Business Guide 2016

\ol {vw 9=8 jvtwhuplz pu {ol _lz{ \ol johunpun ovyp vu vm [v|{o Jypz{vs :89>B Qz {opz {ol lhy Ppursl K ohwwluzG _lz{vu thrlz tvz{ vm tvul pu {ol Jhurz

WBG-E01-S1

Guide 2016

1

Business

2

WBG-E01-S1

INSIDE

2-7 8-11

Sponsor focus 20-27 UWE Bristol, Renishaw, Great Western Railway

Forewords

Business leaders give their opinions on the key issues set to determine economic success in 2016

and Foot Anstey highlight the role they play in the West’s business community

The Top 150 28-33 The 150 biggest firms in the West (by turnover)

Hinkley C

The biggest investment in the West in generations could be made in 2016 as EDF nears decision time for Hinkley

revealed. We put special focus on the 15 biggest companies

economy 12-13 Digital The tech and digital economy in the West is

Rural economy 34-37 Agriculture in the region enjoyed a mixed year,

services 14-15 Advisory Competition in the professional services market

in the West 40-41 WeMade look at the wide range of world-class

the most significant in Britain after London and poised for further growth

in the West Country is intense, with firms increasing the scope of their operations

16

Property insight

with the dairy sector continuing to battle low prices and the scourge of Bovine TB

products manufactured in the West, from dental drills to yurts

18-19

Shortage of prime office space in the West is a growing issue and may spark more speculative development

Weston

The North Somerset town enjoyed ‘moneycan’t-buy’ publicity in 2015 thanks to Banksy

Sporting spend 48-49 Bristol City’s new stand has become a major

presence on the city’s skyline and Cheltenham Racecourse opened a new £45 million stand

West is a powerhouse of UK RICHARD BACHE Welcome to the Western Daily Press Business Guide 2016.

The people, companies and products featured within this guide are at the cutting edge of commerce.

We are delighted to highlight the incredibly diverse range of businesses that contribute so crucially to the region’s economic and social prosperity. In these early days of 2016 it is clear to us that the West Country business community has an important story of achievement and innovation to tell.

The region has a proud record in engineering, technology, agriculture, finance, law, tourism and in many, many other fields.

Unemployment is at one of the lowest rates in the country and the region possesses some of the finest schools and universities in Britain.

But there is no room for complacency.

The West Country faces substantial challenges and needs to shout loudly to compete for funding from Whitehall.

It needs to create the policy environment to build the houses, transport networks and infrastructure, such as rural broadband, that will help secure the next generation of growth.

The West needs to harness the most from its young people. A common refrain from business leaders writing in this publication is that they struggle to find enough skilled staff to fill the quality positions that they have created.

The skills agenda is perhaps the number one priority for business in the West in 2016.

There are no simple answers to providing the right mixture of education, training and apprenticeships needed to add to the region’s talent pool.

It is though essential that the West business community works closely with its universities, colleges and schools to develop the workforce of the future.

In an increasingly global employment market we risk being left behind if we do not focus on this key priority.

On a national level other parts of Britain have made strong cases for investment. The political clout of London, a confident SNP in Scotland and the oft-quoted Northern Powerhouse are all seeking a greater slice of the economic cake.

The West is a powerhouse in its own right – Bristol being the only major city other than London to make a net contribution to the exchequer. It must continue to forcefully make the business case for infrastructure investment.

The West Country has long been an attractive place for staff – and indeed entire companies – to consider when relocating. That is a trend that accelerated in 2015.

Bristol and Bath in particular were beneficiaries of the over-heating London market and successfully attracted investment from a number of tech businesses.

The high quality of living and beautiful countryside certainly help to attract talented staff.

The superb food and drink produced in the region have been put to very good use by the region’s pubs and restaurants.

Scarcely a week passed in 2015 without a restaurant critic from one of the national newspapers decamping to the West to praise the culinary magic being performed in the region.

It can be a double-edged sword, however.

Bristol, Bath and other desirable parts of the

“

Bristol and Bath in particular were beneficiaries of the over-heating London market and successfully attracted investment

”

Richard Bache is head of content at the Western Daily Press and edited the Business Guide 2016

West are suffering from an acute shortage of affordable housing. Bristol saw rent protests in 2015 and given there is a mayoral election in 2016 it is likely that the cost of living in the city will be a key issue.

The business community will be keeping a close eye on that election and will no doubt be asking numerous questions of the candidates.

At this stage it appears to be a straight fight between incumbent independent George Ferguson and Labour challenger Marvin Rees.

Mr Ferguson has been a polarising figure within the business community. He has been successful in raising the city’s profile at Whitehall and securing investment for Bristol, but it would be an understatement to say that some of his transport policies have not pleased everyone.

The other political item on the agenda that has profound consequences for business is the debate about Britain renegotiating its relationship with Europe.

Sensible businesses will at least be contemplating ‘Brexit’ and planning for it – even if it is something they don’t really envisage happening or wish to see happen.

The Western Daily Press is grateful for its headline sponsors – Renishaw, Foot Anstey, GWR and the University of the West of England – for their support in producing this publication.

It would also like to thank Jordans – which compiled the data behind the Top 150 Companies – and all the business figures who have contributed to the guide.

Compiling this guide has reinforced the impression that West Country business is in a strong position to enjoy a positive 2016 and we at the Western Daily Press look forward to reporting all the region’s success stories.

westerndailypress.co.uk WBG-E01-S2

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - INTRODUCTION 1

Developing more managers key to productive region DONNA WHITEHEAD Donna Whitehead the Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of the West of England Management skills are much in demand in the region. The University of the West of England’s partners, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) in 2014 forecast the need for one million new managers in the UK by 2020.

Since then numerous surveys have made similar predictions. Just last month a survey of UK employers found that three quarters of them were expecting to suffer a shortage of skills and expertise at their organisation when the ‘baby boomer’ generation retires in the next five years.

If that wasn’t enough the CMI also found that only one in five UK employers actively develop their leaders.

Ann Francke, chief executive officer, CMI, and honorary doctor of the University describes this as the ‘accidental manager’ where managers whilst competent at their job itself are left to their own devices when it comes to managing teams and departments.

The Economist commented that perhaps such a ‘gifted amateur’ approach to management lies behind the UK’s long-term poor productivity relative to other countries.

As the new Dean of the region’s largest business and law school I don’t want this regional economy and community to be the one that suffers and I am keen that we make sure we are equipped in this region to meet the challenges of creating capable new managers and up-skilling our current talent.

So what are we doing about it? Here are just a few things we are doing.

New investment in the region Later this year the University of the West (UWE Bristol) will create capacity for developing management skills by opening a £55m building to house a very different Faculty of Business and Law – and the largest such facility in the SouthWest.

Its emphasis will be to bring in employers and professional bodies to sit alongside academics to provide up to the minute study and skills.

The investment is particularly in response to the high-level skill needs of the region’s largest sector, professional and financial services on top of the requirements for future management training.

Bristol Business School and Bristol Law School educate future professionals in all aspects of business and law – from entrepreneurship, management, leadership and strategy through to economists, accountants, marketing and human resources. As well as offering academic law courses they also train barristers and solicitors.

They provide alongside this, relevant research

into important business and law issues that confront both businesses and society.

The new building will provide a first-class teaching and learning environment comprising lecture facilities, teaching and seminar rooms, specialist learning facilities such as a trading room and law courts.

Opportunities for real world experience We have increased the number of opportunities for students to gain experience working with employers as part of their study. Some of these will be in the form of internships and placements.

Others will be projects, volunteering or leadership programmes.

Most courses also have professional recognition that allows students exemptions alongside their degree qualifications.

We have even introduced a new course aimed at producing graduates with experience of running their own businesses. The innovative Business (Team Entrepreneurship) degree course is based on running a real business by devising a product or service and selling it to customers – as a driver for the students’ learning. All students have an equal financial stake in the companies they create and will learn to manage the risks and rewards this entails.

The course structure is ground-breaking. The students meet in a high-tech ‘hub’ rather than a traditional classroom, with areas for team meetings, workshops and ideas sessions. They have no set timetable, although they can attend any lecture from the Faculty of Business and Law, and work 9-5 each day during a longer academic year.

Support for SMEs In addition to our MBA and executive programme we have introduced new short course programmes to support SMEs as part of the University’s commitment to its small business silver charter award, one of a few in the country.

New degree apprenticeships We are also in the vanguard in the UK for introducing a new degree level apprenticeship that will enable employers to capitalise on the half a per cent apprenticeship levy on their staff bills introduced by the government. It means employers will be able to offer existing and new employees the chance to work and study with the help of the University.

Our belief is that good management achieves growth and productivity, boosts employee engagement and wellbeing, and attracts and retains talent. Through working with our partners, employers and the community we hope that we can serve the region well by playing our part in attracting and developing talent within the region.

2 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - FOREWORDS THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

A smarter transport system can drive West PETER CLOUGH

“

Perhaps such a ‘gifted amateur’ approach to management lies behind the UK’s long-term poor productivity relative to other countries

”

Transport is rarely out of the headlines in the South West, so when George Osborne announced changes to the South West’s rail system in November’s Autumn Statement businesses across the region breathed a sigh of relief.

At the heart of those changes was a pledge to increase competition to incentivise bidders to increase capacity and improve passenger satisfaction. Another area that was mentioned was smart ticketing.

One of the key challenges facing our public transport infrastructure is capacity. Rail passenger numbers are at an all-time high and as more and more people work in towns and cities, buses are heading in the same direction. Smart ticketing can’t make more seats available, but it can play a huge role in making journeys more efficient by helping transport providers plan services and easing stress for travellers.

There are two elements that make a ticket smart. The first is the storage of data on a microchip, doing away with the need to issue or check tickets manually. The second is so-called integrated ticketing, where a single smart ticket can be used across operators and modes of transport. The most famous example of smart ticketing is the Oyster Card. These allow users to travel on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, river, London Overground and most National Rail services across London.

Its impact has been immense, driving efficiencies for Transport for London and cutting queues at ticket offices and turnstiles.

Leading think tank, Centre for Cities, has pointed out that smart ticketing has the potential to drive economic growth in the UK regions. By joining together separate transport systems, smart ticketing can make businesses and retail and leisure outlets more accessible. We have certainly found in our work with rail and bus operators, as well as technology providers, that there is an increased focus on smart ticketing and an increasing willingness to bite the bullet of the investment needed to get it off the ground.

The South West’s transport infrastructure is ideally suited to smart ticketing, which could also help to boost the region’s economy. By making it easier for people to travel within the regions, businesses could be encouraged to relocate to areas outside of our cities, boosting local employment and opening up wealth creation to poorer areas. This is the approach the government is proposing in the Northern Powerhouse, so why not do the same in our own South West Powerhouse?

There are challenges around finance in particular, but the beauty of smart ticketing is that an incremental approach can be adopted. The EU is consulting on a Europe-wide travel information service covering all modes of transport. Imagine how different business and leisure travel in our region would be if this, along with a South West smart ticketing system, was to become a reality.

Peter Clough Head of Bristol office, international law firm Osborne Clarke WBG-E01-S2

The steering wheel of the 1,000 miles per hour Bloodhound SSC has been engineered by Gloucestershire-firm Renishaw

SIR DAVID MCMURTRY At the start of 2015 the independent organisation Engineering UK published its ‘State of Engineering’ report which highlighted the sector’s value to the UK. The study forecast that engineering businesses will require 182,000 skilled people per year up to 2022 and that being able to fill these new jobs would generate an extra £27 billion per year for the UK economy, of which the South West would benefit from a GDP boost of £2.2 billion.

A rosy picture were it not for the fact that we are simply not generating enough skilled engineers – with the report also highlighting a current annual shortfall of some 55,000 skilled people.

What is also clear is that it is not just engineering that is suffering from this challenge. My business contacts across all sectors, from construction to financial services, are also reporting a shortage of talented individuals, while a recent CBI/Accenture national Employment Trends Survey highlighted significant concerns about skills, with 56 per cent of businesses believing that low skills levels will be the most significant threat to the UK’s competitiveness in five years’ time. The CBI report also makes it clear that the level of skills required by UK companies is rising, relaying that by 2022 half of all jobs are expected to require at least a Level 4 qualification.

With very few exceptions most companies do not have the ability to simply ‘buy’ the skilled employees, so with the UK, and especially the South West, also heading for full employment, what can we all do to grow and upskill the available pool of potential employees?

At the start of 2015 I wrote an open letter to relay my thoughts on the skills shortages that we face within UK engineering and where I believe we need to focus our efforts, especially in relation to schools. Fundamentally there is no quick fix and I believe that we will only progress through sustained collaborative efforts, consistency of approach and a cultural shift. As the 2014 Perkins Engineering Skills Review (produced for the last Government) highlighted, that collaboration goes well beyond the engineering sector alone and should include wider society including parents, teachers and the Government coming together to encourage young people from any background to regard engineering as a fulfilling and exciting career.

At Renishaw we long ago realised that we had to engage with our local schools to tell them a positive story about our sector and to identify students who had the potential to contribute to our business success. With a rural location and the absence of a strong brand name outside of our niche sector, it has always been a necessity rather than a nice CSR initiative.

With the exceptional growth we have experienced since the 2009 recession and an ever growing range of new products, including healthcare, our efforts have re-doubled and just over four years ago we created a dedicated education liaison role to drive forward our schools agenda.

What we have learnt over that period is that focusing on secondary schools alone will not be enough to ensure a sufficient level of students will study, and importantly, enjoy the subjects necessary for a career in engineering.

A large body of evidence published by King’s College London, and referenced by Engineering UK, shows that interest in science is formed by age 14, and that those students who had an expectation of science-related careers at age 14 were 3.4 times more likely to earn a physical science and engineering degree than students without this expectation.

Our education team is therefore focusing more efforts on the latter years of primary school, where evidence also suggests that an interest in science is formed and my own feeling is that a genuine passion for science and engineering is cultivated in our early years. Children should be encouraged and motivated to see how science can help them understand and change the world and the message should be reinforced constantly during their school years.

It is also clear that while things are improving, there is still a need for a cultural shift to help shatter outmoded stereotypes, both about engineering and its training schemes, as there is still much snobbery around apprenticeships, despite their proven ability to provide an alternative route to academic qualifications, including an honours degree.

With 17 per cent of STEM teachers believing that a career in engineering is undesirable for their students and only 36 per cent of STEM teachers feeling confident enough to give enginWBG-E01-S2

“

There is no hasty remedy for the UK’s shortage of engineers and engaging with schools is demanding, but ultimately highly rewarding

”

Sir David McMurtry is chairman and chief executive of Renishaw, which is based in Gloucestershire and is one of the world's leading engineering and scientific technology companies

eering careers advice, we have significant challenges ahead (figures from Engineering UK report 2015).

We have to make it clear that engineering is not only for men and that we welcome people from both genders, all ethnic backgrounds and any walk of life. Over the past year we have been working on practical measures as part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s diversity leadership group to create an Engineering Engagement Programme which specifically targets women and ethnic minorities – clearly if we can encourage more people from our non-traditional employment bases then we can significantly address our skills shortages.

This collaboration with other leading sector organisations also led to the 2015 launch of ‘Engineering work experience’ – a guide aimed primarily at small and medium-sized companies to make setting up work experience programmes an easier process. While the guide is aimed at engineering and manufacturing businesses, the advice, suggestions, case studies and templates would readily transfer to most sectors.

To change attitudes we also need role models. In December 2014 Lucy Ackland won the Women’s Engineering Society Prize for her work to encourage an interest in STEM subjects. Her story underlines some of the challenges we face, as she faced some negativity when she expressed her desire to leave school at 16 to become an engineering apprentice at Renishaw. However, her story is also an inspiration to many as she went on to achieve a first class honours engineering degree in 2012 and has since led a project team developing our next generation of metal 3D printing machines. There is no hasty remedy for the UK’s shortage of engineers and engaging with schools is demanding and frustrating, but ultimately highly rewarding as the sharp increase in applications for our entry level schemes bear witness.

The solution to our sector’s skills issue is a continuous, combined effort to make the profession more appealing to young people, their parents and teachers.

It won’t take one year, five or ten – it has to be a perennial commitment that we make to remind society that engineering is one of the most imaginative and creative professions in the world.

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - FOREWORDS 3

Bristol method can transform sustainability

European debate is a major issue for business in the West

DAVID EYNON

PHIL SMITH

David Eynon , associate director for Sustainability Solutions at Colliers in Bristol, believes business in the West needs to make the most of Bristol’s Green Capital legacy From November 30 to December 11 2015, heads of state from more than 190 nations gathered in Paris for the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or ‘COP21’.

The purpose of the summit was to progress international commitments to carbon and greenhouse gas reduction, and come to a consensus on how the nations of the world would collaboratively work to address climate change, with the ultimate aim of achieving legally binding national targets for emissions reduction.

With this lofty goal in mind, the path to the conference was not easy.

At home, in the run-up to the talks, the UK Government faced criticism for rolling back a number of high-profile energy efficiency and environmental policies, ranging from a requirement for all new housing to be ‘zero carbon’ from 2016, to significant reductions in the Feed in Tariff financial support mechanism for renewable energy – with critics indicating that this had damaged the UK’s credibility in the run-up to the Paris talks.

Further afield, some developing nations sought to limit their exposure to legally binding targets.

Their argument was that the majority of the greenhouse gas emissions related to human activity released to date have come from the developed nations, who have prospered from their industrial and manufacturing past, and that these nations should ultimately bear the majority of the burden of emission reduction.

Despite these issues, it was clear that there was an increasing political will from across the globe to take bold measures to come to an agreement, in one form or another.

After two weeks of intense negotiations, it was announced that an agreement had been reached with the stated aim to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2oC above pre-industrial levels.

In practice, the agreement itself will not solve the issue of climate change, but rather sets a framework within which countries will work to break the link between economic growth and increasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions. It sends a signal to policy makers and financial markets about the risks associated with the investment in traditional fossil-fuel based forms of energy generation, and looks to strengthen a shift toward further deployment of low-carbon energy sources.

In the UK, the pressure is now on the Government to look again at the recent policy shifts which have impacted so significantly on the renewable energy sector, and to provide a firm

steer on how the nation will meet the commitments made, through strengthened policy.

However, it is also incumbent on all scales of Government to take action, as favourable policy to facilitate carbon emission reduction must also be set at a more local level.

In this context, Bristol has become a city leader for the environmental and low carbon agenda, following the success of the European Green Capital 2015 year. Over the past 12 months, organisations from across the city and the wider region have worked to implement energy efficiency and sustainability practices into their operations, to drive down emissions, and also reduce costs.

To assist in this process, the ‘Go Green’ toolkit, developed by Low Carbon South West in association with Business West and Bristol 2015, provides a clear and robust methodology for companies of all sizes to assess a range of environmental impacts resulting from their operations, with clear guidance on how to go about reducing these.

By the end of December 2015, nearly 300 organisations from around the region had developed toolkits to assist in improving their environmental performance.

Additionally, the ‘Bristol Method’ toolkit, developed during the Bristol 2015 year, will act as a resource for all cities, with lessons learned as a direct result of Bristol’s experiences.

The resource covers a range of subject from energy and transport, to food and nature, and will form part of the city’s legacy from its time as European Green Capital, to inspire change far beyond the city and region.

For individual businesses, the pressures to address the issues of energy efficiency and carbon emissions are set to increase over the short term, as new legislative tools to drive forward improved environmental performance come into effect.

Couple this with projected energy price rises, and concerns over national grid capacity and security of supply, and it is clearly in the interests of all organisations to address their exposure to these risks and implement initiatives which will reduce their costs and assist in their ongoing success.

Phil Smith , managing director of Business West, looks back on the past 12 months and considers what 2016 holds for South West businesses

“

In this context, Bristol has become a city leader for the environmental and low carbon agenda, following the success of the European Green Capital 2015 year

4 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - FOREWORDS THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

”

It’s been a lively 12 months for the South West, no matter which way you look at it. Our economy is on the up, we had a political shake up in May, and we’ve had a variety of cultural events that have put our region firmly on the world map.

The year 2015 will live long in the memory, with the standout event an election that sent shock waves across the country. Opinion pollsters were left suitably embarrassed as the predicted hung parliament disappeared and a Conservative majority unfolded. Reminiscent of a game of musical chairs, our region mirrored the national picture with Conservative gains and Lib Dem losses.

In 2016 we can expect the headlines to be hogged by the EU. With a referendum getting closer and David Cameron expected to strike a reformed deal with EU leaders in February, the debate is set to go up a gear. Our survey of almost 1,000 firms in June showed how significant this issue is for firms, from the smallest to the largest in our region, and Business West has a key role to play in explaining the pros and cons so that business people go into the referendum with their eyes open.

Elsewhere in more local politics we can also expect progress on devolution deals, and in Bristol we have a mayoral election and a local housing debate that is gaining traction by the day.

Looking past the politics, we’ve seen a series of economic boosts over the past 12 months. South West unemployment fell to the lowest level in the country, and our exports bucked the national trend.

Culturally, the Bristol Green Capital year put us on the world map as a pioneer in greener living and working. The Rugby World Cup in Exeter and Gloucester raised our international profile even further, and Banksy’s highly acclaimed Dismaland in Weston-super-Mare exceeded all expectations and contributed enormously to raising our profile across the globe.

There is no doubt that all of these events have boosted our regional brand, catapulting us onto the world stage as an exciting and innovative region, and will spur tourism and investment for years to come.

But we won’t rest on our laurels.

The success of the last 12 months provides the perfect springboard for what is set to be an eventful 2016.

Business West is a powerful voice for business in the region. All companies can benefit from the range of information, advice, networking events and international trade support that is available from it. As one of the most influential business leadership organisations in the UK, it represents over 16,000 businesses in the South West

WBG-E01-S2

2016 poised to be a mixed bag Ray Ruffels Director of Business Information Services at Jordans, introduces the 2016 Western Daily Press Business Guide and considers the economic forecast for the year ahead Jordans is delighted to have been chosen again to work with the Western Daily Press on this year’s Business Guide.

With headquarters in Bristol, the business survival and success of our local market is as important as the national picture of business health in the UK. Jordans has been providing business information and insight into companies for more than 30 years, supplying data to some 25,000 companies per year. We are also the largest company formation agent in the UK. As with previous years, the 2016 Business Guide is dominated by a generous helping of UKbased international companies and foreign subsidiaries, with Imperial Tobacco sitting at the very top of the table.

There have been no new entries into the top 20 and little movement amongst the top ten.

However, the 2016 guide has seen several excellent performances from other companies registered in the South West.

Hochtief (UK) Construction Limited is the guide’s highest new entrant this year at position 85. Based in Swindon, the UK arm of Germany’s largest construction company is primarily engaged with civil engineering and infrastructure

projects, including the Great Western electrification programme.

One of the other highest newcomers to the list is the Stroud-based green energy company Ecotricity which enters at position 114. Founded by Dale Vince in 1995, it has grown into Britain’s leading independent producer of wind energy, with wind parks throughout the UK. It is also developing the Electric Highway, Britain’s biggest electric vehicle charging network.

Another company challenging the “Big Six” UK Energy Suppliers is also one of this year’s highest climbers. Bristol-based energy provider OVO Group Ltd first entered the list in 2014 at 150th position. The energy provider has climbed progressively from 67th place in 2015 to 50th place this year. It has been supplying electricity to the domestic market since 2009 and now supplies more than half a million customers.

The highest riser in the charts is National Oilwell Varco UK Limited which is one of the leading equipment manufacturers for the North Sea oil and gas industry. It has risen 39 places in this year’s guide to position 36.

So the Business Guide shows some strong performances, but what is the economic outlook for 2016?

The Office for Budget Responsibility November outlook indicated that UK Growth was 2.5 per cent in 2015 and would expect 2.6 per cent in 2016 mainly reflecting the Government decision to ease the pace of fiscal tightening in the last

We can help protect your growing business WBG-E01-S2

Ray Ruffels, Director of Business Information Services at Jordans in Bristol, discusses some of the companies who have risen up the Western Daily Press Business Guide 2016 in the past 12 months.

Jordans compiled the data used by the Western Daily Press

Autumn Statement. Britain’s economic recovery should continue into 2016, driven by consumer spending, business investment and a strong services sector. However, a recent Markit/CIPS survey showed UK Manufacturing Index fell from 55.5 in October to 51.9 in December 2015 where any figure over 50 indicates expansion. The result is worse than expected so economic growth in 2016 may have to rely on the services industry to drive the UK’s economic growth, therefore frustrating hopes for a more balanced recovery.

Other risk factors for 2016 are the effect of Government spending cuts, uncertainty in the global economy, especially the financial markets in China, and the Bank of England expecting to raise interest rates in the second quarter. The Government has also indicated that 2016 may see the in/out EU referendum, once re-negotiation of British membership had been completed.

So 2016 will be a mixed bag with expected low inflation, low commodity prices, good consumer demand and a strong services sector driving the generally forecast growth rate of 2.5 per cent which puts the UK growing faster than most other Eurozone economies. So let us be confident that economic growth is unaffected by the EU membership issue and that the South West economy continues to thrive in 2016.

To find out more about the business information, legal, compliance and accountancy services offered by Jordans, please visit www.jordans. co.uk or call us on 0117 918 1265.

Data Suppliers for the Western Daily Press Business Guide 2016 It’s about making better-informed decisions.

We arm you with reliable corporate intelligence so you can assess business risks and opportunities, monitor your marketplace, reach customers more effectively, meet compliance obligations and even protect your intellectual property.

For further information, please contact us.

Call +44 (0)117 918 1265 Email marketing@jordans.co.uk

www.jordans.co.uk

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - FOREWORDS 5

Opportunities are there for firms that can adapt PATRICK MEARS Patrick Mears Partner and Head of Commercial at Mowbray Woodwards Solicitors in Bath reflects on a changing business climate Business owners throughout the South West are braced for a year of big changes in 2016.

The business landscape is shifting and the challenge for businesses is to keep up with changing legislative requirements while achieving growth.

Last year’s General Election brought the first new majority Government since 2005. New economic policies and changes to the regulatory framework abound and these will have significant implications for the business sector in the year ahead.

2016 sees the introduction of new policies which will directly hit business profits. The new National Living Wage which launches in April has been met with considerable concern by many – particularly those in the retail, leisure and care sectors.

For example, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) reports that a small retail business with six full-time staff aged 25 and over and earning the current adult minimum wage will have to pay an extra £5,900 per year. This is a considerable additional annual cost to smaller firms.

Another extra financial hit this year is the introduction of new rules on dividends. In last summer’s budget, the Chancellor surprised many by abolishing the Dividend Tax Credit and replacing it with new rates of dividend tax.

From April, this means that basic tax payers who previously were not taxed on dividend income will now have to pay 7.5 per cent tax. And top-rate tax payers, who currently have the option of growing their business and paying themselves dividend income at a 30.6 per cent tax rate, will now find that the top rate of tax on dividend income will rise to 38.1 per cent.

With other big changes in the pipeline, including the small business rollout of the workplace pension and the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, 2016 is already shaping up to be a challenging year for local businesses.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for businesses in the South West. There are significant opportunities in the months that lie ahead – as long as businesses continue to be flexible and adapt to changing regulations and market conditions.

Alastair Logan If your business has ambitious goals for 2016 then you’ll need funding to achieve them. Previously most SMEs would have asked their bank for an overdraft or loan – but not any longer. Innovative alternative providers such as Bristol-based Ultimate Finance are proving far more helpful and accommodating than the high street banks.

You’ll find the smart money online Where can you research these increasingly popular sources of SME finance? Visit one of the online funding platforms that have sprung up recently – try Funding Xchange, Alternative Business Funding or Find SME Finance for starters.

How do they work? Funding Xchange CEO Katrin Herring compares them to price comparison websites, commenting: “We bring the same benefits to a market where shopping around previously consumed a huge amount of time and energy. We have done all the leg-work so it is now easy for businesses to get quotes from a wide range of lenders.”

A positive outlook Business is on the up in the region as the economic recovery continues. While business confidence slipped a little in the South West at the end of 2015 driven by concerns about the global economic situation, it remains above the longterm average, according to Lloyds Bank.

Throughout the South West, businesses are well-placed to take advantage of the upturn. In particular, technology firms and creative businesses in Bath and Bristol are leading the surge.

Creative businesses are well served by the Bristol & Bath Science Park, which offers a flexible working environment and opportunities for networking and collaboration. The availability of good quality work spaces, combined with the electrification of the Great Western Railway line, will undoubtedly increase the numbers of businesses relocating to the South West in the months and years ahead.

Lenders who like SMEs How do the likes of Ultimate Finance differ from the more traditional financial institutions?

Crucially, they specialise in lending to SMEs – it’s their sole source of revenue so they’re keen to find responsible ways to oblige. With the big banks it’s totally the opposite – they often approach smaller businesses with more trepidation. Instead of a “Computer says ‘No!’” attitude Ultimate Finance takes a more human and considered approach.

Their lending criteria are less rigid and restrictive so you are more likely to receive the money.

Ultimate’s application process is much easier and swifter. There’s also a wide range of products, and these are more flexible. Finally, the terms tend to be much less onerous.

Business partners The key to continued growth in 2016 is for businesses across the South West to roll with the punches and maintain confidence even in the face of setbacks or challenges.

Having a team of expert solicitors on your side who specialise in business law can play a key part in business success. Mowbray Woodwards is an independent firm of solicitors that has provided expert legal advice and services to businesses for nearly 70 years. Situated in the heart of Bath, it has the experience and expertise to help businesses across the region, no matter how big the challenge or opportunity.

From commercial property, business contracts, regulatory enforcement to business disputes, Mowbray Woodwards is your trusted business partner.

An approach that’s finding favour

To find out more information, visit www.mowbraywoodwards.co.uk, Telephone: 01225 485 700 or email Patrick Mears: pmm@ mowbraywoodwards.co.uk

“

In last summer’s budget, the Chancellor surprised many by abolishing the Dividend Tax Credit and replacing it with new rates of dividend tax.

6 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - FOREWORDS THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

”

When you consider all these factors it’s not surprising that a huge number of SMEs are shunning traditional bank overdrafts and loans in favour of providers like Ultimate Finance. In the last five months of last year alone the company increased its lending to SMEs by an impressive 30 per cent. The key to this success, as far as Ultimate Finance is concerned, is innovation.

Group Sales Director Nick Smith explains: “Over recent years we’ve analysed what SMEs really want. We then set about developing niche products tailored for specific sectors and situations that tend to be under-served by other providers.” Products include Invoice Finance solutions that enable companies to release the cash they have tied up in unpaid invoices and Asset Finance facilities that make it easy for owners to acquire machinery and vehicles without using up valuable working capital. Ultimate Finance also provides Trade Finance for those buying goods, as well as Ultimate Business Cash, an online platform offering swift and easy access to short term business loans.

So if you are eager to grow your business in 2016 the message is clear – look beyond the bank!

Alastair Logan is regional director of Bristol-based Ultimate Finance

WBG-E01-S2

EXPECT MORE EXPERIENCE MORE With excellent transport links, ample space for development and unrivalled business opportunities there’s never been a better time to locate your business in Sedgemoor

Ph oto :E DF En erg y

For more details 01278 435537 • sedgemoor.gov.uk/business

WBG-E01-S2

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - FOREWORDS 7

EDF Energy CEO Vincent de Rivaz with Andrea Leadsom, Energy Minister, at Cannington Court in Somerset. The energy giant opened the flagship training campus in November as it moved ever closer to

Engineering company owner – ‘I just wish that I was younger’ Tina Rowe looks at how 2015 saw several substantial milestones being achieved in the process towards building Hinkley Point C. Businesses in Somerset and the rest of the South West are primed to leap into action when a Final Investment Decision is made by EDF and its partners EDF Energy is close to making the final investment decision that will start main construction work on Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, Europe’s biggest civil engineering project.

The build will bring huge benefits for business, jobs and skills upgrades throughout Somerset and the wider west.

As this publication went to press there was some talk in the French media that EDF could even make its final decision before the end of this month.

Building the £18bn plant, and feeding, housing and transporting the workforce, will create 25,000

jobs. More than 60 per cent in value of the total build costs will be spent in the UK. West Country businesses are on the starting blocks, tensed and ready for the starter’s gun.

But there have been some equally tense times along the way.

French state-owned EDF originally planned to build the plant with Centrica, which pulled out in 2013.

EDF began discussions with Chinese stateowned China General Nuclear Power Corporation, and last October the two state-owned companies signed an historic deal in London in the presence of Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Chinese will have a 33.5 per cent stake.

Nuclear could provide up to 30 per cent of the low-carbon electricity the country will need through the 2030s. Hinkley C itself will provide seven per cent.

The supply chain is well-developed, with identi-

8 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - HINKLEY POINT C THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

“

It will be a big economic lift and that will increase the competition for skills but there are lots of businesses that will benefit

”

fied preferred bidders heavily involved in construction planning.

Training for needed skills is under way and industrial agreements with trade unions are in place.

Somerset Chamber of Commerce is EDF’s procurement partner to manage the supply chain.

Chris Langdon is the Chamber’s supply chain manager.

He said: “The Somerset team has been running this for five years now. So far 3,200 suppliers have registered from Somerset and the South West, of which 2,000 are from Somerset.

“There will be others who will have had conversations with the main contractors.

“They have told us who they are and what their core capabilities are. In the last five years there have been something like 190 suppliers who already have contracts, worth £50 million.”

Five work packages have been awarded to collaborative groups, covering needs ranging from buses to catering, construction, utilities and campus management.

Some are delivering interim contracts, and others are preferred bidders.

“It will all happen very quickly,” says Mr Langdon. “There are some challenges on the skills side which will have an impact on the local business community. There will be a shortage, but there’s a lot of optimism. It will be a big economic lift and that will increase the competition for skills but there are lots of businesses that will benefit and it will help to improve the skills levels. The five collaborative groups add up to £225 million which would otherwise have gone to national companies – that’s just a very small part of a very big package.

“As the project goes live we expect to increase capacity. We are collaborating with SWMAS Ltd who run a number of international contracts of business support, and we are also working with Business West, the chamber in Bristol, so we are growing our team too.”

Brokering business support to help suppliers meet quality and safety standards is another important part of Somerset Chamber’s work.

WBG-E01-S2

Sedgemoor is ‘Hinkley Ready’ and raring to go

commencing work on a new nuclear reactor at Hinkley Point C One business looking forward to the challenge of Hinkley is Mike Morgan Electrical Services, based at Bridgwater, which currently has 22 employees. It is a part of the Construction Operations Management Alliance (COMA) for construction utilities. Mr Morgan, who founded the business 30 years ago, said: “We have great opportunities within that group, and also as an established electrical contractor we are currently working in a small way on the new site. We have begun the process of getting badged up, of getting certain accreditations in place.

“We have used the last two-three years to take on board things that have been on offer from Somerset Chamber such as growth acceleration and Management skills and have picked up various courses from Bridgwater College and we have gained a lot from that. My workforce are broadening their skills. We have grown up. Wessex Water, a multi-million pound contractor which is a major player, is also a part of COMA, and we have now qualified with them as well.

“In two years’ time I think we could be employing more than 40 people. The real focus is that we are improving in lots of areas. And for our customers that’s going to be good all round.

“We hope our opportunity within COMA will be enormous and that it will be ongoing and we will maintain for the future such opportunities as maintenance of power stations or big local authority projects. The biggest issue is getting the right staff in at the right time. Skill sets are perhaps not as high as they used to be, and we are working hard with the college to bring youngsters forward. We have level 3 skills in the company and can bring people in with level 3 but are looking to get people trained up to level 4 and 5, but it’s difficult to get funding. I think the Government needs to help out for sure. There seems to be a lot of grant money about but it’s for level 2. I can understand that it is to get people going. We have had level 3 funding too.

“But there is 30 years of opportunity on your doorstep, and it’s all about local jobs. This is a fantastic engineering opportunity to be involved in. I just wish I was younger.”

Mike Morgan, left, says that such are the opportunities provided by Hinkley Point C that he only wishes he was younger to fully reap the benefits PICTURE: NIGEL ANDREWS WBG-E01-S2

The massive earth-moving machines on site at Hinkley Point may have been silent for the past few months, but there has been no let-up in activity at neighbouring Sedgemoor District Council as it prepares for its role as a host authority for the biggest construction project in Europe.

Breathing space between consent for the new nuclear power station and the Final Investment Decision by EDF Energy has allowed Sedgemoor to work with its partners to pave the way for the smooth execution of the building project, and prepare for the influx of people, jobs, traffic and above all opportunities that building the UK’s first new nuclear power station in a generation will bring. Crucially, the hiatus has allowed time for the district to advance on its ambitious plans to create a hub for the renewable and low carbon energy sector. Through its links with the new nuclear industry and track record for commercial development delivery, Sedgemoor has secured Enterprise Zone status for Huntspill Energy Park near Bridgwater. At more than 90 hectares, the park will be one of the country’s largest stand-alone Enterprise Zone sites when operational, and together with partner sites near Exeter, will support the creation of 17,800 high value jobs over the next 25 years.

The Enterprise Zone will join a rapidly expanding portfolio of development sites within the area, with business park locations adjacent to J22, 23 and 24 currently available for investment. These sites are being supported by Sedgemoor’s strengthened inward investment and business team, as well as by the work of Into Somerset – the county’s joint inward investment service.

Working closely with Somerset County Council, Sedgemoor is also focusing on creating the space needed for the collaboration and innovation associated with a modern major project. The development of the Somerset Energy Innovation Centre, opening in early 2016 close to J23 of the M5, provides a bespoke facility catering for needs large and small across multiple areas.

Accommodating the firms and investment coming into the area is just one part of the coordinated preparation that has occupied the council and its partners. It includes continuing work on highways improvements that will ease the flow of construction traffic through the town on its way to and from the site. Investment at Bridgwater College in expanded facilities and the securing of the New Nuclear College for the UK are helping to develop skills and capacity. Joint working with EDF’s job brokerage is allowing local people to take advantage of recruitment associated with the project.

More widely, Sedgemoor continues to implement its ambitious programme for growth. Accelerated house building in the district over the past five years is being sustained, with Housing Zone status providing added impetus. Activity in the crucial tourism, food and drink and logistics sectors seeks to harness the advantage of the district’s unique location and increasing visitor numbers. All of this is on top of the record £400m of investment the district has attracted since 2010.

If you would like to learn more about the opportunities in Sedgemoor and arrange to see a dedicated inward investment account manager, please contact Carla Modley on carla.modley@ sedgemoor.gov.uk or 01278 435537.

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - HINKLEY POINT C 9

Long road to Hinkley decision Richard Bache looks back at the decade-long process to build a new nuclear reactor at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. French energy giant EDF is poised to make a Final Investment Decision on building the plant that will herald investment of more than £18 billion in the West It is difficult to imagine a project that is more complex or fraught with difficulty to advance from drawing board to construction than a new nuclear reactor.

Hinkley Point C has been more than a decade in the making so far – but the decision on whether to press the button to proceed is reportedly imminent.

Several major milestones were achieved in 2015, including a landmark deal between EDF and the China General Nuclear Power Corporation, announced during a Chinese state visit to the UK. To build the proposed station, a number of associated developments are also required during the construction phase.

Work on many of these has already begun and once EDF makes a Final Investment Decision things will begin to accelerate.

Here are some of the key milestones already achieved.

2005 – Government says new nuclear power

stations are needed to close the UK’s energy gap 2009 – Hinkley Point C identified by Government as one of eight locations in the UK potentially suitable for a new nuclear power station 2009 – EDF Energy opens office in Bridgwater 2009 – EDF Energy starts formal consultation on initial proposals 2011 – Parliament ratifies the Government’s National Policy Statements, highlighting the “urgent need” for new nuclear and following two rounds of consultation 2011 – EDF Energy applies to regulators for a Nuclear Site Licence and Environmental Permits 2011 – An application for Site Preparation works is approved by West Somerset Council 2011 – EDF Energy’s formal consultation comes to an end following four stages of consultation 2011 – EDF Energy submits its Development Consent Order (DCO) application to the Infrastructure Planning Commission (now the Planning Inspectorate) 2012 – Site Preparation works start on the Hinkley Point C site after legal agreement 2012 – Planning Inspectorate starts six-month examination of the DCO in March, making a recommendation to Secretary of State by December 22 2012 – Draft Energy Bill published

The visit of Chinese President Xi Jingping coincided with a deal between EDF and China General Nuclear Power

2013 – Secretary of State decision to approve Hinkley Point C application given in March 2013 – Agreement reached on commercial terms of the operation of Hinkley Point C in October.

Including a controversial agreement with the Government over the ‘strike price’ – a guarantee over the price paid for electricity.

2013 – The European Commission announces in December it is investigating whether the ‘strike price’ agreement constitutes illegal state aid.

2014 – EDF and unions agree a deal in July about the wages and industrial conditions for workers engaged on the project.

2014 – The European Commission approves the agreements between the Government and EDF in October.

2015 (October) – EDF signed an investment agreement with the China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) to build Hinkley C, with the first power generated in 2025, two years later than the original date. EDF’s share in Hinkley Point C will be 66.5 per cent and CGN’s will be 33.5 per cent, with total construction costs forecast to be £18 billion.

2015 (November) – EDF opened its new training academy at Cannington Court in Somerset.

2016 – EDF and its partners scheduled to make final investment decision to proceed with project.

Reports in the French media as this guide went to press suggest it could happen imminently.

Insurance

.

WITHOUT DOUBT To find out how Higos can help your business Call Email Visit

10 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - HINKLEY POINT C THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

01749 834 500 corporate@higos.co.uk www.higos.co.uk

WBG-E01-S2

WBG-E01-S2

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - HINKLEY POINT C 11

Tech businesses are voting with their feet to head to West Country Dozens of major firms are investing in the region’s globally significant tech sector. That allayed to the entrepreneurial spirit and technical skill evident in the region has led to the West’s tech sector picking up the nickname of Silicon Gorge

The high-tech and digital economy in the West of England is the envy not only of the rest of Britain, but most of Europe too.

The region is at the forefront of many of the technologies that are changing how we work, how we live our day-to-day lives and how we spend our free time.

From small start-ups, to fast-growing success stories, to offshoots of some of the world’s biggest tech giants, the West is gaining a reputation as a hotbed of innovation.

In the past year alone companies as diverse as Cray supercomputers, the JustEat takeaway app, Somo, the world’s biggest independent mobile solutions company and Chinese telecoms giant Huawei have moved to the Bristol area.

Twitter owns Bristol-based analytics company SecondSync, Facebook owns Somerset drone firm Ascenta and Amazon owns Bristoldeveloped global web sensation IMDB (The Internet Movie Database).

Added to long-established tech businesses in

the West such as Toshiba, Hewlett Packard and Intel it speaks to the region’s growing influence in this valuable sector.

The West has been particularly successful at luring talented young staff from London to the region.

Between June 2012 and June 2013, 3,290 people moved from London to Bristol, putting the city ahead of Manchester, Oxford and Liverpool and second only to Birmingham as the most popular destination for those fleeing the capital.

It helps that the Bristol and Bath tech cluster has been named as the second best in Britain after London and the only other in Britain of global significance.

TechCityUk’s Tech Nation report last year named Bristol and Bath as Britain’s second biggest cluster, employing more than 60,000 people in the digital economy.

It said: “As well as huge digital companies operating in mature industries, Bristol and Bath has produced some hugely innovative and successful start-ups in recent times.

“From Imaginarium’s motion capture, to Maplebird’s development of micro-robotics ‘ultra-sonic’ reactive technology from Ultrahaptics, and 3D printable artificial limbs from Open Bionics, creative innovation lies at the heart of this thriving cluster.

“The digital community in the area is also

growing at a rapid rate with a 65 per cent increase in new digital companies incorporated between 2010-13. This has led to Bristol and Bath becoming the second largest digital employer in the UK, with 61,653 people working in tech.”

One of the key attractions for tech businesses is the presence of like-minded companies.

The Engine Shed hub for innovative and startup businesses opened two years ago, and a number of businesses within it have already outgrown it and are looking for bigger premises in the zone.

Energy supplier Ovo moved into the zone and continues to grow its team of 700-plus.

And more things are in the pipeline.

Developer Skanska has bought land in front of Temple Meads and plans to build new offices, probably aimed at the creative and technology sector.

Engine Shed 2 is being planned, with a temporary extension made of shipping containers called Boxworks opened late last year. Further development of homes and office space is under way at the Paintworks on Bath Road, on the edge of the Enterprise Zone.

West of England Local Enterprise Partnership chairman Colin Skellett told our sister paper The Bristol Post: “The extension builds on our success of attracting new businesses and jobs to the area and demonstrates the strength of the West of England joint working.

“Our expectation is that additional funds raised by the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone expansion will assist in the redevelopment of Temple Meads station – one of the last major city centre mainline railway stations not to have been refurbished to 21st-century standards.”

Invest Bristol and Bath has played a key role in attracting new talent and jobs to the region, augmenting the home-grown tech entrepreneurs.

It said 37 new companies invested in setting up a base in the West of England in 2014/15, bringing 900 high-quality jobs.

Examples in the West of England region include global software technology company Oracle, which has committed to investing in Bristol, and leading global provider of business process outsourcing services, IBEX Global, which also has a base in Bristol.

Matthew Cross, head of inward investment at Invest Bristol & Bath, the agency that spearheads the region’s programme of inward investment, said: “Looking ahead, we have a strong pipeline of inward investment activity, with interest from a major US-based tech company with the potential to generate 180 jobs, a greentech firm with the potential to create 100 jobs and a financial and professional services business with the potential to generate 200 jobs.”

Tech sector in the West

Region must get big decisions right to prosper JAMES DURIE There’s plenty to feel positive about in 2016, says James Durie, Chief Executive of Bristol Chamber & Initiative at Business West, and we start the year with a real sense of momentum and energy in the Bristol & Bath city region Personally I’m a “half glass full” sort of person, and I think we have taken some great strides forward over this past year. Just have a look around the place and you’ll see the number of cranes and scale of investment going into our infrastructure. Look at our universities, airport, Ashton Gate Stadium and also the £200m metro bus scheme, including the long-awaited South Bristol Link, all under way. Rail electrification (despite budget overrun) continues to progress, and I see its effect already having real impact. As European Green Capital I think the city very

successfully helped show how we all shift to more sustainable urban living, while welcoming huge numbers of visitors from across the world. Our Enterprise Zone (which is set to expand) continues to attract lots of newcomers, new major speculative development and the Bristol Arena moves ever closer.

But there’s also a “half glass empty” perspective which should stop us from feeling too self satisfied. Some huge decisions are in the offing.

My concern is that business, and the local economy, stands to lose out significantly if these decisions are made just on narrow party political lines, and too often a short-term outlook. As business, we must play our part to help inform the debate. In May, Bristol will vote to elect a new Mayor, while in March, Bath and North East Somerset will have decided on whether they want one.

While we certainly wouldn’t go as far as to take sides, I feel that it’s in the interests of the city region that, whoever is in office from May, will recognise business drives the local economy…

12 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - DIGITAL ECONOMY THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

“

City region devolution is a prize not without its challenges, but one which we are clear the four authorities must meet

”

and that we want and need to be actively involved in shaping the long-term future. That’s why we will be putting a business manifesto to the candidates, setting out how we want them to operate, and what we want them to focus on.

On a not-unrelated topic, city region devolution is a prize not without its challenges, but one which we are clear the four unitary authorities must meet in order to better position this place for new and significant borrowing powers and more joined up working. The Joint Spatial & Transport Plans to 2036, being developed by our four councils, are the opportunity for us all to work together towards shaping a common view and picture of sustainable long-term growth – we simply need more housing, more employment land and much better supporting infrastructure.

Lastly, the EU referendum will soon be with us.

This is something of huge importance for the UK. Our recent survey of over 1,000 of our members has shown just how significant it is to our firms and we are and will be playing a role to set out the pros and cons to better inform the debate.

WBG-E01-S2

Personalised use of data is crucial for customers in many fields EMILY JONES

has been dubbed Silicon Gorge

Consumers are increasingly understanding the value that their data holds. For businesses, this means that more than ever they must offer something of value in return for mining and using data.

At Osborne Clarke, we recently carried out some research with Retail Week magazine, and found that customers have a shopping list of services that they expect in return for their data.

At the top of that list is personalised offers, something that the major supermarkets have become very adept at providing over recent years.

Of the respondents that share personal data, over half said that they preferred personalised offers, which perhaps shows how familiar this form of marketing has become. Their second preference, however – personalised pricing based on online search and purchase history – has proved controversial at times. Despite that, almost 40 per cent of respondents said that they expect personalised pricing.

So what doesn’t work? In two words: spam and over-familiarity. Only a quarter of respondents wanted personalised marketing emails and fewer than 15 per cent would welcome being greeted by name in store. Our research report highlights that all businesses need to look at the way they collect, process and use customer data, in order to get the most benefit from it while complying with the relevant legislation, which will also be changing significantly over the next few years as result of the new EU General Data Protection Regulation. Businesses should therefore consider the following actions: ■ Assess all data-processing activities. What data is being collected, how is it being used and is that use fair?

■ Align privacy policies and statements. Do they accurately reflect reality and are they clear to consumers?

■ Look at the data-capture processes objectively.

When and how is information about privacy given to customers? How much control do they have over how it is used?

■ Make sure suppliers have to comply with good data handling practices so they do not cause compliance headaches.

■ Train staff to treat personal data properly – make sure everyone takes responsibility.

■ Have a tried and tested plan to deal with data security breaches.

In the UK, 79 per cent of consumers are prepared to let businesses use their data – with conditions. For businesses, the key to building a profitable data-driven business stream is understanding the transactional nature of data collection. Get it right and you will future-proof your business, but get it wrong and you could alienate your customers, risk enforcement action and negative publicity.

Emily Jones Partner, international law firm Osborne Clarke

The Bristol is Open venture is one of the ways the city is demonstrating its pioneering attitude towards the digital economy.

It is a joint venture between the University of Bristol and Bristol City Council and is funded by the local, national and European governments, with academic research funding, and by the private sector.

It is delivering research and development initiatives that contribute to the development of a smart city and the ‘Internet of Things’.

Small sensors, including the smart phones and GPS devices of willing participants, will supply the three new fast networks in the centre of Bristol, with information about many aspects of city life, including energy, air quality and traffic flows. A city operating system will dynamically host this machine-to-machine communication, allowing the development of a wide range of applications.

All the data generated will be anonymised and made public through an ‘open data’ portal.

Bristol Is Open is welcoming a range of partners to the project, including large telecom and software companies. Participants will get a slice of the network to work with. The active, wireless and mesh network will be technology agnostic, built on open network principles.

Rolls-Royce was announced in November as a partner in the UK’s first interactive Data Dome.

It will investigate the use of the fully immersive hemispherical display system in the 100-seat facility, for high-end visualisation of its products and associated big data. The first visualisation is of the Trent XWB, the world’s most efficient aero engine. Housed inside At-Bristol Science Centre’s Planetarium, the Bristol Data Dome is the only projection environment in the world connected to a city-scale high performance network and a high performance computer and is one of the highest definition digital projection environments in the UK today.

The planetarium at At Bristol is being used as part of the research

Our business is your business We make it our business to know what makes your business tick and help you anticipate the challenges ahead. If you’re starting a new business, dealing with disputes, restructuring your company, updating employment contracts or moving premises, we can help. We have strong links with accountants, banks, property experts and other specialists to ensure you receive not only first rate legal advice, but also any other professional advice you might need.

Here are just some of the legal services that we can provide for your business: • Starting a business • Commercial property • Commercial contracts • Business disputes • Claim management • Regulatory enforcement • Health & safety • Business crime • Environment Agency planning breaches • Pension schemes and property investments • Commercial landlord and tenant

To find out more, please contact one of our specialist business solicitors.

T. 01225 485 700 E. info@mowbraywoodwards.co.uk Meet our expert Business Services team at www.mowbraywoodwards.co.uk

Mowbray Woodwards Solicitors 3 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HG

WBG-E01-S2

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - DIGITAL ECONOMY 13

Temple Quay in Bristol, home to a host of professional services firms which are evolving to remain ahead of the game in an increasingly competitive market

The industry where standing still in no longer an option There has been much debate about the extent to which professional services firms need to evolve in a world where the consumer is king, empowered by a much greater level of knowledge and choice, as Natalie Birrell reports.

For many firms, evolution is inevitable and ongoing. However, they recognise that change comes at a price and many will undoubtedly be looking hard at the likely return on investment.

Whatever the sector, location or type of client, the challenge for professional services firms is whether they understand what their clients and potential clients really want and, more importantly, what they truly value.

Smaller players have had to develop niche areas of expertise to survive while many of the larger firms’ growth has been characterised by merger and acquisition to appeal to an ever more discern-

ing client base demanding size and geographical reach as well as breadth and depth of specialist services.

These shifts away from general practice and the one-size fits all approach have required huge investment over the last few years – in feeearners, premises, new technology, business development, marketing, outsourcing and so on.

The costs have been considerable but so too the risks of standing still. Not only is competition among professional services firms fiercer than ever, but they are also having to contend with new entrants to the market and online providers applying constant downward pressure on fees.

Three of the UK’s ‘big four’ accountancy firms have successfully secured an Alternative Business Structures (ABS) licence which allows them to offer legal services, providing a new but not unforeseen threat to many law firms. For example EY, which has offices in Bristol and Exeter,

14 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - ADVISORY SERVICES THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

Graham Street, managing partner Withy King whose focus continues to be on organic growth

has appointed the former head of international law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner to spearhead its legal risk practice as part of EY’s plans to double the size of its legal services team by the end of 2016.

The latest Professional Practices Survey conducted by accountancy, investment management and tax group, Smith & Williamson, which has offices in Bristol and Cheltenham, reveals that competitive pressures on South West firms is higher than in many other parts of the UK, with 86 per cent reporting an increase over the last year.

Andy Peters, a partner in Smith & Williamson’s professional practices group based in Bristol, said: “Firms are being squeezed on all sides by the arrival of new business models and new entrants to the market. In particular, many are facing a massive threat from new uses of technology to gain and interact with clients.”

He continued: “Firms need to develop a ‘clear differentiator’ to stand out from the crowd, thereby demonstrating the value they deliver and to help them resist downward pressure from clients on fees. If firms are simply enjoying improved performance from an improvement in the economy, they shouldn’t be surprised if they quickly slip into reverse when the economy takes a downturn.”

Despite these competitive pressures, the picture is far from gloomy with 99 per cent of survey respondents reporting a surge in business confidence – the highest level for 21 years.

South West firms taking part in the survey were among the most optimistic, with 93 per cent saying they believe the outlook for their business has strengthened since the General Election in May, compared with 78 per cent nationally. Political certainty, economic resurgence and business action appears to be driving this confidence.

Matthew Still, spokesman for the Law Society in the South West, said: “The legal services market is largely buoyant despite strong competition. Firms are therefore increasingly mindful of their brand and many are working hard to develWBG-E01-S2

op and promote their unique selling points.

“Innovation in services is a current theme, encouraged both by discerning buyers as well as a government and regulatory framework intent on encouraging competition and open markets.

This is all very well for consumers but they do need to be increasingly mindful of the difference between the service and advice provided by wellregulated and well-trained lawyers – and those who are not.”

Smith & Williamson’s survey also reveals that just under two-thirds (64 per cent) of professional practices in the South West are planning to increase the range of services they offer in the next 12 months, 71 per cent are proposing to grow their marketing spend and 79 per cent to make further investments in IT. Bath-based Solicitors Own Software (SOS) designs software solutions for the legal profession. Managing director David McNamara believes legal businesses need to compete differently to keep pace with market changes – and investing in integrated software systems is a key element. He said: “Many firms ‘made do’ with existing legacy software during the recession and so now, in some cases, there remains a need to replace ageing software platforms.

“In 2016 it is those law firms that are prepared to change, take a risk management approach and strategically use the resources available to them in terms of their people and their IT, that will be better placed to succeed.”

Peter Clough, who was appointed Bristol office head at Top 25 international legal practice Osborne Clarke in 2015, said: “Law firms today need to create deeper relationships with existing and potential clients and we’re having conversations which just wouldn’t have happened a few years ago.

“We’re even seeing clients asking how we can improve their systems and processes, so we’re using our technology for their benefit. It takes you to a new level of co-operation, and also makes their in-house legal teams more efficient. By the same token, we as a law firm need to ensure that

Clockwise from top left, Tim Lincoln, practice leader at Grant Thornton South West; Peter Clough,Bristol office head at legal practice Osborne Clarke; Jon Marchant, director of Mazars; Andy Peters of Smith and Williamson WBG-E01-S2

we are matching the levels of innovation displayed by our clients.”

Graham Street, managing partner at Top 100 law firm Withy King, which has principal offices in Bath and Swindon, said: “Our focus continues to be on organic growth, with each practice area working to meet their objectives. We will continue to invest in the business structures, processes and resources necessary to facilitate our next phase of growth.”

Firms are investing more than ever in their people. In 2015, Withy King was ranked 42nd in The Sunday Times Top 100 Best Mid-Sized Companies to Work For. “Our people are integral to the success of our business and the considerable growth we have seen in recent years,” explained Graham Street. “Building on our commitment to being an ‘employer of choice’, we have produced a talent management strategy which brings together our various HR and people management practices combined with new talent development initiatives designed to ensure everyone has the skills, training, support and opportunities they aspire to.

“Looking ahead to 2016 and beyond, nurturing and retaining talent is likely to move up the list of priorities for many professional services firms in a climate where ‘poaching’ is almost inevitable and the best people can have their pick of the employment market.”

Tim Lincoln, practice leader at Grant Thornton South West, agreed. “In the competitive world of professional services, it is people who are the real differentiators,” he said. “If you’re a dynamic firm looking to grow, it’s vital that you have the right team to advise you.

“The South West has some incredibly ambitious businesses in burgeoning sectors like tech and aerospace, as well as established areas like food and beverage. They will be looking for their accountants to help advise them on their wider business growth, above and beyond auditing and tax. That’s where having industry experience in their sector, or international exposure can really set a firm apart.

“At Grant Thornton, our intention is to embed a culture of collaboration through sharing ideas, responsibility and rewards. This new Shared Enterprise model will see us crowdsourcing the business plan to activate our vision, making all our people jointly responsible for delivery and opening up profits so everyone benefits from the results.”

Mr Lincoln continued: “We believe that only by involving all our people in shaping the development of our future plans can we expect to achieve our ambitious vision for growth. Like many clichés, the oft-repeated maxim that people are an organisation’s greatest asset has a strong kernel of truth. Shared enterprise takes this idea and rebuilds an organisation around it, putting people at its heart.”

After being based in Clifton for many years, UK Top Ten accountancy firm Mazars has moved its Bristol office to Victoria Street, in the heart of the city’s business and professional services district.

“In common with many other industries, technology is transforming our profession so we are investing to bring these advances to our people and our clients,” said Mazars’ director Jon Marchant.

“The move to our new office in Bristol runs alongside this investment, as does the fact that we took on an increased number of graduates and trainees this year. Our people give our business an edge in what is an extremely competitive and fast-evolving marketplace.

“In order to succeed in this new era people in our profession will increasingly need to use their expertise to be advisers and consultants, as opposed to merely accountants.”

Smith & Williamson’s Andy Peters, who advises professional practices, said overall the signs were encouraging. “While the majority are trying to up their game, any firm lacking an appetite for change or without strategic vision and drive to differentiate themselves in today’s fast-changing market could suffer the consequences.

“With the economy currently relatively benign, now is the time to face any tough strategic decisions and to invest appropriately to build the business.”

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - ADVISORY SERVICES 15

Property insight: supply needed Martyn Jones is senior partner at leading property consultancy Alder King, based in Bristol The South West commercial property market performed strongly in all sectors throughout 2015 although there is increasing concern about a lack of supply in the region’s key centres, particularly Bristol, Exeter, Gloucester and Swindon.

The constrained supply-demand pressure and the prospect of rental growth support the case for further development and developers are responding, with new development under way on a speculative and design-build basis in Bristol, Exeter, Gloucester, Wellington, Bridgwater and Swindon.

But the market needs further development and good quality refurbishment schemes to come forward in 2016 to deliver additional stock, particularly to meet demand connected to Hinkley Point C and Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, projects of national significance which are driving demand on both sides of the Bristol Channel.

In Bridgwater, demand for industrial accommodation rose by 55 per cent last year as businesses sought space to service Hinkley Point C contracts. The new Energy Innovation Centre on Woodlands Business Park in Bridgwater, developed to support a low carbon energy supply chain cluster in Somerset, will open in a few weeks and construction of a second phase is already under way. However, there is an undersupply of good quality office and industrial

premises in the town and rents, which increased last year, will rise further if the current strong demand continues.

Increased demand isn’t limited to Bridgwater.

Industrial take-up along the M5/M4 corridor rose 18 per cent on the previous year to 5.9 million sq ft while supply fell to a 12 year low at 4.3 million sq ft. The region’s office market, whilst improving overall, was more subdued than in 2014, recording 1.9 million sq ft of take-up compared to 2.2 million sq ft in 2014. Once again take-up was constrained by a shortage of Grade A office space and the loss of second-hand space for conversion to residential and student accommodation use through Permitted Development Rights, which allow the conversion of lower grade office stock to residential use without planning consent. Some authorities are concerned about the loss of this employment space, especially when there is limited development coming forward to replace it.

The South West remains attractive to investors looking for value outside London. Bristol secured the lion’s share of South West investment in 2015 with circa £600 million of transactions. One of the city’s stand-out office deals of 2015 was Skanska’s sale of its prime city centre development at 66 Queen Square to Aviva for £32.78m at 4.94 per cent NIY but undoubtedly the deal of the year, if not the decade, was the sale by BAE Systems of its former Filton Airfield site in North Bristol.

This 350-acre strategically significant brownfield site was sold in December 2015 to the UK property subsidiary of the Malaysian-based YTL Corporation Berhad to create 2,675 homes and 62

“

Undoubtedly the deal of the year, if not the decade, was the sale by BAE Systems of its former Filton Airfield site in North Bristol

”

acres of office and industrial use. The economic benefits of this transaction will be felt for years to come. Alder King led the project on behalf of BAE Systems providing strategy, planning, development consultancy and disposal advice.

Elsewhere across the South West, a new generation of state-of-the-art car showrooms is taking shape at Matford Green Business Park in Exeter.

Five prestigious car marques will relocate from Marsh Barton Trading Estate to Matford Green, kick-starting development on one of the city’s primary development sites and cementing its reputation as a leading automotive hub.

Gloucester has benefited from significant new speculative development at Gateway 12, Waterwells Business Park and Quedgeley West while in Wiltshire, ground works have begun on Hawke Ridge Business Park, a 35-acre enterprise hub at the heart of the A350 corridor.

After a challenging few years, the region’s retail sector saw increased demand and higher transaction levels in 2015 with a small increase in rents in some locations. The discount sector remains very competitive, particularly in the food and clothing sectors with Aldi and Lidl extremely active.

As we look further ahead into 2016, economic confidence remains strong although there are concerns about the forthcoming Brexit referendum. Amongst all the talk about the Northern Powerhouse, the key issue for Bristol and the South West is to ensure we market ourselves successfully to secure our fair share of economic investment and this will best by delivered through regional devolution.

Leading independent property consultants · Agency & Development

· Investment & Asset Management

· Asset Recovery

· Planning Consultancy

· Building Consultancy

· Property & Facilities Management

· Business Rates

· Valuation & Lease Advisory

www.alderking.com

Bristol

Cardiff

16 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016: PROPERTY INSIGHT THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

Exeter

View our latest market report and career opportunities at www.alderking.com

Gloucester

Swindon

WBG-E01-S2

Taunton

Truro

ACTIONS

speak louder

We’ve e ve received outstanding service and support from Foot Anstey who have taken the time to understand our business. Ultimately, they have played a part in delivering our ongoing success.

Rory Kindlon Chief Financial Officer Intelligent Optimisations

BRISTOL I EXETER I LONDON I PLYMOUTH I TAUNTON I TRURO

WWW.FOOTANSTEY.COM

WBG-E01-S2

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016: PROPERTY INSIGHT 17

Now that Banksy’s Dismaland has been dismantled some new plans are being formed by North Somerset Council and its tourism group to create a performance space at the Tropicana site on the seafront

Banksy has put Weston on the map and town’s future looks bright It caused a worldwide sensation, brought in celebrity visitors from the other side of the globe and boosted the economy of Weston-super-Mare by £20 million – but what is in store for the future of the town following the departure of Bristol street artist Banksy’s Dismaland? Bethan Evans reports.

The ‘bemusement park’ attraction turned the traditional seaside town of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset into a top spot for the latest and most creative arts pieces, attracting attention from America and Australia, and millions of visitors including A-list celebrities. Celebrity visitors included Jack Black, members of Duran

Duran, Russell Brand, Mark Ronson and Glee star Darren Criss.

Businesses on the seafront, throughout the town and even close to the motorway were overwhelmed by the increase in footfall and Westonsuper-Mare’s tourism industry is said to have received a £20 million boost from the five-week exhibition.

This is after John Turner, Visit Somerset’s chief executive, initially predicted a £7 million boost when the mock-shock show opened on August 22.

The exhibition, which was held in the town’s Tropicana site, a former pool that had lain derelict for 15 years, sold out every day of its five-week

18 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - WESTON SUPER MARE THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

Deputy leader of NSC Elfan Ap Rees

run, attracting around 4,000 people a day and featured work from more than 50 artists around the world as well as Banksy.

A poll of businesses in Weston-super-Mare and other Somerset towns also show increases ranging from 20 per cent for attractions, 50 per cent for hotels and 100 per cent increases in extra rail travel.

Mr Turner said: “We have been working closely with many of our members including the Weston Hoteliers & Restaurant Association and major attractions in Weston-super-Mare and beyond, in measuring the effect of Banksy in the region.

“The majority of businesses have been reporting up to 50 per cent increases on last year (2014).

I must congratulate North Somerset Council on this project and we will be impressing upon them that more money needs to be spent in this incredibly important industry that clearly can see major returns when such innovation is used.”

Fans who flocked to the attraction also spent time visiting Weston-super-Mare’s other sights, meaning a huge boost for the town.

The Grand Pier has reported more than 9,000 extra visitors thanks to Dismaland and some retailers recorded a ten per cent boost, something that would not normally happen for stores at a time when schools reopened after the holidays.

Town centre manager Steve Townsend said the economic effect of Dismaland on the town was both brilliant and dramatic, and something he hopes the town and North Somerset Council’s tourism team can use for the future to continue the boost to Weston.

He said: “When Dismaland was in operation our footfall was up dramatically.

“Businesses I spoke to had definitely benefited from the extra footfall in the town and the worldwide PR it generated in Weston was quantifiable WBG-E01-S2

in marketing. All the hotels and guest houses were full; restaurants were doing amazing business, not just the ones in the town centre but next to the motorway.

“It brought a spread of economic benefit to the town.”

Next on the council’s agenda is to build on the economic growth and it plans to do so by producing similar events to the Dismaland exhibition, which included an anti-fairy tale castle, a Cinderella carriage and special performances from Pussy Riot, De La Soul, Kate Tempest, DJ Premier and Leftfield.

Deputy head of the council Elfan Ap Rees said the event not only brought £20 million to the local economy but it also helped give a financial surge to the more traditional businesses and parts of Weston, which would normally have started to turn quiet as the summer holidays came to an end.

He said: “It brought at least £20 million into the local economy but it also brought in new types of visitors who were looking for culture events rather than the traditional and quick weekend.

That boosted the economy in areas which were traditional, so it was extremely good from that point of view.

“As a council we obviously invested in it because we could see the potential but we were surprised by the level of income that it brought into the town.

“We were expecting about £7-8 million, not £20 million. It benefited a lot of other people like the Grand Pier and the hotels which were booked at a time when it usually goes quiet.

“For the council we ran out of car parking spaces and we had to borrow extra to cope with the demand and extra trains were run to get people to the town, so everyone in the town

Banksy’s Dismaland exhibition has now put Weston-super-Mare firmly on the map, say the heads of the council’s economy and its town centre manager WBG-E01-S2

benefited. For the council it was a good learning curve in terms of what to do in the future for the bay and for the Trop site, turning that site into a culture hub for performance and the arts and that kind of development because it attracts new people to Weston.

“Rather than everybody else fighting over sales of ice creams and sticks of rock it brings a different type of person to the town, who may indeed buy that sort of stuff but would also be interested in something new.”

The traditional theme of deckchairs, fish and chips by the seaside and building sandcastles next to the Grand Pier is not something that will be covered over in 2016, but rather embellished with new events and activities, as well as big days such as Weston Beach Race, Weston Carnival and Weston Air Day which already pull in thousands of visitors each year.

Cllr Ap Rees said: “I don’t think it is a question of taking away from the traditional; it’s adding to the existing offer. Weston will always be popular as a traditional seaside resort – we saw that business increasing over the years following work on the promenade.

“We are looking to regenerate the town centre and have started work on that. The college now has university status so from both a visitor and a resident point of view Weston is changing and it is changing for the better.

“It is bringing more money into the town and what we will try to do now is widen that spend, rather than repeating the same old things.

“Another aim is to bring people to Weston for events but also for business people to live in Weston and commute to work. This will raise the profile and the revenue of the town.”

Now the Tropicana site is no longer home to a giant Ferris wheel, an iron-sculpture of a horse and hundreds of other incredible pieces of artwork, plans are being made by the council’s tourism group to fill the space once again now that Banksy has put the town firmly on the map.

Cllr Ap Rees added: “Banksy has made the name of Weston known worldwide and we are capitalising on that now to develop other culture events to attract other art icons to Weston-superMare.

“We have got ideas and we are talking to people but we are not going to jump the gun to reveal until we have things tied up.

“We have been contacted by people saying what they would like to do there and one of the things we need to do now is sift out the inquiries and look at the serious ones which we think will benefit the town.

“For 2016 we want more growth for the town as we continue to work on the investment in the town centre.

“And the transfer of the Winter Gardens to Weston College is something that will be moving forward in this year and it will bring more young people in the town centre with money to spend .

“There is a bright future for Weston without a doubt and there are opportunities for businesses enterprises to join that success.

“What Banksy has done is highlight what Weston-super-Mare is capable of doing and while there is only one Banksy there are lots of other people and opportunities out there.”

But how hard will it be to create something as iconic and incredible as the bemusement park of Dismaland?

Some believe it will no doubt be a challenge, but one the town can take on.

Mr Townsend said: “It will be a difficult thing to replace as Dismaland was a unique opportunity, but it could perhaps be a seasonal site to stage some really good stuff for Weston.

“Unless the events team have something up their sleeve it will be difficult to replicate something like the Dismaland experience but a smaller piece of activity could happen.

“Weston can grow by doing similar things as the world now knows that site is there.

“We have some great events in this town and we have probably raised the bar quite high in terms of finding something to replace that with, but I have every confidence in the events team.

“Fingers crossed we can all work together and get something as appealing to get visitors back to Weston in those sorts of numbers.”

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - WESTON SUPER MARE 19

Racing to close the skills gap in a very fast-paced and exciting field Chris Pockett of Renishaw explains why it is so important more talented young people – particularly women – aspire to work in engineering In the foreword to this Guide, Sir David McMurtry, Renishaw’s Chairman and Chief Executive, highlights the challenging environment that the UK engineering sector faces over the coming years as it attempts to find the 182,000 additional skilled people it will need every year until 2022.

With an annual shortfall of 55,000 skilled people it is a particularly onerous task, made worse by the shocking fact identified by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) that women make up just 6 per cent of the UK’s engineering workforce compared to leading countries with 30 per cent.

Commenting on her organisation’s research, Michelle Richmond, the IET’s Director of Membership, said: “The lack of women in engineering is a very significant problem, contributing to skills shortages which damage the economy.

“The shocking reality is that the UK is missing out on half of its potential engineering and technology workforce by failing to attract women into the industry. It also means that women are losing out on interesting and rewarding career opportunities.”

So the simple message to engineering companies has to be that by working on this huge gender disparity, the skills shortage would surely disappear. If only the actual solution was as simple.

Further research from the IET on this topic showed that only 1 per cent of parents of girls were likely to encourage their daughters into engineering, compared to 11 per cent for parents of boys – clearly we are dealing with some deep seated societal issues. At Renishaw we fully recognise the challenges faced, one of which is the absence of role models for girls and young women, for inevitably given the gender imbalance most of the people ‘selling’ them science and engineering as a career choice are male.

We are therefore increasingly focusing our education and community activities in three key areas: the generation and support of activities that specifically promote engineering to a female audience; greater visibility for our female engineering ambassadors; and very importantly activities and communications that target key influencers, namely teachers and parents.

Within our business we are fortunate to have some excellent female role models and at a time that we are recruiting for a record intake of 45 apprentices, it seems appropriate to ask a former apprentice about her thoughts on this topic.

Lucy Ackland, who lives in Bristol, joined us as an apprentice aged only 16 having ignored all the advice given to her about going to university.

However, in 2012 she completed a first-class engin-

eering honours degree which was funded by Renishaw. Lucy is a STEM ambassador and has run engineering-based activities for young children over many years, including school projects, talks, seminars, after school engineering clubs and judging STEM club projects. In 2014 she was invited to join the board of trustees of the charity Young Engineers.

Last year Lucy covered the length and breadth of the UK after winning the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) Prize at the IET’s Young Woman Engineer of the Year awards – the prize is awarded annually to a young female engineer who is able to engage and inspire young people’s involvement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). So what does Lucy see as the challenges to recruiting more young women into the engineering sector?

“I was so happy to win the award from WES and I am pleased to be considered a role model for future generations of female engineers because I believe engineering is a really enjoyable career choice but sometimes people are put off by misleading stereotypes.

“I believe that there are three key factors causing the low proportion of female engineers in the UK: “Firstly there is the shocking lack of young women studying A-levels in science and maths, which is a pre-requisite for most routes into engineering. The ambassadorial position I have been embracing has enabled me to talk to a large number of girls between the ages of 14 and 17, and the message I keep hearing is ‘I’m no good at science’, when the evidence is quite the opposite.

“The challenge is to find ways of empowering these girls to believe in themselves.

“Secondly, in some organisations the over representation of males in the workplace can create the appearance of ‘boys clubs’ and therefore not always a comfortable place for a woman to be. In my experience it is rare to see much obvious discrimination or people openly trying to make women feel uncomfortable in their position, but we need to work harder to create an inclusive working environment that everyone feels comfortable to be a part of.

“Thirdly, it has been estimated that 22,000 qualified women have not returned to the engineering sector after a maternity or career break. This is a huge number considering how few women actually work in engineering. These are trained engineers that we can ill afford to lose when facing such a drastic shortage. What can businesses do to be more flexible when it comes to working hours and childcare for men and women alike?

“It is incredibly frustrating to be in this situation because I have found my career exciting, challenging, diverse and enjoyable so there is no reason why many women shouldn’t feel the same if they were to choose this profession.”

If you would like to hear more thoughts from

20 BUSINESS GUIDE - RENISHAW THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

Top; Lucy Ackland is a STEM ambassador who joined Renishaw at 16 and now helps inspire future generations of engineers. Above; Renishaw supplies drug delivery systems to the Children’s Hospital in Bristol and at Southmead WBG-E01-S2

Lucy on this topic then she is the keynote speaker at ‘Engineer Your Future’ taking place at Renishaw’s HQ near Wotton-under-Edge on Saturday February 13. One of a series of events for FESTOMANE (the Stroud Festival of Manufacturing & Engineering), it is a free morning of fun, interactive workshops and talks designed to help young people aged between 13 -19 and their families better understand the variety of career options available in STEM-related disciplines.

Today Lucy is a project manager within a team that is developing Renishaw’s next generation of metal additive manufacturing (3D printing) machines. The company is the only manufacturer of such machines in the UK and as well as being an exciting technology that will profoundly change the way manufacturers around the world can make products, it is also notable for being attractive to both sexes – it simply doesn’t have the malecentric perceptions of more traditional engineering products.

Renishaw is using its expertise in 3D printing to contribute to a series of high-profile engineering projects that will be very prominent during 2016 and 2017, both very much about speed on sea and land. The America’s Cup is the oldest international trophy in world sport, pre-dating the modern Olympics, the Ryder Cup and the World Cup – and Britain has never won it. It’s the world’s premier sailboat racing contest, and the 35th edition will be held in Bermuda in 2017, in foiling multi-hulls.

Land Rover BAR is the British challenger, and Ben Ainslie, winner of four Olympic gold sailing medals, is the Team Principal and skipper.

Renishaw has recently joined Land Rover BAR’s Technical Innovation Group (TIG) as an official supplier where we will be contributing our expertise in metal 3D printing and position feedback encoding. The TIG has engaged a number of key partners and suppliers from British industry, including Land Rover, BT and BAE Systems, all working to find advanced technologies and develop them to give the team a competitive edge. The TIG complements the existing Land Rover BAR design team and allows it to rapidly develop, test and prove these technologies. Renishaw’s contribution will be to optimise the design and construction of critical, 3D printed metal parts of the team’s race boat.

As Ben Ainslie commented: “We don’t underestimate the challenge ahead of us. We are a firsttime challenger for the America’s Cup, and only one challenger has ever won it at the first attempt.

We want to leave no stone unturned in our search for new technologies that will help us to bring the Cup home. That’s why we have developed the Technical Innovation Group and are pleased to have the support of Renishaw with its heritage of over 40 years of breakthrough innovation.”

Back on land, the Bristol-based Bloodhound SSC team will attempt to break the 1,00mph speed barrier during 2016 and Renishaw is assisting with key components for the vehicle, including the steering wheel and nose cone.

The steering wheel has contours designed to match the hands of Andy Green, the driver of the supersonic car. Conor La Grue, who is the Engineering Lead within the Bloodhound design team with responsibility to understand the requirements and identify a supplier for every part of car, said: “We’ve actually used a scan of Andy’s hand form, and if I machined it (the steering wheel) would take an awfully long time.”

Another critical component is the nose tip for the car, which will be subject to forces as high as 12 tonnes per square metre. To cope with such loadings, a tip has been designed in titanium and will be bonded to Bloodhound’s carbon fibre monocoque body which forms the front-half of the car. Renishaw is providing a manufacturing resource to the project team to produce the nose tip and steering wheel on its 3D printing machines which fuse together very thin layers of fine metallic powders to form highly complex functional components.

Beyond their core competitive targets, both of these exciting projects have a very clear aim to educate and inspire younger generations – Land Rover BAR with a focus on sustainability, whilst Bloodhound wants younger people to “enjoy, explore and get involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics”.

WBG-E01-S2

From top; The 3-D printed steering wheel for the 1,000mph Bloodhound that Renishaw has produced; Sir Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR America’s Cup team has signed up Renishaw in its Technical Innovation Group; Lucy Ackland pictured with some 3-D printed components; some of the components Renishaw has produced for Land Rover BAR

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE - RENISHAW 21

Technology is the key to creating a genuine Western powerhouse Henry Humphreys Senior Associate (Private Equity and Venture Capital) at Foot Anstey in Bristol, discusses the vital tech sector in the West We are, demonstrably, living and working in a golden period of innovation in UK tech, and – perhaps behind only London – Bristol and Bath as a region is leading the charge. There are people here doing extraordinary things.

The need for an ecosystem Tech, especially digital tech, is now everywhere, and superfast broadband takes it to billions of gadgets worldwide. For some time there have been more mobile phones in the world than people. At the same time design and build costs, and the costs of starting a businesses, are declining exponentially.

But to fund, develop, build and launch the next generation of tech at scale you need geographical proximity and clustering; i.e. an ecosystem. Silicon Valley set the mould, London has Tech City; here, we now have Silicon Gorge (we hope that name sticks!).

Rise of the accelerators/ incubators The Engine Shed, the enterprise hub next to Bristol Temple Meads station, is now into its third year and the two accelerator/ incubators within – Setsquared and WebStart – are housing and pumping out a wave of ambitious new ventures. The Engine Shed recently launched its Boxworks expansion which sees Bristol imitating Shoreditch.

Elsewhere, Bristol University and UWE continue to collaborate on Bristol Robotics Lab, the largest (37,000 square foot) academic centre for multi-disciplinary robotics research in the UK and world leader on current thinking in service robotics.

Guess what, there is a business incubator there for spin outs. Nestled between the M4 and M5, Bristol and Bath Science Park offers hot desks, laboratories and a home for university spin outs and growth companies.

Many of the facilities you see in the region are comparable to those in and around Tech City, but living costs are lower which generally means longer runways for founder teams. Good news if you have just raised seed finance.

Entrepreneurialism as a vocation For previous generations, route A for a significant majority of the talent was school, followed by university, followed by safe, well remunerated, job with a corporation.

Now, for perhaps the first time in the UK, talent in significant numbers is taking the school, followed by university, followed by scale-up route, drawn by the attraction of being a (co-)founder and CEO on day 1, building a product that they love, going through the funding rounds over a small number of years and then selling out to a trade buyer (or, for the really ambitious, executing an IPO).

Of course life rarely pans out as we expect and many (most?) new ventures fail, but the pace of success and failure has greatly accelerated in recent years.

Failure still leaves plenty of time to try again, or to try something else. Silicon Valley has had this ‘fail fast’ mantra for many years.

These themes are buzzing around campuses all over the country and there are over 45,000 students currently enrolled in Bristol alone, some of whom will choose to graduate and start a business here or join one of our 1,000+ tech companies. There are already more than 60,000 people working in tech here and more people working in our digital economy than anywhere else in the UK.

Scalable ventures

The Boxworks opening in Bristol was a key milestone

We see and meet new ventures all the time in region but the ventures that really excite VC type investors look well beyond the South West to address or disrupt significant national and global markets.

A return on capital invested into high risk businesses requires exponential growth and

22 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - FOOT ANSTEY THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

Main picture; Henry Humphreys a senior associate at Foot Anstey in Bristol, said the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, above, is one of the key elements of the city’s tech sector WBG-E01-S2

genuine prospects of an exit route for founders and investors. Think big.

In region we are working with ventures in virtual reality, cyber security, gaming, robotics and disruptive businesses generally. True disruption is interesting to us because – by definition – it presents novel legal questions where we can add real value to our clients.

Access to capital Facilities to support and house the talent will be wasted without funding, and the significant majority of funding opportunities for early stage ventures are still in London. However, building from a (very) low base, the region is developing and connecting its own investor network and in the last couple of years our client, Downing Ventures, has probably been the most active early stage fund investor here, but there are others.

Some of the tax reliefs for UK investors are quite staggering, but often poorly utilised and understood when it comes to investing into a portfolio of early stage companies.

Equity crowdfunding has also been thrown into the mix in recent years and we are increasingly seeing and advising on deals involving Crowdcube and, in particular, Seedrs. We continue to watch the crowdfunding space with interest.

Role of the corporates Airbus, BAE, GKN, HP, Toshiba, IBM, Orange and Rolls-Royce already base themselves here.

There is a legacy of innovation in aerospace, hitech and film making. The region also claims Brunel as one of its own and had major credits on projects such as Concorde.

We are seeing corporates here just starting to look at the wave of innovation coming through, but it is early days for most of them. However, disruption and missed opportunity may lurk for those that do not involve themselves in the space.

Looking forward Going into 2016, we hope to see more funds actively looking at the region and firmer links bedding down between the ecosystem and the region’s corporates. In the meantime the innovators will continue to go through the funding rounds and the investors will continue to look for the winners. The team here will be actively participating.

Henry Humphreys advises fast growth tech businesses and their investors. Henry spent nine years in the City and Hong Kong focusing on the tech sector for an international firm. He returned ‘home’ to Bristol in 2014, attracted in part by the opportunities within tech in the region. Much of his work still involves London and is still international, but he has a vested interest in helping to make things happen closer to home.

“

Many of the facilities you see in the region are comparable to those in and around Tech City, but living costs are lower which generally means longer runways for founder teams. Good news if you have just raised seed finance.

The Bristol and Bath Science Park, above, is one of the developments that has helped make the Bristol and Bath area the most dynamic and important hub outside London for the tech sector in Britain, according to Henry Humphreys WBG-E01-S2

”

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - FOOT ANSTEY 23

Forging a new identity, First Great Western became Great Western Railway in 2015 as the company marks the biggest investment in rail in the west since Brunel's time with a new identity. Top right, one of its

Back to an exciting future amid Richard Bache looks at how GWR, which is undergoing a major transformation, is investing in a new fleet of electric trains as part of the biggest investment in the region’s railways in generations. The investment in the West will eventually pay a dividend for the region The future of the West Country’s railway is inspired by a glorious past.

In 2015 First Great Western was reborn as Great Western Railway – adopting the spirit of Isambard Kingdom Brunel as the region’s railways undergo the biggest investment in generations.

The Great Western Line is being transformed as billions of pounds is being invested in electrification and a new fleet of trains to run on it.

Last September FGW formally adopted the GWR brand and began the process of adapting a new look to usher in a new era of more frequent

services, reduced journey times and greater capacity as the number of passengers electing to travel by rail continues to rocket.

As part of the new look travellers have begun to see the phased introduction of new train liveries, which invoke the legacy of Brunel’s GWR. Nobody at GWR or track owner Network Rail underestimates the engineering complexities and vast scale of electrifying the region’s railways.

Passengers are undoubtedly frustrated at the delays encountered by Network Rail as it electrifies the line, but by the time the project is complete then the West’s railways will be totally transformed.

Journey times to London will be slashed by up to 20 minutes – a huge benefit to businesses operating across the West.

Cities such as Bath and Bristol are already seeing huge inward investment from London’s

24 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - GWR THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

Mark Hopwood, chief executive of GWR, said the £7.5 billion investment was a new dawn for the railway

over-heating tech sector and with journey times to the capital being cut the opportunities to win further business are almost limitless.

Indeed, some estate agents believe that both Bristol and Bath could realistically be dragged into London’s commuter belt.

Spiralling house prices in the capital and the combination of electrification of the Great Western Line and the huge Crossrail project will mean that journey times to not only Paddington but other parts of the South East will be reduced.

Improved rail connections to Heathrow will also offer a boost to businesses in the West – both for exporters and those seeking direct inward investment.

Although passengers will not enjoy the benefit of electrification as quickly as GWR had initially hoped, they are already experiencing more modern trains.

WBG-E01-S2

locomotives was named after Glastonbury Festival supremo Michael Eavis and right, a locomotive was also named after legendary figure Harry Patch

the West’s electric revolution The massive fleet upgrade announced by GWR will see new or more modern trains, all with free WiFi, on every area of the network The £7.5 billion project will slash the average age of First Great Western’s train fleet by more than half – and also help to create three million additional seats across the network.

The train operator is also recruiting extra members of customer-facing staff, and the introduction of dedicated Customer Ambassadors at key stations across the route to help customers with local information, directions and onward travel options.

Independent research conducted for the South West Economic Regional Develop Agency (now LEPs) has shown that electrification will boost the South West economy by £120m per year alone.

At the time of the relaunch as GWR in September, managing director Mark Hopwood said:

“This investment represents a historic milestone for us and so it was a perfect opportunity to launch the Great Western Railway once again.

“We are committed to improving the journeys of our passengers, as well as the economic prosperity and social footprint of the regions and communities we serve.

“It’s a new dawn for our railway and we’re excited to be at the helm.”

FirstGroup Chief Executive Tim O‘Toole said: “FirstGroup is the proud operator of GWR, a railway steeped in years of tradition, and our new brand for the franchise represents this strong heritage.”

In an updated progress report last week on the electrification project Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy gave revised dates of when work would be completed.

It is now thought that the electrification will reach Bristol Parkway by December 2018 but WBG-E01-S2

Sir Peter Hendy, the chairman of Network Rail, gave an update on electrification project last week

work to connect Bristol Temple Meads may not be completed until April 2020.

Network Rail has been beset by difficulties during the electrification project, most notably with underground signals installed in the 1970s not being reliably mapped.

Mechanical piling operation carried out during the project has already twice severed signal cables, sparking delays for train operators and passengers.

The first tranche of new Hitachi trains that GWR has ordered can operate in diesel and electric mode, but the purely electric second tranche will not be able to run on the line until electrification is complete.

Passengers may have to wait longer than anticipated to benefit from the reduced journey times, but the biggest investment in the region’s railways in generations remains a boon for West Country businesses and passengers alike.

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - GWR 25

The university where business and education are in perfect harmony Richard Bache assesses the various factors that are making UWE Bristol an increasing force in the West’s business community. The combination of strong academic performance and close links with major employers is demonstrably proving to be a compelling one Fancy experiencing life on a City trading floor or prosecuting a case in a court of law?

UWE Bristol is the perfect place to do so as its Faculty of Business and Law contains a mock court and financial trading room.

Hollywood film The Big Short is hotly tipped for Oscar glory next month and shows all the drama of high stakes Wall Street trading during the greatest financial crisis of our time.

And one of the vital tools that all traders rely on is access to and mastery of Bloomberg’s financial terminals.

The university has the same system used by large investment banks, and provides students in the Business School with a commanding view of the global financial data, news and information.

The trading room helps put UWE at the forefront of business teaching and research among the universities in UK. One student who benefited from using it is MSc Finance student Thomas Cottrell, who came joint third in the prestigious Bloomberg Aptitude Test (BAT) for Europe, Middle East and Africa for November.

His result placed him at the 99th percentile of all students taking the test worldwide.

It is an online test that measures financial, business and personal competencies of students and recent graduates, and enables them to assess their suitability for careers in business and finance.

Donna Whitehead, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law

Thomas sat the test through UWE and his results are posted on the Bloomberg Institute Hall of Fame.

Thomas, whose first degree is in Engineering, says: “I was really surprised and pleased with my results on this test. It’s my ambition to combine the technical knowledge from my first degree, with the skills that I have learned in my job over the last year as a financial manager, along with the knowledge gained on the MSc Finance. I am excited by the idea of pursuing a career as an investment analyst or fund manager.”

It is only one example of the kind of facilities that students at the university can benefit from as they study at an institution that has an impressive track record of providing the skilled graduates that employers covet.

A pioneering course that aims to produce graduates with degrees plus experience of running their own businesses has been making waves at UWE. The course structure is ground-breaking – no classrooms, compulsory lectures or exams – and was introduced to the UK for the first time by UWE. Called Team Entrepreneurship, the degree course is based on methods pioneered in Finland and also run successfully in Spain and Hungary, and has been described as a revolution in management education.

The students meet in a high-tech ‘hub’ rather than a traditional classroom, with areas for team meetings, workshops and ideas sessions. Along with the novel surroundings, they have no set timetable, although they can attend any lecture from the Faculty of Business and Law, and work 95 each day during a longer academic year.

The students run their own businesses throughout the year and have revenue targets to achieve, something that will definitely come in handy after they graduate.

Another area where the university excels is its day-to-day connections with businesses in the West Country. It is a relationship that benefits students, the university itself, individual busi-

Business Students at UWE Bristol can benefit from a Trading Room equipped with professional-grade Bloomberg financial terminals that give them a genuine taste of the sort of information that dictates trading

26 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - UWE THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

WBG-E01-S2

nesses that participate and the wider West economy and is boosted by the region’s high retention of skilled graduates.

A recent development is that 40 senior industry leaders have become the University of the West of England’s first Business Fellows in a move which will strengthen ties with the region’s foremost organisations.

The network of business leaders will work closely with UWE’s Faculty of Business and Law, sharing the latest thinking in areas such as leadership and management, enterprise and entrepreneurship.

The Business Fellows programme, developed in partnership with Business West’s Initiative team, will see the leaders invited into the university to deliver guest lectures and mentor students.

Professor Steve West, UWE’s Vice-Chancellor, welcomed the Business Fellows to the university at a launch event held in November.

He said: “At UWE Bristol our partnerships and networks add real value to our learning and working environment. Connecting with the local and regional economy, businesses and communities to advance knowledge, and to advance the health, sustainability and prosperity of our locality and region, is part of our core ambition.”

James Durie, Chief Executive of the West of England Initiative at Business West, said: “Our Initiative members recognise that in an increasingly knowledge-focused economy they need and want to find new ways of working with our universities.

“Access to their knowledge, resources and talent is of vital importance to them and we are delighted that through the new Business Fellows programme a first cohort of our members now has better access to be able to connect, partner and work with UWE Bristol.”

These links are only likely to strengthen as the university’s new £50 million Faculty of Business and Law comes fully on stream.

A time-capsule was buried in July as construction of the impressive building began. It is anticipated to be fully operational by January 2017.

An artists’ impression of the £50 million development at UWE’s Frenchay campus for the Faculty of Business and Law

decisions at investment banks and on trading floors at leading financial centres WBG-E01-S2

The landmark academic building will be located at the heart of the new developments on the UWE Bristol, Frenchay Campus, on the northern side of a newly formed plaza.

UWE Bristol Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Jane Harrington, said: “It will provide a firstclass teaching and learning environment comprising lecture facilities, teaching and seminar rooms, specialist learning facilities such as a trading room and law courts, and staff offices.

“It will include specialist executive development facilities as well as space for collaboration, business development and informal learning.

This wonderful new building will fulfil the aspirations of students, staff and the business community.

“This building will enable the business community to share in the vibrant atmosphere at UWE Bristol and benefit from closer contact with students and academics.

“Our role is to be part of the world of business, to reach out to business and enable them to reach in to us.

“There are huge benefits for businesses of working closely with a modern practice-based university like UWE Bristol, and this new building will create the opportunity to enable this to happen by fostering informal and formal interaction.

“Key professional organisations will have a base in the new building, and barristers, accountants, small business owners and start-ups (to name but some of our visitors) will be able to mix with staff and students in the social learning areas.”

ISG is the main contractor developing the project.

The person who will be leading the faculty in its new home is Donna Whitehead, who previous to joining UWE was Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Business and Society at the University of South Wales.

She was appointed as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law last September.

She brings a wealth of experience to UWE Bristol from her current and previous roles.

She has a first degree in law from the University of Sunderland and an MPhil from the University of Newcastle. She also holds the Legal Practice Course and the New York Bar examinations as qualifications. She is a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her teaching and research interest is family law and in particular, assisted reproduction and parenthood.

An example of the interest in business on display at the university was displayed only last weekend.

The student union hosted the university’s first TEDx talk.

It was organised by Bristol Business School graduate, Adrian Pang, and saw ten guest speakers share their ideas on the subject of The Innovative Attitude.

Adrian said: “The inspiration to curate the first TEDx at UWE Bristol stemmed from attending a series of exceptional talks, held on the TED platform.

“My own experience of TED talks and TEDx highlighted the wide variety of topics that could be tapped into, and the potential for global reach the talks had. It is my greatest intention to share my exciting TEDx experience, with the hope to inspire others to think differently.”

It is one of a range of business events arranged by the university.

Foremost among them is its Bristol Distinguished Address Series.

Among the business leaders due to speak in the next few months are Samir Brikho, Chief Executive of Amec Foster Wheeler on Diversity of Thought; John Manzoni, Chief Executive of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office, and Lady Barbara Judge, chair of the Institute of Directors.

Previous addresses have been made by Sir Peter Bazalgette, Frances O’Grady, John Cridland and Xavier Rolet.

It isn’t too great a leap of faith to suggest that the next generation of business leaders of that calibre could very well be among the audience of these events.

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - UWE 27

THE TOP 150 2016 position (2015)

Company

1 (1) 2 (4) 3 (5) 4 (3) 5 (6) 6 (2) 7 (7) 8 (8) 9 (9) 10 (17) 11 (11) 12 (10) 13 (13) 14 (16) 15 (12) 16 (15) 17 (14) 18 (18) 19 (20) 20 (19) 21 (24) 22 (21) 23 (23) 24 (26) 25 (22) 26 (35) 27 (50) 28 (27) 29 (25) 30 (34) 31 (31) 32 (38) 33 (36) 34 (45) 35 (30) 36 (75) 37 (39) 38 (32) 39 (37) 40 (33) 41 (40) 42 (41) 43 (43) 44 (44) 45 (-) 46 (48) 47 (46) 48 (-) 49 (47) 50 (67)

Imperial Tobacco Group PLC Npower Ltd Airbus Operations Ltd Intel Corporation (UK) Ltd EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Ltd St. James's Place UK PLC Allstar Business Solutions Ltd Honda of The U.K. Manufacturing Ltd Connect Group PLC PPL UK Distribution Holdings Ltd New Look Retail Group Ltd C&J Clark Ltd Agustawestland Ltd Dyson Exchange Ltd WH Smith PLC Wincanton PLC First Greater Western Ltd The Mortgage Works (UK) PLC Westcon Group European Operations Ltd Mears Group PLC Screwfix Direct Ltd Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC Rotork plc Mitie Technical Facilities Management Ltd ALD Automotive Ltd Colt Car Co Ltd Wessex Water Ltd Zurich Assurance Ltd Nutricia Ltd GE Aviation Systems Ltd Messier-Dowty Ltd Arval UK Group Ltd Renishaw plc Kerry Ingredients (UK) Ltd National Oilwell Varco UK Ltd Supergroup PLC Steinhoff UK Retail Ltd Sun Valley Foods Ltd Man Truck And Bus UK Ltd Cambria Automobiles PLC Synergy Health Ltd Libya Oil Ethiopia Ltd Hargreaves Lansdown PLC Simplyhealth Group Ltd Dick Lovett Companies Ltd Ecclesiastical Insurance Group PLC Combined Independents (Holdings) Ltd Masstock Arable (UK) Ltd OVO Group Ltd

28 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - TOP 150 THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

Location

County

Employees

Turnover (£K)

Profit (£K)

Bristol Swindon Bristol Swindon Gloucester Cirencester Swindon Swindon Swindon Bristol Weymouth Street Yeovil Malmesbury Swindon Chippenham Swindon Swindon Cirencester Gloucester Yeovil Bristol Cheltenham Bath Bristol Bristol Cirencester Bath Cheltenham Trowbridge Cheltenham Gloucester Swindon Wotton-U-Edge Bristol Stonehouse Cheltenham Cheltenham Hereford Swindon Swindon Swindon Bristol Bristol Andover Swindon Gloucester Andover Cheltenham Bristol

Avon Wiltshire Avon Wiltshire Gloucs Gloucs Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Avon Dorset Somerset Somerset Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Gloucs Gloucs Somerset Avon Gloucs Avon Avon Avon Gloucs Avon Gloucs Wiltshire Gloucs Gloucs Wiltshire Gloucs Avon Gloucs Gloucs Gloucs Heref Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Avon Avon Hampshire Wiltshire Gloucs Hampshire Gloucs Avon

33,900 2,330 8,737 1,070 5,873

13,697,000 4,498,000 3,932,000 3,692,365 3,103,000 3,015,000 2,276,490 1,988,448 1,808,500 1,620,000 1,528,800 1,492,300 1,247,561 1,215,500 1,161,000 1,107,400 1,067,970 908,000 885,556 838,740 835,569 810,726 678,277 594,739 582,136 581,226 551,895 546,800 538,000 526,415 519,635 518,838 512,390 494,720 493,975 492,839 486,600 470,167 466,283 452,617 450,148 408,824 401,348 395,137 384,800 357,479 352,551 350,785 338,585 317,444

1,520,000 20,800 184,000 111,722 1,044,000 158,000 57,734 1,054 43,100 673,000 -55,000 121,500 105,112 74,200 112,000 24,900 19,659 217,000 9,857 29,677 62,006 17,629 144,794 141,165 21,501 45,374 30,399 164,500 212,000 21,777 4,851 29,669 69,329 144,196 7,110 173,788 59,500 20,804 -2 -10,516 5,311 43,579 774 199,038 9,700 7,509 45,939 1,201 12,769 -37,336

163 3,315 4,378 6,414 20,073 16,134 3,098 57 14,391 15,340 5,300 837 12,965 6,656 1,393 4,797 3,224 4,951 355 191 2,244 723 3,009 958 522 3,811 1,576 1,932 2,352 2,509 2,201 747 1,024 5,617 134 910 1,759 556 1,225 63 616 475 WBG-E01-S2

THE TOP 150 2016 position (2015)

Company

51 (53) 52 (49) 53 (52) 54 (60) 55 (54) 56 (42) 57 (76) 58 (61) 59 (-) 60 (55) 61 (59) 62 (58) 63 (82) 64 (-) 65 (74) 66 (-) 67 (85) 68 (77) 69 (62) 70 (56) 71 (-) 72 (70) 73 (63) 74 (68) 75 (72) 76 (78) 77 (94) 78 (-) 79 (80) 80 (73) 81 (112) 82 (103) 83 (86) 84 (100) 85 (-) 86 (87) 87 (-) 88 (108) 89 (99) 90 (98) 91 (88) 92 (84) 93 (81) 94 (96) 95 (90) 96 (114) 97 (104) 98 (109) 99 (92) 100 (95)

Integral UK Holdings Ltd Refresco Gerber UK Ltd YEO Valley Group Ltd Redde PLC Ryder Ltd British Energy Direct Ltd Oasis Healthcare International Ltd Nisbets PLC KEY West (Holdings) Ltd Sanlam Life & Pensions UK Ltd Magners GB Ltd Centaur Services Ltd JB Global Ltd Aspire Defence Holdings Ltd Teleperformance Holdings Ltd Scottish Widows Unit Trust Managers Ltd Taylor Maxwell Group Ltd Resource Solutions Group PLC Tyco Electronics UK Ltd Sita Trust Ltd Vitacress Ltd Intercall Conferencing Services Ltd Cooper Tire & Rubber Co Europe Ltd Amcor Europe Group Management Jisc Arla Foods (Westbury) Ltd Rygor Holdings Ltd Heritage Automotive Ltd Bradford And Sons Ltd Mulberry Group PLC Happold LLP Kingspan Insulation Ltd DAC Beachcroft Services Ltd T. H. White Holdings Ltd Hochtief (UK) Construction Ltd Crown Pet Foods Ltd Sigma-Aldrich Co Ltd Blade Motor Group Ltd Wessex Garages Holdings Ltd Siniat Ltd Student Loans Co Ltd Wyman-Gordon Ltd Special Metals Wiggin Ltd Bristol Water PLC Ford Fuels Ltd International Plywood PLC Renrod Holdings Ltd Cotswold Motor Group Ltd Avon Rubber plc Seabank Power Ltd

Location

County

Employees

Turnover (£K)

Profit (£K)

Bristol Avon Bridgwater Somerset Bristol Avon Bath Avon Devizes Wiltshire Gloucester Gloucs Bristol Avon Bristol Avon Bristol Avon Bristol Avon Shepton Mallet Somerset Castle Cary Somerset Swindon Wiltshire Tidworth Hampshire Bristol Avon Andover Hampshire Bristol Avon Bristol Avon Swindon Wiltshire Wotton-Under-Edge Gloucs Andover Hampshire Gloucester Gloucs Melksham Wiltshire Bristol Avon Bristol Avon Westbury Wiltshire Westbury Wiltshire Salisbury Wiltshire Yeovil Somerset Radstock Avon Bath Avon Leominster Heref Bristol Avon Devizes Wiltshire Swindon Wiltshire Castle Cary Somerset Gillingham Dorset Gloucester Gloucs Bristol Avon Bristol Avon Bristol Avon Hereford Heref Hereford Heref Bristol Avon Bristol Avon Gloucester Gloucs Trowbridge Wiltshire Cheltenham Gloucs Melksham Wiltshire Bristol Avon

3,398 874 1,684 1,494 1,252 45 3,149 1,049 1,049 119 199 233 880 12 9,006

309,882 299,215 274,999 248,671 242,283 237,055 234,001 226,743 226,743 221,094 197,735 197,290 191,516 191,075 187,253 187,042 183,496 176,174 175,488 213,977 169,524 167,701 166,812 161,457 161,011 155,312 154,588 153,606 152,053 148,680 148,465 148,394 148,383 146,925 146,367 143,600 142,540 136,552 136,060 135,386 134,400 133,936 133,437 132,800 130,478 127,967 126,856 125,903 124,779 124,779

12,932 -14,976 3,428 24,345 10,493 13,798 -15,084 28,448 26,879 4,259 4,111 2,540 11,032 22,640 9,252 68,270 4,200 7,367 13,288 0 -960 41,586 9,715 5,329 25,028 6,248 829 552 2,251 1,861 13,251 16,120 3,693 4,835 2,012 20,465 17,151 1,364 2,032 20,220 -318 25,447 20,634 21,400 708 5,415 1,417 1,698 16,554 52,316

WBG-E01-S2

164 191 1,275 8 1,760 531 725 924 295 5 556 445 1,018 1,474 1,615 454 2,089 549 219 252 581 427 260 404 2,554 354 569 488 115 83 383 293 750 55

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - TOP 150 29

THE TOP 150 2016 position (2015)

Company

101 (97) 102 (91) 103 (132) 104 (-) 105 (101) 106 (106) 107 (107) 108 (117) 109 (133) 110 (113) 111 (131) 112 (147) 113 (64) 114 (-) 115 (129) 116 (121) 117 (124) 118 (127) 119 (122) 120 (-) 121 (123) 122 (126) 123 (125) 124 (136) 125 (120) 126 (111) 127 (118) 128 (-) 129 (149) 130 (-) 131 (135) 132 (-) 133 (146) 134 (116) 135 (130) 136 (-) 137 (145) 138 (139) 139 (-) 140 (137) 141 (116) 142 (141) 143 (138) 144 (-) 145 (143) 146 (140) 147 (144) 148 (-) 149 (150) 150 (-)

Computershare Investor Services PLC Tribal Group PLC Crown Timber Group PLC Foray Motor Group Ltd M And M Direct Ltd Project People Ltd Apetito Ltd Moog Wolverhampton Ltd Fish Brothers (Holdings) Ltd Outdoor And Cycle Concepts Ltd Severn Glocon Group PLC Yankee Candle Co (Europe) Ltd United Oilseeds Marketing Ltd Ecotricity Group Ltd Microsemi Semiconductor Ltd Hall & Woodhouse Ltd The Unite Group PLC Tata Technologies Europe Ltd Lyons Seafoods Ltd T5 Productions Ltd Jamie's Italian Ltd Howard Garages (Weston) Ltd Western Provident Association Ltd C.M. Downton (Haulage Contractors) Ltd Harding Brothers Holdings Ltd Stonegate Holdings Ltd Space Engineering Services Ltd Taylor Maxwell Timber Ltd Patheon UK Ltd IAN Williams (Holdings) Ltd Williamson-Dickie Europe Holdings Ltd Malvern Tyres Holdings Ltd Langdon Group Ltd DAS UK Holdings Ltd Bailey Caravans Ltd Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems (UK) Ltd Severn River Crossing PLC Oberthur Technologies UK Ltd Rehau Ltd Zycko Group Ltd DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Co Ltd Herman Miller Ltd Yuasa Battery Sales (UK) Ltd EW Beard (Holdings) Ltd Trelleborg Sealing Solutions UK Ltd Organic Milk Suppliers Co-Operative Ltd SPP Pumps Ltd A.J. And R.G.Barber Ltd Hills UK Ltd Gulliver's Truck Hire Ltd

30 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - TOP 150 THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

Location

County

Employees

Turnover (£K)

Profit (£K)

Bristol Bristol Cirencester Salisbury Leominster Bristol Trowbridge Tewkesbury Swindon Malmesbury Gloucester Bristol Devizes Stroud Bristol Blandford Bristol Bristol Warminster Cheltenham Bath Weston-s-Mare Taunton Gloucester Bristol Chippenham Bristol Bristol Swindon Bristol Radstock Gloucester Bridgwater Bristol Bristol Melksham Bristol Tewkesbury Ross-On-Wye Cirencester Bristol Chippenham Swindon Swindon Tewkesbury Weston-s-Mare Coleford Shepton Mallet Swindon Bristol

Avon Avon Gloucs Wiltshire Heref Avon Wiltshire Gloucs Wiltshire Wiltshire Gloucs Avon Wiltshire Gloucs Avon Dorset Avon Avon Wiltshire Gloucs Avon Avon Somerset Gloucs Avon Wiltshire Avon Avon Wiltshire Avon Avon Gloucs Somerset Avon Avon Wiltshire Avon Gloucs Heref Gloucs Avon Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Gloucs Avon Gloucs Somerset Wiltshire Avon

1,207 1,411 67 448 622 116 1,048 433 258 1,317 944 262 30 547 83 1,428 977 503 323 3 2,588 256 314 1,132 150 437 592 44 441 894 518 538 1,154 678 267 376 185 498 483 163 369 408 80 212 645 16 518 237 423 345

124,004 123,703 123,185 120,568 119,336 119,180 117,724 116,722 116,187 115,676 114,563 112,162 110,094 109,767 109,502 109,462 108,500 108,324 107,124 80,252 106,862 106,454 105,319 104,820 104,046 101,652 101,566 100,338 99,349 96,628 96,416 94,889 94,237 94,008 92,863 92,578 91,437 91,327 90,964 89,939 89,404 88,645 88,572 88,533 88,167 87,823 87,268 86,879 86,127 83,244

12,712 -6,266 6,254 427 9,017 1,005 19,397 13,769 2,129 5,233 16,281 3,149 1,468 3,392 8,703 7,761 108,400 14,283 4,845 -2,420 3,910 1,522 3,200 4,702 1,473 2,652 5,286 697 -314 4,922 3,955 1,041 4,235 1,919 3,114 4,529 29,862 -397 2,877 -189 4,294 4,739 2,377 2,350 16,111 5 5,219 5,848 6,219 6,895

WBG-E01-S2

Imperial force remains biggest player in West Richard Bache looks at how the West’s biggest 15 companies are standing at the start of 2016. Encouragingly it is a largely healthy outlook

Imperial Tobacco Location Bristol Turnover £13,697,000,000 Profit £1,520,000,000

Speaking after the financial penalties announced in December Simon Stacey, managing director, Domestic Markets, said: “The last few years, since we changed the systems that support our domestic business, have been very disappointing for our customers – and for npower.

“We are very sorry about what has happened and that is why we have agreed this significant package of customer redress. We’ve reduced complaints by nearly 70 per cent since the beginning of this year and as part of this package of measures with Ofgem, we have agreed targets for significant sustainable customer service improvement that everyone at npower is working tirelessly to achieve.”

1

This could be the last year FTSE 100 stalwart Imperial Tobacco tops the Western Daily Press Top 150. Not due to any likely drop in revenues, which are higher than the next three firms on the list combined, but because it is proposing to change its name.

A proposal will go to its AGM next week (February 3) to rename the company Imperial Brands.

Imperial made the announcement, with little fanfare, just before Christmas.

In a statement it said the new name “better reflects the dynamic, brand-focused business that we are now”.

Nevertheless it enters 2016 in a strong position on the back of a stellar 2015 of tobacco sales.

Its $7.1 billion acquisition of a number of American cigarette brands won the approval of US regulators in May. The South Bristol firm saw its market share jump from three to ten per cent in the United States, as it picked up brands off-loaded as part of the merger approval of US rivals Reynolds and Lorillard.

It strengthened its e-cigarette business, as the deal included the blu brand and it also acquired traditional brands such as Winston, Maverick and Kool.

Imperial delivered strong dividend growth to shareholders and chief executive Alison Cooper, one of only six FTSE 100 female CEOs, was rewarded with total annual remuneration of £3.58 million.

One potential cloud on the horizon for Imperial is the likely introduction of plain packaging in May. It – and other tobacco firms – launched legal action against the legislation in December, with Mr Justice Green due to give his decision this month.

npower Location Swindon Turnover £4,498,000,000 Profit £20,800,000

Airbus Location Bristol Turnover £3,932,000,000 Profit £184,000,000.

2

It was something of an annus horriblis for Swindon-based npower in 2015.

It was fined £26 million by Ofgem over longrunning billing and complaint-handling failures in December.

The saga had already cost it 300,000 customers and in its latest financial reports parent company RWE said it only retained other accounts by offering considerably better terms to customers.

Chief executive Paul Massara carried the can and left “by mutual consent” in August. He was replaced by chief operating officer Paul Coffey.

From top; Alison Cooper, chief executive of the West Country’s biggest company, Imperial Tobacco; Fabrice Brégier, CEO of Airbus, which has a strong presence in Filton and Paul Massara, who left npower in 2015

3

Airbus achieved a record number of aircraft deliveries in 2015.

The company – which employs 4,500 people at its Filton manufacturing site – announced its results this month.

Exceeding its targets for 2015, the company delivered 635 aircrafts for 85 customers – ten of whom are new.

It includes 491 A320 family aircraft, 103 A330s, 27 A380s, and 14 A350 XWBs. This production achievement means that Airbus’ aircraft deliveries in 2015 were up for the 13th year in a row, surpassing the previous yearend delivery record of 629 aircraft, set in 2014.

Fabrice Brégier, Airbus president and chief executive officer said: “This commercial and industrial performance unequivocally proves that global demand for our aircraft has remained resilient.

“In 2015 Airbus has also laid firm foundations for the future, increasing the capability and variety of the aircraft which we can offer to our customers.”

Airbus also achieved 1,036 net orders from 53 customers (of which eight are new), comprising 897 single-aisle aircraft and 139 widebodies.

At 2015 year-end the overall backlog had climbed to a new industry record of 6,787 aircraft valued at US$996.3 billion (£692 billion) at list prices.

The A320neo was certified by the aviation authorities on both sides of the Atlantic just five years after its launch, while Airbus delivered 14 A350s worldwide.

Likewise, parts are now in production for the first A330neo – with the machining of its first engine pylon and centre wing-box components.

There was also good news for the flagship A380, a decade after its first flight, with the programme breaking-even for the first time.

Important progress was also made on the A350 programme’s next variant, the A350-1000 – whose major components and structures are now taking shape across various production sites, including the one in Filton.

Last September, the company opened the first Airbus factory in the United States, at Mobile on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, where between 40 and 50 A320 Family aircraft will be produced annually by 2018.

The Filton site is responsible for the design of the wing structure, fuel systems and landing gear integration, while some manufacturing also WBG-E01-S2

takes place there, including the wing assembly for the ground-breaking A400M.

Intel Location Swindon Turnover £3,692,365,000 Profit £111,722,000

4

Chip-maker Intel is continuing to develop its suite of products to include wearable technology, drones and the ‘Internet of Things’.

It employs approximately 1,000 people in Swindon, its main site in the UK and one of the headquarters for its EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) sales region.

The Swindon site is homes to its sales and marketing team, which it says develops and deploys sound strategies to provide world-class sales and marketing support at the OEM, developer, and end-user levels.

Additionally, Swindon hosts many of its finance, HR, information technology, corporate relations, and other support functions.

The site in Swindon offers many of the staff perks the IT industry has become famous for, including a cafe with free fruit and drinks and onsite convenience services, including a cobbler, laundry, dry cleaning and film developing.

Globally Intel enjoyed record revenues north of $55 billion in its latest reporting period.

At this month’s CES in Las Vegas numerous products powered by Intel technology won awards, which should ensure a solid pipeline of products for the Swindon-based teams to introduce to the British market.

EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Ltd Location Gloucester Turnover £3,103,000,000 Profit £1,044,000,000

5

As its name suggests EDF Energy Nuclear Generation is concerned with the operation of the French giant’s existing fleet of UK nuclear power stations rather than the development of Hinkley Point C in Somerset.

The firm, which has its headquarters at Barnwood in Gloucester, quietly enjoyed a very respectable year, with profits of more than £1 billion for the second consecutive year.

The reported results, for the year to December 31, 2014, did indicate that profits and revenue dropped slightly, largely on the back of the statutory outages at Heysham and Hartlepool lasting longer than anticipated after issues with a boiler spine were found during the planned inspection.

The Gloucester-headquartered branch of EDF is though in fine shape and will no doubt be hoping for progress from its parent company with developing Hinkley Point C so that it can start generating power there in 2025.

St. James’s Place Location Cirencester Turnover £3,015,000,000 Profit £158,000,000

6

Cirencester-based the St. James’s Place Wealth Management Group is a FTSE 100 company that specialises in delivering face-to-face wealth management advice to individuals, trustees and businesses.

It reported last week that funds under management had increased in 2015 to £58.6 billion (2014: £52.0 billion) – up 13 per cent for the year.

David Bellamy, chief executive, commented: “Despite the continued volatility across global stock markets, our business continues to perform strongly. 2015 has been another strong year for St. James’s Place. We’ve achieved strong growth across all of the key aspects of the business and are well placed for 2016 and beyond”

CONTINUED PAGE 32

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - TOP 15 FOCUS 31

Industrial giants who power the West’s economic development CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

Allstar Business Solutions Location Swindon Turnover £2,276,490,000 Profit £57,734,000

7

Fuel card provider Allstar is the biggest such operation in the UK. It is part of American conglomerate Fleetcor – which bought it from fleet car giant Arval in 2011.

It is still based at Arval’s Swindon site and the two retain close business links.

Turnover was down by almost £400 million but it nevertheless grew pre-tax profits by more than £12 million.

Even in a climate where petrol prices are being slashed it is critical that businesses control these costs, which is where Allstar comes in.

Its fuel cards allow firms to purchase all their fuel through a central purchasing system by giving fuel cards to drivers to use at a variety of outlets across the UK and Allstar will ultimately send out a consolidated, HMRC approved VAT invoice. This eliminates the need to keep fuel receipts, makes fuel purchasing more secure and gives control over all fuel purchases.

Honda of the UK Manufacturing Location Swindon Turnover £1,988,448,000 Profit £1,054,000

8

The latest results filed by Swindon-based Honda reflected a difficult period in mainland Europe, where car sales have been tough.

On a turnover of nigh on £2 billion it barely made £1 million profit before tax in the year to March 31, 2015.

Honda has been in Swindon since 1986 and more than 2 million cars have rolled off the South Marston production lines since, plus at least that number of separate engines.

One milestone in 2015 was the mass production of the Civic Type R beginning and it remains to be seen whether Honda becomes a beneficiary of the emissions scandal that has engulfed rival manufacturer Volkswagen.

Connect Group Location Swindon Turnover £1,808,500,000 Profit £43,100,000

9

Click and collect parcels have been added to Connect’s wide portfolio of distribution services

in 2015 and is set to be a high-growth area for the Swindon-based business in 2016.

Its first two customers are among the biggest players in the UK parcel delivery market – Amazon and online fashion specialist Asos.

Among its other divisions is Smiths News – which almost certainly means that the newspaper that you are reading passed through its hands in the early hours of this morning.

It delivers more than 40 million newspapers and 14 million magazines to shops each week. The logistical challenge of delivering billions of newspapers and magazines every year is immense.

Few, if any, retail products are as perishable as a daily newspaper. Other operating divisions include books, education and care consumables.

A trading update earlier this month reported that the firm had enjoyed a strong Christmas period and will announce half-year results in April.

PPL UK Distribution Location Bristol Turnover £1,620,000,000 Profit £673,000,000

10

PPL, which owns Western Power, distributes electricity in the South West, South Wales, West Midlands and the East Midlands.

It distributes electricity to 7.8 million customers across a 55,300 square kilometre area, which spans the width of the country from Penzance on the tip of Cornwall all the way to Skegness on the North Sea, consists of 220,000km of overhead lines and underground cables, and 185,000 substations.

American parent company PPL (originally Pennsylvania Power and Light) has a global turnover in excess of $11 billion.

Avonmouth-based Western Power distributes electricity transmitted by the National Grid to homes and businesses, but does not directly sell to them. End users purchase electricity from various electricity suppliers.

The monopoly operator made profits of £673 million in the year to March 31, 2015 – at a healthy profit margin of 41.5%.

New Look Location Weymouth Turnover £1,528,800,000 Profit -£55,000,000

11

The high street staple, which was founded in Taunton in 1969, has its global headquarters in Weymouth.

A 90 per cent stake in the business was bought

by Brait, an investment vehicle of the South

32 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - TOP 15 FOCUS THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

Skilled staff at work in Honda of the UK Manufacturing’s engine plant at its UK WBG-E01-S2

African retail billionaire Christo Wiese, for £780 million in May 2015.

It has 570 stores in the UK and more than 800 in 21 countries around the globe.

It has particularly focussed its growth on China recently – aiming to have 85 stores there by the end of the financial year.

It presented its half-year results in November and reported revenue of £756 million, up by 5.9 per cent.

Profit before tax was up by almost 40 per cent at £39.5 million, boosted by its rapid e-commerce growth.

It has also placed more prominence on men’s clothing – including the launch of standalone menswear stores.

C&J Clark Location Street Turnover £1,492,300,000 Profit £121,500,000

12

The Somerset-based shoemaker finished 2015 with a boardroom shake-up.

Chief executive Melissa Potter and chief financial officer Robin Beacham both left suddenly in September.

No reason was given for their departure from the historic firm, which remains in the majority ownership of the founding Clark family.

Chairman Thomas O’Neill has taken an executive role until a new CEO is appointed, which as of mid-January had not happened.

Mr O’Neill’s background is with luxury goods firms such as Burberry, jeweller Harry Winston, Tiffany and LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy).

The latest financial reports for the Street shoe giant painted a mixed picture, with profits essentially flat on slightly reduced revenues in the year to January 31, 2015.

It blamed problems with a factory in Vietnam affecting production and difficult trading conditions in the key UK and US markets for a challenging trading year.

It appointed two non-executive directors (Walker Boyd and Lucien Alziari) earlier this month to strengthen the board, but the hunt for a new chief executive goes on.

AgustaWestland Location Yeovil Turnover £1,247,561,000 Profit £105,112,000

increasing the size of its North Wiltshire headquarters.

It acquired US battery technology firm Sakti3 in its biggest acquisition of the year.

That acquisition sparked suggestions that it could potentially join the electric car industry.

Owner Sir James Dyson was in the news in 2015 with a public spat with German rivals Bosch and Siemens over claims about vacuum cleaner efficiency.

A £12 million investment for the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College London continued his quest for Britain to train more engineers.

WH Smith Location Swindon Turnover £1,161,000,000 Profit £112,000,000

15

Swindon-based retailer WH Smith was back in the black in 2015 – thanks to the craze for adult colouring books.

The high street company hailed the new craze for “colour therapy” sweeping the UK as it posted a rise in annual profits.

The magazines and stationery business said demand for adult colouring books drove sales of its non-fiction books in stores, particularly in the past six months, with the trend capturing the imagination of those looking to de-stress and spend time away from looking at mobile phones and screens.

It posted an 8 per cent lift in annual pre-tax profits to £121 million as cost savings helped offset falling sales in its high street chain, while the group’s travel-based arm was once again the star performer with a 10 per cent hike in earnings.

In 2016 it, like many other retailers, faces the challenge of preparing for the introduction on the new national living wage.

WH Smith, which has a heritage dating back more than 200 years, has had a head office in Swindon since 1967, when its books and stationery department moved to Wiltshire. Its first overseas branch opened in Paris in 1949.

13

The Yeovil-based helicopter firm is another to undertake a corporate rebrand, entering 2016 fully under the guise of its Italian parent company Finmeccanica.

For 100 years Westland has been synonymous with aircraft manufacturing in Yeovil and was a major employer in Weston-super-Mare for almost 50 years. Explaining the move, Finmeccanica said it was moving towards a “one company” operation and would consolidate all its subsidiaries beneath one united name.

The move came after AgustaWestland marked its centenary in 2015.

In its latest financial reports, to the year ending December 31, 2014, it reported increased turnover of £1.25 billion.

The total number of helicopter deliveries in 2014 was 39, with it benefiting from an accelerated rollout of the Wildcat to the Royal Navy and Army.

It has more than £4 billion of orders confirmed in the pipeline and despite the change of name it appears to be business as usual at Yeovil.

Dyson Exchange Ltd Location Malmesbury Turnover £1,215,500,000 Profit £74,200,000

headquarters in South Marston, on the outskirts of Swindon

14

Wiltshire-based Dyson is continuing to expand its range of high-tech products above and beyond the vacuum cleaners with which it made its name.

The firm, which employs thousands of engineers and designers at Malmesbury, is investing in WBG-E01-S2

Sir James Dyson enjoyed another stellar year

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - TOP 15 FOCUS 33

Rich Clothier, who represents the South West on the council committee of the Confederation of British Industry and is managing director of Wyke Farms cheese producer, says the South West resembles the

Time for South West to get out Tina Rowe looks at what the future holds for businesses across the South West in 2016, a year which presents numerous challenges but which should also provide a number of opportunities Broadband and mobile phone coverage, bovine TB, farm commodity prices, the strong pound, and access to enough skilled labour are among the challenges for rural businesses in 2016.

The one challenge on which every business leader is campaigning is infrastructure.

Rich Clothier, who represents the South West on the council committee of the Confederation of British Industry and is managing director of Wyke Farms cheese producer, said baldly: “In some areas we are in the Third World. Rural areas have really lagged behind in data communication.

“We want to grow infrastructure which means

mobile, broadband, proper roads that don’t get congested in the summer. For business like ourselves that run road tankers and delivery vehicles they may only be able to achieve one trip instead of three when roads are congested.

“It’s not as bad for us but businesses want to move as many loads a day as they can and if you spend three hours driving to one delivery or pickup point that makes a huge difference. Some lorries are losing days and days, and I know people who drive 50 miles a day because they can’t get a broadband signal where they are based.

“The electricity grid in some areas is also woeful, for businesses trying to grow, and for farm businesses who want to put solar power on the grid.

“We have to get those MPs who support us in the region to get some investment to get us out of the Third World and into the competitive first world.

34 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - RURAL ECONOMY THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

Dale Edwards, chief executive of Somerset Chamber of Commerce, says there should be job opportunities

“The south west is a hotbed of food and drink, which is where my specialities lie, but there are a number of things that food and drink manufacturers will find challenging in 2016 , among them the availability of the right skill sets, on which we have to lobby government.

“There are also parts of fiscal policy that will be very important. The pound is very strong against the euro which makes exporting quite a challenge. A lot of businesses in the south west rely on exports. We don’t want to see fiscal measures create a strong currency and damage exports.

“Going further forward there is the euro vote, which is a concern to businesses like mine exporting quite a lot into Europe. There will be a lot more discussion on it this year. The CBI position is it supports staying in, albeit with some legislative reform.

“We would like to see more legislation on point of origin for food products. The horse meat scanWBG-E01-S2

Third World is some aspects of its infrastructure

of the ‘Third World’ dal has shown that people want to know where products come from and that’s something I have been lobbying the government very strongly about. If people want to support British dairy farms people need to identify where things come from.

“Potentially the vote could be quite close as we get close and some emotional and emotive issues are raised. As a manufacturer we have mixed views on immigration. It is very positive for the food industry that skilled people have come in from eastern Europe . It’s important to get the balance right because if the economy is growing we need availability of skilled labour to grow businesses and services within the UK. Potentially there is an awful lot of instability over the next two years. My worry is that the vote could come down to emotional gut feelings. If we do come out there will be some bitterness on the part of our European partners.

“But British brands are very much respected overseas and we have huge potential in the south west with strong independent businesses.”

For 170 people in West Somerset, 2015 ended with the misery of job loss with the closure of Watchet paper mill, which had a proud history stretching back 250 years.

Dale Edwards, chief executive of Somerset Chamber of Commerce, said: “It is a significant blow for the local economy.

“However, with a number of local infrastructure projects on the horizon, most notably the building of Hinkley Point C, there will be many opportunities for the workforce. In addition it is encouraging that the Chancellor of the Exchequer stated in his Autumn Statement that the South West has the highest employed rate in the country.”

Hinkley C will be the largest construction project in Europe, and after featuring in business WBG-E01-S2

The NFU’s Meurig Raymond says TB continues to wreak total human misery for farmers

start-of-the-year reviews for years, spring 2016 looks at last to be its start time. It will bring thousands of jobs and boosts for many Somerset and West Country businesses.

Transport for Hinkley construction workers will be well organised, but for other workers bus service reviews are a worry.

Mr Edwards said: “Many bus routes across the county and further afield are under review, with some facing closure or reduced service due to lack of demand.

“In rural areas this can be challenging due to the lack of alternative transport solutions and the Chamber believes that a comprehensive transport infrastructure provides a boost for many different industries across Somerset, particularly tourism, making it easier for visitors and locals to get to and from the county.”

The Chamber has lobbied for many years for investment in the Somerset and South West infrastructure, in particular upgrades to the A303/ A358 and rail connectivity.

Mr Edwards said: “Recent positive announcements to upgrade all remaining sections of the A303 between the M3 and the A358 to dual carriageway standard, together with a new dual carriageway link from the M5 at Taunton to the A303 is part of the long-term commitment to creating a new Expressway to the South West.

“This will aid productivity and make Somerset a more attractive place to invest and re-locate to.”

And he added: “The Chamber throughout 2016 will continue to push for even greater coverage of superfast broadband as this is critical for inward investment and the perceived attractiveness of Somerset as a business destination.”

Overall, he said: “Business owners from a variety of sectors are cautiously optimistic about 2016 and many have the similar challenge of recruiting the talent for the future to exploit opportunities. Somerset Chamber is helping with this by working in collaboration bringing together local education providers and businesses to bridge the gap between school and the workplace.

“In addition there are 500,000 business in the UK which will need to introduce pension schemes through auto enrolment. It is essential that sufficient planning in terms of process, procedures and budgeting need to be addressed in good time, with the Chamber organising advice sessions to help.”

Farmers suffered a rough year in 2015. Not only were dairy farmers hit by the plunging price of milk, but wheat, beef and lamb prices were also hit, and bovine TB continues, in NFU President Meurig Raymond’s words, to wreak “total human misery for farmers and their businesses”.

The NFU remains dedicated to stopping the spread of the disease and to ultimately eradicating it. The controversial badger culls are a vital part of the government’s 25-year TB eradication strategy, and Mr Raymond has said the “success” of last year’s operations “shows we are moving in the right direction”.

Farm holidays, from B&B to glamping, are an important part of the West Country’s tourist economy. In Somerset alone tourism adds £1.3 billion to the economy and accounts for 34,000 jobs. While good weather is of great importance businesses are increasingly innovative, and working more and more with county tourism organisations to ensure visitors are aware of the region’s great strengths and attractions.

Even people on holiday usually want to stay connected to the ‘outside world’ and John Mortimer, South West Director of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), also stressed “the vital importance of communications infrastructure”.

“We will continue our work to make sure that the Government not only recognises but also delivers on pledges on rural broadband,” he said.

The CLA is also stressing that the first port of call for information and advice on business grant schemes changes in 2016. Local Enterprise Partnerships are taking over responsibility for business support via their Growth Hubs, and information and advice will not simply be from a central government website.

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - RURAL ECONOMY 35

Brexit is a key issue in 2016 band where no cable or copper wire solution is available. But it is a sticking plaster, a short-term solution. The Government has now accepted our argument that there should be a Universal Service Obligation for broadband – a major victory for the CLA – but the fight is not over yet and throughout 2016 we will continue to press for improvements and speedier roll out.

Housing will also feature at the forefront of our campaigns in the coming year. There is a clear need for more affordable housing in rural areas and our message will be that there needs to be proper recognition of – and support for – the role traditional private landlords play in the rural housing market. The waters around the provision and management of housing in rural areas are far from clear – but what is clear is our vision for the future and we believe our members have a vital role to play in delivering future housing.

As winter turns into spring, the CLA will be at the major agricultural shows where we’re always available to discuss the key issues of the day and to advise on land and property related issues – come and look us up.

2016 will be a challenging year, writes John Mortimer South West Director of the CLA

These are certainly challenging times for farming even without the uncertainty which hangs over our future in Europe – a subject sure to be high on everybody’s agenda in the year ahead.

The CLA is an apolitical organisation so we don’t take a particular standpoint and we don’t get involved in the emotive issues. Our role in the debate over Europe is to remain balanced, analysing the pros and cons of the situation as it unfolds.

What we will do is apply intellectual rigour to the arguments in order to ensure that the industry is as well informed as it can be about the options and their various implications.

In the months ahead we will publish an analysis of the contribution EU funding makes not just to agriculture but to the whole rural economy – and we will illustrate the additional value that flows from that initial funding both for businesses and for the environment and, indeed, the threats which would be exposed should that funding be withdrawn.

We will be relentless in pursuing protagonists and politicians to provide clear answers to the question of how they would replace existing levels of financial support should the issue of an exit from Europe arise.

Ultimately, of course, the decision is an individual one and our role will be to ensure that our members are kept well informed.

Prosperity underlines one of the themes we will be supporting throughout 2016, backing up the efforts of our new President, Ross Murray, in explaining the importance of rural businesses to MPs, ministers and the Government as a whole.

We want to create a better understanding of the true value of the rural economy and show how managing the land is also an active business involving risk and investment.

Rural businesses take the long view, managing and investing across generations while remaining relevant and innovative and making a major contribution to the economy.

We will be working hard throughout this coming year to encourage all levels of government to stimulate the best possible environment in which these business can operate and flourish – and to be passed on to the next generation.

Rural businesses operate under different conditions to their urban counterparts – fighting the lack of broadband and mobile telephone connectivity yet still having to compete within the same market place and we will continue to emphasise that fact to ministers.

For farmers, commodity prices have been dire throughout 2015 and that will have had a knockon effect on the wider agricultural sector and its ancillary industries.

We shall be looking forward to, and certainly hoping for, major improvements in commodity prices during 2016.

For the livestock sector, we need to remain determined to tackle animal disease, particularly bovineTB and we shall take every opportunity to emphasise our support for all the government’s measures – including culling and the roll out, which I expect to begin to show significant results in 2016 in terms of breakdown reductions in the areas subject to culling so far.

There was, of course, welcome news at the end of the year for those unable to receive broadband with a so-called end of the line solution.

The CLA has fought hard for this minimum level of service now provided under a voucher system enabling people to opt for satellite broad-

High-tech agriculture

John Mortimer, South West Director of the CLA, pictured top, says the rural economy is vital to Britain’s prosperity. The CLA will be at events like the Royal Bath and West Show this summer

36 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - RURAL ECONOMY THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

A project to cultivate a silicon valley of agricultural technology appears to be on fertile ground in Gloucestershire, with the first shoots expected this year.

The Royal Agricultural University is the driving force behind the exciting Farm 491 project, into which GFirst LEP has ploughed £2.9m of funding to bring the best in the sector to Cirencester.

It is expected the investment will give rise to a new Rural and Agri-Tech Innovation Centre on the university’s campus providing a home to 40 start-up businesses which will focus on making agriculture more efficient, high-yielding and cost-effective.

David Owen, chief executive of GFirst LEP, said: “Almost £3million of funding was successfully secured by the Royal Agricultural University after bidding for funds in the Gloucestershire Growth Deal last year, to build the pioneering Rural and Agri-Tech Innovation Centre.

“The innovative project will give Gloucestershire’s start-up businesses great opportunities for business growth with access to the RAU’s enviable support and knowledge base, as well as a vibrant working environment with the potential to benefit the wider land-based sector.”

Farm 491 will give start-up agricultural businesses 491 acres of land to test their innovations and, significantly, access to the university’s professors and resources which will work together to turn the ideas into viable businesses.

Building work on the project – currently in the design phase – could begin as early as spring. The project will also work with a farm-based campus at Harnhill.

The university learned the news of the funding earlier in the year when the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) confirmed an additional £15 million funding for Gloucestershire, through the GFirst LEP, adding to the £62.5 million investment confirmed in July 2014.

The university was one of six projects in the county to receive extra investment as a result. In total the RAU will receive £2.92 million to support agri-tech business and start-ups and promote innovation.

RAU principal Professor Chris Gaskell said: “The Royal Agricultural University is very pleased to be part of the growth of Gloucestershire through involvement with the LEP.” WBG-E01-S2

Are you aware of all the tax allowances available to you?

Initial consultation free and without obligation.

Exeter Melksham Wells Yeovil

01392 214635 01225 701210 01749 343366 01935 426181

www.oldmillgroup.co.uk

WBG-E01-S2

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - RURAL ECONOMY 37

Fashion industry is a vital cog in West Country business world It is difficult to predict what the future holds for the fickle fashion industry, but as Richard Bache reports the West Country is blessed by a number of iconic brand names which are sure to punch above their weight Few industries experience anything remotely like the annual upheaval with which the fashion sector has to contend.

One minute a brand can be the darling of the catwalk, the next minute it is out of vogue.

Business plans are measured in seasons and remaining relevant year after year is a continual battle.

Next month sees the long-awaited return of Somerset’s Mulberry to the London Fashion Week catwalks.

And 2016 is poised to be a crucial year for the Chilcompton-based luxury goods giant as it continues its revival.

Its 600 staff at its two Somerset factories – at HQ in Chilcompton and at Bridgwater – are feverishly preparing for its first collection under new creative director Johnny Coca.

It has been absent from the capital’s catwalks since the departure of previous creative director Emma Hill in 2013.

It has struggled in recent years in the wake of boss Bruno Guillon’s ill-fated attempt to take the handbag brand into the ultra-luxury category.

So the eyes of the fashion world will be on it on Sunday, February 21, when Mr Coca’s range for Autumn/Winter 2016 are revealed.

The latest financial figures reported by Mulberry showed that 2015 saw continuing signs of a turnaround from the nadir of 2014.

Total revenue for the six-month period to September 30, 2015, was £67.8 million, up 5 per cent from £64.7 million for the same period in 2014, reflecting growth in retail sales which was partially offset by the decline in wholesale sales.

Thierry Andretta, chief executive officer, said: “Our strategy is beginning to deliver tangible results in line with our expectations.

“We look forward to Johnny Coca’s first Mulberry collection which will emphasise our Britishness and our heritage in leather, while delivering great quality within our targeted price range.

“We remain committed to our UK manufacturing base, which produces about 50 per cent of our handbags. We are excited about the future and look forward to the Mulberry brand fulfilling its potential both in the UK and internationally.”

Mr Coca joined Mulberry last July and has been working closely with the design and product development teams to prepare the AW16 collection.

After its London debut the ranges will hit the shops during June this year.

December’s trading update added that Mulberry has continued to invest in its Somerset factories.

The firm said it had achieved significant improvements in efficiency over the past 12 months.

It is working at full capacity, deliver on time and produce 50 per cent of the firm’s handbags.

Mulberry is not the only West Country fashion firm visible on the catwalks, though.

Cheltenham-based SuperGroup enjoyed a stellar 2015 on the high street and in the City, with investors toasting a doubling of its share price.

A high-profile collaboration on a premium range with Hollywood star Idris Elba is expected to pay a financial dividend in 2016.

Mr Elba – who rose to prominence playing the ultra-savvy businessman/Baltimore drug lord Stringer Bell in The Wire (surely the only drugdealer in TV history with Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations on his bookshelf) – received an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list, is touted as a future James Bond and is widely considered one of the coolest men in Britain.

Not a bad celebrity collaborator for the Superdry brand then.

In November SuperGroup reported strong growth and increased profits for the six months to October 24.

Revenue was up 22.3 per cent to £254.7 million and profit before tax up 54.4 per cent to £19.3 million.

Chief executive Euan Sutherland said: “SuperGroup has made good progress in realising its strategic objectives in the first half and has delivered profitable growth, while continuing to invest in the business.

“Central to this is the ongoing process to get ever closer to our customers who clearly appreciate the product innovation that is widening the Superdry offer.

“With a successful first half completed, the business is well placed for the significant peak trading period.

“While comparatives in the second half are more challenging, the development of Superdry into a global lifestyle brand is proceeding with pace and this, together with the strength of our product offer and increasing efficiency, will enable us to deliver long-term sustainable growth.”

It marked a very solid first year in the job for Mr Sutherland, the former chief executive of the CoOp group. He was appointed in October 2014 with Julian Dunkerton, who famously grew the firm into an international success story from a Cheltenham market stall, moving from chief executive to the newly-created role of product and brand director.

38 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - FASHION THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

The Mulberry operation in action at its Chilcompton factory, producing high-class WBG-E01-S2

The move came on the back of SuperGroup suffering a shares-crisis in 2014 after a series of accountancy and stock issues unnerved investors.

But it is very much back on an even keel today and with further retail expansion on the cards it is expected to be a star performer in 2016.

Few people would probably be able to put their hand up to answer the question of what connected the Duchess of Cornwall, James Bond-star Daniel Craig as 007 and Joan Collins in 2015.

The answer is that all three were among those to put their hands inside gloves manufactured by the historic Wiltshire firm Dent’s.

The Warminster firm, which has been making gloves since 1777, proved it remains the glovemaker of choice for the discerning consumer.

Mr Craig sported the Fleming range of driving gloves in hit film Spectre, Dame Joan was photographed wearing a pair of white satin Dent’s gloves alongside William Shatner at a Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, and Camilla enjoyed a royal visit to Warminster to learn about the glovemaking process.

The tie-in with Spectre apparently saw the Fleming range prove a very popular Christmas present.

But a note to its latest accounts, which reported a profit of £301,946, said that a second consecutive mild winter would hit UK profits.

It does, however, export to more than 40 countries and exhibited its gloves at major trade shows in Melbourne and Florence among others.

The value of the fashion industry to the West Country and Britain in general is immense.

A report by Oxford Economics in 2014 stated

“

We have been delighted with the initial performance of our men’s standalone stores

”

goods that appear on catwalks across the world

that it is worth in excess of £26 billion to the UK economy. It also employs about 800,000 people.

One of the biggest players based in the West Country is New Look.

The high street staple, which was founded in Taunton in 1969, has its global headquarters in Weymouth.

A 90 per cent stake in the business was bought

by Brait, an investment vehicle of the South African retail billionaire Christo Wiese, for £780 million in May 2015.

It has 570 stores in the UK and more than 800 in 21 countries around the globe.

It has particularly focused its growth on China recently, aiming to have 85 stores there by the end of the financial year.

It presented its half-year results in November and reported revenue of £756 million, up by 5.9 per cent.

Profit before tax was up by almost 40 per cent at £39.5 million, boosted by its rapid e-commerce growth.

It has also placed more prominence on men’s clothing – including the launch of standalone menswear stores.

Anders Kristiansen, chief executive, said: “These excellent results show the strength of the New Look offer and the strategic progress we have made in our product, stores and website.

“We have also seen a positive reaction to our Autumn/Winter collection and we have been delighted with the initial performance of our men’s standalone stores.”

In the fickle world of fashion there are few certainties, but it a safe bet that the creative talents working in the volatile sector in the West will continue to punch above their weight – be that catwalk couture or a hoody on the high street.

WBG-E01-S2

Top, a high-profile collaboration on a premium range with Hollywood star Idris Elba – widely seen as one of the coolest men in Britain – is expected to pay a financial dividend in 2016 for the SuperGroup brand.

Bottom, the Duchess of Cornwall enjoyed a royal visit to Dent’s at Warminster to learn about the glovemaking process

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - FASHION 39

Made in the West – A to Z of a Richard Bache selects an A to Z of products manufactured in the West Country. The breadth of items chosen highlights just how incredibly diverse the region’s manufacturing sector really is

E

J

Exmoor caviar – Produced in the Exmoor National Park the delicacy, traditionally from the Caspian Sea, is finding its way onto some of Britain’s top tables.

Jet-powered cars – The Bloodhound SSC continues its journey towards the land-speed record this year. The care has been developed in Bristol and is powered by both a jet engine and a rocket.

Fake snow – Snow Business in Stroud is a world leader in snow and winter effects. It provides artificial snow for films, adverts and events.

Knobs – The famous Dorset Knob biscuits have been produced by the Moore family since 1880 in Morecombelake, near Bridport. It has inspired the annual Dorset Knob Throwing competition.

F

A

Agricultural parts – One of the many arms of Wiltshire-based TH White Group. The business was formed in Devizes in 1832 and the chances are that if you do business in the countryside, you’ve done business with TH White.

B

Billiard table cloth – Stroud-based WSP Textiles makes what is widely considered the world’s best cloth for billiard and snooker tables. It also makes the cloth for leading tennis ball brands

C

Chickens – Cargill processes more than 1.6 million chickens per week at one of its two Hereford plants. Some enter the food supply chain directly and others go to its other Hereford plant to be battered, breaded or otherwise prepared.

D

Dental instruments – Gloucester-based Prima Dental equip dentists the world over with drills. It manufactures more than 20 million per year.

K

G

L

Green Energy – Gloucestershire-based Ecotricity is one of Britain’s biggest operators of wind turbines and has pioneered electric car charge points at motorway service stations

Liquid joy – Bristol is twinned with Bordeaux, but few people know that a factory in Avonmouth has the capacity to bottle as much wine as the fabled French wine region produces each year.

Accolade Park produces an astonishing 1,200 bottles of wine per minute, which equates to 20 bottles per second or 1.7 million per day. Some 92 per cent of the wine sold by Accolade, one of the biggest importers in the UK, is shipped in bulk (largely from the southern hemisphere) and bottled at Avonmouth.

H

Hands – Bristol-based Open Bionics is revolutionising the prosthetic hand market, slashing the cost for users. And last year it signed a deal with Disney that means child amputees or those born without hands can be the coolest kids in class, thanks to branded hands in the form of Marvel, Frozen and Star Wars characters.

I

Inn signs – The Wadworth brewery in Devizes is thought to be the last in England to retain an inhouse team of pub sign painters. The work of the talented artists can be seen outside fine pubs across the West Country – or Wadworthshire as the brewery dubs it...

Championing Engineering and Manufacturing in the South West Headquartered in the South West, Hunter Selection is a leading UK engineering and manufacturing recruitment consultancy.

M

The finest quality snooker and billiard table cloth is manufactured in Stroud in Gloucestershire by WSP Textiles

Motor-homes – Bristol-based Bailey Caravans has been one of the leading manufacturers of caravans in Britain since being founded in the late 1940s. The Ashton firm has expanded into motor-homes and continues to grow the number of markets it serves

Specialist knowledge that powers industry Design | Production | Quality | Maintenance | Projects Service | Planning | Test | Graduates Bristol • Cardiff • Coventry • Stafford

Our consultants specialise in finding skilled engineers, manufacturing & production professionals and technical specialists.

Delivering the level of service and professional processes normally associated with executive selection, we offer a ‘fee on success only’ approach to the recruitment of manufacturing & engineering personnel.

We care passionately about the manufacturing sector and are active supporters of local and national STEM and apprenticeship initiatives.

The Bristol Post and Western Daily Press have always been great advocates for the region’s engineering and manufacturing businesses and we are pleased to be supporting the Western Daily Press Business Guide 2016.

To find out more about how our industry-leading approach can support your business, please contact Nick Stovold, Regional Director Call 01275 371981 or email nicks@hunterselection.co.uk or visit hunterselection.co.uk

40 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - MANUFACTURING THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

WBG-E01-S2

manufacturing giant

Jon Marchant , a director at Bristol-based Mazars, analyses the vital trends affecting manufacturers

N Nomad – The Ariel Nomad is a 125 miles per hour dune buggy. The Crewkerne-built vehicle is one of the craziest and most fun driving machines ever assembled.

The South West is home to many manufacturers who have consistently delivered high-quality, innovative products manufactured to exacting standards.

This is a real strength and will help the region through any uncertainty created by worries over the impact of a faltering Chinese economy.

Those who focus on being leaders in their area and in driving continuous improvement through their processes and products will continue to thrive even if global demand falters.

The challenge for employers will be to continue to source and retain a quality workforce that can consistently deliver high quality and value to their customers.

At the end of 2015, the South West had the joint lowest unemployment rate of 3.9 per cent (the UK average was 5.3 per cent). The workforce simply does not have the capacity to fuel significant growth on its own, and that means manufacturers will have to innovate to increase productivity and compete to attract the skilled workers that they will need.

The sector has already taken positive steps. In September 2015, Weston College announced a new apprenticeship programme with GKN Aerospace, taking advantage of its new £1.5m training centre.

UWE offers degree packages for Airbus training programmes and initiatives such as the Bloodhound project and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory inspire the next generation of engineers to feed existing and future manufacturing businesses in the region. Much is therefore being done to develop a skilled workforce.

The challenge in 2016 is to engage, inspire and retain the staff that will fuel the growth, and to invest in technology and equipment that will drive up productivity. Meeting these challenges will be critical to success and both will require investment. However, retention of staff is not just about paying more. The modern workforce need to understand how their work and contribution adds value not just to shareholders, but to society and to their own career.

Remuneration is still an important element of job satisfaction and at Mazars we work with businesses to create employment packages that include performance related bonuses, share option schemes, flexible benefits (such as buying and selling holidays) and pension schemes.

We call our approach “Total Reward” because the employee receives a statement listing the full value of the package they receive. This helps tie in staff in periods of wage inflation, and when coupled with an effective appraisal and development process, can help employees understand how their engagement and performance can produce success for both the business and them personally.

We also support businesses who are investing in new technology or machinery by ensuring that appropriate funding is acquired and tax reducing capital allowance claims are maximised. We often meet businesses who invest significantly in designing innovative processes and products but do not consider claiming research and development tax credits and patent box relief. Innovation fuels productivity and the value of tax reliefs which encourage this should not be ignored.

We believe that the future is bright for those manufacturers in the South West who can increase productivity by investing in innovative process and by motivating and retaining staff.

O

Oscar-nominated films – Shaun the Sheep Movie and Prologue are two Bristol-created animated films up for Oscars next month

P

Pendulums. Weston-super-Mare’s Wessex Precision Instruments is a leading light in the road safety field. Its pendulums are used to test the skid resistance of road surface materials and as part of accident investigations.

Q

Quinoa – The trendy grain, renowned for its health properties, is now being grown in the West Country. It is gluten-free and becoming an increasingly mainstream ingredient. Corston Fields Farm, near Bath, produced its first commercial crop in 2015 and will later in 2016 start selling a branded version.

R

Ready meals – Trowbridge-based Apetito make and deliver millions of meals, snacks and desserts to homes and care homes

S

Seafood – Lyons Seafood is based, bizarrely, at Warminster and deliciously, in nearby Codford, despite both being approximately 50 miles from the sea. It processes and stores seafood for the nation’s kitchens there.

T

Train components – Knorr-Bremse in Melksham is a specialist in all manner of components on trains – including windscreen wipers, internal doors and hydraulic systems.

U

UPVC – Ross-on-Wye-based Rehau specialises in manufacturing windows and doors. It traces its history back to making components for Volkswagen Beetles in Bavaria.

V

Vet supplies – Castle Cary-based Centaur Services provides the full range of supplies required by a busy veterinary practice.

W

Whale documentaries – Big Blue Live was one of the flagship wildlife shows of 2015 produced by the BBC’s Natural History Unit, which is based in Bristol

X

Xenon-gas treatment – The pioneering medical technique was developed in Bristol. It is used as part of a therapy to cool the brain of newborn babies suffering from oxygen deficiencies.

Y

Yurts – Backwell-based Woodland Yurts has been making yurts for more than 20 years. It takes inspiration from the yurts of Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan and individually hand-crafts them in North Somerset.

Z

Zinc bars and counters – Hambrook-based Copper and Zinc Fabrication Company is among the firms manufacturing and fitting zinc surfaces, first made popular in Paris and written about by Hemingway.

JON MARCHANT

This splendid painting of the Dandy Lion pub in Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire is one of the ones crafted by the sign-making team at Devizes-based brewery Wadworth. It is thought to be the last major brewery in England to employ an in-house team of artists to paint its pub signs.

WBG-E01-S2

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - MANUFACTURING 41

Star Wars crowns a stellar year for the West’s film production sector The West Country is at the heart of a host of film locations, from Hollywood blockbusters to UK terrestrial TV series. And, as Richard Bache reports, the business they bring in is set to continue throughout the coming year and beyond “And the Oscar for the best location in the country to film movies in 2015 goes to... the West Country”.

It is no exaggeration to say that 2015 was a stellar year for the West Country’s burgeoning film and television industry.

Tens of millions of people at cinemas across the globe have – whether they are aware of it or not – seen the spectacular scenery of Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire while watching box office sensation Star Wars – The Force Awakens.

And it has sparked a tourism bonanza for the ancient forest that could last for years.

It has already seen fans of the franchise flock to the area to see the locations used for the latest film.

Some fans are even dressing up as stormtroopers to walk in Puzzlewood.

During late December visitor numbers were said to be double the average for that time of year, with some hotels and B&Bs claiming they were struggling to meet demand.

The creators of the blockbuster have praised the moss-covered woodland which many say provided JRR Tolkien with the inspiration for the forests of Middle Earth.

Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism have released a guide for those looking for the Luke Skywalker experience.

The organisation believes the film will bring £50 million to the local economy, which has also benefited from being a filming location for Doctor Who, Merlin and Atlantis, over the next five years.

Consultancy Olsberg estimates that “screen tourism” was worth as much as £140 million to the UK last year. Figures just released by Creative England, the body funded by the British Film Institute to help companies find locations, show that in 2015 it supported more than 1,100 film and television projects, a record for the third successive year.

“The number of inquiries this year is up by 40 per cent,” said Caroline Norbury, chief executive of Creative England, which calculates that this year production companies spent almost £100 million in local economies outside London.

“Our main issue has been trying to absorb it all.”

Britain is becoming an increasingly favourite location for film crews.

While many of the films were shot by the big US

studios, interest has started to come from further afield, including Bollywood.

Now television drama looks set to be the biggest winner as Netflix and HBO try to cut the minimum £1 million an hour production costs they face stateside.

“We’ve seen an influx of people looking to shoot in the UK,” Ms Norbury said.

“They’re coming because we’ve got brilliant locations and the tax credits, but also because we’ve got a great skills base. It’s a place where people want to come; they enjoy filming here and they think they get a really good deal.”

Antony House in Cornwall saw summer visitor numbers increase from 25,000 to almost 100,000 after the success of Alice in Wonderland in 2010.

Chavenage House in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, saw a surge after being used to film Poldark and the Cotswolds hamlet of Bampton attracted some £2.7 million from day trippers keen to see the reallife setting of Julian Fellowes’ epic saga Downton Abbey.

Dorset’s West Bay has benefited from its location for child murder drama Broadchurch. Other countries such as Canada are also keen to lure productions and there are fears producers will look elsewhere.

But Ms Norbury said: “Harry Potter sustained us for ten years and that has given people plenty of time to develop the next new franchise.

“And, besides, we’ve got lots more Star Wars to come.”

One of the least likely names to feature on the credits for the latest Star Wars film was Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.

But the tax breaks given to film studios has been credited with a resurgence in Britain being used a filming location.

Tourism is, though, far from the only beneficiary when Hollywood comes to town.

There is an increasing demand for a myriad technical production skills needed to create any film or television show.

The Bottle Yard Studios in South Bristol have played host to dozens of major productions in the past five years and the demand for its production spaces has helped attract more than a dozen ancillary filming businesses to its site.

It is based at the former Harvey’s Cream sherry plant at Whitchurch, on a site that was owned by the South West Regional Development Agency.

Businesses ranging from a BBC post-production subsidiary, to a chauffeur firm specialising in film and TV production via prop building firms, camera and sound equipment specialists to security companies are tenants at the Bottle Yard.

Among the stars seen at the studios last year was pop princess Kylie Minogue.

The diminutive singer filmed a cameo appear-

42 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - SCREEN THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

WBG-E01-S2

Above, Charlize Theron playing the evil queen Ravenna in The Huntsman, which had numerous scenes shot in Wells in the heart of Somerset. Left, The Bottle Yard Studios in Hengrove, Bristol.

Right, Sarah Osborn, fund manager at SWIG Finance, and Emma James on location in Miserden, Gloucestershire, where Emma supported the filming of Cider With Rosie.

ance in the American show Galavant, which also filmed on The Matthew at the Harbourside.

Galavant, a Disney production, is currently filming its second series in Bristol.

The studios have also been heavily involved in the production of recent hits Wolf Hall and Poldark.

The Living and the Dead – a six-part drama set in Somerset in the 1800s – has been filming at the former wine warehouse in South Bristol and should hit our screens this year.

The supernatural drama is the latest in a string of high-profile BBC dramas to be filmed at the largest production space in the South West.

Other TV shows filmed at the studios in the last two years include Sherlock and one-off dramas such as The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies.

And with a strong line-up of talent behind the project there are high hopes for the programme.

The series has been created by local screenwriter Ashley Pharoah – one of the writers behind the hugely successful Life on Mars and its sequel Ashes to Ashes.

The production uses 20,000 square feet of space for set building of the period interiors as well as production offices, prop stores and making all the costumes on-site.

Filming will take place at locations across Bristol – supported by Bristol Film Office – and the rest of the region.

Speaking late last year Fiona Francombe, who is in charge of The Bottle Yard said: “It’s fantastic to welcome The Living and the Dead to The Bottle Yard. We have shown that we can accommodate the complex demands of major dramas in the period genre very successfully, so it’s marvellous to add another highly anticipated, high-profile title like this to our credits.

“It’s also great to welcome back to the studios some familiar faces from previous productions that have filmed with us – producer Eliza Mellor, who made the incredibly successful Poldark with us last year, as well as director Alice Troughton and line producer Kate Dudley, who filmed Frankie here back in 2012.”

The studios, which were conceived in 2010 after Bristol’s television business took a huge hit with the loss of Casualty to Cardiff, have been credited with bringing millions of pounds to the city’s economy.

Such is the demand for filming locations in the Cotswolds that a new business was born in 2015.

An entrepreneur from Stroud launched a business offering full production and location management support to film and television companies on location in the Cotswolds.

Through the Cotswold Film and Location Office, Emma James aims to attract crews from across the globe to the region, by offering her local knowledge and industry expertise.

Emma has lived in Stroud for nearly 20 years.

During that time, her career has taken her all over the world and she has also worked on some of the UK’s most successful series, such as Lewis, Casualty, Cider With Rosie and The Casual Vacancy.

To launch her business, Emma secured a £4,000 loan from the government-backed Start Up Loans Scheme, delivered by SWIG Finance.

Meanwhile cinemagoers in 2016 should be afforded more than a glimpse of stunning Somerset when Hollywood’s dark take on Grimm’s fairytales airs.

The Huntsman, starring Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth, had numerous scenes filmed in Wells.

The Huntsman tells the tale of what happens when the eponymous hero played by Mr Hemsworth upsets the evil Queen Ravenna – Charlize Theron – as he embarks on a quest for a magic mirror.

The film includes a galaxy of critically acclaimed actors including Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain, Sam Claflin, Nick Frost, Sheridan Smith, Rob Bryden and Alexandra Roach. Emily, star of last year’s acclaimed fantasy musical Into The Woods, is reportedly playing a villainous role.

Television viewers have long been familiar with the beautiful Wiltshire Cotswolds.

In September last year two major series were being filmed within just a few miles of each other.

WBG-E01-S2

At Lacock, filming for Doctor Thorne, the Anthony Trollope period drama, which has been adapted for ITV by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, took place.

The series features a galaxy of British acting stars, including Ian McShane, Tom Hollander and Prince Harry’s on-off girlfriend Cressida Bonas, in Trollope’s 19th century series about a doctor and his daughter living in a small country town.

Lord Fellowes, from Dorset, backed Ms Bonas to succeed playing the role of Dr Thorne’s daughter’s best friend Patience. “She’s perfect for the part,” he said in September.

“The trouble is, when you become famous for going out with someone there’s a tendency to assume that everything that follows afterwards is only because of that.

“But, in fact, she is a good actress and I think she will find her place in the industry.”

Meanwhile, just 15 miles away, Sky TV took over the tiny village of Easton Grey, near Malmesbury.

It was there to film its modern day murder mystery satire Agatha Raisin, which stars Ashley Jansen and Gavin & Stacey star Mathew Horne.

Spectre was the most lucrative film yet in the James Bond franchise.

Naomie Harris made her second appearance as Moneypenny in the film.

In an interesting quirk she is the third consecutive actress to play the role who trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, after Samantha Bond (who starred opposite Pierce Brosnan) and Caroline Bliss (the Timothy Dalton era).

The theatre, which has trained multiple Oscar winners, has yet to produce a 007, but it is marking some truly significant numbers in 2016.

It marks its 250th anniversary this year and has a substantial programme of events to celebrate the incredible milestone.

The company is also continuing to redevelop its King Street theatre.

The next phase is about to start; a new entrance foyer, studio theatre, bar and restaurant and the return of Grade I-listed Coopers’ Hall to its original 18th century use as an events space.

The theatre has grown its turnover by 30 per cent in recent years. Including its £1.2 million Arts Council grant and £288,640 from Bristol City Council, Bristol Old Vic brings in £3.7 million a year, about £1.5 million of which is box office revenue.

It could make more from higher ticket prices but aims to keep theatre affordable, with top tickets for the big shows costing around £40.

All told, the stage is set for the West Country to once again enjoy a dramatic – and profitable – year in the world of film, television and theatre.

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - SCREEN 43

The key to keeping your people is to treat them like people There is ferocious competition for talented staff among the region’s employers, reports Paul Wiltshire. So companies are placing even greater importance on retaining people by putting an emphasis on training – and taking them out for the odd curry “Train people well enough so they can leave.

Treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”

Those words of Sir Richard Branson are at the heart of the way he wants his Virgin companies to act.

But they also sum up the approach of one of the west’s most forward-thinking firms.

Engineering specialist Hydrock, whose headquarters are at Almondsbury near Bristol, came 13th in the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For list in 2015.

At the heart of its commitment to personal development is its Grow Your Own policy of

bringing on its own talent. It’s a process that can start at the work experience stage, with the 500strong firm keen to make the most of graduate and internship schemes.

One of the ten tenets of Hydrock’s corporate ethos – along with “we believe our families come first” – is “we are committed to continuous professional and personal development”.

The firm, which provides consultancy and contracting services, was ranked ninth in the country for personal growth potential, while 84 per cent of people said they wouldn’t leave if they were offered another job.

Its website stresses the technical and health and safety training that is given to all staff, but adds: “We also invest in individuals’ personal skills development and leadership capability – developing our future leaders and helping them to mentor more junior members of the team.”

Essentially, Hydrock wants all its people to be

Hydrock founder and managing director Dr Brian McConnell shows his appreciation of his employees

their best – helping staff from support departments as well as its engineers to pursue professional qualifications.

Hydrock has supported a number of employees in degrees and further educational courses, and is an accredited provider of training under an agreement with the Institute of Civil Engineers, while also helping staff complete qualifications with other professional bodies.

The firm operates in one of the most competitive employment markets in the country, with massive infrastructure investment projects such as HS2 and Hinkley Point turning civil engineers into some of the most sought-after experts around.

Marketing director Graham Munday said: “There is a war for talent.

“There has been a fantastic commitment by the government to infrastructure in all its different guises, but it’s well acknowledged that one of the biggest challenges we face is that we don’t have enough people.

“So if you’ve got people and they’re good, you want to be hanging onto them.”

He added: “There are a number of people who have been with Hydrock for a very long time.

Some of them started with us at a quite a junior level and now have much more senior roles. That is the payback from investing in people and seeing them develop.”

Mr Munday said the firm was very proud of its Sunday Times list success, and was hoping to do well again in this year’s compilation.

Hydrock founder and managing director Dr Brian McConnell is the driving force behind its commitment to doing the little things that matter.

He takes staff at each of the company’s offices out for a curry every year after delivering his annual corporate presentation, gives each worker a £200 healthy living bonus, and last year took the vast majority of his workforce to Majorca for two days to celebrate the firm’s 20th anniversary.

Not much further down that Sunday Times list, at number 25 overall, was Bristol-based gas and

Hydrock views the retaining of staff as key to its success. As well as seeing training as vital, the MD takes staff out for a curry every year after delivering his annual corporate presentation and last year took the

44 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - STAFF DEVELOPMENT THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

WBG-E01-S2

electricity supplier OVO Energy, which has grown to nearly 500 staff in little more than five years.

The firm invests heavily in training, with modules at what it calls the Ovo University, and staff given learning plans every six months.

Graduates have a day set aside for training every month, while everyone is guaranteed four days of learning a year.

The firm’s website says: “We think personal development is integral to an individual’s satisfaction and if you’ve been with us for three years or more we fully support applications for career breaks for up to six months, enabling people to pursue personal activities, confident their position is waiting for them to return.”

Another shining star in the west is food manufacturer Danone, which owns the Cow and Gate brand and has a major base at Trowbridge.

It was rated as the 26th best company to work for by graduates in 2015.

The public sector in the west is showing the way when it comes to the development of staff skills, knowledge and talent.

The Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the main hospitals in Gloucester and Cheltenham, has a set of educational departments, including its Lifelong Learning team, and its own quality improvement academy.

Its head of lifelong learning Lucy Blandford (right) said: “Good quality education and development are fundamental to providing our services and in particular, to continually improving the experience of our patients.

“We are committed to providing education, training and development that enable us to deliver safe, dignified and compassionate care. The delivery of ‘best care for everyone’ relies on the skills and ability of our staff.

“Education and development enables us to attract and retain the highest quality of staff in all areas and to deliver the best possible service and patient experience and clearly, access to high quality training ensures we have an up-to-date,

“

Is your firm really doing enough for employee wellbeing?

Good quality education and development are fundamental to providing our services and in particular, to continually improving the experience of our patients

”

vast majority of his workforce to Majorca to celebrate the firm’s 20th anniversary

competent, skilled and motivated workforce.”

Its critical care services were rated as outstanding by the Care Quality Commission in March last year, with the watchdog body praising the department’s commitment to education and training of both nurses and trainee doctors.

The trust is rightly proud of its apprentices and their achievements, with the Lifelong Learning team awarded the Gloucestershire Media Apprentice Employer of the Year (25+) title last year, with apprentice nursery nurse Liam Southgate being named Gloucestershire Apprentice of the Year.

Staff discuss their training and development needs at their annual appraisals, with the hospitals aiming to demonstrate the return on investment, looking at the impact on quality of care, the safety of patients as well as the patient experience.

Ms Blandford added: “As an organisation we truly value our employees and recognise that we need to recruit and train to ensure that we retain our staff and to help equip them with the skills they need to deliver the best care for everyone.”

Its annual staff awards celebrate significant contributions made to improving the health and wellbeing of patients and staff, recognising individuals who have shown exceptional quality above and beyond what is expected and teams that have demonstrated improvements in working practices that have benefited patients.

Amy Roberts, 21, is a Health Care Assistant (HCA) in the Orthopaedic Theatres at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, and joined the trust in September 2012 as an apprentice.

“I was leaving school and knew I wanted to go into health care, when my careers adviser suggested I look at apprenticeships at the local hospital, so I went for it.

“I was among the first cohort of apprenticeships at the trust and after 14 months I got a job as an HCA. “It worked out really well for me and happened at just the right time.

“I got a lot of support from the Lifelong Learning Team, as well as my colleagues and the senior team because they knew I wanted to go on and do nursing and I really enjoyed theatres.

“I had a lot of work to do in addition to my working day, but you get study days and the materials you need.

“I then got the opportunity to take an access course which has brought me up to the same level as A-levels and am now preparing to take the next step which is nurse training at the University of the West of England.

“I have handed my notice in for my current position, and am starting my adult nurse training in February, which is a three-year degree course and I would like to return to the trust when I qualify as a registered nurse.”

WBG-E01-S2

Some 75 per cent of employers believe they are responsible for influencing employee health, according to Aon Benefits and Trends Survey 2015 Aon Employee Benefit has found in its annual Benefits and Trends Survey that three-quarters of UK employers believe they are responsible for positively influencing employee health, yet many do not appear to be doing so in the most effective way.

The survey showed that 75 per cent of businesses believe they are responsible for changing employee health and wellbeing behaviours, yet, incongruously, 72 per cent do not currently have a specific budget for it and 38 per cent don’t use any data or analytics to inform to their strategy.

Furthermore, only 25 per cent of employers have a branded health and wellness programme in place.

Matthew Lawrence, head of broking and proposition for Health and Risk at Aon Employee Benefits, said: “It has long been accepted that a healthy and engaged workforce is a more productive workforce. There are some positives in this year’s survey outcomes, as well as elements we can learn from too.

“The fact that employers are increasingly recognising that good employee health is important, and that they know they have a central role in positively influencing employee lifestyle and behavioural risks is encouraging. We know too, that 19 per cent of employers intend to introduce a specific budget to focus on health and wellbeing within the next three years.

“Generally, employers need to find the most effective route ahead – and most currently aren’t doing that. The key is to turn positive intentions into meaningful activity. We are witnessing a shift – more employers are adopting a proactive approach, moving the focus away from just managing employee ill health to using data to understand their employee health risks.”

Employers that analyse and segment their data gain valuable insights into the causes of illhealth, absence and claims. They can target higher risk populations and shift towards a more sustainable and preventable model of health and wellbeing which helps employees to engage better with their health and improve their lifestyle risks.

The full 2015 Employee Benefits and Trends Survey can be downloaded http://insight.aon. com/UK_2015ARSFORM_BenefitsandTrends Survey2015

For a discussion on your workplace benefit challenges and a complimentary review please contact: Martin Parish | Area Director, Aon Employee Benefits, 25 Marsh Street, Bristol on 0117 900 4227 or martin.parish@aon.co.uk

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - STAFF DEVELOPMENT 45

Some cider glasses are very full Richard Bache looks at the incredible prices cider is being sold at in America – and the opportunities it could offer for the West’s artisanal cider producers.

Meanwhile things are far less rosy for other major players There is a bar in Manhattan’s Lower East Side serving cider at prices that would have the average West Country pub-goer choking on their pint.

But West Country producers would be foolish in not looking at the cider renaissance across the Atlantic and seeing a business opportunity.

After all, if bars in the Big Apple can get away with charging up to $300 (£205) per bottle then what’s not to like?

The aforementioned bar – Wassail on the oh-so perfectly appropriate Orchard Street – stocks dozens of ciders from around the globe, including several from Britain.

Most bottles are sold for about $50-$60 (£34-£41) rather than the eye-watering $300 for a 500ml bottle of Aaron Burr, Malus Baccata, 2014, First cuveé.

But, nevertheless, the margins achievable on those sorts of prices does rather more to keep a cider-maker’s finance director smiling than even a cold glass of apples on a hot afternoon.

Much of the American cider renaissance is as an alternative to wine rather than beer – hence the ‘first cuveé’ et al – and it is also proving particularly popular among those intolerant of gluten. Many West Country cidermakers are wellpositioned to take advantage.

For there is no other region on the planet where the cider heritage runs so deep.

All those wine industry buzzwords such as single-estate, small-batch and varietal certainly apply to the West’s cidermakers.

In many cases it is simply a matter of packaging and marketing – plus having the nerve to try such elevated pricing points of course...

Somerset-based Thatchers Cider entered the US marketplace in September 2014, hoping to benefit from the rapid growth of cider stateside.

The 110-year-old family-owned business announced a three-year tie-up with Innis & Gunn.

The Scottish brewer assumed all administrative, marketing and promotional support for Thatchers’ flagship Thatchers Gold brand through its US subsidiary, Innis & Gunn USA. It has subsequently launched its popular Green Goblin variety to America as well.

Back at home the Sandford-based cidermaker continued its remarkable growth.

It is one of the fastest growing firms in the market and in its latest financial results turnover increased by around £9 million to £60.4 million.

Despite the large increase in sales profits were down slightly because the company has been investing in new machinery and also opened a new packaging plant and warehouse.

The figures cover the period from August 2013 to August 2014. According to the results pre-tax profits fell slightly, from £5.78 million to £5.7million.

One of the highlights of 2015 was reopening its pub in Sandford, The Railway Inn, after refurbishment.

It also strengthened its board by appointing former CBI chief and business minister Lord Digby-Jones as a non-executive director.

Herefordshire cider giant Westons also outperformed a relatively stagnant UK market, according to its latest figures.

Turnover at the historic Much Marcle firm was up more than £3 million to £58.6 million in the year to March 2015, but pre-tax profits (£1.72 million) were more modest than at the similarsized Thatchers.

The strategic report in its accounts said: “Declining UK alcohol consumption has obviously put pressure on business as the pie effectively becomes smaller.

“Indeed alcohol consumption has fallen by 18 per cent in the last decade with one in five adults reportedly teetotal and 40 per cent of 18-24 year olds claiming not to drink on a regular basis.

“However, Westons’ share of the UK cider production has risen over the past 12 months and is accelerating ahead of a declining market. This represents a 0.9 per cent increase in UK cider market share to a record of 4.8 per cent.

“Westons continues to lead on the innovation front bringing new products to market including Caple Road, the first craft cider in a can which won the International Cider Challenge 2015 gold award.”

In September one of Bristol’s biggest and most historic businesses has been snapped up by the owner of Bargain Booze.

Conviviality Retail announced a £200 million takeover of Matthew Clark to create a wholesale drinks giant with sales of more than £1.1 billion.

Conviviality is snapping up the South Bristolbased drinks distribution firm from pub group Punch Taverns and Accolade Wines group to create a “major player” in the wholesale drinks market.

Shares in Conviviality surged as much as 26 per cent higher after details of the deal were revealed.

Conviviality, which has 624 stores under its Bargain Booze and Wine Rack brands, had suspended its shares at the start of July after revealing it was in takeover talks with Matthew Clark.

Matthew Clark, which was founded in 1810, is based in Whitchurch and is the largest independent distributor to the UK on-trade drinks sector, delivering to around 17,000 customers each year.

It delivers more than 48 million bottles of wine, 22 million bottles of spirits, 171 million pints of beer and 16 million bottles of cider a year.

Diana Hunter, chief executive of Conviviality, said: “By operating a delivered wholesale model we can serve a diverse range of customers and build our wine and spirit volumes further while simultaneously strengthening our retail channel.

“The acquisition will create a major player in the UK drinks wholesale market.”

Conviviality will pay £100.7 million to Punch and has agreed a ten-year non-exclusive drinks supply contract with Punch and Accolade.

The deal is classed as a reverse takeover due to Conviviality’s smaller market value.

It is being funded by a £130 million share placing and an £80 million drawdown of the group’s debt facilities.

In the brewing sector Bath Ales, which brewed its first batch of its flagship ale Gem in 1995, marked its 20th anniversary in 2015.

It enters 2016 in solid position to continue its growth.

Roger Jones, joint founder and managing director at Bath Ales, said: “Gem was the very first beer made by Bath Ales in 1995 when the hare was originally born. We were determined to create an exceptional ‘best bitter’ with a superb depth of flavour and great balance.

“Despite the influx of new breweries opening and more beers to compete against, Gem has continued to be highly regarded by competition judges and beer fans alike, which is testament to the quality of that original work.”

Bath Ales now operates 11 venues across the West including its Graze Bar & Chophouse in Bristol, Bath and Cirencester, craft beer and pizza bar in Bristol, two bar and restaurants inside Colston Hall and its more traditional pubs like The Swan, The Hop Pole and The Wellington.

46 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - CIDER THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

Re-opening the Railway Inn in Sandford was one of the highlights of 2015 for Somerset cidermaker Thatchers. Treasury minister Damian Hinds (left) tries a pint served by Martin Thatcher WBG-E01-S2

and sadly others are very empty Shepton Mallet – a town in shock Of all the places in the West Country synonymous with cider production few, if any, have such a strong connection as Shepton Mallet.

The Mendip town has more than 200 years of cider-making heritage, so the announcement this month that the Shepton Mallet Cider Mill would close sparked shock and mourning.

Irish owner C&C has been widely criticised for the decision – which critics blame on a series of strategic errors by the Magners’ owner.

C&C though says it has become a victim of the success of the cider industry, with large rivals such as Stella Artois and Carling entering the market aggressively.

The human cost of C&C’s decision to concentrate production in Ireland is the loss of 120 jobs in Shepton.

C&C will continue to pulp Somerset apples for brands such as Blackthorn and Natch, but there has to be a concern in the supply chain over whether it will continue to do so over the long term.

Landlord of the Swan in Shepton, and chairman of Shepton Mallet Chamber of Commerce, Ian Jarmaine told the Shepton Mallet Journal: “It is certainly a disaster for those who have lost their jobs. And it is always disappointing to see a business that has been here for so long move away.”

He said while there were still more vacancies in Shepton Mallet than people available to fill them, there has been a more general decline in jobs over the past quarter of a century.

A spokesman for C&C said: “The reason we acquired the Shepton Mallet cidery in 2009 was to expand it and build a bigger business. We did this, investing £10 million in a new bottling line and more than doubling the sales and commercial team to 90 people.

“However, the price of cider in a supermarket has since dropped by more than 40 per cent to around £1.20, driven down by large international competitors such as Stella and Carling entering the market aggressively. Despite our efforts we have had to recognise that we cannot maintain three manufacturing sites at just 35 per cent capacity utilisation which led to the announcement last week.

“It was a very tough decision to take and not one taken lightly. Our focus now is on our employees and we are working hard to mitigate some of the impact for employees here in Shepton and in Ireland.”

And in the Tourist Information Centre at the top of the high street, Lorraine Pratten is readjusting her pitch to tourists visiting Shepton in light of the cider mill’s imminent closure.

She said: “We would say to tourists that we had the oldest working prison and the largest working cider mill in Europe.

“Now we will have to say we ‘used to’, we keep having to use the past tense.”

Whether the mill has a future under other owners or be redeveloped for other uses remains to be seen.

“

The Shepton Mallet Cider Mill

Two great brands, one great service With eight years of continuous British Standards recognition, it is vital we never let you down.

We have a major reputation for car body and mechanical repairs, customer service and excellent value for money.

More than 20 Prestige and Autofix people in Cirencester have signed on to doing the best for you and your car or van.

We pride ourselves on the latest technology Team players dedicated to their craft Courtesy cars to keep you on the road Recovery vehicles fit for purpose

Your car (or van) is ours too Where quality & excellence comes as standard, call Prestige on 01285 651004 or Autofix on 01285 654522 or email info@prestige-repairs.co.uk or info@autofix-ciren.co.uk Part of the

The Mendip town has more than 200 years of cider-making heritage

”

Unit 2a Quarry Bridge Works 80 Chesterton Lane Cirencester GL7 1YD

WBG-E01-S2

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - CIDER 47

New landmarks on the sporting horizon as region flexes muscles Richard Bache looks at the astonishing developments in the region’s sporting facilities. Bristol City and Cheltenham Racecourse have both spent £45 million on major projects, with Somerset Cricket Club also investing heavily to boost the region’s sporting credentials The framework of the new West Stand at Ashton Gate has become a striking and dominant addition to the South Bristol skyscape.

Standing 121 feet high it dwarfs the other stands at the home of Bristol City and Bristol Rugby.

It is the centrepiece of the £45 million revamp of Ashton Gate that will determine if Bristol Sport owner Steve Lansdown’s dream for sport in the city are to be realised.

The increased capacity – and the vastly improved corporate facilities at the ground – should help generate the revenue necessary to help

sustain top flight football and rugby.

While the progress of the stadium development has been as planned, life on the pitch remains more complicated than ever in the brutally competitive second tier of English sport.

Bristol Rugby, at the time of writing, sit atop the RFU Championship, but the success or otherwise of their season will be dictated by the end-ofseason play-offs.

No Bristol Rugby fan needs reminding of the vagaries of that particular format after the heartbreaking loss to Worcester in the dying seconds of last season.

And Bristol City meanwhile have found adjusting to life in the Sky Bet Championship a substantial challenge after last year’s promotion.

Fans of the Robins will be hoping that over the next four months City will find a way to pull themselves clear of a relegation scrap.

But irrespective of short-term results on the

Somerset County Cricket Club’s new stand will help it stage international cricket matches at Taunton

pitch it is clear that the foundations are being put in place for long-term success at Ashton Gate.

The substantial improvements to conferencing facilities are a boost not just to the club’s finances but to the business community in Bristol and the South West.

Matchday revenues should also grow substantially with the addition of the Heineken Lounge and Bristol Sports Bar & Grill.

Via the Lansdown Club business network organisation the club is deepening ties with business in the region.

Equally substantial redevelopment has taken place at Cheltenham Racecourse in the past year.

Racegoers visiting the 2016 Cheltenham Festival in March will reap the benefits of a new stand at Prestbury Park.

The £45 million project to improve the racecourse has been completed and last November the Princess Royal officially opened the new stand that bears her name.

She said: “It is a real honour and privilege that it may carry at the moment my name but there have been one or two Princess Royals. I’m sure future generations will be sufficiently confused as to which one it was named after.

“I am touched that you should have asked me to lend my name to this stand.

“You have been kind enough to let me enjoy National Hunt racing on the course and upsides the professionals and I have had some of my greatest triumphs and my biggest fears in doing so.

“It has been a pleasure to have been involved and I hope National Hunt racing, and all those who support it, can take pride in what has been achieved here because it is a result of your support as well as their investment. Their investment depends very much on the popularity and the quality of racing here.”

The new stand includes a new annual members’ bar, champagne bar, state of the art owners and trainers area, the Cotswolds Club, the Cheltenham Club, the Vestey Bar, the Royal Box, 11

The new West stand at Ashton Gate is beginning to dominate the skyline of South Bristol as work to the famous old stadium continues apace. The £45 million development of the stadium should give Bristol

48 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - SPORT THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

WBG-E01-S2

private boxes and 156 new toilets.

It was built by course owner The Jockey Club to help cope with the burgeoning crowds who descend on the festival each March.

And this year’s blue riband Cheltenham Gold Cup will have a new sponsor.

Timico Technology Group was announced as the sponsor of The Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, which will be run on the final day of The Festival, Friday, March 18, 2016.

The event receives an immediate prize money boost of £25,000 and will be worth a record £575,000. Telecoms business Timico was started in 2004 by chief executive Tim Radford, who owns a number of racehorses including Somersby.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the most valuable Grade One chase in Britain and Timico has signed a four-year deal to sponsor National Hunt’s flagship race.

The race had previously been sponsored by Betfred and it is thought the deal with Timico may herald a move whereby National Hunt racing’s reliance on bookmaker sponsorship is challenged by new entrants.

Mr Radford has been reported as saying that the week of the Cheltenham Festival is the second quietest of the year (after Christmas) in terms of trading in the City, as many traders and investors descend on Prestbury Park for the week.

Cheltenham owner the Jockey Club also experienced record attendances at its portfolio of 15 racecourses around the country.

It welcomed a record 1,946,644 people to 336 horse racing fixtures it staged in 2015. This represents a year-on-year total attendance increase of 8.5 per cent – more than 150,000 people – despite staging 7.2 per cent (26) fewer fixtures compared to 2014 when 1,794,797 spectators attended 362 events.

In the West it also operates Wincanton and Exeter racecourses, plus Aintree, Epsom and Kempton nationally.

One of the region’s two county cricket clubs has also completed an impressive redevelopment during the winter of 2015, in good time for the

The Princess Royal opens the new stand at Cheltenham Racecourse

City and Bristol Rugby the financial tools to compete at the highest levels of sport WBG-E01-S2

start of the 2016 season.

Somerset County Cricket Club unveiled its new £3.8 million pavilion at its Taunton home as part of its plan to stage international matches in 2017.

It includes five first-floor executive suites, which can each hold 20 people, and the 1875 Club, a dining room for members, all of which have views over the ground. There is a second-floor terrace, looking out to the Quantock Hills and above the mellow wooden canopy that protects the terrace from rain are the press rooms, radio room and scorers’ box.

At the unveiling Andy Nash, chairman of the club, said: “Today is a very significant day for everyone who loves Somerset and is part of it. The Somerset Pavilion not only represents a huge improvement in the facilities we can offer at Taunton, but also concretes our Category B status – and that means international cricket coming to Taunton. It won’t be long until we’re saying that England are playing here next year.”

The County Ground is set to stage a T20 international in June 2017, with England facing South Africa. It is also hoping to stage some of the women’s World Cup games also in 2017, and has been confirmed as a venue for the 2019 ICC men’s World Cup. The new stand seats around 1,500.

The executive boxes are each named after the club’s old grounds around the county – Yeovil, Weston-super-Mare, Glastonbury, Frome and Bath. The plan is to let three on an annual basis with two kept for matches within the season.

Looking to the future, chief executive Guy Lavender said: “The whole of next season will be focused on getting ready for the international.”

Somerset will have to fight above their weight next season as they are the only team in the first division of the County Championship not to be a Test Match host, with the extra revenue that generates.

However, the new stand gives the county the best chance of competing with bigger rivals.

Another ambitious club hoping a stadium development will help foster rapid growth is Forest Green Rovers in Gloucestershire.

Millionaire businessman Dale Vince wants to build a huge eco-park and sports stadium near Junction 13 of the M5.

Mr Vince said that the ambitious plans to move Forest Green Rovers from their Nailsworth hilltop home to the bottom of the Stroud Valleys could help the club go from the National League to the Championship The proposal for land either side of the A419 next to the motorway junction would create a centre of excellence for sport and sports science in the south west, Ecotricity said.

“Eco Park will be a fantastic new home for Forest Green Rovers and will help to transform sport across the south west by creating state-ofthe-art facilities for a variety of sports,” said Mr Vince.

However, it faces substantial opposition from residents living near the proposed site before it ever sees the light of day.

Speaking late last year Mr Vince said: “There have obviously been some concerns raised by a few people in Eastington, but we expected that and hopefully we can allay their fears and answer their questions about traffic problems and other things.

“We’re hoping to have outline planning consent in the spring and if we’re lucky we could be ready to start on the site in 18 months or two years. I hope five years is a conservative estimate in terms of the stadium being ready to go.”

The other half of the eco park would comprise a green technology business park with sustainablybuilt commercial offices and light industrial units potentially creating up to 4,000 jobs. The overall concept includes the potential development of a public transport hub, including a Stroud park and ride, and would also see Ecotricity work with the Cotswold Canals Trust to open up part of the “missing mile” of the Stroudwater canal beside the M5.

Mr Vince said that if the plans were approved then “low-carbon affordable homes” would be built where Forest Green Rovers currently play in Nailsworth.

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - SPORT 49

Inside the 66 Queen Square development in Bristol before it was fitted out for KPMG. It was one of the last speculative office developments in the city and supply is beginning to get tight

Office market is getting tighter, What will 2016 bring to the commercial property market? Gavin Thompson asks those in the know 2016 will see fewer desks in Bristol’s offices, and those who still have them will find they’ve got a lot less elbow room.

Office specialist Paul Williams, of Bruton Knowles, thinks firms will be looking to make better use of their space as a shortage of accommodation in the city centre begins to bite. He said a lack of new space coming onto the market would push premium rents above the £30 per square foot mark but improvements in technology would help companies make more of less.

“Pressure on office space is increasing in big cities such as Bristol,” he said. “Minimised technology will reduce the need for the larger workspaces while owners and operators will ensure they are maximising use of space within the floorplate.

“When I came in to the industry we were allowing around 125 sq ft per employee. Now the average is down to around 80 sq ft per employee and sometimes even lower.”

But he did not believe this would necessarily lead to chronic overcrowding.

“For one thing there has been a massive drop in the number of paper documents needing to be stored.

“We believe desks – if they are required at all – will be much smaller than at present.

“Young people coming in to the economy will have their own phone and internet devices and will increasingly be deploying them for work as well as personal use.”

“The workplace of the future will break up traditional form and structuring and businesses will be making sure as much of the available floorplate is in use as possible, ensuring awkward spaces or alcoves are fully integrated.”

Despite these trends Paul believes the new generation of office worker will be acutely aware of their environment and will want to know what their workplace looks like and what it offers.

“A smart use of technology and alternative commuting options has already led to demands for facilities such as expanded cycle racks and shower facilities, which were once considered as unnecessary add-ons,” he said.

50 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 COMMERCIAL PROPERTY THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

Paul Williams of Bruton Knowles says desk space is shrinking

“Increasing customisation of desks and hotdesking could eventually see people using cloud technologies to connect their personalised settings to a desk – any desk – anywhere from a city centre office building to a corner shop.

“It’s easy to dismiss new technologies as fad gadgetry but it should be remembered that we have only been using smart phones and the internet for the last few years or so.

“Before that the fax machine was seen as the answer to all of our prayers but is now virtually obsolete. Electric typewriters didn’t last long either, and can only be found in museums these days.

“Technological trajectories will go hand-inhand with a careful assessment of building function and use of space.”

Bristol has seen the highest number of ageing office blocks converted into residential dwellings outside Greater London and the South East during 2015 under Permitted Development Rights legislation, but James Preece, director of property consultants Colliers, predicts a shift in the market driven by demand for office space.

“Office stock levels in Bristol are now so low WBG-E01-S2

in every possible respect because of increased take-up and residential conversions that purpose-built office premises in the city centre have become are too valuable as commercial buildings in their own right,” he said.

“We are already seeing buildings that had been expected to go to residential now being reconsidered for refurbishment for continued office use. One 185,000 sq ft building that was expected to be converted to residential is now believed to be remaining as offices.”

He added: “The office premises that will be attracting the attention of residential developers in 2016 will be those in the more peripheral locations.

“The attraction of purpose-built office blocks in the city centre has declined because their values have increased, which has reduced profit margins on converting to residential.”

James believes the shortage of office stock in Bristol looks set to lead to the return of speculative office development in the city.

“There have been no speculative office developments in Bristol in 2015, and there were just two in 2014: 66 Queen Square, and 2 Glass Wharf,” he

said. “However, there are a number of speculative grade A office developments that look likely to happen in Bristol in 2016.

“Potential speculative schemes include CEG’s Aspire, and Cubex/Palmer’s development Aurora, a 95,000 sq ft building with planning permission at the Finzels Reach development, which it is widely anticipated will get under way after occupancy is confirmed for the Bridgewater House office building.”

But he said any such developments would be measured so rents would keep on rising.

Such new developments depend on investors seeing them as a good bet.

James Roberts, chief economist at property firm Knight Frank, said there are some global threats would could affect that.

“As we draw closer to the 2017 Brexit referendum, some overseas investors may become wary of investing the UK,” he said. “The experience of the Scottish referendum was that some investors were put off temporarily, although others viewed it as an opportunity to bid for assets with less competition.

“Those in the former camp outnumbered the WBG-E01-S2

“

A smart use of technology and alternative commuting options has already led to demands for facilities such as expanded cycle racks and shower facilities

”

latter. If the polls are pointing to a close race in the referendum, it will impact demand for commercial property.”

However other forces were more positive.

“The Eurozone is still pursuing quantitative easing which we see continuing well into 2016,” he said. “In contrast, the UK might be raising rates next year, and the financial markets will price in the increase ahead of the event.

“This could result in a carry trade that sees UK banks flush with cash from the Eurozone seeking higher interest rates.

“In turn the origination teams at the banks will come under pressure to put the new money to work.

“With growing evidence of rental growth, we believe that UK commercial property could be a beneficiary should there be increased lending.”

And James said rising London rental prices should benefit Bristol.

“Already more firms are asking the question, what back office functions can we move out of London to where rents are lower?”

They might just have to do without desks when they get here.

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 COMMERCIAL PROPERTY 51

On the ground and in the air we’re booming Richard Bache looks forward to the sonic-boom when the Bloodhound hopefully goes supersonic later this year. However, the 1,000mph car is very far from being the only transport success story in the West Country The eyes of the motoring world will later this year hopefully focus on the pride of the West Country’s engineering expertise – the Bloodhound SSC. The supersonic car, which has been developed in an industrial estate in Avonmouth, will challenge for the World Land Speed Record and ultimately hopefully be the first car to break the 1,000mph barrier.

This spring it will begin tests at up to 200 miles per hour on the runway at Newquay Airport in Cornwall and if these prove satisfactory she will be transported to a remote corner of the South African desert, near the border with Namibia and Botswana, in October.

The site where she will hopefully break the land speed record is at Hakskeenpan in the North West Cape.

The uncertainties present in any engineering challenge mean it could be many months before the car is perfected and pilot Andy Green is in a position to have a realistic crack at the record over the flying mile.

The project was designed to not only be a record breaker but to inspire future generations of engineers and scientists.

There is scarcely a school in the land that isn’t following the progress of the supersonic project that will hopefully cement Bristol’s reputation as a genuine technological centre of excellence.

While Bloodhound will hopefully grab all the headlines later this year 2015 was a strong year for the mainstream British motoring industry.

New car sales reached an all-time high, official data revealed.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) announced that more than 2.63 million cars were registered in the UK in 2015.

This is an increase of 6.3 per cent on 2014.

The previous record was set in 2003 at 2.58 million.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said high consumer confidence, wage growth and low-interest finance deals have encouraged motorists to buy new cars.

Mr Hawes said he has “every reason to expect the market to hold broadly steady in 2016”.

In the wake of the diesel emissions scandal, Volkswagen car sales fell by 0.4 per cent in December compared with the same month in 2014.

The best selling car of 2015 was the Ford Fiesta at 133,434 sales.

In the West several major car showrooms have been developed – boosting choice for the region’s discerning consumers.

Wessex Garages opened a £5 million Nissan dealership at Cribbs Causeway and work is well under way on Cotswold Motor Group’s flagship BMW and Mini dealership in Cheltenham.

On the back of its successful year as Europe’s Green Capital Bristol could soon be home to a fleet of 110 buses powered by human and food waster.

First West of England has made a bid to the Department for Transport to run an expanded service after the successful introduction of a 40seat Bio-Bus service running between Bristol, Bath and Bristol Airport.

From top; Andy Green, who will pilot Bloodhound SSC; the nosecone of the Bloodhound; Bristol Airport boss Robert Sinclair

52 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - TRANSPORT THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

The airport itself enjoyed a stellar 2015 as it continues to prove itself one of Britain’s best and most important airports.

The Princess Royal unveiled its new multimillion-pound terminal extension late last year.

The major terminal extension follows a 12month build programme and £8.6 million investment.

It provides a significantly enlarged departure lounge featuring hundreds of additional seats as well as several retail and catering brands and a second executive lounge.

A stand-out feature is an outdoor rooftop terrace area with views of arriving and departing aircraft, including bar and restaurant seating under a retractable roof.

Robert Sinclair, chief executive officer at Bristol Airport, said: “It gave us the opportunity to show the major improvements that have taken place since she opened the terminal 15 years ago, during which time passenger numbers have increased threefold and the range of destinations served has more than doubled.

“This development is a significant step towards achieving our vision to provide passengers from the South West and Wales with a world-class customer experience when flying in and out of their local airport.”

The biggest operator at Bristol Airport is easyJet and it recently reached a key milestone in its operation by carrying 40 million passengers to and from Bristol Airport since it launched services just over 14 years ago.

Since introducing its first flights from Bristol in 2001, the airline has grown significantly. It is now easyJet’s largest airport outside of London and provides direct connections to 58 destinations, including the recently launched services to Basel, Bilbao, Catania, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Lanzarote, Porto, Vienna and Zante.

EasyJet flights from Bristol to Dubrovnik, Nantes and Venice will start in 2016.

Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Commercial Manager, commented: “We’re really proud that 40 million passengers have chosen to travel with easyJet from Bristol Airport – it’s a testament to the hard work our staff put in every day to provide easy and affordable flights with friendly customer service.

“We have come a long way since the launch of our first flights from Bristol Airport over 14 years ago and since then Bristol has been a key market for easyJet. We’re looking forward to all that 2016 has to hold for easyJet in Bristol, especially with the launch of our new routes to Dubrovnik, Nantes and Venice.”

Mr Sinclair said: “This is an incredible milestone and is a demonstration of the successful partnership between easyJet and Bristol Airport.

Since easyJet arrived at Bristol in 2001 both companies have been on an amazing journey and now provide customers in the South West and Wales easy and affordable access to air travel with an increasing number of destinations.

“In 2001 the airport was handling fewer than 3 million passengers per annum. In 2015 this totalled over 6.76 million passengers. This summer will see easyJet base 13 aircraft at Bristol.

“Investment in our facilities, which will total more than £120 million since 2010 when construction of the west terminal extension opens later this year, supports continued growth.”

Work has also started on the construction of a 201-room Hampton by Hilton hotel at the airport set to be completed this winter.

ANDY PROVIS Andy Provis, Fleet Manager at Wessex Garages, explains why the firm, which recently opened a new £5 million Nissan dealership at Cribbs Causeway, has gone from strength to strength With almost three decades of experience in the automotive industry and seven dealerships, three located in Bristol, we have established a reputation for honesty and value for money.

The Wessex Garages name has become known for its quality and comprehensive care for all motorists. We represent a number of the industry’s most respected and forward-thinking manufacturers.

At our Bristol dealerships we operate approved sites for brands including Nissan, Kia, Alfa Romeo and Abarth, and supply each firm’s latestgeneration models. They line up alongside a wide range of Approved Used vehicles, which enables us to serve more motorists with various budgets and requirements.

This includes more than simply private motorists as businesses can also be catered for as cars and commercial vehicles are available across our network. For organisations of all sizes across Bristol and the South West we can deliver a fleet of dependable vehicles, helping to keep your workforce on the move and your business running smoothly.

The support doesn’t end at sales – we are also a leading provider of aftersales services. Servicing, MOT testing, accident management and more are performed by our skilled technicians.

You’ll also be able to find us easily as we have three locations in Bristol, the latest being our new purpose-built, £5 million Nissan dealership on Hayes Way at Cribbs Causeway, which means we’re easily accessible from the M4 and M5.

Our new Nissan branch boasts one of the region’s most cutting-edge car sales environments, with technology and comfort combined to enhance the overall experience. It reflects Nissan’s core principals of innovation and excitement.

To add to this we recently launched our first Used Supercentre at our Pennywell Road dealership in Bristol. It will now be a used car and fleet centre offering motorists the largest selection of used Nissan vehicles in the South West.

At the site 50 per cent of the used vehicles will be Nissan models and the rest of the cars and vans will be a selection from other motor brands including ones not currently included in the Wessex Group.

With a comprehensive offering we are the first choice for many, and welcome loyal motorists through our doors time and time again to take advantage of competitive prices and unrivalled support. We pride ourselves on our customer service-focused approach, which aims to leave motorists feeling valued and completely satisfied that their needs have been met.

At the core of our business are the three pillars: trust, transparency and value for money. It is these elements that set us apart from our competitors and make us ‘The Intelligent Choice’.

For more information call Wessex Garages at Cribbs Causeway on 0117 992 6222, visit www.wessexgarages.com, follow the company on www.twitter.com/wessexgarages or www.facebook.com/wessexgarages.

WBG-E01-S2

MESSIER-BUGATTI-DOWTY

BUILT-TO-ENDURE Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, a Safran group company, is the world leader in the design, development, manufacture and support of aircraft landing and braking systems. The company supplies innovative landing gear solutions to 30 leading commercial, military, business and regional aircraft manufacturers.

We support more than 24,000 aircraft in-service, making over 40,000 landings every day.

The company employs 7,000 staff worldwide in locations across Europe, North America and Asia, including a team of 1,200 people in Gloucester at the company’s UK landing gear production and repair facilities. The Gloucester facility has been at the forefront of landing gear technology for over 80 years, dating from the innovative designs of Sir George Dowty to the advanced landing gears for the world’s most modern aircraft.

Messier-Dowty Ltd, Cheltenham Rd., Gloucester, GL2 9QH Tel: 01452 712424 www.safranmbd.com

WBG-E01-S2

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - TRANSPORT 53

Shape workforce of the future by getting involved BRIDGWATER COLLEGE The recruitment of skilled personnel can be extremely challenging, and employers are having to consider a fresh approach to recruiting and retaining quality employees.

Bridgwater College works with employers, industry specialists, community organisations and awarding bodies to develop and deliver innovative, accredited training programmes that fully address the theoretical knowledge, practical skills and industry behaviours that combine to create professional, work-ready individuals.

In the past two years we have seen the UK Government commit significant resource to the development and funding of apprenticeships, as a considered response to the UK-wide skills shortage.

Apprenticeships are now generally acknowledged as a credible alternative to a university education, producing work-ready individuals who are familiar with the culture, behaviours and expectations of the world of work.

Bridgwater College’s combination of expert knowledge of funding and awarding body requirements, academic and pedagogic expertise and industry-standard facilities, means they are extremely well-placed to deliver the theoretical and practical elements of apprenticeship training, leaving businesses to complement and reinforce this learning via practical application in the workplace.

Bridgwater College is forging ever-closer links with employers, identifying and addressing their skills training needs, and adding value to the employer’s business which contributes to its bottom line.

These employer partnerships have huge benefits and are increasingly becoming the key to unlocking private sector investment in industrystandard facilities and resources, with Bridgwater College securing investment of some £40m in college buildings and facilities which, in turn, have supported phenomenal growth in the apprenticeship provision.

Matt Tudor, Director of Business Development and International Strategy at Bridgwater College, said: “The close working relationships that Bridgwater College enjoys with businesses large and small have resulted in phenomenal growth in our apprenticeship provision. More and more young people are choosing an apprenticeship as their route into work, and employers are already seeing the benefit of recruiting a young person who adds to their bottom line from day one.”

An apprenticeship can also work well for small and medium-sized businesses.

Even a micro-business, where the passing on of skills is absolutely vital to its survival, can access – and afford – an apprentice.

The Bridgwater College Business Development team can work with the employer to identify an apprenticeship framework that addresses the

Apprentices pay their way many times over LIZ REDWOOD

broad training need, and then tailor it to suit, with the specialist, craft-based components being delivered by experienced, skilled personnel in the workplace.

Employers sometimes use an apprenticeship programme to retrain or upskill existing employees in response to emerging opportunities or technological advancement or to boost their support services such as business administration, IT, marketing or HR. The Government’s ambitious apprenticeship agenda means that funding to support apprenticeship recruitment is available to many businesses who are recruiting an apprentice for the first time, or who have not recruited one for several months.

Notwithstanding this, research carried out for BIS shows that 65 per cent of employers report improved productivity in their business as a result of employing an apprentice, and nine out of ten apprenticeship employers hoping to achieve business benefits confirm that apprenticeships deliver.

With unemployment on the decline, and an acute shortage of higher level technical and professional skills, there really is no better solution than developing your own future workforce via a tailored apprenticeship programme developed in partnership with skilled experts from Bridgwater College.

To discuss how Bridgwater College can help benefit your business, call the Business Development team on 01278 655111 or email business@bridgwater.ac.uk

“

Apprenticeships are now generally acknowledged as a credible alternative to a university education producing work-ready individuals who are familiar with the culture, behaviours and expectations of the world of work.

54 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - APPRENTICESHIPS THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

”

If your business has a recruitment need your first thought might not be to hire an apprentice, but perhaps it should be.

Many businesses say they find it difficult to recruit people with the specific skills they need.

Conversely, research shows that 96 per cent of employers believe an apprentice has benefited their business. Apprentices can help bridge skills gaps and can be ‘moulded’ to work in a way which suits your business, ensuring they become knowledgeable about the company and what it needs to develop and grow.

Here’s our top ten reasons why apprenticeships mean business: 1 Apprenticeships are designed by both businesses and education providers, ensuring training is relevant to the business; 2 Apprenticeships can be for both new and existing employees. For example, the Management and Leadership framework can be used to design a bespoke Development Programme for existing managers/supervisors/team leaders; 3 Weston Colleges’ Business Enterprise Centre offers a free comprehensive recruitment service worth around £2,000 – helping you find the right apprentice for your business; 4 The College offers 50 different frameworks and a wide choice of modules that can be studied.

This enables bespoke apprenticeship programmes to be developed to suit individual business needs; 5 Employing an apprentice can be more cost effective than recruiting skilled staff and it offers the opportunity to ‘mould/shape’ somebody to meet your business needs; 6 National Audit Office data shows that every £1 spent on apprentices pays back £18 to the economy; 7 81 per cent of consumers favour using a company who employ an apprentice;* 8 80 per cent of companies who invest in apprentices report a significant increase in employee retention;* 9 Apprentices can now work for a business but be employed by our Apprenticeship Training Agency (ATA), reducing paperwork and HR, for a fee of £1 per contracted hour; and 10 57 per cent report a high proportion of their apprentices progress to management positions within the company.* *From the National Apprenticeship Service Over 130,000 businesses across the UK offer apprenticeships. Locally, 90 per cent of Weston College apprentices are offered full-time contracts by employers at the end of their apprenticeship. If you would like further information about apprenticeships and the options available to you, please contact us on: 01934 411 594 or business. enterprise.centre@weston.ac.uk

Liz Redwood is Executive Director Apprenticeships and Commercial Strategy at Weston College

WBG-E01-S2

Sir David McMurtry, who wrote a foreword to this guide and is one of the West’s leading businessmen, started his career as an apprentice. His firm Renishaw is taking on 45 apprentices this year

Apprenticeships ever more vital Richard Bache looks at political moves to increase the number of apprentices in Britain – something which businesses have long championed

The value of apprenticeships has long been known to progressive employers – particularly in manufacturing and technical sectors.

The issue has shot up the political agenda and only last week the Education Secretary pledged to tackle “outdated snobbery” towards apprenticeships, through the introduction of a new law requiring schools to allow access to apprentice providers and colleges.

Nicky Morgan said the Government wanted to “level the playing field” making sure young people were “aware of all the options open to them”.

Under the plans to end the ’second class’ perception of technical and professional education, schools would be required to give equal airtime to the non-academic routes pupils can take post-16, the Department for Education said.

Ministers have expressed concerns over a “two tiered system” of careers advice, with some schools unwilling to recommend apprenticeships or other technical and professional routes to any but the lowest-achieving pupils, the DfE added.

Ms Morgan said: “As part of our commitment to extend opportunity to all young people, we want to level the playing field – making sure they are aware of all the options open to them and are able

to make the right choice for them. For many young people going to university will be the right choice, and we are committed to continuing to expand access to Higher Education, but for other young people the technical education provided by apprenticeships will suit them better.”

The new legislation would require schools by law to collaborate with training providers, university technical colleges and colleges to make sure students were aware of all the paths open to them through apprenticeships, including Higher and Degree Apprenticeships.

Martin Doel, chief executive of the Association of Colleges (AoC), said: “To make informed choices for the future, young people need high quality, impartial careers information about all post-16 education and training options, including apprenticeships and technical and professional education.”

One example of a University Technical College providing new opportunities is in Swindon.

UTC Swindon is different to traditional schools in that it provides education in an environment that feels like the ‘workplace’.

This is achieved by delivering the curriculum through employer set ‘projects’ which tackle real industry issues. Students are grouped into learning companies where they learn to act and behave in teams just as in professional life.

They devise solutions to challenges and work on projects to solve problems. As part of the workplace environment they will be expected to take responsibility for their actions.

WBG-E01-S2

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, top, said snobbery against apprentices should end.

George Osborne, above, introduced a new levy

These companies will provide the pastoral support for students and will act as a vehicle for enterprise, competition and performance management. Through these companies, students will learn the language of business and the relationship between learning and financial gain.

The board of directors at the college include staff from Honda, Johnson Matthey and Oxford Brookes University.

In the Autumn Statement last November George Osborne introduced a new apprenticeship levy, which received the backing of one of Bristol’s biggest employers.

Airbus president and chief executive Fabrice Bregier welcomed the new levy ... if it is delivered properly.

Speaking on a recent visit to the Filton plant where Airbus employs 4,000 people, he said: “My understanding of that is that it is to be an incentive to have more apprentices within the business and industry and as such we support it.

“I think this is excellent training for young people to join industry.

“If it’s a tax, it’s never good, but if it’s an incentive and if the money goes back to the companies who make the biggest effort, this is good news for our youth.”

The aim is that bigger employers will pay a 0.5 per cent tax to be used to fund apprenticeship places. Many big firms in sectors such as engineering already spend large sums on training apprentices.

THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - APPRENTICESHIPS 55

The Gainsborough Spa Hotel in Bath was probably the most significant opening in the West in 2015 and added to the region’s portfolio of luxury hotels.

Cool endorsement is boon to West tourism Richard Bache looks at the trends which have made the West Country such an attraction for tourists from home and abroad The West Country is blessed with some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain which has long aided its important tourism sector.

Fresh investment in hotels and other attractions mean that the region is in good shape to enjoy a strong 2016.

Somerset received a glowing endorsement last month after it was named one of the 16 coolest places in the plant to visit in 2016.

The county was included in the influential National Geographic magazine’s Cool List – alongside Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai and Washington DC. The news was welcomed by tourism figures in Somerset.

John Turner, chief executive of Visit Somerset, said: “We have always known Somerset is special and for the county to be recognised as one of the best places in the world is fantastic.

“To get this kind of recognition is just incredible news and it’s just wonderful that we are being seen alongside destinations such as the Great Barrier Reef and Washington DC.” Somerset shares an appreciation of the fine art

of carnival with one of the other destinations on the list – Rio de Janeiro. Though the county, alas, isn’t hosting the 2016 summer Olympics.

Somerset’s entry follows the openings of a host of boutique hotels in the county.

Mr Turner says Somerset though has scores of reasons for visitors to flock to the county. He said: “The county is steeped in history, heritage, myths and legends with Somerset inspiring the Romantic poets, Coleridge and Wordsworth, sustaining the tales of King Arthur and his Knights and providing a home for Jane Austen’s characters and the fictional Lorna Doone.

“We are home to the National Park of Exmoor, four areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty including England’s first, the Quantocks, plus England’s smallest city, Wells, and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bath with its worldrenowned Georgian architecture and Roman Baths.

“Britain’s oldest complete human skeleton was found in the caves at Cheddar Gorge, one of the oldest man-made tracks in Europe – the Sweet Track – ran across the Somerset Levels plus the foundations of Christianity in England are reputed to be at Glastonbury Abbey, and West Somerset Railway is the longest standard gauge independent heritage railway in the UK. “Our illuminated carnivals are the biggest in

56 BUSINESS GUIDE 2016 - TOURISM THURSDAY JANUARY 28 2016

WBG-E01-S2

John Turner, chief executive of Visit Somerset, welcomed a report by National Geographic that listed Somerset in the top 16 cool places in the world

Europe and we are home to the world-famous Glastonbury Festival and the country’s only four day agricultural show, the Royal Bath and West.

Wookey Hole Caves and Cheddar Caves & Gorge give visitors the chance to explore below ground.”

A significant addition to the West’s hotel portfolio in 2015 was the opening of the UK’s first and only hotel using natural thermal waters in Bath.

The £800-per-night Gainsborough Bath Spa Hotel is a member of the prestigious group Leading Hotels of the World.

After a major programme of restoration, two buildings in Beau Street have been brought back to life as a 99-bedroom hotel.

General manager Martin Clubbe, who was previously general manager of the MacDonald Bath Spa hotel in Bath, said: “It is a real privilege to head up the team which will be opening Bath’s newest hotel.

“There is a real buzz among all the staff and we are hugely encouraged by the level of interest and the number of bookings which we have already taken.”

Bath’s naturally warm, mineral-rich waters will feed the three thermal baths in the Spa Village Bath at the heart of the hotel, beneath a glass atrium surrounded by Romanesque columns.

Cheltenham is known for its festivals, none more so than the National Hunt festival in March.

This year the county is preparing for the annual invasion of Irish fans and given the strength of leading trainer Willie Mullins’ stable there could be a bumper arrival from the Emerald Isle.

Meanwhile the number of visitors taking short breaks soared in the West in 2015, the latest figures show. Tourism bosses in the region said increasingly stressed-out people were taking the holidays to cope with modern life.

Shorter stays make up around a third of the annual tourism spend and are now worth an estimated £1 billion to the regional economy.

Somerset and Dorset both saw increases of 63 per cent, as did north Devon, according to the letting agency holidaycottages.co.uk.

3 WBG-E01-S1

We’re giving the west back its Great Western Railway.

Sunday 20 September 2015 marked the

in any industry. We’ve removed

beginning of a new era. From that day

ourselves from the livery. With this

on our region’s railway became known

comes the commitment to not act

as GWR, Great Western Railway.

as a franchise. But rather, as a proud

This is not a mere ‘rebadging’ exercise.

It is a statement of intent.

to reinvigorate the west by returning the rail service to its former glory.

It’s a reinstatement of the original name given to us by our illustrious founder, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

of London Paddington, resplendent in GWR green. Over the coming months,

It’s a promise to use every last ounce

it will be followed by the biggest

of our passion to build a 21st century railway that Brunel himself would be

Bringing a new age of faster GWR

proud of.

electric trains, equipped with foremost

And it’s an acknowledgement that

technology and passenger comforts.

the railway and its people are far

All staffed by dedicated Great

more important than any franchise or

Western Railway people, to connect

holding company.

Great Western Railway stations,

At FirstGroup, we recognise that this railway truly belongs to the

06244

custodian, whose responsibility it is

and bring prosperity to our great western region.

region it serves. So we’ve taken an

Learn how we’re Building a Greater West

unprecedented step for any brand

at GWR.com

FILE NAME: PR06244 _GWR _ 210X148_WEST_ A5 PROOF STAGE: 1ST – 10 D E C E MB ER 15 • FILED IN: SEPT 15 SIZE: 340 X 270 MM (– MM B LD) • PUBLICATION: NEWS GENERI C •

M ASTER – NEWSPRINT GENERI

PG: 1

C

THE RETURN OF GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY

4 WBG-E01-S1

Fuelling your momentum.

To find out more, please contact: Mike Lea, Managing partner Bristol office O117 376 2151 mike.lea@smith.williamson.co.uk Louise Somerset, Managing partner Cheltenham office 0124 250 6030 louise.somerset@smith.williamson.co.uk

Commercial, financial and taxation advice for growing businesses and their owners.

At Smith & Williamson, we work with founders and management teams providing end-to-end services to meet all your financial needs. With a dedicated team that truly understands the complexities of growing businesses, whether it’s raising finance, navigating complex tax issues, expanding globally or seeking an exit, we will be there to support you on your journey from vision to exit‌and beyond. smith.williamson.co.uk

Smith & Williamson LLP regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants In England and Wales for a range of investment business activities.

A member of Nexia International. The word partner is used to refer to a member of Smith & Williamson LLP.