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Western Daily PressWestern Daily Press

BusinessBusinessBusinessBusinessBusinessBusinessBusinessThe Top 150companiesin the West2015: A keyyear ahead forHinkley PointBloodhound –how the Westis winningthe pace race

£100 millioninvestment inWest sportinginfrastructure

guide2015

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Email: info@ngd.co.uk

Web: www.ngd.co.uk

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THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 1WBG-E01-S2

Inside

PAGES 2-3

UWE Bristol’s Professor Jane Harrington,Western Daily Press editor Ian Mean,Business West’s Phil Smith and AlderKing’s Martyn Jones look at the West’seconomy in 2015

PAGE 4

Peter Harris, chairman of The Forum forthe Built Environment, looks at theconstruction sector

PAGES 5-11

The Hinkley C new nuclear reactorproject in Bristol is potentially thebiggest investment the region has everseen. We hear direct from EDF, fromlocal authorities, small businesses in thesupply chain and finance experts whoadvise other small firms how to getinvolved in the project PAGES 34-35

Business guide sponsor First GreatWestern is excited to be bringing thecapital closer to the West

PAGES 36-39

Agriculture and the rural economy

PAGES 42-43

Commercial property

PAGES 44-45

Tourism sector gets presidential seal ofapproval

PAGES 46-47

South Bristol is looking up

PAGES 48-49

Buoyant creative sector

PAGES 50-51

Finance and Made in the West

PAGES 52-53

Sun shining on Wiltshire

PAGES 54-55

Food and drink export joy

This picture taken at Cheltenham Racecourse on New Year’s Day shows theprogress with the £45 million project to improve the leading track. It is partof a £100 million investment in the region’s sports stadia PAGES 40-41

46 Wolf Hall and its like aremaking West go-to destinationfor TV and film business

10 Alan Robinson of ARC Energy ishoping for Hinkley approval

PAGES 20-21

The West’s world-leading aerospacesector is flying high

PAGES 22-25

Technology and manufacturing in theWest has the perfect champion thisyear, when Bloodhound seeks to breakthe world land-speed record

PAGES 26-27

Business guide sponsor UWE Bristol isamong the most business-focuseduniversities in the land

PAGES 28-33

The Top 150 firms in the West Country,ranked by turnover. The comprehensivedata is provided in association with ourpartners Jordans

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Western Daily PressWestern Daily Press

BusinessBusinessBusinessBusinessBusinessBusinessBusinessguide2015

The Western Daily Press Business Guide2015 is edited by Richard Bacherichard.bache@westerndailypress.co.uk

Sporting splurgeStadia investment

PAGES 12-15

Catch up with the major developmentsand trends in the professional servicesworld in the West. Including sponsorFoot Anstey

PAGE 16

How Bristol is at the forefront of trialsof new transport technology thanks toGreen Capital status

PAGES 18-19

Business Guide sponsor NGDdemonstrate how critical it is to protectIT networks

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 32 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Columns

University viewJane Harrington

Developing skillsIan Mean

Columns

Property outlookMartyn Jones Exciting union of

enterprise andacademic rigour

Tom Burton working on a hand exoskeleton for stroke victims at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory

Through the new building forbusiness and law at Frenchay wewill be able to achieve our am-bition: to bring universities, busi-nesses and the professions togeth-er in one building.

It will enable us to continue ourmission to support the region’sbusinesses to grow and develop.The building and its facilities willenable us to shape the future ofbusiness and legal education.

By creating a space for the fac-ulty and its partners, I envisage abuilding where staff, students, em-ployers and the professions canwork together and learn fromeach other – with collaboratorsaccessing graduates, consultancyand research. I see the building asone that is accessible and wel-coming and changes the viewoften expressed that universitiesare not open to business. Our in-vestment represents a positive re-sponse to the recent 21st CenturyLeaders: Building practice into thecurriculum to boost employabilityreport by the Association of Busi-ness Schools (ABS), the CharteredManagement Institute (CMI), andthe Quality Assurance Agency(QAA) that highlights a need forbusiness schools to offer more inthe way of extended, meaningfulwork experience and connectionsto and with business.

As one of the authors of thisreport, I am committed to the ideathat we deliver on the need for‘business ready’ graduates. Em-ployability of students depends ona sound understanding of what itis that employers are looking forand integrating this into our pro-grammes of study.

We do this not just throughknowledge, which is a given, butthrough the development of prac-tical skills, through exposing stu-dents to organisations andthrough developing a work readymind set.

As the only university in theSouth West to be awarded the pres-tigious Small Business CharterAward, which both recognises thework we do with businesses andprovides support for this work todevelop we will be able to continueour ambition to develop innov-ative programmes, such as theBusiness Team Entrepreneurshipdegree, grow the consultancywork that our MBA students un-dertake, support graduates to setup their own businesses as welldeveloping the regions busi-nesses. I see us as playing an

active role in regional growththrough all of our activities.

Key to building on this recentsuccess is creating a space that iswelcoming to businesses, a spacethat breaks down the barriers thatmay be there around universitiesperceived as ivory towers, a spacethat inspires incorporatingmodern thinking in learning andteaching and ensuring that this issupported by the latest techno-logy. The best curriculum is de-signed in collaboration with aca-demics and business partners andenables students to embrace aninnovative, ethical and entrepren-eurial ethos and utilise their skillsin the workplace from day one.Business and Law schools shouldinvest in developing practicalways of building a closer rela-tionship with local employers,and making it easier to accesswhat is on offer and this is at theheart of our ambition. The build-

I am committed tothe idea that we deliveron the need for ‘businessready’ graduates

ing will have a state of the artevent space and through this wewill be able to bring in leadingspeakers for our students andbusinesses. The new spaceprovides us with fantastic oppor-tunities to invite businesses tobecome more involved whetherthis is through setting up offices atUWE, using the space for meet-ings, collaborating on new busi-ness start-ups, better access to re-search, so many things that puttogether will mean that we areable to work towards delivery ofthe best talent to employers andenable our students to develop theskills that will make them pro-ductive and successful. It is a won-derful opportunity to really beable to connect what we do withthe businesses and professions inthe region and really make a dif-ference to the innovation andgrowth agenda of the region. It isthis that excites me about this newbuilding – the chance to be part ofthe changing landscape of theregion and to see the business andlegal sectors continue to developand grow in Bristol and itsre gion.Professor Jane Harrington is Deputy-ViceChancellor at UWE Bristol

In only four months’ time we havea general election, and the Wester nDaily Press would encourage allthe parties to digest the successstories in this, our latest BusinessG u i d e.

If you look at the top 150 com-panies in the South West listed onpages 28-30 you will see some ofthe great names in every sector ofbusiness, from financial servicesto aerospace.

And innovation in their oper-ations is what strikes us as a keyconstituent of their ongoings u c c e s s.

We hope that innovation is re-cognised by the politicians, who Ibelieve need to give this region farmore support.

David Cameron and George Os-borne have recently been con-

stantly extolling the virtues of theNorth of England.

They talk of the Powerhouse ofthe North and how the new raillinks will increase its attractive-ness to business.

All well and good, but whatabout the South West?

In our view, the South West is apowerhouse in its own right. Butjust don’t take our view, look atthose companies listed in ourtop 150.

This region is a powerhouse inall sorts of high-level technology,particularly of course inaerospace, with world-leadingcompanies such as Airbus and thenuclear industry through EDF.

Ground-breaking work by in-novative companies like these andso many others need to be re-

cognised far more by govern-ment.

The Western Daily Press b e l i eve sthat whatever the colour or col-ours of the next government, itmust really accelerate the devel-opment of skills in the SouthWe s t .

Skills and the development ofskills is one of the beacons tofuture growth in the region. Aftera lot of warm words, skills looks tobe in the sidings and it must nowhave more government encour-agement and cash to ensure thatwe constantly develop our peopleto their full potential.

Together with our sister news-paper, the Bristol Post, the Wester nDaily Press is also keen that gov-ernment also accelerates itsapprentice programme.

Sadly, with some cuts to furthereducation expenditure, we haveseen a slow down in apprentice-ships being provided. This mustnot be allowed to happen.

It is absolutely clear that theapprentice and graduate routeleads to the best jobs. I believe it isin all our interests to support thecolleges and universities such asthe University of the West of Eng-land in developing partnershipswith local business.

I think there are many SMEswho do not really realise howmuch help they can get from part-nering an educational establish-ment like UWE.

Here in Bristol, UWE has de-veloped tremendous real-timeknowledge transfer partnerships.Did you know about them? Prob-

ably not. They can be partlysponsored by the government,giving those SMEs who probablycould not afford to do so the op-portunity of bringing in youngpeople to help work on problemswithin their business.

I hope this 2015 Business Guidegives you something of an insightinto the great talents this regionhas in its companies and organ-i s at i o n s.

Here at the Western Daily Presswe intend to keep shouting aboutthose companies and the peoplebehind them who drive their suc-c e s s.

We hope you will join us inspreading the word about thesouth west being a powerhouse forbu s i n e s s.Ian Mean, editor, Western Daily Press

Commercial property activity in2014 in the South West was thestrongest since the financialcrisis, driven by a buoyant re-gional investment market, thereturn of speculative developmentand strong occupational demand.

We saw confidence acceleratethroughout the year as agree-ments for the planned HinkleyPoint C power station were ap-proved by the European Commis-sion and a £2 billion investment inthe region’s road infrastructurewas announced in the Chancel-lor’s Autumn Statement last year.

These two multi-million poundprojects alone will significantlystrengthen our economy, openingup major new development op-portunities in Bristol, Somerset,Wiltshire and Gloucestershireand creating hundreds of newj o b s.

Notwithstanding uncertaintiesfrom the forthcoming generalelection and the possibility of in-terest rate rises, optimism re-mains high that recovery can besustained in 2015.

The regional investment marketwas strong throughout 2014. Ex-ceptional levels of demand in theLondon market have driven pri-cing to a point where the regionsare perceived to offer better valueand therefore attract strong in-stitutional interest.

The South West and its prin-cipal centres are performing wellin a UK context, fuelling invest-ment interest and providing at-tractive comparative investmentreturns. We expect this mo-mentum to carry into 2015 withstrong competition for the limitedattractive opportunities across alls e c t o r s.

The South West continues toplay to its strengths of financial,professional and creative ser-

vices, engineering, technology, de-fence and energy. Predicting andmeeting the property needs ofthese occupiers over the next fiveto ten years is essential for there gion’s continued success.

Those developers who had theconfidence to commence specu-lative commercial development in2013/14 have been vindicated,with high profile transactions inBristol to PwC and KPMG andrecord rents achieved through ouragency teams.

In Gloucester we also securedthe city’s largest and most sig-nificant transaction with the pre-let of 52,000 sq ft at GloucesterBusiness Park to Horizon NuclearPower Services.

Permitted Development Rights,which allow the conversion oflower grade office stock to res-idential use without planning con-sent, are having a positive impacton all of our town and cityc e n t re s.

In Gloucester, Bristol, Swindon,Taunton and Bath, there are anumber of conversions in thepipeline which will deliverschemes in 2015.

In Bristol alone, over one mil-lion sq ft of offices has been iden-tified for conversion. While in theshort term this reduces the levelof supply and therefore choice foroccupiers seeking new premises,it is encouraging new speculativedevelopment and speculative re-furbishment in Bristol and Bathand rental levels will increaseagain in early 2015.

The food store and logistics sec-tors are two market sectors thatare performing strongly. Lidl andAldi have aggressive expansionplans across the region while oc-cupiers involved in internet ful-filment are actively seeking stra-tegic depot sites, as evidenced by

As we prepare for what promisesto be a dramatic year in politics,we see a vastly different economiclandscape than that of 12 monthsa go.

This time last year we were talk-ing cautiously about renewed op-timism for business, and now weare firmly out of that destructivere c e s s i o n .

The new year is very much afresh start in our region, perfectlyillustrated by Bristol officiallytaking over the reins as EuropeanGreen Capital for the year. Whocould not have been impressedwhen Clifton Suspension Bridgewas lit up as the clock struckmidnight on New Year’s Eve,acting as a green beacon to therest of the world.

There is no doubt that this is amonumental year for the Bristolregion to enhance its reputationfor creativity, sustainability andinnovation; but green can alsomean go for firms across thewhole South West. With the eyes ofthe world taking a glimpse at ourregion we must showcase what wehave to offer. With this very muchin mind Business West launchedin December our #GetExportingcampaign, aiming to get 2,020more South West firms exportingby 2020. With all the coverage theSouth West will receive this year,what better time is there to takethe leap into international mar-ke t s ?

While 2015 offers significant op-portunities, we must also face thefive-month swirl of uncertaintywhich comes in election yearswith the detrimental impact onbusiness confidence that such un-certainty brings. With half of theparliamentary seats in our regionclassified as marginal comparedto only 10 per cent nationally, anda national appetite for devolution,

the political landscape is the leastsettled in decades. Whilst on anational scale party leaders are atloggerheads over importantissues such as immigration andthe NHS, local politicians mustnot lose sight of either the macroeconomic agenda or those lesshigh profile issues that impact dayto day business.

It is for this reason that we arereleasing our business manifesto,putting the key issues for businesson the desk of every prospectivecandidate – issues such as skills,legislative burdens, taxation andtransport links.

The election is just the begin-ning, and we must guarantee thata shake up of government in Maymakes our region a more con-fident, enterprising and skilledplace to start and grow a business– a great place from which toexport your goods or services tothe rest of the world.Phil Smith is managing director ofBusiness West

Business WestPhil Smith

G e o Po s t ’s recent site acquisitionsat Bridgwater and Exeter.

The retail sector is still a pictureof winners and losers. The primelocations perform strongly but formany secondary and tertiaryretail centres and high streets,trading conditions remain ex-tremely challenging; their posi-tion isn’t helped by the as yetunresolved issue of business ratesrelief and reform of this conten-tious levy must be high on the newGover nment’s agenda.

S w i n d o n’s retail area has beengiven a huge boost with the open-ing of the Regent Circus shoppingcentre late last year and retailerdemand for units is strong. Mean-while in Bristol, The Mall atCribbs Causeway’s recently-an-nounced expansion plans demon-strate its confidence as there gion’s leading retail and leisured e s t i n at i o n .

If approved this expansion, to-gether with the outline plans forthe redevelopment of the FiltonAirfield site, will represent amulti-million pound transforma-tion of the North Bristol skyline.The on-going success of theTemple Quay Enterprise Zone andprogress on the long-awaited Bris-tol Arena are further examples ofgrowing economic confidence.

Looking longer term, the pro-spect of city and regional devol-ution, while potentially some wayoff for the South West, provides atantalising opportunity for theregion to exercise greater controlover its economic future, drivinginvestment in projects that matterto us such as transport infrastruc-ture and creating new jobs.

Martyn Jones is senior partner atleading property consultancy Alder King,based in Bristol

Clifton Suspension Bridge was lit up as theclock struck midnight on New Year, ‘actingas a green beacon to the rest of the world’

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 32 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Columns

University viewJane Harrington

Developing skillsIan Mean

Columns

Property outlookMartyn Jones Exciting union of

enterprise andacademic rigour

Tom Burton working on a hand exoskeleton for stroke victims at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory

Through the new building forbusiness and law at Frenchay wewill be able to achieve our am-bition: to bring universities, busi-nesses and the professions togeth-er in one building.

It will enable us to continue ourmission to support the region’sbusinesses to grow and develop.The building and its facilities willenable us to shape the future ofbusiness and legal education.

By creating a space for the fac-ulty and its partners, I envisage abuilding where staff, students, em-ployers and the professions canwork together and learn fromeach other – with collaboratorsaccessing graduates, consultancyand research. I see the building asone that is accessible and wel-coming and changes the viewoften expressed that universitiesare not open to business. Our in-vestment represents a positive re-sponse to the recent 21st CenturyLeaders: Building practice into thecurriculum to boost employabilityreport by the Association of Busi-ness Schools (ABS), the CharteredManagement Institute (CMI), andthe Quality Assurance Agency(QAA) that highlights a need forbusiness schools to offer more inthe way of extended, meaningfulwork experience and connectionsto and with business.

As one of the authors of thisreport, I am committed to the ideathat we deliver on the need for‘business ready’ graduates. Em-ployability of students depends ona sound understanding of what itis that employers are looking forand integrating this into our pro-grammes of study.

We do this not just throughknowledge, which is a given, butthrough the development of prac-tical skills, through exposing stu-dents to organisations andthrough developing a work readymind set.

As the only university in theSouth West to be awarded the pres-tigious Small Business CharterAward, which both recognises thework we do with businesses andprovides support for this work todevelop we will be able to continueour ambition to develop innov-ative programmes, such as theBusiness Team Entrepreneurshipdegree, grow the consultancywork that our MBA students un-dertake, support graduates to setup their own businesses as welldeveloping the regions busi-nesses. I see us as playing an

active role in regional growththrough all of our activities.

Key to building on this recentsuccess is creating a space that iswelcoming to businesses, a spacethat breaks down the barriers thatmay be there around universitiesperceived as ivory towers, a spacethat inspires incorporatingmodern thinking in learning andteaching and ensuring that this issupported by the latest techno-logy. The best curriculum is de-signed in collaboration with aca-demics and business partners andenables students to embrace aninnovative, ethical and entrepren-eurial ethos and utilise their skillsin the workplace from day one.Business and Law schools shouldinvest in developing practicalways of building a closer rela-tionship with local employers,and making it easier to accesswhat is on offer and this is at theheart of our ambition. The build-

I am committed tothe idea that we deliveron the need for ‘businessready’ graduates

ing will have a state of the artevent space and through this wewill be able to bring in leadingspeakers for our students andbusinesses. The new spaceprovides us with fantastic oppor-tunities to invite businesses tobecome more involved whetherthis is through setting up offices atUWE, using the space for meet-ings, collaborating on new busi-ness start-ups, better access to re-search, so many things that puttogether will mean that we areable to work towards delivery ofthe best talent to employers andenable our students to develop theskills that will make them pro-ductive and successful. It is a won-derful opportunity to really beable to connect what we do withthe businesses and professions inthe region and really make a dif-ference to the innovation andgrowth agenda of the region. It isthis that excites me about this newbuilding – the chance to be part ofthe changing landscape of theregion and to see the business andlegal sectors continue to developand grow in Bristol and itsre gion.Professor Jane Harrington is Deputy-ViceChancellor at UWE Bristol

In only four months’ time we havea general election, and the Wester nDaily Press would encourage allthe parties to digest the successstories in this, our latest BusinessG u i d e.

If you look at the top 150 com-panies in the South West listed onpages 28-30 you will see some ofthe great names in every sector ofbusiness, from financial servicesto aerospace.

And innovation in their oper-ations is what strikes us as a keyconstituent of their ongoings u c c e s s.

We hope that innovation is re-cognised by the politicians, who Ibelieve need to give this region farmore support.

David Cameron and George Os-borne have recently been con-

stantly extolling the virtues of theNorth of England.

They talk of the Powerhouse ofthe North and how the new raillinks will increase its attractive-ness to business.

All well and good, but whatabout the South West?

In our view, the South West is apowerhouse in its own right. Butjust don’t take our view, look atthose companies listed in ourtop 150.

This region is a powerhouse inall sorts of high-level technology,particularly of course inaerospace, with world-leadingcompanies such as Airbus and thenuclear industry through EDF.

Ground-breaking work by in-novative companies like these andso many others need to be re-

cognised far more by govern-ment.

The Western Daily Press b e l i eve sthat whatever the colour or col-ours of the next government, itmust really accelerate the devel-opment of skills in the SouthWe s t .

Skills and the development ofskills is one of the beacons tofuture growth in the region. Aftera lot of warm words, skills looks tobe in the sidings and it must nowhave more government encour-agement and cash to ensure thatwe constantly develop our peopleto their full potential.

Together with our sister news-paper, the Bristol Post, the Wester nDaily Press is also keen that gov-ernment also accelerates itsapprentice programme.

Sadly, with some cuts to furthereducation expenditure, we haveseen a slow down in apprentice-ships being provided. This mustnot be allowed to happen.

It is absolutely clear that theapprentice and graduate routeleads to the best jobs. I believe it isin all our interests to support thecolleges and universities such asthe University of the West of Eng-land in developing partnershipswith local business.

I think there are many SMEswho do not really realise howmuch help they can get from part-nering an educational establish-ment like UWE.

Here in Bristol, UWE has de-veloped tremendous real-timeknowledge transfer partnerships.Did you know about them? Prob-

ably not. They can be partlysponsored by the government,giving those SMEs who probablycould not afford to do so the op-portunity of bringing in youngpeople to help work on problemswithin their business.

I hope this 2015 Business Guidegives you something of an insightinto the great talents this regionhas in its companies and organ-i s at i o n s.

Here at the Western Daily Presswe intend to keep shouting aboutthose companies and the peoplebehind them who drive their suc-c e s s.

We hope you will join us inspreading the word about thesouth west being a powerhouse forbu s i n e s s.Ian Mean, editor, Western Daily Press

Commercial property activity in2014 in the South West was thestrongest since the financialcrisis, driven by a buoyant re-gional investment market, thereturn of speculative developmentand strong occupational demand.

We saw confidence acceleratethroughout the year as agree-ments for the planned HinkleyPoint C power station were ap-proved by the European Commis-sion and a £2 billion investment inthe region’s road infrastructurewas announced in the Chancel-lor’s Autumn Statement last year.

These two multi-million poundprojects alone will significantlystrengthen our economy, openingup major new development op-portunities in Bristol, Somerset,Wiltshire and Gloucestershireand creating hundreds of newj o b s.

Notwithstanding uncertaintiesfrom the forthcoming generalelection and the possibility of in-terest rate rises, optimism re-mains high that recovery can besustained in 2015.

The regional investment marketwas strong throughout 2014. Ex-ceptional levels of demand in theLondon market have driven pri-cing to a point where the regionsare perceived to offer better valueand therefore attract strong in-stitutional interest.

The South West and its prin-cipal centres are performing wellin a UK context, fuelling invest-ment interest and providing at-tractive comparative investmentreturns. We expect this mo-mentum to carry into 2015 withstrong competition for the limitedattractive opportunities across alls e c t o r s.

The South West continues toplay to its strengths of financial,professional and creative ser-

vices, engineering, technology, de-fence and energy. Predicting andmeeting the property needs ofthese occupiers over the next fiveto ten years is essential for there gion’s continued success.

Those developers who had theconfidence to commence specu-lative commercial development in2013/14 have been vindicated,with high profile transactions inBristol to PwC and KPMG andrecord rents achieved through ouragency teams.

In Gloucester we also securedthe city’s largest and most sig-nificant transaction with the pre-let of 52,000 sq ft at GloucesterBusiness Park to Horizon NuclearPower Services.

Permitted Development Rights,which allow the conversion oflower grade office stock to res-idential use without planning con-sent, are having a positive impacton all of our town and cityc e n t re s.

In Gloucester, Bristol, Swindon,Taunton and Bath, there are anumber of conversions in thepipeline which will deliverschemes in 2015.

In Bristol alone, over one mil-lion sq ft of offices has been iden-tified for conversion. While in theshort term this reduces the levelof supply and therefore choice foroccupiers seeking new premises,it is encouraging new speculativedevelopment and speculative re-furbishment in Bristol and Bathand rental levels will increaseagain in early 2015.

The food store and logistics sec-tors are two market sectors thatare performing strongly. Lidl andAldi have aggressive expansionplans across the region while oc-cupiers involved in internet ful-filment are actively seeking stra-tegic depot sites, as evidenced by

As we prepare for what promisesto be a dramatic year in politics,we see a vastly different economiclandscape than that of 12 monthsa go.

This time last year we were talk-ing cautiously about renewed op-timism for business, and now weare firmly out of that destructivere c e s s i o n .

The new year is very much afresh start in our region, perfectlyillustrated by Bristol officiallytaking over the reins as EuropeanGreen Capital for the year. Whocould not have been impressedwhen Clifton Suspension Bridgewas lit up as the clock struckmidnight on New Year’s Eve,acting as a green beacon to therest of the world.

There is no doubt that this is amonumental year for the Bristolregion to enhance its reputationfor creativity, sustainability andinnovation; but green can alsomean go for firms across thewhole South West. With the eyes ofthe world taking a glimpse at ourregion we must showcase what wehave to offer. With this very muchin mind Business West launchedin December our #GetExportingcampaign, aiming to get 2,020more South West firms exportingby 2020. With all the coverage theSouth West will receive this year,what better time is there to takethe leap into international mar-ke t s ?

While 2015 offers significant op-portunities, we must also face thefive-month swirl of uncertaintywhich comes in election yearswith the detrimental impact onbusiness confidence that such un-certainty brings. With half of theparliamentary seats in our regionclassified as marginal comparedto only 10 per cent nationally, anda national appetite for devolution,

the political landscape is the leastsettled in decades. Whilst on anational scale party leaders are atloggerheads over importantissues such as immigration andthe NHS, local politicians mustnot lose sight of either the macroeconomic agenda or those lesshigh profile issues that impact dayto day business.

It is for this reason that we arereleasing our business manifesto,putting the key issues for businesson the desk of every prospectivecandidate – issues such as skills,legislative burdens, taxation andtransport links.

The election is just the begin-ning, and we must guarantee thata shake up of government in Maymakes our region a more con-fident, enterprising and skilledplace to start and grow a business– a great place from which toexport your goods or services tothe rest of the world.Phil Smith is managing director ofBusiness West

Business WestPhil Smith

G e o Po s t ’s recent site acquisitionsat Bridgwater and Exeter.

The retail sector is still a pictureof winners and losers. The primelocations perform strongly but formany secondary and tertiaryretail centres and high streets,trading conditions remain ex-tremely challenging; their posi-tion isn’t helped by the as yetunresolved issue of business ratesrelief and reform of this conten-tious levy must be high on the newGover nment’s agenda.

S w i n d o n’s retail area has beengiven a huge boost with the open-ing of the Regent Circus shoppingcentre late last year and retailerdemand for units is strong. Mean-while in Bristol, The Mall atCribbs Causeway’s recently-an-nounced expansion plans demon-strate its confidence as there gion’s leading retail and leisured e s t i n at i o n .

If approved this expansion, to-gether with the outline plans forthe redevelopment of the FiltonAirfield site, will represent amulti-million pound transforma-tion of the North Bristol skyline.The on-going success of theTemple Quay Enterprise Zone andprogress on the long-awaited Bris-tol Arena are further examples ofgrowing economic confidence.

Looking longer term, the pro-spect of city and regional devol-ution, while potentially some wayoff for the South West, provides atantalising opportunity for theregion to exercise greater controlover its economic future, drivinginvestment in projects that matterto us such as transport infrastruc-ture and creating new jobs.

Martyn Jones is senior partner atleading property consultancy Alder King,based in Bristol

Clifton Suspension Bridge was lit up as theclock struck midnight on New Year, ‘actingas a green beacon to the rest of the world’

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 54 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Columns

Workload and resourcing issuesin the construction sector nation-ally have been well documented asrecessionary pressures hit busi-ness, both large and small, in theregion over the past few years. It isa very rare business indeed thathas not been affected in some wayby the economic downturn in thes e c t o r.

Government attention is con-stantly directed at property andconstruction, which acts as astrong barometer for growth andre c ove r y.

Often, committee members ofThe Forum for the Built Envir-onment – a national and influ-ential networking organisationwith a strong presence in Bristoland a membership covering theSouth West – are often asked toprovide an overview of the issuesfacing its members.

Professional disciplines includ-ing project management, costmanagement, planning, architec-ture, engineering, M&E services,transport, environmental, energy,ecology, sustainability (to namebut a few), construction groups,legal practices, construction-re-lated sub-contract trades and ma-terial/product suppliers all join

together within the forum toshare the highs and lows of theindustry. It represents a diverse,strong and representative voice.

Its members have suffered oneof the most prolonged periods ofeconomic instability in recentyears. At the height of the re-cession, many member companieswere forced to lose substantialnumbers of key staff whose ex-perience and skills are now prov-ing to be irreplaceable.

Irrespective of the fact that theindustry has gained considerablemomentum during the past 12months, much of the ‘lost’ skill-sethas not returned to the sector.Many have taken the opportunityto pursue a career change. Add tothis the fact that young people arenot taking up apprenticeships,nor are graduates pursuing ca-reers in the sector, thus STEMskills are challenged – it thereforebecomes easy to see how the in-dustry is likely to struggle to re-spond with the same vigour andefficiency in the future as pre-re c e s s i o n .

Whilst the response from thesector is currently ‘strained’,order books are filling fast onceagain – local authorities and

academy schools are still workinghard to build and meet the ex-panding requirement for pupilplaces; retail and mixed useschemes are coming back into themarket, some supported by thegrowing need for student accom-modation; commercial schemesare beginning to re-emerge as oc-cupier demand flickers and theannouncement that Bristol CityCouncil will be coming to marketfor its construction partner to de-liver the Arena is very welcomenews. It is also very positive that

our higher and further educationsectors in the South West continueto attract strong student numberswhich warrants continued invest-ment in the university and FEe s t at e.

However, one cautionary noteneeds to be considered and that isconstruction inflation, which isrunning well-ahead of current RPIfigures. This is putting consid-erable strain on budgets andmany projects are not proceedingas a result.

The shortage of key trades and

the knowledge that the South Westwill become a construction hotspot as a result of EDF andHinckley makes for interestingdebate amongst the forum’s mem-bers. If my own company is in anyway representative, we are verybusy but equally selective in thecommercial risks we are preparedand able to take.

It is already recognised thattiers within the supply chains ofmajor contractors will substan-tially strengthen or weaken theindustry’s ability to respond toclients with build requirementsand commercial terms will have amajor effect on who is prepared towork with whom as the focus onrisk management in the industrybecomes more acute.

Without doubt the constructionand property sector in the SouthWest has challenges but the com-mitment of The Forum for theBuilt Environment to support itsmembers and champion their in-terests remains a principal focusfor the organisation.

Peter Harris, of Bristol-based mechanicaland electrical consultancy SilcockDawson, is chairman of The Forum forthe Built Environment

Bristol Cardiff Exeter Gloucester Swindon Taunton Trurowww.alderking.com

Leading independent property consultants

· Agency & Development

· Asset Recovery

· Building Consultancy

· Business Rates

· Investment & Asset Management

· Planning Consultancy

· Property & Facilities Management

· Valuation & Lease Advisory

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

The new Hinkley project ensures the region will become a construction hotspot

Building economyPeter Harris

ARTWORK PROOF

1

InDesign File Name

Expand_323_203428_0115Artworker’s Name Kris B

Artwork Number

Workfl ow Number203428AP 159812 1 2

Job Name Expand advert ref 323 3

Brand Lloyds Bank (Personal Banking) 4

Stock Code Version DateExpand_323 5

× Page Count270

01

1

15

1340Finished

Page Size

ColoursPDF Proof

Date/TimeCMYK 14/01/15 – 11:2311

HEIGHT (mm)WIDTH (mm)

MONTH (MM)

EXPECTED

YEAR (YY)

ACTUALISO (i.e. A5 – Portrait)

8 9 7

6

10

PLEASE READ: Boxes that have a THICK outline will be automatically populated. DO NOT type anything into these boxes as this will break the automation.

All lending is subject to a satisfactory credit assessment. We accept calls via Text Relay. Calls may be monitored or recorded. Please remember we cannot guarantee the securityof messages sent by email and these could be read by others. Lloyds Bank plc. Registered Offi ce: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales No. 2065.Lloyds Bank plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Licensed under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 under registration number 0004685. We subscribe to The Lending Code; copies of the Code can be obtained from www.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk

At Lloyds Bank we know the importance of giving your business the stability it needs to grow.That’s why we provide a wide range of lending options, both asset backed and private equity, to help you manage your working capital better.To fi nd out how we are supporting businesses here in the South West, contact Andrew Smith on 07860 660039 or at Andrew.c.smith@lloydsbanking.com

lloydsbank.com/expand

Any property given as security which may include your home, may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or other debts secured on it.

WHEN WE WANT TO

OUR BANK IS RIGHT BEHIND US

S U P P O R T I N G U KB U S I N E S S

Expand_323_203428_0115.indd 1 14/01/2015 11:23

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 54 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Columns

Workload and resourcing issuesin the construction sector nation-ally have been well documented asrecessionary pressures hit busi-ness, both large and small, in theregion over the past few years. It isa very rare business indeed thathas not been affected in some wayby the economic downturn in thes e c t o r.

Government attention is con-stantly directed at property andconstruction, which acts as astrong barometer for growth andre c ove r y.

Often, committee members ofThe Forum for the Built Envir-onment – a national and influ-ential networking organisationwith a strong presence in Bristoland a membership covering theSouth West – are often asked toprovide an overview of the issuesfacing its members.

Professional disciplines includ-ing project management, costmanagement, planning, architec-ture, engineering, M&E services,transport, environmental, energy,ecology, sustainability (to namebut a few), construction groups,legal practices, construction-re-lated sub-contract trades and ma-terial/product suppliers all join

together within the forum toshare the highs and lows of theindustry. It represents a diverse,strong and representative voice.

Its members have suffered oneof the most prolonged periods ofeconomic instability in recentyears. At the height of the re-cession, many member companieswere forced to lose substantialnumbers of key staff whose ex-perience and skills are now prov-ing to be irreplaceable.

Irrespective of the fact that theindustry has gained considerablemomentum during the past 12months, much of the ‘lost’ skill-sethas not returned to the sector.Many have taken the opportunityto pursue a career change. Add tothis the fact that young people arenot taking up apprenticeships,nor are graduates pursuing ca-reers in the sector, thus STEMskills are challenged – it thereforebecomes easy to see how the in-dustry is likely to struggle to re-spond with the same vigour andefficiency in the future as pre-re c e s s i o n .

Whilst the response from thesector is currently ‘strained’,order books are filling fast onceagain – local authorities and

academy schools are still workinghard to build and meet the ex-panding requirement for pupilplaces; retail and mixed useschemes are coming back into themarket, some supported by thegrowing need for student accom-modation; commercial schemesare beginning to re-emerge as oc-cupier demand flickers and theannouncement that Bristol CityCouncil will be coming to marketfor its construction partner to de-liver the Arena is very welcomenews. It is also very positive that

our higher and further educationsectors in the South West continueto attract strong student numberswhich warrants continued invest-ment in the university and FEe s t at e.

However, one cautionary noteneeds to be considered and that isconstruction inflation, which isrunning well-ahead of current RPIfigures. This is putting consid-erable strain on budgets andmany projects are not proceedingas a result.

The shortage of key trades and

the knowledge that the South Westwill become a construction hotspot as a result of EDF andHinckley makes for interestingdebate amongst the forum’s mem-bers. If my own company is in anyway representative, we are verybusy but equally selective in thecommercial risks we are preparedand able to take.

It is already recognised thattiers within the supply chains ofmajor contractors will substan-tially strengthen or weaken theindustry’s ability to respond toclients with build requirementsand commercial terms will have amajor effect on who is prepared towork with whom as the focus onrisk management in the industrybecomes more acute.

Without doubt the constructionand property sector in the SouthWest has challenges but the com-mitment of The Forum for theBuilt Environment to support itsmembers and champion their in-terests remains a principal focusfor the organisation.

Peter Harris, of Bristol-based mechanicaland electrical consultancy SilcockDawson, is chairman of The Forum forthe Built Environment

Bristol Cardiff Exeter Gloucester Swindon Taunton Trurowww.alderking.com

Leading independent property consultants

· Agency & Development

· Asset Recovery

· Building Consultancy

· Business Rates

· Investment & Asset Management

· Planning Consultancy

· Property & Facilities Management

· Valuation & Lease Advisory

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

The new Hinkley project ensures the region will become a construction hotspot

Building economyPeter Harris

ARTWORK PROOF

1

InDesign File Name

Expand_323_203428_0115Artworker’s Name Kris B

Artwork Number

Workfl ow Number203428AP 159812 1 2

Job Name Expand advert ref 323 3

Brand Lloyds Bank (Personal Banking) 4

Stock Code Version DateExpand_323 5

× Page Count270

01

1

15

1340Finished

Page Size

ColoursPDF Proof

Date/TimeCMYK 14/01/15 – 11:2311

HEIGHT (mm)WIDTH (mm)

MONTH (MM)

EXPECTED

YEAR (YY)

ACTUALISO (i.e. A5 – Portrait)

8 9 7

6

10

PLEASE READ: Boxes that have a THICK outline will be automatically populated. DO NOT type anything into these boxes as this will break the automation.

All lending is subject to a satisfactory credit assessment. We accept calls via Text Relay. Calls may be monitored or recorded. Please remember we cannot guarantee the securityof messages sent by email and these could be read by others. Lloyds Bank plc. Registered Offi ce: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales No. 2065.Lloyds Bank plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Licensed under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 under registration number 0004685. We subscribe to The Lending Code; copies of the Code can be obtained from www.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk

At Lloyds Bank we know the importance of giving your business the stability it needs to grow.That’s why we provide a wide range of lending options, both asset backed and private equity, to help you manage your working capital better.To fi nd out how we are supporting businesses here in the South West, contact Andrew Smith on 07860 660039 or at Andrew.c.smith@lloydsbanking.com

lloydsbank.com/expand

Any property given as security which may include your home, may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or other debts secured on it.

WHEN WE WANT TO

OUR BANK IS RIGHT BEHIND US

S U P P O R T I N G U KB U S I N E S S

Expand_323_203428_0115.indd 1 14/01/2015 11:23

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 76 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Hinkley Point C

Hinkley Point C will be the firstnuclear power station built in Bri-tain since 1995 and a constructionproject greater in scale than theLondon Olympic Park.

Once the project receives thefinal go-ahead, the initial phase ofthe decade-long build will see fourmillion tonnes of earth excavated– equivalent to 1,300 Olympicswimming pools – for a powerstation that will be capable of sup-plying five million homes.

For the South West, the projectrepresents a substantial oppor-tunity for local suppliers as wellas for job creation.

Benefit to the regional economyis calculated at £100 million a yearduring construction and morethan £2 billion over the lifetime of

the station. Hinkley Point C haspassed big milestones in the lastyear, including approval from theEuropean Union.

That means many of the keyparts of the project are now inplace. Ahead of main construc-tion, agreements with investorsand equity partners need to befinalised and a ‘final investmentd e c i s i o n’ made by EDF Group.

In the South West, more than1,700 companies have registeredtheir interest with the SomersetChamber of Commerce to work onthe project. Many local and re-gional companies already havecontracts associated with HPCworth almost £100 million. Interms of employment, at least25,000 job opportunities will be

Hinkley Point Ccleared numeroushurdles in 2014

Hinkley Point C will be the biggest civil engineering project in Western Europe.Nuclear firm EDF gives an update on exactly where the project is at the moment

Mechanical diggers have been on site at Hinkley in preparation for a final decision to proceed with the new reactor PICTURE: EDF ENERGY

created on site, with 5,600 peopleset to be working there duringpeak construction. Up to 1,000 con-struction apprenticeships will becreated by companies working onthe build. Preparatory works atthe site have taken place so thatfull scale construction can getgoing as soon as a final decision istaken. Construction of key intern-al roads has taken place on the 400-acre site. More than 100 pieces ofplant machinery were mobilised,some capable of moving 30 tonnesof earth in one bucket-load. Thiswork has included investment inthe local road network, which in-cludes a mile-long bypass for thenearby village of Cannington.

After the project gets the greenlight, work will begin on a500-metre jetty in the BristolChannel to receive 80 per cent ofthe construction aggregates,relieving pressure on roads.

Key also will be the constructionof a concrete plant which willmake the one million tonnes ofconcrete required for the reactor’sfoundations. There will be anearly focus to establish amenitiesfor the workforce, with those thou-sands of people employed by theconstruction needing offices andmeals, as well as somewhere torest and change.

Nigel Cann, site constructiondirector said: “Last year was aproductive year in getting readyfor the final go ahead, with a sharpfocus on delivering preparatoryworks. I look forward to seeingmore Somerset suppliers beingpart of the HPC project in thef u t u re. ”

Robin Goddard,regional director ofClose BrothersInvoice Finance. Tofind out how itcould help yourbusiness visitwww.closeinvoice.co.uk or callit on 0808 2314641

The figures surrounding the constructionof Hinkley Point C are compelling, writesRobin Goddard, regional director ofClose Brothers Invoice Finance.

Predicted to be the largest con-struction site in Europe and es-timated to cost over £16 billion,the project will create 25,000 em-ployment opportunities in theregion which will be sustained foralmost a decade.

The economic benefits in thecommunity will be significant,particularly for businesses. Aspart of the process, EDF Energy,the company behind the facility,has placed a strong emphasis oncreating a local supply chain, part-nering with the Somerset Cham-ber of Commerce to offer firms theopportunity to become part of theprocess and fulfil major contracts.1,500 businesses of all sizes, rep-resenting a wide range of pro-fessions and services, havealready registered their interestwith the chamber, but irrespectiveof their role there are challengesthey all may face.

Financially, firms will need toensure that they have access toadequate funding and workingcapital to take full advantage ofthe opportunity Hinkley Point Crepresents. Many will be requiredto expand and upscale their re-sources including their work-force, equipment and vehicles.

For others, it will be a matter ofaccessing finance quickly toensure they meet deadlines andtargets. The latest Close BrothersBusiness Barometer revealed thata quarter of firms in the regionbelieve restricted cash flow istheir biggest barrier to businessgrowth, while a further 38 per centcite an ability to invest in staff orequipment. They find there isoften a difficult balance betweenmanaging a healthy cash flow andfacilitating expansion.

Instead, businesses require asource of funding that will allowthem to maintain their workingcapital as they grow. One solutionis invoice finance, a form of fund-ing that allows businesses toaccess the cash tied up in theirunpaid invoices. Firms send theoutstanding invoice to a financeprovider such as Close Brothersand in return they receive an ad-vance percentage of the moneywithin 24 hours. The remainingbalance is then released upon cus-tomer payment, minus an agreedservice fee. Invoice finance usescash that is owed to create a flex-ible line of finance that the com-pany can then reinvest in theirexpansion and strategic object-ive s. It could add enhanced sta-bility to the cash flow of yourbusiness, but crucially, it is be-spoke. Invoice finance is tailoredto your needs, regardless of yourcompany size. It can allow you tounlock further potential in yourcompany and as the region pre-pares for Hinkley Point C, theremay never be a more importanttime to reinvest and generatesome power of your own.

Hinkley Point C

Commentary

There are few – if any – m o recomplicated projects imaginableto get off the drawing board thana nuclear reactor.

It has been a ten-year processthus far – but the likelihood ofHinkley Point C being builtmoves ever closer.

To build the proposed station,a number of associated develop-ments are also required duringthe construction phase.

Work on some of these hasalready begun and they willeventually include a temporaryjetty on the site and a refur-bished wharf at Combwich toallow heavy materials to be de-livered by sea, reducing trafficon local roads. Three campusesfor construction workers – two ofthem in Bridgwater and one onthe main development site, plusvarious highway improvementschemes, including in andaround Bridgwater.

Here are some of the key mile-s t o n e s.2005 – Government says new nuclearpower stations are needed to closethe UK’s energy gap2009 – Hinkley Point C identified byGovernment as one of eight locationsin the UK potentially suitable for anew nuclear power station2009 – EDF Energy opens office inBridgwater2009 – EDF Energy starts formalconsultation on initial proposals2011 – Parliament ratifies theGovernment’s National PolicyStatements, highlighting the “urgentneed” for new nuclear and followingtwo rounds of consultation2011 – EDF Energy applies toregulators for a Nuclear Site Licenceand Environmental Permits2011 – An application for SitePreparation works is approved byWest Somerset Council2011 – EDF Energy’s formal

consultation comes to an endfollowing four stages of consultation2011 – EDF Energy submits itsDevelopment Consent Order (DCO)application to the InfrastructurePlanning Commission (now thePlanning Inspectorate)2012 – Site Preparation works starton the Hinkley Point C site after legalagreement2012 – Planning Inspectorate startssix-month examination of the DCO inMarch, making a recommendation toSecretary of State by December 222012 – Draft Energy Bill published2013 – Secretary of State decision toapprove Hinkley Point C applicationgiven in March2013 – Agreement reached oncommercial terms of the operation ofHinkley Point C in October. Includinga controversial agreement with theGovernment over the ‘strike price’ – aguarantee over the price paid forelectricity generated by the reactor.2013 – The European Commissionannounces in December it isinvestigating whether the ‘strike price’agreement constitutes illegal state aid.2014 – EDF and unions agree a dealin July about the wages and industrialconditions for workers engaged on theproject.2014 – The European Commissionapproves the agreements between theGovernment and EDF in October.2015 – EDF and its partnersscheduled to make final investmentdecision to proceed with project

New nuclear buildis a long road, butdestination nears

The road to Hinkley Point C has been a long and windy one, but a series of waymarks havebeen passed en route to the point where the project is on the cusp of being formally giventhe green light to commence in earnest. EDF should make its final investment decision in2015, paving the way for the power station to be built PICTURE: FRAN STOTHARD

InsuranceWITHOUTDOUBT.

Call 01749 834 500

Email corporate@higos.co.uk

Visit www.higos.co.uk

To find out how Higos can help your business

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 76 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Hinkley Point C

Hinkley Point C will be the firstnuclear power station built in Bri-tain since 1995 and a constructionproject greater in scale than theLondon Olympic Park.

Once the project receives thefinal go-ahead, the initial phase ofthe decade-long build will see fourmillion tonnes of earth excavated– equivalent to 1,300 Olympicswimming pools – for a powerstation that will be capable of sup-plying five million homes.

For the South West, the projectrepresents a substantial oppor-tunity for local suppliers as wellas for job creation.

Benefit to the regional economyis calculated at £100 million a yearduring construction and morethan £2 billion over the lifetime of

the station. Hinkley Point C haspassed big milestones in the lastyear, including approval from theEuropean Union.

That means many of the keyparts of the project are now inplace. Ahead of main construc-tion, agreements with investorsand equity partners need to befinalised and a ‘final investmentd e c i s i o n’ made by EDF Group.

In the South West, more than1,700 companies have registeredtheir interest with the SomersetChamber of Commerce to work onthe project. Many local and re-gional companies already havecontracts associated with HPCworth almost £100 million. Interms of employment, at least25,000 job opportunities will be

Hinkley Point Ccleared numeroushurdles in 2014

Hinkley Point C will be the biggest civil engineering project in Western Europe.Nuclear firm EDF gives an update on exactly where the project is at the moment

Mechanical diggers have been on site at Hinkley in preparation for a final decision to proceed with the new reactor PICTURE: EDF ENERGY

created on site, with 5,600 peopleset to be working there duringpeak construction. Up to 1,000 con-struction apprenticeships will becreated by companies working onthe build. Preparatory works atthe site have taken place so thatfull scale construction can getgoing as soon as a final decision istaken. Construction of key intern-al roads has taken place on the 400-acre site. More than 100 pieces ofplant machinery were mobilised,some capable of moving 30 tonnesof earth in one bucket-load. Thiswork has included investment inthe local road network, which in-cludes a mile-long bypass for thenearby village of Cannington.

After the project gets the greenlight, work will begin on a500-metre jetty in the BristolChannel to receive 80 per cent ofthe construction aggregates,relieving pressure on roads.

Key also will be the constructionof a concrete plant which willmake the one million tonnes ofconcrete required for the reactor’sfoundations. There will be anearly focus to establish amenitiesfor the workforce, with those thou-sands of people employed by theconstruction needing offices andmeals, as well as somewhere torest and change.

Nigel Cann, site constructiondirector said: “Last year was aproductive year in getting readyfor the final go ahead, with a sharpfocus on delivering preparatoryworks. I look forward to seeingmore Somerset suppliers beingpart of the HPC project in thef u t u re. ”

Robin Goddard,regional director ofClose BrothersInvoice Finance. Tofind out how itcould help yourbusiness visitwww.closeinvoice.co.uk or callit on 0808 2314641

The figures surrounding the constructionof Hinkley Point C are compelling, writesRobin Goddard, regional director ofClose Brothers Invoice Finance.

Predicted to be the largest con-struction site in Europe and es-timated to cost over £16 billion,the project will create 25,000 em-ployment opportunities in theregion which will be sustained foralmost a decade.

The economic benefits in thecommunity will be significant,particularly for businesses. Aspart of the process, EDF Energy,the company behind the facility,has placed a strong emphasis oncreating a local supply chain, part-nering with the Somerset Cham-ber of Commerce to offer firms theopportunity to become part of theprocess and fulfil major contracts.1,500 businesses of all sizes, rep-resenting a wide range of pro-fessions and services, havealready registered their interestwith the chamber, but irrespectiveof their role there are challengesthey all may face.

Financially, firms will need toensure that they have access toadequate funding and workingcapital to take full advantage ofthe opportunity Hinkley Point Crepresents. Many will be requiredto expand and upscale their re-sources including their work-force, equipment and vehicles.

For others, it will be a matter ofaccessing finance quickly toensure they meet deadlines andtargets. The latest Close BrothersBusiness Barometer revealed thata quarter of firms in the regionbelieve restricted cash flow istheir biggest barrier to businessgrowth, while a further 38 per centcite an ability to invest in staff orequipment. They find there isoften a difficult balance betweenmanaging a healthy cash flow andfacilitating expansion.

Instead, businesses require asource of funding that will allowthem to maintain their workingcapital as they grow. One solutionis invoice finance, a form of fund-ing that allows businesses toaccess the cash tied up in theirunpaid invoices. Firms send theoutstanding invoice to a financeprovider such as Close Brothersand in return they receive an ad-vance percentage of the moneywithin 24 hours. The remainingbalance is then released upon cus-tomer payment, minus an agreedservice fee. Invoice finance usescash that is owed to create a flex-ible line of finance that the com-pany can then reinvest in theirexpansion and strategic object-ive s. It could add enhanced sta-bility to the cash flow of yourbusiness, but crucially, it is be-spoke. Invoice finance is tailoredto your needs, regardless of yourcompany size. It can allow you tounlock further potential in yourcompany and as the region pre-pares for Hinkley Point C, theremay never be a more importanttime to reinvest and generatesome power of your own.

Hinkley Point C

Commentary

There are few – if any – m o recomplicated projects imaginableto get off the drawing board thana nuclear reactor.

It has been a ten-year processthus far – but the likelihood ofHinkley Point C being builtmoves ever closer.

To build the proposed station,a number of associated develop-ments are also required duringthe construction phase.

Work on some of these hasalready begun and they willeventually include a temporaryjetty on the site and a refur-bished wharf at Combwich toallow heavy materials to be de-livered by sea, reducing trafficon local roads. Three campusesfor construction workers – two ofthem in Bridgwater and one onthe main development site, plusvarious highway improvementschemes, including in andaround Bridgwater.

Here are some of the key mile-s t o n e s.2005 – Government says new nuclearpower stations are needed to closethe UK’s energy gap2009 – Hinkley Point C identified byGovernment as one of eight locationsin the UK potentially suitable for anew nuclear power station2009 – EDF Energy opens office inBridgwater2009 – EDF Energy starts formalconsultation on initial proposals2011 – Parliament ratifies theGovernment’s National PolicyStatements, highlighting the “urgentneed” for new nuclear and followingtwo rounds of consultation2011 – EDF Energy applies toregulators for a Nuclear Site Licenceand Environmental Permits2011 – An application for SitePreparation works is approved byWest Somerset Council2011 – EDF Energy’s formal

consultation comes to an endfollowing four stages of consultation2011 – EDF Energy submits itsDevelopment Consent Order (DCO)application to the InfrastructurePlanning Commission (now thePlanning Inspectorate)2012 – Site Preparation works starton the Hinkley Point C site after legalagreement2012 – Planning Inspectorate startssix-month examination of the DCO inMarch, making a recommendation toSecretary of State by December 222012 – Draft Energy Bill published2013 – Secretary of State decision toapprove Hinkley Point C applicationgiven in March2013 – Agreement reached oncommercial terms of the operation ofHinkley Point C in October. Includinga controversial agreement with theGovernment over the ‘strike price’ – aguarantee over the price paid forelectricity generated by the reactor.2013 – The European Commissionannounces in December it isinvestigating whether the ‘strike price’agreement constitutes illegal state aid.2014 – EDF and unions agree a dealin July about the wages and industrialconditions for workers engaged on theproject.2014 – The European Commissionapproves the agreements between theGovernment and EDF in October.2015 – EDF and its partnersscheduled to make final investmentdecision to proceed with project

New nuclear buildis a long road, butdestination nears

The road to Hinkley Point C has been a long and windy one, but a series of waymarks havebeen passed en route to the point where the project is on the cusp of being formally giventhe green light to commence in earnest. EDF should make its final investment decision in2015, paving the way for the power station to be built PICTURE: FRAN STOTHARD

InsuranceWITHOUTDOUBT.

Call 01749 834 500

Email corporate@higos.co.uk

Visit www.higos.co.uk

To find out how Higos can help your business

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 98 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Nuclear peopleGwen Parry-Jones

Hinkley Point C

Hinkley Pont C Site ConstructionDirector, Nigel Cann, stated that:

“EDF Energy and its partnersare developing a new nuclearpower station in Somerset that willprovide low carbon electricity toaround five million UK homes.

“The project marks the rebirth ofthe UK’s nuclear industry and willcontinue Hinkley Point’s proudtrack record of safe nuclear powergeneration dating back over half acentur y.

“Construction of the power sta-tion, with two new nuclear react-ors, is a massive investment ofaround £16billion. It will create25,000 job opportunities duringconstruction, take almost a decadeto complete and provide 900 per-manent jobs once it is fully op-erational. Safety is our number onepriority. We place nuclear safety atthe forefront of everything we doand our ambition is to achieve a‘zero harm’ safety record.

“We are committed to workingwith local people during construc-tion and leaving a lasting legacyonce the job is done.”

The announcement by the Gov-ernment that two new nuclear re-actors are to be built in Somersetis truly a major investment to ourcommunity. Handled properly thiscould be transformational to ourlocal businesses, to our towncentres, to our tourist business, toour deprived communities, to ourroad network and to our housingsupply in and around the Bridg-water area.

Yes, we acknowledge that such amajor investment (in the region of£16billion), employing more than25,000 workers during the con-struction period of almost tenyears, will have adverse impacts.However, the overall value addedto our community is staggering interms of money coming in duringthe construction phase enablinglocal suppliers to gain a real “lift”thus assisting them to establishthemselves even further in the na-tional and international markets.

The Hinkley Point C Project willprovide important economic be-nefits to the UK and locally, in-cl u d i n g :� A £100 million investment eachyear in the regional economyduring peak construction period� Over £2 billion into the regionaleconomy throughout 60 years ofo p e r at i o n .

Our negotiating team here atSedgemoor did well to secure a £90

million package of mitigating re-sources to ensure that the con-struction phase lands two newnuclear power stations assmoothly as possible by the dued at e.

Whilst, over the past threeyears, our community benefitteam has worked hard and suc-ceeded in firstly getting theconcept of community benefit intothe “p s ych e ” of the Government’scabinet members and secondlygetting an announcement that£128 million will be forthcomingto the betterment of our com-munities at the operational phaseof the new nuclear station.However, much more clarity isstill needed from Government onexactly what the mechanics willbe to release such new funds (butmore on that later) to the benefit ofthe Sedgemoor community.

To conclude then, as the chiefexecutive of Sedgemoor DistrictCouncil, I positively welcome theannouncement and intention ofthe multi-billion pound expendit-ure into Somerset and acknow-ledge that such a huge one offinvestment and recurring invest-ment if managed well, will en-hance job opportunities for all,establish many new and expandedbusinesses in the nuclear supplychain based locally, creating last-ing transport infrastructure, im-proved educational facilities,housing and leisure legacy andthrough greater wage expendit-ure in our communities pre andpost construction phase, go a longway to ensure the retail and leis-ure sectors benefit enormouslyfrom the extra spend coming intoour communities.

We at Sedgemoor are Hinkley-ready to ensure that with our im-pressive EDF partners we can andwill make a huge positive differ-ence to our local economy andlocal community now and in thef u t u re.

Sedgemoor Council has had to do its homework on Hinkley for many years. Chiefexecutive Kerry Rickards, left and corporate director Doug Bamsey in Bridgwater in 2010with a pile of documentation relative to the Hinckley Point project. Below, the councilbelieves the attractive landscape and good lifestyle in the area will attract more long-terminvestment and persuade contractors to stay in the region

Sedgemoor is inshape to reap theHinkley rewards

Kerry Rickards , chief executive of Sedgemoor Council, says Bridgwater and thesurrounding area has responded to the opportunities provided by Hinkley

One of the most senior women inthe UK nuclear power industry –who was awarded an OBE in theNew Year Honours list – haspledged to help nurture the nextgeneration of female talent.

Gwen Parry-Jones, EDF EnergyG e n e r at i o n’s safety and assur-ance director, based at the firm’sUK headquarters in Gloucester,first moved to the city in 1995 towork at Nuclear Electric beforeher career took her away twoyears later.

She returned to Gloucestershirein 2001 for a brief spell beforeworking most recently at Hey-sham 1 nuclear power station inL a n c a s h i re.

Ms Parry-Jones was awarded anOBE for her role within theenergy industry and her work pro-moting science and technology ca-re e r s.

“I am delighted and privilegedto have been awarded an OBE,”said Ms Parry-Jones, the firstwoman to become a station direct-or when she took over Heysham 1in 2008.

“This award was only possiblethrough the support of my col-leagues, who have encouraged mefor the last 25 years.

“The task now is to ensure allour people have the greatestchance to be their best, includingnurturing the next female stationd i re c t o r. ”

Stuart Crooks, managing direct-or EDF Energy Generation, said:“Throughout her career Gwen hasbeen involved in helping to excitepeople about the career opportun-ities that are available in scienceand engineering and encouragingthem – women in particular – tostudy STEM subjects. Thishonour is great recognition of herwo rk . ”

She is also a fellow of the Insti-tute of Physics. Her early careerbegan as a reactor physicist andreactor control engineer at Wylfanuclear power station in northWales. In 1995 she moved to Barn-wood, Gloucester, as a manage-ment accountant with NuclearElectric before moving to Hey-sham 2 power station in 1997 asfinance manager. In 2000 shemoved to Canada as part of BritishEnerg y’s team working at BrucePower in North Ontario.

A year later, Ms Parry-Jonesreturned to the UK, taking up aposition at Barnwood beforemoving to Heysham 1 as technicaland safety manager. After threeyears at Heysham she took on anew role as EDF Energy’s campusproject director, to develop thec o m p a ny ’s skills programmes.

‘The overall valueadded to ourcommunity isstaggering in termsof money coming induring construction’ Gwen Parry-Jones was awarded the OBE

in the New Year’s Honours list

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 98 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Nuclear peopleGwen Parry-Jones

Hinkley Point C

Hinkley Pont C Site ConstructionDirector, Nigel Cann, stated that:

“EDF Energy and its partnersare developing a new nuclearpower station in Somerset that willprovide low carbon electricity toaround five million UK homes.

“The project marks the rebirth ofthe UK’s nuclear industry and willcontinue Hinkley Point’s proudtrack record of safe nuclear powergeneration dating back over half acentur y.

“Construction of the power sta-tion, with two new nuclear react-ors, is a massive investment ofaround £16billion. It will create25,000 job opportunities duringconstruction, take almost a decadeto complete and provide 900 per-manent jobs once it is fully op-erational. Safety is our number onepriority. We place nuclear safety atthe forefront of everything we doand our ambition is to achieve a‘zero harm’ safety record.

“We are committed to workingwith local people during construc-tion and leaving a lasting legacyonce the job is done.”

The announcement by the Gov-ernment that two new nuclear re-actors are to be built in Somersetis truly a major investment to ourcommunity. Handled properly thiscould be transformational to ourlocal businesses, to our towncentres, to our tourist business, toour deprived communities, to ourroad network and to our housingsupply in and around the Bridg-water area.

Yes, we acknowledge that such amajor investment (in the region of£16billion), employing more than25,000 workers during the con-struction period of almost tenyears, will have adverse impacts.However, the overall value addedto our community is staggering interms of money coming in duringthe construction phase enablinglocal suppliers to gain a real “lift”thus assisting them to establishthemselves even further in the na-tional and international markets.

The Hinkley Point C Project willprovide important economic be-nefits to the UK and locally, in-cl u d i n g :� A £100 million investment eachyear in the regional economyduring peak construction period� Over £2 billion into the regionaleconomy throughout 60 years ofo p e r at i o n .

Our negotiating team here atSedgemoor did well to secure a £90

million package of mitigating re-sources to ensure that the con-struction phase lands two newnuclear power stations assmoothly as possible by the dued at e.

Whilst, over the past threeyears, our community benefitteam has worked hard and suc-ceeded in firstly getting theconcept of community benefit intothe “p s ych e ” of the Government’scabinet members and secondlygetting an announcement that£128 million will be forthcomingto the betterment of our com-munities at the operational phaseof the new nuclear station.However, much more clarity isstill needed from Government onexactly what the mechanics willbe to release such new funds (butmore on that later) to the benefit ofthe Sedgemoor community.

To conclude then, as the chiefexecutive of Sedgemoor DistrictCouncil, I positively welcome theannouncement and intention ofthe multi-billion pound expendit-ure into Somerset and acknow-ledge that such a huge one offinvestment and recurring invest-ment if managed well, will en-hance job opportunities for all,establish many new and expandedbusinesses in the nuclear supplychain based locally, creating last-ing transport infrastructure, im-proved educational facilities,housing and leisure legacy andthrough greater wage expendit-ure in our communities pre andpost construction phase, go a longway to ensure the retail and leis-ure sectors benefit enormouslyfrom the extra spend coming intoour communities.

We at Sedgemoor are Hinkley-ready to ensure that with our im-pressive EDF partners we can andwill make a huge positive differ-ence to our local economy andlocal community now and in thef u t u re.

Sedgemoor Council has had to do its homework on Hinkley for many years. Chiefexecutive Kerry Rickards, left and corporate director Doug Bamsey in Bridgwater in 2010with a pile of documentation relative to the Hinckley Point project. Below, the councilbelieves the attractive landscape and good lifestyle in the area will attract more long-terminvestment and persuade contractors to stay in the region

Sedgemoor is inshape to reap theHinkley rewards

Kerry Rickards , chief executive of Sedgemoor Council, says Bridgwater and thesurrounding area has responded to the opportunities provided by Hinkley

One of the most senior women inthe UK nuclear power industry –who was awarded an OBE in theNew Year Honours list – haspledged to help nurture the nextgeneration of female talent.

Gwen Parry-Jones, EDF EnergyG e n e r at i o n’s safety and assur-ance director, based at the firm’sUK headquarters in Gloucester,first moved to the city in 1995 towork at Nuclear Electric beforeher career took her away twoyears later.

She returned to Gloucestershirein 2001 for a brief spell beforeworking most recently at Hey-sham 1 nuclear power station inL a n c a s h i re.

Ms Parry-Jones was awarded anOBE for her role within theenergy industry and her work pro-moting science and technology ca-re e r s.

“I am delighted and privilegedto have been awarded an OBE,”said Ms Parry-Jones, the firstwoman to become a station direct-or when she took over Heysham 1in 2008.

“This award was only possiblethrough the support of my col-leagues, who have encouraged mefor the last 25 years.

“The task now is to ensure allour people have the greatestchance to be their best, includingnurturing the next female stationd i re c t o r. ”

Stuart Crooks, managing direct-or EDF Energy Generation, said:“Throughout her career Gwen hasbeen involved in helping to excitepeople about the career opportun-ities that are available in scienceand engineering and encouragingthem – women in particular – tostudy STEM subjects. Thishonour is great recognition of herwo rk . ”

She is also a fellow of the Insti-tute of Physics. Her early careerbegan as a reactor physicist andreactor control engineer at Wylfanuclear power station in northWales. In 1995 she moved to Barn-wood, Gloucester, as a manage-ment accountant with NuclearElectric before moving to Hey-sham 2 power station in 1997 asfinance manager. In 2000 shemoved to Canada as part of BritishEnerg y’s team working at BrucePower in North Ontario.

A year later, Ms Parry-Jonesreturned to the UK, taking up aposition at Barnwood beforemoving to Heysham 1 as technicaland safety manager. After threeyears at Heysham she took on anew role as EDF Energy’s campusproject director, to develop thec o m p a ny ’s skills programmes.

‘The overall valueadded to ourcommunity isstaggering in termsof money coming induring construction’ Gwen Parry-Jones was awarded the OBE

in the New Year’s Honours list

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 1110 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Crucial connecting roleThe appointment of a new busi-ness liaison officer is expected toincrease the engagement of NorthSomerset businesses in theHinkley Point C project.

Appointed by North SomersetCouncil, Sam Bodman will workwithin the Hinkley Supply ChainTeam, which is managed by theSomerset Chamber of Commerce.For the past year she has been thedata co-ordinator within theHinkley Supply Chain Team,giving her a strong level of know-ledge about the opportunities andspecific requirements that the pro-ject will bring.

The business liaison officer rolehas been created in order to sup-port activity that will increaseNorth Somerset businesses’awareness of the opportunitiesaround Hinkley Point C and en-courage their engagement. Work-ing with the Somerset Chamber ofCommerce and EDF Energy, thebusiness liaison officer will alsoact on North Somerset Council’sbehalf in supply chain activity andwill support capacity building andbusiness collaboration to increasebenefit to North Somerset busi-n e s s e s.

Hinkley Supply Chain projectmanager Chris Langdon said: “Inthe short period that she has takenup the business liaison role forNorth Somerset Council, SamBodman has already engaged withover 60 suppliers in the area.”

Somerset Larder brings together thefinest produce in the county

Somerset firmswill feed theconstruction army

Hinkley Point C

Small and medium-sized manu-facturers in the South West mustfocus more emphasis on qualityand health and safety if they aregoing to make the most of the£60 billion-plus nuclear new buildand decommissioning opportun-ity provided in the region.

The rallying call was made byJohn Ruddleston, Fit For Nuclear(F4N) Assessor in the South West,who is currently helping anumber of companies in theregion and from across otherparts of England stake their claimfor work – ranging from fabric-ation and maintenance to preci-sion components and technicaldesign.

Mr Ruddleston believes a com-pletely different mindset is re-quired by management teamslooking to enter the industry forthe first time, with speed and cost

playing ‘second fiddle’ to exactingstandards and a world class healthand safety record.

“For a long time manufacturershave had it drummed into themthat they need to deliver quickerand take cost out of the equation,especially those supplying intoautomotive, food and, on some oc-casions, aerospace,” explainedMr Ruddleston.

“Nuclear is very different. Ofcourse they are looking for you tomeet delivery dates and don’texpect to be overpriced, but thereis more of a partnership approachto working with suppliers so theyget the critical parts and servicesthey require.”

He continued: “The minimumquality requirement is ISO 9000,but companies will also need toprove they are working towardssecuring ISO14001 (environment-

Essential to focuson excellence inhealth and safety

John Ruddleston is Fit For Nuclear (F4N) Assessor in the South West. Here heargues that a completely different mindset is required by management teams lookingto enter the nuclear new build and decommissioning sector for the first time

case studyARC energyresourcesWelding and fabrication specialistArc Energy Resources is one of thefirst SME manufacturing compan-ies in the South West to achieveready-to-supply status throughthe F4N programme.

The Gloucestershire-based com-pany received guidance and sup-port from the Manufacturing Ad-visory Service AS and the NuclearAMRC on what it needed to do tomeet the required industry stand-ards for supplying the nuclears e c t o r.

Arc Energy has worked closelywith MAS over the last nine yearson numerous projects to supportthe development of its team, busi-ness strategy and processes.During this period, the companyhas increased its turnover bymore than 250 per cent, more thandoubled the workforce and takenon a number of apprentices.

Directors Alan and RosemaryRobinson said: “Every project wehave completed with MAS hasbeen valuable and has always im-proved the business.

“Our shop floor is as organisedand successful as it has ever beenand communication is 10 timesbetter than before. Production isso much more efficient and thereis now an ethos of continuousimprovement, with staff encour-aged to put their suggestions for-w a rd .

“Whenever we are looking tomake improvements to our op-erations, MAS is the only organ-isation we consider.”

A £60 billion-plus nuclear new build and decommissioning opportunity is emerging in the region

al) and ISO 18001 (health andsafety).

“In addition, firms will have todemonstrate the right culture andbehaviour, that they invest intraining and importantly canachieve zero accidents in the pro-duction of their parts or the de-livery of their services.”

The Manufacturing AdvisoryService recently joined forceswith the Nuclear Advanced Man-ufacturing Research Centre toroll-out Fit For Nuclear, which letscompanies measure their capab-ilities against industry standardsand helps them bridge gaps tomeet requirements.

Backed by top tier partners, in-cluding Areva and EDF Energy,the initiative offers a business im-provement journey that willidentify strategy, implement newprocesses, secure necessary ac-creditations and provide suppliermatching opportunities.

It offers those participatingSMEs the chance to apply formatch funding for business im-provement or research and de-velopment projects.

F4N participants can also takeadvantage of the Nuclear AMRC’sNuclear Connections initiative,which helps link manufacturersto specific supply opportunitiesfrom the industry’s top tiers.

This is based on a detailed un-derstanding of the production cap-abilities of individual companiesand matching these to current andupcoming tenders, including theNuclear Decommissioning Au-thority’s estate.

Mr Ruddleston went on: “Wenow have funding in place to helpan additional 300 manufacturers.

“Fit For Nuclear starts with acapability questionnaire andonline assessment, which willthen be followed by a site visitfrom a dedicated F4N assessor.

“They will start developing anaction plan that will be verified byindustry experts before a nuclearspecialist is appointed to deliverthe objectives and ensure you’rein the best position to win work.”

The proposed investment is atleast £60 billion in UK new build,with three development groupsset to build 16GW of new capacityat five sites around England andWales over the next ten to 20ye a r s.

According to the Nuclear In-dustry Association (NIA), theUK’s decommissioning pro-gramme is worth around £1.5 bil-lion a year to companies in thesupply chain. These contracts areavailable now and over manyyears at numerous sites. The tech-nologies will also be exportable asBritain positions itself to supportthe decommissioning pro-grammes of other countries.

For further information, visitwww.fitfor nuclear.co.uk or contactMAS on 0207 728 3026. You can alsofollow @fitfornuclear on Twitter.

John Ruddleston isFit For Nuclear(F4N) Assessor inthe South Westand is currentlyhelping a numberof companies inthe region

Hinkley Point C

Alan Robinson of Arc Energy comments:‘Every project we have completed withMAS has been valuable and has alwaysimproved the business’

A group of local food and drinkproducers have been awarded theinterim catering contract for EDFEnerg y’s Hinkley Point C project,marking the first supply chaincollaboration success story for thec o u n t y.

Somerset Larder will begin de-livering the contract with imme-diate effect. The agreement runsuntil the spring of 2016, when thefull contract for catering servicesat Hinkley Point C will be awar-ded.

With a membership that com-prises more than 20 local food anddrink businesses, SomersetLarder brings together the finestproduce and knowledge in thecounty, working together ‘underone umbrella’ in order to fulfil thelarge and complex requirementsinvolved in major contracts.

Somerset Larder was founded asa result of the Somerset Chamber

of Commerce’s supply chain activ-ity. The Hinkley Supply ChainTeam at the chamber has beenworking for some time to encour-age and assist local businesses informing collaborations that willhelp to put them in a strong po-sition to bid for work at Hinkley.

Somerset Larder’s directors arepredicting widespread opportun-ities for the group, with this beingthe beginning of a movement thatis expected to prosper well beyondthe Hinkley project.

Greg Parsons, MD of SomersetLarder and Cricketer Farm, says:“We are delighted to have beenawarded the interim catering con-tract for Hinkley Point C, whichwill allow us to supply the work-force with locally sourced foodfrom local suppliers. This achieve-ment would not have been pos-sible without the significant sup-port from the Somerset Chamber,

the Somerset Larder board of dir-ectors and the EDF Energy team.However, this is merely the startand our focus now and into thefuture will be to ensure that Som-erset Larder delivers the contractto the highest possible standards.”Nigel Cann, Site ConstructionDirector at Hinkley Point C, says:“The South West regional eco-nomy will benefit by £100 millioneach year of peak constructionand using local supplierswherever possible is a key com-mitment for the project.”

More than 5,600 people are ex-pected to be on site at HinkleyPoint C during the peak of con-struction, with the full cateringcontract including food halls,coffee bars and a central produc-tion kitchen serving both the siteand worker accommodation cam-p u s e s.

Somerset Larder was estab-lished earlier this year as a privatelimited company (limited by guar-antee), with a board of directorsmade up of representatives fromseven of the founding companies.The Somerset Chamber’s HinkleySupply Chain Team was instru-mental in bringing the group to-gether and has been workingclosely with the Somerset Larderdirectors for the past 18 months,helping them to bid successfullyfor the interim contract.

Gerard Tucker from the HinkleySupply Chain Team, says: “This isgreat news for Somerset Larderand for the county as a whole.”

¹ ?

TRAINING FOR BUSINESSwith Bridgwater College, Somerset

Training your workforce for business growth and prosperity.

We’re with you for the long-haul!

To find out more, call Business Development on 01278 655111, email business@bridgwater.ac.uk or visit www.bridgwater.ac.uk

www.bridgwater.ac.uk

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 1110 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Crucial connecting roleThe appointment of a new busi-ness liaison officer is expected toincrease the engagement of NorthSomerset businesses in theHinkley Point C project.

Appointed by North SomersetCouncil, Sam Bodman will workwithin the Hinkley Supply ChainTeam, which is managed by theSomerset Chamber of Commerce.For the past year she has been thedata co-ordinator within theHinkley Supply Chain Team,giving her a strong level of know-ledge about the opportunities andspecific requirements that the pro-ject will bring.

The business liaison officer rolehas been created in order to sup-port activity that will increaseNorth Somerset businesses’awareness of the opportunitiesaround Hinkley Point C and en-courage their engagement. Work-ing with the Somerset Chamber ofCommerce and EDF Energy, thebusiness liaison officer will alsoact on North Somerset Council’sbehalf in supply chain activity andwill support capacity building andbusiness collaboration to increasebenefit to North Somerset busi-n e s s e s.

Hinkley Supply Chain projectmanager Chris Langdon said: “Inthe short period that she has takenup the business liaison role forNorth Somerset Council, SamBodman has already engaged withover 60 suppliers in the area.”

Somerset Larder brings together thefinest produce in the county

Somerset firmswill feed theconstruction army

Hinkley Point C

Small and medium-sized manu-facturers in the South West mustfocus more emphasis on qualityand health and safety if they aregoing to make the most of the£60 billion-plus nuclear new buildand decommissioning opportun-ity provided in the region.

The rallying call was made byJohn Ruddleston, Fit For Nuclear(F4N) Assessor in the South West,who is currently helping anumber of companies in theregion and from across otherparts of England stake their claimfor work – ranging from fabric-ation and maintenance to preci-sion components and technicaldesign.

Mr Ruddleston believes a com-pletely different mindset is re-quired by management teamslooking to enter the industry forthe first time, with speed and cost

playing ‘second fiddle’ to exactingstandards and a world class healthand safety record.

“For a long time manufacturershave had it drummed into themthat they need to deliver quickerand take cost out of the equation,especially those supplying intoautomotive, food and, on some oc-casions, aerospace,” explainedMr Ruddleston.

“Nuclear is very different. Ofcourse they are looking for you tomeet delivery dates and don’texpect to be overpriced, but thereis more of a partnership approachto working with suppliers so theyget the critical parts and servicesthey require.”

He continued: “The minimumquality requirement is ISO 9000,but companies will also need toprove they are working towardssecuring ISO14001 (environment-

Essential to focuson excellence inhealth and safety

John Ruddleston is Fit For Nuclear (F4N) Assessor in the South West. Here heargues that a completely different mindset is required by management teams lookingto enter the nuclear new build and decommissioning sector for the first time

case studyARC energyresourcesWelding and fabrication specialistArc Energy Resources is one of thefirst SME manufacturing compan-ies in the South West to achieveready-to-supply status throughthe F4N programme.

The Gloucestershire-based com-pany received guidance and sup-port from the Manufacturing Ad-visory Service AS and the NuclearAMRC on what it needed to do tomeet the required industry stand-ards for supplying the nuclears e c t o r.

Arc Energy has worked closelywith MAS over the last nine yearson numerous projects to supportthe development of its team, busi-ness strategy and processes.During this period, the companyhas increased its turnover bymore than 250 per cent, more thandoubled the workforce and takenon a number of apprentices.

Directors Alan and RosemaryRobinson said: “Every project wehave completed with MAS hasbeen valuable and has always im-proved the business.

“Our shop floor is as organisedand successful as it has ever beenand communication is 10 timesbetter than before. Production isso much more efficient and thereis now an ethos of continuousimprovement, with staff encour-aged to put their suggestions for-w a rd .

“Whenever we are looking tomake improvements to our op-erations, MAS is the only organ-isation we consider.”

A £60 billion-plus nuclear new build and decommissioning opportunity is emerging in the region

al) and ISO 18001 (health andsafety).

“In addition, firms will have todemonstrate the right culture andbehaviour, that they invest intraining and importantly canachieve zero accidents in the pro-duction of their parts or the de-livery of their services.”

The Manufacturing AdvisoryService recently joined forceswith the Nuclear Advanced Man-ufacturing Research Centre toroll-out Fit For Nuclear, which letscompanies measure their capab-ilities against industry standardsand helps them bridge gaps tomeet requirements.

Backed by top tier partners, in-cluding Areva and EDF Energy,the initiative offers a business im-provement journey that willidentify strategy, implement newprocesses, secure necessary ac-creditations and provide suppliermatching opportunities.

It offers those participatingSMEs the chance to apply formatch funding for business im-provement or research and de-velopment projects.

F4N participants can also takeadvantage of the Nuclear AMRC’sNuclear Connections initiative,which helps link manufacturersto specific supply opportunitiesfrom the industry’s top tiers.

This is based on a detailed un-derstanding of the production cap-abilities of individual companiesand matching these to current andupcoming tenders, including theNuclear Decommissioning Au-thority’s estate.

Mr Ruddleston went on: “Wenow have funding in place to helpan additional 300 manufacturers.

“Fit For Nuclear starts with acapability questionnaire andonline assessment, which willthen be followed by a site visitfrom a dedicated F4N assessor.

“They will start developing anaction plan that will be verified byindustry experts before a nuclearspecialist is appointed to deliverthe objectives and ensure you’rein the best position to win work.”

The proposed investment is atleast £60 billion in UK new build,with three development groupsset to build 16GW of new capacityat five sites around England andWales over the next ten to 20ye a r s.

According to the Nuclear In-dustry Association (NIA), theUK’s decommissioning pro-gramme is worth around £1.5 bil-lion a year to companies in thesupply chain. These contracts areavailable now and over manyyears at numerous sites. The tech-nologies will also be exportable asBritain positions itself to supportthe decommissioning pro-grammes of other countries.

For further information, visitwww.fitfor nuclear.co.uk or contactMAS on 0207 728 3026. You can alsofollow @fitfornuclear on Twitter.

John Ruddleston isFit For Nuclear(F4N) Assessor inthe South Westand is currentlyhelping a numberof companies inthe region

Hinkley Point C

Alan Robinson of Arc Energy comments:‘Every project we have completed withMAS has been valuable and has alwaysimproved the business’

A group of local food and drinkproducers have been awarded theinterim catering contract for EDFEnerg y’s Hinkley Point C project,marking the first supply chaincollaboration success story for thec o u n t y.

Somerset Larder will begin de-livering the contract with imme-diate effect. The agreement runsuntil the spring of 2016, when thefull contract for catering servicesat Hinkley Point C will be awar-ded.

With a membership that com-prises more than 20 local food anddrink businesses, SomersetLarder brings together the finestproduce and knowledge in thecounty, working together ‘underone umbrella’ in order to fulfil thelarge and complex requirementsinvolved in major contracts.

Somerset Larder was founded asa result of the Somerset Chamber

of Commerce’s supply chain activ-ity. The Hinkley Supply ChainTeam at the chamber has beenworking for some time to encour-age and assist local businesses informing collaborations that willhelp to put them in a strong po-sition to bid for work at Hinkley.

Somerset Larder’s directors arepredicting widespread opportun-ities for the group, with this beingthe beginning of a movement thatis expected to prosper well beyondthe Hinkley project.

Greg Parsons, MD of SomersetLarder and Cricketer Farm, says:“We are delighted to have beenawarded the interim catering con-tract for Hinkley Point C, whichwill allow us to supply the work-force with locally sourced foodfrom local suppliers. This achieve-ment would not have been pos-sible without the significant sup-port from the Somerset Chamber,

the Somerset Larder board of dir-ectors and the EDF Energy team.However, this is merely the startand our focus now and into thefuture will be to ensure that Som-erset Larder delivers the contractto the highest possible standards.”Nigel Cann, Site ConstructionDirector at Hinkley Point C, says:“The South West regional eco-nomy will benefit by £100 millioneach year of peak constructionand using local supplierswherever possible is a key com-mitment for the project.”

More than 5,600 people are ex-pected to be on site at HinkleyPoint C during the peak of con-struction, with the full cateringcontract including food halls,coffee bars and a central produc-tion kitchen serving both the siteand worker accommodation cam-p u s e s.

Somerset Larder was estab-lished earlier this year as a privatelimited company (limited by guar-antee), with a board of directorsmade up of representatives fromseven of the founding companies.The Somerset Chamber’s HinkleySupply Chain Team was instru-mental in bringing the group to-gether and has been workingclosely with the Somerset Larderdirectors for the past 18 months,helping them to bid successfullyfor the interim contract.

Gerard Tucker from the HinkleySupply Chain Team, says: “This isgreat news for Somerset Larderand for the county as a whole.”

¹ ?

TRAINING FOR BUSINESSwith Bridgwater College, Somerset

Training your workforce for business growth and prosperity.

We’re with you for the long-haul!

To find out more, call Business Development on 01278 655111, email business@bridgwater.ac.uk or visit www.bridgwater.ac.uk

www.bridgwater.ac.uk

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 1312 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Debbie Farman,director of legalpractice at JordansCorporate Law anda former corporatetransactional lawyerwith Eversheds

Professional Services

Many firms feel under pressure todeliver the best and most expertrange of services – but at thelowest cost. And there lies thechallenge. What strategies shouldfirms use for survival and futureg rowth?

There was little investmentduring the recession, with manyfirms maintaining their profitab-ility through cost-cutting andother measures designed toachieve economies of scale. Now,with confidence rising fast andmany firms displaying a renewedappetite for spending, the sector iskeener than ever to understandhow the market is changing andwhere new business is likely tocome from.

Accountancy and investmentmanagement group Smith & Willi-a m s o n’s 20th annual survey of Top250 UK law firms revealed thatconfidence reached an eight yearhigh towards the end of 2014.However, doubt is being cast onhow sustainable this confidenceis, with 71 per cent of survey re-spondents admitting that compet-itive pressures have risen furtherin the last year. Cash flow manage-ment was cited as the number onechalleng e.

Ian Cooper, head of the profes-sional practices group at the Bris-tol office of Smith & Williamson,said: “The legal services marketplays an increasingly importantrole in the South West’s economicmakeup and nowhere more sothan in Bristol, where there is anever-growing number of big-namefirms. It’s sometimes said thatthere are now more lawyers inBristol than the local market cansupport so increasingly firms arefishing in national and interna-tional waters or establishingthemselves as niche market spe-cialists. Interestingly, 33 per centof South West-based survey re-spondents plan to open a newoffice in 2015, against just 16 percent from other parts of the UK.

“With the recession now behind

them, law firms are understand-ably feeling bullish about theirprospects. However, competitive-ness is an ongoing issue. We areseeing a number of firms graspingthe nettle and trying to addressthese pressures by developing andinvesting heavily in variousstrate gies.”

Fast-growing Foot Anstey hasheralded several successes andimpressive growth over recentye a r s.

The latest winner of Bristol LawFirm of the Year at the Bristol LawSociety Awards, the firm recentlywon a spot on The RoyalShakespeare Company’s inaugur-al official legal panel.

The firm, which has five officesacross the South West, has alsorecently been recognised asamongst the most innovative inthe industry with its presence inthe annual Financial Times I n n ov -ative Lawyers report. This recog-nition is the latest for the com-pany, which was also recentlyshortlisted for UK Law Firm of theYear at the British Legal Awards2014.

Law firm Withy King’s mostrecent strategy to acquire marketshare through acquisition hasbeen part of a three-pronged planwhich began with building arobust, sustainable platform forgrowth, followed by a period oforganic expansion within its ex-isting markets. In 2014, WithyKing acquired Lemon & Co inSwindon and Edward Pilling & Coin Oxford, having acquired Whet-ter Duckworth Fowler the previ-ous year, further strengthening itsstrongholds in Wiltshire and Ox-fordshire where it has several of-fices. The firm is headquarteredin Bath.

Managing partner GrahamStreet believes the key to a suc-cessful strategy is to focus on thespecifics of your own businessrather than following the crowd.“It’s about understanding yourown business and value chain aswell as what clients value mostabout your service offering,” saidStreet. “It’s easy to get carriedaway by theory and rhetoric, for-ging strategies based on perceivedneeds and expectations, but thiswo n’t work if it doesn’t have solid,well researched foundations.

“The pace of change within thelegal market is unprecedented butthe appetite for legal services isstrong and growing. Clients havefar greater choice than ever before

Above; John Westwell, Foot Anstey'smanaging partner. The law firm enjoyed astrong 2014 and is well positioned togrow further in 2015. Below right; IanCooper, head of the professional practicesgroup at the Bristol office of Smith &Williamson

Growth on agendain a competitivemarket place

Change is something which the West’s professional services firms have beengrappling with for some time but the pace is accelerating, reports Natalie Birrell.There are numerous factors at play but competitiveness is one of the key drivers.

and firms are dealing with theincreasingly competitive environ-ment in their own way. We haveworked hard to understand whatclients value most, the markets weoperate in and what differentiatesus from our competitors.

“It’s not about doing more of thesame, it’s about understandingwhat is required and doing itbetter than the competition.”

The consensus among many lawfirms is that differentiation is key.Nigel Muers-Raby, head of market-ing at Somerset and Dorset-basedlaw firm Pardoes, said: “Busi-nesses have to find new and inter-esting ways of reacting to themarket and those that do, willsurvive and prosper. Our strategyhas been to focus on higher networth individuals and families,many of whom are also land andbusiness owners based in themarket towns, villages and sur-rounding countryside. We arebuilding a firm that has the feel ofthe ‘family solicitor’ – a singlepoint of contact, with an emphasison personal relationships – sup-ported by teams delivering arange of core services includingfamily, private client, property,commercial and employment law.While increased competition hasled to casualties, particularly inthe high street, there are stillplenty of opportunities for goodquality, mid-sized, regionalfir ms.”

One of the newest entrants to theWe s t ’s legal market is JordansCorporate Law Limited. Formedout of its parent, Jordans Limited,itself a long-time provider of ser-vices to professional firms, Jord-ans Corporate Law has grown inits first year by providing corpor-ate and commercial governanceand legal advice to the businesswo rl d .

Debbie Farman, director oflegal practice at Jordans Corpor-ate Law and a former corporatetransactional lawyer with Ever-sheds, said: “To become andremain competitive, it is import-ant to find a differentiator in yourservice offering. Our market re-search has shown that the sophist-icated buyer of legal services, inparticular, is looking more to spe-cialist niche firms, with a view togetting the best quality service,whilst keeping costs down.”

Mrs Farman said Jordans estab-lished its law firm following pres-sure and encouragement from itsexisting client base. “We have con-tinued to listen to the needs ofthose clients through our firstyear. Whilst we are able to practiceother legal disciplines, we havechosen to concentrate our effortson corporate and commercial gov-ernance and growth structuringfor businesses, looking after theinternal “hear t” of a business.Firms can survive, and flourish, ifthey continue to work on theirstrategy for growth and listen towhat the buyer wants – which, Istrongly believe, is no longer thefull service offering.”

In spite of the challenges, BenTarrant, immediate past presid-ent of the Bristol Law Society, andpartner at TLT, believes firms areright to be confident. He said:“There is a renewed optimism inthe region and 2015 will be full of

CONTINUED OVERLEAF

‘Businesses have tofind new andinteresting ways ofreacting to themarket and thosethat do, will surviveand prosper’

EXCEPTIONALperformance

BRISTOL I EXETER I PLYMOUTH I TAUNTON I TRURO WWW.FOOTANSTEY.COM

Actions speak louder.

This year saw our sixth successive year of significant growth and national recognition for the quality of our service. During this time we have continued to invest in talent and infrastructure

to ensure we perform at the highest level for our clients.

advert Full page.indd 1 14/01/2015 11:49

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 1312 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Debbie Farman,director of legalpractice at JordansCorporate Law anda former corporatetransactional lawyerwith Eversheds

Professional Services

Many firms feel under pressure todeliver the best and most expertrange of services – but at thelowest cost. And there lies thechallenge. What strategies shouldfirms use for survival and futureg rowth?

There was little investmentduring the recession, with manyfirms maintaining their profitab-ility through cost-cutting andother measures designed toachieve economies of scale. Now,with confidence rising fast andmany firms displaying a renewedappetite for spending, the sector iskeener than ever to understandhow the market is changing andwhere new business is likely tocome from.

Accountancy and investmentmanagement group Smith & Willi-a m s o n’s 20th annual survey of Top250 UK law firms revealed thatconfidence reached an eight yearhigh towards the end of 2014.However, doubt is being cast onhow sustainable this confidenceis, with 71 per cent of survey re-spondents admitting that compet-itive pressures have risen furtherin the last year. Cash flow manage-ment was cited as the number onechalleng e.

Ian Cooper, head of the profes-sional practices group at the Bris-tol office of Smith & Williamson,said: “The legal services marketplays an increasingly importantrole in the South West’s economicmakeup and nowhere more sothan in Bristol, where there is anever-growing number of big-namefirms. It’s sometimes said thatthere are now more lawyers inBristol than the local market cansupport so increasingly firms arefishing in national and interna-tional waters or establishingthemselves as niche market spe-cialists. Interestingly, 33 per centof South West-based survey re-spondents plan to open a newoffice in 2015, against just 16 percent from other parts of the UK.

“With the recession now behind

them, law firms are understand-ably feeling bullish about theirprospects. However, competitive-ness is an ongoing issue. We areseeing a number of firms graspingthe nettle and trying to addressthese pressures by developing andinvesting heavily in variousstrate gies.”

Fast-growing Foot Anstey hasheralded several successes andimpressive growth over recentye a r s.

The latest winner of Bristol LawFirm of the Year at the Bristol LawSociety Awards, the firm recentlywon a spot on The RoyalShakespeare Company’s inaugur-al official legal panel.

The firm, which has five officesacross the South West, has alsorecently been recognised asamongst the most innovative inthe industry with its presence inthe annual Financial Times I n n ov -ative Lawyers report. This recog-nition is the latest for the com-pany, which was also recentlyshortlisted for UK Law Firm of theYear at the British Legal Awards2014.

Law firm Withy King’s mostrecent strategy to acquire marketshare through acquisition hasbeen part of a three-pronged planwhich began with building arobust, sustainable platform forgrowth, followed by a period oforganic expansion within its ex-isting markets. In 2014, WithyKing acquired Lemon & Co inSwindon and Edward Pilling & Coin Oxford, having acquired Whet-ter Duckworth Fowler the previ-ous year, further strengthening itsstrongholds in Wiltshire and Ox-fordshire where it has several of-fices. The firm is headquarteredin Bath.

Managing partner GrahamStreet believes the key to a suc-cessful strategy is to focus on thespecifics of your own businessrather than following the crowd.“It’s about understanding yourown business and value chain aswell as what clients value mostabout your service offering,” saidStreet. “It’s easy to get carriedaway by theory and rhetoric, for-ging strategies based on perceivedneeds and expectations, but thiswo n’t work if it doesn’t have solid,well researched foundations.

“The pace of change within thelegal market is unprecedented butthe appetite for legal services isstrong and growing. Clients havefar greater choice than ever before

Above; John Westwell, Foot Anstey'smanaging partner. The law firm enjoyed astrong 2014 and is well positioned togrow further in 2015. Below right; IanCooper, head of the professional practicesgroup at the Bristol office of Smith &Williamson

Growth on agendain a competitivemarket place

Change is something which the West’s professional services firms have beengrappling with for some time but the pace is accelerating, reports Natalie Birrell.There are numerous factors at play but competitiveness is one of the key drivers.

and firms are dealing with theincreasingly competitive environ-ment in their own way. We haveworked hard to understand whatclients value most, the markets weoperate in and what differentiatesus from our competitors.

“It’s not about doing more of thesame, it’s about understandingwhat is required and doing itbetter than the competition.”

The consensus among many lawfirms is that differentiation is key.Nigel Muers-Raby, head of market-ing at Somerset and Dorset-basedlaw firm Pardoes, said: “Busi-nesses have to find new and inter-esting ways of reacting to themarket and those that do, willsurvive and prosper. Our strategyhas been to focus on higher networth individuals and families,many of whom are also land andbusiness owners based in themarket towns, villages and sur-rounding countryside. We arebuilding a firm that has the feel ofthe ‘family solicitor’ – a singlepoint of contact, with an emphasison personal relationships – sup-ported by teams delivering arange of core services includingfamily, private client, property,commercial and employment law.While increased competition hasled to casualties, particularly inthe high street, there are stillplenty of opportunities for goodquality, mid-sized, regionalfir ms.”

One of the newest entrants to theWe s t ’s legal market is JordansCorporate Law Limited. Formedout of its parent, Jordans Limited,itself a long-time provider of ser-vices to professional firms, Jord-ans Corporate Law has grown inits first year by providing corpor-ate and commercial governanceand legal advice to the businesswo rl d .

Debbie Farman, director oflegal practice at Jordans Corpor-ate Law and a former corporatetransactional lawyer with Ever-sheds, said: “To become andremain competitive, it is import-ant to find a differentiator in yourservice offering. Our market re-search has shown that the sophist-icated buyer of legal services, inparticular, is looking more to spe-cialist niche firms, with a view togetting the best quality service,whilst keeping costs down.”

Mrs Farman said Jordans estab-lished its law firm following pres-sure and encouragement from itsexisting client base. “We have con-tinued to listen to the needs ofthose clients through our firstyear. Whilst we are able to practiceother legal disciplines, we havechosen to concentrate our effortson corporate and commercial gov-ernance and growth structuringfor businesses, looking after theinternal “hear t” of a business.Firms can survive, and flourish, ifthey continue to work on theirstrategy for growth and listen towhat the buyer wants – which, Istrongly believe, is no longer thefull service offering.”

In spite of the challenges, BenTarrant, immediate past presid-ent of the Bristol Law Society, andpartner at TLT, believes firms areright to be confident. He said:“There is a renewed optimism inthe region and 2015 will be full of

CONTINUED OVERLEAF

‘Businesses have tofind new andinteresting ways ofreacting to themarket and thosethat do, will surviveand prosper’

EXCEPTIONALperformance

BRISTOL I EXETER I PLYMOUTH I TAUNTON I TRURO WWW.FOOTANSTEY.COM

Actions speak louder.

This year saw our sixth successive year of significant growth and national recognition for the quality of our service. During this time we have continued to invest in talent and infrastructure

to ensure we perform at the highest level for our clients.

advert Full page.indd 1 14/01/2015 11:49

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 1514 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

EXCEPTIONAL performance

WE’VE BEEN ON A JOURNEY, THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN IMPRESSIVE.

Salt Quay House wins award, Commercial Development of the Year

Talent acquisition strategy begins

Investment in IT software; InterAction

New clients include The Eden Project

Winners Property Law Firm of the Year, SW Business Insider

Bristol headcount now 60

£20.6mTURNOVER

11 new partners recruited Winners Regional Law Firm of

the Year, British Legal AwardsBristol office opens with 15 staff

John Westwell becomes Managing PartnerUK officiallyenters recession

20082010 2014

2012

£19.4mTURNOVER

Foot Anstey is definitelyone to watch

The Lawyer, 2008

2011

2013

2009

Islamic Finance specialists advises on £19million acquisition of Everything Everywhere’s Bristol office at Aztec West

Banking practice strengthened

Growth of 13.6%35% growth in turnoverover past 5 years

Islamic Finance specialist recognised amongst The Lawyer’s Hot 100

Awarded Bristol Law Firm of the Year by Bristol Law Society

£27.5mTURNOVER

Through its network of five of-fices across the South West FootAnstey works together as onenational team offering specialistlegal advice and services to re-gional, national and interna-tional clients, both businessesand individuals.

Foot Anstey is among the UK'stop 100 law firms, with justunder 50 partners and approach-ing 500 staff.

Professional Services

opportunities. Growth is beingdriven by increased investment ininfrastructure, an improvinghousing market, increased lend-ing by banks and the creation ofnew jobs.

“A number of law firms andother legal businesses have eithermoved into or strengthened theirposition in the region. There hasbeen consolidation in the SouthWest market and law firms contin-ue to demonstrate that they canadapt and thrive, offering excel-lent client service to rival the bestaround the country.

“Turnover and headcounts haveincreased over the last 12 monthsand there is the expectation thatthis will continue in 2015. SouthWest-based law firms are alsoproving successful at winninggood quality work as a result ofcompetitive pricing, excellent ser-vice delivery and by attracting toptalent from other national or Citylaw firms. There are some seriousheavyweight national and inter-national firms operating out of there gion.”

Accountancy firms are alsodealing with competitivenessissues, but in different ways.Three of the Big Four accountancyfirms, PwC, KPMG and most re-cently EY, have been granted Al-ternative Business Structure(ABS) licences which allow themto offer legal services. While thisputs even more pressure on tradi-tional law firms, the accountancyprofession argues that it is nodifferent from the increasingnumber of legal practices now of-fering business advice and finan-cial services. The lines are set toblur even further as lawyers andaccountants move away frommore traditional models in re-sponse to their changing environ-m e n t s.

The biggest accountancy firmshave been looking at alternativeways to extend their reach, withsome now actively targeting theirservices towards smaller busi-nesses with real growth potential.This is partly due to anticipatedchanges to the audit threshold,which are expected to take evenmore privately-owned businessesout of the loop, forcing larger prac-tices to look elsewhere to fill anyrevenue gaps.

One of the most significantchanges that accountants havebeen getting to grips with, partic-ularly at the smaller end of thespectrum, is the rapid rise in theuse of cloud computing packages.The cloud presents opportunitiesas well as challenges as clients’needs evolve and accountantsgear up to help them make themost of these new systems.

Stacey Morrison, business man-ager at Old Mill, based in Wells,said: “Cloud computing helpsbusinesses to improve their effi-ciency and agility to give them acompetitive edge. Integrated bankfeeds, invoice scanning and dataentry from mobile devices allowbusiness owners to see key per-formance indicators on an almostreal-time basis.

“The role of the accountantshifts from basic number crunch-ing to being a ‘virtual financed i re c t o r ‘, with time to help theowner to understand figures,

Chartered accountant Edward Corrigan, president of the ICAEW in the West of England and owner of Corrigan Associates

Cloud is driving a change

Stacey Morrison, business manager at OldMill, based in Wells

advise on early identification ofproblems and how to move thebusiness forward to meet theira s p i r at i o n s.

“As many of our clients arealready using cloud packages togenerate management informa-tion, we have been investing intraining and technology to ensurewe are able to help businessestransition to cloud servicessmoothly, as well as ensuring theyget real value from the systems.”

Chartered accountant EdwardCorrigan, president of the ICAEWin the West of England and ownerof Corrigan Associates in Bristol,said overall cloud computing washaving a positive impact, allowingaccountants and clients to share

information and interact in real-time and in a more cost-effectiveway. Most practices nurture theirexisting clients carefully andmany have been able to grow inline with their clients’ expandingn e e d s, ” explained Corrigan. “At-tracting new clients continues torequire a focussed marketingeffort. Many smaller accountancypractices, like the larger firms,are looking at ways to broadentheir offering, positioning them-selves as business advisors ratherthan just compliance providers.Marketing has an increasingly im-portant role to play, with moreaccountants and business ad-visors looking to get to grips withsocial media in 2015.”

Bristol. As developers workingwith our own construction team,we have been able to adapt thedesign of the building to fit withthe needs of our tenant, whilesecuring the longest lease in thecity in recent years.”

The professional services firmhas agreed a 15-year lease for thefirst, second and third floors andpart of the ground floor, filling52,000 square feet (4,831 sq m) ofthe 61,000 sq ft (5,667 sq m) Grade Aoffice building.

Phil Cotton, Bristol office seniorpartner and south regional chair-man at KPMG, said: “This sig-nificant investment underscoresour commitment to Bristol andthe importance of the city to ourbusiness. We have achieved con-tinued success and growth in ourmarketplace, adding £17 million toour income over the last twoyears, and I am pleased to be ableto plough these profits back intothe business and invest in newflagship premises in Bristol.

“Our new office in QueenSquare will provide our col-leagues and clients with top qual-ity office space.”

‘New office in QueenSquare will provide staffand clients with topquality office space’

The renewed confidence of Bris-tol’s professional services sectoris reflected by two of the biggestoperators paying what arethought to be record rents for newp re m i s e s.

Accountant PWC is moving intoNo 2 Glass Wharf in the TempleQuay Enterprise Zone.

It was reported earlier thismonth that it was paying £28 persquare foot for the 40,000 squarefoot offices.

Meanwhile it has been con-firmed this month that rival firmKPMG will be the anchor tenantfor a major Bristol office devel-opment.

It has agreed to let most of the 66Queen Square development due tobe ready in the summer.

The project, part new-build andpart refurbishment of a periodbuilding, was one of the first spec-ulative office developments inBristol since the recession.

Alex Jordan, leasing director atdeveloper Skanska, said: “We aredelighted that KPMG will be themain tenant for our first UK com-mercial development project in

KPMG has takenthe majority of thespace at theflagship 66 QueenSquaredevelopment inBristol, at areported record£29 per squarefoot

Professional ServicesFROM PAGE 13 Office moves

demonstrateconfidence

ProfileFoot Anstey

Headed by managing partnerJohn Westwell, Foot Anstey hasachieved consistent growth andstrong financial performance andis on track to achieve its ambi-tious financial targets.

It has grown organicallythrough a bold, agile strategy thathas attracted the attention of thei n d u s t r y.

It has been named in numerousawards that include the British

Legal Awards, MPF Awards forManagement Excellence andSouth West Business Insider.

The firm specialises in numer-ous legal disciplines but two areasin particular stand out.

Islamic finance is a key growtharea for the firm.

Foot Anstey is in a unique po-sition as the only firm outside ofLondon to offer specialist expert-ise in this developing field and theIslamic finance team has enjoyedconsiderable recent success.Headed by Imam Qazi, the teamadvise Islamic banks and MiddleEastern investors on a range ofhigh value and complex transac-tions, creating structures to allowconventional and Islamic finan-ciers to work together.

Shariah-compliant transactionsare structured on the principle ofprofit and risk sharing. Throughthis process, banks become closelyinvolved with customers’ bu s i n e s s.

This ethical financing systemprohibits exploitation, meaningconventional financing mechan-isms, such as interest (riba), areprecluded. Islamic finance is nowan established alternative to con-ventional financing in the UK andis assisting with and benefitingfrom the increasing amount ofinward investment from theMiddle East.

“Islamic finance is fast becomingthe prevailing method of finance insome Middle Eastern states, aregion where conventional financeonce dominated,” said Imam.

Foot Anstey's private equity teamhas also seen significant growthre c e n t ly.

Its specialist and dedicated privateequity group advises institutionalinvestors, management teams, in-vestee and portfolio companies andbanks on the full life cycle of privateequity transactions.

It advises on transactionsthroughout the UK as well as in-ternationally and are equally ascomfortable advising a manage-ment team on a mid market privateequity backed MBO as on an EIScompliant fundraising by a start upventure. Equity incentivisation ofmanagement teams is a key spe-cialism of our private equity of-fering.

Recently shortlisted for YoungDealmaker of the Year at the SWBusiness Insider DealmakerAwards, Matt Stoate leads the teamwhich includes people that haveworked in private equity depart-ments for City law firms and cor-porate finance boutiques.

The two teams work closely to-gether and provide services andbespoke advice to numerous play-ers in the fast paced and complexfinance market, with expertise andcosts rarely found outsideLondon.Imam Qazi heads Foot Anstey’s Islamic

finance team

Foot Anstey has recently won a new – and slightly different client – the Royal Shakespeare Company

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 1514 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

EXCEPTIONAL performance

WE’VE BEEN ON A JOURNEY, THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN IMPRESSIVE.

Salt Quay House wins award, Commercial Development of the Year

Talent acquisition strategy begins

Investment in IT software; InterAction

New clients include The Eden Project

Winners Property Law Firm of the Year, SW Business Insider

Bristol headcount now 60

£20.6mTURNOVER

11 new partners recruited Winners Regional Law Firm of

the Year, British Legal AwardsBristol office opens with 15 staff

John Westwell becomes Managing PartnerUK officiallyenters recession

20082010 2014

2012

£19.4mTURNOVER

Foot Anstey is definitelyone to watch

The Lawyer, 2008

2011

2013

2009

Islamic Finance specialists advises on £19million acquisition of Everything Everywhere’s Bristol office at Aztec West

Banking practice strengthened

Growth of 13.6%35% growth in turnoverover past 5 years

Islamic Finance specialist recognised amongst The Lawyer’s Hot 100

Awarded Bristol Law Firm of the Year by Bristol Law Society

£27.5mTURNOVER

Through its network of five of-fices across the South West FootAnstey works together as onenational team offering specialistlegal advice and services to re-gional, national and interna-tional clients, both businessesand individuals.

Foot Anstey is among the UK'stop 100 law firms, with justunder 50 partners and approach-ing 500 staff.

Professional Services

opportunities. Growth is beingdriven by increased investment ininfrastructure, an improvinghousing market, increased lend-ing by banks and the creation ofnew jobs.

“A number of law firms andother legal businesses have eithermoved into or strengthened theirposition in the region. There hasbeen consolidation in the SouthWest market and law firms contin-ue to demonstrate that they canadapt and thrive, offering excel-lent client service to rival the bestaround the country.

“Turnover and headcounts haveincreased over the last 12 monthsand there is the expectation thatthis will continue in 2015. SouthWest-based law firms are alsoproving successful at winninggood quality work as a result ofcompetitive pricing, excellent ser-vice delivery and by attracting toptalent from other national or Citylaw firms. There are some seriousheavyweight national and inter-national firms operating out of there gion.”

Accountancy firms are alsodealing with competitivenessissues, but in different ways.Three of the Big Four accountancyfirms, PwC, KPMG and most re-cently EY, have been granted Al-ternative Business Structure(ABS) licences which allow themto offer legal services. While thisputs even more pressure on tradi-tional law firms, the accountancyprofession argues that it is nodifferent from the increasingnumber of legal practices now of-fering business advice and finan-cial services. The lines are set toblur even further as lawyers andaccountants move away frommore traditional models in re-sponse to their changing environ-m e n t s.

The biggest accountancy firmshave been looking at alternativeways to extend their reach, withsome now actively targeting theirservices towards smaller busi-nesses with real growth potential.This is partly due to anticipatedchanges to the audit threshold,which are expected to take evenmore privately-owned businessesout of the loop, forcing larger prac-tices to look elsewhere to fill anyrevenue gaps.

One of the most significantchanges that accountants havebeen getting to grips with, partic-ularly at the smaller end of thespectrum, is the rapid rise in theuse of cloud computing packages.The cloud presents opportunitiesas well as challenges as clients’needs evolve and accountantsgear up to help them make themost of these new systems.

Stacey Morrison, business man-ager at Old Mill, based in Wells,said: “Cloud computing helpsbusinesses to improve their effi-ciency and agility to give them acompetitive edge. Integrated bankfeeds, invoice scanning and dataentry from mobile devices allowbusiness owners to see key per-formance indicators on an almostreal-time basis.

“The role of the accountantshifts from basic number crunch-ing to being a ‘virtual financed i re c t o r ‘, with time to help theowner to understand figures,

Chartered accountant Edward Corrigan, president of the ICAEW in the West of England and owner of Corrigan Associates

Cloud is driving a change

Stacey Morrison, business manager at OldMill, based in Wells

advise on early identification ofproblems and how to move thebusiness forward to meet theira s p i r at i o n s.

“As many of our clients arealready using cloud packages togenerate management informa-tion, we have been investing intraining and technology to ensurewe are able to help businessestransition to cloud servicessmoothly, as well as ensuring theyget real value from the systems.”

Chartered accountant EdwardCorrigan, president of the ICAEWin the West of England and ownerof Corrigan Associates in Bristol,said overall cloud computing washaving a positive impact, allowingaccountants and clients to share

information and interact in real-time and in a more cost-effectiveway. Most practices nurture theirexisting clients carefully andmany have been able to grow inline with their clients’ expandingn e e d s, ” explained Corrigan. “At-tracting new clients continues torequire a focussed marketingeffort. Many smaller accountancypractices, like the larger firms,are looking at ways to broadentheir offering, positioning them-selves as business advisors ratherthan just compliance providers.Marketing has an increasingly im-portant role to play, with moreaccountants and business ad-visors looking to get to grips withsocial media in 2015.”

Bristol. As developers workingwith our own construction team,we have been able to adapt thedesign of the building to fit withthe needs of our tenant, whilesecuring the longest lease in thecity in recent years.”

The professional services firmhas agreed a 15-year lease for thefirst, second and third floors andpart of the ground floor, filling52,000 square feet (4,831 sq m) ofthe 61,000 sq ft (5,667 sq m) Grade Aoffice building.

Phil Cotton, Bristol office seniorpartner and south regional chair-man at KPMG, said: “This sig-nificant investment underscoresour commitment to Bristol andthe importance of the city to ourbusiness. We have achieved con-tinued success and growth in ourmarketplace, adding £17 million toour income over the last twoyears, and I am pleased to be ableto plough these profits back intothe business and invest in newflagship premises in Bristol.

“Our new office in QueenSquare will provide our col-leagues and clients with top qual-ity office space.”

‘New office in QueenSquare will provide staffand clients with topquality office space’

The renewed confidence of Bris-tol’s professional services sectoris reflected by two of the biggestoperators paying what arethought to be record rents for newp re m i s e s.

Accountant PWC is moving intoNo 2 Glass Wharf in the TempleQuay Enterprise Zone.

It was reported earlier thismonth that it was paying £28 persquare foot for the 40,000 squarefoot offices.

Meanwhile it has been con-firmed this month that rival firmKPMG will be the anchor tenantfor a major Bristol office devel-opment.

It has agreed to let most of the 66Queen Square development due tobe ready in the summer.

The project, part new-build andpart refurbishment of a periodbuilding, was one of the first spec-ulative office developments inBristol since the recession.

Alex Jordan, leasing director atdeveloper Skanska, said: “We aredelighted that KPMG will be themain tenant for our first UK com-mercial development project in

KPMG has takenthe majority of thespace at theflagship 66 QueenSquaredevelopment inBristol, at areported record£29 per squarefoot

Professional ServicesFROM PAGE 13 Office moves

demonstrateconfidence

ProfileFoot Anstey

Headed by managing partnerJohn Westwell, Foot Anstey hasachieved consistent growth andstrong financial performance andis on track to achieve its ambi-tious financial targets.

It has grown organicallythrough a bold, agile strategy thathas attracted the attention of thei n d u s t r y.

It has been named in numerousawards that include the British

Legal Awards, MPF Awards forManagement Excellence andSouth West Business Insider.

The firm specialises in numer-ous legal disciplines but two areasin particular stand out.

Islamic finance is a key growtharea for the firm.

Foot Anstey is in a unique po-sition as the only firm outside ofLondon to offer specialist expert-ise in this developing field and theIslamic finance team has enjoyedconsiderable recent success.Headed by Imam Qazi, the teamadvise Islamic banks and MiddleEastern investors on a range ofhigh value and complex transac-tions, creating structures to allowconventional and Islamic finan-ciers to work together.

Shariah-compliant transactionsare structured on the principle ofprofit and risk sharing. Throughthis process, banks become closelyinvolved with customers’ bu s i n e s s.

This ethical financing systemprohibits exploitation, meaningconventional financing mechan-isms, such as interest (riba), areprecluded. Islamic finance is nowan established alternative to con-ventional financing in the UK andis assisting with and benefitingfrom the increasing amount ofinward investment from theMiddle East.

“Islamic finance is fast becomingthe prevailing method of finance insome Middle Eastern states, aregion where conventional financeonce dominated,” said Imam.

Foot Anstey's private equity teamhas also seen significant growthre c e n t ly.

Its specialist and dedicated privateequity group advises institutionalinvestors, management teams, in-vestee and portfolio companies andbanks on the full life cycle of privateequity transactions.

It advises on transactionsthroughout the UK as well as in-ternationally and are equally ascomfortable advising a manage-ment team on a mid market privateequity backed MBO as on an EIScompliant fundraising by a start upventure. Equity incentivisation ofmanagement teams is a key spe-cialism of our private equity of-fering.

Recently shortlisted for YoungDealmaker of the Year at the SWBusiness Insider DealmakerAwards, Matt Stoate leads the teamwhich includes people that haveworked in private equity depart-ments for City law firms and cor-porate finance boutiques.

The two teams work closely to-gether and provide services andbespoke advice to numerous play-ers in the fast paced and complexfinance market, with expertise andcosts rarely found outsideLondon.Imam Qazi heads Foot Anstey’s Islamic

finance team

Foot Anstey has recently won a new – and slightly different client – the Royal Shakespeare Company

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 1716 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Green Capital

Time for changeJames DurieThe start of the year is always agood time to reflect on what’s beenachieved in the past 12 months.And we’ve certainly got plenty tocelebrate. Bristol has made somebig strides forward. That said, inan uncertain global economy, andwith the UK recovery still fragile,t h e re ’s absolutely no room forcomplacency, especially with anunpredictable general electionlooming in May.

Over the last few years, despite aprolonged downturn, the Bristolcity region economy has consist-ently outgunned most major UKcities by being prepared to dothings its own way and playing toits strengths. Yes, we’ve success-fully built on our core sector

strengths and our strategic assets.But more than that; business andtalent continue to be drawn to thisarea because it’s a great place tolive. National media and influen-cers are picking up on this withThe Sunday Times rating Bristolas the UK’s ‘best city to live in’.

Make no mistake: it’s becausethe city, as a region, has put upsuch a united front to investors,developers and the Governmentitself, that major opportunities –such as the Enterprise Zone, railelectrification, the arena, the M49junction, the South Bristol Linkand the new Metrobus – are nowbeing delivered. In addition ap-plications for an extension toCribbs Causeway, thousands of

new jobs and homes at Filton Air-field and a £21 million revamp ofTemple Quarter Enterprise Zoneare all on the cards this year.

All of these are fantastic step-ping stones that will further driveconfidence, jobs and growth .

This year, Bristol is firmly in theinternational spotlight as the firstUK city to be European GreenCapital. We have barely scratchedthe surface of 2015 but already wehave seen a £1 million governmentgrant for diesel-electric hybridbuses and anecdotal stories suchas Bristol Airport acquiring anelectric vehicle.

February will see the launch ofour Go Green initiative in part-nership with Low Carbon South

West, setting an ambitious targetto engage with more than 1,000employers this year to demon-strate steps to reduce their envir-onmental impacts as well as in-spiring and challenging them todo more. This momentous year ispacked with initiatives and activ-ities which will showcase sustain-able urban living in the 21st cen-tury and how we want to gofurther. As well as ringing in thegreen, bells have also been sound-ing for new political powers sincethe Scottish Referendum kickedoff a wider devolution debate inSeptember last year. The nextstep, of course, is to give our cityregion the powers to raise andspend the money to develop our

economy and communities. Atpresent, it’s being siphoned off toWhitehall and redistributed ac-cording to their priorities – notours. So 2015 also has to be theyear when we surely must stepforward and harness the nationalappetite for devolution to give usfar more control of our own des-tiny. We must not miss this oppor-tunity to take the next step ingovernance with the right powerstransferred to the right levels.2015 could be the year where – bydoing things differently – we builda sustainable platform not just forourselves, but for future genera-tions of Bristolians too.”James Durie is executive director ofB r i s t o l C h a m b e r o f Commerce & Initiative

Capitalising on green status

The South West has the oppor-tunity to reap a technologicalreward from Bristol’s Europeangreen capital status.

The city is being used as a testbed to trial some of the latesttransport technology designed tominimise fossil fuel use.

Cutting-edge green technologyfor buses will be developed on thecity’s streets – thanks to a £1mil-lion grant from the Government.

Transport Minister BaronessKramer announced that Bristolwill receive the funding to buy anumber of new hybrid buses,which can automatically switchfrom diesel to electric in areas ofpoor air quality.

The buses will use GPS nav-igational technology to switch toelectric power when they enterlow-emission zones.

Bristol City Council will use thedata collected to evaluate the be-nefits to the city environment aswell as their operational impactsfor the bus service.

Mayor George Ferguson said:“This is perfect timing for Bristolto test such advanced technology,as we start our year as the UK’sfirst European Green Capital,which is very much about thehealth of the city.

“This ‘g eo-fence’ technolog ywill enable vehicles to recognisewhen they enter the areas of thecity where we have the most sig-nificant air pollution problemsand then switch to a green electricm o d e.

“We need to exploit these newtechnologies to help us reach afuture where we can all enjoycleaner air, and a healthier futurewhere streets are no longerclogged with traffic, where publictransport provides an affordable,quality alternative to the car, andit is increasingly attractive towalk and cycle.”

The city council will shortlylaunch a competition to select abus operator in order start the

trial before the end of thissummer. The exact area that thebuses will operate using the “g eo-fence” technology is yet to be de-cided.

This is not the first new trans-port technology that Bristol is pi-loting during its year as EuropeanGreen Capital.

A bus powered by gas producedfrom human waste – i n ev i t ablydubbed the ‘number two’ route – isalready in operation serving Bris-tol Airport.

And the city council is part ofthe Venturer consortium, whichhas recently secured funding totest driverless cars in the Bristol

region. Bristol is also encour-aging people to switch to electriccars by installing charging pointsacross the city and by spring itwill reach 100 charging spaces.

Venturer is made up of manyorganisations in the South Westincluding Atkins, Bristol CityCouncil, South GloucestershireCouncil, AXA, Williams Ad-vanced Engineering, Fusion Pro-cessing, Centre for Transport andSociety, as well as the universitiesof the West of England and ofBristol and their joint venture, theBristol Robotics Laboratory.

Lee Woodcock, Venturer projectlead and technology director forAtkins’ highways and transport-ation business, said: “We arethrilled to be appointed by In-novate UK to lead the UK devel-opment of an independent test sitefor, and a market leading capab-ility in, autonomous vehicles.

“This programme will help keepthe UK at the forefront of thistransformational technology,helping to deepen our understand-ing of the impact on road usersand wider society and open upnew opportunities for our eco-nomy and society.”

Mr Ferguson said: “Bristol has adeserved reputation as an innov-ative city and test-bed for newtechnologies, as we have just beenrecognised with the InternationalAward for Urban Innovation byour sister city Guangzhou. Assuch we are delighted to be part ofthe Venturer project that bringstogether high-quality knowledgeand development with an enthu-siasm for creating digital solu-t i o n s.

“The novelty of Bristol’s ap-proach is our focus on public-private-citizen partnerships,championing experimental solu-tions through the deployment ofinformation and communicationstechnology (ICT) and digital tech-nologies in a people friendlym a n n e r.

“Bristol City Council and SouthGloucestershire Council have along-standing commitment to sus-tainability and we place greenissues at the heart of our vision forthe city.

“To help achieve this, signific-ant investment is being made inrenewable energy schemes.”

Businesses of all shades will be hopingthey can benefit from the South Westbeing used as a test-bed for innovativegreen technology during Bristol’syear as European Green Capital, writesJeff Wells

An environmentally friendly bus that developers say will improve air quality runs on a rather unlikely fuel – human waste

‘We need to exploitnew technologies tohelp us all enjoycleaner air’

SSAE 16Type II Audited

Formerly SAS 70

ISAE 3402Type II Audited

DSS Compliance

Your local world class data centre Whether you’re growing, an established business, or a service provider, NGD’s purpose-built high security data centre can cost-effectively support all your data and cloud computing requirements - large or small:

l Resilient: Tier 3+ electrical and cooling infrastructure for total

resilience

l Secure: triple skinned walls, bomb proof glass, prison grade

perimeter fencing, anti-ram bollards, military trained security

personnel; ISO 27001, IL3+ and PCI DSS certified

l Connected: choice of high speed carrier connectivity offering

millisecond latency

l Powerful: unique direct to National SuperGrid connection

providing up to 180 MVA supply for meeting high density rack

requirements

l Green: 100 % renewable energy and efficiency commitment

allows lower cost power and carbon tax exemption

l Scalable: Flexible accommodation in shared or private data

halls and pods allows room for future expansion

l Responsive: on-site engineering and sales support for server

and network installation, 24/7 technical assistance,

l Convenient: close to Bristol and M4

Tel: +44 (0)1633 674 518

Email: info@ngd.co.uk

Web: www.ngd.co.uk

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 1716 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Green Capital

Time for changeJames DurieThe start of the year is always agood time to reflect on what’s beenachieved in the past 12 months.And we’ve certainly got plenty tocelebrate. Bristol has made somebig strides forward. That said, inan uncertain global economy, andwith the UK recovery still fragile,t h e re ’s absolutely no room forcomplacency, especially with anunpredictable general electionlooming in May.

Over the last few years, despite aprolonged downturn, the Bristolcity region economy has consist-ently outgunned most major UKcities by being prepared to dothings its own way and playing toits strengths. Yes, we’ve success-fully built on our core sector

strengths and our strategic assets.But more than that; business andtalent continue to be drawn to thisarea because it’s a great place tolive. National media and influen-cers are picking up on this withThe Sunday Times rating Bristolas the UK’s ‘best city to live in’.

Make no mistake: it’s becausethe city, as a region, has put upsuch a united front to investors,developers and the Governmentitself, that major opportunities –such as the Enterprise Zone, railelectrification, the arena, the M49junction, the South Bristol Linkand the new Metrobus – are nowbeing delivered. In addition ap-plications for an extension toCribbs Causeway, thousands of

new jobs and homes at Filton Air-field and a £21 million revamp ofTemple Quarter Enterprise Zoneare all on the cards this year.

All of these are fantastic step-ping stones that will further driveconfidence, jobs and growth .

This year, Bristol is firmly in theinternational spotlight as the firstUK city to be European GreenCapital. We have barely scratchedthe surface of 2015 but already wehave seen a £1 million governmentgrant for diesel-electric hybridbuses and anecdotal stories suchas Bristol Airport acquiring anelectric vehicle.

February will see the launch ofour Go Green initiative in part-nership with Low Carbon South

West, setting an ambitious targetto engage with more than 1,000employers this year to demon-strate steps to reduce their envir-onmental impacts as well as in-spiring and challenging them todo more. This momentous year ispacked with initiatives and activ-ities which will showcase sustain-able urban living in the 21st cen-tury and how we want to gofurther. As well as ringing in thegreen, bells have also been sound-ing for new political powers sincethe Scottish Referendum kickedoff a wider devolution debate inSeptember last year. The nextstep, of course, is to give our cityregion the powers to raise andspend the money to develop our

economy and communities. Atpresent, it’s being siphoned off toWhitehall and redistributed ac-cording to their priorities – notours. So 2015 also has to be theyear when we surely must stepforward and harness the nationalappetite for devolution to give usfar more control of our own des-tiny. We must not miss this oppor-tunity to take the next step ingovernance with the right powerstransferred to the right levels.2015 could be the year where – bydoing things differently – we builda sustainable platform not just forourselves, but for future genera-tions of Bristolians too.”James Durie is executive director ofB r i s t o l C h a m b e r o f Commerce & Initiative

Capitalising on green status

The South West has the oppor-tunity to reap a technologicalreward from Bristol’s Europeangreen capital status.

The city is being used as a testbed to trial some of the latesttransport technology designed tominimise fossil fuel use.

Cutting-edge green technologyfor buses will be developed on thecity’s streets – thanks to a £1mil-lion grant from the Government.

Transport Minister BaronessKramer announced that Bristolwill receive the funding to buy anumber of new hybrid buses,which can automatically switchfrom diesel to electric in areas ofpoor air quality.

The buses will use GPS nav-igational technology to switch toelectric power when they enterlow-emission zones.

Bristol City Council will use thedata collected to evaluate the be-nefits to the city environment aswell as their operational impactsfor the bus service.

Mayor George Ferguson said:“This is perfect timing for Bristolto test such advanced technology,as we start our year as the UK’sfirst European Green Capital,which is very much about thehealth of the city.

“This ‘g eo-fence’ technolog ywill enable vehicles to recognisewhen they enter the areas of thecity where we have the most sig-nificant air pollution problemsand then switch to a green electricm o d e.

“We need to exploit these newtechnologies to help us reach afuture where we can all enjoycleaner air, and a healthier futurewhere streets are no longerclogged with traffic, where publictransport provides an affordable,quality alternative to the car, andit is increasingly attractive towalk and cycle.”

The city council will shortlylaunch a competition to select abus operator in order start the

trial before the end of thissummer. The exact area that thebuses will operate using the “g eo-fence” technology is yet to be de-cided.

This is not the first new trans-port technology that Bristol is pi-loting during its year as EuropeanGreen Capital.

A bus powered by gas producedfrom human waste – i n ev i t ablydubbed the ‘number two’ route – isalready in operation serving Bris-tol Airport.

And the city council is part ofthe Venturer consortium, whichhas recently secured funding totest driverless cars in the Bristol

region. Bristol is also encour-aging people to switch to electriccars by installing charging pointsacross the city and by spring itwill reach 100 charging spaces.

Venturer is made up of manyorganisations in the South Westincluding Atkins, Bristol CityCouncil, South GloucestershireCouncil, AXA, Williams Ad-vanced Engineering, Fusion Pro-cessing, Centre for Transport andSociety, as well as the universitiesof the West of England and ofBristol and their joint venture, theBristol Robotics Laboratory.

Lee Woodcock, Venturer projectlead and technology director forAtkins’ highways and transport-ation business, said: “We arethrilled to be appointed by In-novate UK to lead the UK devel-opment of an independent test sitefor, and a market leading capab-ility in, autonomous vehicles.

“This programme will help keepthe UK at the forefront of thistransformational technology,helping to deepen our understand-ing of the impact on road usersand wider society and open upnew opportunities for our eco-nomy and society.”

Mr Ferguson said: “Bristol has adeserved reputation as an innov-ative city and test-bed for newtechnologies, as we have just beenrecognised with the InternationalAward for Urban Innovation byour sister city Guangzhou. Assuch we are delighted to be part ofthe Venturer project that bringstogether high-quality knowledgeand development with an enthu-siasm for creating digital solu-t i o n s.

“The novelty of Bristol’s ap-proach is our focus on public-private-citizen partnerships,championing experimental solu-tions through the deployment ofinformation and communicationstechnology (ICT) and digital tech-nologies in a people friendlym a n n e r.

“Bristol City Council and SouthGloucestershire Council have along-standing commitment to sus-tainability and we place greenissues at the heart of our vision forthe city.

“To help achieve this, signific-ant investment is being made inrenewable energy schemes.”

Businesses of all shades will be hopingthey can benefit from the South Westbeing used as a test-bed for innovativegreen technology during Bristol’syear as European Green Capital, writesJeff Wells

An environmentally friendly bus that developers say will improve air quality runs on a rather unlikely fuel – human waste

‘We need to exploitnew technologies tohelp us all enjoycleaner air’

SSAE 16Type II Audited

Formerly SAS 70

ISAE 3402Type II Audited

DSS Compliance

Your local world class data centre Whether you’re growing, an established business, or a service provider, NGD’s purpose-built high security data centre can cost-effectively support all your data and cloud computing requirements - large or small:

l Resilient: Tier 3+ electrical and cooling infrastructure for total

resilience

l Secure: triple skinned walls, bomb proof glass, prison grade

perimeter fencing, anti-ram bollards, military trained security

personnel; ISO 27001, IL3+ and PCI DSS certified

l Connected: choice of high speed carrier connectivity offering

millisecond latency

l Powerful: unique direct to National SuperGrid connection

providing up to 180 MVA supply for meeting high density rack

requirements

l Green: 100 % renewable energy and efficiency commitment

allows lower cost power and carbon tax exemption

l Scalable: Flexible accommodation in shared or private data

halls and pods allows room for future expansion

l Responsive: on-site engineering and sales support for server

and network installation, 24/7 technical assistance,

l Convenient: close to Bristol and M4

Tel: +44 (0)1633 674 518

Email: info@ngd.co.uk

Web: www.ngd.co.uk

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 1918 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Information Technology

For businesses in the South West,concerns over data loss or un-planned downtime could be athing of the past with the availab-ility of truly world-class datacentre facilities from Next Gener-ation Data.

The UK-owned operator has in-vested millions in building thebiggest and most secure datacentre in Europe for storing dataand powering cloud, web and datahosting services on behalf of alltypes of organisations – day in dayout.

The good news is that unlikemost other global data centres ofthis calibre, the NGD Europe datacentre is purposely located wellaway from London and the SouthEast.

In fact, its close proximity toBristol and the M4 and M5 makesit conveniently located to thewhole of our region and beyond.

Already ‘home’ to some verylarge government and multina-tional organisations providingtheir own data and cloud hostingservices, BT, CGI (with offices inBristol), IBM and Wipro included,NGD is also fast becoming a havenfor smaller and growing busi-nesses across the region and iskeen to attract more.

Locally-based companies suchas Computershare TechnologyServices (UK), Hub Network Ser-vices, UNIT4, Ovo Energy andSouthern Telecom have alreadytaken advantage of NGD’s modernpurpose-built facilities to more se-curely store and manage theirdata, and in some cases delivertheir own cloud service solutionsto other businesses in the area andfurther afield.

As firms continue to recognisethe strategic importance of IT totheir business performance, NGDis under no illusions about theabsolute necessity of keeping cus-tomer data safe and all the poten-tial risks posed, from the inherent‘fra gility’ of web and cloud infra-structure, to things altogethermore sinister such as cyber oreven physical terror attack.

“With more businesses in theregion relying on applications andservices supplied through cloudproviders or directly placing theirown critical IT systems in thehands of colocation data centres,it is vitally important they fullyevaluate the reliability, securityand disaster recovery credentials

Main picture; Nick Razey, CEO NextGeneration Data (NGD) Europe at theofficial opening of NGD Europe one of theword’s largest data centres. Above, the£200 million data centre, which has itsown on-site power sub station

World-class datacentre holds futurefor our businesses

of their chosen providers – other-wise it could be case of out of thefrying pan into the fire,” a dv i s e sNGD’s chief executive, NickRaz ey.

“While it makes total businesssense to outsource IT for ensuringgreater security and to increasecompetitive edge by accessing thelatest technologies, there are veryfew data facilities out there up tothe job of supporting the IT anddata storage demands of today’sdynamic service providers andgrowing businesses.”

Not only does NGD’s strategiclocation in a semi-rural area serveto enhance its formidable securitycredentials which include tripleskin walls, bomb-proof glass, anti-ram bollards, prison grade peri-meter fencing and trained secur-ity guards, it affords customersmuch lower pricing compared toLondon and the South East.

T here’s also access to more reli-able power thanks to a direct con-nection to the National Super-Grid. Unusually, all power issourced from renewable energy,including solar, which also en-ables customers to reap the associ-ated green benefits such as lowercost energy, carbon tax exemp-tion, not to mention enhanced cor-porate social responsibility cre-d e n t i a l s.

At 750,000 square feet (the size ofLondon Heathrow Terminal 5)and with enough power availableto supply Bristol, NGD offers thespace and flexibility to suit busi-nesses of all shapes and sizes, cost-effectively housing one or literallyhundreds of server racks neces-sary for supporting immediateand future computing require-m e n t s.

Apart from the cutting-edge‘Tier 3+’ facilities and IT infra-structure on offer, NGD hasn’toverlooked the human touch withhighly qualified on-site engineer-ing and sales support personnelon hand for managing customerequipment installations, provid-ing round-the-clock technical as-sistance, equipment advice andsupply, managing conferenceroom requirements, and muchmore besides.

With facilities and resourcessuch as these on the doorstep, there gion’s businesses can be as-sured there’s no safer place onEarth for entrusting their data.

Information Technology

High-profile hacks that saw private photographs of Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence,among others, leaked onto the internet and the intense embarrassment and commercialdamage suffered by Sony when it was hacked, allegedly by North Korea over controversialfilm The Interview, have brought into focus how critical data security is. But are businessesin the West taking enough steps to protect their vital IT infrastructure?

Expert ViewSimon Taylor

In this digital age all businessesare effectively IT businesses, nomatter what they actually make orsell.

Just about every company is anIT company whether in retail, pro-fessional services, manufacturingor whatever.

IT underpins the systems andprocesses and more importantlywill usually offer the key compet-itive edge, manage and pay thepersonnel, control suppliers andtheir costs, manage prospects andanalyse customers buying habits,not to mention monitoring salesand powering web sites.

But the click-of-a-button effi-ciencies and competitive edgemade possible by all of this some-times obscures the realities of lifefor many firms of all shapes andsizes. That is, the data, web andcloud computing solutions theirbusiness eco-systems increas-ingly depend on are only as goodas the quality and reliability of theservers and networks supportingthem. If these breakdown, suffer asecurity breach or a natural dis-aster such as from fire or flood,some or all business operationsare likely to be affected, often withserious consequences.

Over the past twenty years or so,larger businesses have typicallyaddressed these issues by buildingtheir own data centres close tooffice premises to house their mis-sion-critical servers and storageequipment.

But this approach has had itsown problems, not least the con-siderable capital expenditure in-volved in construction and theheadache of keeping up to datewith latest hardware and softwaredevelopments. Energy efficiencyhas also become a major chal-lenge, with spiralling power costsand taxes on carbon emissions.

With this in mind and amidst agrowing realisation that IT is keyto business agility and competit-ive advantage, many larger busi-nesses, including a few in thisregion, are increasingly out-sourcing some or all of their IToperations to specialist ‘coloca-t i o n’ data centre operators. Theseprovide customers with space,power and infrastructure to houseand operate their own IT servers,or alternatively manage this forthem. But though cost-effectivefor larger companies such anoption has not been so viable forSMEs here or elsewhere in the UKdue to high costs and lack of qual-ity. Even though these firms arebecoming increasingly aware ofthe risks of keeping mission-critical data in insecure computerrooms or committing it to thecloud, many managers have beenleft with little or no choice than tocontinue to do so.

While most certainly cloud pro-viders can offer them many bene-fits in terms of pay-as- you- go andaccess to the very latest businessapplications, these services stilldepend on the reliability and se-curity of servers in data centressomewhere. So unless you knowand trust the data centre behind

your cloud provider, storingmission-critical data in the cloudcan be risky.

Fortunately for SME businessesthere is a wind of change blowingthrough the data centre servicesindustry and it’s heading this waylargely thanks to the tumblingcost of high-speed fibre networks.These are provided by telecomcarriers and internet service pro-viders (ISPs) and are essential forcarrying data practically any-where between everyone andeverything. Their relative low costnow makes it much more viablefor operators to take the kind ofnext generation data centre facil-ities traditionally clusteredaround London close to the tele-com exchanges and replicate themmuch further afield.

This means larger and highercalibre colocation data centreswill no longer remain the exclus-ive preserve of very large busi-nesses and will become increas-ingly accessible and affordable forsmall and growing firms in re-gional areas.

NGD is one of the first operatorsmake a very large state-of-the-artdata centre available in the SouthWest region, an area which hasbeen somewhat under-served sof ar.

At 750,000 square feet, the facil-ity has the economies of scale aswell as the power and resilientinfrastructure necessary for ac-commodating and future proofingany company’s data storage re-quirements, large or small.

It also functions as a major re-gional hub for multiple interna-tional telecom carriers and ISPsto ensure customers can be con-nected far and wide, includingmillisecond latency to London.

Apart from the security andbusiness continuity benefits thisnew breed of mega data centre canundoubtedly provide compared tothe alternatives discussed, it alsobrings significant cost savings onIT energy usage and carbon emis-sions taxes. This is due to majorinvestments in the very latestenergy optimisation and coolingsystems and a total commitmentto using renewable green energy.

As the strategic value of IT tobusinesses of all kinds continuesto grow along with demand formore secure and resilient datafacilities, it is only a matter oftime until more data centre oper-ators follow our lead in buildingmodern facilities in the SouthWest, furthering our vision oftransforming the region into amajor international data centrehub and alternative to London.

This can only be good news forthe continued security and futureprosperity of businesses basedhere. Equally, in our digital age,the ‘ma gnetic’ effect of large worldclass data centres in attractingnational and international busi-nesses and talent cannot be under-estimated, to the benefit of there gion’s economy as a whole.

Web: www.ngd.co.uk

Simon Taylor is chairman of NGD

How does your DataCentre measure up?

1. Prerequisites High security,abundant power, fast network links anddemonstrable energy efficiency shouldcome ‘as standard’ – check industryaccreditations for proof (ISO, PCI DCIand BREEAM)2. Location It may appear ‘convenient’to use a colocation partner in a nearbyconverted office building but there maybe insufficient space and power forfuture expansion. Consider too theimpact of the location on businesscontinuity and security – being awayfrom flood plains, large urban areas andflight paths reduces exposure to therisks3. Engineering support Check thelevel and calibre of engineering supportavailable on-site for assistance on serverconfiguration, rack installation, capacityplanning etc.4. Terms and conditions Are thesestraightforward and will they meet yourneeds today as well as tomorrow? Howis power charged – is it metered perrack/per user?5. Speed of deployment Howquickly will your racks be installed,tested and operational? Is it just amatter of hours or several days? Thedifference can impact significantly onproductivity and installation charges

6. Access to data Is there a legalagreement in place should your cloudprovider or data centre go intoadministration? An escrow agreementwill ensure you have legal access toretrieving your data7. Resilience and disasterrecovery Are sufficient back-upsystems and fail-safe measures in placeto mitigate unplanned downtime? Howquickly will services be resumed shouldthe worst happen? ‘Tier 3’ categorydata centres should be used as aminimum

‘Being away fromflood plains, largeurban areas andflight paths reducesexposure to risks’

‘If these breakdown,suffer a securitybreach or a naturaldisaster such asfrom fire or flood,some or all businessoperations are likelyto be affected, oftenwith seriousconsequences’

ProfileNGD

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 1918 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Information Technology

For businesses in the South West,concerns over data loss or un-planned downtime could be athing of the past with the availab-ility of truly world-class datacentre facilities from Next Gener-ation Data.

The UK-owned operator has in-vested millions in building thebiggest and most secure datacentre in Europe for storing dataand powering cloud, web and datahosting services on behalf of alltypes of organisations – day in dayout.

The good news is that unlikemost other global data centres ofthis calibre, the NGD Europe datacentre is purposely located wellaway from London and the SouthEast.

In fact, its close proximity toBristol and the M4 and M5 makesit conveniently located to thewhole of our region and beyond.

Already ‘home’ to some verylarge government and multina-tional organisations providingtheir own data and cloud hostingservices, BT, CGI (with offices inBristol), IBM and Wipro included,NGD is also fast becoming a havenfor smaller and growing busi-nesses across the region and iskeen to attract more.

Locally-based companies suchas Computershare TechnologyServices (UK), Hub Network Ser-vices, UNIT4, Ovo Energy andSouthern Telecom have alreadytaken advantage of NGD’s modernpurpose-built facilities to more se-curely store and manage theirdata, and in some cases delivertheir own cloud service solutionsto other businesses in the area andfurther afield.

As firms continue to recognisethe strategic importance of IT totheir business performance, NGDis under no illusions about theabsolute necessity of keeping cus-tomer data safe and all the poten-tial risks posed, from the inherent‘fra gility’ of web and cloud infra-structure, to things altogethermore sinister such as cyber oreven physical terror attack.

“With more businesses in theregion relying on applications andservices supplied through cloudproviders or directly placing theirown critical IT systems in thehands of colocation data centres,it is vitally important they fullyevaluate the reliability, securityand disaster recovery credentials

Main picture; Nick Razey, CEO NextGeneration Data (NGD) Europe at theofficial opening of NGD Europe one of theword’s largest data centres. Above, the£200 million data centre, which has itsown on-site power sub station

World-class datacentre holds futurefor our businesses

of their chosen providers – other-wise it could be case of out of thefrying pan into the fire,” a dv i s e sNGD’s chief executive, NickRaz ey.

“While it makes total businesssense to outsource IT for ensuringgreater security and to increasecompetitive edge by accessing thelatest technologies, there are veryfew data facilities out there up tothe job of supporting the IT anddata storage demands of today’sdynamic service providers andgrowing businesses.”

Not only does NGD’s strategiclocation in a semi-rural area serveto enhance its formidable securitycredentials which include tripleskin walls, bomb-proof glass, anti-ram bollards, prison grade peri-meter fencing and trained secur-ity guards, it affords customersmuch lower pricing compared toLondon and the South East.

T here’s also access to more reli-able power thanks to a direct con-nection to the National Super-Grid. Unusually, all power issourced from renewable energy,including solar, which also en-ables customers to reap the associ-ated green benefits such as lowercost energy, carbon tax exemp-tion, not to mention enhanced cor-porate social responsibility cre-d e n t i a l s.

At 750,000 square feet (the size ofLondon Heathrow Terminal 5)and with enough power availableto supply Bristol, NGD offers thespace and flexibility to suit busi-nesses of all shapes and sizes, cost-effectively housing one or literallyhundreds of server racks neces-sary for supporting immediateand future computing require-m e n t s.

Apart from the cutting-edge‘Tier 3+’ facilities and IT infra-structure on offer, NGD hasn’toverlooked the human touch withhighly qualified on-site engineer-ing and sales support personnelon hand for managing customerequipment installations, provid-ing round-the-clock technical as-sistance, equipment advice andsupply, managing conferenceroom requirements, and muchmore besides.

With facilities and resourcessuch as these on the doorstep, there gion’s businesses can be as-sured there’s no safer place onEarth for entrusting their data.

Information Technology

High-profile hacks that saw private photographs of Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence,among others, leaked onto the internet and the intense embarrassment and commercialdamage suffered by Sony when it was hacked, allegedly by North Korea over controversialfilm The Interview, have brought into focus how critical data security is. But are businessesin the West taking enough steps to protect their vital IT infrastructure?

Expert ViewSimon Taylor

In this digital age all businessesare effectively IT businesses, nomatter what they actually make orsell.

Just about every company is anIT company whether in retail, pro-fessional services, manufacturingor whatever.

IT underpins the systems andprocesses and more importantlywill usually offer the key compet-itive edge, manage and pay thepersonnel, control suppliers andtheir costs, manage prospects andanalyse customers buying habits,not to mention monitoring salesand powering web sites.

But the click-of-a-button effi-ciencies and competitive edgemade possible by all of this some-times obscures the realities of lifefor many firms of all shapes andsizes. That is, the data, web andcloud computing solutions theirbusiness eco-systems increas-ingly depend on are only as goodas the quality and reliability of theservers and networks supportingthem. If these breakdown, suffer asecurity breach or a natural dis-aster such as from fire or flood,some or all business operationsare likely to be affected, often withserious consequences.

Over the past twenty years or so,larger businesses have typicallyaddressed these issues by buildingtheir own data centres close tooffice premises to house their mis-sion-critical servers and storageequipment.

But this approach has had itsown problems, not least the con-siderable capital expenditure in-volved in construction and theheadache of keeping up to datewith latest hardware and softwaredevelopments. Energy efficiencyhas also become a major chal-lenge, with spiralling power costsand taxes on carbon emissions.

With this in mind and amidst agrowing realisation that IT is keyto business agility and competit-ive advantage, many larger busi-nesses, including a few in thisregion, are increasingly out-sourcing some or all of their IToperations to specialist ‘coloca-t i o n’ data centre operators. Theseprovide customers with space,power and infrastructure to houseand operate their own IT servers,or alternatively manage this forthem. But though cost-effectivefor larger companies such anoption has not been so viable forSMEs here or elsewhere in the UKdue to high costs and lack of qual-ity. Even though these firms arebecoming increasingly aware ofthe risks of keeping mission-critical data in insecure computerrooms or committing it to thecloud, many managers have beenleft with little or no choice than tocontinue to do so.

While most certainly cloud pro-viders can offer them many bene-fits in terms of pay-as- you- go andaccess to the very latest businessapplications, these services stilldepend on the reliability and se-curity of servers in data centressomewhere. So unless you knowand trust the data centre behind

your cloud provider, storingmission-critical data in the cloudcan be risky.

Fortunately for SME businessesthere is a wind of change blowingthrough the data centre servicesindustry and it’s heading this waylargely thanks to the tumblingcost of high-speed fibre networks.These are provided by telecomcarriers and internet service pro-viders (ISPs) and are essential forcarrying data practically any-where between everyone andeverything. Their relative low costnow makes it much more viablefor operators to take the kind ofnext generation data centre facil-ities traditionally clusteredaround London close to the tele-com exchanges and replicate themmuch further afield.

This means larger and highercalibre colocation data centreswill no longer remain the exclus-ive preserve of very large busi-nesses and will become increas-ingly accessible and affordable forsmall and growing firms in re-gional areas.

NGD is one of the first operatorsmake a very large state-of-the-artdata centre available in the SouthWest region, an area which hasbeen somewhat under-served sof ar.

At 750,000 square feet, the facil-ity has the economies of scale aswell as the power and resilientinfrastructure necessary for ac-commodating and future proofingany company’s data storage re-quirements, large or small.

It also functions as a major re-gional hub for multiple interna-tional telecom carriers and ISPsto ensure customers can be con-nected far and wide, includingmillisecond latency to London.

Apart from the security andbusiness continuity benefits thisnew breed of mega data centre canundoubtedly provide compared tothe alternatives discussed, it alsobrings significant cost savings onIT energy usage and carbon emis-sions taxes. This is due to majorinvestments in the very latestenergy optimisation and coolingsystems and a total commitmentto using renewable green energy.

As the strategic value of IT tobusinesses of all kinds continuesto grow along with demand formore secure and resilient datafacilities, it is only a matter oftime until more data centre oper-ators follow our lead in buildingmodern facilities in the SouthWest, furthering our vision oftransforming the region into amajor international data centrehub and alternative to London.

This can only be good news forthe continued security and futureprosperity of businesses basedhere. Equally, in our digital age,the ‘ma gnetic’ effect of large worldclass data centres in attractingnational and international busi-nesses and talent cannot be under-estimated, to the benefit of there gion’s economy as a whole.

Web: www.ngd.co.uk

Simon Taylor is chairman of NGD

How does your DataCentre measure up?

1. Prerequisites High security,abundant power, fast network links anddemonstrable energy efficiency shouldcome ‘as standard’ – check industryaccreditations for proof (ISO, PCI DCIand BREEAM)2. Location It may appear ‘convenient’to use a colocation partner in a nearbyconverted office building but there maybe insufficient space and power forfuture expansion. Consider too theimpact of the location on businesscontinuity and security – being awayfrom flood plains, large urban areas andflight paths reduces exposure to therisks3. Engineering support Check thelevel and calibre of engineering supportavailable on-site for assistance on serverconfiguration, rack installation, capacityplanning etc.4. Terms and conditions Are thesestraightforward and will they meet yourneeds today as well as tomorrow? Howis power charged – is it metered perrack/per user?5. Speed of deployment Howquickly will your racks be installed,tested and operational? Is it just amatter of hours or several days? Thedifference can impact significantly onproductivity and installation charges

6. Access to data Is there a legalagreement in place should your cloudprovider or data centre go intoadministration? An escrow agreementwill ensure you have legal access toretrieving your data7. Resilience and disasterrecovery Are sufficient back-upsystems and fail-safe measures in placeto mitigate unplanned downtime? Howquickly will services be resumed shouldthe worst happen? ‘Tier 3’ categorydata centres should be used as aminimum

‘Being away fromflood plains, largeurban areas andflight paths reducesexposure to risks’

‘If these breakdown,suffer a securitybreach or a naturaldisaster such asfrom fire or flood,some or all businessoperations are likelyto be affected, oftenwith seriousconsequences’

ProfileNGD

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Aerospace

Vital sector cancontinue to powerregion’s economy

Flying highSimon YoungThe aerospace sector across the SouthWest is world leading, but it will takeplanning and foresight to keep it thatway. Gavin Thompson meets SimonYoung, the man in charge of theindustry body trying to pull the visiontogether

Filton is a once-in-a-generationopportunity for the aerospace in-dustry, according to Simon Young,chief executive of the West of Eng-land Aerospace Forum.

That remark might surprisesome in the wider community,who looked on the closure of theairfield by owner BAE Systems in2012 as a harbinger of doom forBristol’s aerospace industry.

“T hat’s not a language I hear atall,” says Mr Young, not quitefalling off his chair. “I hear theopposite. The passion among thebusinesses already here whothink ‘we are where we are be-cause of the what’s gone beforeand the skills here’.

“The language from industry isnot about leaving, it’s about sus-taining and growing. The future isfantastic. This is certainly notabout aerospace leaving Bristol.

“Filton has been at the centre ofaerospace for 100 years,” he adds.“Look at the heritage aroundFilton. Concorde, Rolls-Royce, GK,it is immensely rich heritage andwith the big names there now wefeel passionate about not wastingthat heritage.”

He says the development of theairfield is an opportunity for theindustry. “It’s brilliant that theBristol Aerospace CollectionTrust is going to create an incred-ible learning facility basedaround the past, present andf u t u re, ” he says.

“It’s a misnomer to just call itthe Concorde museum, thoughthat will be a magnificentcentrepiece. What that will do toenthuse and engage young peopleand teachers about the brillianceof engineering is phenomenal.”

Yes, Mr Young admits people inthe industry were saddened by theairfield closure, but thingschang e.

“Whilst we would all love tohave seen the airfield stay active,it can only stay active if you havegot a demonstrable need for it,” hesays. “So we acknowledge it’s agreat opportunity to service thesocial economic need for housing.“But we also want to see thataerospace exploits the opportun-ity to sustain those high-quality,high-value jobs that keep theSouth West and UK at forefront ofdesign and technology.

“We are working with the localauthority and the Local Enter-prise Partnership and BAE Sys-tems, which owns the land, to ask‘can we have a suitable area madeavailable that we can use to putnew capabilities in’,” he says.

“Some of those maybe specificindustry needs, such as a com-pany wants a building there, orcould be more collaborative suchas supply chain incubator units.But make no bones about it, it willbe a jewel in the crown.”

This means making sure theland freed up by the closure is putto the right use, and specificallythat enough of the right kind ofspace is there for the aerospaceindustry to expand.

“It can be far too easy for de-velopers to meet the demands foremployment targets for the landby putting high-density jobs in it,”says Mr Young. “Call centres andoffices all play a part in our eco-nomy. But the high-skilled jobsthat are associated with aerospaced o n’t come from high-densitys i t e s. ”

The challenge is for industry tobe quick enough to influence theplanning process. And that’swhere WEAF has a big role to play.The organisation has evolved inrecent years. It was largely fundedthrough the South West RegionalDevelopment Agency and hadaround 800 members. When theagency was scrapped, it was left tofind its own way.

A subscription fee was intro-duced and although membershipplummeted to closer to 150, the

An Airbus engineer assembling wings at its factory at Filton PICTURE: SIMON GALLOWAY

organisation become self-finan-cing.

The not-for-profit body now em-ploys eight people at its offices inClevedon. Mr Young joined aschief executive in last January,leaving a teaching job in Oxford-shire to return to aerospace.

He had previously had a numberof roles including running theavionics division for what wasthen Smiths Aerospace and is nowGE Aviation Systems near Chel-tenham. Go back further and hewas a jet pilot in the Royal AirFo rc e.

The aerospace sector has beenworking with Government todraw up a national investmentstrategy called the AerospaceGrowth Partnership, and WEAFhas taken on the task of develop-ing a local vision.

“Everybody was saying thiss h o u l d n’t be owned by Airbus,AgustaWestland or Rolls-Royce,it’s sector strategy,” says Simon.“They turned to WEAF and said‘it’s about time you guys steppedup to act as custodian of this onthe sector’s behalf ’ and that’s therole WEAF is now playing.”

Innovation Aerospace – or iAero– is becoming a blueprint for howthe sector will develop in thecoming years in Bristol and theSouth West.

Mr Young said: “It’s a strategyfocusing around the things we aregood at. We are leaders in wingdesign, wing integration, enginecontrols and integration ontowings, rotary aircraft integrationand design. The strategy is aboutsustaining that expertise and stay-ing out in front.

“Composites are very much partof that. There are new ideas all thetime on how to use composites, it’sa key area, along with additivelayer manufacturing (3D print-ing).

“There is an expertise emerginghere in these areas.”

He explains the strategy isabout businesses and other organ-isations working together formutual gain.

“We are trying to create a stra-tegic landscape that can help thewhole supply chain move forwardfaster and more coherently than itcurrently does,” he says.

The future of the Filton site willbe a key part of that strategy andMr Young is keen to get it right.

“We ’re trying to achieve a bal-ance so that amount of enterpriseland is neither so excessive thatyou can’t build enough houses butneither are we being choked off sothat we don’t find in five years’time that there’s a fantastic oppor-tunity but we just don’t have thereal estate.

“Industry can’t say ‘we wanthalf the site but we don’t knowwhat we are going to do with it’.“But it does take industry longerto crystallise what those needsa re. ”

The aerospace industry is usedto working in long cycles. It takesyears to design and build a newa e ro p l a n e.

But if the development of Filtonreally is an opportunity for thesector, it needs to move quickly orrisk seeing that it pass by. It isindeed time for WEAF to spreadits wings.

What is WEAF?The West of England AerospaceForum is a membership organisa-tion for the industry across muchof the South West, from Tewkes-bury to Cornwall.

It aims to help members grow, bemore competitive and offer themsuppor t.

It runs networking events,offers professional services andalso delivers funding projects,such as NATEP.

What is NATEP?The National Aerospace Techno-logy Exploitation Programme.

It is a scheme were businessescan secure funding up to £150,000for products or services that arepast the concept stage but wherethe company us struggling to giveit a final push to make it sale-abl e.

There are several criteria:It’s got to create new jobs or at

least preserve existing ones.It has to be collaborative,

making companies look for othercompanies or academia to workwith.

And it has to have “e n d - s u reva l i d at i o n ”. That means getting apotential end user for the productto agree it’s a good idea. Thatprocess helps the manufacturer tohone the product and make surethere is a market.

Several rounds have alreadypassed but there are further dead-lines in March for applications.Simon Young, chief executive of the West

of England Aerospace Forum

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 2120 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Aerospace

Vital sector cancontinue to powerregion’s economy

Flying highSimon YoungThe aerospace sector across the SouthWest is world leading, but it will takeplanning and foresight to keep it thatway. Gavin Thompson meets SimonYoung, the man in charge of theindustry body trying to pull the visiontogether

Filton is a once-in-a-generationopportunity for the aerospace in-dustry, according to Simon Young,chief executive of the West of Eng-land Aerospace Forum.

That remark might surprisesome in the wider community,who looked on the closure of theairfield by owner BAE Systems in2012 as a harbinger of doom forBristol’s aerospace industry.

“T hat’s not a language I hear atall,” says Mr Young, not quitefalling off his chair. “I hear theopposite. The passion among thebusinesses already here whothink ‘we are where we are be-cause of the what’s gone beforeand the skills here’.

“The language from industry isnot about leaving, it’s about sus-taining and growing. The future isfantastic. This is certainly notabout aerospace leaving Bristol.

“Filton has been at the centre ofaerospace for 100 years,” he adds.“Look at the heritage aroundFilton. Concorde, Rolls-Royce, GK,it is immensely rich heritage andwith the big names there now wefeel passionate about not wastingthat heritage.”

He says the development of theairfield is an opportunity for theindustry. “It’s brilliant that theBristol Aerospace CollectionTrust is going to create an incred-ible learning facility basedaround the past, present andf u t u re, ” he says.

“It’s a misnomer to just call itthe Concorde museum, thoughthat will be a magnificentcentrepiece. What that will do toenthuse and engage young peopleand teachers about the brillianceof engineering is phenomenal.”

Yes, Mr Young admits people inthe industry were saddened by theairfield closure, but thingschang e.

“Whilst we would all love tohave seen the airfield stay active,it can only stay active if you havegot a demonstrable need for it,” hesays. “So we acknowledge it’s agreat opportunity to service thesocial economic need for housing.“But we also want to see thataerospace exploits the opportun-ity to sustain those high-quality,high-value jobs that keep theSouth West and UK at forefront ofdesign and technology.

“We are working with the localauthority and the Local Enter-prise Partnership and BAE Sys-tems, which owns the land, to ask‘can we have a suitable area madeavailable that we can use to putnew capabilities in’,” he says.

“Some of those maybe specificindustry needs, such as a com-pany wants a building there, orcould be more collaborative suchas supply chain incubator units.But make no bones about it, it willbe a jewel in the crown.”

This means making sure theland freed up by the closure is putto the right use, and specificallythat enough of the right kind ofspace is there for the aerospaceindustry to expand.

“It can be far too easy for de-velopers to meet the demands foremployment targets for the landby putting high-density jobs in it,”says Mr Young. “Call centres andoffices all play a part in our eco-nomy. But the high-skilled jobsthat are associated with aerospaced o n’t come from high-densitys i t e s. ”

The challenge is for industry tobe quick enough to influence theplanning process. And that’swhere WEAF has a big role to play.The organisation has evolved inrecent years. It was largely fundedthrough the South West RegionalDevelopment Agency and hadaround 800 members. When theagency was scrapped, it was left tofind its own way.

A subscription fee was intro-duced and although membershipplummeted to closer to 150, the

An Airbus engineer assembling wings at its factory at Filton PICTURE: SIMON GALLOWAY

organisation become self-finan-cing.

The not-for-profit body now em-ploys eight people at its offices inClevedon. Mr Young joined aschief executive in last January,leaving a teaching job in Oxford-shire to return to aerospace.

He had previously had a numberof roles including running theavionics division for what wasthen Smiths Aerospace and is nowGE Aviation Systems near Chel-tenham. Go back further and hewas a jet pilot in the Royal AirFo rc e.

The aerospace sector has beenworking with Government todraw up a national investmentstrategy called the AerospaceGrowth Partnership, and WEAFhas taken on the task of develop-ing a local vision.

“Everybody was saying thiss h o u l d n’t be owned by Airbus,AgustaWestland or Rolls-Royce,it’s sector strategy,” says Simon.“They turned to WEAF and said‘it’s about time you guys steppedup to act as custodian of this onthe sector’s behalf ’ and that’s therole WEAF is now playing.”

Innovation Aerospace – or iAero– is becoming a blueprint for howthe sector will develop in thecoming years in Bristol and theSouth West.

Mr Young said: “It’s a strategyfocusing around the things we aregood at. We are leaders in wingdesign, wing integration, enginecontrols and integration ontowings, rotary aircraft integrationand design. The strategy is aboutsustaining that expertise and stay-ing out in front.

“Composites are very much partof that. There are new ideas all thetime on how to use composites, it’sa key area, along with additivelayer manufacturing (3D print-ing).

“There is an expertise emerginghere in these areas.”

He explains the strategy isabout businesses and other organ-isations working together formutual gain.

“We are trying to create a stra-tegic landscape that can help thewhole supply chain move forwardfaster and more coherently than itcurrently does,” he says.

The future of the Filton site willbe a key part of that strategy andMr Young is keen to get it right.

“We ’re trying to achieve a bal-ance so that amount of enterpriseland is neither so excessive thatyou can’t build enough houses butneither are we being choked off sothat we don’t find in five years’time that there’s a fantastic oppor-tunity but we just don’t have thereal estate.

“Industry can’t say ‘we wanthalf the site but we don’t knowwhat we are going to do with it’.“But it does take industry longerto crystallise what those needsa re. ”

The aerospace industry is usedto working in long cycles. It takesyears to design and build a newa e ro p l a n e.

But if the development of Filtonreally is an opportunity for thesector, it needs to move quickly orrisk seeing that it pass by. It isindeed time for WEAF to spreadits wings.

What is WEAF?The West of England AerospaceForum is a membership organisa-tion for the industry across muchof the South West, from Tewkes-bury to Cornwall.

It aims to help members grow, bemore competitive and offer themsuppor t.

It runs networking events,offers professional services andalso delivers funding projects,such as NATEP.

What is NATEP?The National Aerospace Techno-logy Exploitation Programme.

It is a scheme were businessescan secure funding up to £150,000for products or services that arepast the concept stage but wherethe company us struggling to giveit a final push to make it sale-abl e.

There are several criteria:It’s got to create new jobs or at

least preserve existing ones.It has to be collaborative,

making companies look for othercompanies or academia to workwith.

And it has to have “e n d - s u reva l i d at i o n ”. That means getting apotential end user for the productto agree it’s a good idea. Thatprocess helps the manufacturer tohone the product and make surethere is a market.

Several rounds have alreadypassed but there are further dead-lines in March for applications.Simon Young, chief executive of the West

of England Aerospace Forum

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 2322 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Manufacturing

Being prepared fortechnologicaladvances is key

OutlookRight tools are essential

The West Country’s biggest man-ufacturing firm believes such arethe rapid changes in technologythat supply chain firms reallyneed to be on their game to thrivein future.

Airbus chief operating officerTom Williams believes suppliersaround Bristol need to push theboundaries of technology aroundcomposite materials and 3D print-ing.

“With 3D printing we have notyet fully exploited the potential,”he told our sister paper the BristolPo s t last week.

“Most things made in this wayhave been simply copying a partwe have already designed andmade. The next step will be tocombine several parts. That willbe big the change in the next threeor four years.”

The only Brit on the board atAirbus finds it hard to envisage acompletely 3D-printed plane anytime soon. Instead, he’s looking tokeep depending on the supplychain in the South West, which hebelieves to be in good shape.

“GKN is one of our biggest sup-pliers and a partner and we have agreat working relationship withthem,” he said.

“There are a lot of small andmedium-sized enterprises aroundthe Bristol area too, particularlyaround structure design and partswith engineering capability.”

Another challenge is recruit-ment. Sitting at the top of the foodchain, Airbus can attract the rightlevel of talent but he believes it isvital for Airbus that its suppliersfurther down the chain can do thes a m e.

“We have to make sure we en-courage enough young people todo the science, technology, mathsand engineering subjects,” hesaid. “You can’t really be success-ful in our business without astrong grasp of mathematics andp hy s i c s.

“In particular we need morewomen and we are encouraginggirls to keep studying maths atA-level standard.”

Meanwhile Simon Howes, theManufacturing Advisory Servicearea director for South West Eng-land said it is vital manufacturerskeep up with latest technologyand operate efficiently.

He said: “Over the last year, theMAS, which is now part of theBusiness Growth Service, hasworked with a number of ambi-

tious and innovative manufactur-ers in the West Country and Icontinue to be inspired by theirdrive to keep looking for oppor-tunities to improve, diversify andexpand their operations.

“This commitment to growth ishighlighted by the results fromour most recent quarterly man-ufacturing barometer survey,which revealed that nearly twothirds (61 per cent) of SME man-ufacturers in the region intend toinvest in new technology, ma-chinery or premises by the springof 2015.

“In the year ahead, MAS willcontinue to support and encour-age businesses to tap into oppor-tunities presented by significantprojects planned or under way,including Hinkley Point, Cross-rail and HS2, as well as throughkey growth sectors such asmarine and offshore wind.

“The contribution of the SouthWe s t ’s manufacturing capabilityin supply chains such asaerospace, defence and food anddrink is also to be commended.

“In collaboration with UK Trade& Investment, we are also workingclosely with manufacturers thatare actively looking to bring pro-duction back to the UK or winwork that had previously goneoverseas. This will help createjobs and further support the localand national economy.

“The tenacity and creativity ofthe region’s manufactures neverceases to amaze me and I have agreat deal of confidence in them.We are committed to help themsucceed.”

One of the firms that MAS workswith is Probiotics International.

The firm, which is based inLopen, South Somerset, manufac-tures a range of innovative,research based probiotic productsfor the veterinary, human, agri-culture and equine healthcarem a rke t s.

It has increased its turnover by40 per cent and is exporting tomore than 50 countries after in-vesting £500,000 in state-of-the-artequipment after a detailed ana-lysis of its production processes.

Led by MAS, the review high-lighted that some equipment wasnot operating as efficiently as itcould and other machineryneeded replacing.

Toby Lewis, managing directorof Probiotics International, ex-plained: “A number of our team

From top; Airbus board member Tom Williams; Toby Lewis, managing director ofProbiotics International Ltd and Craig Peterson of Future Advanced Manufacture inCheltenham with MAS advisor John Phillipart.

leaders attended a MAS workshopon lean manufacturing wherethey were introduced to tools andtechniques that enabled them tolook at the business from a dif-ferent perspective. They were ableto visualise how significant im-provements could be madethrough reduced changeover andcycle times. We went away from

the project empowered to imple-ment changes for the good of thebu s i n e s s. ”

Another firm which hails thesupport it received from the or-ganisation is Future AdvancedManufacture, which is based inCheltenham.

It has increased its turnover by30 per cent and created 20 new jobsafter reshaping its businessmodel.

The company, which manufac-tures a range of high precisioncomponents for the aerospace, oiland gas, marine and defence in-dustries, benefited from a stra-tegic review of its business modelas well as detailed analysis of itsproduction processes.

Within a year, the businessachieved its goal of achieving a 50/50 split between R&D and highcomplexity, repeat manufacture.This enabled it to consolidate op-erations by bringing all businessunits together under one roof at anew 38,000 sq ft factory, which inturn has led to a 15 per cent in-crease in efficiency.

Craig Peterson, managing dir-ector of Future Advanced Man-ufacture, said: “As a result of thework done with MAS we have beenable to increase our appeal to awider customer base. “This hasenabled us win a landmark £1.5million contract to manufactureand supply a key component for alocal business, re-shoring produc-tion back to the UK from China inorder to reduce lead times andcosts, and increase quality con-t ro l . ”

Meanwhile the latest figuresfrom business and financial ad-viser Grant Thornton’s Agents ofGrowth series suggest that mid-sized businesses will continue todrive the research and develop-ment agenda in the year ahead, aswell as being the largest investorin new technologies.

According to the research, overthe past 12 months mid-sized busi-nesses expenditure on researchand development has grown by2.7 per cent, marginally ahead ofthe 2.4 per cent growth reportedby their larger and smaller coun-ter parts.

Over the next year, nearly aquarter are expected to increasetheir investment in research.

There are approaching 3,000mid-sized businesses in the SouthWest, between them employingmore than 300,000 people.

In 2014, these firms had anestimated combined turnover of£36.6 billion.

Tim Lincoln, practice leader atGrant Thornton in the SouthWest, said: “Innovation lies at theheart of leadership and the UK hasfor generations been looked at as aleader in developing new techno-logies, processes and ways ofthinking.

“It now risks losing thissignificantly valuable trait toother economies which are pro-actively offering their businesscommunities more support andencouragement to invest in R&D.

“In order for the UK to remain arelevant contender amongstglobal business hubs, more needsto be done to support its criticalmass of MSBs in developing theprocesses and technologies whichstrengthen the competitiveness ofBritish businesses.”

‘The tenacity andcreativity of theregion’smanufactures neverceases to amaze’

MESSIER-BUGATTI-DOWTYBUILT-TO-ENDURE

Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, a Safran group company, is the world leader in the design, development, manufactureand support of aircraft landing and braking systems. The company supplies innovative landing gear solutions to30 leading commercial, military, business and regional aircraft manufacturers.We support more than 24,000 aircraftin-service, making over 40,000 landings every day.

The company employs 7,000 staffworldwide in locations across Europe, North America and Asia, including a teamof 1,200 people in Gloucester at the company’s UK landing gear production and repair facilities. The Gloucesterfacility has been at the forefront of landing gear technology for over 80 years, dating from the innovative designsof Sir George Dowty to the advanced landing gears for the world’s most modern aircraft.

Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, Cheltenham Road East, Gloucester, GL2 9QHTel: 01452 712424www.safranmbd.com

MBD_Western_Daily_Press_advert_Jan_2015_Layout 1 07/01/2015 15:29 Page 1

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 2322 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Manufacturing

Being prepared fortechnologicaladvances is key

OutlookRight tools are essential

The West Country’s biggest man-ufacturing firm believes such arethe rapid changes in technologythat supply chain firms reallyneed to be on their game to thrivein future.

Airbus chief operating officerTom Williams believes suppliersaround Bristol need to push theboundaries of technology aroundcomposite materials and 3D print-ing.

“With 3D printing we have notyet fully exploited the potential,”he told our sister paper the BristolPo s t last week.

“Most things made in this wayhave been simply copying a partwe have already designed andmade. The next step will be tocombine several parts. That willbe big the change in the next threeor four years.”

The only Brit on the board atAirbus finds it hard to envisage acompletely 3D-printed plane anytime soon. Instead, he’s looking tokeep depending on the supplychain in the South West, which hebelieves to be in good shape.

“GKN is one of our biggest sup-pliers and a partner and we have agreat working relationship withthem,” he said.

“There are a lot of small andmedium-sized enterprises aroundthe Bristol area too, particularlyaround structure design and partswith engineering capability.”

Another challenge is recruit-ment. Sitting at the top of the foodchain, Airbus can attract the rightlevel of talent but he believes it isvital for Airbus that its suppliersfurther down the chain can do thes a m e.

“We have to make sure we en-courage enough young people todo the science, technology, mathsand engineering subjects,” hesaid. “You can’t really be success-ful in our business without astrong grasp of mathematics andp hy s i c s.

“In particular we need morewomen and we are encouraginggirls to keep studying maths atA-level standard.”

Meanwhile Simon Howes, theManufacturing Advisory Servicearea director for South West Eng-land said it is vital manufacturerskeep up with latest technologyand operate efficiently.

He said: “Over the last year, theMAS, which is now part of theBusiness Growth Service, hasworked with a number of ambi-

tious and innovative manufactur-ers in the West Country and Icontinue to be inspired by theirdrive to keep looking for oppor-tunities to improve, diversify andexpand their operations.

“This commitment to growth ishighlighted by the results fromour most recent quarterly man-ufacturing barometer survey,which revealed that nearly twothirds (61 per cent) of SME man-ufacturers in the region intend toinvest in new technology, ma-chinery or premises by the springof 2015.

“In the year ahead, MAS willcontinue to support and encour-age businesses to tap into oppor-tunities presented by significantprojects planned or under way,including Hinkley Point, Cross-rail and HS2, as well as throughkey growth sectors such asmarine and offshore wind.

“The contribution of the SouthWe s t ’s manufacturing capabilityin supply chains such asaerospace, defence and food anddrink is also to be commended.

“In collaboration with UK Trade& Investment, we are also workingclosely with manufacturers thatare actively looking to bring pro-duction back to the UK or winwork that had previously goneoverseas. This will help createjobs and further support the localand national economy.

“The tenacity and creativity ofthe region’s manufactures neverceases to amaze me and I have agreat deal of confidence in them.We are committed to help themsucceed.”

One of the firms that MAS workswith is Probiotics International.

The firm, which is based inLopen, South Somerset, manufac-tures a range of innovative,research based probiotic productsfor the veterinary, human, agri-culture and equine healthcarem a rke t s.

It has increased its turnover by40 per cent and is exporting tomore than 50 countries after in-vesting £500,000 in state-of-the-artequipment after a detailed ana-lysis of its production processes.

Led by MAS, the review high-lighted that some equipment wasnot operating as efficiently as itcould and other machineryneeded replacing.

Toby Lewis, managing directorof Probiotics International, ex-plained: “A number of our team

From top; Airbus board member Tom Williams; Toby Lewis, managing director ofProbiotics International Ltd and Craig Peterson of Future Advanced Manufacture inCheltenham with MAS advisor John Phillipart.

leaders attended a MAS workshopon lean manufacturing wherethey were introduced to tools andtechniques that enabled them tolook at the business from a dif-ferent perspective. They were ableto visualise how significant im-provements could be madethrough reduced changeover andcycle times. We went away from

the project empowered to imple-ment changes for the good of thebu s i n e s s. ”

Another firm which hails thesupport it received from the or-ganisation is Future AdvancedManufacture, which is based inCheltenham.

It has increased its turnover by30 per cent and created 20 new jobsafter reshaping its businessmodel.

The company, which manufac-tures a range of high precisioncomponents for the aerospace, oiland gas, marine and defence in-dustries, benefited from a stra-tegic review of its business modelas well as detailed analysis of itsproduction processes.

Within a year, the businessachieved its goal of achieving a 50/50 split between R&D and highcomplexity, repeat manufacture.This enabled it to consolidate op-erations by bringing all businessunits together under one roof at anew 38,000 sq ft factory, which inturn has led to a 15 per cent in-crease in efficiency.

Craig Peterson, managing dir-ector of Future Advanced Man-ufacture, said: “As a result of thework done with MAS we have beenable to increase our appeal to awider customer base. “This hasenabled us win a landmark £1.5million contract to manufactureand supply a key component for alocal business, re-shoring produc-tion back to the UK from China inorder to reduce lead times andcosts, and increase quality con-t ro l . ”

Meanwhile the latest figuresfrom business and financial ad-viser Grant Thornton’s Agents ofGrowth series suggest that mid-sized businesses will continue todrive the research and develop-ment agenda in the year ahead, aswell as being the largest investorin new technologies.

According to the research, overthe past 12 months mid-sized busi-nesses expenditure on researchand development has grown by2.7 per cent, marginally ahead ofthe 2.4 per cent growth reportedby their larger and smaller coun-ter parts.

Over the next year, nearly aquarter are expected to increasetheir investment in research.

There are approaching 3,000mid-sized businesses in the SouthWest, between them employingmore than 300,000 people.

In 2014, these firms had anestimated combined turnover of£36.6 billion.

Tim Lincoln, practice leader atGrant Thornton in the SouthWest, said: “Innovation lies at theheart of leadership and the UK hasfor generations been looked at as aleader in developing new techno-logies, processes and ways ofthinking.

“It now risks losing thissignificantly valuable trait toother economies which are pro-actively offering their businesscommunities more support andencouragement to invest in R&D.

“In order for the UK to remain arelevant contender amongstglobal business hubs, more needsto be done to support its criticalmass of MSBs in developing theprocesses and technologies whichstrengthen the competitiveness ofBritish businesses.”

‘The tenacity andcreativity of theregion’smanufactures neverceases to amaze’

MESSIER-BUGATTI-DOWTYBUILT-TO-ENDURE

Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, a Safran group company, is the world leader in the design, development, manufactureand support of aircraft landing and braking systems. The company supplies innovative landing gear solutions to30 leading commercial, military, business and regional aircraft manufacturers.We support more than 24,000 aircraftin-service, making over 40,000 landings every day.

The company employs 7,000 staffworldwide in locations across Europe, North America and Asia, including a teamof 1,200 people in Gloucester at the company’s UK landing gear production and repair facilities. The Gloucesterfacility has been at the forefront of landing gear technology for over 80 years, dating from the innovative designsof Sir George Dowty to the advanced landing gears for the world’s most modern aircraft.

Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, Cheltenham Road East, Gloucester, GL2 9QHTel: 01452 712424www.safranmbd.com

MBD_Western_Daily_Press_advert_Jan_2015_Layout 1 07/01/2015 15:29 Page 1

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 2524 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Te c h n o l o g y

The Bloodhound Supersonic Car(SSC) is the ultimate manifest-ation of the technological prowessof the South West.

Ultra-fast, ground-breaking andattracting international atten-tion.

The engineers, designers and

innovators working away inAvonmouth at the very frontier ofhow fast man can travel on landepitomise all that is best about asector that is winning renownacross the globe.

Importantly, there is scarcely aschool in the land that isn’t fol-

The rocket will generate 180decibels of sound - louder than a747 aircraft at take off.

The rocket will also generate3,000C of heat - twice as hot as theinside of a volcano.

The jet engine is so powerful, itcould suck all the air out of anaverage-sized house in threes e c o n d s.

All of this hasn’t happenedeasily though; it is the result of 110“man years” (or roughly 963,600man hours) to design and buildthe amazing rocket- powered car.

A spokesperson for the projectsaid: “One hundred and ten man-years have been invested in thedesign, build and manufacture ofthe Bloodhound SSC, which is ontrack to challenge the Land SpeedRecord later this year in the Ka-lahari Desert, South Africa.

It is fair to say that Bristol andthe world’s eyes will be on Hak-skeen Pan when Mr Green strapshimself into the cockpit later thisye a r.

He will, of course, be followingin the footsteps of earlier gen-erations of pioneering West Coun-try technology that holds worldspeed records.

Fastest passenger plane ever

Te c h n o l o g yand undisputed queen of the skiesConcorde was designed in Filton –with a little help from Aerospa-tiale friends in Toulouse.

Fastest recorded helicopter –that will be a Yeovil-built Lynx,piloted by John Egginton over theSomerset Levels in 1986.

It is probably just about time theWest adds the land-speed record toits crown...

There are hundreds of jewels inthat crown, many of whichsparkled in 2014.

One trend that was impossibleto miss in 2014 was the continuedrise of technology start-ups in theWest and the number of Londontech firms investing in there gion.

Among the deals that grabbedheadlines was Twitter buyingBristol-based analytics companyS e c o n d S y n c.

Not to be outdone, Twitter’sgreat rival Facebook also dippedinto its coffers to acquire Westexper tise.

It bought Somerset drone firmAscenta for an estimated£12.5 million.

The publicity shy firm was foun-ded on a remote farm and is thebrainchild of former Qinetiq manAndrew Cox.

Also making a name for itselfaway from the region’s biggercities is mobile games studioN e o n p l ay.

Rather than a somewhat grubbyEast London set-up it is based in aformer museum in Cirencesterthat backs onto the Bathurstestate – very much a case of thenew business world meeting theCotswolds aristocracy.

Another announcement thathighlighted the attractiveness ofthe South West for mobile firmswas Somo opening a Bristol op-e r at i o n .

It is the largest independentmobile solutions company in theworld and chose Bristol to set up aspecialist engineering centre fo-cusing on the development of li-censed mobile products and plat-forms, one of the first of its kind.

A homegrown success story thathas made the opposite journey isWrig gle.

The mobile app – founded byformer lawyer Rob Hall – helpsrestaurants fill empty tables bygiving users last-minute offerswon funding at the Google-hostedSeedcamp 2014.

It launched in Bristol lastsummer and has expanded to helprestaurants in the capital max-imise capacity and is tipped to beone of 2015’s big tech success stor-i e s.

Some of the key reasons formoving cited by firms relocatingto Bristol and Bath are the con-centration of talent, particularlyemerging from the region’s uni-versities, the attractive lifestyle,competitive costs compared toLondon and the south east, theenergy in the booming digitalsector and the mentoring and sup-port networks that help drive suc-c e s s.

Incubators such as SetSquared,WebStart Bristol, Engine Shed,South West Founders and Tech-Spark – plus Invest Bristol andBath – have all helped make theregion one of Europe’s top techclusters that is set to enjoy a stel-lar 2015.

Full speed aheadin the boomingtechnology sector

At 180 decibels the rocket propelled Bloodhound willcertainly raise the profile of the West’s fast-growingtechnology sector when Andy Green bids to beat hisown land speed record. Richard Bache looks at a partof the economy that is already making quite a noise

lowing the progress of the super-sonic project. It is inspiring futuregenerations of engineers and sci-entists and will cement Bristol’sreputation as a genuine techno-logical centre of excellence.

When Andy Green puts themetaphorical pedal to the metalon the Kalahari Desert in SouthAfrica this autumn, the world willbe watching.

He will be attempting to breakhis own 1997 record of 763 milesper hour, set in Thrust SSC on theBlack Rock Desert in the USA.

It is hoped that Bloodhound willcrack 800 miles per hour thisautumn, before an assault on theonce unimaginable 1,000 miles perhour barrier next year.

The numbers are staggering –Bloodhound generates 135,000horsepower – 25,000hp more thanthe QE2 luxury liner.

Yet its carbon footprint is thesame as only 4.1 dairy cows.

It can reach 0-1,000mph in 55seconds and accelerate from500mph-1,000mph in 17 seconds.

The car will have to overcome 20tonnes of drag at 1,000mph.

It will take only 3.6 seconds tocomplete the flying mile and booka place in history.

Those working in the South West’sTMT ecosystem will be reflectingon a landmark 2014 and lookingahead to a very promising 2015,writes TLT corporate partner JonGill.

Last year, the Bristol and Bathregion was identified, by leadingmanagement consultants McKin-sey, as an internationally recog-nised technology hub, with thefastest growing community out-side of London. 2015 should be theyear in which the region takes fulladvantage of this momentum.

The South West’s competitiveadvantage lies in the diversity ofsectors, its melting pot of connec-tions, a skilled work force and ofcourse the quality of life thatkeeps luring talent away fromLondon. This diversity encom-passes world-leading companiessuch as Aardman, Toshiba, Inteland HP. These established playerswere joined in 2014 by Huawei,Somo, Kainos and Just Eat; inter-national companies who recog-nised the region’s technologytalent. Bristol’s digital infrastruc-ture, improved by the Smart Cityinitiative that enables businessesto tap into high-capacity broad-band for product testing, will alsoprove to be an attraction in 2015.

The tech start-up community isparticularly exciting, with estab-lished incubators such as Set-Squared being joined by the nextgeneration of fast growth techno-logy clusters including WebStart

Bristol, Engine Shed, South WestFounders and TechSpark.

The funding community is alsodeveloping as a result. While thereis still much to be done in connect-ing capital with opportunity, initi-atives such as Silicon Gorge,which showcased over 20 excitingventures to an audience of in-vestors from across the UK, aremaking a real impact. The globaltech giants also recognise thequality of businesses emergingfrom the region, for example, lastyear TLT acted on the sale ofSecondSync, the social media ana-lytics business, to Twitter.

The pace of technologicalchange will continue to presentopportunities to improve existingprocesses and disrupt mature in-dustries. This includes:� Cybersecurity – the recent Sonyhack demonstrates the financialand reputational damage that asecurity breach can inflict on aglobal corporation. But attacksare not confined to high profiletargets. SMEs involved in e-com-merce are particularly vulner-able. The proposed General DataProtection Regulation willstrengthen data protection laws inEurope significantly, increasingthe regulatory risks arising froma breach.

From top; Andy Green hopes to reach theunprecedented speed of 800 miles perhour later this year; Rob Hall, theentrepreneur behind the successful WriggleApp and Oli Christie, CEO of Cirencester-based Neon Play

‘It is probably justabout time the Westadds the land-speedrecord to itscrown...’

From the outside it looks like a fairlymundane industrial shed in Avonmouth.Inside dozens of engineers are developingthe fastest car on earth. The BloodhoundProject hope Andy Green will top 1,000mph in their car PICTURES: SIMON GALLOWAY

Huawei announced investment in researchcentre in Bristol last year

£125m

� Wearable technology – this wasof huge interest at the recent Con-sumer Electronics Show and willcome to further prominence whenthe Apple Watch is launched inMarch. Like the iPhone and iPadbefore it, this will generate awhole new industry in terms ofaccessories and apps creating op-portunities for businesses to cap-italise on.� Drones – as sophistication in-creases and costs come down, the“gadget of 2014” will find itselfbeing used in a huge variety ofindustrial applications, with ex-isting and new businesses exploit-ing this opportunity. The CivilAviation Authority will have a lotof work in determining whetherusers are sufficiently competent,which is presently required forcommercial use, creating oppor-tunities for training businesses inaddition to those providing thetechnolog y.

There is no doubt that 2015 willcontinue to deliver the constantand significant change that drivesthe TMT sector in the SouthWe s t .Jon Gill, a corporate partner at TLT,specialises on venture capital, privateequity and M&A transactions involvingbusinesses in the TMT sector. For moreinformation please contact Jon Gill, on0333 006 0793 / Jon.Gill@TLTsolicitors.com

‘The global techgiants also recognisethe quality ofbusinesses emergingfrom the region’

Commentary

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 2524 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Te c h n o l o g y

The Bloodhound Supersonic Car(SSC) is the ultimate manifest-ation of the technological prowessof the South West.

Ultra-fast, ground-breaking andattracting international atten-tion.

The engineers, designers and

innovators working away inAvonmouth at the very frontier ofhow fast man can travel on landepitomise all that is best about asector that is winning renownacross the globe.

Importantly, there is scarcely aschool in the land that isn’t fol-

The rocket will generate 180decibels of sound - louder than a747 aircraft at take off.

The rocket will also generate3,000C of heat - twice as hot as theinside of a volcano.

The jet engine is so powerful, itcould suck all the air out of anaverage-sized house in threes e c o n d s.

All of this hasn’t happenedeasily though; it is the result of 110“man years” (or roughly 963,600man hours) to design and buildthe amazing rocket- powered car.

A spokesperson for the projectsaid: “One hundred and ten man-years have been invested in thedesign, build and manufacture ofthe Bloodhound SSC, which is ontrack to challenge the Land SpeedRecord later this year in the Ka-lahari Desert, South Africa.

It is fair to say that Bristol andthe world’s eyes will be on Hak-skeen Pan when Mr Green strapshimself into the cockpit later thisye a r.

He will, of course, be followingin the footsteps of earlier gen-erations of pioneering West Coun-try technology that holds worldspeed records.

Fastest passenger plane ever

Te c h n o l o g yand undisputed queen of the skiesConcorde was designed in Filton –with a little help from Aerospa-tiale friends in Toulouse.

Fastest recorded helicopter –that will be a Yeovil-built Lynx,piloted by John Egginton over theSomerset Levels in 1986.

It is probably just about time theWest adds the land-speed record toits crown...

There are hundreds of jewels inthat crown, many of whichsparkled in 2014.

One trend that was impossibleto miss in 2014 was the continuedrise of technology start-ups in theWest and the number of Londontech firms investing in there gion.

Among the deals that grabbedheadlines was Twitter buyingBristol-based analytics companyS e c o n d S y n c.

Not to be outdone, Twitter’sgreat rival Facebook also dippedinto its coffers to acquire Westexper tise.

It bought Somerset drone firmAscenta for an estimated£12.5 million.

The publicity shy firm was foun-ded on a remote farm and is thebrainchild of former Qinetiq manAndrew Cox.

Also making a name for itselfaway from the region’s biggercities is mobile games studioN e o n p l ay.

Rather than a somewhat grubbyEast London set-up it is based in aformer museum in Cirencesterthat backs onto the Bathurstestate – very much a case of thenew business world meeting theCotswolds aristocracy.

Another announcement thathighlighted the attractiveness ofthe South West for mobile firmswas Somo opening a Bristol op-e r at i o n .

It is the largest independentmobile solutions company in theworld and chose Bristol to set up aspecialist engineering centre fo-cusing on the development of li-censed mobile products and plat-forms, one of the first of its kind.

A homegrown success story thathas made the opposite journey isWrig gle.

The mobile app – founded byformer lawyer Rob Hall – helpsrestaurants fill empty tables bygiving users last-minute offerswon funding at the Google-hostedSeedcamp 2014.

It launched in Bristol lastsummer and has expanded to helprestaurants in the capital max-imise capacity and is tipped to beone of 2015’s big tech success stor-i e s.

Some of the key reasons formoving cited by firms relocatingto Bristol and Bath are the con-centration of talent, particularlyemerging from the region’s uni-versities, the attractive lifestyle,competitive costs compared toLondon and the south east, theenergy in the booming digitalsector and the mentoring and sup-port networks that help drive suc-c e s s.

Incubators such as SetSquared,WebStart Bristol, Engine Shed,South West Founders and Tech-Spark – plus Invest Bristol andBath – have all helped make theregion one of Europe’s top techclusters that is set to enjoy a stel-lar 2015.

Full speed aheadin the boomingtechnology sector

At 180 decibels the rocket propelled Bloodhound willcertainly raise the profile of the West’s fast-growingtechnology sector when Andy Green bids to beat hisown land speed record. Richard Bache looks at a partof the economy that is already making quite a noise

lowing the progress of the super-sonic project. It is inspiring futuregenerations of engineers and sci-entists and will cement Bristol’sreputation as a genuine techno-logical centre of excellence.

When Andy Green puts themetaphorical pedal to the metalon the Kalahari Desert in SouthAfrica this autumn, the world willbe watching.

He will be attempting to breakhis own 1997 record of 763 milesper hour, set in Thrust SSC on theBlack Rock Desert in the USA.

It is hoped that Bloodhound willcrack 800 miles per hour thisautumn, before an assault on theonce unimaginable 1,000 miles perhour barrier next year.

The numbers are staggering –Bloodhound generates 135,000horsepower – 25,000hp more thanthe QE2 luxury liner.

Yet its carbon footprint is thesame as only 4.1 dairy cows.

It can reach 0-1,000mph in 55seconds and accelerate from500mph-1,000mph in 17 seconds.

The car will have to overcome 20tonnes of drag at 1,000mph.

It will take only 3.6 seconds tocomplete the flying mile and booka place in history.

Those working in the South West’sTMT ecosystem will be reflectingon a landmark 2014 and lookingahead to a very promising 2015,writes TLT corporate partner JonGill.

Last year, the Bristol and Bathregion was identified, by leadingmanagement consultants McKin-sey, as an internationally recog-nised technology hub, with thefastest growing community out-side of London. 2015 should be theyear in which the region takes fulladvantage of this momentum.

The South West’s competitiveadvantage lies in the diversity ofsectors, its melting pot of connec-tions, a skilled work force and ofcourse the quality of life thatkeeps luring talent away fromLondon. This diversity encom-passes world-leading companiessuch as Aardman, Toshiba, Inteland HP. These established playerswere joined in 2014 by Huawei,Somo, Kainos and Just Eat; inter-national companies who recog-nised the region’s technologytalent. Bristol’s digital infrastruc-ture, improved by the Smart Cityinitiative that enables businessesto tap into high-capacity broad-band for product testing, will alsoprove to be an attraction in 2015.

The tech start-up community isparticularly exciting, with estab-lished incubators such as Set-Squared being joined by the nextgeneration of fast growth techno-logy clusters including WebStart

Bristol, Engine Shed, South WestFounders and TechSpark.

The funding community is alsodeveloping as a result. While thereis still much to be done in connect-ing capital with opportunity, initi-atives such as Silicon Gorge,which showcased over 20 excitingventures to an audience of in-vestors from across the UK, aremaking a real impact. The globaltech giants also recognise thequality of businesses emergingfrom the region, for example, lastyear TLT acted on the sale ofSecondSync, the social media ana-lytics business, to Twitter.

The pace of technologicalchange will continue to presentopportunities to improve existingprocesses and disrupt mature in-dustries. This includes:� Cybersecurity – the recent Sonyhack demonstrates the financialand reputational damage that asecurity breach can inflict on aglobal corporation. But attacksare not confined to high profiletargets. SMEs involved in e-com-merce are particularly vulner-able. The proposed General DataProtection Regulation willstrengthen data protection laws inEurope significantly, increasingthe regulatory risks arising froma breach.

From top; Andy Green hopes to reach theunprecedented speed of 800 miles perhour later this year; Rob Hall, theentrepreneur behind the successful WriggleApp and Oli Christie, CEO of Cirencester-based Neon Play

‘It is probably justabout time the Westadds the land-speedrecord to itscrown...’

From the outside it looks like a fairlymundane industrial shed in Avonmouth.Inside dozens of engineers are developingthe fastest car on earth. The BloodhoundProject hope Andy Green will top 1,000mph in their car PICTURES: SIMON GALLOWAY

Huawei announced investment in researchcentre in Bristol last year

£125m

� Wearable technology – this wasof huge interest at the recent Con-sumer Electronics Show and willcome to further prominence whenthe Apple Watch is launched inMarch. Like the iPhone and iPadbefore it, this will generate awhole new industry in terms ofaccessories and apps creating op-portunities for businesses to cap-italise on.� Drones – as sophistication in-creases and costs come down, the“gadget of 2014” will find itselfbeing used in a huge variety ofindustrial applications, with ex-isting and new businesses exploit-ing this opportunity. The CivilAviation Authority will have a lotof work in determining whetherusers are sufficiently competent,which is presently required forcommercial use, creating oppor-tunities for training businesses inaddition to those providing thetechnolog y.

There is no doubt that 2015 willcontinue to deliver the constantand significant change that drivesthe TMT sector in the SouthWe s t .Jon Gill, a corporate partner at TLT,specialises on venture capital, privateequity and M&A transactions involvingbusinesses in the TMT sector. For moreinformation please contact Jon Gill, on0333 006 0793 / Jon.Gill@TLTsolicitors.com

‘The global techgiants also recognisethe quality ofbusinesses emergingfrom the region’

Commentary

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 2928 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

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Imperial Tobacco Group PLC

St James’s Place UK PLC

Intel Corporation (UK) Limited

Npower Limited

Airbus Operations Limited

EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Limited

Allstar Business Solutions Limited

Honda of The U.K. Manufacturing Limited

Connect Group PLC

C&J Clark Limited

New Look Retail Group Limited

WH Smith PLC

Agustawestland Limited

First Greater Western Limited

Wincanton PLC

Dyson Exchange Limited

PPL WEM Limited

The Mortgage Works (UK) PLC

Mears Group PLC

Westcon Group European Operations Limited

Matthew Clark Wholesale Limited

Mitie Technical Facilities Management Limited

Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC

Screwfix Direct Limited

Zurich Assurance Ltd

Rotork P.L.C.

Wessex Water Limited

YTL Utilities (UK) Limited

Basf Metals Recycling Limited

Kerry Ingredients (UK) Limited

GE Aviation Systems Limited

Steinhoff UK Holdings Limited

Man Truck And Bus UK Limited

Nutricia Limited

ALD Automotive Limited

Arval UK Group Limited

Sun Valley Foods Limited

Messier-Dowty Limited

Supergroup PLC

Cambria Automobiles PLC

Synergy Health PLC

British Energy Direct Limited

Libya Oil Ethiopia Limited

Hargreaves Lansdown PLC

Renishaw PLC

Ecclesiastical Insurance Office PLC

Masstock Arable (UK) Limited

Dick Lovett Companies Limited

Refresco Gerber UK Limited

Colt Car Company Limited (The)

Bristol

Cirencester

Swindon

Swindon

Bristol

Gloucester

Swindon

Swindon

Swindon

Street

Weymouth

Swindon

Yeovil

Swindon

Chippenham

Malmesbury

Bristol

Swindon

Gloucester

Cirencester

Bristol

Bristol

Cheltenham

Yeovil

Cheltenham

Bath

Bath

Bath

Cinderford

Bristol

Cheltenham

Cheltenham

Swindon

Trowbridge

Bristol

Swindon

Hereford

Gloucester

Cheltenham

Swindon

Swindon

Gloucester

Bristol

Bristol

Wotton-Under-Edge

Gloucester

Cheltenham

Swindon

Bridgwater

Cirencester

Avon

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Avon

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Somerset

Dorset

Wiltshire

Somerset

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Avon

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Gloucestershire

Somerset

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Avon

Gloucestershire

Avon

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Avon

Wiltshire

Herefordshire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Somerset

Gloucestershire

£14,588,000,000

£4,655,000,000

£3,947,537,000

£3,939,500,000

£3,800,000,000

£3,198,000,000

£2,710,274,000

£2,543,913,000

£1,810,800,000

£1,541,000,000

£1,528,800,000

£1,186,000,000

£1,180,431,000

£1,130,274,000

£1,098,300,000

£1,048,500,000

£907,600,000

£866,000,000

£865,574,000

£845,707,000

£805,465,000

£732,010,000

£689,388,000

£665,263,000

£652,000,000

£578,440,000

£546,800,000

£546,800,000

£546,401,000

£537,708,000

£525,495,000

£491,893,000

£491,445,000

£489,008,000

£485,498,000

£469,417,000

£451,218,000

£444,905,000

£430,900,000

£395,776,000

£380,453,000

£373,305,000

£365,922,000

£358,393,000

£355,498,000

£350,751,000

£323,363,000

£308,230,000

£299,998,000

£267,483,000

36000

1024

1874

9010

5737

164

3322

4794

16175

20073

14723

3184

5081

15440

47

3644

15532

878

1344

4989

4725

5442

2892

2244

2244

1895

3002

4092

753

751

332

549

2242

935

2228

1017

5107

75

142

794

3345

1034

604

512

871

180

£1,261,000,000

£261,000,000

£114,175,000

£359,600,000

£7,000,000

£1,111,000,000

£45,471,000

£52,805,000

£41,900,000

£119,800,000

-£55,000,000

£108,000,000

£134,525,000

-£9,989,000

£34,900,000

£45,700,000

£152,800,000

£193,000,000

£21,745,000

£8,815,000

£13,275,000

£23,975,000

£145,714,000

£45,328,000

£30,000,000

£137,997,000

£164,500,000

£158,000,000

£2,305,000

-£4,350,000

£42,274,000

£24,611,000

£7,759,000

£22,308,000

£36,802,000

£70,000,000

-£8,033,000

£14,700,000

£45,200,000

£4,026,000

£42,893,000

£8,020,000

£2,200,000

£209,786,000

£96,386,000

£66,937,000

£13,115,000

£5,732,000

-£2,502,000

£6,683,000

Pos Company name Location County Turnover Employees Profit

051

052

053

054

055

056

057

058

059

060

061

062

063

064

065

066

067

068

069

070

071

072

073

074

075

076

077

078

079

080

081

082

083

084

085

086

087

088

089

090

091

092

093

094

095

096

097

098

099

100

Epwin Group PLC

YEO Valley Group Limited

Integral UK Holdings Limited

Ryder Limited

Sanlam Life & Pensions UK Limited

Sita Trust Limited

August UK Holdco Limited

Centaur Services Limited

Magners GB Limited

Redde PLC

Nisbets PLC

Tyco Electronics UK Ltd

Cooper Tyre & Rubber Company Europe Ltd

United Oilseeds Marketing Limited

ISG Pearce Limited

Castrol Limited

OVO Group Ltd

Amcor Europe Group Management

Intrinsic Financial Services Limited

Intercall Conferencing Services Limited

Toolstation Limited

Jisc

Mulberry Group PLC

Teleperformance Holdings Limited

NOV Downhole Eurasia Limited

Oasis Healthcare Limited

Resource Solutions Group PLC

Arla Foods (Westbury) Limited

Vertex Group Limited

Bradford And Sons Limited

Special Metals Wiggin Limited

JB Global Limited

Lynemouth Power Limited

Wyman-Gordon Limited

Taylor Maxwell Group Limited

DAC Beachcroft Services Limited

Crown Pet Foods Limited

Student Loans Company Limited

Kohler Holdings Ltd.

Ford Fuels Limited

Tribal Group PLC

Avon Rubber PLC

Fairchild Semiconductor Limited

Rygor Holdings Limited

Seabank Power Limited

Bristol Water PLC

Computershare Investor Services PLC

Siniat Limited

Wessex Garages Holdings Limited

T H White Holdings Limited

Cheltenham

Bristol

Bristol

Devizes

Bristol

Wotton-Under-Edge

Swindon

Castle Cary

Shepton Mallet

Bath

Bristol

Swindon

Melksham

Devizes

Bristol

Swindon

Bristol

Bristol

Swindon

Gloucester

Bristol

Bristol

Radstock

Bristol

Stonehouse

Bristol

Bristol

Westbury

Cheltenham

Yeovil

Hereford

Swindon

Swindon

Hereford

Bristol

Bristol

Castle Cary

Bristol

Cheltenham

Bristol

Bristol

Melksham

Swindon

Westbury

Bristol

Bristol

Bristol

Bristol

Bristol

Devizes

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

Avon

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Somerset

Somerset

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Avon

Wiltshire

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Avon

Avon

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Somerset

Herefordshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Herefordshire

Avon

Avon

Somerset

Avon

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Avon

Avon

Avon

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

£266,911,000

£261,016,000

£238,600,000

£237,376,000

£225,368,000

£213,977,000

£204,654,000

£201,622,000

£201,083,000

£197,419,000

£194,444,000

£192,115,000

£183,016,000

£180,390,000

£177,276,000

£176,369,000

£171,678,000

£168,083,000

£166,725,000

£164,247,000

£163,759,000

£163,718,000

£163,456,000

£162,668,000

£161,461,000

£158,100,000

£157,563,000

£156,545,000

£153,907,000

£152,053,000

£146,817,000

£145,543,000

£142,413,000

£142,145,000

£140,559,000

£134,652,000

£132,348,000

£131,362,000

£130,964,000

£128,604,000

£125,485,000

£124,779,000

£124,492,000

£124,431,000

£124,135,000

£123,900,000

£123,387,000

£122,873,000

£121,626,000

£121,416,000

2334

1657

2741

1268

108

8

1133

231

239

1182

888

1501

732

29

208

247

820

299

531

1646

208

1327

7537

629

2181

176

4

11857

1018

600

616

131

371

152

1835

234

2367

946

96

1415

750

51

536

54

489

1103

408

231

513

£6,166,000

£4,786,000

£10,740,000

£10,181,000

£12,055,000

£0

£6,453,000

£3,558,000

£12,194,000

£10,518,000

£27,263,000

£17,593,000

£11,198,000

£1,805,000

£1,962,000

£138,652,000

£303,000

£6,384,000

-£3,205,000

£49,874,000

£9,488,000

£65,240,000

£14,014,000

£7,654,000

£65,084,000

£4,875,000

£6,354,000

£2,419,000

-£4,077,000

£2,251,000

£25,430,000

£7,095,000

£26,117,000

£33,131,000

£1,830,000

£0

£19,153,000

-£312,000

-£4,707,000

£1,998,000

£13,497,000

£16,554,000

£3,950,000

£1,633,000

£51,745,000

£14,500,000

£23,206,000

£15,223,000

£1,705,000

£2,135,000

Pos Company name Location County Turnover Employees Profit

THE TOP 150

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 2928 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

001

002

003

004

005

006

007

008

009

010

011

012

013

014

015

016

017

018

019

020

021

022

023

024

025

026

027

028

029

030

031

032

033

034

035

036

037

038

039

040

041

042

043

044

045

046

047

048

049

050

Imperial Tobacco Group PLC

St James’s Place UK PLC

Intel Corporation (UK) Limited

Npower Limited

Airbus Operations Limited

EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Limited

Allstar Business Solutions Limited

Honda of The U.K. Manufacturing Limited

Connect Group PLC

C&J Clark Limited

New Look Retail Group Limited

WH Smith PLC

Agustawestland Limited

First Greater Western Limited

Wincanton PLC

Dyson Exchange Limited

PPL WEM Limited

The Mortgage Works (UK) PLC

Mears Group PLC

Westcon Group European Operations Limited

Matthew Clark Wholesale Limited

Mitie Technical Facilities Management Limited

Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC

Screwfix Direct Limited

Zurich Assurance Ltd

Rotork P.L.C.

Wessex Water Limited

YTL Utilities (UK) Limited

Basf Metals Recycling Limited

Kerry Ingredients (UK) Limited

GE Aviation Systems Limited

Steinhoff UK Holdings Limited

Man Truck And Bus UK Limited

Nutricia Limited

ALD Automotive Limited

Arval UK Group Limited

Sun Valley Foods Limited

Messier-Dowty Limited

Supergroup PLC

Cambria Automobiles PLC

Synergy Health PLC

British Energy Direct Limited

Libya Oil Ethiopia Limited

Hargreaves Lansdown PLC

Renishaw PLC

Ecclesiastical Insurance Office PLC

Masstock Arable (UK) Limited

Dick Lovett Companies Limited

Refresco Gerber UK Limited

Colt Car Company Limited (The)

Bristol

Cirencester

Swindon

Swindon

Bristol

Gloucester

Swindon

Swindon

Swindon

Street

Weymouth

Swindon

Yeovil

Swindon

Chippenham

Malmesbury

Bristol

Swindon

Gloucester

Cirencester

Bristol

Bristol

Cheltenham

Yeovil

Cheltenham

Bath

Bath

Bath

Cinderford

Bristol

Cheltenham

Cheltenham

Swindon

Trowbridge

Bristol

Swindon

Hereford

Gloucester

Cheltenham

Swindon

Swindon

Gloucester

Bristol

Bristol

Wotton-Under-Edge

Gloucester

Cheltenham

Swindon

Bridgwater

Cirencester

Avon

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Avon

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Somerset

Dorset

Wiltshire

Somerset

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Avon

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Gloucestershire

Somerset

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Avon

Gloucestershire

Avon

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Avon

Wiltshire

Herefordshire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Somerset

Gloucestershire

£14,588,000,000

£4,655,000,000

£3,947,537,000

£3,939,500,000

£3,800,000,000

£3,198,000,000

£2,710,274,000

£2,543,913,000

£1,810,800,000

£1,541,000,000

£1,528,800,000

£1,186,000,000

£1,180,431,000

£1,130,274,000

£1,098,300,000

£1,048,500,000

£907,600,000

£866,000,000

£865,574,000

£845,707,000

£805,465,000

£732,010,000

£689,388,000

£665,263,000

£652,000,000

£578,440,000

£546,800,000

£546,800,000

£546,401,000

£537,708,000

£525,495,000

£491,893,000

£491,445,000

£489,008,000

£485,498,000

£469,417,000

£451,218,000

£444,905,000

£430,900,000

£395,776,000

£380,453,000

£373,305,000

£365,922,000

£358,393,000

£355,498,000

£350,751,000

£323,363,000

£308,230,000

£299,998,000

£267,483,000

36000

1024

1874

9010

5737

164

3322

4794

16175

20073

14723

3184

5081

15440

47

3644

15532

878

1344

4989

4725

5442

2892

2244

2244

1895

3002

4092

753

751

332

549

2242

935

2228

1017

5107

75

142

794

3345

1034

604

512

871

180

£1,261,000,000

£261,000,000

£114,175,000

£359,600,000

£7,000,000

£1,111,000,000

£45,471,000

£52,805,000

£41,900,000

£119,800,000

-£55,000,000

£108,000,000

£134,525,000

-£9,989,000

£34,900,000

£45,700,000

£152,800,000

£193,000,000

£21,745,000

£8,815,000

£13,275,000

£23,975,000

£145,714,000

£45,328,000

£30,000,000

£137,997,000

£164,500,000

£158,000,000

£2,305,000

-£4,350,000

£42,274,000

£24,611,000

£7,759,000

£22,308,000

£36,802,000

£70,000,000

-£8,033,000

£14,700,000

£45,200,000

£4,026,000

£42,893,000

£8,020,000

£2,200,000

£209,786,000

£96,386,000

£66,937,000

£13,115,000

£5,732,000

-£2,502,000

£6,683,000

Pos Company name Location County Turnover Employees Profit

051

052

053

054

055

056

057

058

059

060

061

062

063

064

065

066

067

068

069

070

071

072

073

074

075

076

077

078

079

080

081

082

083

084

085

086

087

088

089

090

091

092

093

094

095

096

097

098

099

100

Epwin Group PLC

YEO Valley Group Limited

Integral UK Holdings Limited

Ryder Limited

Sanlam Life & Pensions UK Limited

Sita Trust Limited

August UK Holdco Limited

Centaur Services Limited

Magners GB Limited

Redde PLC

Nisbets PLC

Tyco Electronics UK Ltd

Cooper Tyre & Rubber Company Europe Ltd

United Oilseeds Marketing Limited

ISG Pearce Limited

Castrol Limited

OVO Group Ltd

Amcor Europe Group Management

Intrinsic Financial Services Limited

Intercall Conferencing Services Limited

Toolstation Limited

Jisc

Mulberry Group PLC

Teleperformance Holdings Limited

NOV Downhole Eurasia Limited

Oasis Healthcare Limited

Resource Solutions Group PLC

Arla Foods (Westbury) Limited

Vertex Group Limited

Bradford And Sons Limited

Special Metals Wiggin Limited

JB Global Limited

Lynemouth Power Limited

Wyman-Gordon Limited

Taylor Maxwell Group Limited

DAC Beachcroft Services Limited

Crown Pet Foods Limited

Student Loans Company Limited

Kohler Holdings Ltd.

Ford Fuels Limited

Tribal Group PLC

Avon Rubber PLC

Fairchild Semiconductor Limited

Rygor Holdings Limited

Seabank Power Limited

Bristol Water PLC

Computershare Investor Services PLC

Siniat Limited

Wessex Garages Holdings Limited

T H White Holdings Limited

Cheltenham

Bristol

Bristol

Devizes

Bristol

Wotton-Under-Edge

Swindon

Castle Cary

Shepton Mallet

Bath

Bristol

Swindon

Melksham

Devizes

Bristol

Swindon

Bristol

Bristol

Swindon

Gloucester

Bristol

Bristol

Radstock

Bristol

Stonehouse

Bristol

Bristol

Westbury

Cheltenham

Yeovil

Hereford

Swindon

Swindon

Hereford

Bristol

Bristol

Castle Cary

Bristol

Cheltenham

Bristol

Bristol

Melksham

Swindon

Westbury

Bristol

Bristol

Bristol

Bristol

Bristol

Devizes

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

Avon

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Somerset

Somerset

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Avon

Wiltshire

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Avon

Avon

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Somerset

Herefordshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Herefordshire

Avon

Avon

Somerset

Avon

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

Avon

Avon

Avon

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

£266,911,000

£261,016,000

£238,600,000

£237,376,000

£225,368,000

£213,977,000

£204,654,000

£201,622,000

£201,083,000

£197,419,000

£194,444,000

£192,115,000

£183,016,000

£180,390,000

£177,276,000

£176,369,000

£171,678,000

£168,083,000

£166,725,000

£164,247,000

£163,759,000

£163,718,000

£163,456,000

£162,668,000

£161,461,000

£158,100,000

£157,563,000

£156,545,000

£153,907,000

£152,053,000

£146,817,000

£145,543,000

£142,413,000

£142,145,000

£140,559,000

£134,652,000

£132,348,000

£131,362,000

£130,964,000

£128,604,000

£125,485,000

£124,779,000

£124,492,000

£124,431,000

£124,135,000

£123,900,000

£123,387,000

£122,873,000

£121,626,000

£121,416,000

2334

1657

2741

1268

108

8

1133

231

239

1182

888

1501

732

29

208

247

820

299

531

1646

208

1327

7537

629

2181

176

4

11857

1018

600

616

131

371

152

1835

234

2367

946

96

1415

750

51

536

54

489

1103

408

231

513

£6,166,000

£4,786,000

£10,740,000

£10,181,000

£12,055,000

£0

£6,453,000

£3,558,000

£12,194,000

£10,518,000

£27,263,000

£17,593,000

£11,198,000

£1,805,000

£1,962,000

£138,652,000

£303,000

£6,384,000

-£3,205,000

£49,874,000

£9,488,000

£65,240,000

£14,014,000

£7,654,000

£65,084,000

£4,875,000

£6,354,000

£2,419,000

-£4,077,000

£2,251,000

£25,430,000

£7,095,000

£26,117,000

£33,131,000

£1,830,000

£0

£19,153,000

-£312,000

-£4,707,000

£1,998,000

£13,497,000

£16,554,000

£3,950,000

£1,633,000

£51,745,000

£14,500,000

£23,206,000

£15,223,000

£1,705,000

£2,135,000

Pos Company name Location County Turnover Employees Profit

THE TOP 150

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 3130 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

149

150

M And M Direct Limited

A-Gas (ORB) Limited

Kingspan Insulation Limited

Renrod Holdings Limited

Walon Limited

Project People Limited

Apetito Limited

Blade Motor Group Limited

Cotswold Motor Group Limited

Future PLC

Stonegate Holdings Limited

Happold LLP

Cotswold Outdoor Limited

International Plywood PLC

Space Cooling Systems Holdings Limited

DAS UK Holdings Limited

Moog Wolverhampton Limited

Space Engineering Services Limited

Shaw Trust Limited(The)

Harding Brothers Holdings Limited

Hall & Woodhouse Limited

Lyons Seafoods Limited

Jamie’s Italian Limited

The Unite Group PLC

Western Provident Association Limited

Howard Garages (Weston) Limited

Tata Technologies Europe Limited

HF Trust Limited

Microsemi Semiconductor Limited

Bailey Caravans Limited

Severn Glocon Group PLC

Crown Timber Group PLC

Fish Brothers (Holdings) Limited

Horizon Nuclear Power Services Limited

Williamson-Dickie Europe Holdings Limited

C.M. Downton (Haulage Contractors) Limited

Zycko Group Limited

Yuasa Battery Sales (UK) Limited

Oberthur Technologies UK Limited

Organic Milk Suppliers Co-Operative Limited

Herman Miller Limited

Brightside Group Limited

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions UK Limited

SPP Pumps Limited

Severn River Crossing PLC

Langdon Group Limited

Yankee Candle Company (Europe) Limited

AES Overseas Holdings Limited

Patheon UK Limited

Hills UK Limited

Leominster

Bristol

Leominster

Trowbridge

Yeovil

Bristol

Trowbridge

Gloucester

Cheltenham

Bath

Chippenham

Bath

Malmesbury

Gloucester

Bristol

Bristol

Tewkesbury

Bristol

Trowbridge

Bristol

Blandford Forum

Warminster

Bath

Bristol

Taunton

Weston-Super-Mare

Bristol

Bristol

Bristol

Bristol

Gloucester

Cirencester

Swindon

Gloucester

Radstock

Gloucester

Cirencester

Swindon

Tewkesbury

Weston-Super-Mare

Chippenham

Bristol

Tewkesbury

Coleford

Bristol

Bridgwater

Bristol

Bristol

Swindon

Swindon

Herefordshire

Avon

Herefordshire

Wiltshire

Somerset

Avon

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Wiltshire

Avon

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Gloucestershire

Avon

Wiltshire

Avon

Dorset

Wiltshire

Avon

Avon

Somerset

Avon

Avon

Avon

Avon

Avon

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Wiltshire

Avon

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Somerset

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

£119,336,000

£118,716,000

£117,003,000

£116,430,000

£116,362,000

£115,508,000

£113,148,000

£112,726,000

£112,422,000

£112,300,000

£112,298,000

£111,760,000

£111,356,000

£111,296,000

£110,539,000

£109,000,000

£108,996,000

£108,486,000

£107,897,000

£104,046,000

£102,855,000

£102,150,000

£101,814,000

£101,600,000

£100,636,000

£100,030,000

£99,296,000

£98,817,000

£97,235,000

£96,846,000

£94,442,000

£93,574,000

£93,451,000

£93,383,000

£92,908,000

£90,505,000

£89,939,000

£89,455,000

£88,929,000

£88,710,000

£88,645,000

£88,613,000

£87,669,000

£87,142,000

£85,435,000

£85,025,000

£82,852,000

£82,538,000

£82,365,000

£81,533,000

622

263

385

372

810

125

1180

384

266

1036

466

1272

1372

82

597

636

424

593

1474

150

1465

318

2457

890

304

247

456

47170

79

257

778

34

248

109

473

892

163

77

523

15

408

1030

661

437

183

996

214

486

408

£9,017,000

£9,724,000

£11,803,000

£1,451,000

£7,411,000

£1,074,000

£18,157,000

£1,230,000

£1,738,000

£5,800,000

£5,939,000

£8,289,000

£5,337,000

£6,297,000

£2,136,000

£6,161,000

£7,200,000

£3,789,000

£2,294,000

£1,473,000

£7,022,000

£6,479,000

£5,604,000

£77,100,000

£11,546,000

£1,545,000

£7,358,000

£27,923,000

£4,717,000

£5,110,000

£13,213,000

£2,456,000

£1,996,000

£68,584,000

£4,665,000

£5,334,000

-£189,000

£2,525,000

£4,958,000

£10,000

£4,739,000

£11,179,000

£12,351,000

£5,865,000

£10,059,000

£4,432,000

£3,222,000

£81,831,000

-£3,092,000

£4,524,000

Pos Company name Location County Turnover Employees Profit

THE TOP 150 Top 10

Imperial TobaccoLocation BristolTurnover £14,588,000,000Profit £1,261,000,000

Bristol-based FTSE 100 stalwartImperial Tobacco highlighted itsgrowth strategy in July by makinga major American acquisition.

The West’s biggest companyboosted its market share in the USfrom 3 per cent to 10 per cent witha deal to buy a batch of US brandsfrom rival Reynolds American for£4.2 billion, including Winston,Maverick, Kool, Salem and e-ci-garette brand blu.

The acquisition will be debt financed and is subject to regulat-ory and shareholder approval,which it expect to receive thisspring.

Formed in 1901, Imperial nowsells tobacco products in some 160countries, all masterminded fromits headquarters on WinterstokeRoad, in Bristol.

It might have a long and storiedhistory, but it could hardly be ac-cused of standing still.

It opened new global headquar-ters in Bristol in 2013 on the site ofits former cigar factory. It nolonger manufactures cigarettes inthe West – and announced theclosure of a Nottingham manufac-turing facility in 2014 – but if yousmoke it is a better than fairchance that what you are smokingis an Imperial brand. It lists Dav-idoff, Lambert and Butler, Rizlaand Golden Virginia among itsmassive portfolio of products.

Chief executive Alison Cooper isthe longest-serving female FTSE100 chief executive and one of Bri-t a i n’s top businesswomen.

In December’s annual reportshe said: “We are a stronger busi-ness going into 2015. We’vestrengthened our brands andmarket footprint, increased cashconversion and considerably re-duced our debt level. This hascreated a stronger platform forgenerating quality sustainablegrowth. We expect to complete theUSA transaction in the spring of2015, which will signifi cantly en-hance our operational and fi nan-cial delivery in this key GrowthM a rke t . ”

Imperial Tobacco was officiallyincorporated on December 10,1901. Then, it was an amalgama-tion of 13 tobacco firms – i n cl u d -ing Bristol-based Wills – wh i chjoined forces to combat the mighty

American Tobacco Company.As well as its dozens of tobacco

brands it can also boast of havingpreviously owned such well-known names as Golden Wonder,HP Sauce, Ross frozen foods andCourage, before selling them offwhen it, in turn, was bought bythe Hanson Trust in 1985.

St. James’s PlaceLocation CirencesterTurnover £4,655,000,000Profit £261,000,000

Cirencester-based the St. James’sPlace Wealth Management Groupis a FTSE 100 comany that special-ises in delivering face-to-facewealth management advice to in-dividuals, trustees and busi-n e s s e s.

At the heart of the business isthe St. James’s Place Partnership— the exclusive advisory arm ofthe St. James’s Place Wealth Man-agement Group.

With £49.1 billion of client fundsunder management, the St.Ja m e s ’s Place Wealth Manage-ment Group is a major force in theinvestment world.

When it presented its thirdquarter results in October DavidBellamy, chief executive, said:

“I am very pleased to report thatthe strong momentum in our busi-ness continued into the thirdquarter, with growth in new busi-ness buoyed by a 50 per cent in-crease in new ISA investments, asclients took the opportunity tocapitalise on the higher limits in-troduced on 1 July. This growth,coupled with the consistentlyhigh retention of our existingclient funds, saw net inflows in-crease by 23 per cent to £1.3 billionin the quarter, bringing our totalfunds under management to arecord £49.1 billion.”

Intel (UK) LimitedLocation SwindonTurnover £3,947,537,000Profits £114,175,000

American IT giant Intel has its UKheadquarters in Swindon – wh i chis also one of its main locations inits Europe, Middle East and Africad iv i s i o n .

The computer chip pioneer isone of numerous firms attractedby Swindon’s highly skilled work-force, relative ease of access to

Major Americandeal demonstratesImperial ambition

The West’s ten biggest companies aregenuine world-leaders in their respectivefields. Richard Bache looks at theirachievements

London and Heathrow and its pos-ition on the so-called Silicon Cor-ridor along the M4.

It has substantial sales and mar-keting teams based in Wiltshire,plus a number of corporate func-tions including finance, HR, cor-porate relation and other back-office support services.

Within Swindon Intel has re-cently joined forces with otherhigh-tech businesses to supportthe development of a universitytechnical college in the Wiltshiret ow n .

The group’s global outlook willcontinue to be determined on howit diversifies away from its corebusiness of PC chips. It is stakingconsiderable research dollars onultra-mobile devices, wearabletechnology and data centres.

CONTINUED OVERLEAF

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Main picture; Imperial Tobacco’s globalheadquarters in South Bristol. Above, chiefexecutive Alison Cooper

‘We are a strongerbusiness going into2015. We’vestrengthened ourbrands and marketfootprint’

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 3130 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

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138

139

140

141

142

143

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145

146

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148

149

150

M And M Direct Limited

A-Gas (ORB) Limited

Kingspan Insulation Limited

Renrod Holdings Limited

Walon Limited

Project People Limited

Apetito Limited

Blade Motor Group Limited

Cotswold Motor Group Limited

Future PLC

Stonegate Holdings Limited

Happold LLP

Cotswold Outdoor Limited

International Plywood PLC

Space Cooling Systems Holdings Limited

DAS UK Holdings Limited

Moog Wolverhampton Limited

Space Engineering Services Limited

Shaw Trust Limited(The)

Harding Brothers Holdings Limited

Hall & Woodhouse Limited

Lyons Seafoods Limited

Jamie’s Italian Limited

The Unite Group PLC

Western Provident Association Limited

Howard Garages (Weston) Limited

Tata Technologies Europe Limited

HF Trust Limited

Microsemi Semiconductor Limited

Bailey Caravans Limited

Severn Glocon Group PLC

Crown Timber Group PLC

Fish Brothers (Holdings) Limited

Horizon Nuclear Power Services Limited

Williamson-Dickie Europe Holdings Limited

C.M. Downton (Haulage Contractors) Limited

Zycko Group Limited

Yuasa Battery Sales (UK) Limited

Oberthur Technologies UK Limited

Organic Milk Suppliers Co-Operative Limited

Herman Miller Limited

Brightside Group Limited

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions UK Limited

SPP Pumps Limited

Severn River Crossing PLC

Langdon Group Limited

Yankee Candle Company (Europe) Limited

AES Overseas Holdings Limited

Patheon UK Limited

Hills UK Limited

Leominster

Bristol

Leominster

Trowbridge

Yeovil

Bristol

Trowbridge

Gloucester

Cheltenham

Bath

Chippenham

Bath

Malmesbury

Gloucester

Bristol

Bristol

Tewkesbury

Bristol

Trowbridge

Bristol

Blandford Forum

Warminster

Bath

Bristol

Taunton

Weston-Super-Mare

Bristol

Bristol

Bristol

Bristol

Gloucester

Cirencester

Swindon

Gloucester

Radstock

Gloucester

Cirencester

Swindon

Tewkesbury

Weston-Super-Mare

Chippenham

Bristol

Tewkesbury

Coleford

Bristol

Bridgwater

Bristol

Bristol

Swindon

Swindon

Herefordshire

Avon

Herefordshire

Wiltshire

Somerset

Avon

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Wiltshire

Avon

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Avon

Gloucestershire

Avon

Wiltshire

Avon

Dorset

Wiltshire

Avon

Avon

Somerset

Avon

Avon

Avon

Avon

Avon

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Wiltshire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Wiltshire

Avon

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire

Avon

Somerset

Avon

Avon

Wiltshire

Wiltshire

£119,336,000

£118,716,000

£117,003,000

£116,430,000

£116,362,000

£115,508,000

£113,148,000

£112,726,000

£112,422,000

£112,300,000

£112,298,000

£111,760,000

£111,356,000

£111,296,000

£110,539,000

£109,000,000

£108,996,000

£108,486,000

£107,897,000

£104,046,000

£102,855,000

£102,150,000

£101,814,000

£101,600,000

£100,636,000

£100,030,000

£99,296,000

£98,817,000

£97,235,000

£96,846,000

£94,442,000

£93,574,000

£93,451,000

£93,383,000

£92,908,000

£90,505,000

£89,939,000

£89,455,000

£88,929,000

£88,710,000

£88,645,000

£88,613,000

£87,669,000

£87,142,000

£85,435,000

£85,025,000

£82,852,000

£82,538,000

£82,365,000

£81,533,000

622

263

385

372

810

125

1180

384

266

1036

466

1272

1372

82

597

636

424

593

1474

150

1465

318

2457

890

304

247

456

47170

79

257

778

34

248

109

473

892

163

77

523

15

408

1030

661

437

183

996

214

486

408

£9,017,000

£9,724,000

£11,803,000

£1,451,000

£7,411,000

£1,074,000

£18,157,000

£1,230,000

£1,738,000

£5,800,000

£5,939,000

£8,289,000

£5,337,000

£6,297,000

£2,136,000

£6,161,000

£7,200,000

£3,789,000

£2,294,000

£1,473,000

£7,022,000

£6,479,000

£5,604,000

£77,100,000

£11,546,000

£1,545,000

£7,358,000

£27,923,000

£4,717,000

£5,110,000

£13,213,000

£2,456,000

£1,996,000

£68,584,000

£4,665,000

£5,334,000

-£189,000

£2,525,000

£4,958,000

£10,000

£4,739,000

£11,179,000

£12,351,000

£5,865,000

£10,059,000

£4,432,000

£3,222,000

£81,831,000

-£3,092,000

£4,524,000

Pos Company name Location County Turnover Employees Profit

THE TOP 150 Top 10

Imperial TobaccoLocation BristolTurnover £14,588,000,000Profit £1,261,000,000

Bristol-based FTSE 100 stalwartImperial Tobacco highlighted itsgrowth strategy in July by makinga major American acquisition.

The West’s biggest companyboosted its market share in the USfrom 3 per cent to 10 per cent witha deal to buy a batch of US brandsfrom rival Reynolds American for£4.2 billion, including Winston,Maverick, Kool, Salem and e-ci-garette brand blu.

The acquisition will be debt financed and is subject to regulat-ory and shareholder approval,which it expect to receive thisspring.

Formed in 1901, Imperial nowsells tobacco products in some 160countries, all masterminded fromits headquarters on WinterstokeRoad, in Bristol.

It might have a long and storiedhistory, but it could hardly be ac-cused of standing still.

It opened new global headquar-ters in Bristol in 2013 on the site ofits former cigar factory. It nolonger manufactures cigarettes inthe West – and announced theclosure of a Nottingham manufac-turing facility in 2014 – but if yousmoke it is a better than fairchance that what you are smokingis an Imperial brand. It lists Dav-idoff, Lambert and Butler, Rizlaand Golden Virginia among itsmassive portfolio of products.

Chief executive Alison Cooper isthe longest-serving female FTSE100 chief executive and one of Bri-t a i n’s top businesswomen.

In December’s annual reportshe said: “We are a stronger busi-ness going into 2015. We’vestrengthened our brands andmarket footprint, increased cashconversion and considerably re-duced our debt level. This hascreated a stronger platform forgenerating quality sustainablegrowth. We expect to complete theUSA transaction in the spring of2015, which will signifi cantly en-hance our operational and fi nan-cial delivery in this key GrowthM a rke t . ”

Imperial Tobacco was officiallyincorporated on December 10,1901. Then, it was an amalgama-tion of 13 tobacco firms – i n cl u d -ing Bristol-based Wills – wh i chjoined forces to combat the mighty

American Tobacco Company.As well as its dozens of tobacco

brands it can also boast of havingpreviously owned such well-known names as Golden Wonder,HP Sauce, Ross frozen foods andCourage, before selling them offwhen it, in turn, was bought bythe Hanson Trust in 1985.

St. James’s PlaceLocation CirencesterTurnover £4,655,000,000Profit £261,000,000

Cirencester-based the St. James’sPlace Wealth Management Groupis a FTSE 100 comany that special-ises in delivering face-to-facewealth management advice to in-dividuals, trustees and busi-n e s s e s.

At the heart of the business isthe St. James’s Place Partnership— the exclusive advisory arm ofthe St. James’s Place Wealth Man-agement Group.

With £49.1 billion of client fundsunder management, the St.Ja m e s ’s Place Wealth Manage-ment Group is a major force in theinvestment world.

When it presented its thirdquarter results in October DavidBellamy, chief executive, said:

“I am very pleased to report thatthe strong momentum in our busi-ness continued into the thirdquarter, with growth in new busi-ness buoyed by a 50 per cent in-crease in new ISA investments, asclients took the opportunity tocapitalise on the higher limits in-troduced on 1 July. This growth,coupled with the consistentlyhigh retention of our existingclient funds, saw net inflows in-crease by 23 per cent to £1.3 billionin the quarter, bringing our totalfunds under management to arecord £49.1 billion.”

Intel (UK) LimitedLocation SwindonTurnover £3,947,537,000Profits £114,175,000

American IT giant Intel has its UKheadquarters in Swindon – wh i chis also one of its main locations inits Europe, Middle East and Africad iv i s i o n .

The computer chip pioneer isone of numerous firms attractedby Swindon’s highly skilled work-force, relative ease of access to

Major Americandeal demonstratesImperial ambition

The West’s ten biggest companies aregenuine world-leaders in their respectivefields. Richard Bache looks at theirachievements

London and Heathrow and its pos-ition on the so-called Silicon Cor-ridor along the M4.

It has substantial sales and mar-keting teams based in Wiltshire,plus a number of corporate func-tions including finance, HR, cor-porate relation and other back-office support services.

Within Swindon Intel has re-cently joined forces with otherhigh-tech businesses to supportthe development of a universitytechnical college in the Wiltshiret ow n .

The group’s global outlook willcontinue to be determined on howit diversifies away from its corebusiness of PC chips. It is stakingconsiderable research dollars onultra-mobile devices, wearabletechnology and data centres.

CONTINUED OVERLEAF

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Main picture; Imperial Tobacco’s globalheadquarters in South Bristol. Above, chiefexecutive Alison Cooper

‘We are a strongerbusiness going into2015. We’vestrengthened ourbrands and marketfootprint’

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 3332 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Top 10

Npower LimitedLocation SwindonTurnover £3,939,500,000Profits £359,600,000RWE npower’s UK head office isbased in Swindon. The office, com-prising more than 1,000 people,provides a wide range of servicesto the UK business including func-tions such as finance, risk man-agement, procurement, HR, PR,communications, engineering,commercial management,strategy and legal services. It isalso the main link with parentcompany RWE AG and other RWEoperating companies.

It has some 6.5 million residen-tial gas and electricity accountsand employs around 12,000 staff.

It also supplies electricity andgas to businesses of all sizes. Itscustomer base exceeds 217,000business sites and includes house-hold names Astra Zeneca, Ikea,M&S, and BT.

Airbus OperationsLocation BristolTurnover £3,800,000,000Profits £7,000,000

Every two seconds an A320 takesoff or lands somewhere in theworld. That statistic goes a longway to explain why Bristol-basedplane-maker Airbus enjoyed whatits chief executive described as a“landmark year” in 2014.

The single-aisle plane which ispopular among carriers such asEasyJet to take holiday-makers onrelatively short-haul destinationsis the company’s biggest seller.While the double-decker A380superjumbo dominated thequestions at the company’sannual press conference inToulouse this month, the lessglamorous smaller cousin is thereal star performer. In 2014,Airbus took 1,041 orders for themore fuel efficient new engineoption version of the plane.

Chief executive Fabrice Bregierrevealed 2014 had been the secondbest year for orders with 1,456 netnew orders for all its aircraft.

The firm delivered 629 newplanes to customers, just pipping2013’s tally of 626 and revealed arecord backlog of 6,386 aircraft –enough work to keep the manufac-turer busy for nine years. That isgood news for the 4,000 people whowork for the company at its Filtonbase, where they design wings,fuel systems and landing gear aswell as build the wings for theA400M military transport plane.

He delivered a strong defence ofthe superjumbo A380 in the face oftough questions from journalistsfollowing speculation about itsfuture towards the end of last year.Mr Bregier admitted the planehad been a “financial burden” inthe past. “This is now a pro-gramme which delivers good in-dustrial and commercial perform-a n c e, ” said Mr Bregier.

EDF Energy NuclearGeneration LimitedLocation GloucesterTurnover £3,198,000,000Profits £1,111,000,000As discussed elsewhere in this

A Honda Civic being assembled at the Japanese giant’s Swindon factory

Cream of the region’s crop

Wings being manufactured at Airbus inFilton, near Bristol

guide, 2015 could be a landmarkyear for EDF in the UK if, asexpected, it takes the final invest-ment decision to proceed withbuilding Hinkley C on the Somer-set coast.

It will be Europe’s biggest civilengineering project and a sub-stantial boon to the region’s eco-nomy for the decades ahead.

Elsewhere in the West EDF em-ploys hundreds of people at itsmajor offices in Barnwood,Gloucester and Exeter and hasbeen working with hundreds offirms across the region to helpthem get involved in the Hinkley Csupply chain.

Allstar BusinessSolutionsLocation SwindonTurnover £2,710,274,000Profits £45,471,000

Swindon-based Allstar is the UK’smarket leading fuel card provider,with more than 1.1 million Allstarfuel cards in circulation.

It has more than 35 years exper-ience in the fleet management in-dustry and has clients rangingfrom multinationals to small busi-nesses and even those in the char-itable sector.

Even in a climate where petrolprices are being slashed it is crit-ical that businesses control these

costs, which is where Allstarcomes in.

Its fuel cards allow firms to pur-chase all their fuel through a cent-ral purchasing system by givingfuel cards to drivers to use at avariety of outlets across the UKand Allstar will ultimately sendout a consolidated, HMRC ap-proved VAT invoice. This elimin-ates the need to keep fuel receipts,makes fuel purchasing moresecure and gives control over allfuel purchases.

Honda of The UKManufacturingLocation SwindonTurnover £2,543,913,000Profits £52,805,000Honda’s factory at Swindon is oneof Britain’s most efficient carplants and the place where itmanufactures cars specificallybuilt for the European market.

At South Marston it producesthe total car, from casting, engineassembly and pressing through towelding, painting and final as-s e m bly.

The company says it choseSwindon due to its high-skillworkforce, one that made Swin-don the manufacturing centre ofthe Great Western Railway – andset the standard for excellence inengineering.

T here’s also an outstanding in-frastructure and first-rate com-munications links.

It used the Paris Motor Show inOctober to to reveal its new-lookSwindon-built CR-V. The exteriorreceived a whole new look withnew headlamps, front grille, foglights, skid-plate and bumper;whilst at the rear, new LED com-bination lamps, a refreshed tail-gate design and bumper completethe enhancements.

Connect GroupLocation SwindonTurnover £1,818,800,000Profits £41,900,000

The Swindon-based ConnectGroup almost certainly made surethat this newspaper ended up inyour hands this morning.

One of its divisions is SmithsNews, the UK’s biggest newspaperdistribution company. It deliversmore than 40 million newspapersand 14 million magazines to shopseach week. The logistical chal-lenge of delivering billions ofnewspapers and magazines everyyear is immense. Few, if any, retailproducts are as perishable as adaily newspaper. Other operatingdivisions include books, educa-tion and care consumables and amajor parcel delivery arm.

C&J Clark LimitedLocation StreetTurnover £1,541,000,000Profits £119,800,000

Street-based C&J Clark is thewo rl d ’s fourth biggest footwearcompany. The firm marks its 190thanniversary in 2015 and goes fromstrength to strength. It continuesto grow in North America,Europe, India and China, and isthe world’s largest casual andsmart shoe company.

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

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We can help protect your growing business

Data Suppliers for the Western Daily Press Business Guide 2015

It’s about making better-informed decisions. We arm you with reliable corporate intelligence so you can assess business risks and opportunities, monitor your marketplace, reach customers more effectively and even protect your intellectualproperty.

For further information, please contact us.

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

www.jordans.co.uk

Corporate Intelligence

Ray Ruffels, director of BusinessInformation Services at Jordans, whichprovided the data for the Top 150companies in the 2015 Western DailyPress Business Guide, considers theeconomic forecast for the year ahead

2014 saw record breaking figuresfor the number of new businessesincorporated in the UK. So willgrowth continue in 2015?

Jordans is delighted to havebeen chosen to work with the We s t -ern Daily Press on this year’s Busi-ness Guide. With headquarters inBristol, the business survival andsuccess of our local market is asimportant as the national pictureof business health in the UK.

Jordans has been providingbusiness information and insightinto companies for over 30 years,supplying data to over 25,000 com-

panies per year. We are also thelargest company formation agentin the UK. Research from the na-tional enterprise campaign, runby the Centre for Entrepreneursthink tank, shows 581,173 busi-nesses were registered with Com-panies House in 2014, beating theprevious record of 526,446 busi-nesses recorded in 2013.

The figures capture everythingfrom significant subsidiariesformed by large internationalconglomerates to entrepreneursjust starting out and setting-uptheir first limited company.

According to campaign group,StartUp Britain, Greater Londonsaw the most start-ups with184,631 formed, up by more than32,000 on 2013. Birmingham wasin second place with 18,377 start-ups. Manchester was third with13,054 and Brighton was the

Dorset brewer Hall and Woodhouse is inthe Top 150, above, Ray Ruffels

Indicators suggeststeady growth islikely for 2015

and London to Brighton. Jamie’sItalian Limited, entering at po-sition 123, was founded in Oxfordin 2008. Since then it has grown tomore than 30 restaurants world-wide, including restaurants herein the South West in Bristol, Bathand Cheltenham. We also see com-panies that featured as newentries last year travel up the list.Cotswold Outdoor Ltd entered theguide last year as a new entrant inposition 149. It reaches position113 this year. This multi-channelretailer started out selling basiccamping accessories from a smalloutbuilding in the Cotswolds.Nearly 40 years later it has over 65stores in the UK.

The Business Guide shows somestrong performances, but what isthe economic outlook for 2015?

The results from the latestChartered Institute of Credit Man-agement (CICM) Credit Man-a g ers’ Index, a measure of eco-nomic activity, highlights for Q3 aheadline index of 59.4, a figurethat has been trending upwardsfor 6 quarters.

2015 also sees a general electionwhich could provide a short-termnegative impact on business con-fidence due to political uncer-tainty, especially if the outcome ofthe May election is inconclusive.

To find out more about the busi-ness information, legal, compli-ance and accountancy servicesoffered by Jordans, visit w w w. j o r-d a n s. c o. u k or call 0117 918 1265.

fourth highest with 8,344.It’s also great news for the West

as Bristol is ranked the sixthhotspot in the UK, with 8,130 newcompanies formed in 2014.

Luke Johnson, chairman of theCentre for Entrepreneurs, com-mented “Starting a business iseasier, quicker and cheaper thanever thanks to new technology.”

In the future we look forward toseeing new start-ups fight for aplace in the business guide. It’s agreat achievement for those com-panies that feature for the firsttime, with the top 55 companiesin this year’s list being compan-ies that featured in 2014 and, forthe majority, many years previ-ous to this.

Sita Trust Limited enters theguide as the highest new entry atposition 56. The Sita Trust is anot-for-profit organisation dedic-ated to making improvements tothe natural environment andcommunity life.

We also see two hospitalitybusinesses, Hall and WoodhouseLimited and Jamie’s Italian Lim-ited, feature in the guide as newentries. However, Hall and Wood-house Limited is definitely notnew to the hospitality industry.The story began in 1777 whenCharles Hall started brewingbeer for the troops stationed inWeymouth whilst they waited toface Napoleon. Their pub estatehas now grown to over 200,stretching from Bristol to Exeter

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 3332 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Top 10

Npower LimitedLocation SwindonTurnover £3,939,500,000Profits £359,600,000RWE npower’s UK head office isbased in Swindon. The office, com-prising more than 1,000 people,provides a wide range of servicesto the UK business including func-tions such as finance, risk man-agement, procurement, HR, PR,communications, engineering,commercial management,strategy and legal services. It isalso the main link with parentcompany RWE AG and other RWEoperating companies.

It has some 6.5 million residen-tial gas and electricity accountsand employs around 12,000 staff.

It also supplies electricity andgas to businesses of all sizes. Itscustomer base exceeds 217,000business sites and includes house-hold names Astra Zeneca, Ikea,M&S, and BT.

Airbus OperationsLocation BristolTurnover £3,800,000,000Profits £7,000,000

Every two seconds an A320 takesoff or lands somewhere in theworld. That statistic goes a longway to explain why Bristol-basedplane-maker Airbus enjoyed whatits chief executive described as a“landmark year” in 2014.

The single-aisle plane which ispopular among carriers such asEasyJet to take holiday-makers onrelatively short-haul destinationsis the company’s biggest seller.While the double-decker A380superjumbo dominated thequestions at the company’sannual press conference inToulouse this month, the lessglamorous smaller cousin is thereal star performer. In 2014,Airbus took 1,041 orders for themore fuel efficient new engineoption version of the plane.

Chief executive Fabrice Bregierrevealed 2014 had been the secondbest year for orders with 1,456 netnew orders for all its aircraft.

The firm delivered 629 newplanes to customers, just pipping2013’s tally of 626 and revealed arecord backlog of 6,386 aircraft –enough work to keep the manufac-turer busy for nine years. That isgood news for the 4,000 people whowork for the company at its Filtonbase, where they design wings,fuel systems and landing gear aswell as build the wings for theA400M military transport plane.

He delivered a strong defence ofthe superjumbo A380 in the face oftough questions from journalistsfollowing speculation about itsfuture towards the end of last year.Mr Bregier admitted the planehad been a “financial burden” inthe past. “This is now a pro-gramme which delivers good in-dustrial and commercial perform-a n c e, ” said Mr Bregier.

EDF Energy NuclearGeneration LimitedLocation GloucesterTurnover £3,198,000,000Profits £1,111,000,000As discussed elsewhere in this

A Honda Civic being assembled at the Japanese giant’s Swindon factory

Cream of the region’s crop

Wings being manufactured at Airbus inFilton, near Bristol

guide, 2015 could be a landmarkyear for EDF in the UK if, asexpected, it takes the final invest-ment decision to proceed withbuilding Hinkley C on the Somer-set coast.

It will be Europe’s biggest civilengineering project and a sub-stantial boon to the region’s eco-nomy for the decades ahead.

Elsewhere in the West EDF em-ploys hundreds of people at itsmajor offices in Barnwood,Gloucester and Exeter and hasbeen working with hundreds offirms across the region to helpthem get involved in the Hinkley Csupply chain.

Allstar BusinessSolutionsLocation SwindonTurnover £2,710,274,000Profits £45,471,000

Swindon-based Allstar is the UK’smarket leading fuel card provider,with more than 1.1 million Allstarfuel cards in circulation.

It has more than 35 years exper-ience in the fleet management in-dustry and has clients rangingfrom multinationals to small busi-nesses and even those in the char-itable sector.

Even in a climate where petrolprices are being slashed it is crit-ical that businesses control these

costs, which is where Allstarcomes in.

Its fuel cards allow firms to pur-chase all their fuel through a cent-ral purchasing system by givingfuel cards to drivers to use at avariety of outlets across the UKand Allstar will ultimately sendout a consolidated, HMRC ap-proved VAT invoice. This elimin-ates the need to keep fuel receipts,makes fuel purchasing moresecure and gives control over allfuel purchases.

Honda of The UKManufacturingLocation SwindonTurnover £2,543,913,000Profits £52,805,000Honda’s factory at Swindon is oneof Britain’s most efficient carplants and the place where itmanufactures cars specificallybuilt for the European market.

At South Marston it producesthe total car, from casting, engineassembly and pressing through towelding, painting and final as-s e m bly.

The company says it choseSwindon due to its high-skillworkforce, one that made Swin-don the manufacturing centre ofthe Great Western Railway – andset the standard for excellence inengineering.

T here’s also an outstanding in-frastructure and first-rate com-munications links.

It used the Paris Motor Show inOctober to to reveal its new-lookSwindon-built CR-V. The exteriorreceived a whole new look withnew headlamps, front grille, foglights, skid-plate and bumper;whilst at the rear, new LED com-bination lamps, a refreshed tail-gate design and bumper completethe enhancements.

Connect GroupLocation SwindonTurnover £1,818,800,000Profits £41,900,000

The Swindon-based ConnectGroup almost certainly made surethat this newspaper ended up inyour hands this morning.

One of its divisions is SmithsNews, the UK’s biggest newspaperdistribution company. It deliversmore than 40 million newspapersand 14 million magazines to shopseach week. The logistical chal-lenge of delivering billions ofnewspapers and magazines everyyear is immense. Few, if any, retailproducts are as perishable as adaily newspaper. Other operatingdivisions include books, educa-tion and care consumables and amajor parcel delivery arm.

C&J Clark LimitedLocation StreetTurnover £1,541,000,000Profits £119,800,000

Street-based C&J Clark is thewo rl d ’s fourth biggest footwearcompany. The firm marks its 190thanniversary in 2015 and goes fromstrength to strength. It continuesto grow in North America,Europe, India and China, and isthe world’s largest casual andsmart shoe company.

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We can help protect your growing business

Data Suppliers for the Western Daily Press Business Guide 2015

It’s about making better-informed decisions. We arm you with reliable corporate intelligence so you can assess business risks and opportunities, monitor your marketplace, reach customers more effectively and even protect your intellectualproperty.

For further information, please contact us.

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Corporate Intelligence

Ray Ruffels, director of BusinessInformation Services at Jordans, whichprovided the data for the Top 150companies in the 2015 Western DailyPress Business Guide, considers theeconomic forecast for the year ahead

2014 saw record breaking figuresfor the number of new businessesincorporated in the UK. So willgrowth continue in 2015?

Jordans is delighted to havebeen chosen to work with the We s t -ern Daily Press on this year’s Busi-ness Guide. With headquarters inBristol, the business survival andsuccess of our local market is asimportant as the national pictureof business health in the UK.

Jordans has been providingbusiness information and insightinto companies for over 30 years,supplying data to over 25,000 com-

panies per year. We are also thelargest company formation agentin the UK. Research from the na-tional enterprise campaign, runby the Centre for Entrepreneursthink tank, shows 581,173 busi-nesses were registered with Com-panies House in 2014, beating theprevious record of 526,446 busi-nesses recorded in 2013.

The figures capture everythingfrom significant subsidiariesformed by large internationalconglomerates to entrepreneursjust starting out and setting-uptheir first limited company.

According to campaign group,StartUp Britain, Greater Londonsaw the most start-ups with184,631 formed, up by more than32,000 on 2013. Birmingham wasin second place with 18,377 start-ups. Manchester was third with13,054 and Brighton was the

Dorset brewer Hall and Woodhouse is inthe Top 150, above, Ray Ruffels

Indicators suggeststeady growth islikely for 2015

and London to Brighton. Jamie’sItalian Limited, entering at po-sition 123, was founded in Oxfordin 2008. Since then it has grown tomore than 30 restaurants world-wide, including restaurants herein the South West in Bristol, Bathand Cheltenham. We also see com-panies that featured as newentries last year travel up the list.Cotswold Outdoor Ltd entered theguide last year as a new entrant inposition 149. It reaches position113 this year. This multi-channelretailer started out selling basiccamping accessories from a smalloutbuilding in the Cotswolds.Nearly 40 years later it has over 65stores in the UK.

The Business Guide shows somestrong performances, but what isthe economic outlook for 2015?

The results from the latestChartered Institute of Credit Man-agement (CICM) Credit Man-a g ers’ Index, a measure of eco-nomic activity, highlights for Q3 aheadline index of 59.4, a figurethat has been trending upwardsfor 6 quarters.

2015 also sees a general electionwhich could provide a short-termnegative impact on business con-fidence due to political uncer-tainty, especially if the outcome ofthe May election is inconclusive.

To find out more about the busi-ness information, legal, compli-ance and accountancy servicesoffered by Jordans, visit w w w. j o r-d a n s. c o. u k or call 0117 918 1265.

fourth highest with 8,344.It’s also great news for the West

as Bristol is ranked the sixthhotspot in the UK, with 8,130 newcompanies formed in 2014.

Luke Johnson, chairman of theCentre for Entrepreneurs, com-mented “Starting a business iseasier, quicker and cheaper thanever thanks to new technology.”

In the future we look forward toseeing new start-ups fight for aplace in the business guide. It’s agreat achievement for those com-panies that feature for the firsttime, with the top 55 companiesin this year’s list being compan-ies that featured in 2014 and, forthe majority, many years previ-ous to this.

Sita Trust Limited enters theguide as the highest new entry atposition 56. The Sita Trust is anot-for-profit organisation dedic-ated to making improvements tothe natural environment andcommunity life.

We also see two hospitalitybusinesses, Hall and WoodhouseLimited and Jamie’s Italian Lim-ited, feature in the guide as newentries. However, Hall and Wood-house Limited is definitely notnew to the hospitality industry.The story began in 1777 whenCharles Hall started brewingbeer for the troops stationed inWeymouth whilst they waited toface Napoleon. Their pub estatehas now grown to over 200,stretching from Bristol to Exeter

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 3534 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Rail Transport

There is a buzz in the rail industryfollowing the news that the firstSuper Express Train (SET), alsoknown as the Intercity ExpressTrain, has left Hitachi's factory inJapan to make the 13,000 milejourney to Britain by sea.

Depending on the weather, itshould arrive at Southampton

docks at the beginning of March.When they enter service, these

new trains promise to be bigger,quieter, faster and cleaner; andthey’ll offer around 20 per centmuch needed extra capacity forcustomers at peak times too.

Rail chiefs predict faster jour-neys between South Wales, Bris-

should see huge improvements inthe region.

Although the Super ExpressTrains are on their way, FirstGreat Western says it has beentaking concerted steps to addressthe need to provide extra seatsstraight away as an interim meas-ure, by creating thousands ofextra standard-class seats on itsHigh Speed Trains.

The move follows a deal last yearwith the Department for Trans-port to increase standard-class ca-pacity by converting some first-class carriages to standard. Thisis creating around 3,000 extrastandard-class seats every dayacross the network.

The remaining First Class car-riages are undergoing refurbish-ment with recovered seats, newcarpets, extra privacy screens andmore comfortable headrests.

The first completed standardcarriages entered service lastsummer, and the last should enterservice in a few months.

Additional USB-power pointsfor easy charging of mobile andsmartphones, and free WiFi willalso be available in both standard-

and first-class carriages in thenext few months.

Rail Transport

The European Commission hasrecognised Bristol’s success increating a green city with a highquality of life, by naming itEuropean Green Capital 2015.This accolade rightfully recog-nises Bristol’s ability to demon-strate rapid progress; environ-mental awareness, and a greenbusiness culture.

At First Great Western, we feelstrongly that rail has a dynamicand evolving role to play in pro-moting and celebrating the Bristola re a ’s green credentials. Rail isalso a key enabler in the region’sgrowing commercial and socials u c c e s s.

Train travel is without doubt farless carbon-intensive than trav-elling by car, making rail an en-vironmentally friendly and so-cially responsible choice. In an eraof developing green awareness,this partially explains the hugesurge in business and social pas-sengers turning to rail in recentye a r s.

Ever since pioneering Victorianengineer Isambard KingdomBrunel first brought his railway toBristol in 1840, it has been a vitallink through the Bristol corridorwith the capital.

Now, as custodian of that rail-way, we are proud to be part of the

Super ExpressTrains en route toWest railwaysThe first of the next generation trains that will slashjourney times between the West Country and Londonhave left the factory in Japan. When they are in servicethey will cut journey times to the capital byapproximately 20 minutes

tol, Swindon, Reading and Pad-dington, and it is hoped journeytimes between London and BristolTemple Meads will be reduced byas much as 20 minutes.

When the new nine-car trainarrives on UK shores, it will betaken straight to Network Rail’sOld Dalby test track, where it willbe fitted with measurementdevices before starting non-pas-senger testing on the Great West-ern in the summer.

Before the new trains go livesomewhere around the summer of2017, there is a great deal to bedone in preparation. Rail infra-structure owner Network Rail hasalready embarked on a massiveoperation to install 18,000 pilesalong the 235 mile track to holdgantries which will suspend elec-trified cables above the track.

Network Rail‘s specially de-signed £40 million High OutputPlant System Factory Trainwhich makes, plants and cementsthe piles in place, can cover up to amile in a night. However, there aremany to obstacles to be dealt withalong the way, including bridges,tunnels, and electricity pylons.

This, combined with extra ca-pacity on high speed trains now,

From top: Bristol Mayor George Fergusonhas made the case to CommunitiesSecretary Eric Pickles for more investmentat Temple Meads station to prepare it forelectrification. Above; Network Rail staffworking of electrification project

‘Network Rail hasalready embarked ona massive operationto install 18,000piles along the 235mile track’

Main picture; work at Bristol TempleMeads over Christmas has seen theremoval of the old Royal Mail conveyorbridge, ahead of work to prepare thestation for electrification. Above; an archivephotograph of one of the new trains

CommentaryMatthew Barnes , regionaldevelopment manager of First GreatWestern, details what it is doing toboost sustainability

Mayor calls forTemple Meadsinvestment

Bristol mayor George Fergusonthinks a devolution deal grantinggreater powers to the Bristol areawill be done soon after the generalelection.

He used a visit by CommunitiesSecretary Eric Pickles last week topush the case for devolution and toask for more government moneytowards the redevelopment ofTemple Meads station, which ismanaged by Network Rail.

“I’m confident after the electionwe ’ll move towards greaterautonomy for the region and thatwill lead to greater prosperity,”said Mr Ferguson.

He described cities as the“engine of the economy” and saidBristol was “punching above itswe i g h t ”.

But Mr Ferguson told Mr Picklesthat Temple Meads station neededaround £300 million investment toget it into shape for the electri-fication of the Great Western Line,which will reduce journey timesto London to one hour, 20m i nu t e s.

“As the one core city left out ofthe HS2 high-speed rail pro-gramme we will be looking for thatlevel of investment, because webelieve that is a real investment inthe future of the national eco-n o my, ” he said.

“London is overheating and weare the first best stop outside theSouth East.”

Mr Pickles was in Bristol tohighlight the large amount ofprivate investment being made inthe Temple Quarter EnterpriseZone. He visited the Paintworks,where Verve is embarking on thenext phase of the site, which in-cludes more space for businessesto create up to 450 new jobs.

The minister saw the work ofCrux Product Design, which de-signed helmets for the London2012 GB cycling team. The firmplans to move into biggerpremises at the Paintworks.

Mr Pickles also took a lookinside 2 Glass Wharf, the big newoffice building across the riverfrom the station. The £40 millionoffice was built by developerSalmon Harvester without anytenants signed up, making it a bigfinancial risk just after the re-cession. But it’s a risk that looks tobe paying off, with accountancyfirm PwC moving in later thismonth and discussions under waywith more potential tenants.When full, there will be close to1,000 people working there. MrPickles said: “Congratulations toSalmon Harvester for doing apiece of speculative building andalso because it has worked.”

In response to Mr Ferguson’scall for rail funding and devol-ution, Mr Pickles said: “Bristolneeds to convince us on jobs andprosperity. We are looking forGeorge to wow us, to serenade uswith good ideas.” He added: “Wewant to do the deal.” On invest-ment in Temple Meads, he said:“George has got ambitious ideasbut it comes down to the detail.”

rail line on an important com-muter corridor into the city.

Network Rail is also doublingthe number of the lines betweenBristol Temple Meads and BristolParkway, allowing the number ofservices to increase.

And iconic Temple Meads sta-tion with its footfall of some 11million people a year, will be get-ting a makeover too, helping it torealise its potential with a newand very different eastern ap-p ro a ch .

We ’re calling this phenomenalinvestment programme ‘Buildinga Greater West’.

Inspired by Brunel, the originalGreat Westerner, our aim is tobuild a railway that will bring araft of positive benefits to helpfurther galvanise and invigoratethe whole region.

T here’s no denying the massivetask which stands before us, andthere will certainly be challengesalong the way. But at such timeswe can all draw on Brunel’s in-spiring and innovative spirit aswe enter this new era for the rail-way. I am proud to walk in hisfootste ps.

rail industry team dedicated todelivering a significant rail up-grade for the Bristol area througha £7.5 billion investment pro-gramme that will see the biggeststep change since the railway wasbu i l t .

Working in partnership withNetwork Rail, the Government,the Bristol mayor, and a host ofother local partners; we share thecommon aim of improving railservices in the Greater Bristolarea, radically elevating the railinfrastructure and introducingthe next generation of dual fuel,electric trains.

This new generation of SuperExpress Trains, which are sched-uled to enter service in 2017, willoffer faster, cleaner and quietertravel that will shave preciousminutes off the journey time; ef-fectively bringing the capital alittle closer.

They will also offer greater ca-pacity and a higher frequency ofs e r v i c e s.

In addition to the £7.5 billion,the West of England Partnershiphas been awarded over £55 millionin funding the MetroWest suburb-an rail scheme.

This paves the way for the wel-come reopening of the Portishead

‘New generation ofSuper ExpressTrains will shaveprecious minutes offthe journey time;effectively bringingthe capital a littlecloser’

When Isambard Kingdom Brunel broughthis railway to Bristol

1840

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 3534 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Rail Transport

There is a buzz in the rail industryfollowing the news that the firstSuper Express Train (SET), alsoknown as the Intercity ExpressTrain, has left Hitachi's factory inJapan to make the 13,000 milejourney to Britain by sea.

Depending on the weather, itshould arrive at Southampton

docks at the beginning of March.When they enter service, these

new trains promise to be bigger,quieter, faster and cleaner; andthey’ll offer around 20 per centmuch needed extra capacity forcustomers at peak times too.

Rail chiefs predict faster jour-neys between South Wales, Bris-

should see huge improvements inthe region.

Although the Super ExpressTrains are on their way, FirstGreat Western says it has beentaking concerted steps to addressthe need to provide extra seatsstraight away as an interim meas-ure, by creating thousands ofextra standard-class seats on itsHigh Speed Trains.

The move follows a deal last yearwith the Department for Trans-port to increase standard-class ca-pacity by converting some first-class carriages to standard. Thisis creating around 3,000 extrastandard-class seats every dayacross the network.

The remaining First Class car-riages are undergoing refurbish-ment with recovered seats, newcarpets, extra privacy screens andmore comfortable headrests.

The first completed standardcarriages entered service lastsummer, and the last should enterservice in a few months.

Additional USB-power pointsfor easy charging of mobile andsmartphones, and free WiFi willalso be available in both standard-

and first-class carriages in thenext few months.

Rail Transport

The European Commission hasrecognised Bristol’s success increating a green city with a highquality of life, by naming itEuropean Green Capital 2015.This accolade rightfully recog-nises Bristol’s ability to demon-strate rapid progress; environ-mental awareness, and a greenbusiness culture.

At First Great Western, we feelstrongly that rail has a dynamicand evolving role to play in pro-moting and celebrating the Bristola re a ’s green credentials. Rail isalso a key enabler in the region’sgrowing commercial and socials u c c e s s.

Train travel is without doubt farless carbon-intensive than trav-elling by car, making rail an en-vironmentally friendly and so-cially responsible choice. In an eraof developing green awareness,this partially explains the hugesurge in business and social pas-sengers turning to rail in recentye a r s.

Ever since pioneering Victorianengineer Isambard KingdomBrunel first brought his railway toBristol in 1840, it has been a vitallink through the Bristol corridorwith the capital.

Now, as custodian of that rail-way, we are proud to be part of the

Super ExpressTrains en route toWest railwaysThe first of the next generation trains that will slashjourney times between the West Country and Londonhave left the factory in Japan. When they are in servicethey will cut journey times to the capital byapproximately 20 minutes

tol, Swindon, Reading and Pad-dington, and it is hoped journeytimes between London and BristolTemple Meads will be reduced byas much as 20 minutes.

When the new nine-car trainarrives on UK shores, it will betaken straight to Network Rail’sOld Dalby test track, where it willbe fitted with measurementdevices before starting non-pas-senger testing on the Great West-ern in the summer.

Before the new trains go livesomewhere around the summer of2017, there is a great deal to bedone in preparation. Rail infra-structure owner Network Rail hasalready embarked on a massiveoperation to install 18,000 pilesalong the 235 mile track to holdgantries which will suspend elec-trified cables above the track.

Network Rail‘s specially de-signed £40 million High OutputPlant System Factory Trainwhich makes, plants and cementsthe piles in place, can cover up to amile in a night. However, there aremany to obstacles to be dealt withalong the way, including bridges,tunnels, and electricity pylons.

This, combined with extra ca-pacity on high speed trains now,

From top: Bristol Mayor George Fergusonhas made the case to CommunitiesSecretary Eric Pickles for more investmentat Temple Meads station to prepare it forelectrification. Above; Network Rail staffworking of electrification project

‘Network Rail hasalready embarked ona massive operationto install 18,000piles along the 235mile track’

Main picture; work at Bristol TempleMeads over Christmas has seen theremoval of the old Royal Mail conveyorbridge, ahead of work to prepare thestation for electrification. Above; an archivephotograph of one of the new trains

CommentaryMatthew Barnes , regionaldevelopment manager of First GreatWestern, details what it is doing toboost sustainability

Mayor calls forTemple Meadsinvestment

Bristol mayor George Fergusonthinks a devolution deal grantinggreater powers to the Bristol areawill be done soon after the generalelection.

He used a visit by CommunitiesSecretary Eric Pickles last week topush the case for devolution and toask for more government moneytowards the redevelopment ofTemple Meads station, which ismanaged by Network Rail.

“I’m confident after the electionwe ’ll move towards greaterautonomy for the region and thatwill lead to greater prosperity,”said Mr Ferguson.

He described cities as the“engine of the economy” and saidBristol was “punching above itswe i g h t ”.

But Mr Ferguson told Mr Picklesthat Temple Meads station neededaround £300 million investment toget it into shape for the electri-fication of the Great Western Line,which will reduce journey timesto London to one hour, 20m i nu t e s.

“As the one core city left out ofthe HS2 high-speed rail pro-gramme we will be looking for thatlevel of investment, because webelieve that is a real investment inthe future of the national eco-n o my, ” he said.

“London is overheating and weare the first best stop outside theSouth East.”

Mr Pickles was in Bristol tohighlight the large amount ofprivate investment being made inthe Temple Quarter EnterpriseZone. He visited the Paintworks,where Verve is embarking on thenext phase of the site, which in-cludes more space for businessesto create up to 450 new jobs.

The minister saw the work ofCrux Product Design, which de-signed helmets for the London2012 GB cycling team. The firmplans to move into biggerpremises at the Paintworks.

Mr Pickles also took a lookinside 2 Glass Wharf, the big newoffice building across the riverfrom the station. The £40 millionoffice was built by developerSalmon Harvester without anytenants signed up, making it a bigfinancial risk just after the re-cession. But it’s a risk that looks tobe paying off, with accountancyfirm PwC moving in later thismonth and discussions under waywith more potential tenants.When full, there will be close to1,000 people working there. MrPickles said: “Congratulations toSalmon Harvester for doing apiece of speculative building andalso because it has worked.”

In response to Mr Ferguson’scall for rail funding and devol-ution, Mr Pickles said: “Bristolneeds to convince us on jobs andprosperity. We are looking forGeorge to wow us, to serenade uswith good ideas.” He added: “Wewant to do the deal.” On invest-ment in Temple Meads, he said:“George has got ambitious ideasbut it comes down to the detail.”

rail line on an important com-muter corridor into the city.

Network Rail is also doublingthe number of the lines betweenBristol Temple Meads and BristolParkway, allowing the number ofservices to increase.

And iconic Temple Meads sta-tion with its footfall of some 11million people a year, will be get-ting a makeover too, helping it torealise its potential with a newand very different eastern ap-p ro a ch .

We ’re calling this phenomenalinvestment programme ‘Buildinga Greater West’.

Inspired by Brunel, the originalGreat Westerner, our aim is tobuild a railway that will bring araft of positive benefits to helpfurther galvanise and invigoratethe whole region.

T here’s no denying the massivetask which stands before us, andthere will certainly be challengesalong the way. But at such timeswe can all draw on Brunel’s in-spiring and innovative spirit aswe enter this new era for the rail-way. I am proud to walk in hisfootste ps.

rail industry team dedicated todelivering a significant rail up-grade for the Bristol area througha £7.5 billion investment pro-gramme that will see the biggeststep change since the railway wasbu i l t .

Working in partnership withNetwork Rail, the Government,the Bristol mayor, and a host ofother local partners; we share thecommon aim of improving railservices in the Greater Bristolarea, radically elevating the railinfrastructure and introducingthe next generation of dual fuel,electric trains.

This new generation of SuperExpress Trains, which are sched-uled to enter service in 2017, willoffer faster, cleaner and quietertravel that will shave preciousminutes off the journey time; ef-fectively bringing the capital alittle closer.

They will also offer greater ca-pacity and a higher frequency ofs e r v i c e s.

In addition to the £7.5 billion,the West of England Partnershiphas been awarded over £55 millionin funding the MetroWest suburb-an rail scheme.

This paves the way for the wel-come reopening of the Portishead

‘New generation ofSuper ExpressTrains will shaveprecious minutes offthe journey time;effectively bringingthe capital a littlecloser’

When Isambard Kingdom Brunel broughthis railway to Bristol

1840

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 3736 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Agriculture

If there was ever an outlook to theyear ahead that didn’t list worryafter worry from farmers, Imissed it.

Like a reverse form of the insu-lation of spread betting, an in-dustry with so many sectors isalways going to be exposed to thevagaries of numerous marketfo rc e s.

And boy, was last year a exampleof that. Wheat prices crashed, beefprices crashed and milk pricescrashed.

Every direction farmers looked,there was doom and gloom.

And though I wish I could be thebearer of better news for 2015, thetea leaves from the first few daysare looking pretty uninspiring.

Milk prices have continued tofall – blame the world markets ifyou will – and the knock-on effectsare being felt, not least by FirstMilk’s members after the co-oper-ative withheld payments, withspeculation rife about the finan-cial health of other processors.

end at the farm gate.The best and most bankable

businesses are those who not onlygrow and rear but also investwisely, cut costs and make themost of their marketing nous.

If we were to draw a broad brushacross the situation, it would bethat the older farmers find thistoughest - though of course manyare thriving.

Skills such as management, fin-ance and tax are at least as import-ant to the man or woman whosename is on the gate as the hus-bandry, ploughing and other skillspassed on for centuries.

The farmer is increasingly amanager, employing specialists todo the traditional jobs while he orshe handles the books and jumpsthrough bureaucratic hoops.

For the youngsters, this is agreat opportunity to take the reinsfrom dad or grandad, or enter theindustry for the first time.

Competition for college places ishigher than ever and courses arebeing rapidly developed to copewith the changing landscape andhuge advances in technology.

Gone are the days of farmingbeing seen as the default optionfor those at the bottom of the class.This is a bright industry leadingthe way with some of the bestproducts in the world.

Despite the gloom, these freshfaces are optimistic, as they maywell be. All they know is the situ-ation at present and they are de-termined to make the most of it,driven by a passion for food, theoutdoors, livestock or a highlytechnical industry.

Agriculture

West Country solicitor JonathanCheal is a public rights of wayspecialist whose services are in demandacross the country on a topic which canbe a minefield. He’s also well known forhis brightly coloured bow-ties and amonthly column in Saturday’s WesternDaily Press

Public rights of way issues arelikely to affect you whether youhave thousands of acres or a prop-erty next to a verge on the side of al a n e.

And it is vitally important thatpublic access management isthought about strategically ratherthan piecemeal and firefighting asproblems arise. For example,simply closing a gate from time totime or sticking up signs saying‘P r ivat e ’ may well be ineffective.

Advice is needed because of thecomplex legal and technicalissues; there are more major stat-utes on this subject than on vir-tually any other plus a myriad ofregulations. One of the easiestways of avoiding claims for newpublic rights of way across yourland is to make a written depositby lodging forms and plan withcounty councils.

Making a valid deposit stops the

Dairy farming atcrossroads as milkprices tumble

Dairy farmers experienced a 2014 that few would wishto remember, writes Western Daily Press farming editorSimon Copp . Will 2015 offer an improvement or dofarmers in the hard-pressed sector remain at the mercyof global markets?

The number of dairy farmers inthe UK fell below 10,000 for thefirst time last month, and there isno reason to blame those who haveleft the industry apace. So, whatdoes 2015 offer by way of persuad-ing those contemplating a dashthrough the gate to stay in thistoughest of industries?

This being the South West, itmakes sense to look at livestockfirst – and in that, dairy is suffer-ing the most immediately, thoughmeat has its problems too.

Of a set of deeply concerningfigures, one is blamed in particu-lar – four pints for less than £1.

It’s the new benchmark price formilk.

And even though the supermar-kets shout loudly that it is theyfooting the bill for such loss-lead-ers, many are concerned at thewider impact of devaluing aproduct born of blood, sweat andt e a r s.

Even Meurig Raymond, whoseNFU is firmly in the “global volat-ility” camp, admitted in a recentinterview with the Western DailyP re s s that he wished theywo u l d n’t.

His caveat was that it is ofcourse a commercial decision,though one that “Mr Farmer mustnot pay for”.

And that really is the future in anu t s h e l l .

Whether you blame volatility,price wars or oversupply, farmersare now dealing with a globalmarket and they must learnt theskills to do so.

Farming is undergoing a radicalshift – no longer does the business

clock by preventing public use of apath for less than 20 years matur-ing into a claim. The deposit givesyou protection for 20 years but ithas to be valid in terms of thewording, and accuracy, and thescale and size of the plan.

It will cost you some money to dobut may save you many thou-sands; the cost is peanuts com-pared to fighting a claim.

I have had many cases in whicha deposit has turned out to be ahelpful weapon, but sadly a greatdeal more cases where no deposithad been done, but for which theowner would have been successfulin defeating a claim.

Entering into a permissive pathscheme can keep control and man-agement of access, and liaisonwith user groups and your parishcouncil is also important.

Just as it is important to beproactive, it is vital you are re-active. Don’t ignore a claim; don’tassume it will go away. It won’t.You need to fight evidence withevidence; there is no point in justobjecting on grounds of desirab-ility or suitability.

Similarly it’s important to lookat access before buying a property–public rights don’t always showup in a standard search. Properaccess management can avoid un-necessary contention and special-ist advice is needed.Jonathan works with Mogers Drewettwhich has offices in Bath, Sherborneand Wells. He also regularly attendsMarket days at Frome Livestock Market.He can be contacted on 01749 342323.

Main picture; a livestock market atStanderwick, Frome, just before Christmas.Above; Farmers’ For Action protests atdairies and supermarket distribution depotsbecame a common sight in 2014 as milkprices were slashed

One of the highest profile rights of way disputesin the country last year was on land near Fromein Somerset. A farmer ended up installing agiant six foot high metal fence to separatewalkers and dog-owners from livestock in adramatic and drastic stand-off. Solicitor JonathanCheal says these sorts of disputes can often beavoided and expensive court cases dodged byrelatively modest expenditure in advance. Hesays that one of the easiest ways of avoidingclaims for new public rights of way across yourland is to make a written deposit by lodgingforms and plan with county councils

Rights of waycan be a legalminefield

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 3736 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Agriculture

If there was ever an outlook to theyear ahead that didn’t list worryafter worry from farmers, Imissed it.

Like a reverse form of the insu-lation of spread betting, an in-dustry with so many sectors isalways going to be exposed to thevagaries of numerous marketfo rc e s.

And boy, was last year a exampleof that. Wheat prices crashed, beefprices crashed and milk pricescrashed.

Every direction farmers looked,there was doom and gloom.

And though I wish I could be thebearer of better news for 2015, thetea leaves from the first few daysare looking pretty uninspiring.

Milk prices have continued tofall – blame the world markets ifyou will – and the knock-on effectsare being felt, not least by FirstMilk’s members after the co-oper-ative withheld payments, withspeculation rife about the finan-cial health of other processors.

end at the farm gate.The best and most bankable

businesses are those who not onlygrow and rear but also investwisely, cut costs and make themost of their marketing nous.

If we were to draw a broad brushacross the situation, it would bethat the older farmers find thistoughest - though of course manyare thriving.

Skills such as management, fin-ance and tax are at least as import-ant to the man or woman whosename is on the gate as the hus-bandry, ploughing and other skillspassed on for centuries.

The farmer is increasingly amanager, employing specialists todo the traditional jobs while he orshe handles the books and jumpsthrough bureaucratic hoops.

For the youngsters, this is agreat opportunity to take the reinsfrom dad or grandad, or enter theindustry for the first time.

Competition for college places ishigher than ever and courses arebeing rapidly developed to copewith the changing landscape andhuge advances in technology.

Gone are the days of farmingbeing seen as the default optionfor those at the bottom of the class.This is a bright industry leadingthe way with some of the bestproducts in the world.

Despite the gloom, these freshfaces are optimistic, as they maywell be. All they know is the situ-ation at present and they are de-termined to make the most of it,driven by a passion for food, theoutdoors, livestock or a highlytechnical industry.

Agriculture

West Country solicitor JonathanCheal is a public rights of wayspecialist whose services are in demandacross the country on a topic which canbe a minefield. He’s also well known forhis brightly coloured bow-ties and amonthly column in Saturday’s WesternDaily Press

Public rights of way issues arelikely to affect you whether youhave thousands of acres or a prop-erty next to a verge on the side of al a n e.

And it is vitally important thatpublic access management isthought about strategically ratherthan piecemeal and firefighting asproblems arise. For example,simply closing a gate from time totime or sticking up signs saying‘P r ivat e ’ may well be ineffective.

Advice is needed because of thecomplex legal and technicalissues; there are more major stat-utes on this subject than on vir-tually any other plus a myriad ofregulations. One of the easiestways of avoiding claims for newpublic rights of way across yourland is to make a written depositby lodging forms and plan withcounty councils.

Making a valid deposit stops the

Dairy farming atcrossroads as milkprices tumble

Dairy farmers experienced a 2014 that few would wishto remember, writes Western Daily Press farming editorSimon Copp . Will 2015 offer an improvement or dofarmers in the hard-pressed sector remain at the mercyof global markets?

The number of dairy farmers inthe UK fell below 10,000 for thefirst time last month, and there isno reason to blame those who haveleft the industry apace. So, whatdoes 2015 offer by way of persuad-ing those contemplating a dashthrough the gate to stay in thistoughest of industries?

This being the South West, itmakes sense to look at livestockfirst – and in that, dairy is suffer-ing the most immediately, thoughmeat has its problems too.

Of a set of deeply concerningfigures, one is blamed in particu-lar – four pints for less than £1.

It’s the new benchmark price formilk.

And even though the supermar-kets shout loudly that it is theyfooting the bill for such loss-lead-ers, many are concerned at thewider impact of devaluing aproduct born of blood, sweat andt e a r s.

Even Meurig Raymond, whoseNFU is firmly in the “global volat-ility” camp, admitted in a recentinterview with the Western DailyP re s s that he wished theywo u l d n’t.

His caveat was that it is ofcourse a commercial decision,though one that “Mr Farmer mustnot pay for”.

And that really is the future in anu t s h e l l .

Whether you blame volatility,price wars or oversupply, farmersare now dealing with a globalmarket and they must learnt theskills to do so.

Farming is undergoing a radicalshift – no longer does the business

clock by preventing public use of apath for less than 20 years matur-ing into a claim. The deposit givesyou protection for 20 years but ithas to be valid in terms of thewording, and accuracy, and thescale and size of the plan.

It will cost you some money to dobut may save you many thou-sands; the cost is peanuts com-pared to fighting a claim.

I have had many cases in whicha deposit has turned out to be ahelpful weapon, but sadly a greatdeal more cases where no deposithad been done, but for which theowner would have been successfulin defeating a claim.

Entering into a permissive pathscheme can keep control and man-agement of access, and liaisonwith user groups and your parishcouncil is also important.

Just as it is important to beproactive, it is vital you are re-active. Don’t ignore a claim; don’tassume it will go away. It won’t.You need to fight evidence withevidence; there is no point in justobjecting on grounds of desirab-ility or suitability.

Similarly it’s important to lookat access before buying a property–public rights don’t always showup in a standard search. Properaccess management can avoid un-necessary contention and special-ist advice is needed.Jonathan works with Mogers Drewettwhich has offices in Bath, Sherborneand Wells. He also regularly attendsMarket days at Frome Livestock Market.He can be contacted on 01749 342323.

Main picture; a livestock market atStanderwick, Frome, just before Christmas.Above; Farmers’ For Action protests atdairies and supermarket distribution depotsbecame a common sight in 2014 as milkprices were slashed

One of the highest profile rights of way disputesin the country last year was on land near Fromein Somerset. A farmer ended up installing agiant six foot high metal fence to separatewalkers and dog-owners from livestock in adramatic and drastic stand-off. Solicitor JonathanCheal says these sorts of disputes can often beavoided and expensive court cases dodged byrelatively modest expenditure in advance. Hesays that one of the easiest ways of avoidingclaims for new public rights of way across yourland is to make a written deposit by lodgingforms and plan with county councils

Rights of waycan be a legalminefield

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 3938 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Rural Economy

Society plans todrive performanceof rural economy

New bossRupert Cox

Bringing millions of pounds intothe West’s economy every year isthe Royal Bath and West Show,which this year takes place fromMay 27 to May 30.

2015 marks 50 years since theRoyal Bath and West Society madethe Shepton Mallet showgroundits permanent home after trav-elling the country for the previouscentury and the year also seesRupert Cox take up the helm as theSociety’s chief executive.

For Mr Cox– formerly chief ex-ecutive of the Somerset Chambersof Commerce – t h e re ’s plenty onthe agenda to ensure the societyand the Show remain a mainstayfor the region for decades toc o m e.

He said: “The showground andthe society is a very strong eco-nomic driver for the Mendips, forSomerset and beyond.

“We have also got a social re-sponsibility to be a ‘hub of ruralbusiness influence’ across thewhole area as we are the RoyalBath and West of England Soci-e t y.

“We have a responsibility toinform both producers and alsoconsumers and to try andstrengthen that link; we can dothat through our shows and cer-tainly through the flagship, RoyalBath and West Show.”

But he says the shows are notjust what the Society can offer – it

launched a Somerset Levels ReliefFund in 2013 later renamed theSomerset Levels DevelopmentFund.

And the society was recentlyawarded £50,000 by the Prince’sCountryside Fund for its workwith Somerset County Council toidentify the areas of the 20 yearflood action plan.

Mr Cox is also keen to expandthe society’s youth activities.

He says: “We need to showyoung people that there are stillcareers in agriculture and in as-sociated work – no-one is doingthat in the area.”

And revitalisation of the 240acre showground is also one of hisgoals; a consultation by Mendipdistrict council for a Local De-velopment Order (LDO) designat-ing 8.2 hectacres into an enter-prise area has recently finished.

Says Mr Cox: “An enterprisezone would encourage inward in-vestment with support from gov-er nment.

“I am particularly keen to har-ness the opportunities there arefor developing a commercial hubfor farming, food production andresearch opportunities.”

He wants the showground andits facilities to meet the expect-ation of visitors and says: “Wehave to create a capital revenuestream through our regenerationand development plans; that willbe the focus over the next couple ofye a r s. ”

Mr Cox wants the showgroundto become the ‘go-to’ venue in thearea and says: “We are very luckyto have a theatre which will seat150-180 people; very few peopleknow that.

“It creates opportunities forconferences, lectures and demon-s t r at i o n s.

“People can come here and hirea quality room for 15-20 which isfully catered and in such won-derful surroundings or hire theShowering Pavilion that will holdseveral thousand people.”

But top of his list of goals is toensure the Society delivers threesuccessful shows – Grassland UKwhich takes place on May 7, TheDairy Show on October 7 and theiconic Royal Bath and West May27-30.

Early-bird tickets are on salenow for the Royal Bath and Westwith kids free on advance tickets –visit w w w. b a t h a n dw e s t . c o m tofind out more.

Rupert Cox is the new chief executive of the Royal Bath and West Society, below, Herefordcattle at the Royal Bath and West Show PICTURES: STEVE ROBERTS/FRAN STOTHARD

Half of rural small businesses aredissatisfied with the quality oftheir broadband, showing theyare in the “digital slow lane”, ac-cording to a new report.

Research by the Federation ofSmall Businesses (FSB) found theissue would become more criticalas small firms became increas-ingly reliant on a high qualitybroadband connection.

A survey of 1,400 firms showedthat those in rural areas were nothappy with broadband reliabilityand speed.

Mike Cherry of the FSB said:“This research paints a worryingpicture of a divided businessbroadband landscape in the UKand, unless addressed, highlightsa clear obstacle to growth in thecoming years.

“We risk seeing the emergenceof a two-speed online economyresulting from poor rural broad-band infrastructure.

“It’s worrying that as many as 14per cent of UK small firms stillview the lack of a reliable broad-band connection as being theprimary barrier to their growth.

“A reliable connection is nowviewed as a key business require-ment by 94 per cent of small UKbusinesses, yet continued poorconnectivity in rural areas rep-resents a huge missed opportun-ity for economic growth in manyparts of the country.

“These gaps and weaknessesneed to be addressed as a matter ofp r i o r i t y. ”

A Department for Culture,Media and Sport spokesman said:“We recognise the importance ofrural businesses having a fast andreliable internet connection -t h at ’s why we’re investing £1.7bnin taking superfast broadband tomillions of rural businesses andh o m e s.

“Nearly 80 per cent of the UK canalready access superfast speeds sowe ’d urge businesses to checkwhether they can benefit. With40,000 premises being added everyweek we’re on track to reach 95per cent of the UK by 2017.”

The Dairy Show is one of the key annualevents at the showground

Businesses payprice for ruralbroadband

‘We risk seeing theemergence of a two-speed onlineeconomy resultingfrom poor ruralbroadbandinfrastructure’

Are you aware of all the tax allowances available to you?Initial consultation free and without obligation.

Dorchester 01305 268168

Exeter 01392 214635

Melksham 01225 701210

Wells 01749 343366

Yeovil 01935 426181

www.oldmillgroup.co.uk

OM01199_Old Mill 07/01/2015 09:33 Page 1

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 3938 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Rural Economy

Society plans todrive performanceof rural economy

New bossRupert Cox

Bringing millions of pounds intothe West’s economy every year isthe Royal Bath and West Show,which this year takes place fromMay 27 to May 30.

2015 marks 50 years since theRoyal Bath and West Society madethe Shepton Mallet showgroundits permanent home after trav-elling the country for the previouscentury and the year also seesRupert Cox take up the helm as theSociety’s chief executive.

For Mr Cox– formerly chief ex-ecutive of the Somerset Chambersof Commerce – t h e re ’s plenty onthe agenda to ensure the societyand the Show remain a mainstayfor the region for decades toc o m e.

He said: “The showground andthe society is a very strong eco-nomic driver for the Mendips, forSomerset and beyond.

“We have also got a social re-sponsibility to be a ‘hub of ruralbusiness influence’ across thewhole area as we are the RoyalBath and West of England Soci-e t y.

“We have a responsibility toinform both producers and alsoconsumers and to try andstrengthen that link; we can dothat through our shows and cer-tainly through the flagship, RoyalBath and West Show.”

But he says the shows are notjust what the Society can offer – it

launched a Somerset Levels ReliefFund in 2013 later renamed theSomerset Levels DevelopmentFund.

And the society was recentlyawarded £50,000 by the Prince’sCountryside Fund for its workwith Somerset County Council toidentify the areas of the 20 yearflood action plan.

Mr Cox is also keen to expandthe society’s youth activities.

He says: “We need to showyoung people that there are stillcareers in agriculture and in as-sociated work – no-one is doingthat in the area.”

And revitalisation of the 240acre showground is also one of hisgoals; a consultation by Mendipdistrict council for a Local De-velopment Order (LDO) designat-ing 8.2 hectacres into an enter-prise area has recently finished.

Says Mr Cox: “An enterprisezone would encourage inward in-vestment with support from gov-er nment.

“I am particularly keen to har-ness the opportunities there arefor developing a commercial hubfor farming, food production andresearch opportunities.”

He wants the showground andits facilities to meet the expect-ation of visitors and says: “Wehave to create a capital revenuestream through our regenerationand development plans; that willbe the focus over the next couple ofye a r s. ”

Mr Cox wants the showgroundto become the ‘go-to’ venue in thearea and says: “We are very luckyto have a theatre which will seat150-180 people; very few peopleknow that.

“It creates opportunities forconferences, lectures and demon-s t r at i o n s.

“People can come here and hirea quality room for 15-20 which isfully catered and in such won-derful surroundings or hire theShowering Pavilion that will holdseveral thousand people.”

But top of his list of goals is toensure the Society delivers threesuccessful shows – Grassland UKwhich takes place on May 7, TheDairy Show on October 7 and theiconic Royal Bath and West May27-30.

Early-bird tickets are on salenow for the Royal Bath and Westwith kids free on advance tickets –visit w w w. b a t h a n dw e s t . c o m tofind out more.

Rupert Cox is the new chief executive of the Royal Bath and West Society, below, Herefordcattle at the Royal Bath and West Show PICTURES: STEVE ROBERTS/FRAN STOTHARD

Half of rural small businesses aredissatisfied with the quality oftheir broadband, showing theyare in the “digital slow lane”, ac-cording to a new report.

Research by the Federation ofSmall Businesses (FSB) found theissue would become more criticalas small firms became increas-ingly reliant on a high qualitybroadband connection.

A survey of 1,400 firms showedthat those in rural areas were nothappy with broadband reliabilityand speed.

Mike Cherry of the FSB said:“This research paints a worryingpicture of a divided businessbroadband landscape in the UKand, unless addressed, highlightsa clear obstacle to growth in thecoming years.

“We risk seeing the emergenceof a two-speed online economyresulting from poor rural broad-band infrastructure.

“It’s worrying that as many as 14per cent of UK small firms stillview the lack of a reliable broad-band connection as being theprimary barrier to their growth.

“A reliable connection is nowviewed as a key business require-ment by 94 per cent of small UKbusinesses, yet continued poorconnectivity in rural areas rep-resents a huge missed opportun-ity for economic growth in manyparts of the country.

“These gaps and weaknessesneed to be addressed as a matter ofp r i o r i t y. ”

A Department for Culture,Media and Sport spokesman said:“We recognise the importance ofrural businesses having a fast andreliable internet connection -t h at ’s why we’re investing £1.7bnin taking superfast broadband tomillions of rural businesses andh o m e s.

“Nearly 80 per cent of the UK canalready access superfast speeds sowe ’d urge businesses to checkwhether they can benefit. With40,000 premises being added everyweek we’re on track to reach 95per cent of the UK by 2017.”

The Dairy Show is one of the key annualevents at the showground

Businesses payprice for ruralbroadband

‘We risk seeing theemergence of a two-speed onlineeconomy resultingfrom poor ruralbroadbandinfrastructure’

Are you aware of all the tax allowances available to you?Initial consultation free and without obligation.

Dorchester 01305 268168

Exeter 01392 214635

Melksham 01225 701210

Wells 01749 343366

Yeovil 01935 426181

www.oldmillgroup.co.uk

OM01199_Old Mill 07/01/2015 09:33 Page 1

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 4140 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Sport

The safest bet at the CheltenhamFestival in March is that it isunlikely the West will see anotheryear like 2015 for sportinginfrastructure investment anytime soon.

Not only will the impressive £45million new stand taking shape atPrestbury Park loom over thethronged thousands at the Fest-ival, but 45 miles south westequally substantial buildingworks are in progress at BristolCity’s Ashton Gate stadium.

With Bristol City vying withWest rivals Swindon Town forleadership of League One andBristol Rugby enjoying a stellarfirst season after moving from theMemorial Ground these areclearly exciting times at the Gate.

With both teams now under theauspices of Bristol Sport there isan obvious sense of momentumgathering in BS3.

The first phase of the £45 millionrevamp of Ashton Gate is takingshape, the Robins are regularlyperforming in front of sell outcrowds and Bristol Rugby aredrawing the sort of audiences inthe Championship that have madeAviva Premiership teams sit upand notice, not to mention causeenvious glances from Pro 12 teamsacross the Bristol Channel inWa l e s.

Both sides are short-priced fa-vourites to win promotion andalthough fans have experiencedfalse dawns before, there is anundoubted feeling that this couldbe the city’s year.

If the promotions do happen,then both teams will be playing ina much-improved stadium nextye a r.

The Wedlock stand has been de-molished – the celebrated EastEnd shedman has had his fifteenminutes of fame – and the newstand grows day by day.

Ben Swift, who attracted inter-national publicity, sprung toprominence by enjoying one of thebest free views in British sportfrom the roof of his shed. Now thatthe new stand has obscured hisview the club have given him aticket for the rest of the season.

Ashton Gate will eventuallyhave a capacity of 27,000 and themajor rebuild is seeing huge in-

vestment by owner Steve Lans-down in improved conference fa-cilities, shops, bars and cateringo p t i o n s.

Once work on the Wedlock standis complete then the Dolman standwill be revamped, before the de-molition and rebuild of the Wil-liams stand.

Main contractor Barr Construc-tion, along with Bristol Sport andgovernment construction data-base Constructionline alsoworked together to ensure localcompanies got the chance to workon the £45 million scheme.

The project has been a long-timein the making, but after the frus-tration of proposals for a new sta-dium at Ashton Vale falling victimto a bitter planning wrangle, therevamp of Ashton Gate isdemonstrably continuing apace.

As is development at Chelten-ham Racecourse, where morethan 200,000 punters will enjoyNational Hunt racing’s premieroccasion in March.

The hordes from across the IrishSea, those up from London and thestalwarts from the shires will wit-ness marked progress at the race-c o u r s e.

The £45 million revamp of theWest Country’s biggest sportingvenue will be complete in time forthe 2016 festival, but substantialprogress has already beena ch i eve d .

The Jockey Club-owned venueemployed a novel approach to fin-ancing the improvements, whichamount to its largest-ever singlecapital investment.

The package includes £25mraised through The Jockey ClubRacecourse Bond – the first retailbond in British sport - with theremainder secured through bankfinancing, a Levy Board capitalfund loan, commercial deals andcashflow from trading.

Kier is the main contractor, anappointment which built on itstrack record of major projects atCheltenham, including the £17mconstruction of The Centaurbuilding, one of the largest eventsspaces in the South West.

A state-of-the-art new grand-stand is being built alongsideCheltenham’s existing maingrandstand and the project will

The new stand at Ashton Gate isbeginning to really take shape. Seconddown, Mike Henderson of BarrConstruction looks on at the progress.Bottom, East End shedman Ben SwiftPICTURES: JOE MEREDITH/JMP AND DAVE BETTS

also see the creation of elevatedwalkways around the parade ringamong a raft of improvements tothe opinion.

Down at Taunton the gentlethwack of willow on leather hasbeen replaced by the sound ofhammers banging as a major pro-ject to bring the County Groundup to international standardstakes place.

A £4 million project began at theend of the 2014 season and after asuccessful demolition of the OldPavilion the steelwork of the re-placement is starting to takeshape and shows the obvious pro-g ress.

The project also encompassesthe replacement of the St JamesStand and much improved cor-porate hospitality and media fa-cilities, plus a high-quality roof-top viewing area.

In only two years’ time Somersetwill begin a new era of hostinginternational cricket at theCounty Ground when they hostone of the three T20 Internationalsbetween England and SouthAfrica in 2017.

The news has certainly got thethumbs up from everybody at theclub, especially from former Eng-land international MarcusTrescothick who said: “This isreally great news for Somerset. Iknow that everybody has beenworking hard to make it happenover a period of time now so to getthe reward like this is absolutelybrilliant.

Sport

Ubiquitous teamkit at stadia in theWest is a hi-visj a c k e t a n d hard hat

The West’s sporting infrastructure is being radically improved thanks to a series ofmulti-million pound projects . Richard Bache looks at the massive investment thatis providing renewed belief that the region can really punch its weight in sportingcircles

There is an obvious senseof momentum gatheringin BS3 as the revamp ofAshton Gate takes shape

“I might make an Englandcomeback just for that day in 2017if I could, but it would have beenamazing for me to have played aninternational game on my homeg round.”

The radical development atTaunton follows swiftly on theheels of major improvements atold West rivals Gloucestershire’sground at Nevil Road, Bristol.

It has been a regular on theinternational circuit over the pastdecade, but has won the right tostage seven international gamesbetween 2017-2019.

Back on football and it is verymuch a waiting game as far asBristol Rovers’ new stadium atUWE is concerned. Full planningpermission for the 22,000-seaterstadium is in place, but the clubcontinues to work through thelegal challenges of the sale of theMemorial Stadium to Sainsbury’sin order to fund the stadium.

Chairman Nick Higgs last weekfeatured on the front page of theGulf Weekly spelling out the at-tractiveness of investing in the‘sleeping giant’. He said he wasn’tanticipating to be inundated withoffers, but there was no harm inraising awareness of the club’spotential.

However, whether 2015 will seethe West’s longest-running sport-ing stadia challenge – B at hRu g by ’s seemingly eternal battleto re-develop its ground at The Rec– being cracked, remains to beseen.

Gloucester is renowned as one ofEngland’s genuine rugby hot-b e d s.

And it is fair to say the city isgetting excited about hostingRugby World Cup games thisautumn.

Kingsholm will host clashes in-volving Tonga, Georgia, Scotland,the United States, Japan and Ar-gentina in September and Octo-b e r.

Welcoming visitors from theUSA and Japan in particular willraise the city’s profile to key inter-national investment markets.

The fixtures will bring tens ofthousands of visitors to the cityand provide a welcome boom tothe city’s tourism economy.

Fans have already been bookingrooms at Gloucester hotels aheadof the tournament, with signs thatthe city is a premier destinationfor foreign travellers.

Overseas fans from some of thec o m p e t i t i o n’s most fancied teams– which will not even play in any ofthe Kingsholm fixtures – a rechoosing Gloucester.

According to Hatton CourtHotel on Upton Hill, fans fromAustralia and New Zealand,whose teams will play in London,Wales and Birmingham, havechosen the hotel en-masse to

Welcoming visitors fromthe USA and Japan inparticular will raise thecity’s profile

escape the big cities in betweenthe major games.

“We are getting people whoseteams are playing in London andCardiff coming to stay,” saidSimon Hanna, general managerfor Hatton Court.

“They are all rugby fans –mainly from Australia, New Zeal-and and South Africa who arecoming over here for five or sixwe e k s.

“We have about three groups ofbetween 30 to 50 people who arecoming to stay and watch therugby. Most of them want to escapethe bustle of the cities outside ofthe games.”

Meanwhile the person in con-trol of Gloucester city centre saysit will deliver the Rugby WorldCup like no other city,

Jason Merritt joined the citycouncil as city centre manager inSeptember and says he couldn’thave picked a better time to comeon board.

“It is a fantastic time to be inGloucester at the moment and Id o n’t want to be anywhere else,”said Mr Merritt, who previouslyworked as operations manager atKing’s Walk Shopping Centre.

“I am a cog in a finely tunedmachine that is going to deliverthe Rugby World Cup like no otherc i t y, ” he told the Gloucester Cit-iz en. “We are looking at opportun-ities and there is an idea of bring-ing some sort of festival to the cityduring the Rugby World Cup sowatch this space.

Main picture; New Year’s Day crowds atCheltenham with the new stand in thebackground. Above, from top; Gloucesteris welcoming the Rugby World Cup, theCheltenham revamp and supporters in thenow demolished Old Pavilion at Taunton

World Cupexcitement

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 4140 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Sport

The safest bet at the CheltenhamFestival in March is that it isunlikely the West will see anotheryear like 2015 for sportinginfrastructure investment anytime soon.

Not only will the impressive £45million new stand taking shape atPrestbury Park loom over thethronged thousands at the Fest-ival, but 45 miles south westequally substantial buildingworks are in progress at BristolCity’s Ashton Gate stadium.

With Bristol City vying withWest rivals Swindon Town forleadership of League One andBristol Rugby enjoying a stellarfirst season after moving from theMemorial Ground these areclearly exciting times at the Gate.

With both teams now under theauspices of Bristol Sport there isan obvious sense of momentumgathering in BS3.

The first phase of the £45 millionrevamp of Ashton Gate is takingshape, the Robins are regularlyperforming in front of sell outcrowds and Bristol Rugby aredrawing the sort of audiences inthe Championship that have madeAviva Premiership teams sit upand notice, not to mention causeenvious glances from Pro 12 teamsacross the Bristol Channel inWa l e s.

Both sides are short-priced fa-vourites to win promotion andalthough fans have experiencedfalse dawns before, there is anundoubted feeling that this couldbe the city’s year.

If the promotions do happen,then both teams will be playing ina much-improved stadium nextye a r.

The Wedlock stand has been de-molished – the celebrated EastEnd shedman has had his fifteenminutes of fame – and the newstand grows day by day.

Ben Swift, who attracted inter-national publicity, sprung toprominence by enjoying one of thebest free views in British sportfrom the roof of his shed. Now thatthe new stand has obscured hisview the club have given him aticket for the rest of the season.

Ashton Gate will eventuallyhave a capacity of 27,000 and themajor rebuild is seeing huge in-

vestment by owner Steve Lans-down in improved conference fa-cilities, shops, bars and cateringo p t i o n s.

Once work on the Wedlock standis complete then the Dolman standwill be revamped, before the de-molition and rebuild of the Wil-liams stand.

Main contractor Barr Construc-tion, along with Bristol Sport andgovernment construction data-base Constructionline alsoworked together to ensure localcompanies got the chance to workon the £45 million scheme.

The project has been a long-timein the making, but after the frus-tration of proposals for a new sta-dium at Ashton Vale falling victimto a bitter planning wrangle, therevamp of Ashton Gate isdemonstrably continuing apace.

As is development at Chelten-ham Racecourse, where morethan 200,000 punters will enjoyNational Hunt racing’s premieroccasion in March.

The hordes from across the IrishSea, those up from London and thestalwarts from the shires will wit-ness marked progress at the race-c o u r s e.

The £45 million revamp of theWest Country’s biggest sportingvenue will be complete in time forthe 2016 festival, but substantialprogress has already beena ch i eve d .

The Jockey Club-owned venueemployed a novel approach to fin-ancing the improvements, whichamount to its largest-ever singlecapital investment.

The package includes £25mraised through The Jockey ClubRacecourse Bond – the first retailbond in British sport - with theremainder secured through bankfinancing, a Levy Board capitalfund loan, commercial deals andcashflow from trading.

Kier is the main contractor, anappointment which built on itstrack record of major projects atCheltenham, including the £17mconstruction of The Centaurbuilding, one of the largest eventsspaces in the South West.

A state-of-the-art new grand-stand is being built alongsideCheltenham’s existing maingrandstand and the project will

The new stand at Ashton Gate isbeginning to really take shape. Seconddown, Mike Henderson of BarrConstruction looks on at the progress.Bottom, East End shedman Ben SwiftPICTURES: JOE MEREDITH/JMP AND DAVE BETTS

also see the creation of elevatedwalkways around the parade ringamong a raft of improvements tothe opinion.

Down at Taunton the gentlethwack of willow on leather hasbeen replaced by the sound ofhammers banging as a major pro-ject to bring the County Groundup to international standardstakes place.

A £4 million project began at theend of the 2014 season and after asuccessful demolition of the OldPavilion the steelwork of the re-placement is starting to takeshape and shows the obvious pro-g ress.

The project also encompassesthe replacement of the St JamesStand and much improved cor-porate hospitality and media fa-cilities, plus a high-quality roof-top viewing area.

In only two years’ time Somersetwill begin a new era of hostinginternational cricket at theCounty Ground when they hostone of the three T20 Internationalsbetween England and SouthAfrica in 2017.

The news has certainly got thethumbs up from everybody at theclub, especially from former Eng-land international MarcusTrescothick who said: “This isreally great news for Somerset. Iknow that everybody has beenworking hard to make it happenover a period of time now so to getthe reward like this is absolutelybrilliant.

Sport

Ubiquitous teamkit at stadia in theWest is a hi-visj a c k e t a n d hard hat

The West’s sporting infrastructure is being radically improved thanks to a series ofmulti-million pound projects . Richard Bache looks at the massive investment thatis providing renewed belief that the region can really punch its weight in sportingcircles

There is an obvious senseof momentum gatheringin BS3 as the revamp ofAshton Gate takes shape

“I might make an Englandcomeback just for that day in 2017if I could, but it would have beenamazing for me to have played aninternational game on my homeg round.”

The radical development atTaunton follows swiftly on theheels of major improvements atold West rivals Gloucestershire’sground at Nevil Road, Bristol.

It has been a regular on theinternational circuit over the pastdecade, but has won the right tostage seven international gamesbetween 2017-2019.

Back on football and it is verymuch a waiting game as far asBristol Rovers’ new stadium atUWE is concerned. Full planningpermission for the 22,000-seaterstadium is in place, but the clubcontinues to work through thelegal challenges of the sale of theMemorial Stadium to Sainsbury’sin order to fund the stadium.

Chairman Nick Higgs last weekfeatured on the front page of theGulf Weekly spelling out the at-tractiveness of investing in the‘sleeping giant’. He said he wasn’tanticipating to be inundated withoffers, but there was no harm inraising awareness of the club’spotential.

However, whether 2015 will seethe West’s longest-running sport-ing stadia challenge – B at hRu g by ’s seemingly eternal battleto re-develop its ground at The Rec– being cracked, remains to beseen.

Gloucester is renowned as one ofEngland’s genuine rugby hot-b e d s.

And it is fair to say the city isgetting excited about hostingRugby World Cup games thisautumn.

Kingsholm will host clashes in-volving Tonga, Georgia, Scotland,the United States, Japan and Ar-gentina in September and Octo-b e r.

Welcoming visitors from theUSA and Japan in particular willraise the city’s profile to key inter-national investment markets.

The fixtures will bring tens ofthousands of visitors to the cityand provide a welcome boom tothe city’s tourism economy.

Fans have already been bookingrooms at Gloucester hotels aheadof the tournament, with signs thatthe city is a premier destinationfor foreign travellers.

Overseas fans from some of thec o m p e t i t i o n’s most fancied teams– which will not even play in any ofthe Kingsholm fixtures – a rechoosing Gloucester.

According to Hatton CourtHotel on Upton Hill, fans fromAustralia and New Zealand,whose teams will play in London,Wales and Birmingham, havechosen the hotel en-masse to

Welcoming visitors fromthe USA and Japan inparticular will raise thecity’s profile

escape the big cities in betweenthe major games.

“We are getting people whoseteams are playing in London andCardiff coming to stay,” saidSimon Hanna, general managerfor Hatton Court.

“They are all rugby fans –mainly from Australia, New Zeal-and and South Africa who arecoming over here for five or sixwe e k s.

“We have about three groups ofbetween 30 to 50 people who arecoming to stay and watch therugby. Most of them want to escapethe bustle of the cities outside ofthe games.”

Meanwhile the person in con-trol of Gloucester city centre saysit will deliver the Rugby WorldCup like no other city,

Jason Merritt joined the citycouncil as city centre manager inSeptember and says he couldn’thave picked a better time to comeon board.

“It is a fantastic time to be inGloucester at the moment and Id o n’t want to be anywhere else,”said Mr Merritt, who previouslyworked as operations manager atKing’s Walk Shopping Centre.

“I am a cog in a finely tunedmachine that is going to deliverthe Rugby World Cup like no otherc i t y, ” he told the Gloucester Cit-iz en. “We are looking at opportun-ities and there is an idea of bring-ing some sort of festival to the cityduring the Rugby World Cup sowatch this space.

Main picture; New Year’s Day crowds atCheltenham with the new stand in thebackground. Above, from top; Gloucesteris welcoming the Rugby World Cup, theCheltenham revamp and supporters in thenow demolished Old Pavilion at Taunton

World Cupexcitement

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 4342 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Commercial Property

Having experienced the suddendemise of the development marketin 2008 we at Robert Hitchins ex-perienced a noticeable increase inoccupier interest and improvedmarket conditions throughout2014. We believe this will continueto build throughout 2015 and on-wards and we are now on site,

building for occupiers, preparingplanning applications and dustingoff our development appraisals.

Throughout the South Westregion, the picture is one of busi-nesses large and small looking toinvest – albeit cautiously. This seachange follows a gradual increasein business confidence in the eco-

nomy and a realisation that now isincreasingly a good time to plan toexpand.

Good news such as theEuropean Commission’s ratifica-tion of the Hinkley C developmentand the increase in spending oninfrastructure has helped and theamount of investment proposed inthe nuclear industry both atHinkley C and Berkeley will havea significant effect on businessactivity along the M5 corridor.

Following years of little or nodevelopment, the supply of read-ily-available commercial build-ings is starting to diminishthrough a combination of in-creased occupier demand, theadvent of permitted developmentrights allowing offices to changeto residential without the need forplanning permission and the un-remitting requirement for studenthousing .

Locations such as Bristol arenow likely to experience a time lagbefore any new development isdelivered to the market as de-velopers consider their risk pro-files and decide whether to spec-ulate or focus on identifying andsecuring pre-lettings before start-ing on site.

Commercial PropertyThe commercial property market, bySimon Tothill director, RobertHitchins Ltd, Gloucestershire

Which areas of the West Coun-try do you see as being par-ticular hotspots this year?Towns and cities along the M5corridor are likely to benefit fromthe proposed investment in thenuclear energy market at bothHinkley and Berkeley. This isalready being felt with recentdeals in Gloucester to HorizonPower Services and in Bristolwith significant lettings to thelikes of EDF.

What effect are you seeing – ordo you expect to see – on thecommercial property market inSomerset due to Hinkley C?The effect will be significantthroughout the region. In Som-erset there is likely to be a re-surgence in demand for commer-cial accommodation to service thecompanies directly involved withHinkley C and those in the supplychain. There will also be aninward migration of workers in-volved in the construction andservicing of the scheme thatshould also benefit retail and leis-ure outlets.

What trends should we look outfor in the commercial propertymarket in the West Country in2015?I hope that 2015 follows the trendof 2014 with increased businessconfidence resulting in greater oc-cupier demand for office and in-dustrial accommodation. This islikely to be tempered by politicaluncertainty in the run-up to May’sGeneral Election. The retailmarket will continue to focus onstrategic locations for multiple re-tailers to suit their ‘multi channel’businesses and, with continueddownward pressure on foodprices, no real return to large foodstores. The leisure market is set tocontinue its growth but that willslow near the middle of the year.

Do you envisage supermarketsselling some of their land hold-ings given the seeming declineof big-box stores?The food store market continuesto go through a significant trans-ition. I believe we will see few ifany new ‘big boxes’, with the em-phasis instead on convenienceshopping and smaller storeformats. A significant number ofsites are likely to be brought to themarket which will involve a sig-nificant write-down in value forthe supermarkets.

Will Bristol’s European GreenCapital status alter the types ofoffice building brought tomarket in the city?The title will add further mar-keting status to what is alreadyregarded as one of the UK premierbusiness locations outsideLondon. As to whether it willresult in significant changes tothe type of office building broughtforward in the city, I remain scep-tical. It may result in (hopefully)some new requirements from‘g reen-led’ businesses wishing torelocate into the City which wouldtherefore make a change to thebuildings they require. I believethat any changes will principally

More confidencein planning forexpansion in 2015

Commercial property development is underway, but it is a case of steady as we go,writes Simon Tothill – director, RobertHitchins Ltd, Gloucestershire

The two major speculative officedevelopments in Bristol (the100,000 sq ft 2 Glass Wharf and58,000sq ft 66 Queen Square) havesecured significant lettings wellbefore practical completion andthe only other Grade A officebuilding currently on site isNarrow Quay House that was pre-dominantly pre-let prior to starton site.

In the industrial sector therehas been an increase in demandwith little immediately availablesupply. Demand from the likes ofinternet-related retailers and lo-gistics companies is driving thedevelopment of bespoke buildingson strategic sites close to the M4and M5. We have also experiencedan increase in demand from tech-nology-based companies and areshortly to start on site to build anew 52,000sq ft B1/B2/B8 facilityfor Sartorius Stedim Lab Ltd atour highly successful StonehousePark development. There areothers too.

The retail market is continuingto experience a restructuring.Most multiple retailers are seek-ing to put in place strategies thatmaximise the blend of internet,click and collect and bricks and

be occupier-led although increas-ing legislation and obligationsthrough building regulations anda greater realisation by businessof the need to be sustainable willdrive an improvement in theirgreen credentials anyway.

Do you see uncertainty sur-rounding the outcome of thelooming General Electionhaving an impact of the com-mercial property market?Uncertainty is the biggest threatto the recovery of the commercialproperty market. Businesses needto plan for the future in order togrow successfully and sustain-ably. The General Election islikely to impact negatively on themarket as politicians tradepunches with seemingly little ref-erence to the delicate nature of therecovery. Nevertheless, I think themarket will continue to improvethrough 2015, slowing signific-antly before the May election andpicking up thereafter.

Given the success of initiativessuch as the Engine Shed in Bris-tol do you envisage more ‘in-c u b at o r ’ type developmentssuitable for small start-ups?The Engine Shed is a great ini-tiative. We are seeing a number ofexamples of incubator typeschemes including those at theScience Parks at Exeter and Bris-tol. Robert Hitchins has been suc-cessful in delivering this type ofsmaller unit accommodationwithin its own Bonds Mill devel-opment at Stonehouse nearStroud, a refurbishment of aformer Mill building with officesuites from 109sq ft to 2,500sq ft.We continue to be successful inletting suites to new and growingbusinesses and then transferringthem onto our Stonehouse Parkdevelopment when their businessis more established.

Are there any tax or legislationchanges you’d like to see toboost the market?The reform of business rates is anabsolute must: a totally unfair taxon business which is doing sig-nificant harm to the economy.I would also remove empty com-mercial properties from the ratesliability. We have lost significantamounts of commercial floorspace to demolition when ownersfind it too expensive to wait until anew occupier is found or refur-bishment can be undertaken.

Are investors finding it easierto secure finance for propertyd eve l o p m e n t ?Bank lending for development re-mains fairly tight. Banks willoften only deal with well-estab-lished property companies thathave a strong track record and canput significant equity into the pro-posal. Even then the deal will besubject to stringent credit con-t ro l .

Is the rise in online shoppingbeing mirrored by a rise in dis-tribution/logistics propertiesin the West?Yes. We have seen a number ofwarehouse buildings being pro-cured throughout the region andparticularly with Avonmouth.This is only likely to continue asthe internet market grows.

Robert Hitchins to deliver landmark office buildings for Gloucester at Barnwood Point.Robert Hitchins Ltd has plans to deliver three landmark office buildings for Gloucester inthe next year in a move which demonstrates growing confidence in the local economy.The property developer, based at Boddington, is to build a new office block inBarnwood, providing 42,800 sq ft of prime accommodation. It will also refurbish twoexisting buildings on the same site, henceforth to be known as The Office Campus @Barnwood Point. The site is located at one of the main gateways into Gloucester frontingCorinium Avenue and close to Junction 11a of the M5. A planning application has beensubmitted to Gloucester City Council which, if approved, will see the whole developmentdeliver a total of almost 90,000 sq ft of new and refurbished office accommodation, withthe capacity for up to 500 staff. The two refurbished buildings, once the HQ of Birds EyeWall’s, will provide 12,500sq ft over three floors and 30,600 sq ft over four floorsrespectively. The new building will provide 42,800 sq ft over four floors. Robert HitchinsLtd hopes to appeal to a wide range of occupiers ranging from businesses with smalleroffice requirements to major corporates seeking a prominent, well-located headquartersbuilding. Property and Development Director for Robert Hitchins Ltd, Chris Haslam, said:‘The Office Campus @ Barnwood Point will dramatically enhance the approach toGloucester from the east. A new lease of life will be given to the refurbished officebuildings and, with the development of a new office building, will add impetus toinvestment, development and employment opportunities in the area.’

Robert Hitchins Limited is one of theleading property developers in the SouthWest and South Wales. Established morethan 50 years ago, the Robert HitchinsGroup is eminently placed to manage thefull development process, from siteacquisition and planning through todevelopment and investment. It hasextensive and significant interests in land,developments and property in the regionswithin which it operates. The company hasdeveloped more than 17,000 houses andmore than 2,000,000 ft2 (185,800 m2 ) ofcommercial property as well as refurbishingmore than 1,000,000 ft2 (92,900 m2 ) ofexisting buildings. There are two mainsides to Robert Hitchins’ business:Properties (Commercial), and Land andEstates, based at Boddington Manor nearCheltenham. They have developed a rangeof commercial buildings for occupiersincluding British Telecom in Quedgeley,G4S in Tewkesbury, Matalan and Next inQuedgeley, and Airbus at Newport. Thecompany has been involved on anindividual basis and as a consortiummember in the development of largeestates such as the 300-acre site atSevernside near Bristol, and the 340-acreKingsway site which is providing 3,300homes, 40 acres of employment land,community and leisure facilities, retail,sports area and a primary school.www.hitchins.co.uk

mortar. This is likely to result infewer High Street and out-of-townrequirements but those strategiclocations where stores are re-quired may often be larger.

All in all throughout the SouthWest we are experiencing an im-proving market sentiment with alimited ready supply of modernand flexible commercial build-i n g s.

With increased demand and re-duced supply comes improvedrental levels and purchase prices.This together with a loosening ofbank funding to the more estab-lished developers means that theacquisition and development ofcommercial property is now fullyback on the agenda. CertainlyRobert Hitchins is pushing thedevelopment button and is seek-ing new opportunities to workwith occupiers and landowners.

My one frustration is that theGeneral Election is a couple ofyears too early.

Political uncertainty and politi-cians misbehaving won’t assist arecovering commercial propertymarket. Let’s hope they canbehave and that it’s not too rougha ride that affects business per-ception for growth.

Above; the proposal for The Office Campus @ Barnwood; top, G4S in Tewkesbury

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 4342 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Commercial Property

Having experienced the suddendemise of the development marketin 2008 we at Robert Hitchins ex-perienced a noticeable increase inoccupier interest and improvedmarket conditions throughout2014. We believe this will continueto build throughout 2015 and on-wards and we are now on site,

building for occupiers, preparingplanning applications and dustingoff our development appraisals.

Throughout the South Westregion, the picture is one of busi-nesses large and small looking toinvest – albeit cautiously. This seachange follows a gradual increasein business confidence in the eco-

nomy and a realisation that now isincreasingly a good time to plan toexpand.

Good news such as theEuropean Commission’s ratifica-tion of the Hinkley C developmentand the increase in spending oninfrastructure has helped and theamount of investment proposed inthe nuclear industry both atHinkley C and Berkeley will havea significant effect on businessactivity along the M5 corridor.

Following years of little or nodevelopment, the supply of read-ily-available commercial build-ings is starting to diminishthrough a combination of in-creased occupier demand, theadvent of permitted developmentrights allowing offices to changeto residential without the need forplanning permission and the un-remitting requirement for studenthousing .

Locations such as Bristol arenow likely to experience a time lagbefore any new development isdelivered to the market as de-velopers consider their risk pro-files and decide whether to spec-ulate or focus on identifying andsecuring pre-lettings before start-ing on site.

Commercial PropertyThe commercial property market, bySimon Tothill director, RobertHitchins Ltd, Gloucestershire

Which areas of the West Coun-try do you see as being par-ticular hotspots this year?Towns and cities along the M5corridor are likely to benefit fromthe proposed investment in thenuclear energy market at bothHinkley and Berkeley. This isalready being felt with recentdeals in Gloucester to HorizonPower Services and in Bristolwith significant lettings to thelikes of EDF.

What effect are you seeing – ordo you expect to see – on thecommercial property market inSomerset due to Hinkley C?The effect will be significantthroughout the region. In Som-erset there is likely to be a re-surgence in demand for commer-cial accommodation to service thecompanies directly involved withHinkley C and those in the supplychain. There will also be aninward migration of workers in-volved in the construction andservicing of the scheme thatshould also benefit retail and leis-ure outlets.

What trends should we look outfor in the commercial propertymarket in the West Country in2015?I hope that 2015 follows the trendof 2014 with increased businessconfidence resulting in greater oc-cupier demand for office and in-dustrial accommodation. This islikely to be tempered by politicaluncertainty in the run-up to May’sGeneral Election. The retailmarket will continue to focus onstrategic locations for multiple re-tailers to suit their ‘multi channel’businesses and, with continueddownward pressure on foodprices, no real return to large foodstores. The leisure market is set tocontinue its growth but that willslow near the middle of the year.

Do you envisage supermarketsselling some of their land hold-ings given the seeming declineof big-box stores?The food store market continuesto go through a significant trans-ition. I believe we will see few ifany new ‘big boxes’, with the em-phasis instead on convenienceshopping and smaller storeformats. A significant number ofsites are likely to be brought to themarket which will involve a sig-nificant write-down in value forthe supermarkets.

Will Bristol’s European GreenCapital status alter the types ofoffice building brought tomarket in the city?The title will add further mar-keting status to what is alreadyregarded as one of the UK premierbusiness locations outsideLondon. As to whether it willresult in significant changes tothe type of office building broughtforward in the city, I remain scep-tical. It may result in (hopefully)some new requirements from‘g reen-led’ businesses wishing torelocate into the City which wouldtherefore make a change to thebuildings they require. I believethat any changes will principally

More confidencein planning forexpansion in 2015

Commercial property development is underway, but it is a case of steady as we go,writes Simon Tothill – director, RobertHitchins Ltd, Gloucestershire

The two major speculative officedevelopments in Bristol (the100,000 sq ft 2 Glass Wharf and58,000sq ft 66 Queen Square) havesecured significant lettings wellbefore practical completion andthe only other Grade A officebuilding currently on site isNarrow Quay House that was pre-dominantly pre-let prior to starton site.

In the industrial sector therehas been an increase in demandwith little immediately availablesupply. Demand from the likes ofinternet-related retailers and lo-gistics companies is driving thedevelopment of bespoke buildingson strategic sites close to the M4and M5. We have also experiencedan increase in demand from tech-nology-based companies and areshortly to start on site to build anew 52,000sq ft B1/B2/B8 facilityfor Sartorius Stedim Lab Ltd atour highly successful StonehousePark development. There areothers too.

The retail market is continuingto experience a restructuring.Most multiple retailers are seek-ing to put in place strategies thatmaximise the blend of internet,click and collect and bricks and

be occupier-led although increas-ing legislation and obligationsthrough building regulations anda greater realisation by businessof the need to be sustainable willdrive an improvement in theirgreen credentials anyway.

Do you see uncertainty sur-rounding the outcome of thelooming General Electionhaving an impact of the com-mercial property market?Uncertainty is the biggest threatto the recovery of the commercialproperty market. Businesses needto plan for the future in order togrow successfully and sustain-ably. The General Election islikely to impact negatively on themarket as politicians tradepunches with seemingly little ref-erence to the delicate nature of therecovery. Nevertheless, I think themarket will continue to improvethrough 2015, slowing signific-antly before the May election andpicking up thereafter.

Given the success of initiativessuch as the Engine Shed in Bris-tol do you envisage more ‘in-c u b at o r ’ type developmentssuitable for small start-ups?The Engine Shed is a great ini-tiative. We are seeing a number ofexamples of incubator typeschemes including those at theScience Parks at Exeter and Bris-tol. Robert Hitchins has been suc-cessful in delivering this type ofsmaller unit accommodationwithin its own Bonds Mill devel-opment at Stonehouse nearStroud, a refurbishment of aformer Mill building with officesuites from 109sq ft to 2,500sq ft.We continue to be successful inletting suites to new and growingbusinesses and then transferringthem onto our Stonehouse Parkdevelopment when their businessis more established.

Are there any tax or legislationchanges you’d like to see toboost the market?The reform of business rates is anabsolute must: a totally unfair taxon business which is doing sig-nificant harm to the economy.I would also remove empty com-mercial properties from the ratesliability. We have lost significantamounts of commercial floorspace to demolition when ownersfind it too expensive to wait until anew occupier is found or refur-bishment can be undertaken.

Are investors finding it easierto secure finance for propertyd eve l o p m e n t ?Bank lending for development re-mains fairly tight. Banks willoften only deal with well-estab-lished property companies thathave a strong track record and canput significant equity into the pro-posal. Even then the deal will besubject to stringent credit con-t ro l .

Is the rise in online shoppingbeing mirrored by a rise in dis-tribution/logistics propertiesin the West?Yes. We have seen a number ofwarehouse buildings being pro-cured throughout the region andparticularly with Avonmouth.This is only likely to continue asthe internet market grows.

Robert Hitchins to deliver landmark office buildings for Gloucester at Barnwood Point.Robert Hitchins Ltd has plans to deliver three landmark office buildings for Gloucester inthe next year in a move which demonstrates growing confidence in the local economy.The property developer, based at Boddington, is to build a new office block inBarnwood, providing 42,800 sq ft of prime accommodation. It will also refurbish twoexisting buildings on the same site, henceforth to be known as The Office Campus @Barnwood Point. The site is located at one of the main gateways into Gloucester frontingCorinium Avenue and close to Junction 11a of the M5. A planning application has beensubmitted to Gloucester City Council which, if approved, will see the whole developmentdeliver a total of almost 90,000 sq ft of new and refurbished office accommodation, withthe capacity for up to 500 staff. The two refurbished buildings, once the HQ of Birds EyeWall’s, will provide 12,500sq ft over three floors and 30,600 sq ft over four floorsrespectively. The new building will provide 42,800 sq ft over four floors. Robert HitchinsLtd hopes to appeal to a wide range of occupiers ranging from businesses with smalleroffice requirements to major corporates seeking a prominent, well-located headquartersbuilding. Property and Development Director for Robert Hitchins Ltd, Chris Haslam, said:‘The Office Campus @ Barnwood Point will dramatically enhance the approach toGloucester from the east. A new lease of life will be given to the refurbished officebuildings and, with the development of a new office building, will add impetus toinvestment, development and employment opportunities in the area.’

Robert Hitchins Limited is one of theleading property developers in the SouthWest and South Wales. Established morethan 50 years ago, the Robert HitchinsGroup is eminently placed to manage thefull development process, from siteacquisition and planning through todevelopment and investment. It hasextensive and significant interests in land,developments and property in the regionswithin which it operates. The company hasdeveloped more than 17,000 houses andmore than 2,000,000 ft2 (185,800 m2 ) ofcommercial property as well as refurbishingmore than 1,000,000 ft2 (92,900 m2 ) ofexisting buildings. There are two mainsides to Robert Hitchins’ business:Properties (Commercial), and Land andEstates, based at Boddington Manor nearCheltenham. They have developed a rangeof commercial buildings for occupiersincluding British Telecom in Quedgeley,G4S in Tewkesbury, Matalan and Next inQuedgeley, and Airbus at Newport. Thecompany has been involved on anindividual basis and as a consortiummember in the development of largeestates such as the 300-acre site atSevernside near Bristol, and the 340-acreKingsway site which is providing 3,300homes, 40 acres of employment land,community and leisure facilities, retail,sports area and a primary school.www.hitchins.co.uk

mortar. This is likely to result infewer High Street and out-of-townrequirements but those strategiclocations where stores are re-quired may often be larger.

All in all throughout the SouthWest we are experiencing an im-proving market sentiment with alimited ready supply of modernand flexible commercial build-i n g s.

With increased demand and re-duced supply comes improvedrental levels and purchase prices.This together with a loosening ofbank funding to the more estab-lished developers means that theacquisition and development ofcommercial property is now fullyback on the agenda. CertainlyRobert Hitchins is pushing thedevelopment button and is seek-ing new opportunities to workwith occupiers and landowners.

My one frustration is that theGeneral Election is a couple ofyears too early.

Political uncertainty and politi-cians misbehaving won’t assist arecovering commercial propertymarket. Let’s hope they canbehave and that it’s not too rougha ride that affects business per-ception for growth.

Above; the proposal for The Office Campus @ Barnwood; top, G4S in Tewkesbury

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 4544 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

To u r i s m

Rock star appeal of our region

Talking tourismRichard Bache

It was the sort of publicity that nomarketing budget could ever buyand now the West’s tourism in-dustry knows it has to capitaliseon it.

As endorsements go the seal ofapproval from US PresidentBarack Obama is pretty hard tob e at .

Photographs of Mr Obama walk-ing among the historic stones atStonehenge graced front pagesacross the globe.

The Wiltshire monument is nowreaping the benefit of a £27 millioninvestment in improving the vis-

itor centre – plus basking in alittle presidential attention.

Stonehenge is but one of thejewels in the West’s tourismcrown however.

The Cotswolds, Weston-super-Mare, historic Bristol, Bath andWells, rural Somerset and Dorset,Weymouth and many other placesup and down the region have un-doubted charms.

But according to some industryfigures what is really needed is amore structured system of sup-port for promoting the region.

VisitBritain has forecast that

spending by overseas visitors isset to reach record levels ofaround £22.2 billion in 2015.However, Bob Smart, chairman ofVisitSomerset, told the Wester nDaily Press earlier this year thatsome other regions get far moresupport from the Government fortheir tourism sectors.

He said: “We get strong supportfrom VisitEngland and VisitBri-tain from their very limitedbudgets, and Somerset does wellgenerally with domestic and over-seas visitors, as we’re an easydrive from London, the Midlandsand the Channel ports, and havegood airport connections.

“However, central governmentneeds to do much more to supportthe West Country’s most import-ant industry. It’s not a question ofwriting a blank cheque. Govern-

ment could help us kick-start im-portant new initiatives which willboost employment and productiv-ity, and bring in even more over-seas visitors.

“Some other regions are sup-ported far more generously thanthe South West.

“What we’re calling for is a levelplaying field. If central govern-ment doesn’t want to give us anymoney, it can save us some moneyby abolishing VAT on tourismtransactions, bringing us into linewith most of Europe.

“I can’t think of any single stepwhich would boost British tour-ism more, while also boosting thenational economy.”

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid ,who grew up in Bristol, said: “T hetourism sector is driving econom-ic growth for Britain.

“Britain has so much to offertourists with our stunning coun-tryside, great heritage and world-class sport and culture.

“Working closely with the tour-ism industry we will continue tochampion the UK abroad as part ofour long-term economic plan.”

Visitors from the USA are stillthe biggest spenders during tripsto the UK. The French visit Bri-tain the most with Germanssecond.

Meanwhile tourism bosses inWeston-super-Mare predict an en-couraging boost in visitor num-bers to the area for the forth-coming tourism season, followinga rise in visits to the official des-tination website for Weston-super-M a re.

An increase of over 60 per centin visitor numbers has been seenbetween 26th December and 10thJanuary, they key “post-Christ-mas and New Year blues” period,when it is estimated that over 40per cent of consumers look atbooking a short break or holidayfollowing the festive season.

Compared to the same period in2013/14, there has also been anincrease in requests for the 2015official destination guide of justover 72 per cent.

Love Weston tourism manager,Deborah Matthews, said: “T heseare really encouraging signs, es-pecially as this time of year is keyto attracting tourists.”

Last week the Wye Valley andForest of Dean Tourism Associ-ation was addressed by LadyCobham, chair of VisitEngland,and Manon Antoniazzi, CEO ofVisitWales, at Wye Dean Tourism2015, the region’s first business oftourism event, held at ChepstowR a c e c o u r s e.

They unveiled the EnglishWelsh Tourism Partnership –significant as it is one of the UK’sfirst cross-border tourism bodies.

Caroline Anderson, chair of theWye Valley and Forest of DeanTourism Association, said: “To u r -ism is worth more than £300 mil-lion to the local economy and 2015will see more initiatives designedto bring even more visitors to there gion.”

‘Central governmentneeds to do muchmore to support theWest Country’smost importantindustry’

Hinkley Point CBuilding better energy together

Are you interested in working at or supplying the Hinkley Point C project?

Hinkley Point C nuclear power station inSomerset is a construction project greater inscale than the London Olympic Park.

It is a transformational opportunity for Somerset’seconomy and will power five million homes.

Once a final investment decision is made theregional economy is set to benefit by £100 million

each year during construction and over 25,000job opportunities will be created.

Somerset firms interested in finding out moreshould visit www.hinkleysupplychain.co.uk

Jobseekers interested in currentemployment opportunities should email hinkley-jobs@edf-energy.com

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 4544 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

To u r i s m

Rock star appeal of our region

Talking tourismRichard Bache

It was the sort of publicity that nomarketing budget could ever buyand now the West’s tourism in-dustry knows it has to capitaliseon it.

As endorsements go the seal ofapproval from US PresidentBarack Obama is pretty hard tob e at .

Photographs of Mr Obama walk-ing among the historic stones atStonehenge graced front pagesacross the globe.

The Wiltshire monument is nowreaping the benefit of a £27 millioninvestment in improving the vis-

itor centre – plus basking in alittle presidential attention.

Stonehenge is but one of thejewels in the West’s tourismcrown however.

The Cotswolds, Weston-super-Mare, historic Bristol, Bath andWells, rural Somerset and Dorset,Weymouth and many other placesup and down the region have un-doubted charms.

But according to some industryfigures what is really needed is amore structured system of sup-port for promoting the region.

VisitBritain has forecast that

spending by overseas visitors isset to reach record levels ofaround £22.2 billion in 2015.However, Bob Smart, chairman ofVisitSomerset, told the Wester nDaily Press earlier this year thatsome other regions get far moresupport from the Government fortheir tourism sectors.

He said: “We get strong supportfrom VisitEngland and VisitBri-tain from their very limitedbudgets, and Somerset does wellgenerally with domestic and over-seas visitors, as we’re an easydrive from London, the Midlandsand the Channel ports, and havegood airport connections.

“However, central governmentneeds to do much more to supportthe West Country’s most import-ant industry. It’s not a question ofwriting a blank cheque. Govern-

ment could help us kick-start im-portant new initiatives which willboost employment and productiv-ity, and bring in even more over-seas visitors.

“Some other regions are sup-ported far more generously thanthe South West.

“What we’re calling for is a levelplaying field. If central govern-ment doesn’t want to give us anymoney, it can save us some moneyby abolishing VAT on tourismtransactions, bringing us into linewith most of Europe.

“I can’t think of any single stepwhich would boost British tour-ism more, while also boosting thenational economy.”

Culture Secretary Sajid Javid ,who grew up in Bristol, said: “T hetourism sector is driving econom-ic growth for Britain.

“Britain has so much to offertourists with our stunning coun-tryside, great heritage and world-class sport and culture.

“Working closely with the tour-ism industry we will continue tochampion the UK abroad as part ofour long-term economic plan.”

Visitors from the USA are stillthe biggest spenders during tripsto the UK. The French visit Bri-tain the most with Germanssecond.

Meanwhile tourism bosses inWeston-super-Mare predict an en-couraging boost in visitor num-bers to the area for the forth-coming tourism season, followinga rise in visits to the official des-tination website for Weston-super-M a re.

An increase of over 60 per centin visitor numbers has been seenbetween 26th December and 10thJanuary, they key “post-Christ-mas and New Year blues” period,when it is estimated that over 40per cent of consumers look atbooking a short break or holidayfollowing the festive season.

Compared to the same period in2013/14, there has also been anincrease in requests for the 2015official destination guide of justover 72 per cent.

Love Weston tourism manager,Deborah Matthews, said: “T heseare really encouraging signs, es-pecially as this time of year is keyto attracting tourists.”

Last week the Wye Valley andForest of Dean Tourism Associ-ation was addressed by LadyCobham, chair of VisitEngland,and Manon Antoniazzi, CEO ofVisitWales, at Wye Dean Tourism2015, the region’s first business oftourism event, held at ChepstowR a c e c o u r s e.

They unveiled the EnglishWelsh Tourism Partnership –significant as it is one of the UK’sfirst cross-border tourism bodies.

Caroline Anderson, chair of theWye Valley and Forest of DeanTourism Association, said: “To u r -ism is worth more than £300 mil-lion to the local economy and 2015will see more initiatives designedto bring even more visitors to there gion.”

‘Central governmentneeds to do muchmore to support theWest Country’smost importantindustry’

Hinkley Point CBuilding better energy together

Are you interested in working at or supplying the Hinkley Point C project?

Hinkley Point C nuclear power station inSomerset is a construction project greater inscale than the London Olympic Park.

It is a transformational opportunity for Somerset’seconomy and will power five million homes.

Once a final investment decision is made theregional economy is set to benefit by £100 million

each year during construction and over 25,000job opportunities will be created.

Somerset firms interested in finding out moreshould visit www.hinkleysupplychain.co.uk

Jobseekers interested in currentemployment opportunities should email hinkley-jobs@edf-energy.com

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 4746 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

South Bristol

Bristol’s property market appearsto be booming again. Cranes canbe seen across the skyline, thereare hundreds of homes being builtin big residential developments inthe city centre and northernfring es.

Proximity to the M4 and avail-

able land makes the area attract-ive for employment sites too. It ishome to the local aerospace sector,with marque companies such asAirbus and Rolls-Royce, employ-ing about 7,000 people betweenthem in largely highly skilledjobs. The Avonmouth and Severn-

taking more than one hour to getto the motorway network.”

Paul says the 1960s employmentstock in South Bristol is anotherissue, making up some of thelowest grade premises in the city.

“Cramped estates at Brisling-ton, Cater Road, Ashton Vale,Novers Hill and Hengrove havedeclined because the demandmarket has changed,” he says.

Things are finally looking up,h oweve r.

The new Filwood Green Busi-ness Park is creating 40,000 squarefeet of workshop and office accom-modation and is expected to sup-port 350 jobs.

The landmark offices for Imper-ial Tobacco and the redevelop-ment of the Ashton Gate stadiumare changing the face of the Win-terstoke Road area and providingspin-off for local businesses.

The Bottle Yard Studios in Hen-grove is proving a hit in the mediaindustry, with a growing numberof productions film there fromDeal Or No Deal to T ro l l i e d andBBC drama Wolf Hall.

Bristol Airport has a £120-mil-lion expansion plan including a200-bed hotel. Further expansionis planned at Imperial Park too.

South BristolBut the improvement is limited byinfrastr ucture.

“South Bristol is restrainedhowever by its topography, thelack of inward investment sub-sidy, and by the lack of significantscale employment sites that couldattract new major employers tothe area,” says Paul.

The proposal for the South Bris-tol Link Road, which has clearedplanning hurdles, is the biggesthope for the area. As Paul puts it:“The most obvious opportunity toimprove the situation is the A4174ring road with the missing links atStockwood to Hengrove, and LongAshton to Whitchurch. The SouthBristol Link has all the permis-sions it needs to start building.Now awaiting full approval fromthe Department for Transport, re-lease of the funds to start thismuch-needed project to open upthe south of the city is expected in2015.

“In commercial terms this willbe a major bonus for South Bristoland make it a more realistic loca-tion for new investment and re-newal of the existing stock.

“The fact that it will open up theexpanding employment opportun-ities of north Bristol to the labourmarket of south Bristol is a hugeadvantage for the whole city.”

Paul Matthews, from the Bristoloffice of commercial propertyBruton Knowles, agrees.

“South Bristol has for too longbeen the Cinderella area for com-mercial property in the region,”he says.

“Plans for a South Bristol LinkRoad have been talked about fordecades and there is no doubt thatif it does happen it will go a longway to ensuring that Cinderellafinally gets to the ball.

“In many ways South Bristol’stime is about to arrive.”

He says despite poor infrastruc-ture, the area has a real asset in itswo rk fo rc e.

“The strength of the local labourmarket has meant that some pock-ets of commercial property haveremained strong with Cater Road,Bishopsworth, Hartcliffe Way andSouth Liberty Lane all providinggood bases for local businessesand consequent employment op-portunities. Our surveys haveshown that many people in SouthBristol work in the Avonmouthand Port of Bristol area and thenew link road will help them withtheir daily commute.

“But more importantly it willencourage businesses to locatethemselves in South Bristol, espe-cially if a link into South LibertyLane is opened up at Brookgateand some new commercial devel-opment is allowed along thero u t e. ”

Paul believes the road will leadto the quality of the workplaces inimproving as older stock is refur-bished and brought up to date.

“It will be a big advantage forthe green credentials of the areaas people will be able to workcloser to home,” he adds.

“South Bristol at the momentdoes not have enough workplacesfor the number of houses and thatsurely has to be addressed. Provid-ing easier access to the area willchange that balance.”

Perhaps the link road will be theglass slipper many south of theriver having been waiting for.

Is South Bristol oncusp of a ticket tothe economic ball?

While North Bristol grabs the headlines and investment,the south of the city has been left behind on jobs andprosperity. Gavin Thompson asks, is it time forCinderella South Bristol to go to the ball?

side area is on the rise too, withE u ro p e ’s biggest brown-field de-velopment site being eyed mainlyby the distribution and warehous-ing sector.

The proposed new M49 junctionannounced in December’sAutumn Statement should helpthis momentum build.

What of poor old South Bristol?Surely it’s time to get that marketm ov i n g .

Paul Hobbs, of commercial prop-erty agency GVA, says the reasonsfor the area’s relative poverty arelong standing but not alwayshelped by policy.

“For those wanting to travelfrom the south of the city to thenorth there are rivers to cross,narrow streets, new speed limitsand well-known bottlenecks,” hesays. “As we have seen with simil-ar problems in Gloucester andBridgwater – the winners on theeconomic development front arethose on the motorway corridor.

“In the industrial space market,warehouse enquiries dominate80:20 over manufacturing. Theparcel carriers, trade counters/merchants, supply chain busi-nesses such as Amazon, DPD andRoyal Mail can’t risk vehicles

Just over the local authority borderfrom South Bristol a £34 million re-development has revitalised Keyn-sham town centre.

The project, which took some threeyears to come to fruition, has seen araft of new shops and bars open forbusiness in the Bath and North EastSomerset town.

The project has seen the regen-eration of Keynsham Town Hall inthe heart of the town centre, plus aswathe of other improvements in-cluding: –� 100,000 sq ft new build mixed used eve l o p m e n t� 18,000 sq ft of new retail space� Council offices providing 70,000 sqft for 650 staff� Adjacent to refurbished multistorey shopper car park providing 175spaces� Over 600 public car parking spaceswithin 5 minutes of Market Walk� Creation of innovative One StopShop and library� New public square

Among the businesses to move intothe regenerated area include fast-growing Bristol-based cafe bar chainLoung ers.

The company invested £550,000 toconvert a former empty unit into itsnew Bonzo Lounge cafe and restaur-ant on Marketplace, which opened inN ove m b e r.

Loungers operations manager,Jeremy Burton-Dickie told the BathC h ro n i cl e : “We ’re delighted to be partof this amazing new development andKeynsham is the perfect site for our

Lounge concept. There’s already athriving and vibrant community andwe ’re really looking forward to play-ing our part in the foodie sceneh e re.

“Keynsham residents will beserved by the very best – our newteam is very passionate about hos-p i t a l i t y.

“Training includes expert guid-ance from one of Europe’s most ac-claimed baristas.”

S a i n s bu r y ’s opened a ‘Local’ sore atthe Marketplace, which created in theregion of 25 jobs, a similar number tothe Bonzo Lounge.

Artist Sebastien Boyesen won acontest to design a clocktower for thed eve l o p m e n t .

He used a patchwork of glass andacrylic panels to capture the historyof the town in the six-metre hight owe r.

The clock will be constructed out ofa solid granite plinth with a polishedfinish and supporting framework ofstainless steel.

Bath and North East SomersetCouncil believes Marketplace will bethe ideal spot for high street retailersand restaurant chains, serving acatchment population of more than285,000 residents.

Artist Sebastien Boyesen won a contest to design a clocktower for the development inKeynsham. He used a patchwork of glass and acrylic panels to capture the history of thetown in the six-metre high tower

‘Restrained howeverby its topography,lack of inwardinvestment subsidy,and lack ofsignificant scaleemployment sites’

Top; Members of the South West branchof the Association of Women in Propertybeing given a tour of the new FilwoodGreen Business Park by members of theMidas Construction team leading theproject. Above; Ashton Gate revamp couldhelp provide jobs

The cost of the major redevelopment ofKeynsham town centre

£34m

Bold new faceof Keynshamsparks revival

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 4746 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

South Bristol

Bristol’s property market appearsto be booming again. Cranes canbe seen across the skyline, thereare hundreds of homes being builtin big residential developments inthe city centre and northernfring es.

Proximity to the M4 and avail-

able land makes the area attract-ive for employment sites too. It ishome to the local aerospace sector,with marque companies such asAirbus and Rolls-Royce, employ-ing about 7,000 people betweenthem in largely highly skilledjobs. The Avonmouth and Severn-

taking more than one hour to getto the motorway network.”

Paul says the 1960s employmentstock in South Bristol is anotherissue, making up some of thelowest grade premises in the city.

“Cramped estates at Brisling-ton, Cater Road, Ashton Vale,Novers Hill and Hengrove havedeclined because the demandmarket has changed,” he says.

Things are finally looking up,h oweve r.

The new Filwood Green Busi-ness Park is creating 40,000 squarefeet of workshop and office accom-modation and is expected to sup-port 350 jobs.

The landmark offices for Imper-ial Tobacco and the redevelop-ment of the Ashton Gate stadiumare changing the face of the Win-terstoke Road area and providingspin-off for local businesses.

The Bottle Yard Studios in Hen-grove is proving a hit in the mediaindustry, with a growing numberof productions film there fromDeal Or No Deal to T ro l l i e d andBBC drama Wolf Hall.

Bristol Airport has a £120-mil-lion expansion plan including a200-bed hotel. Further expansionis planned at Imperial Park too.

South BristolBut the improvement is limited byinfrastr ucture.

“South Bristol is restrainedhowever by its topography, thelack of inward investment sub-sidy, and by the lack of significantscale employment sites that couldattract new major employers tothe area,” says Paul.

The proposal for the South Bris-tol Link Road, which has clearedplanning hurdles, is the biggesthope for the area. As Paul puts it:“The most obvious opportunity toimprove the situation is the A4174ring road with the missing links atStockwood to Hengrove, and LongAshton to Whitchurch. The SouthBristol Link has all the permis-sions it needs to start building.Now awaiting full approval fromthe Department for Transport, re-lease of the funds to start thismuch-needed project to open upthe south of the city is expected in2015.

“In commercial terms this willbe a major bonus for South Bristoland make it a more realistic loca-tion for new investment and re-newal of the existing stock.

“The fact that it will open up theexpanding employment opportun-ities of north Bristol to the labourmarket of south Bristol is a hugeadvantage for the whole city.”

Paul Matthews, from the Bristoloffice of commercial propertyBruton Knowles, agrees.

“South Bristol has for too longbeen the Cinderella area for com-mercial property in the region,”he says.

“Plans for a South Bristol LinkRoad have been talked about fordecades and there is no doubt thatif it does happen it will go a longway to ensuring that Cinderellafinally gets to the ball.

“In many ways South Bristol’stime is about to arrive.”

He says despite poor infrastruc-ture, the area has a real asset in itswo rk fo rc e.

“The strength of the local labourmarket has meant that some pock-ets of commercial property haveremained strong with Cater Road,Bishopsworth, Hartcliffe Way andSouth Liberty Lane all providinggood bases for local businessesand consequent employment op-portunities. Our surveys haveshown that many people in SouthBristol work in the Avonmouthand Port of Bristol area and thenew link road will help them withtheir daily commute.

“But more importantly it willencourage businesses to locatethemselves in South Bristol, espe-cially if a link into South LibertyLane is opened up at Brookgateand some new commercial devel-opment is allowed along thero u t e. ”

Paul believes the road will leadto the quality of the workplaces inimproving as older stock is refur-bished and brought up to date.

“It will be a big advantage forthe green credentials of the areaas people will be able to workcloser to home,” he adds.

“South Bristol at the momentdoes not have enough workplacesfor the number of houses and thatsurely has to be addressed. Provid-ing easier access to the area willchange that balance.”

Perhaps the link road will be theglass slipper many south of theriver having been waiting for.

Is South Bristol oncusp of a ticket tothe economic ball?

While North Bristol grabs the headlines and investment,the south of the city has been left behind on jobs andprosperity. Gavin Thompson asks, is it time forCinderella South Bristol to go to the ball?

side area is on the rise too, withE u ro p e ’s biggest brown-field de-velopment site being eyed mainlyby the distribution and warehous-ing sector.

The proposed new M49 junctionannounced in December’sAutumn Statement should helpthis momentum build.

What of poor old South Bristol?Surely it’s time to get that marketm ov i n g .

Paul Hobbs, of commercial prop-erty agency GVA, says the reasonsfor the area’s relative poverty arelong standing but not alwayshelped by policy.

“For those wanting to travelfrom the south of the city to thenorth there are rivers to cross,narrow streets, new speed limitsand well-known bottlenecks,” hesays. “As we have seen with simil-ar problems in Gloucester andBridgwater – the winners on theeconomic development front arethose on the motorway corridor.

“In the industrial space market,warehouse enquiries dominate80:20 over manufacturing. Theparcel carriers, trade counters/merchants, supply chain busi-nesses such as Amazon, DPD andRoyal Mail can’t risk vehicles

Just over the local authority borderfrom South Bristol a £34 million re-development has revitalised Keyn-sham town centre.

The project, which took some threeyears to come to fruition, has seen araft of new shops and bars open forbusiness in the Bath and North EastSomerset town.

The project has seen the regen-eration of Keynsham Town Hall inthe heart of the town centre, plus aswathe of other improvements in-cluding: –� 100,000 sq ft new build mixed used eve l o p m e n t� 18,000 sq ft of new retail space� Council offices providing 70,000 sqft for 650 staff� Adjacent to refurbished multistorey shopper car park providing 175spaces� Over 600 public car parking spaceswithin 5 minutes of Market Walk� Creation of innovative One StopShop and library� New public square

Among the businesses to move intothe regenerated area include fast-growing Bristol-based cafe bar chainLoung ers.

The company invested £550,000 toconvert a former empty unit into itsnew Bonzo Lounge cafe and restaur-ant on Marketplace, which opened inN ove m b e r.

Loungers operations manager,Jeremy Burton-Dickie told the BathC h ro n i cl e : “We ’re delighted to be partof this amazing new development andKeynsham is the perfect site for our

Lounge concept. There’s already athriving and vibrant community andwe ’re really looking forward to play-ing our part in the foodie sceneh e re.

“Keynsham residents will beserved by the very best – our newteam is very passionate about hos-p i t a l i t y.

“Training includes expert guid-ance from one of Europe’s most ac-claimed baristas.”

S a i n s bu r y ’s opened a ‘Local’ sore atthe Marketplace, which created in theregion of 25 jobs, a similar number tothe Bonzo Lounge.

Artist Sebastien Boyesen won acontest to design a clocktower for thed eve l o p m e n t .

He used a patchwork of glass andacrylic panels to capture the historyof the town in the six-metre hight owe r.

The clock will be constructed out ofa solid granite plinth with a polishedfinish and supporting framework ofstainless steel.

Bath and North East SomersetCouncil believes Marketplace will bethe ideal spot for high street retailersand restaurant chains, serving acatchment population of more than285,000 residents.

Artist Sebastien Boyesen won a contest to design a clocktower for the development inKeynsham. He used a patchwork of glass and acrylic panels to capture the history of thetown in the six-metre high tower

‘Restrained howeverby its topography,lack of inwardinvestment subsidy,and lack ofsignificant scaleemployment sites’

Top; Members of the South West branchof the Association of Women in Propertybeing given a tour of the new FilwoodGreen Business Park by members of theMidas Construction team leading theproject. Above; Ashton Gate revamp couldhelp provide jobs

The cost of the major redevelopment ofKeynsham town centre

£34m

Bold new faceof Keynshamsparks revival

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 4948 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Creative and Digital Creative and Digital

Film makers canhave adventuresin space – there’splenty of it here

starring roleMichael Ribbeck

Turning a former wine ware-house in South Bristol into filmstudios is turning into a vintageidea.

When the idea was first aired itwas fair to say there were a fewd o u b t e r s.

But a little over four years afterThe Bottle Yard was first openedfor business and the doubters areabout to be proved spectacularlyw ro n g .

The aim was to attract top filmand TV productions to the studiosin Hengrove by offering them thelatest technology allied to one ofthe most important commoditiesin the business – lots and lots ofs p a c e.

The huge warehouse, which wasonce the home of Harveys andConstellation Europe, coversmore than 13 acres of open space.

Film and TV companies lookingfor space to build sets and createwhole new imaginary worlds havecome flocking to Bristol ever sincethe opening. And this year is set tokick off in spectacular style forBristol’s very own film studioswith two major productions aboutto hit the small screen.

The team behind the Bottle Yardare hoping that as more and morehigh profile programmes aremade at the studios even moreproductions will be made in Bris-tol’s answer to Hollywood.

The studio ended 2014 on a highwith the release of The LostHonour of Christopher Jefferies –the ITV drama which told thestory of how Joanna Yeates’ land-lord was wronged by the nationalp re s s.

As well as showcasing what thestudio can offer, the city of Bristolalso went on show in the two-partspecial. But as 2015 kicks off twofar more ambitious TV pro-grammes are about to hit thesmall-screen – one in America andone here in the UK.

And the two dramas could not befurther apart – one is a sweepinghistorical drama based on thebooks of one of Britain’s favouriteauthors, the other a musical ad-venture featuring gallant knightsand damsels in distress.

The highly anticipated andeagerly awaited Wolf Hall, whichis being screened at the end of the

month on BBC Two, is set to be thefirst major drama series of theyear. Based on the historicalnovels of Hilary Mantel, it tells thestory of Henry VIII’s bloodthirstyreign seen through the eyes of hischief advisor Thomas Cromwell.

The heavyweight drama starsDamian Lewis as the capriciousking and Mark Rylance as theadvisor who was always willing toensure that Henry got exactlywhat he wanted whatever thecost.

The story follows the complexmachinations and back room deal-ings of a power broker – f ro mhumble beginnings – who mustserve king and country while nav-igating deadly political intrigue,the King’s tempestuous relation-ship with Anne Boleyn and thereligious upheavals of the Protest-ant reformation.

Wolf Hall will be shown at theend of the month but Galavantmade its debut on screen in the USa little earlier this year.

The ABC network has beenshowing the musical drama,which owes a very large debt toMonty Python’s Holy Grail ve r s i o nof the Middle Ages.

The American series comeswith a major Hollywood pedigreeand is already being tipped to be amajor hit in the States. Thescreenwriter and executive produ-cer Dan Fogelman was involved ina string of hits including C ra z yStupid Love, Tangled and C a rs .

And the man behind the songs isthe Oscar-winning composer AlanMenken who wrote the music forThe Little Mermaid, Aladdin, andBeauty and the Beast.

Galavant stars Joshua Sasse asGalavant, Timothy Omundson asKing Richard, former footballerVinnie Jones as Gareth, MalloryJansen as Madalena, Karen Davidas Isabella and Luke Youngbloodas Sid.

But there are also a series ofhigh-profile cameo appearancesin the show including the likes ofcomedian Ricky Gervais andmovie star Rutger Hauer.

Fiona Francombe, the man-aging director of the studios, said:“We were quietly proud to havebeen home to the Galavant pilotearlier this year, and we’re

thrilled that ABC Studios havenow decided to base the full seriesat The Bottle Yard Studios.

“To have secured a bookingfrom a major international studiolike this is confirmation that ourfacilities are competing at thehighest level against other spacesin the UK production scene.”

Helen Flint, the UK producer ofthe eight part TV series, said: “Wedecided to base Galavant at TheBottle Yard Studios in Bristol be-cause we were confident we’d get afirst class service from FionaFrancombe and her team. Thestudio is conveniently situated forBristol and the great locationsthat surround the city.”

The Bottle Yard studio at theformer Constellation Wines plantin Hengrove is owned by BristolCity Council and provided the set-ting for the popular T ro l l i e dsitcom and more recently the BBCOne drama F rankie.

Other programmes to have beenfilmed there also include game-show Deal or No Deal and thecrime drama The Inside Men.

Case studyDorset goes digital

A concerted effort has beenlaunched to ensure businesses inDorset are meeting their digitalpotential.

The Dorset Growth Hub haslaunched a Digital Growth cam-paign to help companies embracethe power of technology to boosttheir competitiveness in the local,national and global market-p l a c e s.

It is staging a series of eventsand conferences in Bournemouth,Ferndown and Weymouth as wellas drop-in days in Christchurch,Swanage, Dorchester, Shaftes-bury, Blandford and Bridport.

Digital health checks and grantvouchers will also be available inthe free programme of events andactivities. It is being delivered inpartnership with the DorsetGrowth Hub and the Dorset Cham-ber of Commerce and Industry.

Tony Latham, who is a DorsetGrowth Hub advisor, said: “T hedigital world moves at a rapidpace. With thousands of potentialcustomers online every day, it hasnever been more important forbusinesses to make sure they areup to speed.

“Digital Growth will offer valu-able insights into how digital tech-nologies are shaping the businessworld today and how they can beharnessed to help businessesbecome more competitive in a fastchanging marketplace.” The in-

T here’s not a farm in the countrythat produces an October harvestquite like Worthy Farm.

On a single Sunday morningalone some £30 million of ticketsales pours into the Pilton-basedGlastonbury Festival HQ duringthe annual ticket rush.

Of course, this is very far fromall being profit – as most farmsd o n’t give nearly all their profitsto charity or have the consider-able input costs of paying hun-dreds of the world’s biggest musics t a r s.

In 2013 alone the festivaldonated more than £2 million tocharities. With the sum splitbetween local causes and majorcharities such as Greenpeace,Oxfam and Water Aid.

It isn’t only charities that be-nefit from the festival however – itis a major factor on the local eco-nomy. Studies carried out byMendip District Council haveshown that ticket-holders andtraders between them spend about£27 million off-site and £26 millionon-site during the festival period.The festival itself spends in excessof £20 million in staging the event,with much of the spend going tonearby businesses.

Plus it provides an incalculablepublic relations boost, promotingSomerset and the West Country toa global audience. Since 2000, eachyear the festival has paid over £1million to charities and local goodc a u s e s.

A vibrant tourist industry iscentral to the economic well beingof Somerset.

Having the internationallyknown and respected GlastonburyFestival as part of the county’sportfolio of attractions is a tre-mendous benefit. The high inter-national profile of the festival res-ults in some 700 of the world’smedia coming to the festival andproviding coverage in their dif-ferent countries.

The British Council invite pro-moters from all over the world tothe festival – and the festivalprovides information for BritishEmbassies overseas.

Above left; Michael and Emily Eavis atWorthy Farm, which has an extraordinaryimpact on the Somerset economy. Festival-goers spend at least £50 million in thelocal economy each year, plus hundreds ofbusinesses and charitable organisationsbenefit financially from their involvement inthe event. Above, the stars who made the2014 Glastonbury Festival such a stunningsuccess. From top; Dolly Parton, Lily Allen,Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Debbie Harry

Acts are top ofthe economic popsMark Ronson and Rita Ora havebeen given an official seal of ap-proval after they were picked outby the Government as beingamong chart acts expected toboost the economy.

They were on a list of “expectedhighlights of 2015” put together bythe Department for Culture,Media and Sport (DCMS), alongwith the new series of DowntonAbbe y and Game of Thrones andwriters including JK Rowling.

The list was published along-side figures showing the creativeindustries including films, musicand publishing contributed£146,000 to the economy everyminute in 2013, adding up to £76.9billion a year.

The DCMS said they also ac-counted for 1.7 million jobs.

Also on the list were EllieGoulding, Emeli Sande and Cold-p l ay.

Many tourists only know aboutthe area because of the profile ofthe festival.

Local shops, restaurants andpubs also enjoy a significant in-crease in trade over the festivalperiod. Festival staff, security per-sonnel and the fence crew startsetting up the site over a monthbefore the festival, and remain fora similar time after. They con-sistently use the amenities in thevillage and surrounding towns.

Downton Abbey, brainchild of Dorset’sLord Fellowes, is one of Britain’s top TVexports

Main picture; Wolf Hall, above; The LostInnocence of Christopher Jefferies andright; Galavant, were all filmed at theBottle Yard in Hengrove

Glastonbury effect

‘It has never been moreimportant for businessesto make sure they are upto speed’

teractive conference – E - M a rke t -ing and Technology Megatrends:2015 and Beyond – is being held inpartnership with Dorset Super-fast Business.

It will be on January 29 at AFCBour nemouth’s Goldsands Stadi-um from 9am to 1pm.

Keynote speakers will be In-tergage managing director PaulTansey and Key Multimedia man-aging director David Lakins.

Two additional Digital Growthevents are being held in Ferndownon February 24 at Dudsbury GolfClub and in Weymouth on March 3at the Pavilion from 9am to 1pm.

They will give an insight intonew ideas to help companiesbecome more competitive and winmore business.

There will be keynote speakerswith updates on the latest think-ing and technology, discussionswith the chance to ask questionson such subjects as social media,web design and digital market-ing.

A series of drop-in days are alsobeing held with the chance to havea digital health check, and applyfor grant vouchers for improve-ments to IT systems or digitalmarketing activities.

The digital health check in-cludes a complete review of ITsystems, including hardware, soft-ware for finance, marketing andc o m m u n i c at i o n s.

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 4948 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Creative and Digital Creative and Digital

Film makers canhave adventuresin space – there’splenty of it here

starring roleMichael Ribbeck

Turning a former wine ware-house in South Bristol into filmstudios is turning into a vintageidea.

When the idea was first aired itwas fair to say there were a fewd o u b t e r s.

But a little over four years afterThe Bottle Yard was first openedfor business and the doubters areabout to be proved spectacularlyw ro n g .

The aim was to attract top filmand TV productions to the studiosin Hengrove by offering them thelatest technology allied to one ofthe most important commoditiesin the business – lots and lots ofs p a c e.

The huge warehouse, which wasonce the home of Harveys andConstellation Europe, coversmore than 13 acres of open space.

Film and TV companies lookingfor space to build sets and createwhole new imaginary worlds havecome flocking to Bristol ever sincethe opening. And this year is set tokick off in spectacular style forBristol’s very own film studioswith two major productions aboutto hit the small screen.

The team behind the Bottle Yardare hoping that as more and morehigh profile programmes aremade at the studios even moreproductions will be made in Bris-tol’s answer to Hollywood.

The studio ended 2014 on a highwith the release of The LostHonour of Christopher Jefferies –the ITV drama which told thestory of how Joanna Yeates’ land-lord was wronged by the nationalp re s s.

As well as showcasing what thestudio can offer, the city of Bristolalso went on show in the two-partspecial. But as 2015 kicks off twofar more ambitious TV pro-grammes are about to hit thesmall-screen – one in America andone here in the UK.

And the two dramas could not befurther apart – one is a sweepinghistorical drama based on thebooks of one of Britain’s favouriteauthors, the other a musical ad-venture featuring gallant knightsand damsels in distress.

The highly anticipated andeagerly awaited Wolf Hall, whichis being screened at the end of the

month on BBC Two, is set to be thefirst major drama series of theyear. Based on the historicalnovels of Hilary Mantel, it tells thestory of Henry VIII’s bloodthirstyreign seen through the eyes of hischief advisor Thomas Cromwell.

The heavyweight drama starsDamian Lewis as the capriciousking and Mark Rylance as theadvisor who was always willing toensure that Henry got exactlywhat he wanted whatever thecost.

The story follows the complexmachinations and back room deal-ings of a power broker – f ro mhumble beginnings – who mustserve king and country while nav-igating deadly political intrigue,the King’s tempestuous relation-ship with Anne Boleyn and thereligious upheavals of the Protest-ant reformation.

Wolf Hall will be shown at theend of the month but Galavantmade its debut on screen in the USa little earlier this year.

The ABC network has beenshowing the musical drama,which owes a very large debt toMonty Python’s Holy Grail ve r s i o nof the Middle Ages.

The American series comeswith a major Hollywood pedigreeand is already being tipped to be amajor hit in the States. Thescreenwriter and executive produ-cer Dan Fogelman was involved ina string of hits including C ra z yStupid Love, Tangled and C a rs .

And the man behind the songs isthe Oscar-winning composer AlanMenken who wrote the music forThe Little Mermaid, Aladdin, andBeauty and the Beast.

Galavant stars Joshua Sasse asGalavant, Timothy Omundson asKing Richard, former footballerVinnie Jones as Gareth, MalloryJansen as Madalena, Karen Davidas Isabella and Luke Youngbloodas Sid.

But there are also a series ofhigh-profile cameo appearancesin the show including the likes ofcomedian Ricky Gervais andmovie star Rutger Hauer.

Fiona Francombe, the man-aging director of the studios, said:“We were quietly proud to havebeen home to the Galavant pilotearlier this year, and we’re

thrilled that ABC Studios havenow decided to base the full seriesat The Bottle Yard Studios.

“To have secured a bookingfrom a major international studiolike this is confirmation that ourfacilities are competing at thehighest level against other spacesin the UK production scene.”

Helen Flint, the UK producer ofthe eight part TV series, said: “Wedecided to base Galavant at TheBottle Yard Studios in Bristol be-cause we were confident we’d get afirst class service from FionaFrancombe and her team. Thestudio is conveniently situated forBristol and the great locationsthat surround the city.”

The Bottle Yard studio at theformer Constellation Wines plantin Hengrove is owned by BristolCity Council and provided the set-ting for the popular T ro l l i e dsitcom and more recently the BBCOne drama F rankie.

Other programmes to have beenfilmed there also include game-show Deal or No Deal and thecrime drama The Inside Men.

Case studyDorset goes digital

A concerted effort has beenlaunched to ensure businesses inDorset are meeting their digitalpotential.

The Dorset Growth Hub haslaunched a Digital Growth cam-paign to help companies embracethe power of technology to boosttheir competitiveness in the local,national and global market-p l a c e s.

It is staging a series of eventsand conferences in Bournemouth,Ferndown and Weymouth as wellas drop-in days in Christchurch,Swanage, Dorchester, Shaftes-bury, Blandford and Bridport.

Digital health checks and grantvouchers will also be available inthe free programme of events andactivities. It is being delivered inpartnership with the DorsetGrowth Hub and the Dorset Cham-ber of Commerce and Industry.

Tony Latham, who is a DorsetGrowth Hub advisor, said: “T hedigital world moves at a rapidpace. With thousands of potentialcustomers online every day, it hasnever been more important forbusinesses to make sure they areup to speed.

“Digital Growth will offer valu-able insights into how digital tech-nologies are shaping the businessworld today and how they can beharnessed to help businessesbecome more competitive in a fastchanging marketplace.” The in-

T here’s not a farm in the countrythat produces an October harvestquite like Worthy Farm.

On a single Sunday morningalone some £30 million of ticketsales pours into the Pilton-basedGlastonbury Festival HQ duringthe annual ticket rush.

Of course, this is very far fromall being profit – as most farmsd o n’t give nearly all their profitsto charity or have the consider-able input costs of paying hun-dreds of the world’s biggest musics t a r s.

In 2013 alone the festivaldonated more than £2 million tocharities. With the sum splitbetween local causes and majorcharities such as Greenpeace,Oxfam and Water Aid.

It isn’t only charities that be-nefit from the festival however – itis a major factor on the local eco-nomy. Studies carried out byMendip District Council haveshown that ticket-holders andtraders between them spend about£27 million off-site and £26 millionon-site during the festival period.The festival itself spends in excessof £20 million in staging the event,with much of the spend going tonearby businesses.

Plus it provides an incalculablepublic relations boost, promotingSomerset and the West Country toa global audience. Since 2000, eachyear the festival has paid over £1million to charities and local goodc a u s e s.

A vibrant tourist industry iscentral to the economic well beingof Somerset.

Having the internationallyknown and respected GlastonburyFestival as part of the county’sportfolio of attractions is a tre-mendous benefit. The high inter-national profile of the festival res-ults in some 700 of the world’smedia coming to the festival andproviding coverage in their dif-ferent countries.

The British Council invite pro-moters from all over the world tothe festival – and the festivalprovides information for BritishEmbassies overseas.

Above left; Michael and Emily Eavis atWorthy Farm, which has an extraordinaryimpact on the Somerset economy. Festival-goers spend at least £50 million in thelocal economy each year, plus hundreds ofbusinesses and charitable organisationsbenefit financially from their involvement inthe event. Above, the stars who made the2014 Glastonbury Festival such a stunningsuccess. From top; Dolly Parton, Lily Allen,Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Debbie Harry

Acts are top ofthe economic popsMark Ronson and Rita Ora havebeen given an official seal of ap-proval after they were picked outby the Government as beingamong chart acts expected toboost the economy.

They were on a list of “expectedhighlights of 2015” put together bythe Department for Culture,Media and Sport (DCMS), alongwith the new series of DowntonAbbe y and Game of Thrones andwriters including JK Rowling.

The list was published along-side figures showing the creativeindustries including films, musicand publishing contributed£146,000 to the economy everyminute in 2013, adding up to £76.9billion a year.

The DCMS said they also ac-counted for 1.7 million jobs.

Also on the list were EllieGoulding, Emeli Sande and Cold-p l ay.

Many tourists only know aboutthe area because of the profile ofthe festival.

Local shops, restaurants andpubs also enjoy a significant in-crease in trade over the festivalperiod. Festival staff, security per-sonnel and the fence crew startsetting up the site over a monthbefore the festival, and remain fora similar time after. They con-sistently use the amenities in thevillage and surrounding towns.

Downton Abbey, brainchild of Dorset’sLord Fellowes, is one of Britain’s top TVexports

Main picture; Wolf Hall, above; The LostInnocence of Christopher Jefferies andright; Galavant, were all filmed at theBottle Yard in Hengrove

Glastonbury effect

‘It has never been moreimportant for businessesto make sure they are upto speed’

teractive conference – E - M a rke t -ing and Technology Megatrends:2015 and Beyond – is being held inpartnership with Dorset Super-fast Business.

It will be on January 29 at AFCBour nemouth’s Goldsands Stadi-um from 9am to 1pm.

Keynote speakers will be In-tergage managing director PaulTansey and Key Multimedia man-aging director David Lakins.

Two additional Digital Growthevents are being held in Ferndownon February 24 at Dudsbury GolfClub and in Weymouth on March 3at the Pavilion from 9am to 1pm.

They will give an insight intonew ideas to help companiesbecome more competitive and winmore business.

There will be keynote speakerswith updates on the latest think-ing and technology, discussionswith the chance to ask questionson such subjects as social media,web design and digital market-ing.

A series of drop-in days are alsobeing held with the chance to havea digital health check, and applyfor grant vouchers for improve-ments to IT systems or digitalmarketing activities.

The digital health check in-cludes a complete review of ITsystems, including hardware, soft-ware for finance, marketing andc o m m u n i c at i o n s.

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 5150 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Made in the West

Made inthe WestManufacturingRichard Bache

A Apps – Bristol is a hot-bed of appdesign, boasting firms such as MubalooB Blue glass. Bristol is famous for itC Cider. Enough saidD Drones. Facebook bought Somersetdrone firm Ascenta last yearE English wine. The Three ChoirsVineyard in Gloucestershire is one ofcountry’s bestF Fabric. Fox Brothers in Wellington,owned by Deborah Meaden, weave thefinest local traditional clothsG Gin. Bramley and Gage opened anew distillery at Thornbury last yearH Hot air balloons. Cameron Balloons inBedminster are a world-leaderI Ink. Bristol is world renowned forgraffiti artists such as BanksyJ Juice. Sunny Delight and other juicesare made at Gerber in BridgwaterK Kitchens. Smallbone of Devizes makesome of Britain’s finest bespokekitchensL Landing gear. Gloucestershire’sMessier-Dowty is the world-leader inaircraft landingM Missiles. MBDA at Filton design high-tech weaponryN News. South West News Service inBristol is country’s biggest press agencyO Organs. Whitchurch-based DeanOrgan Builders manufacture and restoreall sorts of mechanical organsP Perry. Shepton Mallet, the home ofBabychamQ Quilts. Midsomer Quilting in Somersetattract customers from across thecountryR Robots. The Bristol RoboticsLaboratory is Britain’s biggestS Shirts. Gloucester-based bespokeshirtmaker Emma Willis recently receivedan MBET Touchlines. Bristol-based Pitchmarksupplied line-marking equipment to allthe venues at the World Cup in BrazilU Underwear. Bath-based sexualentertainment people Lovehoney havecontract for Fifty Shades of GreymaterialV Vacuum cleaners. Dyson atMalmesbury are world-leading designersW West Country cheese. Cheddar, BathBlue, Double Gloucester etc should allfeature on any cheese board.X Xylophone. Gloucestershire-basedinstrument maker Jamie Linwood makesa range of outdoor instrumentsY Yachts. Sunseeker in Poole makesome of the world’s finest.Z Zulu Zulu – one of the milder(relatively speaking) sauces provided byPortishead-based Dr Burnorium’sExtraordinary Hot Sauce Emporium.

Clockwise, from top left; Bramley and Gage in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire, installed a new gin still in theirdistillery last year; Bristol-based Pitchmark supplied the line-marking equipment and paint for the Maracana and allthe other grounds at the World Cup in Brazil; Portishead-based firm Dr Burnorium meet all your chilli needs;shirtmaker Emma Willis and famous balloon manufacture Cameron Balloons

Fi n a n c e

Where businessesneed to go to findfinance in 2015

Financial perspectiveAlastair Logan

2014 was a year of dramatic recov-ery for the UK with many compan-ies in the South West eagerly seiz-ing the opportunities that werecreated, writes Alastair Logan,South West regional director, Ulti-mate Finance.

2015 is hard to call, with a veryfinely balanced election comingup in May, but the outlook for thenext 12 months is relatively en-coura ging,

T here’s enough momentum inthe economy for businesses toremain optimistic about the over-all prospects.

Having said that, growth bringsits own set of problems as far asfinance is concerned.

Companies need access to capit-al if they are to invest in extraresources and that is going tomean they’ll probably have to lookbeyond the banks, as their lendingto businesses continues toshrink.

Despite a string of governmentinitiatives designed to encouragebanks to pump cash into the SMEsector the results have been disap-pointing.

Figures from the Bank of Eng-land show that outstanding banklending to businesses fell to £381.5billion at the end of September,down another 2.6 per cent over thepast year – that represents itslowest level since June 2006.Banks now provide over £100 bil-lion less in funding to Britishbusinesses through traditionalterm loans than they did five yearsago, a fall of 21 per cent from £483billion to £382 billion.

That has led to asset based fin-ance becoming increasingly popu-

lar. Businesses have responded tothis lack of enthusiasm from themajor high street lenders byeagerly exploring alternativesources of finance.

The Asset Based Finance Asso-ciation (ABFA) reported that thethird quarter of 2014 was thebiggest on record for the use ofasset based finance, with £19.3 bil-lion of funding in use by busi-nesses at the end of the quarter, up12 per cent on the £17.2 billion inuse a year earlier.

Businesses are now drawing 37per cent more in funding throughasset based finance (invoice fin-ance and asset based lending)than the £14.1 billion they were atthe height of the recession inDecember 2009.

Ultimate Finance is playing aleading role in this change.

At Ultimate Finance we havecertainly seen a surge in demandfor our cashflow and funding solu-tions, with the rate of new clientacquisitions doubling over thecourse of the year.

There was no sign of this slack-ening as the year drew to a closeand we have very ambitious plansfor growth over the comingm o n t h s.

The fact is we have ample fundsavailable and as a Bristol-basedbusiness we’re eager to lend tolocal companies with big plans.W h at ’s more, over recent yearswe ’ve developed a number of in-novative products that allow us tohelp SMEs in industries that thebanks and other lenders havetended to treat with caution.

Our core offerings are still in thearea of invoice finance, where wewill advance up to 90 per cent ofthe cash a business has tied up inunpaid invoices.

However we now have a widervariety of options which enablesus to help a greater range of SMEsthan ever before.

This enables us to say “ye s ”where others might have to say“sor ry” and to create truly be-spoke solutions that offer signific-ant extra benefits to our clients.

Given the fact that we havefunds to lend, are very much partof the South West business com-munity and have the flexibility toaccommodate a wide range ofneeds and situations, we’re in avery good position to help anylocal company achieve its goalsover the coming months.

Business start-ups, such as those based at Bristol’s Engine Shed, need help accessingfinance says deputy prime minister Nick Clegg

Deputy Prime Minister NickClegg has launched an initiativeto unlock £100 million of financefor regional businesses.

With an urgent need for locallenders to be given the capital tolend more to local businesses, MrClegg has announced the avail-ability of up to £50m for region-ally-focused business lendersthrough the British BusinessBank which will be match-fundedby the private sector.

Over the past year, the BritishBusiness Bank has already facil-itated finance for over 21,000 smallbusinesses across the UK, to thevalue of nearly £1.5 billion.

In the South West this equates to£79m and 1,627 businesses.

Mr Clegg, said: “B r i t a i n’s eco-nomy isn’t built solely around bigbu s i n e s s. ”

Many businesses often bemoanthe Government, but variousschemes have helped small busi-nesses get off the ground in recentye a r s.

Healthy finances are crucial toallow you to both invest in yourbusiness while protecting it fromwhat the future may bring.

One example of a small businesswhich has received governmentfinancial support is Bristol-basedT r unki.

Its innovatively designedproducts, including the famousch i l d re n’s suitcase, have enabledit to access a range of governmentproducts and services, helping itto take huge leaps as a business.

“Trunki has received govern-ment support in a number ofw ay s. ” explains Rob Law, founderof Trunki. “Firstly, we workedhard to re-shore our manufactur-ing to our plastics moulding fact-ory in Plymouth, allowing us tobenefit from The Patent Boxs ch e m e. ”

The Patent Box enables com-panies to apply a lower rate ofCorporation Tax to profits earnedfrom patented inventions. It isbeing phased in over a four-yearperiod and once the full benefit ofthe Patent Box is in effect fromApril 2017 it will result in a 10 percent rate of Corporation Tax beingapplied to such returns.

“We have always applied for pat-ents for all of our products to buildup our IP portfolio, it’s one of themost valuable assets we have”said Rob. “This scheme is bril-liant, allowing us to re-investmore of our earnings back into thebusiness. It motivated us to stay inthe UK and not to offshore. Itrewards inventive companies too,which can only be a good thing.

“Secondly, we received govern-ment support through R&D taxcredits for the development of ourBoostAPak children’s car seat andfor the re-engineered version ofour Trunki suitcases, which isnow easier to manufacture in theUK and to recycle.”

There are many types of fin-ancial support available to busi-nesses with ambitions to grow.

As well as the increasing varietyof finance sources now available,such as crowdfunding, bank loansand peer-to-peer lending, there aremany government schemes andincentives on top of those Trunkiaccessed, devised to help smallbusinesses secure the fundingthey need to succeed.

For example, your business maybe eligible for financial supportpackages such as the EnterpriseInvestment Scheme, SMARTgrants or Social Investment TaxRelief. Or, perhaps, your businessneeds the support to secure initialfunding to help turn your ideainto a reality.

Alastair Logan, South West regionaldirector, Ultimate Finance

Case studyTr u n k i

‘Recognising andsupporting thiscountry’s smallerbusinesses tosucceed is integral’

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Born and Raised in the West

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 5150 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Made in the West

Made inthe WestManufacturingRichard Bache

A Apps – Bristol is a hot-bed of appdesign, boasting firms such as MubalooB Blue glass. Bristol is famous for itC Cider. Enough saidD Drones. Facebook bought Somersetdrone firm Ascenta last yearE English wine. The Three ChoirsVineyard in Gloucestershire is one ofcountry’s bestF Fabric. Fox Brothers in Wellington,owned by Deborah Meaden, weave thefinest local traditional clothsG Gin. Bramley and Gage opened anew distillery at Thornbury last yearH Hot air balloons. Cameron Balloons inBedminster are a world-leaderI Ink. Bristol is world renowned forgraffiti artists such as BanksyJ Juice. Sunny Delight and other juicesare made at Gerber in BridgwaterK Kitchens. Smallbone of Devizes makesome of Britain’s finest bespokekitchensL Landing gear. Gloucestershire’sMessier-Dowty is the world-leader inaircraft landingM Missiles. MBDA at Filton design high-tech weaponryN News. South West News Service inBristol is country’s biggest press agencyO Organs. Whitchurch-based DeanOrgan Builders manufacture and restoreall sorts of mechanical organsP Perry. Shepton Mallet, the home ofBabychamQ Quilts. Midsomer Quilting in Somersetattract customers from across thecountryR Robots. The Bristol RoboticsLaboratory is Britain’s biggestS Shirts. Gloucester-based bespokeshirtmaker Emma Willis recently receivedan MBET Touchlines. Bristol-based Pitchmarksupplied line-marking equipment to allthe venues at the World Cup in BrazilU Underwear. Bath-based sexualentertainment people Lovehoney havecontract for Fifty Shades of GreymaterialV Vacuum cleaners. Dyson atMalmesbury are world-leading designersW West Country cheese. Cheddar, BathBlue, Double Gloucester etc should allfeature on any cheese board.X Xylophone. Gloucestershire-basedinstrument maker Jamie Linwood makesa range of outdoor instrumentsY Yachts. Sunseeker in Poole makesome of the world’s finest.Z Zulu Zulu – one of the milder(relatively speaking) sauces provided byPortishead-based Dr Burnorium’sExtraordinary Hot Sauce Emporium.

Clockwise, from top left; Bramley and Gage in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire, installed a new gin still in theirdistillery last year; Bristol-based Pitchmark supplied the line-marking equipment and paint for the Maracana and allthe other grounds at the World Cup in Brazil; Portishead-based firm Dr Burnorium meet all your chilli needs;shirtmaker Emma Willis and famous balloon manufacture Cameron Balloons

Fi n a n c e

Where businessesneed to go to findfinance in 2015

Financial perspectiveAlastair Logan

2014 was a year of dramatic recov-ery for the UK with many compan-ies in the South West eagerly seiz-ing the opportunities that werecreated, writes Alastair Logan,South West regional director, Ulti-mate Finance.

2015 is hard to call, with a veryfinely balanced election comingup in May, but the outlook for thenext 12 months is relatively en-coura ging,

T here’s enough momentum inthe economy for businesses toremain optimistic about the over-all prospects.

Having said that, growth bringsits own set of problems as far asfinance is concerned.

Companies need access to capit-al if they are to invest in extraresources and that is going tomean they’ll probably have to lookbeyond the banks, as their lendingto businesses continues toshrink.

Despite a string of governmentinitiatives designed to encouragebanks to pump cash into the SMEsector the results have been disap-pointing.

Figures from the Bank of Eng-land show that outstanding banklending to businesses fell to £381.5billion at the end of September,down another 2.6 per cent over thepast year – that represents itslowest level since June 2006.Banks now provide over £100 bil-lion less in funding to Britishbusinesses through traditionalterm loans than they did five yearsago, a fall of 21 per cent from £483billion to £382 billion.

That has led to asset based fin-ance becoming increasingly popu-

lar. Businesses have responded tothis lack of enthusiasm from themajor high street lenders byeagerly exploring alternativesources of finance.

The Asset Based Finance Asso-ciation (ABFA) reported that thethird quarter of 2014 was thebiggest on record for the use ofasset based finance, with £19.3 bil-lion of funding in use by busi-nesses at the end of the quarter, up12 per cent on the £17.2 billion inuse a year earlier.

Businesses are now drawing 37per cent more in funding throughasset based finance (invoice fin-ance and asset based lending)than the £14.1 billion they were atthe height of the recession inDecember 2009.

Ultimate Finance is playing aleading role in this change.

At Ultimate Finance we havecertainly seen a surge in demandfor our cashflow and funding solu-tions, with the rate of new clientacquisitions doubling over thecourse of the year.

There was no sign of this slack-ening as the year drew to a closeand we have very ambitious plansfor growth over the comingm o n t h s.

The fact is we have ample fundsavailable and as a Bristol-basedbusiness we’re eager to lend tolocal companies with big plans.W h at ’s more, over recent yearswe ’ve developed a number of in-novative products that allow us tohelp SMEs in industries that thebanks and other lenders havetended to treat with caution.

Our core offerings are still in thearea of invoice finance, where wewill advance up to 90 per cent ofthe cash a business has tied up inunpaid invoices.

However we now have a widervariety of options which enablesus to help a greater range of SMEsthan ever before.

This enables us to say “ye s ”where others might have to say“sor ry” and to create truly be-spoke solutions that offer signific-ant extra benefits to our clients.

Given the fact that we havefunds to lend, are very much partof the South West business com-munity and have the flexibility toaccommodate a wide range ofneeds and situations, we’re in avery good position to help anylocal company achieve its goalsover the coming months.

Business start-ups, such as those based at Bristol’s Engine Shed, need help accessingfinance says deputy prime minister Nick Clegg

Deputy Prime Minister NickClegg has launched an initiativeto unlock £100 million of financefor regional businesses.

With an urgent need for locallenders to be given the capital tolend more to local businesses, MrClegg has announced the avail-ability of up to £50m for region-ally-focused business lendersthrough the British BusinessBank which will be match-fundedby the private sector.

Over the past year, the BritishBusiness Bank has already facil-itated finance for over 21,000 smallbusinesses across the UK, to thevalue of nearly £1.5 billion.

In the South West this equates to£79m and 1,627 businesses.

Mr Clegg, said: “B r i t a i n’s eco-nomy isn’t built solely around bigbu s i n e s s. ”

Many businesses often bemoanthe Government, but variousschemes have helped small busi-nesses get off the ground in recentye a r s.

Healthy finances are crucial toallow you to both invest in yourbusiness while protecting it fromwhat the future may bring.

One example of a small businesswhich has received governmentfinancial support is Bristol-basedT r unki.

Its innovatively designedproducts, including the famousch i l d re n’s suitcase, have enabledit to access a range of governmentproducts and services, helping itto take huge leaps as a business.

“Trunki has received govern-ment support in a number ofw ay s. ” explains Rob Law, founderof Trunki. “Firstly, we workedhard to re-shore our manufactur-ing to our plastics moulding fact-ory in Plymouth, allowing us tobenefit from The Patent Boxs ch e m e. ”

The Patent Box enables com-panies to apply a lower rate ofCorporation Tax to profits earnedfrom patented inventions. It isbeing phased in over a four-yearperiod and once the full benefit ofthe Patent Box is in effect fromApril 2017 it will result in a 10 percent rate of Corporation Tax beingapplied to such returns.

“We have always applied for pat-ents for all of our products to buildup our IP portfolio, it’s one of themost valuable assets we have”said Rob. “This scheme is bril-liant, allowing us to re-investmore of our earnings back into thebusiness. It motivated us to stay inthe UK and not to offshore. Itrewards inventive companies too,which can only be a good thing.

“Secondly, we received govern-ment support through R&D taxcredits for the development of ourBoostAPak children’s car seat andfor the re-engineered version ofour Trunki suitcases, which isnow easier to manufacture in theUK and to recycle.”

There are many types of fin-ancial support available to busi-nesses with ambitions to grow.

As well as the increasing varietyof finance sources now available,such as crowdfunding, bank loansand peer-to-peer lending, there aremany government schemes andincentives on top of those Trunkiaccessed, devised to help smallbusinesses secure the fundingthey need to succeed.

For example, your business maybe eligible for financial supportpackages such as the EnterpriseInvestment Scheme, SMARTgrants or Social Investment TaxRelief. Or, perhaps, your businessneeds the support to secure initialfunding to help turn your ideainto a reality.

Alastair Logan, South West regionaldirector, Ultimate Finance

Case studyTr u n k i

‘Recognising andsupporting thiscountry’s smallerbusinesses tosucceed is integral’

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THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 5352 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Wi l t s h i r e

The economic downturn of thepast decade and the subsequentrecovery merely hastened thepace of the transformation of Wilt-s h i re ’s economy – from a manu-facturing and food productionbase to one at the forefront ofdeveloping new technology.

And 2015 looks like being theyear when Wiltshire’s surprisingnew place as one of Britain’senergy-producing heartlands forthe next generation is cemented.

For the first century of mass-produced electricity, Wiltshirewas all consuming and no produ-

Trowbridge and Devizes, spread-ing north towards Corsham, isseen as ripe for solar power gener-ation: for the national and inter-national experts, it has four keyassets that other parts of the coun-try might not have.

It is relatively flat and not in anyprotected areas of outstandingnatural beauty.

It is almost always being grazedor left for silage – with plannerskeen to ensure the fields canremain, in theory at least, in agri-cultural production. Land in thesouth west is far enough south tobenefit from the sun’s rays – a ny -thing north of Middlesbrough isuneconomical – and far enoughwest to escape the inflated landprices of London and the southeast, and finally, it is close to keypathways in the National Grid –something areas further down theWest Country peninsula, or inwest Wales, lack.

The people of Wiltshire, oncefamed for their love of raking themoon, appear to back raking thepower of the sun – a community-funded solar farm project run byWiltshire Wildlife Trust raisedmillions in only a few months, andcouncil chiefs in Swindon have

Wi l t s h i r emet relatively small, albeit veryvocal, opposition to building Bri-t a i n’s biggest solar farms on theold RAF base at Wroughton.

But one problem with the explo-sion of solar farms in Wiltshire isthat the technology still has to beimported – something that Wilt-s h i re ’s most prominent business-man is keen to reverse.

Sir James Dyson might be 68 in2015, but he’s looking to the futurewith a gigantic expansion of hisheadquarters in the north of Wilt-s h i re.

Dyson has long since left behindits one-trick-pony reputation as afirm that only makes baglessvacuum cleaners – the sight ofhand-dryers in every service sta-tion toilet and bladeless fans onevery desk in California has putpaid to that.

But now, after steady growthsince manufacturing was shippedto south east Asia almost a decadeand a half ago now, the company isset to more than double in size inthe next five or ten years.

And 2015 will go down as theyear it happened. Work is continu-ing apace at the firm’s Malmes-bury headquarters, with threenew research and developmentbuildings rising higher from theCotswold countryside next to itsexisting base on the northernedge of the town.

With Sir James intent on invest-ing much of his reputed £2 billionwealth back into turning Dysoninto the beating heart of a nextgeneration of British invention,the only realistic obstacle he hasto achieving the dream of employ-ing 5,000 engineers and designersfrom all over the world by the endof the decade will be recruitingthem – or being allowed to by ever-tougher immigration rules.

Wi l t s h i re ’s economy has alwaysbeen a tale of two very differentcounties – the north with itspowerhouse of service sector jobsin Swindon, design and engineer-ing jobs in Chippenham andMalmesbury, and the moresparsely-populated south, withSalisbury and its plain dominatedalready by the British Army.

And that influence is set to growstronger in 2015, and the yearsfo l l ow i n g .

The Army want to bring morethan 4,000 soldiers – with theirpartners and children, it’s closerto 10,000 people – back from basesin Germany and pack the alreadyarmy-heavy garrison towns northof Salisbury.

Ambitious plans to build thou-sands of new homes, barracks,bases, schools, doctors and shopshave been approved – now it’s amatter of getting the bricks andmortar up before the soldiersar rive.

The bases already so synonym-ous with Wiltshire’s ‘ar my’ –Larkhill, Bulford, Tidworth,Perham Down – all once little vil-lages just north of Amesbury –will effectively merge to create a‘super-gar rison’, the largest of itskind in Britain.

And that will have a knock-onboost to Wiltshire’s economy, espe-cially the economy of that tradi-tionally more sleepy southernside of Wiltshire.

South Wiltshire is also settingitself with a secondary industry,aside from soldiering, and servi-

Solar and soldiersprovide boost forW i l t s h i r e economy

It is a tale of two distinct halves for Wiltshire’s economyin 2015, reports Tristan Cork . The solar trend showsno sign of abating and £27 million visitor centre atStonehenge has sparked a massive rise in the number oftourists visiting

cing. But the huge growth of solarfarms now springing up allaround the county, coupled withthe success of green energy firmslike Chippenham-based GoodEnergy, mean that as well as thelikes of Somerset and its HinkleyPoint, Wiltshire could eventuallybe a place that produces – wh e nthe sun is out – almost as muchenergy as it consumes.

That might be a long way off, butif Juliet Davenport, the CEO ofGood Energy and regular winnerof industry awards and top of cus-tomer satisfaction surveys, hasanything to do with it, it will besooner than anyone could ima-g i n e.

The past two years have seenalmost weekly planning applica-tions for solar farms in Wiltshire –and 2015 will be the year when thegreen pastures of the county’s tra-ditional milking lands is replacedby the glint behind the hedge ofhundreds and hundreds of shinysolar panels.

More than 40 applications havebeen made in west Wiltshirealone, most of which were givenplanning permission with littlef u s s.

The area around Melksham,

cing those soldiers – tourism. The£27 million new visitors’ c e n t refor Stonehenge did not just meanenhanced experiences for thestones on the wilds of the Plainnear Amesbury. It also gave multi-million boosts to museums andtourism in Devizes and Salisbury,and the visits of the likes of Presid-ent Obama and David Cameron –the latter to announce that atunnel would, after all, be builtunder Stonehenge – gave the areaa real tourism bounce going in to2015.

Increasingly, visitors from over-seas – especially the Chinese aswell as traditionally the Americ-ans – are including Stonehengewhenever they do venture out ofLondon. Stonehenge’s visitornumbers bobbed along just undera million for years until last year,when an extra 300,000 people ar-rived – generally by guided tourbus and generally because nowthose tour organisers from thecapital were no longer embar-rassed to bring their chargest h e re.

And Salisbury, along with Trow-bridge, are hoping to cash in on2015’s expected Obama-bounce –the boost from the world seeingStonehenge on the news and book-ing to go visit this year. For 2015 isthe 800th anniversary of theMagna Carta, a document whichappears to mean more to the likesof Americans and Europeans thanit does to us. Salisbury has thefinest-preserved copy in theChapter House of its famousCathedral, Trowbridge is the ho-metown of the baron who had asignificant hand in writing it.

Swindon and Wiltshire secured£129 million of investment justbefore Christmas as DeputyPrime Minister Nick Clegg signedan historic Growth Deal inWi ch e l s t owe.

The Swindon and WiltshireGrowth Deal will help to create upto 1,500 jobs, allow up to 2,000homes to be built by 2021 andgenerate up to £70 million inpublic and private investment.

Almost £13 million has beenconfirmed in the first year, and anongoing commitment from thegovernment will see more than£116 million of funding deliveredfrom 2016 to 2017 onwards.

Mr Clegg said: “This significantgrowth deal will enable a wholehost of jobs to be created, seescores of homes built and trans-port improved. All of this is amajor boost to the economy.”

Swindon and Wiltshire LocalEnterprise Partnership chairmanBarry Dennington said: “We aredelighted that central governmentrecognise the opportunities in theSwindon and Wiltshire Local En-terprise Partnership to continu-ally enable economic growth.Wiltshire will benefit from a newScience Park in Porton Down andmajor improvements to Chippen-ham Station.”

From top; West Wiltshire alone has seen more than 40 solar farms approved; Sir JamesDyson welcomed David Cameron to Malmesbury and a vast rise in visitors is expected atSalisbury Cathedral’s Chapter House in the year of the Magna Carta’s 800th anniversary.Pictured above, a more modern interpretation, cathedral visitors looking at a display ofalbum artwork for rapper Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail in 2013

‘A high-profile visitfrom PresidentBarack Obama gavethe county’s tourismindustry a verywelcome boost’

Main picture; More soldiers will beexercising on Salisbury Plain and above;Wiltshire’s army barracks will be gettingbusier, as the county is welcomingthousands of British troops home fromGermany PICTURES: CLARE GREEN

Growth dealboosts county

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 5352 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Wi l t s h i r e

The economic downturn of thepast decade and the subsequentrecovery merely hastened thepace of the transformation of Wilt-s h i re ’s economy – from a manu-facturing and food productionbase to one at the forefront ofdeveloping new technology.

And 2015 looks like being theyear when Wiltshire’s surprisingnew place as one of Britain’senergy-producing heartlands forthe next generation is cemented.

For the first century of mass-produced electricity, Wiltshirewas all consuming and no produ-

Trowbridge and Devizes, spread-ing north towards Corsham, isseen as ripe for solar power gener-ation: for the national and inter-national experts, it has four keyassets that other parts of the coun-try might not have.

It is relatively flat and not in anyprotected areas of outstandingnatural beauty.

It is almost always being grazedor left for silage – with plannerskeen to ensure the fields canremain, in theory at least, in agri-cultural production. Land in thesouth west is far enough south tobenefit from the sun’s rays – a ny -thing north of Middlesbrough isuneconomical – and far enoughwest to escape the inflated landprices of London and the southeast, and finally, it is close to keypathways in the National Grid –something areas further down theWest Country peninsula, or inwest Wales, lack.

The people of Wiltshire, oncefamed for their love of raking themoon, appear to back raking thepower of the sun – a community-funded solar farm project run byWiltshire Wildlife Trust raisedmillions in only a few months, andcouncil chiefs in Swindon have

Wi l t s h i r emet relatively small, albeit veryvocal, opposition to building Bri-t a i n’s biggest solar farms on theold RAF base at Wroughton.

But one problem with the explo-sion of solar farms in Wiltshire isthat the technology still has to beimported – something that Wilt-s h i re ’s most prominent business-man is keen to reverse.

Sir James Dyson might be 68 in2015, but he’s looking to the futurewith a gigantic expansion of hisheadquarters in the north of Wilt-s h i re.

Dyson has long since left behindits one-trick-pony reputation as afirm that only makes baglessvacuum cleaners – the sight ofhand-dryers in every service sta-tion toilet and bladeless fans onevery desk in California has putpaid to that.

But now, after steady growthsince manufacturing was shippedto south east Asia almost a decadeand a half ago now, the company isset to more than double in size inthe next five or ten years.

And 2015 will go down as theyear it happened. Work is continu-ing apace at the firm’s Malmes-bury headquarters, with threenew research and developmentbuildings rising higher from theCotswold countryside next to itsexisting base on the northernedge of the town.

With Sir James intent on invest-ing much of his reputed £2 billionwealth back into turning Dysoninto the beating heart of a nextgeneration of British invention,the only realistic obstacle he hasto achieving the dream of employ-ing 5,000 engineers and designersfrom all over the world by the endof the decade will be recruitingthem – or being allowed to by ever-tougher immigration rules.

Wi l t s h i re ’s economy has alwaysbeen a tale of two very differentcounties – the north with itspowerhouse of service sector jobsin Swindon, design and engineer-ing jobs in Chippenham andMalmesbury, and the moresparsely-populated south, withSalisbury and its plain dominatedalready by the British Army.

And that influence is set to growstronger in 2015, and the yearsfo l l ow i n g .

The Army want to bring morethan 4,000 soldiers – with theirpartners and children, it’s closerto 10,000 people – back from basesin Germany and pack the alreadyarmy-heavy garrison towns northof Salisbury.

Ambitious plans to build thou-sands of new homes, barracks,bases, schools, doctors and shopshave been approved – now it’s amatter of getting the bricks andmortar up before the soldiersar rive.

The bases already so synonym-ous with Wiltshire’s ‘ar my’ –Larkhill, Bulford, Tidworth,Perham Down – all once little vil-lages just north of Amesbury –will effectively merge to create a‘super-gar rison’, the largest of itskind in Britain.

And that will have a knock-onboost to Wiltshire’s economy, espe-cially the economy of that tradi-tionally more sleepy southernside of Wiltshire.

South Wiltshire is also settingitself with a secondary industry,aside from soldiering, and servi-

Solar and soldiersprovide boost forW i l t s h i r e economy

It is a tale of two distinct halves for Wiltshire’s economyin 2015, reports Tristan Cork . The solar trend showsno sign of abating and £27 million visitor centre atStonehenge has sparked a massive rise in the number oftourists visiting

cing. But the huge growth of solarfarms now springing up allaround the county, coupled withthe success of green energy firmslike Chippenham-based GoodEnergy, mean that as well as thelikes of Somerset and its HinkleyPoint, Wiltshire could eventuallybe a place that produces – wh e nthe sun is out – almost as muchenergy as it consumes.

That might be a long way off, butif Juliet Davenport, the CEO ofGood Energy and regular winnerof industry awards and top of cus-tomer satisfaction surveys, hasanything to do with it, it will besooner than anyone could ima-g i n e.

The past two years have seenalmost weekly planning applica-tions for solar farms in Wiltshire –and 2015 will be the year when thegreen pastures of the county’s tra-ditional milking lands is replacedby the glint behind the hedge ofhundreds and hundreds of shinysolar panels.

More than 40 applications havebeen made in west Wiltshirealone, most of which were givenplanning permission with littlef u s s.

The area around Melksham,

cing those soldiers – tourism. The£27 million new visitors’ c e n t refor Stonehenge did not just meanenhanced experiences for thestones on the wilds of the Plainnear Amesbury. It also gave multi-million boosts to museums andtourism in Devizes and Salisbury,and the visits of the likes of Presid-ent Obama and David Cameron –the latter to announce that atunnel would, after all, be builtunder Stonehenge – gave the areaa real tourism bounce going in to2015.

Increasingly, visitors from over-seas – especially the Chinese aswell as traditionally the Americ-ans – are including Stonehengewhenever they do venture out ofLondon. Stonehenge’s visitornumbers bobbed along just undera million for years until last year,when an extra 300,000 people ar-rived – generally by guided tourbus and generally because nowthose tour organisers from thecapital were no longer embar-rassed to bring their chargest h e re.

And Salisbury, along with Trow-bridge, are hoping to cash in on2015’s expected Obama-bounce –the boost from the world seeingStonehenge on the news and book-ing to go visit this year. For 2015 isthe 800th anniversary of theMagna Carta, a document whichappears to mean more to the likesof Americans and Europeans thanit does to us. Salisbury has thefinest-preserved copy in theChapter House of its famousCathedral, Trowbridge is the ho-metown of the baron who had asignificant hand in writing it.

Swindon and Wiltshire secured£129 million of investment justbefore Christmas as DeputyPrime Minister Nick Clegg signedan historic Growth Deal inWi ch e l s t owe.

The Swindon and WiltshireGrowth Deal will help to create upto 1,500 jobs, allow up to 2,000homes to be built by 2021 andgenerate up to £70 million inpublic and private investment.

Almost £13 million has beenconfirmed in the first year, and anongoing commitment from thegovernment will see more than£116 million of funding deliveredfrom 2016 to 2017 onwards.

Mr Clegg said: “This significantgrowth deal will enable a wholehost of jobs to be created, seescores of homes built and trans-port improved. All of this is amajor boost to the economy.”

Swindon and Wiltshire LocalEnterprise Partnership chairmanBarry Dennington said: “We aredelighted that central governmentrecognise the opportunities in theSwindon and Wiltshire Local En-terprise Partnership to continu-ally enable economic growth.Wiltshire will benefit from a newScience Park in Porton Down andmajor improvements to Chippen-ham Station.”

From top; West Wiltshire alone has seen more than 40 solar farms approved; Sir JamesDyson welcomed David Cameron to Malmesbury and a vast rise in visitors is expected atSalisbury Cathedral’s Chapter House in the year of the Magna Carta’s 800th anniversary.Pictured above, a more modern interpretation, cathedral visitors looking at a display ofalbum artwork for rapper Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail in 2013

‘A high-profile visitfrom PresidentBarack Obama gavethe county’s tourismindustry a verywelcome boost’

Main picture; More soldiers will beexercising on Salisbury Plain and above;Wiltshire’s army barracks will be gettingbusier, as the county is welcomingthousands of British troops home fromGermany PICTURES: CLARE GREEN

Growth dealboosts county

THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 5554 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Food and Drink

The West’s food and drink in-dustry is helping fuel a recordboom in exports overseas, officialfigures released recently show.

Producers across the region arechallenging national stereotypesto sell tea to China and chillis toPa k i s t a n .

We in the West are more thanaware of the quality of the producegrown here and now it appearsthat the rest of the world is catch-ing up. A record 150 countriesworldwide now import Britishproduce to supermarkets, barsand restaurants, taking total saleslast year to almost £19 billion, theGovernment said.

Among the success stories fromthe South West are Dorset Nagachilli seeds, which are being soldto South America, India, Pakistanand Eastern Europe. Black Cowvodka, the creation of West Dorsetdairy farmer Jason Barber, andsaid to be the world’s first puremilk vodka, is on posh drinksmenus in New York.

Styles ice cream, from Somersetwas shipped out to Norway, Maltaand Portugal.

John Sheaves, chief executive ofTaste of the West, said it was clearnow that products from the regioncould “compete in the globalm a rke t ”.

“Some of these firms are nowquite big and what we think of asnice brands are now quite size-abl e, ” he added.

Meanwhile, a big deal in the foodsector that has already been donethis month involved one of there gion’s biggest independentbreweries being snapped up by apub company from the ChannelIslands. Butcombe Brewery,which was founded in the NorthSomerset village of the same namein 1978 before moving to biggerpremises in nearby Wrington in2005, has been bought by The Lib-eration Group.

The Morning Advertiser va l u e sthe deal in the £15-18 millionrange. Butcombe is the leading

West’s best blazesa trail to world’sdiscerning markets

A record 150 countries worldwide now import British produce to supermarkets, barsand restaurants, taking total sales last year to almost £19 billion – and the West isin the forefront of this exciting trend. Phil Goodwin reports

Black Cow vodka, the creation of West Dorset dairy farmer Jason Barber, and said to be the world’s first pure milk vodka, is on posh drinks menus in New York PICTURE: FRAN STOTHARD

brewer and pub operator in Som-erset, Bristol, Bath, the Mendipsand the Cotswolds, with 19 man-aged pubs and the multi-awardwinning Butcombe Brewery.

The company prides itself on itstraditional, classic pubs, prizewinning beers, as well as AshtonPress ciders from its whollyowned subsidiary, the LongAshton Cider Company.

Guy Newell, managing directorof Butcombe Brewery said: “Wehave had significant interest fromseveral UK pub and drinks busi-nesses, but for us LiberationGroup was by far the best fit withour business.

“They share our ethos for highquality products and service andhave proved, as we have, thatbeing independent does not ne-cessarily prevent you from beingrecognised for excellence along-side some of the biggest globalnames in the industry. This is anew chapter for both businessesand all of the team here is lookingforward to being a part of that.”

Another drinks firm that hasseen huge export success is NorthSomerset-based Thatchers Cider.

It has been the tipple of choicefor discerning drinkers in its WestCountry heartland for more than100 years – and now the Big Appleis to get a taste of Somersetap p l e s.

New York and dozens of otherAmerican cities will now haveoutlets selling Thatchers Goldafter the 110-year-old family-owned business announced a tie-up with Innis & Gunn.

Under the three-year agree-ment, which commenced in theautumn with the US launch ofThatchers Gold, Innis & Gunn willassume all administrative, mar-keting and promotional supportfor Thatchers’ flagship brandthrough its US subsidiary, Innis &Gunn USA, Inc (IGUSA). Dougal

Guy Newell, managing director ofButcombe Brewery, which was sold earlierthis month, said the company had receive’significant interest from several UK puband drinks businesses, but for us LiberationGroup was by far the best fit

Being independent doesnot necessarily preventyou from beingrecognised for excellence

Sharp, founder and chief execut-ive of Innis & Gunn said: “T hatch-ers Gold is regarded as being oneof the best ciders in the world.T hatchers’ commitment to craft-ing the highest-quality and best-tasting cider means that they arethe perfect complement to the po-sition that Innis & Gunn has es-tablished in the US beer market.

“Thatchers Gold will be new tothe US, where the cider category isshowing explosive growth.

“A new generation of Americanconsumers is looking for ciderswith heritage, quality and char-acter, so this is a very exciting stepand we are proud to be part ofit.”

The entire cider/perry categoryin the US is equal to less than 1 percent of overall beer volume sales,but growing fast.

Over the last three years, salesof cider have tripled in the US.

Martin Thatcher, managing dir-ector and fourth generation ci-dermaker at the Sandford busi-ness, said: “The reputation ofcrafted English cider is rapidlyspreading in the US. ThatchersGold has gained a well-earnedreputation in the UK for its qual-ity and great taste, together withthe values of heritage and proven-ance that it represents. With thiscontinued growth in understand-ing and awareness of cider, thetime is now right for ThatchersGold to enter this exciting USmarket and engage with thoseconsumers seeking out new andinteresting brands.”

Thatchers Gold is crafted atMyrtle Farm, where the Thatcherfamily has been tending its orch-ards since 1904. Only a few miles

away, what has been described bycookery writer and broadcasterNigel Slater as “one of the greatcheeses of the world” is settling into its new dairy. Todd Trethowan,one half of the sibling pair makingaward-winning GorwyddCaerphilly by hand, moved fromtheir base in West Wales to thenew £1 million Trethowan’s Dairyat Puxton Court Farm, nearWeston-super-Mare, as a result oftheir search for “the best possiblemilk”. They found it in Derek andAlistair Mead’s herd of Holsteinsand Jerseys. It tasted great, mi-crobiological tests showed it wasof stunning quality and an oldfashioned souring test proved thatit still tasted great after being leftout for three days at room tem-p e r at u re.

The Western Daily Press re por-ted last year how the move toSomerset was not as strange ajourney for Caerphilly as somemight think. Todd Trethowanlearned the original recipe fromSomerset Caerphilly-maker ChrisDuckett 25 years ago, when hespent six months working for thethird-generation Caerphilly-maker. There was a prosperingCaerphilly industry in Somersetbetween the wars, when Cheddarmakers realised it was a quickerway to turn milk into money.

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THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 5554 BUSINESS GUIDE 2015 THURSDAY JANUARY 22 2015 WBG-E01-S2 WBG-E01-S2

Food and Drink

The West’s food and drink in-dustry is helping fuel a recordboom in exports overseas, officialfigures released recently show.

Producers across the region arechallenging national stereotypesto sell tea to China and chillis toPa k i s t a n .

We in the West are more thanaware of the quality of the producegrown here and now it appearsthat the rest of the world is catch-ing up. A record 150 countriesworldwide now import Britishproduce to supermarkets, barsand restaurants, taking total saleslast year to almost £19 billion, theGovernment said.

Among the success stories fromthe South West are Dorset Nagachilli seeds, which are being soldto South America, India, Pakistanand Eastern Europe. Black Cowvodka, the creation of West Dorsetdairy farmer Jason Barber, andsaid to be the world’s first puremilk vodka, is on posh drinksmenus in New York.

Styles ice cream, from Somersetwas shipped out to Norway, Maltaand Portugal.

John Sheaves, chief executive ofTaste of the West, said it was clearnow that products from the regioncould “compete in the globalm a rke t ”.

“Some of these firms are nowquite big and what we think of asnice brands are now quite size-abl e, ” he added.

Meanwhile, a big deal in the foodsector that has already been donethis month involved one of there gion’s biggest independentbreweries being snapped up by apub company from the ChannelIslands. Butcombe Brewery,which was founded in the NorthSomerset village of the same namein 1978 before moving to biggerpremises in nearby Wrington in2005, has been bought by The Lib-eration Group.

The Morning Advertiser va l u e sthe deal in the £15-18 millionrange. Butcombe is the leading

West’s best blazesa trail to world’sdiscerning markets

A record 150 countries worldwide now import British produce to supermarkets, barsand restaurants, taking total sales last year to almost £19 billion – and the West isin the forefront of this exciting trend. Phil Goodwin reports

Black Cow vodka, the creation of West Dorset dairy farmer Jason Barber, and said to be the world’s first pure milk vodka, is on posh drinks menus in New York PICTURE: FRAN STOTHARD

brewer and pub operator in Som-erset, Bristol, Bath, the Mendipsand the Cotswolds, with 19 man-aged pubs and the multi-awardwinning Butcombe Brewery.

The company prides itself on itstraditional, classic pubs, prizewinning beers, as well as AshtonPress ciders from its whollyowned subsidiary, the LongAshton Cider Company.

Guy Newell, managing directorof Butcombe Brewery said: “Wehave had significant interest fromseveral UK pub and drinks busi-nesses, but for us LiberationGroup was by far the best fit withour business.

“They share our ethos for highquality products and service andhave proved, as we have, thatbeing independent does not ne-cessarily prevent you from beingrecognised for excellence along-side some of the biggest globalnames in the industry. This is anew chapter for both businessesand all of the team here is lookingforward to being a part of that.”

Another drinks firm that hasseen huge export success is NorthSomerset-based Thatchers Cider.

It has been the tipple of choicefor discerning drinkers in its WestCountry heartland for more than100 years – and now the Big Appleis to get a taste of Somersetap p l e s.

New York and dozens of otherAmerican cities will now haveoutlets selling Thatchers Goldafter the 110-year-old family-owned business announced a tie-up with Innis & Gunn.

Under the three-year agree-ment, which commenced in theautumn with the US launch ofThatchers Gold, Innis & Gunn willassume all administrative, mar-keting and promotional supportfor Thatchers’ flagship brandthrough its US subsidiary, Innis &Gunn USA, Inc (IGUSA). Dougal

Guy Newell, managing director ofButcombe Brewery, which was sold earlierthis month, said the company had receive’significant interest from several UK puband drinks businesses, but for us LiberationGroup was by far the best fit

Being independent doesnot necessarily preventyou from beingrecognised for excellence

Sharp, founder and chief execut-ive of Innis & Gunn said: “T hatch-ers Gold is regarded as being oneof the best ciders in the world.T hatchers’ commitment to craft-ing the highest-quality and best-tasting cider means that they arethe perfect complement to the po-sition that Innis & Gunn has es-tablished in the US beer market.

“Thatchers Gold will be new tothe US, where the cider category isshowing explosive growth.

“A new generation of Americanconsumers is looking for ciderswith heritage, quality and char-acter, so this is a very exciting stepand we are proud to be part ofit.”

The entire cider/perry categoryin the US is equal to less than 1 percent of overall beer volume sales,but growing fast.

Over the last three years, salesof cider have tripled in the US.

Martin Thatcher, managing dir-ector and fourth generation ci-dermaker at the Sandford busi-ness, said: “The reputation ofcrafted English cider is rapidlyspreading in the US. ThatchersGold has gained a well-earnedreputation in the UK for its qual-ity and great taste, together withthe values of heritage and proven-ance that it represents. With thiscontinued growth in understand-ing and awareness of cider, thetime is now right for ThatchersGold to enter this exciting USmarket and engage with thoseconsumers seeking out new andinteresting brands.”

Thatchers Gold is crafted atMyrtle Farm, where the Thatcherfamily has been tending its orch-ards since 1904. Only a few miles

away, what has been described bycookery writer and broadcasterNigel Slater as “one of the greatcheeses of the world” is settling into its new dairy. Todd Trethowan,one half of the sibling pair makingaward-winning GorwyddCaerphilly by hand, moved fromtheir base in West Wales to thenew £1 million Trethowan’s Dairyat Puxton Court Farm, nearWeston-super-Mare, as a result oftheir search for “the best possiblemilk”. They found it in Derek andAlistair Mead’s herd of Holsteinsand Jerseys. It tasted great, mi-crobiological tests showed it wasof stunning quality and an oldfashioned souring test proved thatit still tasted great after being leftout for three days at room tem-p e r at u re.

The Western Daily Press re por-ted last year how the move toSomerset was not as strange ajourney for Caerphilly as somemight think. Todd Trethowanlearned the original recipe fromSomerset Caerphilly-maker ChrisDuckett 25 years ago, when hespent six months working for thethird-generation Caerphilly-maker. There was a prosperingCaerphilly industry in Somersetbetween the wars, when Cheddarmakers realised it was a quickerway to turn milk into money.

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���� �������� ������� ������ ���� ����� ��� �������� he created the greatest rail network in the world. �� �������� ����������� ����� ���� ����������� ��� ����� ���� ��� �� ��� ���� ��� �������������� �� ����������� � ������ �� ��� ���� ���� � �������� ���������� ������� �������� ����������� �� �������� ����� �� ����� ������� �� �������� ���� ������� �� �� ��������� ��� � ������� �� �������� ���� ������� ����� �� ������ ������������� ��� ��� �������� ����� �� ������ �� ������ �� ��� ����� ��� ���� �� ��� ������ �� ��� �������� ��� ��� ������ �� ��� ������ ������ ����� ����� ������� ��� ������� ���� ��� ��� ����� ���������� �� �������� ���������� �������� ��� ����not an idle tenure. �� ��� ��� ������ �� ������ ����� ��� ����� ���������� ������� ���� �� ���� ���� ��� ������� ���������� �� ��� ������� ����� ��������� ������ ������������ ��� ����� ��� ������������ stations. We�re introducing refurbished trains with more �������� �������� ���� �������� ����� �������� ��������� � ������ ����� ������ ��� �������������� ������� ��� ������� ������ ������������ �� �� ��� ��������� ���������� �� ��� ������������ ��������� ��� ������������� �� ��� ����� ������ ���� ������ �� ��� ����� ����� ��� ���� �������� � ������� �������� ����� building a greater west.

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Commercial, financial and taxation advice for growing businesses and their owners.At Smith & Williamson, we work with founders and management teams providing end-to-end services to meet all your financial needs. With a dedicated entrepreneurs group that truly understands the complexities of growing businesses, whether it’s raising finance, navigating complex tax issues, expanding globally or seeking an exit, we will be there to support you on your journey from vision to exit… and beyond.

Contact Mike Lea, Managing Partner, Bristol office at mike.lea@smith.williamson.co.uk or call 0117 376 2151.

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