NECC: Making the North East a success
FEBRUARY - MARCH 2014
Choice cuts
Family butcher goes global
MEET THE MILLERS Paralympian Stephen Miller on business life with his wife
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PLANE SAILING
Former pilot’s business takes off
PROFILE
IN THE PINK Alice Blackie: Turning a £45 start-up into a £1.8m-turnover fashion empire
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WELCOME TO THE FIRST EDITION OF CONTACT MAGAZINE FOR 2014. I can’t help but notice that there is a general air of optimism surrounding regional business at the moment, which is a great way to start the New Year. Throughout 2013 the foundations were laid for economic recovery. The slow steady growth we saw throughout the year ended with the most positive set of Quarterly Economic Survey results for over a decade. The QES showed that growth continues apace in both manufacturing and service sectors, a trend maintained throughout 2013 and bodes well for further progress in 2014. Across all indicators, scores were well into robustly positive territory and significantly better than a year ago. While there are certain caveats to bear in mind when looking at such impressive statistics, there is no doubt the last quarter of 2013 was excellent for the region’s businesses.
NECC president David Laws looks forward to a positive year for the region
The Government’s GVA statistics show that the North East is gaining on the rest of the UK. We still have a long way to go before we reach the national average, but we are on the right track. That we are making such good economic progress in the face of major public sector cuts tells us it is business leading the way. Our firms have stepped up to the challenge and are currently recruiting, selling and investing more than at any time since the recession began. However, nobody is getting carried away. Unemployment levels, particularly among young people, remain a concern and we must get more of our excellent SMEs to start selling their goods to lucrative overseas markets. At the moment our excellent export performance is underpinned by a small number of large exporters. Our aim is to get more companies in our region selling overseas and we’re doing all we can to help them achieve this. When I was elected president of NECC, I spoke about the need for the region to speak with one voice, to be united in our aims and pursue common goals. We have made excellent progress but we must build on our success in 2014. There will be the odd blip along the way, but our success in attracting significant infrastructure investment, our growing GVA, our rise in optimism and the fact we have large-scale inward investments like Hitachi coming on line this year all point towards a positive and prosperous 2014.
EDITOR Jane Pikett jane@offstonepublishing.co.uk EDITORIAL TEAM Dean Bailey 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
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When you have finished with this magazine please recycle it
David Parfitt
Kevin O’Hare
Alice Blackie
“I was always a huge admirer of Saul Zaentz. He seemed to work to his own rules, only producing films he felt passionate about. I make many, many bad decisions. My skill is in quietly clearing up the mess.”
“The concept is right, where we are in Europe is right, we’re pulling together the right team of people and we’ve got the support of the airport. It’s now a case of getting out there, getting the aircraft and growing the business.”
“At the time, I was totally skint, so I put in £45 and my mum put in £45 to buy six dresses. She said that I’d better not waste the money. Now, we’re joint directors of Pink Boutique. She’s the finance director.”
Oscar winner
Sycamore Aviation
Pink Boutique
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Championing the region since 1815
DURHAM & WEARSIDE
ANNUAL DINNER
2014
18:30-00:00 - Thursday, 27 March, 2014 S TA D I U M O F L I G H T, S U N D E R L A N D
Join us for a key event in the North East business calendar - the Durham & Wearside Annual Dinner, celebrating Durham & Wearside business. Take your place at this prestigious event to network and entertain among some of the most influential names in North East business. Your host: Jeff Brown, BBC Look North
Your after-dinner speaker: Kevin Ball, Senior Professional Development Coach, SAFC
Member Table of ten: £650 + VAT, Individual: £65 + VAT, Non-member Table of ten: £900 + VAT, Individual: £90 + VAT For tickets (member discounts apply) email events@necc.co.uk or telephone 0300 030 33662
Sponsored by
Contents
To keep up to date with all the latest NECC and member news download the NECC App - search NECC in the Apple App Store and on Google Play
Plus 11 CLUB SPONSOR Brewin Dolphin welcomed
as President’s Club sponsor
13 TOP MARKS
NECC Quarterly Economic Survey returns best results for over a decade
42 FOCUS: INDIA
The final part of our series on trading and manufacturing abroad
45 TRANSPORT
News from DTVA and Port of Tyne
50 APPRENTICESHIPS
Learning on the job has huge benefits for all involved
54 FAB FIVE
Who should you be following on Twitter?
Features
06 60 SECONDS
Oscar winner David Parfitt
24 SUCCESS Family values and quality from the Great British Meat Co.
Alice Blackie, above, on taking her celebrityinspired online fashion store to a £1.8million turnover within two years
38
65 DOUBLE TAKE
Air traffic controllers from Newcastle International and Durham Tees Valley
66 LAST WORD
Mick Brophy on the importance of apprentices
28 MANIFESTO 2014 2014’s key points laid out
30 ENGINEERING SUCCESS
Bryan Bunn on securing the region’s engineering heritage
32 THE AVIATOR Getting down to the nuts and bolts with Sycamore Aviation’s Kevin O’Hare
34 SMILE
Paralympian Stephen Miller on his new start-up SMILE Through Sport
38 PINK BOTIQUE
Celebrity-inspired fashion success with Alice Blackie
56 WORKING LUNCH Live Theatre chief executive
34 30 66
Clockwise from above, Nortech’s Bryan Bunn, SMILE Through Sport’s Rachel and Stephen Miller and Gateshead College’s Mick Brophy
Jim Beirne
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 5
60 SECONDS
Screen test 60 seconds: David Parfitt, Oscar and BAFTA-winning film producer from Sunderland
A
s an actor, David Parfitt learned his trade treading the boards of the Sunderland Empire, before playing the original Tim Beecham (Hooray Henry friend of the late Nigel Pargetter) in Radio 4’s The Archers. Parfitt moved into production in the 1980s, producing British films including Much Ado About Nothing and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Parfitt’s 1998 production of Shakespeare in Love scooped seven Oscars including Best Film and Best Actress for Gwyneth Paltrow, as well as four BAFTAs. Parfitt is currently chair of Film London and served as the chair of BAFTA from 2008-2010. He maintains strong links with the city of Sunderland, of which he is a very vocal supporter, and the city’s university, which awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1999. He was last there in January to screen the Wipers Times and take questions from students.
Q If you were meeting someone for the first time, how would you describe yourself? Short, generally scruffy (unless this is a meeting), balding and bearded.
Q The best decision you’ve made, and why? I make many, many bad decisions. My skill is in quietly clearing up the mess without too many people noticing.
Q Who did you look up to as a child? I was working from the age of 12 and I don’t remember much detail before that. I was always a huge admirer of Robin Davies who played my brother in the telly sitcom ...And Mother Makes Three. As a child I wanted to be like him and we remained firm friends until his early death a few years ago.
Q If I was to tell you that you couldn’t fail, what would you do? Learn to play a musical instrument very well indeed!
Q How do you compare to your 21-year-old self? At 21, I was nearing the end of my first career and planning my first steps behind the camera. I think I probably prefer the mature me. Q What’s the best job you’ve had and why? In my acting life, that would be the original production of Another Country with Rupert Everett. We started the play in Greenwich and then the production successfully transferred to the West End. It was also where I first met the actor and director Kenneth Branagh, and he encouraged me to take risks and ultimately to become a producer. This meant that Another Country also marked the unofficial end of my career as an actor. As a producer, the last job is usually my favourite. I’m very proud of The Wipers Times starring Michael Palin, a film we made last year in Belfast. Q What would you be doing if you weren’t in the film/TV industry? I would be an architect.
6 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / FEB - MAR 2014
Q Who has inspired you in your life? I was always a huge admirer of Saul Zaentz (producer of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Amadeus and The English Patient) who died recently. He seemed to work to his own rules, at his own pace, only producing films he felt passionate about, something I wish to emulate in my work. Q How does producing compare to acting? Most actors don’t have much control over their careers. I like to be in control. Q What scares you most? Nothing to do with my professional life. I have plenty of private fears, mainly to do with looking after my family. Q If you were given the opportunity to produce a film/stage production based on any person - who would you choose and why? Strangely, I do have that opportunity... but if I had that brilliant idea I would keep it secret until I had a script to show! With my company we are constantly discussing ideas that inspire us and hopefully will also inspire our audience. Q What do you want to achieve more than anything else? Saul Zaentz’s career.
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My skill is clearing up the mess without people noticing
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ALRIGHT, DUCK?
TAKE THESE
GETTING SHIRTY
Newcastle law firm Mincoffs is the new sponsor of Morpeth Rugby Club first XV. The deal means the Jesmond-based commercial law firm is the shirt sponsor for this season. The company name is now emblazoned across the team’s red and white-striped shirts. Nick Smith, employment partner at Mincoffs, says it’s a privilege to sponsor the team.
DYING TO GO DIGITAL
It seems there really is an app for everything. Sunderland funeral director John G Hogg has become the first in the region to launch its own mobile app. The firm, which owns three funeral homes in the city, made the move to give help and advice on what to do when you lose a loved one. “We’ve designed a handy app to help people through this very difficult time,” says Hogg. “The public are becoming more sophisticated and the increase in smartphones among 30-to50 year olds means we have to adapt.”
Guests at a private Robbie Williams gig were given gifts from North East promotional merchandise firm Pro-Ad to take home. The concert at historic church venue LSO St Luke’s London, complete with full orchestra, was organised
for a selected audience of competition winners. It was rounded off with bespokebranded baubles for guests, supplied by the Morpeth-based business, as a little memento of the night. It’s a contract that’s sure to prove memorable for Pro-Ad, too.
ALL HEART
Golfers have chipped in nearly £16,000 to help children requiring heart transplant surgery at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital. The Children’s Heart Unit was chosen as the captains’ charity at Ramside Golf Club by Gordon Dance and Anne Wilkinson, who organised a year-long fundraising campaign to pay for vital equipment, salaries, and familycentred care on the ward. The money was raised specifically for children needing cardiothoracic surgery, involving conditions affecting children’s hearts and lungs. “I’m overjoyed that, in our own small way, we could pull together a good amount of money that can help this special group of health professionals do their amazing work,” says Dance. This year, the club is supporting Veterans at Ease, and Tiny Lives. Well done Ramside!
8 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / FEB - MAR 2014
SWINGING INTO RETIREMENT
Swing Bridge engineer George Fenwick is retiring. Fenwick, known to his friends as Geordie, joined Port of Tyne 40 years ago and has been the Swing Bridge’s engineer since 1989. The 65-year-old from Walkerville says he’s now looking forward to spending more time with his family and his pet parrots, but he’s going to miss the bridge. “The part of the job I’ll miss most is showing visitors the Swing Bridge during the annual Heritage Open Days organised by English Heritage,” he says. Brian Reeve, Port of Tyne’s chief technical officer, wished him a long and happy retirement.
Business guests at one of the North East’s top hotels are being given the chance to try a series of outdoor activities, including herding ducks. Five-star Seaham Hall has extended its appeal to corporate clients by offering a variety of games and challenges within its 37-acre grounds designed to encourage team building and create unique events. Along with traditional country pursuits such as archery and laser clay shooting, it offers the opportunity for teams of employees or delegates to herd ducks and even learn the ancient art of falconry with British birds of prey. Alternatively, for more energetic entertainment, Seaham Hall’s events team can organise a selection of large-scale inflatable games and activities so teams can compete against each other in an It’s A Knockout-style challenge. The events give a whole new meaning to getting all your ducks in a row…
IN MY VIEW
In my view NECC chief executive James Ramsbotham has a lot of reasons to be in high spirits
A
s I write this foreword, the low winter sun is shining through the trees at Aykley Heads, there is a crisp frost on the ground and there is a definite sense of optimism in the air. The high winds and incessant rain throughout the festive period could neither blow us off course nor dampen our enthusiasm for the beginning of 2014, which promises to be a year that we finally see the region back on a sound economic footing and ready for the recovery. That’s not to say we didn’t see significant progress in 2013, but it just feels like this year is going to be a good one. Maybe this is down to the notable successes we welcomed in the last quarter of 2013. Our own Quarterly Economic Survey was the most positive since we bid farewell to the 20th Century and the Government GVA stats further proved
that the region is on the march. Our businesses are at the very forefront of the feelgood factor movement, pushing forward with growth and investment plans, recruitment and enjoying a welcome return of strong sales and fuller order books. Produced in partnership with Barclays, the year-end QES revealed scores for domestic sales and workforce across the private sector at their highest levels since the NECC was formed in 1995, also demonstrating that levels in future performance rank alongside the highest scores seen in the history of the survey, with significant growth in recruitment of full-time and permanent staff. Coupled with Government GVA figures showing the region closing the gap on the rest of the UK, it was a fantastic way to start 2014. There was more good news from our friends at the North East LEP. According to their figures, the NELEP economy has outperformed the rest of the country in average growth of current GVA per capita. Between 2010-12 the NELEP area outperformed every other English region. We are also seeing our efforts noticed outside the North East. It gave me great pleasure to take a winning delegation down to The Brewery in London in November to compete in the British Chamber of Commerce Awards 2013 – following on from our significant successes at the 2012 awards. As champions of regional business, NECC always takes a strong cross section of our finest firms to compete in the prestigious annual honours. This year we were proud to host Nortech Solutions, Elddis Transport, Derwentside Homes, Atomhawk Design, Guardian Marine Technology and Andrew Moffatt of Port of Tyne, who made up a strong list of national award nominees, having already secured prestigious regional honours at the North East Business Awards.
A highly successful evening saw the North East celebrate a double victory with engineering design specialist, Nortech Solutions claiming the Most Promising New Business accolade, following on from Simply Bows and Chair Covers’ success in the same category last year. I was particularly proud when NECC scooped the Excellence in International Trade Award for its excellence in export documentation and its ongoing efforts to promote and support overseas trade across the North East. The award was our second in consecutive years following 2012’s victory for Excellence in Membership Services. We work tirelessly to improve conditions, not only for our region’s business community, but for the North East as whole. Ultimately, our aim is to make the North East a success, and developing and maintaining overseas customers and markets is playing, and will continue to play, a key role in our growth. I feel that this award reflects our hard work and the success that the region has achieved in the past 12 months.
“WE ARE SEEING OUR EFFORTS RECOGNISED OUTSIDE THE NORTH EAST”
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 9
NEWS
IT’S AGM SEASON North East Chamber of Commerce regional AGMs are taking place in March. To book, go to www.necc.co.uk DURHAM March 12, 11.30am–2pm Venue: Durham County Cricket Club Speaker: Richard Evans, director of Beamish Museum Richard will tell the story of Beamish and offer NECC members an insight into future plans, plus a general perspective on the regional tourism sector.
NORTHUMBERLAND March 19, 11.30am–2pm Venue: Kirkley Hall Speaker: Andy Jackson, AkzoNobel Andy will talk to members about the company’s history at its Prudhoe site and the plans for its new £100m site in Ashington.
TYNE & WEAR March 26, 11.30am–2pm Venue: Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle Speaker: Jon Malton, director of Ringtons Jon will offer an insight into the history of Ringtons and how this long-standing and successful business is adapting to the modern economy.
TEES VALLEY March 5, 11.30am–2pm Venue: Middlesbrough Football Club Speaker: tbc
Each event will also include a review of local and regional campaigning activity from NECC chief executive James Ramsbotham, plus the election of committee chairs/vice chairs and representatives to the NECC Council. There will be a lunch and networking from around 1pm.
10 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / FEB - MAR 2014
£200k cash injection Icon Plastics
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The investment comprises a £200,000 investment £100,000 loan and a £100,000 grant package from UK Steel from UKSE’s Access to Finance Enterprise (UKSE) has scheme. Icon is also receiving financial enabled precision support from HSBC and advice from injection moulding Tees-based business law firm company Icon Plastics to buy new Endeavour Partnership. premises on Teesside and secure Icon Plastics has customers in skilled jobs. various sectors including Icon will move into new automotive, agricultural, premises in Stockton-onJOBS OF health, construction, Tees with scope for 32-STRONG defence and electronics. continued expansion. The WORKFORCE In the past five years it has alternative to the ARE SECURED trebled its staff, doubled purchase of new premises its machine capacity, would have been developed new products and downsizing and outsourcing increased profits year-on-year. manufacturing abroad. MD Gareth Thomas, who bought the Now the jobs of the 32-strong company in 2008, says the firm will workforce are secure and a further 10 now take on apprentices and a new jobs are expected to be created within sales manager. the next two years.
JUST REWARDS North East businesses made a major impact at the North of England Excellence Awards 2013. Northumbrian Water won an Excellence Award and was named Business of the Year. Assessors praised its efficient plant, company ethos and motivated staff, and described their visit to its Durham HQ as ‘rewarding and a privilege’. The GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) artwork studio at Barnard Castle, Co Durham, which provides packaging artwork for GSK businesses, won
the category for private sector businesses with fewer than 250 employees. It also took the Special Award for Customer Service and Special Award for Lean. Sunderland-based pump supplier Grundfos Manufacturing won a Special Award for Sustainability. Law firm DWF won a Special Award for High Growth while First TransPennine Express scooped four Special Awards – for High Growth, Learning & Development, Leadership, and Sustainability.
three
ways to get your business noticed NECC: Making the North East a succ ess FEBRUARY 2014 - MARCH
FEBRUARY - MARCH
2014
2014
necc.co.uk - necontact.co.uk
Choice cuts
Family butcher goes global
MEET THE MILLERS Paralympian Stephen Miller on business life with his wife
✱
PLANE SAILING
Former pilot’s business takes off
PROFILE
necc.co.uk - necontact.co.uk
IN THE PINK Alice Blackie: Turning a £45 start-up into a £1.8m-turnover fashion empire
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28/01/2014 08:50
Brewin Dolphin’s William Baker Baker and NECC president David Laws
Join the club
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club comprising some of the most powerful people in the North East business community has welcomed one of the region’s oldest firms as its key sponsor. Wealth management firm Brewin Dolphin will support NECC’s President’s Club for the next 12 months. The company, which employs 360 people in Newcastle, is a leading provider of wealth management services. NECC President’s Club represents 250 companies and organisations from a range of sectors including services, manufacturing, education, professional, local authorities, housing groups
and the public sector. Established in late 2010, its members employ around 25% of the region’s workforce and three President’s Club events are held each year. NECC president David Laws says: “Brewin Dolphin is one of NECC’s oldest members, so it is fitting that it has agreed to sponsor this prestigious club as we head towards our 200th anniversary in 2015.” One of the founding firms of the London Stock Exchange with origins dating back to the mid-18th Century, Brewin Dolphin has a rich heritage. William Baker Baker, head of office at Brewin Dolphin Newcastle, says: “As a major employer committed to the region, we are delighted to support President’s Club.”
Print: 7,500 magazines distributed on a bi-monthly basis to businesses across the region Online: An online companion to Contact, available 24/7 to an even wider audience Email: An e-bulletin sent to 5,600 NECC members every two weeks To discuss how you can communicate effectively with these audiences contact Offstone Publishing on 01661 844115, or email sales@necontact.co.uk
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200 Ideas for NECC Celebration BICENTENARY CHARITY BOOST NECC is inviting charities to benefit from the organisation’s 200th anniversary celebrations. The Chamber will be 200 years old on January 5, 2015 and preparations for a year of activities are well underway. As part of this, NECC is planning to create a
community programme which can be sustained well beyond the anniversary year. If you are a charity and a member of NECC and you have fundraising initiatives planned for 2015 you may benefit. Please email charlie.nettle@necc.co.uk for details before March 1, 2014.
www.riverdalepaper.plc.uk
Tel: 0191 482 42 71 Earlsway, Team Valley Trading Estate Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 0RQ Fax: 0191 482 4214 E-mail: info@riverdalepaper.plc.uk
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 11
NEWS
ADVERTORIAL
RECOVERING THE COSTS OF THE TIMESHARE SCAMS
T
Marc Davison, TLW Solicitors
imeshares or holiday club memberships are often sold on the premise of offering you the perfect chance to enjoy holidays and time with your family at a cost which reduces year on year. While some companies are legitimate, thousands of people who have bought timeshares have fallen into clever, slickly operated scams where they may receive nothing at all for their money or have purchased weeks in timeshares which are already owned by 2 or 3 others. Many also become tied into contracts where maintenance fees increase rapidly year on year and become crippling. They then fall victim to further scams when trying to exit their contracts or sell the timeshare. Getting your money back can be extremely difficult with many companies being based abroad or not even existing. TLW Solicitors may be able to help if you have been mis-sold a timeshare product or been victim of a scam when trying to sell your timeshare. Marc Davison of TLW Solicitors advises, ‘”Due to the high pressure, very convincing sales techniques used, it is easy for even the most savvy of consumers to be duped by one of these scams. We have seen people from all walks of life fall victim to various scams and people should not feel embarrassed by this. We have seen people try to sell on a timeshare but then duped into purchasing further options as investments to cover the costs, some simply just do not get the service which they paid for. “Many individuals have been prosecuted for setting up and executing such scams but it is anticipated that this is only the tip of the iceberg and these scams continue today. The operations are so well run and on the face of it seem so professional that it is easy to see why people fall victim.”
For more information on how we can help with mis-sold financial products or to speak about any of our legal services call TLW Solicitors now on 0191 293 1500 or email info@tlwsolicitors.co.uk 12 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / FEB - MAR 2014
Dave Watson of Griffith Textiles with Coun Harry Trueman of Sunderland Council
Viva Las Vegas
A
is from America.” weaving company Watson led an MBO three in Washington is years ago from a large Belgian launching a firm which had taken Griffith second business over from its founder. “In 2010, to export textiles our owners didn’t have faith in to casinos in Las Vegas. the future of the company,” he Griffith Textiles has already says. “The result was a played a key part in the revival staffing reduction from 70 to of Harris Tweed, having eight people. We now have 22 designed a bespoke loom to staff and we are rebuilding the weave the heritage cloth in business gradually.” larger sizes for a greater Griffith has applied for variety of uses. It is now funding to build a second launching the Griffith Weaving machine to keep pace with Company to supply carpets to demand. If successful, it the American market. plans to create a MD Dave Watson further 12 jobs. says: “We produce Griffith is also carpets primarily “WE BELIEVE IN producing 3D for export to THE SKILLS OF carbon fibre America, mainly THE PEOPLE IN weaving for casinos and THIS REGION” machinery. The hotels in places equipment creates like Las Vegas. super-strong structures Initially, projects came used in the electric car from the local market in golf industry, where components clubs and hotels, but we now need to be extremely light to operate sales teams in New maximise mileage between York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas charging stops. and Miami. The major growth
WE’RE OFF OUT TO MONGOLIA... A North East architecture firm has completed designs for a major new homes development in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaator. Gateshead’s Gradon Architecture has submitted
design proposals for 50 energy-efficient homes in the city, which is the second most polluted on the planet (according to the World Health Organisation). Construction work is expected to begin this summer.
Confidence boost
NEWS NATIONAL SUCCESS
Optimism returning to business - report
C
The North East celebrated a double victory at the British Chambers of Commerce Awards held in late November at The Brewery in London. Engineering design specialist Nortech Solutions won the Most Promising New Business accolade, following Simply Bows and Chair Covers’ success in the same category last year. The Wynyard Park firm was one of six regional business champions at the prestigious event, which also saw Guardian Marine Testing and Derwentside Homes claim runners-up honours. NECC was also a winner, scooping the Excellence in International Trade Award. See page 60 for photos from the BCC awards
which is a positive indicator for 2014. ompanies taking part in the Economic conditions have been far from region’s largest business ideal, yet we have seen the region close the survey have returned the most gap on the rest of the UK in our output. positive set of results in more “Following on from December’s news than a decade. that North East GVA growth is outstripping The latest NECC Quarterly Economic the majority of the country, this QES Survey, produced in partnership with represents another significant shot in the Barclays, reveals ratings for domestic arm for the region’s business community.” sales and workforce across the private Confidence appears to be spreading sector are at their highest levels since across many industries, with notable 1995. Having charted slow but steady successes recorded by firms affiliated to growth across most indicators throughout business services and to the oil and gas 2013, the Quarter Four 2013 QES supply chains. The report shows returned the best set of results that the leisure sector has also since 2003, with significant REGION picked up significantly. growth in recruitment. CLOSES THE Brian Foreman, head of The survey demonstrates GAP ON THE North East mid-corporate continuing growth in the REST OF banking team for Barclays, manufacturing and service says: “Much of the growth is sectors, and scores across all THE UK driven by domestic markets, but indicators are well into positive I expect export markets to see territory and significantly better stronger growth in the future also. than a year ago. Recently, we’ve seen good statistics from NECC director of policy Ross Smith the US and some European markets. Firms says: “Three years of stuttering growth need to grab these opportunities.” and solid, steady progress throughout the Below is a summary of QES indicators: year was eclipsed in the final quarter, INDICATOR
BALANCE (ALL COMPANIES)
CHANGE ON LAST QUARTER
CHANGE ON LAST YEAR
MANUFACTURING SERVICE
NELEP AREA
NEWS
TEES VALLEY
UK sales
37.0
18.3 ▲
36.2 ▲
25.8
39.1
37.7
35.7
UK orders
31.5
14.2 ▲
36.3 ▲
23.3
33.1
29.9
38.3
Export sales
16.2
3.0 ▲
14.1 ▲
22.2
14.4
18.8
7.1
Export orders
14.0
1.2 ▲
17.5 ▲
22.2
11.7
18.4
0.0
Plant investment plans
19.4
-2.1 ▼
9.6 ▲
17.2
19.9
19.2
15.9
Training investment plans
26.4
8.2 ▲
16.3 ▲
21.4
27.3
23.6
30.6
Cashflow
18.5
15.4 ▲
30.2 ▲
0.0
22.1
16.3
20.8
9.8
5.9 ▲
15.4 ▲
16.1
8.7
12.1
8.8
Prices Current workforce
27.1
9.7 ▲
15.2 ▲
28.1
26.9
26.1
29.3
Future workforce
30.0
4.4 ▲
16.0 ▲
50.0
26.4
27.1
39.0
Future profitability
58.0
14.3 ▲
35.0 ▲
50.0
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MANUFACTURING SECURE Sunderland-based OpSec Security Group has invested £250,000 in new equipment at its plant to increase capacity and support growth for the future. The anti-counterfeiting technology specialist has also made a major investment in its sales and marketing effort, following the
completion of two acquisitions in the last 18 months. The new equipment will support the manufacture of holographic products which are used worldwide to prevent counterfeiting. OpSec customers include more than 40 governments and some 100 firms and organisations.
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT Emerald Biogas, which opened a food waste plant in Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham, in 2013, has launched a campaign to tackle the growing problem of food waste from schools. Waste Warriors: Food for Thought, invites pupils to tackle food waste. Statistics show that 800,000 tonnes of food waste is generated in England every year, of which more than 80,000 tonnes is generated by schools. Five schools are already on board: St. Edwards in Middlesbrough, Coxhoe Primary and Barnard Castle Prep in Co Durham, Hurworth Primary in Darlington and Woodham Burn Community Primary in Newton Aycliffe.
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 13
NEWS
NEWS THE FAST-TRACK TO SUCCESS A training company which secured internationally recognised quality standards within months of opening is now helping others to do the same. C&A Safety Solutions launched in 2012 to provide vocational work-based courses to the engineering and manufacturing sector. After attaining all three of its ISO accreditations in six months, C&A started helping other firms to fast-track their way through the process. So far, Hartlepool-based C&A has provided consultation for six businesses looking to gain the accreditation in the waste management, transport and engineering sectors.
NEWS QUICK LEARNERS A Newcastle-based V-Learning company is on track to help SMEs across the country thanks to assistance from Investment for Growth. Three Minute Trainer provides web-based video learning that allows users to carry out training at work, home or on the move and is the brainchild of award-winning Three Motion Media. The company, which specialises in the development and production of digital video and motion graphics, has developed four training programmes - Selling Skills, Effective Business, Health and Safety and Dementia Training - each containing 17-18 topics delivered in three-minute bite-sized videos.
John Dickson, chairman of the Owen Pugh Group (left) and Andy Parker, HSBC senior corporate banking manager, at the opening of the new depot in Factory Road
Building for success
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leading North East construction firm has opened a new £900,000 depot as part of major expansion plans. The new site will accommodate the expansion of the Owen Pugh Group’s civil engineering arm. Owen Pugh GDC, which delivers civil engineering contracts to local authorities and water companies, including drainage, environmental, flood alleviation, coastal and river works, has acquired a three-acre site on Factory Road, Blaydon. The move, supported by a £750,000 finance package from HSBC’s North East Corporate team, is described as a natural
VIDEO OF THE MONTH
progression for GDC, which has seen turnover grow from £4m in 2008/09 to a projected £13m for this financial year. It means Owen Pugh’s drainage arm, HCS Drain Services, which is headquartered in Stockton-on-Tees, will be able to develop a northern hub, enabling the business to more efficiently service a growing client base in Tyneside and Northumberland. It is expected six new employees will be taken on by GDC within the first quarter of 2014 and longer-term plans include the transfer of the Owen Pugh Construction team, which is currently based at the group’s Dudley, Cramlington, headquarters.
POSITIVE ROLES The (female) editor of this magazine gets the heebie geebies over anything that might be termed ‘positive discrmination’ for women, but even she likes Debbie Sterling’s company GoldieBlox, a toy company that disrupts the ‘pink aisle’ by providing toys that encourage girls’ natural interest in engineering. The business is a huge success, but it always sticks to its core ethos of toys to encourage an enquiring mind.
Screen grab: Getting girls to ‘play engineer’ should come naturally...
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ADVERTORIAL
TRAINEES BECOME PARTNERS AT SINTONS
The Lamba team
GLOBAL APPEAL A family-run welding machine maker has seen demand for its products soar across the globe after securing a £1m contract and moving to bigger premises. Lamba Welding Systems has been based in Richmond for 25 years, becoming a world leader in the supply, repair and service of resistance welding machinery.
Now, after winning a £1m contract with a leading industrial flooring firm which supplies to the oil, gas and petro-chemical industries, Lamba has moved into new premises five times bigger than its previous home on the Gallowfields Industrial Estate. The business is led by husband-and-wife team Brian and Julie Bates.
SURFACE DEEP Banks Mining is seeking permission to mine another 290,000 tonnes of coal at its South East Northumberland site. The firm has submitted plans to Northumberland County Council to work an extra area to the west of its existing Shotton surface mine. Helping to sustain around 150 jobs, the extraction would take two years from start to finish. Work at the site, which Banks has dubbed the Shotton Triangle, would run alongside existing operations, meaning no time extension would be needed and restoration would
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be carried out by 2019. Banks has been operating the Shotton mine since 2008 and, along with the company’s nearby Brenkley Lane surface mine, it currently contributes some £35m to the regional economy every year, as well as employing more than 200 people across the two sites. Mark Dowdall, Banks’ environment and community director, says discussions with local residents and community leaders have so far been positive. He says “We’ve worked successfully in this part of Northumberland for more than three decades.”
Adrian Dye and Laura Peace
wo lawyers who joined law firm Sintons as trainees have been made Partners. Laura Peace and Adrian Dye joined the Newcastle firm as graduates in 2002 and 2004 respectively. Now, after more than a decade with Sintons, they will be promoted to Partner as of February 1. Sintons now has over 250 people, including 29 Partners, and enjoyed a strong year of growth in 2013, during which the firm took on 27 new recruits. Laura is a real estate lawyer who works extensively in the acquisition and disposal of commercial property, secured lending and landlord and tenant work. She is also part of Sintons’ nationally-regarded Healthcare team, with a specialism in the sale and purchase of dental practices. Adrian specialises in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions. He is part of the firm’s esteemed specialist pharmacy team, and has expertise in the energy and renewables sector. Phil Ridley, Practice Director at Sintons, said: “From starting out as trainees with us, Laura and Adrian have gone on to become outstanding lawyers, highly regarded in their field of expertise across the North East and beyond. “We invest heavily in developing all of our people at Sintons, and it is very pleasing to see people who joined us as trainees, such as Laura and Adrian, go on to secure Partnership. We congratulate them on their promotion, and wish them luck in their continuing careers with Sintons.”
Sintons LLP, Barrack Road, Newcastle, NE4 6DB 0191 2267878 www.sintons.co.uk FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 15
NEWS
NEWS REVOLUTION REVAMP
Cocktail bar chain Revolution has chosen its Collingwood Street, Newcastle, venue as the latest to receive a complete overhaul. A six-figure investment has transformed the existing building, which once housed Barclays Bank. General manager Timmy Jessop says: “We have received one of the largest investments to date and it really shows in the work that’s been done here.”
NEWS CHARITY BEGINS AT SCHOOL Polam Hall School in Darlington has been rewarded for its fundraising efforts. The school’s Interact group has received the Young Supporters Award from St Teresa’s Hospice while teacher Patricia Pemberton received an Excellent Supporter Award. Over the past year, Polam Hall has taken part in a variety of challenges and events to raise money for the hospice, including a midnight walk which raised more than £1,300.
NEWS
The Nissan LEAF
City in pole position
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he automotive sector in Sunderland is expected to build on major investments secured in 2013 with further growth into 2014 and beyond. Sunderland City Council’s go-ahead for Nissan to expand its plant led to the company revealing plans to invest £250m and to create 1,000 jobs. The move will also bring production of the Infiniti Q30 to the plant in 2015. Nissan is in the midst of a £750m new model launch programme, which began in March 2013 with the electric LEAF, followed by the Note in September and kicking off
2014 with the new Qashqai. Meanwhile, TRW last year announced a £15m investment in its plant after successfully bidding for £1.75m Regional Growth Fund cash. The investment is funding two new lines enabling TRW to build the next generation of powersteering motors for global customers at its Houghton-leSpring factory. Meanwhile, car parts manufacturer Gestamp won a major contract with BMW to provide parts for the new Mini. The firm invested £150,000 in its Washington plant and temporary staff at Gestamp have become permanent. Operations director Mark Potts forecasts turnover in 2015 will
be between £34m and £37m. Vantec Europe, which provides logistics and warehousing services to Nissan, has completed a new £22.5m warehouse at Turbine Business Park and is aiming to increase staff through to 2017. “The achievements of Sunderland’s automotive and supply chain companies last year set the stage for a strong year of productivity and growth in 2014,” says Sunderland City Council leader Paul Watson. “The production capabilities of Sunderland-based companies have brought the city major new investment and have positioned us as a global hub for automotive manufacturing.”
per head. Newcastle has more restaurants per square mile than anywhere else in the North East. NE1’s Restaurant Week is designed to drive trade at traditionally quiet times of the year and is modelled on a similar scheme in New York. A total of 13 restaurants
were involved in the first event, and now, with more than 60 taking part, NE1 Restaurant Week in January and August is a firm fixture in the city’s events calendar with more than 60% of Restaurant Week customers visiting two or more restaurants during the week.
HOMES AWARD
North East property firm KIS Lettings has been named Letting Agent of the Year at the national Landlord and Letting Awards. The awards, presented by Homes Under the Hammer host Martin Roberts, recognise commitment to raising standards in the rental sector.
EATING OWT… The seventh NE1 Restaurant Week in Newcastle saw a 360% increase in the number of restaurants taking part since the event launched in 2011. The event at the end of January included more than 60 restaurants, offering fixed priced menus of £10 or £15
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Bored with the same old conference venue?
Problem SoLved. Why not have your conference at the iconic Stadium of Light?
Sunderland’s award-winning stadium is the perfect venue for you and your business With a reputation as a market leader in the hospitality industry, there’s flexible space ideal for conferences, exhibitions, meetings, training exercises and dinners. We’ve currently got a range of offers and incentives available, call our team to find out more on 0871 911 1555 or email conf&banq@safc.com
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North East garage equipment supplier Gott Technical Services is further expanding into the North West. The Morpeth-based firm has taken on Tim Dabbs to grow the business. Director Ian Gott says: “We work with a number of dealerships with sites outside the region so Tim’s arrival means we can expand our activity into the North West predominantly, and beyond.”
NEWS CLEANING UP The North East’s largest independent contract cleaning and facilities management business has secured a £400,000 investment to help drive its future growth plans. Maxim Facilities Management Limited (Maxim FM) will use capital from the Finance for Business North East Growth Fund to continue to expand and develop services, and it aims to create dozens of new North East jobs in the process. Maxim FM provides commercial contract cleaning and facilities management services to public and private sector clients throughout the UK, and has won major UKwide contracts this year with a number of blue chip corporate clients, including Paragon UK, Gentoo and Quorn Foods. The Sunderland-based firm worked with regional fund management firm NEL Fund Managers.
Radiokafka / Shutterstock.com
GOTT TO GROW
Corking news
Newcastle International Airport secures new route to Ireland via Aer Lingus Regional
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er Lingus Regional, operated by Aer Arann, has announced a new Cork route from Newcastle Airport beginning at the end of March 2014. The new route will operate four times a week, building on the success of the Newcastle-Dublin route which launched last October. Chris Sanders, aviation development director at Newcastle International Airport, says: “Cork makes a fantastic base for exploring the whole of South and SouthWest Ireland. The city has a range of
shops, museums and galleries plus numerous cultural festivals at various times through the year. Furthermore, within easy reach of the city there are many further attractions of interest to all ages. Who hasn’t wanted to obtain the “gift of the gab” through kissing the Blarney stone? “These flights will also open up new business opportunities, especially given the oil and gas exploration which is taking place off the Irish coast. We will definitely see an increase in the number Irish tourists coming across to explore North East England.”
POLICE ACADEMY Teesside University has become the first in the North East to be approached to teach an important policing qualification. The College of Policing has approved Teesside as a provider of the Certificate in Knowledge of Policing (CKP). An increasing number of police forces across the country now request that the CKP qualification be completed before someone applies to join the service. Teesside offers the CKP
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embedded as a module within its BSc (Hons) Crime and Investigation degree programme and, from September, within a BSc (Hons) Policing degree. There are also plans to offer it as a stand-alone qualification in the future. The qualification teaches about responding to incidents, providing support to victims, interviewing witnesses and suspects along with social
and community issues and neighbourhood policing. Dr Ian Pepper, principal lecturer in policing, described receiving approved provider status as a great honour.
CASE HISTORY
GROWTHACCELERATOR HELPS MAC SECURITY FORGE AHEAD
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READY FOR TAKE-OFF Newcastle International Airport and Northumberlandbased publishing house Offstone Publishing have launched a new association with the publication of the airport’s Horizons magazine. A total of 100,000 copies of the magazine are now in circulation, with several thousand available at the airport. “The new-look Horizons focuses on the huge variety of destinations easily reached from Newcastle and appeals to the airport’s traget demographic,” says Offstone Publishing partner Jane Pikett.
“Being asked to create the magazine is a great endorsement for us.” Newcastle Airport chief executive David Laws adds, “We’re very pleased with the work Offstone have carried out on this new format for the magazine. It’s great to be working with a local company, and we expect this new partnership will provide the people of the North East with a more compelling insight into the Airport.” Offstone publishes magazines for clients as well as in-house magazines Northern Golfer, appetite and Cheers.
DINE IN STYLE The NECC Durham & Wearside Annual Dinner is on March 27 at the Stadium of Light and features Sunderland AFC’s development coach Kevin Ball as the after-dinner speaker. Ball made 388 appearances as player and captain in the 1990s, scoring 27 times. At the end of his playing career he returned to Sunderland as a coach and is now the club’s senior professional development
coach. He twice won the First Division title with Sunderland and reached the 1992 FA Cup final. The Durham and Wearside dinner is sponsored by Gentoo and hosted by BBC Look North and Cumbria presenter Jeff Brown. Tickets (NECC members £65, non-members £90) at www.necc.co.uk or tel 0300 0303 3662
rowthAccelerator is a unique service led by some of the country’s most successful growth specialists and is designed to help companies grow through new connections, new routes to investment, new ideas and strategy. A great example of GrowthAccelerator at work is the partnership the service has forged with MAC Security. Initially introduced to MAC Security by Harlands Accountants, themselves beneficiaries of GrowthAccelerator advice and support and now registered as Growth Coaches, GrowthAccelerator have been involved in advising the company directors on a strategy for growth, and in accessing a significant amount of government support to put those plans into action. “GrowthAccelerator have been fantastic and, along with Harlands, helped us create an optimal organisational structure that will meet the stategic objectives of the company, drawing on a broad range of expertise we do not have ourselves.” said Claire Foster, MAC Security’s Managing Director. “The business plan is now central to everything we do and has given the business and its management real focus and a clear idea of the route Marian Bassam of ahead. While the government funding is important GrowthAccelerator, it was this external, impartial expert advice we valued above all in the process. Part of that advice Glyn Davison of was to invest in a high level leadership and Harlands, Claire management training programme for our existing Foster of MAC management team, for which GrowthAccelerator Security & Julie have secured match funding up to £2000 per Skevington of GrowthAccelerator person. We hope to grow our workforce by 10 people over 3 years.” “GrowthAccelerator is squarely targetted at SME’s with a potential for high growth.” says GrowthAccelerator’s Julie Skevington. “My job is to raise awareness of the service and support available and help as many North East SME’s achieve that growth.” Harlands Accountants managing director Glyn Davison works closely with GrowthAccelerator. “We were delighted to introduce MAC Security to GrowthAccelerator.” says Glyn. “The wide ranging nature and flexibility of the service is what allows us to recommend it to such a broad range of clients, irrespective of their business sector.”
To find out how GrowthAccelerator can benefit your business call Julie Skevington on 0191 4998401 or email j.skevington@winning-pitch.co.uk FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 19
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Choice cuts
Family butcher goes global
REACH OUT TO POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS
MEET THE MILLERS Paralympian Stephen Miller on business life with his wife
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Former pilot’s business takes off
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IN THE PINK Alice Blackie: Turning a £45 start-up into a £1.8m-turnover fashion empire
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EASY IN, EASY OUT Flexible terms are just one of the benefits on offer at The Innovation Centre Hartlepool We offer flexible terms and competitive prices in purpose built, thoroughly modern well serviced offices and workshops that leave you free to develop your business without the complex restrictions of a long lease. • 24 hour access • 3 Fully equipped meeting & conference rooms • High speed broadband internet connection 100Mb/s • Network ready Cat 5 intelligent data cabling • Digital telecom system
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www.uksteelenterprise.co.uk/hartlepool UK STEEL ENTERPRISE IS A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF TATA STEEL EUROPE
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SILVERSTONE REVAMPS INDUSTRIAL UNITS
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ilverstone Building Consultancy has been instructed to project manage the refurbishment of a portfolio of 22 industrial units on Whitworth Road, Washington. IO Asset Management has put in place a programme that will improve the quality of the properties on offer in order to attract new occupiers, having recently acquired the units. Ben Hunter, director at Silverstone Building Consultancy says: ‘We have advised IO Asset Management on the refurbishment of the units to include new external
cladding, roof repairs, new carpeting and full redecoration which will provide significantly improved accommodation. “We are now in the process of appointing a main contractor and will project manage the refurbishment process. We are aiming for a quick turn around and envisage the properties will be ready for occupation within 12 weeks.” The industrial/trade counter units form part of the Armstrong Industrial Estate and range in size from 2,900sqft to 12,472sqft. The close proximity to Nissan would suit companies in its supply chain.
NEW INSTRUCTIONS
COMMERCIAL DEMAND UP
Chartered surveyor Naylors has won new instructions following competition with national agents. The firm has taken on new industrial agency instructions for more than 600,000sqft of warehouse and factory space from Middlesbrough to Blyth. It has also been approached by a number of occupiers looking to relocate and its industrial team is currently looking to acquire more than 300,000sqft of industrial space to serve these clients.
Stronger UK economic performance will fuel higher leasing volumes, prices and rents, says Jones Lang LaSalle’s property predictions for 2014. The UK’s property markets will be characterised by strong and rising demand and a dearth of supply, it says. Jon Neale, head of UK research, says: “The UK will be among the strongest economic performers in the developed world. Higher demand and restricted supply will fuel rising prices and rents.”
ADVERTORIAL
CREATING A GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE ECONOMY - HAVE YOUR SAY An ambitious North East Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) aims to bring billions of pounds and many thousands of jobs to the North East area. Businesses, voluntary and community organisations have until 25 February to make their views known about the Strategic Economic Plan during the consultation programme.
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Paul Woolston, Chair of the North East LEP
he plan, drafted by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is an essential piece in the development of a North East agenda for growth. The draft plan, produced with partners, sets out a clear vision and investment programme for the area, identifying key priorities and actions. The final SEP will become the core of both the North East LEP’s bid to Government’s £2bn per annum Local Growth Fund, and programmes that will be funded from other local, national and European sources. To achieve the SEP’s vision, which is ‘by 2030, the North East will be a globally competitive economy, with more and better jobs created through making, trading and innovating’ the plan sets out a number of new ideas for growth. NEW IDEAS FOR GROWTH The SEP proposes a number of initiatives to boost innovation, enterprise, skills and infrastructure. These include: • An Entrepreneurs First £30m competition • Two £25m catalytic innovation competitions • Up to 25% increased investment in finance for SMEs, including an expanded JEREMIE programme. A North East Schools Challenge £160m investment in high level skills development A separate £160m Inclusive North East project is proposed to work towards eliminating gender, race, age and cultural gaps in employment between the North East LEP area and national averages by 2025. It also sets out plans for new ways of working with Government, including developing new relationships, freedoms and flexibilities to move towards devolution in areas which allow greater efficiencies and outcomes. INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT In infrastructure, an international advanced manufacturing park, built around the Nissan campus at Washington is planned, and investment programmes totalling £650m over the next ten years to the A1 and
A19 trunk roads, the Ashington-Blyth-Tyne rail line and to the East Coast Main Line (Leamside Line). NORTH EAST INTERNATIONAL The draft North East SEP plan states: “We must also protect and capitalise on our natural and built heritage, developing our tourism offer, providing housing that is fit for purpose and attracting and retaining talent. In this global environment, there is new thinking about how regions like the North East can become more competitive and prosperous, driving smart, sustainable and inclusive economic outcomes.” Paul Woolston, chair of the North East LEP said: “The Strategic Economic Plan is a great opportunity for us to truly transform the North East LEP area’s economy. This long-term plan is vital for continued growth and productivity and builds on our ambitious and focused vision. We have a strong track record in designing and taking forward innovative initiatives such as the Skills Incentives Pilot, our £38m allocation for the North East Investment Fund and the success of the North East Enterprise Zone. Through the implementation of the SEP we will be able deliver economic growth effectively and as quickly as possible.” The draft and summary draft North East Strategic Economic Plan is online and consultation is available from www.nelep.co.uk/agenda-for-growth/ Consultation closes on Tuesday 25 February. Following the consultation period, the strategy will be finalised and presented to Government.
North East LEP 0191 222 3180 info@nelep.co.uk www.nelep.co.uk @northeastlep To sign up for North East LEP updates please visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/northeastlep
NEWS
NEWS BUSINESS BATTLE Students from The Hermitage Academy in Chester-le-Street have been taking part in an initiative designed to encourage the entrepreneurs of the future. Run by MyBnk, the programme involved pupils pitching ideas to win 0% loans, selling products and competing to make the biggest net profits. From March, some MyBnk programmes for 11 to 25-year-olds are fully funded. For more information, go to www.mybnk.org
NEWS APPY NEWS One of the region’s most recognised technology firms has completed a deal to quickly develop cross-platform apps. Waterstons has become one of only five UK-based premier partners of Xamarin, a company which empowers developers to build mobile apps across all major device platforms. The deal comes as businesses are increasingly adopting cross-platform mobile applications to manage bring-your-own device policies along with improving internal operations and customer service. Ross Dargan, Waterstons’ mobile development specialist, says the partnership means his firm can develop apps much more quickly than using traditional methods.
Shaun Fryer
A healthy turnover
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oaring rates of obesity and an increase in patient power mean Newcastle Clinic is on track for a £1.4m turnover. The projected figures will mark a nearly 300% rise in turnover compared to 2007 for the clinic, which has the North’s only open-sided MRI scanner. Director Shaun Fryer explains: “In 2007, we were turning over no more than £500,000. In 2011, we took the decision to replace our ageing scanner, which cost £750,000 but the images are now much clearer and crisper. In December 2011, we had a turnover of £760,000 and last year, it was just over £1m.” The increase is mainly down to more referrals from the NHS. Doctors and hospitals around the region and beyond refer patients to Newcastle Clinic if they
can’t be scanned in a conventional tunneltype machine, either because they are too obese to fit into a conventional scanner, or because they suffer from claustrophobia, anxiety, or another underlying health reason. Referrals were up by 70% in 2012 and 23% in 2013. “It would be wrong of me to say obesity statistics don’t have an impact,” says Fryer, “But people are also much more savvy about their healthcare now. They see it as a service industry and patients are more aware of what’s available.” Newcastle Clinic has just signed a contract worth £200,000 with occupational health company Wellwork to use some consulting, treatment and admin rooms, and the firm has plans for expansion this year and next. It also plans to roll out its MRI model to other sites.
VIDEO OF THE MONTH
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME For all those back bedroom inventors out there, here’s a neat little overview of the key steps involved in taking your brilliant idea and turning it into a real life invention that actually makes money. It’s not a pipe dream (everything was a new invention once), as you can see from this. Screen grab: How to be an inventor, the easy way
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ADVERTORIAL
DEFEATING DATA THIEVES
W Stephen Drysdale
TIME FOR TEA
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ingtons has launched an exclusive Signature range to reach new customers through its business-to-business clients and consumerfocused ecommerce website. The Signature range has a new packaging design and encompasses the 106-yearold firm’s extensive loose tea range, fruit and herbal infusions and bean and ground coffee collections. Ringtons’ Beverage division will also be offering the range to clients to sell onto their own customerbase. Stockists already
include the Swell Café in Robin Hood’s Bay, Whitby, which will be serving and selling Ringtons Signature from its converted chapel. Stephen Drysdale, head of Ringtons Beverages, expects the move to make Ringtons products even more accessible to existing customers along with attracting new ones. “It enables our business clients such as hotels or cafes to offer their customers a unique service which is convenient and appealing and, in turn, sets their venue apart from competitiors,” says Drysdale.
COST-EFFECTIVE Cost management consultancy Auditel has launched a new practice in Newcastle. The company aims to help organisations improve their performance by increasing profits, reducing waste and freeing up in-house resources. Auditel consultant Terry McNamara, who used to work in Newcastle CID with Northumbria Police, is heading up the new branch.
McNamara says he is looking forward to providing businesses in the North East with improved efficiencies, competitive advantage and accelerated performance.
e’ve seen an increase in the number of enquiries we get about dealing with “data theft” by former employees, recently. These have ranged from showing that a former salesman had copied a complete customer database and taken it to a new position, to trying to enforce a court order to delete a copy of the misappropriated data. In the first case, we were able to show a change in activity patterns on the salesman’s workstation in the weeks leading up to his leaving date. These changes included more frequent access to the customer database and the installation and removal of several USB memory sticks (make, model and capacity all identified) around the same times as the database accesses. The employer took appropriate steps to prevent the leaver and his new employers making use of the database. In the second case things were not quite as easy. The former employer had pursued the leaver through the courts and obtained an order for the destruction of a copy of the database held on a personal laptop. We were asked if we could assist. Our response was “Yes, but it’s probably not worth doing”. Although we routinely securely erase data as part of our normal activities, it was so likely that other copies existed that the erasure of just one wouldn’t prevent others being used. The problem is that we were called in several months after the data copying happened (N.B. - it wasn’t theft within the strict definition - the owner still had the original database), so the leaver had had ample time to make more copies and distribute them. The database was, in fact, already in use by the new employer although they weren’t aware of the source. In the first case, we were approached within days of the leaving date to carry out a check. Quite wisely it seems. As with most things in the digital world, fast response is essential. If you’re concerned about a similar situation contact us now - initial consultations are free.
Angus Marshall is a director of n-gate ltd., a firm which specialises in solving “interesting” forensic science problems. He is also a registered expert adviser to law enforcement agencies and the UK’s principal expert on digital evidence to the ISO Information Security committee. Tel : 0870 1998 506 email: contact@n-gate.net
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SUCCESS
Choice cuts Bryn Littleton meets the men who have taken a traditional family butchery business and are in the process of turning it into an online success
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elief in a product is one of the prerequisites of good business. It’s not essential, but it certainly helps to sell something if you know that the goods you’re selling are the best. However, a genuine passion for a product, caring about how it is sourced, lovingly preparing it, delivering it with instructions on how best to enjoy it and using social media to share the experience with customers… that is less common. It’s the approach of the Great British Meat Co, the brainchild of brothers in butchery Dan and Jamie Freeman and their business partner Sam Wass. The brothers combined their passion for locally sourced quality meat with Sam’s marketing expertise to come up with the online concept and help to encourage consumers not only to buy the best, but to enjoy the experience. “We’re from a generation that no longer uses a butcher,”
says Wass. “The vast majority of people nowadays buy their meat from the supermarket on the weekly shop in vacuumpacked polystyrene trays. People have forgotten how to buy meat. “Our parents would chat with the butcher and he’d tell them which part of the animal the cut was from, how to prepare it, how much they would need for a family of four. These are the things we’re trying to bring back.” The company is an offshoot of Freeman’s Catering Butchers, which started life as J Freeman & Sons Butchers in South Shields in 1953. Employing 45 people, Freeman’s has grown in popularity and size thanks to its traditional values passed down through three generations of the Freeman family. The firm is one of the best-known catering butchers in the north, supplying top restaurants and hotels. The company has an annual turnover in excess of £5m and earlier this year claimed the
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title National Catering Butcher of the Year. Dan Freeman says: “We’re third-generation butchers. Our grandfather started the business in 1953 and we’re carrying on the traditions he prided himself on 60 years ago. “There is almost a fear in asking questions about meat these days, but what we’ve found is that people will ask these questions online – things like, ‘how many servings will I get from this cut? What’s the best way to cook this meat? Can you tell me how best to prepare it?’ These questions were commonplace in butcher’s shops years ago, but people just don’t ask anymore. “Through our website and social media, we encourage this interaction. We want to hear about customers enjoying the product, but we also want to make sure they’re getting the most from their purchase. It’s one of the key reasons why they’ll come back.” Every purchase made through the Great British Meat Co. is delivered with a hand-
Left to right: Jamie Freeman, Sam Wass and Dan Freeman
written card from one of the company’s 27 butchers. This may include details of where the meat has been sourced, how it was prepared or a simple message wishing the customer an enjoyable meal and a thank you. “We’re committed to buying locally,” adds Jamie Freeman. “We believe the best produce is here on our doorstep, but if there is better elsewhere then we will follow the quality and that is why we’re doing so well. “While it’s true that people don’t use butchers like they used to, there is an increase interest in food, so we’re making it easy for them to
June 2013. They have enjoyed source quality. “Those people who are passionate about their a 50% increase in business each month since June and food will ask for specific cuts, are gearing up for a busy 2014. and we’re finding that “Each month helps us American cuts are quite to understand our popular. They market a little bit understand that “WE BELIEVE better,” adds we can meet Wass, who cut their THE BEST his teeth in specifications PRODUCE IS event and deliver HERE ON OUR management anything they DOORSTEP” before joining want.” Great British Meat The Freeman Co. “We were worried brothers and Wass that people may not feel tested the market for the Great comfortable buying meat British Meat Co. during online, but we knew that if we Christmas 2012 and after could build momentum we positive feedback officially could win people over with launched the company in
customer service. It turned out that there was more of an appetite for this than we originally gave people credit for, and we’ve been kept incredibly busy.” Establishing a solid business base in the North East was the first key milestone set by the company. Within a month that was secured and orders started to flow from further afield. Dan Freeman says: “We have small, rapidly growing markets all over the country. We got one order from Pembrokeshire and within a month we had 20 new customers from there. The
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 25
SUCCESS
The expanding Great British Meat Co. is looking to export same thing happened in Devon. People like what we do and how we work. They tell their friends or engage with us on social media and before you know it, via good service, excellent product and allimportant word-of-mouth recommendation, we have a customer base.” In keeping with traditional family butcher’s values and customer service, The Great British Meat Co. has invested heavily in its website. All the meat is photographed professionally, with no standard ‘catalogue’ images. Customers can shop by cut and by meat, browse the shop, interact with the owners and butchers, source recipe advice and access a blog with tips
award-winning Blackfriars and special offers. Restaurant in Newcastle. “We’re your friendly The next venture will see neighbourhood online butcher,” the company tackling overseas says Wass. “Our reputation is misconceptions about British growing and our customers meat as they look to open up are happy.” foreign markets. This growing “We’re keen to reputation is expand into enhanced by the “WE’RE YOUR exports,” says company’s Jamie Freeman. approach to FRIENDLY marketing, with NEIGHBOURHOOD “At the moment it’s not events like a ONLINE economically pop-up BUTCHER” viable to send a restaurant in box of steaks over Saltwell Park, to California - where we Gateshead, when have received interest, by the award-winning North East way - but we’ll work out a way chef David Kennedy served up to do it. Likewise, there’s dishes created with Great Europe, and we’ve had British Meat Co. produce. The enquiries from military bases team is also hosting a series in Germany.” of butchery classes at the
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The export market promises much and the Great British Meat Co. is working closely with NECC on developing overseas markets. NECC chief executive James Ramsbotham says: “The Great British Meat Co. is a forward-thinking new business that has grown out of a great North East institution. “Breaking new ground in business while maintaining the traditions associated with a proud trade is what has set them apart from the competition and helped them blaze a trail, not only in the North East, but increasingly across the UK. “I feel certain they will make a huge success of this latest venture.”
ADVERTORIAL
PROTECTING A BUSINESS ON DIVORCE Hay & Kilner has seen a rise in divorce amongst business people who wish to protect their position for the future
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Hay & Kilner’s Family Law Team
hat happens to a business on divorce depends on the type of business. If the business has assets, the first step is to carry out a valuation and explore whether it is possible to leave the business with the owner and compensate the other spouse with a greater share of other assets. Many couples prefer this, especially if one spouse has had very little to do with the business. If there are insufficient non-business assets to give to the other spouse, look at whether there is capital in the business which can be extracted, without damaging the viability of the business. If there are not many assets, a valuation is probably unnecessary as the spouse can benefit from the business by sharing the income and receiving maintenance instead. You will be requested to produce the last two years accounts and details of past and projected income but it is also wise to prepare further information so that your spouses’ lawyer and the court can have a better understanding of the business. Who established the business and when? If well-established before the marriage, without any financial or other contribution from the other spouse, there is a greater chance of arguing that it should be treated differently from the other family assets. Who else is involved? If there are several people who own the business, the court is less likely to insist on the business, or its assets, being sold because it could unfairly affect the other business owners. Are there any restrictions in the company’s constitution as to who can hold shares? If so, it will not be possible for the other spouse to receive shares as part of the settlement. How is the business performing? Clearly explain if the business may suffer a downturn because of market changes. Your spouses’ lawyer and the court will not know your business sector as well as you do. Future plans? Was cash ear-marked for future development? The court may try to avoid disrupting your plans if they are well explained and sound prudent. How far off is retirement? If you would be retiring in the short to medium term and selling your
business then in any case, your spouse may agree to receive part of the business when it is sold in the future. If you are currently happily married but want to do what you can to protect your business in the eventuality of divorce, it is wise to keep your business assets separate from your private assets and not involve your spouse in the business. If you inherit a business during the marriage, ask your spouse to sign a post-nuptial agreement to forgo a claim against the business. Fighting about business assets at court is extremely expensive and time consuming. Taking expert advice from a specialist family lawyer at the outset is vital to understand where you stand, minimise the damage and avoid court.
Nicola Matthews is a Law Society Family Law Panel member, qualified Collaborative Lawyer and former local chair of “Resolution”, an association of specialist family lawyers who adopt a firm yet conciliatory approach to family cases. For further information, contact Nicola Matthews. Call: 0191 232 8345 Email: nicola.matthews@hay-kiner.co.uk Visit: www.hay-kilner.co.uk
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 27
NECC POLICY
NECC Manifesto 2014: A year for North East growth The region is in position to lead the UK’s economic resurgence in 2014, says the North East Chamber of Commerce’s 2014 Manifesto
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ECC issues its manifesto every 12 months, outlining its key lobbying priorities for the coming year. The four pillars of the 2014 manifesto, created in consultation with NECC members large and small, are to champion North East business, develop infrastructure, support competitiveness and remove barriers. These pillars will build on the successes of 2013, which saw the Government commit to a host of key infrastructure projects in the region, including the creation of a motorway link from London to Tyneside. David Laws, NECC president, says: “If 2013 was about repairing the foundations of our regional economy, then 2014 must be about using the progress we have made as a springboard for genuine economic growth.” The 2014 manifesto urges the Government to support NECC’s work to champion business and back its ambition to empower business, stimulate growth, create jobs and help the
North East to become an international gateway for industry. “Successfully rejuvenating our economy requires local, regional and national organisations to pull together to recognise the potential within North East companies,” says Laws. “Creating the conditions in which they thrive must be a top priority and NECC will campaign to ensure it remains at the forefront of national decision-makers’ minds. “The North East is on the up. We are going places and our public and private sectors are demonstrating that we are stronger together. A united force can get things done. The fact that GVA has grown well above the national average at a time of severe public sector cuts is a demonstration of what we’re capable of and that we mean business.” NECC has worked closely with member businesses to outline its priorities. “This manifesto sets out the policy developments NECC members believe are most critical to enable this to happen,” says Laws.
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“It includes the main changes in national policy needed to get the most from our businesses, but more specifically the changes needed in both central Government’s approach to the regional economy, and the actions of decision makers and public bodies operating within the North East.” There were also positive regional and national announcements on freezing business rates at 2%, developmentfriendly local plans, regional support for carbon capture and storage, doubling of export support to £50bn, the North Eastern Local Enterprise Partnership’s skills pilot and addressing the issue of National Insurance contributions for young people. “The Manifesto comes directly from the businesses we represent, covering one-third of the North East workforce,” says Laws. “Our businesses are leading the recovery. The diverse business base that has helped us roll with the punches are the very ones who will drive forward growth, create jobs and make sure 2014 is another great year.”
Key Manifesto 2014 priorities CHAMPION NORTH
DEVELOPING
SUPPORTING
REMOVING
EAST BUSINESS
INFRASTRUCTURE
COMPETITIVENESS
BARRIERS
NECC will:
• Address the regional effect following the Scottish independence referendum • Support Local Enterprise Partnerships • Encourage councils to support business growth, despite budget reductions • Build on the Great Reasons to do business in the region campaign and back major North East events
NECC will:
• Push for delivery of A1 and A19 upgrades and A1 dualling feasibility study • Campaign for international gateways at our ports and airports and call for excellent East Coast Main Line services under a new franchise • Call for industrial carbon capture and storage scheme in Tees Valley • Push for support for unconventional gas in the North East and request that planning and licensing for offshore wind on Dogger Bank • Push fast rollout of rural broadband, ensuring that locations are prioritised
NECC will:
• Support development of innovation centres of excellence • Intensify support for repatriation of manufacturing to the North East as well as encourage greater business involvement in inward investment • Push for better careers advice and encourage graduate attraction • More incentives for businesses to employ and train young people • Make the case for business investment following Regional Growth Fund
NECC will:
• Press business rates reform and extend exemptions to empty property rates • Call for fuel duty and Air Passenger Duty reform • Campaign for North East firms to compete for public sector contracts • Encourage swift planning process giving the North East a competitive advantage for investment
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PROFILE
Nuts and bolts Owen McAteer meets Bryan Bunn – a businessman for whom the good, oldfashioned engineering excellence upon which the North East was built could be the key to the region’s 21st Century success
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the 51-year-old says: “I have travelled s a product of a region he extensively, working on major jobs with sees as having engineering in fantastic people, and a high percentage of its blood, Bryan Bunn is keen people who were the movers and shakers that young people once again on jobs were from the North East. One of regard a career in the sector our biggest exports is the quality of those up there with the likes of medicine. people.” After years working across the UK and That history of developing skills sought Europe, Bunn set up base back in his native the world over is something Bunn wishes Tees Valley with Nortech Solutions, which to continue, even though times have celebrates its third birthday on April 1. changed since he began as an apprentice Having steadily grown the Wynyardwith ICI in his native Billingham. based company from four staff to a team “It’s only when you look back on the ICI of 80, Nortech secured its first US contract approach that you realise what a two days before Christmas. great training and foundation it It builds on the success that was,” he says. saw Nortech - which provides “I GOT ON MY “It was reflective of its professional engineering BIKE, AS NORMAN time because they design and project overtrained in terms of the management services to TEBBIT PUT IT, number of people, and the oil and gas, offshore, AND FOUND trained to a high standard process and steel industries WORK” because those who didn’t - named ‘Most Promising New end up working at ICI would be Business’ at November’s British going into its supply chain and that Chambers of Commerce helped their business. (BCC) Awards. “That’s back when everyone had With 30 years’ experience in the apprentices, and only one person from our engineering industry, Bunn is anything but year at school went to university.” a newcomer, and recreating the same In 1982, the former pupil of Brunner chances he had as a young man for those Comprehensive School in Billingham coming through school in the North East finished his technical engineering today is a passion. apprenticeship and found himself in an He is determined the region should unusual position. create such opportunities for its young “It was the height of the recession and people, or more precisely, open their eyes we were the first tranche of ICI apprentices to the opportunities which exist in the to be made redundant,” he says. engineering sector. Describing North East “I got on my bike, as Norman Tebbit put people as “almost born into engineering” 30 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / FEB - MAR 2014
it, and found work, did all sorts to make ends meet. I ended up back in my trade in Portsmouth.” His young family struggled to settle on the south coast, so they returned to the North East and Bunn’s travels began. In the UK, he has worked in Portsmouth, London, Manchester, Glasgow and Aberdeen, while his travels further afield have seen him in Holland, Norway, Spain and the United States. “I think raising the profile of engineering is massively important within the North East,” he says. “One North East talked about the pillars of medical science, construction and finance, but what they didn’t realise was the common thread across all of those was engineering and manufacturing. I think there has now been a bigger realisation of that.” Bunn has two daughters in their 20s and a teenage son, Josef, who has expressed an interest in engineering or, being a sports enthusiast like his ice hockey-playing dad,
NECC’s 50 Great Reasons to do Business in the North East details the many positives which bring business to the region. Bryan Bunn is a great advocate for the region, so why does he choose to do business here? “First, I would point to the professional reputation of the North East engineering sector,” he says. “Having just signed Nortech’s first US deal is an example of exporting North East skills and experience. “Then there is the quality of the people here. With the skills they have, every one of our 80 people could start work somewhere else on Monday, they are that skilled.” Bryan Bunn and apprentices Alan Simmons and Adam Healey
becoming a professional golfer. Attracting young people from Josef’s generation to consider engineering careers is a well-documented challenge faced by the sector and Bunn agrees it is important to change a perception that engineering is grimy and manual. “We’re an engineering company, but on the white collar side of the industry, employing technical engineers. “When I was younger and working offshore on a massive project employing around 1,500 people they had different coloured hats to show what they did. The guys who brewed the tea had ‘liquid replenishment engineer’ written on theirs. That shows how the word has been bastardised and there was a time when being an engineer used to be second only to being a doctor. “Our company is supporting five young people through university technical degrees and we took on our first two apprentices in September, something we intend to be an
on-going process. We are about 80-strong and our target is to get to 120, so we have seats available.” Nortech has continued to win work in a varied range of sectors. There is the newly secured US deal and in 2012 it won a major contract with Aberdeen-based oil and gas firm EnQuest. “Our first year turnover was £1m, in the second year it was £8.2m and our target for this third year is £11m,” says Bunn. “By 2015 we want to be at £15m.” Further expansion is likely, led by the North East HQ. “We are a Teesside business and this is our head office,” says Bunn, “and there is definitely a point coming as we expand our client base in oil and gas that we have a satellite office in Aberdeen providing some first contact support, with the delivery done on Teesside. “We also have an American partner so don’t need a new office there, but we have a capability.” So what sets a small firm on Teesside apart from its competitors, many
of which are large multinationals? “Business is about relationships and old-fashioned values are still appreciated,” says Bunn. “I’ve built up a network of very good relationships and contacts over the years. “We have to have substance to what we do and give our clients a bit of love. It’s amazing how many bigger contractors will try and tell the client what to do, certain they’re right and the client doesn’t know what they’re talking about. “Communication is key. We have people writing to us, looking for an opportunity, so how do we differentiate them? “If I have two candidates and one has better qualifications and more experience but the other candidate is the right kind in application and human skills I am more likely to take that candidate.” Nortech, he says, continues to build on what it has achieved. “We have had a lot of praise, but we need to keep the focus. I am very proud of what we have done.”
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 31
KEVIN O’HARE
The Aviator
Kevin O’Hare tells Liz Hands how he went from piloting planes to taking them to (very lucrative) pieces
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ack O’Hare must be the only seven-yearold in the world to have had a disco in the fuselage of a Boeing 767 to celebrate his birthday. The party was only possible because Jack’s father Kevin O’Hare runs Sycamore Aviation, which dismantles aircraft and recycles the parts. “We’d ripped all the economy seats out so that was the disco space, but we left business class and they sat there to have their party tea. We’d invited 26 children but 28 arrived, along with all their parents,” laughs O’Hare. “All the dads ended up in the cockpit.” The jet in question now lies in bits at the back of Hangar 1 at Durham Tees Valley Airport. To the front of the hangar sit two smaller ATR 42s, the sort you might board to hop across the English Channel. All three aircraft are American-owned but have come to O’Hare from the Ukraine and Poland to be decommissioned and recycled. The parts that can go back into flight will be removed and refurbished ready for life in a different plane, while most of the rest will be recycled. “A fuselage can be anything from $250,000 and the most expensive one we’ve had was $20m. The engines are worth $12m - $15m, so you get most of your money back on them,” says O’Hare. “Then, you look at the value of the parts. The landing gear alone is $250K - $500K. The APU, the little engine at the back that means all the lights are still on when you turn off the main engines, sells, right down to temperature probes, sensors and switches. It all has a value. “Because of the recession, a lot of airlines went to minimum stock levels of spares but now Boeing and Airbus have
of vertebrae on Katie’s spine in increased production so an emergency operation, going there’s a shortage of parts.” After the parts are taken out, back to remove more of the Sycamore recycles as much of tumour. Some still remains, because it was very close to a plane as possible. her aorta, but signs are it is Materials from aircraft can end up being turned into pretty in remission. Katie has now started much anything. Composites school, where she is a lively from one of Boeing’s little girl able to run around with Dreamliners were made into the rest of her classmates. paddles for Olympic canoeists The business O’Hare started in London, while aluminium while going through such a from planes can be used to heart-wrenching time is make bicycles, cars or also thriving. drinks cans. That too, Breaking “A FUSELAGE however, has planes into IS ANYTHING faced pieces is a far cry from FROM A QUARTER problems. When O’Hare’s OF A MILLION Sycamore first previous career DOLLARS” arrived in of keeping them Durham, O’Hare in the air. The found the airport’s 43-year-old father-ofthen owners Vancouver were three was a pilot for 15 years, less than positive. After buying starting with Gill Airways at and dismantling one plane, he Newcastle before spending ended up having “about a year most of his career with in the wilderness,” in Moscow Thomas Cook flying Boeing and then Leicestershire to 757s, then heading to Flyglobespan and, finally, Jet 2. carry on his work. “Then, everything happened that’s He’d had the idea for Sycamore while flying, but only been well publicised with Durham Tees Valley,” he says. developed it further while “The new owners, Peel, invited taking a career break because us to come and present them his daughter Katie, now four, with a business plan, and here was diagnosed with cancer. we are. “We took her to the doctors “I’m a lot poorer than when I when she was two because started and I don’t own my she became very unsteady on house anymore. I’ve put an her feet,” says O’Hare. “They awful lot on the line and, with said it was probably Katie having cancer at the time, inflammation on her hips it was a difficult decision but because of a cold virus but hopefully the right one. The they sent us for an ultrasound concept is right, where we are to be safe. We went back the in Europe is right, we’re pulling following day for an X-ray and together the right team of blood test and the day after people and we’ve got the that for an MRI. support of the airport. It’s now “Literally by that time, she was paralysed. They did a scan a case of getting out there, and saw a tumour the size of a getting the aircraft and growing the business.” bag of sugar that had gone Sycamore is plugging a gap round her spine. We were blue-lighted to the RVI and that which emerged as the aviation was the start of being there for industry sought to better regulate what happened to seven months.” end-of-life planes. Surgeons removed the rear
“One of the things that led to the boom or the control of the industry was there were a couple of aircraft that were flytipped,” explains O’Hare. “Operators would sell the aircraft, usually to an engine dealer. The engines have 80% to 90% of the value, so the dealer took the engines and sold the frame. The next owners take the value from the parts and then it gets sold for scrap. “But it was flytipped from a trawler into the Irish Sea. Two Sea King helicopters were scrambled because the life jackets were floating and they thought a plane had crashed, but Ryanair had sold the plane two years earlier. “Manufacturers were worried they might get caught up with legislation where the person who creates it is responsible for recycling it.” O’Hare is also expecting to benefit from aircraft being retired earlier. Sycamore only needs a small proportion of decommissioned aircraft. “Boeing and Airbus are predicting there will be between 400 and 500 commercial aircraft with more than 100 seats taken out of service per year for the next 10 years,” says O’Hare. As a business, 24 to 25 aircraft a year would be a good for us.” The days of aircraft simply being dumped in the Arizona desert are on their way out. Instead, many of them are on their way to Teesside. And O’Hare also has plans to expand and diversify and is even involved in a project which could see aeroplane parts being turned into mass-produced furniture. But for now, next time you sip on a can of Coke, you might just be drinking from what was once part of a Boeing 767 party plane.
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PROFILE
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Plenty to smile about Paralympian Stephen Miller and his new wife Rachel talk to Liz Hands about their new business venture
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t’s been a busy couple of years for Stephen Miller. The Paralympian came home disappointed after finishing 11th because of injury in the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Now, with a new hip and a new wife Miller says he has his ‘hunger’ back and is in training to qualify for the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. And along with the European and World Championships and those lofty ambitions to compete in Brazil in 2016, Stephen and his wife Rachel, whom he married in August, have just launched a new business. SMILE Through Sport, a social enterprise company, aims to create more opportunities for disabled people to take part in sport. The business name is an acronym for ‘Stephen Miller Inspiring, Learning, Enjoyment’. It offers tailormade packages for the private and public sector, including sports and awareness sessions and inspirational talks. “The inspiring side will be Stephen’s public speaking, and encouraging people to get involved,” explains Rachel. “The learning is us going out and educating people that disabled people can do sport, educating people who aren’t disabled about disability sport or people with a disability that they can take part. “We’re not looking to push people into elite sport or telling them they can be the next Paralympian,” adds Stephen. “We’ll be working at grassroots level. We just want to get the
message out about the benefits of taking part in regular sport and create opportunities for people to go into sport.” It’s something the couple from Cramlington know a lot about. Stephen, who has Cerebral Palsy, has won 25 international medals, mainly in the club throw event. Rachel, meanwhile, is a disability sports development officer working for the English Federation of Disability Sport and then North Tyneside Council before launching SMILE. They met through their shared love of sport. “We organised a sports awards and Stephen was the VIP guest,” says Rachel. “Three years later, he finally asked me out. I think we’re together because of Facebook, which allowed him to ask me out online rather than face-to-face.” “At the time,” adds Stephen, “I was preparing for Beijing. We’d been going out for three months and then I went away for four weeks. When I came back, she still wanted to go out with me.” They became engaged in 2010, waiting until after the London Games to get married and finally tying the knot in August 2013, when Stephen was able to walk his new bride back down the aisle with a bit of help from ‘adrenaline and Rachel’s arm’. But the pair aren’t taking time out to settle into married life. Instead, they’ve started their first year as husband and wife by launching SMILE, which is based at the Gateshead College site next to Gateshead International Stadium.
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PROFILE
“It has been manic,” admits Rachel, 30, “but we never have a quiet year anyway, because our life runs on four-year Olympic cycles. It’s worth doing SMILE while Stephen is still competing because then the kids we work with get to meet a current Paralympian, which adds credence. It also fitted in with me being made redundant. Otherwise, we’d have convinced ourselves to launch after Rio.” Now, the couple will be combining Stephen’s training and competitive events with developing SMILE. His love affair with sport first began at school. “I went into mainstream school, but there was no provision there for disability sport, so I went back to Percy Hedley School for that,” he says. “At the time, they had an ex-Paralympic athlete called Norman Burns and he became my mentor. “Hopefully, I can go on and do the same kind of thing that Norman did for me. He never put any pressure on anyone. He just wanted you to enjoy taking part. That’s what I want to do through our new venture because disability sport can be a massive catalyst to change your life for the better.” Stephen, 33, has gone on to win a clutch of medals for Great Britain. He has three gold Paralympic medals, one bronze
and one silver, and he has seen many changes in disabled sport, particularly in the recognition it gets. “When I went to Atlanta in 1996, the Paralympics got around half an hour of television coverage,” he says. “I became the youngest-ever Olympic or Paralympic gold medallist there, but when I got back home, no-one knew. Beijing kicked off a higher profile for the Paralympics and with London the coverage went through the roof. The last two Paralympics have been big stepping stones for disability sport and I think that will continue.” Following his hip operation, which Stephen says was a massive success, he is competing in the International Paralympic Committee Grand Prix in Dubai in February before training in Portugal and going to the European Championships in Swansea in August. “The hip op has been fantastic,” he says. “I’m back to where I was five or six years ago. The doctor who did it said it was like a 90-year-old’s hip and they didn’t know how I coped with the pain. People ask if I regret not having the op before London, but I couldn’t take the chance because there was no guarantee it would’ve worked. I don’t regret anything.
“THERE’S MORE UNDERSTANDING BUT STILL A HECK OF A LOT OF WORK TO DO”
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“Now I’ve got my hunger back. In the run-up to London it was such a struggle even to train, but since the op I’ve got a new lease of life, even though I’m getting old according to the papers who always say I’m a veteran, although I’m only 33.” The London Games and Paralympian personalities like Stephen have raised the profile of disability sport so that now, says Rachel, “If you say goalball or wheelchair basketball or boccia, people have an image of what it is. Disability sport has been more fashionable since London and people want to get involved. “But we want to be on the not-so glamorous side as well, to help people with profound disabilities who are left on the sidelines. There’s more understanding now, but there’s still a heck of a lot of work to do.” Just like Stephen in his career, the couple are now aiming for a worldwide reach with SMILE, and they hope that at some point SMILE Through Sport will spin out into the likes of SMILE Through Art and SMILE Through Drama. For now, though, says Stephen: “We just want to give back to the North East, to make sure people in the region can provide and take part in disability sport opportunities and to have an income so we can sustain what we’re doing. Then, long-term, you never know what’s going to happen. We might end up being a multinational organisation.”
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NECC PROVIDES EXCELLENT NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES AND ALLOWS ITS MEMBERS TO HAVE A COLLECTIVE VOICE. IT TRULY MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO OUR BUSINESS!
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BRYAN BUNN MANAGING DIRECTOR NORTECH SOLUTIONS LTD WINNER OF THE NORTH EAST BUSINESS AWARDS 2013 – NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR AWARD NATIONAL CHAMBER AWARDS FINALIST 2013 – AWARD FOR MOST PROMISING NEW BUSINESS WINNER NATIONAL CHAMBER AWARD 2013 - MOST PROMISING NEW BUSINESS
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
PROFILE
Pink Lady Alice Blackie talks TOWIE, turnover and trolls with Liz Hands
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t’s no wonder Alice look like in that dress’. I Blackie says it has taken shopped on ebay a lot and I a while for what she has thought I could really pull in achieved to “hit home”. the target. I asked a friend to The 25-year-old has model for me, we took been in something of a pictures in her dining room business whirlwind since she and all the dresses sold. started her firm in her living “At the time, I was totally room with a £45 investment. skint, so I’d put in £45 and my Two years on and Blackie, mum put in £45 to buy six the founder of Pink Boutique, dresses. She said that I better has a turnover of £1.8m and is not waste the money. Now, about to take on her 14th we’re joint directors member of staff. of Pink It’s a success Boutique. “ONCE YOU’VE story reminiscent of She’s the WORKED FOR Sir Alan Sugar, who finance YOURSELF started his empire director.” THERE’S with £50, selling Blackie NO GOING goods out of a van. was going BACK” Blackie was to take the inspired to set up Pink money from her Boutique, a celebrityinitial sales, but her inspired online fashion store, mum Julie encouraged her to because she couldn’t find reinvest. “So I made two dresses she liked. resolutions then,” she says, “I used to go out every “Don’t be greedy and re-invest. weekend,” she says. “You You’re better off selling a lot of know what the girls are like on cheaper things than being Saturday night in town, very greedy in the mark-up and I glam, tanned, big hair, fake reinvested everything. When I lashes, and there wasn’t really sold six dresses, I bought 12, anything that catered for that then double and so on.” market in the UK. Everything It was simply meant to looked a bit bland and the supplement Blackie’s income imagery was either plain as a teaching assistant. But, catalogue shots or really edgy. fast forward four months and “There wasn’t anything to she was sitting at night show me ‘wow that’s what I’ll packing parcels and writing
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labels before dashing to the Post Office in her half-hour lunch break. When she reached the 200 dresses-a-month mark, it was crunch time. “There was so much potential, I had to leave work. It was scary because I had a mortgage and no guaranteed income. It’s only just got to the point that I don’t think this is all going to stop because you do still find yourself thinking ‘what if no one buys anything tomorrow?’” Blackie moved to managed premises, quickly outgrew those and is now based on the Chainbridge Industrial Estate, Blaydon, where she has a warehouse, offices and an outlet shop, which is a separate strand to the business. It’s a far stretch from packing parcels in her living room, but Blackie now has a different attitude to business. “We qualified for Growth Accelerator so we’ve had a business coach through that. He said the business has rights, it’s an entity in itself, just like a child with its own right to move and progress so you can’t limit it. “A new business is like having a child because it’s so demanding. We’re online so it’s 24/7. People message you at 3am and expect to have a response straight away and other retailers put on shifts until midnight with crazy cut-off times for next day delivery. It doesn’t stop. “When you’ve never done business before, it’s like an unexpected pregnancy. You’ve got to learn about finance, lead times, manufacturing and managing staff, which has been a big learning curve. It’s a hefty responsibility because if I don’t drive sales, my staff won’t be able to put food on the table. I didn’t expect to be in this position, but it’s all good and you do have to give yourself a pat on the back.” Blackie has been recognised
with a clutch of awards in the last year. At the North East Woman Entrepreneur Awards 2013, she took home the Best Retail Business and Best Use of Technology prizes as well as runner up in the Best New Business and Young Entrepreneur of the Year categories. She describes her business as “socially driven” because 95% of sales are through Facebook. “That’s what I put most of our success down to,” says Blackie. “The girls are so Facebook active, they don’t want to be pictured in the same dress more than once.
“We’ve just scratched the surface, there’s a massive market”
We’re not pocket money prices, but you can afford to buy a new dress every week. Blackie’s sales strategy is based on content marketing. “We post a lot of third party content on Facebook because it would be boring if it was all about product,” she explains. “We find things our audience will love and make it more of a community page. “We have 120,000 likes, but only 5,000 of those might see what you post in their newsfeeds. If you never click on Pink Boutique, they’ll basically blacklist us from your feed and you’ll never see our
posts. That’s why we have to get as many likes, clicks, shares and comments as we can.” Blackie, who studied journalism at Sunderland University, says: “It’s like selling newspapers. You’ve got to get a story people want to read to sell papers and we’ve got to do the same to sell dresses so we’re constantly trawling the internet.” But, with all that love on social media comes the hate. “We’ve got a very distinct look,” says Blackie. “It’s TOWIE, Barbie, fake, tan, lashes and glamour. We have people who
love the brand and they shop with us three times a week. However, we’re like Marmite. We get a lot of trolls. The first time really upset me but I’m used to it now and, by the time people are posting hate, often that garment is sold out.” Blackie now has export plans and is in talks about a collaboration with a major online retailer. “We’ve just scratched the surface,” she says. “Internationally, there’s a massive market. It’s a big look in Eastern Europe and, in the USA, fake boobs are more common than they are here. Our product could be even
more relevant in other countries.” So, while Blackie’s resolution this year is to take a step back, to delegate more, so she can direct the business, she clearly won’t be slowing down anytime soon. It’s a work ethic she credits to her parents. “My mum and dad wouldn’t let me get a student loan so I had to work through my degree. They’d pay for my Metro and lunches but if I wanted party dresses, to go out and have fake tan, I’d have to work. Before Pink Boutique, I was working at a school during the day and doing bar shifts at night. At the weekend, I’d be doing freelance beauty and promotions work. I wouldn’t be where I am now without that because, if you can hold your own against a class of 30 teenagers, you can do anything.” Now, Blackie, from Gosforth, goes into her old university to talk to the entrepreneurs of the future, encouraging them to “push themselves as hard as they can” and has been invited into schools, where she says it’s important for businesses to inspire youngsters in real terms. “If they work hard now, they can have nice things if that’s what they want.” Despite devoting her life to Pink Boutique, Blackie says she can’t imagine it any other way. “People keep saying I should go on The Apprentice but I wouldn’t want to be tied in a job working for someone else because once you’ve worked for yourself, there’s no going back. While I wouldn’t go off and have my hair and nails done and go shopping, it’s the idea that, if I really wanted to, I could. I’ll never give myself a day off, but it’s the psychology of it, the idea that I could…” Speaking to her, you can believe Blackie truly could do anything she sets out to. Her mum’s initial £45 stake was certainly money well spent.
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Advertorial
Banking on Success With a unique heritage and expertise, HSBC continues to support the regions exporters locally, via its global network International trade is at the heart of HSBC - as a bank formed to facilitate international trade between Hong Kong and the rest of the world it is built into our heritage, and it forms a key part of our ethos today. That is why we are delighted to support the annual North East Exporters Awards, which recognizes and acknowledges the efforts of forward-thinking individuals and companies that boost the region’s economy by taking their products all over the world. HSBC helped numerous North-east companies grow their international business during 2013 via our dedicated £5 billion International SME Fund, which supports firms with a turnover of up to £30 million. International trade creates opportunities – such as opportunities to enter new markets, develop new skills for an employee base, diversify a business’s income stream or create a physical presence in another country. We can offer local advice and insight to companies across the North-east via our network of 7,000 colleagues in 63 global locations. We are a truly global bank and our team of five dedicated International Commercial Managers, led by Area Commercial Director Pat Dellow in the North East, can pick up the phone to colleagues in the majority of international markets. Each Commercial Manager acts as a bridge between businesses here in the North East and a range of services specifically designed to facilitate trade internationally; whether importing, exporting, looking for an overseas manufacturing base or to make investments overseas.Seemingly complex issues such as international currency exchange, letters of credit and help and advice around export payment can be demystified, with daily support on offer. By accessing the HSBC global network there is also a huge amount of ‘local
Stuart Henry Senior International Commercial Manager Tel: 07717 484161 Email: stuarthenry@hsbc.com
Steve Peck Senior International Commercial Manager Tel: 07768 006049 Email: stevepeck@hsbc.com
Pat Dellow, Area Commercial Director HSBC, with David Shaw of Guardian Marine Testing, Overall Export Award Winner 2013
knowledge’ available, knowledge that can be crucial to success overseas. To see how HSBC’s International team can help you give one of our Commercial Managers a call.
Maingate, Kingsway North, Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, NE11 0BE Tel: 0845 6076007
David Sinden Senior International Commercial Manager Tel: 07584 403775 Email: david.sinden@hsbc.com
Jerry Arneja International Commercial Manager Tel: 07827 357301 Email: jerry.arneja@hsbc.com
Gary Young International Commercial Manager Tel: 07767 003924 Email: garyyoung@hsbc.com
Advertorial
Roman Ltd Growth overseas vital to the future Roman Limited is a family owned company based in Newton Aycliffe Business Park where it was established in 1985 by the founder Gerry Osborne. Gerry took on the role as Roman’s company Chairman back in January 2006 and the position of Managing Director was handed over to his son, David Osborne. Roman is now the UK’s leading shower designer and manufacturer and employs over 160 staff. Roman is a reputable and well established UK Brand, now supplying showering products all over the World. They operate in the independent bathroom retail sector; with key national and regional merchants; with independent and national house builders; with independent and group hotel chains; within specialist markets including, public sector, private housing associations, student accommodation, holiday parks/ accommodation and luxury yachts and direct to the consumer via Roman at Home.
Dedicated export team Roman has its own dedicated Export department to cater for demand from all over the world. The multi-lingual department has two specialist members of staff who speak 5 languages between them. They include English, Spanish, Italian, French and German. The Export team works closely with distribution and retail partners all over the world. The team has worked on a number of diverse Hotel, Residential & Hospital Projects, which have been undertaken
in a range of different countries. Roman’s Export team is well equipped to offer expert advice at every stage of the purchase. “Currently export is relatively small in the overall scope of the business but is vitally important for the future.” says managing director David Osbourne.”The future business strategy is to have strong sales across all key channels and markets and our product offer in the Hotel market has been developed as a global offer with increasing Internationalism.”
FES International FES International was established in 1997 in Blyth, Northumberland. The firm has developed a first-class reputation for the deployment of fluid transfer solutions to the oil and gas sector. Focusing on the provision of Fluid Transfer Systems and with a further five core product lines, the company has grown strategically, to become the supplier of choice for a wide-range of customers globally, with 90% of its products and services going overseas – principly to the oil and gas sector in the Asia Pacific region. While the product is exported, managing director Rob Anderson is very proud that 90% of the manufacturing takes place within 25 miles of their Northumberland base.“ We employ 32 people directly,” says Rob “but there will be another two to three hundred involved in our supply chain, and they are all employed locally by
local suppliers.” FES have banked with HSBC from their inception in 1997 and has found the support and advice he receives vital in growing their business. “Large bank guarantees are essential in our business and HSBC have been able to provide
those, ensuring we are able to bid for large scale contracts wherever they are in the world.” said Rob. Enquiry levels are at an all time high for FES who are a superb example of a North East business competing globally with the support of HSBC.
EXPORT
Opportunities in Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing –March 18, 2014, Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle. This free event will focus on the automotive, aerospace and defence sectors, with senior experts from Price Waterhouse Coopers and UK India Business Council. To register, email gemma. bainbridge@necc.co.uk
TIPS FOR TRADING WITH INDIA
BY RON DODD, BRITISH ENGINES, NEWCASTLE Find a strong business partner on the ground Get your finances in place, with support from people with essential market intelligence Choose your location carefully - land values in India are increasing Recruitment is an art in itself in India and it may take a few attempts to build and train your team Labour rates are escalating at 15-20% a year Have a local expert/ business partner to ensure you comply with laws and regulations Look into any environmental factors in the area where you do business Note culture and beliefs Invest in teaching native staff the company ‘way’
Passage to India
In the final part of our series looking at trading and manufacturing abroad, we go to India
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f you haven’t worked out that there is no substitute for local knowledge, you probably shouldn’t be thinking about basing business operations overseas. But have you also recognised that culture is a two-way street? While most UK executives abroad endeavour to understand foreign cultures, how many businesses immerse their overseas teams in their company culture? Ron Dodd, group director of Newcastle-based engineering operation British Engines, says this approach has paid dividends at the company’s Indian operation. “Understanding at the outset that you need to invest time and money in teaching [the team] your company’s ‘way’ is imperative and there are no shortcuts,” he says. “Our management team in Bangalore is of Indian heritage, and we have worked with them to understand our
culture inside out. This will enable us to take the business into its next stage.” Specialising in the design, manufacture and distribution of core industrial components with factories across the North East, British Engines counts major international oil and gas companies among its customers. Employing 1,200 in the UK and abroad with a turnover of £150m, it exports 75% of its sales to Europe, North America, the Middle East, Singapore, China, Australia, and South America. British Engines’ initial exploratory visit to India was in 1995, when it began the search for a business partner there. The process took five years in total, it wasn’t until 2000 that the firm finally set up its manufacturing facility in Bangalore - British Engines India Pvt Ltd - where the team are all native to India. “India is a country of extremes,” says Dodd. “We had some initial perceptions when we first went there, and
the India we know today is very different. A combination of modernisation, technology advances, improved infrastructure and legislation has seen it transformed. As its technology grows, it is seeking consistently higher quality, locally supplied products, which is our opportunity.” India is a prime business opportunity and the part-ERDF funded NECC Access programme is working with North East businesses to exploit this and other new markets in Brazil and Russia. NECC Access Programme leader Nynzi Maung says: “North East manufacturing and engineering companies need to take a serious look at India, not just in terms of direct exports, but also in terms of collaboration with Indian companies.” For further information about the ERDF-funded Access Programme contact Nynzi Maung, tel 08450 768 391or email nynzi.maung@necc.co.uk
For more information visit www.gov.uk/browse/business/funding-debt/european-regionaldevelopment-funding
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Radiokafka / Shutterstock.com
INDIA – FIND OUT MORE:
NEWS
TRADE DELEGATION
EXPORT EXPERTISE
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The UKTI delegation with representatives from the Hunan Provincial Government, the China British Business Council and UKTI China Team
ECC international trade director Julie Underwood led a trade delegation on a recent UKTI market visit to Hunan Province to develop links with this rapidly developing area of China. Hosted by the Hunan Provincial Government, the China British Business Council and UKTI China Team, delegates took part in organised matchmaking sessions to open communication between North East companies and their Chinese counterparts. Rocky Zhang, from UK-
Changsha presented genuine China Connex Trading, says: business opportunities to “Trade visits like these are our delegates. vital to instil confidence. I “To truly have an impact am expecting to bring 100 in the Chinese market, students to the UK this year relationships need to be for a summer school established over a programme, period of time, which will “TRADE VISITS and this visit generate LIKE THESE ARE reinforced the around Memorandum of £200,000 in VITAL TO INSTIL Understanding sales.” CONFIDENCE.” UKTI North East NECC’s has in place with Julie Underwood Hunan Province.” (pictured above, The trade mission front centre) says: “The culminated with a visit to scale of development and the Shanghai Chamber of investment in this area of Commerce, which reinforced China is breathtaking. The the well-established links match-making session with NECC. organised by the team in
For information about the UKTI Market Visit programme contact UKTI, tel 08450 505 054 For information about NECC International Trade services, tel 0300 303 6322
UKTI EVENTS UK Trade & Investment has supported thousands of businesses in achieving global success. There are a number of events planned for the coming months in the North East, all of which aim to support SMEs . Full details of the events are available online and more events will be announced in the coming months, including: International Website Masterclass, Export Sales Foundation, Export Sales Certificate, Export Communications Workshops, Managing Agents & Distributors,
Preparing to Enter the Global Market, Trade Shows and Exhibitions, China Networking Club and the International Networking Club. All workshops and networking clubs are available exclusively to SMEs with a product or service. Please scan the QR code below for details and/or register at: eventbrite.co.uk/uktinortheast, call 08450 505 054 or email events@uktinortheast.org.uk for more details.
For a full list of events scan the QR code or visit: www.necontact.co.uk/ukti-events-2014/
NECC is working with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) in the Government’s Get Britain Exporting agenda with the launch of a new National Trade Skills Training Programme. The programme’s six modules are offered by NECC as a family of skillsdevelopment sessions. Candidates who pass six of the seven modules will achieve a Foundation Award in International Trade. The modules cover Export Documentation; Letters of Credit; Methods of Payment; Import Procedures; Understanding Exporting; INCOTERMS® 2010; and Customs Procedures. For more information contact Jacqui Tulip jacqui.tulip@necc.co.uk
NEWS
GOING FOR GROWTH Northumberlandbased pharmaceutical business SCM Pharma has taken on US-based business development manager Derek Richards to bolster its North American profile. Richards will oversee SCM Pharma’s business development activities across the territory and take responsibility for growing its overall US footprint. SCM Pharma’s Prudhoebased pharmaceutical contract manufacturing facility was approved at the first attempt by the US Food and Drug Administration, opening up opportunities for the company.
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APPOINTMENTS
PARTNERING UP
WOMAN OF STEEL
Sarah Thorpe has joined UK Steel Enterprise, the Tata Steel business-support subsidiary, as regional executive covering the Northern region. Sarah, 35, has wide expertise in portfolio management, business planning and strategy, startups, funding and preparing businesses for investment. She has built up considerable experience in the public and private sector, working regionwide with companies, investors and business angels. UK Steel Enterprise’s Northern team covers the steel areas of Derwentside, Tees Valley and West Cumbria supporting new and growing businesses with finance and premises.
GAME ON
Young apprentices have been employed to test games for a software company. Bede Gaming, one of law firm Mincoffs clients and a leading supplier of software to the online gambling and social gaming industries, has employed four apprentices from the Youth Training Academy (YTA); Jack Ritchie, Matthew Maryani, Josh Atherton and Carl Brammer. Meanwhile, Mincoffs has appointed apprentice Tia Hudspith as marketing assistant. She will work alongside marketing manager Claire Fenwick until July, aiding the implementation of the firm’s marketing strategy.
IN THE FAST LANE
Julie Skevington has been appointed business development manager for GrowthAccelerator covering the North East. GrowthAccelerator is a partnership between government and private enterprise helping businesses achieve their high growth ambitions via bespoke support from specialist growth experts and leadership and management training. Former business banking manager Julie plans to demystify what GrowthAccelerator is and how this “ Best Kept Secret “ can get your business where you want it to be more quickly.
Laura Peace and Adrian Dye have been made partners at law firm Sintons, having started with the Newcastle firm as trainees in 2002 and 2004 respectively. Laura is a real estate lawyer, and a member of the healthcare team while Adrian specialises in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions.
LEGAL MOVE
One of the North East’s bestknown lawyers has joined law firm Sintons after more than 42 years with Samuel Phillips. Barry Speker OBE DL is moving to the Newcastle law firm as a consultant focused on areas including healthcare. He was senior partner of Samuel Phillips for more than 25 years.
CONSUMER CREATIVES
Communications agency OPR has set up a specialist consumer team as it continues to see new account wins. The Newcastle firm has recruited account director Emma Campbell to head up its PR consumer team. They have also appointed Alex Donaldson and Amy Jackson as account managers.
TEAM BUILDING
Jacksons Law Firm has strengthened its construction and engineering team with the recruitment of specialist lawyer Victoria Pounder. Pounder joins Jacksons as head of construction and engineering from PD Ports Group where she was in-house counsel.
STEPPING UP
Two leading audit specialists at a North East accountancy firm have been promoted to assistant managers. Louise McCann and Lizzie Thomson, who both joined chartered accountants and business advisers Clive Owen & Co LLP as trainees, have been rewarded with new roles. Simon Hook, a partner with Clive Owen, says the firm is always keen to recognise those who demonstrate a willingness to get involved in moving the business forward.
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DRIVING FORCE MEDICAL MOVE
Senior health professional Chris McBride is relishing his new post as theatre manager at Spire Washington Hospital. McBride put his career aspirations on hold last year to adopt two boys aged eight and six with his partner. But with his family now settled, he seized the opportunity to take up the role.
Siobhan Parker is on track to a successful career in aftersales after being taken on as an apprentice at Jennings Ford Direct, part of the Jennings Motor Group. The 20-year-old from Hebburn has joined the Newcastle Road dealership in South Shields as an apprentice service receptionist. The twoyear programme will see her learning all aspects of aftersales and customer service.
TRANSPORT
NEWS EMIRATES MILESTONE Emirates has celebrated its one millionth passenger to fly from Newcastle Airport to Dubai since the airline launched its daily long-haul services in 2007. To mark the milestone, Emirates surprised passengers Sheila and Peter Laverick, who were on their way to visit their daughter in Sydney, with an upgrade to business class along with a cake and Champagne. David Laws, Newcastle Airport chief executive, says the route is more popular than ever with North East passengers.
Durham Tees Valley Airport
Flying high
NEWS
The region’s largest membership organisation has backed plans to revamp Durham Tees Valley Airport
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orth East Chamber of Commerce members in the south of the region, briefed on the DTVA Masterplan, supported proposals to maintain international air links from the airport and see services to Schiphol and Aberdeen as vital for the local economy. NECC head of member relations, Rachel Anderson, says: “The large number of companies in the area requiring international air linkages makes a compelling case for maintaining and developing passenger services. Our members recognise that the airport has endured a tough few years, but are in favour of new investment to ensure it is an attractive option to business travelers in the future. “Proposals to use surrounding land for housing development to provide the investment funds for upgrading the airport facilities have also received qualified support response from members, on the condition that profits are pumped back into DTVA.”
NECC also backed plans for commercial development to the south of the airport which could bring a wider range of aviationrelated activities, provided there is a longterm commitment to the development of commercial aviation facilities rather than a short-term approach if the aims of the Masterplan are not quickly realised. “Investment is required to improve service and make DTVA a more attractive option to business,” adds Anderson. “Peel has done a great deal to market the airport, particularly the KLM and Eastern services which are seen as vital to companies in this area. Our members feel that DTVA could be marketed as a quick and efficient route for business travelers. “There is a very strong desire amongst the local business community to see a thriving international airport in the south of the region. We support the airport and will continue to do so if the investment plans in the Masterplan are realised.
COST CONCERNS Bus operator Go North East has spoken out about a scheme to change the way bus services are delivered in the region. The Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority wants to introduce what is known as a Quality Contracts Scheme, which would allow it to take public control of bus services. But Go North East says local councils could be exposed to the danger of falling revenues, meaning higher costs for fare payers and taxpayers. Go North East backs a proposal from the North East Bus Operators’ Association, including a new ticket allowing passengers to interchange between operators.
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TRANSPORT
NEWS WE’LL DRINK TO THAT PD Ports has secured a new ten-year contract with tea and coffee specialist Taylors of Harrogate – the home of Yorkshire Tea and a part of the family business which includes the iconic Betty’s Cafe Tea Rooms. This new contract will see an investment of £1.75m spent refurbishing PD Ports’ existing warehousing facilities at Billingham, covering some 115,000sqft. Taylors of Harrogate will accommodate the majority of this facility, demonstrating a significant growth in operations since first importing tea and coffee into Teesport five years ago, when they occupied a 30,000sqft facility. David Robinson, PD Ports’ CEO, says: “This investment signifies the growing significance many of the UK’s major brands and retailers give to the portcentric logistics solution offered by PD Ports. It also gives further strength to our longterm strategy to develop Teesport and its hinterland as the portcentric logistics hub for handling goods destined for northern markets.” David Hinks, contract manager at Taylors of Harrogate, adds: “The acquisition of new refurbished premises at Billingham is a vital part of our future growth plans.” Work commenced on refurbishing the facilities at the end of last summer and they are expected to be operational by mid 2014.
Lift-off for Port of Tyne
Giant crane arrives to increase handling capacity as continued investment delivers impressive results
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he Port of Tyne has taken delivery of another new crane. Arriving fully assembled from Liebherr in Rostock, Germany, the crane rolled off the heavy carrier vessel MERI at Riverside Quay. The £3.5m crane is fully mobile and will be used in handling bulk and conventional cargoes such as coal, grain, wood pellet and recycled metals with the added flexibility of being able to accommodate project cargo – special outsize
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equipment for subsea manufacturers, retailers and and offshore . energy providers. The LHM 550 crane is Steven Harrison, Port of designed for versatile cargo Tyne chief operating officer, handling with a maximum lift said: “This is another major capacity of 144 tonnes, investment in port the equivalent of infrastructure and will lifting 36 significantly “MAJOR elephants, and a improve the INVESTMENT radius of efficiency of our WILL IMPROVE 54 metres. cargo operations.” EFFICENCY” This latest The new crane investment brings is 70% larger than the total number of the Port’s existing cranes to five harbour harbour mobiles and mobiles, two portal cranes and 30% more efficient, with a two container gantry cranes handling capacity of for handling cargoes for some approximately 2,000 tonnes of of the UK’s leading bulk material per hour.
THE WORLD IS ON YOUR DOORSTEP CONNECTING YOUR BUSINESS, LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY
2013
NORTH EAST BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
IT’S TIME TO THINK ABOUT THE PORT OF TYNE. Brands such as Argos, Nissan, Tetley and JML have all discovered that using the Port of Tyne is good for business. North East companies can take advantage of having one of the UK’s best logistics providers right on their doorstep, with state-of-the-art high bay warehousing, a new £6m gantry crane and a modern, green distribution fleet. Using the
Port of Tyne provides complete flexibility and reliability as well as generating cost savings and reducing the environmental impact if you are bringing goods in and out of the country.
FIND OUT MORE AT WWW.PORTOFTYNE.CO.UK
APPRENTICESHIPS
NEWS
Three of the region’s brightest young stars picked up £1,000-worth of prizes at the recent North East Process Industry Cluster Awards. The three apprentice awards were awarded to SABIC UK Petrochemicals’ Michael Atkinson, Daniel Thompson of Wiltonbased Lotte Chemical UK and Matthew Gunn of Jacobs UK Ltd. Atkinson, currently in the third year of the Tees Valley Production Technician (TVPT) programme at TTE, was presented with the Manufacturing (on-going) Award. Gunn, an instrumentation design apprentice, picked up the Supply Chain Apprenticeship Award. Thompson, who successfully completed his NVQ Level 3 in just nine months as opposed to the usual 24 has started a HNC in Mechanical Engineering, with a fulltime job as a mechanical technician. More than 400 process industry executives saw 13 awards presented to the region’s brightest youngsters, best companies and tireless contributors in the process sector at the awards evening. A total of £19,000 was donated during the evening to the award winners to support future career development and local science-related school projects.
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NECC apprentices at MRC Transmark
The youth of today Apprenticeships are the future for many sectors
National Apprenticeship Week the mayor of London and the acclaimed chef/restaurateur 2014 takes place March 3-7, Raymond Blanc. highlighting the benefits of In the North East, apprentices for employers in the Proud to Back every sector. Apprenticeships Campaign The week is one of several also continues to encourage high-profile events and employers in the region to campaigns highlighting take on apprentices the benefits of to close skills gaps. apprenticeships. 92% OF The North East It follows COMPANIES SAID Skills Alliance the success APPRENTICES WERE for Advanced of National BETTER-MOTIVATED Manufacturing Apprenticeship Employers, SEMTA, Week 2013, NECC, CBI North when a record 900 East, the EEF and the events took place. National Apprenticeship The campaign’s twitter Service are fronting the hashtag #NAW2013 received campaign in partnership with more than 8,000 mentions on the Journal and the Evening Twitter, trending twice, and the Gazette newspapers. campaign received support According to the from high-profile tweeters campaign, some 8,500 skilled including the Prime Minister,
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workers - 4,000 of them highly skilled - are due to retire in the next five years, with too few people ready replace them. This means companies may have to turn away business because they do not have enough skilled personnel. It is estimated that 27% of the 2,150 mainstream engineering companies in the region employ apprentices and the Proud To Back Apprenticeships campaign aims to grow that figure to 50%. A survey for the National Apprenticeship Service found 92% of companies said that an apprenticeship programme provided them with a better motivated staff and increased job satisfaction. And 74% of employers said apprentices
tended to be more loyal. The value of apprenticeships to employer and employee are well documented, and word about these mutual benefits are filtering through to a growing number of employers and young people who are recognising this as a valued route into employment. Mick Brophy, MD of business innovation and development at Gateshead College, says: “Some employers may be wary of taking on young apprentices of 16 or 17 because they might feel it would take too much time to train them up to the required standard. But young, raw talent can hit the ground running, add genuine value to an organisation and help to protect its future. “Apprenticeships are a great way for a business to retain vital skills and secure the future development of the workforce. They also give students the opportunity to build a career by learning useful skills while earning a wage.” As an example, property maintenance specialist Mears Group has strengthened its ties with apprentices, taking on 11 new apprentices across a wide range of disciplines. The new intake brings the total number of apprentices working from Mears in Gateshead to more than 30. Michael Rodgers and Connor Singh, both 17, have embarked on a maintenance operations apprenticeship while 21-year-old Adam Henderson has chosen a plumbing apprenticeship.
CASE STUDY: MRCT MRC Transmark is Europe’s leading distributor of specialist valves and flow control equipment to the oil, petrochemical, chemical, process and pharmaceutical industries. The company operates a network of locations across the United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia with its headquarters in Seaham, Co Durham. Mark Gale, operations manager at MRCT, explains: “We are completely committed to apprenticeships. We don’t want apprentices to be apprentices, we want them to develop and long-term be part of the organisation.” MRCT has worked in partnership with NECC to increase its workforce and employed three apprentices, working on various tasks from technical support to mechanical assembly. The knowledge developed through NECC’s training allows the apprentices to develop their competencies within the working environment. “NECC has helped select enthusiastic and committed apprentices who have already started to integrate into the team,” adds Gale. “They are adapting well within their roles, and making excellent progress in the apprenticeship programmes. “NECC has identified our needs and selected specific training programmes, which will overall benefit the apprentices and MRCT long-term.”
GOOD MOVES
Young employees at Your Move Chris Stonock in the region have completed their NVQ Level 2 apprenticeships. Hollie Ramshaw, Lucy Collard, Sam Crunden and Sophie Davis have now been offered permanent full time roles within the company. In addition, sales manager Nicola Hall has
gained a Level 3 NVQ certificate in management. MD Chris Stonock says: “Apprenticeships are a hugely important training option for young people who obtain a valuable qualification while gaining practical work experience. Being able to offer them a full-time job at the end of their qualification is very rewarding.”
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 51
APPRENTICESHIPS
Apprenticeships deliver grass roots success Apprenticeships really do provide a winning formula; staff with the right skills and a more productive business. Sports turf apprentice Martin Stephenson is testament to this. Martin recently won national recognition when he was awarded the Institute of Groundsmanship Most Promising Groundscare Student of the Year award 2013 for his work at Ashbrooke Sports Ground in Sunderland. The Club have been that impressed with Martin they have now taken him on as their new Grounds Assistant Manager. Now that’s what you call a win-win situation. In the last 12 months East Durham College have placed over 200 apprentices with more than 150 organisations including the likes of Gentoo, Caterpillar and Kimmitt and Roberts Property Services.
Apprenticeships help business grow. FACT. 96% of employers that take on an apprentice report benefits to their business. 72% of businesses report improved productivity as a result of employing an apprentice.
Whatever your business we can help,
0191 518 8259 (Peterlee) or 0191 375 4718 (Houghall)
call
eastdurham.ac.uk 52 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / FEB - MAR 2014
(from left to right): Suzanne McKechnie of Gateshead College, 4-year-old Olivia Clark, 3-year-old Amber Peterson and former apprentice Stacey Defty
Stacey hits the heights
A
young Tyneside woman is powering her way up the career ladder after taking advantage of a popular apprenticeship scheme led by Gateshead College. Stacey Defty recently completed a Level 2 Customer Services apprenticeship which included a work placement at Enchanted Forest Softplay Activity Centre in Ponteland. During the 12-month programme, the 18-year-old acquired new skills which have helped her gain a swift promotion to a senior position within the company. Stacey, from Ponteland, started life at Enchanted Forest as a customer services representative but has now been appointed team leader. She is now playing a lead role in a major rebranding exercise at the company. She says: “I’m thrilled to have gained this promotion so quickly and I don’t think I would have done it without the training I’ve had.
Apprenticeships are well worth considering at a time when so many young people are out of work.” As part of her course Stacey was taught a range of useful customer service skills through role plays and practical workshops which also helped her to hone skills such as team-working, problem-solving and effective communication. According to a study by research firm ICM, 54% of young people in England would choose to do an apprenticeship if the opportunity arose. Last year, Gateshead College teamed up with Nexus to create 30 new rail apprentice posts as part of the transport operator’s new advanced engineering apprenticeship programme. During the next three years, the apprentices will gain the skills to become part of Nexus’ maintenance and technical teams which maintain and modernise the Tyne & Wear Metro network.
NEWS
FILLING THE SKILLS GAP
D
entists are being urged to fill cavities in their workforces with apprentices. The North East Chamber of Commerce is seeking practices and apprentices in the York and Northallerton areas to help develop the next generation of dental nurses.
NECC is also currently supporting more than 180 nurses studying for their Advanced Apprenticeship Diploma in Dental Nursing. The organisation has supported dental care training for over 20 years; with 100% of dental nurses completing training with the NECC registering as Dental Care
Professionals with the General Dental Council (GDC). The North East Chamber of Commerce 18-month qualification is recognised by the General Dental Council (GDC) and is delivered at York University. For more information about the Dental Nurse Training courses, call 07912 478932.
McGill Tyres Hi Q, which operates garages across the region, has recruited two apprentices from Northumberland College; Darren Richardson, 20 from Lynemouth and Connor Stroughton, 18 from Hadston. Both are studying for a Level 2 in motor vehicle maintenance. The college, which provides support to over 700 businesses across the region, offers over 40 apprenticeships in a wide range of subjects from hairdressing to business administration. Added benefits for businesses range from a free recruitment service to candidate selection that helps employers find enthusiastic people.
“A training partner you can trust.” Kevin Fitzpatrick, Vice President, UK Manufacturing Operations at Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK.
Find out how we can help shape your workforce with an apprenticeship. 0191 490 4636
|
www.gateshead.ac.uk
| @gatesheadcoll
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 53
FAB 5
Fab 5
Tweet of the day Love it or #loathe-it, you ignore Twitter at your peril. Here are five fab tweeters’ top five accounts to follow
1 Brett Jacobson
@BrettJacoMW MD, Mediaworks Online Marketing, Gateshead John Jantsch (@ducttape): John is a small business marketing consultant and a great person to follow for SMEs looking at marketing elements and a focus around cross-device and multi-channel approaches. Bryan Eisenberg (@TheGrok): Bryan tweets a lot of great information and links on optimising your online marketing and ensuring you’re getting maximum return from your online visitors.
Matt Cutts (@mattcutts): The head of the Webpam team at Google, Matt gives good insights into Google’s innovations and its areas of focus, as well as best practice advice to help people understand and fit within Google guidelines and recommendations. Internet Retailing (@etail): They tweet about their magazine and events, both of which provide information for multichannel retailers. They tweet and retweet a lot of good information about digital elements too. Guy Kawasaki (@GuyKawasaki): This is the personal twitter account for Guy, giving some good case studies and business leadership tweets referencing his views and ideas, which are posted on his blog.
54 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / FEB - MAR 2014
Bryn Littleton
2
@NECCBrynPR & @dancingbear76 PR Manager, NECC What is your favourite film? What is your favourite song? Which of your three kids do you like the most? All impossible to answer…apart from the last one, my daughter, obviously – the lads are a nightmare. Add to that list, “Who is your favourite tweeter?” and it’s agony, but I have combined both my professional (@NECCBrynPR) and personal (@dancingbear76) preferences to come up with this Famous Five. Adrian Pearson (@ Adrian_Pearson): The Journal’s regional affairs correspondent makes even the driest public sector meetings essential viewing with his entertaining and often humorous live tweets, which are like trailers for the following day’s newspaper. Ross Wigham (@RossWigham): Ross achieves a good balance in his social media output, flitting between links to his excellent blog, communications industry news and updates from Northumberland. He has a real talent for cramming a great deal into 140 characters and we regularly share the joy/dismay/ frustration/elation of Newcastle United matches via Twitter, along with a hardcore group of comms industry Magpies.
Peter Barron (@ EchoPeterBarron): As a sucker for a good pun, the #headlinechallenge always gets me, but his tweets on Northern Echo content, national and regional news stories and the fact Peter is so involved with local good causes, clubs and charities make him an excellent follow. His minute-by-minute coverage of the bid to save Darlington Football Club was a great example of how to utilise Twitter for breaking news. Soccer Guy (@usasoccerguy): A hilarious spoof account of an over-enthusiastic US “soccer” fan. “Some real mad soccer skunk fans after denial flag erection denies home franchise equalisation!” was his glorious response to “goal” controversially ruled offside in a Newcastle United match. Nobody deals with trolls quite so charmingly. Limmy (@DaftLimmy): Scottish comic Brian Limond (who I had never heard of before Twitter) posts hilarious vines, surreal comments and bizarre selfie pics. He regularly addresses taboo subjects as diverse as mental health issues (his own included), social injustice, Scottish Independence and homophobia, regularly weeding out trolls and exposing them to his 90,000 followers. Not for the faint hearted, but worth a follow.
3
4
5
Professor Cliff Hardcastle
Joy Yates
Kathryn Dishman
BBC business reporter Steph McGovern (@stephbreakfast): She was one of our honorary graduates this year and she’s a fantastic ambassador for this region. Her tweets are very lively and informative and she always has plenty of nice things to say about Middlesbrough.
Duncan Bannatyne (@DuncanBannatyne): Entrepreneur, star of Dragons’ Den, author and philanthropist who has a house in the Hartlepool Mail’s circulation area - I like his combination of work and family-related tweets which are short and to the point. And he did retweet me once!
Duncan Bannatyne (@DuncanBannatyne): Straight-talking, personable and approachable – these are three reasons why I follow Duncan Bannatyne. He takes the time to communicate with his followers, which isn’t easy when you have 666,171 of them! He was ranked in the top 60 most influential Twitter users aged over 50 by The Telegraph - quite an achievement!
@DVCHardcastle Deputy vice-chancellor (research and business engagement), Teesside University
NECC chief executive James Ramsbotham (@NECCTwiTer): The NECC does a brilliant job of championing business in the North East and James’s Twitter account gives a great insight into what’s happening in the region’s business community. The Centre for Process Innovation (@ukCPI): We have worked with CPI on a number of exciting projects and its twitter feed provides a great mix of tweets and retweets, it’s a great source for keeping up to date with the latest developments in science and engineering. Business Secretary Vince Cable (@vincecable): He praised Teesside University as Britain’s best for working with business when he visited us here, so it’s only fair that I return the favour and recommend his twitter account! His tweets offer a great insight into his work and the government’s business priorities. Alastair Campbell (@campbellclaret): He tweets on a range of subjects ranging from politics, economics and business through to football and cycling, plus mental health and addiction issues. He also retweets for a lot of great causes.
@JoyYatesHMail Editorial director, Johnston Press North East, Editor, Hartlepool Mail, Shields Gazette, and Peterlee Star
@Miss_Dishman PR and communications manager at Watson Burton LLP, Newcastle
Jeff Stelling (@StellingJeff): Hartlepool-born and a massive ‘Pools fan, the Gillette Soccer Saturday presenter puts Hartlepool on the map for all the right reasons. I love watching him on Sky, so he’s a must for Twitter, too. Tim Lovejoy (@timlovejoy): I’ve been a fan since his Soccer AM days and he was one of the first television presenters I heard talking about Twitter, so I feel he deserves a mention here. I enjoy his easy, chatty, interactive style. Jason Cook (@jasonmarkcook): The comedian and writer of BBC2 series Hebburn, in which he plays Ramsey, is actually from Hebburn and is a really funny and clever guy who features regularly in the Shields Gazette. Little Mix (@LittleMixOffic): The X Factor-winning girl band features two South Shields girls in Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards and they have almost 5m followers! They filled many column inches in the Shields Gazette during their time on X Factor and continue to do so.
Rebecca Crawford (@re-crawford): I’m a relatively new follower of North East venture capitalist and fellow dog lover Rebecca Crawford, and I find her tweets both entertaining and insightful. Stephen Waddington (@wadds): As president of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and a wellknown regional and national PR practitioner, I follow Stephen for his knowledge and in-depth views on the industry. His tweets and blogs are a must-read for any PR professional. Paul Smith (@paul_a_smith): Through work undertaken with my firm, I’ve established a keen interest in start-ups and so I actively follow @ignite100 co-founder Paul Smith. He’s an avid supporter of the region’s tech start-up community. Michael Kors (@michaelkors): On a personal level, I am a big handbag and shoe fanatic so I follow fashion designer Michael Kors to keep my eye on the latest trends and to create a wish list of items I like!
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 55
OUT TO LUNCH
Live and cookin’ The play’s the thing and so is the performer in the wings, writes Alastair Gilmour
T
he theme of the submission to the global January 2014 performing arts fraternity was International Society that Live Theatre is a registered for the Performing Arts charity with a trading arm, conference was Arts and the doing a mixture of things to Economy. The opening session create income alongside its was Arts and Business. public sector funding. And when Jim Beirne, chief “Really it’s out of necessity,” executive of Live Theatre in he says. “We have a small Newcastle, concluded his theatre; box office income can presentation in the New York never pay for plays, but we’ve arts centre venue, he was not got great support from the Arts only acknowledged by rather Council and Newcastle City more than the usual polite Council has had to enforce applause, the funding cuts, so we knew we audience cheered. had to do something With fellow different. We’re congress openers sitting in one IT HAS A SOCIAL including the of them.” AND POLITICAL Sydney Opera We are indeed FUNCTION; IT TELLS House and the sitting in The STORIES ABOUT Brooklyn Academy Broad Chare THE CITY of Music addressing restaurant and pub 500 delegates which opened in May representing 56 nations and 2011 as a unique partnership 185 cities, it emphasised how between Live Theatre and 21 fortunate we are to have such a Hospitality Group (headed by creative and business-savvy Terry Laybourne) investing a force on our doorstep. proportion of its turnover back “It was great,” says Beirne. into the work of Live Theatre. “Obviously in the context of The Broad Chare, describing some of those organisations itself as “a proper pub serving ours is very small, but we proper beer and proper food”, punch well above our weight. has been awarded a Michelin “Live Theatre is a generator Guide Bib Gourmand and of ideas and we have the sort of more recently was voted among ideas people want to be the top 20 gastropubs in the associated with; that’s why our country by The Times. Net work goes all over the world.” annual income from the pub The thrust of the Beirne and restaurant operations 56 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / FEB - MAR 2014
Choices, choices...Jim Beirne at The Broad Chare
reinvested in Live Theatre is between £80,000 and £100,000 annually. “Basically, it pays for a play a year,” says Beirne. “In 2006, when we were rebuilding Live and adding all our glorious new buildings (converted from Quayside alms houses and warehouses), we knew we were going to be three times bigger. “We had great support from our stakeholders, but we knew they were unlikely to have much more money to support us, so we came up with the idea of creating four social enterprises around the charity that would bring in assets and revenue. It’s a long game; a long-term view for creating the basis of a great cultural insitution.” Alongside The Broad Chare
(“did you know we’ve sold 19,500 scotch eggs since we opened?”), the other three social enterprises are: www.beaplaywright.com (“we have over 100 people on the programme worldwide”); The Schoolhouse, providing space for small creative businesses; and LiveWorks, a capital project featuring new offices, a park and a children’s creative writing centre which will also complement the Newcastle Quayside frontage. Beirne says: “LiveWorks involves buying up the land and buildings around us; it’s a commercial venture creating income that we then invest in theatre projects. “We have secured an empty plot on the Quayside and some spare land at the back. It’s a
DRAW UP A CHARE
£10m project and just short of £2m has come from the European Regional Development fund. We have a loan facility from Newcastle City Council for up to £6m, and with another £2m from fundraising,we have the £8m we need to purchase it and start to develop it. Overall, the income will put between £300,000 and £400,000 a year into Live.” Live Theatre, founded in 1986, has always had a reputation for doing things differently and it is now widely regarded as being highly entrepreneurial. “Actually, it doesn’t feel like that to us,” says Beirne. ”This is just us getting on and doing it. We continue to deliver what we’re good at, which is new plays and working
with young people. It’s not about making more money, it’s about making more art, working with more young people, working with more artists and making more plays. “We’re one of only six ‘new writing’ theatres in the country and most of those are in London, so we play a special part in creating art for the theatre. Live has a social and political function; it tells stories about the city we live in and the reason we live in it. “When you get that on a national and international scale, people really value us. We’ve got many different supporters, from the audiences to the 300 young people a week who take part in our youth activities. “The same stage has plays by nine-year-olds and plays by Lee
Hall [Billy Elliott, The Pitmen Painters, Toast, Cooking With Elvis]. We’re often sold out and we only have a 180-seat theatre, so we can’t sell any more seats. But we are really good at what we do. “We’ve got a community that can come to our pub, we’ve got a community of businesses at The Schoolhouse, a community of artists who come and work at Live, a community at Caffe Vivo (another 21 Hospitality Group collaboration along the street), and a community of people who work here, plus all our friends and supporters. That’s what makes us loved.” The next International Society for the Performing Arts congress is in April in Bogota. Should Jim Beirne be sharing his ideas again, expect a standing ovation.
The Broad Chare is sculpted out of a red-brick building that once bustled with grain merchants, coal exporters and shipping clerks. Next to Newcastle Crown Court and barristers’ chambers, the lunchtime crowd indicates it has skilfully prosecuted its target. It is a stand-alone stopoff, a pre-theatre rendezvous and, given its position, one could argue for an out-ofcourt settlement. The chilly breeze off the Tyne requires soup (£5.50); vegetable and smoked ham for Beirne, mulligatawny for me - rib-sticking stuff, teeming with veg, barley and pulses and spiced with coriander. Calves’ liver, bacon and onions (£14.50) is tempting, as is ribeye steak and onion rings (£18.50), and while mutton masala (£11.50) would continue an Indian spice theme, I vaguely recall some advice about trying the black pudding. Beirne’s Whitby crab salad, celeriac and apple (£7.50) is from the small plates list, while my spicy black pudding, clapshot and cranberries (£11.50) is possibly the most appropriate union of zap and zing and bittersweet brio I’ve experienced for some time. The black pudding slightly crisp on top - is French boudin noir in style with its onion-tinged and fruity nuances, while its generous top layer of cranberries contrasts the colouring and complements its earthy spice. With scotch egg (£3.20), pork pie and piccalilli (£3.20) a half of Wylam Writers Block ale (£1.70) and a bottle of sparkling water, the bill is a very reasonable £43.01. A grandstanding performance.
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 57
New members 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
Thank You For your recent membership renewals. Particular thanks to members supporting NECC for over 15 years
60+ YEARS! S M Thompson Ltd
62
35-59 YEARS Radiographic Accessories Ltd 44 ConocoPhillips Petroleum Company UK Ltd 37 30-34 YEARS Devereux Developments Ltd Greggs plc Helena Biosciences INEOS Compounds Aycliffe Limited Sealpump Engineering Ltd
33 33 33 31 30
25-29 YEARS John Lilley & Gillie Ltd North East Truck & Van Ltd Con Mech Engineers Limited
27 26 25
20-24 YEARS Harlands Accountants LLP Hydraulic and Offshore Supplies Metro Freight Services (UK) Ltd Tyne Metropolitan College Association Of International Accountants Caravel Liner Agencies (Darlington) Ltd Finchale Training College Hosch (GB) Ltd Javac (UK) Ltd Ramsay Services Ltd Redcar & Cleveland College Tegrel Ltd The Clinkard Group Ltd Yusen Logistics (UK) Ltd A-Belco Group of Companies Alco Plumbing Services Limited Cottam Brush Ltd Elder Lester McGregor Architects
The contact details of all the companies which joined NECC between November and December are now available at www.necontact.co.uk under the ‘New Members’ link
24 24 24 24 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 22 22 22 22
Phusion Information Management 22 Profins Ltd 22 The Bridges Shopping Centre - Land Securities Properties Ltd 22 Thermal Transfer Technology Ltd 22 Campanile Hotel 21 Censis 21 Creative Glass Ltd 20 15-19 YEARS 2B Graphics Design Consultants 19 Eden Farm Ltd 19 Roballo Engineering Co Ltd 19 Exwold Technology Limited 18 Gilligan Engineering Services 18 Griffith Textile Machines Ltd 18 Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Ltd 18 PinPoint Technologies Ltd 18 Rennyco Limited 18 TRW Systems Ltd 18 A T S Electro-Lube (UK) Ltd 17 Belt Technologies Europe 17 Bowe Digital Ltd 17 Edward Egglestone & Co. 17 ERS Limited 17 Formula Plastics Ltd 17 Gliderol Garage & Industrial Doors Limited 17 Ingeus Training Ltd 17 Lubrizol Ltd 17 Sintons LLP 17 TT 2 Limited 17 Mincoffs 16 Sea Hotel 16 Teesside University 16 Falcon Engineering & Development 15 Hipkin & Co 15 International Centre For Life Trust 15 R T H - Lubbers UK (International Transport) Ltd 15 The Punjab Kitchen Ltd 15
The above includes members which have supported NECC for more than 15 years and renewed their membership during November and December 2013. We would like to thank all our members for their continued support.
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE: LUNCH THE CROFT HOTEL
DABBAWAL
RENDEZ VOUS AT THE COUNTY HOTEL
MARCO PIERRE WHITE STEAKHOUSE BAR & GRILL
Reopened in February 2013 following extensive refurbishment and under new management, The Croft Hotel now boasts a new Gastropub, private dining room, traditional Tea Rooms, extensively refurbished function/conference suites and 20 bedrooms. The Croft Gastropub is the perfect venue for a business lunch with our highly competitive Market Menu available between 12-2pm every week day. Just £12 for 2 – courses.
Dabbawal, street food pioneer of the North East, brings the amazing tastes of the street to its two restaurants in Newcastle, featuring unique tapasstyle plates for sharing and classic dishes with a twist. Larger parties can hire the whole restaurant on a Sunday for Indian cocktails, canapés, a feast of dinner and dancing. Smaller groups of up to 20 can also take over Dabbawal’s private room and the Dabbawal team delights in coming to you to cater for parties large and small.
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.
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.
LOCATION: The Croft Hotel Croft-on-Tees Darlington, DL2 2ST Tel: 01325 720319 www.crofthotel.net
LOCATION: 69-75 High Bridge, Newcastle, NE1 6BX Back Brentwood Ave, Jesmond, NE2 3DG Tel: 0191 2325133 www.dabbawal.com
LOCATION: The County Hotel by Thistle, Neville Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5DF Tel: 0191 2322471 www.thistle.com/newcastle
LOCATION: Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill, 2-8 Fenkle Street, Newcastle NE1 5XN Tel: 0191 300 9222 www.mpwsteakhousenewcastle.co.uk
PEACE & LOAF
HOTEL DU VIN
SACHINS
NATIONAL GLASS CENTRE BRASSERIE
As the latest addition to the north east’s fine dining industry, Peace & Loaf boasts a chic and stylish venue alongside an entirely original and unique dining experience. With the meticulous eye of head chef and runner-up of 2010’s MasterChef: The Professionals Dave Coulson, Peace & Loaf’s menu is inspired by traditional British cuisine with new ideas. The carefully crafted dishes will both excite and intrigue even the most discerning of palates.
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.
Celebrating almost 30 years in service, the award winning restaurant Sachins on Forth Banks in Newcastle has been delighting diners with their signature, meticulously crafted menu since opening its doors. Using only the freshest, locally sourced ingredients, chef and proprietor Bob Arora perfectly balances his dishes; a skill learned from years in the profession, which many other restaurants do not offer, truly offering Punjabi perfection.
Eating at the Brasserie is as much about the atmosphere and stunning surroundings as it is about the food. Having undergone a stylish transformation, from the décor down to the tableware, the Brasserie stands out as one of the most attractive restaurants in the North East. Echoing the philosophy of National Glass Centre, the menu showcases heritage and innovation, delivered with creativity and passion. Open Daily: 10.00 – 17.00
LOCATION: Peace and Loaf, 217 Jesmond Road Jesmond, NE2 1LA Tel: 0191 281 52 22 www.peaceandloaf.co.uk
LOCATION: Hotel du Vin, Newcastle City Road Newcastle, NE1 2BE Tel: 0191 2292200 www.hotelduvin.com
LOCATION: Sachins, Forth Banks, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3SG Tel: 0191 261 90 35 www.sachins.co.uk
LOCATION: National Glass Centre Brasserei, Liberty Way, Sunderland, SR6 0GL Tel: 0191 515 555 www.nationalglasscentre.com
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 59
EVENTS
The NECC Exchange Thistle Middlesbrough, 11am - 2pm, Thursday February 13, 2014
FREE
This is the NECC’s flagship networking event encouraging an exchange of experiences, ideas and offers. Members are invited in a round table setting to share successes, challenges and ideas with ample opportunity to mix and mingle before and after the event. To book an exhibition stand at the mini expo at a cost of £30, please email events@necc.co.uk
British Chamber of Commerce Awards The North East contingent at the recent British Chamber of Commerce Awards picked up two awards, as engineering design specialists, Nortech Solutions, won the Most Promising New Business accolade and NECC itself picked up the Excellence in International Trade Award. The prestigious ceremony took place at The Brewery, London on November 28, 2013.
Sponsored by
Thistle Middlesbrough is a four-star, 132-bedroom hotel conveniently located in the town centre. It has 17 meeting rooms, all air-conditioned with the largest seating 400. For information, please contact Vicki Jackson, 01642 333 112, vicki.jackson@thistle.co.uk
The NECC Exchange De Vere Village Urban Resort Newcastle, 11am - 2pm, Friday February 28, 2014
FREE
Julie Underwood, NECC international trade director
Bryan Bunn, MD of Nortech Solutions
Host Colin Jackson
Nora Senion, BCC president
As well as encouraging an exchange of experiences, ideas and offers at this networking lunch event, we will hear from the Bank of England for an insight into how the bank can help small businesses in the North East. To discuss the benefits of taking an exhibition stand at a cost of £30, please email events@necc.co.uk Space is limited. Sponsored by
Village is ideally located close to the A1(M) and A19, just 6 miles from Newcastle Central train station. De Vere Village Urban Resort Newcastle has 157 bedrooms and a pool within the velocity health + fitness and viva urban spa. Guests can eat at Buca di Beppo Italian restaurant, Victory pub + kitchen or Starbucks, and there are more than 400 free car parking spaces. In association with
North Tyneside Business Forum is a one-stopshop helping companies access the most relevant networks, mentors and experts from the private, public and third sectors.
60 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / FEB - MAR 2014
All of the night’s winners
Marketing Bootcamp in association with the CIM November 28, The Quality Hotel, Boldon
NETWORKING FEB
H2L
£195*
FEB
The NECC Exchange
FREE
FEB
Stand up and be counted
FREE
FEB
The NECC Exchange
MAR
Tees Valley Committee 2013 Review & AGM
06 13 20 Eve Whittaker, MD, The Eight delivering the morning bootcamp on inbound marketing
Design Bootcamp with Nick Devitt and Robert Bewick from Design Council
NECC Networking events Coffee and Connections, December 18, Ramada Encore
November 14, Ramside Hall, sponsored by Hyundai
28 5
MAR
5
MAR
12 MAR
19 MAR
26 Ashleigh Smithson, Mediaworks; Meryl Dodd, Actif RSV Ltd and Charlotte Ridley The Building Maintenance Co.
Rachel Travis, NECC; James Mackintosh, Hyundai and David Wilson, Bluefin Insurance Services
2.30pm - 4.30pm Derwent Manor Hotel
11.00am - 2.00pm De Vere Village Urban Resort N Tyneside
11.30am - 2.00pm Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
Illuminate Sunderland
9.30am - 4.00pm Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Durham Committee 2013 Review & AGM (inc Networking)
11.30am - 2.00pm Emirates Durham Intl. Cricket Ground
FREE FREE FREE FREE
Northumberland Committee – 2013 Review & AGM (inc Networking)
FREE
Tyne & Wear Committee 2013 Review & AGM (inc Networking)
FREE
11.30am - 2.00pm Kirkley Hall, nr. Ponteland
11.30am - 2.00pm Copthorne Hotel, Newcastle
BUSINESS SEMINARS FEB
Content Marketing
26
9.15am - 11.30am NECC Durham
MAR
HR Settlement Agreements
4
MAR
Richard Hall, Capital Allowances Consultants Ltd and Paul Bennett, Bishop Skinner Insurance
11.00am - 2.00pm Thistle, Middlesbrough
* 15% discount for NECC Members
Christmas Exchange, December 5, The Copthorne Hotel
Karen Brogden, business manager, ENER-G Holdings Plc with gifts for cash for kids Christmas appeal
9.00am - 4.00pm Quorum Business Park, Newcastle
9.15am - 11.30am NECC Durham
An Intro to ACAS
19
9.15am - 11.30am NECC Durham
MAR
Post Budget Briefing Lunch
21
12.00pm – 2.00pm Marriott Gosforth Park
FREE FREE FREE FREE
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 61
EVENTS
To book, tel 0300 303 6322 email events@necc.co.uk www.necc.co.uk/events
High Speed Rail event?
CORPORATE
January 8, Jurys Inn, Newcastle NECC was pleased to welcome stakeholders to the Jurys Inn, Newcastle to hear about the proposals being developed for HS2 during the current period of consultation on ‘Investing in Britain’s Future’ and discuss the opportunities and benefits for the North East.
Durham & Wearside NE Business Awards
MAR
6
Tyneside & Northumberland NE Business Awards
MAR
20
£90
6.00pm - midnight The Hilton, Gateshead
NECC Durham & Wearside Annual Dinner
MAR
27
6.30pm - midnight Stadium of Light, Sunderland
£65* COMMITTEES
Teesside NE Business Awards
APR
3
£90
6.00pm - midnight Teesside University, Olympia Building
NE Business Awards Regional Final
MAY
1
£100
6.00pm - 1.00am Hardwick Hall
NECC AGM
JUN
Clive Woods Network Rail, Ada Burns Darlington Borough Council (ANEC), David Prout director general of HS2, James Ramsbotham NECC.
£90
6.00pm - midnight Ramside Hall, Durham
10
10.45am - 2.00pm Ramside Hall, Durham
SEP
NECC Tees Valley Annual Dinner
25
FREE £65
6.30pm - midnight Thistle Middlesbrough
NECC Tyne & Northumberland Annual Dinner
NOV
6
*
£100*
6.30pm - midnight Newcastle Civic Centre
NECC has various opportunities for event sponsorship in 2014 For more information about the benefits of supporting or sponsoring one of our many events, contact Ashley Carney, events executive, via email: ashley.carney@necc.co.uk
FEB
06
7.45am-9.30am RTC North, Sunderland
FEB
NewcastleGateshead Committee
FEB
Stockton Business Forum
10 11 FEB
4.00pm – 6.00pm Gateshead Civic Centre
4.00pm-5.30pm Stockton Riverside College
South Tyneside Committee
13
8.00 am – 9.30 am Quality Hotel, Boldon
FEB
Middlesbrough Committee
25
*Member Price + VAT
FEB
8.15am-9.30am NECC, Middlesbrough Office
Redcar & Cleveland Committee
8.15am-9.30am Freebrough Academy, Brotton
MAR
Hartlepool Committee
FEB 11 Letters of Credit & Methods of Payment
12
FEB 27 Export Procedures & Documentation
MAR
Darlington Committee
MAR
Tees Valley Committee
MAR 06 Import Procedures & Documentation MAR 13 Customs Procedures & Documentation Letters of Credit and Methods of APRIL 3 Payment
13 19
FREE FREE FREE FREE
26
INTERNATIONAL TRADE SHORT COURSES
David Prout, director general of HS2
International Trade Committee
4.00pm-5.30pm Housing Hartlepool, Hartlepool
8.15am-9.30am Mercure Kings Hotel, Darlington
4.00pm-5.30pm Rockliffe Hall , Darlington
FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE
MAY 13 Export Procedures and Documentation JUN 3 Import Procedures and Documentation JUN 19
Ada Burns, ANEC
Customs Procedures and Documentation
1 day courses: £235 +VAT for NECC Global members (£285+VAT standard price)
62 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / FEB - MAR 2014
FOUNDATION AWARD IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE:
NECC Global Member Cost: £550.00+VAT Standard Cost: £700.00+VAT
Call 0300 303 6322 and ask for Matthew Ord or Jacqui Tulip or email
matthew.ord@necc.co.uk or Jacqui.tulip@necc.co.uk for further information.
HI! TECH
Super tech Our tech man Mark Anderson looks Stateside for inspiration at the Consumer Electronics Show
T
he world’s tech industry descended on the annual geek fest - the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. This was once the place where tech giants like Apple, Sony and Microsoft whipped the covers off their latest sparkly thing and we all stared, slack-jawed in wonder at their latest magic. While these giants still have a significant presence, they are now so large that they organise their own product launch
shindigs, secure in the knowledge that the world’s press will flock to them. And CES is all the better for it, forcing lazy brand-centric journalists and buyers to look at what else is on offer. Massive TVs were definitely a thing this year, with manufacturers unveiling Ultra High Definition 110inch screens. Samsung caught the eye with its bendable screen. Nobody wants a ‘dumb’ TV anymore, and everything is internet-connected for access to streaming services, from top
Share the burn
Get out!
I got relatively fit in 2013 and am determined not to let it slide after a typically indulgent festive period. Whether you want to maintain what you have or have resolved to get a little fitter this year I thoroughly recommend the Map My... website and apps. Whether you are running, cycling or walking they use GPS on your phone to track the routes you travel, displaying them on maps, and calculate speeds, distances and calories burned. mapmyfitness.com
The region’s tourism websites aren’t just for visitors, us locals can get involved too. I’ve already determined I will take part in one of the ‘star camps’ at Kielder, the walking festival in Berwick, attend Durham Regatta, and will watch the world’s greatest cycling event as the Tour de France decamps to Yorkshire this summer. Northumberland.com thisisdurham.com visitteesvalley.co.uk
global content partners like Amazon and Netflix. Soon the PC, laptop and smartphone will be indivisible – whether we want it or are aware of it or not. Wearable tech was everywhere too, with a plethora of watches and Google Glasstype devices thrust at delegates at every turn. It all still looks far too chunky and in-your-face and I can’t see any of it sticking until it genuinely offers something new, useful and unobtrusive. The video of a Disney-esque
Do you really want to ‘go large’ ?
I’m a terrible dieter, but a website a pal of mine recommended has helped me to at least avoid some of the higher fat, higher calorie foods I naturally gravitate towards. I use it in the supermarket. Type ‘donner kebab’ into the search bar and read that a typical 600g serving contains 62g of fat - that’s 95% of your recommended daily intake - and over 1,000 calories. It might not stop you but at least you’ll know. caloriecount.about.com
family sitting around the breakfast table in matching eyewear variously doing homework, shopping for golf clubs and chatting with gran was toe-curlingly naïve. The tech which did do well at CES this year was the fun stuff. Robots and drones abounded and most served no purpose other than to amuse and entertain. My favourites included a disco dancing ‘bot that provides the sound and lighting system. Can it dance in time to Billy Jean? No.
Stub it out
I’ve quit smoking. I found loads of great advice on smokefree.gov on how to prepare myself to quit, and support while I was doing it. There are helplines and even an app (quitstart, which is in most app stores) which I’m using to track my progress. It isn’t easy, but 14 days in I’ve saved 50 quid, my sense of smell and taste have improved enormously and, most importantly, my 10-year-old thinks I am ‘very clever’. smokefree.gov
FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 63
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 HOTEL - NEW BOUTIQUE STYLE 175 BEDROOMS IN THE CENTRE OF NEWCASTLE
HEALTH & SAFETY ONLINE ACCREDITED INTERACTIVE LEARNING COURSES
Offer Code: NECC Rewards Stay at the fabulous Sandman Signature Newcastle Hotel in the heart of the City for only £ 59.00 room only. All NECC members are entitled to a very special discounted rate every Friday and Sunday (subject to availability). Please quote NECC rewards upon making a reservation to receive your special discounted rate. Choose from a range of 170 chic boutique style bedrooms half of which offer full kitchen facilities.
The Safe Worker accredited e-learning package from mylearnadfriend brings HSE compliance training to workers, supervisors, managers and directors in one easy to access course. Available 24/7 from any location with internet access. All of courses cover the principles of health and safety and include our 360 degree risk assessment training tool. £40 + Vat + £5 Registration & Certification per delegate
PRINTING / GRAPHIC DESIGN / WEBSITE DESIGN / LARGE FORMAT
POSITIVE SOLUTIONS
SANDMAN SIGNATURE HOTEL
STONEBROOK MEDIA LTD
Offer Code: STON2014-01 Why not start 2014 with a company rebrand or refresh? Our prices start from an incredibly low £100 so get in touch with us and see how we can bring your business image upto date and just how little this could cost?
TOYOTA DEALERSHIP MINORIES WEARSIDE
New for 2014! Brand new Toyota Proace panel van. Range of engines and body styles. Standard features include Bluetooth, electric windows, air conditioning, radio/cd. 3 years/100,000 mile warranty, ply lining. Call David Williams for your personalised quotation today.
MYLEARNADFRIEND LIMITED
BESPOKE FINANCIAL ADVICE / IFA For a fresh start into the New Year what better time to take a new look at your finances? For a free financial review with unbiased advice from an Independent Financial Adviser - please make contact.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CONSULTANT / INTERPRETING / IMPORT & EXPORT / BILINGAL WEBDESIGN UK CHINA CONNEX TRADING LTD
We have over ten years’ experience covering 50 languages’, interpretation, translation, import and export.
64 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / FEB - MAR 2014
HE RIGHT ONLINE SOLUTIONS FOR SMALL & MEDIUM BUSINESSES GALIA DIGITAL LTD
As a Digital Champion for the Go On UK campaign ‘26 Weeks to make a Difference’, Galia Digital has committed to helping 50 North East businesses to build their online skills. An Internet Health Check will give you an unbiased, holistic overview of your existing online presence, and suggest simple strategies to improve and build your business online. A short 2-3 page report outlines the good, the bad and the ugly, and gives you specific steps you can take to move forward. Normally £125, NECC members pay only £75 under this member offer.
SKILLS TRAINING FOR THE HOSPITALITY AND CATERING INDUSTRY HIT TRAINING
If you are an SME with less than 250 staff and have a postcode within the North East LEP we can access funding to deliver free Hospitality courses. This includes food hygiene, BII, customer service, Team Leading & Management.
EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT TO ANY BUSINESS - IN ANY INDUSTRY OF ANY SIZE SIXTH SENSE LEARNING
Offer Code: SSL&NECC For Leadership, Management or Personal Development Workshops our New Year Offer is designed to boost the training budget of NECC Members. We are offering an unforgettable 20.14% Off all our Open Training Workshops. You will find a full list of available open workshops in our NECC profile.
CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT & PA EXECUTIVE TRAVEL CONSULTANTS
Offer Code: ETC2 Arranging business travel can be extremely time consuming, expensive, exhausting and stressful. It can also, ultimately becomes a very complex logistical nightmare! We are delighted to offer all NECC members up to 2 hours free consultation which can include itinerary planning. We also offer you a special rates and packages.
£500 REFERRAL THANK YOU FROM PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS EVANS EASYSPACE LTD
Offer Code: EVAVW500 As an incentive to pass on your thoughts to fellow businesses, if you refer anyone who takes an office or workshop at any Evans Easyspace Ltd. site you can claim £500 as a thank you. Terms and Conditions apply.
SPECIALIST EXPRESS CAR & LIGHT VAN MOT/ SERVICE & VALETING IN’N’OUT CENTRES LTD
2014 special offer for North East Chamber Member company employees. Service for £50 (on any make or model of car) OR an MOT for £25 (including re-test). If your car requires a MOT and a service at the same time, the most cost effective way to do this is to take the £50 Service offer (Usually £99, a saving of £49) and pay the standard £49 for the MOT (a £25 saving when using the offer), this way you can have a service and a MOT together for only £99.
Entry into the Member2Member section is not an endorsement by NECC
TAKE TWO
High flyers
DEPUTY AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES MANAGER . DURHAM TEES VALLEY AIRPORTI
SENIOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER NEWCASTLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Andrew Crompton Tim Roberts How long have you been in the job? I’ve been responsible for air traffic services at Durham Tees Valley Airport since 2011. What do you love about your job? No two days are ever the same, and my role requires me to retain my air traffic controller’s licences so I can still speak to and control aircraft, which is the job I really enjoy. What are the most challenging aspects of your job? Air traffic control is highly regulated and I need to ensure all the regulations are observed and adhered to, while managing personnel and maintaining my own ability to control aircraft. This often means I’m pulled in several directions at once. Highlight of your career so far? Leaving the Royal Navy, where I was an air traffic controller, and successfully re-training for my civilian qualifications. Who do you admire most? The people who get their head down for the task at hand; particularly those who do the unseen work. What would you do if you weren’t in your current job? Computer games tester! How will you spend your time when you retire? Computer games testing! And I’d have an allotment and get some DIY done.
How long have you been in the job? I came into air traffic control in 1990 after 10 years travelling the world with the British Army. I came to Newcastle in 1996 and became senior air traffic controller last year. What do you love about your job? It’s often demanding, sometimes repetitive, and always challenging. The control tower is quite predictable, while in the radar room there’s a variety of traffic, from hot-air balloons and microlights to Boeing 777s and RAF typhoons. What are the most challenging aspects of your job? We see 4.4m passengers every year and their safety is paramount. We also deliver global and regional connectivity for all the airlines that operate here. Highlight of your career so far? Obtaining my aerodrome-controller’s licence and my recent promotion to SATCO. Who do you admire most? I’d quite like Simon King’s (Big Cat Diaries) job, and I admire my uncle a great deal. What would you do if you weren’t in your current job? It’s unthinkable to be doing anything else. How will you spend your time when you retire? I have an ambition to walk the Pyrenees and the Alps. FEB - MAR 2014 / CONTACT / www.necontact.co.uk / 65
GUEST COLUMNIST
Last Word Despite an encouraging rise in the number of apprenticeships, the region is facing a widening engineering skills’ gap. Mick Brophy, managing director of business innovation and development at Gateshead College, says partnering with employers can help to cut the gap and deliver strong growth
A
pprenticeships - what do they actually contribute to your company or organisation? In essence, they can secure the future of your business and make a tangible difference to your bottom line. Official statistics show that apprenticeships increased by a staggering 107% in the North East during 2012 (the 2013 figures are not yet out), indicating that employers are reaping the benefits of having bright, young talent in their business. Government figures show that apprenticeships boosted business productivity by £214 per week, while 96% of employers said apprentices were good for their business. Others, however, might need more convincing. Some companies feel that they can’t afford to take on an inexperienced young apprentice or don’t have the time to train them up to the required standard, despite the benefit of access to government funding schemes and investment initiatives - statistics show that funding for apprenticeships has risen steadily since 2009 despite the economic slowdown. It has been reported that by 2016 an
estimated 8,500 skilled workers within the engineering sector will have retired, creating a skills gap. However by working in partnership with North East employers and businesses, organisations like Gateshead College can close the gap through the provision of dynamic, skilled and enthusiastic young apprentices. We have forged strong partnerships with employers in important sectors – transport operator Nexus and global car giant Nissan, for example – to develop successful apprenticeships programmes which have been running for several years. We urge more North East employers to invest in apprenticeships, which are a
66 / www.necontact.co.uk / CONTACT / FEB - MAR 2014
great way of retaining talent within a business and preventing the region from losing the skills needed. The future success of apprenticeships for the North East looks promising and we will continue to work hard with employers to ensure their workforces are equipped with the skills and qualifications that will drive their businesses forward. Funding to ensure training is accessible for businesses of all sizes will be important and we are pressing the Government to continue to invest.This will enable the region to continue to benefit from apprentices, enabling companies to plan for the future with a stable and flexible workforce equipped to succeed.
Nominations Open www.northeastexporters awards.co.uk Closing date: 21st March 2014
Awards Dinner: Thursday 15th May, Ramside Hall Hotel, County Durham Tables available from £550 +VAT, tickets from £60 +VAT
CELEBRATING GLOBAL CHAMPIONS Associate sponsors
For more information contact Lesley Hampson, Event Manager T: 0191 201 6435 E: lesley.hampson@trinitymirror.com Or visit www.northeastexportersawards.co.uk
THEALL NEWV40D2 ES.
BEAUTIFUL CARS. FANTASTIC FIGURES.
ONLY £249 DEPOSIT ONLY £249 PER MONTH UPTO 947 MILES PER TANK WITH £0 ROAD FUND TAX AWARDED THE HIGHEST EVER NCAP SAFETY RATING
CREDIT EXAMPLE MRRP Mill Price Saving Deposit Amount of Credit Interest Interest rate (Fixed) 48 months at 1 Final Payment (Guaranteed Future Value)
Total Amount Payable Duration Annual Mileage APR Representative
£20,595.00 £18,950.00 £1,645.00 £249.00 £18,701.00 £3,416.16 3.04% £249.42 £10,145.00 £22,366.16 49 Months 6,000 miles
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.millvolvo.co.uk
Tel: 0800 612 4715
The price is based on a V40 D2 ES 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 £249.00, followed by 48monthly payments of £249.42. Annual mileage of 6,000 miles, excessive 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.