WDP Business Guide 2018

Is Gloucester the West’s next boom city?

Tall Story: Should Bristol think skyscrapers?

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INSIDE

Forewords 2 Western Daily Press Business Guide editor Richard Bache, Jordans’ Ray Ruffels and Renishaw’s Chris Pockett introduce Guide

Gloucester 18 Jason Smith details the renaissance of business in Gloucester, possibly the West’s fastest growing city

Hinkley Point C 6 Headline sponsor EDF Energy details progress

Top 150 27 Eight pages of coverage on the region’s

Backing West 9 Western Daily Press editor Gavin Thompson

Aerospace 40 Richard Bache reports on the vital aerospace

Taller buildings 10 Architect Yuli Cadney-Toh has returned to

Agriculture 42 Western Daily Press farming writer Sue Bradley

Consumer habits 11 Tom Harding analyses how West consumers

46 ATourism glut of new attractions and hotels will

Rail investment 14 Headline sponsor GWR details how its

Small business 48 Sam Holliday of the FSB discusses matters that

at Hinkley Point C and shows how West-based companies are benefiting

biggest 150 companies, including the new entrants

discusses how the newspaper is fighting for the region to be heard

sector, which needs answers on Brexit more than most

Bristol after an absence and gives her verdict on the possibilities of looking upwards

assesses agriculture and the arrival of Michael Gove at Defra

are increasingly connected, in one of two features from headline sponsor Osborne Clarke

investment in the region’s railways is paying dividends for passengers and business

16 IanSkills Mean of Business West reports from

welcome visitors to the West in 2018, reports Richard Bache

really matter to small businesses, including ongoing battles to improve payment terms

37

Gloucestershire on how vital it is for significant investment in skills

Education

Liz Redwood of Bridgwater and Taunton College reports on how it has worked to equip students for Hinkley jobs

Sport 56 Richard Bache looks at whether other sports

clubs in the West can emulate Bristol City’s offthe-pitch success

Art and business 38 Karen White discusses how museums, art

galleries and business can partner to their mutual benefit

BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 EDITOR Richard Bache: richard.bache@westerndailypress.co.uk COVER PICTURE: MIKSOV/GETTY IMAGES WBG-E01-S2

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 2018 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 1

Politicians must match qualities Richard Bache , editor of the Western Daily Press Business Guide 2018, discusses the world-class companies in this region that need our continued support so they can keep delivering prosperity and growth Welcome to the Western Daily Press Business Guide 2018.

There is no way to describe many of the businesses within this Guide as anything other than “world-class”.

Compiling it is a privilege and an annual reminder of the remarkable talent and innovation within this region which is relentlessly driving our shared prosperity.

However, it is incumbent on all of us to fight for investment in infrastructure and skills to ensure that these world-class businesses can continue to thrive.

The West must more than ever demand that its voice is heard by policymakers in Westminster – after all, this is one of the few regions that makes a net contribution to the Treasury.

We are not asking for hand-outs or charity – the West has a proven track record of delivering significant returns on investment.

Every region of the UK understandably argues that it is a special case that deserves support – we

must demonstrate that the West should be at the very top of the pile when it comes to public sector infrastructure spending.

It is probably accurate to say that business groups are not entirely enamoured of national politicians of any persuasion at the moment.

Business Secretary Greg Clark’s Industrial Strategy received, at best, a lukewarm response and trivialities have often dominated serious parliamentary debate at a critical juncture for our country.

Rich Clothier, of Somerset cheese-maker Wyke Farms, probably summed it up best with a tweet earlier this month.

He said: “Half of politicians want to fall out with EU, the other half with Trump’s US. Thanks for letting exporters and industry down. #frustrated” Few of us would wish to be mistaken for Donald Trump apologists, but he is surely right that Britain’s political classes haven’t exactly been on a charm offensive with our most important trading partners.

This is possibly a foolish prediction to make, but the one political silver lining is that for the first time since 2014 we do at least look like being spared the ordeal of politicians on our doorsteps this May and June. Brenda from Bristol, who sprung to national fame when the BBC’s Jon Kay put a microphone in her face, will be delighted...

A number of industrial groups said Business Secretary Greg Clark’s Industrial Strategy didn’t go far enough

Following a General Election in 2015, the EU referendum in 2016 and Theresa May’s disastrous decision to call an election last year, wall-to-wall coverage of Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle will be a refreshing change this May. No doubt some of the Gloucestershire pubs the prince frequented in his youth will be anticipating an upturn in business as national and international media outlets plan blanket coverage.

It is, of course, impossible to reflect on the state of business in 2018 without discussing the ongoing uncertainty during Brexit negotiations.

Different sectors of the economy will have different concerns, with many being particularly fearful of non-tariff barriers.

Elsewhere in this Guide (page 32) we report on evidence Swindon-based Honda gave to MPs late last year on the potential impact to just-in-time manufacturing and in his foreword (on page 5) Chris Pockett of Renishaw offers penetrating insight into how one of Britain’s most important global manufacturers and exporters is tackling the process. Truly a must-read.

EDF Energy’s new chief executive Simone Rossi was surprisingly sanguine about the potential impact of Brexit when asked (by Somerset County Council’s economy lead Councillor David Hall) at a briefing he gave during his first public visit to Hinkley Point C last week.

He offered a positive outlook that the rational

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of West’s world-class companies needs of both Britain and Europe will ultimately prevail. Let us hope he is right!

Mr Rossi gave a very upbeat briefing about progress at Hinkley.

The sight of “Big Construction” when it swings into action is indisputably impressive.

No matter how many aerial photographs one looks at or lists of facts and figures about the scope of the £20 billion project one reads, the sheer scale of the construction work genuinely does have to be seen to be believed.

Hundreds of West Country businesses have rightly realised the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Hinkley offers and have managed – many with help from EDF Energy – to become part of the supply chain.

It also offers incredible career opportunities to young people in the West.

Gemma Howells, 20, is a supply chain apprentice with EDF who gave an inspirational speech at the same event Mr Rossi addressed, detailing how a visit to her school in nearby Minehead had prompted her to pursue a career at Hinkley.

Minehead – and West Somerset in general – is an area of the region that hasn’t always managed to generate enough high-quality jobs to retain its talented young people.

Gemma is the living embodiment of that no longer necessarily being the case.

Many of the West’s great engineering companies are desperately seeking to recruit more bright young people like Gemma to pursue careers in STEM-related areas.

Ian Mean (on pages 16-17) of Business West makes a compelling case that skills development is the number one priority for Gloucestershire.

It isn’t only young people who need to contemplate up-skilling, however.

Britain still faces a significant productivity challenge and many companies need to invest in boosting their employees’ key skills.

Equally, the onus is on all of us as employees.

Few of us will enjoy the luxury of remaining in gainful employment without undergoing continual professional development in a rapidly changing workplace.

Julian Hemming, partner at international law firm Osborne Clarke, takes a fascinating look at the future of the workplace and the issues likely to arise (pages 12-13).

And in an interview (page 36-37), Dr Noordin Shehabuddeen assesses how UWE Bristol is significantly increasing engagement with the business community and the opportunities it offers professionals looking to develop their skills.

This Guide also takes an in-depth look at some of the issues and challenges facing our great cities and rural counties.

Architect Yuli Cadney-Toh (page 10) makes the case for why Bristol should consider more tall buildings and on pages 22-23 we look at how 2018 might finally be the year that transport tops the agenda in the West’s biggest city.

Jason Smith (pages 18-19) charts the remarkable renaissance of Gloucester in recent years and how it is fast becoming the region’s next boom city and on pages 20-21 we look at how a number of projects in Bath could make major progress in 2018.

It would be remiss not to thank the business figures who have contributed to this Guide and our sponsors, particularly the headline sponsors – EDF Energy, GWR, Osborne Clarke and Renishaw – who not only make this Guide possible, but also make such massive contributions to the region’s economy.

At the Western Daily Press we have championed the region’s business successes throughout our 160-year history and are confident the West is well positioned to continue to thrive.

The Hinkley Point C project in Somerset has been embraced by hundreds of firms across the West. It is also providing opportunities for apprenticeships. Gemma Howells, 20, from Minehead is a supply chain apprentice who is among those to seize that chance WBG-E01-S2

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 3

Resilient economy is poised to grow again Ray Ruffels , Managing Director of Business Information at Jordans, considers the economic outlook for the year ahead in the West Jordans are delighted to be once again working with the Western Daily Press on this year’s Business Guide.

Last year was a momentous one in Jordans’ 150year history as we became part of the Vistra Group, who are one of the world’s leading corporate service providers of international incorporations, trust, fiduciary and fund administration services with operations in 44 jurisdictions. We also moved into new offices in central Bristol, demonstrating a commitment to the local economy, whose vitality is as important to us as the UK’s business performance is as a whole.

The 2018 list of the West’s 150 top companies is once again dominated by UK-based international companies and foreign subsidiaries, with Imperial Brands again occupying first place. There has been some movement among the top 20 companies, including two new entries. The most impressive is oil product wholesaler Puma Energy (UK) Limited (who last year entered the list at 48th

position) moving up 33 places to 15th position.

This year’s guide has also seen many notable performances from companies registered in the West. The highest new entry is Bristol-based Curtis Banks (53rd), who are a leading provider of personal pension schemes with more than £9bn of assets under administration.

Leidos Europe, Limited, who supply information technology and engineering services to customers such as the Ministry of Defence, NATS and Ministry of Justice, enters the list at 69th place.

This year’s highest riser is Optimas OE Solutions Ltd, the UK subsidiary of the fasteners’ distributor and supply chain specialist, which moves up 55 places to 88th. Independent Vetcare Holdings Limited also performed well, moving up 50 places to 99th place.

So the Business Guide again shows some robust performances, but what is the economic outlook for 2018?

The FTSE 100 finished 2017 with a surge that pushed the index to a record high and although economic forecasters expect the Footsie to rise in 2018 it will not be at the same pace as 2017. So what will be the trend in other main economic

Ray Ruffels, Managing Director of Business Information at Jordans, is broadly positive about the outlook for business growth in the West Country during 2018

indicators and what does it mean for business?

The outturn in 2017 saw GDP growth of 1.7 per cent, inflation at 3.1 per cent, an unemployment rate of 4.3 per cent and an interest rate of 0.5 per cent. According to David Smith at the Sunday Times, one of the best forecasters in 2017 was Allan Clarke at ScotiaBank; his prediction on these indicators for 2018 is GDP growth of 1.5 per cent, a low 1.8 per cent inflation rate by the end of year and an increase in the interest rate to one per cent.

Other respected forecasters are predicting volatility in the Footsie but it ending the year on a par with 2017, interest rates staying within 0.5 to one per cent with inflation falling from its current position.

In the construction sector, housing remains the best performing segment but the rise in input price inflation is expected to continue.

However, let’s not forget the possible impact of Brexit negotiations on economic activity in 2018 – for example, if the talks go smoothly then sterling may rally or vice-versa and any continued uncertainty will have a negative effect on business investment/confidence, which could especially affect the manufacturing sector. This is highlighted by the CICM Credit Mangers Index for 3rd Quarter 2017 showing a dramatic fall in confidence in the manufacturing sector when Brexit talks stalled and business organisations warned of increasing uncertainty across the UK. In contrast, with strong consumer demand in the service sector expected in 2018 there will be many opportunities for business and I expect the UK economy to continue to show resilience and growth much in line with 2017.

With business opportunity comes an increased reliance on accurate and up-to-date intelligence.

Jordans has been providing business information and insight for over 30 years, supplying data to over 25,000 companies per year.

To find out more about these services or other legal, compliance and accountancy services offered by Jordans, please visit www.jordans.co.uk or call 0117 918 1265.

Helping to protect your business New look, same unrivalled services Now part of Vistra, we can build on our unique position of providing our clients with everything they need under one roof – with an even broader range of services.

Our experienced Business Information team continue to offer all the advice, insight and expertise you need to help your business thrive.

Whether you are looking for reliable corporate intelligence to assess business risks and opportunities, or require our full anti-money laundering compliance services, we can help.

For further information on our full range of services, please contact us: Call +44 (0)117 918 1265 Email companyinformation@jordans.co.uk Data suppliers for the Western Daily Press Business Guide 2018.

www.jordans.co.uk

4 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

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Manufacturing must be heard Chris Pockett is Head of Communications at Renishaw and advises on how it is handling Brexit uncertainty while continuing to invest in growth We enter 2018 with a mixture of excitement and trepidation for the manufacturing sector in the region. The UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) averaged 55.9 in 2017 against a monthly average of 52.3 in 2016, while December’s figure of 56.3 suggests a strong year ahead (a figure over 50 suggests that the sector is expanding). Yet, the cloud of Brexit still hangs over us, with as much uncertainty as we were facing 12 months ago.

The past year has seen Renishaw engaging directly with multiple government departments and professional organisations that have influence with those departments of state. With so much still to be decided in the UK’s incredibly complex negotiations with the EU, it is absolutely essential that the collective and individual voices of business are heard by politicians and civil servants. It may well be that ultimately some decisions are taken by our Government that are not aligned with our best interests, but let’s at least ensure that those decisions are being made in full possession of the facts.

You should therefore be working with your trade associations and other business membership groups to ensure that your story is being heard – while many businesses have similar challenges, each business has subtle differences in its business model and it is vital that these individual circumstances are understood. The main collective advising the Department for Exiting the European Union (DEXU) is the European Business Advisory Group (EBAG), which is made up of the IOD, CBI, FSB, EEF and British Chambers of Commerce (the latter locally represented

by Business West), so it is likely that most businesses in the region are members of at least one of these organisations.

What we have also found, however, is that government departments still want to hear directly from businesses with significant interests in the EU and indeed those with export experience with other markets that may be impacted by existing EU trade deals from which the UK would no longer benefit. One of our key messages to departments such as DEXU, BEIS (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) and DIT (International Trade) is that based on our experience and individual situation, we are much less worried about tariffs than non-tariff barriers (e.g customs processes and regulation). The next 12 months will no doubt be as uncertain as the last year, but let’s at least ensure that our businesses are at the heart of the largest ever government consultation.

Despite Brexit uncertainties, as a company that has always taken a long-term view, Renishaw continued to invest strongly for the future in 2017, strengthening our global service and support operations, investing to ensure a future pipeline of innovative new products and, most importantly, to ensure a future pipeline of skilled individuals that will take the business forward.

In Spain we moved to a new facility near Barcelona that is three times the size of the former building and we are nearing completion of a purpose-built office for our subsidiary in Mexico. We also completed new facilities in Detroit (USA) and the refurbishment of our offices in Sweden, Hungary, Germany and France.

During the year we also converted our representative office in Turkey into a trading subsidiary in Turkey based on the increasing potential we see for our products.

We also continue to invest heavily in R&D to

From top: the Bloodhound car outside Renishaw’s headquarters in Wotton-under-Edge – the Gloucestershire firm has been involved in manufacturing components for the car, which ultimately aims to crack 1,000mph; award-winning apprentices at last year’s Renishaw Apprentice of the Year Awards; the firm has some surprises up its sleeves with the Gromit Unleashed 2 trail that is coming to Bristol this summer; right; Chris Pockett, who urges companies to follow the example of Renishaw and let the Government know of their concerns during the Brexit consultations WBG-E01-S2

ensure that we develop the next generation of products that will sustain the future success of Renishaw. For our financial year ended June 2017 total engineering costs, including R&D, amounted to £78 million, which was 15 per cent of Group revenue. With such a large expenditure on generating future products we take IP protection very seriously and employ six patent attorneys at our HQ in Gloucestershire who manage our patent portfolio of around 1,500 patents and patents pending.

Our other major ongoing investment in the region is the acquisition and development of talent. We employ over 2,300 people in the South West and like many other businesses the only way to ensure that we have the talent to continue to grow and innovate is to develop our own young people. We concentrate on entry-level recruitment through apprenticeship and graduate schemes and during 2017 we had a record 133 apprentices in training, recruited 45 graduates, and in 2018 will recruit a record 50 people onto our five apprenticeship schemes, which includes degree-level apprenticeships in software and embedded electronics.

To achieve high levels of quality applicants we are continuing to put significant efforts into our education outreach work, both individually and as part of a collective sector effort. We now have over 130 trained STEM Ambassadors to support that work, a quarter of whom are female engineers who share our desire to increase the attractiveness of engineering to women.

While the uncertainties around Brexit continue, it is good to be able to focus on some certainties within the region. The UK Government has designated 2018 as the Year of Engineering, with a year-long campaign to tackle the engineering skills gap and widen the pool of young people who join the profession.

So how better to celebrate engineering than with three significant activities within our region. The new Aerospace Bristol industrial heritage museum, including the fabulous new hangar for the last Concorde to be built at Filton, opened towards the end of 2017 and we are proud to have been involved as a donor and supplier of exhibits for the museum. In October we were also announced as a stripe sponsor and education partner of the Bloodhound Supersonic Car project, which will undertake test runs up to 500mph this year in South Africa, as part of its long-term aim to achieve the world land speed record and the 1,000mph milestone.

And in the Year of Engineering, how apt it is that a new museum is opening on the site of the ss Great Britain in Bristol that celebrates the life and legacy of arguably our greatest ever engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The new Being Brunel museum will tell IKB’s extraordinary story in novel ways and ultimately aims to inspire future generations of innovators and encourage more young people into STEM-related careers.

Brunel’s ss Great Britain already gives around £10 million of economic benefit to Bristol each year and the new museum is expected to provide a significant boost to tourism in the city. Renishaw was the founding member of the Being Brunel Corporate Club, which has helped to fund the project, and I recently had a sneak peek of the new facilities that open in March – all I can say is that you won’t be disappointed.

Finally, look out for some very special animated characters on the Gromit Unleashed 2 trail being held this summer in Bristol – along with RollsRoyce and the University of Bristol we’ll be showcasing some engineering innovation, but probably no cheese involved!

Chris Pockett is Head of Communications at Gloucestershire-based Renishaw plc

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 5

Above; this vast circular platform forms the base for one of the two pressurised water reactors which will generate electricity for six million homes for some 60 years at Hinkley Point C. Top right; there are more than 20

West business playing an instrumental role in rapid Hinkley progress Substantial progress has been made in the past year on EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point C development and many West firms are playing their part in the project

A huge circle of concrete marks the spot where the first new nuclear power station in a generation will be built at Hinkley Point C in Somerset.

The circular platform forms the base for one of the two pressurised water reactors which will generate electricity for six million homes for some 60 years.

It’s no easy task building something as complex as a nuclear power station, then there’s all the associated works that go with it, from park and ride sites and canteens to dedicated staff accommodation and ensuring local people have the skills to both build and operate the station.

There are already almost 3,000 people working at site every day – 65,000 meals are dished up every month to keep them going. At peak construction, that figure will swell to 5,600 workers.

6 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

Nothing about the project is small-scale. There are 200 items of heavy construction plant working away – diggers, dumper trucks and excavators – which between them have already shifted more than four million cubic metres of earth.

The site boasts its own dedicated concrete making plants to supply the 2,000 tonnes of concrete that can be needed every day. In all, at least three million tonnes of concrete will be used – 75 times more than was used to build the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Some 10,000 tonnes of rock has already been delivered by ship from Pembroke for the site’s new 13.5 metres high seawall and a 500 bed “Campus” accommodation development for workers is well under construction at site. A second campus with 1,000 beds is being built in Bridgwater.

Nigel Cann, Hinkley Point C’s Delivery Director, said: “Hinkley Point C is one of Europe’s largest construction projects and we’re making good progress.

“Work is continuing on a temporary jetty which

Nigel Cann, Hinkley Point C’s Delivery Director for the huge project

will keep lorries off local roads and which will deliver 80 per cent of the aggregate needed by sea.

“Our focus this year will be the laying of circulation water system pipes and preparation for the foundations of reactor Unit 1.”

The project is bringing together firms and expertise from across the UK and further afield.

With contracts worth £465 million already given to South West firms and 4,000 regional firms registered as suppliers, it’s already bringing huge economic benefits to the area.

Among those benefiting already is a co-operative of food producers in Somerset, including a butcher and a tea merchant to a bakery and a dairy. They have joined forces to become Somerset Larder and they’ll be feeding thousands of hungry workers on the site. They include Cricketer Farm in Nether Stowey, Cossey Produce in Bridgwater, DJ Miles and Co in Minehead, Pynes of Somerset in North Petherton, Mortimers Bakery in Yeovil and Gundenham Dairy near Wellington.

Another success story is the partnership between three companies – multi-national Skanska, Bridgwater-based groundworkers R K Bell Ltd and Forest Traffic Management Ltd of Newport – to form the Somerset Infrastructure Alliance (SIA).

Skanska already operates the Somerset Highways maintenance contract and is working with the two local firms to provide a network of both temporary and permanent roads and other infrastructure schemes for the project.

Nick Bell of RK Bell Ltd said: “This is a once-ina-generation opportunity in our own backyard and we are endeavouring to build our legacy, future-proofing and creating a sustainable company for the next generations of families to follow.”

The sheer scale of the project and the numbers of trades and skilled workers needed to build and operate it has seen a real focus on training and upskilling.

Some £15 million is being invested into education, employment and skills to help inspire young people and provide workers with the necessary training and support to help them into long term careers.

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West firms making the most of Hinkley C

00 items of heavy construction plant working at the Somerset site. Above right; staff inspecting one of the nuclear galleries being constructed Multi-million pound investments into a Construction Skills Centre and an Energy Skills Centre at the nearby Bridgwater and Taunton College are not only ensuring that local people are equipped with the skills they need for the future, but also helping to fill a national skills gap.

The centre provides realistic working environments and enables trainees to experience the actual skills, behaviours, culture and working conditions that will enable them to work safely at Hinkley Point C, which is just five miles from the college.

Bridgwater and Taunton College is also hosting the southern hub of the new National College for Nuclear which will revolutionise the way people train to work in the nuclear sector with support from key members of the industry, including EDF Energy.

The project also has its own Inspire education programme to encourage young people to student science, technology and maths at school. Over 160 education establishments across the South West have engaged with the programme.

A new venture called Young HPC was launched at the end of last year for young people aged between 16-21.

The scheme is designed to help local young people discover the diverse range of job opportunities available to them at the Hinkley Point C project – everything from catering and security to marine work, welding and administration work.

And for those who don’t know what their dream job is just yet, there is also plenty of help and advice available to try and find the right role for them.

This includes innovative ‘hands-on’ skills experience taster days where those registered with Young HPC will be invited to meet potential employers and try out some elements of the jobs on offer.

This focus on skills and training means Hinkley Point C will act as a catalyst for creating the next generation of UK engineers and scientists and boost the UK’s construction industry, upskilling the workforce and providing apprenticeships and training for people of all ages.

Future projects in the UK will benefit from the legacy Hinkley Point C will create, not just other

nuclear projects but the construction industry as a whole.

Economic growth and sustained employment across the South West and the wider UK will follow throughout the ten year build programme and beyond.

As well as numerous multi-million pound investments into infrastructure, and local, regional and national businesses, the project also enables individuals to develop their own careers in construction.

The project offers long term, sustainable employment and has a wider ambition to help increase diversity across the construction industry.

EDF Energy has developed its own innovative and industry-leading education programme to encourage young people and teenage girls into science, technology, engineering and mathematics – known as STEM – to fill a recognised national skills gap.

The company is working with local colleges to help young people gain the skills needed to work on the project.

Apprenticeships are a vital part of the project and the majority will be created through the project’s contract partners.

EDF Energy apprentices will play a crucial role in operating and maintaining the power station itself, including those enrolled on the UK’s first commercial degree apprenticeship programme which was launched by the company two years ago.

Nigel Cann added: “HPC embodies the Government’s vision of an industrial strategy that delivers jobs and economic growth across the country.

“We have worked hard to ensure the South West benefits from the project with a positive impact for skills, education, jobs, suppliers and the regional economy as a whole.

“At Hinkley Point C itself, construction is now fully underway. We can make a real difference to the region and, in turn, we benefit from the considerable talent and know-how available in South-West businesses.”

More information about the opportunities available at Hinkley Point C can be found on the website: www.edfenergy.com/hpc

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The jetty at Hinkley Point will become operational this year, allowing 80 per cent of aggregate to be delivered by sea

“

Hinkley Point C is one of Europe’s largest construction projects and we’re making good progress

”

Hinkley Point C is transforming opportunities for businesses across the South West, with contracts worth £465 million already signed with regional suppliers, writes Stuart Crooks, Hinkley Point C Managing Director.

EDF Energy, along with Chinese partner CGN, has been actively encouraging regional firms to join the Hinkley Point C supply chain through its link with the Somerset Chamber of Commerce.

We have worked to ensure the South West benefits; the local community, skills, education, jobs, supply chain and the regional economy as a whole. By working with the chamber of commerce we have helped local businesses come together to help them punch above their weight and compete for big contracts. The venture has seen around 4,000 South West businesses register on our supplier database. Instead of only approaching national companies to take on some of the project’s most important contracts, EDF Energy has taken a different approach and is helping local businesses win work and contracts.

This long term commitment from the project allows local and regional suppliers to plan ahead, invest and grow, so they can take a share of the £200 million a year which will be spent in the regional economy during peak construction.

Over the lifetime of the project, around £4 billion will be invested in the South West.

Our spending will increase this year as the workforce and activity ramps up. This will include the start of tunnelling works for the marine element of the project. Many of our supply chain partners will also be increasing their off-site works as the project progresses.

HPC embodies the Government’s vision of an industrial strategy that delivers jobs and economic growth across the country. We continue to make strong progress in placing and managing our contracts. Some 64 per cent of the value of the project is being placed with UK companies. We have committed to 34 per cent of the workforce being local and we are significantly above target.

In fact, hundreds of new jobs have already been created by South West supply chain members as a direct result of involvement with the project.

HPC is helping to revitalise the UK’s construction industry and beyond, upskilling the workforce and providing apprenticeships and training for people of all ages across a diverse range of roles. We have invested £15 million in education, employment and skills. Some of that funding has gone to Bridgwater and Taunton College’s Construction Skills and Innovation Centre which is already benefiting other projects in the UK. For example it has the UK’s only steel-fixing course and it’s has already trained workers for infrastructure projects like Crossrail, Wessex Water, and HS2. As one of the largest construction schemes ever to be built in the UK, Hinkley Point C requires a highly skilled and competent workforce – not just engineers and construction workers, but also steel fixers, bus drivers, caterers and administrators, plus a whole host of other jobs.

We will create 1,000 apprenticeships during construction to ensure this project leaves a great legacy in the South West. Already we have seen the creation of well over 100 apprentices throughout the HPC supply chain.

But the benefits of Hinkley Point are being felt far and wide – 200,000 tonnes of steel has come from South Wales, our workers’ accommodation blocks were built in Nottinghamshire, water filtration drums in Colchester and water pumps for the station cooling system from Glasgow. Our Delivery Command Centre is based in Bristol and the dedicated team there is overseeing the management of the project, the schedule of works and carrying out pre-construction planning.

The links between management, engineers and staff on the ground are critical and it is clear new nuclear offers huge potential to the UK. It is a huge endeavour which is delivering long-lasting benefits in jobs and skills. We are determined to build a power station the UK can be proud of as it operates safely and reliably for decades to come.

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 7

Hinkley Point C Building more than a power station

A 10 year project committed to enhancing the region’s economy, skills and supply chain.

Almost ÂŁ4 billion into the regional economy over the lifetime of the project.

For more information visit edfenergy.com/hpc 8 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

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Let’s raise our ambitions higher BACK THE WEST Western Daily Press editor Gavin Thompson on why the campaign was launched to ensure the West Country punches its weight in Westminster The West has been driving the UK economy in recent years. The Bristol and Bath region is a net contributor as one of the few city regions to put more into the Treasury in taxes than it takes out.

The region boasts a world-leading aerospace sector, successful high-quality food producers and a burgeoning tech and digital scene, among other strengths.

Yet support from central Government and elsewhere has always been lacking. That’s why last year the Western Daily Press assembled a business-led Back the West campaign.

We gathered together a group of individuals from a mixture of industries, from construction to manufacturing, transport to food and drink.

Following the group’s discussions, the Back the West campaign was launched with the following priorities: ● Digital connectivity: Despite our boasts to be a leading tech and digital centre, many businesses in Bristol struggle for the connection speeds they need, while further into rural Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, the problem gets worse. ● Road and rail connectivity: Poor transport links have long been a factor holding the region back from greater prosperity and while highspeed rail links push ahead in other areas, electrification of the Great Western Mainline has been, in part, put on indefinite hold. ● Skills: The right mix is essential but provision can be disjointed and communication or responsiveness to employer demand too slow or lacking. ● Planning and place: Lack of development opportunities and the slow planning system holds business back from providing the right places for people to live and work. ● A strong voice: The region has been outshone by the North and other areas in the past.

Since the campaign launched, we have seen progress in some areas, albeit too slow.

We called for ambitious, headline-grabbing transport infrastructure projects and Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees has stepped up with his idea for a Bristol underground network. His vision includes a rail link to Bristol Airport, something our campaign has specifically called for, and it is encouraging to see he has not been held back by artificial council boundaries that have blocked progress in the past.

Crucially, he sees such investment as a way to unlock the potential of the Bristol workforce, a measure that helps equalise opportunity for all, not just those with cars.

Whether he can deliver such a scheme is a very big question, and such a plan is likely to take longer than the tenure of a single mayor, but we applaud his ambition.

Elsewhere, the Government is consulting on long-awaited plans to dual part of the A303 and link it to the M5 with a new motorway junction.

While there are discussions around the best route, it is vital the scheme is not too delayed.

Options are also being considered for the notorious Air Balloon roundabout on the A417 and again, pressure must be brought to ensure a viable scheme is delivered soon.

In Bath a recent study into the viability of trams was encouraging but it is a long, long way from even being a proposal and the city can expect to

The Back the West Board, from left, Don Cameron, Cameron Balloons; Gavin Thompson, Western Daily Press; Gavin Bridge, Cubex Land; Helena Hills, TrueStart Coffee; James Gore, Bristol Airport; Alison Edgar, Sales Coaching Solutions; Andy Pymer, Wessex Water; Steve West, UWE; Ellen Green, Blue Badge Company; and Tom Clothier, Wyke Farms

“

The West has incredible potential but to fully harness it we need the powers that be to invest in the region and for us all to stand up and be counted

remain congested and polluted for some time yet.

When it comes to place, Bath is showing progress, however, with an application submitted for the North Quays site including much-needed office space to attract new business and house growing ones. Parking will be a challenge as the plan involves demolishing one of the city’s main car parks and replacing it with a smaller one.

In Bristol, the office market is heating up, with grade A rents rising from £28.50 per sq ft to £32.50, suggesting more development is needed. That headline rent was set with the arrival of Wiltshire firm Dyson leasing a 56,000 sq ft office at Cathedral Square. Demand is also high among newer, growing businesses too, illustrated by the plans for a second Engine Shed business incubator.

The region has still failed to find its voice, however. The new West of England Combined Authority has started to act, but regional mayor Tim Bowles remains low profile, especially when compared to the likes of Andy Burnham in Manchester.

There are positive signs of progress and ambition from 2017 and much cause for optimism as we look deeper into 2018. The West has incredible potential but to fully harness it we need the powers that be to invest in the region and for us all to stand up and be counted. Let’s make 2018 a year to Back the West.

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THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 9

Yuli Cadney-Toh, architect director at BDP in Bristol, has returned to the city almost 40 years after graduating from Bristol University and said it is surprising how unchanged the city’s skyline is

Bristol should set its sights high TALL BUILDINGS Richard Bache speaks to architect Yuli Cadney-Toh of Bristol-based BDP about the potential for the city to start looking at building taller buildings An architect who has returned to Bristol after enjoying a career spanning the globe says the city’s skyline is the one thing that has barely changed, almost 40 years later.

Yuli Cadney-Toh says Bristol is an infinitely brighter, cleaner and more prosperous city than the one she left in those gloomy strike-ridden days of the early 1980s, as Margaret Thatcher did battle with the unions and nearly three million people were out of work.

While Bristol has clearly undergone vast change since she left, she says its skyline is fundamentally the same and as Bristol grapples with a housing crisis it is perhaps time that it looks upwards as it considers future development.

She said Sydney, where she spent part of her career, had shared waterfront characteristics and despite being much bigger than Bristol could be a role model for sustainable high-rise development.

After graduating from Bristol her career took her to not only Australia, where she was involved in designing skyscrapers in Perth and Sydney, but included a spell working for leading London practices, where she worked on the design of Heathrow’s Terminal 5 and Heston Blumenthal’s

10 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

The Fat Duck restaurant in Bray, Berkshire.

Now Yuli, who grew up in the West and went to school in Cheltenham, has come full circle and last summer joined BDP’s Bristol studio as architect director.

It is a mere two streets away from where she studied at Bristol University.

When one looks at the most comparable British cities, Bristol has not really experienced a wave of tall buildings, she told the Western Daily Press.

Yet in recent months there seems to be a feeling that the city is potentially on the cusp of significant architectural change.

Planning permission has been granted for a 24storey apartment building on the former ambulance station near Castle Park and the University of Bristol’s proposals for its £300 million second campus near Bristol Temple Meads include a 26storey student accommodation block.

And in his “state of the city” address at the Wills Memorial Building in October Mayor Marvin Rees indicated his willingness for the city to build higher and more densely.

That will require new planning policies to be implemented, but is not, Yuli says, something people should be fearful about.

“Tall buildings have had a bad press,” she says, “but they have been misunderstood.”

Insensitive 1960s development and poor maintenance had led to negative thoughts about tall buildings, she added.

She went on to describe Bristol as a city at a “crossroads”, which needed to establish a new vision to determine the direction of future development within the city limits.

“

Sydney has shared waterfront characteristics and could be a role model for sustainable high-rise development

”

People within the city need to have a frank conversation about what they want future development to look like and how Bristolians want to live.

She said: “Whatever Bristol wants we need to explicitly state it.”

Densification, within certain areas of the city, has many benefits, she said, as well as being inherently more sustainable.

It makes mass-transport options more financially viable and opens up the possibility of Bristol becoming a true 24-hour city.

Policies encouraging denser building in central areas could be one strand in addressing Bristol’s housing crisis, she added.

Research published earlier this month from the thinktank Centre for Towns highlighted how Britain’s cities were getting younger and conversely towns and villages were getting older.

In essence, young people want to live in cities and we should listen to them by concentrating development in the city centre rather than creeping further into the green fields surrounding Bristol, she argues.

Yuli pointed out that research in Hong Kong showed that people were happy to accept living in “micro-flats”, on the condition that their neighbourhoods were vibrant, well-connected and there was easy access to quality services.

While Hong Kong is an extreme example of housing density that Bristol is unlikely to want to emulate, perhaps it is time for citizens to have a genuine and open conversation about whether willingly accepting taller buildings could be part of building a better city.

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West consumers connect readily Tom Harding Head of Digital Commerce and Platforms at Osborne Clarke LLP looks at their recent connected consumer research

cent) it would not make a difference to them if products they were buying were made using a 3D printer. Cost is also key here, with 40 per cent of people in our region more likely to say they would print 3D products at home if they had the capability. This compares with 33 per cent for the UK as a whole and 31 per cent across Europe.

Increasingly significant aspects of people’s lives now interconnect across a network of online devices, products and services. This is being driven by continually advancing connectivity and technology, and consumer expectations and attitudes are constantly evolving as a result.

This is the world of the “connected consumer”.

It describes how people interact online across areas such as health, leisure, transport, retail and entertainment, and is the subject of a major piece of European research carried out each year by international legal practice Osborne Clarke.

Our latest Connected Consumer research looks in particular at consumer attitudes towards key connected technology areas, such as virtual health consultations and health apps, 3D printing, personal digital assistants, mobile payments and augmented reality.

The research spans the UK, alongside seven other key European jurisdictions (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden). This allows businesses to get a sense of any similarities or divergences, which can potentially be exploited to their advantage.

Crucially, the research also allows us to examine the attitudes of consumers here in the West of England, and to compare and contrast them with parts of the UK and Europe. We have pulled out some of the key findings below.

Personal Digital Assistants

Personal digital assistants (PDAs), like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, is another area where our region shows a marked divergence from national and international attitudes.

PDA usage in the South West is lower than in the rest of the UK and Europe. Only one in ten in the South West claim to use a PDA, whilst the figures for the UK and Europe are 14 and 18 per cent respectively.

Likewise, people in the South West are more distrustful of a PDA’s ability to make the right decisions. Almost half – 46 per cent – say this is a concern, while only 31 per cent and 30 per cent have the same opinion in the UK and Europe respectively. Our research also highlights the fact that PDA providers need to continue to communicate the benefits of the technology a lot more readily to eliminate concerns over data privacy and to build trust.

Mobile payments

Concern has increased over potential security breaches and data sharing using mobile payments. Between 2016 and 2017 in the South West, worries over mobile payment technology not working increased 23 percentage points, while concern over sharing too much personal data increased by 20 per cent. Those in our region are more concerned about mobile payments technology not working than in the rest of the UK and Europe.

Health Apps and Virtual Health Consultations

With the national conversation about another NHS crisis in full swing, our findings on the public’s attitude to health apps and virtual health consultations is revealing.

According to our results, 44 per cent of people in the South West would use a health app to diagnose a minor health complaint – broadly in line with the national and international picture. However, the trust placed in these health apps and their diagnosis is lower than the UK average.

In contrast, people in the South West appear more prepared than elsewhere to undergo a “virtual health consultation” (VHC) as opposed to consultation with their doctor. Preference for a VHC is higher in the South West (25 per cent) than the UK average (21 per cent), though in line with the rest of Europe (26 per cent).

The reason for this progressive attitude to VHCs is speed. A higher proportion of those in the region (77 per cent) prefer a VHC because they will get a quicker consultation than making a traditional appointment, compared with a UK figure of 65 per cent and for Europe, 66 per cent.

More people locally (37 per cent) also prefer VHCs because they find disclosing medical issues virtually less embarrassing than in the country as a whole (27 per cent) and Europe (28 per cent).

Nonetheless, the overall preference for a VHC has fallen in the South West from 29 to 25 per cent between 2016 and 2017, though the decrease is not as sharp as in the rest of the UK and Europe, where there have been falls of 12 percent. Clearly the human element is important for people. They feel more confident that a doctor in person would make an accurate diagnosis and they value the relationship with their doctor. There remain unanswered questions around VHC technology and how it can best overcome these concerns in order to truly flourish as a service.

Summary

As the home to many tech-rich industries, the South West has a track record of early adoption of new technologies so it’s unsurprising that more consumers in the South West are willing to have VHCs than any other UK region and more are willing to print 3D products at home.

Equally however the region has a reputation for a healthy scepticism, which is also demonstrated in the results with fewer showing confidence in the accuracy of a health app diagnosis, a distrust of PDAs’ decision making and a sharp rise in security concerns over mobile payments technology.

Key issues for businesses

A model presents a dress made of 3D-printed panels at the CES in Las Vegas. Osborne Clarke research suggests South West consumers are willing adopters PICTURE: ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES

Tom Harding, pictured right, is Head of Digital Commerce and Platforms at Osborne Clarke LLP in Bristol. To contact Tom – Email: Tom.Harding@ osborneclarke.com or 0117 917 3060

3D Printing

Another emerging technology already having an impact on consumer behaviour is 3D printing.

Awareness of it as a technology is near universal in the South West, and for the majority (64 per WBG-E01-S2

Osborne Clarke’s Connected Consumer research gives businesses an insight into how consumers are reacting, and adapting to, these key connected technologies. This will help in positioning new technologies being developed, and provide insight into how they may play out across different regions and territories.

More broadly, there are also some key themes that can be drawn out. Looking at PDAs and mobile payments for example, a growing concern and potential barrier to increased adoption is data security and handling. This is a concern which is becoming increasingly significant and needs to be addressed. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new data privacy standard that comes into effect across Europe on 25th May 2018, and sets a much higher standard for businesses to meet with regards to data compliance, and is designed to address many of these concerns. In addition to the underlying legal requirement to comply by this date though, businesses can also see achieving GDPR compliance as helping to address some of the data concerns raised by our report, and helping to drive consumer adoption of technology forward.

We regularly provide insights on connected consumer and regulatory issues at osborneclarke.com.

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 11

World of work is changing rapidly, businesses must stay nimble too Julian Hemming Partner and Head of the future of work group at Osborne Clarke LLP, discusses the many factors of change that businesses will face in 2018 The UK and the West of England are now well into the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, characterised by developments such as “big data”, artificial intelligence, 3D printing and robotics.

These technological advances present great opportunities to grow business and improve people’s lives, but they also present a myriad of challenges.

This latest Industrial Revolution will introduce changes as significant as the harnessing of steam in the first, the use of electricity to create mass production in the second and the use of information technology to automate production in the third.

It is also increasingly clear that to in order to thrive in the modern world, businesses are looking to improve diversity and to embrace more agile forms of working in a “smart” way.

At Osborne Clarke, our focus is not only on how we grasp the challenges of this revolution for the benefit of our own business, but also on behalf of our clients.

The law is working hard to catch up with innovations as demonstrated by the Gender Pay Gap legislation being a key step to bring equality to pay, and the General Data Protection Regulation which is coming into force this year and is designed to protect our personal data.

These challenges include some big questions: how can our clients take ownership of software and other intellectual property that could be crucial to their very survival? And with increased automation, how can businesses cope with many jobs in future being performed by algorithms?

Amidst such rapid change, re-training is key.

The UK and the West of England have a skills shortage which will be exacerbated by Brexit, and businesses will need to be creative around how they apply initiatives like the apprenticeship levy.

In fact we are aware of the creative uses that some businesses are putting to the levy including MBA and other business school programmes for more senior staff.

We anticipate that those businesses who provide life-long training will be successful in the years to come as workers take their training “passport” with them from job to job or gig to gig, to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and qualifications.

Businesses will also need to build stronger links with schools, colleges and universities and in cities such as Bristol in particular, to tap into the diverse populations on their doorstep –

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“smart” businesses are already doing this but many sectors are behind the curve.

Of course Brexit will continue to dominate the thoughts of employers and policymakers in 2018, and here our Head of Immigration Gavin Jones believes decisions continue to be taken “in ignorance” in a climate of “misinformation.”

“Companies need to be prepared not only for Brexit, but also for the increased compliance obligations regarding Right to Work,” he says.

“Companies can take steps now to prepare and to ensure they continue to have access to skilled workers and can retain those they already employ. The government has been adding to the ranks of immigration officers by placing document check obligations on third parties (employers, doctors and landlords).

“Meanwhile the continued growth of the ‘gig economy’ will highlight a gap in the normal process as the standard employer/employee relationship evolves. Legislation will have to be amended and companies will have to adapt.”

Not only will improving diversity be a necessity for businesses who want to build their skills base, but there is increasing evidence that younger workers, in particular, are more likely to join a business where they feel the workforce, including the leadership, is much more reflective of the diverse societies in which they live.

Meanwhile the move towards agile working is gathering momentum – not only does this require employers to give careful consideration to the implications of their workers logging on anywhere, but it will also have an effect on what kind of real estate businesses will require in future, and therefore on the construction industry’s response to the changing demand.

One of the potential challenges here is the impact on health and wellbeing of new working patterns and arrangements.

Here at Osborne Clarke this a business imperative and we have our own Diversity and Wellbeing Manager, Su Akgun.

“I believe the key to better diversity and wellbeing is really engaging the workforce to take ownership of the process, and we do this by having diversity and wellbeing ambassadors, as well as active employee networks,” she says.

“In order to diversify our own workforce we realise we need to make an investment in our communities so we work with charities, education providers and local authorities to help drive the development of young people from diverse backgrounds.

“We also invest in making our workplace a healthy and happy place for our employees through programmes, activities and initiatives with which our people can get involved.”

Osborne Clarke is also developing links with Third Sector organisations to meet the ambition

International legal practice Osborne Clarke’s head office on Temple Way in Bristol

Top tips for business to thrive in • Understand the human impact of technology – recognise that training and development will be increasingly important in pushing people up the value chain and in dealing with reputational and legal risks around job losses • Take care about corporate strategies based on the availability of low-cost workers – will lowcost workers, with production

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units in low-cost labour areas, still be a compelling strategic differentiator in the future?

• Build trust – recognise that workers will be aware of all these changes and want to be involved in discussions about them • Flexible workforces – understand where tax and employment liabilities sit when using contingent workers, recognising that

of Osborne Clarke’s people to use their skills for the wider community through volunteering and providing legal and other services for the benefit of the public. This is something that we and the other South West law firms have always done, but there is a demand from our people to do even more.

But whilst building a strong and diverse culture with wellbeing embedded will be important building blocks for business, they will not be enough.

One of the greatest headaches facing even the most successful businesses in our region is their ability to retain staff who can develop through the business and take it into the future. One key to addressing this challenge will be to offer welltargeted incentives through equity ownership and rewarding bonus, pension and other creative benefit schemes.

My colleague Michael Carter, Head of Incentives at Osborne Clarke, believes businesses will need to think “smarter” about how they incentivise staff as employees, particularly those in highskilled roles, become more sophisticated when looking for benefits.

“The type of benefit offered will vary greatly depending on the size and stage of the business within its life cycle but this will be an increasingly important consideration for companies,” he says.

“For start-ups and other fast-growing businesses offering equity incentives to key employees is often very cost effective; such participation both aligns their interests and provides high levels of commitment and may prove even more important for millennials than for previous generations.”

Of course, there needs to be a balance to protect your business. Whilst the prospect of realising a gain when a business is sold or floated will encourage employees to stay, business also needs to make sure it has the right protections. These include reviewing contracts with workers in the areas of trade secrets, confidential information, post-termination restrictive covenants and IT and social media policies.

Your IT policy needs to address the issue of remote and agile working and the threats to cyber security, while your social media policy needs to address the issue of who owns Linkedin and Twitter accounts and the content posted on them.

Ultimately the key is to have a believable brand – do people view your business as fresh, flexible and forward-thinking and one that takes issues of diversity, wellbeing and equal pay seriously?

Businesses will undoubtedly benefit substantially from new technologies in the workplace, the use of new and flexible employment models, new staff incentive arrangements and retention models, and diverse workforces. But with great opportunity comes risk and the law in relation to the future of work is constantly evolving, indeed it is already being tested in the courts.

Businesses in the West of England will need to monitor these legal changes over the next few years, and ensure that their views are heard by policymakers. Those businesses which succeed will be those that implement legally compliant, commercially sensible and forward thinking measures now in readiness for the future.

times of constant change this is changing and may vary greatly across borders • Consider intellectual property, cybersecurity and data risks – take care to maintain confidentiality and protect your business when using flexible workforces and working arrangements • Think about your future obligations as an employer in terms of employment contracts and di-

versity – set your strategy now to recruit and retain the best talent • Consider now how you can, in the future, hire and retain necessary migrant workers in a changing immigration landscape • Think about how you might gain an advantage over your competition with innovative reward and retention schemes, and participation in ownership

From top; Julian Hemming, Partner and Head of the future of work group at Osborne Clarke LLP; the firm’s Diversity and Wellbeing Manager, Su Akgun; Michael Carter, who is Head of Incentives at Osborne Clarke and Gavin Jones, Head of Immigration at Osborne Clarke

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THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 13

Business benefits from massive investment in the region’s railways GWR has invested in the biggest upgrade of the West Country’s railway network in generations. Here it explains how businesses and passengers are benefiting from the new Hitachi Intercity Express Trains, which are slashing journey times and improving the commuting experience across the network The GWR fleet is undergoing the biggest upgrade in a generation. New trains with extra seats along with improved infrastructure and connectivity to London and the rest of the West is helping support continued business success in the region.

On the morning of October 16, 2017, GWR launched new Intercity Express Train services between Bristol and London Paddington, each providing up to 24 per cent more seats than the 40year-old trains they’re replacing throughout this year.

History was made as this marked a significant

leap forward in the transformation of the Great Western story.

More trains, more seats, more choice for customers and a whole host of improvements to the on-board environment ranging from improved WiFi to enhanced space to work or enjoy our onboard refreshments means we’re serious about supporting business in Bristol.

In total Hitachi will deliver 36 five-carriage and 21 nine-carriage Intercity Express Trains (Class 800 trains), and 22 five-carriage and 14 ninecarriage (Class 802) trains, with the full fleet due in service by December 2018.

A significant timetable change in January 2019 will realise the full capacity and frequency benefits the new trains will bring, with journey times from Bristol slashed by up to 17 minutes.

The new trains use bi-mode technology, allowing them to use both diesel and electric power, which boasts more environmentally friendly cre-

West of England Metro Mayor Tim Bowles hailed the launch of GWR’s new hi-tech Hitachi trains

dentials while also being more reliable and flexible in operation compared to our older trains.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the Intercity Express Trains, West of England Mayor Tim Bowles said: “More trains, more seats and quicker journeys is fantastic news, and will make a big difference to our residents and businesses.

This supports our work to get the region moving, investing in key routes and looking at how we can get people out of their cars and using alternative modes of transport.

“The new Hitachi Rail regional maintenance centre in Stoke Gifford is also providing great new employment opportunities for our residents.”

To celebrate the arrival of the Intercity Express Trains we held a special event in Bristol to reveal the top 100 “Great Westerners”.

This campaign followed a huge public appeal to find names to appear on the new fleet of trains.

Nominations ranged from historical figures to modern-day pioneers of technology to successful figures from the world of business, literature and charity campaigners from across the West.

These named trains will undoubtedly attract people from far and wide and encourage more people to visit the many great destinations we serve.

Bristol Parkway has also undergone a transformation in recent months to allow additional services to call at the station.

This totals an extra 70 per cent increase in services between Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads.

We continue to support local businesses along our route as we continue to source food for our Pullman dining services on our trains.

Big events in Bristol are also big events for us and whenever possible we arrange extra trains when special events take place in the city, giving a helping hand to the local tourism industry.

We’re also supporting local businesses and communities with improved local services.

The Severn Beach Line has benefited from 35 per cent more seats, and better, more modern

Bristol Temple Meads was lit up to celebrate the launch of the new fleet of Hitachi Intercity Express trains, which are transforming the way passengers travel in the West

14 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

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trains as we boosted services throughout the city.

The improved Severn Beach Line service, towards Bristol Temple Meads in the morning peak and away from Bristol in the evening peak, marked the beginning of a fleet upgrade that has now increased capacity on Bristol suburban services increase by 52 per cent.

We replaced older trains with three-carriage “Turbo” units with more seats, air conditioning, WiFi and improved access toilets, which were introduced last July and continue to help support business in Bristol.

Councillor Elfan Ap Rees, deputy leader of North Somerset Council with responsibility for transport issues, said: “The train service between Weston-super-Mare and Bristol is an important commuter link between the two centres and this improvement in rolling stock is to be welcomed.

“With the increasing pressures on our road network the train service is becoming a far more cost-effective and time-saving solution.”

We’re continuing to make travel simpler by innovating and putting customers at the heart of all we do.

In April last year we launched a smartcard for the Severn Beach Line, as part of a pilot which could see combined rail and bus travel in a single ticket offered across Bristol.

Allowing people to add weekly, monthly and annual season rail tickets to an electronic card to begin with, the pilot project is being run in partnership with Bristol City Council and if successful could form part of a wider, integrated scheme, including MetroWest and local bus services.

Bristol City Council councillor Mark Bradshaw said: “This investment is good news for passengers using Temple Meads and the Severn Beach Line with more gates to help ease congestion, equipped with new ticket readers making smart payment for local rail travel a reality.

“Piloting the smartcard on the Severn Beach Line and Temple Meads is a big step forward for

One of the new Hitachi Intercity Express Trains that are improving journey times and comfort levels for rail passengers in the West

Bristol. It will also help us move towards comprehensive and convenient smart ticketing across the bus network, local rail network and on Metrobus.

There’s lots more still to come this year, too. The new Canary Wharf station in Central London is due to open in December. Trains will terminate at Paddington in the west and Abbey Wood in the east.

When the route fully opens in December 2019, a train every five minutes at peak time will allow passengers to travel all the way through to Paddington, Heathrow or Reading in the west and Abbey Wood in the east.

For customers in Bristol, this means a journey time to Canary Wharf of less than an hour and a half. The journey time from Paddington will take 17 minutes compared to the current journey time of 33 minutes.

Looking further ahead, we appreciate it’s important to ensure businesses confidence to have the best possible connectivity and range in services so vital to continue growth, investment and economic integration between communities throughout the West.

The Government recently announced a consultation on the future of the GWR franchise when confirming it would extend the current franchise until 2020.

We would encourage as many voices from the West to express their views, ideas and thoughts on the future shape of the GWR franchise.

Network Rail is upgrading the infrastructure in the West by carrying out extensive works between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway, to double the number of railway lines.

This will result in allowing an increase in train services and reduce disruption from maintenance.

MetroWest is a large part of our vision for improving rail services in Bristol and surrounding areas.

It will enhance transport links to major employment centres in the region, while supporting economic growth and improving accessibility.

It will also offer a more robust transport system with faster journey times, enhance capacity of the local rail network, and reduce our environmental impact.

The project is estimated to generate a positive economic impact of £153m a year by 2030.

While the introduction of diesel Turbo trains running between Cardiff, Bristol and Taunton is a big step forward in increasing capacity, the introduction of faster electric trains could cut journey times even further.

As a large employer in Bristol and the West, we take our responsibility to the local economy very seriously so we continue to support apprenticeship schemes across our engineering, operations and management apprenticeship schemes. This supports future talent, innovation and employment opportunities within GWR across the region.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank businesses in and around Bristol for continuing to support our vision to improve services throughout the region and being part of our journey to boost business in Bristol.

“

We continue to support local businesses along our route as we continue to source food for our Pullman dining services on our trains.

Big events in Bristol are also big events for us and whenever possible we arrange extra trains when special events take place in the city, giving a helping hand to the tourism industry

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THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 15

This year will hopefully see work starting on the county’s new Cyber Park on a 45-hectare site near world-leading intelligence operation GCHQ, above. Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk helped win Government

Investment in skills remains the Ian Mean, Business West Gloucestershire Director, argues that Gloucestershire needs to invest in skills and that the Government must commit to a proper industrial strategy This year has opened with some Gloucestershire companies deciding to throw off the confusion of Brexit and make the badly needed investments in their businesses that they had put on hold.

After the initial Brexit agreement in December that negotiations would now go to the next stage, I believe several companies have decided to take the plunge.

The have been buoyed by the cushion of the lower pound giving a welcome profits boost to those in manufacturing, particularly, who have a thriving export business already.

The stock market reaching record levels has also helped confidence and some of these busi-

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nesses realised they must make investment in order to remain competitive.

However, investment in skills is still possibly the biggest issue facing business in Gloucestershire, a county where the jet engine was born and where specialist engineering has always been core to the county’s economy.

Companies are happy to invest in skills but they just cannot get the right people in numbers.

It really is a serious situation for our economy and, as a result, the Local Enterprise Partnership and the county council have just set up a Skills Board. Not before time, I might add.

Every year, we need something like 13,000 new people to take existing Gloucestershire jobs to replace those leaving through retirement or other reasons.

That is a staggering 130,000 new workers needed in ten years.

Ian Mean: ‘The whole issue of skills and upskilling the current workforce is a huge challenge for 2018’

A good year of economic growth in Gloucestershire creates between 5,000 and 10,000 new jobs.

But where are the people going to come from?

The figures say the county might need over 20,000 new workers for a good growth year. Can Gloucestershire grow economically without a working-age population to fill the jobs?

We have something like 20,000 people moving into the county and around 18,000 people moving out.

Gloucestershire is a net importer of older people but so many of our young people are trained here and then move away – a lot because they simply cannot afford the price of property.

We simply have to have more young professionals training and settling here to drive the local economy because Gloucestershire is rapidly becoming a county of old people.

So, the whole issue of skills and upskilling the current workforce is a huge challenge for 2018.

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support for this while GFirst LEP was key in securing £22 million for the site from Whitehall. The new park will present the opportunity to develop Cheltenham as the country’s cyber skills centre

biggest issue for our businesses Taken that the Skills Board has been set up, I would still like to see a lot more resource and energy with Government help put into this vital area.

Over the coming year, we must start to ensure that more of our young people are studying the STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

STEM studies are the focus of the newly opened £15 million Berkeley Green Campus on the site of the old decommissioned nuclear power station.

It is here that young people from the age of 14 will be able to study to be the engineers and cyber specialists of the future.

It is an amazing place and well worth visiting.

The schools are going to have to play a far more active role in encouraging young people to look for a future in skills like engineering, cyber and construction – girls as well as boys.

Many heads are far too quick to encourage

young people into the sixth form and possible university entrance when the student is probably not even suited to that route.

And careers advice in schools is often so very poor that the students themselves, and their parents, are completely oblivious to the advantages of apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships.

I believe that the advancement of skills in the county will be much enhanced by the opening of the University of Gloucestershire’s new Business School on their Oxstalls, Gloucester, campus in September.

For the last 12 years, I have campaigned on apprenticeships in Gloucestershire so I am pleased to see that the new Business School will be offering a wide selection of degree apprenticeships allowing young people to do a paid job and also study for their higher qualifications.

This is the way to encourage young people to WBG-E01-S2

STEM studies are the focus of the newly opened £15 million Berkeley Green Campus

train for the future prosperity of the county and also encourages them to build a home here.

This year will hopefully see work starting on the county’s new Cyber Park on a 45-hectare site near GCHQ. Hats off to Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk who has driven this project to get Government support and to GFirst LEP for securing £22 million for the site from Whitehall.

We have a world-leading intelligence operation in GCHQ, and the new park will give us the opportunity to develop Cheltenham as the country’s cyber skills centre.

I believe Gloucestershire will continue to paddle its own innovative business canoe during 2018.

But it would be helpful if the Government did show leadership to business with an industrial strategy that made sense and was not drowned in the Brexit bubble.

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 17

The stunning ceiling of Gloucester Cathedral, as captured by Getty Images photographer Matt Cardy. Substantial works to improve the surroundings of the cathedral will be completed at Cathedral Green in

There’s no ceiling to what this fast-growing city can achieve

Paul James, leader of Gloucester City Council, explained why this new centre was so important for the city, saying: “Gloucester is ideally positioned to be a pathfinder for the development of new technologies. In the past few years companies have shown how innovative we as a city can be.

“We were the first city in the UK to implement the three in one CCTV, wifi and 4G solution, winning the prestigious Gordon McLanaghan Security Innovation Award, and have built up a wide range of partners such as Google’s Niantic Labs, #WDYT, Rewarding Visits and BT who have tested their technologies in the city.

“There is huge potential for additional inward investment and additional jobs and this investment from GFirst LEP can act as a catalyst.”

Seventy-nine per cent of Gloucester postcodes have access to superfast broadband speeds (ninth highest in the UK).

More regeneration to come in 2018

Jason Smith, chief executive of Marketing Gloucester, reflects on the reasons for the city’s remarkable resurgence. He says that the city has gone from strength to strength in recent years and is continuing to attract investment from some of the biggest employers in the country It was not so long ago that it might have seemed difficult to believe that Gloucester might be considered to be a candidate to join the elite of core cities such as Nottingham, Leicester and the South West’s own Bristol. In fact with the economic indicators and the lack of development 20 years ago the city had something of a reputation as an ugly duckling.

Yet over the last ten years there has been an incredible transformation of the city through physical economic and latterly cultural regeneration, that has taken the city from being a poor

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During 2017 the skyline of Gloucester has been dotted with cranes with massive regeneration projects including the new business school and student accommodation for the University of Gloucestershire, the development of Baker’s Quay, a new bus station and a host of other projects.

The pace is likely to increase during 2018 with plans being submitted for the old Gloucester Prison site, the massive Kings Quarter project, possible redevelopment of the railway station and more.

relation to being a place that is attracting huge amounts of investment and is being seen as a model for other third-tier cities.

Gloucester is leading in future city innovations

With the launch of a new national centre for digital retail innovation in the city Gloucester is continuing its aspirations to be a test bed and path finder for development of future city technologies.

The UK Digital Retail Innovation Centre (UK:DRIC) will be the national centre for testing and developing disruptive digital innovations that will help shape and inform the future of cities with a special focus on retail.

The management of UK:DRIC and funders GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership are keen to encourage national partners to utilise the new centre.

A strong base in high performance engineering, cyber and financial services

Jason Smith, chief executive of Marketing Gloucester, said that the city has been transformed

Within a small radius of the city are some of the leaders in energy, high performance engineering, aerospace and cyber technologies including defence.

All of the UK’s nuclear energy is run from EDF Energy’s UK headquarters with 2,000 staff and WBG-E01-S2

High Employment

Latest statistics for the city show that Gloucester has created the second highest number of private sector jobs of any city in the UK and now has the third highest employment rate in the country by percentage of population working (source: Centre for Cities and House of Commons Library).

Fastest-growing and youngest population in the South West

Gloucester reportedly has the youngest population in the South West and, according to the Gov.uk study, “People in cities: the numbers”, over ten years the city showed a 25 per cent growth in 15 to 29-year-olds, among the highest growth in the country. It also benefits from the M4 corridor effect, being a top ten city for absolute population growth and for growth from people relocating from elsewhere in the UK – possibly helped by relatively low housing costs.

Gloucester provides a young, well-educated workforce and according to a 2017 report by consumer group Which? is one of the top five places in the UK to raise a family.

Gloucester is now an important retail destination

2018 and will encourage thousands more visitors to experience the inside of one of Britain’s most historic buildings

“

Perhaps one of the most visible signs of the revival of Gloucester is indicated by the change in the number of empty shops. From 2010 to today there has been a massive 40 per cent reduction in the number of empty shops. The £700 million invested in the regeneration of Gloucester Docks and the designer outlet shopping centre Gloucester Quays is now paying huge dividends with an expected 7 million visitors in 2018.

Reportedly Gloucester Quays, the Business Engagement team at Marketing Gloucester and the city council are receiving high levels of inquiries from national and local organisations who wish to follow the example of TK Maxx, Ted Baker, AllSaints, L K Bennett and Cote Brasserie whose research has shown Gloucester as an ideal place to locate.

Ideal for locating business and staff

Evidence shows there is a pressing need for more hotels to meet current and future demand as the city has a projected shortage of 1,800 rooms and with the high level of interest shown by investors and operators we expect 2018 to be a year when we will begin to see this demand being met

Benefiting from easy connections with the M5 and the M4, Gloucester is ideally located for those wanting to commute elsewhere or use it as a centre for logistics. Perhaps surprisingly Gloucestershire airport on the outskirts of the city of Gloucester with over 80,000 flights a year is the busiest general aviation airport in the country, with large numbers of private aircraft.

With four grammar schools, excellent employment prospects and relatively low house prices the city is showing one of the highest influxes of working age population in the UK.

”

Plans for 2050 mean that a major new regional powerhouse could be born

Tidal Lagoon has now set up its HQ in the regenerated Gloucester Docks, US giant Raytheon recently opened its cyber division in Gloucester and companies such as Severn Glocon, Safran Messier Bugatti Dowty and Renishaw employ a highly skilled workforce and are significant exporters. TSB, Pro-insurance and Ecclesiastical Insurance employ hundreds more in the city.

Gloucester has shown a growth of 62 per cent in tourists over just four years

Latest data from independent research organisation the South West Research Company Ltd shows the extraordinary success Gloucester has had in attracting tourists to the city since 2013 with the cathedral city overtaking Cheltenham in 2015. Statistics show that total visitor spend in Gloucester in 2016 exceeded £200 million – a massive 68 per cent increase from 2013 – and an additional 1,300 jobs created in the sector since 2013. This was led by a massive jump in day visitors to 3.1 million a year in 2016 from 2 million in 2013 and an 11 per cent growth in hotel bookings over the period.

Baker’s Quay will be developed as Gloucester continues its renaissance. 2018 is shaping up to be a very positive year for the city WBG-E01-S2

Although Gloucester is one of the smaller cities in the UK, it is unusually positioned to be able to leapfrog into a position that would mean that it could compete with Newcastle, Nottingham and Leicester. Being put forward by members of the business community in the county and beginning to gain political traction is a proposal that could see Gloucester, its very close neighbour Cheltenham and the areas between which are currently in Tewkesbury work closer together to create a regional powerhouse that would only be second in the South West to Bristol and could compete even more strongly in the global market.

In February 2018 the “Gloucestershire 2050” conversation is being launched, led by Gloucestershire University and will be one of the hottest tickets as this idea and others will be discussed.With its beautiful cathedral, regenerated historic docks and location on the edge of the Cotswolds and the enormous growth that is being achieved in all areas, Gloucester truly seems to be gaining a reputation as a city that is more swan than ugly duckling.

If it continues to grow at this pace then it will start giving real competition to its neighbour to the south.

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 19

Developments aplenty shape the future of a city steeped in history With a raft of major projects set to start or finish in 2018, Gavin Thompson looks at how Bath will change this year Change is going to come to Bath in 2018. The city, best known for its history, is at a crucial juncture for shaping its future as a number of major developments look set to take shape this year.

There are plans to develop large areas on both sides of the river, with building work on the socalled South Quays site ongoing and plans for North Quays (Avon Street car park to you and me) being drawn up.

Bath Rugby has high hopes for the transformation of The Rec and social housing provider Curo wants to move ahead with its plans for Foxhill and Mulberry Park.

So how will Bath look 12 months from now, and beyond?

The Rec

With its location at the heart of the city, what better place to start than The Rec? After Bath Rugby relaunched its plans to build a new permanent stadium on the controversial site recently, will this be the year it finally happens?

While it’s unlikely we’ll see shovels in the ground in 2018, we have already seen progress.

The club appointed architect Grimshaw earlier this month and plan to submit a planning application by the end of the year.

They have certainly gone about things the right way so far, holding focus groups to get input from all interested parties and saying all the right things about recognising the importance of Bath’s historic skyline, World Heritage status and the site’s position close to people’s homes. But when the first drawings are published, all bets are off and there’s sure to be opposition.

The project is also likely to see a transformation of the riverside area around the stadium, with more bars, restaurants and other leisure facilities. To many this will be welcome, bringing life to what could be a jewel in Bath’s crown but to others it will be desecrating a sacred area of land.

Club chief executive Tarquin McDonald is upbeat, however, and believes the eventual stadium will have benefits for the city, not just the club.

“This is a really important project for the city and its community, and we believe 2018 will be the pivotal year in which Stadium for Bath is realised,” he said.

Bath City FC

The rugby club is not the only sporting outfit with development plans; Bath City FC has announced its intention to redevelop part of the Twerton site.

And while film director Ken Loach is one of the most outspoken critics of the rugby club’s plans,

20 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

he may well be more favourable to those of his beloved Bath City.

In November the club reached an agreement with Greenacre Capital for a joint project to transform the ground and a neighbouring parade of shops owned by the investment firm.

The plans are still at an early stage but could include a 3G artificial pitch, student and affordable homes, social club, gym and cafe.

Bath Cricket Club

Completing the hat-trick of sporting projects, Bath Cricket Club and developer Gilltown submitted a planning application in the autumn for a new indoor cricket school at the club’s home ground in North Parade.

The scheme will include a state-of-the-art two lane cricket school and new gym providing better facilities for members and the wider community.

To pay for the upgrades, the scheme will also include purpose-built student accommodation, comprising 142 beds for second and third year students and postgraduates.

Those in favour will point out that this helps ease pressure on students taking up private rented housing in the city.

In response to calls for the social housing to be built instead, the developer says the fact the land is a flood risk site means student housing is the only viable option, as students can be more effectively managed and re-housed if needed.

The scheme is being developed in partnership with the University of Bath, which will use the accommodation to house its students.

The public car park will be retained as part of the scheme but will be resurfaced and will have enhanced CCTV installed, as well as a new pedestrian access.

Club chairman Matt Hankins said: “The investment provided by the proposed development will represent a landmark in the history of Bath Cricket Club, representing a one-off historic opportunity to provide new state-of-the-art ECB compliant indoor training facilities, to invest in new clubhouse and cricket facilities for players and visitors.”

Pickfords

More student accommodation is set to be built at the Pickfords storage and removals firm site in Lower Bristol Road.

Plans for more than 200 student flats submitted by site owner Eagle One Estates secured outline approval in November and the removals firm has written to customers explaining they need to be off site by March, so work on site could start over the summer.

The first step will be to demolish the existing site before work can begin on the new flats. Once they are under way, however, the scheme is intended to contribute to the regeneration of the Lower Bristol Road area.

Bath Rugby has relaunched plans to build a new permanent stadium at The Rec and, after WBG-E01-S2

Jolly’s

Don’t panic, the House of Fraser store isn’t disappearing but there are plans for parts of the lovely building and the area around it.

Property firm Longacre successfully submitted three planning applications to Bath and North East Somerset Council for the developments last summer.

The first application will convert former retail storage area in Old King Street to create three apartments. The second application will see a rundown building in John Street transformed into six high quality apartments and retail space.

And the final application is to refurbish existing residential accommodation in Milsom Street, above Jolly’s to create 14 apartments.

The three schemes will collectively deliver 23 modern and stylish apartments for those who want to live the dream in the heart of one of Bath’s most prestigious shopping areas.

Fitzroy House

The same property firm is also behind the conversion of Grade I listed Fitzroy House in Great Pulteney Street into 28 apartments.

The property was previously owned by Anchor Housing Association, which sold it in 2016, and the new homes there will be a little more upmarket, starting at £450,000.

Perhaps the building will be closer to its original use, however, as it was built circa 1800 as five Georgian townhouses and only became social housing in the 1970s.

Bath College

The college recently sold the Allen Building in James Street West to family-run developer Dominvs Group, which hopes to turn it into a hotel.

The street is already home to the recently opened Apex and Travelodge hotels along with a Premier Inn and this latest addition could add another 206 beds for visitors, alongside a café, restaurant and bar.

The scheme also has the potential to include gym facilities which would be open to all.

The college sold the building after reviewing its estates strategy, in order to facilitate the future growth and development of the college.

If approved, this development will help Dominvs contribute to meet the council’s aim to bring 750 new hotel beds to the city by 2029, thereby adding to the new leisure quarter for the city, while offering employment of up to 100 people in a variety of jobs across the sector.

Public consultation took place in December and a planning application is expected imminently.

Bath Quays North and South

A master plan for Bath Quays North was published recently, promising 200,000 square feet of much-needed office space for the city, as well as 70 new homes and a basement car park.

As a package it could deliver 1,900 new jobs.

What was less well publicised at first was the fact it will mean a loss of city centre parking as it includes the demolition of Avon Street car park.

A number of consultation meetings were held last month and following any tweaks the next step will be an outline planning application for the site, probably in 2018. .

But across the water, there should be action sooner.

Bath Quays South comprises the old Newark Works site and surrounding area south of the river. The aim for this site is to offer new homes and exciting spaces for the digital, technology and creative companies who can deliver skilled, well-paid jobs for Bath’s economic future. Planning permission has already been granted and construction is due to start in 2018. Indeed, flood defence work associated with the project has already begun.

Saw Close casino

Work is nearing completion on Saw Close Casino and while it isn’t to everyone’s taste, the company set to run it promises it will be a great addition to Bath’s leisure offering.

American gaming giant Century Casinos, based in Colorado Springs, is spending £5 million on the interior of the building and paid £600,000 for the licence. So it’s in their interests to make it work.

Riverside

appointing architect Grimshaw, hopes to submit a planning application by the end of the year

When the redevelopment of the former Stothert & Pitt works on the southern bank of the River Avon WBG-E01-S2

began in 2011, it was the start of the biggest regeneration project in the South West.

Prior to work starting, Crest Nicholson Regeneration had spent five years working closely with B&NES Council to develop a master plan and achieve outline planning permission for the entire 44-acre site. Now, over a decade after the land was purchased, Bath Riverside has become an integral part of the cityscape.

To date, Crest Nicholson Regeneration has created approximately 700 new homes (including 205 affordable) on the site. When completed, there will be a total around 2,000 new homes across the development.

Parts of the development currently or about to get under way include: Royal View, next to the to the Grade 2* listed Victoria Bridge, it is due to be finished in spring 2018 and comprises 45 flats along with shop/ restaurant/cafe space on the ground floor; Sovereign Point, 52 homes along with shop/cafe space on the ground floor, located next to the Destructor Bridge and due to be ready in spring 2019;.

And Stothert Avenue, where a planning application for 52 studio, one and two bed flats has been approved and work is due to start in spring 2018.

Mulberry Park

Mulberry Park is a major project in Combe Down, south Bath, delivered by housing association and house-builder, Curo. The development of the brownfield former Ministry of Defence site will create 700 high quality, energy efficient homes by 2024, 30 per cent of which will be for social rent and shared ownership.

The development is not without controversy. It is part of a plan to regenerate the Foxhill estate, which includes the demolition of many homes and a net loss of social housing (albeit with a creation of more affordable homes). The plan has angered a passionate group of local campaigners who continue to fight it, despite the recent setback of the minister for housing declining to overturn planning permission granted by the council earlier the year.

Despite the Foxhill issue, Curo has been pressing on with the first phase of Mulberry Park and has so far delivered 60 new homes. There are already 51 families living in the new development, with the first households moving in within a year of construction works starting.

Curo recently celebrated completing the main structure of its landmark community hub at the development. The building was designed to bring the local community together and will include a café, meeting rooms, multifunctional spaces and a school and nursery which will open their doors in Combe Down in September 2018.

Holburne Park

Another former military site in Bath is well on the way to being transformed into homes. Indeed, the first homes at Holburne Park in Warminster Road have already been sold, at prices ranging from £545,000 to £1 million.

The stunning views of Bath and canal-side location no doubt appealed to buyers, and those without quite such deep pockets will be pleased to know there are some a little cheaper planned as the development continues.

Those first homes will be finished in the summer, with more than 200 to be built all told.

Hope House

The grounds of the former Royal High School in Lansdown is well on the way to becoming 58 new homes, including five big apartments in the historic Hope House building set to sell for between £340,000 and £2.5 million.

The project, by Acorn Developments, has recently come in for criticism from the Lansdown Crescent Association after it emerged the affordable homes element (20 homes for those aged over 55) had been removed as it could make the whole project unviable.

And further ahead...

The Bath Press site is set to become a residential development, which some feel is a missed opportunity for more office and work space.

The Min, or the Royal National Hospital For Rheumatic Diseases, was sold in 2017 to Versant Developers and Homes. While the firm has been coy about plans, another hotel has been mooted – although the NHS will not move out until 2019.

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 21

Busses key for Bristol despite planes, trains and autonomous cars Richard Bache says transport of nearly every variety possible should top the agenda in Bristol in 2018, with improvements to the public transport network key to further improving the quality of life in the West’s biggest city. Commentators are positive about the city’s prospects, but can it deliver?

Bristol has probably attracted more buzz than any city in Britain in the past five years, but it is busses and every other conceivable form of transport that will top the agenda in 2018.

For all the accolades directed at the city – most recently from the New York Times – people willing to say anything too generous about transport in Bristol are distinctly conspicuous by their absence.

For a variety of reasons though, transport should be a positive topic of conversation this year.

The long-awaited Metrobus is due to make its debut this spring. Costs for the project have ballooned, it has suffered numerous delays and to this point the populace is not exactly enthused by its imminent arrival.

Yet it should offer a very substantial improvement in services – and connectivity – particularly to the woefully under-served South Bristol.

Transport of different vintages is celebrated in the newest additions to Bristol’s tourism offer.

Bristol Aerospace opened late in 2017 at Filton and provides a fitting home to the last Concorde ever to fly.

The museum, which honours Bristol’s unparalleled aviation heritage, continues to add to its exhibits and has been winning rave reviews from visitors.

And in March this year the nation’s greatest engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel will be saluted as a new museum and tourism attraction

Simon Peacock of JLL says the city’s industrial market will see significant new space completed in 2018

opens at the ss Great Britain. Being Brunel will tell the hero engineer’s extraordinary story through never-before-seen personal possessions, as well as interactive exhibits and audio-visual experiences.

Chief executive of the ss Great Britain Trust, Matthew Tanner, explains: “By sharing the incredible legacy of Isambard Kingdom Brunel we hope to inspire the next generation of innovators and encourage more young people into science, technology, engineering and maths careers.

“For this reason, the opening of the new museum is a perfect fit for the Year of Engineering 2018, which also aims to increase understanding of engineering among young people.”

Brunel was mocked during his lifetime for the scale of his ambition so we should probably applaud Marvin Rees for at least proposing an underground rail system to tackle congestion in Bristol.

How realistic that ambition turns out to be remains to be seen, but – unlike Brunel – Mr Rees only faces financial challenges, not also having to break new technological ground.

Bristol engineers who are pioneering genuinely new applications of technology will step up their trials of an autonomous vehicle in 2018.

For the first time the Venturer project will trial its autonomous vehicle on a real road in South Gloucestershire in February and March.

Until now the team – which is made up of organisations including UWE and the University of Bristol, BAE Systems and Bristol Robotics Laboratory – has confined the first two stages of its driverless trials to quieter roads on UWE’s campus at Frenchay.

How soon we see the widespread use of driverless vehicles on the streets of the West remains to be determined, but something that will definitely happen in 2018 is the continued roll-out of new Hitachi trains on the rail network.

Great Western Railway has cut journey times and improved the passenger experience by investing billions in its fleet upgrade.

Finally, on the transport front, those regularly

The Metrobus flyover near Ashton Gate that should make travelling by public transport from South Bristol to the city centre and onwards to the Northern Fringe a more tolerable experience

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commuting between Bristol and South Wales are counting down the months until the tolls are abolished on the Severn crossings, which is expected to reinvigorate trade between the West and Wales.

One massive new development that will potentially be looking to South Wales to help fill the employment opportunities it will create is Amazon’s gigantic new ‘Mega Shed’ distribution centre at Avonmouth’s Central Park.

Site clearing and groundworks for the 2.2 million square foot site have begun, with Aarsleff Ground Engineering having already installed more than 5,000 piles to support the giant building.

It will start taking shape above ground later this year, with ISG having been awarded the contract to develop the building. It is due to open in 2019.

A similarly massive building project that is still, alas, somewhat up in the air is Bristol’s proposed arena.

Mayor Marvin Rees recently announced a further review into the troubled project.

He will look at both an option to potentially reduce the escalating cost of the planned ‘Arena Island’ site near Temple Meads and also consider a private offer to build at an alternative site at Filton.

Long-frustrated music fans eagerly await a positive solution to a saga that has become an embarrassment to the city.

Something that couldn’t be further from an embarrassment is Bristol’s tech scene.

Among the star performers in 2017 was Graphcore, which gained more than $100 million in funding for its hi-tech artificial intelligence chips. American venture capital giant Sequoia Capital, an early investor in Facebook, was among those to invest, staking $50 million.

A number of major firms invested in the city in 2017, including Dyson and Just Eat. The increasing demand for incubation and start-up premises is recognised and the project to develop Engine Shed 2 will gather pace in 2018.

The Being Brunel attraction is the flagship addition to Bristol’s tourism offer in 2018. It is due to open in March

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At the same time some of the city’s tech firms are expanding and maturing to the extent that they need bigger or more prestigious locations.

Mid-air touch technology pioneer Ultrahaptics has moved into Glass Wharf on Temple Quay, where its neighbours include blue chip firms such as PWC and Burges Salmon.

Bristol-based YouTube sensation Yogscast moved across town from Bond Street to Queen Square, traditionally the home of professional services outfits.

One of the biggest developments in the pipeline is the University of Bristol’s plan for a second campus at Temple Meads.

It plans to invest £300 million at the site and submitted a bid for outline planning permission in November 2017.

Seven new buildings will transform the former Royal Mail sorting office and part of Arena Island, providing a mix of flexible research and teaching facilities, accommodation for up to 1,500 students and a range of commercial outlets.

Teaching and research will focus on digital technologies, their application by citizens, organisations and industry, and the innovation they drive. A new £43 million Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre has already been announced.

It is one of a number of initiatives that have left commercial property experts in Bristol with a positive outlook about the city’s future.

Gavin Bridge, director of Cubex and the man responsible for the Finzels Reach regeneration in Bristol, said: “I’m positive about the outlook for the South West property sector in 2018.

“Uncertainty is becoming the new normal, particularly with regards to office development, but we think this region is more robust than some.

“Build to rent, which has proved to be popular with young professionals, is going to become a more established use class in 2018.

“The retirement market is also going to be a sector with potential for growth, with a chronic undersupply of appropriate housing for older people which has a knock-on effect in freeing up homes for the younger generation. This is particularly relevant in this region where nearly a quarter of the population is projected to be aged 65 and over by 2024, the highest in the UK.” Simon Peacock, leader director at property consultancy JLL in the South West, said: “2018 will be an exciting year for property in the West with the expected start of several major new office schemes in Bristol, including Assembly and Distillery. By 2019, this should correct the acute shortage of good quality office space in the city.

“The industrial market will see significant new space being completed in 2018, providing muchneeded supply and choice to businesses. For example, the completion of the next phases at Horizon 38 at Filton will provide a real mix of large to small units.

“Infrastructure changes will also throw up opportunities with the Severn Bridge tolls going and Metrobus kicking in. The toll changes will give Bristol businesses greater recruitment opportunities, which is particularly important for those around the M48 and Avonmouth, and will provide those travelling from the West with a £1,500-a-year pay rise. I hope these successes will spur us on to be bolder in our investment in infrastructure, which is much needed if we are to continue our growth as a region.”

And James Preece, national offices director at Colliers, predicts prime rents in the city centre will continue to rise beyond the £32.50 per sq ft recently achieved for One Cathedral Square.

“During 2017 headline Bristol office rents rose by 14 per cent from £28.50 per sq ft to £32.50 per sq ft, and with supply now at an historically low level it seems inevitable the upward trajectory will continue and even higher figures will be achieved in 2018,” he said.

“This is particularly the case for Grade A rents, which have been driven upwards by lack of speculative development. I would not be surprised to see top rents in the city centre head closer to £34 or even £35 per sq ft as more deals are done at Aurora, the 95,000 sq ft scheme at Finzels Reach which is the only speculative office development in Bristol.”

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Major boost for rural economy SOMERSET Somerset is a county on the up, writes Richard Bache, as initiatives to invest in the rural economy come to fruition One of the most significant developments of Somerset’s business year happens in the first month of 2018, with the opening of the Rural Enterprise Centre at the Bath and West Showground.

Dignitaries are due to gather today for the official opening of the centre, at Shepton Mallet.

The Bath and West Society’s initiative is part of a £550,000 refurbishment project, which has seen the former office building at the Bath & West Showground transform into a modern agri-tech and food innovation centre.

The project was funded by the society’s charitable reserves and a £42,000 grant from the South West Growth Fund.

Featuring a conference and seminar area for up to 80 people, modern commercial test kitchen, a number of meeting rooms and commercial office space for agri-tech, food and drink or rurally focused businesses, the society’s Rural Enterprise Centre will be a valuable facility in supporting the development of agricultural businesses, land-based skills training and micro food and drink companies.

Construction is due to begin later this year on a food innovation centre in North Somerset.

Foodworks SW will be built near Junction 21 of the M5, at Weston-super-Mare.

North Somerset Council has gained LEP funding for the design and build of the centre, which will house small business units, a business centre and a specialist product development centre which organisations can use for testing and piloting products.

The project, which has a value of more than £13 million, is due to open fully late in 2019.

There are four similar sites elsewhere in the country, but this will be the first such development in the West.

Councillor David Hall, deputy leader of Somerset County Council and cabinet member for economic development, addressed Somerset Chamber of Commerce earlier this month on its priorities for 2018.

He told the meeting that progress is being made on developing the second key strategic route into the South West, with a consultation on the proposed changes to the A358 about to be launched.

On digital connectivity, he stated that phase two of Connecting Devon and Somerset, which is now under way, will deliver 95 per cent superfast broadband across the county. The council is trying to set up a discussion with Matt Hancock, the new Culture Secretary, to get clarity on what is going to happen about the mobile network, which is still proving challenging for many in Somerset.

No other project in the West Country can, of course, compete with the £20 billion construction of Hinkley Point C. As described elsewhere in this Guide, a number of Somerset businesses – across many sectors – have already benefited from their involvement in the extended supply chain.

Young people are starting to benefit too, as investment in apprenticeships and training is paying off with high-quality jobs on the development, which is Europe’s biggest civil engineering project.

Bridgwater & Taunton College is among the education establishments that have responded to the opportunities offered by Hinkley C and

24 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

From top; the new Rural Enterprise Centre at the Bath & West Showground; images of Ariel’s proposed ‘Hipercar’; EDF Energy boss Simone Rossi at Hinkley Point C

tailored courses to provide young people in Somerset the chance with an education that prepares them for jobs in the nuclear or construction industry.

EDF Energy’s new chief executive Simone Rossi gave a speech at Cannington Court last week, hailing progress on the project.

He told the Western Daily Press that it would soon by worth £200 million per year to the region’s economy.

Proximity to Hinkley is a factor in the first speculative industrial development in Bridgwater for a decade getting under way at the £150 million Bridgwater Gateway business park.

Developers will press ahead with building ten industrial units ready for occupancy, in a move that has been described as “forward-thinking”.

Tim Davies, head of the industrial and logistics team at real estate adviser Colliers International, said: “At a time when UK industrial availability is at an all-time low and the South West economy is going from strength to strength, the decision to build the first speculative industrial development in Bridgwater for around a decade reflects confidence in the UK’s booming industrial market, and in the regional economy. This forward-thinking approach is in keeping with the initial decision to create a 100-acre business park.”

Meanwhile in South Somerset it emerged last year that a firm in the district was joining the clamour to develop an electric car.

Crewkerne-based Ariel created waves in the motoring press as initial details of its ‘Hipercar’ project emerged.

The car, which could be on the roads as soon as 2020, is as yet unnamed but its reported performance has motoring enthusiasts drooling. It is forecast to do 0-60mph in 2.4 seconds, 0-100 mph in 3.8 seconds and 0-150mph in a scarcely credible 7.8 seconds.

It will be electronically limited to 160mph.

Standing for High Performance Carbon Reduction, the project is destined for full release in 2019 and Ariel production in 2020 alongside the Atom, Nomad and Ace. Ariel has a history of engineering innovation stretching back to a penny farthing bicycle with a 48-inch wheel in the 1870s. However, in recent years, its expertise has been very much focused on much faster vehicles.

Motoring celebrity Jeremy Clarkson once described the Ariel Atom as the “fastest car he had ever driven” and Matt LeBlanc, his replacement on Top Gear, drove an Ariel Nomad on his debut on the BBC show.

One of the industries most closely associated with Somerset enjoyed mixed fortunes in 2017.

Cider drinkers have probably never had it so good, with the range and variety of quality ciders available from the bar and supermarket at an alltime high.

Yet some producers, particularly the major beer brands which attempted to cash in on cider’s renewed popularity earlier this decade, are feeling something of a sales decline as some consumers switch to sweeter drinks, made with fruit such as pear or mango.

The Financial Times last week said an industry report by market analyst Mintel showed that UK cider sales volumes had slipped for the fourth consecutive year, although a push on premium products saw sales values rise by 1.7 per cent.

Stella Cidre, for instance, was reported to have seen sales decline by 36 per cent and Carlsberg told the newspaper that its Somersby brand wasn’t a business priority.

However, US giant Molson Coors recently snapped up Sussex-based independent Aspalls for £40 million, showing that some brewers still have a thirst for acquisitions.

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Traffic on the A303 near Stonehenge in Wiltshire. Proposals to build a tunnel near the historic site have been mired in controversy and have suffered multiple false dawns

A303 tunnel or Dyson car – which is first?

WILTSHIRE There’s plenty of change on the horizon for Wiltshire, writes Richard Bache, but the county still faces infrastructure challenges Technology company Dyson continued its impressive growth in 2017 and is well positioned for future expansion on the back of substantial investment.

It is investing more than £2 billion in an electric car programme, which will be conducted at the former Hullavington airfield it bought from the Ministry of Defence last year.

It plans to create a second campus at the site, which is only a couple of miles from its established base at Malmesbury.

The company goes from strength to strength, powered by its massive investment in research and development. As well as focusing efforts on battery research it continues to invest in skills.

In November Jo Johnson, then Minister of State for Universities and Science, joined Sir James Dyson to break ground for the undergraduate village at the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology.

The undergraduate village is the latest addition to Dyson’s 56-acre technology campus in Malmesbury which is a base for 3,600 Dyson people, comprising 50 nationalities. In 2016 Bloomberg

highlighted Dyson as one of the best places to work in the UK. On completion, in September 2018, the village will provide accommodation for Dyson’s undergraduate engineers as well as a library, café, screening room and shop.

More than 850 students applied for 25 places in the first year of the degree.

A Wiltshire firm that hopes a transition towards widespread electric car use will boost its business is Chippenham-based Good Energy.

The mass acceptance of electric vehicles will transform how we think about energy generation and consumption, according to Dr Randall Bowen, director of business services at the firm.

Buying an electric car will, Dr Bowen says, change the mindset of consumers.

At the moment owning an electric car means your domestic energy bill is approximately double the average bill, but he says that as more of us sample life behind the wheel of an electric car, so more of us will think about where we are buying our electricity.

Good Energy has been at the forefront of the movement to persuade people to look at sustainable power generation since it was founded in 1999. It supplies domestic customers and businesses with 100 per cent renewable energy.

It buys energy from more than 1,000 independent generators and businesses, from landowners with a single wind turbine, to organisations like the National Trust and Somerset cheese-maker Wyke Farms, with its pioneering biogas plant.

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“

The debate about how to address the issue of traffic on the A303 near Stonehenge hasn’t quite lasted 100 years, although it often feels like it...

”

In Swindon borough officials hope a focus on arts and culture could help with regeneration efforts. At the forefront of this plan is proposals for massive investment in a new home for its celebrated modern art collection.

The Swindon Museum and Art Gallery Trust has submitted a £12 million bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a new gallery and museum for Swindon town centre.

With cross-party support, the council has committed £5m to the project, with the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership pledging a further £1.35m.

Tourism plans that are further advanced are for a new hotel and conference centre at Longleat.

The estate gained outline planning permission in 2017 for a 240-room hotel, with water park and business conference facilities on the edge of its estate near Warminster.

An attraction with an even longer history of wowing visitors is Stonehenge, which marks 100 years in public ownership this year with a series of events.

The debate about how to address the issue of traffic on the A303 near Stonehenge hasn’t quite lasted 100 years, although it often feels like it...

Generations of politicians have talked about rerouting the A303 near the World Heritage Site without anything coming to fruition, but a visit by roads minister Jesse Norman in September gave renewed hope to those who want to see a tunnel dug under the monument.

Highways England has published a preferred route for the controversial 1.8-mile tunnel under the site, which would cost £1.6 billion.

If it progresses as planned, the landscape of Stonehenge will be transformed by a dual-carriageway tunnelled 40 metres below the ground, which would open in 2025.

There will now be a further round of consultation during 2018 on this preferred route.

Highways England will then submit an application for a Development Consent Order.

The Planning Inspectorate will then hold a public inspection of the plan, lasting for up to six months, in 2019. It is then likely that the Secretary of State will be asked to formally approve the plan in 2020 and the considerable engineering challenge of building the tunnel will begin in 2021.

Watch this space.

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 25

Helping nurture rapid growth Smith & Williamson

we’re delighted to have helped the team all along the journey.

“It is also a great example of how a business can scale-up.

“With the right advice and determination to succeed anything is possible and we’ll now look forward to working closely with the Happy Days team so that they achieve their growth ambitions which includes the opening of 10 new nurseries from Santander’s current funding.

“The group now employs over 400 people and has ambitious expansion plans to establish new sites so that it can take its quality offering that focuses on the best of childcare, right across the region.

“When a business like this grows so fast, it’s vital it receives the right scale-up advice. It means the right processes and protocols are in place to manage the expansion properly.

“Our collaborative approach distills issues, opportunities and solutions helping deliver a clear roadmap for growth and the Happy Days Nurseries story is a perfect example of a business following that route.”

To discuss further how Smith & Williamson can help with any transaction services advice please contact David Roper on 0117 376 2155 or email david.roper@smithandwilliamson.com

Smith & Williamson, which is a long-time supporter of the Western Daily Press Business Guide, has provided strategic advice for numerous growing businesses in the West One of the South West’s fastest growing nursery groups has secured £8 million worth of funding in a deal that was brokered by the Bristol office of Smith & Williamson, the accountancy, investment management and tax group.

Led by David Roper, head of transaction services in Bristol, Happy Days Nurseries now plans to grow the number of venues it operates across the South West while investing in its overall proposition so it maintains its outstanding quality service across its 18 sites.

Based in Cornwall, Happy Days has grown to become the 19th largest nursery chain in the UK with around 1,300 places across the South West.

A multi-disciplined team from Smith & Williamson have advised Happy Days for the last eight years across a number of areas including fund raising, audit, tax PAYE and VAT. David and his team have provided ongoing as well as strategic advice throughout the relationship.

This included securing an original investment from Livingbridge, the private equity firm, which provided the perfect platform for Happy Days to grow. Livingbridge are a leading mid-market private equity firm who support fast growing companies.

More recently David and his team helped Happy Days to secure their latest funding from Santander which will be used to facilitate the businesses’ ambitious expansion plans based on a proved best in class childcare proposition.

Ian Sanders, Finance Director at Happy Days commented “We are very proud of the continued successes of all our nurseries and we are committed as a team to being the premier nursery provider in the South West.

“We have recently been ranked in the top 5 nationally for quality of childcare amongst nursery chains, which clearly demonstrates our credentials.

“We have had tremendous support from Smith & Williamson and Livingbridge on our growth journey and look forward to working closely with Santander as we implement our next round of expansion.”

David said: “Having represented Happy Days for so long it’s fantastic to see the business do so well.

“It truly is a great South West success story and

“

We have had tremendous support from Smith & Williamson and Livingbridge on our growth journey and look forward to working closely with Santander as we implement our next round of expansion.

”

Top; Happy Days Nurseries is one of the many West businesses to benefit from advice from Smith & Williamson. Above; the team from Smith & Williamson that advised Happy Days, (left to right) Marcus Graham, Steve Ashworth, Tristan Bray, David Roper, Kelly Jones and Andreea Ionescu

Scale-up businesses will fuel continued economic prosperity in the South West Scale-up businesses are widely celebrated as being the engine of growth for the UK economy, creating wealth, opportunity and employment in a competitive and dynamic environment.

Whether it’s raising funds, considering a gamechanging transaction or a new challenge to take a business to the next stage, Smith & Williamson’s scale-up programme has already helped thousands of ambitious businesses grow successfully.

An integral part of the South West scale-up

26 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

ecosystem, Smith & Williamson is now working closely with both the Engine Shed in Bristol and as a strategic partner of Inspire, which provides access to public and privately funded programmes to help growing businesses scale-up.

One of the programmes supported by Inspire is the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business UK Programme, which is an investment to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity by providing greater access to education and business support services.

Smith & Williamson’s Bristol office

Inspire is holding a scale-up event in Bristol on Tuesday, March 6.

Starting at 8.30am, a series of speakers from the Inspire Elite Network including representatives of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK Programme will discuss what the region needs to do to attract and support scale-up businesses as well as how Inspire can help.

To attend call 0117 203 4288, E-mail elite@inspirebiz.co.uk or visit www.scaleupleaders.com/ elite

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Top 150 The West’s biggest companies revealed

Data supplied by Jordans

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THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 27

The Top 150 2018 2017 COMPANY

POSITION

POSITION

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

1 2 4 3 5 10 8 7 11 9 12 13 17 15 48 18 16 24 19 21 22 14 20 23 25 30 37 27 26 36 29

33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

35 31 33 32 34 38 28 39

Imperial Brands PLC Airbus Operations Limited Intel Corporation (UK) Limited Npower Limited EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Limited Dyson Exchange Limited Honda of The U.K. Manufacturing Limited Connect Group PLC C&J Clark Limited Allstar Business Solutions Limited PPL UK Distribution Holdings Limited New Look Retail Group Limited Screwfix Direct Limited WH Smith PLC Puma Energy (UK) Limited Westcon Group European Operations Limited Wincanton PLC Arval UK Group Limited The Mortgage Works (UK) PLC First Greater Western Limited Mears Group PLC Agustawestland Limited GE Oil & GAS UK Limited Conviviality Group Limited Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC St. James's Place Wealth Management PLC Supergroup PLC OVO Group Ltd Safran Landing Systems UK Ltd ALD Automotive Limited GE Aviation Systems Limited Mitie Technical Facilities Management Limited Cambria Automobiles PLC Nutricia Limited Rotork PLC Wessex Water Limited Kerry Ingredients (UK) Limited Steinhoff UK Retail Limited Colt Car Company Limited (The) Renishaw PLC

41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

43 45 41 40 51 47 55 49 53

Dick Lovett Companies Limited Redde PLC Sun Valley Foods Limited Man Truck And Bus UK Limited Hargreaves Lansdown PLC Combined Independents (Holdings) Limited ALU Topco Limited Zurich Employment Services Limited Allchurches Trust Limited

28 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

LOCATION

COUNTY

EMPLOYEES PROFIT

TURNOVER

Bristol Filton Swindon Swindon Gloucester Malmesbury Swindon Swindon Street Swindon Bristol Weymouth Yeovil Swindon Westerleigh Cirencester Chippenham Swindon Swindon Swindon Gloucester Yeovil Nailsea Bristol Cheltenham Cirencester Cheltenham Bristol Gloucester Bristol Cheltenham Bristol

Bristol South Gloucestershire Wiltshire Wiltshire Gloucestershire Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Somerset Wiltshire Bristol Dorset Somerset Wiltshire South Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Gloucestershire Somerset North Somerset Bristol Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Bristol Gloucestershire Bristol Gloucestershire Bristol

34,600 8,183 1,204 2,371 5,667 82 3,643 5,968 14,836 184 6,523 18,493 9,486 13,773 134 932 17,170 702

3,143 1,098 936 435 3,048 4,695

£907,000,000 £66,000,000 £128,636,000 £4,000,000 £896,000,000 £181,500,000 £9,048,000 £41,900,000 £19,900,000 £60,356,000 £533,300,000 -£16,600,000 £118,448,000 £140,000,000 -£12,113,000 £3,333,000 £45,400,000 £39,306,000 £301,473,000 £56,786,000 £29,372,000 £106,531,000 £77,831,000 £19,363,000 £171,400,000 -£31,088,000 £84,800,000 £23,812,000 £110,258,000 £48,232,000 £110,866,000 £3,093,000

£27,634,000,000 £4,590,000,000 £4,506,714,000 £3,365,000,000 £3,114,000,000 £2,269,400,000 £2,161,249,000 £1,906,500,000 £1,654,700,000 £1,605,277,000 £1,480,600,000 £1,454,700,000 £1,306,018,000 £1,234,000,000 £1,190,326,000 £1,150,021,000 £1,118,100,000 £1,065,287,000 £1,026,467,000 £1,009,705,000 £940,100,000 £923,697,000 £889,779,000 £988,919,000 £757,400,000 £753,478,000 £752,000,000 £716,980,000 £712,502,000 £689,974,000 £674,654,000 £656,149,000

Swindon Trowbridge Bath Bath Portbury Cheltenham Cirencester WottonUnder-Edge Swindon Bath Hereford Swindon Bristol Andover Yatton Cheltenham Gloucester

Wiltshire Wiltshire Bath & NE Somerset Bath & NE Somerset North Somerset Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Gloucestershire

1,175 768 3,719 2,586 1,705 2,530 218 4,395

£11,768,000 £22,249,000 £91,070,000 £162,300,000 £8,510,000 £25,696,000 £27,558,000 £117,101,000

£614,218,000 £594,188,000 £590,078,000 £571,300,000 £549,452,000 £680,619,000 £541,206,000 £536,807,000

Wiltshire Bath & NE Somerset Herefordshire Wiltshire Bristol Hampshire North Somerset Gloucestershire Gloucestershire

717 1,995 2,277 722 1,043 73 1,792 1,837 1,268

£10,224,000 £31,771,000 £6,871,000 £8,118,000 £265,800,000 £1,024,000 £28,232,000 -£30,770,000 £87,959,000

£475,491,000 £472,344,000 £439,228,000 £408,950,000 £385,600,000 £385,510,000 £362,135,000 £329,655,000 £321,606,000

5,830 15,719 2,876 3,018 1,424 4,998

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The Top 150 2018 2017 COMPANY

POSITION

POSITION

50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90

59 60 57 NE 52 67 NE 44 63 58 64 56 61 65 NE 62 50 66 69 NE 73 70 78 75 NE 72 97 77 71 NE 76 87 86 79 106 NE 80 143 NE 81

91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

91 84 118 85 101 89 96 82 149

The Oasis Healthcare Group Limited Nisbets PLC Refresco Beverages UK Limited Curtis Banks Group PLC Masstock Arable (UK) Limited Aspire Defence Holdings Limited Woodbury Limited National Oilwell Varco UK Limited Openwork Holdings Limited Libya Oil Ethiopia Limited JB Global Limited Yeo Valley Group Limited Nokia UK Limited Resource Solutions Group PLC MW High Tech Projects UK Limited Ryder Limited Simplyhealth Group Limited Stannah Lifts Holdings Limited Centaur Services Limited Leidos Europe, Limited Unite Integrated Solutions PLC West UC Limited Ecclesiastical Insurance Group PLC Amcor Europe Group Management Teleperformance Limited Murray & Roberts United Kingdom Limited Rygor Group Limited Outdoor And Cycle Concepts Ltd Bradford And Sons Limited Scottish Widows Unit Trust Managers Limited Dentsply IH Limited Taylor Maxwell Group Limited Yankee Candle Company (Europe) Limited Happold LLP Kingspan Insulation Limited Microsemi Semiconductor Limited Vectura Group PLC Mulberry Group PLC Optimas OE Solutions Ltd Monaghan Mushrooms Limited Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe Limited Crown Pet Foods Limited Etex Building Performance Limited Patheon UK Limited Sigma-Aldrich Company Limited Hochtief (UK) Construction Limited Heritage Automotive Limited Wessex Garages Holdings Limited Kohler Holdings Ltd Independent Vetcare Holdings Limited

LOCATION

COUNTY

EMPLOYEES PROFIT

TURNOVER

Bradley Stoke Bristol Bridgwater Bristol Cheltenham Tidworth Almondsbury Stonehouse Swindon Bristol Swindon Blagdon Almondsbury Bristol Chippenham Devizes Andover Andover Castle Cary Emersons Green Bristol Gloucester Gloucester Warmley Bristol Swindon Westbury Malmesbury Yeovil Andover Stonehouse Bristol Bristol Bath Leominster Bristol Chippenham Chilcompton Gloucester Langford Melksham

South Gloucestershire Bristol Somerset Bristol Gloucestershire Hampshire South Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Wiltshire Bristol Wiltshire North Somerset South Gloucestershire Bristol Wiltshire Wiltshire Hampshire Hampshire Somerset South Gloucestershire Bristol Gloucestershire Gloucestershire South Gloucestershire Bristol Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Somerset Hampshire Gloucestershire Bristol Bristol Bath & NE Somerset Herefordshire Bristol Wiltshire Somerset Gloucestershire North Somerset Wiltshire

4,286 1,568 837 458 655 13 3,614 1,555 438

276 175 573 1,719 524 83 402 1,467 520 2,430 716

-£48,969,000 £34,106,000 £11,249,000 £4,490,000 £5,222,000 £24,639,000 £4,505,000 £21,926,000 £9,202,000 £4,405,000 £15,186,000 £11,866,000 £15,740,000 £12,545,000 £7,882,000 £3,820,000 £800,000 £11,664,000 £2,381,000 £2,214,000 £4,315,000 £55,756,000 £61,847,000 £1,755,000 £8,467,000 £14,599,000 £1,079,000 -£50,335,000 £1,972,000 £40,473,000 £39,000 £4,878,000 £9,607,000 £16,114,000 £21,006,000 £15,684,000 -£40,100,000 £7,533,000 £1,199,000 £2,421,000 £7,588,000

£321,136,000 £321,103,000 £315,781,000 £291,370,000 £290,034,000 £288,812,000 £286,428,000 £285,014,000 £283,401,000 £282,092,000 £279,748,000 £273,169,000 £270,216,000 £266,960,000 £255,430,000 £248,555,000 £247,800,000 £236,261,000 £229,676,000 £215,270,000 £205,147,000 £197,556,000 £197,200,000 £197,075,000 £195,347,000 £195,193,000 £192,385,000 £191,620,000 £180,015,000 £179,126,000 £177,052,000 £175,999,000 £174,118,000 £171,934,000 £171,454,000 £169,865,000 £126,500,000 £168,121,000 £167,304,000 £167,162,000 £163,108,000

Castle Cary Easton-in-Gordano Swindon Gillingham Swindon Salisbury Bristol Cheltenham Bath

Somerset North Somerset Wiltshire Dorset Wiltshire Wiltshire Bristol Gloucestershire Bath & NE Somerset

247 444 381 568 267 445 280 1,751 3,287

£32,785,000 £29,291,000 £16,906,000 £29,177,000 -£3,183,000 -£1,391,000 £1,123,000 £1,153,000 -£13,218,000

£161,425,000 £158,334,000 £157,972,000 £157,719,000 £155,053,000 £154,670,000 £191,798,000 £151,145,000 £150,515,000

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1,175 1,709 870 222 550 1,415 1,344 1,973 259 172 1,206 497 1,265 966 7,798 1,027 622 2,095 1,216

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 29

The Top 150 2018 2017 COMPANY

POSITION

POSITION

100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150

83 94 88 100 74 99 103 98 126 123 102 95 139 120 105 109 108 116 111 90 136 125 150 107 147 NE 115 NE 119 122 110 127 112 NE 135 NE 92 128 132 134 133 146 140 NE NE 142 121 NE 130 NE

DAC Beachcroft Services Limited Foray Motor Group Limited Blade Motor Group Limited Fish Brothers (Holdings) Limited Tyco Electronics UK Ltd Avon Rubber PLC International Plywood PLC Cotswold Motor Group Limited EW Beard (Holdings) Limited Tata Technologies Europe Limited Shaw Trust Limited(The) Jisc Langdon Group Limited Zycko Limited M And M Direct Limited Ecotricity Group Ltd Computershare Investor Services PLC Agricultural Mortgage Corporation PLC (The) Apetito Limited Lyons Seafoods Limited T. H. White Holdings Limited Libya Oil Sudan Limited Howard Garages (Weston) Limited A-Gas (ORB) Limited Moog Wolverhampton Limited Knorr-Bremse Rail Systems (UK) Limited Intrinsic Financial Planning Limited Project People Limited Sodra Wood Limited Jamie's Italian Limited C.M. Downton (Haulage Contractors) Limited Seabank Power Limited Bristol Water PLC Vitacress Limited Sirona Care & Health C.I.C. United Oilseeds Marketing Limited G-Tekt Europe Manufacturing Limited Special Metals Wiggin Limited Hall & Woodhouse Limited Herman Miller Limited Bailey Caravans Limited Western Provident Association Limited GS Yuasa Battery Sales UK Limited Severn River Crossing PLC Jisc Services Limited Harding Brothers Retail Limited Hills UK Limited Severn Glocon Group PLC Alliance Pharma PLC Ford Fuels Limited Synergy Health (UK) Limited

30 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

LOCATION

COUNTY

EMPLOYEES PROFIT

TURNOVER

Bristol Salisbury Gloucester Swindon Swindon Melksham Gloucester Cheltenham Swindon Bristol Bristol Bristol Bridgwater Cirencester Leominster Stroud Bristol Andover Trowbridge Warminster Devizes Bristol Weston-Super-Mare Portbury Tewkesbury Melksham Swindon Bristol Cirencester Bath Gloucester Bristol Bristol Andover Kingswood Devizes Gloucester Hereford Blandford Forum Chippenham Bristol Taunton Swindon Aust Bristol Bristol Swindon Gloucester Chippenham Farrington Gurney Swindon

Bristol Wiltshire Gloucestershire Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Wiltshire Bristol Bristol Bristol Somerset Gloucestershire Herefordshire Gloucestershire Bristol Hampshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Bristol North Somerset North Somerset Gloucestershire Wiltshire Wiltshire Bristol Gloucestershire Bath & NE Somerset Gloucestershire Bristol Bristol Hampshire South Gloucestershire Wiltshire Gloucestershire Herefordshire Dorset Wiltshire Bristol Somerset Wiltshire South Gloucestershire Bristol Bristol Wiltshire Gloucestershire Wiltshire Bath & NE Somerset Wiltshire

1,962 467 469 252 1,199 864 75 335 276 680 1,459 515 1,362 81 548 627 1,340 66 1,097 334 545

£150,116,000 £148,539,000 £148,138,000 £146,524,000 £144,568,000 £142,884,000 £139,694,000 £138,049,000 £136,851,000 £133,243,000 £132,107,000 £130,895,000 £130,337,000 £127,968,000 £126,613,000 £126,462,000 £123,874,000 £123,476,000 £123,283,000 £122,827,000 £121,656,000 £121,506,000 £119,433,000 £119,256,000 £118,692,000 £118,290,000 £118,249,000 £115,873,000 £114,034,000 £112,718,000 £111,625,000 £111,331,000 £111,000,000 £110,245,000 £109,040,000 £108,764,000 £135,277,000 £80,954,000 £107,713,000 £105,825,000 £104,749,000 £104,435,000 £103,924,000 £103,175,000 £102,695,000 £85,086,000 £100,973,000 £99,418,000 £97,492,000 £97,459,000 £96,448,000

258 331 429 457 213 40 2,548 1,144 56 439 1,333 2,450 27 707 562 1,420 435 297 307 84 184 146 123 427 862 143 122 1,190

£7,149,000 £1,024,000 £1,458,000 £2,457,000 £17,908,000 £21,576,000 -£4,407,000 £1,519,000 £4,420,000 £15,711,000 £38,152,000 -£5,899,000 £6,060,000 £590,000 £7,155,000 £3,187,000 £23,489,000 £40,647,000 £20,204,000 £9,607,000 £2,193,000 £438,000 £1,274,000 £16,677,000 £16,386,000 £9,420,000 £481,000 £370,000 £3,110,000 -£9,932,000 £5,699,000 £38,118,000 £20,900,000 £1,000,000 £7,000 £1,479,000 £19,001,000 £1,407,000 £6,499,000 £12,896,000 £4,145,000 £4,795,000 £2,407,000 £44,450,000 £339,000 -£713,000 £8,634,000 -£11,917,000 £22,219,000 £1,228,000 £10,750,000 WBG-E01-S2

Biggest firms tackle disruption TOP 10 IN FOCUS

contenders to take over from Tom Enders as chief executive. As part of the announcements it was also confirmed that Mr Enders, 59, will not seek another term as chief executive when his current term ends in April 2019.

Earlier in the year well-known Bristol business figure Katherine Bennett assumed the controls of the UK arm of Airbus.

Paul Kahn, the former UK chief executive, was one of the most prominent business leaders to criticise Brexit and left in July.

The planemaker said its UK arm will no longer have a chief executive, with Ms Bennett being promoted to the role of group senior vice-president UK. She was previously head of public affairs in the UK for Airbus.

One of the key facets of her role will be ensuring that the company’s concerns regarding the implications of Brexit are given proper regard by the Government in its negotiations with the EU. Aside from Brexit concerns Airbus will continue its decades-long battle for aircraft sales with major rival Boeing, which has been buoyed by President Trump’s “America First” rhetoric.

On the ground in the West work continues on developing the £40 million Airbus Wing Integration Centre at Filton.

The state-of-the-art centre will be large enough to house a full-size wing test, covering more than 10,000 square metres of internal floor space – the equivalent of two football grounds.

The building will also contain a laboratory, 3D printers, high-tech equipment and more than 250 skilled researchers and engineers.

The project is jointly funded by Airbus and the Government, and is being delivered in partnership with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK. Speaking in December Steve Raynes, head of laboratories and test centres at Airbus, said: “The next major milestone will be the installation of the strong wall next year and we aim to be fully operational by the end of 2018.

“When it’s completed, the new facility will enable Airbus to deliver the research, design, analysis and testing of the next generation of wings – the wings of tomorrow.”

Richard Bache assesses the opportunities, challenges and risks that the region’s biggest companies face

1 – Imperial Brands LOCATION BRISTOL TURNOVER £27.6 BILLION PROFITS £907 MILLION

Imperial Brands continues to top the Western Daily Press Business Guide Top 150 by a considerable margin.

Alison Cooper became the longest-serving female chief executive in the FTSE 100 late last year, when Carolyn McCall left easyJet ahead of her move to ITV. And the South Bristol-based company she leads continues to generate massive revenues and profits, despite the imposition of regulatory hurdles such as plain packaging.

When presenting its latest results in November Imperial signalled it is “stepping up” its expansion into the vaping market as the tobacco industry comes under pressure from falling cigarette sales.

The company, which owns the blu e-cigarette brand, said it will press ahead with new e-vapour launches in new and existing markets and consumer trials of “heated tobacco products” as it looks to cash in on “significant growth opportunities”.

“E-vapour remains our priority: in our view this is by far the largest next-generation product opportunity and we believe it offers the greatest current potential for long-term sustainable growth,” the group added.

Imperial, behind Davidoff and Lambert and Butler cigarettes, is the latest in a long line of tobacco firms searching for additional revenue streams as traditional cigarette consumption continues to fall.

The company sold 265.2 billion cigarettes last year, a decline of 4.1 per cent.

It said in November that the collapse of wholesaler Palmer & Harvey would cost it approximately £160 million.

3 – Intel UK Ltd

LOCATION SWINDON TURNOVER £4.51 BILLION PROFITS £128.6 MILLION

2 – Airbus Operations LOCATION FILTON TURNOVER £4.59 BILLION PROFITS £66 MILLION

Airbus received a welcome boost last week after it finally signed an agreement with Emirates for up to 36 more A380 superjumbos.

The biggest passenger aircraft in the world looked at risk of falling out of production as demand from airlines for the four-engine jet had stalled.

But the Emirates order will keep it in production for another decade, news which will be welcomed by the 4,000 people employed by Airbus at Filton and the wider supply chain in the West’s aerospace sector.

Airbus has found itself much in the news in recent months, as speculation about the panEuropean giant’s next generation of leaders has intensified.

In December it announced a series of executive changes as the race to take the controls of the aviation giant accelerated.

Fabrice Brégier, the 56-year-old chief operating officer of the company, will leave in February.

He had previously been tipped as one of the

Top: Alison Cooper is chief executive of the West’s biggest company, Imperial Brands; above, Katherine Bennett is helping Airbus navigate challenges of Brexit WBG-E01-S2

American giant Intel, which employs approximately 1,000 people in Swindon, moves up one place to third in the Western Daily Press Top 150.

The chip-maker has its main site in the UK on Pipers Way in the Wiltshire town where it is headquarters for its EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) sales region.

Globally the firm has experienced a troubled start to 2018 with revelations about the Meltdown and Spectre security flaws affecting its products.

Industry analysts were critical of how it responded to the security risk.

Staff at the Swindon site, which is home to its sales and marketing team, finance function, HR, information technology, corporate relations, and other support functions, will be hoping the current crisis will soon be behind it.

Elsewhere the firm is forecasting it will remain at the vanguard of technology, with research focused on autonomous decision making, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

CONTINUED PAGE 32

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 31

It’s contrasting fortunes for the West’s giants CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

4 – Npower Ltd

6 – Dyson Exchange Ltd

Swindon-based Npower has endured several miserable years and this is potentially the final year it will appear on this list in its current form.

It has agreed a controversial merger with rival SSE, a deal that still needs to clear regulatory barriers, with a number of MPs concerned it will dent competition in the domestic energy sector.

In its most recent financial results revenue decreased by £154 million from the corresponding period of last year due to record high levels of UK customer churn.

Paul Coffey, CEO of Npower, commented in November: “Looking back over the last nine months, the results of our hard work are starting to come through.

“While we look to the future with the new merger, it’s business as usual in the meantime: we will continue to explore ways of introducing engaging new products and services.

“Challenges remain both for our company and our industry more broadly, but these are exciting times for our people and our customers.”

Rachel Reeves MP, chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, has written to the CMA urging it to investigate the proposed merger.

She said: “The energy market isn’t working for consumers.

“The proposed merger between SSE and Npower risks damaging the development of a more competitive energy market, reducing consumer choice, and threatening to be a bad deal for energy consumers.”

The company has not confirmed what a merger would mean for staff in Swindon.

Wiltshire-based technology giant Dyson leapt from tenth to sixth in the Western Daily Press Top 150.

It is fair to say that 2017 has been exceptionally busy for Dyson. In March it announced it had bought the 517-acre former Hullavington airfield site, just down the road from its Malmesbury headquarters.

Then in September it confirmed that it was joining the race to develop an electric car and it was showing a typical commitment to research and development by investing £2 billion in the scheme.

There was also a degree of boardroom turmoil at Dyson, with former chief executive Max Conze leaving suddenly in October and it appearing a courtroom showdown was on the cards after Dyson initiated legal action against him, before ultimately agreeing what was described as a “multi-million-pound” settlement before the case reached the High Court.

Operations chief Jim Rowan was promoted to chief executive of the flourishing company, which saw profits rise 41 per cent to £631m in its last financial year.

It has recently also opened offices in Bristol, as it increases its footprint in the region.

LOCATION SWINDON TURNOVER £3.36 BILLION PROFITS £4 MILLION

5 – EDF Energy Nuclear Generation LOCATION GLOUCESTER TURNOVER £3.11 BILLION PROFITS £896 MILLION

Much of the external focus with EDF Energy is on its new-build division, which as reported on pages 6-7 of this Guide is developing the £20 billion Hinkley Point C and developing proposals for Sizewell C in Suffolk.

The French energy giant’s nuclear generation arm already operates eight nuclear reactors of different designs in the UK, accounting for approximately 20 per cent of Britain’s power output.

However, many of its nuclear reactors – at Dungeness (estimated end of generation in 2028), Hartlepool (2024), two at Heysham (2024 and 2030), Hinkley Point B (2023), Hunterston B (2023), Sizewell B (2035) and Torness (2030) – are approaching the end of their operational lives so its need for Hinkley Point C and potentially Sizewell C to come on stream is apparent.

32 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

LOCATION MALMESBURY TURNOVER £2.27 BILLION PROFITS £181.5 MILLION

7 – Honda of the UK Manufacturing LOCATION SWINDON TURNOVER £2.16 BILLION PROFITS £9.05 MILLION

In an appearance in front of MPs in November, Honda painted one of the most graphic pictures to date of the potential negative impact of Brexit if a reasonable transition deal is not done with the EU. The Japanese-owned firm, which employs thousands of people at its factory at South Marston in Swindon, addressed the business select committee. It revealed the astonishing scale of how its supply chain is entwined with companies across Europe and how damaging the potential of customs delays would be.

Patrick Keating, Honda’s government affairs manager, told the committee that 350 lorries came through the Channel Tunnel every day, carrying an extraordinary two million components per day for its thousands of staff on the Swindon production line to assemble into cars, motorbikes and lawnmowers.

Any potential customs delays would dent its competitiveness and ultimately hit the bottom line, Mr Keating said.

Mr Keating told the hearing that 35 per cent of the cars produced in Swindon each year were exported to the EU and approximately 40 per cent of the components it used were imported from the EU.

Swindon dominates top of list Eight of the Top 20 in the Western Daily Press list are based in Swindon, many of them either on Pipers Way or Windmill Hill Business Park. Pictured, clockwise from main image, are the headquarters for WH Smith (14th in the list), Nationwide (19th) and Intel (3rd)

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He said that it needed more clarity on the nature of the transition deal post-March 2019 so that it could plan accordingly.

It would need to invest in more warehousing and carry more stock, for instance, if it was likely to encounter substantial delays for custom checks.

He also said that, like other major employers, Honda relied on staff from overseas, with about 14 per cent of its 3,500-4,000 staff at Swindon coming from the EU.

8 – Connect Group LOCATION SWINDON TURNOVER £1.91 BILLION PROFITS £41.9 MILLION

It is almost certain that this magazine passed through the hands of Connect Group on its way to your newsagent.

The Swindon-based firm runs Smiths News, the biggest wholesaler of newspapers and magazines in Britain, as one of its divisions.

It is also increasingly focused on its parcels division which, given Britain’s seeming addiction with internet shopping, appears sensible.

Just before Christmas it sold its books division to European investor Aurelius Equity Opportunities for a total of up to £11.6 million.

Mark Cashmore, chief executive officer, said: “Earlier this year we concluded that the Books division was no longer core to our future, but this in no way detracts from its position as leader in the books distribution markets. The disposal is consistent with our strategy to focus on opportunities in Early Morning and Mixed Freight distribution.”

9 – C&J Clark Ltd LOCATION STREET TURNOVER £1.65 BILLION PROFITS £19.9 MILLION

Somerset institution Clarks sold more than 100 million shoes last year or more accurately 52.4m pairs.

The family-owned company is approaching its 200th anniversary of being in business in Street.

Across the globe it employs more than 13,000 people, with some 9,000 of those based in Britain.

Its footprint is massive – it directly owns more than 900 shops around the world, has 20 registered offices in countries ranging from Austria to New Zealand and has a turnover in excess of £1.6 billion, which was up more than seven per cent, largely due to currency fluctuations.

The company rarely actively seeks publicity through the media but conversely does present unusually detailed annual reports.

In the latest report, chairman Thomas O’Neill says that the company made significant progress in addressing a significant overstocked inventory problem, reducing it by more than three million pairs of shoes.

10 – Allstar Business Solutions LOCATION SWINDON TURNOVER £1.61 BILLION PROFITS £60.4 MILLION

Turnover declined by nine per cent in Swindonbased Allstar’s latest set of accounts, but recent rises in the cost of petrol could spell good news for the firm.

It is the UK’s most popular fuel card used by over 35,000 businesses and 1.1 million drivers, mostly sales reps and contractors who drive fleet vehicles.

It says firms using its cards not only do so to manage and monitor their fuel spend, but to track other business productivity metrics and combat potential misuse. In its latest reports turnover fell by £167 million due to a six per cent decline in fuel volumes and a two per cent fall in fuel prices.

However, petrol prices in the UK at the start of January were at the highest level since 2014, generally good news for Allstar.

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From top: the former Hullavington airfield site in Wiltshire that technology firm Dyson is developing as its second campus, where it will focus on electric car design; Honda’s factory at South Marston near Swindon; EDF Energy Nuclear Generation’s offices in Barnwood, Gloucester and one of Clarks’ most iconic lines, the Desert Boot

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 33

Avonmouth-based Harding Brothers is a major player in the operation of luxury shops on cruise ships, with clients including the likes of Cunard, Viking and Royal Caribbean

New faces are making waves NEW ENTRANTS Richard Bache assesses some of the firms that have either entered the Top 150 for the first time or have returned after an absence More than 10 per cent of the firms in the Western Daily Press Business Guide Top 150 are new entrants this year or returning after an absence.

They range from companies that trace their history back nearly 200 years to those that have been founded in the last few years.

And the wide range of sectors that they operate in reflects the broad nature of the region’s economy – from agriculture to health, via engineering and financial services.

The top new entrant is Bristol-based pensions specialist Curtis Banks.

With a turnover of £291 million and profits of £4.5m in its most recent accounts it placed at 53 in the top 150.

The Temple Quay-based firm’s surge up the rankings has been fuelled by organic growth and a series of acquisitions.

It is one of the top three providers of full Self Invested Personal Pension schemes (SIPP) and Small Self Administered Schemes (SSAS) with over £9 billion of assets under administration.

It now employs more than 550 people at locations across Britain.

The second highest new entrant, at number 56 on the list, is Woodbury Ltd, based at Aztec West in South Gloucestershire. It was founded to facilitate JLL’s acquisition of Integral Ltd, one of the country’s biggest out-sourced maintenance and facilities management companies.

Chippenham-based MW High Tech Projects is part of a global leader in the design, engineering and construction of hi-tech facilities and major

34 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

complex projects. The company, founded more than 100 years ago, specialises in hi-tech construction sites, including data centres, solar and controlled-environments.

It was 64th out of the Top 150, with turnover of £255m and profits of almost £8m.

Leidos, based at Emersons Green, near Bristol, is a major provider of IT services and solutions.

One of its biggest clients is the MoD, based at nearby Abbey Wood and it also specialises in cyber-security and air traffic control systems.

The firm, which employs about 1,500 people in the UK, was ranked 69th on the Western Daily Press list, with a turnover of £215m and profits of £2.2m.

Swindon-based Murray and Roberts is a subsidiary of the South African mining giant of the same name. The UK headquarters of the business are based in Penny Lane in Swindon and focuses on mining investment opportunities, principally in the Americas.

Turnover of its UK arm was £195m, with profits of £14.5m, placing it at 75 in the Top 150.

Dentsply, which is based at Stonehouse in Gloucestershire, manufactures and distributes a vast range of dental surgery products.

It produces implants, orthodontics and preventative equipment.

It says the biggest risk to its business is a general decline in the economy, given the fact many elements of dental surgery are elective.

Turnover in its latest accounts was £177m, placing it 80th in the Top 150.

Chippenham-based Vectura is a leading firm in the manufacture and design of medical inhalers.

Across Europe it has approximately 450 staff and its growth has been fuelled by a merger with rival Skyepharma.

Turnover, in a shortened nine-month period, was £126m, placing it 86th on the Western Daily Press list.

“

The wide range of sectors that they operate in reflects the broad nature of the region’s economy – from agriculture to health, via engineering and financial services

”

North Somerset-based Monaghan Mushrooms is one of the biggest agricultural businesses in the West.

The Langford-based firm specialises, obviously, in mushrooms, but about a third of its income relates to its compost division.

Most of the major supermarkets are among its key customers.

In its latest figures turnover was £167m, garnering a profit of more than £2m, which puts it at 89 on the Western Daily Press list.

One of the other new entrants is a familiar name in several parts of the West, where it provides health and social care.

Sirona, which is based in Kingswood, is a nonprofit organisation providing publicly funded care.

Its latest financial reports reflect on the loss of one of its biggest contracts in the region to Virgin Care, in Bath and North East Somerset.

It said that will have an impact on turnover, suggesting it might be a faller in next year’s list, but as it stands the company has made a debut at number 134, with turnover of £109m.

A firm returning to the Top 150 is Avonmouthbased Harding Brothers Retail Limited.

It traces its roots back to a butcher’s founded almost 200 years ago by Sam Edward Harding.

That swiftly expanded into supplying the ships that called into Bristol and it developed into one of the foremost providers of ships provisions in Europe.

It later developed into a major player in the operation of luxury shops on cruise ships, with clients including the likes of Cunard, Viking and Royal Caribbean.

It sells luxury goods for brands such as Cartier, Hermes and Chopard, which is a far cry from the joints of meat supplied by Sam Edward Harding all those years ago.

It placed at 145 on the Western Daily Press list, with a turnover of £85m.

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THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 35

Main picture: The impressive surrounds of the state-of-the-art Bristol Business School at UWE Bristol; top right; the Duke of York opened the £50 million centre on the university’s Frenchay campus; above right; the exter

University wishes to build even stronger links with business Richard Bache talks with Dr Noordin Shehabuddeen, Director, Bristol Business Engagement Centre and Associate Professor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in UWE Bristol’s Faculty of Business and Law. He is a man on a mission to foster mutually beneficially links between businesses in the West and UWE’s community UWE Bristol has long had a reputation as somewhere that was keen to engage with the region’s business community.

But it wants to take those relationships to another level and Dr Noordin Shehabuddeen is the man tasked with delivering the vision.

Dr Shehabuddeen was appointed as director of the Bristol Business Engagement Centre at the university last June.

He is brimming with ideas on how to further develop mutually beneficial relationships at the Bristol Business School.

36 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

One of the initiatives in the pipeline for 2018 is the creation of a Business Lounge – similar to those used by business class passengers at airports across the globe.

Dr Shehabuddeen said the goal was to create a high-class physical facility that will act as a hub for businesses to interact, for Chatham Housestyle discussions to take place and for businesses to network with each other and UWE’s community.

It is a community that is gathering strength each and every year.

Dr Shehabudeen said the university had unique attributes in its community of more than 270,000 alumni, on top of the 29,000 students and more than 3,000 staff.

He said: “We have a diversity of expertise and experience that is very valuable to business.”

As an example he said that a firm wishing to

“

We have a diversity of expertise and experience that is very valuable to business

”

expand into China could tap into the university’s expertise in a number of ways.

It has undergraduate and postgraduate students from China who could informally advise on business culture and it has staff who have accessed the Chinese education market and are able to discuss the nuances of doing business in one of the world’s most important economies.

China is but one of the countries where the multicultural institution has experience and expertise.

Dr Shehabuddeen himself spent five years working in a similar role in Australia, at Melbourne’s Swinburne University of Technology.

He is a mechanical engineer by training, but later ventured into innovation and entrepreneurship.

He has worked at the interface between industry and academia, at Cambridge and Liverpool universities and had a stint as an advisor to two cabinet ministers on innovation and knowledge transfer.

Knowledge transfer partnerships are one of the many ways that West Country businesses already engage with UWE. It is a UK-wide programme that helps businesses improve competitiveness and productivity.

It works by the university providing expertise, practical backing and help to access funding.

A talented graduate, based full-time in the partner business, drives and delivers the project, with full university backing and help with supervision and management.

Up to 67 per cent of project costs can be met by the Government, making it very cost-effective and businesses are fully supported by UWE Bristol’s dedicated KTP team.

More than 3,000 projects, lasting between six months to three years, have been successfully completed nationally and research by the Technology Strategy Board has shown previous participants have seen an average increase of over £260,000 in annual profits.

Numatic, Dycem and Rowan Dartington are WBG-E01-S2

Colleges change how they shape business LIZ REDWOOD Over the past few years there has been a change in the approach of colleges when it comes to working with businesses in the training and development of their workforce. They no longer simply direct businesses to their published prospectus, they work with employers, industry specialists, community organisations and awarding bodies to develop and deliver innovative, accredited training and Apprenticeship programmes that fully address the theoretical knowledge, practical skills and industry behaviours that combine to create professional, work-ready individuals.

Bridgwater & Taunton College has led the way in this field, creating and developing a world class, innovative and exemplary model of employer engagement. The sustainable partnerships it has built with industry, local stakeholders and government are delivering huge benefits for learners, business and the local community, and is playing a pivotal role in shaping local, regional and even national policy.

Early business developments for the College were its close partnerships with EDF Energy, DHL/Morrisons and Mulberry. These laid the foundation for a highly successful model of employer engagement that would support and enrich the education, employability and welfare of current and future generations. Its reputation for excellence has ensured the College has now recruited, selected and trained entire new workforces for major companies expanding into Somerset; it has won apprenticeship contracts with companies such as the Ministry of Defence, RollsRoyce, Alstom, Wessex Water and the Ford Motor Company, and its early engagement with EDF Energy on the Hinkley C nuclear new build has led to partnership work alongside key Government departments to articulate and support the delivery of the qualification standards for the nuclear new build roll-out nationwide.

These examples of how Bridgwater & Taunton College has worked collaboratively with stakeholders from such a diverse spectrum, demonstrate how an FE college has progressed from its traditional role as a state-funded, communityfocused provider of training and education, to emerge as one of the key stakeholders in not only the largest infrastructure project the UK has ever seen (Hinkley C), but also the economic regeneration of an entire region.

The success of the College’s work with employers hinges on several factors – a College-wide ‘can do’ approach; an unswerving commitment to exceptional customer service; a dedicated point of contact for business; courageous, early investment in bespoke learning environments; genuine collaboration with employers and awarding bodies to develop and deliver innovative, accredited training programmes with a clear line of sight to work; strong partnerships with the LEP and other stakeholders; staff recruitment and continuing professional development; the sharing of best practice, and an unrelenting vision and ambition to be world class.

rior of the Bristol Business School among the businesses that have previously benefited from the programme.

Other initiatives that UWE offers partner businesses is the possibility to use of some of its stateof-the-art facilities.

The Bristol Business School, for instance, has a ‘Moot Court’ – a mock courtroom where business executives that perhaps face attending an unemployment tribunal or mediation can prepare for what might potentially be an uncomfortable experience.

It is also home to facilities such as a Bloomberg trading room.

Beyond the impressive facilities however it is the opportunity to deliver continuing professional development where some of the strongest bonds have been developed between business and the university.

It runs a number of accredited courses in a range of disciplines for business people who are determined to continue learning new skills and expertise throughout their career.

The courses, which can last a single day or be phased over multiple sessions, include subjects such as Fintech, innovation and digital marketing.

Dr Shehabuddeen also said that the faculty was planning on launching more formal mechanisms for companies to potentially sponsor individual modules on degree courses, with the ambition that it would help them meet their future staffing needs. For instance companies could be involved in influencing curriculum or offer prizes for outstanding performance.

One degree course that has attracted widespread interest from business has been the innovative team entrepreneurship degree.

It is a course designed for bright students who want to apply what they learn in real world scenarios and sees students create companies while they study.

He said there has already been some impressive companies formed – including Pelico, an online food delivery firm that promises to get lunch to your desk within 30 minutes of ordering.

Dr Noordin Shehabuddeen is Director of the Bristol Business Engagement Centre and Associate Professor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UWE Bristol WBG-E01-S2

Liz Redwood is the head of Employer Relations at Bridgwater & Taunton College. To discuss how it can benefit businesses, contact the Business Development team on 01278 655111 or business@bridgwater.ac.uk

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 37

Art and business lift each other Karen White writes on how businesses can gain from helping museums and other arts organisations deal with funding shortfalls Two new independent reports commissioned by Arts Council England have revealed that the arts and culture industry grew by more than 10 per cent to nearly £12bn (2015): five times more than the UK economy which grew by 2.2 per cent (GDP).

The sector generates £2.6bn for the Exchequer, that’s £5 of tax contributed for every £1 of public funding provided to the industry.

It plays a significant role internationally too. In 2013, £5.2bn of arts and culture goods and services were exported or sold to tourists here; 84 per cent of these went outside the European Union.

Another report, published by Steer, Davis Gleave on behalf of the Arts Council, suggests the economic impact of arts and culture could be even greater. Other creative industries rely on the industry in many ways: film and TV publishers work closely with musicians and composers; producers regularly request items from our civic museums around the country for props and use buildings as film sets; Architects often work with artists at concept and design stages to create an identity for buildings and spaces; games companies regularly use Intellectual Property produced by artists, and rely on talent from art colleges in their workforce. Add to this that the creative industries are now worth more than both car manufacturing and aerospace and you can see the picture building up.

But it’s not just the direct benefits of employment and income generation. Culture anchors and develops identity and a sense of belonging.

Our galleries and museums contribute to civic pride and the overall development of a sense of place as well as acting as an attractor of new business.

Bristol Museums and Development Trust (BMDT) is the charity that raises funds for five of Bristol’s museums: Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Blaise Castle House Museum, M Shed, The Georgian House Museum and The Red Lodge Museum, as well as Bristol Archives.

Bristol Museums works with national and international partners to bring high profile exhibitions to the city, and its collections are requested to be displayed by galleries across the world. Last year Bristol Museums received more than one million visitors across its venues, making it the most visited free tourist attraction across the whole of the South West. Fifty per cent of its visitors come from outside the city, and it plays a huge role in enhancing the cultural life of the city’s residents.

But funding, as it seems with almost everything in the city, is tight. Bristol City Council and Arts Council England provide core funding to Bristol Museums, but that still leaves around one third of its income to be secured, so support from the local business community is crucial. Long-term partnerships between Bristol Museums and its corporate supporters help recognise the vital role Bristol Museums’ buildings, exhibitions, collections and other activities play in the economy and in making Bristol such a great place to live and work.

Head of Culture Laura Pye said: “Developing long-term relationships with businesses in the city means we can work together to preserve the heritage and culture of this city not just for this generation but those of the future. This commitment also strengthens communities through making art and archives accessible, relevant and inspiring to everyone.”

There are a number of ways local businesses get involved with Bristol Museums. Their Corporate

38 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

The Bristol company, which has offices across the UK and Europe, made the decision to support arts and sports organisations in the city, both as part of a wider community programme but also to benefit employees and grow external relationships.

Driven by Mike, this sponsorship programme has seen the business support groups as diverse as Bristol City FC and a Hogarth exhibition at Bristol Museum.

RSG has been one of the main supporters of Bristol Museums over the past three years, including cornerstone events such as Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Beesley has also joined the museums’ new Patron Circle.

He said: “The motivations for being involved with the Trust both professionally and personally are numerous.

“Having moved from a pure South West base to a UK-wide and international business, it was important to not lose touch with our roots.

And Mike loves the variety the museums offer, adding: “These sponsorships provide many options from a client engagement perspective. We can offer unique private views that are truly different, fun and interesting.

“Plus, these sponsorships are fantastic for employee engagement as it gives our team the chance to attend exclusive events and you can really see the impact on the team when they share these special insights.”

Over the years RSG has invited more than 500 clients and contacts to museum events, growing its existing client base as well as reaching out to more diverse companies that previously would not have been on their radar.

Giving Back

Top; The M Shed in Bristol. Above, from left to right, Mike Beesley, Laura Pye and Nick Matthews Membership scheme offers an annual package of benefits which provide very unique client entertainment experiences and networking opportunities, as well as helping to raise brand profile.

Benefits include discount on venue hire, invitations to their exhibition private views, a summer party and behind-the-scenes tours. You can even have a breakfast butty in one of M Shed’s cranes before taking the controls yourself.

Bristol Museums’ temporary exhibitions programme brings shows from national partners such Tate, British Museum, V&A, Royal Collection and the Natural History Museum, to deliver one of the most high-profile cultural offers in the city. Corporate exhibition sponsors are able to align their brand, not just with Bristol Museums, but with national organisations.

To find out more contact Katie Lee on 0117 352 5568 or email katie.lee@bristol.gov.uk.

Client entertainment

“Business has a responsibility to protect and support our vital cultural heritage,” says Mike Beesley, CEO of Resource Solutions Group.

Over the past decade, Clifton-headquartered recruitment firm RSG has become one of the most prolific sponsorship companies in the West.

“

Developing long-term relationships with businesses means we can preserve the heritage and culture of this city

”

“As a business established and based in Bristol it’s very important for us to give something back to the city,” says Nick Matthews, regional director of Total Produce.

The UK’s leading and largest fresh produce supplier has wholesale depots across the country, nine of which Nick oversees.

Nick is the grandson of Dai Matthews who along with his friend Eric Smith, founded Bristol Fruit Sales in 1957 which through acquisition became part of Fyffes and in turn, through demerger Total Produce.

At first trading in the old city along Baldwin Street, St Nicholas Street and Welshback, the company became a cornerstone of the new market when it moved to its current St Phillips Marsh location in 1968. Most of the team at Total Produce live in and around the city and some, like Nick, represent the third generation of their families.

For Nick, supporting Bristol Museums is about helping to preserve the city’s social and industrial history as well as giving something back for being a business so steeped in those stories. Total Produce came out of the demerger of Fyffes who helped establish Bristol as an important part of the UK’s banana trade at the turn of the century.

From 1900 to 1967, millions of bananas were shipped from Jamaica to Avonmouth on Fyffes’ famous banana boats. Nick is passionate about keeping that story and others alive.

He says: “As a business established and based in Bristol it’s very important for us to give something back to the city. Bristol Museums isn’t just about visual arts, M Shed tells the story of how the city came about and its unique place in the world. It’s really important for us to appreciate our industrial and commercial past, so we can appreciate how far we have come.

“We like being able to showcase the city’s past to our customers and staff, and show where our business has come from. We’re hopefully playing our small part in keeping that heritage alive.”

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One of the key projects completed by Midas in 2017 was creating new student accommodation on the site of the former Bristol Post printing press, off Temple Way and Old Market Street.

Going from strength to strength MIDAS Midas, which is a Western Daily Press Business Guide 2018 sponsor, enjoyed a strong 2017 and is confident the construction sector is in good shape for 2018

Looking back 12 months, Midas Group, Bristolbased and one of the UK’s largest privately-owned construction and property services companies, sounded an optimistic note for 2017 which has been borne out by a strong performance across the group, leaving it well positioned for further gains in 2018.

It’s a period which has seen Midas Group report increased profits, announce its expansion into two key UK regional markets, in the West Midlands and South East, and deliver a series of landmark projects in Bristol, across the South West and beyond.

Around the time of the last Business Guide, construction was well under way on the flagship £25 million Print Hall project, breathing new life into the derelict former Bristol Post print site, off Temple Way and Old Market Street.

A year on and with the scheme complete, Bristol can be proud of an impressive new development, with 267 studio bedrooms across three blocks and elements of the city’s history innovatively preserved within the scheme. Sustainability and rejuvenation was at the heart of the project for client

Harmsworth Pension Funds Trustees Limited.

Not only did Midas reuse the foundations of the demolished print press building but part of a former road, Jacob Street, previously lost when Bristol underwent major development in the 1960s, was re-established and incorporated into new pedestrianised landscaping around the building.

Other highlights of Midas’s year include work starting on a prestigious £6 million project to transform St George’s Bristol, off Park Street, into a world-class concert venue, with new pavilion-style extension featuring performance and education spaces and café bar.

A new £12 million DPD parcel distribution centre at Emersons Green was completed for developers Stoford – a direct result of a previous successful project for Stowford, the nearby new £10 million head office for ALD Automotive in 2016.

Midas also completed a redevelopment and modernisation of Weston-super-Mare’s Winter Gardens for Weston College Group, creating a Law and Professional Services Academy for the College and restoring the historic 1920s pavilion and ballroom, along with many original features. Again, the latest in a series of projects for a client with which Midas has built a strong relationship.

And this points to an enduring feature of Midas’s success – the continued focus on building long-term positive relationships with customers through industry-leading customer service. It’s a strategy which is working well for the group, with Midas this year winning a regional industry award for Customer Excellence, and the proporWBG-E01-S2

Derek Quinn, Executive Director for Midas Construction, has a confident outlook for 2018

tion of projects being carried out by the company on a repeat business basis rising above 75 per cent during 2017. Frameworks within public and private sectors fit well with this vision and are an increasingly important source of activity for Midas. So it was a significant success for the business to end the year by winning a place on the £8 billion Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Framework, which is set to drive major investment in schools and other education facilities over the next two years.

The ESFA appointment opens the potential for a pipeline of work in the company’s traditional South West stronghold but also for lots covering the South East and West Midlands, where Midas earlier in 2017 opened new offices in Longbridge, Birmingham, and Leatherhead, Surrey, in both cases in direct response to customer demand to extend its operations.

Derek Quinn, Executive Director for Midas Construction, said: “Every year brings its challenges but 2017 goes down as an excellent one for Midas and one in which we strengthened and consolidated the business both in absolute terms and when measured against the sector.

“We enter 2018 with a strong track record of delivery, an excellent team of people, great partnerships which are driving a sustained pipeline of activity and a clear vision for where we want the company to be. It gives us a great deal of confidence in the potential for further profitable growth for Midas and the geographic expansion of the business.”

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 39

Core part of economy provides quality jobs NUCLEAR SECTOR Richard Bache assesses one of the region’s fastest-growing sectors

An A400M military transport plane flies over Bristol, where the aerospace sector is the jewel in the economic crown

Aerospace thrives but needs Brexit certainty AEROSPACE Richard Bache reports on a world-class industry that needs the Government to negotiate a Brexit deal that doesn’t damage competitiveness Aerospace continues to be one of the most important sectors of the West’s economy and this worldclass sector plays a huge role in the region’s prosperity.

However, even in an industry that never stands still, these are whirlwind times.

GKN, which employs 1,500 in its aerospace division at Filton, is currently the subject of the biggest hostile takeover bid in Britain this decade.

The industrial turnaround specialist Melrose has launched what has been described as an ‘oldschool’ £7 billion corporate raid, in a move that surprised analysts.

GKN’s board rejected a 405p per share offer and swiftly responded with a turnaround strategy that will split its automotive and aerospace divisions, plus making interim chief executive Anne Stevens’ position permanent.

The former Ford boss faces a baptism of fire in the role as she simultaneously defends the hostile takeover raid and reorganises the business.

Unions and employees at Filton, who make components for a number of aircraft including the Airbus A320, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Joint Strike Fighter, meanwhile watch on from the sidelines as a boardroom battle for the future rages.

In Somerset work continues to develop the iAero Yeovil Centre, which will help safeguard and future-proof the town’s substantial helicopter industry, where Leonardo employs approxim-

40 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

“

A baptism of fire in the role as she simultaneously defends the hostile takeover raid and reorganises the business

”

ately 3,000 people on the historic Westland site.

Somerset County Council last month approved entering an agreement with the Heart of the South West LEP that secures £3.8 million of Government funding for the centre.

Aerospace forms a central element of the Somerset economy, accounting for about 4,900 jobs in the county at some 80 businesses.

In South Somerset aerospace’s dominance is particular acute – where it accounts for 7 per cent of all employment. The Yeovil centre will be a new, purpose built facility with associated support services to facilitate and further research, innovation and development in aerospace and associated high value design technologies.

It will provide 2,685m2 of flexible office, light industrial workshop, meeting and supporting innovation and collaboration space.

As detailed on page 31 of this Guide Airbus is developing the £40 million Airbus Wing Integration Centre at Filton.

The state-of-the-art centre is a critical investment and has been seen as a vote of confidence in Britain’s aerospace sector.

Brexit continues to weigh heavily on senior decision-makers’ minds, as they wait for further detail on the terms of Britain’s exit from the European Union. The imposition of any tariffs or regulatory hurdles that dent Britain’s competitiveness are – naturally – of particular concern.

Aerospace firms with a focus on military aircraft face ongoing challenges as the defence budget remains under considerable pressure.

Dorset-based Cobham is in the early stages of a transformation programme as it seeks to revive its fortunes. Former Airbus boss Paul Kahn was a key hire last year (as president of its communications and connectivity division).

Despite challenges on a micro and macro level, the West’s aerospace sector is well-placed in the long-term to capitalise on the increased global demand for air travel.

The gigantic Hinkley Point C construction project is testament to how much bigger the West’s nuclear sector is going to get.

But a recent report highlights that it is already an area of considerable strength for the region.

Research published late in 2017 showed that for the year of 2016, the last for which figures are available, the impact of the nuclear sector on the south west’s economy was worth £1.6billion.

That is the second largest in England, behind the north west, and the news was welcomed by the Nuclear South West partnership.

This new study, compiled by experts Oxford Economics, commissioned by the Nuclear Industry Association, highlights some of the opportunities in the region, such as the construction of the new power station at Hinkley and several decommissioning sites.

The study found that in total, the UK’s civil nuclear sector contributed £6.4 billion to the economy; so the cluster of businesses operating within the area of the Nuclear South West Partnership have an opportunity to increase the region’s contribution to UK plc.

Nuclear South West (NSW) is a partnership between the nuclear industry network in the south west and the stakeholder alliance of the Local Enterprise Partnerships: Heart of the South West, West of England, Dorset and GFirst; the academic and skills sector and business support agencies. Research by NSW anticipates that over the next 20 years, there will be at least £50billion worth of contracts available to south west companies across 15 projects in new build, decommissioning and defence. There are over 180 nuclear companies and organisations in the area, with over 8,000 highly skilled workers.

NSW has been working to harness the immense opportunities presented by the nuclear sector through projects such as the National College for Nuclear, which provides technical training for the sector, and the Hinkley Supply Chain, cofunded by the Heart of the South West and West of England LEPs, which helps local businesses take up contracts generated by the industry. The Somerset Energy Innovation Centre provides a business hub for nuclear power, and the Growth Deal funded Hinkley Point Training Agency supports technical learning to upskill the local workforce to be equipped for the high level skills required in the industry. Other initiatives across the south west include the South West Nuclear Hub in Bristol, which brings together academic and industrial expertise in the nuclear sector, the Berkley Green Skills Centre in Gloucester and the Junction 21 Enterprise Centre off the M5.

Matt Burley, Chair of Nuclear South West said: “We welcome the findings of this new report, that shows the nuclear sector was worth £1.6bn to the economy last year.”

The study shows this economic impact increases to £12.4 billion and 155,000 jobs when the sector’s spend on associated goods and services in the supply chain and the wage spend by employees is taken into account. Each nuclear sector employee contributes an average of £96,600 in gross value added (GVA) to the economy, 73 per cent higher than the UK average, reflecting the highly-skilled nature of the workforce and the use of advanced technologies.

Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: “For the first time we have comprehensive data which shows the important role the UK’s civil nuclear sector plays in generating highly skilled and well paid jobs, making a significant contribution to the economy.”

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THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 41

Innovative farmers can seize opportunities for major export growth Farming is one of the biggest industries in the South West. Sue Bradley looks at the past year and what lies ahead The wind of change is blowing across the West’s farming industry, while the shadow of uncertainty cast by Brexit looks certain to remain for some time to come.

The past year has seen a number of events, not least the arrival of Michael Gove as Secretary of State for the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a man who earned mixed reviews for his time in charge of education and justice. He has guaranteed that subsidies will remain at the current EU level until the 2022 election, to be followed by a ‘transitional period’, and has stated that farmers will in the future receive payments for ‘public goods’, such as access to the countryside and environmental

improvements. He’s also promised that standards won’t be compromised after Brexit.

The weakening of sterling following the June 2016 referendum has contributed towards better prices for some farmers, particularly those within the arable sector, although it’s also meant an increase in costs for commodities such as fertiliser and fuel.

Meanwhile some farmers and growers, like their counterparts in other sectors of the British economy, are becoming increasingly concerned over labour shortages caused by an exodus of Eastern Europeans from the UK, something that’s hitting them hard at harvest.

“The biggest concern by some distance from clients that I speak to is staffing post the Brexit vote,” says Andrew Vickery of Old Mill Financial.

“It’s already taken a lot of EU workers out of the system.”

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has made an impact at Defra, albeit not always finding favour with farmers

Moves are afoot to introduce more technology into farming, examples of which include work at the Harper Adams University on the ‘Hands-Free Hectare’ – a project to drill, tend and harvest a crop without operators on the machines and agronomists in the field – but it’s expected that it will be some time before such innovations become mainstream.

Price volatility has been a feature of the past 12 months, particularly in the dairy sector.

Farm gate milk prices hit their lowest point in the summer of 2016, due to the removal of quotas in Europe that led to a global oversupply and other factors, but since then they’ve gradually increased.

Roseanne McEwan of Tewkesbury-based Cotteswold Dairy says that while some farmers have decided to finish with dairy, others have expanded, which means the level of milk has remained consistent.

Cheesemaker Richard Clothier of Wyke Farms described 2017 as ‘getting off to a slow start’.

“The market looked weaker at the start of the year until there was a world fat shortage in the spring,” he explains. “As always, it took frustratingly long to get increases through to UK retail customers and it wasn’t until the autumn when the contract milk prices really started delivering highs of up to 35p per litre for high solids milk.”

The forage growing season was generally good, he says, and this has helped farmers to increase milk production and take advantage of higher prices.

Mr Clothier rates 2017 as having been good for dairy exports and that there is now a strong foundation for added-value products, such as cheese.

He says fat prices are still relatively strong, with a buoyant world demand for butter, although skimmed milk powder stocks are high, which may weaken the price a little.

“It is hoped we will see soft landings with adjustments rather than the market crashes we have seen in previous years,” he says.

“Farmers have every reason to be optimistic

Cheesemaker Richard Clothier, of Wyke Farms, said that over the next 10 years we will see nearly half a billion Indians and Chinese alone join the world middle classes, creating a tremendous opportunity here for farme

42 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

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about the export prospects, both in the EU and outside.

“The indications are that we will retain access to the single market, even if it is just to uncomplicate the Irish border situation.

“UK agricultural commodities are recognised across the world as being of the highest standards and can command a premium. Over the next 10 years we will see nearly half a billion Indians and Chinese alone join the world middle classes.

There is a tremendous opportunity here for farmers to seize these valuable markets and give ourselves some long term security.”

Further good news for the dairy industry is the recent announcement that Aldi is to source milk from Arla UK for its British stores.

Arable farmers have also experienced a volatile market, although those signed up on ‘buy back’ contracts have experienced greater overall security, says agronomist Kathryn Styan of Agrii.

She says the outcome of EU proposals to ban neo-nicotinoids, supported by Mr Gove, will be particularly important, with significant damage from flea beetle already seen in oil seed rape crops following the ban in 2014. Further restrictions on cereal and beet crop seed treatments, and a reduced range of effective chemical options will add to these challenges.

Crops such as soya, varieties of which have been developed to suit the UK climate, will become more prevalent in 2018, Kathryn predicts.

“Home-grown soya really started with this last harvest,” she says. “The option to feed stock on home grown soya is appealing to both farmers and consumers, cutting out import costs, but also reducing intake of genetically modified crops.”

Another high-protein alternative to soya that looks set to flourish is the spring bean variety ‘Tiffany’, a combinable crop harvested for animal feed. It proved successful in 2017 and is to be expanded in the months to come.

There’s been an increase in the amount of maize, forage rye, fodder beet, and miscanthus grass, grown for anaerobic digester plants, with

Roseanne McEwan of Cotteswold Dairy says that while some farmers have decided to finish with dairy, others have expanded to take up the slack

reductions in support payments balanced by a reduction in the price of technology, although this has been accompanied by a latent concern over how far public policy would wish to see farmland used for producing energy.

The farming industry has been under increased scrutiny over the past year, both from animal activists and the public, particularly when it comes to more intensive forms of agriculture. Some commentators attribute this as one of the reasons why increasing numbers of people, particularly the ‘millennial’ generation, have turned their back on products such as meat and dairy in favour of a vegan diet.

Meanwhile many of those who wish to continue eating products derived from animals are demanding to know more about the way in which they’re kept, and this trend is reflected in increased trade for farmers following organic or free range principles.

West Country-based organisations such as the Pasture-Fed Livestock Association and The Free Range Dairy, which promotes the milk of animals that have grazed outside for at least six months of the year, and the Soil Association, which provides certification for organic farmers, have all recorded growth. Farming minister George Eustice attended Pasture for Life’s annual general meeting and outlined opportunities that lie ahead to incentivise and support pasture-based farming systems in the future.

Many West egg companies that provide an outdoor life for their chickens are reporting further growth in sales, including the Yeovilbased Traditional Free Range Egg Company, which has increased production and distribution in 2017.

“Demand for our free-range eggs is definitely continuing to grow,” says managing director Dan Wood.

“Customers are becoming increasingly concerned about provenance, process and farming methods. I think it’s up to us farmers and food processors to respond to these trends and help people to make informed decisions when buying their food.”

The Gloucestershire-based food provenance network Happerley has also grown in 2017, with founder Matthew Rymer predicting that increasing numbers of people will demand full disclosure of the food their families eat.

“For producers and retailers, I think they will see an increasing return on food made with integrity and with provenance for the world to see; by making it easier for their customers to make informed decisions, they will reap the benefits,” he says.

Agricultural consultant David Neale predicts British farmers will be concentrating more on the UK market in the years to come and advises the agricultural industry to engage with food companies to discover their requirements in terms of quality, health benefits and flavour in order to spot opportunities.

He also believes it’s vital that the public is able to make greater connections with the food they eat.

“Farmers need to be prepared to answer people’s questions and to make time for consumers with events such as Open Farm Sunday,” he says.

Other challenges faced in 2017 included the perennial problem of bovine TB and the battle over the use of the weed killer glyphosate, which was given a five-year licence in October, while avian flu continues to test poultry farmers, with an outbreak keeping hens under cover last winter.

Unsurprisingly, climate change remains a concern, with farmers being urged to increase their resilience as they head into 2018, both to benefit their own businesses and their wider communities, especially when it comes to issues such as flooding.

“Farmers might find that there are many projects trying to influence their behaviour on water quality, biodiversity, soils and reducing diffuse pollution,” says Jenny Phelps MBE of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group for the South West (FWAG SW).

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Jenny Phelps of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group for the South West, urges farmers to embrace climate change and sustainability initiatives

Brexit clarity needed as soon as possible CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43 “It might be human nature to be suspicious of what these initiatives are trying to achieve, but innovative farmers might embrace them to benefit their businesses.”

Some farmers have already introduced new product lines that celebrate the way in which food production benefits the environment. Dan Wood predicts increased sales in 2018 for the Traditional Free Range Egg Company’s ‘Birds and Herds’ range, with grazing animals and poultry working together through a cyclical ‘mob grazing’ system to restore pastures.

Brexit loomed large throughout 2017 and many experts agree that it has presented the biggest obstacle to growth over the past year.

The National Farmers’ Union has called for ‘more clarity and certainty’ from the government to ensure businesses can be ‘profitable, productive and progressive’ once Britain pulls out of the European Union. Its latest NFU member survey of 750 farmers has shown that confidence over the next three years has hit an all-time low and that that 20 per cent of those spoken to are more likely to reduce rather than increase their investment due to uncertainty associated with Brexit.

44 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

NFU south west spokesman David George says European Union rules have determined farming and growing for the past 40 years and the UK’s exit will be a particular upheaval for those in agriculture. His organisation wants the government to take advantage of the opportunity to draw up a domestic agricultural policy that can be tailored to the needs of British farmers with the environment, farm productivity and volatility mitigation at its heart. The NFU is also calling for the digital economy to be made universal and for foundations to be laid for fifth generation (5G) technology to allow for the full delivery of the governement’s agri-tech and industrial strategies and benefit rural communities and businesses.

Land prices, which had been on an upward trajectory over the last 10 years, have now stalled.

Land prices can have large variations depending on location, land type, area and neighbour interest, with prime arable land attracting the highest values compared with poor quality grassland at the other end of the scale.

“Low interest rates means farmers are still willing to pay good money for land on their doorsteps,” says Ben Compton of Bruton Knowles.

Ben Compton of Bruton Knowles advises farmers and landowners to fix interest rates while they remain low

“Now is the time to fix interest rates for core borrowing or borrowing for a project before they go up further.”

He adds that while renting out land doesn’t bring in much of a return – around one to one and a half per cent at present – agricultural relief from Inheritance Tax is still 100 per cent, which means land offers a good opportunity for people to ‘shelter’ their wealth, which is helping keep land prices up.

And there are a number of grant schemes coming on line, such as the Rural Development Programme for England, which offers opportunities to boost incomes following any cuts to subsidies post Brexit.

And there are a number of grant schemes coming on line, such as the Rural Development Programme for England, which offers opportunities to boost incomes following any cuts to subsidies post Brexit.

Some commentators believe now is a good time to make investments to ensure a robust future.

Jeremy Moody, secretary and adviser to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, sees a seven-year window to get ready for the challenges to come from post-Brexit trading.

“It is focusing people’s minds,” he says.

“They’re thinking a bit more seriously about how families engage with the business and what they do with it.

“I get the feeling there’s quite a lot of private rumination about. Decisions people are making will be about events after the moment of Brexit.

We have been sheltered behind the EU trade wall for so long. The Government is talking about third country trade deals, but these will take a while to sort out.

“Farmers are also thinking about the impact of government moves over infrastructure and housing; the government is desperate to be seen to be doing something about housing.”

Andrew Vickery’s overall sense is that 2017 has been “a reasonably positive” year and that there is optimism for 2018, albeit tarnished by uncertainty for the longer term future.

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THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 45

West lines up new ways to keep Richard Bache looks at some of the developments in the pipeline during 2018 for the West’s incredibly important tourism sector. From new casinos, hotels and museums to marketing initiatives that celebrate existing world-class attractions, there is a lot going on.

Tourism is a vital sector to the West’s economy and the weak pound means that the region is even more attractive than normal to overseas visitors.

Latest statistics collated by the Office for National Statistics show that between July and September 2017 there were a record 11 million inbound visits to the UK, 4 per cent up on the same period in 2016.

That correlates with record spending. In September 2017 spending rose 2 per cent compared to September 2016 to reach £2.3 billion.

With record setting results in all of the first nine months of the year, inbound visitors spent a record £18.7 billion, 9 per cent more than the first nine months of 2016.

And the West is not resting on its laurels to ensure that it wins more than its fair share of lucrative visits.

One major initiative that is being progressed during 2018 is the Great West Way scheme ahead of its launch in 2019.

VisitWiltshire is working to create one of the world’s premier touring routes between London and Bristol.

The Great West Way will follow a 125-mile route – a quarter of which is in Wiltshire – based on one of the first Great Roads commissioned by the Kings of England.

It offers an extraordinary variety of English experiences not found in any other part of the country. Visitors will be able to explore by road (coach and car), railway, waterway or by walking or cycling.

A spokesman said: “It’s for curious and inquisitive travellers. Those who like to go deeper, to see, feel, do, try and taste for themselves. It’s for seekers searching for the real, authentic essence of England. The Great West Way will promote a range of product themes reflecting the route’s tourism assets including history and heritage, food and drink, countryside, film tourism, gardens and luxury tourism.”

This new tourism route will be launched in March 2019 and is made possible by the Government’s £40m Discover England Fund.

It is hoped it could eventually become a touring route that is mentioned in a similar vein to iconic journeys such as the Great Ocean Road in Australia or California’s Pacific Coast Highway.

Meanwhile Wiltshire’s busiest tourist destination is anticipating a stellar year in 2018, as it

Bath will regain a flavour of its raffish past of the Beau Nash era as a casino returns to the city in 2018

marks 100 years since it was donated to the nation. The Wiltshire monument of Stonehenge was gifted to the nation by local landowners Cecil and Mary Chubb on October 26, 1918.

The couple had bought Stonehenge, which had been privately owned since the 12th century, three years previously, with legend having it that Chubb had gone to the auction to buy a set of dining chairs but instead he walked out the new owner of the prehistoric site.

English Heritage will host a programme of events and exhibitions, starting in March with an experimental archaeology project to recreate how our ancestors moved and raised the enormous stones.

Later in the year, in collaboration with the British Museum, a new exhibition featuring Neolithic and Bronze Age objects will highlight the craftsmanship of the period.

Anna Eavis, English Heritage’s curatorial director, said: “Looking at the ancient stones today, it is easy to assume that their future was always secure but at the beginning of the 20th century, that was far from the case – our most important pre-historic monument was at risk of collapse.

“2018 marks a hundred years of Stonehenge belonging to us all and the monument getting the care it deserves.”

Elsewhere in Wiltshire the REME Museum opened at Lyneham last year, having relocated

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the visitors rolling in from Wokingham in Berkshire. The REME Museum preserves the heritage of the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

Formed in 1942, REME exists, according to Montgomery of El-Alamein, “to keep the punch in the Army’s fist”.

Bristol is a city that has punched well above its weight in recent years as an attractive city break destination.

It has won a glut of awards and earlier this month featured in a New York Times list of the 52 best destinations in the world to visit in 2018.

One of the most exciting developments within Bristol in 2018 will be Hotel du Vin taking over the Avon Gorge Hotel in the Spring.

Industry watchers will be hoping it will transform a destination that has perhaps been guilty of relying a little too much on its unparalleled location overlooking the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

An attraction that will have visitors flying to the West is Aerospace Bristol, home to the last Concorde to ever take to the skies.

The museum, which opened late last year, is located on the historic Filton Airfield, where every British Concorde made her maiden flight.

The museum has a wide range of exhibits celebrating Bristol’s world-leading aerospace heritage.

The neighbouring city of Bath earlier this month revived proposals to instigate a tourism tax, to help pay for the city’s tourism budget, freeing up that money to be spent on other essential services. It hopes to introduce a £1 per night charge for visitors staying in the city, although it will need Government approval.

During 2018 Bath will welcome two new hotels and a new casino will open.

The Hotel Indigo on South Parade and Z Hotel, which will be based at the casino at Saw Close, will add much-needed hotel room capacity for the city.

American operator Century Casino will run the casino after buying the licence last year.

It will be the only casino in Bath when it opens, but three hundred years ago, when Bath was the most fashionable resort in England, it owed much of its success to its gambling culture.

Beau Nash, the city’s Master of Ceremonies from 1704 to his death in 1761, regulated gambling, in which he had private interests, although he racked up huge debts.

Michael Eavis could scarcely be a more different character to Nash, but is as prominent in 21st Century Somerset as Nash was in 18th Century Bath.

Somerset though will have to cope without his mega-popular Glastonbury Festival in 2018 as the Worthy Farm site enjoys a fallow year.

A major initiative by tourism bosses in Somerset and Exmoor to boost visitor numbers is to herald some of the county’s lesser-known attractions.

‘Secret Somerset and Exmoor’ celebrates 50 of the best kept secrets of the area.

The Cheltenham Festival and Badminton will bring hordes of visitors with an interest in all things equine to Gloucestershire.

The annual pilgrimage to Prestbury Park in March gets more popular every year as the British and Irish punters do battle with the bookies.

Unlike for those picking horses at Cheltenham, it almost impossible not to select a winner when visiting the West Country.

One of the few major problems facing the industry is attracting and retaining staff, particularly if Brexit negotiations impact on how desirable working in the West remains for EU workers who make up a substantial part of the tourism workforce.

Qatar route opens up new possibilities for business and leisure travellers CARDIFF AIRPORT

From top; Concorde 216 in her new home at Aerospace Bristol; Stonehenge marks 100 years in public ownership in 2018 and Secret Somerset celebrates hidden gems like Maunsel Lock on the Bridgwater to Taunton Canal WBG-E01-S2

On May 1, Qatar Airways will launch a new direct, daily service from Cardiff Airport to Qatar, linking South West England and Wales to significant global markets via Qatar’s capital city Doha in 2018.

The world class, 5-star airline renowned for quality and excellent customer service has announced Cardiff, which is a Business Guide 2018 sponsor, as the only new planned UK route in its network for 2018.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was recently named Airline of the Year at the 2017 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named World’s Best Business Class, Best Airline in the Middle East, and World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.

The service from Cardiff Airport will be the first regular direct long haul flight linking Wales and South West England to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.

Cardiff Airport is the national airport for Wales, welcoming 1.46 million passengers a year.

18 airlines currently fly from Cardiff, with access to more than 50 direct destinations – of which nine are capital cities. There are more than 900 connections available worldwide via 11 hubs including Amsterdam, Dublin, Paris and Barcelona. Services will fly daily between Cardiff and Hamad International Airport in Doha, which since opening in 2014 is one of the world’s largest hub airports with more than 30 million passengers using the state-of-the-art facilities each year.

Via the hub, Qatar Airways connects to more than 150 destinations across six continents including key routes to Australia, UAE, Thailand, India, Hong Kong, South Africa and China.

The route will enhance business links for South West England and Wales to the developing markets on the Qatar Airways network as well as stimulate tourism to and from the region supporting the economy and jobs.

Currently, over one million passengers per year travel from within Cardiff Airport’s long haul catchment area (Wales and the South West of England) to destinations available on the Qatar Airways network via Doha. And as it stands, over 90 per cent of these passengers are currently travelling from London airports. This new service will give customers the opportunity to fly from an airport that is much closer to their home, and, in turn, saving money on travel.

Deb Barber, Chief Executive Officer of Cardiff Airport, commented: “I am immensely proud that world class airline Qatar Airways has recognised the potential that exists within the region and chosen Cardiff Airport to operate a daily service.

The service opens up a world of connectivity for our customers to destinations across Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Asia. “We look forward to developing our fruitful relationship with Qatar Airways over the coming months and to the start of this exciting new route on the 1st of May.” Qatar Airways’ service will operate on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which features 232 seats in Economy Class and 22 seats in Business Class.

Qatar Airways is also a member of oneworld, the world’s leading airline alliance. With the goal to make global travel smoother and more rewarding, oneworld brings together 15 of the world’s leading airlines to provide a network of over 1,000 destinations. Plus, loyal travellers enjoy frequent flyer benefits across all alliance airlines.

Flights from Cardiff are currently bookable for travel up to January 2019, visit qatarairways.com.

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 47

Cash flow for small businesses is critical and the FSB’s Sam Holliday would like more pressure placed on bigger organisations and public bodies to pay their suppliers on time

We can make 2018 another amazing year SMALL BUSINESSES Sam Holliday, the Development Manager of the FSB’s Gloucestershire and West of England region, on why small business must not be overlooked Let’s face it, in many ways 2017 was a crazy and often bewildering year.

Poll-defying elections, referendums and political upheavals both here and abroad created a lot of uncertainty and small businesses were clearly not immune from that.

And yet, figures released towards the end of 2017 showed a record amount of small businesses in this country as more and more people start their own companies.

This shows that despite any negative outside influences, millions of people in this region and elsewhere remain confident in their own ability to start and grow a business no matter what shenanigans the external world gets up to.

It is impossible, of course, to look at the year ahead without mentioning Brexit (and something tells me we will be using that sentence for a number of years yet).

48 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

Brexit is a key factor in many businesses’ decision-making and planning – especially for those in the export market or those who rely on overseas supplies of manpower or materials.

But that overall rise in the small business numbers shows it is not yet hampering entrepreneurship, so we can’t let the Brussels discussions be the only issue on the agenda.

Let’s fight for that business-friendly Brexit but let’s also make sure we don’t spend all our time worrying about what’s happening in Brussels when there is so much work to be done here in Bristol, Berkeley, Burnham, Bath, Bridport and beyond.

So what else is on the agenda for our FSB members and other small business owners as we move into 2018?

Well, late payment remains one of the key problems. Cash flow, or rather lack of it, is one of the known killers of small businesses and more pressure needs to be put on bigger organisations and public bodies to pay their small business suppliers on time.

We also need to make sure that we don’t repeat the business rates fiasco of last year where so many people saw excessive increases (the Government is definitely moving in the right direc-

tion on this one thankfully) and we certainly don’t need any more taxes or financial demands on business which have been going up far too often.

And if do we have a 2018 ‘wish list’ more help for small business owners to get the right people with the right skill base to do their jobs is definitely needed. There is already lot of great work under way in this area about addressing the skills gap but with some indications the gap is getting ever wider it’s important it stays on everybody’s agenda for the year ahead.

Overall then, yes there are some challenges for small business ahead but there is a definite spirit of defiance out there.

I am constantly staggered by the positivity and passion I find among small business owners and self-employed sole traders here in the West and with their enthusiasm and their striking resilience there is no reason why 2018 shouldn’t be another amazing year for our amazing small business community.

“

Sam Holliday, of the Federation of Small Businesses, says key issues this year are late payments, business rates and skills

Let’s fight for that business-friendly Brexit but let’s also make sure we don’t spend all our time worrying about what’s happening in Brussels when there is so much work to be done here in Bristol, Berkeley, Burnham, Bath, Bridport and beyond.

”

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THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 49

The manufacturing sector remains vital to the UK economy The Government’s commitment to an industrial strategy is to be welcomed but with investment in the manufacturing sector lagging behind that of other developed countries, the UK needs to act now to be seen as a global player and maintain the country’s competitiveness, say the experts at EY Manufacturing remains very important to the UK economy, with around three million people directly employed in the sector and a similar number of services jobs directly supporting the sector.

The technological revolution in manufacturing is set to fundamentally transform the way in which manufacturers make, distribute and sell their products. This digitisation of manufactur-

ing will create new opportunities for growth, as well as presenting challenges, with employment expected to be impacted as technology is used to boost productivity.

The Government’s commitment to an industrial strategy signals further commitment to boosting investment and productivity across the whole country. The broad direction of the proposed industrial strategy, with extra support for research and a focus on skills and infrastructure, is consistent with our findings from investor research. Skills and infrastructure consistently top the list of attributes that corporates tell us drive investment attractiveness, especially in the UK’s regions.

However, this strategy is perhaps more appropriate to a country with a strong and growing

global position in manufacturing. The UK, by contrast, has seen the number of people employed in the sector decline in the last two decades with offshoring of production a key factor. EY research in 2014 found that the UK had offshored a greater share of industrial production than any other developed country between 1995 and 2011. As a consequence, investment in manufacturing has lagged our peers. According to research from Oxford Economics, in 2014 Germany had around 270 robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees (compared to 150, 120 and 60 per 10,000 employees in the US, France and the UK respectively), and UK supply chains have been hollowed out.

Furthermore, growth in manufacturing is negatively correlated with Gross Value Added (GVA) growth. Cities with a strong manufacturing base find their expansion limited by the relatively slow growth in manufacturing compared to the services sector. EY’s 2017 UK Regional Economic Forecast predicts that the GVA of information and communications and professional services will grow by 3.5 per cent and 3.4 per cent annually, respectively, over the next three years. By contrast, manufacturing will only grow by one per cent over the same period.

For too long UK businesses have had to compete internationally against companies that have been recipients of direct or indirect support from their national governments. Our post-EU referendum survey of foreign investor needs found that incentives are seen as important in maintaining the UK’s attractiveness in future. EY’s 2016 UK Attractiveness Survey found that for every foreign direct investment project in a manufacturing plant, there was a matching investment across the supply chain in areas such as logistics, R&D and sales and marketing. If the UK wishes to be a global player, we need to act now to change our current competitive position.

However, the scale of the challenge should not be underestimated. With the requirements to

Designers Daniel Kupper, Penelope Kupper and Susana Soares look at a 3D printer at an exhibition at The Wellcome Collection in London – the digitisation of manufacturing will create new opportunities for growth as w

50 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

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The revolution will arrive sooner than you think

A manufacturing strategy must support growth outside the South East and recognise the role of the regions in driving UK-wide balanced growth, say EY experts

Paul Mapleston is a partner at EY in Bristol and can be contacted at pmapleston@uk.ey.com even help undo the damage to the world that resulted from the previous three industrial revolutions.

The challenge for government, business and society is to find new ways of thinking and acting as our world is disrupted by technology and innovation.

The answers won’t be found in the past, and in a fast-moving environment some risk-taking will be required to manage the unknown.

The key step is to be aware that this revolution is coming, and it will arrive quicker than we think. Organisations should look to invest in their data analysis capabilities and technical infrastructure now to be fully prepared.

If your organisation is not already moving to become a smart connected business, it needs to – or risk becoming one of those that gets overtaken by the rise of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

When 3D printing is commonplace, will we still need warehouses?

EY consultants have the Digital, Analytics and Cyber Security business know-how to help leading companies tackle their big, complex industry issues.

© 2017 EYGM Limited. All Rights Reserved. ED None.

prepare for Brexit, position for technological change and maintain our competitiveness, the UK needs to invest more than it has done for some time. The Government’s industrial strategy is a good first step, but this will require commitment of greater resources in incentives and larger scale investment, potentially in publicly provided assets.

There’s no doubt that manufacturing has a significant multiplier effect and more UK government support is a positive development as is the focus on seeking to boost activity in UK regions and cities. In light of the technological revolution in manufacturing, the UK has to view geographic rebalancing as a key component to the process of transforming the economy. The industrial strategy recognises the role of sectors as key drivers of the economy, but if we are serious about geographic rebalancing, we need a manufacturing strategy that goes beyond deals announced so far and supports growth outside of the South East, including Bristol and the South West. The role of regions in driving UK-wide balanced growth has never been more important.

Like the three that preceded it, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will mark a significant change in the way we work. Made possible by the emergence of digital systems, networked communications, machine learning and large-scale data analysis, it refers to the increasing integration of these technologies into business and production processes in order to make them self-sustaining and more efficient.

Stepping beyond the 1960s revolution of automisation and computerisation, this latest shift will see systems that blend web connectivity and digital controls with real-world tools. Embedded sensors that collect and transmit data will become ubiquitous, in everything from manufacturing hardware to wearables, permitting “smart” adjustments that enhance use and drive further improvements. This could apply to everything from industrial production to household management to health care.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution encompasses the Internet of Things. At its core is the combination of big data, analytics and physical technology. The aim is to provide increasingly enhanced, customised offerings to help meet the needs of individuals and organisations that can adapt and evolve to changing situations and requirements over time.

All of this is disrupting every industry; it’s reshaping how we work, relate, communicate and learn; and reinventing institutions from education to transportation.

As a result, the revolution will bring new opportunities for people and machines to collaborate across geographies to improve lives, and

ey.com/advisory #BetterQuestions

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THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 51

Focus on improved productivity EXELIN Simon Howes, CEO of the Exelin Group, assesses the state of manufacturing in 2018 With manufacturing output reported by some to be expanding at its fastest rate for a decade, manufacturers from across the West are prioritising making their existing people and processes more productive ahead of investing in robotics and automation.

Delivered by SWMAS (part of the Exelin Group), the surprising result came out of the latest Manufacturing Barometer – the largest survey of SME manufacturers in the UK and a national voice of the sector.

Known to attract government and global interest, last quarter’s Barometer showed that although 61 per cent of manufacturers in the region believe they will grow their sales in the next 6 months, only 43 per cent said they plan to do this by investing in new equipment.

Further, only 41 per cent said they would meet future needs through recruiting more staff.

In delving deeper, the Manufacturing Barometer revealed manufacturers are in no doubt they must improve productivity to realise their ambitions, and that optimising existing processes and employee effectiveness are key to this.

sources and space that do not contribute to satisfying customer needs, eliminate these activities, enabling us to increase our manufacturing capacity within the existing building.”

Fowlers of Bristol says it’s not just about manufacturing process

Gary White, sales and engineering director at Fowlers of Bristol (Engineers) Ltd, provided further insight: “One of the main things we want to tackle at Fowlers is productivity.

“We moved onto this site about two and a half years ago and optimised the layout to make us as productive as possible, we used the principles of lean manufacturing to help us achieve this, but we know there’s more that we can do.

“It is really important for us and the whole of the UK manufacturing industry to remain competitive in a global market, the goal is to achieve optimum productivity so that’s where we’ll be focusing our attention in the next 12 months.

“We’re not just looking at the manufacturing of products, but we’re looking at everything from enquiry to delivery of product and every process in between. It’s not just the manufacturing processes, but management processes, the way we manage our quality systems, the way we manage our whole business and the way we interact with our customers.”

Productivity boosted by Exelin

Luxury fashion house Mulberry proved the logic of focusing on existing processes when they worked with Exelin to increase output from a factory that had no further space for expansion.

Pete Carver, head of UK production at Mulberry, said: “Using the structured approach we were able to identify activities consuming time, re-

Engineering Your Future Headquartered in the South West, Hunter Selection is a leading UK engineering and manufacturing recruitment consultancy.

Manufacturers can improve productivity by at least 20%

Simon Howes, of the Exelin Group, which helps businesses navigate the complex factors involved in making sustainable improvements

Knowing how and where in a business to improve productivity is a challenge.

SWMAS and Exelin’s productivity experts know from experience where to look and how to help businesses navigate the complex factors involved in making sustainable improvements.

These include effective employee engagement and managing culture change as well as the more tangible adaptations to physical manufacturing processes, to ensure a real return on investment is achieved.

The bold statement is that the majority of the region’s manufacturers are capable of increasing their productivity by a minimum of 20 per cent.

In fact, a review of the outcomes of SWMAS and Exelin’s application of their practical methodologies showed it is possible for manufacturers to experience improvements of 30-40 per cent.

The key is in taking a people centred approach to improvement then defining and optimising change across the whole business.

Simon Howes is CEO of the Exelin Group, which includes the SWMAS and Exelin companies. Their Productivity 2020 programme, launched in January 2018, supports manufacturers wanting a minimum 20% increase in their productivity by 2020. For more details, or to add your voice to the Manufacturing Barometer, email Simon at simon.howes@exelin.co.uk, call 0117 403 4650, or visit www.exelin.co.uk.

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The Western Daily Press has always been a great advocate for the region’s engineering and manufacturing businesses and we are pleased to continue our support for the Western Daily Press Business Guide in 2018.

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

52 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

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The addition of dozens of restaurants at Wapping Wharf is one reason why Bristol has been described as the best city outside of London to eat

Glasses are half full despite rough opening PUBS AND RESTAURANTS A difficult start to 2018 shouldn’t mask the incredible success that the West’s wining and dining scene has experienced, writes Richard Bache It seems that diners can have too much of a good thing, as the apparently inexorable rise of eating out in the West has lost momentum in the early days of 2018.

A number of restaurants, mostly branches of national chains that expanded quickly after being supported by private equity financing seeking scale-up opportunities, have closed this month.

For instance Jamie Oliver has announced the closure of branches of his Italian restaurant chain in Bristol and Bath; Byron in Bristol is at risk of closure and Polpo in Whiteladies Road was shuttered earlier this month.

The reasons for the closures are myriad and include high business rates, rent, rising staff costs, low margins, January cash flow issues and potentially investors or lenders withdrawing their financial backing.

Some have found themselves lacking when compared to the quality of food available at independent restaurants. They have also faced increased competition from fast-casual operators

and the rise of services such as Deliveroo, with customers choosing to eat restaurant-style food at home, but crucially not paying for high-margin alcohol from restaurants.

Alternatively, there is an argument that it could simply be the cold logic of the laws of supply and demand dictating that we have simply witnessed more restaurants opening in recent years than the dining public can sustain.

The restaurant trade has always been at the mercy of changing tastes and those operators that can run a successful business for decades are few and far between.

But there is some suggestion that a customer base consisting of “Generation Instagram” is always looking for the next hot thing and is perhaps unlikely to become the sort of loyal regular that successful restaurants depend on.

This recent glut of closures should not, though, take the gloss off the incredible success story that has transformed dining out in the West.

At times during 2017 it seemed that a week didn’t pass without an exciting and innovative restaurant opening somewhere in the West.

The vast majority of these were independent restaurants, with many making full use of the incredible produce grown in the region.

Areas such as Wapping Wharf on Bristol’s Harbourside have revolutionised the city’s dining scene. Developer Umberslade made the novel and brave decision to only offer the units at Cargo to independent operators, rather than national chains. More than a dozen restaurants and WBG-E01-S2

Justin Hawke, top, was named Britain’s best brewer last year; Kevin Keegan has inspired a vegan pie

bars have opened – many having expanded from food market/truck operations into their first permanent premises.

Venues such as Box-E and Tare could potentially be the next to interest the Michelin inspectors and Root is cashing in on the rising popularity of vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Despite the closures referred to earlier, most operators remain positive according to research from Avonmouth-based catering supply giant Nisbets. Its latest quarterly pulse survey collated data from 400 catering industry professionals.

Its Autumn 2017 survey reported that 76 per cent of respondents were on course to meet growth targets for the year, compared to only 13 per cent who were not. In terms of future business outlook an encouraging 80 per cent were either very positive or positive. The report showed that 30 per cent thought healthy eating was the next big trend and 15 per cent indicated vegetarian food would continue to rise in popularity.

Fast-growing Bristol pie firm Pieminister is among those to latch onto that trend, launching its first vegan pie this month. Playfully named Kevin, as former footballer Kevin Keegan rhymes with vegan, it has won plaudits from customers.

The firm recently announced it would be opening three new restaurants and creating approximately 30 new jobs after securing a £1.65 million finance package from HSBC. The first of the three restaurants to be announced is Brixton Market in London, which opened before Christmas, with other sites being considered in the north of England for early 2018.

The deal comes just 18 months after the restaurant secured a £1.4 million funding package from the bank to open five new restaurants in 2016 and 2017. Pieminister is also using part of the asset finance facility to invest in a new plant and machinery, which will increase capacity at its kitchens in Bristol and, in turn, improve efficiencies in its processes to offset the significant cost price inflation it has experienced over the past 12 months.

A number of the West’s breweries were on the acquisition trail in 2017, with further expansion in the pipeline for 2018.

North Somerset-based Butcombe Brewery, owned by Liberation Group, snapped up Welsh rival SA Brain’s pub estate in England.

The deal for an undisclosed sum was announced in November and is part of a spree that has seen Butcombe double its estate to 43 pubs.

Mark Crowther, CEO of Liberation Group, said: “The addition of these eight high-quality pubs to our portfolio further accelerates the growth of our rapidly expanding pub estate, strengthening our presence in our heartland around Bath and Bristol.”

Its South West rival St Austell Brewery continued to integrate the Bath Ales estate it bought in 2016 into its business and revealed plans to invest millions in a new brewery for Bath Ales, which will double brewing capacity when it opens later this year.

Upstart rivals also continue to lay down a considerable challenge to established breweries.

Bristol-based Moor Beer, which won multiple accolades in 2017 and saw turnover rise by 74 per cent, landed a deal to become the first brewery to continuously supply cask beer to the Italian market and will this year also open its first permanent premises in London.

It will launch a taphouse on Bermondsey’s socalled Beer Mile and comes on the back of Justin Hawke being named Brewer of the Year at the British Guild of Beer Writers’ awards.

Wild Beer, which has popular bars in Bristol and Cheltenham, will this year open its new crowdfunded brewery at the Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, as it continues its expansion.

Devizes-based Wadworth, the historic family brewer and pub operator, said it has enjoyed considerable growth with its contract brewing operation in the last 18 months, brewing more than 9,000 barrels of contract beer, including 3,500 barrels of lager, in that time.

A focus on offering bespoke beers and lagers as well as brewing to original own brewer’s recipes has proven a significant business opportunity for the Wiltshire firm.

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 53

Make sustainability your goal WATER2BUSINESS water2business managing director Charley Maher discusses why sustainability should be a priority for your business in 2018

No longer a token tick-box exercise, reducing environmental impact is a core component of forward-thinking organisations.

It’s not just about saving the planet, but how you keep making money in the years to come.

Adopting a more sustainable business strategy can significantly impact operating costs – for example, using teleconferencing technology to hold multi-site meetings reduces travel costs as well as carbon emissions.

marking and expert advice on water supply and management.

Our ethos is to work in partnership with businesses to manage their water supply and waste water requirements.

We create tailored water-efficiency programmes for each company’s individual needs, giving you a total understanding of your water consumption as well as how best to reduce costs and improve your environmental performance and sustainability.

Not embracing sustainability in 2018? Your competitors probably are so can you really afford to get left behind?

Visit www.water2business.co.uk or call 0345 600 2 600 to find out more about water2business.

Be a green brand?

Sustainability is also a great way to build brand image. More and more customers are looking for more responsible, environmentally conscious brands, as are potential investors, partners and suppliers.

Just look at the success of eco-friendly brands such as cosmetics retailer Lush and shoe brand TOMS as examples of how sustainability can be a leading brand component.

Even major global brands such as Ikea and Unilever are embracing sustainability as part of their business strategies.

Ikea has invested in sustainability throughout its business operations, from sourcing wood from sustainable foresters to installing vast numbers of solar panels across its stores.

Unilever has created a Sustainable Living Plan, which sets targets for sourcing, supply chain and production as well as the treatment of suppliers and communities in which it operates.

These are great examples of multinational companies leading the way in terms of sustainability but it’s not just large organisations that can embrace an environmentally friendly way of operating.

Small and medium-sized organisations can become more sustainable by making small changes such as installing energy-efficient light bulbs, developing a recycling programme or reducing water use.

“

Small and medium-sized organisations can become more sustainable by making small changes such as installing energy-efficient light bulbs, developing a recycling programme or reducing water use

”

It pays to be water efficient

At water2business we’re working with Lush to help further improve its environmental performance.

Lush will benefit from monthly meter readings across its 66 retail stores, their offices and the manufacturing factories, which will give the company a greater understanding of how water is being used and where it can make efficiencies.

Lush has robust environmental and social responsibility policies and is already incredibly aware of the value of water as a natural resource and how it uses water in its production processes, so we’re delighted that the company has chosen to put its trust in us. water2business is helping businesses in the South West

water2business started competing on the new non-household water retail market in April 2017, using its extensive knowledge and proven track record to deliver services for business, charities, schools and other non-household water users.

We’ve been working with businesses across the South West to help them reduce their water consumption and manage their waste water requirements.

Our experienced team specialises in waterefficiency audits, environmental performance, trade effluent services, expert account management, billing options, smart metering, bench-

54 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25

Charley Maher, of water2business, which works in partnership with organisations to manage their water supply and waste water requirements with the aim of improving efficiency. It is currently working with eco-friendly retailer Lush, some of whose handmade products are pictured above WBG-E01-S2

John Panteli, partner at Grant Thornton, talking at the firm’s Live Lab event in Bristol last year

Education key to future growth GRANT THORNTON John Panteli Partner at Grant Thornton in Bristol discusses the approach business and employees need to take to ensure career progression The future of work is a hotly contested issue. It plays into debates about how we, as employers and employees, prepare for lives that will be continually in flux. The ground it covers – the automation of jobs, the use of artificial intelligence and the recruitment of talent – is debated in boardrooms and in newspaper columns every day across the world.

The priorities of businesses in the 21st century are changing and technology is the driving force.

As the world of work changes at an ever-faster pace, learning and career advice needs to change, too. So what can employers do to better serve their teams and their bottom line amidst such change? We recently held an event discussing just this topic, and the response was incredibly interesting.

We found that employers in the region are eager to attract a workforce that was flexible and open to lifelong learning, in order to ensure a proactive and receptive workforce as the economy changes.

It was also widely agreed that skills and experience ought to trump traditional academic achievement: apprenticeships and an emphasis

on more practical learning being put forward as potential solutions.

At Grant Thornton, as advisers to dynamic, growth-orientated businesses, we are working with influential leaders from our region to shape skills in the West of England. We believe education – non-vocational and in the form of apprenticeships – plays a part in developing the future talent needed for sustainable growth.

For our part, we’re proud to be hiring almost four times as many A-level school-leavers as we were in 2011. This increased intake has been driven by our commitment to becoming more inclusive and increasing diversity, along with a need to attract entry-level talent in a competitive market. By removing academic barriers to entry, which we also did at graduate level, we’ve been able to access a wider pool of talent and increase opportunities for more people from a diverse range of ethnic and social economic backgrounds.

Apprenticeships have also become a vital part of the economy and the employment market, and more school-leavers than ever before are opting to go down the practical training route. It’s a wellversed view that we need to get our young people “business ready” faster and equipped with the relevant skills, so that we can compete on the global stage. But, there is still more to be done.

Despite initiatives such as the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy, which came into operation in 2017, businesses are still suffering from skills shortages, and thousands of young people (800,000 of them in the UK, according to the latest official WBG-E01-S2

“

Companies should be able to access the skills and talent they require for business delivery and future growth

”

NEET – not in education, employment or training – figures) are inactive. Surely, we need to do more to join the two? Companies should be able to access the skills and talent they require for business delivery and future growth, and equally our young people need to be given the support and opportunities to develop and thrive.

The Grant Thornton Vibrant Economy Index, released in 2017, showed that the West of England has one of the most highly skilled workforces in the UK, yet there is a gulf of opportunity that NEETS are missing out on. Bristol, for example, is faring worse than the national average (4.1 per cent) for NEETS, at 5.7 per cent.

With today’s children likely to end up in jobs that don’t yet exist, in our mind one of the key elements to a solution is clear: educators and employers need to work close together.

There are great organisations in the region already doing a huge amount, with the purpose of creating stronger and more valuable links between business and education.

However, opportunities abound and they will be seized by those best prepared for a world of work that is markedly different to that which exists today. That is why we are actively seeking opportunities to collaborate with others across the region to bring the business and education sectors together.

Please join us in developing the skills for the future of work and nurturing the West of England’s talent pool; we would be delighted to hear from you.

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 55

The revamped Ashton Gate is helping Bristol Sport increase revenue, both on match days and via conferencing and events

Stadium investment is worthy but tough goal BUSINESS OF SPORT Bristol City and Bristol Rugby are benefiting from Steve Lansdown’s investment in Ashton Gate, but other West clubs are finding it harder to realise their goals for improved stadiums, writes Richard Bache Success on the pitch has been a regular occurrence at Ashton Gate this season.

Bristol Rugby sit nine points clear at the top of the Greene King IPA Championship with a 100 per cent record and Bristol City are in the promotion chase, as well as having enjoyed cup success.

This Guide was printed just before the Robins were due to play the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on Tuesday night.

56 BUSINESS GUIDE 2018 THURSDAY JANUARY 25 2018

But irrespective of the result of that tie, fans will never forget humbling Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United in the quarter finals on a magical night at Ashton Gate.

This success has undoubtedly come at a cost though, with the latest financial figures reported

by Bristol City revealing the reliance on owner Steve Lansdown’s continued largesse.

In the year to May 31, 2017 losses were £6.3 million and would have been £13.3 million but for profit on transfer dealings.

And the accounts show that wages of £20.9 million consumed 98.5 per cent of income (£21.2 million).

Nevertheless a substantial increase in turnover reflects that the benefit of the £45 million investment in modernising and extending Ashton Gate is paying dividends.

There is also a South Bristol jobs success story to tell – with employment nearly doubling from WBG-E01-S2

Bristol City owner Steve Lansdown has invested heavily in the club, which is reaping the benefits

353 people to more than 600 to cater for increased sporting activity, conferences and other events staged at the stadium.

A strategic report published in the accounts shows a large rise in food and drink income, from £2.3 million to £4.1 million. This will increase in line with improved crowds at the stadium and as future sets of accounts benefit from a full year’s trading at the extended stadium.

The report also said the club had taken the decision to take in house many functions which had previously been outsourced – including catering, stewarding, ticketing and IT – with the aim of improving services.

But until and unless Bristol City achieve promotion to the Premier League it appears that the ongoing support of Mr Lansdown remains critical.

While Bristol City are enjoying vastly bigger crowds and revenue streams at the revamped Ashton Gate, other clubs in the West are finding it more difficult – for a variety of reasons – to improve their stadiums.

As discussed on page 20 of this Guide, Bath Rugby are pressing ahead with proposals to redevelop The Rec and the outlook for development is looking brighter than it has for some time, particularly given owner Bruce Craig has the financial resources to build a new stadium if the requisite planning permission can be attained.

Bristol Rovers, however, announced in August that their dream of building a 20,000 stadium at UWE in South Gloucestershire was over.

Instead in December Jordanian-owner Wael Al Qadi said that the club would carry out improvements to the aging Memorial Stadium in the short term.

Forty miles up the M4 it is, to put it mildly, interesting times at League Two Swindon Town.

The club and a supporters’ trust are both bidding to buy the freehold of the County Ground from Swindon Borough Council.

Relations between the factions are uneasy and little sight of a neat solution appears on the horizon.

League Two rivals Forest Green Rovers have published ambitious proposals for a stadium near Junction 13 of the M5 in Gloucestershire, but suffered a setback last autumn when owner Dale Vince withdrew plans for a neighbouring ecopark.

The club also withdrew its planning application with Stroud District Council for a development of 95 homes at the New Lawn in Nailsworth.

The plans to demolish their existing home will be revived if and when they receive consent for the new stadium.

Also in League Two Yeovil Town’s hopes of redeveloping Huish Park have moved a step closer after the club recently won a long-running battle to build sports pitches on the outskirts of the Somerset town. The Planning Inspectorate has given the green light to the club to build two full-sized football pitches – with the option of a cricket pitch – a pavilion with four changing rooms and a car park at a 12.5-acre facility in Lufton.

The decision paves the way for the club to pursue its primary goal of building a hotel, leisure centre and improved academy facilities at Huish Park. That is because of an agreement that was made when the stadium was built in 1990 and which stipulated that the club must provide likefor-like replacements for the sports pitches elsewhere in the town.

It meant that until the club can provide new sports facilities, it was almost certain that it would be refused permission to redevelop their land.

It remains to be seen whether Yeovil Town will submit a fresh application for Huish Park or if the club will push ahead with the existing one.

Another factor to consider is the fact that a local consortium has been formed with the intention of buying the club from co-owners Norman Hayward and John Fry, and whether – if the club is sold – any new owners would want to push ahead with developing the ground.

Bristol City and Steve Lansdown have shown the possibilities and benefits of having a stadium that is truly fit for the 21st century, but delivering it is a daunting goal to achieve.

THE FAMOUS FIVE © 2017, Hodder & Stoughton Limited. All rights reserved.

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