SUCCESSPLANNING How important is it?RECRUITMENThow to keep the besttalentTECHNOLOGYThe generationgamewww.blmgroup.co.ukWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UKDECEMBER 2015EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS E-MAGDEALS 2016 STUART SEWELL PREDICTSTHE YEAR AHEADDEALS 2016 STUART SEWELL PREDICTSTHE YEAR AHEADLinkingbusinesstogetherEast Midlands Business Link has been bringing businesses together through itsonline pages and we’re now offering even more chances to network andcreate new relationships with a host of special events – and there are numerous sponsorship opportunities to help promote your brand!Round TablesBringing together leading names from local businesses, our round table events debate the latest hottopics. By sponsoring the event you can decide on the topic and help shape the guest list to ensurerelevance. The resultant debate will appear in our pages.Breakfast EventsEast Midlands Business Link's breakfast events present topical and incisive discussion. A panel ofexperts offer their views on business matters in front of an informed and interested audience –alongside plenty of opportunities to network! Sponsors of the event receive access to the delegate list as well as extensive pre- and post-event coverage.AwardsHighlighting the best of local business, there are myriad sponsorship opportunities atEast Midlands Business Link's awards evenings. Bringing together guests from across the region,sponsoring a category or even the entire event will ensure exceptional exposure for your business! These events are also a great place to entertain and welcome distinguished guests.Business Link is renowned as the voice of the East Midlands business scene. By partnering with us at these special events you can take advantage of our strong reputation and enjoy exceptional exposure for your brand!Connectwith us today to see what we can do for your business...EDITOR’S NOTESThere is no doubt that 2015 has seen a return of the swagger around the local economy -the likes of which we haven't seen since 2007-2008.The cities in the region are on the up; companies are searching for skilled staff to meetclient demand, and businesses are now realising that if they want to grow quickly, they needan office in the East Midlands. The engine room indeed.And so why is it that doubts still remain? Retail continues to struggle to adapt to meetonline competition. Commercial property remains stuck in a rut with ageing stock anddevelopers still so very cautious about spec development, and manufacturing seems to beteetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown. When will the shackles truly come off?Perhaps never. The new realism has demanded that caution is king, and it's going to take along, long time until the recession of 2008-2013 is forgotten. For many, it' shaped theircareers - but that in itself is brining difficulties, and many up-and-comers simply don't knowhow to plan for growth. The old-timers are still steering the ship at many East MidlandsSMEs - some against their better nature.As we head into 2016, then, we surely need to be bolder - but with a sense ofresponsibility. No-one can realistically say they want to see the wanton spending of 2005-2008 again, but there is a very real sense out there that the economy is ready to kick on tothe next level. It needs the very best East Midlands Smes leading from the front.Sam MetcalfEditor2016: time tokick onContentsDecember 2015Latest News 6The latest news from the regionDeals News8The latest news from the dealmakers around the regionProperty News10All the latest from the property sectorAppointments12Who’s moving where Manufacturing News 14News and views from around the East MidlandsCovery Story16East Midlands Business Link spoke to Stuart Sewell,director at KPMG and lead for the firm’s East Midlands dealadvisory practice, on the outlook for the deals market.Autumn Statement18James Pinchbeck, Marketing Partner for Streets CharteredAccountants, gives us his analysis of the AutumnStatement.Finance20“It’s great to be here…” Tony Kelly, Regional Director,Allied Irish Bank (GB), shares his views on his first fewmonths with the company.Finance21Finance without the kerfuffle: Five steps to help secureyour business loan Ian Borley, Senior Partner, KPMG EastMidlands Succession Planning21Brendan Dawson, the managing director of Qdos Vantageand Qdos Global, stresses the importance of successionplanningManagement 23It is universally acknowledged that most managers will atsome point in their careers encounter an employee who isdifficult to deal with, says Andrew Macmillan, employmentpartner in the Nottingham office of law firm, Gateley.Round Table 24Are East Midlands businesses fully up to speed when itcomes to harnessing technology? Are latest round table,sponsored by Freeths asked the questions.Intrapreneurs 28Intrapreneurs, entrepreneurial spirits who prefer to workfor an employer, should be open to risk and masters ofpersuasion says Chris Mahon Assistant Professor atNottingham University Business School.Branding 30At BLM group we advise businesses all the time on thedifferent aspects of marketing. Here are some pointers onbuilding a brand…Legislation 33Ts and Cs. Most of you will probably view them as a loadof legal mumbo jumbo that nobody pays attention to. Thatis not the case at all, says Shirley Atkinson, HR adviser atFidler & Pepper Solicitors.Conferencing 34As the festive season approaches, we look at the ins andouts of what tax can be claimed at Christmas and how tostay on the right side of HMRC.Motoring 36The British automotive industry has certainly had its upsand downs over time but is now best known for premiumand sports car marques. However, we’re also leading theway in electric vehicles according to Transport MinisterAndrew Jones. Business Scene39The seventh annual Directors’ Briefing, as hosted byDuncan & Toplis took place this month, inviting businessleaders from across the East Midlands. With keynotespeakers John Cridland, former Director-general of theCBI, along with notable others. 3618EditorSam Metcalfs.metcalf@blmgroup.co.ukAccounts & SubscriptionsAngela Sharmanaccounts@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311Design & ProductionGary Jorgensen, Mark Cassonstudio@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310304Fax: (01472) 310314E-Mail:eastmidlands@blmgroup.co.ukPublisherHaychart Ltd, t/a Business Link Magazine Group,Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N.E. Lincs., DN31 2QE.All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied,recorded or otherwise without expresspermission of the copyright holder, for whichapplication should be addressed first to thepublisher. While every reasonable care is taken,neither the publisher nor its participating agentsaccept liability for loss or damage to prints,colour transparencies, negatives or othermaterial of whatever nature submitted to thispublication. The views expressed in thispublication are not necessarily the views of thoseheld by the publisher.@BLMEastMidlandsBLMEastMidlandsSHUTTERSTOCK.COM/PALTO GENERAL NEWSEast Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk6Gleeds stalwart Ian McKinlay– ‘the ultimate director’ –passes awayIan McKinlay, senior director atthe Nottingham office of propertyconsultancy Gleeds, has died agedjust 59.Ian had been employed byGleeds for almost 40 years and forthe last 15 as a senior Director intheir Nottingham office. He had asuccessful track record managing avariety of projects in both publicand private sectors in and aroundthe East Midlands.High profile projects on which he worked included the Universityof Nottingham, working on the pharmaceutical sciences building andthe DH Lawrence Centre. Ian was also a Project Partner onNottingham Trent University’s Relocation Management Programme,encompassing numerous minor refurbishment and new buildprojects to facilitate mixed user accommodation requirements. Hisexperience in the education sector also meant he provided costmanagement services on the modernisation of 40 schools in the areaover the past 30 years.In the health sector he undertook ward improvements andnumerous other projects at the Nottingham Queen’s Medical CentreCPU. Ian’s masterplanning services were also harnessed to greateffect on the development of Nottingham Rail Station.One of his more high profile projects included working on theconstruction of stands, nets and media centre at Trent Bridge cricketground and numerous projects with Boots .One of his close friends and colleagues, Gleeds director, StuartSenior, who had worked with Ian for nearly 40 years said: “Iantypified the construction management professional in all the work heundertook at Gleeds. He was the ultimate director: disciplined, highlyskilled, thorough and precise. The client was always right and hisdepth and breadth of the sector working in and around Nottinghamover 40 years was most unusual going across commercial,residential, sport, health and education. Fiercely proud of Nottinghamand the surrounding area, and he will be deeply missed by all thosewho worked with him and our thoughts are with his wife and family.”Octavian Training to launch Workforce products worldwide Octavian Training, the company set up by Nottingham businessman Sukhi Ghuman, is set to launch of three new Workforce training products.The Octavian Workforce products, which are available internationally, are split into three key areas: Workforce Induction; WorkforceDevelopment; Workforce Contractor. Each Workforce product has its own unique educational platform that will allow companies to benefitfinancially and operationally.Ghuman feels that the new Workforce products are a natural progression in the support of employee education.He said: “It is important for international training providers to be able to find an educational partner that not only understands the significanceof workforce education, but also understand the implications of implementing this on a country by country basis.“It is crucial to recognise the potential obstacles that language barriers and cultural differences might have upon a country outside of theUnited Kingdom, in order to overcome these obstacles and develop an offering that fits with the needs of a particular business or region. As aresult, Octavian Training are able to offer businesses on a global front an innovative form of workforce education.“Group chief operating officer Kevin Johnston said: “As a company we believe in longevity with our clients, and we also understand theimportance of a cost effective training solution.“We decided not to charge for the design and development of online training materials, thus ensuring our clients have no upfront costs – theysimply pay as they go. By doing this our clients can control their budgets knowing we are working with them to produce the best Workforce trainingmaterials possible.”Octavian plans to extend the Workforce training products in Q2 of 2016, as it looks to roll them out on a global basis.Octavian will be shortly launching services across Africa and the Middle East, with expansion planned across the USA. Johnston said: “Sukhi is aborn leader and as each page turns in his life, the more exciting business becomes for all of us. Although the UK arm of the security business has beensold, the Octavian brand continues to grow through innovative ideas and services.“PKFCooperParry tomergewith BrumrivalTwo Midlandsaccountancy and businessadvisory firms haverevealed they are inadvanced talks to joinforces – creating one ofthe largest firms ofchartered accountants in the region.East Midlands-based PKF Cooper Parry says it will merge withBirmingham-based Clement Keys in early January 2016. The newly mergedfirm, which will take the PKF Cooper Parry name, will have a combinedrevenue of £30m and a team of more than 350 people across its twooffices in the East and West Midlands.PKF Cooper Parry told East Midlands Business Link that there are noplanned redundancies.This move reflects the appetite and commitment both firms have togrowing and becoming the dominant force in the privately owned sectoracross the Midlands, said Ade Cheatham, PKF Cooper Parry CEO.Cheatham added: “This is an exciting and significant merger for bothfirms. We share a closely aligned vision to be number one in the privatelyowned market across the whole of the Midlands through creating a fiercelyindependent firm which is purely focused on exceptional client service.“This merger will enhance and complement our offering to clients,bringing sector expertise and extensive international reach along withextensive experience across core services under one brand. This excitingdevelopment demonstrates that we are ambitious for growth anddetermined to be seen as the adviser of choice for privately ownedbusiness.Joe Bates, managing partner at Clement Keys, said: “Clement Keys andPKF Cooper Parry are delighted to be joining forces. We have spent anumber of years growing our market share and so has PKF Cooper Parry.Bringing the two firms together will broaden our services to businesses inour region and strengthen our position in the marketplace.”Wilsons Carpets lays foundations forsuccess in MansfieldWilsons Carpets is set to move into a 16,000 sq ft showroom in Mansfield.The family business, which was originally set up by Bill Wilson back in 1968, will open itsfourteenth store in the Mansfield town.James Wilson, director of the new Mansfield branch, said: “The Wilsons Carpets brand hascome a long way since its humble beginnings back in 1968.“The new Mansfield store will be our fourteenth. After working for the family businesssweeping floors after leaving school, I have worked my way up into management. The newstore is my own venture under the Wilsons Carpets brand, and I hope to put my own stampon things here.”The firm currently has stores in Doncaster, Thorne, Scunthorpe, Rotherham, Barnsley,Pontefract, Gainsborough, Retford, Lincoln, Sheffield, and Hull.The store which has seen a £165,000 investment, will be based on Great Central Road, offRatcliffe Gate, in Mansfield.GENERAL NEWS7www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link Business leaders vowto fight dividend taxTwo prominent business leaders have usedstrong language to ramp up the fight against thetax of directors’ dividends that was introduced inthe Budget in the summer.Speaking at an event organised by the Survive &Succeed Campaign, which was set-up byNottingham entrepreneur Serena Humphrey,Jenna Frudd who runs FC7 Construction, wantedto ask George Osborne how he thought SMEs willbe able to balance the books when they’ve paid anextra 7.5 per cent.She said: “The introduction of the dividend taxwas short-sighted and is a threat to the survival ofSMEs. Why should we put ourselves, our familiesand our workforce through this just to line thepockets of the government? We must fight this.”Meanwhile, Ian Baxter of Baxter Freight told anaudience of around 60 business leaders at theNottingham offices of Geldards, that whilst hebelieves David Cameron is on the side of SMEs,change is needed.He said: “However you paint this, it’s still a taxincrease. Of course the government needs toincrease its tax take, but this has to be done in afair and sensible way. Together, if we fight thedividend tax, we can make a change.”Serena Humphrey has set up a petition againstthe dividend tax. To date it has over 37,000signatories.Stretchline Holdings wins high court patent dispute against H&MNottingham’s Nelsons Solicitors have acted for Stretchline Holdings, the world’s only branded narrow fabrics manufacturer, after the internationalfashion brand H&M infringed the company’s patent on a piece of coveted ‘bra technology.Partner at Nelsons Nick McDonald represented Long Eaton-based Stretchline in the case, helping the company to win the multi-million pound,multi-jurisdictional dispute against the global retail giant.McDonald said: “Stretchline has been successful and the court has ruled that each of the 12 different garments it cited as infringing in its claim doindeed infringe its patent – and therefore the settlement agreement has been breached by H&M. We’re very pleased for Stretchline.”The judgement was handed down at the High Court in London on Friday 20th November 2015. As a result of the decision, Stretchline is entitledto an injunction, damages, costs and other remedies, subject to any successful appeal.Robert Glenn, head of IP at Stretchline, said: “This is an important day for Stretchline as we are, and always have been, extremely proud of ourinnovative technologies. It’s important to our customers that we protect our IP rights and that is all we have sought to do here.”The dispute concerned Stretchline’s patented technology in bras. In 2003 Stretchline bought a local company called Price Shepherd and with it allof its intellectual property, including the patented brand Fortitube, a product which prevents the underwire in a bra from perforating its wire casing.DEALSEast Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk8Lithgo presses the button on new investmentA leading Leicester-based printing firm is targeting new business following agreement on a new six-figure funding package withYorkshire Bank.Established in 1972, Lithgo Press employs 25 staff, and specialises in luxury brochure printing.The new funding package from Yorkshire Bank has enabled Lithgo to invest in a Komori Lithrone ultraviolet printer.The new investment has led to the company recruiting two new employees, a sales manager and a specialist printer.The deal was brokered by Steve Fox, asset finance manager, and Cathy Horner, relationship manager at Yorkshire Bank’sBusiness and Private Banking Centre in Leicester.Yorkshire Bank have supported the company’s investment in major machinery for more than 20 years and earlier this year tookon responsibility for all Lithgo’s banking.Mike Atkinson, managing director of Lithgo Press, said: “This new printing technology offers a huge range of benefits, particularlyin terms of our ability to enhance the quality and efficiency of the service we provide for our customers and to target new business.“Yorkshire Bank have consistently supported us as we have looked to invest in the company over a number of years and, in thattime, we’ve built up an excellent relationship with Steve Fox who really has become like another member of our team in that time.“When we reviewed our funding arrangements and decided it was time for a change, it made perfect sense to move our fullbanking to Yorkshire Bank.”Horner added: “Lithgo Press have established an excellent customer portfolio and a reputation for taking an innovative approachto the printing sector and that’s demonstrated again by the installation of this new technology which will clearly enhance theircustomer offering.”Knightsset tosnap upDarbysDerbyshire-based lawfirm Knights ProfessionalServices says it is inadvanced talks toacquire a rival.Knights – which hasoffices in Staffordshire,Cheshire,Gloucestershire andDerbyshire – is toacquire DarbysSolicitors.The acquisition ofDarbys is expected tocomplete in earlyJanuary – with the firmtransferring to the Knights brand. Knights will reach a combined turnover of £40m and employ more than 300 professionals across seven offices,to include three of Darbys’ current locations.Knights’ CEO David Beech said: “We have been talking to Darbys as part of Knights’ expansion plans and culturally we felt this was the perfectfit for both businesses in terms of client services, expertise and geographical coverage.“We have a similar ethos in respect of our working practices and our focus on delivering outstanding client service.“Knights set an ambitious business objective to become a top 100 law firm by 2017 – and with the purchase of Darbys, we have achieved thattarget a year early. We are proud of the growth that Knights has seen over the past two years in particular – which has seen us open in two newlocations, appoint more than 150 new professionals and double our turnover.”Darbys is a full service law firm with over 20 specialist teams providing legal services to a national client portfolio. It has offices in Oxford,Manchester and Colchester. Darbys was recognised, by the Top 200 survey of law firms, as the fastest-growing law firm in the country in 2013.It is run by managing partner Simon McCrum. He said: “This is hugely exciting. It became clear very quickly that Knights and ourselves have thesame culture, strengths, national vision, and the same ‘quality’ and ‘service’ ethos.“The two firms have a complementary offering – combining to develop our existing strengths. It was clear from the beginning, that David and Icould see immediately that the two firms together will produce a superb business.”Beech added: “We see this deal as the catalyst for our next period of growth. We will be looking to continue our acquisition programmethroughout 2016 and beyond to pursue our passion to be a leading regional professional services business.“It is an important part of our strategy to provide integrated solutions to our clients with legal services being part of a wider offering.“Future acquisitions and increased recruitment of professionals who seek to join a functional business and cohesive culture are integral to ourambitious growth plans.”Logson Group sells majoritystake to Irish investorsCoalville-headquartered Logson Group has sold a majority stake in thebusiness to Belfast based W&R Barnett for an undisclosed sum in a dealbrokered by Grant Thornton.Started in 2005 by Ian Loggie and Mike Stephenson, the Logson Groupconsists of four brands, Board 24, Boxes and Packaging, Jardin CorrugatedCases, and Cases 24.Logson Group CEO Alex Kelly, who will also join the W&R Barnett board,said: “W&R Barnett’s investment offers long term clarity to all our stakeholders– employees, customers and suppliers. This deal reinforces the core values ofour business, fiercely independent, entrepreneurial leadership and an appetitefor growth. It is very much business as usual, the future is very bright and I amdelighted that the Logson senior team have been given the opportunity toinvest in the new structure.”W&R Barnett CEO William Barnett said: “We are very excited to invest in theLogson Group and are looking forward to working with Ian, Mike, Alex and therest of the Logson team to continue its success and growth.”Grant Thornton’s corporate finance team was led by Mustafa Abdulhuseinworking alongside Maria Thomas, Gemma Hardy and Peter Evans. Legaladvice to Logson Group was provided by James Sheridan and David Easdownat Turner Parkinson in Manchester, with DLA Piper in Leeds advising W&RBarnett on the deal.DEALS9www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link Strong investment inMerciaA Long Eaton-based printing firm invested in£100,000 worth of new machinery as part of phase2 of its development programme.Mercia Image has invested in a new fullyautomated laminating machine, which is capable oflaminating 24,000 A4 sheets per hour.The printer has also invested in new fullyautomated plate maker, which offers an enhancedhigh definition finish on all print work.Over the past twelve months staff levels atMercia has increased by 20 per cent.Managing director Amanda Strong said: “We arealready on target to hit budget increases of nearly20 per cent, so we expect this investment to reallyput the icing on the cake. Our customers know thatwe already provide a premium service but with theenhancements and the efficiencies in time andmoney our customers will benefit all the way.”Next >