Business life winter 2015

BIG INTERVIEW

Andrew BROWN

The Magazine of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce

DEBATING CHAMBER

Apprenticeships SECTOR ANALYSIS

Manufacturing

Winter 2014/2015

Crow Wood Leisure

President’s welcome...

Welcome to our winter edition of Business Life. In our Big Interview we talk to Andrew Brown, Managing Director of Crow Wood. This unique facility established in 2001and set in 100 acres of greenbelt land within the heart of Burnley. It provides a range of fitness, health, leisure and sporting activities.

This issues round table discussion looks at the role of apprenticeships as part of skills development in East Lancashire. This is massively important subject to the growth of our businesses and the young people of our area.

Our International Trade section celebrates our exporting successes and we feature the winners of our International Trade Awards.

We also take a look at the manufacturing sector and get the views of some of the companies who attended our manufacturing conference.

Our magazine is for our members and we welcome contributions from them and to feature many of the successful businesses that we are rightly proud of.

Business Life is published by East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Editorial contacts: Darren Grantham [email protected]

Roger Edworthy [email protected]

Advertising contact: Darren Grantham [email protected] 01254 356400

Designed by: Jon Thompson

Edited by: Roger Edworthy

Photography: Big Interview, Debating Chamber - Clive Lawrence Your East Lancashire - Jon Thompson

Reporter: Big Interview, Your East Lancashire & Sector Spotlight by: Kate Turner

Printed by: Media Village

Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily shared by East Lancashire Chamber.

WELCOME & CONTENTS

10

CONTENTS04 Business News

10 Debating Chamber

12 International Trade

16 The Big Interview

18 CIPS & Training

20 Sector Analysis

22 Your East Lancashire

24 Policy Spotlight

28 Chamber Networking

30 Chamber News

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Winter 2014/2015 | BusinessLIFE | 03

DEBATING CHAMBERAPPRENTICESHIPS

20

THE BIG INTERVIEWANDREW BROWN CROW WOOD LEISURE

SECTOR ANALYSISMANUFACTURING

16

YOUR EAST LANCASHIREROSSENDALE

Wendy Bowers

BUSINESS NEWSBUSINESS NEWS

04 | BusinessLIFE | Winter 2014/2015 Winter 2014/2015 | BusinessLIFE | 05

ccrington & Rossendale College is recognised as a leading training provider in the North West of England. We’re experts in delivering and designing training for businesses in a wide range of sectors. We work closely with over 3000 regional and national employers to develop the highly skilled, productive and loyal workforces of the future in a cost effective way.

Our offer includes Apprenticeships, Work Based Learning, NVQ qualifications and short courses, as well as courses accredited by leading professional bodies. In addition to this, we can work in partnership with you to develop tailored courses to meet your specific needs.

We have established links and partnerships across the region enabling you to access funding, information, grants and incentives, which can make a real difference to your business.

For more information on the courses featured, visit our website at http://www.accross.ac.uk/employers/

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An expert in Commercial Property is warning property developers and landlords to follow the necessary planning rules or face ‘proceeds of crime’ including rent being

confiscated.

The stark warning comes after a court in London convicted a developer who proceeded to rent out property as flats despite three failed planning applications.

Lambeth Council, the local authority involved, issued a Planning Enforcement Notice demanding the unauthorised use be stopped, and when this was ignored brought a claim under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The company was ordered to pay more than £175,000 in fines, which included £143,000 in rent it had collected.

Martin Long, partner in the Commercial Property team at Lancashire

law firm Napthens, warns that the legal action demonstrates an increasing trend by local authorities to confiscate the proceeds of criminal action.

He said: “In this case the criminal action was a property developer failing to observe a Planning Enforcement Notice and the proceeds was a significant amount of rent. The planning rules are there for a reason, and developers must ensure they are followed.

“The case should serve as a warning to property developers and landlords who might consider proceeding with a development or operation without the requisite consents.

“It is clear now that heavy fines and confiscated profits await those who flagrantly disregard the planning system and, where there is uncertainty, it is always wise to contact a solicitor for advice.”

‘Follow the rules’ warning to property developers after landmark legal ruling

>Vicky Callan of Vicky Callan Soft Furnishings with her >EVA award for North West Networker of the Year.

Designer Vicky Callan fought off competition from all over the North-West to walk away with a prestigious trophy at the Enterprise Vision Awards. At the female business award ceremony, in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, she won the North West Networker of the Year award, beating seven other contenders who had been nominated by the Pink Link Ladies networking groups.

As well as being a regular at the Pink Link Ladies in Blackburn, Vicky also attends Ready to Network and is a member of Rossendale Business League and Valley at Work.

Vicky, 43, said: “I found out I had been nominated a couple of months ago and then people had to vote. On the night I had no idea if I would win then they announced Vicky Callan Soft Furnishings”. She added “It is so nice to be acknowledged for what I do as networking is a very big part of my business.

Vicky is also a volunteer mentor with the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce where she is assisting a new business to get off the ground. She is a volunteer on the special events committee at Rossendale Hospice.

Designer scoops top award for networking

Bolton Therapy Centre now part of Physiofusion Ltd

Physiofusion Ltd is happy to announce that Bolton Therapy Centre is now part of the Physiofusion family of physiotherapy clinics.

This will, primarily, be taking over business and administration duties at the well-known clinic but are also happy that Karen will still be available at the clinic on a part time basis.

Both parties are renowned for their high quality services that are thorough and built around the patient. Bolton Therapy Centre is added to the 5 clinics in Burnley (HQ), Lancaster, Padiham, Barnoldswick, and Skipton.

Karen, who has run the practice from its current location on Chorley Old Road for the past 18 years, is one of Bolton's best known physiotherapists, with a loyal following and a reputation for customer service which is second to none.

“I'm really excited about this new collaboration with Physiofusion” said Karen. “They are a well-established company with several practices

covering the North West, and their ethos of clinical excellence and customer service means that we will work well together, and continue to provide improved health services to the people of Bolton.

“This is increasingly important when pressures on NHS physiotherapy services may mean that advice and exercises are all that can be offered; in private practice we have the luxury of time, and so can tailor an individual approach to each presenting patient”.

Sorrel Holland, Physiofusion’s Managing Director, said “It means that Karen can concentrate on enjoying helping people to recover from injuries and conditions - It also means she will have more free time to do what she wants to do outside of work.”

The collaboration has been partially financed by Lloyds Bank, who has a long-standing relationship with Physiofusion and are keen to invest further in successful, growing businesses in Lancashire.

L and Rover Dealer Group of the Year for 2014 Farnell is one of the largest growing retailer groups in the UK. With three retailers in Leeds, Bradford & Guiseley, and now with the additions of Land Rover Nelson and Jaguar Bolton to their portfolio

Farnell is thrilled to announce the imminent arrival of the new Discovery Sport, the first in a new generation of Land Rover SUV design and the new Discovery family. Uniquely in its segment, Discovery Sport's dynamic design combines 5+2 seating configurability with design and engineering integrity in a compact footprint. This is a modern, relevant and compelling vehicle, with its well-proportioned compact body and purposeful stance. Its distinctive silhouette and beautifully sculptured surfaces all combine to create a vehicle that truly connects on an emotional level.

Land Rover has always been synonymous with capability and the New Discovery Sport lives up to even the most demanding expectations. Confident, assured and responsive, the drive is further enhanced by a generous wheel articulation and innovative off-road technologies. Heading off to the great outdoors has never been easier.

A suite of Land Rover innovations debut, including the next generation multi-link rear axle, advanced pedestrian airbag technology, an all-new touchscreen infotainment system and state-of-the-art high-strength steel and lightweight aluminium bodyshell for outstanding performance, safety and efficiency.

Discovery Sport has been designed to be as environmentally sustainable as it is affordable to run: CO2 emissions as low as 119g/km are comparable to smaller and less versatile family hatchbacks, and buyers can opt for a range of powerful and efficient four-cylinder petrol or diesel engines, two- or four-wheel drive, and advanced nine-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmissions.

Designed and engineered at Land Rover's development centre in the UK, Discovery Sport will be produced at the company's award-winning manufacturing facility in Halewood, Liverpool. It goes on sale in early 2015 alongside the existing seven-seat Land Rover Discovery in over 170 markets worldwide.

New Discovery Sport

BUSINESS NEWS

06 | BusinessLIFE | Winter 2014/2015

e provide specialist advice tailored to clients’ needs, delivered through excellent personal service. As a team we act for a wide variety of businesses and individuals, developing long term relationships and becoming trusted advisers.

Tim Mills, Corporate Finance Partner said, “A key area for many businesses concerns finance and future funding requirements. We advise many SMEs on fund raising, which may include bank loans, asset based lending or venture capital / private equity. We ensure that all potential options are considered so that an informed decision can be made.

The Autumn Statement included a number of funding packages for SMEs including new lending under the Enterprise Guarantee Scheme, an extension of the Funding for Lending scheme and a pledge to extend the government-backed venture capital funds, Enterprise Capital Funds. All of these could provide welcome boosts to many SMEs.”

Web-site : www.pmm.co.uk Telephone : 01254 679131 E-mail : [email protected]

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BUSINESS NEWS

A group of secondary school students swapped the classroom for the boardroom as they became apprentice accountants for the day.

Year 11 Business Studies pupils from Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School in Oswaldtwistle made a ‘behind the scenes’ visit to Cassons in Haslingden.

The students were set various accounting challenges, including calculating the mocked up profits from a Courteeners concert and working out the tax on a payslip.

They also learnt about the importance of marketing a business and utilising the power of video and social media channels.

The employability-themed workshop was part of a programme called Business Class, which aims to develop partnerships between schools and businesses.

Carmel Cunliffe, Business Manager at Rhyddings, said: “The whole purpose of the session was to give our students an opportunity to visit a workplace, which will enhance their knowledge and ability when applying for work in the future.“

Peter Johnson, Partner at Cassons, said “The behind the scenes visit was the first in a series of sessions we’ll be staging and hopefully it proved to be valuable for the students on a number of levels.”

Les Nutter, Cassons’ Managing Partner, added: “We are looking at a 3 year commitment with Rhyddings and our primary aim is to provide support to the students and staff of the school.

“We can also see that Cassons will benefit too; there is much that we can learn from the staff and pupils, and sessions with the students provide a great platform for our own people to learn and develop, especially our younger members of staff.”

Students become accountants

for the dayBIBAs act as catalyst for new business relationship

A Lancashire based business man has been so impressed with one of the 2014 BIBAs finalists that he’s decided to commission

their services for a development project of his own.

Tony Raynor of Abbey Telecom led a group of the awards judges for a site visit and panel interview at Preston based integrated marketing company ICG earlier this summer.

Once the award nominations had all been made and with a specific remit in mind, he got back in touch with the company to task them with the job of creating a new marketing campaign for the business telephone systems installer.

“Having interviewed the ICG team for the BIBAs and visited their offices, I was struck by their depth of knowledge, enthusiasm and their energetic and proactive approach,” explained Mr Raynor.

“We thought it would be a great idea to spend some time with them and pick their brains to see what new concepts they might have in mind to freshen up and transform our marketing plans.”

They have now appointed ICG to help launch its new campaign and update the Abbey Telecom brand identity. The new campaign will include redesigned e-newsletters, mailshots, and a rather interesting idea involving a banana container and fresh bananas.

Local firm benefits from 'Feed in Tariff'

Chamber Member, Allertex is the latest local firm to take advantage of the Government Feed in Tariff scheme to provide free energy for the next twenty years and beyond.

Allertex is probably the leading agency organisation in the United Kingdom for the sale and supply of textile machinery and represent some of Europe's major ‘Blue Chip’ manufacturers.

Working with fellow Chamber member, the Low Carbon Energy Company, they have installed a 30 kw pv system to generate a significant proportion of their energy needs and reduce their carbon footprint by 15 tonnes a year.

Directors Neil Fielding and Graham Robinson took the decision based on the commercial and environmental benefits.

“Our company has always lead the way in our industry and we have continually rising energy bills and a need to show our client base that we are serious about reducing our Carbon footprint” commented Neil.

Graham added “The system will reduce our energy bills and provide us with financial benefits of around £5,500 a year giving us a competitive advantage in what is a very testing market place.

“Ged Ennis and his team at the Low Carbon Energy Company have delivered a complete turnkey design, installation and commission service with no disruption to our business.”

As Carbon Trust partners the Low Carbon Energy company have access to a range of finance options for businesses looking to invest in any carbon saving technology including LED’s solar pv and energy monitoring.

Following earlier design meeting with the client, Pendle Signs & Plastics Ltd. produced and installed, with the use of high level specialist access equipment, an internally illuminated signcase and face panel manufactured from tensioned flex material to a large format size of

8 mtrs x 3 mtrs. Special considerations were taken into account for the expected life of the sign, and the cost of access for the future electrical servicing to it.

FARMHOUSE BISCUITS

The illumination to the sign is by LED modules, positioned in such a way as to illuminate the white areas of the branded logo through the black background area. Producing such a large sign in this manner has all the advantages of highlighted lettering and logo but with vastly reduced running costs.

Farmhouse Biscuits has recently celebrated its 50th anniversary from simple biscuit production by its current owners in a traditional farmhouse setting in Barrowford to what is now a state of the art confectionery manufacturer employing considerable numbers of employees in the Pendle area.

Using research taken from old cine film archive taken by the family in its early days, and the family albums, Pendle Signs & Plastics Ltd. compiled an edited DVD of the original film, and selected various frames from the film along with scans of the photos to create a series of digitally printed wall boards and wallpaper schemes used in the boardroom and offices.

For any information and advice on similar projects, along with all of the other products and services Pendle Signs & Plastics Ltd. can offer, contact the sales team on 01282 601842.

BUSINESS NEWS


APPOINTMENTS

armhouse Biscuits Limited was started during the severe winter of 1962/3 when two desperately struggling farmers tried to manage 1000 head of poultry, 12 beef cattle, 60 sheep and 2 pigs and one new baby.

For 3 months we were snowed in with frozen pipes and all the water having to be carried from the river for us all to survive. To make ends meet we were forced to diversify in to bakers and market traders to sell direct to the public to make ends meet.

The formula worked and over the 50 years since Farmhouse Biscuits began in the kitchen to 180,000 sq ft factory unit employing over 220 staff and exporting to over 20 countries and supplying some of the most important retailers in the world.

F


BUSINESS NEWS

s the Land Rover Dealer Group of the Year for 2014 with three retailers in Leeds, Bradford & Guiseley, and now with the additions of Land Rover Nelson and Jaguar Bolton to their portfolio, Farnell are one of the largest growing retailer groups in the UK.

With premium products, state of the art technologies allow the vehicles to be displayed to their best advantage in a contemporary environment.

At Farnell, every customer interaction is personal with the focus on customer satisfaction and providing an ‘Outstanding’ experience, and with exciting new model line-ups due to be launched, the future is exceptionally bright.

Why not call in for a coffee, have a look around and meet the team who will be delighted to show you what they have to offer.

Farnell Land Rover Nelson, Lomeshaye Business Park, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 6LL. 01282 723723 Farnelllandrover.com

Farnell Jaguar Bolton, 59 Bolton Road, Bolton, Lancashire, BL4 7JL. 01204 795775 / Farnelljaguar.com

A

Leading East Lancashire Youth charity, Blackburn Youth Zone, has announced

its next Chairman will be Jack Straw after he stands down as an MP at the next general election.

The current Chairman, Andrew Graham - CEO of wallpaper giant Graham and Brown - has been Chairman for four years. He has seen the project through from the completion of the £6m building, the recruitment of the private sector-led board and by the time he stands down will have overseen the charity through its first three years of operation.

Mr Graham said: “I am delighted to confirm Jack has agreed to become Chair of the Youth Zone. From day one he has been an incredible supporter of the charity, immediately understanding what an impact on regeneration and youth development this world class project can deliver in the area.”

He continued: “In the short time that Blackburn Youth Zone has existed, we have taken great strides towards the regeneration of our community, giving hope, aspiration and belief to our young people. We have only just started and in the next chapter, with Jack at the helm, we can look forward to continuing to build this incredible legacy in our own community.”

On accepting the role of Chairman, Mr Straw said: “It is an honour to be invited to Chair the Youth Zone board and I was delighted to accept Andrew Graham’s offer. The Youth Zone is the most important development in this area for years, providing great opportunities for young people and bringing the community together. Andrew’s Herculean efforts have led to an excellent example of public and private sector partnership.”

StoneHouse Logic is proud to announce that Jacob has successfully completed his Microsoft Apprenticeship, he will now move on to the position of Junior Desktop

Support Engineer where he will continue to progress with his training, getting more hands on with customers.

Two new apprentices start the Microsoft Apprenticeship. They are Chris and Craig, and they will be following the same path as Jacob, under the watchful eye of Matt Whitaker, our very own Alan Sugar.

Chris and Craig will continue on the year-long course with two distance learning classes per week and seminar sessions with leading figures at the multinational firm, including the founder and chairman Bill Gates.

KeyFleet expands into the North East

The expansion at KeyFleet, the fleet and risk management specialist, continues with the appointment of Caroline Cuming and Luke Jarrold.

Luke joins the team, based at the head office in Ribchester, through the National Apprentice Scheme. He is responsible for KeyFleet’s after-sales and customer services programme helping clients with in contract queries and managing the end of contract process.

Caroline arrives at KeyFleet Corporate with an impressive background in automotive and financial sales after spells with the RAC, Barclays and Clydesdale – and enters straight into her Affiliate level course with the I.C.F.M.

JACK STRAW MPANNOUNCED AS NEW CHAIRMAN

Financial Planner

Astute Wealth Management Ltd increased their Financial Planners with the addition of Laura Jones. She started

her career in Financial Services in 2004 representing a large insurance company. She obtained her Diploma in Financial Planning in 2010 and utilised her learning effectively to support Financial Advisers with some of the technical elements of the products she represented.

Laura is working towards her Chartered Financial Planning status. She mixes a good balance of knowledge and expertise with being personable and straight forward for our clients.

‘Andy McLaughlin says that he is very pleased to have Laura as a member of the Astute Team and her experience will be a benefit to clients.’

Chamber member David Gray has decided to spread his wings and go it alone as Red Goose Consulting.

The new business will see David as an ‘Overheads Specialist’, as well as an outsourced point of contact focusing on energy procurement & management and telecoms. He has also forged relationships with suppliers in a range of other categories that should ultimately help to reduce business costs and ensure clients are dealing with reputable suppliers.

Red Goose Consulting’s new model focuses more on being paid from the supplier side of the relationship, either on a brokerage or commission basis, thus eliminating the need for clients to sign any legal agreements or directly pay invoices.

David, a regular networker with the Chamber, hopes to be able to help many more organisations with Red Goose Consulting than before. He said “With this model I will be able to help organisations of all sizes, from small corner shops, up to large industrial sites, multi sites and everything in between”.

David recently gained a Level 4 Diploma in Procurement & Supply, an internationally recognized qualification in procurement, from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) after completing his training with the Chamber.

Asked about the origins of the name Red Goose, David explained, “I spent over 20 years in the RAF. All flying squadrons have a crest with an emblem and a motto, our emblem was a red goose. As I’m very proud of my time as aircrew, the crest means a lot to me and now I have put the goose to good use”

StoneHouse Experience Apprentice Success!

I can train, mould and make something of. A lot of it is how much you put in yourself to get the right people.

Simon Jordan: We're working with Crown Paints at the moment. The perception is that it is just paint - they don't see careers. We've had to show there are lots of careers - supply chain, science labs, graphics and PR & marketing. People need to grasp that you can start off in one area and move within the industry.

Jill Howlett: Recruiting for us can be difficult. For example, for construction we will recruit from our current learners on our full time courses. Where we have difficulties are some of the more generic roles where we have lots of vacancies. We advertise and recruit externally and some people then apply because they have to but don't then go to the interview.

Kirsten Burnett: In some areas, for example an apprentice in pest control, we really have to play around with the apprentice framework as there really isn't one. We’ve ended up doing a customer service apprenticeship and added on some pest control qualifications. Here we took on someone slightly older because there can be some real health & safety fears.

Sally Hope: One area we don't struggle with is our Microsoft apprentice scheme. It's backed by Microsoft and they go down to Microsoft's head office in London. To a 16 or 17 year old that's really cool and you get promised a webinar with Bill Gates.

Can apprenticeships be sufficiently flexible to meet individual business’s needs?

Mick Dingwall: 12 months ago I applied to government to lead a trailblazer initiative to change the standards across the furniture industry. I now chair a steering group which is looking to re-define the standards for apprenticeships. We now have various working groups looking at all aspects of the industry. The aim will be to make the standards more applicable to employers.

Simon Jordan: Two years ago Doug Richard did a review and he clearly said that the employer was the customer. We have changed our delivery model because there was a view that the college closes from June until September but a business works all year round. It's not the case and we need to have a delivery model that echoes that. We have to find what's best for the individual and the organisation.

Mark Fallon: I'm really pleased with the flexibility that we've been given by CILEX. We have to give the apprentices half a day per week in a quiet room. They deliver online training and leave it to us to drive our philosophy with the apprentice.

Sally Hope: I think the perception that your apprentice has to go to college every Wednesday afternoon has gone. Those on our Microsoft apprenticeship go down to London initially but after that they don't leave the office. They do it all by webinars, the tutor comes into the office so the impact on the business is greatly reduced.

Kirsten Burnett: It can be difficult fitting the course in with the work they are doing. We have an apprentice within our legal team and they say it would be better to have an apprentice going through the Legal Exec qualifications. In order to access funding, we ended up with a business administration apprenticeship with some modules that had some legal basis, but this doesn’t give the same opportunities to develop a legal career.

Jill Howlett: One of our focuses at the moment is to look at the need out there. We are trying to develop new frameworks. We are talking to businesses and asking what can we do rather than these are the courses available.

Mick Dingwall: We wanted a young marketing person to join us and a marketing apprenticeship would have been perfect. After a couple of years that person could then jump on to a CIM course. Unfortunately there isn't a course of this nature available.

Jill Howlett: They are more coming on stream and more are being developed. We are now looking at higher level apprenticeships where you can pick out a career path.

Louise Gaskell: In terms of flexibility for us the one day a week at college has been perfectly fine. We've not required anything more flexible.

How will the Government’s newly proposed changes to apprenticeship funding affect you and your company’s ability to recruit and train apprentices?

Louise Gaskell: At the moment the funding for apprentices goes through the training providers. The proposal is to put the employer in control in order for it to meet their needs more. It focuses on the employer as the customer. The employer will say I want to take on an apprentice? Can you provide it and how much will you charge me?

Simon Jordan: Changes come in in 2017. It is being piloted and levels of funding will vary depending on what qualification it is. Our concerns are that some employers may switch off if there’s too much bureaucracy. We will endeavour to work with organisations to sort the 'wiring' out and keep it as straight forward as possible.

Sally Hope: We employ 30 people. I think we're just big enough to support these people into our workplace, to provide them with a structure to go forward and to support them in that structure.

Louise Gaskell: At the moment it is easy to take on an apprentice. I don't need to worry about payments or filling out bits of paper. There may be cash flow implications if business have to fund the training before getting the money back. This could be a big issue.

Mark Fallon: The two words which have popped up in my research are ‘bureaucracy and quangos’. From our perspective we don't want anything that destroys value, we don’t want an extra level of administration to do this.

Mick Dingwall: In all the reforms that the government have put forward about the employer being the customer etc. it is this particular element that is most concerning. The concern is that if the funding is removed from the training providers they won't offer the same service.

Kirsten Burnett: The danger is that it could end up costing more money that may be better spent on more apprenticeships.

Jill Howlett: Our worry is that some SMEs may just not bother having apprentices. We do have some concerns.

How do businesses benefit from taking on Apprentices?

Jill Howlett: There is a grant available so that employers can access funding. It's an excellent way for employers to mould and grow their staff by investing in the staff's future and the business's future.

Sally Hope: From our point of view I think companies have a social responsibility to give opportunities to young people. They are not going to walk through the door and be

absolutely super-efficient and productive from day 1 but your role is to get them there.

Louise Gaskell: We have taken 4 apprentices on over the last couple of years and we've found they bring fresh ideas and a new perspective. They ask questions.

Mark Fallon: We do it for 3 reasons. Firstly we do it as a duty to our young people. Secondly, we think it's a good message to send out to the wider community. Thirdly we are getting value out of these people. I think it works for us.

Kirsten Burnett: Being a Borough Council we've got a responsibility to our young people. Even in these difficult times we've found new money for this area. I also think it encourages older people in the organisation to think of learning and brings benefits all round.

Mick Dingwall: At Silentnight we went through a period of losing staff and there was no recruitment. The age of your workforce quickly gets older and bringing in apprentices helps you to bring down the average age and freshen up your workforce.

Simon Jordan: Silentnight has 16 apprentices

THE DEBATING CHAMBER


Left to right: Simon Jordan - Themis, Sally Hope - Stonehouse Logic, Kirsten Burnett - Hyndburn Council, Mark Fallon - Lance Mason, Louise Gaskell - East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Mick Dingwall - Silentnight and Jill Howlett – ACCROSS.

The Debating Chamber is sponsored by:

APPRENTICESHIPS


Jill Howlett

through Themis. When we speak to employers we try to establish why the company is taking on apprentices? What is their purpose? Organisations need to evolve and re-skill, apprentices can be a good model to achieve that.

How does the supply of apprenticeships match demand from our young people?

Simon Jordan: Traditionally around August to September time 16 - 18 year olds are in abundance and you get high quality people to choose from. As the year progresses the choice becomes more limited. In addition some employees will only take on 16 - 18 year olds whilst others want more mature apprentices. The challenge is to find the right applicant for each individual business.

Louise Gaskell: I think there is a lot more awareness among students about an apprenticeship being an alternative to full time education. We've always managed to fill our vacancies.

Sally Hope: We're looking for an apprentice to work in our Sage team. They would naturally be on an accountancy course at college but also need a real interest in IT. This makes finding the right person a little more difficult.

Mark Fallon: We advertised for 8 positions with CILEX, which is the legal apprenticeship route. They provided 28 people. We required a minimum of a 'B' in maths and English at GCSE.

This whittled it down to just 5 and only 2 were people we would have working in the office. Have we been too selective?

Mick Dingwall: I've interviewed every apprentice that we've taken on. This means probably over 150 people to fill the 20+ positions that we've had. I think I like making the decision that this is the sort of young person

Simon Jordan

Mark Fallon

Kirsten Burnett

Louise Gaskell

Sally Hope

Mick Dingwall


Mandy Lockett> International Trade & Training Director>

<[email protected]>

TRAVELLERS TALES

Well actually 95% of REM Worldwide Distributors do speak English, which corroborates my lazy attitude.

REM has 50 Distributors in Europe, Middle East, India, Russia and very soon Australia. Europe is our largest distribution area as carriage and duty costs are minimal. Sales are valued at over €1.25m so an important contribution to our turnover.

I've had debates with Portuguese customers about the Algarve being full of tourists, discussions with Indians in Delhi about who's the up and coming nation India or China? Nights in Brussels discussing strong beer with Belgians. I think that's what we discussed! That night was a blur!!!

All in English; export sales are easy if you speak English.

I have one major problem - France. REM has four Distributors in this country, two speak English and two don't. So I am currently attempting to learn the language, through car linguistic CDs. This is extremely annoying for passengers who don't have the same passion to learn French.

In June 2014 we decided to exhibit at a Hair and Beauty Trade exhibition in Bombay. In my opinion Mumbai doesn't sound as exciting and historic as Bombay even though it's just the name of the city that changed. The city has 20 million inhabitants who live in diverse ways and in very interesting housing. As you can imagine what a culture shock for a man from Colne!

The exhibition was organised by a UK based Beauty Catalogue who hosted three major exhibitions in the UK. I felt confident that they would put on a good show.

The exhibition centre was nothing like Olympia or Excel. I mean

nothing like!! The exhibition hall was like a warehouse, with no cafe, bar or decent sanitary arrangements. Plus the temperature was 44° with humidity up to 98%. Due to most stand assemblers being local workmen, who are immune to the heat, the organisers did not consider air conditioning!

Obviously, they didn't consider two ‘trimmish’, middle aged salesmen who had to unpack, assemble and clean our furniture display in 44°.

To add a little spice to proceedings we found that a major electrical connection lead was missing. So, we set off on a Tut Tut to search the local market areas. Eventually we arrived after nearly being killed by two buses, one truck and numerous potholes. Believe it or not we found the cable we needed on a street market for 90 rupees or 90p sterling. Triumph! The only problem was how to get back to the exhibition centre in one piece.

The stand was finished. We retired to our great hotel for a well-earned shower, change of clothes, beer and food.

The exhibition was a great success. We appointed two distributors - One in Delhi and one in Bombay - and, our first order of £12k. The recieved distribution agreement had to be finalised in a second visit in August which was essential.

I have set a sales target for India of £100k within two years which I feel is achievable.

Next stop South America!!! I love my job!!!

Everybody speaks English

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

<Michael Roach<Sales & Marketing Director<REM UK Ltd

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TOP10TIPS

North West Tippers offer a wide range of commercial vehicle products such as Tipper Bodies, Tipper Grabs and Highway Maintenance Barrier Rigs and

can accommodate any specialist vehicle requirements that their customers wish to throw at them. Everything is designed and manufactured in house at their Blackburn premises by an experienced and rapidly expanding team.

Training provider to go global

I'm a proud and lazy Englishman who never learned a foreign language. "Why bother? Everybody speaks English".

1 Provide as much advance notice as possible: This means you can take advantage of some of the cheaper fares as

more seats are available and the choice of fare options is greatly increased.

2 Flexibility of dates: Flexible travel dates increase the number of options and offers a greater range of value fares.

3 Alternative Departure Airports: Although it is obviously convenient to travel from the nearest airport others may

well provide better value. Flying from Liverpool or Leeds Bradford may offer better fares than Manchester. This particularly applies with the Low Cost Carriers.

4 Use of non-direct flights: It may be possible to obtain cheaper fares by using flights requiring a change of aircraft at an

intermediate point rather than using a non-stop direct flight.

5 Combining Itineraries: If you have a good idea of travel plans for the next 6 months it might be possible to combine itineraries

and make savings. This works particularly well if the traveller is going to the same destination at least twice in the same year.

6 Include a Saturday night within the stay: A number of airlines offer cheaper fares for passengers staying at their destination

over a weekend.

7 Use the same airline throughout: If travelling on a return journey or an itinerary with multiple destinations it

is best to try and use the same airline. Mixing airlines reduces the number of cheap fare options.

8 Local Market Fares: If your trip originates from overseas, it can be cheaper to obtain a fare through a local market.

9 Corporate Reward Schemes: Many airlines offer corporate reward schemes that can bring significant benefits to

companies. Which enables some businesses to make significant savings on future flight bookings.

10 Use a professional: To get the best out of your business travel spend you need to employ a professional.

If you would like to know more about how we can save your company money contact: Business Development Manager – Karl Ward Good Travel Management on Tel : 07557 785 143

Colossal Training was founded in 2011 by Lee Kirton, an Ex-Royal Marine Commando of 10 years and a serving maritime security consultant. The

company provides training to the commercial maritime industry and Armed Forces leavers, including security and first-aid.

While based in the UK they have delivered training courses in other countries, including Spain and Greece, and will be investing further in international trade to achieve future growth.

Dean Fitzmaurice, Chief Operations Officer, heard about Boost Business Lancashire - the £7.2m Lancashire Growth Hub supported by the European Regional Growth Fund - and accessed free support through its Lancashire LEAP business start-up service.

Dean attended a free international trade seminar delivered by East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and accessed a growth voucher to develop a new website to promote the company overseas. He also received specialist coaching session from an expert in worldwide trading based at North & Western Chamber of Commmerce.

Dean said: “We have identified market opportunities for us in South Asia and the Middle East that could lead to a high level of growth at Colossal Training. The support from Boost has been invaluable, it has helped us formalise an international growth plan which will lead to the creation of 5 new jobs. The new website will enhance our global presence to such a level that we could become a worldwide leader of vocational training.”

North West Tippers began life in 1973 and one of the original founders, Eddie Walton is still actively involved today.

Succession is a challenge and 4 years ago Eddie had the vision to hand over the reins to his then 24 year old grandson Joe Butler along with long standing employee Craig Taylor. The company has continued to flourish and now Eddie, Joe and Craig are looking to grow the business.

In addition to looking after their existing UK customers, North West Tippers are now targeting International Markets. Joe Butler says, “We are very excited to receive our first export order to manufacture our latest range of Hydraulic Barrier Rigs to send to Australia. They are currently in production and will be shipped early in the New Year. The support that we are receiving from East Lancs Chamber of Commerce in terms of payment protection and other terms and conditions really gave us the confidence to proceed with the opportunity”.

The company has also invested in acquiring Whole Vehicle Type Approval accreditation which maintains and approves Quality Assurance of all its products. The scheme, governed by The Vehicle Certification Agency, ensures that all vehicles comply with European legislation and standards allowing their products to be sold into European markets.

The company is demonstrating that it can manage the changes and flourish.

Reducing costs in your business is just as vital as tapping in to Government funding. Our recently launched Chamber FX package in association with Moneycorp is just the deal to save money on the exchange market. Whether your company is buying, selling or operating on spot or forward contracts, Chamber FX will help you pin-point where you could improve your margins.

Finally for the end of 2014 local businesses from around the region celebrated their achievements and success at our International Trade Club Awards, and as I always say Lancashire businesses are good at what they do; with that deserved worldwide reputation for quality, reliability and straightforwardness.

Hope you enjoy the highlights from the Awards in this edition.

The recently announced Autumn Statement has seen the UK forecast for GDP growth revised up from 2.7 to 3.0%, which seems a small change but is double last year's and confirms that the UK economy, which saw

the fastest annual growth of the G7 countries in the third quarter, is still as vibrant and positive as ever. The announcement of the Northern Powerhouse, a £7 billion investment, for the North to connect via roads and rail and a £45m package to boost exports are all vital to our region.

All UK exporters require export documentationThe International Trade Team certifies and arranges legalisation of all documentation. We offer electronic, post or a counter service operation to suit your business needs.

Visit www.chamberelancs.co.uk/international-trade/documentation/The Lancashire LEAP programme is delivered for Boost by Regenerate Pennine Lancashire and Winning Pitch. More information can be found at www.boostbusinesslancashire.co.uk/leap

North West Tippers

INTERNATIONAL TRADE


Sponsored by:

INTERNATIONAL TRADE CLUB MEETING DATES:

26th February 2015 Breakfast Meeting

21st May 2015 Breakfast Meeting

24th September 2015 Breakfast Meeting

5th November 2015 Breakfast Meeting

4th December 2015 Gala Luncheon hosting the International Trade Awards 2015


Representatives of Lancashire businesses celebrated another fantastic year for trading at the ninth International Trade Club awards and gala luncheon. The entertainment commenced with a personal introduction to Roger the Reindeer, standing in for Rudolf (provided by Ribble Valley Reindeers) then the Hyndburn Singers Choir, a Dickensian

Murder by the Civic Arts Group and a grand prize draw followed by a Christmas lunch in the fabulous Dunkenhalgh Hotel.

Paul Stowers from UKTI commented on the Government's position and how this impacts on new and existing exporters and Mandy Lockett reviewed how the Chamber has assisted over the last year and commented “It’s all of you who are exciting, innovative and constantly developing that puts Lancashire on the map and makes us all champions in the ears and eyes of Government”.

The award winners were:> Outstanding Exporter Achievement: Northern Industrial & The Paper Cup Company - Pipeline Induction Heat was highly commended

> Outstanding Import Achievement: KaBo Sports

> Newcomer to International Trade: 247GT - Silmed Limited was highly commended

Northern Industrial, based in Shadsworth, Blackburn, has grown to 45 staff including many who can speak a range of foreign languages. About a third of their business is now export and Sales and Marketing Director, David Lenehan, said “Our sales growth overseas has been driven by our internet sales and we continue to take on more people who can speak foreign languages as we sell into new markets.” He added “The Chamber has been really useful in providing support when you export to many markets.

The Paper Cup Company produce bespoke printed cups for many household names including BMW, DHL and Smirnoff. Cengiz Avci, Director, said “The award recognises how the company has grown. 22% of the company’s sales is now overseas and we hope to grow this to 60% in the next 3 years.”

KaBo Sports imports hockey sticks and other equipment from Pakistan. They visited the country and sourced a factory that already produces high quality products for established brands and is now competing with them head to head as a challenger brand with a clear USP for design and price point. KaBo is also working with other factories in Pakistan on sports clothing and will be launching new ranges in the upcoming months. The next step is to start exporting to other hockey playing markets.

The best newcomer award went to 247GT who manufacture equipment for the airport industry including baggage trailers. Brian Sneyd, CEO, said “We have a great website that has helped us develop our overseas sales. We are proud that all our products are British made.”

The business was set up in September 2013 and already 34% of their sales are exported. Brian added ” This week alone we have gained three new overseas customers.”

Each winner was presented with an engraved glass trophy.

Festive touch to Awards

Thanks for the event the other day it was fantastic

A most entertaining and enjoyable event

We really enjoyed it

View the full gallery of images at: www.chamberelancs.co.uk/galleryEvent photography: Jon Thompson

Colin Barnes - Pipeline Induction Heat, Cengiz Avci - The Paper Cup Company, David Britch - Pipeline Induction Heat, Andrew Micklethwaite - Silmed, David Lenehan - Northern Industrial, Brian Sneyd - 247GT, Peter Millingon - Sentinel Corporate Risk, John Lenehan - North Industrial

Carolyn Tayor - Autotune UK

Daniel Postlethwaite - The Printed Cup Company

Saj Butt - 3B Systems

THE BIG INTERVIEW

The former joint managing director of FH Brown Plc had a small number of shares in the popular leisure chain and saw a gap in the market to establish something along similar lines in Burnley.

In 1997 when Andrew and his brother sold the family business, he decided to turn the idea into reality and established Crow Wood.

“I had watched David Lloyd grow and it was eventually bought by Whitbread. It was quite an interesting story and I thought it would be a nice business to be in, rather than the rat race of what I had been doing,” says Andrew.

In 2001, after 12 months of hard work, the former 100 acre dairy farm had been transformed into an impressive £7.6 million leisure club and equestrian centre.

Fast forward 13 years and the private members club now employs 174 people and this year predicts a turnover of £5.3 million to April 2015, the company’s year end, up 20% on last year and up 87% on 2013.

During the past four years Andrew has invested a further £7million into the business, building additional indoor and outdoor equestrian arenas, has created three luxurious hotel style double bedrooms and a Penthouse style apartment and of course the award winning £4.5 million spa.

“We will constantly invest money; our capital expenditure last year even after we opened the spa was over £600,000. This year it’s going to be a similar amount, that’s just routine constant investment,” says 56 year-old Andrew.

In the past few months £500,000 has been invested in buying some of the most advanced hi-tech gym equipment available on the market.

Each piece of state of the art cardio vascular equipment features a TV screen, internet access, blue tooth and allows the user to link it to their iPhone or tablet. All workout data is saved so they can review their progress at the gym or anywhere in the world with internet access.

They have also purchased an anti-gravity treadmill designed by NASA to help people with injuries and people on weight-loss programmes.

The crowning glory for the business is the 23,500 square foot Woodland Spa, which boasts glorious views of Pendle Hill.

In order to have the best facilities possible, Andrew and his team dedicated months sourcing features for the spa.

The spa has three specialist pools including one of Europe’s largest hydrotherapy pools, a ‘serenity’ relaxation pool which is a unique concept, and a step-in – swim-out infinity pool which leads outside to two hot tubs. The outdoor pools are part of a garden area with space for 80 people and an outside cocktail bar which is open for most of the year. In addition to this there is a sauna, saunarium, steam room, salt stream room, Roman foot baths and experience showers.

And it is apparent all their hard work has paid off as it was recognised as the best UK day spa

in the Professional Beauty Awards 2014, and has recently been named the Best Spa in the North 2014/ 2015 by the Good Spa Guide.

“We didn’t expect to win the awards but we did, it’s been another great boost for us.

“When we were designing the spa we looked to the top end spas in the UK and took inspiration from their best bits. More importantly we talked to the operators and asked them what was popular and what they would do differently if they could design it again.”

Revenue for the spa is coming in over £40,000 a week and growing with people regularly travelling from across the north of England to use the facilities.

And it’s not just the spa that has seen Crow Wood become one of the top leisure facilities in the UK.

Bertram’s Restaurant, which also opened in 2013, has seen sales double in the past year.

The kitchen is currently doing around 1,200 covers a week and to meet the rising demand, the kitchen has undergone two extensions since opening.

And recently Bertram’s has been selected to contribute to the Great British Cookbook alongside celebrity chefs Nigella Lawson, Rick Stein and Paul Heathcote.

Andrew puts the success of Crow Wood down to providing customers with the ultimate relaxation and recreational facilities.

“We see Crow Wood as a social club because that is exactly what it is.

“We all tend to be creatures of habit so the people tend to come at the same time each day and consequently they meet the same people so they form friendships, which is what it’s all about.”

In August 2011 four outdoor tennis courts were replaced by football pitches with the creation of Soccer Burnley.

The project was managed by Andrew’s 26 year-old son Oliver who has spent the past

seven years gaining business qualifications, and has worked alongside Andrew for the past four years.

Soccer Burnley has five 5-aside pitches and opened two 7-aside pitches in August. It is used as a base for local team coaching, football tournaments as well as

offering football parties.

Oliver said: “It took us a good 12 months to get some traction to it and it’s grown pretty much year on year really.

“We get well over a 1,000 players a week to the centre in autumn and winter.

“Children’s parties have been very popular; we’ve done just over double the amount of parties this calendar year.”

As for the future of Crow Wood, Andrew says that they now plan to continue building on their success, with medium term aspirations including building a hotel on site. The company’s philosophy is to build the very highest quality facilities that can be enjoyed in any weather.

... swim-out infinity pool which leads outside to two hot tubs. The outdoor pools are part of a garden area with space for 80 people

When Burnley entrepreneur Andrew Brown was looking for a new venture, he took inspiration from the business model of David Lloyd leisure centres.

... it’s not just the spa that has seen Crow Wood become one of the top leisure facilities in the UK.


Me and My Chamber... Andrew said that being a member of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce has helped Crow Wood during a two year period of significant change.

He added “We have gone from a very localised business providing a private members health club to a 15 minute drive-time catchment, to a business which has doubled in size with a need to reach a much larger geographical spread.

“Our spa typically draws customers from up to fifty miles away, and we have a lot more to communicate to our customers.

Being a member of the chamber offers us improved visibility to the community and helps us build relationships with other employers who increasingly use our restaurant and conference facilities.“

Commenting on the relationship Mike Damms, Chief Executive at the Chamber, said “Unlike our manufacturing tour de force the quality and range of the Pennine Lancashire recreational and leisure offer isn’t widely appreciated. This market leading development at Crow Wood provides us with a vital beacon for attracting visitors to the area.”

We will constantly invest...

Accrington to Zambia - Chamber supports CIPS ‘One Good Thing’ Campaign.

Want to achieve

MCIPS?There is a reason we train over 300 CIPS students...

Want to find out why?

Be one of our highly successful students, visit our website and speak to our dedicated team today.

Visit: www.cipsbusinesstraining.co.ukemail: [email protected] telephone a member of our team on: 0845 607 1770

Join usNOW


CIPS & TRAINING CIPS & TRAINING


TIME......Who has enough of it? Whether it’s last minute cramming for exams, working towards a project deadline or just spending time with your family. It seems that there just aren’t enough hours in the week, let alone the day. It’s vital therefore that you focus on those things which are going to produce the most benefit. The first most obvious is planning. Find time at the start of your day/week to write down, in old fashioned pen-and-ink, what it is you want to achieve, and what your priorities are – include some personal goals as well as professional ones. Then use Pareto’s 80:20 rule to work out which the 20% that will deliver the most ‘bang for your buck’, and make sure that you find time for those personally. Explore opportunities to delegate the other 80% - without ruining someone else’s time management plans!

Understand that you cannot answer every call or email immediately. Trying to react to everything instantly may seem like responsive procurement behaviour but ultimately it may be self-defeating. Time check throughout the day – are you spending too long on your current task unnecessarily. Plan your meetings but don’t make them wall-to-wall – give yourself time in between to deal with unexpected tasks. Ask yourself what you to get out of it or deliver in it. If you can’t articulate that then consider if you need the meeting at all. You may need to be ruthless.

Most of all make sure that you fit in time for your family and friends, and other social interests. After all, isn’t that why we all work so hard in the first place?

he team at GB Music Events specialise in providing stimulating, inspirational team building sessions using the one thing that touches us all - music.

We've had an extremely busy few months, helping businesses solve some of the problems their workforce encounter in today's environment, from confidence building, to team bonding and stress issues.

Clients have ranged from the NHS, Sellick Partnership and Jewson, to British Gas, WLG & Co, and Shire Pharmaceuticals. Using our unique fully-inclusive, non-competitive packages, all our clients have achieved above and beyond their targets with us.

We're also working closely with the ELCC to create new and exciting ways for companies to network, as well as producing a video package with sonic branding for release in the New Year.

If you'd like to know more about how we can help, please get in touch. Email us at [email protected] for details.

T

Take that first senior step with our fantastic ILM training programmes delivered on site or through our highly successful open programmes. Gain a national, highly respected certificate and develop your skills and experience to improve your individual and team performance and prepare for senior management responsibilities.

Leadership & Management

ILM ACCREDITED PROGRAMMES IN

Contact Chamber Business Training on 01254 356400, ask for Linda Jamieson Training Manager or email [email protected]

By Stuart Quinn Chair, CIPS Branch

The CIPS foundation are a charity devoted to supporting those who struggle to get into, and further

themselves within, the procurement and supply profession. Chamber Business Training believes that procurement has a huge and valuable role to play in today’s society, and that it should be open to the widest pool of talent possible no matter what the individual’s background or circumstances. Giving back is something the Chamber takes very seriously and so when Chamber Business Training received an email from Lawrence Chisenga in Zambia it was an easy decision to help.

Lawrence’s story was very moving. He was orphaned at the age of 4 and had been brought up in extreme poverty. His extended family could not financially support him so by the age of 13 he was living on the streets. A Guardian Angel moved by his plight gave him food & shelter and helped kick start his education. Many years later against all the odds Lawrence achieved his Certificate in Procurement & Supply-an amazing achievement considering his start in life.

Chamber Business Training worked with the CIPS Foundation to give Lawrence the financial and mentoring assistance he needed to move onto the Advanced Certificate in Procurement & Supply and the Chamber funded his distance learning course and mentoring. His membership, workbooks and exams have been funded through the CIPS Foundation. On Thursday 20th November Lawrence took his first exam in Zambia and we are extremely proud and honoured to have had the opportunity to make a difference to Lawrence and his family’s life.

Lawrence is very modest, and does not ask for much, his only desire is to provide for his family and give them a better life, his response to hearing he had been successful with his bursary made it all worth- while.

“May God bless you every day” Lawrence said, we hope God blesses Lawrence and his family with a bright healthy future filled with success. If you can make a difference to someone’s life don’t wait, do it now, the rewards, satisfaction and knowledge you have changed someone’s life for the better will live with you forever.

May God bless you every day

Lawrence Chisenga in Zambia

SECTOR ANALYSISSECTOR SPOTLIGHT

JOHN JOE MCGONAGLE, Internal Customer Service Manager at Northern Industrial Electronics said: “At the conference it was interesting to hear from energy providers regarding supply and renewable sources, and how it is becoming ever more important for businesses to reduce their energy costs and usage.“Northern Industrial provides equipment such as variable speed drives that many companies are now looking into as a means of reducing energy consumption, as well as providing substantial tax breaks.

“It’s exciting to hear about the massive opportunities that these projects can create.”

John feels that Northern Industrial Electronics is in a good position to take full advantage of new opportunities within Lancashire.

He added: “We have partnerships with leading global manufacturers Danfoss and Control Techniques who manufacture equipment that is proven to reduce energy costs, and can advise companies on the right equipment to use to maximise their return on investment.

“I feel that continued support from the Chamber is a great way to ensure businesses are fully informed of new investments and opportunities in Lancashire.

“Networking events, clear and concise access to information, services such as email updates and setting up working groups specifically for those involved in manufacturing are all ways to keep people informed about opportunities and investments.

“The conference was definitely useful for me as it highlighted new opportunities for our business and gave me a chance to network with manufacturers.”


MANUFACTURING


loyd Colne is delighted to join the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce as a Diamond Ambassador.

As your local BMW and MINI Dealer, we understand the needs of business users and fleet managers across the county.

The BMW MINI Business Partnership Programme has been designed specifically for company car fleets of under 50 vehicles.

The programme offers compelling contract hire rates across both the BMW and MINI range along with comprehensive service and maintenance packages.

The Business Partnership Programme provides a Local Business Development Manager to help you through all aspects of fleet management, including the latest legislation, driver benefits and choosing the right vehicle for your needs and budgets.

For more information on how the BMW MINI Business Partnership can benefit your business, please call our dedicated Local Business Development Manager Darren Brogan on 01282 720720.

LLeft to right: Ian Ballentine, Heathrow Airport, Raj Handarana, HS2 Limited, Rhys Thomas, Renewable UK, Janet Glenn, NHS, Jeremy Nicholson, North West Energy Task Force, Michael Damms, East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Keith Budinger, Halite Energy Group Limited

With significant investment being brought into Lancashire, many businesses in the county are looking to innovate and expand.

The manufacturing sector in particular is in a period of rapid growth, with this in mind East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce held a manufacturing conference, bringing together influential business leaders and professionals.

The event, which was organised by the Chamber and sponsored by North West Energy Task Force, was held on Thursday October 30th at Brockholes Conference Centre in Samlesbury. The aim of the conference was to give users and potential suppliers the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in Lancashire.

We spoke to a number of business leaders who attended the conference to get their thoughts on what they gained from attending, and what they would like to see at future events.

Lancashire manufacturers gather for conference>

CLAIRE WHELAN, finance director at BCW Engineering said she felt the conference has helped the company to be better informed. “I think the conference gives a depth and variety of information that would take a local business a lot more time and resources to ascertain on their own.

“I delivered the messages learnt back to the board of directors and these are taken on board at a strategic level.”

She believes that events such as the manufacturing conference are essential for businesses to take advantage of investment opportunities in Lancashire.

“There needs to be more events such as the manufacturing conference in Lancashire,” she added.

“The calibre of guest speakers is excellent. Being members of an organisation like the Chamber gives crucial access to this and companies can react thereafter.

“They have the expertise to give this information and liaise at a high level with both private and public bodies to give businesses a truly strategic view.

“BCW in particular are members of the Chamber and the Burnley bondholders. Key opportunities are therefore acquired almost via osmosis which is essential to a growing business such as BCW.

“Focus has been on energy and the sectors which are connected. I’d like to see some focus on finance with the afore-mentioned views - worldwide, national and local.

”Also a session on skills looking at the region's educational infrastructure would be advantageous, as I think private companies struggle to combine with the authorities on this issue.”

KEVIN SINGH director at Fort Vale Engineering said the conference helped to update the company about opportunities that are available.He said: “The conference informs local businesses of what project and opportunities are out there, not only from a sales position, but an overall business risk and opportunity perspective.

“As a business we cannot really take advantage of the new opportunities arising in Lancashire as we export 95 per cent of what we produce.

“The local market is limited, but franking is a valuable exception that I am trying to gain more information about, including a visit to Cuadrilla.”

To ensure Lancashire businesses can take advantage of investments taking place, Kevin believes that they need to have information readily available.

“It’s imperative to keep members informed of changes, for example legislation, available funding and new project opportunities. Using the Chamber for this information is vital in that information channel.

“It was very useful to find more information and have opportunities for networking.

“For my business I would like to see more covered on engineering projects, foreign countries analysis from an economic/geopolitical perspective.”

Event photography: David Severns Jones


YOUR EAST LANCASHIRE

It was once known as the ‘golden valley’, a hive of cotton mills and later a major manufacturer of felt and footwear.

But in recent years Rossendale has suffered from serious economic decline, with recovery made slower by the recession.

RO

SSEN

DA

LEYOUR EAST LANCASHIRE

PENDLE

Pendle businesses awarded over £1m in grantsBusinesses in Pendle have so far been awarded over £1m in capital grants through a programme delivered by Regenerate Pennine Lancashire, creating and safeguarding over 240 jobs, and encouraging over £5m private investment.

BURNLEY

Burnley promotes its assets and achievementsBurnley’s key gateways have been transformed with colourful themed banners welcoming people to the town sharing key messages about Burnley’s assets and achievements. The aim of the project is to encourage people to live, work and invest in the town.

BLACKBURN

Blackburn sets priorities for next six yearsA blueprint to make Blackburn with Darwen a more prosperous place to be has been unveiled. The plan sets priorities for the borough for the next six years. These include creating 2,700 new jobs, getting more residents in work, bringing new investment and improving the infrastructure and housing of the borough.

RIBBLE VALLEY

Northcote receives more awardsNorthcote part owned by a celebrity chef Nigel Haworth has won a national award at a glittering ceremony. The country-house hotel and Michelin-starred restaurant was presented with The Hotel Restaurant Team of the Year Award at the Hotel Cateys 2014.

HYNDBURN

Hyndburn joins national campaignSaturday 6 December was 'Small Business Saturday', a national campaign to promote and support local traders in the UK. Hyndburn shoppers were encouraged to come into Accrington town centre and other towns across the borough to support hardworking independent traders and stock up for Christmas.


Business leaders in the borough say that things are gradually improving and are hopeful for the future after multi-million plans were unveiled to transform the borough.

Councillor Alyson Barnes, Rossendale Council leader said: “I think the economy is still recovering to some extent.

“We have some large long standing businesses such as JJ Ormerod and James Killelea who have been able to weather the storm, but some of our smaller businesses have really suffered and new businesses still struggle.

Dr Ian Eastwood, technical director of Hydanis Ltd in Waterfoot says the economy has been visibly better in the past six months.

“The underlying economy is huge in Rossendale,” he said.

“I know of companies all doing a wide variety of things in the industrial estates throughout the borough, which are all doing pretty well.

“There are more people at work and there has been a general improvement in the local economy; however this is not necessarily mirrored in the high street, which these days can be a misleading economic pointer.”

Business leaders say that manufacturing is thriving in Rossendale while the leisure and tourism sector continues to improve.

Stephen Greenhalgh, joint managing director of JJ Ormerod Ltd, the borough's largest company, in Stacksteads said: “The manufacturing sector particularly

seems to be thriving in Rossendale; businesses like the Solomon Commercials seem to be flying.”

Ian Eastwood added: “The economy has diversified; there is broad range of businesses from services to internet-based fulfilment companies setting up in locations across the borough not just on the industrial estates.”

Coun Alyson Barnes said: “The council’s regeneration team are receiving enquiries from companies looking for larger premises to accommodate their growing businesses.

“We’re also finding that our leisure and tourism sector is doing well.

“With the recovery of the economy there has been a steady demand for apprentices, and an increase in older apprentices working for companies in the borough,” says Sue Taylor.

“High unemployment has created a pool of adults with skills and experience which make them more 'work ready' than school leavers, and more attractive to employers.

“For us, the highest sectors of demand for apprenticeships are still construction and motor engineering.

“However, we are seeing an increase in demand for adult apprentices in accounting and leadership and management in small to medium sized companies.”

But concerns have been raised that there are not enough graduate roles available locally.

Sue added: “There is growing evidence that many young people travel out of Rossendale to work, and local employers recruit increasingly from out of the area.

“A number of Rossendale business leaders have been very proactive recently in working with local schools and the college to strengthen the links between business and education."

Councillor Alyson Barnes added: “We have some high performing schools and many young people stay on into further education.

“We’d like to be able to attract these graduates back into the valley and recognise that the right types of jobs need to be available in or reachable from the valley.

“We’re well positioned in terms of connectivity both with Lancashire and Greater Manchester and we have a good housing market in a fantastic location.”

But despite the economy showing positive signs of recovery, business leaders feel more must be done for companies in Rossendale to thrive.

Stephen Greenhalgh said: “The transport infrastructure in the borough needs to be improved to help bring more business to Rossendale. In particular the A682 is an absolute bottle neck which has a negative impact on trade.

"I’m heartened that through the Chamber, Rossendale Business Leaders and MP, we’re starting to make progress on reconnecting with Manchester by rail.

“The council could also do more to help new

businesses establish by abolishing some of the red tape and bureaucracy.”

Alyson Barnes added: “There needs to be more support for new start businesses and smaller businesses.

“They may not provide hundreds of jobs but they are the lifeblood of small districts like Rossendale and many provide very valuable support services for larger business.”

Hopes are high for the future of Rossendale as multi-million plans to transform Rawtenstall and Bacup have been unveiled in recent months.

Around 225 new jobs are set to be created in the town as 75,000 square ft of retail, leisure and office space is set to be built.

While a £2 million Townscape Heritage scheme is hoped to revitalise Bacup town centre and improve the local economy.

Alyson added: “We’re in the process of significant redevelopment in Rawtenstall.

“We believe that this scheme is the catalyst and the heart that will bring the town together.

“We hope it will bring even more opportunity to attract new visitors, employment, things to do and money to the economy.”

The manufacturing sector particularly seems to be thriving in Rossendale

the economy has been visibly better in the past six months.

We have some high performing schools


POLICY


WEB DESIGN

WEB DESIGN RESPONDING TO NEW CHALLENGES

In today’s world more and more customers are viewing websites on a range of devices depending on their circumstances at any particular time. In many cases the standard viewing device is the mobile phone or the tablet rather than the traditional PC.

Many of Chamber Internet’s more recent clients have asked that their new website be built utilising responsive web design (RWD). This is a web design approach aimed at crafting sites to provide an optimal viewing experience - easy reading and navigation with a minimum of resizing, panning, and scrolling.

Chamber Internet has now designed a number of these sites including the one shown here for Shaws of Darwen who provide very high quality specialist terracotta that can be found on many of the country’s most iconic buildings including the Royal Albert hall and the Natural History Museum.

Many of their clients are architects and it is easy to see them viewing the website whilst out on site. The website highlights both their restoration projects and new build projects and the many skills

possessed by this Darwen based company. The website also contains a blog facility allowing long term projects to be followed throughout the build process.

David Dare, MD of Shaws of Darwen said “We wanted a new website that not only had visual impact but could be easily viewed on tablets

and mobile phones.” He added "Chamber Internet did an excellent job of meeting our brief and high expectations. The new website really showcases the work we do.”

Roger Edworthy, Internet Services Manager at the Chamber said “With more and more people now using a range

of devices for their web experience this type of solution is proving cost effective for the website owner and better for the website user”

“We wanted a new website that not only had visual impact but could be easily viewed on tablets and mobile phones.”

WWW.SHAWS-TERRACOTTA.COM

Northern Powerhouse and Devolution

Autumn Statement

While recognising that the Statement would inevitably be seen as ‘political’ given the proximity of the General Election, the British Chambers of Commerce were satisfied that the Chancellor had demonstrated that he had listened to British Business across the entire country.

Many of the key business priorities that the Chambers and members had called for were recognised. These include:

• Business Rates. There is to be a review into the future structure of Britain’s iniquitous business rates system. While this is partly in response to the threat to the High Street posed by on-line retailers, it has to be more fundamental and comprehensive.

• The Funding for Lending and Enterprise Guarantee Schemes have been extended

• Compulsory Purchase Order reform should help with the creation of modern infrastructure which enables the UK to compete. (We called for fairer compensation and await details)

• National Insurance has been abolished for young apprentices

• On Shale Gas the Government is exploring measures that ensure local communities benefit.

All Change at East Lancs Authorities

For Pennine Lancashire Local Authorities, there are some significant changes at the top.

Stephen Barnes, who has worked for Pendle Council since its inception in 1974, and a staunch supporter of manufacturing, leaves his post as Chief Executive.

Also leaving is Steve Rumbelow, who has overseen Burnley’s renaissance, and Helen Lockwood who has done much to reposition Rossendale. Both are leaving the Chief Executive posts of their respective boroughs.

At this time of great change within the East Lancashire Authorities some politicians and business people have suggested that this would be an opportune time, independent of the ‘Combined Authority debate’ to look afresh at unitary government.

Our neighbour, Greater Manchester has become the first City outside London to sign a Devolution Agreement with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. This gives the

City-Region increased powers over planning, skills funding, transport, house-building and business support as well as, more controversially, having an elected Mayor.

This puts the spotlight on Lancashire - as a basic condition to acquiring such powers is having a local government ‘Combined Authority’. For example this would mean Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire County Council and Blackpool, as Transport Authorities having more formal collaboration arrangements.

At the same time much is being made of the concept of a Northern Powerhouse which is predominately based on Cities which include Sheffield, Liverpool, Hull, Leeds and Newcastle as well as Manchester. Lancashire Region is the third largest economy in the North (after Manchester and Leeds) but has a dispersed economy. As significant Transport funding (£16bn) and investment in science (£235m to Manchester) is already being proposed this is clearly an issue for Lancashire’s politicians and for us to address at the Local Enterprise Partnership.

At the same time there is unrelenting pressure on local authorities to continue to reduce their spending. The Chamber has started working with some of the Councils about the potential redeployment of qualified public sector workers to the private sector which is now experiencing both growth and difficulties in recruitment.

Whitebirk is of such a scale that it is going to provide major strategic land support for businesses for probably the next five to ten years.

If any member has specific views on any of these we’d like to hear from you, especially on the reform of Business Rates where Chambers are a formal consultee. [email protected]

If you would like the opportunity to engage and influence the most senior of politicians during their receptive period just prior to purdah before the General Election then consider attending the British Chambers of Commerce National Conference in Westminster on 10th February 2015. For further details please contact [email protected]

Stephen Barnes

BUSINESS NEWS


BUSINESS NEWS


More to us than just Recruiting t Neville Gee we are very much aware of our role in the community and the responsibilities this brings, so when we were approached by ‘Burnley FC in the Community’ to assist with their Employability Skills Course for unemployed 16 to 24 year olds we were delighted to get involved.

The scheme is part of the Barclays Premier League Works project, supported by all 20 Premier League teams and and aims to get the young long term unemployed back into work or education through a series of 12 week courses held at Turf Moor.

Our input is to develop their employability skills including CV writing, job searching and conducting mock interviews whilst providing proactive feedback.

“We will give full assistance in delivering the programme including looking for work placement opportunities for those taking part” said Donnie Doran, Director at Neville Gee.

Further details of the scheme are available by emailing Carl Hullett on [email protected] or Donnie Doran – [email protected]

A

Within six days the 28-year-old represented the very best of British as he collected two awards for his retail and wholesale businesses at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards and Young Entrepreneur at the Growing Business Awards.

Judges at the Growing Business Awards said: “Simon is being very innovative and re-inventing the industry. He has really thought through his business, building something which is great for farmers and presents an alternative to supermarkets.”

The awards acknowledged Simon, and younger brother Nick’s successes in their successful Lancashire-based sustainable food business Roaming Roosters as well as their year-old wholesale business, Grass Roots Wholesale Foods.

Simon said: “It’s incredible to think how far we’ve come since packing boxes in the back of our dad’s butcher’s shop.

“Our big idea for Roaming Roosters came in the midst of an economic slump, when no one wanted to touch two 20-somethings looking for investment.

“But we kept banging on the bank doors and eventually got the breakthrough we needed to make our dream a reality.”

Roaming Roosters has established a quirky, fun brand around the traditions and heritage of farming and butchery. Grass Roots is a unique concept with nobody else in the country white-labelling meat like they do. It is a completely new concept in food manufacturing and one which is opening up a number of doors for the fledgling business.

Technology plays a huge part in the success of Grassroots in particular, and they have recently put a system in place which enables huge growth without huge manpower.

Simon said: “It really is an honour to be recognised among so many fantastic businesses across the UK, and to win three awards is amazing.

Tracking reduces costs and improves serviceBlackburn based CM Oxendale Ltd run a fleet of vans covering the North West, providing a combination of services to housing, local authorities, offices, hospitals, retail, leisure and factories. Jets GPS provide vehicle tracking to them which is used to reduce running costs and help provide excellent customer service.

The reporting suite provides detail of any vehicle out of hours’ use which the company use to charge staff for non-business use to comply with HMRC guidelines. The live Google traffic is used to advise any customers if vans are held up in traffic on route to a job and reactive jobs are allocated most efficiently using the nearest to postcode functionality.

Managing Director, Colin Oxendale said “Jan has provided our vehicle tracking for years and the technology keeps evolving giving us more functionality that benefits our business”

ONE WEEK, THREE NATIONAL AWARDS

SIMON JERSEY WINS GOLD WITH TEAM GB DEALLancashire-based uniform provider Simon Jersey has been named the official supplier for Team GB at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.

The company will provide a bespoke clothing range for the team, which will be worn at official events in the UK and Rio in the lead up the games and beyond.

Simon Jersey will also design the clothing for the closing ceremony, meaning the company will reach a potential global audience of "almost 900 million".

James Saunders, managing director at Simon Jersey, said: "This is the first time a corporate wear supplier has been awarded the contract to supply formalwear or parade wear to Team GB, let alone both.

"Here at Simon Jersey we know how to make powerful impressions and have extensive experience in building strong teams through quality designs. This means we’re well prepared to kit out such a diverse team, and we’re honoured to be announcing our partnership with such a prestigious organisation."

British Olympic Association chief executive Bill Sweeney added: "Our preparations for Rio are on track and confirming our formalwear provider shows that we’re now getting into the detailed elements of that planning.

"Simon Jersey is a well-respected UK-based company which has a very strong background in providing quality clothing for organisations and we are thrilled to be welcoming them to the Olympic family."

Jane Parry, lead tax partner at PM+M takes a look at what it means for Lancashire Businesses.

A much welcomed review of business rates is set to take place. UK business rates are the highest in the EU and businesses have been lobbying for reductions to improve UK competitiveness.

The long heralded reduction in the main Corporation Tax rate to 20% on 1 April, combined with the Annual Investment Allowance for investment in plant and machinery of £500,000 which applies until 31 December 2015, look set to make 2015 a good year for successful businesses to reinvest.

A further £500m for the Funding for Lending Scheme which provides government security for lending to eligible businesses, together with an expansion of Enterprise Venture Capital Funding was announced. This should provide some much needed growth capital.

The UK’s current generous tax credits for research and development expenditure are set to continue - although the recently introduced Patent Box regime will be closed to new entrants from June 2016 and abolished by June 2021. Lancashire is home to a lot of advanced manufacturing businesses, many of which could benefit from the reduced Corporation Tax rates offered by the current regime.

For employers, there will be no NIC cost of employing anyone under the age of 21 from April and this extends to age 25 for apprentices, making it more attractive for manufacturers to employ and train young people.

The major pension reforms taking effect in April and introducing considerably more flexibility into the pensions’ regime are welcome news for anyone with a substantial pension pot.

The Chancellor’s National Infrastructure Plan, which includes investment in a new nuclear power plant at Sellafield, will provide a welcome boost to the regional economy. The Chancellor made much of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ and his plans to invest in the great cities of the North.

There was also a welcome increase in export funding of £45m to encourage development of export markets in Africa, Asia and South America.

Whilst it is not surprising that a pre-election Autumn Statement might contain a few crowd pleasers, there seemed to be some positive measures announced that will benefit North West businesses.

Sustainable food pioneer Simon Mellin has scooped three entrepreneurial titles celebrating his innovative approach to business.

An employment law expert has welcomed figures that show that a change in the law to promote early conciliation in employment disputes has seen thousands of people take part.

Under the scheme, from May, staff hoping to make a complaint which could end up at an employment tribunal must first notify ACAS, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, in order to consider negotiating a settlement with their employer.

If both parties are happy to enter into talks, ACAS will act as a conciliator, avoiding the use of a costly tribunal. Stacey Carter, Employment solicitor at Lancashire law firm Napthens, welcomed the news and said that early conciliation can offer a good opportunity for businesses.

She explained: “Tribunals can be costly, as well as time-consuming and often upsetting for both sides, so the move to encourage early conciliation made a lot of common sense.

“Conciliation can be a great way to listen to staff and allow these talks to influence working practices and management policies.

Mediation ‘can be positive tool’ in employer grievances

Key measures in the Autumn Statement

For more information call 01254 914 538 or e-mail [email protected]

Not surprising that a pre-election Autumn Statement might contain a few crowd pleasers


CHAMBER NETWORKING

Diary dates 2015 CURRY CLUB 16th January Burnley FC

UNIQUE WOMEN IN BUSINESS - LUNCH & LEARN 26th February Mitton Hall

UNIQUE WOMEN IN BUSINESS - LUNCH & LEARN 21st April Eaves Hall

CHAMBER TO CHAMBER NETWORKING 23rd April Hoghton Tower

CHAMBER NETWORKING


A FORMER Lancashire business owner and world-renowned cricket-scoring guru shared the secrets of the cricketing world down to every meticulous. Malcolm Ashton, known as ‘Ashtray’ by his colleagues

in the Test Match Special commentary box, was the guest speaker at the ‘Meet and Eat in The Valley’.

For a decade Malcolm has led a fascinating double life, combining duties as scorer with the England cricket team and TMS, while managing wills and estate planning company ‘Eleven’ based in Ramsbottom.

A life that has stretched from scoring Rawtenstall cricket club’s games in exchange for a free tea, to rubbing shoulders with Stephen Fry, Malcolm’s tale was truly unique.

Les Nutter, host of ‘Meet and Eat in The Valley’ and Managing Partner at Cassons, said: “Malcolm has one of the most fascinating stories we’ve ever had at Meet and Eat. We all enjoyed hearing how he combined scoring professionally with running a successful business, as well as hearing some insider knowledge from the TMS box.”

Attendees tucked in to a cricket themed buffet lunch.

View the full gallery of images at: www.chamberelancs.co.uk/galleryEvent photography: Liz Henson

Ensuring you have tailored and up-to-date contracts of employment will help businesses in 2015 avoid

legal pitfalls, says The HR Dept, if any member of the team leaves and tries to poach business.

The HR Dept is urging small business owners to review their contracts of employment to ensure that post-employment restrictions are reasonable and robust in order to protect their businesses.

In often nightmare scenarios for small business owners, where a key member of the team leaves to join a competitor or to start up a similar business, a specific, personalised and strong restrictive covenant can help. Restrictive covenants can stop the ex-employee touting, soliciting or securing potential or existing clients for a period of time, allowing the original business to re-cement their relationships.

Any restrictive covenant should be drafted to that specific business, seniority or influence of the employee, and the nature of the industry.

Enforcing restrictive covenants and practices can be an expensive exercise. However, for certain businesses and situations, the cost of not enforcing it may be worse or financially more crippling because of the potential loss of business.

The HR Dept says: “A New Year’s resolution should be to take a good look in the employee files to make sure key members of staff have up-to-date and relevant terms and conditions. Generic restrictive covenants and practices may look good on paper threatening the world to end if someone poaches a client once they have left, but it needs to be clear and fit the business specifically.”

Time changes and people do move on, but businesses should be able to protect the order book. However, first it has to be written down in a contract of employment.

A New Year’s> resolution>

CHAMBER NEWS


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New members Alert Fire & Security LtdNorth West TippersEntre-Prises (UK) LtdBSB Electronics LimitedFarmhouse Biscuits LtdPizza HotTharstern LtdPhysiofusion LtdThornleys Natural Foods LtdRaydex/CDT LtdBanks Wealth Management LtdCrow Wood Equestrian & Leisure CentreLloyd ColnePAPR LtdRelative Marketing & CreativeSantander BankPetStay East Lancs & BuryEpic HorsewearAngela RobinsonTouchstone HR SolutionsRibble Valley CounsellingValley ConsultingSheridan Gillis Investment Holdings LtdDLC Solicitors Ltd@robheys LimitedBuzzWorker LtdBritannia Footwear (UK Manufacturing) LtdHair by ZoeCS CleaningParisol Chemicals LtdPCRSTransport 4 bikesSGW Garden ServicesBrian Mercers Cleaning ServicesBijoux Noire BeautyEntwistle Chartered AccountantsStac 'N' PaclearndirectBraniff PartnershipScent Heaven Essential OilsLindon Knight PhotographyRCS ValetingPickup Books

The first service offered through Chamberwise is business insurance. To date 59 members have joined the buying group, with a combined premium value of £150,000. This is a very encouraging beginning, and negotiations are

ongoing to widen the joint offer to include a range of additional services for the benefit of Chamber members.

Peter Catlow, Director of Cost Management at Businesswise said “we are delighted with the response that we have had from Chamber Members, the concept of a buying group is new to most of them, and the fact that they can join the group at any time, without having to wait for the renewal date on their policy provides a guaranteed saving and a hassle free solution.”

Darren Grantham, Commercial Manager at the Chamber said “We are always on the lookout for ad-ditional services that enhance the benefits of Chamber Membership, Businesswise are a very proactive member of the Chamber and offer high quality, cost effective solutions across a wide range of Cost Management tools, our ChamberWise offering has already provided benefits to many of our Members, which we hope to build on over the coming months and years.”

She Added “I will be retaining my seat on the board, so will still get to work with the fabulous team here and support David as he leads the Chamber onto even bigger and better things. His business and financial acumen, coupled with his love of Lancashire, mean that I leave the board and indeed the whole team, in the most capable hands.”

Incoming President, David Sharpe, thanked Wendy for all her hard work saying “Wendy has done a tremendous job as President for the last 2½ years making a great contribu-tion to the work of the Chamber during this

time.” He added “Her position on the National Board has raised the profile of East Lancashire within the Chamber movement and I am really pleased that she will continue in that role.”

David takes over as Chamber President

ChamberWise proves a big hit with members

Being President of East Lancashire Chamber has been a very rewarding role for me

Chamber President Wendy Bowers steps down after 2½ years in the post and hands over the reins to David Sharpe of Pierce Accountants. Speaking at the handover Wendy said “Being President of East Lancashire Chamber

has been a very rewarding role for me, but my role on the National Board and the rapid growth of my own business now have to be my main priorities.”

Peter Catlow

EUROPEAN UNIONInvesting in Your Future

European RegionalDevelopment Fund 2007-13

Business life winter 2015

Documents

Transcript of Business life winter 2015