Contact - April-May 2013

NECC: Making the North East a success

APRIL - MAY 2013

Grand gift

What would you do with a £10k Budget windfall?

necc.co.uk - necontact.co.uk

✱

NE1 for more?

Newcastle’s BID to get noticed

EXPORT EXPERTISE

Spreading the word worldwide

making a difference Engineering the next generation

george’s marvellous medicine?

Or was it? Your Budget verdict

profile

national treasure

Helen Humphrey: The weight of expectation when your family business happens to be called Barbour

Scan this code with your mobile device to access the latest news on our website

AUF WIEDERSEHEN PET. BE A REBEL.

The award winning Volvo V40 D2 R-Design in ‘Rebel Blue’ of course

CREDIT EXAMPLE

Sure, you can drive the car that everyone else thinks is the ‘must have’ car. That’s fine if you like to follow the crowd. If you like to blend in. However, why not stand out, be different, be a Rebel.

JOIN THEREBELUTION.

Special Mill Price Deposit or Part Ex Balance to Finance 36 Monthly payments of GMEV* Total Amount Repayable

APR

£21,400 £5,725 £15,675 £199.70 £10,842.50 £23,756.70

5.9%

VOLVO CARS NORTH EAST Mill Newcastle

Mill Sunderland

Mill Stockton

Mill Harrogate

Scotswood Road, Newcastle NE15 6BZ

Wessington Way, Sunderland SR5 3HR

Preston Farm Business Park, Stockton TS18 3SG

St James Retail Park, Knaresborough HG5 8PY

millvolvo

@millvolvo

www.millnortheast.co.uk

Tel: 0800 612 4715

The price is based on a V40 D2 R-Design FUEL CONSUMPTION IN MPG (L/100km) Urban 70.6/4.0, Extra Urban 83.1/3.4, Combined 78.5/3.6, CO2 94g/km. Finance subject to status. Terms and conditions apply. Personal Contract Purchase based on customer deposit of £5725.00, followed by 36 monthly payments of £199.70. Annual mileage of 10,000 miles, *excess mileage cost of 14.9p per mile applies. Applicant must be 18 or over. Guarantees/ indemnities may be required. At the end of the Personal Contract Purchase there are three options: (1) Part exchange the vehicle, where equity is available (2) Pay the GFV (Guaranteed Future Value) to own the vehicle or (3) Return the vehicle. Further charges may be made subject to the condition of the vehicle. Santander Consumer (UK) plc T/A Volvo Car Credit RH1 1SR. Car featured for illustration purposes only. Offer ends 30th April 2013.

Welcome...

Welcome to the latest issue of Contact.

A Pot Noodle may be an unusual way to think about investment opportunities, but that was one of the things I received when visited Abu Dhabi and Japan with NECC. We visited Chambers where we have a memorandum of understanding and some of our larger inward investors in Japan. The latter, Nissan, Vantec and Hitachi, are great supporters of our region and it was good to see them on home territory. The Chambers are keen to do business and NECC can help any member who wants to take up the challenge.

I returned to a gathering with the members of the NECC President’s Club at St James’s Park to take in the 2013 Budget speech. It was a great opportunity to see the contribution that our business community is making to the UK’s recovery effort.

It was great to receive recognition for some of NECC’s priorities, put forward in our Budget

After a trip to Abu Dhabi and Japan, NECC was buoyed by further prospects of success abroad. The Budget, however, was not so encouraging...

submission to the Chancellor, in particular the cutting of taxes that raise the cost of employment.

I felt a bit uncomfortable with the notion of an “Aspiration Nation” as this region always aspires, but it was welcoming to hear about the new measures on fuel duty and home ownership.

However, the Government has fallen short of providing the raft of measures that businesses and investors need in order to kick-start growth.

Growth remains the key word and the Government must do all it can to get the economy moving.

Clearly the chancellor’s nod to the North East (well, he mentioned us) demonstrates that businesses across our region are doing their bit to tell the world that Britain is open for business, but I think we would have all liked to see more done to get things moving a little faster.

We know through our own Quarterly Economic Survey that North East companies stand ready to invest and continue recruitment, so some additional support for employers with more focus on investment would not go amiss.

Compared to the Autumn Statement, the Budget was underwhelming. If Mr Osborne would like to see an ongoing contribution from the North East I, for one, feel he must start to meet us half way.

And the Pot Noodle? it was invented by a guy from Osaka John Mowbray, NECC President

editor Jane Pikett jane@offstonepublishing.co.uk editorial team Karen Dent Laura Emmerson Alastair Gilmour Liz Hands Owen McAteer Paul Robertson Contact is the magazine for NECC members. News and press releases should be sent to submissions@necc.co.uk Advertising Contact our commercial team 01661 844115 sales@offstonepublishing.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY Kevin Gibson www.kgphotography.co.uk Nicky Rogerson www.nrphotography.co.uk Peter Skelton www.photo-psp.co.uk Cover: Mark Westerby

get in touch

01661 844115

We are tweeting.

Follow us @NEChamber Published by

what they say this issue...

Offstone Publishing, Unit 1, Bearl Farm, Stocksfield, Northumberland, NE43 7AJ 01661 844 115 enquiries@offstonepublishing.co.uk

When you have finished with this magazine please recycle it

HELEN HUMPHREY

SEAN BULLICK

ALAN ROBERTS

“There is a huge responsibility and sense of expectation. Mum took over the business out of love and obligation, and her working so hard when I was growing up was a great example for me. She’s also kept me down to earth. I’m so proud of her and what she has achieved.” p34

“We won’t copycat other cities and lose our identity, but we do look at the marks of a modern European city, like great gateways, interesting events, riverside cafes and marina, bike hire, Wifi; the marks of modern European cities drive our thinking.” p28

“I believe that being positive and honest with banks and suppliers is essential. Too many people are advised to be cautious when they’re starting out in business.

But if you have good products or services and you are winning contracts, you need to be more confident.” p66

Vice chairman, Barbour

Chief exec, NE1 Ltd

C&E Pumps and Engineering

©Offstone Publishing 2012. All rights reserved.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

All information contained in this magazine is as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Offstone Publishing a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part. Although every care is taken, Offstone Publishing is not liable for resulting loss or damage. Offstone Publishing endeavors to respect the intellectual property of owners of copyrighted material reproduced herein. If you identify yourself as the copyright holder of material we have wrongly attributed, please contact us. Offstone Publishing does not guarantee the insertion of any particular advertisement on a specified date or at all.

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 3

337200T_CONTACT AD_Layout 1 17/01/2013 11:12 Page 1

GREAT BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS START WITH A CONVERSATION. LET’S TALK. To see how we can apply our expertise and experience to support your business, start a conversation.

Please contact Rob Wiggins, Business Engagement Manager on 0191 227 3576 or robert.wiggins@northumbria.ac.uk

www.newcastlebusinessschool.co.uk

Contents

From walks in the country with Barbour vice chairman Helen Humphrey, to firefighting with the best in the world, all North East business life is here..

34

News 10 next stop central

The latest step towards Science Central

12 brand brains How brand quality influences buyers

14 mother of invention

Maker Faire hits Toon

15 new investment Drager Safety UK boosts its Blyth plant

16 Fast flowing

Fast Flow’s new contract

18 flying high

NECC President’s Club welcomes 200th member

20 FLUSHED WITH SUCCESS

Eco Ad: Bringing ecofriendly urinals to the world

Features

21 leaders of the pack

6 Winning tape

60 seconds with Kevin Anderson

North East Business Awards shortlist

26 double take Nurturing a national treasure: Helen Humphrey on a North East family business called Barbour p34

For and against quotas for women on company boards

28

28 NE1 FOR MORE?

Newcastle’s BID to get noticed

30 HOT NEWS

Our own Fireman Sam lives the dream on the fire training ground

52

42 GEORGE’S MARVELLOUS MEDICINE But was the Budget actually any good for business? You decide

56 WORKING LUNCH

Mulling over Newcastle Central Station’s Grade I makeover

59 fab 5

What would you do if the chancellor gave you a 10 grand gift?

62 the diary

Who’s been where, and with whom!

The world according to: Sean Bullick (above), Geoff Ford (above right), an artist’s impression of the new Central Station (right), Alan Roberts (far right)

56

66

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 5

60 seconds

â??

Being your own boss presents many new challenges

â??

The winning tape 6o Seconds: Kevin Anderson, MD, Kinesio UK, Newcastle Interview: Karen Dent

A

s MD of Kinesio UK, Kevin Anderson is the man who’s got some of the country’s leading elite athletes – and horses, oddly enough – wearing that crazily coloured therapeutic tape used for treating athletic injuries and a variety of physical disorders.

Amazing stuff, Kinesio Tape was developed in Japan 40 years ago and introduced into the UK in 2004 by Anderson, who bases his business in Newcastle.

Q You’re meeting someone for the first time in a busy place – how will they recognise you?

I wouldn’t normally use Kinesio tape for this purpose, but on a few occasions, wearing the brightly coloured tape has helped me to stand out in a crowd (honestly!).

Q What’s the best job you’ve ever had?

Unoriginal though it sounds, it’s my current one. I’ve had a few different jobs and each has offered some great experiences and diverse opportunities, but nothing compares to what I’m doing now.

Q Who or what has most inspired you in your life?

We are often inspired by the people closest to us and I was lucky to have an incredible grandfather. Born in 1909, he left school to work as a shipping clerk on Newcastle quayside.

Speaking fluent Danish, during WWII he served in the Intelligence Corps and in the 1950s he was Danish Consul, receiving a Danish knighthood for his services. His career saw him climb the ladder to become a director of the Stephenson Clarke shipping company. He had a happy and successful life and lived to be 100.

His achievements left a great legacy and I hope I have inherited some of his business acumen.

On a less serious note, Wile E Coyote because he never gives up, although I like to think I am a little more successful in my ventures.

Q What’s the best decision you ever made?

In my early twenties I left a good job working as

a software developer at Sage to set up my own business. It was an exciting, big decision. Being your own boss presents many new challenges and I have learnt a lot of valuable lessons along the way. It’s the highest risk, but the best decision I have made.

Q What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

Whatever I could to make a positive difference to people’s lives.

Q How would your closest colleague describe you?

You’ll have to ask them that! But I’d like to think they find me enthusiastic, full of ideas, extremely hard working and always willing to see their point of view.

Q What do you believe?

I believe success comes not from one individual, but from the collective input of many.

Q What would you be doing if not this?

I enjoy having my own business and being master of my own destiny. So, if I wasn’t doing my current job, I would still want to pursue something under my own steam - perhaps returning to my roots in software development.

Q Which word or phrase do you most overuse?

Work smarter, not harder. My business colleagues would say that I use this phrase a lot!

Q Is there anything you find really scary?

In the current economic climate, managing business growth is one of the biggest and scariest challenges. That’s not to say I don’t find it exciting, but it does mean increased commitment, responsibility and some sleepless nights.

Q What would be the title of the movie version of your life?

The Only Way is Up!

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 7

inbox

inbox...

Have you got something to say about the magazine or about business in general? Then inbox may be the perfect home for you. Send your views, comment and gossip to inbox@necontact.co.uk

Hitting the rails A night on the tiles

NECC head of partners Jo Fryett was one of more than 100 hardy souls who swapped boardroom for outdoor bedroom at the CEOSleepout in Middlesbrough.

The charity sleep-out featured some well-known names from the world of business, and they all slept rough outside Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium.

Organised by Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation, funds raised will go to homeless charities and food banks.

After skip-sifting for cardboard to lie on, the participants settled down in sleeping bags as the temperature plummeted.

Jo says: “It was a challenge of a very different kind. The experience has made me think differently about the very fortunate life I have. I’ve never appreciated so much knowing that I could go home to see my mum and dad and have a cup of tea, a cuddle and a chocolate Bounty all before 8.30am. It really is the small things in life. The weather was very cold and the rain didn’t start till 5am but as I shuffled in my sleeping bag to try and keep dry one of my fellow sleepers lost his cardboard. It reduced me to tears when someone pointed out he’d lost his home.” http://www.justgiving.com/ Joanne-Fryett.

The love app!

We’ve all been there – anxiously wondering if the object of our desire could be harbouring similar feelings (speak for yourself, Ed) but the fear of rejection prevents an advance so we stay home alone listening to The Smiths Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now on repeat.

But what if you knew the object of your affection was actually interested before you jump in?

It is claimed that this hitherto unattainable dream could now be a reality thanks to the new app, Would Love 2, developed by a team which includes Teesside University graduate and entrepreneur Daniel

Whistle while you work

Uplifting concertos from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons can boost mental alertness, according to research from Northumbria University based on a series of cognitive tests on volunteers.

8 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR-MAY 2013

Kolodziej. You simply mark which of your Facebook friends you would be interested in dating, and your wish list is then placed in an online locker which only you can see. If any of those friends also use the app and add you to their list, you’re both notified.

Daniel, 32, and business partner Phillipa Adam are now planning to promote Would Love 2 internationally for iPhone and Android.

Daniel, lectures part-time at Teesside University Business School, says: “We’re excited about the potential and with support through Teesside University and Digital City, we are in a privileged position.”

Psychologist Dr Leigh Riby says the Spring movement could be used in therapeutic settings. “The current study provides evidence that there is an indirect effect of music on cognition that is created by mood, alertness and emotion,” he says.

We enjoyed the wildly opposing views prompted by news of the east coast rail franchise bid.

Transport minister Patrick McLoughlin said: “Franchising has been a force for good in the story of Britain’s railways.”

Manuel Cortes, leader of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, said: “The west coast fiasco revealed private franchises are a shambles.”

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: “The ConDem administration is setting up yet another sell-off of state assets in a further act of grotesque rail vandalism.”

landmark customer

Metro Radio Arena has welcomed its 10 millionth customer, Katie Alcock, a teacher from Gosforth, who was there recently to see Girls Aloud. Katie has won a bottle of Champagne, plus a pair of tickets to see a show of her choice every month this year, access to the members’ only Magic Gold Club, and a complimentary stay at the Sandman Hotel in Newcastle.

Katie said she would celebrate with a return visit to the Arena to see Olly Murs in concert (Who? Ed).

in my view

In my view NECC chief executive James Ramsbotham reflects on a fruitful trip to the United Arab Emirates and Japan

T

he North East is the most successful exporting region in the country, and we’ve been spreading that message overseas recently.

NECC president John Mowbray, chairman Alan Ferguson and I met with business leaders across The United Arab Emirates in February, where we also enjoyed the four-lane highway into Abu Dhabi (if only the A1 to Edinburgh were so grand!).

Robert Kelly, who represents UKTI at the British Embassy in the city, agreed that the UK must look to the rapidly developing nations to maximise its export success. We also strengthened links with the influential Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry; a 95,000-member organisation where we met first vice chairman Khalfan Saeed

Al Kaabi and deputy director general Mohamed Al Neaimi.

Meanwhile, Richard Oliver, chairman of the British Business Group in Abu Dhabi and head of global banking for HSBC, was in positive mood, reinforcing the region’s growing reputation overseas.

We also bumped into Gordon Brown, who proved very different to the man we met when he was Prime Minister now that he is working with New York University.

And it was fantastic to meet with Robert Gardener; a native of the North East who now works for Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, who provided insight into the culture and trade prospects with the UAE. After learning of the desire to work with North East companies and the networks which exist in the UAE to do this, we were pleased to find a similarly positive message in Japan.

Japanese politeness is legendary, but nothing prepared us for a lady named Yumi, who we asked for directions to our hotel in Tokyo. Insisting on showing us there herself, she went out of her way to accompany us on a half hour train journey and a 10-minute walk before retracing her own steps. I wonder if we would have done the same for a visitor to our region?

It’s considered terrible form to be late for a meeting in Japan, but we surprised both ourselves and our hosts at Hitachi Rail by arriving two hours early. It would be nice to blame the jet-lag, but the real reason was our inability to read the street signs. Hitachi is beginning construction at its new Newton Aycliffe base in a huge investment for them and the North East. We were delighted to meet with Hitachi Rail COO Akira

Horie and his senior management team and they told us they were grateful for the support they have enjoyed in the North East, especially in lobbying the UK Government on their behalf. They also discussed future plans for Newton Aycliffe and their commitment to our region.

From there, to Nissan’s Global HQ in Yokohama, where we met Trevor Mann, executive vice president for Europe, Africa and Asia. We also met with Masao Kumori MBE, who worked for the Northern Development Company (predecessor of One North East) in 1987, bringing Japanese investment to the region. He remains a great friend to have and he’s now working with Business Durham under the banner of the North East Enterprise Company.

Drivers on Washington Highway have recently witnessed the rapid construction of a huge warehouse on the Nissan site. It belongs to Vantec, a subsidiary of Hitachi, and we visited its base in Kawasaki. Its president, Akira Koyama, is an impressive man and this was the warmest of all our meetings. We also learnt why the Washington building went up so quickly; this is by far the most profitable of Vantec’s operations worldwide. It seems that supplying Nissan Manufacturing UK is a better place to be than anywhere else.

The visit ended with a hop on the Emirates A380 to Dubai and then onto Newcastle; a journey which further reinforces how vital this link to the Middle East and Asia is. Japan and the North East are closer to each other than we sometimes appreciate and NECC is proud to build relationships for North East business there.

APR-MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 9

NEWS AdvErTOrIAl

News

Next stop Central ‘aBcd’ PeoPle ‘Workforce empowerment’ can strike fear into the manager’s heart because it suggests the surrender of control and assurance in relation to bottomline achievement. Empowerment is about people choosing to go ‘Above and Beyond the call of duty’ (ABcd) to perform to their potential in a satisfying working environment. part of the leader’s role is to signpost meaning at work, role-modelling behaviours that encourage colleagues to buy into more than the company mission, or vision. leaders communicate and clarify what is morally right and important, demonstrating ethical values and standards, encouraging everyone within the team to do the same. leaders must be authentic in their relationships, establishing psychological contracts which in turn reinforce trust. people who believe that they are a part of a values-based team are likely to engage in greater levels of discretionary effort. In short, they will go ‘ABcd’. leader development empowers people so they take responsibility, without relying on authority, to achieve sustainable bottom-line success and customer loyalty.

Tim cain leadership specialises in authentic values-Based leadership to create teams with high levels of discretionary effort and sustainable customer relations. www.timcainleadership.co.uk Twitter: @ctimboc1

Tim cain mBe, mPhil, finstlm.

Newcastle’s Science Central - one of the UK’s biggest city centre regeneration projects - has unveiled an ambassadors’ campaign to attract investors and developers.

Science Central, a partnership between Newcastle City Council and Newcastle University, forms part of the Newcastle Science City initiative and residents, businesses and academics have become the faces of a campaign promoting it across the world.

Their 10ft high images adorn hoardings along the site’s perimeter and these ambassadors’ stories come to life when passers-by scan a QR code.

Science Central development director Colin MacPherson says: “The campaign is the exciting next step in the development of the site. Science Central will have huge potential to attract new business to the region and support job creation and long-term investment.”

In addition to attracting hi-tech firms to locate within the city, Science Central will also house some of Newcastle University’s world-leading research.

Completion is expected by autumn 2014 and will include a seven-storey office building for science companies.

Newcastle City Council chief executive Pat Ritchie says: “We’re accelerating work to make Newcastle more attractive for new jobs and investment. This development is a clear signal to technology and science businesses from across the world that Newcastle is the place to be.”

A new website has also launched at www.newcastlesciencecentral.com

CRUISE BOOM After a record-breaking cruise season in 2012, Port of Tyne is expecting another busy year in 2013 with 32 cruise calls.

Three new cruise lines will visit the port, including Crystal Cruises, Hurtigruten and Costa Cruises. Andrew Moffat, chief executive officer at the Port of Tyne, says: “Ten years ago there were no cruise ships at

10 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

all arriving at the Port of Tyne so to see a record number and almost double our success of 2011 last year is a great achievement and one of real significance to the economy of the North East, which benefits from visitors spending their money at attractions, shops, restaurants, hotels, and bars in the area.”

NEWS

Fine endeavour The Endeavour Partnership has advised MC Ware Ltd on the sale of its mechanical and fabrication business to GST Offshore Ltd (now MC Ware Mechanical Ltd).

MC Ware Mechanical, of Stokesley, North Yorkshire is the only welding, fabrication and IT services company of its kind to deliver a full engineering services capability from concept to implementation.

The disposal of the mechanical and fabrication business to GST will allow MC Ware to focus on its core IT business.

Newcastle City Council CEO Pat Ritchie, Newcastle University vice chancellor Chris Brink, Science Central ambassador Hugh Stolliday and Science Central’s Colin MacPherson

NEWS

£7.7m depot Go Ahead

Media matters

Work has begun on a new bus depot for Go North East, the area’s largest bus company, which will see £7.7m of investment in the region.

The new facility will secure 559 jobs in Gateshead with the potential to provide many more with expansion and a further 170 provided during construction. The new depot will also allow the bus operator to increase operations and improve operational efficiency.

Go North East will relocate its two existing Kevin Carr of Go NorthEast with Adrian Bartle of UK facilities in Winlaton and Gateshead into the Land Estates and Neil Robinson of GoAhead Group new development at Metro Riverside.

MD Kevin Carr says: “This investment is testament to our commitment to provide jobs for local people and increase the standard of bus services. The new facility, designed by UK Land Estates, will make operations more efficient and underlines our pledge to continuing improvement.”

It will cover approximately 2.38 hectares and consist of 4,150m2 of workshops, storage, office, mess room and training facilities with external testing and bus fleet parking areas.

UK Land Estates will be overseeing the development which us being built by Surgo with a completion date likely to be for late autumn.

More than 80 guests attended the North East Chamber of Commerce Tyne and Wear AGM at Newcastle’s Centre for Life. Journal editor Brian Aitken gave a presentation covering the newspaper industry. The event also saw Bill McGawley re-elected as chairman.

NECC director of policy, Ross Smith, said: “It was great that members could see how our large regional newspapers stand shoulder to shoulder with business and the public sector to promote the North East as a great place to live, work and visit.”

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 11

NEWS

JUST THE TICKET

A major transformation of the former Newcastle United ticket office will create the first new bar at St. James’s Park in eight years.

Sodexo Prestige, which operates the catering and events at Newcastle United, is turning the ticket office at the south west corner of the ground into the 700-capacity Terrace Bar to open in April.

As well as creating 30 new jobs – bringing the catering and events staff at NUFC up to 700 -the £300,000 development provides a new space for parties.

NUFC MD Derek Llambias says: “The Terrace is a stylish new development at St. James’s Park and one that we are particularly excited about.

“We wanted to create a lively venue for supporters to meet on match days before and after our games.

It adds an important new dimension to the stadium and will improve the facilities that we already have in and around St. James.”

The bar will be officially opened by members of the first team at a VIP event on April 9.

The club’s main Box Office is now located upstairs in the St. James’ Park retail store, with a new match day box office in operation beneath the Milburn Stand ahead of every home fixture.

Brand brains Brand quality is the single biggest influencer on consumer choice, new research undertaken in the region reveals.

This comes from a year-long research programme managed by Fraser McLeay (pictured), professor of strategic marketing management at Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University.

The research was undertaken as part of the Great North East Brands initiative from the North East branch of the Chartered Institute of Marketing to discover if emerging companies can learn from older established brands.

More than 750 consumers responded to a survey, selecting their top three ‘home-grown’ brands. The results identified that North East businesses should focus on quality,

reputation and satisfying consumer taste.

It was also found that satisfying consumer preferences impacts upon perception of brand quality; and developing products for segments of the market is important in brand development.

Price was only the fourth most important factor influencing brand perceptions, and consumers preferred regional brands to national and international competitors.

A traditional view of quality, the study’s conclusion states, is from a product perspective, where North East brands such as Fenwick and Sage provide high quality goods. At heritage brand Ringtons Tea, quality customer service is provided via home delivery.

New practice Sanderson Weatherall LLP will grow its property services with the acquisition of Edwards and Partners; a niche practice of chartered surveyors specialising in the valuation and sale of leisure property including holiday and mobile home parks.

Edwards and Partners has offices in Yorkshire and Devon and its client list includes 80 park businesses worth £130m. The business will trade as Edwards and Partners, a division of Sanderson Weatherall.

12 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

William Reynolds, Adam Burkinshaw, Ian Naylor, Paul Edwards, Christopher Tucker and Christopher Sweeney

NEWS

NECC Partners celebrate

Going green Nicholson’s Transport in Billingham is revving up a series of programmes to improve its carbon footprint and save money.

Waste packaging which goes through Nicholson’s warehouse is being compacted, while fuel bills are on course to be cut by 5% thanks to fuel-efficient driving.

Older and worn tyres from its fleet are recycled and office paper usage has been cut, saving a minimum one ream of paper per day by electronic invoicing alone.

Nicholson’s has reduced the carbon footprint of its fleet of 10 vehicles by reducing driver idling time, cutting excess weight in lorry loads, and mapping delivery and collection routes more efficiently.

Head of project development Keisha Cox (pictured), says: “We have targeted a

reduction in fuel bills of 5%, which equates to £17,000 based on £340,000 expected fuel usage this year. The revenues from the waste recycling will be re-invested into the business to improve our services.”

Meanwhile, environmental consultant Delta-Simons, which worked on the Olympic Park and has an office in Durham, says firms are wasting millions through energyinefficient operations.

“The green revolution has significant commercial drivers in terms of reducing overheads, winning new business and making profit,” says MD Gareth Pickles.

“Recycling is the tip of the iceberg; there are benefits in avoiding and managing waste, and from a comprehensive approach including energy, water, waste, transport and management systems.

video of the month On your bike Steve Cram and his old GB team mate Daley Thompson have launched this year’s Salomon Kielder Marathon, which means there’s no excuse for the likes of us to stay rooted to our desk chairs.

If your blood runs cold at the mere thought of going outside, let alone donning trainers and Lycra, you can get together with friends, workmates or your fit kids and do one of the challenges in a relay.

Sounds like fun – details on this nice little video (including a man running with a fridge on his back…as you do).

Register here: www.salomonkieldermarathon.com

The North East Chamber of Commerce celebrated a landmark birthday with a clutch of five-star partners.

The five organisations marking five years as members of NECC’s Partners were Gateshead College, Croner, Barclays, Esh Group and HSBC – all of them original members of the group, which comprises some of the region’s most influential business people.

The Partners act as a sounding board for NECC and provide opinions that shape the organisation’s policy agenda.

In the last 12 months NECC Partners has attracted a threefold increase in membership, which now stands at 24.

NECC head of partners Joanne Fryett says: “Partners continues to go from strength to strength.

Over the last five years, we have seen some amazing partnership working covering key strategy documents used to shape the requirements of the North East.

“These five organisations have formed the bedrock of NECC Partners’ success. Partners are selected to represent businesses across sectors and are part of an exclusive group of members working with NECC to influence and shape its agenda.”

The group was also given an update on Regional Growth Fund successes and the progress made on key projects by Lord Shipley.

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 13

profile

NEWS

Sintons oversees Sale Pepe sale

O

left to right: Christopher Welch, Alok Loomba, Nick Peng Gillender, Susan Peng

ne of Jesmond’s best-loved restaurants is under new ownership, after two of its regular customers liked it so much, they bought it.

Sale Pepe opened in Jesmond more than 20 years ago, and has built up huge popularity with local people for its friendliness and ‘meeting place’ environment.

The Italian restaurant’s new owners, Nick Peng Gillender and Susan Peng, are regular customers as well as being local residents.

They are keen to maintain the traditional values and fond reputation of Sale Pepe, although a full refurbishment has been carried out, with a new kitchen and acoustic walls being among the changes.

The leisure team at Newcastle law firm Sintons, which has been adviser to the Gillender family for more than 20 years, carried out the legal work on the transaction for Sale Pepe.

Nick Peng Gillender said: “Sale Pepe is something of an institution in Jesmond, and I, like so many other local people, have enjoyed countless evenings here with friends and family. This is a very special venue, and I look forward to having many more great times here as its owner.”

Susan Peng said: “The very essence of Sale Pepe is its welcoming environment, and that is the reason it is held in such high regard by the local community.

Sintons handled all of the commercial aspects of the deal, with Partners Alok Loomba and Sarah Smith handling the real estate and licensing work respectively.

Christopher Welch, Partner in the Company and Commercial department at Sintons, who led the leisure team on the transaction, said: “I have worked with Nick and his family for more than two decades, and am very pleased to have been able to help Nick and Susan become the new owners of Sale Pepe.

14 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

Making its mark for innovation, is the perfect Invention and innovation home for Maker Faire UK and gets a boost in April with the the Centre for Life’s ongoing world-famous Maker Faire at efforts in inspiring and Newcastle’s Centre for Life. supporting the next generation The tech fair builds on of makers are great,” says the success of its three Dougherty. predecessors with a Maker Faire was introduced number of firsts, including in the US in 2006 by Make a DIYBio community lab Magazine co-founder where international Dougherty. After an ‘biohackerspaces’ overwhelming initial will introduce “great efforts response, the interactive biology in inspiring festival quickly projects. and supporting spread, arriving in There’s the next the UK in 2009. a humanoid generation” Maker Faire knitting robot brings together looking to out-knit a diverse group of the most practised hand individuals bound by a (above); PEEPSHOW, two fullsize animated pole dancers with common innovative thread.

More than 300 hackers, a robot DJ; and PancakeBot, crafters, coders, DIY-ers and a LEGO robot that draws garden shed inventors will pancakes on an electric griddle. present projects alongside Adding to the mix will playful installations and be Dale Dougherty, one of drop-in workshops.

Barack Obama’s ‘champions Maker Faire, Centre for Life, of change’ and founder of April 27-28, tickets at the Maker Faire concept. www.MakerFaireUK.com “Newcastle, with its reputation

NEWS

Engage the workforce

New sponsor Double Eleven, which specialises in video game development exclusively for the PlayStation network, is the new lead sponsor of ExpoTees - an annual showcase and awards ceremony for final year students from the School of

Computing at Teesside University.

As the lead sponsor, Double Eleven will offer support, guidance and advice to students, as well as give prizes in the games programming award and computer science and networking award.

Draeger Safety UK invests Drager manufacturing manager Kevin Brien and head of ops region Europe Malcolm Irving with the new robotics at the Blyth plant

Draeger Safety UK has completed a multi-million pound investment in its Blyth-based operations.

The investment includes a £1.3m refurbishment of the manufacturing plant and nearly £500,000 in new robotic equipment and warehouse management systems. It follows the prestigious Institute of Mechanical Engineers’ Manufacturing Excellence Overall 2012 award.

Head of operations, region Europe, Malcolm Irving says: “The refurbishment will ensure that Dräger continues to develop and manufacture safety solutions

as well as meeting and exceeding current compliance regulations.

“The company has also purchased new robotics equipment which will support the manufacture of compressed air breathing cylinders used in a range of industry sectors and specifically in applications where normal breathing becomes difficult or impossible.”

Draeger Safety UK has also launched its new HPS 7000 helmet for the fire and rescue industry. The new helmet offers full protection for the head and face against a variety of impacts.

An HR specialist in the region has developed a survey tool to increase business efficiency by getting employees actively engaged.

People Gauge was developed by former NECC president Maggie Pavlou, HR director of Parkdean and owner of Belver North, the executive coaching and employee engagement specialist.

Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, People Gauge accurately measures the level of employee engagement within a business, producing accurate data and a clear route to improve employee engagement for sustained business improvement.

Pavlou says: “Actively engaged employees deliver improved business performance. CIPD research has repeatedly demonstrated the links between the way people are managed, employee attitudes and business performance. Disengaged employees are a drain on everyone - customers, partners and other employees. They are less efficient, have more time off work, take up excessive management time and are often a distraction to the rest of the workforce.”

Major organisations including NECC, NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Newcastle International Airport, and Northern Recruitment Group have used the People Gauge model.

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 15

NEWS

NEWS

Emboldened in Boldon South Tyneside Council has won a Community Involvement award from the Local Government Chronicle for its Bored in Boldon project.

The project was created to keep youngsters out of trouble following a rise in deliberate fires on grassland and wheelie bins.

The council joined forces with youth organisation South Tyneside Positive Activities and Targeted Youth Support Group and consulted 80 young people who identified boredom and alcohol as the main causes of fire setting in the area.

Since the start of the project, crime has reduced by 14%, criminal damage by 15% and youth-related antisocial behaviour by 60%.

NEWS

Ian Cavagan of Your Move Chris Stonock

Bronze award Your Move Chris Stonock has been awarded Investors in People Bronze accreditation.

This is only the third estate agency in the North East to receive the award and the only agent to be awarded the Bronze standard at first assessment.

Staff were interviewed about the company’s approach to staff development, leadership and management and employee engagement.

Fast flowing National Grid contracts to be let under Fastflow Energy Services (FES) has the tier 2 framework over the coming secured its third new contract since months and we aim to win as being selected as an approved many as possible.” partner by National Grid FES, part of the Fastflow for gas diversion and “We aim to Group, is based in the installation works. win as many North West and is sister The contract near Luton contracts as company to Fastflow takes the value of work possible” Pipeline Services (FPS) Ltd commissioned since the of Washington. FPS has also company’s selection as one invested in a patented solution of only six tier-two suppliers to for water trunk mains cleaning more than £2.5m. which has been successfully deployed FES operations director Terry Walsh for Northumbrian Water. says: “There are potentially many more

£11.5m contract win International engineering information management specialist Phusion (previously Pearson-Harper) has been appointed Data Management Contractor (DMC) for the INPEX-led Australian Ichthys LNG Project in a six-year contract worth £11.5m.

The deal extends Phusion’s growing portfolio in Australia where the company is already engaged on the giant Chevron Gorgon project.

The Ichthys LNG Project is a joint venture between INPEX group companies, Total Group and other participants. The project is expected to produce 8.4m tonnes of LNG and 1.6 million tonnes of LPG per annum.

Phusion will assist INPEX by efficiently

16 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

Alex Hayward, MD, Phusion

managing enormous amounts of engineering data associated with the project. This will result in substantially reduced costs and ensure the timely hand over of comprehensive sets of information to the Ichthys operations team.

NEWS

Rising stars

Building skills The Owen Pugh Group and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) are behind the Wonder Crossing Challenge, tasking pupils to design a crossing that stretches the imagination.

The competition provides young people with practical experience of the varied

technical and professional opportunities in construction and civil engineering, plus the opportunity to develop skills in science, maths, and technology.

Competing teams are assigned industry mentors to support them through the challenge.

Two teenagers are taking their first steps into work after completing a skills boot camp.

Nathan Richmond from Jarrow and Keegan Roberts from South Shields were among the first to complete the Rising Star programme being piloted by recruitment firm Zenith People and South Tyneside Council, and both have secured full-time roles.

Nathan, 17, will begin his apprenticeship at business management firm Echo-U while 17 year-old Keegan will start at Diamond Drilling & Cutting.

The five-day Rising Stars boot camp is designed to prepare young people for work by equipping them with employment and life skills.

NEWS

Family way

New build A joint venture has resulted in a range of cost-effective eco-friendly permanent school buildings.

Koru Property Services and Clearspace Buildings, both of Gateshead, formed a strategic partnership in 2012. Their timber-clad buildings are suitable for a range of commercial applications and

have proved popular for their good looks, low cost and rapid build.

They range in size from single classrooms to entire schools and are appearing at schools including Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay and the new Music for Schools building at The Sage Gateshead.

Law firm Sintons has taken on an apprentice whose mother has worked at the firm for over 25 years.

Emma Smith has been offered a year-long apprenticeship by the Newcastle firm and will work as an office assistant.

Emma, 18, from Whickham, will work alongside her mother Anne, a legal secretary, who joined the firm when she was 19.

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 17

NEWS

NEWS

Elanders MD Kevin Rogers, McNaughtan’s ops director Robert Deans, McNaughtan’s sales director Derek Gaw, Elanders FD Paul Jacques

Labelled with love

Elanders UK has acquired packaging and labelling business McNaughtan’s to bring new business opportunities to North Tyneside.

McNaughtan’s, in Glasgow, specialises in labels and tube wraps for the single malt whisky industry. Its existing premises and employees in Cumbernauld will be retained.

Elanders UK in North Tyneside is the UK arm of the global Elanders Group, offering creative, print and digital services internationally and achieving sales of almost £18m during 2012.

NEWS

Motoring ahead Benfield Motor Group has launched a new tax-efficient car benefit scheme.

The salary sacrifice Flexicar scheme provides tax efficiency for employees and a number of associated benefits, including insurance, service and breakdown cover and roadside assistance.

The Felxicar scheme is open to all businesses, irrespective of the number of staff on the payroll, and Benfield and UNW provide support for both employee and employer.

News

Club’s flying high The North East Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the 200th member of its prestigious President’s Club.

Ford Aerospace is the newest member of the Club, which comprises many of the largest and most influential businesses in the North East.

Geoff Ford (pictured) chairman of the South Shieldsbased precision engineering specialist, says he believes the President’s Club is unique in the region in providing a united voice for regional business.

“The President’s Club comprises people who can make a difference to the region,” he says. “With the closure of One North East, which was an impressive organisation, it has become increasingly difficult for the region to have a voice in London.

“Saying that, the region is performing well on its own and we’re demonstrating through manufacturing and export performance what we are capable of and how much more we can do. We can use the weight of the President’s Club membership to provide a united voice for North East business.”

NECC President’s Club represents companies and organisations from sectors including services, manufacturing and education, to professional services, local authorities, housing groups and the public sector.

Established in 2010, its members employ around 25% of the region’s workforce. Three meetings are held each year with around 100 attendees.

Anyone for tennis?

The National Premier Tennis Finals come to Sunderland for the first time in April, and the organisers have a host of business opportunities available, from sponsorship to corporate hospitality.

The event, for men’s teams, is at the Virgin Active Wearside Club, Doxford Park, Sunderland, from April 11-14.

Two teams from the region - Virgin Active Wearside (hosts), and South Northumberland from Gosforth – will compete and a 500-seat grandstand has been built.

The tournament management hope to commit to the region for the next three years, and businesses interested in sponsorship for 2013/2014 are invited to get in touch.

Corporate hospitality packages are also available, including tables the Charity Gala Dinner on Saturday April 13 priced £500+VAT for a table of 10.

18 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

NEWS

Back to work A £150,000 Northern Rock Foundation grant has been awarded to The Cyrenians to further develop its Ready for Work employment service, delivered in partnership with Business in the Community.

It supports people who are or have been homeless, providing them with opportunities to gain skills, knowledge and experience through training, placements, coaching and support.

NEWS

Top three Dale & Valley Homes has been placed third in the not-for-profit section of the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work for Awards.

Last year, the company, which manages council homes in the Wear valley area, was placed 11th. Peter Chaffer, chief executive, says: “Well-motivated and happy staff are the best asset a business can have.”

NEWS

Elite partnership

video of the month In this talk from RSA Animate, Sir Ken Robinson lays out the link between 3 troubling trends: rising drop-out rates, schools’ dwindling stake in the arts, and ADHD. An important, timely talk for parents and teachers.

Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we’re educating our children. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence:

Elite Serviced Apartments has secured a partnership deal with market leader Deep Blue to add more than 500 properties to its UK portfolio.

Yarm-based Elite and Deep Blue Apartments is now offering luxury accommodation across the UK. The partnership follows rapid growth for Elite following the acquisition of serviced apartments in Yarm, Thornaby and Hartlepool Marina.

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 19

NEWS

NEWS

Charity challenge Law firm Sintons has chosen Down’s Syndrome North East as its charity for 2013.

Sintons will fundraise all year for the charity, which supports people of all ages with Down’s Syndrome and is run by parent volunteers.

The cause was nominated at Sintons by employee Donna Shiels, whose five-year-old son Daniel has Down’s Syndrome.

NEWS

Accountancy Awards 2013 The North East Accountancy Awards 2013 takes place in June, and nominations are invited until April 29.

Supported by the North East Chamber of Commerce, the event at The Hilton NewcastleGateshead June 13 will be hosted by BBC Look North presenter Carol Malia.

Sponsoring the event for the 7th year running is Nigel Wright Recruitment and NECC is sponsoring the Accounting and Finance Employer of the Year award.

The awards’ official charity this year is the Sunshine Fund. For further information, go to www. accountancyawards.co.uk

Eco AD Ltd MD David Porter

Flushed with success hygienic than the traditional option.

Not wishing to bring down the tone of Eco Ad Ltd is the only company in this esteemed publication, we have news the UK with the rights to supply from the world of washrooms. pubs, universities, businesses Kent Union at the University and sports centres with these of Kent, in Canterbury, is one “The units Falcon porcelain urinals, of the first in the country could save the which also incorporate a to replace the traditional university urinals in its washrooms 960,000 litres of panel which can be sold as advertising space. with a new, waterless variety water a year” “We will sell the advertising supplied by Stockton-based space to local and national Eco Ad. advertisers and will then pay a The 16 waterless units could percentage of the revenue back to the save the university 960,000 litres of water a year, cutting its annual water bill by more university,” says Eco Ad MD David Porter.

“This will enable them to cover their than £3,000. investment in less than 24 months and The units’ recyclable cartridges prevent subsequently enjoy a 55% return on their uric acid build-up, which can cause investment year on year.” blocked pipes, and are five times more

New ‘rolls’ To mark National Apprenticeship Week, SCA, which makes Velvet toilet tissue at Prudhoe, Northumberland, announced it is recruiting ten new apprentices in technical and process roles.

SCA has run a thriving apprenticeship programme since 2004, providing training to more than 80 apprentices in operational, technical or business support roles, with the vast majority now employed on site.

There are currently 30 youngsters aged 17-24 training at Prudhoe and the SCA scheme recently received recognition from Matt Hancock, minister for skills and apprenticeships, at the North East Apprenticeship Summit, where SCA apprentice Karl McLauchlan, 20, received an award.

20 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

Guy Opperman MP for Hexham, Ian Callender SCA, Karl McLauchlan SCA technical apprentice, Tony Lewis SCA and skills minister Matt Hancock

North East Business Awards 2013 All eyes are on the finals of the North East Business Awards 2013 on April 25.

Finalists include SMEs to the biggest names in the North East; all of them symbols of the entrepreneurial drive, innovation, financial acumen and ambition that characterises the region.

The awards are organised by The Journal and Evening Gazette in association with the North East Chamber of Commerce and the winners will be announced at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield on April 25, following three regional dinners for Durham and Wearside, Teesside, and Tyneside and Northumberland.

Judges have once again had a difficult task to select the best from hundreds of entries.

To book a table at the North East Business Awards contact Sue Coulson, tel 0191 201 6072 or sue.coulson@ncjmedia.co.uk

Finalists

Company of the Year, sponsored by Sunderland City Council • Port of Tyne • Derwentside Homes • Double Eleven Ltd Export Award, sponsored

by UKTI • SSI UK • Eutechnyx • Velocity Heart of the Community Award, sponsored by Yorkshire Bank • Muckle LLP • Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation • Derwentside Homes Innovation Award, sponsored by Newcastle University Business School • QuestUAV Ltd • 4th Aspect • Durable Technologies Ltd

Corporate Responsibility & Environment, sponsored

by SCA • Quorum Business Park • Elddis Transport (Consett) Ltd • J&B Recycling Ltd Manufacturing Award, sponsored by Business Durham • Express Engineering (Thompson) Ltd • NIFCO UK • ALM Engineering Solutions Newcomer of the Year Award, sponsored by Virgin Money • QuestUAV Ltd • Nortech Solutions • wherethetradebuys.co.uk Internet and ICT Award, sponsored by Accenture • Route Monkey Ltd • 4th aspect • Visualsoft eCommerce Services Award, sponsored

by BENE • Odyssey Systems Ltd • Close House Hotel & Golf • Station Taxis (Sunderland) Ltd Small Business Award sponsored by Staybridge Suites • Fifteen Digital • Design Xpress • Aspire Technology Solutions Best Creative Company, sponsored by DigitalCity Business • Atomhawk Design Ltd • DDCA • Better Brand Agency Ltd • Pots and Pancakes Not-for-profit Organisation of the Year, sponsored by Gentoo • Groundwork North East • Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation • North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) Ltd

Is your confidential information in safe hands?

When you dispose of confidential data/documents, who do you trust?

The bin men?

Your waste collection company?

DON’T! Trust the region’s leading specialists in secure data destruction.

Call us now for your free, no obligation consultation

www.riverdalepaper.plc.uk

Tel: 0191 482 42 71 Earlsway, Team Valley Trading Estate

Partners in & Wear NE11 0RQ Gateshead, Tyne Fax: 0191 482 Processing 4214 Chemical

E-mail: info@riverdalepaper.plc.uk

Partners in Chemical Processing Exwold is a contract chemical processing company based in the UK. We have decades of experience in formulating and processing biocides & water treatment products as well as working in many other market sectors such as plastics, surface coating, flame retardants and crop protection.

Processing Type We specialise in the granulation of solids by technologies including low pressure extrusion, compaction and coating.

We offer extensive powder blending capability and size reduction of solids by crushing, milling and micronizing.

Through partnership, we look to add value to your chemical manufacturing process and by converting your powder products into granules will provide you with a wide range of attractive benefits, including: •improved flow characteristics •improved yields •reduced dust explosion

•uniform particle size •controlled particle hardness •slow release of active ingredients such as biocides

Exwold Technology Limited, PO Box 270, Brenda Road, Hartlepool TS25 2BW UK T: +44 (0) 1429 230340 F: +44 (0) 1429 232996 E: enquiries@exwold.com www.exwold.com

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 21

Thank You

For your recent membership renewals. Particular thanks to members supporting NECC for over 15 years 70+ YEARS! Gazette Media Company Limited Tomlinson Hall & Co Ltd Sulzer Dowding & Mills (UK) Ltd 60-69 YEARS

88 83 71

P C Richardson & Co Ltd 66 Newsquest (North East) Ltd 64 Baker Tilly 63 Chemplas Limited 63 Compressor Services International Ltd 63 Deloitte 63 digitalab 63 E J Melling Ltd 63 Fairhurst 63 Faulknerbrowns 63 Hogg Engineering Ltd 63 HSBC 63 Intu Eldon Square Ltd 63 Metal Spinners Group Ltd 63 Michell Bearings 63 Modrec International Limited 63 ncjMedia Ltd 63 Newcastle Building Society 63 Newcastle Racecourse 63 Potts Print (UK) Ltd 63 PricewaterhouseCoopers 63 R & J Ince Limited 63 R N J Partnership LLP 63 Sanderson Weatherall 63 Seen & Heard Ltd 63 Todd & Cue Ltd 63 Watson Burton LLP 63 Bureau Of Analysed Samples Ltd 60 40-49 YEARS DHL Global Forwarding (UK) Limited Seal Sands Storage Ltd Mersen UK Teesside Ltd Mech-Tool Engineering Ltd 35-39 YEARS

47 43 42 40

Ransome Sporting Goods 34 A E Robb & Associates 33 Barrier Ltd 33 British Engines (UK) Ltd 33 Crabtree Of Gateshead Ltd 33 Crossling Ltd 33 DSV Air & Sea Ltd 33 Fenwick Ltd 33 Flowserve Pumps Newcastle a Division of Flowserve (GB) Ltd 33 Hardy & Greys Ltd 33 Harlow Printing Ltd 33 IG Group (Innerglass Ltd) 33 Immunodiagnostic Systems 33 International Paint Ltd 33 Jim Hastings Limited 33 Kavli Ltd 33 Knowledge IT 33 Linear 33 Lloyds Bank Corporate Mkts 33 Mandata Limited 33 Marsh Ltd 33 Megator Limited 33

Messer Cutting Systems 33 OpSec Security Limited 33 Palintest Ltd 33 Ronan Engineering Ltd 33 Rubb Buildings Ltd 33 Ryecroft Glenton 33 Simco (Engineers) Ltd 33 Slaters Electricals Limited 33 Smithers-Oasis UK Ltd 33 Statebourne Cryogenics Ltd 33 Storeys Edward Symmons 33 Summers-Inman Construction & Property Consultants 33 Tenon 33 Thomas Owen & Sons (Newcastle) Ltd 33 Thomas Swan & Co Ltd 33 Tioxide Europe Ltd - UK 33 Tor Coatings Limited 33 Vic Young (South Shields) Ltd 33 MRB Schumag Ltd 31 Hay & Kilner 30 Kuehne & Nagel Ltd 30 Lawson Fuses Limited 30 Sunderland College 30 University of Sunderland 30 Urquhart Dykes & Lord LLP 30 30-34 YEARS Flowserve Pumps Newcastle a Division of Flowserve (GB) Ltd Devereux Developments Ltd Greggs plc Helena Biosciences Ineos Newton Aycliffe Ltd 25-29 YEARS

33 32 32 32 30

SCSN Consulting LLP 29 Holiday Inn Washington 29 NRG 29 The Electrak Zucchini Division of Legrand Electric Limited 29 Baker Mallett 28 Autoclock Systems Ltd 27 Canford Group plc 27 Jebb Metals (Newcastle) Ltd 27 Muckle LLP 27 Walker Filtration Ltd 27 AMH Workspace Ltd 26 Data Supplies (Stationery) Ltd 26 Elfab Limited 26 Ferschl Hose & Hydraulics Ltd 26 Haines Watts Chartered Accountants 26 Lease-A-Leaf Limited 26 Lowrie Foods Limited 26 Persuasion PR 26 Rider Hunt 26 Silver & Charlton Sunderland 26 Snowball Worthy Lowe 26 TTR Barnes 26 Croner 25 Eldon Associates Limited 25 Elliott Associates 25 Grundfos Manufacturing Ltd 25 International House Language Training 25 Lowries Wholesale 25

Lycetts 25 Metro Radio Ltd 25 Nissan Motor Mfg (UK) Ltd 25 North East Vending 25 PNE Group 25 R W Security Services 25 Sotech Limited 25 Stagecoach North East 25 The Mailing House 25 Visage Imports Ltd 25 20-24 YEARS Atkinson Print Ltd 24 Cory Brothers Shipping Agency Limited 24 GE Infrastructure Oil & Gas Pll Pipeline Solutions 24 Pentair Thermal Management UK Limited 24 Port Of Blyth 24 SCS Plc 24 C C Jensen Ltd 23 Elizabeths Embroidery 23 Grant Thornton UK LLP 23 Manpower UK Ltd 23 RTC North Ltd 23 Straughans Limited 23 Draeger Safety UK Limited 22 Hodgson Engineering Ltd 22 Parker Hannifin Manufacturing Ltd 22 Smith & Graham (Solicitors) 22 John N Dunn Group Limited 21 Penn Elcom Ltd 21 Arc International Cookware Ltd 20 Norseman Travel Ltd 20 Quicksilver 20 15-19 YEARS Bell Truck and Van Furniture World (NE) Ltd Genesis APS International Limited Cleveland Potash Ltd Hexham Courant Multichem Limited The Fin Machine Company Ltd Alphagraphics North East Dane Group plc Johnson Matthey Catalysts NMC - Copley Northumberland County Council Pipe Equipment Specialists Ltd RBG Ltd- Stork Technical Services Renolit Cramlington Ltd Taylormade Timber Products Ltd UK Land Estates Ltd Waterstons Limited Woodland Global Ltd ABFAD Limited Ableclean Ltd Butterwick Hospice Haskel Europe Ltd Heating Components & Equipment Limited Nala Engineers Ltd ReadyPay Ltd t/a Phoenix Taxis (NE) Ltd Sherwoods Group Waltons Clark Whitehill LLP

The above includes members that have supported NECC for over 15 years and renewed their membership during January 2013. We would like to thank all of our members for their continued support.

22 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

19 19 19 18 18 18 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 16 16 16 16 16 16 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

Double take

DOUBLE TAKE How do we get more women on the boards of North East companies? The EU says compulsory quotas may be the answer and wants 40% of non-executive directors to be female by 2020. The subject was highlighted at the recent NECC Business is Good for Equality event at Lumley Castle in Co Durham.

We ask two businesswomen if they believe quotas are the way forward

FORi

AGAINST

Sharon Langridge Nickie Gott

Owner, Sharon Langridge Employment Lawyers, Newcastle

“It’s an interesting thing; I’d never been a fan of the idea of quotas. But I realised that we will never get anywhere in any meaningful period of time if we wait for it to happen gradually.

“I have to thank Jane Hogan (chief executive, TasteCLUB formerly Taste North East) for my change of attitude in the last few months.

“The fear that the quality standard will be diverted is misplaced. There is no quality standard for men going on to boards.There are lot of good men but there are also many mediocre men on boards.

“In practice, people are not going to find that mediocre women are applying to be on boards.

“I’ve not been vehemently opposed to the idea of quotas. I’d not thought that deeply about it.

“But I am an employment lawyer; if we had waited for employers to introduce maternity pay or family-friendly policies, we’d be waiting a very long time.

“There are times when the Government has to step in and give a nudge in the right direction, and sometimes, a big nudge.

“If the occasional woman is put forward and may not be very good, we have to remember it’s for the greater good.”

Owner, She’s Gott It! event management, Chester-le-Street

“It’s not that I don’t think it’s a good idea, but I do think quotas can devalue a person’s role on a board. As long as they’re there by merit, that’s fine, but if it’s a case of making up numbers...

“It depends on the mindset and the ethos of the company. A lot more company directors and boards these days are good at recognising different abilities that women can bring to the table.

“Diversity has a positive impact on a board, and as long as companies are forward thinking, that’s great.

“Historically, certain types of company, perhaps in the manufacturing and engineering sectors, weren’t so foward thinking, but women are now coming forward in those skill sets.

“I also think it’s very difficult when you are a woman and you’re told you need to get more women on the board. It devalues it, and makes you think ‘is it worth it?’ and that may put people off.

“The issue of quotas is great for raising awareness of the fact that we need to encourage more women of high level. But we have to do it through very positive case studies. That is a huge responsibility on female entrepreneurs in our region.

“Women are not good at blowing their own trumpet. We need to encourage more people to say ‘look at what we have done, you can do it, too’.”

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 23

Skills

Safe future

World Class Safety in Stockton has helped 10 formerly unemployed people into work after giving them free training.

The Stockton-based health and safety training business supplied training and refresher courses and put the men in touch with national asbestos removal companies.

All ten have now secured work and the successful candidates will pay for the training they’ve received once their work begins and certificates are issued.

Sound foundations More than 400 Middlesbrough College students are benefiting from an employability scheme run by Esh Group in partnership with Keiro and Erimus Housing.

The five-month scheme is aimed at students in courses relating to health and wellbeing, hair and beauty, hospitality, sport and recreation and the built environment.

The students will attend workshops and complete ‘checkpoints’ such as managing their digital identity, compiling a CV and a mock interview.

Siemens boss backs ‘fellow’ apprentices “As a result, by the time many of my It’s good to remember from time to time school contemporaries were leaving where you came from, and Siemens’ service university, I was in my first management director, Des Young, is urging businesses position and had travelled the world with the to support youngsters follow him down the company’s sales and tendering department. apprenticeship route.

“Becoming an apprentice doesn’t Young, who is based at Siemens, mean shutting the door on Hebburn, left school at 16 and qualifications, either. When my credits his career success to “APPRENTICES apprenticeship was over I was the on-the-job training and BRING A new able to study for a management experience he gained during his dynamic to a degree and I went on to get the apprenticeship at engineering company” law degree I’d always wanted.” firm Reyrolle.

Siemens expects to recruit For National Apprenticeship around 100 apprentices in the UK Week in March, he urged businesses this year - a third of those in the North to do their bit for apprentices.

East. “Apprentices bring a new dynamic to a “When I was 16 we weren’t exactly rolling company,” says Young. “They ask questions in money and, although I considered staying and bring a new perspective and we also find at school with a view to eventually reading them to be very loyal and dedicated. They law, I was keen to get out into the world are without a doubt one of our company’s and get a job,” he says, “so I looked for biggest assets.” an apprenticeship.

24 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

Jobs secured

Matt Boyle, president and chief executive officer of Sevcon, Northumbria University computing student Danielle Walsh, Gerhard Fehringer, enterprise director (computing and business information systems)

Engineering a future Electric vehicle component maker Sevcon has pledged £25,000 in tuition fees to a Northumbria University student who also gets a guaranteed job on graduation.

Gateshead-based Sevcon has recruited Northumbria University computing student Danielle Walsh to its student bursary scheme.

It will pay her annual £8,500 tuition fees and after graduation she will take up a

software engineering post at Sevcon’s base in Gateshead.

Sevcon is preparing to fund another six students at Newcastle and Northumbria universities - representing an outlay of over £200,000 – in a bid to beat the shortage of skilled engineers in the region. Danielle, 20, is currently in the second year of BSc (Hons) Ethical Hacking for Computer Security at Northumbria University.

Sevcon president and CEO

Matt Boyle says: “We are constantly pushing at the boundaries of technological innovation and need a supply of high-quality engineers to remain at the forefront of our industry.

It’s a struggle to get quality people so we decided to grow our own.”

In additon to operating out of Gateshead, Sevcon is listed on the Nasdaq stock market and has factories in China, Mexico and Poland.

PD Ports has announced the creation of 13 fulltime permanent positions for Teesport-based apprentices.

The new dock operations roles start at the end of April, after the existing apprenticeship programme is completed.

The programme has covered more than 18 months of training and is on track to achieve a 100% success rate, with all 13 apprentices achieving an NVQ Level 2 in Dock Operations.

Working in partnership with the Redcar Development Trust and the High Tide Foundation - a new charity aimed at raising aspirations and employment opportunities - PD Ports plans to develop more similar programmes during 2013.

Smiles ahead North East dental nurses recorded the best results in the country in the latest round of training exams.

The North East Chamber of Commerce-led programme saw a pass rate of 97% compared to a national average of 75%.

NECC, one of the region’s largest independent training providers, has provided dental training programmes for 20 years and currently has more than 180 nurses studying for the Advanced Apprenticeship Diploma in Dental Nursing The 18-month qualification, recognised by the General Dental Council (GDC), is required to register as a dental

nurse. NECC professional skills assistant manager Dawn Longmore says: “This year’s apprentices are exceptional. It is fantastic to see so many motivated young people working hard to achieve their goals. More businesses are recognising the value of apprenticeships.”

N&N Dental Group has used NECC apprentices for 10 years.

Group manager Linda Lacey says: “NECC has provided exceptional service for years and continues to meet the needs of employers. We need a skilled workforce both now and in the future and advanced apprenticeships are a first class way of achieving this.”

No drain on resources HCS Drain Services Ltd, a division the Owen Pugh Group, has invested more than £800,000 in new equipment.

HCS, of Stockton, has purchased CCTV equipment to survey drains and sewers to serve new business from local authorities including Middlesbrough Council, South Tyneside Council and Durham County Council.

The business has also taken on 12 new engineers in the last year, taking numbers to 36.

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 25

INTERVIEW

City slicker

Jane Pikett meets Sean Bullick, the man at the head of the organisation which brought us the Quayside beach, city bikes, the Monument movie screen and more

H

Bullick’s background is in law, in ow I have managed never culture, and in France, while NE1’s to venture inside Milburn cheery ops director, Adrian Waddell, House before now landed here after 25 years in the Army truly a historic gem of followed by a fine art degree.

Newcastle - is a mystery During its five years, the company and a loss to me. has focused on making Newcastle A superb example of Edwardian modern, cosmopolitan and worthy of architecture, the magnificent interior is its regional capital status; encouraging a feast of nautically inspired stairways more people to live, work and do and grand corridors, acres of timber, business here. bevelled glass, Arts and Crafts panels, Many NE1 projects raise a smile, and Art Nouveau tiling. but they also meet the very It’s easy to imagine serious aim of making the place populated by “there is a Newcastle compete with Edwardian businessmen; other dynamic UK and less easy to imagine it quirkiness European cities. the home of dynamic about us and NE1 has never been businesses more this place about having a lot of usually clothed in reflects that” money to spend (its acres of chrome and business levy raises just architectural glass. £2m a year) but it is proficient How pleasing, then to find at facilitating development, at the rather dynamic NE1 here. The boosting the city as a destination, and juxtaposition is not lost on chief exec at raising cash.

Sean Bullick. “We do think of ourselves “Over the five years we have raised as dynamic, but there is a quirkiness about £10m from the business levy about us, and this place reflects that.” and brought in about £20m from NE1, which manages the Newcastle other sources,” says Bullick, “but the Business Improvement District (BID), attraction has always been in NE1 as a has made a name for quirky initiatives business lobby exerting influence and like the Quayside’s pop-up beach momentum in projects designed to (back this summer), the Monument deliver value for business.” big screen (ditto), pocket parks and Established in 2009 following a plans for slides at St James’s Park ballot among businesses, there will to ‘accelerate’ pedestrians’ journeys be another ballot in October to decide (why use the stairs when you can whiz if the BID remains in place after April down a slide, after all?).

2014. Whatever the outcome, there The NE1 team is also pretty quirky.

26 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

❝

Alive after Five, in terms of budget, has cost us very little, but in terms of impact it is great

will be few who haven’t noticed NE1’s many and various activities.

“Alive after Five (the campaign, which includes free parking, to populate the city with shoppers, diners and families in the once-dead zone of 5pm-8pm) is unique in the world as far as I know in terms of a co-ordinated campaign,” says Bullick.

“It has cost NE1 a significant chunk in terms of hundreds of thousands, but the first two years alone brought £157m in revenue. In terms of our budget, it has cost very little, but in terms of impact it is great, and that is what we are all about.”

A student at Newcastle’s University and thereafter its then-Poly in the 1980s, Bullick left the city to become a lawyer in London before moving to the National Museums Directors’ Conference, which represents the 29 national collections in the UK, to address such legal quandaries as how to go about repatriating art plundered by the Nazis which was hanging in the National Gallery.

Thereafter, he held a similar role in France before he, his wife Bridget, whom he met at university, and their two children returned to the city in 2007 to prepare for the BID. “It was a challenge, coming to a city where you know nobody to establish the biggest BID in the world with 900 businesses involved,” he says. “But they were impressed by the idea that business could act in its own interests and, with a very small amount of money, have a great deal of influence.”

The relatively small pot of cash at NE1’s disposal is seen here less as a challenge than an opportunity. So, the forthcoming upgrade to Newcastle Central Station will cost NE1 £500,000 against a project budget of some £15m-£20m, which includes money from the Regional Growth Fund, applied for and won by NE1, plus investment APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 27

❝

INTERVIEW from the city council and Network Rail. “And none of it would be happening if we hadn’t got the different bodies together,” says Bullick.

As the City Council slashes its arts budget, NE1 is working with arts organisations to support development. “We don’t have money to throw about, but we are promoting Newcastle as a city with a rounded offer and making a case behind the scenes in relation to the value of those organisations and the need to invest in them.”

The city has changed significantly in the last five years. “The shops are open, the city is busy, lively and vibrant,” says Bullick.

“Historically, people would go to work, go home for tea, come back and drink too much. I think we have proved with Alive after Five that our city culture has changed.”

The new Quayside Marina has brought boats back to the river, and there are hopes of adding pavement cafes to the riverside strip. There is also a busy programme of events to come, including NE1’s third Newcastle Fashion Week in May. During the unsuccessful Capital of Culture bid, there was a focus on quite highbrow art, but NE1 is more populist in its focus. Thus, 2013 sees the arrival of the Urban Games, which will bring BMX racing, competitive skateboarding and the like to city centre streets.

“It’s exciting, it’s different, it’s a lot of fun. These events are about creating a sense of Newcastle’s identity,” says Bullick.

The NE1 team considers itself to be a calculated risk taker. “We’re keen as an exec team to challenge and bring in new things and we’ve proved that we have the ability to deliver things that might be considered risky.

“Newcastle is a regional

NE1 Success

capital and we should be thinking about how it sits alongside Manchester, London, Lyon, Hamburg, Turin; cities of significance geographically and economically.

“We won’t copycat other cities and lose our identity, but we do look at the marks of a modern European city, such as great gateways, interesting, fun events, riverside cafes and marina, bike hire, Wifi; the marks of modern European cities drive our thinking.”

Grassroots work goes on daily, such as at the new YMCA-run Space 2, where 13-18-year-olds can go, 4pm8pm daily, to socialise and pick

28 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

up employability skills.

If there is a positive vote in October, NE1 is moving into some major strategic projects.

“Northumberland Street, Percy Street and the Bigg Market are in need of investment, the regeneration of east Pilgrim Street has been delayed and delayed, likewise Science Central; our challenge is to help catalyse these projects, seek funding, and make a difference in big projects like Central Station.”

Every business in the city centre with a rateable value of over £20,000 pays a levy, and it depends on the sector in which they operate how they measure that return, whether it’s in till receipts, attracting overseas students, or in the case of the RVI, creating facilities for visiting patients and families.

Success is measured in numbers, with the assistance of university economists and consumer research. There is much facilitating, bringing together multiple bodies in delivering projects. So what’s the secret of persuasion? “The belief in our ideas and raison d’etre, and our record now of success. People no longer tend to ask ‘who?’ when we call.”

Newcastle NE1 is an independent limited company which manages the Newcastle Business Improvement District (BID); a business-led initiative to champion Newcastle city centre and increase its competitiveness.

Since its launch in April 2009, NE1 Ltd has brought more than £20m in revenue from grants to the local economy. £19m of this was unlocked by NE1 for the regeneration of Newcastle Central Station. This amount does not include the income generated by NE1 initiatives like:

 Alive after Five additional £157m boost to the local economy; more than 2m extra visitors to Eldon Square after 5pm  Newcastle Restaurant Week - the value of voucher redemptions at participating restaurants has grown from £48,000 in January 2011 to £152,780 in January 2012  NE1’s Newcastle Fashion Week - In 2012 this created a 33% increase in footfall for participating businesses and 52% increase in sales; the 3rd NE1 NFW takes place in May 2013  Pocket Park Programme / Quayside Seaside / Monument Movies – all increase dwell time and spend in Newcastle city centre  NE1’s Newcastle City Marina – more than 500 vessels visited last year in its first yachting season

NOW

hurr y lim OPEN ited o TO VI EW, O ffer!

PENS 8 APR IL

Only £10.99 a month!

› No contract › Free parking newcastle east

Join online now thegymgroup.com Offer can be withdrawn without notice. Membership rate is guaranteed for life if membership is maintained without a break. Terms & Conditions apply. Parking Terms & Conditions apply. £20.00 joining fee may apply.

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 29

Success

Blazing a trail Who hasn’t dreamt of being a firefighter?

We despatch our own action hero (aka Fireman Sam) Mike Linstead to try fire safety training for himself

A

nswering a call from a colleague offering me a place on a firetraining day at Durham Tees Valley Airport doesn’t normally happen in my line of work, but when the call comes, all I hear is Kurt Russell’s classic line from the 1991 movie classic Backdraft, “You go, we go”.

In reality, however, it’s more a case of, “I can’t go, any chance you can?” - and when the realisation dawns that I’m going to be spending the day up close and personal with blazing Boeing 747s, kitted out in full fire-fighting gear not unlike that sported by the men in Backdraft (the highest-grossing film ever made about firefighters, so it must be good), it’s an easy decision.

Fast-forward seven days and I’m heading down the A1 in fog dense as smoke, looking forward to finding out what goes on in practice at the International Fire Training Centre (IFTC) in Darlington.

Located in the region since 1981 and acquired by Serco Group in 1996, the centre provides world-leading fire safety training for the aviation, industrial, offshore and marine sectors. The largest centre of its

kind outside the US, it attracts business from across the globe, including Canada, the US, Poland, France, Nigeria and the Middle East, and its instructors help to hone the skills required to combat serious blazes in all manner of environments.

This is serious stuff, evidenced by the fact that on arrival, everyone is drilled with a precise itinerary of the day’s events before sitting down to an introductory briefing from business operations manager Gary Watson.

This place has a string of professional affiliations to its name, including being the only facility of its type in the world to be accredited by a foreign Civil Aviation Authority and the French Direction Générale de L’aviation Civile (DGAC), and first on the itinerary is a classroom demonstration of something called the ‘Aquarium’.

Watching this thing being filled with something our instructor Andy helpfully terms ‘safe’ propane gas in an enclosed room does not exactly instil a sense of comfort, and when a fireball erupts and the crump of igniting gas sends a shockwave which rattles the

30 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

coffee cups and windows, the audience immediately grasps the seriousness nature of operations here.

A smiling Andy, who clearly loves every minute of his job, proceeds to run through a number of emergency scenarios, including how a backdraft can occur, with the air of a very enthusiastic mad scientist.

Thereafter, it’s on to the kit room with aviation coordinator Rick Wilson to suit up and prepare to hit the fire ground.

With an air that is more Fireman Sam than Kurt Russell, I board a vehicle to be convoyed across the foggy airfield to the training ground.

With 85 bedrooms, the centre can cater for a sizeable number of delegates and it’s not uncommon to have as many as 120 people on the fire ground at any one time.

We’re joining and observing two crews from Poland and Germany. With the fog affecting visibility on the airfield, propane gas is used for the scenarios until air traffic control can approve the use of some of the more familiar aviation fuels.

We queue behind the Polish firefighters preparing to tackle something that resembles a huge, flaming billboard. A rush

Helping the world’s firefighters prepare for disaster of 350C air suddenly cuts through the chill.

After acclimatising to the roaring noise and searing heat, we can observe how the instructors expertly direct the two teams of firefighters, efficiently spanning the language barrier to create a well-oiled machine in complete control of the situation.

“Many of our delegates from overseas have a number of years’ experience but are not at the level that is demanded of us in the UK,” says Rick. “They are normally with us for around a week and it’s our job to instil the techniques and skills to help them to work together to tackle a situation.” The IFTC is geared

massive A380, we can only to deal with any manner of watch as a German crew scenarios and our tour reveals tackles an engine fire. Even at a numerous scorched vehicle considerable distance, the heat carcasses, from downed is searing, but the German crew helicopters to the shell of a remains calmly efficient Tornado bomber. under the instruction As the fog clears, of their tutors.

Rick announces “Even at a With 100,000 that we have the litres of foam green light to considerable water consumed use aviation distance, the on site each day, kerosene. heat is environmental Burning at a far searing” impact could be higher an issue, but thanks temperature and to 16 reed beds, the creating a thick black water and foam is treated and smoke, this we are told, will returned to the system ensuring provide a more ‘authentic’ the site currently recycles 96% experience. of its materials. On to more Having been led alongside emergency scenarios, and we the ominous figure of a

are taken inside a replica of a Boeing 747 nose to find out about cabin fires. Having burning aviation kerosene crawling across the roof directly above our heads, emitting temperatures in excess of 900C, certainly concentrates the mind, and more scenarios follow, including yours truly valiantly battling a relatively meagre blaze with a hand-held extinguisher.

The centre has ambitions to expand its reach across the globe and the recent recruitment of a team of sales and marketing specialists will help carry its reputation further afield. The future looks bright.

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 31

Profile

Building on history

Owen McAteer discovers a new kind of contemporary take on history at Darlington’s Lingfield Point

I

f things had gone to plan, John Orchard would have been tending sick animals rather than restoring the fortunes of a factory site close to the hearts of many in Darlington.

Generations of townsfolk worked at Lingfield Point, first at the Paton and Baldwin’s wool factory and then at the Rothmans cigarette plant.

Now Orchard’s company, Marchday, is transforming the 32-hectare site into a lowcarbon integrated community where people will live within walking distance of their workplace, their children’s school, parkland, sports pitches and shops.

Lingfield Point is not your standard business park.

Here, existing buildings are being given a facelift, urban art features prominently, honey bees are kept on site, and power will eventually be supplied entirely by sustainable means.

The total number of employees on site is 2,500, working at Amec, the Student Loans Company, Capita, Four Seasons Healthcare, and 50 other businesses.

In February, Taylor Wimpey started building the first new homes on the site since 1951, when wool plant workers lived there, and Orchard talks passionately about the heritage of the site, where buildings’ original features are retained, with twists afforded by his interior designer’s eye.

32 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

He’s become well known in Darlington and his own unusual story reflects the changing nature of the developments he works on.

His father died the year he was born and his mother brought the young John, his twin brother and their sister up on a widow’s pension in Pembrokeshire.

He enjoyed a lovely childhood, he says, but he didn’t want to struggle for money as his mother had, and this has driven a determination to succeed. “I grew up with the James Herriott stories and I always wanted to be a vet, driving around the Yorkshire Dales. I wrote to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and they told me to get back

in touch when I had three As at A level. But I went on and I flunked my A levels, having got into girls and nightclubs, and I had no passion for anything at all. I was in the wilderness, but a family friend was in interior design and he was a wonderful careers adviser, so at the age of 17 I decided that’s what I’d do.”

He hadn’t considered himself in any way creative, even though his grandfather, a builder, had been a good artist in his spare time, and his aunt was a reasonably successful fashion designer, but two days in the friend’s studio cemented his decision and he hasn’t looked back.

There was some early travelling, and then, fresh out

We have gone down a different road...and been bolder

of art college, he became an art teacher and assistant games teacher. “If you can stand up in front of a class of 13-year-olds there are not many jobs in life you can’t do,” he says. By the mid-80s he was living in London, working in interior design, and one of his clients was a company called Marchday. The firm needed someone to project manage the development side of the business, and at the age of 24, he was offered the job out of the blue.

“It was the time when you had celebrity designers and design programmes on TV and people started appreciating good design for the first time. Moving from design to commercial property wasn’t

something I would have imagined doing, but these guys obviously saw something in me worth taking a punt on.

“That was 1989 and we were just about to go into a massive recession, but it was through the creativity of the people at Marchday that we always found something to do. Following that recession things changed relatively quickly, and we got into all sorts of entertaining things.”

The foundations for Lingfield Point and Marchday’s change in direction from simply a commercial property firm were actually laid in a similar project nearby.

When Marchday bought Lingfield Point in 1997 it also bought Corporation House,

a typical 1970s office block and at 19 storeys the tallest building in Middlesbrough.

It was this development which first made Marchday’s name for taking a building and changing people’s perceptions.

“The building in Middlesbrough, we renamed Centre North East. We wanted to give people a reason to re-discover the building, so we displayed art there, lit it externally and put it on the map. You could see it from everywhere in the area and it became a barometer for the regeneration of Middlesbrough. We learnt a lot in terms of what is broadly called regeneration. We stopped calling our customers tenants and instead called

them customers.” Marchday, he says, realised early the value of the heritage of Lingfield Point. “People’s grandparents had worked here, and the fact it was already here rather than a field was a great advantage in taking us in a particular direction.

“Most business parks are driven on build cost. Here, we don’t have any choice but to be different so we had to make that into a virtue. We have gone down a completely different road and every little success we have had has allowed us to be a bit bolder with the vision. Our customers are here because they like the lifestyle and feel of the place, and that’s exactly what we have set out to achieve.”

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 33

profile

❝

Suddenly the wax jacket became de rigeur among style icons like Kate Moss and Alexa Chung

❝

34 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

Waxing lyrical I

Jane Pikett meets Helen Humphrey, vice chairman of Barbour, to talk jackets, jumpers and James Bond

n the latest James Bond film, Skyfall, 007 cuts a dash in a Barbour as he scampers around the Scottish Highlands defending M from the baddies.

Not surprisingly, there’s been a run on the jacket, sales of which have soared into the many thousands rather than the hundreds Barbour predicted pre-Bond, and the item is now in very short supply.

Amazingly, when you consider how highly prized this type of product placement is in Hollywood, Barbour did not seek the association.

Rather, Bond came to them.

“It sounds crazy, but they just came along and bought 24 jackets from us; we didn’t go to them or do any sort of deal for product placement,” says Helen Humphrey (nee Barbour), vice chairman of the company. “They put the jacket in the film and all hell broke loose. We’ve sold thousands.”

It’s a great association, building on the image Barbour stumbled upon in the 1990s, when the cool crowd started wearing it.

Until then the preserve of country folk and Sloanes, suddenly the wax jacket became de rigeur among style icons like Kate Moss and Alexa Chung. The brand has never looked back, but as Humphrey is the first to admit, it was one heck of a lucky break.

“We never made a decision to go down the fashion route, it just happened to us and we responded to demand,” she says.

“When people like Kate Moss and the Arctic Monkeys were wearing them, we did see the opportunity, but we hadn’t gone and looked for it.

We were never going to go out and say, ‘right, let’s target mods’ and send jackets to Paul Weller. Things happen and we’ve reacted.”

Barbour is that rare thing – a national treasure beloved of the uber-traditional to the uber-hip, from the Duke of Edinburgh to Damon Albarn. Heritage is at its heart, and Barbour is vintage cool. It’s never gone out and aggressively sought new markets, but it hasn’t looked its gift horses in the mouth, either, maximising the opportunities presented by the fashionistas and musicians who first began to embrace the brand 20 years ago.

While all its jackets are still based on the six original Barbour pattern blocks, the Barbour clothing range is now so extensive it is split into segments to help the consumer navigate it.

There is the Heritage range, the Lifestyle range, the Classic and the Sporting, which Humphrey was instrumental in developing.

There is Barbour International, with its famous Steve McQueen motorcycle jacket, Barbour Gold Label for women, children’s ranges and dog coats. Of particular significance recently are some highly successful collaborations. The Beacon Heritage collection, which includes the jacket sported by Bond, was developed by Barbour and Japanese designer Tokihito Yoshida inspired by Barbour’s sporting, motorcycling and

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 35

profile

military past. Barbour has also worked with designers Paul Smith, Alice Temperley, and Liberty of London, which has provided prints, some of them exclusively, for linings and trims on ladies’ jackets.

The brand carefully associates itself with people and organisations that represent a lifestyle appealing to Barbour’s target customers. Hence, the Household Cavalry polo team was consulted on the equestrian range, while crack-shot Lord James Percy is a brand ambassador and design consultant on the Sporting range (also worn, in the shape of the Dunmoor gilet, by Albert Finney in Skyfall).

It also holds royal warrants bestowed by the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles. People like them keep their Barbours for ever (the more battered the better, says the county set), and Barbour offers a repair service to patch and reinforce.

It also produces more than 100,000 jackets every year, thousands of them emerging from its factory at South Shields. Founded in 1894 by John

36 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

only made 500 of the jacket worn by Barbour, the brand is no longer just Bond and that’s up to 7,000 sales about the jacket. There are trousers, plus, but you can’t predict everything.” shirts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, polo Export is a consistently successful shirts, footwear, knitwear, hats, bags, area. Indeed, Humphrey’s mother accessories and more.

Dame Margaret Barbour won the As demand has grown, the company has responded. Humphrey’s Queen’s Award for Export in the 1980s. Its traditional international mother, Dame Margaret Barbour, markets of Italy, Spain, France appointed a board 15 years and Germany have now ago and since then the been joined by Dubai, exec team has “the barbour Japan and other maximised every brand is no emerging markets. opportunity. longer just “We are consistently The results speak exceeding our own for themselves; in the about the projections; it’s quite year to December 31 jacket” incredible,” says 2011, J Barbour & Sons Humphrey. “The posted pre-tax profit of collaborations – Tokihito, £11.8m, up from £8.2m in Temperley and the like – are fantastic, 2010, on sales of £121.6m, an and segmenting the brand into increase of 35% on 2010. sub-brands with their own identities “We don’t over expand or invest a has been very successful. We’re lot in stock, and everything is made to offering a complete wardrobe now, forward order,” says Humphrey. “We and our marketing is top-notch.” show the collection to the territory There are 15 Barbour shops managers and the agents who say internationally, and Humphrey will what will sell where and how many. launch another in Tokyo in August.

Generally, we get it right, though we

They are growing steadily, says Humphrey, because the company has recognised that Barbour can market its own products more effectively than anyone else. Having said that, in the North East the brand is well supported by John Lewis, Fenwick and a handful of independent boutiques, so there are no plans for a retail outlet here, apart from the factory shop, which is the highest grossing shop in the portfolio by quite some way.

Barbour will also launch its own e-commerce site at the end of August, providing its own longawaited dedicated online outlet.

While it appeals now to a multigenerational audience, heritage is at the heart of Barbour, and Humphrey feels the weight of responsibility of the family firm. “Of course, there is a huge responsibility and sense of expectation,” says Humphrey, whose mother took on the business after the sudden death of her father, John, in 1968, when he was just 29.

“Mum knew how proud Dad had

been of the business,” says Humphrey, who was almost two when her father died. “He was the fourth generation and had no siblings, so Mum took over out of love and obligation, and her working so hard when I was growing up was a great example for me. She’s also kept me down to earth. I’m so proud of her and what she has achieved.”

With 700-plus employed at South Shields, Dame Margaret set up the Barbour Academy over a year ago to tackle a shortage of skilled machinists and ensure that generations of the same families will continue to work there.

Humphrey, not surprisingly, owns a selection of Barbours, in which she walks her dogs – a chihuahua named Peanut and a pug named Pugsley (who are supplanted by arguably more appropriate gun dogs when Humphrey models the sporting range for the company).

“I like all my Barbour jackets for different reasons, and I have

designed my own dog-walking jacket called the Beagle with handy pockets, D rings to hang things on, two removable pockets you can wash out, and a whistle pocket.”

She has three children, and she’s not about to be driving them into the business. “I just want them to do what they want with their lives, as I have, and I certainly don’t want them to think that they have no choice in the matter, but if they do choose to work at Barbour, they will be more than welcome.”

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 37

export

Trade advisers sought G o Global North East, which delivers UKTI International Trade services to North East businesses, is seeking to recruit international training advisers in the region.

They will promote and facilitate Go Global North East services and support the international trade activities of SMEs in the region.

Go Global North East services include the provision of advice, market intelligence and financial support to companies new to exporting or addressing new export markets.

The role is crucial to the successful roll-out of UKTI’s international trade services, which themselves are central to the economic growth strategy of the country.

The advisers will work in a field-based team, will be required to have an extensive knowledge of international

trade, and will work closely with the senior management of client organisations.

In many cases, advisers will act as a consultant or sounding board for the development of export strategy, and will support the evolving action plan through the UKTI’s extensive support resources.

As the role develops, this involvement may extend to participation in International Trade missions, seminars and communication events that catalyse cross fertilisation of ideas and experiences within the business community of the region and, occasionally, at national level.

Interested parties should send a CV and letter of application, confirming current salary and benefits package, via email to pamela.robertson@necc.co.uk or by post to Pam Robertson, head of human resources, Go Global NE, c/o NECC, Aykley Heads Business Centre, Aykley Heads, Durham

38 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

So you think you can sell advertising?

cheers

NORTH EA ST Raise a glas s people and to pubs, news from your local

FREE

ISSUE 28

www.chee rsnortheas t.co.uk // March 2013

Hot news

PALATE HIG H

BLACK OIL CHOCOLATE AND MAKE SWEET MU SIC

CHANNEL VISION

PUBS THR EAT

Clos e

COAL PLAN CASTS A GIA NT SHADOW OV ER COMMUNITY

ch Autum n/Win ter

2012

hous e

Mag a zine

Autu mn

The pub scr een goes int eractive / wint er 2012

INN-SIDE

PUBS ! // NEW S

.uk titemag.co www.appe

Easter 2013

the o ff

icial // IDEAS // o Magaz OPINfIONc//l o ine NEWsPUB e Sh// o u OLD PUB s eS // BEER

FOR LUNCH

Scan this code with your smart phone to access the latest news on our websit e

// BEER FOR

TEA // BEER

Get closer

iSSUE 14

Ud UR TASTEB TiC KlE YO

FOR DINNER

// PUBS!

S...

it’s a beautiful year at close time of the house NECC: Making

APRIL - MAY 2013

APRIL - MAY

the Nor th East a succe ss

Easter feast ks Hens ‘n’ chic tips Asparagus Kitchen kit Steak frites All edible life is here...

2013

ouse. co.uk

house builders around Europe. Closer to home, the company supplied one of its energy-efficient Moderno flueless fires for the house used by the cast of reality TV series Geordie Shore.

Turnover is up by another 5%, adding to 70% year-on-year growth.

Since taking over the company in 2007, MD Andrew Munro (pictured) and FD Christine Mcloughlin have doubled manufacturing output at their Newton Aycliffe HQ, where they employ 17.

BYE BYE BLANKE BLANK TY

www.c loseh

Co Durham-based CVO Fire has brought in a number of new deals as its reach grows internationally.

Overseas, CVO has designed a bespoke flueless fire for the 5-star Palmeraie Golf Palace in Morocco and a range of fires and fireplaces for hotels and private apartments in Spain, Holland and Italy.

CVO Fire’s client list includes Marriott, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Banyan Tree and the Connaught Hotel, plus domestic customers and

BEER RES ORT

CZECHBEE RM ADVISES TAK AN ING A LOVER

necc.co.uk

What would you do wit ha £10k Budget windfall?

t.co.uk

horses for courseNsA

utiful peo ple, beautifu l

✱

parties NE 1 FOR MORE?

Newcastle’s BID to get noticed

EXPORT EXPERT

SpreadingISE word worldwthe ide

MAKIN DIFFEREG A

EngineerinNCE next generag the tion

R din nE R? UTH! An iMAl FO TH E HORSE’S MO serts UP TH iS e // just des l...FROM PROFILE U SE RVE // art on a plat wOUld YO U STEAK dE CH EVA n on the farm YO eye // dow wE giVE er Marco’s und hing her // lunc inside girl butc necc.co.uk

APP14.indb

1

GEORGE’S MARVELL MEDICINOUS E?

code Scan this mobile with your access device to news the latest on our website

- necontact.c o.uk

TION L TREASUA RE

12/03/2013

Or was it?

Budget verYour dict

12:51

Helen Hum phrey: The weight of your family expectatio business hap n when pens to be called Bar bour CON04 _Cover.indd

Scan this code with your mobile device to access the latest news on our website

1

27/03/2013

18:12

Offstone Publishing is a fast-growing magazine publisher looking for talented sales people to boost print and online platforms.

Going east NECC International Trade Committee chair Richard Swart extended NECC’s welcome in the Far East during a recent visit to Suzhou in China.

Meeting with Lu Yi Zhong, vice chairman of China Chamber of International Commerce, in the city of Suzhou to establish new relations with NECC, different

- necontac

INSIDE: golf star

lee Westwoo festive che d’s continui Gr andfs’ master clas ng love affai s Working r with clos it out with e house gift alan shearer bea

approaches to international trade development from each side’s perspective were discussed.

Suzhou, which is about 90 miles north-west of Shanghai, is a significant city in China in terms of GDP contribution and various other characteristics with 180 of the Fortune 500 companies located in the area.

Relevant experience in publishing is ideal, but applications from talented individuals from other sales disciplines are also welcome.

Telesales and field sales positions available.

Go here to find out more:

www.offstonepublishing.co.uk/careers Unit One, Bearl Farm Stocksfield Northumberland NE43 7AJ

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 39

Budget Verdict

A spoonful of sugar?

Leading executives offer Alastair Gilmour their verdict on George’s (not-so) marvellous Budget medicine

James Ramsbotham, chief executive, North East Chamber of Commerce.

There is much we need to dig into quite hard. He made it clear they want to keep inflation to the 2% target, but at the same time they don’t want interest rates to go up; traditionally, interest rates are put up to keep inflation down, so there’s a challenge.

There was a public sector unions strike today [Budget day] and with another announcement about pay restraint in the public sector I suspect that’s going to be exacerbated. I was pleased to see an emphasis on

investment in infrastructure, but there was no detail and there are North East projects that need to be looked at.

There was some detail around the Heseltine proposals. The Government said last year it supported 81 of Heseltine’s 89 proposals. A lot of that is about single-pot funding for the regions; giving more of the budget back to LEPs or other regional bodies.

We’ve probably done more than any other region in taking up the challenge over apprentices, but there is a huge amount still to do.

The rabbit in the hat was the shared equity mortgages and mortgage guarantees; a real attempt to get the housing market back on track and help the construction sector.

Fuel duty is important to

42 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

the North East as so many of our goods and services need to travel further. He mentioned two carbon capture and storage schemes and I hope one of those is the one we proposed for Tees Valley. He only mentioned shale gas, but we’ve got proposals here on coal gas to access huge coal deposits under the North Sea so I hope it applies to that as well.

He mentioned changing the climate change levy with particular reference to The Potteries, but I wish he had done it before to help businesses like Alcan. It’s a budget which superficially has a lot for business and we’re going to have to learn more about it before we can take advantage of it.

Ross Smith, Policy director, NECC Corporation Tax was cut further, increasing the attractiveness of the UK as a place to invest, and tax measures for business were bolstered, including R&D tax credits, allowances for investing in new firms, and in trading shares on growth markets.

Extra infrastructure investment was promised, but there were few specifics. Obviously, there is a great need in the region, and we hope to see some of that infrastructure investment go on priorities in the North East.

Fuel duty was frozen, which should have a bigger impact in this region due to the longer distances we need to cover to transport our goods to market. However, a longer term reform to ensure hauliers supporting North East manufacturers get a better deal is still needed.

There was also a tax break on employer National Insurance contributions, but the measure proposed will only have a real impact on the very smallest firms.

The Help to Buy scheme was probably the most eye-catching announcement of the day. If it gives some renewed confidence to house builders, it could provide much-needed investment in property and help the construction industry.

The local growth pot in response to the Heseltine Report gives an opportunity for radical new approaches to economic development in this region.

The challenge is for our Local Enterprise Partnerships to develop the best plans for the money when it becomes available.

Two measures on energy may prove significant for the North East. It is to be hoped that one of the carbon capture and storage schemes will be that proposed for Teesside.

And the new tax and planning regimes for shale gas could be extended to cover coal gas, which provides a huge potential opportunity for the North East. I suspect the planning challenges around this will be significant, though.

network. There was nothing else major that would affect our business.

Graham Payne, MD, Darchem Engineering, Stockton The first thing we were looking for was stability and potential growth and there is no question he delivered on that. We’ve got a development on corporation tax which, from an international perspective, will be important. The potential benefits through taxation and tax credits will be a muchneeded boost to business and to the housing market.

We’re seeing an extension to capital allowances which also have its benefits. As for Darchem, we have benefits through taxation on patents.

While there’s something for small businesses on national insurance, there’s no benefit for companies over a certain size. And whilst there’s a simplification on taxation there’s still quite a burden on environmental taxation.

Nigel Cook, MD, Elddis Transport, Consett The fact that the chancellor didn’t reduce the fuel duty but actually cancelled it is very important for us. We have 150 vehicles and 300 trailers with about 300 staff and keep as many of those as possible on the road at the one time.

I’m not sure about the £3bn infrastructure spend. I hope some of that comes to the North East, particularly for the A1 and the A69. Newcastle is the only major city not connected to a motorway

Jeff Alexander, Director, Surgo Construction, Newcastle I was expecting it to be much more negative.

There are opportunities for house building, but further investment into infrastructure wasn’t really explained. Rail is fine, but we’re not getting the high-speed link. Saying the creation of six private sector jobs for every one lost in the public sector – well, I can’t really see that.

There was nothing in it about investment in training.

Having said that, incentives for small businesses are to be welcomed.

David Elliott, Tax partner, KPMG, Newcastle The chancellor says he wants to position the UK as the most competitive place for businesses internationally to operate. That was drawn directly from a KMPG survey, so that was nice to hear. I think some of the measures in the Budget have been particularly helpful with regard to taxes, particularly the reduction in corporation tax rate. Plus, for businesses which get their income from EU patents, there’s new relief coming in. Also, loss-making businesses will be able to claim new relief.

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 43

Courses & events

Networking events NECC’s networking events allow you to meet new customers and suppliers and share business knowledge and interests with other NECC members. Wellchoreographed yet informal, it’s a great way to network.

To book, tel 0300 303 6322 email events@necc.co.uk www.necc.co.uk/events

The Hotel features banqueting and conference facilities totalling 5 meeting rooms with a combined floor space of 7266 sq. ft. The largest of these rooms being the Castles Suite with a maximum floor space of 2842 sq. ft. and a capacity of 300 theatre style. Air conditioned throughout it can also be readily sub-divided into three separate rooms each accommodating up to 80 guests. Two further meeting rooms; the Lowry and Boardroom are located on the first floor of the hotel, overlooking the sandy beaches at Seaburn. These rooms both have plenty of natural daylight and can accommodate up to 60 guests and 20 guests respectively for private dining.

The Hotel also features a cocktail bar, fine dining restaurant, private parking and superb leisure facilities.

What’s in it for You?

Sunderland Marriott, Sunderland, 11am-2pm, Thursday 11th April 2013

FREE

This free networking lunch event is for both NECC members and businesses looking to find out more. The event includes round table networking and will give you a taste of the benefits of belonging to NECC intertwined with plenty of opportunities to build new contacts.

There is also a mini expo where you can choose to exhibit and develop your networks further.

If you are not a member of NECC and would like to attend, please email events@necc.co.uk or contact 0300 303 6322.

If you are interested in taking an exhibition stand at a cost of £50 please email events@necc.co.uk. Space is limited.

Sponsored by The Marriott, Sunderland: Sunderland’s only four star hotel is the Sunderland Marriott. Located on the seafront overlooking the sandy beaches at Seaburn two miles north of the city centre. A full-service hotel offering modern, high quality accommodation for business and leisure travellers alike.

Making Sense of Online Marketing:

viable solution for companies when it comes to increasing leads and sales with a limited budget, however, online marketing itself comes with its own set of unique challenges.

Google has made more meaningful changes to its ranking algorithm in the past 14 months than it has in almost its entire history. Reaching page one of Google has become incredibly competitive. Social media in all its forms has become increasingly important for ranking high on Google, generating leads in its own right and establishing online credibility. New products, platforms and routes to market are emerging everyday and deciphering between the fads and real sales generation opportunities is a full time job in its own right.

Over the past 12 to 14 months there has been a severe decline in trust in the banking industry, financial institutions, politicians, big institutions, the media and there is an overwhelming fear that many companies may not survive.

The only way most businesses can achieve online success in today’s market place is by creating a fully integrated sustainable approach.

NECC in association with RocketFish

Online Marketing in a Recession Quality Hotel Boldon, 8am-11am, Wednesday 15th May 2013 FREE to Members £25 Non Members We are still in the middle of one of the most difficult economic trading periods in recent history. For small to medium sized business owners the challenges of running and growing a company have never been tougher.

The most tempting option is to “batten down the hatches”, reduce costs and hope something changes, however, the reality is that nothing is going to change in the near future . We have to face the facts that the economy will remain difficult and the only way through it is to adapt, be creative and trade through the downturn.

Online marketing offers the only real

44 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

LETS!... Network (Brunch) Redworth Hall Hotel, Redworth Co Durham 10am-12pm, Tuesday 16th April FREE

LETS!...Network - your chance to tell EVERYONE about your business. After informal networking over coffee, the event host will welcome the guests and guide you through the event agenda, then it’s over to you with each guest having a one minute slot to tell everyone at the event about their business.

Come on why not give it a try – LETS!...Network.

Sponsored by Redworth Hall Hotel

Access to Finance

NEWS Growing Places

New enterprises

A

pplications are being invited for UK Steel Enterprise’s Access to Finance Grant scheme - a £1.2m Regional Growth Fund programme running from April 2013 to March 2015.

The scheme will provide grant support alongside loan and equity finance from UK Steel Enterprise for capital investment projects which create and safeguard jobs.

The funding is available in all UK Steel Enterprise areas in England, including the Tees Valley, Derwentside and West Cumbria.

Access to Finance is available to: Independently owned SMEs; manufacturing, industrial and many business-to-business service companies; companies based in UK Steel Enterprise operating areas with opportunities to grow.

Successful applications must: Demonstrate the creation of sustainable jobs or safeguard jobs

which would otherwise be lost; be planning expenditure on capital assets; make a clear case for needing grant support; have a commercially viable business plan which includes funding from UK Steel Enterprise; comply with State Aid regulations.

The scheme provides a package of support including grant funding alongside UK Steel Enterprise loans or equity/loan packages from £25,000 up to £750,000. The amount of grant available will depend on a number of factors such as the location of the project, the size of the company, the types of expenditure planned and the level of job impact through the investment.

Grants will generally be between 10 and 35% of eligible expenditure and linked to the level of funding provided by UK Steel Enterprise.

Contact Simon Hamilton or Peter Taylor at UK Steel Enterprise Northern Regional Office tel 01642 777 888, email north@uksteelenterprise.co.uk

Online finance guide A new website has been launched listing sources of finance and business support for SMEs. The site, commissioned by North East Access to Finance (NEA2F), is the online version of its Access to Finance Guide.

It contains 150 sources of funding and business support, including public sectorbacked investment funds, equity and loan funds, business angels and grants.

The Guide is at www.nea2fguide.co.uk

A second-round loan fund to help kick-start capital projects has been launched

by Local Enterprise Partnership Tees Valley Unlimited. £4m is available through the Growing Places programme and businesses, private developers and public sector and partner enterprises are urged to apply before the closing date of April 30.

TVU MD Stephen Catchpole says: “Growing Places loans are available for projects within Tees Valley that can show they will have a positive impact on the local economy. This could be anything from buying, constructing or enhancing an existing building that would then house a business and support jobs; to developing an area of land to prepare it for further investment.

“Applications will go through a competitive process with the successful bids being those that offer the greatest return on investment. It’s a significant pot of money to help ready Tees Valley for growth and we want to ensure Growing Places has a lasting effect on our economy.

“Projects must be ready to go with clear business plans and the relevant planning permissions in place, this will lead to a quick return on the investment which can be reallocated into subsequent projects.

“We know access to finance is a major hurdle in today’s tough economic climate and believe Growing Places could be a constructive route in making things happen.”

For more information tel 01642 524 424

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 45

profile

Access to Finance

Funding your business ambitions

C

entral to funding your business is the relationship you have with a banking partner.

At Santander we are committed to helping SMEs achieve their goals and have the following tips for businesses when making a funding application: 1. Be honest - don’t hide anything when applying for finance 2. Keep an open mind - don’t be too tied to one specific growth strategy 3. Be prepared - due diligence will allow your bank to make an accurate assessment of your business 4. Don’t try to run before you can walk - organic growth is usually more sustainable 5. Keep your bank informed about any changes - good or bad In 2012, we increased funding to SMEs by 18%, supporting more than 5,000 businesses with £3.4bn of new lending. We care about each business we work with and take the time to get to know our customers, making sure we understand their individual needs so we are able to deliver the right financing solutions. Ultimately, our goal is the same as yours – to fulfil your business aspirations.

CASE STUDY

Steve Cochran of Psyche

Psyche in Middlesbrough is just one business Santander has helped. Since working together, we’ve introduced Psyche to Supplier Payments – an innovative system that means Santander pays Psyche’s suppliers within 48 hours, then Psyche can repay Santander within 90 days. This swift, guaranteed payment means Steve gets preferential treatment from the brands he stocks – so he can negotiate trade discounts, get product exclusives, receive early deliveries and grow his business. This, combined with Steve’s energy and dynamism has given his store an edge – so much so that Psyche is bucking retail trends by reporting 19.7% year-on-year growth.

If you would like to find out how we could help fuel your own business ambitions, please call your local relationship team on 0191 4902926.

We look forward to working with you. www.santandercb.co.uk 46 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

£5m for SMEs One of the region’s most active venture capital funds has secured an additional £5m of funding.

Managed by Newcastlebased Northstar Ventures, the Finance for Business North East (FBNE) Accelerator Fund has already invested £14m in 46 high-growth regional businesses and the total fund size is now £25m. Northstar director

Alasdair Greig says: “We’ve backed some great North East SMEs and are now looking forward to investing in more than expected over the next couple of years.”

Recent investments include Reinnervate, AmBX, KyKloud, RePet, Urosens, Lyrachem, Recite Me, AFrame, Eutechnyx, Canddi, Beyond Digital Solutions, Low Carbon Lighting and ievo.

Bank of England Agents’ Summary for March 2013 Annual growth in the value of retail goods and services was reported to have remained modest.

There had been further signs of an increase in housing market activity supported by reductions in mortgage costs.

The cost of credit was reported to be falling for some firms, though not for many smaller companies.

Improvements in credit availability remained mostly confined to larger businesses and credit demand remained weak.

Investment intentions had edged higher, which was said partly to reflect improved confidence amid diminished uncertainty about the near-term global outlook.

Growth in exports of goods had edged up and perceptions

of the outlook for export demand had improved.

Manufacturing output for the domestic market remained slightly lower than a year earlier, though forward-looking sentiment had improved.

Output of business services had ticked up, with some increase in mergers and acquisitions.

Construction output remained subdued, though there were reports of a slight strengthening in private home building activity by larger firms.

Employment intentions had edged higher in business services but were broadly flat for manufacturing, consistent with the pattern of output in those sectors over the past year.

The rate of inflation in retail goods and services prices had edged up.

Successful partnerships supporting growth Potts Print (UK) Potts Print (UK), based in Cramlington, Northumberland, began trading in 1875. Now the first Carbon Balanced Printing Company in the North of England, the company delivers carbon balanced lithographic and customised digital print services throughout the UK and Europe, as well as packaging solutions, direct marketing and fulfilment services.

As part of their long-term growth plans, Potts needed to invest in new machinery. By supplying funding under the Government-backed ‘Funding for Lending’ scheme, Barclays provided the solution. With financial support in place, Potts has been able to expand, creating employment and contributing to the economic growth of the area.

Beamish Transport Ltd Founded in 1992, Beamish Transport Ltd is a vehicle logistics company specialising in the transportation of cars, caravans and fleet delivery throughout mainland Great Britain. Based in County Durham, Beamish Transport works closely with a variety of clients, from motor dealerships, to fleet suppliers, to individuals making online purchases.

Barclays and Beamish have had a successful partnership spanning 20 years. Beamish Transport came to us when they needed funding for the refurbishment and extension of their premises. We provided a term loan, which both ensured the project could go ahead and helped Beamish Transport build on their excellent working reputation.

Alnorthumbria Vets Formed in 2007, Alnorthumbria Veterinary Group is one of the largest independent veterinary practices in Northumberland, employing almost 100 people throughout the region. Committed to offering high quality care and treatment for pets and animals across the North East, Alnorthumbria Veterinary Group was looking to expand its business.

The management team approached Barclays and we provided a commercial mortgage to support the launch of a new Equine Clinic in Morpeth and the renovation of the group’s Alnwick surgery – allowing for the treatment of all animals, from domestic pets to farm animals, under one roof. And having helped with the opening of a new practice in Ashington, Barclays is looking forward to supporting Alnorthumbria Veterinary Group’s continued growth.

Barclays is committed to supporting economic growth. In total, Barclays has increased its net lending to UK households and businesses by £5.4bn since the Bank of England’s Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) started last year*. To find out more about how Barclays can help your business success, please call Brian Thorpe, Head of North East and Cumbria, on 0191 200 2014. barclays.com/corporatebanking Barclays is a trading name of Barclays Bank PLC and its subsidiaries. Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England and authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA No. 122702). Registered Number is 1026167 and its registered office 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. *Source: www.bankofengland.co.uk Q4 2012 FLS data.

Manufacturing

Flying high Ford Aerospace is investing in expansion, fuelled by the can-do attitude of a chief executive who doesn’t believe in waiting for government to solve problems for you, discovers Liz Hands

G

eoff Ford’s passion for manufacturing is infectious, to the extent that if he were to give careers advice at every school in the region, the skills shortage facing the sector would probably cease to exist.

He was 30 when he joined the firm created by his grandfather, and in the four decades since he has overseen much change at Ford Aerospace, sending profits and turnover soaring.

And he isn’t resting on his laurels. After celebrating the precision engineering company’s centenary in 2010, Ford and his MD Mark Podmore decided the time had come to thrust the business into the spotlight.

“Longevity is associated with power and a degree of resilience,” says Ford, “but there can be a tendency to relive past glories, so we decided to see 2011 as the first year of the second century. We went in for awards. We didn’t expect to win business from it, but we’ve raised our profile among potential staff.”

In this way Ford hopes to stave off any skills shortages, at least in his own firm, which has just become the 200th member of the North East Chamber of Commerce’s prestigious Presidents’ Club. For this is a man who tends to see a problem and deal with it, rather than waiting for issues to be solved by whichever political party is in power.

Hence, he was a founder of South Tyneside Manufacturers’ Forum six years ago, which was formed to allow members to share knowledge and best practice in an effort to create business growth and opportunity.

“We need to focus on improving what we do and doing more business with each other to keep

business in the North East,” he says. “I’m apolitical, but the Labour party knows that whatever happens between now and the next election, the vast majority of MPs in the region will be Labour. Labour sees no need, and the others see no point, in investing time, effort and money in the North East. In business terms, they will see no return on their investment, so we tend to be left to our own devices.”

Hence, he says, the fact the HS2 high-speed rail link will only reach Leeds. “You just have to look at Conservative MPs and where their constituencies are. It’s not a rail map, it’s a political map. It’s so obvious, it’s insulting. I didn’t see any box on the ballot paper to tick for the coalition. I didn’t vote for either of them, but it’s what we’ve ended up with. If we place too much faith in any government, it’s dangerous. We’ve got to do our own thing because the Government is unwilling to do anything that lasts more than five years.”

Ford Aerospace has gone from strength to strength and Ford believes we are now in the final throes of the recession.

Hence, the company is expanding and investing on the back of an annual turnover of £10.2m. “We’re going great guns,” he says.

While the UK and Europe will always be Ford Aerospace’s main market, it is stagnating, he says, so his firm is doing more business with the BRICS member countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. “Our three big customers in the UK – Caterpillar, JCB and Komatsu - are showing signs of slowing down because the construction industry is hard hit in a recession, so we’re also looking at different markets and emerging technologies.”

Ford has just completed a two-year knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) with Newcastle University,

“Longevity is

associated with power and a degree of resilience”

48 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

which has resulted in the development of new materials for use in the aerospace industry.

And the firm is expanding onto another site.

Following the second large fire to hit the firm in 2003, it moved some operations to Hebburn. Now, along with its Tyne Dock facility and its Hebburn plant, the company has a base in New York, North Tyneside. The move has allowed Ford to move into metal treatments for major customer Freudenburg.

In 12 months, Ford believes his firm will be doing all treatments in-house - saving money, time and, eventually, leading to an increase in staff. The firm is also working on parts for the new Airbus A350 and is hopeful of contracts to make components for the Chinese jumbo C-919.

“They’re making 2,000 of those and building 92 airports,” says Ford. “The scale is staggering.

“We’re delighted to be expanding in a quiet period. I’m firmly convinced the North East can lead the rest of the UK out of recession through manufacturing and engineering. Critics in the south

say it’s just the Nissan effect, but I believe that if you take Nissan out of the equation, we’re still a net exporter. People choose the North East because it’s a great place to work, and we’ve got skilled people and an adaptable workforce.”

Finding that workforce is a headache for the region’s manufacturers, but Ford has a plan to tackle skills shortages and is working with South Tyneside College and Training and Development Resource to have an annual intake of apprentices.

“Plus, we’ve got people in their 30s and 40s voluntarily becoming apprentices and re-training and we’re asking staff about to turn 65 if they’d like to do a three-day week instead of retiring, so we’re attacking it from all angles,” Ford says.

His son, Chris, 27, is now finance director at the family firm, while son, David, 31, by is an actor; neither felt pressure to enter the business.

Now almost 70, Ford is not about to slow down.

“I’ve got no intention of retiring,” he says. “I wish I were younger because I’m still having a lot of fun.”

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 49

Advertisement

well trained and Motivated workforce tHe key to success

By Mark Podmore, Managing Director, Ford Aerospace Limited and Ford Component Manufacturing Limited.

w

Mark Podmore (left) Managing Director of ford aerospace and Geof ford, chairman.

hatever the great innovation that sparked its success, the heart of any thriving business must beat in tune with the aspirations of its staff.

The satisfaction they have in their work – and the extra effort they are willing to put in - is a direct reflection of how well they feel understood, encouraged and motivated from the top downward. ford – ford Aerospace ltd and ford component Manufacturing ltd - was established in 1910 and has always considered its people key to what it does. from humble origins, it has grown into a multimillion pound enterprise that exports world-wide and is highly respected in an incredibly competitive and skilled sector.

That has not happened by chance.

It has taken skill, dedication, innovation and business acumen, combined with a talented and keen workforce prepared, throughout a long history, to go the extra mile.

That has never been truer than today, when the challenges faced during this recession have been met and overcome by a hard-working and extremely capable team.

But what has underpinned their roles has been the intuitive desire to put the workforce at the centre of how the organisation operates.

And that has taken a lot of hard work, investment and foresight by the company’s management.

Since carrying out a thorough review of our business model three years ago – and recognising that changes had to be made to ensure peak efficiency - we have spent thousands of pounds investing in new technology and training our staff. recently attaining Investors in people gold standard – awarded last April and achieved by just a handful of north East manufacturers – has been a great feather in the cap of ford Aerospace limited.

But it is more than that, for it demonstrates the acute understanding we have, as a relatively large employer, of the status of the people who work for us.

It shows we recognise the need to encourage them to stay with us amid a skills shortage in engineering, that we want them to feel valued, and that their

50 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

success is also our success.

Gaining the prestigious award was no easy task. As well as significant financial investment, we opened ourselves to a thorough examination of how we interact with staff and also provided a vast amount of evidence to prove our commitment to them.

We were able to show that half our workforce is undergoing training at any one time and that other initiatives are in place, such as regular staff surveys and briefings to find out their views of the company and how we can improve.

With no staff grievance in three years and staff absenteeism virtually zero, shop-floor efficiency has drastically improved and sales are rising – firm proof, we believe, that our employee-first policy works.

And we have now taken this a step further by winning bronze in the north East Better Health at Work Awards in recognition of our promotion of staff and workplace well-being.

In partnership with medical professionals, we have laid foundations to ensure our workers are healthy in body and mind by implementing a comprehensive review of their work environment and taking positive action where it was needed.

We appointed an advocate from within our team to actively champion workplace health activities. positive mental health and well-being are promoted, along with the benefits of good eating and diet, through employee support and training.

As well as ensuring our shop-floor processes are running at their peak, we strongly believe there are many proven benefits to our employees by incorporating all these initiatives into the workplace.

By working in partnership with our workers, we have never been stronger.

ford aerospace limited is based at Tyne dock, south shields. ford component manufacturing limited is based at monkton Business Bark, hebburn and silverfox Way, north shields. www.ford-aerospace.com www.ford-components.com

Manufacturing

Building on success

P

recision fabrication firm Darchem Engineering has started work on an £8m investment in its North East manufacturing facility which will create 86 skilled jobs and protect 29 more.

Work has begun on phase one of a 75,000sqft factory on a brownfield site next to Darchem’s factory in Stillington, Stockton-on-Tees.

The investment has been prompted by demand for Darchem’s precision products, particularly in the growing market for large scale nuclear fabrications.

The company also produces specialist metal fabrications, fire protection and insulation

products for the aerospace, nuclear, defence, oil and gas and automotive industries.

The £7m investment in the project by Darchem’s parent company Esterline is supported by a £1m grant from the Regional Growth Fund.

Darchem MD Graham Payne says: “ Over the last three years we have seen record levels of turnover fuelled by growing demand for our specialist fabrications, insulation and fire protection products. We have seen significant growth within the aerospace, defence, automotive and energy sectors and have the chance to bid for further substantial projects, hence the need for this new production facility.”

Perfect partnership A long-running partnership between Teesside University and Darlington-based engineering firm Cummins is now helping a recent graduate to make his mark professionally and academically.

Barry Moore, who graduated with a BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, is now working at Cummins as part of a short Knowledge Transfer Partnership (sKTP). He is

also completing his PhD at Teesside University, with on-going support from Cummins.

Cummins, which manufactures, supplies and services engines and related technologies, has previously collaborated with the university on student and graduate placement projects and there are plans to continue working together on future projects.

NEWS

Call to action Business must be more active in the development of the future workforce of the process sector, or face potentially damaging skills shortages across the regions, the NEPIC Skills Conference was told.

James Ramsbotham, North East Chamber of Commerce chief executive, said skills shortages could threaten the supply chain and he asked if businesses were confident that they were doing enough to develop graduates and apprentices, and up-skilling the existing workforce.

He encouraged delegates to question whether they should do business with others which do not encourage skills development.

He said: “The North East boasts some of the best parts of the UK economy and we’re fortunate to have such dedicated and successful businesses blazing a trail in the process, manufacturing and engineering sectors.

“However, it is not just the responsibility of our large firms and excellent schools, colleges and universities to ensure our future workforce is equipped with the requisite skills. While we have a plethora of large companies dedicated to apprenticeships and employee development, not enough is being done by the SMEs in regional supply chains. Around 80% of our engineering firms do not have apprentices or are not engaged in the skills development agenda. It is vital that these companies explore the potential of recruiting apprentices.”

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 51

Manufacturing

Manufacturing value

T

he boss of one of the region’s biggest car parts makers has accused successive governments of neglecting manufacturing in the UK for too long.

Ian Malcolm, MD at Redcar-based ElringKlinger, is more than aware of the challenges facing the manufacturing sector, though at ElringKlinger growth is being achieved despite these issues.

“If we don’t make something, then we have to buy it from outside, and manufacturing has been neglected in the UK for too many years as successive governments concentrated on the service sector, retail, technology and financial services,” he says. “Manufacturing was left to muddle along.”

Recognition for the sector is now growing, however, he says, and ElringKlinger’s importance to the regional economy continues to grow. Last year, the firm announced plans to double turnover to £26m by 2016, taking on 60 additional staff in the process.

Malcolm says Elringklinger is on track to hit those targets. “There are always a lot of caveats,” he says. “But if the contracts, volumes and timings work out then we’re 98% there. It’s very positive.”

It’s an ambitious undertaking, but

that is now looser,” explains Malcolm. he says the conditions for expansion “So, we’ve gone fishing ourselves are perfect. “Contracts that we’ve been rather than waiting to put the net working away on in the background have under something someone else has come to fruition,” he says. “The contract caught and that’s allowed us to win to supply BMW Mini that we announced more business.” Despite its success, at the end of last year had been three ElringKlinger still faces the same issues years in the pipeline. The industry overall as others in the sector and Malcolm is showing signs of recovery compared criticises the red tape which to 2008/09 when we were really in can strangle opportunities. the doldrums.

He welcomes “We’ve also got the benefit David Cameron’s of vehicle development “The industry announcement that he being driven by legislation overall is wants to renegotiate on emissions, carbon showing signs Britain’s relationship with footprint and efficiency. It of recovery” the EU. “Angela Merkel is means car makers have to probably relieved Cameron keep their materials ahead of has come out and said it the game to stay competitive. first,” he says. “Common sense Then we’re working on modeldictates something which is 40 years specific parts. We have engine parts old and was drawn up when there were where they can be used in many models. six members probably needs to be We’ve been producing parts for Ford, looked at again.” for example, which have been used for Malcolm is also calling for grassroots 15 years. But with model specific parts, reforms in education to tackle the skills the products have a shorter shelf life, gap. He says: “It’s too late to stop it giving us opportunities more often. All of being an issue in the short and medium these factors have allowed us to develop term. But there needs to be more joined quickly.” The Redcar-based company up thinking. A reality check is needed has also had a fundamental strategy because everything we touch, eat, shift. “We’re part of a multinational feel, listen to, watch – it all has to be group and we have to be guided by engineered.” group strategy but our interpretation of

52 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

Mind the gaps

Young masters Newcastle University is offering SMEs the skills of masters or doctoral students in science, technology and engineering for £125 a week.

The initiative will provide 50% of the costs of the postgraduate for a period of up to 24 weeks or 900 hours and it is anticipated that the majority of the students placed will be undertaking science and engineering masters and doctoral courses across energy, environment, transport, marine, computing, agriculture and process technologies Students will be supervised by the university throughout the placement and companies can take advantage of a project grant to contribute towards the cost of project consumables.

Bryn Jones, project director, says: “This is an ideal opportunity for an SME to take advantage of the high level skills of our postgraduate students at a subsidised rate, and to have these students tackle a problem or concept that they may not have the resource to deal with themselves.”

Advanced Renewable Power in South

Shields is taking a student from the programme. Technical director Mark Dunville says: “We are recruiting a Masters student in Renewable Energy Management and will use their skills to diversify into a new area of renewable energy, which would not have been possible without the subsidy and the expertise from the academic supporting this project. It’s a win-win scenario.”

The project is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government. * Business can also benefit from a partnership between Teesside University and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council which could be worth over £3,000.The subsidy is on offer for businesses which employ a graduate through the University’s Graduate for Business Scheme for 12 weeks. If the business is based in the Redcar Cleveland area or the graduate employed lives there and the business retains them for a further 12 weeks, then an additional subsidy is available from the council.

Manufacturing SMEs in the region will gather at a round table event in April to call for urgent action on sector skills gaps.

The event is organised by Tait Walker accountants and follows a national gathering called by an alliance of independent accountancy practices.

This time, the focus will be solely on the North East and the event will bring together business leaders, MPs and Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) representatives.

The issue of escalating skills gaps in the region is expected to rank highly in discussions. “Whenever we talk to our clients about the challenges facing manufacturing, a key issue is education.

We need a consistent policy to address skills gaps,” says Tait Walker tax partner Alastair Wilson (pictured).

“Without addressing that education pipeline, our best staff are likely to be poached to Aberdeen, where salaries for engineers vastly outweigh Newcastle, and we’re not going to be able to replace them.”

Wilson also expects discussion regarding work done by the North East LEP and Tees Valley Unlimited. “The perception is that Tees Valley looks more at ground-level strategy whereas the North East takes a more macro approach, leading some to believe SMEs aren’t being listened to because the focus is on the multinationals like Nissan,” he says.

Access to funding will also be a major talking point, following demands from the recent national gathering in London for a single government database of business grants.

The North East event will report to Government, NECC, LEPs and MPs and Wilson is confident its findings will help to shape policy.

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 53

out to lunch

Working Lunch One of Newcastle’s Victorian gems could easily – and unfairly – be overlooked as a lunch venue Words: Alastair Gilmour

A

useful interview technique is to enquire about a subject’s career background. It sets the scene and opens conversation. What turns up can be revealing, particularly if the interviewee is now involved in something completely different.

You’d expect East Coast’s stations and property director to have been thoroughly doused in rolling stock and bricks and mortar, and Tim Hedley-Jones certainly is in his role with the rail company and previously with franchise holder GNER. Delve further, however, and you may wish you’d suggested he’d identified himself with a rolled-up copy of The Times rather simply meeting under the station clock.

“I once worked for the Foreign Office,” he says. “I spent three years in Russia, which was fun.”

Even if I’d asked if he had been a spy, his lips would have remained sealed – either that or he would have had to shoot me. It was an intriguing thought, though.

We’re dining at the Rendez Vous restaurant in the Thistle County Hotel; a convenient spot in which to discuss

56 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

East Coast’s plans for the Grade I-listed Central Station. The £8.6m project will revitalise the station designed by John Dobson.

The proposed new-look concourse, with the mix of leisure and retail already proving popular at the newlook Kings Cross, will provide a welcoming first impression for visitors. Improved facilities will include a new travel centre, improved toilets and signage. Its centrepiece will be the pedestrianisation and glazing of the station’s front portico to create a dramatic new space.

“This is lovely, beautiful,” says Hedley-Jones, not about the artist’s impression of the refurbished station in front of him, but of his open steak sandwich (£9.95) - ciabatta with medallions of steak lolling in melted cheese, served with salad and a mini-chip pan bristling with fries.

We skip starters and desserts because he has to be in York for a meeting, and the timetable won’t budge from 13.28, even though East Coast’s punctuality (currently around 86% efficiency) needs some work.

My Gloucester Old Spot sausage and mash (£9.95) is cheering. Its broad-beamed sausages, creamy potatoes, almost translucent apple slices and wrappings of onion are surrounded by a rich onion sauce that surely involves a gloop or two of wine. It’s a delightful combination; old spot-on, so to speak.

The Rendez Vous menu represents

Rendez Vous Restaurant Pickings from the menu

worldwide cuisine, but being simultaneously British, European and Asian means you stick to the classics, you do them simply and you do them well. It’s not adventurous, but it’s proficient and unfussy, and with clever presentation it works really well. The restaurant’s open kitchen adds a touch of theatre.

“Newcastle Central Station is the gateway to the city and it needs to be in keeping with 21st Century aspirations,” says Hedley-Jones, enjoying his “hoagie” so much he’s ceased glancing at his watch. “Businesses investing in the North East invariably start their journey at Kings Cross and the experience they get there now is what we want to replicate here. It shows exactly what you can do in partnership with rail companies, heritage organisations and architects.

“Newcastle Central is one of only six Grade I stations in the country, but it has to be remembered it’s a living, working building and not a museum piece.” Having studied archaeology at university, Hedley-Jones has a sympathetic eye for history and

preservation (he also has an MA in crisis management which hopefully will lie redundant for this project). The architectural heritage of the station is at the heart of the new design and the simplified layout will open up sightlines east towards the Castle Keep while showing the distinctive curvature of the roof to advantage. “I definitely think John Dobson would approve,” he says.

Back over at the Rendez Vous in the County Hotel – itself a Grade II-listed building – vibrant wall hangings bustle with views of the Tyne’s bridges. From our table, they look like acrylics; close-to they owe more to the camera lens, but they’re effective all the same.

Opposite, seven large glass panels etched with abstract city scenes flood in natural light and a ribboned mirrored arch reflects the bridges theme. If Central Station is a gem, this is a precious stone worth rubbing up. While being unassuming and discreet and far from the major hub directly across the road, it’s an ideal location for a working lunch. It’s also just the place to gather intelligence.

Small plates Arbroath fishcakes Asian dishes Singapore noodles Chickpea, sweet potato and spinach curry

£4.95

£7.95 £9.95

Favourites Aberdeen Angus sirloin steak and chips £18.95 Guilt-free burger £9.95 Pasta Tiger prawn linguine

£9.95

Dessert Lemon brûlée cheesecake £3.95 Rendez Vous Restaurant, Thistle County Hotel, Neville Street, Newcastle NE1 5DF tel 0871 376 9029

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 57

promotional feature: Lunch asha Balti house

close house aRGent D’oR

RenDeZ Vous at the countY hotel

hotel Du Vin

More than four decades have passed since Asha Balti House opened its doors, and the venue remains as popular as ever. Having recently undergone a fivefigure renovation, Asha has now grown in size and is one of the most welcoming and contemporary restaurants on the famous curry Mile, serving authentic Indian cuisine to its loyal clientele.

Those who love to embrace the style of a truly fine dining experience know the surroundings should fit the occasion. Offering simple modern style cuisine with a contemporary British influence meticulously prepared using the finest seasonal ingredients and sourced locally wherever possible. Enjoy two courses for £13.50 or three for £16.50 at lunchtime this April.

located directly opposite newcastle central Station and in the heart of the city, the county Hotel is the perfect location for a light midday snack, drinks after work with friends or a relaxing lunch or dinner. Our rendez vous restaurant, lounge and bar are open daily. The county Hotel also has 11 meeting & event rooms from 1:1 interviews to a conference for 220 delegates.

Bistro du vin is at the heart of the hotel in newcastle’s vibrant Ouseburn district. Experience an elegant and informal setting for lunch and dinner.

At Bistro du vin newcastle, dishes rely heavily on fresh, seasonal, locally sourced and, wherever possible, organic produce. It’s about enjoying moderately priced à la carte dining in a down-to-earth, warm and relaxing setting.

location: asha Balti house, 168 ocean road, south shields ne33 2Ql Tel: 0191 455 1600 www.ashabaltihouse.co.uk

location: close house, heddon on the Wall, newcastle, ne15 ohT www.closehouse.co.uk

location: The county hotel by Thistle, neville street, newcastle upon Tyne, ne1 5df Tel: 0191 2322471 www.thistle.com/newcastle

location: hotel du vin, newcastle city road newcastle, ne1 2Be Tel: 0191 2292200 www.hotelduvin.com

mannaZa

maRco PieRRe White steaKhouse BaR & GRill

the BoYson RestauRant

RocKliffe hall

Based in the vibrant china Town, Mannaza Korean Grill House offers an alternative dining experience.

Mannaza Brings the traditional flavours of Korean cuisine, with a signature modern twist to diners. Each table in the restaurant is fitted with its own unique grill, and diners can choose from a selection of meat, fish and vegetables and cook them to their own liking.

The Steakhouse Bar and Grill Express lunch is £18 and includes two-courses and a glass of wine (quote nEcc).

If you haven’t got much time out of the office try the Marco in Minutes express lunch two-courses and a glass of wine for £18 and you should be back at your desk within the hour. If a leisurely lunch is more your thing, that’s always available, too.

longhirst is ideal for a spot of lunch. new Head chef, Konrad Sliniwski, focuses on locally sourced, fresh ingredients.

Having launched a new lunch menu provides a delicious seasonal menu in a formal setting. The collingwood Bar offers a more modern informal setting with a traditional pub menu. Special 10% discount available until end June 13- quote ‘Working lunch’.

Experience triple-AA rosette food in The Orangery at 5* rockliffe Hall with its stunning views and menus to match. The Orangery is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, whether you’re seeking business or pleasure. Tuck into a culinary tour of the north with specialities such as north-east coast mackerel, cumbrian lamb, neasham beef and local linecaught Whitby cod. Menus start from just £19.50 for two courses.

location: mannaza korean grill house, 5-7 Taylors and Tanners court, newcastle ne1 5Xd Tel: 0191 232 79 50 www.mannaza.co.uk

location: marco Pierre White steakhouse Bar & grill, 2-8 fenkle street, newcastle ne1 5Xn Tel: 0191 300 9222 www.mpwsteakhousenewcastle.co.uk

location: longhirst hall morpeth, northumberland, ne61 3ll Tel: 01670 795000 www.longhirst.co.uk

location: rockliffe hall, hurworth-on-Tees, darlington, county durham, dl2 2du Tel: 01325 729999 www.rockliffehall.com

58 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

fab 5

Fab 5

What if you had £10k to spend?

So there we were, at the NECC President’s Club Budget lunch, when an important question struck us. What would you do if the chancellor gave you £10,000 to spend on yourself? Laura Emmerson delves into the dreams of some make-believe cash-rich

1

2

3

4

5

Christine Balford David Arthur

Isabella Miller

Eamonn Leavey

Phil Renton

I would spend it on an experience rather than material things, and would definitely book a holiday for my family and I - somewhere really special.

I’ve got three teenage children who would need entertaining, so I would probably opt for a luxury cruise.

I would buy myself a brand new kitchen from John Lewis, because the kitchen is the real heart of our home, the place where we spend most of our time as a family, gathering together, cooking and catching up, and it would be great to update it.

Great question! I would definitely use that money to travel across South America, taking however long it would take to use up £10,000 over there.

Particularly I would love to go to Argentina, it’s somewhere that’s always appealed to me, and I would take my wife along on the adventure.

That’s an easy question.

To start with, I would replace my left hip, then I’d replace my right kneecap, then I’d have surgery on my tennis elbow, and have something done with my grey hair, and with the little bit left, I would put it into Newcastle United’s fixtures.

Business development, Managing partner, Tait Aon UK Ltd, Newcastle Walker Gosforth I was recently given £10,000 from my late mother-in-law’s estate.

She stipulated that I had to spend the money on myself and not on something serious, so I decided to buy a Paris Selmer saxophone.

I really enjoy playing it, so it was a worthy investment.

MD, John Lewis, Newcastle

Head of President’s Club, NECC

MD, TSG, Team Valley, Gateshead

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 59

movers & Shapers

Welcome to new members Howdy, partner

Anne-Marie Knight has been promoted to the position of partner with Watson Burton after 20 years specialising in professions and insurance with the law firm. She has extensive experience in defending claims brought against professionals for a variety of insurers, with particular emphasis on those against solicitors, surveyors, valuers, architects and engineers.

Building for the future

Chester-le-Street based Northern Construction Solutions (NCS) has appointed Ian Wallis commercial manager with a brief to develop commercial operations in its building division, NCS Build.

Ian worked with NCS’s director Sean Anderson at Birse Construction some 15 years ago and has since worked for a number of national companies.

Welcome to our New Members page. This page brings you information about the companies that have recently joined NECC - the region’s largest business membership organisation. Along with contact details, there are announcements from new members keen to publicise their products, services and activities to other NECC members.

While listings are free to all new members, editorial announcements are part of a broader package designed to promote a new member’s business to reach the readership of Contact magazine.

For further details contact the Contact advertising team, tel 01661 844 115, email sales@offstonepublishing.co.uk

Exwold Technology Celebrates 20 Years Return to sales

South Tyneside car dealership Jennings Ford Direct has expanded its sales team with the appointment of James Adams, 30, from South Shields.

James has previously worked in sales at the group’s Washington site and at its former Mazda Sunderland branch. Last year he took time out to complete a welding course at South Tyneside College.

designs on teaching Former teaching assistant Karola McGrah is going back to college to help artists.

Karola, 52, completed her Foundation Degree in Applied Art at Bishop Auckland College and a one-year top up degree at the University of Sunderland to gain a First Class BA Honours Degree in Fine Art. She will now do master classes for students at Bishop Auckland College.

Conveying expertise Mincoffs has appointed Danielle Hutchinson to its residential conveyancing department. She is the third conveyancer to be taken on by the firm in the last year and department head Una Coulson said the team was growing to cope with increased demand.

60 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

Exwold is a contract chemical processing company. Based in Hartlepool with decades of experience formulating and processing speciality chemicals for multi-national chemical and agrochemical companies. As one of the leading contract chemical manufacturers, Exwold produce granules by extrusion, roll compacting, impregnation and coating and specialises in size reduction of solids by crushing, milling and micronising. Other powder processing services include blending and screening.

Liquid formulation is also an area of expertise.

Exwold Technology was thrilled to be awarded The UKTI Experienced Exporter award at the annual 2013 NEPIC Awards Dinner.The Experienced Exporter award was presented in recognition

of Exwold’s achievement in developing international trade. Celebrating 20 years of chemical processing, over 70% of Exwold’s contract processing business is currently with customers outside the UK with products exported throughout Europe, North and South America and Asia.

Exwold’s 20th anniversary celebrations have so far included the presentation of the first cheques of its 2013 Year of Charity to Blind Voice and Hartlepool and District Hospice.

Presenting the cheques, Kevin said: “We are delighted to support Hartlepool & District Hospice and Blind Voice UK. The two charities were nominated by our employees.”

Exwold Technology Ltd, PO Box 270 Brenda Road, Hartlepool TS25 2BW UK tel 01429 230340 www.exwold.com

new members

New Members

Caterpillar Stockton Ltd 01642 617 777 www.cat.com

FDR Limited 07725 574858 www.firstdatams.co.uk

ACAD Networks Ltd 0191 3755738 www.acad-networks.com

PSL Worldwide 0191 416 3555 www.pslworldwide.com

Completely Corporate 0845 017 7871 www.completelycorporate.co.uk

Fireguard Limited 01709 579 991 www.fireguardlimited.co.uk

Accept Care (Social Firms) Ltd 01325 469 885 www.daisiescafe.co.uk

QA Ltd 01753 898 745 www.qa.com

Dennis Associates 07837 964 616 www.dennisassociates.co.uk

Goodharts Solicitors Ltd 0191 206 4103 www.goodharts.co.uk

Artemis Ventures T/A Doing it Differently 0845 686 0560 www.doingitdifferently.com

Quality Hotel Boldon 0191 519 1999 www.hotels-sunderland.com

Diamond Commercial Cleaning (North East Ltd) 01325 301 000 www.dccne.co.uk

hipKoala 07905 595 453 www.hipkoala.com

RefurbThat.com 01670 792 502 www.refurbthat.com

BonTrack Solutions 01740 659 180 www.bontracksolutions.co.uk

Douglas Stephens & Co Ltd 0191 206 4088 www.douglasstephens.co.uk

Holiday Inn Washington 0191 418 9400 www.hiwashingtonhotel.co.uk

Busybird Ltd 0800 084 2399 www.busybird.co.uk

Reiki Relax - Leeming Bar T/A 121 Training (Yorkshire) Ltd 01677 422 996 www121-training.net

Drive Green Taxi Services Limited 0191 276 4443 www.drivegreentaxis.co.uk

Button Bell 07747 008 457 www.buttonbelle.co.uk

Durham Constabulary 0345 606 0365 www.durham.police.uk

Cal Saul Ltd 0191 2422128 www.calsaul.co.uk

Earthly Energy 01642 438 188 www.earthlyenergy.eu

Cataly Systems 01642 438 203 www.catalysystems.com

Fastflow Pipeline Services Ltd 0191 415 7744 www.fastflow.co.uk

IFS Wealth Management Limited 0191 286 7445 Infoterra T/A Symetri 0191 213 5555 www.symetri.co.uk Jacksons Employment Service 01642 356 500 www.jacksons-es.com Jigsaw Training Limited 0191 491 4175 www.jigsawtraining.co.uk K H Networks Ltd 01908 950 001 www.khnetworks.co.uk Lamb & Associates 01661 860 438 www.lambandassociates.co.uk M&K Designs 01642 286 542 www.mkbedroomdesigns.co.uk MarCat Consultancy 0191 680 4414 www.marcatconsultancy.com Minster Cleaning Services 0191 265 7277 www.minstercleaning.co.uk

Leading budget gym chain The Gym Group is set to open its 35th site on Monday April 8 in High Heaton, Newcastle.

While there are no bells and whistles, what members are guaranteed is a full complement of cardiovascular and resistance fitness equipment, presented in a clean, safe environment, at an affordable price.

Richie Allen, general manager at the new site, says: “The site has undergone a £1m re-fit and I am delighted at the quality and the value for money that The Gym Group presents.

“The concept is about attracting a whole new market, for example those on low incomes, students, retired people, shift workers and housewives, as well as affluent people who value

flexible membership terms and accessible opening hours.”

John Treharne, CEO of The Gym Group, says: “At The Gym there are no contracts. We embrace the fact that people often need to change their fitness habits to fall in line with other events and circumstances taking place in their lives.

“For example, a wedding or a holiday may prompt a desire to lose weight, while a hectic work schedule may render regular gym attendance impossible.”

The Gym in Newcastle opens its doors to the public on the Monday April 8. To find out more or to sign up as a member, visit www.thegymgroup.com The Gym will be open 6.30am– 11pm, and introductory offers come in at just £10.99 a month

Rocketfish Ltd 01253 693 488 www.rocketfishltd.co.uk Royal Bank of Scotland plc 0191 269 8726 www.rbs.co.uk Scandinavian Airlines 07812 090 629 www.flysas.co.uk Signature 0191 383 1155 www.signature.org.uk Sixth Element Marketing & Design 01642 360 253 www.6e.net SN Law 0191 218 9420 www.snlaw.co.uk Spearhead Interactive 07736 847 320 www.spearheadinteractive.com Star Radio 01325 341 801 www.thisisstar.co.uk

MSI 07973 984 050

TAC Design 07976 919 928 www.tac-design.co.uk

MSV International Ltd 01642 223 366 www.msvsport.com

Teesside Flight Training 01325 337 917 http://www.flytft.com

Newcastle Gateshead Initiative 0191 440 5720 www.newcastlegateshead.com

The Apartment Group 0191 281 9609 www.apartment-group.com

Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS 0191 223 1038 www.newcastle-hospitals.org.uk

The Gym Group 0330 055 3581 www.thegymgroup.com

Normans Of Billingham Ltd 01642 564 190 www.normansoffice.co.uk Nowtech Solutions Ltd 0844 660 0621 www.usbbizcards.com

The More Shop Ltd 01325 466 990 www.themoreshop.co.uk Thrift Energy Ltd 0191 284 2424 www.thriftenergy.co.uk

NPC Training Ltd 01287 636 066 www.npc-training.com

Titan Media Close Protection Ltd 07775 510 00 www.titanmediacloseprotectionltd.com

Ococo Media 07530 004 768 www.ococomedia.co.uk

Town Centre Citroen 0191 516 8822 www.towncentresunderland.citroen.co.uk

Orange Bus Ltd 0191 241 3703 www.orangebus.co.uk

Victoria Hall Ltd 0845 168 9500 www.victoriahall.com

Park Commercial 0191 378 7109 www.parkcommercial.co.uk

Walsh Taylor Business Support Group 01642 927 770 www.walshtaylor.co.uk

Pendulum Brand Consultancy Ltd 07799 338 686 www.thependulum.co.uk Peter Cook Projects Ltd 0191 383 0495

Walton Bourke Properties Limited 07711 142 951

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT APR - MAY / www.necontact.co.uk 2013 / CONTACT / 61

EVENTS

Networking Apr

11

What’s in it for You?

FREE

Apr

LETS!...Network Brunch

FREE

Apr

North East Expo

FREE

16 17 Apr

Networking Lunch 11am - 2pm Marriott Hotel, Sunderland

10am - 12pm Redworth Hall Hotel

8.30am - 4.00pm Newcastle Falcons

23

NECC Meets@ Stockton

Apr

LETS!... Network Brunch

25 May

3.30pm - 5.pm Vintage Financial Planners, Thornaby

10.30am - 12.30pm Ramada Encore, Gateshead

FREE FREE

Member 2 Member

FREE

May

LETS!...Network Brunch

FREE

May

Member 2 Member Afternoon Tea

1 2 8

May

16

10.30am - 12noon Rose & Crown, Barnard Castle

10.30am - 12,30pm Sunderland College

3.30pm - 5pm Kirkley Hall, Northumberland

NECC Meets@ Newcastle

5.30pm - 7pm Lloyd Newcastle BMW Mini

NECC President’s Club Budget lunch

 Eamonn Leavey, NECC; John Mowbray, NECC president; Robin Ghurbhurun, Newcastle College and James Ramsbotham, NECC

FREE FREE

book at: www.necc.co.uk CORPORATE may

16 APR

25

North East Exporters’ Dinner 6.30pm til late Stadium of Light

North East Business Awards regional final 6pm-late Hardwick Hall, Co Durham

 Graham Payne, Darchem

 Dr Joanna Berry, Newcastle University Business School

£55* £100

*Member price plus VAT

book at: www.necc.co.uk  Richard Lloyd, Marsh Ltd

62 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

 James Ramsbotham, NECC

COMMITTEES APR

 Isabella Miller, John Lewis

 Simon Lenney, Yorkshire Bank; Andrew Sugden, Northumbria University and John Ralph, Dickinson Dees LLP

Sunderland Committee

16

4.30 pm – 6.00 pm Stadium of Light, Sunderland

APR

Durham Committee

APR

Northumberland Committee

19

8.30 am – 10 am Corepeople Recruitment

FREE

FREE FREE

24

4pm – 6pm Slaley Hall

APR

North Tyneside

FREE

Hartlepool Committee

FREE

26 MAY

2

MAY

21

8am – 9.30am Venue TBC

8.00am – 9.30am TEDCO

Stockton Business Forum 4.00pm – 5.30pm Venue TBC

FREE

book at: www.necc.co.uk

NECC Business is good for Equality event

Business Seminars APR

3

APR

 Nickie Gott, She’s Gott it!

Quarterly Economic Survey Briefing 8am-10am NECC Durham

HR Knowledge – Legislation Update

18

9.15am - 11.30am NECC Durham

APR

HR Knowledge – New Workplace Pensions

29 MAY

15 MAY

16

12 noon - 2pm NECC Durham

Making Sense of Online Marketing: Online Marketing

FREE FREE FREE FREE

in a Recession 8 am - 11am Quality Hotel, Boldon *£25 non members

CIM Meet a Mentor

6.pm - 8pm NECC Middlesbrough

FREE * Price + VAT

book at: www.necc.co.uk

 Minister for Women and Equalities, Jo Swinson

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 63

NFLUENC E • I

W

• DEVELO

E

P LE

AD • ENGA

G

NECC HAS HELPED CHIRTON ENGINEERING BREED EXCELLENCE AND SUCCESS

O

•

TWORK • G R

•

“

NE

”

PAUL STEWART, MANAGING DIRECTOR, CHIRTON ENGINEERING

WINNERS OF THE NORTH EAST BUSINESS AWARDS 2012 - WINNER OF THE SMALL BUSINESS AWARD FINALIST OF THE 2012 CHAMBER AWARDS ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD

THE CHOICE OF CHAMPIONS To join the North East’s leading business membership organisation call 0300 303 6322 or visit www.necc.co.uk/join 64 / CONTACT / DEC 2012 - JAN 2013

member 2 member

Member2Member

Make more of your NECC membership with these great member offers and many more on the NECC website

www.necc.co.uk/member2member MOTOR RETAILER HYUNDAI BUSINESS CENTRE Bristol Street

Motors- Hyundai Peterlee Message to all NECC Members and their families.

Save up to 19% off the New Hyundai range, including the award winning triple care warranty package.

TRAINING PROVIDER NEBOSH IOSH CIEH IEMAC & G HEALTH SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL

Corporate Risk Systems Limited

Galia Digital Ltd

CRS are offering 20% discount off their list price for any Health Safety & Environmental Training courses of 4 days or more, (NEBOSH, IOSH, CIEH, C&G Level 5 Diploma, IEMA Associate Cert in Environmental Management) held at either their York or Durham Training Centres.

HEALTH & SAFETY PERFORMANCE CONSULTANCY

Potentia Safety Solutions

Is your business moving, growing, rebranding - or just starting out? Our Digital Footprint Audit tells you what the internet says about your business, and delivers a five-point strategy to fix and develop your online presence, and build the internet into your day to day routines without disruption. Normally £125, this service is just £99 for NECC members. Quote DFA-NECC

GRAPHIC DESIGN FIRM FOR LOCAL BUSINESS AND WEDDING STATIONERY

FREE service - Bags and Accessories stand

Square Peg Design

This offer allows any NECC members to logo design for their company for only £40.00 NECC Member will be supplied with .eps, .pdf and .jpg logo formats on completion.

ESTATE AGENTS & LETTING AGENTS

Your Move Chris Stonock is offering 10% off their fees when you instruct them to sell or let your property.

The Business Centre

FINDING THE RIGHT ONLINE SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL & MEDIUM BUSINESSES

FASHION ACCESSORIES

Your Move - Chris Stonock (Chester le Street)

BUSINESS/THERAPY CENTRE IN THE WEST END OF DARLINGTON Hot Desk free for your use!

Opportunity to find out about our hot desk office by offering you and your clients the use for one morning or one afternoon.

assessment of your business so why not give us a call.

40% discount on our recruitment service, which focuses specifically on providing skilled safety professionals to fill key roles in the oil & gas, nuclear, construction and offshore renewables industries.

DIGITAL & GRAPHIC DESIGN MARKETING SOLUTIONS Pendulum Brand Consultancy Ltd

Does your brand sell you? If you are an NECC member, we are offering a free brand

hipKoala

The display stand would be in place for 90 minutes and is provided free of charge for your school, hotel or any organisation. Accessories are vital to enhance any wardrobe for a wedding, the races or gala party evening or prom.

Quality affordable products.

IMAGE CONSULTANCY PERSONAL STYLING & PRESENTATION Gillianlewiscmb

Gillian Lewis, an award winning Image Consultant trained by Colour Me Beautiful is offering NECC members and their

HOTEL - CONFERENCE & BANQUET VENUE - RESTAURANT WEDDING VENUE The Vermont Hotel

We are working with Core People Development, specialists in the hospitality industry; to develop the key people within our organisation but these courses are open to NECC members, with fantastic NECC 40% member discounts.

BRANDED CORPORATE MARKETING MERCHANDISE Completely Corporate

FREE origination and 10% off all orders for new NECC customers. With over 30 years’ experience in the promotional market, Completely Corporate can provide the perfect product to suit your event, marketing campaign or exhibition.

employees a 10% discount on all individual Colour Analysis or Style consultations or 15% if booking two or more consultations.

PARTICIPATION - COACHING & VOLUNTEERING IN SPORT IN TYNE & WEAR

Tyne & Wear Sport

Millions of working days are lost each year due to ill health.

Tyne & Wear Sport will give you help setting up activities for your workforce, free access to equipment, training & other resources and help developing links with local clubs.

Entry into the Member2Member section is not an endorsement by NECC APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 65

GUEST COLUMNIST

Last Word

In the current economic climate, says Alan Roberts, managing director, C&A Pumps and Engineering, Hartlepool, it’s all very well being cautious, but it probably won’t bring you business

I

f I could have spoken to myself 10 years ago, I would have advised myself that starting a business or doing a Management Buyout (MBO) was a good thing to do – regardless of the economic climate.

The business of supplying customers such as the prison service, fire brigades and local authorities with mechanical and electrical pumps and equipment is needed, even during a downturn. It’s a niche market that C&A Pumps serves.

If someone had explained this to me before, I probably would have started a business many years ago. As it was, I didn’t think about starting up on my own until I was faced with redundancy from the firm where I’d worked for 24 years and been a director since 2000.

But when I decided to buy the name and some of the assets from the owners who were closing the company down, other small businesses I knew said ‘take it easy, don’t employ people, and don’t buy premises or vehicles or plant’. But I did – and the bank said I’d done exactly the right thing.

People can be far too cautious. Lots of people want to be your mentor or your guru, but they’re a bit too wary sometimes and talk of slow growth and development.

I ploughed all my redundancy into the new business to set up offices and buy vehicles. We started doing pretty much the same work as we had been known for and I was able to employ 10 staff who I had worked with previously.

A lot of clients we had came across

with us, because they wanted to continue dealing with people they knew and could not get the same quality and ‘One Stop Shop’ package that we offer.

The bank said the biggest problem I would face was that suppliers would be suspicious because we were a new company, even though we’d retained customers and the company name.

So I went out into Hartlepool and knocked on suppliers’ doors. I laid my cards on the table – I told them I had clients, I had business and I needed credit. I came away with 60 and 90 day terms which our bank found to be hard to believe. They also visited clients with us to see for themselves what we were doing was real.

People still don’t believe me but that’s what I did – I went out and met people face-to-face, telling them what I could do. And it worked.

We’ve paid our bills on time; we’ve paid our wages on time. It just builds

66 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / APR - MAY 2013

confidence around us and we have no current loans to pay.

I firmly believe that being positive and honest with banks and suppliers is essential. Too many people are advised to be cautious when they’re starting out in business. But if you have good products or services and you are winning contracts, you need to be more confident about what you can achieve as growth is not possible if you are over cautious.

I was sort of pushed over the cliff, even though I had some resources behind me to take that leap of faith. Our potential retirement funds have gone into the business.

I’m in a better position now to advise other people who are not sure what to do.

We are going from success to success. There is a market out there, even when the economy’s looking bleak - you just have to know how to find it if you are good at what you do.

Hay & Kilner presents:

GREAT EXPECTATIONS (an employment seminar by way of role play)

AIM: How to avoid costly employment claims, legal fees, lost management time and insomnia.

Scene 1:

A director meeting a poor performing manager to decide whether to end his employment.

Scene 2:

The director, upon a claim being made by the manager, is cross-examined in the Tribunal on all aspects of the dismissal and particularly, the mental process in reaching the decision.

Venue: Centre for Life, Newcastle Date: Thursday 9th May 2013 Time: 8:30am - 10:45am To reserve your free place at this seminar contact Jenny Simon.

Call: 0191 232 8345 Email: jenny.simon@hay-kilner.co.uk Visit: www.hay-kilner.co.uk to book a place online

What clients have said about the Hay & Kilner employment team: Neil Dwyer is seen as “an expert who manages to convert complex legal information into understandable processes.”

Sarah Hall “understands our business and gives pragmatic advice outlining options and risks.”

Sarah Furness provides clients with “clarity and high-quality answers.” “...clued up and on the ball, Rodney Jones quickly reacts to our needs.”

APR - MAY 2013 / CONTACT / 67