Post Business Magazine - March 2012

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

POST

BUSINESS w w w . l d p b u s i n e s s . c o . u k March 2012

Shopping’s TV star How QVC is weathering the UK’s retail slowdown

● Investing well?: NWF reports on its first year ● Tough times: Sefton’s economic woes ● Grandstanding: St Helens on the up1

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INSIDE 4

POST

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NEWS

City MP launches £1m recycling facility in Merseyside

BUSINESS

LIVERPOOL POST EDITOR Mark Thomas 0151 227 2000

7 BIG FEATURE

mark.thomas@liverpool.com

How is the North West Fund performing, one year on

BUSINESS WRITERS Bill Gleeson 0151 472 2319l Tony McDonough 0151 330 4918

14 PROFESSIONAL SECTORS

How to protect and preserve your company’s reputation

tony.mcdonough @liverpool.com

Alistair Houghton 0151 472 2449

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alistair.houghton @liverpool.com

BIG INTERVIEW

Dermot Boyd, chief executive of TV shopping giant, QVC UK

21 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Why Sefton’s economy is struggling to keep up

Neil Hodgson 0151 472 2451

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neil.hodgson @liverpool.com

HEAD OF IMAGES Barrie Mills

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barrie.mills@liverpool.com

MARKETING EXECUTIVE Cath Reeves 0151 285 8428

26 HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS?

ADVERTISEMENT DIRECTOR Debbie McGrawr

Sun shines brightly on West Lancashire garden nursery

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ADVERTISEMENT SALES Neil Johnson 0151 472 2705 Trudie Arlett 0151 472 2476 Julie Cowley 0151 472 2311 Diana Griffiths 0151 472 2272

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

How Langtree Park aims to transform the fortunes of St Helens

30 KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

Engineering giant Bosch invests in its Knowsley operation

33 INTERNATIONAL TRADE

It is safe to do business in China, says top Liverpool lawyer

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35 BUSINESS LUNCH

The 107 Dining Room, in Heswall

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PUBLISHED BY Trinity Mirror NW2, PO Box 48, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L69 3EB. TELEPHONE 0151 227 2000

THE LIST

FAX 0151 330 4942

Key events for your diary

37 THE NETWORKER

COPYRIGHT

Alistair Houghton in clubland

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

38 SOCIAL DIARY

Carolyn Hughes out on the town

THE next few weeks of the year are always an anxious time for the public sector.

Civil servants, local authority workers and health and education staff, up and down the country, know that the Chancellor is busy putting the finishing touches to his Budget speech, which will be delivered in a few weeks’ time.

Those whose livelihoods depend on the public purse must wake up each morning with considerable trepidation about what bad news might hit the headlines.

Nor is it just the Chancellor who is busying himself at the moment. Local authority accountants will be equally busy with their red pens, drawing lines through spending proposals.

PHOTOGRAPHY Trinity Mirror

BILL GLEESON Police, school and social care budgets are all determined in the next few weeks.

This makes the decisions taken in March crucial to places like Merseyside, which have a high dependency on the public sector for its economic well-being.

We can be certain that more cuts lie ahead. After all, the austerity plan is set to last for the entire duration of the current Parliament.

It has long been an ambition of local economic planners to reduce the area’s over-dependence on public-sector jobs. Some might be tempted to argue that the current round of cuts could be a way of achieving this restructuring, but that would be silly.

Cutting is only part of the corrective surgery needed. In addition, we need to see new privatesector jobs being created in our region.

This needs to happen at a much faster rate than is occurring at the moment.

If I were a

gambling man, I would put a few bob on Britain recovering from recession faster than most pundits are predicting. However, I would also place another bet on the fact that most of any increment in employment will, as usual, accrue down south.

The city does, of course, play host to the Global Entrepreneurship Congress later this month.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of policy-makers and others involved in the field of promoting more enterprise will come to Liverpool to discuss how to do it better.

Hopefully, the event will prove to be a source of inspiration to many of those who find themselves facing difficult times.

With Sir Richard Branson and others lined up, there will certainly be no lack of clout when it comes to big-name speakers at the event.

The important thing from a local perspective is that as many of us as possible get involved and consider enterprise as one possible way forward. Maybe we can crack that other long-standing ambition of local economic planners: to encourage more business start-ups in our region.

BILL GLEESON 3

NEWS

QUALITY

Relamping outfit secures raft of new contracts LEGAL

Mike Parker and Tony Griffiths, of UKLED

WIRRAL-BASED UKLED has won several local authority and public sector contracts in the first few weeks of the year.

The company offers a “relamping service” – replacing conventional and low-energy tubes and bulbs with LED equivalents.

Recent projects include Leeds Spire Hospital, the University of Bolton and the Mathew Arnold School, Oxfordshire.

In Merseyside, the company has been appointed to carry out a relamp of a primary

school in Wallasey.

Work is soon to be completed at St George’s School (lower site), in Wallasey Village.

Typical cost and energy savings stand at between 70 and 90%.

With St George’s, a reduction in excess of 70% is expected, and will reduce annual lighting costs from £6,616 to £1,835.

UKLED director Mike Parker said: “It’s great to start the New Year with a strong crosssection of both public and private sector customer contract wins.”

Recycling firm opens £1m plastics facility Andrew Shackleton, Centriforce operations director, with Louise Ellman MP

LASTICS recycler Centriforce Products has switched on its new £1m recycling facility at its Liverpool plant.

Centriforce is the UK’s largest independent plastics recycler, and has operated from Derby Road, in Bootle, for more than 30 years.

Riverside Labour MP Louise Ellman visited the site to officially open the new facility.

It is the culmination of a £2m programme of expansion at the firm which has seen production capacity double in the past four years.

Centriforce manufactures brandleading recycled plastic boards,

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planks and utility cable covers for use in the agricultural, construction and retail sectors.

With an 80-strong workforce, the company recycles more than 10,000 tonnes of HD/LDPE/PP plastic waste, recycling milk bottles, packaging films and carrier bags that would be otherwise destined for export or landfill.

The investment will create up to 10 new jobs at the facility, which will sort pre and post-consumer plastic and packaging waste from a range of sources and prepare a quality raw material for ongoing use in Centriforce’s production processes.

Managing director Simon Carroll

said: “Centriforce has taken a bold decision to invest in its own sorting facilities for recycled plastic waste.

“There are only a few other companies in the country who are taking this approach.

“We decided it was important to guarantee a reliable, high-quality supply of raw materials, so that we can continue to meet fast-growing demand from our customers and manufacture the high-performance products they expect in the future.”

Ms Ellman added: “Centriforce’s continued investment has been a great boost for the green economy, and it is very encouraging to see a private investor putting its faith in the UK’s recycling industry.”

Stella Kuit, Head of Private Immigration, QualitySolicitors Jackson and Canter INCENTIVES for overseas high net worth individuals and entrepreneurs HOWEVER much the Government seeks to cut down migration to the UK, they recognise that we still need proven entrepreneurs and wealthy business investors to fire our economy and boost new business.

High net worth individuals who wish to invest, as well as those who intend to take over or set up in business, are still actively encouraged to seek entry to the UK. There are various categories under which such individuals can enter the UK. Tier 1 – investor in business category Those who have substantial funds to invest and who wish to make the UK their permanent home can apply for a visa under this category.

The Investor category enables you to run a business while also engaging in self-employment, should you so wish.

You do not have to work full-time to run this business, but you must not engage in any other form of employment while in the UK. To qualify, you must demonstrate that you: ■ have money of your own which is under your control and is disposable in the UK amounting to not less than £1m; or, ■ must have a personal net worth of no less than £2m if you intend to use a loan to finance the investment and intend to invest not less than £1m of your capital by way of such funds, which must be loaned by a UK-regulated financial institution.

Its purpose is to encourage those who genuinely wish to run a business that will create full-time job opportunities for settled workers and have the appropriate level of funds to do so.

You must be engaged in the full-time running of this business, and ultimately be able to demonstrate its growth by way of income and job opportunities created.

The greater the income and number of jobs created, the faster the route to permanent status in the UK. Economic Benefits During a recent speech made by Immigration Minister Damian Green at the Policy Exchange, a notable emphasis was placed on encouraging those from overseas who can “benefit Britain”.

Enabling these streamlined and expedited routes for settlement for potential Investors and Entrepreneurs will undoubtedly attract a calibre of migrant that ultimately looks to make their investment in the United Kingdom a long-term one.

In turn, the confirmed introduction of a new route for International Graduate Entrepreneurs will also assist in retaining the best and brightest students who engage in innovative entrepreneurial activity during their studies, hence already demonstrating what their potential benefit will be to the UK economy.

Whatever our view of immigration, surely we all hope that Merseyside and the region can still attract the best from abroad to help create a modern and vibrant local economy.

‘High net worth migrants are encouraged to seek entry to the UK’

Tier 1 – Entrepreneur category The Entrepreneur category aims to attract outstanding innovators and businessmen whose business proposals will result in an economic benefit to the UK.

■ FOR MORE information, email: stellakuit@ qualitysolicitors.com ■ IN ASSOCIATION with QualitySolicitors Jackson and Canter

NEWS

MANAGEMENT

MATTERS

With Derek Gawne, branch manager of Charles Stanley, in Liverpool EXPERIENCE bonus for companies THE latest news articles dealing with retirement ages are bemoaning the problems for individuals having to work longer, with one in eight women having to work past their 60s, and 10% of men not leaving the labour market until their 70s. The Office for National Statistics has predicted an extraordinary social change that Britons will live longer than ever before, and that they will continue working into their late 60s and 70s.

These people have one thing that is advantageous for companies – experience!

It may not be beneficial for the individual to have to work longer, because central government and pension valuations constrain them to continue, but there can be an added bonus for companies.

In this day of professions and professional qualifications, it is easy to forget the value there is in having employees who have been in the industry a long time.

They intrinsically understand how the business works, but may not have the piece of paper that professional industry bodies maintain as the “appropriate standard”. It is important that companies maximise both elements – qualifications and experience. It is a common belief in educational circles that the best way to learn is through “experiential learning” – yet most professions and, in particular, the financial world regard paper qualifications as more important.

With the current rise in tuition fees for universities and the discouragement that this has been to students applying for university places, it is clear that this will likely have a detrimental effect on the availability of suitably qualified individuals with the right professional qualifications. What if the best candidates end up choosing a working life without university loans, rather than the academic

route? Is there a way out, or even an opportunity, for businesses to mop up this talent?

If we take the rise of apprenticeships into account, there may be a solution to this impending talent crisis.

It is now clear that the old view of apprenticeships needs to be reviewed. It is not the bastion of the manufacturing industry.

There are ways of engaging apprenticeship schemes into the professional world, too.

In the finance industry, we now have routes to professional exams that are degree and Masters degree levels without the need to take on student loans, and they can earn a salary at the same time!

Shouldn’t all companies research how they can maximise the use of apprenticeship schemes?

There are suppliers of such apprenticeship schemes out there if you want to make the effort.

To complete the circle, if companies take on apprentices who can then access professional qualification courses on a part-time/ employersponsored basis, and ally them to the experienced “old heads” within the company, then surely it’s a win-win situation!

It may give you, as the employer, an opportunity to make the best use of employees at totally different ends of the employment time line, but give the younger a boost to their career and the “grey haired” a softer landing, with the benefit of passing on their hard-earned wisdom.

The company gains positive succession planning, but also gains an added value more than simply bringing in fresh blood with no experience.

Business owners and managers should consider all their options – don’t ditch experience for the sake of a newly-qualified graduate – without missing the opportunity to get the best of both worlds for both their company and clients!

‘It is easy to forget the value of employees with experience’

■ IN ASSOCIATION with Charles Stanley

GEC set to reach out to fledgling entrepreneurs Global Congress attracts big hitters to Liverpool stage LIVERPOOL’S hosting of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) in March will inspire a new generation of grassroots entrepreneurs in Merseyside.

That’s according to Mike Taylor, deputy chief executive of Liverpool Vision.

Vision is helping to organise the event, which is being run by the US-based Kauffman Foundation, taking place at the Echo Arena and BT Convention Centre from March 9-16.

It is the first time the conference will be held in Europe, with previous host cities Kansas City in 2009, Dubai in 2010 and Shanghai last year. Speakers will include Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson and Lord Heseltine, former minister for Merseyside.

Tickets start at £150, and it had been suggested that this would prove too expensive for many

people in Merseyside. However, My Taylor says that, as part of the week, there will be 70 fringe events around the city centre – many of them free to attend.

“We needed to make a big-ticket statement to put Liverpool on the global entrepreneurial map.

“But, of course, one of the big challenges is to give it more of a relevance to local communities.

“We have work to do on that, but I think it comes afterwards. We are launching a programme with the Kauffman Foundation called Start to Grow, which will reach out to would-be entrepreneurs.

“There is a big gap at the moment between the number of people who would like to start their own business – and those that actually do it.

“We want to connect people to a range of mentors to enable us to start to bridge that gap.”

■ NIGEL HIBBERT: Page 14

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PROFFESIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing iOS Apps for the iPhone and iPad with Xcode A five-day course starting Monday 26 March 2012 Course overview

This short course provides hands-on experience of developing commercial software for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch platforms. It has been designed to give developers an introduction to the main views, interfaces and hardware capabilities of Apple’s mobile devices, as well as using development and debugging tools. The course is being delivered by the University’s Computer Science Department.

Who should attend?

Is it right for me?

FOR the latest news from the creative sector

www. ldpcreative. co.uk

Mike Taylor, of Liverpool Vision – we want to connect people to a range of mentors

This module is aimed at individuals who want to explore mobile app development, as well as businesses that need to develop their own apps.

Delegates will have some software development knowledge and some experience of programming in a compiled language; ideally a C-based language such as C, C#, C++ or Java. No previous experience of Objective-C, Mac OSX software development or iPhone development is required.

What will delegates learn?

By the end of this module, delegates will have an understanding of: • The iPhone app lifecycle, and the underlying event model • The Model View Controller design pattern and its use in application software development • How to present textual, graphical and multimedia data through a graphical user interface • How data can be pulled from external sources and stored locally for offline presentation • How data can be acquired from the user or the environment and pushed to an external server • How to design apps given the resource limitations of small, mobile devices.

To find out more: The fee for this course is only £1000.

For more information and to book a place on this course please visit; www.liv.ac.uk/cpd Closing date for registration: 22 March 2012

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THE BIG FEATURE

Good investment?

North West Fund chief executive Andy Leach, front row, second from right, with the six fund managers at the 2010 launch

BY TONY MCDONOUGH

▲ ▲

Just over a year ago, the North West Fund was launched, offering £185m of funding to small firms in Merseyside and across the region – so just how successful has it been so far?

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THE BIG FEATURE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 WITCHING from a purely commercial role to a quasipublic sector one has the potential to be something of a culture shock – just ask Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive, Stephen Hester.

However, unlike the beleaguered Mr Hester, Andy Leach has slipped into his job as the chief executive of the North West Fund (NWF) with relative ease.

The NWF is a £185m investment fund established to provide debt and equity funding from £50,000 to £2m to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in, or relocating to, the North West of England.

Now just over a year old, the fund is one of the largest public sector funds of its kind in Europe and the largest in the UK. Made up of a £92.4m European Regional Development Fund grant, and a £92.4m loan from the European Investment Bank, the NWF is the umbrella name for six sub-funds that are available to businesses in the form of debt, equity and quasi-equity.

NWF has ring-fenced 40% of the cash to be spent on businesses in, or those relocating to, the Liverpool city region.

The six funds are managed by six fund managers under contract with North West Business Finance, which has been established to oversee the delivery of the Fund under the Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises Initiative (JEREMIE) in the North West.

The funds are: venture capital, development capital, business loans, bio-medical, energy & environmental and digital & creative.

In addition to offering a range of gap funding options, the six fund managers have been targeted with securing more than £200m of co-investment capital from third party investors, which will result in the initiative generating total funding for the North West region of more than £400m.

Between 2010 and 2015, the NWF is expected to create or safeguard almost 14,000 jobs, invest in 800 companies to improve the economic performance of the North West region by increasing GVA by an estimated £700m.

It is an ambitious target and Mr Leach, who was recruited from the private equity sector to run the fund, is confident the wider goals are achievable – although he admitted it has started slower than he would have liked.

“We launched the funds in December, 2010, and ideally we would have liked to have started about three to four months earlier than that,” he said.

“But, of the £11m in 53 businesses we invested to the end of December, 2011, around £3m of that was done in the December itself – so there is no doubt now that we are starting to build momentum.

“We are now out there making investments and that is a positive thing – this year, we hope to invest two to three times as much as we did last year.”

During its first year, the six NWF funds received 1,700 applications for investment or loans with a combined value of £521m, so clearly the appetite is out there for investment.

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North West Fund chief executive, Andy Leach – says the six funds are now ‘starting to build momentum’, after a slow start Mr Leach said that one of the reasons not as much had been invested so far as originally hoped was that people involved in the deal – the companies themselves or other stakeholders – were showing a degree of caution and taking a bit of time to make final decisions.

He added: “From the initial application right through to completion, we are finding the whole process is taking around six months.

“People are certainly taking longer to make decisions then perhaps they would have done three or four years ago.

“However, demand for the funds has been reasonably strong and another positive note is that

around 12% of applications have come from businesses outside the North West who are interested in relocating to this region.

“That is particularly true of the applications to the sector-based funds.

“Of those who have applied from outside the North West, around 35% are in the biomedical sector and around 30 in energy and environmental.”

Mr Leach also said that he was pleased with the level of applications and deals done in the Merseyside area.

“I think we are doing very well in Merseyside so far,” he said.

“We have seen 20 deals here so far with seven in bio-medical, five from the venture capital fund,

four from the loan fund, three in digital & creative, one in energy & environmental and one from development capital.

“That actually adds up to 21, but one is a joint investment between two of the funds.

“The loan and development capital funds have had the most applications in Merseyside.”

Born and brought up in Warrington, Mr Leach is a chartered accountant by profession. He switched careers while in Australia, spending six years with a domestic Australian fund, Byvest.

On returning to his North West roots in 1992, Mr Leach joined the Manchester office of 3i, covering a broad range of investment oppor-

tunities. From 2002 to 2004, he was with Montagu Private Equity, where he headed up Montagu Capital, a business targeting investments of a size below those focused on by the core MPE business and, in 2004, he joined theManchester office of Lloyds Development Capital (LDC).

While at LDC, he had responsibility for the management of its investment portfolio across the North and, in some instances, farther afield.

He took up his NWF role in April, 2010.

He sees the role of the NWF and its six funds as going far beyond just doling out money.

“All the fund managers are there to support the businesses

THE BIG FEATURE

Personal injury firm wins VC backing InterRisk Solutions pioneers ‘new claims model’

Richard Young, of Enterprise Ventures, centre, with directors of InterRisk Solutions JUST before Christmas, The North West Fund for Venture Capital, managed by Enterprise Ventures, made a “substantial” investment in a business pioneering a new model in personal injury claims.

Wirral-based InterRisk Solutions was founded by insurance law specialist Mark Brickles to provide an alternative to the conventional system in which claimants use a solicitor on a no-win no-fee basis.

Instead, it allows them to manage the claim themselves by guiding them through an online process with support

they invest in, not just give out money,” he said.

“From my perspective, as a North West lad, there is definitely an element of wanting to do something for the region.

“What we are about is supporting SMEs, and I think it is good that people are starting to recognise how important small firms are to our economy.

“Big firms may contract and grow at certain times, but studies have shown that it is the smaller firms that actually generate many of the new jobs.

“The success rate in this country of early SMEs is behind where it should be.

“We really need to make sure we support such businesses and

help them to develop a momentum.”

Although he and his team have the role of overseeing the work of the six funds, Mr Leach is quick to point out that funding decisions are made by the individual fund managers.

He added: “They make the decisions and they are succeeding in encouraging co-investmemt.

“We have calculated that, for every £1 we put in, there is £1.30 of co-investment.

“With the work we are doing here, I really believe we can make a difference.

“Investment is always a risky game, but I think we can generate a really strong legacy fund for the entrepreneurs of the future.”

from a telephone helpline.

The company acts as an “honest broker” between claimant and defendant and offers benefits for both sides.

Claimants can use the service free of charge and typically receive their compensation in as little as three months, compared with around 18 months using the conventional route.

The defendant, or their insurer, will foot the bill and saves up to 80% on legal fees.

The money from the venture capital fund is part of a larger investment round, with the remainder coming from private investors.

The funding provided will be used to develop the business further – including the creation of a new UK claims web portal that utilises a bespoke automated claims system.

Venture capita fund manager, Richard Young, said: “The huge cost of legal fees in personal injury cases has long been a concern within the claims industry.

“InterRisk Solutions provides a much more efficient system and offers benefits for both claimants and insurers alike.

“The company has great potential.”

Med ePad gets £50,000 investment IN AUGUST last year, Merseyside start-up company Med ePad received the first tele-medical sector investment from the £25m North West Fund for Biomedical.

The Liverpool Science Park-based venture clinched £50,000 of Pathfinder Investment from

the fund, run by early-stage venture capital firm SPARK Impact.

Med ePad has developed an interactive touch screen mobile internet device for healthcare service providers, aimed at improving the efficiency of treatment and helping patients to better manage

their self-care. The seven-inch handheld touch screen computer comes loaded with condition-specific apps created in conjunction with experts in different fields of health.

Its functions include the ability to record medication regimes and daily living patterns, send appointment

reminders, conduct online consultations and access specific information relating to a particular condition.

Med ePad founder Rob Connell said: “I am looking forward to being able to develop a range of efficiency and patient-benefiting applications.”

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THE BIG FEATURE

Funds keen to invest more in

The £25 North West Fund for Biomedical is based at Liverpool Science Park and is run by Spark Impact – fund manager Dr Penny Attridge, inset, says firms it has

NWF cash pot is targeting companies with the potential for rapid growth across a range of SIX separate funds make up the North West Fund. Here, we take a look at five of those funds in more detail, with comments from each of the fund managers on how they think their first year has gone.

Turn over to Page 12 for a more detailed focus on the sixth fund – digital & creative: ■ THE £30m venture capital fund is managed by Enterprise Ventures and provides finance from £50,000 to £2m. It is designed to support entrepreneurs to build high-growth businesses.

Fund manager Richard Young said: “It has been incredibly rewarding working with businesses at the very beginning of the life cycle.

“The great thing about the venture capital fund is meeting brilliant business men and women who are setting up exciting new enterprises. It is a privileged position for us to be offering advice and, when things look good, investment.

“At times, it was tough going,

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but that made it all the more rewarding when things came off.

In all, we made 13 investments worth a total of £3.8m.

“Some of the applications didn’t fit our criteria, but there are a lot of quality people out there.

“The common themes are entrepreneurs who have proved they know how to run a business but have come to the conclusion that they don’t want to do that forever.

“Picking a favourite deal is like picking a favourite child.

However, one which has got off to a particularly rapid start is Rock Networks, an IT and communication services business, which we backed in May, 2011.

Rock secured its first customers within weeks of starting up.

“Our goal for 2012 is to invest double what we did in 2011.”

■ THE £20m fund for energy and environmental is managed

by CT Partners and provides financing from £200,000 to £1.2m. It offers flexible equity packages for start-up and growth-oriented businesses.

Fund manager Andy Workman said: “The energy and environmental sector is one of the driving forces behind growth in the North West economy.

“As a relatively fresh-faced industry, a network of the region’s clean technology businesses is only beginning to take shape and we are here to support them.

“We are looking to invest not only in technology companies, but also in the green supply chain, green services firms and potentially putting equity into projects that, in the current climate, are finding it difficult to access bank finance.

“In June, the fund invested £400.000 inRuncorn-based fuel cell developer, ACAL Energy, which has the potential to become a £1bn business.

“With a strong pipeline, which we have worked hard to develop in 2011, we are confident that we can continue to make a real difference to the North West and the development of the energy and environmental sector.”

■ THE £25m biomedical fund is managed by SPARK Impact and provides finance from £50,000 to £2m for firms within the biomedical sector and is based at Liverpool Science Park.

Fund manager, Dr Penny Attridge, said: “Many of the deals we have completed so far have been £50,000 early-stage pathfinder investments.

“With that initial investment, our portfolio companies have done some amazing things already and in 2012 we shall be looking to follow up with additional investment to develop them further, subject to completion of milestones and the commercial imperatives.

“The highlight of the past year has been working with businesses in the North West that have the potential to shape the future of healthcare.

“Evgen, which received £500k as part of a total funding round of £1.055m last September, is completing the pre-clinical development of Sulforadex, a

patented pharmaceutical composition with enormous potential to prevent and treat prostate cancer.

“With 14 deals under our belt, we look forward to another year of providing investment that will continue to support the growth of the biomedical sector.”

■ THE £35m business loans fund is managed by FW Capital and can lend between £50,000 and £250,000. It targets high-growth businesses and a co-invest with other investors.

Fund manager Gary Guest said: “Interest in the business loans fund has been encouraging and we’ve seen no shortage of applications.

“So much so, we’ve lent more than £3.5m to 21 businesses to date. Then fund has different lending criteria to banks, which has proved attractive.

“Demand has come from a variety of established businesses operating throughout the North West with development and expansion funding needs.

THE BIG FEATURE

Forward thinking at Ambitious Minds Firm secures £350,000 from venture fund

year ahead

invested in are doing ‘amazing things’ Main picture: ANDREW TEEBAY

business sectors in the region Lancashire-based household, health and beauty products manufacturer, Expac (Preston) is an excellent example.

“The company received a £150,000 loan from FW Capital, and director Mark Langtree and his team now have expansion in mind. This includes investing in new product ranges and exploiting market opportunities.

“The loan helped Expac relocate to new premises.

“Banks have been a particularly strong source of referrals for us and we have lent both when they have been unable to and, indeed, as part of a joint funding package.

“Having different lending criteria can often mean a win-win for the banks and advisers who’ve referred clients to us.”

■ THE £45m fund for development capital is managed by YFM Equity Partners and provides investment capital from £100,000 to £2m to fund business expansion.

Fund manager Simon Cleaver

said: “We are really positive going into 2012 because of the way we ended 2011. We completed two transactions, both in the healthcare sector.

“One of them was Evodental, which saw us invest £400,000 in a business that provides dental implants.

“This will help the company expand, create jobs and offer an even better service. For me, that is what the North West Fund is all about.

“We have got a good pipeline in place and the pace of deals is really picking up. So we expect a steady stream of deals this year.

“The pleasing thing is that, even though many of the businesses we deal with have the option of doing nothing because they are already generating profit and cash, we are increasingly finding that visionary management teams are looking to exploit difficult economic conditions by taking on investment capital and driving aggressively for market share.”

Will Clark, left, with Sean McGuire, chief executive of Ambitious Minds IN SEPTEMBER last year, the North West Fund for Venture Capital, managed by EV, completed an investment of £350,000 to support the expansion of a Merseyside training and education company.

Ambitious Minds, based in Liverpool’s commercial district, is growing to service the increasing demand for standardisation in spreadsheet modelling, alongside its portfolio of bespoke financial training courses.

It has also identified a market opportunity in the education sector and has created an interactive game for secondary schools that provides students with the

skills to have a lifelong relationship with finance.

Keep the Cash! was piloted in Liverpool schools and has since been delivered in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Chief executive Sean McGuire and director, Andrew Berkley, founded the company in 2009 after more than 25 years’ experience of providing professional business education.

Will Clark, EV investment director, said following the investment: “Ambitious Minds represents a very interesting opportunity for the fund.

“It provides an opportunity to back two highly-talented managers with a track record of devising innovative,

bespoke training solutions, to build a business with a twin-track strategy.

“The education sector has traditionally been difficult to crack, although we’re confident that with such a high energy and quality marketer such as Sean at its helm, Ambitious Minds will be incredibly successful in both the corporate and education markets.”

Mr McGuire added: “This significant investment allows us to increase our infrastructure and build on the very solid foundations that we have put in place in the last two years.

“It is a hugely exciting time for the company.”

11

THE BIG FEATURE

NW creative fund is already creating jobs in Liverpool

Key sectors identified as creative and digital firms offered access to £15m investment

From left, David Smith, of AXM Venture Capital; Will Clark, of EV; Mark Sorsa-Leslie, chief executive of Hammerkit, also pictured below; and Brenden Holt, of NWF WHILE not the biggest business sector in the North West, the creative and digital industry is certainly viewed as one with huge growth potential.

So much potential, in fact, that inward investment agency The Mersey Partnership has identified it as one of the four key areas of growth along with the superport, and the visitor and knowledge economy sectors.

This was recognised in the formulation of the North West Fund. One of the six funds is the £15m North West Fund for Digital & Creative, which is managed by AXM Venture Capital.

It provides flexible equity packages from £50,000 to £2m for start-up and growth-oriented businesses operating within the digital and creative sector.

The sector includes companies involved in advertising, architecture, arts and antique crafts, design, designer fashion, digital and ICT, music, publishing, radio and television, software, computer games and electronic publishing, video, film and photography, and visual and performing arts.

On the performance of the fund in its first year, fund manager David Smith said: “It was a proud moment to get the fund moving in July last year, when we completed our maiden investment.

“Since leading the £660,000 funding round for Chester-based

12

e-learning company, Autology World, the business has expanded its management team and fully commercialised its product offering as it bids to break through the 1m student users this year.

“Other deal highlights include our £50,000 investment in Salford Quays mobile app developer, Camiloo.

“With such a young, clever and ambitious team, it has been nothing short of inspirational working with the company.

“It has some big ideas that could really make an impact on a global level – these are the businesses that will make a difference and put the North West on the map.

“We rounded off 2011 with two transactions in December. A combined investment of £1.5m into two Liverpool-based companies demonstrated our continued commitment to Merseyside and its development.

“For 2012, we have a strong pipeline stretching well into the year.

“With some great prospects on the horizon, we have great confidence and look forward to supporting high-quality entrepreneurs.”

In January, Finnish software firm Hammerkit said it planned to create more than 60 jobs in Liverpool, after securing a £435,000 joint funding package

from the creative fund and from the venture capital fund.

Its total investment in the city will be £1m.

The company plans to grow its Liverpool office as it bids to sell its Cloudstore system to the UK’s PR and marketing industry.

Chief executive Mark SorsaLeslie said the city was the perfect base to target the British market, thanks to the number of talented workers in the region and the proximity of the massive MediaCityUK development.

He hopes to create 12 jobs in Liverpool over the next year, with up to 50 more jobs following over the next four years if Cloudstore takes off.

Finnish state-backed venture capital investor Veraventure has matched the North West Fund investment, with the company picking up more cash from Finnish government funding body Tekes.

Mr Sorsa-Leslie said: “The proximity to MediaCity was a key factor in our decision to grow in Liverpool.

“We figured that was going to be a hub for the digital and media industry in the UK, and we wanted to be within 30 or 40 minutes of it.

“Then, there’s the wealth of good people up here.

“We want to build a world-class team, and there’s the talent here in Liverpool to do that.”

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* Liverpool Daily Post Business Awards - Green Business Award and Wirral Environmental Business of the Year - 2003, 2005 and 2008

13

PROFESSIONAL SECTORS

THE SHARPER

INVESTOR

Nigel Hibbert, Partner at Cheviot Asset Management, Liverpool NIGEL HIBBERT compares entrepreneurship in the UK with the USA THE fact that the Liverpoolbound Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) was founded by an American organisation teaches us a thing or two about cultural attitudes towards enterprise, risk and reward.

Here in the UK, we have a decidedly ambivalent approach to entrepreneurs – praising them when it works, quick to scoff when risks go awry, and extremely resentful of due financial reward for those driving success.

In the States, by contrast, there’s no ugly schadenfreude when entrepreneurial ventures go wrong, no resentment of success for those who have made it and none of that peculiarly British obsession with bonus-bashing.

Truth is, you can barely call yourself an entrepreneur in the States unless you’ve gone bust at least a couple of times.

It’s a difference in attitude which has ramifications beyond the merely cultural; a difference, in fact, which arguably has a macro effect on wider economic wellbeing.

That’s because entrepreneurship is undoubtedly key to an economy looking to recover, grow and deliver future prosperity, with most new jobs being created not by large, mature businesses but by smaller, dynamic earlystage businesses experiencing growth and by business start-ups.

And the culture of enterprise in the US, where the aspiration to success is so ingrained, is most certainly one of the factors driving its current growth – a theme we have been playing in portfolios for a wide range of clients.

The fact that enterprise is so key to a growing economy

is why we at Cheviot have chosen to be an official Event Partner – alongside the Financial Times – for the GEC summit in Liverpool, which will be addressed by Richard Branson, among others.

We’re not just a partner, either. We’re also actively involved in the Great Enterprise Challenge, with two of our team here in Liverpool – Jennifer Christian and Alison Moore – mentoring children at Rice Lane Primary school, in Walton, so that youngsters begin to learn about the principles of enterprise at as early an age as possible.

If the GEC represents the start of a shift in culture here in Liverpool, at least, then it will be no bad thing.

In the States, where entrepreneurship almost seems a natural 21stcentury extension of the Pioneer spirit of the 1800s, the economy is regaining momentum, boosted by buoyant exports and the strongest consumer spending in more than four years.

The world's largest economy grew at an annualised rate of 3.2% between October and December last year, faster than the third quarter's 2.6% rate. Economists had expected growth of 3.5%.

This rounded off the US economy's best year for five years – it expanded by 2.9% in 2010 as a whole, following a 2.6% contraction in 2009.

The pick-up in US growth contrasts with the British economy shrinking by 0.2% in the last three months and with limited hopes for growth this year.

We’re in the business of managing assets.

Entrepreneurs are in the business of creating them.

So, the more entrepreneurs emerging from Liverpool’s schools in the next 20 years, the better for all of us.

‘The US enterprise culture is driving its current growth’

14

■ IN ASSOCIATION with Cheviot Asset Management

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Fighting to keep How to recover if your firm’s integrity is unwittingly REPUTATIONAL damage to a professional could be more costly than any financial loss, particularly when the company is an unwitting victim, and must be addressed immediately to limit further complications.

This was the situation chartered accountant Jonathan Ford found himself in when he received a call out of the blue from a credit reference agency.

His Rainhill practice had found itself drawn into a “long firm fraud”, a scam involving the creation of – too all intents and purposes – a bona fide company where an apparently legitimate business is set up with the purpose to defraud after a relatively long period of time.

The bogus business develops a decent credit history to win the trust of suppliers, which they do by placing many small orders with wholesalers and paying promptly to establish a good credit history.

When the fraudsters feel they have the confidence of suppliers, they place several larger orders and once they receive the goods they promptly disappear and sell the goods on from various trading places.

Most long firm frauds are set up with the intention of carrying out the fraud within two years.

This means the fraudsters can disappear before they have to file any accounts at Companies House.

Mr Ford was contacted by a credit reference agency seeking to verify a set of accounts he was alleged to have audited for a general trading company with a Liverpool address.

He said: “There were accounts filed at Companies House, and a full audit report that had our firm’s name and address and, supposedly, my signature.

“The agency asked about the audit and I said I had never heard of these people before and had not done the audit.”

When the agency faxed through the accounts, Mr Ford said it was clearly a fictitious audit report: “The only thing that wasn’t completely fictitious about this company was me.”

He said: “I was concerned about the implications for my business and our reputation, so I contacted the Institute of Chartered Accountants and they advised me to contact Companies House, and report it to the police.”

The call to Companies House established that there was no set process to follow: “They weren’t able to say, ‘this is what you need to do’. They could not remove the accounts from the public record without a court order and I didn’t relish the time or expense of getting a court order, but they said they would be prepared to put a letter from me on the company’s accounts that explained that it wasn’t a genuine audit.”

He then went to St Helens police station: “They weren’t particularly geared up for dealing with that kind of financial issue. They were more used to dealing with people trying to pay with a stolen credit card. I was having to explain that this was a crime and, once they had established it was a crime, the next question was whether it was arrestable – then they seemed to spark into life.”

The police visited the company premises, but they had been vacated, and the last Mr Ford heard on the matter was from a private investigator.

But it was a valuable lesson, and he said: “I would recommend to other people to make it as clear as possible that you have nothing to do with these companies.”

Chartered accountant Jonathan Ford was in uncharted territory after a bogus firm used his name for a scam audit Picture: JAMES MALONEY

TIPS AND ADVICE ON HOW YOUR FIRM CAN AVOID FALLING VICTIM LONG firm fraud can adversely affect the reputation and standing of any companies that it touches.

But the legacy of a long firm scam will also involve financial loss for many firms with which the fraudsters have sought to establish a credible relationship and favourable credit history.

For these companies, suppliers and wholesalers, there is no recourse to recover any loss, and for many it can make the difference between survival and going under.

So, how can companies avoid getting caught up in a long firm fraud?

First, stop and think before accepting a much larger

order from a company that you have been only dealing with for a relatively short period, even if they have been prompt payers in the past.

You should also check the trading history of the businesses you are dealing with.

The key thing to look for is whether they have been

PROFESSIONAL SECTORS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

your reputation

LEGALLY

SPEAKING

compromised. Jonathan Ford talks to Neil Hodgson

Q

With Amy Harris, solicitor in the family law department at law firm Hill Dickinson LLP

I JOINTLY own a few properties with my partner, whoM I also live with. We are unmarried and are experiencing some difficulties in our relationship. How can I protect my interest in the properties if our relationship breaks down?

A

COHABITATION is on the increase, and for that reason it is more important than ever for cohabiting couples to consider the implications of living together and owning property together. There is no such thing as a “common law wife”, and therefore the position for cohabiting couples separating is very different to that of married couples divorcing.

There are two types of joint ownership: ■ Joint tenants This means that there is a presumption that you and your partner equally own the equity in the home. If either one of you were to die, their share in the property would automatically pass to the other surviving partner.

■ Tenants in common With this type of ownership, you may own a property jointly in either equal or in unequal shares. For example, she may own 80% and you 20%. In this method of ownership, upon death your share of the property would pass in accordance with your will (or, if you do not have a will, the intestacy rules) rather than automatically passing to the other party.

It is possible to “sever” a joint tenancy so that the property is owned as tenants in common. This is something that a solicitor can do easily for you.

However, if a property is jointly owned, then one partner cannot sell or mortgage the property, without the written agreement of the other. The recent Supreme Court

judgment in Kernott v Jones gave a stark warning to cohabitants who do not resolve their legal relationships following the breakdown of their relationship.

Mr Kernott and Ms Jones met in 1981, had two children together and purchased a property in joint names in 1985. The relationship broke down, and in 1993 Mr Kernott moved out of the property. Ms Jones continued to reside in the property with the children. Mr Kernott purchased a new property for himself in 1996. Ten years later, Mr Jones sought to release his interest in the property.

He argued that, as he owned the property equally with Ms Jones, he should be entitled to half of the equity.

Ms Jones submitted that this was unfair as, for over 10 years of her sole occupancy, Mr Kernott had not contributed towards the mortgage.

The Supreme Court awarded Mr Jones 10% of the property. The Court held that their common intention had changed. While there is an initial presumption of joint beneficial ownership, this can be displaced.

Where there is no clear evidence as to how the shares in the property should be divided, the court can infer or impute an intention to the parties regarding the division of property. It is important to note that each case will be fact-specific.

If you either own property with a partner (or ex-partner) or are considering buying a property with your partner, it is important that you clearly define your interest in the property, in case there is a dispute in the future.

‘The legal position for cohabiting couples is different to married’

TO LONG FIRM FRAUD AND SUFFERING COSTLY FINANCIAL DAMAGE connected to a number of dissolved companies in the past, without apparent reason. And check if the company has been established for longer than they have been dealing with you.

Find out if they have filed accounts and if they suggest the company is in a healthy state.

Plus, get consent to check credit histories of individuals in the business. See if there is evidence they reside where they say, and find out if there is any data held on them that could be of concern. County Court judgments and bankruptcy information could provide vital clues to an individual’s trading history.

■ WEBSITE: www.hilldickinson.com ■ EMAIL: amy.harris@ hilldickinson.com ■ TWITTER: @amyfamilylaw ■ IN ASSOCIATION with Hill Dickinson

The internet can provide valuable information to help you steer clear of fraudsters

15

When it comes to training - thinking outside of the box can offer new income streams

A

n often overlooked way to develop your business surrounds training specifically how to train your staff.

Whilst the majority outsource this function, a growing number of businesses have identified they already have the people on hand to deliver staff development, with this talent often desirable and transferable to the wider market-place. When budgets are tight, training is often deemed as ‘non-essential expenditure’. This can be short sighted as training budgets can be translated into a valuable asset.

So how should a company embrace this opportunity?

Firstly, identify the talent within your organisation.

Whilst courses and coaching will provide the necessary technical skills required to deliver successful and effective training, strong personal and communication skills are essential soft skills that should be possessed by the individual from the outset.

Training these people to be the trainers is the next stage. By investing in key individuals to equip them with the appropriate teaching and

Holt Green Training’s Managing Director, Jim Parr learning approaches within your industry’s field, you can effectively generate and develop your own in-house training department that will evolve as your business grows.

Take this one stage further and generate additional revenue streams by exploiting your business’s enhanced skill set. By outsourcing your training services to support other businesses you can potentially become a centre of excellence for your industry.

At Holt Green Training we provide a range of bespoke and standard business focused training packages, including the nationally recognised Preparing to Teach in the

Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) certificate.

Assessing your individual requirements, we tailor course material to suit your business needs - and of course those of the individuals. Upon completion, course attendees will be able to plan, deliver, and evaluate their own teaching sessions that motivate learners, whilst incorporating different assessment methods to evaluate effectiveness.

Based in Ormskirk, covering the North West and beyond, Holt Green Training’s Managing Director, Jim Parr said: “We have had an amazing level of interest in train the trainer style courses, particularly over the last twelve months.

“Businesses are accepting they are only as good as their staff, and investment in training can lead to direct financial benefits coupled with motivated, skilled employees.

• To find out more about

Holt Greet Training courses available, or just to simply talk about how they can help achieve your business goals email: enquiries@ holtgreentraining.co.uk or call 01695 424262

New opportunities New skills New revenue streams…

Training people can be a very rewarding and highly profitable career.

Whether you’re considering a complete career change, looking to enhance your skill set or the skills of your organisation, Holt Green Training offer a range of bespoke Train the Trainer courses designed to give you the skills and confidence to deliver highly effective training.

Talk to us about how we can help unlock your new potential.

Tel: 01695 424262 email: enquries@holtgreentraining.co.uk website: www.holtgreentraining.co.uk @Holt_Green

HoltGreenTraining

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Making the cost of getting on the ladder a little less shocking.

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It’s not all bad news, though. With smartnewhomes.com, you’ll get lots of help to get onto the property ladder. We’ve got exclusive access to special deals from developers right across the country – including deposit-paid offers. And if you log on and register your details, we’ll text or email you the minute a new deal comes along. What’s more, this is a great time to buy. There are plenty of other special offers to be had – and you’ll have first pick of the best ones with us.

All of which should make getting on the ladder a little less scary.

It’s all part of the service from the site with more new homes than anywhere else (and a whole lot of other smart stuff too).

Text SNH to 64446 to find your nearest developments and offers.

* Source: RICS, Department of Communities and Local Government.

The smarter way to buy a new home.

16

THE BIG INTERVIEW

How we fell for TV shopping

BY ALISTAIR HOUGHTON

▲ ▲

Dermot Boyd, chief executive of QVC, on how the channel’s Knowsley operation has helped the channel win the hearts of the nation’s shoppers 17

THE BIG INTERVIEW . . . DERMOT BOYD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 UST like The Doctor on TV’s Doctor Who, home shopping channel QVC has two hearts.

Its studios, the glamorous front end of its business, sit in a post-modernist palace between Battersea Park and the train lines into London Victoria station.

But the bulk of its business takes place in a series of giant sheds in Knowsley, which receives thousands of calls every day and from where a million orders a month are sent to homes and offices across the UK. When QVC launched the UK’s first home shopping channel, in 1993, TV shopping was seen as a brash American import. Many thought it would never catch on.

But QVC’s chief executive, Dermot Boyd, and his colleagues have proved those doubters resoundingly wrong, with sales in 2010 topping £370m.

And that success could never have happened without the hard work of its 1,500-plus staff in Knowsley who handle customer orders and make sure people get their hands on their purchases.

As QVC itself says: “It’s really behind the scenes where most of the action takes place”.

Fast-talking Belfast native Boyd joined QVC in November, 1993 – a month after QVC went live as Britain’s first shopping channel.

“Nobody had ever heard of it,” he said. “If I said then that I worked for QVC, everybody said ‘Who?’ “People said TV shopping was very American, and didn’t think British people would like it. I remember an ex-colleague describing TV shopping as an ‘evolutionary dead end’.

“Now, if I say I work for QVC, it has very high name recognition.

“The initial thought was ‘But Britain is different – they won’t react like Americans’. That’s turned out to be wrong.

“If you offer good products and good pricing with good service – well, people are people. They will buy.

“And, if they like the products, service and price, they’ll come back and buy again.”

In the UK, when people think of television shopping, they think QVC. That means, says Boyd, that QVC benefits from any positive coverage of the sector – even if it isn’t mentioned by name.

He said: “On Sky in the UK, there are a lot of channels that are transactional – probably 40-odd.

“But people tend to associate TV shopping with us. When there’s a spoof, people assume it’s us.

“At one point on (BBC television series) The Apprentice, they starred on a shopping channel. It wasn’t us. But everybody thought it was us.”

Pennsylvania-based QVC, founded by Joseph Segel, started broadcasting in the US in November, 1986.

Its name comes from Segel’s vision for the company – Quality, Value and Convenience.

By 1993, QVC was ready for its first overseas venture – and decided to launch in the UK. The group was then led by media executive Barry Diller, who had led Rupert Murdoch’s Fox television network in the US. “When Sky was looking at a satellite service,” said Boyd, “they announced they were going to have a shopping channel.

J

18

QVC’s on-screen activity, main image, attracts most attention – but the channel’s chief executive, Dermot Boyd, inset, says its Knowsley base has been crucial to its success

“The story goes that Barry heard that this was planned and that the channel that had been spoken to was his competitor in the States. He made a quick phone call, and suddenly it was QVC.” QVC UK was founded as a joint venture between QVC and Sky. It based itself in Marco Polo House, Battersea – the former home of both The Observer newspaper and British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB), famous for its “squariel” satellite dishes.

The marble-clad building, designed by post-modernist architect Ian Pollard, was left empty after BSB merged with rival Sky to form BSkyB. But, with its studios and central London location, it was perfect for the fledgling home shopping station.

QVC also needed to get its distribution infrastructure in place. To do that, it turned to Liverpool contractor McIntyre and King – starting a relationship

with Merseyside that continues to this day.

From 1993, McIntyre and King dispatched goods on behalf of QVC. But, in 1995, as it became obvious that QVC was set to grow enormously, the company decided it would set up its own warehousing and call centre operation – sparking a bidding war as local authorities battled to attract the massive investment.

Boyd said: “We looked all over the British Isles – Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire, Dublin. We were offered a very good deal in Sligo.

“But we decided we wanted to be in the North West.”

By November, 1995, it was reported that Sheffield and Glasgow had been ruled out as locations, leaving Merseyside and Ireland to fight it out.

The Post said QVC had submitted two identical planning applications to build 350,000 sq ft sites at Boundary Road, Knowsley and Speke Hall Avenue, Liverpool

– though a QVC spokeswoman warned: “Just because we have put in for planning permission doesn’t mean that Merseyside necessarily has the edge on the site in Ireland.”

But, just a fortnight later, it was revealed that the project would come to Knowsley. Boyd said Merseyside was ideal, as it was well-placed to serve the whole of the UK. He said: “We wanted to be within a day’s drive of the whole country, fairly near where the North-South and West-East boundaries cross.”

And the Knowsley site was also ideal because, while it is on an industrial park with easy access, it is also near to residential areas housing the staff it needs to keep running for 24 hours a day.

“We wanted a site near a motorway from where you can see lots of chimney pots,” said Boyd.

“Normally you can get either, but you can’t often get both.”

QVC brought hundreds of staff with it from McIntyre & King under TUPE regulations.

“We built a 50,000 sq ft call centre and 125,000 sq ft of warehousing,” said Boyd.

“That seemed huge compared to what we had. But the business continued to expand.

“A while later, we doubled the size of the warehouse, and a few years later we took the warehouse up to 650,000 sq ft – about where it is now.

“We added a new wing, 30,000 sq ft, to the call centre.

“And most recently we added the high bay – a 30m-high box at the side of the warehouse to give us more capacity.

“Every two or three years or so, we have a major investment.”

HE story of the growth of QVC is the story of the transformation of British television itself.

QVC could only

T

THE BIG INTERVIEW . . . DERMOT BOYD

Singer Lulu has advertised her cosmetics on QVC

Shopping TV adds celebrity sparkle

launch at all because of Sky’s satellite revolution. As Sky grew, and as cable television operators entered the market, so QVC could reach more homes and more potential customers.

Sky, meanwhile, sold its stake in QVC UK to QVC in 2004.

“As for cable,” added Boyd, “back in our early days it was very fragmented. There were a lot of different companies, depending on postcode areas.

“It eventually consolidated into three – Cable & Wireless, Telewest, and NTL – and all ultimately became Virgin Media.”

QVC also became available on digital terrestrial television, starting with the ill-fated ONDigital in 1998.

That company struggled to cope with competition from Sky. It rebranded as ITV Digital in 2001, and commissioned a famous advertising campaign starring St Helens comedian Johnny Vegas and a knitted monkey, but

collapsed into administration the following year.

For most of the platform’s existence, it did not offer QVC to customers. Instead, it broadcast a rival shopping channel called Shop! – a joint venture between Liverpool retailer Littlewoods and Granada television.

But QVC was well-placed to monitor ITV Digital’s progress – it was based alongside it in Marco Polo House.

“Back in 2002,” said Boyd, “the people behind Shop! decided TV shopping wasn’t for them. So we got that slot – we got on there when it was still ITV Digital.

“It went into administration the month QVC got into digital terrestrial”.

When ITV Digital was reborn as Freeview later that year, QVC was back – and it still thrives on the digital platform, now the default for digital televisions as all sets are switched from analogue transmission to digital.

“Now, we’re at about 22m homes,” said Boyd.

“By mid-year, every television home in the country will have one of these platforms. The total number of TV homes in the country is about 26m. So 26m homes will have the means to see us.

“Once people can see us, or perhaps realise they can now see us on their second set in the kitchen, there are some opportunities there.”

But Boyd is realistic about how many of the final generation of digital refuseniks will turn to QVC. “They’re the people who have resisted digital so far,” he said.

“They’re probably the people who are happy with three channels.”

Belfast-born Boyd has spent much of his career in the north west of England.

After graduating from the

CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

THE main focus of QVC is shopping – but, as a television channel, it also has to entertain.

The channel’s own presenters have their own dedicated fans, while, says chief executive Dermot Boyd, “even non-customers watch QVC for fun and entertainment”.

And, in the last two years the channel has, for the first time, started inviting selected celebrities on air to pitch their products.

“We are television,” said Boyd, “and people like to watch celebrities.

“We will always have experts who can give really detailed information to customers. But we have recently had music acts in.

“It started when John Barrowman came on. He was always a big QVC fan, so he was selling his CD and also other products he liked.

“We’ve also had Susan Boyle, Westlife and various acts in. We have to tailor it to what our customers like.

“From the musicians’ perspective, it’s their favourite place on live television.

“When they’re on a chat show, they have to sell without overtly selling. But here, we can do the overt selling, with graphics on screen. We are a shop.”

Boyd says QVC will avoid celebrities who simply attach their name to products they have not

developed. He said: “We have people like Lulu, who has a range of cosmetic products. She is deeply involved in this range. She has knowledge and credibility.

“You’re selling for five or 10 minutes. If you don’t know about the product and are just lending your name, that will come across.

“We want people who own their brand – Lulu Guinness comes in to sell her own handbags, for example. We want people who have that degree of involvement. We are picky.”

As Boyd points out, shopping – whether online or on the high street – is not just about buying.

“It’s a fine balance for us,” he said. “We’re not trying to be a soap or a sitcom. Fundamentally, this is a shop.

“But it does work, because we need to remember we’re still in the entertainment business.

“The best high street stores and department stores do this as well.

“Retail is about buying.

But shopping as an activity is a bit different. It’s a social experience, whether you buy or don’t buy.

“When you buy, you want to have enough information to make the decision. The process should be smooth.

“But part of the attraction is finding something you didn’t know you wanted.”

19

THE BIG INTERVIEW . . . DERMOT BOYD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 University of Cambridge with a degree in mathematics, and completing an MA in operational research at the University of Lancaster, he joined Price Waterhouse in the North West.

Next he moved to ICI in Northwich before, in 1990, he joined clothing firm Tootal Group as finance executive.

Finally, in January, 1992, he joined Alexon as group financial controller.

He lost his job at Alexon in 1993 as the company restructured amid a recession – but seeing a report on QVC on North West television news spurred him to apply to the US giant.

He joined QVC in 1993 as chief financial officer – a role in which he spent 15 years.

For the first three years, he commuted from Warrington to London – and regularly visited McIntyre and King in Liverpool – but eventually moved south.

In January, 2009, Boyd became chief operating officer and CFO – and took the CEO role a year later.

In his time at the group, he has seen turnover grow from just £6m in its first year – “it was small sales and large losses,” he smiled – to its current massive total.

Boyd keeps a close eye on the company’s daily sales. His office in London, where we met, includes a screen showing live sales figures alongside televisions showing QVC’s live broadcasts.

The company’s sales fell following the global economic downturn, with sales of electrical appliances and jewellery particularly affected.

When we met, Boyd was unable to comment on QVC’s 2011 performance as parent company Liberty Media was in a close period.

But, announcing third-quarter figures in December, Liberty Media said revenues for the three months were down 4% on the same period the previous year, as falling electronic and jewellery sales were offset by growing sales in homewares, beauty and accessories.

It said, however, that the number of units sold remained consistent at 3.6m.

And Boyd says the company is well-placed to continue its growth when the economy picks up.

“Trading after the crash was not good,” he mused. “We are not immune. If people have less disposable income, and confidence is down, it affects us as well.

“But we are a financially robust company. We tend to grow, not shrink, in a recession.

“If you look back at 1993, we were founded in a recession, and we grew in a recession.

“A recession gives opportunities for solid companies to grow. Some companies shrink or even go out of business. We are not in that category. This is a growing company.”

Mr Boyd said QVC was able to change its programming more quickly than high street stores could change their ranges.

It has, for example, scaled back its electronics and jewellery programming, while launching a channel dedicated to beauty products and other interactive “red button” services.

“We have been able to change emphasis a bit,” he said. “But when the electronics market comes back, we’ll still be a

20

QVC’s Kirkby warehouse sends out millions of orders every year participant. We have our brand specialisms, but we can change our mix more readily than a department store.”

QVC has also kept pace with changes in technology.

“We have led on television technology,” said Boyd, pointing out that QVC produces more live television than anybody else.

“We’ve been leading in interactive TV, and in mobile technology. Video is one of our strengths.

“We have launched QVC Beauty as a niche channel, and we can see that is working for us.

“We want to find more ways of getting in front of more people.

“We’re looking at rolling out a much improved website. We have an iPhone app, but we’re very conscious that we need an Android one as well.”

But technology is only of interest to a mass market retailer such as QVC once it has a certain critical mass.

“Internet television is an interesting area, but it will take time for it to become a mainstream proposition,” said Boyd.

“We’re about big numbers.

We’re about technology that is available to millions of people.”

As for Knowsley, changes in technology have also changed the way it works.

Boyd said: “We’ve found a lot of our order-taking is through automation – touch-tone phones and voice response.

“We’ve found that actually the balance is probably more customer care type calls, rather than orders.

“For a lot of orders, people choose automated methods.”

Many companies that rely on call centres have chosen to move those functions overseas.

But Boyd says that QVC made the right choice by keeping its call handling operations in the UK. “The customer interface is key to our business,” he said.

“We don’t want people to just buy once. We want repeat custom.

“We want them to have a great experience at all touchpoints – when they watch the TV, when they pick up the phone, and with the purchase that comes out of it.

“Having a UK-based call centre has been a strength for us.

“We’ve been very happy with our choice.

“Everybody tells us how wonderful they are. We’re very happy with our Merseyside operation.”

Boyd said more support staff had moved to Knowsley over the years, including finance, IT and HR staff.

“We have very good staff retention, particularly in Knowsley,” he said. “We’re very pleased with the calibre of people we have there.”

In London, QVC is building a new home in Chiswick Park, to which it will move on June 7.

“It’ll definitely be June 7,” repeated Boyd, as if to reassure himself that the ambitious project is on track.

The purpose-built complex will give QVC more room to breathe, with larger studios.

Ambitiously, QVC will be rolling out a rebrand on television

An aerial view of QVC’s base, in Knowsley Industrial Park and online that same day: “If you’re a store group, you can roll out a refit one store at a time,” smiled Boyd. “But, for QVC, it will be a step change.

“Once we’ve done that, the next area of investment looks to be the warehouse. We’ll be looking at our processes. We still have a decent amount of space – it’s really a process of upgrading.

“We are making sure we don’t have any capacity constraints.”

Boyd believes that when shoppers start splashing the cash again, QVC will be well-placed to pick up more business.

“I’m very confident that we’re in a nice sector,” he said.

“Our customer demographic is one that is growing. The population is getting older.

“People are having to work a bit longer, but if they’re working longer they have more money.

“Though people are getting

older, their attitudes are more youthful.

“People are more healthy and they’re staying more active.”

Boyd wants QVC to attract new shoppers from beyond its existing customer base. And Boyd stressed again that QVC’s Knowsley staff would be vital in ensuring that new customers stuck with QVC. “We understand the power of great customer service in making people come back to us,” he said.

“Knowsley is an area where jobs are at a premium.

“People understand that, if they provide a great service and customers come back to buy from the business, they have a secure future.

“We find that people who do try us stay extremely loyal. We have a lot of customers who have been with us since 1993. If people buy from us, they will like the experience and buy again.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Can Sefton turn the tide?

BY BILL GLEESON

Antony Gormley’s Iron Men statues have attracted numerous visitors to Crosby beach, giving a boost to local businesses – but how is the rest of Sefton faring?

Picture: RICHARD WILLIAMS

▲ ▲

The gap between Sefton’s economic performance and that of Merseyside and the rest of the UK has continued to widen over the past decade. What can the borough do to turn the situation around?

21

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT . . . SEFTON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 EFTON Borough’s ageold problem, of being too much in the shadow of Liverpool, has arguably become an even more entrenched issue in the past decade.

With the exception of Bootle, Sefton is largely made up of a string of prosperous-looking towns nestling along the north coast of Liverpool Bay. These towns are, of course, all linked to central Liverpool by a frequent train service that serves tens of thousands of commuters each working day. The rail link, however, has relegated the towns to dormitory status.

The outward prosperity of many parts of the borough belie the harsh reality depicted by the official economic figures.

The latest figures for economic output per capita of England’s 133 local authorities show that Sefton had the fourth-lowest economic performance in the country and that the productivity gap is getting wider.

In 1997, Sefton’s output per capita was £8,118. That wasn’t so far behind the Merseyside average of £8,920 and compared to a UKwide average of £12,680.

In 2009, the latest year for which a breakdown by local authority area is available, the borough’s relative economic performance had fallen markedly.

Sefton had output per head of £11,692. That compares to a figure of £14,545 for Merseyside and £20,341 for the UK. The poor economic performance of the past decade contrasts with the relatively strong showing throughout the 1990s. Back then, Sefton’s growth was faster than that enjoyed by the Merseyside area.

In the 1990s, there was a rapid growth in jobs, particularly in the public sector, health and education.

But this reliance on the public purse for jobs is a distinct disadvantage in the era of government austerity cuts.

Furthermore, changes in the borough’s demography have been more acute than in other places.

The borough’s working age population has fallen by 7% since 1992. This compares unfavourably with a 3% fall for the rest of Merseyside and a 9% rise in the UK. The number of young people living in the borough has declined particularly rapidly.

The nub of the matter is that, while working age people living in Sefton are more likely to be in employment, a high proportion of them work outside the borough, mostly in Liverpool.

The make-up of what economic activity does go on in the borough is also unfavourable when it comes to the statistics. There are very few professional services jobs compared to Liverpool.

Bankers, accountants and lawyers tend to cluster into Liverpool city centre. These are high value added jobs.

The borough’s shops, particularly in Southport, may also have lost out to the pull of Liverpool One, which was fully open for business in 2009.

The chief executive of Sefton Chamber of Commerce, Stephen Dickson, says it is the role of the private sector to act as a critical friend of the local authority as it tries to grapple with the challenges.

Mr Dickson said: “We work

S

22

Sefton’s coastal environment is popular with residents – but can constrain economic development together, but independently of them.

“Overall, as an area we are facing the same challenges as others, things like low confidence in the high street. People don’t want to spend while they are not confident about jobs.

“We have a significant amount of public sector jobs here, 30% to 40%, and that’s a problem because the full size and scale of the public sector cuts has yet to be announced.

“It’s a confidence thing.

“The private sector should help us trade out of this. They will eventually, but government has to play its part and help things move at a faster rate.

“Government needs to do more to cut red tape and help people to start making money.”

However, Mr Dickson accepts that, aside from the difficulties facing the national economy,

Sefton has some of its own issues to tackle.

He said: “Sefton is not an easy area to grasp hold of. There are demographic differences with many other places.

“It’s a great place to live, but 29% of the population works in Liverpool.

“We are a good place to reside and do business, and a lot of people say that.”

Another factor that makes Sefton hard to grasp is the very different character of the north and south of the borough.

The dockland industries and deprivation found in the south is at odds with the prosperity found in places like Formby and Birkdale and the seaside tourism of the north of the borough.

There has also been a sharp contrast in the immediate prospects for economic development in the two halves of

Sefton. The poorer south appears to be faring better, with plans to expand the Port of Liverpool likely to result in greater economic activity taking place there. In contrast, plans to develop Southport’s tourism trade have suffered a setback in recent weeks.

Mr Dickson said: “The classic resort was a brand theme to try and spotlight the visible changes in the offer as it developed and matured.

“If you go to Skegness or Scarborough, you are going to get the same thing, just as you did 30 years ago.

“At Southport, it’s very different.

“We are saying Lord Street is the jewel in the crown of the North West.

“It has speciality shopping and is full of independent shops.”

As for the recent collapse of the

Picture: COLIN LANE proposed development at Pleasureland, Mr Dickson offers some economic realism.

He said: “It was not altogether surprising.

“With the banking crash, the original plans of Urban Splash went into temporary suspension.

Now it appears the recession is more deep rooted, longer and harder than was thought.

“It is no real surprise that, at this particular time, nobody is in a position to put in the necessary investment.

“There will be a time when it does happen, but we will have to see when that will be.

“The actual land has to be one of the best pieces of real estate in the UK.” The £80m plan to transform Southport’s Pleasureland was finally abandoned last month.

The proposals, which were originally announced in March,

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT . . . SEFTON

TRAINING

TALK

With Nicola Parr, training manager at Holt Green Training

Hopes for the future remain buoyant – a ship berths at the Royal Seaforth Container Dock 2008, were intended to kick-start the “reinvention of the seaside resort”.

Developers Urban Splash and Sefton council, which owns the site, have now decided to go their own separate ways after the viability of the project was hit by the recession.

Council leader Cllr Peter Dowd admitted there was currently no alternative planned.

Cllr Dowd said the £17m Southport Arts Centre development was the last big project the town would see for some time.

Speaking at the time, he said: “That is going to be the last development Sefton does as a council for anything like the foreseeable future.

“If you asked me whether I can see a moderately sized £5m project, no I can’t because there is no money around.

“There has been some significant investment in Southport in recent years, but I don’t see anything on the horizon regrettably.”

Since the Urban Splash plans were announced, the Vincent Hotel and Neptune Development’s Waterfront complex on the Promenade have opened.

But Neptune has struggled to find occupiers for its £30m project.

The plans for the Pleasureland site were due to include an outdoor heated swimming pool and an expanded marine lake and a winter garden, all housed under a landmark atrium inspired by the Eden Project.

The Southport Marine Park idea involved using a combination lighting and heating system with excess water used to fill a Lido-style outdoor pool.

The axed scheme was also due to include at least two hotels offering traditional accommodation alongside serviced apartments and houses to let.

In contrast, Sefton council seems to be less at the mercy of the ebb and flow of global economic conditions with the principal economic development project in the south of the borough.

The council last month gave the green light to a £35m grant to help expand the capacity of the Port of Liverpool. The money will be used to help with dredging of the river to facilitate the construction of an in-river quayside capable of handling the world’s biggest vessels.

It is hoped the £210m quayside at Seaforth will be operational by 2014 and help to regenerate the south Sefton area.

The development will allow huge post-Panamax vessels to berth, which are currently unable to access the river or the lock system at Seaforth due to a lack of depth.

Port of Liverpool owner Peel Ports has also taken a significant step towards commencing a £250m investment on the Mersey.

It has recently appointed Douglas Coleman, one of the UK's most experienced project directors, as its programme director.

The purpose of Mr Coleman’s role is to take charge of the landmark container terminal project, which also involves the development of other key related projects along the length of the Manchester Ship Canal, including Port Bridgewater and Port Salford.

Mr Coleman, 56, was project director at Forth Ports for six years where he headed the development of the £1bn master plan for Leith Docks.

He was also project manager of the £1.2bn Glasgow Harbour project, which involved a secondment to Peel Ports company Clydeport.

The widening of the Panama Canal will allow bigger vessels to ply their trade on sea routes, and Liverpool aims to exploit the potential opportunities by matching its capabilities to the bigger vessels.

It is estimated that more than 35,000 jobs could be created across the region by 2020 in careers such as logistics, low-carbon technologies and engineering, as Seaforth benefits from the new post-Panamax shipping terminal.

Mark Long, head of economy and tourism at Sefton Borough

Council, said he believes plenty of opportunities exist to build on the private sector base in places like Netherton.

This area, which lies between Switch Island at the end of the M58 and the Port of Liverpool is already home to household names like Fujitsu, Allied Bakeries, Santander and Shop Direct.

Mr Long says the borough is in the throes of producing its first economic strategy in ten yearsm which will seek to address the productivity gap.

He said: “Our thinking is that we have a curious borough. We have an elongated shape. At the bottom end, we are part of a city that has gone through a renaissance in recent years.

“We have a coast that people want to protect and a lot of green belt that people don’t want to see tarmacked over.

“We respect that.

“Our two big historic strengths are maritime at Seaforth and the visitor economy in Southport.

“That was doing wonderfully until the recession.

“Emerging sectors include low carbon.

“We can support offshore wind farm developments and we can make a lot of our green credentials as a low-carbon place to visit.”

Mr Long points to the Hibernia Atlantic transatlantic fibre optic cable that comes ashore at Ainsdale. The borough is in talks with Hibernia to look at ways of letting Sefton firms benefit from its proximity.

He said: “ At the moment, it goes straight to Manchester. It’s a bit like having a motorway going through your back garden. If we had a link, we could offer offshore data storage for the American market.”

Mr Long says the knowledge sector offers prospects for the borough.

“The resident population of Sefton is more highly qualified than any other parts of Merseyside,” he said.

He accepts, however, that a variety of factors have to come together to address the borough’s employment gap.

IT’S well-known that, when times are tough, training budgets are often the first to be questioned – and even cut.

But this isn’t necessarily the right approach, and can, of course, have an adverse effect on your profit margins.

There is a strong link between learning and development and high levels of employee engagement and motivation. Our primary aim is to create a culture reflecting how dynamic learning leads to employee development.

A good employer is made up of people who realise their full potential, motivated to perform beyond their usual duties. While developing a workforce benefits the organisation, personal progression also has longterm positive impact on business objectives.

Studies have shown that employees are finding it harder to engage with higher expectations of their employer – this challenge of employee engagement is even greater in times of financial hardship.

After speaking to delegates of our leadership training programmes, evidence indicates that strong leadership was a key factor in driving employee motivation. This suggests that companies investing in leadership development gain considerable advantages over their competitors.

Even the best employers are faced with the same challenging economic conditions and adversity as all other organisations. The difference is that their senior leaders have taken accountability for the engagement of their people, and persisted over time in taking action for improvement.

Taking these benefits one step further, the impact of a cohesive staff development strategy – implemented throughout the organisation – undoubtedly plays a key role in employee retention, which, in turn, also reduces

costs. Understanding the critical role employers play in driving business performance – specifically by continuously increasing the percentage of employees saying positive things about their organisation – helps staff stay committed and strive to deliver their best.

Who wouldn't want to work at an organisation like that?

At Holt Green Training, we regularly receive requests for bespoke leadership training packages from organisations that recognise the correlation between good leaders and financial performance. We appreciate that, as with most soft-skill training, there is often no “one size fits all” approach.

We work with our clients to identify how their leadership skills can be developed to specifically motivate a demotivated workforce.

We explore the key leadership qualities such as: how to entrust staff and delegate key tasks to empower and stimulate employees; accepting staff as individuals; and adopting specific leadership approaches. What works for motivating one person, may not work for another. Being flexible and developing your interpersonal skills to engage with the employee will develop trust and confidence leading to loyal and motivated staff.

Of course, being able to recognise, reward and giving encouragement, where appropriate, are also key leadership skills. By taking real life examples, we examine how individuals respond to different techniques and how this can be implemented into your workplace.

We are not all born leaders, but, given the right skills, we can be taught how to bring out the best in people – and ultimately your business.

‘There is a strong link between learning and employee motivation’

■ IN ASSOCIATION with Holt Green Training

23

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT . . . SEFTON

Peel port development holds the key to driving Sefton’s hopes for growth

Sefton Chamber boss Steve Dickson speaks to Bill Gleeson

STEVE DICKSON is upbeat about the prospects for the private sector in Sefton.

The chief executive of Sefton Chamber of Commerce says there are a number of key themes that will aid economic development in the borough in the years ahead.

Mr Dickson said: “Businesses in Sefton need more connections.

“The importance of the port can’t be overstated. Peel’s plans will really impact on the local economy in terms of more jobs.

The enterprise zone could also attract more companies to Sefton.

“We feel ultimately the postPanamax development will mean the logistics sector will be really important to us.

“Sefton has land down there on Dunnings Bridge Road that can be developed.

“The strange thing is, going back over 30 years, despite the strikes and the loss of jobs, the tonnage going through the port now, even before the postPanamax terminal is built, has never been so much.

“It all looks good in terms of addressing the imbalance with the South.

“It should attract lots of new suppliers and build on existing business on Atlantic Gateway.

“The green issues come in as well. It’s an ace card. The carbon miles for shipping containers coming up the M1 and M6 can be reduced by trade coming into a port in the middle of the country.”

Tourism has always played a part in the Sefton economy.

Mr Dickson said: “I think it’s got a good future. The tourism profile and demographic has changed. We have helped shape that change to find new markets.

“We have left behind the Victorian seaside resort image of 30 years ago, on the back of Wake Weeks or Scottish fortnight in Southport. There was a time you couldn’t move for kilt-clad swathes of people.

“We have now developed a lifestyle leisure offer based round short breaks.”

Mr Dickson points to the new hotels that have opened in recent years – the likes of the Vincent, the Ramada and Premier Inn. “It’s a modern hotel stock fit for the modern business age.

“Golf, of course, is increasing year on year. Nobody beats our array of golf courses.

“Events like the Southport flower show add to the mix, as does the Formby nature reserve, the dunes and the Antony Gormley statues Who would have thought tourists would go to

24

Southport’s Lord Street: The town and others like it in Sefton need to be better connected, says Sefton Chamber of Commerce chief executive Steve Dickson, inset, right Waterloo, but that has been a real coup which has boosted visitor numbers tremendously.”

On the subject of tourism, the borough also boasts conferencing facilities that prove popular with a certain scale of conference event.

Mr Dickson, however, is keen to point out that Sefton is not only about port trade and tourism.

He said: “We have a handful of technology businesses in north Sefton. They are doing their bit.

They are good paying jobs for lab staff and technicians. It’s an area of real potential growth as long as we find the right land.”

Another type of connection that needs improving is broadband infrastructure.

Mr Dickson said: “The issue of

patchy download speeds is a big issue for a lot of businesses.

“Virgin are establishing themselves well in Liverpool, but not outside Liverpool. BT needs to clarify its business strategy.

Connectivity by road is also on the agenda of the borough’s businesses.

“We are facing a big issue with regard to road transport infrastructure throughout the whole of Britain.

“There is good public transport infrastructure. You can get into Liverpool easily, but it’s not so good to Preston or to the eastern access points.”

He says both the Ormskirk bypass and Burscough curves on the railway need to be reviewed and brought forward.

Mr Dickson says Sefton Chamber of Commerce is in good shape and ready to face the challenges that lie ahead.

He said: “We have increased our membership over the last five years. We have well over 400 members.

“There’s very visible growth come out of the Chamber. Our tender alert scheme for public sector procurement has meant six Chamber members have shared £21m of business won as a result of that scheme.

“We are a very well networked Chamber. We network like nobody else does.

“It’s all very relaxed, but business does get done.

“It’s not just window dressing.

A lot of good deals get done.

“We have a new networking format. There are lots of businesses that are not experienced networkers.

“It’s not always their bag and they can’t necessarily get out of the business to do it. Known as Business Xchange, it’s pay on the door and open to all.”

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HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS?

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Shouting from the rooftops

Nurseries owner ready to spread the message about the benefits of solar energy systems

GARDEN nurseries owner Mervyn Davies is so pleased with the solar PV system he installed in his business that he is willing to make himself available to talk to others about the benefits.

Mr Davies runs Sandy Lane Nurseries, which sells trees, shrubs, plants and other gardening products in Melling.

In August last year, he contracted Bootle-based renewable energy specialist Eco Environments to install a solar energy system at his business premises.

The panels generate power for both the business and his home, which is located on site, and Mr Davies estimates it could have slashed his energy bills by as much as 50%.

Now he is prepared to spread the word on both the environmental and financial benefits of renewable energy.

He said: “I went to an open day at Sheffield University last year. It has an experimental set-up there and after seeing it I decided I wanted a system myself.

“The initial investment is around £20,000 and that is quite a lot of money.

“But the return on capital over 25 years is very good, and it is estimated that the system will pay for itself in eight or nine years.”

Mr Davies founded the nursery 35 years ago, after working for BICC Cables.

He employs one full-time person and two part-time.

“I turned my hobby into a business,” he added.

“The power generated by the panels provides electricity for my house, and in the business it mainly supplies power for my irrigation system for the plants.

“After staffing. electricity and water are my two biggest overheads so this system has really helped.

“We get a lot of power from the panels in the summer because that’s when we get the most light – but even during the winter they are still generating power.

“We have had some very good days this winter when they have generated quite a bit of electricity.

“If anyone wants to come along to the nursery, I am more than happy to talk to them about the benefits of installing a solar power system.”

The return on capital over 25 years is very good – Mervyn Davies pictured in front of the solar PV panels that were installed by Eco Environments Picture: COLIN LANE

Envirolink shortlisted for work experience awards ENVIROLINK Northwest has been shortlisted for a National Council for Work Experience (NCWE) Award.

The NCWE Awards recognise organisations from all sectors and sizes that provide exceptional student and graduate internships.

They are now in their ninth year and it was a

26

record year for entries – a 50% increase on 2011, with more than 300 entries.

Envirolink Northwest will compete against five other businesses for the “Work Placement of the Year – as nominated by a careers adviser” title, following a nomination from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Winners will be announced on Tuesday, March 20, at Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London.

Greg Whitfield, Irish Sea Conservation Zones manager at Envirolink, said: “Our work placement student, Tom Higginbottom, became a true member of the team and helped us to deliver a major marine

conservation project.”

Mike Hill, chief executive of the Higher Education Careers Services Unit, which operates the NCWE added: “The NCWE Awards have been more popular than ever this year, reflecting the central role work experience is playing in business today.”

Mike Hill, chief executive of the Higher Education Careers Services Unit – awards have proved popular

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

HOW GREEN IS YOUR BUSINESS?

ASK THE

EXPERT

With Peter Mooney, head of employment law at ELAS

Q

I RECENTLY ruled out a job candidate because, when I Googled him, I couldn’t picture him fitting into our team. One of my colleagues has since said that I shouldn’t have even researched the candidate beyond what he said on his own CV. Is that right?

A

An Easyjet plane at Liverpool John Lennon Airport – the carrier’s aircraft travel 3.5m miles on runways every year, adding significantly to its fuel costs

Easyjet to trial ‘green’ airport taxiing system Low-cost carrier in bid to slash annual fuel costs

BUDGET airline Easyjet is to become the first airline to trial a new electric green taxiing system (EGTS).

The biggest carrier at Liverpool John Lennon Airport by passenger numbers says that around 4% of the fuel it consumes every year is used while aircraft are taxiing at airports.

Easyjet’s aircraft average 20 minutes of taxi time per flight adds up to 3.5m miles a year.

The EGTS system has been developed by aerospace services provider Honeywell and Safran and the first operational trials are expected to start in 2013, offering the system either on new aircraft or as a retrofit to in-service aircraft as early as 2016.

The development and trial will help establish whether the estimated savings can be realised and also quantify other benefits.

Easyjet will also assist in establishing the airline standard operational procedures for aircraft equipped with the system.

Ian Davies, the airline’s head of engineering and maintenance, said: “Easyjet is always seeking innovative ways of reducing our environmental footprint, as well as our operating costs, so this technology is of great interest to us.

“This collaboration with Honeywell and Safran allows us to bring our huge experience of high-frequency and high levels of operational performance to the partnership to ensure that the solution meets our needs.”

The EGTS allows aircraft to taxi without requiring the use of aircraft engines by using the auxiliary power unit generator to power motors in the main wheels.

Each of the aircraft’s powered

wheels is equipped with an electromechanical actuator, while unique power electronics and system controllers give pilots total control of the aircraft’s speed, direction and braking during taxi operations.

“The system would therefore reduce, if not remove altogether, the need for tugs to manoeuvre aircraft in and out of stands.”

Yves Leclère, Safran executive vice-president, transformation, added: “We are very pleased to partner with Easyjet on the EGTS. “It is a clear vote of confidence from a major airline.”

And John Bolton, president, Honeywell’s air transport and regional business, said: “Our complementary technologies and fully integrated customer approach have earned the confidence of a major player.”

YOUR colleague is absolutely right – if you want to avoid being landed with a potentially costly discrimination claim, the safest advice is always to steer well away from carrying out any additional research on candidates, whether that is online or not.

Unfortunately, this is one of those very tricky issues which people have begun to believe is safe just because it has become widespread. And it genuinely is very common.

We carried out a survey of 1,000 small businesses recently and found that as many as 98% had researched job candidates online at least once in the past, with two in five saying they always did.

From a legal point of view, there’s only one way to be safe – and that’s never to do it.

The reason behind my warning is simple. Judging candidates on anything other than what they’ve offered of themselves by way of CV, application form or interview is fraught with danger.

That’s because, as soon as you start making decisions about whether to employ someone or not on any basis other than their ability to do the job in question, there is a risk of discrimination.

In order for any recruitment process to be fair and robust, all candidates must be treated equally. As soon as you open

that process up to include what is written and posted online about someone, that falls apart.

The level of information available online can vary hugely between one applicant and another, and just because one person has less of a profile online than another doesn’t make them a safer bet to employ, or any more suited to your job.

If a recruitment process has been influenced by what you’ve found out about a candidate on Facebook, Twitter, or frankly any online source, it is almost impossible to prove that process has been fair.

The difficulty is that, because so many people are doing this, it has almost become acceptable behaviour – but it is not.

In many ways, it is no different from being influenced by a conversation in the pub or an unofficial reference over the phone. But, while anybody who still behaves like that knows that they are at least fudging the rules, recruiters think it’s somehow OK to reject candidates based on what they said on Twitter about last week’s TV, or how they behave on a night out according to Facebook.

Anybody who wants to protect their business from future tribunal claims needs to stop basing important decisions on online tittle-tattle.

‘Steer well away from additional research on job candidates’

■ CONTACT the team at ELAS on 0161 785 2000 or visit www.elas.uk.com ■ FOR daily news, advice and employer information, please follow us on Twitter at: twitter.com/ELAS or visit the ELAS Facebook page.

■ IN ASSOCIATION with ELAS

27

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Langtree pauses for breath A new rugby league stadium and Tesco store are built and open for business – now the GIVEN Tesco’s diminishing appetite for opening supersize supermarkets, it looks like St Helens has got in just under the wire.

In early January, the retail giant signalled a retrenchment from the kind of rapid expansion it has enjoyed in recent years.

It is now unlikely in the near future to press ahead with any supermarket developments over 80,000 sq ft.

The one it has just completed in

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St Helens is 140,000 sq ft – about as big as they come – and is part of a wider regeneration project that has also seen the completion of a £20m stadium for St Helens rugby league club.

The Superleague side had been playing their home games at Widnes for the previous year, following the demolition of their old arena.

The stadium, which can hold 18,000 people, is being called Langtree Park, after the developer

that built it. It is sited on what used to be the United Glass site, in Peasley Cross Lane.

Langtree managing directorJohn Downes said the completion of the stadium and the Tesco store was a great achievement for the company, the rugby league club and other partners St Helens Council and the now defunct Northwest Development Agency (NWDA).

He is now hopeful that, following a pause for breath,

Phase Two of the redevelopment plan can be realised in the near future. Mr Downes said: “Phase One is now complete but there are three phases to this site.

“Phase Three is already there – 120,000 sq ft of warehousing space that is fully occupied.

“For Phase Two, we have cleared 15 acres and are aiming to have something that would complement what we have built – some kind of leisure facilities.”

He said this could include

restaurants and maybe a cinema, depending on the interest from potential occupiers.

“We have built the best rugby league stadium in the country and created high-quality public realm,” he added.

“The Tesco store enabled us to put capital towards the delivery of the stadium.

“Now we want to turn our attention to Phase Two of the scheme.”

The completion of Phase One is

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY St Helens took on Widnes Vikings in their first game at the new Langtree Park Stadium, in January

Langtree managing director John Downes is proud of what has been achieved so far

in St Helens revamp project Merseyside town is looking to press ahead with the next phase of regeneration scheme a particular source of pride for Bob Hepworth, director of urban regeneration and housing at St Helens Council.

Mr Hepworth was at the council in 1998 when the rugby league club came forward and said it needed a new stadium.

He said: “They asked us what we could do to help them and it is fair to say that their expectations on how quickly it would happen were quite different from ours.

“We thought that it would be

quite difficult because of the scale of such a project.

“It is a fantastic stadium – now it is here, it seems even better than what I thought we would achieve.

“It is early days but we are already seeing a benefit. For one recent match, we were told that many people were coming into the town centre prior to kick-off.

“The bars and restaurants were very busy and people were saying there was a great atmosphere.

“People were then walking from the town centre to the stadium, which is exactly how we wanted it to be. It has helped to create a real feelgood factor in the town.”

Mr Hepworth acknowledges the timing of the project was fortunate both in terms of Tesco’s recent change in strategy and the assistance given by the NWDA. And he admits that the demise of the NWDA and a lot of the funding that went with it makes the delivery of future

regeneration projects, including Phase Two of Langtree Park, more “challenging”.

“We were fortunate to get funding from the NWDA just before it was disbanded,” he said.

“In fact, I think the stadium was one of the last major projects that received funding.

“The NWDA has delivered a huge amount for the Liverpool city region.

“There is money from the Government in the shape of the

Regional Growth Fund and St Helens has already benefited from that. But we would not have got that for a stadium.

“In terms of Phase Two – the market is not good at the moment and people are biding their time, but we are hoping that scenario will improve in time.

“There is a lot of talking going on in the market, but people are not actually pressing the go button. At the moment, I think it is a time for reflection.”

29

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY We sell to all corners of the globe – general manager Gary Hanson outside Bosch Packaging Technology’s factory, at Knowsley Business Park Picture: ANDREW TEEBAY

Under new management:

Keep on taking the tablets: Bill Gleeson pays a visit to the German-owned hi-tech Kirkby BOSCH Packaging Technology is the new name for a business that can trace its Liverpool roots back through the decades.

Formerly known as Manesty, the Kirkby Business Park-based firm employs 180 staff making the high-technology precision machines used to press and coat tablets used by the pharmaceutical industries and sweets for the confectionery industry.

Bosch Packaging Technology is part of German-based multinational Bosch, which has an annual turnover of 51bn euros and employs 300,000 staff around the world.

Included in the ranks of its Kirkby unit are more than a score of graduate engineers whose job it is to constantly innovate to stay

30

ahead of the competition. The Packaging Technology division of Bosch sits with the group’s Industrial Technology Sector.

There are two other divisions of Bosch: Automotive and Consumer Goods, and Building Technology.

The group’s products range from car parts to washing machines and other white household goods.

The firm very much regards itself as part of the knowledge economy, investing 4bn euros in research and development every year. Inside the factory, everything looks shiny and bright, with gleaming coatings and pressing machines in various states of readiness for shipment.

Gary Hanson, general manager of Bosch’s Knowsley operation, said: “Our machines press and

coat anything from Anadin to Viagra, contraceptives, herbal remedies, Polo Mints and Fisherman’s Friends.

“The coatings are used to make it look nice and attractive, or for a slow release barrier for the active ingredients.”

It also puts sugar coatings on confectionery, but 90% of the coatings are aqueous, or waterbased, solutions.

“We take demineralised water and mix it with pigments to add to the surface of the tablets,” Mr Hanson explained.

“On this site, we do sales and R&D, manufacturing and installation and commissioning.

“About 95% of our sales go overseas.

“We sell to all corners of the globe.”

Bosch is 97% owned by a charitable foundation, a bit like the Wellcome Trust owns a large pat of GlaxoSmithKline, in the UK. The company is headquartered in Waiblingen, near Stuttgart.

Mr Hanson said: “We make 35 to 40 machines a year at this plant.

“Tablet presses have a selling price of £250,000 to £400,000, and the coatings machines start at £350,000 and can sell for up to £700,000.

“Sales last year were very good.

“We made our budgets in 2011.

“The order book at the start of this year was double last year’s opening.

“The previous few years have been a little slow.

“The strongest markets are in

China, with generic drugs manufacturers. They want high yields and cost-effective production.

“The high yields are an important selling point. When they put their product in tablets, they want to recover as much product as possible. Their pharmaceutical product is very expensive. Therefore, the less waste the better. Our machines typically recover 95-98% and when the customer switches from production of one product to another the change-over time needs to be quick, helping over-all efficiency.”

Following its acquisition last year, the plant has taken a new name associated with Germany.

The plant, however, has its roots firmly established in the

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

High-yield plant can trace city roots back to 1798

The firm took its name from Manesty’s Lane, in Liverpool city centre – the location of its first factory

IT MAY now be just a small part of a 51bn euro multi-national empire with headquarters in Stuttgart, but Bosch’s hi-tech factory near Kirkby can trace its origins to a couple of Liverpool entrepreneurs.

The factory can trace its roots back to 1798, when Thomas Thompson opened a chemist’s shop in Liverpool.

Thompson was joined by a partner, SJ Capper, and the firm was re-named Thompson & Capper Wholesale Chemists. The pair started by importing machines used by the general chemistry industry, but they spotted an opportunity to import tablet pressing machines.

In 1905, the family-run firm progressed from importing the machines to manufacturing their own.

The new business was named Manesty, as the first factory was sited in the city centre of Liverpool in Manesty's Lane (which, incidentally, still exists).

As this business developed, it was separated from the wholesale chemist side and Manesty Machines was created.

It was during these years that Manesty, with its extensive range of pharmaceutical equipment, laid the foundations of its reputation as a manufacturer of excellent, robust, reliable machinery, a reputation

that the firm says continues to this day.

A significant development in the fortunes of the company occurred in 1946, when Manesty was purchased by John Holroyd & Co. The Holroyd company was a manufacturer of specialist machine tools and had, over the years, designed and manufactured many special purpose machines, including a rotary tablet press as early as 1888.

The special building skills of Holroyd, linked with Manesty's in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, set the standards of tablet machine design and manufacture which are in force throughout the industry to this day.

These designs include the rotary feeders, precompression, dry-coated and two layer presses.

A further, more significant development occurred in 1964 when Holroyd was taken over by the then Renold Chains (now known as Renold PLC). This takeover by a large multi-national company made available the resources which led to a substantial increase in manufacturing capacity.

With this increase came a new generation of tablet presses and coating machines. This spirit of innovative design and skilled manufacture continues today, not just in the traditional product areas, but in many new areas, including

sophisticated electronic control systems.

In July, 1990, Manesty Machines was bought from Renolds by Barry Wehmiller International (later known as BWI), which had specific interest and expertise in the development of process equipment.

During this time, Manesty become an export-orientated company, selling between 75% and 80% of total production to over 140 countries.

In July of 1999, German firm IWKA AG purchased BWI, including its Manesty business.

Despite the numerous changes of ownership, the Manesty name continued in use until last year.

In 2001, it moved from its Speke base to new premises in Knowsley Business Park.

The factory was acquired from its last owner by Bosch in the summer of 2011.

It now forms part of a group of more than 350 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. It employs 5,000 people around the UK and 300,000 around the world.

Bosch itself is owned by a charitable foundation, Robert Bosch Stiftung, created by its philanthropic founder, Robert Bosch. The business’ profits are donated to medical research, healthcare and other charitable causes around Germany.

Bosch invests in more R&D factory with long-established Liverpool roots that sells most of what it makes overseas Merseyside region. It was formerly known as Manesty, and founded originally in central Liverpool as a chemist’s shop, in a street called Manesty Lane.

Mr Hanson said: “They were local chemists who sold powders and potions.

“They got a licence to distribute tablet presses from a US company, then they made their own presses.”

He pointed to a one-in-five scale model of their original machine, which could churn out 1,512 tablets per minute.

Mr Hanson said: “Today’s machines can do over 1m tablets an hour.”

The Manesty business was sold to Bosch by Oystar Group, another German firm. Bosch was looking to complement its

existing presence in the pharmaceutical packaging industry. With the acquisition of Manesty, Bosch bought that full line competence.

The sale took place in August last year.

The acquisition appears to have significantly improved the prospects for the Knowsley factory.

Mr Hanson said: “It pleased us that Bosch had such a huge research and development operation that we can dip into, not only their packaging engineering but also their design, automotive and food packaging businesses and consumer products.”

Indeed, there is some similarity between the engineering used in washing machines and that used in coating machines. Like the

household appliance, the coating machines have a large rotating drum.

The company employs about 25 graduate engineers.

“Research and development is one of our core competencies on this site,” said Mr Hanson.

The firm’s complement of engineers include mechanical, electrical, software and PLC (programmable logic controllers).

The PLC engineers provide the interface between the software and the mechanical operations of the machinery.

“In recent years, the R&D spend has not been as high as we would have liked.

“As part of the merger with Bosch, we are looking at R&D and we are now looking at new tablet coating and pressing machines.

“We have got a clear road map for more R&D and investment in terms of resources and equipment.

“We are currently looking for three more engineers as we have an R&D project that needs finishing in June.

“Beyond that, we will need another six to ten engineers by 2016.

“There’s only so much you can do to compress a tablet. For us, it’s all about high yields and flexible machines and to make them the cheapest for the customers and high-quality products,” said Mr Hanson.

The company doesn’t foresee any great changes to the industry’s methods of tablet production.

While nasal sprays, patches and other methods of delivering doses

of a pharmaceutical exist, most pharmaceutical treatments will continue to be delivered through the old-fashioned solid tablets or gelatine capsules.

The big challenge might be multi-layered tablets.

“As part of our product development, we do market research surveys. We go out to pharmaceutical companies to see what direction they are going,” said Mr Hanson.

“China has been relaxing the production of pharmaceuticals in recent years, so there’s more investment in speed and volumes.

“It’s a very competitive market.

It’s all about design. It’s about innovation, quality and service.

“These are the qualities that are key to competing in the market,” added Mr Hanson.

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32

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Hill Dickinson patent attorney and solicitor Bruce Jones, inset, insists intellectual property issues in China, main picture, are no more disconcerting than in the UK

China acts swiftly to ease concerns over IP law and trademark matters

Hill Dickinson lawyer moves to assuage fears of a ‘new frontier’ for Western traders THE opportunities for doing business in China are sometimes outweighed by perceived pitfalls, with some regarding the country as a “new frontier” when it comes to business practice.

However, reassurance is offered by one specialist lawyer who says China has matched, and in some cases surpassed, the checks and balances expected by traders.

Bruce Jones, patent attorney and solicitor with Hill Dickinson, accepts that confusion surrounding intellectual property (IP) rights is still a concern for many, but said: “We took nearly 300 years to develop a body of IP law – China established its patent, trademark and copyright laws in the space of eight years.

“Twenty years on and China has a body of law which, in terms

of rigour, practice and equality for foreigners, is on a par with – and in many cases better than – many of the countries we have traditionally regarded as ‘developed’ or ‘western’.”

He acknowledges the system is capable of abuse: “Chinese ‘trademark squatters’ are reputed to have registered Budweiser for shoes and Mercedes for toasters.

The ‘real’ brand owners will pay time and money to get those transferred or annulled – often it’s cheaper and easier to pay the ‘ransom money’ to the squatter.

“But precisely the same thing took place in the UK around the turn of the century with cyber squatting – cyber squatters registered www.harrods.com – and still takes place today.”

He said brand owners in China

do need to take care as language differences mean it may be advisable to register several trade marks in China for every one you have in the UK, usually your UK brand, a Chinese “semantic” equivalent or, where there isn’t a ready equivalent, a transliterative version.

“Thus, Nestlé have registered Que Chao (meaning swallow’s nest) – a reference to the Nestlé logo of birds in a nest.

“Starbucks, lacking any obvious semantic equivalent, registered ‘Xing Ba Ke’. Xing means star; ba ke means nothing, but sounds like the ‘bucks’ part of the mark.”

Mr Jones also countered claims that having rights in China may be one thing, but enforcing them may be impossible.

“Hard yes, impossible, no.

“But this is also true in the UK.” He said: “Over 100 years ago, one of our judges said that a man would be better ‘to suffer any misfortune in this world short of losing his family to influenza than to have a dispute about a patent’.

“Patent litigation has always been complex and expensive; as has IP litigation generally.

“China is no different. But at least you have three routes: enforcement by an administrative Chinese body – though you’ll need to get your own evidence and all fines go to the state; ordinary civil proceedings – slower but comparable in speed to the UK; and criminal proceedings – the threshold for instigating these has recently lowered, but the US is

still very unhappy about counterfeiting.”

Mr Jones said: “It’s not perfect; standards and probity vary regionally. But it’s reassuring that, in 2008, more than 80% of rights holders in Chinese patent and trademark courts were Chinese; the system will keep getting better for their benefit.”

And he added: “When people complain about China, they’re talking not about the IP system but about copying and infringement. But that’s only rife because the opportunities for rights holders in China are so large that there is also room for the infringers.

“So, if there is a reason not to try China, it’s not the IP system, it’s the rich nature of the opportunity.”

33

THE POST LIVERPOOL

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BUSINESS LUNCH Family favourite: 107 Dining Room, in Heswall

Alistair Houghton meets Peter Barton, of Conlons Opticians, at 107 Dining Room, in Heswall NY chat with Peter Barton revolves around the fortunes of his family’s 130-year-old business – so where better to meet for lunch than an old family favourite in his hometown?

Peter is a director at Conlons Opticians, the Liverpool-based company founded in 1882 by his great-great-grandfather Bernard Conlon.

He grew up in Heswall, and still cherishes a childhood memory of opening the town’s Conlons branch alongside legendary horse Red Rum. Just down the road from that still thriving branch sits 107 Dining Room, a popular and relaxed venue whose good-value lunch deals make it a great Wirral venue for a lunchtime catch-up.

107 – named, in “does what it says on the tin”, fashion, after its address in Telegraph Road – is a favourite of Peter’s father, Mike.

And Peter, who returned to the family firm in 2008 after seven years as a management consultant in London, is also a regular visitor.

We scanned the menu and chatted about Peter’s return to Merseyside.

He studied for a management degree at Manchester Business School, following it up with a PhD in business. That work took him to consultancy firm Accenture, in London, where he spent seven years.

“I worked in lots of interesting areas,” he said, “such as retail – I worked at Sainsbury’s for a bit. I worked in automotive, pharmaceuticals, and telecoms.”

But then the lure of the family business became just too strong.

“I took a year’s sabbatical to go up north to work at the family business,” said Peter. “I never looked back.

“After a year I said ‘I’m enjoying it too much and I’d like to stay’.

“London is very different. But you forget about it very quickly.

“People here are lovely. And Liverpool is the most under-rated city. The whole city feels like it’s on an upward path.”

Bernard Conlon opened his first practice in Mount Pleasant, Liverpool, in 1882.

His sons Bill and Alf joined him in the business, and, in 1909, Bill – himself a dispensing optician – took over the business.

Bill, who had three daughters, led the business until his death in 1946.

He was the last “Mr Conlon” at the business, but it remained in the family as daughter Winifred

A

Harbord took the helm: “It was quite frowned on at the time to have a woman leading the business,” said Peter.

But she defied the sceptics, beginning by successfully steering the business through the early days of the NHS. Winifred, backed by brother-in-law Tony Barton, expanded the business with new practices from Widnes to North Wales.

She retired in 1970, and her nephew Mike Barton – Tony’s son – took over as managing director.

Mike, who trained at Moorfields Eye Hospital, in London, introduced contact lenses to the business.

He expanded the business into the North West’s largest independent opticians’ chain, before standing down in 2007 and being succeeded by current chief executive, John Welsby.

Today, Conlons has 17 branches, stretching from Dumfries, in South West Scotland, to Shotton, in North Wales.

“We like to say we’re a multi-national conglomerate,” smiled Peter.

One of Peter’s earliest memories of the business was when, aged five, he teamed up with legendary horse Red Rum to cut the ribbon at Conlon’s Heswall branch, in 1985.

“Whenever I speak to people in Heswall about Conlons,” he smiled, “they remember that we sponsored the flowerbeds in the town and that Red Rum opened our store.”

Then our starters arrived.

107’s “Let’s Do Lunch” offer includes two courses for £8.95 – though premium starters and mains, including Peter’s prawn starter, attract a small supplement.

He had tiger prawns, wok fried in sweet chilli sauce served on garlic ciabatta.

“I’ve always been a fan of sweet chilli,” he smiled.

I went for the black pudding

and beetroot salad. It had three perfectly cooked discs of black pudding – just crispy on the outside, soft in the middle – sitting on top of a tidy mound of beetroot, yellow pepper, carrot and lettuce.

It also, oddly, had strawberry vinaigrette on the side. The salad needed a touch of sweetness, but I’m not quite sure strawberry was the right flavour. Still, it was a tasty and intriguing starter.

Since 2008, Peter has been Conlons’ strategic projects director, leading projects including the development of Conlons’ hearing aid services and its online offering. Times are tough, but Conlons has continued to hold its own.

“This is probably the 10th recession Conlons has been through,” said Peter.

“We have challenged ourselves to do new things, like our hearing services. We try to stay ahead of the game.”

Conlons has also offered initiatives such as interest-free credit to encourage loyalty.

“Growth has been difficult to come by,” said Peter, “but we’re trying to stay ahead of the competition as much as we can, and try to maintain, if not improve, our position compared to other competitors who are falling by the wayside.

“Loyalty is absolutely

Peter Barton

fundamental. I genuinely believe that the reason why Conlons has survived so long is that we offer more.

“We want customers to recommend us to their friends.

Word of mouth is so important in this day and age. If we can keep people happy, they’ll keep spreading the word.”

We had both chosen fish for our mains.

Mine was a “gourmet” fish and chips. Instead of a pile of spuds, I got precisely six fat chips, stacked up carefully, alongside a perfectly formed quenelle of peas.

But, pretentious presentation aside, it was a tasty platter, with crisp batter around a tasty fish, tasty and grease-free chips, and the delicious side of crushed garden peas – definitely a “pea puree”, rather than “mushy peas”.

Peter went for a “perfectly cooked” pan-fried sea bass served with creamed mashed potato and steamed mussels .

“I’ve been here a few times before,” he said, “and I always think the service is very good.”

Good service, says Peter, is the reason why Conlons can compete with the larger national chains that dominate the sector.

He said: “What we find is that where big competitors have set up near a branch, that in the first year we might be down 5%, maybe 10%. The following year, sales are back where they were or a bit better.

“We find that when people who’ve gone away move back, their loyalty is even greater.”

Outside work, former scuba diving instructor Peter likes to spend as much time as possible with his wife and three children.

He also enjoys sports, particularly squash, and is a member of Liverpool Round Table.

Peter is also proud of Conlons’ charity work – it is currently running a campaign to send glasses to Ghana – and its community work. Conlons staff throughout the North West regularly visit schools to talk about eye health.

Looking ahead, Peter says the business could expand through “careful acquisition” of wellrespected local opticians.

And he said the company had made a strong start to the year, though he is far from complacent as the economy remains flat.

Times are tough on the high street – but Barton is determined to play his part in ensuring his family’s historic firm remains a fixture in the region for many years to come.

DETAILS 107 Dining Room 107, Telegraph Road, Heswall Tel: 0151 342 3420 www.107diningroom.co.uk

35

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THE BUSINESS LIST Thursday, March 1

A NEW event management company, Glitz Events, is launching with a comedy night, in partnership with host venue Leo Casino, near Queens Dock.

The bill includes 2004 Comedian of the Year winner John Warburton and a £30 ticket will include a two-course meal, as well as your own “cheeky comedy cocktail”, or £20 without the meal.

To purchase tickets, please contact glitzeventscompany@ gmail.com or miles.dixon@ galacoral.com or call in to Leo Casino.

THURSDAY, MARCH 1/ TECH EXEC BUSINESS BREAKFAST

Thursday, March 1 AN INFORMAL networking session for small businesses, explaining how they can market their innovative products to the National Health Service (NHS), is being held at Liverpool Innovation Park, on Edge Lane, from 8am to 10am, see panel, right.

Keith Morris, from the NHS Technology Adoption Centre, will explain what it looks for from businesses, and offer insights about navigating the complexities of the NHS. More than £2bn is spent on healthcare research by the Government and healthcare charities each year, and Dr Morris will give a short talk about the centre’s programme and reveal examples of the innovators who have successfully come through the programme.

To register, go to www.liverpool techexecbreakfast.eventbrite.co.uk/

Friday, March 2 LIVERPOOL Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with Google and Ph Creative for its latest “60 Really Useful Minutes” session, titled “Understanding Digital Marketing”.

The event will include a short presentation offering digital marketing advice and guidance for businesses, discussing various digital marketing methods and the free tools available online for businesses, and offer one-to-one

Liverpool Innovation Park – the venue for the Tech Exec Business Breakfast ENTITLED Opening the Door to Innovative Products for the NHS, this event will feature Keith Morris, from the NHS Technology Adoption Centre.

He will discuss ways in which businesses can take their

technologies into the NHS. This “relaxed informal” networking event is an opportunity for SMEs and others who want to branch out in these sectors, find out what the NHS Technology Adoption

opportunities for those who want specific digital marketing advice.

Bacon butties, tea and coffee will be provided during the

Centre looks for from businesses and insights about navigating the complexities of the NHS. With more than £2bn spent on healthcare research by the UK government and

healthcare charities each year, the NHS Technology Adoption Centre’s overall aim is to help organisations overcome the barrier of getting their healthcare technologies into the NHS.

presentation at the Chamber’s Old Hall Street Offices, which is free for members or £10 for non-members.

Book online at Liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Wednesday, March 14

Leo Casino – new comedy venue

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AS PART of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Liverpool, the Federation of Small Businesses on Merseyside has secured Mike Southon, former Financial Times columnist and author of the Beermat Entrepreneur books, to host a night of networking and small business advice.

The event will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Old Hall Street, at 6.30pm,

Ex-journalist Mary Murtagh and is free, but booking is essential. Visit http://fsbatgec.eventbrite.co.uk

Tuesday, March 20 FORMER award-winning journalist Mary Murtagh is

Dr Morris will give a short talk about the centre’s programme and reveal examples of firms who have succeeded. To register, go to www. liverpooltech execbreakfast. eventbrite.co.uk/

running a “How to do your own PR” workshop, aimed at entrepreneurs and small business owners to help them generate new customers and business leads by getting coverage in the media.

One-to-one help is offered with coming up with ideas for press releases and how to get the media’s attention to introduce their business to thousands of potential new customers.

The training includes how to spot stories in day-to-day work, and advice on the best way to approach journalists.

This workshop will run from 10am to 2pm at Lumisi, Westminster Chambers, 7 Hunter Street, Chester, priced at £99 each. To book a place, contact mary@marymurtaghmedia.co.uk

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SPONSORED BY MATCHDAY HOSPITALITY AT EVERTON 0151 530 5300

ALISTAIR HOUGHTON . . . in which we raise a glass to Vauxhall in the luxurious home of motoring EAVING dos, it seems, have the same dynamic whether you’re a frontseat driver or a simple cog in the system.

This month, I found myself invited to the London leaving bash in honour of Nick Reilly, the outgoing president of General Motors Europe.

When people leave a newspaper, they generally drag their workmates to a pub across the road. When a motor industry exec leaves, he takes over a suite in the luxurious Royal Automobile Club (RAC).

Instead of slightly dated chart pop on the jukebox, there was a Welsh harpist in honour of Reilly’s Welsh heritage. Instead of bags of crisps, there were tasty canapés handed round by politely efficient serving staff.

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And, instead of bitter, there was Champagne. Ah, well, they can’t get everything right.

But there were many similarities. For one thing, Reilly got a “leaving front page”, a specially mocked-up newspaper recycling “amusing” anecdotes.

Reilly got a Daily Mail front page. The headline? Life of Reilly, of course.

And there were speeches, including one from loquacious motor industry expert Professor Garel Rhys noting their mutual Welshness.

One anecdote which got several airings was that Reilly had, in his 20s, decided that he could no longer face a career as a stockbroker. Fair enough. So he ran away up a mountain in Wales and lived like a hermit in a hut.

It was, generally, a jolly night.

They often are when the fizz flows like water.

UT, for those of us with an interest in Ellesmere Port, there was a serious chance to indulge in some GM Kremlinology.

In his speech, Reilly made a point of praising the Ellesmere Port plant, where he spent several years as plant manager.

That might not come as a surprise – after all, he’s spoken before about how the plant had to close its “difficult reputation” in order to survive.

But, that night, gossip was swirling about a report from America that suggested Ellesmere Port could be in line for closure.

Vauxhall insiders that night were giving nothing away, merely insisting it was speculation.

But I’ve since spoken to Prof Rhys, and to union convenor John Fetherston, and they agree

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Keeping his fingers crossed for Ellesmere Port – outgoing General Motors Europe president Nick Reilly, pictured in the Royal Automobile Club last year Picture: ANTHONY DEVLIN

that Ellesmere Port deserves to survive. It’s efficient and productive – it’s now operating at a record line rate.

It’s outside the eurozone, helping GM hedge against exchange rate fluctuations. And it’s in Britain, one of GM’s key markets.

And the Government has indicated that it would support the plant, with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills saying it would “leave no stone unturned” to ensure GM’s Ellesmere Port and Luton sites “continue to be integral to GM's European operations going forward”.

NALYSTS also agree that GM Europe does need to save cash.

There will be a restructuring, and that means cuts.

An announcement could come out any day now – perhaps even after this magazine has gone to press.

There is a cloud hovering over every GM plant in Europe.

But Ellesmere Port’s staff have every reason to hope for the best.

We’ll never know what Reilly is actually thinking. But I suspect that he, along with thousands of people in Ellesmere Port, will have his fingers crossed that the hard work of the plant’s staff will be rewarded and that it will be spared.

And, if there is any suggestion that the Cheshire site should face cuts, then the plant’s unions and staff will be prepared to put up a mighty fight to win government backing to ensure it survives.

The RAC sits in Pall Mall, in London’s clubland, a part of the capital where you can’t throw a diamond without hitting a yacht showroom.

It’s a long way from the industrial estates of Ellesmere Port. But I can’t have been the only one wandering home through St James’s with Cheshire on my mind.

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SOCIAL DIARY THE NETWORKER

Marian Thomas and Nigel Thomas, directors of PSI Industrial Supplies and sponsors of the Neuro Foundation event; with Vanessa Thomas, chemistry teacher and fundraiser for the Neuro Foundation, in Liverpool; Laura-Jane Hall, business development manager at Heswall Gusto; and James Baxter, teacher at Cowley International College, Liverpool, at the Gusto charity event

Jade Ainsworth, with owner Ben Aslan, and Jenny Wright, at the launch of the Ocean World Buffet and Bar

CAROLYN HUGHES Justin Llewelyn, Barry Taplin and Suzanne Taplin – and an Aston Martin – at the Boodles and Bond evening, in The Grosvenor

HUNDREDS of people turned out to the launch night of Southport’s latest eating place, the Ocean World Buffet & Bar, in Ocean Plaza.

VIP guests included Danny Latimer, from Desperate Scousewives, and Everton legend Graham Stuart.

■ TAITTINGER Champagne, an Aston Martin and diamonds were the highlights of a “Boodles and Bond” evening at The Chester Grosvenor.

■ STYLISH restaurant and bar Gusto, Heswall, hosted a black and whitethemed event in aid of the Neuro Foundation, in Liverpool. Guests enjoyed a Champagne reception and

three-course menu, after which Vanessa Thomas explained the work of the Foundation before a raffle raised £850-plus.

■ BRAND Ubiquity Networking hosted its second event of this year at Hard Day’s Night Hotel.

Sponsored by Synergy Health Studios and Jon Wilkin Testimonial 2012, SME and corporate brands attended and sampled food from Blakes’ restaurant.

■ RED Door, in West Kirby, hosted a new menu “cook-off” last week to showcase their latest menu, with Radio City’s Peter Price among the first guests to sample the new fare.

Jamie Pursell, Nicky Pursell, Elle Beyga and Emma Neilson, of the Verve Term bar, Southport, at the Ocean World Buffet and Bar launch

Laura Edwards, Red Door general manager, with business development manager Lia Kennedy, at the restaurant’s ‘cook-off’

Networkers Linda Hall (Caribbean Essentials), John Bullock (City Group) and Elaine Hegarty (Formula One Events), at the Ubiquity event

Red Door general manager Laura Edwards with Michael Williams, also from the Red Door, at the new menu ‘cook-off’

Emma Robertson (Optimal Nutrition Clinic), Jon Wilkin (St Helens Rugby League Club), and Abby McKenzie and Gez Page, both Synergy, at the Ubiquity Networking event

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An astounded Peter Price marvels at some of the items on the new Red Door menu

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