. It is a new phase we are entering now. “We have gone from bottom of the table to about the best performing airport in the UK for on-time performance (91% compared with a UK average of 78%), 93% of our passengers are through security in less than 15 minutes, and our overall satisfaction rate is 94%, which is incredibly high for an airport. “It reflects that people who use this airport are quite proud of where they come from and the airport is an extension of that. “We now have a product that is not perfect, but there is room to improve, and a product we can sell properly to our airline partners.” The ‘big sell’ will aim to address gaps in JLA’s current offer. Mr Thomas said: “There are segments we don’t offer. Liverpool was a low-cost airport and Manchester was an everything else airport. The gaps in our portfolio are destinations to the Mediterranean and a few gaps on the business side. “Sadly it is not like flicking a switch. These kind of decisions are typically 12 months in advance. But this phase is going to be about marketing the airport.” He believes the rebalancing of Easyjet and Ryanair’s operations between JLA and Manchester could encourage new airlines to now consider Liverpool as a viable base: “When Easyjet and Ryanair were here and not in Manchester they
JLA seeking growth by plugging gaps in commercial offer New Liverpool John Lennon Airport chief executive Matthew Thomas is targeting growth of holiday and business routes and be less dependent on budget operators like Easyjet and Ryanair, inset Picture: GARETH JONES
were very good at what they did and maybe there were airlines that didn’t want to compete. “But now they have gone to Manchester, that competitiveness situation might have changed. “As Manchester realises it can’t miss out on the growth the low-cost guys delivered, it is for us to concentrate less about carriers but more
about destination and product – the Mediterranean, Turkey, Cyprus, the Greek Islands and North Africa where there’s a huge demand. “We know we have the customers who want to fly for a week’s holiday but at the moment they’re going to Manchester. We see the model changing.” He added: “It could be that the
q&a Age: 40 Highest educational qualification: Degree and MBA in accountancy Biggest achievement in business: The opening of the 800m
euros new terminal building at Larnaca Airport in Cypress which was voted the best airport in the world Biggest regret: I don’t do regrets Still to achieve: Creating the perfect airport
low-cost carriers are developing holiday products and that is one segment that is missing. We see low cost carriers focusing more on quality of product and quality of service they give. They are competing for new market share as well.” Mr Thomas also believes business travel is a sector ripe for investment: “Easyjet are really looking to go after that market. They want 25% of their passengers to be business and we see opportunities in business airports in Europe like Brussels and Frankfurt and also opportunities in the domestic market, places that it’s not easy to get to on a train, like Aberdeen and Edinburgh.” Mr Thomas acknowledges APD (Air Passenger Duty) has devastated regional routes, but should APD be cut or axed altogether he said the benefits would be tremendous.
“APD is a problem and in the UK there’s not really been any growth in aviation for four years, and the outlook is there won’t be because it is directly impacting on air travel. “Another recent APD increase in the Budget just gone is not helpful at all, but PricewaterhouseCoopers say that scrapping the tax would deliver a 0.45% boost to GDP within 12 months and could generate 60,000 jobs by 2020. “The sooner we are aligned with the rest of Europe the better because we have the highest airport taxes in the world.” He also sees future growth further afield with both existing and new carriers. Earlier this month Ryanair announced a £10bn deal with Boeing for 175 new jets as it seeks to boost routes and services. Last year
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
the big interview post business
Alex
Turner Hotel room rush is now at its limit THE hotel sector has for the last decade been a barometer of the city’s health. For a long time it had lagged behind other cities, with few hotels and most of the big names notable by their absence. Even St Helens had a Hilton Hotel, but not Liverpool. It’s hard to be sure whether there weren’t many hotels because not enough people wanted (or needed) to stay in Liverpool, or people weren’t staying because there weren’t enough, or the right, hotels. But somewhere between winning the Capital of Culture bid and Capital of Culture year – aided in no small measure by Liverpool One, the arena and convention centre, the growth of Liverpool Airport, more European football, a general improvement in the economy and a number of other factors – there was a rush by developers and hotel operators to flood into the city. Whether budget, boutique or businessfocused, the number of hotel rooms increased by thousands, with only the slightest of pauses to consider how many was too many. Today there are several more hotels in the latter stages of development, but it is clear that – in the current economic climate, at least – saturation point has already been reached. While the zero-hours contracts that a lot of staff have provide hotel management with great flexibility to cope with the peaks and troughs of the trade, some are now being forced to reduce the hours of their full-time staff. This isn’t a problem unique to the city, but it does set off alarm bells about whether the number of hotels can be sustained in the medium term, without another stimulus to the economy. The extension of the ECHO Arena and BT Convention Centre will help when it is completed in two years’ time, but the hotel sector will not want to become further reliant on the waterside venue as the source of its patrons. Anyway, the development will add another 200 hotel rooms to the city’s total. Build it and they will come is an adage that is best confined to Hollywood movies and is not one that should be adopted by would-be hoteliers. After years of building so many hotels that it has been almost impossible to keep count, now is the time to take stock and to look at raising the quality of the offer.
‘Time to put look at quality instead of quantity’
Mr Thomas outside JLA’s main terminal building Picture: GARETH JONES
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary pledged to ramp up operations at Liverpool and fill some of the gaps left by Easyjet. Mr Thomas said: “The Ryanair order is a reflection of how successful their model is. It is how can we grow together and exploit the opportunity. “We are in a good place with them. It is a question of understanding the opportunity. The Ryanair order is due to come in in 2015, so we have some time. We have 8% growth with Ryanair this year and we want to go well beyond that. When they start going into their next round of growth we want to be in a position that Liverpool is a logical choice for them.” Next month a new carrier arrives at JLA when Norwegian starts a route to Copenhagen as part of a fiveyear deal with the airport.
Mr Thomas said: “Norwegian is a big opportunity.” It currently operates 70 aircraft and has 259 more on order. JLA aims to attract more direct links throughout Scandinavia and also to tap in to Norwegian’s new global routes. The airline will start to fly to New York and Bangkok from Oslo and Stockholm in May and June and Mr Thomas said: “We can see the scenario where people from Liverpool will go to Oslo to go to the US or Thailand.” But he said the Scandinavian links also offer exciting prospects: “Norwegian’s model has been exporting Scandinavians and we are expecting 80% of the Liverpool-Copenhagen route to be Danes and Scandinavians coming in to Liverpool. “We can see a huge opportunity with Norwegian to deliver further
growth. It is 25,000 additional tourists for Liverpool, and we can do that in multiples each time there’s a new route. “If it (Copenhagen) is a success they will put more routes on here. We need to work really hard. This is a competitive market place and Norwegian have the capacity to grow, but they’re going to put that capacity where they make the most money. “Our challenge is to build the brand awareness for them. We will be pulling out all the stops to ensure it is a success. We have seen the early sales data and it seems to be ahead of plan.” Mr Thomas said the strong affinity between Scandinavian football fans and Liverpool FC could probably make Norwegian’s inaugural route a success just based on football season traffic alone.
JLA was competing with Manchester Airport for the Norwegian contract and Mr Thomas said: “Norwegian were looking for competitive commercial terms but they were impressed at how big our appetite was for them. “We have been chasing them for a while now. They know how important they can be for us. We just told them we would do it better than Manchester.” Mr Thomas said parent group Vancouver sees the long-term promise of JLA: “They love Liverpool. “They say we are well-positioned to compete as we look into the next three- to five-year time frame. “The market case is compelling. Our focus and challenge is to persuade our airline partners that the opportunity in Liverpool is better than anywhere else.”
■ Alex Turner is the general manager of financial training firm Ambitious Minds
14
Thursday, March 28, 2013
post business legal
quality legal Stuart Capstick, Head of Personal Injury Claims at Jackson & Canter on the proposed removal of strict liability in workplace claims ON October 16, 2012, during its passage through Parliament and after the consultation stage had taken place, the Government amended the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill to introduce clause 62. Clause 62 will amend section 47 of the Health and Safety at Work Act to remove ‘strict liability’ for certain types of accidents which occur in the workplace. Strict liability is an absolute duty placed upon employers who have breached their statutory duty. An injured employee need only prove that this has occurred to succeed in a civil claim for compensation. An example of this is where an employee works in a factory using a machine which breaks down during use and causes injury to the employee. In those circumstances, liability would attach to the employer and the employee would be compensated for his injuries and losses. Whilst this may seem an unfair burden on the employer if the machine unforeseeably breaks, if liability did not rest with the employer then that burden of the employee’s losses would be borne by the state or the employee himself. The employee did not go to work to be injured. He is there using equipment provided by, and under the control of, his employer. Accordingly, since Victorian times, it is an established concept for the protection of employees that an absolute duty for civil liability will follow where a breach of statutory duty arises. If Clause 62 is effected, then the employee would be required to prove negligence on the part of the employer. This will place a great evidential burden upon the employee and that evidence will not be in the employee’s possession. It is only the employer who will know of the maintenance history of the machine. The employee will need to obtain disclosure of documents from the employer relating to the machine, processes and systems of repair, and obtain witness statements from other employees, maintenance operators etc, all of which will increase litigation coats. That in turn would increase insurance premiums for employers. Additionally, clause 62 comes at a time when the litigation process is changing and legal costs are being reduced with the effect that an injured employee may not be able to obtain representation to pursue such claims, with the likely consequence that many claims will not be pursued. Whilst we welcome a review of Health and Safety law we would not want to see the introduction of any changes without consultation or assessment of their effect, which, at the most basic level, may serve to sour relations between employer and employee. Clause 62 was recently defeated in the House of Lords by two votes. It is likely that it will shortly be represented to the House of Commons by the Government. ■ Contact scapstick@jacksoncanter.co.uk
No changes without consultation or assessment of their effect
In association with
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www.ldplegal.co.uk
City law firm looking after health of its staff HILL DICKINSON and Liverpool Community Health (LCH) NHS Trust are working together to improve the health and wellbeing of the law firm’s employees. Hill Dickinson, which currently employs more than 800 people at its Liverpool headquarters, has partnered with LCH to roll-out a comprehensive health programme. The law firm will work with the trust to meet its objectives of tackling health issues within the workplace. Each month will see a new issue covered, including weight management, smoking cessation and mental health, alongside men’s and women’s health. LCH will support each programme by providing health workshops, access to community activities and advice on seeking useful information. Hill Dickinson partner Richard Watson said: “Law firms are renowned for being high-pressured and fast-moving environments to work in, with an onus increasingly being placed on the employer to make provisions for the wellbeing of its staff.”
Staff from Hill Dickinson and the Liverpool Community Health team
BCL Legal expands with London office opening by Neil Hodgson
POST BUSINESS STAFF
neil.hodgson@liverpool.com
LIVERPOOL legal recruitment specialist BCL Legal has expanded with an office opening in London. The group, which was formed 10 years ago, has established a presence in the heart of the Square Mile, with its office in New Broad Stree,t near Liverpool Street Station. The opening is in response to a big increase in demand from London- and South East-based clients operating in both the private practice and in-house sectors over the past year. The initial focus for the office will be around interim/locum and document review roles. It aims, over the next 12 to 18 months, to grow and develop a full private practice team that will place candidates at all levels and across all disciplines, as well
as to grow its in-house offering. The London office will be headed by BCL Legal managing director James Batt who will divide his time between the firm’s regional offices and London. He will be joined by two permanent London-based colleagues, Matthew Porter, who is a manager and has eight years’ recruitment experience, and Raj Sidhu, who joins as a managing associate and has worked in the sector for nine years. Mr Porter previously worked at BCL Legal’s Manchester office before relocating to London in 2010. In addition, Mark Levine, head of BCL Legal’s in-house team, Craig Wilson, senior in-house associate, and James Brewster, who specialises in the placement of insurance solicitors in the capital, also have desks at the new office. The location of the office was chosen due to its close proximity to the key legal hubs in the City, Holborn, West End and Canary Wharf.
It builds on BCL Legal’s existing network of offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol and Reading. Mr Batt said: “Since we established BCL Legal in 2003 the business has grown to become one of the most well known and respected names in the legal recruitment market. “We’ve worked hard to build up our reputation, but we always knew the ultimate goal would be to establish ourselves in London with a full-time office. “It’s been a long time in the planning as we needed to bring together the best team possible, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.” He added: “Opening in London has never been a vanity project – it’s based on a real demand from our clients, both in central London and across the South East. This is an exciting step for the whole company and our drive is now firmly set on building up our profile to make it a real success so it mirrors our presence in the rest of the UK.”
Maxwell Hodge warns on medical negligence MAXWELL HODGE is warning potential clients to act now if they think they have a medical negligence claim – before legal aid is scrapped. On April 1, Government plans to scrap legal aid for anything but the most extreme medical negligence claims will come into effect.
Michael Danby, head of the clinical negligence department and Law Society clinical negligence panel member, said: “The Government’s plans mean there will be no legal aid for anything except catastrophic birth injury cases. “Added to this, the Govern-
ment has changed the way the no win no fee system works, so clients who seek funding under a no win no fee arrangement can expect to pay a large portion of their compensation towards legal fees. Potentially they will also have to fund expenses such as obtaining medical records,
expert fees and court fees. “The practical reality is many people may simply not be able to afford to pursue a legitimate claim.” The changes to the legal system means that clinical negligence lawyers can no longer recover the legal fees from the defendant.
15
Thursday, March 28, 2013
women in business
post business
Have tea with an architect
Emma Spruell shows off items from her product range Picture: COLIN LANE
Business is blooming at baby gifts venture by Tony McDonough POST BUSINESS STAFF
tony.mcdonough@liverpool.com
WHEN teacher Emma Spruell was on maternity leave with her second daughter she received a beautiful gift from a friend that inspired her to become an entrepreneur. The gift was a baby clothes bouquet – a floral arrangement that can contain baby items such as socks, bibs and bodysuits. “I thought it was so unique,” said Emma, from Prescot. “I sourced where it came from, was shocked at the price and said to my husband ‘I think I could make something similar for half the price’.” So she did and in 2009, Flowertots Baby Gifts was born. “ I showed my bouquet to family and friends and soon I started to get orders,” she added. “My friends encouraged me to attend a craft fair which I did a few months later and I was approached by a gift shop to start supplying them with my baby gifts. “I thought if a local gift shop was interested maybe others would be too.” Emma, who still works part-time as
a teacher, started to look around for other retail outlets that may be interested in her products. The married mum of three daughters said: “I was given the contact details of a potential stockist in south Liverpool. “But when I spoke to them the owner said that they were intending to make their own so I left feeling a little disheartened. “However, it was the best thing that could have happened as I drove past a gift shop in Allerton Road called Voglio. “As I had my gift range with me I just took a chance went inside and asked to speak to the manager. Three years later my gifts, which now include a ladies range, are still as popular as ever.” Initially, most of her sales were through the retail outlets but she then developed a website and now online accounts for 60% of sales – a number she expects to get bigger. She also joined Twitter and says the social networking site has also given her a huge boost in sales. “I now have stockists in Greater Manchester Cambridgeshire and Kent with more planned for 2013,” she said. “I also sell my gifts through other
online market places and they are currently on sale in a pop up shop in Bristol.” So impressed was Emma with the power of Twitter that she has set up #Twittersisters which does an hour a week of speed networking on behalf of a small business. She said: “This has been running for six months. We choose a small business with less than 500 followers to promote till they reach 500 followers. I am well aware of how hard it can be to try and gain more followers especially when you first join.” Emma, who lives with husband Stephen and their daughters India, five, Siena, three and one-year-old Neiva, is now planning a new range for twins. She added: “My new themed football baby gifts are being stocked by The Liverpool Gift Company. “Flowertots has allowed me to return to work part-time and be a mum doing the daily school run and taking my daughters to Rainbows and swimming. “So while I might be making orders once they are all in bed I wouldn't change a thing.”
‘I am well aware of how hard it is to get followers’
WEB manager Bernie recognised at awards BIRKENHEAD support organisation Women’s Enterprising Breakthrough (WEB) was a winner at an inaugural social enterprise awards. It was shortlisted in two categories of the first Excellence in Social Enterprise awards, hosted by Social
Enterprise North Wes, in Blackpool recently. And its centre manager, Bernie King, was successful in the Employee of the Year award. This was in recognition of her efforts in developing services and securing funding within its deprived
community and driving the organisation towards sustainability. Val Jones, Social Enterprise North West chief executive, said: “The awards highlighted the great work that is taking place right across the North West by organisations that are com-
mitted to their local environment.” Ms King said: “It’s fantastic that WEB’s work with is being recognised. For a small community organisation like ours to be shortlisted is testament to the enormous impact our services have.”
A FORMER star of TV’s The Apprentice, Gabrielle Omar, has announced the launch of an initiative called Tea with an Architect. This is a nationwide series of events where members of the public can meet architects for a free consultation over a cup of tea. The initiative was inspired by architect Gabrielle’s time on The Apprentice, after which a woman stopped her on the street and remarked what a lovely job architects have “cleaning up those old bones”. She said: “In a YouGov survey we commissioned last year, very few members of the public had any idea what architects do.”
How you can help write the rules for the Press
The British Press has pledged an urgent reform of its regulation, to restore trust in the wake of the Leveson Report. So it is seeking help from those who know best: You – the public, the 40 million readers of the UK’s newspapers and magazines. The Editors’ Code of Practice Committee has launched a review of the Editors’ Code that sets the rules for the British Press. It is inviting the public to contribute by suggesting changes to be incorporated into the Code of Practice, or The Editors’ Codebook which accompanies it. You can view both the Code and Codebook at www.editorscode.org.uk where you can lodge suggested amendments. Or you can send your suggestions by post to: Editors’ Code Review, PO Box 235, Stonehouse, GL10 3UF. Closing date for suggestions is April 17. So, if you would like to see a change in the rules, why not let us know? A free and independent Press is only as strong as its readers.
ISSUED BY THE EDITORS’ CODE OF PRACTICE COMMITTEE
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
post business location
Central location makes the former Rapid store an attractive option
view point by Matt Kerrigan, a partner, Hitchcock Wright & Partners AS WE approach the end of the first quarter of the year, a walk through Liverpool city centre illustrates the challenging times facing many of
Auction sales on the rise PROPERTY auction figures for the UK are showing some of the best sales figures since before the financial crisis. Data from the Essential Information Group (EIG) reveal there were 3,083 lots sold in February – a year-on-year rise of 8%. EIG’s David Sandeman said: “I am pleased to report that the overall market figures are positive, with increases made in almost every parameter across both residential and commercial sectors.” Recent auction results in Merseyside back up the data with Kersh, Venmore and Smith and Sons all recording strong performances in February.
our high street retailers. The same is typical of many city and town centres throughout the country. Over recent years the face of the high street has changed with well-known names such as Peacocks, Past Times, Blacks and Comet all filing for administration. Despite the anticipated busy Christmas run-up it appears cash-conscious consumers have reduced their spending on all but the most essential items, which has contributed to the demise of Blockbuster, HMV, Republic, Jessop’s and
Rapid Hardware, who have all entered administration since the turn of the year. There is without doubt a sense of uncertainty as to who will occupy the space being vacated as a result of the recent administrations. Fortunately, as a city ,we have seen a number of new retailers acquiring accommodation. Most recently, the lettings at the former Zavvi unit in Liverpool One, which has been split to provide leis-
ure space for Browns Restaurant and Byron Hamburgers, are good examples. We now have the former Rapid Hardware in Basnett Street vacant which, while being an iconic building, is not a typical layout for a modern retail store. Nonetheless, I am optimistic that with the central location and good service access there will be a number of potential users with the vision to make the space work.
‘There‘ll be users with the vision to make it work’
Given the previous use, an obvious occupier would perhaps be a food retailer, independent department store or even a hardware shop once again. Alternately the building would possibly suit conversion into a boutique hotel, casino or apartments, subject to obtaining planning approval. Whatever the future use is to be, I am hopeful that an occupier can be secured quickly as it would be a great shame for the building to remain unused for an extended period of time.
Investors should look at the ‘alternatives’, claims report Car showroom sites are among those considered to be ‘alternative’ assets. Right, David Sayer of GVA
by Tony McDonough
BUSINESS to BUSINESS
POST BUSINESS STAFF
tony.mcdonough@liverpool.com
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EXPERTS at GVA have published a report outlining the increasing appeal of so-called “alternative” assets to property investors. The study – What’s the Alternative? – outlines how properties such as petrol stations, data centres, energy and waste management facilities, healthcare centres and student accommodation can now offer healthy returns. It reveals that over the past five years, mainstream sectors such as office, industrial and retail had delivered an average negative return of -0.7% per year. However, alternative assets had, on average, showed positive returns of 4% per year. GVA believes, at least in the short term, this trend of returns is likely to continue. David Sayer, senior director and hHead of investment for GVA Liverpool, said: “If we talk of relative performance, as well as perhaps initiating a greater appetite for risk, some alternative sectors are outperforming the more traditional investment classes. “Broadly speaking, investors are still relatively unfamiliar with alternative sectors, and so perceive a greater degree of risk. “However, longer leases and fixed uplifts mean that the reverse is frequently true. “Diversity of product, prime yields at or below 6% with further scope for compression as the market matures, longer leases and fixed
uplifts combine to offer a highly attractive alternative.” GVA claims this is the first study of its kind and alternative asset classes also covered include hotels and leisure. Mr Sayer added: “This is the first research to unravel the facts surrounding each alternative sector and the prospects they offer. “As policy, technology and economics advance, so does the use of property. “For example, the march towards a fully digital society has highlighted the dependency of business upon modern technology. “Changes in working practices, greater use of the internet and the ability to work remotely anywhere in the world have led to a major increase in the amount of data generated, and will continue to do so. “For that reason, data centres form a strong proposition as an alternative investment class.” Mr Sayer added that the traditional commercial property sectors were undergoing a period of correction after enjoying record growth. This, he said, had seen markets fracture between prime and secondary, London or non-London, resulting in negative impacts on rental values, capital growth and total returns. He said: “The report presents all the considerations required to form a thorough investment viability test. “It is not just about the covenant strength. Maturity level, rent affordability, risk, ease of entry, exit strategy, stock selection and understanding the business model are all elements that the report illustrates as vital.”
‘This is the first research to unravel the facts’
17
Thursday, March 28, 2013
location post business
BPF backs plan for regional funding THE British Property Federation (BPF) is backing the Government’s decision to offer direct funding to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). Liverpool City Region and Warrington and Cheshire LEPs will be able to bid for cash from the Local Growth Fund. BPF chief executive, Liz Peace, said: “Development remains stalled in much of the country outside central London and the old models for development are no longer working. “Government has got to help foster new forms of public-private partnership and remove obstacles such as cumbersome procurement procedures.” However, she added: “There is some concern whether they will have the resources and authority to play the role the Government envisages.”
Social housing group signs a 35,000 sq ft deal at Birchwood Computer-generated image of Your Housing Group's 35,000 sq ft headquarters being built at MEPC Birchwood Park in Warrington
EXCLUSIVE by Tony McDonough POST BUSINESS STAFF
tony.mcdonough@liverpool.com
YOUR HOUSING GROUP has signed a pre-let agreement for the construction of a 35,000 sq ft headquarters at MEPC Birchwood Park in Warrington Work is already underway on the development which will become the social housing provider’s new head office, accommodating around 300 members of staff. It will provide a “convenient” central location for the group which owns and manages property across the North West, Midlands and Yorkshire. This follows the completion completion of the 47,000 sq ft pre-let 305 Bridgewater Place at Birchwood Park last year. Your Housing chief executive, Brian Cronin, said: “We are very excited to have found a new permanent home and are delighted to be working with Birchwood Park’s onsite management team. “The park’s central location is the ideal choice in bringing our
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CCORDING to Paul Brokenshar of Investec Wealth & Investment, we are subject to many different taxes throughout our lifetimes and our assets may also be subject to further taxation when we die. “So, when Benjamin Franklin famously remarked that the only two certainties in life are death and taxes, he was not far off the mark,” comments Paul. He explains that inheritance tax is a tax on everything you own in the event of your death. It is charged at 40% on assets exceeding the nil rate band, which is £325,000 for the current tax year. In the case of married couples and those in civil partnerships where one spouse has already died, the surviving spouse can inherit any unused proportion of their nil rate band, which could have the effect of doubling this allowance. Having said that, a lot of estates are still valued in excess of this. The nil rate band was going to increase from April 2015 to £329,000, but this has been put on hold by the Government and it will not now increase until 2018 at the earliest, which means that even more estates will be caught
in the inheritance tax net. Paul said: “Inheritance tax is undoubtedly a punitive tax; however, it is also described as a voluntary tax because in a lot of cases it can be legitimately avoided through careful planning.” So what can you do to reduce your liabilities? He said: “If you have an investment portfolio, for example, then you could consider giving all or part of that portfolio away. You must, however, survive for seven years afterwards in order for it to fall outside the inheritance tax equation. You would also need to consider whether you could actually afford to make a gift of this nature, especially if you receive an income from the portfolio, as you would not be able to continue taking the income after the event in order for it to be effective from an inheritance tax perspective.” There are, nevertheless, a number of HMRC-approved trust schemes which can be used to legitimately circumvent this problem. Paul explains: “Certain types of trust enable you to start the ‘seven year clock‘ ticking while also allowing you to continue taking an income or ad hoc withdrawals of capital from the trust (subject to certain limits), without
group together, and its transport connections are vital for helping us manage our properties across the region.” Your Housing Group was formed in April 2012 following the merger of Liverpool-based Arena Housing and Manchester’s Harvest Housing. Jonathan Walsh, MEPC Birchwood Park’s managing director, said: “Your Housing Group’s decision to establish its new head office at Birchwood Park is testament to the quality of our location, facilities and the community atmosphere.” And Steve Park, managing director of Warrington & Co, the town’s partnership for driving growth, said: “It is great news that Your Housing has chosen Birchwood and Warrington as their location in which to develop their new HQ. “This affirms the findings in recent reports published by the Centre for Cities, Municipal Journal and Santander that the town’s growth is outstripping its local and national rivals. Warrington is home to almost as many top headquarters as Liverpool and Manchester.”
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Paul Brokenshar breaching the Gift With Reservation rules. This means that your inheritance tax liabilities can be reduced without you necessarily having to lose any ongoing income or forego access to the capital.“ He adds: “There are numerous other ways in which inheritance tax liabilities can be reduced, and
advice should always be taken from a suitably qualified professional before undertaking any particular course of action.” ■ Paul is a Chartered Financial Planner. He is also a Fellow of the Personal Finance Society and an affiliate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.
The Plaza, 100 Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9AB. Tel: 0151 227 2030. Fax: 0151 227 2444 Email: paul.brokenshar@investecwin.co.uk Website: www.investecwin.co.uk Contact: Paul Brokenshar
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18
Thursday, March 28, 2013
post business economic development
Science Park begins new knowledge
economy
From left, Sir Howard Newby, Joe Anderson, Barry Roberts, area director for Morgan Sindall, Prof Nigel Weatherill and Chris Musson at the site of IC3 Picture: CHRISTIAN SMITH
by Tony McDonough
POST BUSINESS STAFF
tony.mcdonough@liverpool.com
T
HOSE charged with growing the North West’s knowledge sector must have taken a sharp intake of breath last week when pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca announced it was relocating its research and development from Cheshire to Cambridge. There was no doubt the news did come as a blow. However, the fightback is almost immediate. This week workers have put the first spade in the ground to begin work on Liverpool Science Park’s (LSP) third building. Bouyed by the success of the first two buildings – Innovation Centre 1 (IC1) and IC2 – LSP is pressing ahead with its £8m IC3 project. In a shadow of the city’s Metropolitan Cathedral, IC3 will provide 42,000 sq ft of additional office and laboratory space to accompany the two buildings already at the park, which are now more than 90% occupied. The four-storey building will be constructed over the existing car park of IC1, off Mount Pleasant, and a double storey-bridge will link it to the IC1 building. It will include flexible office space, fully-serviced biology and chemistry laboratories, meeting rooms and under-croft car parking. The third building will complete the development of LSP’s site, which links the city’s two universities and its growing Knowledge Quarter. The project is due for completion in spring 2014. LSP chief executive Chris Musson says the key to the facility’s success so far has been its proximity to the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University. He told Post Business: “If I stand outside here and hold out my arms either side it almost feels like I can touch both universities. “I think being that close to world-class facilities is essential to the success of any science park.” He acknowledges the threat posed by places such as Cambridge and Thames Valley in the South but insists Liverpool is well-equipped to compete. “The attraction of the so called golden triangle down south is obvious but we are finding that companies do want to come to Liverpool because of the quality of the graduates emerging from our universities,” he added. “All the building blocks are in place here – not just at LSP but right across Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter.” Despite the tough economic climate, Mr Musson said there is demand for the space at LSP – not just because of the specialist facilities but also because of the attraction of being close to other like-minded people. He said: “We are not being too nar-
row about the types of businesses or sectors that we want to attract here. “Basically, anyone who uses their brain and is making money out of it is welcome. We want to make sure we have a good mix of companies. “If you get the right mix then you can create the demand. “People have told us that being among like-minded businesses and people is a big attraction. “They can do business with each other and even just exchange ideas – and of course we have that tangible link to the universities.” A major part of LSP’s ethos is to encourage young entrepreneurs to
start their own knowledge-based enterprises with a cost structure in place to facilitate that process. Mr Musson added: “A graduate who wants to start his or her own business and use our 24-hour-a-day facilities can do so for as little as £18 a week. “Our job is to help young companies to develop and there is a real energy here now. “People can come here and sign a lease for a day or 10 years.” Half of the construction costs of IC3 are being underwritten by the science park’s owners Liverpool City Council, the University of Liverpool and Liverpool
‘With the right mix you can create the demand’
John Moores University, with the balance being provided by the European Regional Development Fund. Present at this week’s ceremony to begin construction was Liverpool’s elected Mayor Joe Anderson and Sir Howard Newby, vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool and Chair of the LSP board. Mayor Anderson said: “Liverpool Science Park plays a vital role in the heart of our Knowledge Quarter, providing a home for some of the city’s brightest minds and entrepreneurial talents. “It’s fantastic to see the facility continuing to grow and evolve. “This new, state-of-the-art building will further improve LSP’s world-class offer and strengthen its position as the destination of choice
for science-based companies from all over the country.” Sir Howard Newby added: “Investment in Liverpool Science Park is crucial in nurturing up-and-coming business talents and supporting them in turning their ideas into successful commercial ventures. “The growth of the science park is crucial to the development of the city’s Knowledge Quarter and to enhance Liverpool’s wealth of scientific expertise.” The building was designed by multi award-winning practice Ryder Architecture. Construction firm Morgan Sindall has won the contact to deliver the project which will see around 60 people from the local area employed at the site.
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
economic development post business
£8m chapter
diary of an entrepreneur MY INSPIRATION as an entrepreneur was borne more out of being passionate about an industry or pastime over the years rather than setting out to be a sharp-suited serial entrepreneur as depicted in and by today’s media. I’m also a big fan of partnerships, having learned a great deal about their value over the years, and in meeting my business partner it was very much a joint decision to begin what we have now developed at Active Adventures. He had always loved the Otterspool area and had his eye on the land to build a cafe there for about eight years. When we saw that the land had come up for sale with the stipulation that it must be used for outdoor leisure, we set about submitting various plans to the council. I come from a licensed and leisure background and his knowledge of outdoor pursuits, having served in the Royal Marines, put us in a strong position in making the venture work based upon business and life experience. We agreed on the idea of a high ropes course and military obstacle course as an evolutionary step before going on to develop an eaterie and more complex activity centre. Looking back upon completion and opening just 12 months ago, the business on a personal level fits neatly with my ethos – keep your mind fresh by never having two days the same. I guess it’s the same for other people who run companies and organisations. The diverse crowd you meet and everyone you work with keeps you on your toes and develops you as an individual in a very positive way.
Plus, the amount of specialist knowledge that goes into setting up a business like this is quite remarkable. While we’ve only been open a year, it has taken two years prior to that to nail what we now have in place. Fail to plan and you plan to fail. You get to learn so much about yourself too when you’re creating and driving a business forward like this. Going back to what I mentioned about partnerships and their importance – it has made me appreciate that you can’t receive enough information from people around you that are ring to help you along. You can greatly benefit from other people’s experience. You also have to share your adrenalin and passion for the business by talking all the time with your partners because it is easy to get carried away with things being so buoyant for us right now. Cautious optimism helps you not to overstretch yourself or the team that makes the business. An obvious route for us in future would be to franchise but we’d rather make this a roaring success by establishing another year-long series of initiatives. They are starting this Easter weekend and next with our Easter Bunny Maze and the visit of Hedwig the original owl from Harry Potter. By generating a programme of what we hope are nationally-acclaimed events, we can then replicate this elsewhere. That’s our gut feel after all the financial and practical analysis completed and I’ve found that’s often the best yardstick by which to judge a business and its direction. Daniel Kirkham, director of Active Adventures
Top and above, computer-generated images of how LSP’s third building will look
Knowledge Quarter attracts £1bn of investment LIVERPOOL’S Knowledge Quarter is the focus of investment programmes worth £1bn and combines technology firms with globally-renowned research institutions. It is home to the city’s two universities, the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool Science Park (LSP), Merseybio and the National
Oceanography Centre. LSP was created as a “special purpose vehicle” in 2002 by four partners – Liverpool City Council, the two universities and the now defunct North West Development Agency. LSP is a not-for-profit company and has been operational since January 2006. It is currently home to more than 75 companies.
These are drawn from a variety of knowledge sectors including graduate start-ups, research and development facilities and a handful of relevant business support companies. LSP also houses a biomedical cluster, graduate enterprise centre, starter pods and laboratories. Chris Musson, chief executive of Liverpool Science Park said: “The
construction of IC3 is a key milestone for the science park and marks the next chapter in its history. “LSP started life back in 2006 with a vision to build up a thriving community of like-minded science and technology businesses and we have delivered on this. IC3 will be instrumental in the next stage of growth at the science park.”
From left, Keith Perryman and Daniel Kirkham
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
post business professional
ask the expert
Vanguard advises on feed firms merger LIVERPOOL corporate finance unit MC Vanguard has heped facilitate a merger between two of Cheshire’s longest-established animal feed producers. Waterhouse Feeds is joining forces with HJ Lea Oakes. MC Vanguard, which is the corporate finance arm of accountants Mitchell Charlesworth, advised Waterhouse Feeds. Vanguard’s work was led by Robin Gower and Brian McCann. John Spofforth from corporate law firm
Peter Mooney, Head of Employment Law at ELAS, on workplace policies for e-cigarettes
Q
I’VE noticed more and more employees using ‘e-cigarettes’ at work. There has been some consternation among nonsmokers in the office, as these devices look very similar to real cigarettes. Should e-cigarettes be treated the same way as other nicotine replacement therapies?
A
E-CIGARETTES are rapidly becoming the replacement of choice for traditional smoking. For the first time since anti-smoking legislation was passed, people can be found puffing away on public transport, in restaurants and, crucially, at work. This leaves many employers in a quandary. The safety of e-cigarettes has not been proven, and while there is equally no proof that they harm the health of the user or even passively, there have been instances of the device’s battery overheating. Overall, bosses must consider the health, safety and comfort of the people around the e-smoker. The e-cigarettes heat and vaporise a liquid which users inhale, providing a nicotine hit as well as ‘smoke’ to exhale. The similarity doesn’t stop there, with most products designed to resemble a cigarette down to the glowing end when ‘smoked’. For users, the advantages are obvious: the 2006 Health Act defines smoking as involving ‘lit tobacco’, which means e-cigarettes fall outside of the restrictions applied to traditional methods. Because many employers don’t have a specific smoking policy, the 2006 Health Act generally acts as a default. This means that unless businesses establish and communicate clear rules to their employees with regards to e-cigarettes, they cannot rely on standard legislation as justification for banning them in the workplace. The argument against banning e-cigarettes is that they are considered a nicotine replacement therapy similar to patches or gum. However, traditional therapies are designed to help people stop smoking, not to be used as a substitute alone, and many workplaces ban gum for food hygiene reasons, whether it contains nicotine or not. A better option is the patch, which provides discrete nicotine therapy without drawing any attention to the user. The key aspect to consider is perception. If the workforce sees someone smoking what appears to be a real cigarette, this will cause a certain amount of discomfort regardless of whether it turns out to be an imitation. The problem employers face is that smoking is generally frowned upon. By allowing e-cigarettes to be exempt from the smoking policy, there is a danger of appearing to condone a practice that upsets the majority of employees. At the very least they will be complicit in creating confusion. Many companies allow staff to smoke during their break times in the designated area, and there is no reason why e-cigarettes cannot be used in the same In association with manner. ■ For more advice on health and safety or employment law issues, call ELAS’ experts on 08450 50 40 60.
Many firms allow staff to smoke during break times
Deloitte partner Sean Beech
‘Liverpool needs to be at MIPIM’ by Tony McDonough POST BUSINESS STAFF
tony.mcdonough@liverpool.com
A LEADING Liverpool professional says a lack of Liverpool presence at this year’s MIPIM international property conference is a missed opportunity for the city. MIPIM takes place in Cannes in the South of France every March and for several years Liverpool sent a delegation of business and civic leaders. However, cuts to budgets have meant the city no longer attends the event which is attended by the world’s biggest developers and financiers. UK cities that did have a presence there this year included Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Stoke and York Instead, Liverpool has focused its efforts on its office in the heart of London where it hosts regular events for potential investors. But Sean Beech, a partner at the Liverpool office of accountants Deloitte, said the city’s absence from MIPIM was “disappointing”.
He was at MIPIM and added: “This is not about Liverpool competing with close rivals such as Manchester, but is about networking on a large scale, making connections with global cities, expanding our network and showing that we are open for business. “During the week at MIPIM, I met with Liverpool-based property developer Downing and also bumped into property lawyers from Brabners and DWF. “I returned with about 30 leads to follow up, including arranging for a Cork delegation to visit Liverpool next year, perhaps as part of the International Festival for Business. “If Liverpool is to lead by example and set the standard for our business community, we must have a presence on such an important stage “The city should start planning now to arrange a senior 2014 delegation. “I’m confident that several businesses in the region would jump at the chance to sell their services and our city in front of an audience of willing investors. “Despite new technology providing us with several methods of communication, nothing really beats making eye contact and shaking hands to build rapport and trust.”
Brian McCann O’Connors also acted for the owners of Waterhouse Feeds. Both Waterhouse Feeds and HJ Lea Oakes will continue trading under their existing names supplying the North West, North Wales and Midlands agricultural communities with a broad range of animal feeds and nutritional products. Brian McCann said: “We are delighted to be supporting two of the region’s long-standing family farming firms in their future growth plans. “This move will help to unite these outstanding businesses which have a track record of excellence in the animal feed sector.”
on the move ■
THE Liverpool-based International Cotton Association (ICA) has appointed John Gibson to head up its arbitration team and assist the ICA managing director in driving forward the Association’s strategy to improve the effectiveness of its global arbitration system. With more than 23 years of legal experience Mr Gibson joins the ICA from international commercial law firm Hill Dickinson where he was head of notary services, leading the
largest group of notaries, in one firm, in England, outside of London. In 2012 the ICA received 247 applications for technical arbitration and for the past two years requests rose to more than five times their normal yearly average.
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JOCKEY Club Racecourses, the UK’s largest racecourse group, has appointed Manchester United FC’s Nadine Mansfield as regional head of marketing in its North West region which consists of
Aintree, Haydock Park and Carlisle racecourses. Ms Mansfield, who will be based at Haydock Park, was venue marketing manager with Manchester United.
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NORTH West law firm Kirwans has announced two new appointments. James Barker will head up the personal injury department having joined from Lamb & Co in Hoylake. And Lisa Evans also joins as a commercial property solicitor.
John Gibson – heads ICA arbitration team
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
style
Facebook’s cold office policy becomes hot topic for debate
Alistair Houghton on how landlords balance the needs of office workers
Taking the city region’s temperature
Cold offices this way: Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg
I
T MAY be more popular than ever, but Facebook is still very cool – or at least, its office is. In an interview to promote her book, Lean In, Facebook’s chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg revealed that founder Mark Zuckerberg likes to keep the office temperature at just 15°C. That revelation sparked a fiery online debate – just what temperature is best for workers? The Health and Safety Executive says the law “does not state a minimum temperature”. It links to The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 – which state simply that: “During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable”. The associated code of practice says “The temperature in workrooms should normally be at least 16°C unless much of the work involves severe physical effort in which case the temperature should be at least 13°C.” But above that, everyone has their own preferred office temperature. That can cause headaches for bosses and, of course, for property owners. Bruntwood owns 11 properties in Liverpool ranging from the large-windowed Victorian Oriel Chambers to the relatively modern The Plaza in Old Hall Street. It is one of the biggest operators of commercial space in the city centre and so its staff are highly experienced at adapting spaces old and new to cre-
post business
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WE ASKED followers of our @LDPBusiness Twitter account what they thought about office temperatures...
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@DanTaylorSEO wrote: “Massive windows mean ANY sunshine and its unbearable, even if its -10°C outside”.
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Kirstie from @Instinctive_HQ wrote “The guys here seem to like the office cold, but all the girls prefer it warm - so I now have a personal blanket!”
ate comfortable office space. Ian Grant, director of buildings management at Bruntwood, agrees Facebook’s office temperature would be unacceptably low in the UK. But, he added, office temperature always sparks a “lively debate” as it is impossible to keep everyone happy. He said: “Across our portfolio, we try to aim for a temperature between 20°C and 22°C , especially on this side of the Pennines because of the humidity – it’s a bit damp on this side. “We’ve found there’s a huge difference between the sexes. Of the people who occupy our buildings, the men like it cooler, women generally like it warmer. It doesn’t matter what building it is or what systems you have, it’s
pretty well impossible to set an ideal temperature. “We use the 80:20 rule when it comes to office heating – 80% of people are comfortable and 20% are uncomfortable, whether they’re too hot or too cold. “It doesn’t really matter what temperature you set it, whether it’s 19°C or 26°C . You always have the 80:20 rule. There will always be 20% of people who complain that it’s too hot or too cold. It’s just a different 20%.” Mr Grant believes Mr Zuckerberg has realised that no heating solution can keep everyone happy. “There’s a general perception inside many companies that the heating or cooling systems can provide a back-
ground temperature that’s acceptable to everybody,” he said. “That’s just plain wrong. “It’s impossible to provide a temperature to keep everybody happy.But we can provide a background level of temperature that satisfies the requirements of the majority. “The last 1% or 2% has to be the responsibility of the individual. “So what Mark Zuckerberg is doing by setting the temperature so low is he’s saying to his staff ‘you take responsibility for dealing with that last 1%-2%’. He’s encouraging people to put more clothes on if they’re not warm enough – I don’t think anybody is going to be taking clothes off at that temperature.”
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And when @LDPBusiness asked if people liked their offices as cold as Facebook’s 15°C, entrepreneur and publisher Brendon Macdonald (@BrendonApexHub) replied “Currently 22C in ours!”
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BUT IT seems temperature will always be a matter of personal preference. As Alexander Solzhenitsyn writes in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch, “how can you expect a man who’s warm to understand one who’s cold?”
past business – nostalgia
Butter industry battled to stop margarine spreading around the world
Stork being unloaded in the 1960s – a sight that would have appalled dairy farmers in North America
AS WE look at more pictures of the old Stork Margarine plant in Bromborough – sold to private equity firm Rhône Capital just this week – it’s worth remembering that margarine was once a surprisingly controversial product. Margarine was patented in 1869 by French chemist Hippolyte Mège-Mouriès and in the 1870s went into production in the US and Europe. But dairy producers soon realised margarine could hit their sales – and the dairy lobby, particularly in the US, was a powerful beast. It got a federal tax placed on margarine – and at state level, it pushed for laws banning use of the yellow dyes that made naturally white margarine look more appealing. Some states even insisted it be dyed pink. By 1932, 27 states had banned the manufacture or sale of golden-coloured margarine. Producers got round the ban by supplying dye that customers could knead in at home. But attitudes changed in the 1940s due to wartime butter shortages. In 1950 federal taxes were repealed and in 1967 Wisconsin – the US dairy capital – became the last state to end
margarine restrictions. In Canada margarine was illegal from 1886 to 1948, save for 1917 to 1923 when there were dairy shortages, and after that provinces regulated its colour until the 1990s. But Quebec, as so often in Canada, did it differently. Margarine was banned until 1961 and in 1987 laws were passed to ensure it could never be the same colour as butter. Even as late as 2005, when Stork owner Unilever bid to the Supreme Court to overturn the laws, state inspectors carried out a high-profile raid on four Quebec City Wal-Mart stores. There, the Gazette newspaper in Montreal reported, they seized “72 plastic tubs of yellow Becel margarine with an estimated street value of $179.28”. The law was only changed in 2008. Things were equally bizarre in New Zealand – until as late as 1974, you could only buy margarine with a prescription from a doctor. Luckily for Level Bros, the UK imposed few restrictions other than saying margarine could not be called butter, – allowing it to open the Bromborough site in 1918. ALISTAIR HOUGHTON
The edible oil plant at Bromborough’s Stork Margarine factory, owned by Unilever, in September 1961
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
post business endpiece
trading gossip ■
PAUL Vernon is not the kind of account manager you would want on your case chasing any outstanding monies. Apart from being good at his job Paul, below, one would imagine, could be quite persuasive in his endeavours – for, the account manager with Cheshire IT support partner Comms-care is quite handy in the ring. He will be taking part in this year’s white-collar CRN Fight Night at London boxing venue The Brewery on May 23. The fundraising event will give Paul the opportunity to maintain Comms-care’s undefeated title, make it his sixth win in five years, and, more importantly, raise much-needed funds for his chosen charity, the Alder Hey Family House Trust which provides a “home away from home” for families of seriously ill children.
Insurance expert excels in the world of professional musos myday off Stephen Hargreaves is a director with insurance broker Griffiths & Armour, and a semi-pro organist who has achieved the best FRCO exam marks
G
Paul explained: “The Alder Hey Family House Trust has been a place of comfort for my colleague and friend Joel Fisher and his partner whilst their daughter has had many stays in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.” He added: “I have been training hard to maintain our undefeated title and will give it my all on the night to bring home the sixth winner’s title.” To donate to Paul’s fundraising page go to www.uk.virgin moneygiving. com/PaulVernon-CRNFightNight
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THEY breed them tough at property firm Bruntwood. Its new man in Liverpool, Colin Sinclair, has for many years been a keen amateur rugby player but is soon to hang up his boots. “I’m getting a bit too old for rugby now,” he told Trading Gossip. So what relaxed pastime is he going to replace it with? “Now I’m just going to do triathalons,” he added. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, Colin arrives at Bruntwood’s city centre office before embarking on a 10k run along Liverpool’s waterfront. But he always ends with a treat. “By mid-morning, you will find me having breakfast at Moose in Dale Street,” he said.
RIFFITHS & Armour is an independent insurance broker and risk management adviser, providing a trusted advisory service to businesses and individuals within the corporate, professional, commercial and public sectors. The firm is headquartered in Liverpool, and with offices across the UK and Ireland, supplemented by membership of the Assurex Global network, we provide informed advice and support on domestic and international risk exposures. My own role extends to managing a team that provides specialist advice on the defence of professional indemnity claims. It is a cliché to describe every day as being different but within my own field of construction disputes these claims range from low-value losses in pretty mundane circumstances to the financially catastrophic failures of major construction schemes anywhere in the world. Away from the office I am a semi-professional musician. This is largely a private passion of mine and, indeed, most of what I do in this field never leaves the privacy of my own home. That probably strikes many people as odd because they automatically associate the fact of music being a performing art with an ego-fuelled ambition for celebrity – and when you look around it’s not difficult to see why. But for me this misses the point, which is very simply that I personally – selfishly, even – derive a great deal of satisfaction from making music, entirely irrespective of whether it is in public performance. That is not to say that I haven’t enjoyed some of the higher profile things that I have done over the years. I am enormously privileged to have played an organ concerto with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO) to a capacity audience in the Philharmonic Hall. I still play organ with the RLPO and its choir from time to time, which for a number of years included the hugely popular Christmas concerts. Before joining Griffiths & Armour I spent a year in Texas in a major church position which involved weekly
Stephen Hargreaves at the console of Walton Parish Church where he regularly plays performances being broadcast live on TV and radio. I also did some teaching at university level while in the USA, and earlier this year I was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists (FRCO). Insofar as these things actually mean anything the FRCO is regarded as the gold standard which any prospective full-time professional in this field would generally want to have under his belt. I was staggered to learn not only that I was one of the very few nationwide who passed the notoriously rigorous exams in January, but I also won all of the available prizes in the performance categories. Unlike many forms of visual art,
live music only ever exists through the agency of a musician. Your task is to interpret a notated score – in other words, to bring the music “off the page” and into being in real time. In practice this involves having a technical facility for your instrument, but also, in the case of so-called “classical” music, some level of historical knowledge which should help you to understand what the composer himself would have been accustomed to hearing at around the time when he was writing. Authenticity in music is often far from straightforward given the legendary tendency of historians in any field to study the same period and to reach wildly different conclusions
‘Music only ever exists through the agency of a musician’
about what really happened. The older the music is, the more scant the historical evidence is likely to be, even in the case of Bach – which is surprising when you consider just how central his work is to almost everything that has followed him in the last 250-300 years. Those gaps in our knowledge often have to be filled with speculation, sometimes based on little more than instinct. But the unanswered questions are what leave room for creativity and personality in your interpretation. There are, of course, risks associated with that because there will always be those who take issue with the decisions you make, but for me that risk is all part of the fun. And for that reason, I certainly hope that some historical mysteries remain unsolved for just a little while longer.
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
endpiece post business
networking
Puschka in Rodney Street, Liverpool
my favourite lunch
European tour UK TRADE & INVESTMENT, Liverpool Local Enterprise Partnership and Liverpool Vision invited a group of European journalists to visit the Baltic Triangle to meet digital start-ups. Above, from left, Linsey Fryatt, from Berlin-based
website Venture Village, Mike Clarke, of Liverpool video games firm Atomicom, Jade Parkinson-Hill, director of enterprise at North Liverpool Academy, and Mike King, of Liverpool Vision Right, the group meets at Baltic Creative.
Liz Lacey, business start-up manager, Liverpool Vision
Opening ceremony ST HELENS furniture store Ena Shaw Home re-opened last week following a £250,000 facelift. The store, which opened more than 80 years ago and is still owned by Ena Shaw’s family, has been given a new look while its product range
has been significantly expanded. Pictured, from left, are Cllr Geoff Almond, the Mayor of St Helens, Barrie Potter, managing director of Ena Shaw Home, and St Helens’ Lady Mayoress, Mrs Jean Almond.
City business fair
LIVERPOOL Business Fair – held its 12th annual event at Liverpool Football Club on Tuesday March 19. It offered a wide variety of exhibitors and hundreds of visitors attended.
It provided an opportunity for local and national companies to raise their profile and promote their products and services Pictured, from left, Paul Lloyd and Rob Halsall of PSV Media
business diary THURSDAY, APRIL 4
LIVERPOOL Chamber of Commerce is staging a hospitality day during this year’s Grand National meeting. Priced at £195+VAT for chamber members, or £215+VAT for non-members, the full day package, starting from 11am, includes a free Bar, excluding champagne and liqueurs, race card, Tote facilities, hospitality hostess, morning coffee/ refreshments, four course luncheon with wine, exclusive fully furnished
hospitality suite, closed circuit televisions, afternoon tea, viewing of the parade ring and winners enclosure, entertainment and car parking. To book, contact 0151-224 1860, or events@liverpoolchamber. org.uk
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10
INVEST Hong Kong and a range of local and national partners are visiting Liverpool to highlight the business opportunities available in Hong Kong and China in the
Year of the Snake. Hong Kong is a dynamic city with strong growth prospects, it is a gateway to opportunities in mainland China and also Asia, and is the first stepping stone for mainland Chinese companies when going global. The event, at Peel Ports’ Maritime Centre in Seaforth, lasts from 4pm to 7pm and offers insights into the region, panel discussion and open forum, and networking over drinks. For further information please contact Ms Theresa Li via theresa_li @hketolondon.gov.hk
Q What is your facourite lunch venue? A Puschka, Rodney Street in Liverpool’s Georgian Quarter. Q Why is this your favourite venue? A Delightful hosts, a warm and welcoming, Bohemian, non-pretentious atmosphere, good food and charmingly attentive service, intimate and friendly, products locally sourced, and Oscar Wilde as presiding spirit. Q What is your favourite dish and why? A Chicken liver and cognac parfait, or confit tomato chutney, raisin & cinnamon toast, followed by rump of lamb, balsamic, rosemary & red onion marinade, garlic mash, green beans. I spent a fair bit of time in the South of France, and this combination conjures up the flavours of the Midi, very welcome on a rainy lunchtime in Rodney Street. Q What is the best bit of business you have done over lunch? A We have a number of clients who are opening new cafes and it has been great
THURSDAY, APRIL 11 LIVERPOOL Hope University has arranged a breakfast briefing on how changes to the National Health Service could affect Merseyside companies and their staff. Matt Ashton, acting Director of Public Health for Knowsley, will be talking on the NHS Reforms 2013 – challenges and opportunities. Contact Becky Rawlinson on rawlinb@hope.ac.uk
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17
THE British Council of Shopping Centres is in Liverpool with a research seminar,
‘Multi-Channel Retailing and Implications’. The event will explore retailer responses to things like implications for retail space and retailer hierarchy; strategic asset management; challenges for retail leasing and lease structures; financial implications, and more. It takes places at 5 Wall Street, Liverpool One and is free to BCSC members or £35+VAT for non-members. Book on http://www. bcsc.org.uk/event_form_ open.asp?event_id=569
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24
SEFTON Chamber of Commerce, with UKTI and
Liz Lacey advising them over lunch, to better understand their business, of course. Q Who would you most like to have lunch with? A Noel Coward or David Bowie. Q Where else do you lik to go for lunch? A Restaurant Bar and Grill in Brunswick St, and San Carlo. They both have a theatrical element that I am drawn to and of course it is one’s fellow diners who make the atmosphere.
Invest Sefton, is assisting companies throughout the borough to explore overseas opportunities for the first time, or existing exporters to look at new markets. The second of two free events is being held at the Sefton Economic Forum. As in the first event earlier this month the forum will be held at Aintree Racecourse and will be themed around international trade, with workshops taking place during the day, and experts from UKTI with specific support on key markets. Sefton Chamber chief executive Steve Dickson said: “The
local authority’s Invest Sefton team, who we deliver the economic forum alongside, are also working on achieving this target and this major business support event will include an international trade theme with seminars.” To book a place or find out more details about this event please visit www.events.sefton chamber.org.uk or call 01704 531710. ■ Send your diary events to neil.hodgson @liverpool.com
24 Advertising Feature PortAventura
Thursday, March 28, 2013
An unforgettable stay in a magical place EXPERIENCE an unforgettable holiday with a visit to PortAventura in Spain. Boasting an array of thrilling rides, PortAventura theme park offers more than 30 attractions and allows visitors to enjoy six exotic themed parks including China, Polynesia, Far West, Mexico, Mediterrània and SesamoAventura. In each of these exciting areas you’ll be transported across the world, where you’ll find stunning hotels, mesmerising shows, inspirational shops and themed restaurants. Situated just an hour from Barcelona, PortAventura offers a perfect holiday destination for all the family. In addition, the amazing Costa Caribe Aquatic Park has recently been enlarged and is located right next door. With each themed park offering exciting attractions and shows no matter what your age, with a visit to PortAventura you’ll certainly experience a holiday to remember for all the right reasons. Log onto www.portaventura.co.uk for more information. But where to stay? PortAventura boasts four themed hotels, detailed below, plus a spacious caravan park for those with campervans.
HOTEL PORTAVENTURA
Hotel PortAventura provides a Mediterranean ambience and is a cozy hotel on the Costa Daurada. Skilfully recreating a coastal fishing village, the hotel complex provides a relaxing and idyllic escape, with two large pools and green and lush gardens. In addition, there are spacious terraces, a sauna and Jacuzzi. The complex has 500 rooms with direct access to the themed area of Mediterrània at PortAventura Park. In the standard rooms you will be immersed in the warmth of Mediterranean décor, and the hotel also has themed rooms, Club Woody & Friends and Woody’s Refuge. Here children can enjoy a fantasyland based on the mascot of PortAventura – Woody Woodpecker.
Where to eat?
Food has always been one of the most important parts of a visit to the Mediterranean, and Hotel PortAventura has a number of themed restaurants to tantalise your tastebuds. The Cascada restaurant offers regional cuisine from one of the healthiest and most delicious diets in the world, Buffet del Port is a self-service buffet-style restaurant
PortAventura has four themed hotels to choose from – the all inclusive Hotel El Paso, above, and, right from top, Hotel Gold River, Hotel PortAventura and Hotel Caribe and uses authentic Mediterranean cuisine using international cooking techniques. Or try Port Regatta Restaurant, an eatery where the Mediterranean merges with culinary arts from around the world. At Cal Pep you can sit on the terrace facing the swimming pool and enjoy a scrumptious meal of international flavours. Or try the Buffet del mar, located in the main square of Hotel PortAventura, where you can taste delicious dishes guaranteed to satisfy your appetite.
HOTEL GOLD RIVER
This majestic hotel in Salou boasts 502 rooms, four swimming pools, four restaurants and three bars. Based on a wild west town called Sullivan, guests who visit Hotel Gold River will feel like they’ve stepped back in time 200 years. Visitors can stay in one of the standard hotel rooms in areas such as the City Hall, inside the old train station or even the cemetery. For those who like to get back to
How to get toPortAventura PORTAVENTURA is perfectly situated to give you easy access to all the adventures that await you. It offers convenient options to arrive comfortably at your holiday destination, whether you are travelling from the airport or by train or car. PortAventura is located just over an hour from Barcelona air-
port and only 15 minutes from Reus airport. In addition, the park has its own train station and a direct exit off the AP-7, allowing you to get to PortAventura in no time. All you have to do is choose how you want to travel and plan your visit. ■ For further information log onto www.portaventura.co.uk.
nature, why not try one of the rustic cabins that have been designed for maximum comfort, sleeping between two and four people? Or treat yourself to a bit more luxury and stay at Lucy’s Mansion, which has 31 rooms and stands in the heart of Sullivan. Lucy’s Mansion boasts a private pool with garden and private à la carte restaurant and allows you to enjoy the main attractions of PortAventura Park unlimited without waiting during your stay. The hotel offers direct access to the themed area of Far West at PortAventura.
Where to eat?
In the heart of Sullivan City is the Grand Hall Buffet, offering a variety of hot and cold dishes located in the City Hall building. One of the most distinguished restaurants in Sullivan City is the Opera House. Recreating a Victorian style high school, this restaurant has table service. Or why not try New Texas, an authentic American food restaurant which specialises in delicious meat dishes cooked in true Texas style?
HOTEL EL PASO – all inclusive
Leave the stress and mundane routine behind and delve into a real Mexican hacienda. Ideal for families, the Hotel El Paso is all inclusive and will bring you closer to the beauty of Mexico with its beautiful décor and spectacular gardens. In its vast pools you will find an old galleon sunk by pirates, full of surprises for young and old. The hotel is just five minutes’ walk from PortAventura Park and has 500 rooms over six buildings
built round a central area. The rooms at Hotel El Paso provide comfort and an Mexican ambience to ensure you are relaxed throughout your stay.
Where to eat?
The Hotel El Paso offers a number of all inclusive restaurants including Restaurant Mérida, which has three different environments to suit all tastes. You can eat outdoors in the garden, or within an authentic Mexican home, or why not dine in the stables! This restaurant is self-service and offers an international flavour. Coyote is the hotel’s à la carte table service restaurant, based on a Hollywood theme and offering international and Tex Mex cuisine. Or try Club Maya, which offers you the chance to eat while soaking your feet in the pool. A terrace snack bar, it offers a variety of international dishes throughout the day.
HOTEL CARIBE
Stay at the Hotel Caribe and be transported to the Caribbean. The hotel complex offers the perfect place to relax and includes a Wellness Centre and Spa offering anti-stress treatments while enjoying the tranquility of the heated pool, a massage room (extra charge), Jacuzzi and sauna. Choose from standard or superior rooms, or stay at Club San Juan, which comprises 26 exclusive rooms and has its own private reception, pool and a host of additional benefits. The Hotel Caribe complex boasts a number of pools and exotic gardens to ensure your holiday is a great combination of thrilling rides and relaxation. The hotel is five minutes from PortAventura.
What’s on?
YOU can enjoy a choice of 15 shows each day, from can-can dancers to Chinese acrobats, tribal dancers from Polynesia to the characters of Sesame Street (below). Join in the fantastic atmosphere at one of the many themed lands at PortAventura Park.
Where to eat?
Discover the taste of paradise at Buffet Bohio, which offers a selection of dishes with an international flavour. Close your eyes and visualise the delicious flavours of Italy at Restaurant La Piazza. From pizza to succulent meat dishes, here you’ll find a great choice of meals to satisfy any appetite. This restaurant is table service and is located by the lake. Puerto Viejo offers table service with views of the lake and offers an array of dishes using the world’s finest ingredients. Salsa Café is an al fresco restaurant, only open in summer, recreating an authentic freshwater beach. The restaurant offers salads and grilled meats. Or embark on a new adventure and go aboard the family pirate ship and themed bar, el Tinglado.