Business 14 January 2015

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www.bristolpost.co.uk

SMARTER MOVES

From spare room to garage tonew offices - page 3

ART OF SELLING

Business thinking behindstreet art projects – page 5

CELEBRATING SUCCESS

Still time to enter our Womenin Business awards – page 10

FLYING HIGHAirbus enjoyed a ‘landmark year’ in 2014 - but what comes now?

See pages 6, 7, 8 & 9

AEROSPACE SPECIAL

142015JAN

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2 We d n e s d a y, January 14, 2015 3We d n e s d a y, January 14, 2015 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

FIVE years ago Andrew Web-ley made the decision to leavea good job at a very successfulcompany and start his ownbu s i n e s s.

The move from Hargreaves Lans-down to first the spare room andlater his garage in order to be hisown boss was a brave one that mighthave had a few friends scratchingtheir heads.

But Andrew hasn’t looked back. Ashis firm, Smarter Web, celebrates itsfifth birthday, it now employs sevenpeople and has passed the landmarkof having 500 active websites.

The business has grown revenueand profit in each of its five years,something Andrew puts in part downto cost management.

“The key is to make sure you getsome money saved up becauseeverything takes a little bit longerthan you hope,” he said.

“Most businesses don’t succeed be-cause they run out of money but youd o n’t need vast sums to get going, youjust need to be very careful abouthow you spend it.

“(Hargreaves Lansdownco-founder) Peter Hargreaves was in-credibly careful with money and Ilearnt that from him.”

At first the business focused onoff-the shelf build-your-own-websiteproducts but couldn’t compete withthe volume of some of the biggerc o m p e t i t o r s,

Then Andrew spotted an oppor-tunity in responsive web design –websites that adapt to the size andshape of your screen.

The move paid off and the hugerise of mobile and tablet traffic in thelife of his business means buildingresponsive sites – which mean youd o n’t need a different design for mo-bile, desktop and tablet – is easily thefir m’s most popular service.

“Most people go for a responsivewebsite because it is just a bettersolution,” he said.

Now he is expanding into newareas, taking on bespoke projects forlarger clients.

“Once you’ve been around for a fewyears, bigger companies start to talkto you,” he said. “We ’re attractingmore custom development work.”

All the work is carried out inhouse, which means paying salariesto people who are in turn spendingtheir money in the local economy,something Andrew is proud about.

The business is doing well enough

that he’s recently introduced a profitshare for employees.

But despite the growth, the36-year-old says his first priority ishis existing customers.

“Number one is making sure ex-isting clients are happy because weget a lot of business from them,” hesaid.

He also hinks it’s important tohave fun at work.

“If you have got something youreally enjoy – it might be buildingwebsites or it could be plumbing – it’svery rewarding to run your own busi-n e s s, ” he said. “Stressful, but really

C o n st r u c t i o n Web design

Progress insc h o o l ’s planfor expansion� CONSTRUCTION firm IntegralBuild has gone back to theclassroom to complete the nextstage of The Red Maids' Schoolrefurbishment and expansionplans.

The oldest independent girls'school in the country is creatingtwo new classrooms in its juniorschool ready for the new academicyear in September.

The move is in response to highlevels of demand for places andwill result in an increase to twoclasses each in Years 3 and 4,bringing the total number of pupilsto 150.

The project follows the recentlycompleted £1.8 millionrefurbishment by AztecWest-based Integral Build of theschool's main building, creatingnew facilities for students,teachers and visitors within theoriginal Edwardian complex.

Integral Build divisional directorTim Stringer said: “We weredelighted to remain on site for thissecond project, having got toknow the school and its staff wellduring the main schoolre f u r b i s h m e n t .

“Whilst this second stage is verymuch more straightforward, we stillhave to ensure that it is businessas usual for the current Juniorschool pupils and staff and createas little disruption as possible.”

Head teacher Lisa Brown,added: “The Red Maids' JuniorSchool is a very exciting,stimulating place to learn and I amdelighted to be able to share oursuccess with even more girls andtheir families.”

The project is due to becompleted in early summer 2015

C l ot h i n g

How Marjturned herhobby intos u ccessf u le n te r p r i se

MARJ Cook developed apassion for distinctiveclothes and trinkets whiletravelling in Asia. Whatstarted as a hobby soon

became a small business.She would discover treasures and

bring them back to sell at marketstalls and festivals.

Almost 10 years ago, she took thebig step of opening a shop in Ludlow,Shropshire and after recently movingto Bristol, Marj has opened anotherstore here.

The 42-year-old said: “Bristol wasthe obvious choice for a second TigerLily because of its diverse demo-graphic and creative edge, I am superexcited about the future here in thec i t y. ”

The shop stocks a selection of cloth-ing including the quirky and uniqueDesigual brand, ethically-madeSkunfunk and Komodo.

Accessories including bags fromvegan brand Matt & Nat, fabulousfake fur and leather bags from UrbanCode and unique one-off pieces ofgemstone and silver jewellery.

The offer seems a perfect fit forGloucester Road, which boastsdozens of independent stores.

It was that vibe that helped drawher to Bristol.

“Many of my products are ethically

sourced from carefully selected sup-pliers in the UK and abroad,” addedMarj, who has a nine-year-old son.

“I have many friends and family inBristol which is one of my motiv-

ations for moving here.“As well as the fact that Bristol is an

exciting, creative and diverse city.”The trader started out selling jew-

ellery and trinkets 20 years ago and is

Property management

New division launchedas part of expansion

Dragon’s praise forsecurity company� A SECURITY company hasbecome the latest local business towin a pat on the back fromentrepreneur Theo Paphitis, below.

The former Dragon fromthe BBC TV showDragon’s Den runsa Small BusinessSunday, or #SBS,competition onTwitter eachweek.

Firms areurged to Tweetusing the hashtagand he chooses oneand re-tweets it to his459,000 followers on thesocial media network.

Securist won by tweeting about itsethical and customer-first approach.

A company spokesperson said:“We were over the moon. OurTwitter has had much response andwe have been warmly welcomedinto the #SBS family!

“We are all very excited.”The firm provides security guards,

CCTV, alarm systems and reponseand other related products andservices from its head office off TwoMile Hill Road, Kingswood.

E-cigarette shop toopen in Broadmead� A NEW e-cigarette shop will openin Bristol’s Broadmead.

Portishead-based eVapor hastaken the ground floor shop at 58Union Street on a five year lease.

It plans to sell e-cigarette andtheir accessories from the store,next to Yorkshire Building Society inthe recently part of Broadmead.

The firm is renting the site for£29,500 a year, which adds to itsgrowing chain of e-cigarette storesacross the country.

The site comprises a ground floorstore of 638 sq ft with storage andkitchen area.

Hartnell Taylor Cook LLP advisedthe landlord’s, a private propertyc o m p a n y.

#SBS

Ret a i l

How Andrew’s brave decisionturned out to be a Smarter move

A PROPERTY management companyin Bristol has launched a new divisionas part of its expansion.

BNS Property Management, whichlooks after apartment blocks, flats,housing estates and large propertiesconverted for multiple occupation,has launched a new service for retire-ment homes and sheltered retirementc o m m u n i t i e s.

It will maintaining communalareas and provide a 24/7 call out ser-vice for any issues.

Managing director Andrew Sim-monds said: “As a business we havebeen slowly expanding in the SouthWest and part of this expansion is themove into retirement living.

“This is a really exciting area for usas we’ve gained a reputation in theregion for being fast to react and very

reliable which is going to be import-ant with our retirement clients.

“We ’re really looking forward togetting stuck in and making sure wecreate a nice environment for the res-idents who live there.

“We will be responsible for the up-keep of all communal areas includinglounge and dining areas as well as theoutdoor spaces. The portfolio will bemanaged by a team of specialist prop-erty managers.”

“BNS is very big on community in-volvement and retirement complexesare little communities of their own. Ithas been known for management com-panies to exploit those living in hous-ing structures like this, charging overthe odds for services and not complet-ing jobs to a high enough standard. Wewill ensure the service we provide is

affordable, transparent and ethical.”Run by brothers Andrew and Ian

Simmonds, BNS Property Manage-ment is based in Downend and looksafter more than 230 blocks in theSouth West.

Andrew added: “In recent years wehave been focussing on growing ourteam and finding the best propertymanagers and maintenance staff inthe region while building strong con-nections with trusted contractors and

s u p p l i e r s.“We recently rebranded and we

have now spread our reach from theGreater Bristol area to Bath,Gloucestershire, North Somerset,Taunton, Yeovil, Cardiff and evenUxbridge and Newbury.

“The latest development is the ad-dition of our retirement division andwe ’ve got some more exciting newsabout new services coming nextye a r. ”

Sign uphere forbusinessnews directto yourinboxevery day

Assistant Editor (Business)Gavin Thompson

Call 0117 934 3336Email gavin.thompson

@b-nm.co.ukTwitter @gavin_thompson1

Get in touch

Advertising RobertRodgersonCall07828 941469Email ro b e r t . ro d g e r s o [email protected]

Advertising JaneChapman

Call 01179 343025Email jane.chapman

@b-nm.co.uk

good fun.”And he’s left the garage far behind.

A year ago Smarter Web moved intoserviced offices at Aztec West.

“It allows us to look more pro-fessional but without the big over-h e a d s, ” he said. “I remember asharply dressed client coming to thegarage while my wife and childrenwere heading out. It was quitestrang e.”

And already, they are outgrowingthe space and looking for somewherebigger. He may not be on the FTSE100 like his former employer, but forAndrew it was a smart move.

Investors look forethical choices� MORE than three quarters (78per cent) of savers and investorsin the South West would like tosee their money invested inenvironmental and social sectors,according to research from theethical bank Triodos Bank.

But when it comes to actualinvestment plans for the next year,it drops to just 14 per cent whoare likely to choose the socialinvestment sector. That, however,is still an increase on last year’sfigure of 11 per cent.

Tr i o d o s ’ research reveals ethicshave become increasinglyimportant to people.

Huw Davies, head of personalbanking at Triodos Bank, which isbased in Bristol, said: “Since thebanking crisis, the ethicalpractices of banks themselves areunder much more scrutiny. Ourresearch shows that only six percent of those in the South Westregion considered the ethics ofour bank or building society whenwe first opened our accounts.

“Now, more than half (58 percent )would see this as a keydeterminant when choosing whoto bank with.”

He added: “It is probably nogreat surprise to learn that thepaying of huge bonuses is notpopular with consumers in theSouth West. Almost three quarters(74 per cent) say that knowing thattheir bank doesn’t pay bigbonuses would be important nowif they were to switch providers.”

S u r vey

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)[email protected]


Off ices

Top-floor move for financial technology firmA FINANCIAL technology companyis opening a new office in Bristol.

Blue Speck Financial is opening a120-person office at 10 Templeback,just weeks after the building wasacquired by Benson Elliot.

The Bristol-born tech companyhas taken the top floor of the build-ing, including a roof terrace, andplans to move in in March.

The deal follows the UK Invest-ment Summit in Wales in November,where it was announced Blue Speckplanned to open a new office in thecity and create around 100 jobs by2017. The company was acquired byone of the largest financial servicesgroups in South Africa, MMI Hold-ings, last year.

Blue Speck has taken 13,000 sq fton a ten-year lease.

Chief executive Toby Hughes said:“We knew finding grade A officespace large enough to house 120people in the city centre would be achallenge so we are delighted to have

completed the deal here at 10 Tem-pleback, which offers us everythingwe need and more. The contempor-ary open-plan space will allow thebusiness to grow its operation andprovide jobs and income for the localeconomy, which we’re very happy tobe a part of.”

Cube Real Estate, which assetmanages the property on behalf ofthe owners, has applied for planning

permission to re-model reception atthe office building, which is alsohome to NFU Mutual.

It also plans to create a newshower hub in the car park whichwill include cycle racks, showers, adrying room and lockers to enhancethe building’s green credentials andpromote sustainable travel. Thebuilding already has a ferry stop.

Jonathan Lawes, asset manager at

Cube, said: “It is very encouraging tosee a deal complete at 10 Templebackso soon after we acquired it on behalfof the owners, Benson Elliot. We nowlook forward to progressing plans tobring one of the city’s largest avail-able grade A offices back to life.

“Unlike many schemes in the citycentre, we will be offering a muchmore flexible approach to the size ofthe occupier we’ll consider and willprovide space from 4,700 sq ft.”

Matthew Cross, head of inwardinvestment at Invest Bristol & Bath,said: “As well as bringing a primecity centre site forward, breathingnew life into 10 Templeback will helpattract further investment into theregion and allow some of the city’shome-grown start-ups and SMEs togrow in situ.”

Andy Heath of letting agents DTZ,added: “We are delighted to welcomeBlue Speck to Templeback which wehope will be the first of many newtenants in the building.”

� Andrew Webley at his Aztec West office Photograph: Barbara Evripidou

� Cotswold Court atChipping Sodbury andAndrew Simmonds

Marj Cook

“Bristolwas theobviouschoice fora secondTiger Lilybecauseof itsdiversedemo-graphicandc re a t i v eedge

thrilled that she now has her seconds t o re.

Tiger Lily opened on Saturday andis currently recruiting part-timestaf f.

� BlueSpeckFinancial isopening a120-personoffice at 10Te m p l e b a c k

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FIVE years ago Andrew Web-ley made the decision to leavea good job at a very successfulcompany and start his ownbu s i n e s s.

The move from Hargreaves Lans-down to first the spare room andlater his garage in order to be hisown boss was a brave one that mighthave had a few friends scratchingtheir heads.

But Andrew hasn’t looked back. Ashis firm, Smarter Web, celebrates itsfifth birthday, it now employs sevenpeople and has passed the landmarkof having 500 active websites.

The business has grown revenueand profit in each of its five years,something Andrew puts in part downto cost management.

“The key is to make sure you getsome money saved up becauseeverything takes a little bit longerthan you hope,” he said.

“Most businesses don’t succeed be-cause they run out of money but youd o n’t need vast sums to get going, youjust need to be very careful abouthow you spend it.

“(Hargreaves Lansdownco-founder) Peter Hargreaves was in-credibly careful with money and Ilearnt that from him.”

At first the business focused onoff-the shelf build-your-own-websiteproducts but couldn’t compete withthe volume of some of the biggerc o m p e t i t o r s,

Then Andrew spotted an oppor-tunity in responsive web design –websites that adapt to the size andshape of your screen.

The move paid off and the hugerise of mobile and tablet traffic in thelife of his business means buildingresponsive sites – which mean youd o n’t need a different design for mo-bile, desktop and tablet – is easily thefir m’s most popular service.

“Most people go for a responsivewebsite because it is just a bettersolution,” he said.

Now he is expanding into newareas, taking on bespoke projects forlarger clients.

“Once you’ve been around for a fewyears, bigger companies start to talkto you,” he said. “We ’re attractingmore custom development work.”

All the work is carried out inhouse, which means paying salariesto people who are in turn spendingtheir money in the local economy,something Andrew is proud about.

The business is doing well enough

that he’s recently introduced a profitshare for employees.

But despite the growth, the36-year-old says his first priority ishis existing customers.

“Number one is making sure ex-isting clients are happy because weget a lot of business from them,” hesaid.

He also hinks it’s important tohave fun at work.

“If you have got something youreally enjoy – it might be buildingwebsites or it could be plumbing – it’svery rewarding to run your own busi-n e s s, ” he said. “Stressful, but really

C o n st r u c t i o n Web design

Progress insc h o o l ’s planfor expansion� CONSTRUCTION firm IntegralBuild has gone back to theclassroom to complete the nextstage of The Red Maids' Schoolrefurbishment and expansionplans.

The oldest independent girls'school in the country is creatingtwo new classrooms in its juniorschool ready for the new academicyear in September.

The move is in response to highlevels of demand for places andwill result in an increase to twoclasses each in Years 3 and 4,bringing the total number of pupilsto 150.

The project follows the recentlycompleted £1.8 millionrefurbishment by AztecWest-based Integral Build of theschool's main building, creatingnew facilities for students,teachers and visitors within theoriginal Edwardian complex.

Integral Build divisional directorTim Stringer said: “We weredelighted to remain on site for thissecond project, having got toknow the school and its staff wellduring the main schoolre f u r b i s h m e n t .

“Whilst this second stage is verymuch more straightforward, we stillhave to ensure that it is businessas usual for the current Juniorschool pupils and staff and createas little disruption as possible.”

Head teacher Lisa Brown,added: “The Red Maids' JuniorSchool is a very exciting,stimulating place to learn and I amdelighted to be able to share oursuccess with even more girls andtheir families.”

The project is due to becompleted in early summer 2015

C l ot h i n g

How Marjturned herhobby intos u ccessf u le n te r p r i se

MARJ Cook developed apassion for distinctiveclothes and trinkets whiletravelling in Asia. Whatstarted as a hobby soon

became a small business.She would discover treasures and

bring them back to sell at marketstalls and festivals.

Almost 10 years ago, she took thebig step of opening a shop in Ludlow,Shropshire and after recently movingto Bristol, Marj has opened anotherstore here.

The 42-year-old said: “Bristol wasthe obvious choice for a second TigerLily because of its diverse demo-graphic and creative edge, I am superexcited about the future here in thec i t y. ”

The shop stocks a selection of cloth-ing including the quirky and uniqueDesigual brand, ethically-madeSkunfunk and Komodo.

Accessories including bags fromvegan brand Matt & Nat, fabulousfake fur and leather bags from UrbanCode and unique one-off pieces ofgemstone and silver jewellery.

The offer seems a perfect fit forGloucester Road, which boastsdozens of independent stores.

It was that vibe that helped drawher to Bristol.

“Many of my products are ethically

sourced from carefully selected sup-pliers in the UK and abroad,” addedMarj, who has a nine-year-old son.

“I have many friends and family inBristol which is one of my motiv-

ations for moving here.“As well as the fact that Bristol is an

exciting, creative and diverse city.”The trader started out selling jew-

ellery and trinkets 20 years ago and is

Property management

New division launchedas part of expansion

Dragon’s praise forsecurity company� A SECURITY company hasbecome the latest local business towin a pat on the back fromentrepreneur Theo Paphitis, below.

The former Dragon fromthe BBC TV showDragon’s Den runsa Small BusinessSunday, or #SBS,competition onTwitter eachweek.

Firms areurged to Tweetusing the hashtagand he chooses oneand re-tweets it to his459,000 followers on thesocial media network.

Securist won by tweeting about itsethical and customer-first approach.

A company spokesperson said:“We were over the moon. OurTwitter has had much response andwe have been warmly welcomedinto the #SBS family!

“We are all very excited.”The firm provides security guards,

CCTV, alarm systems and reponseand other related products andservices from its head office off TwoMile Hill Road, Kingswood.

E-cigarette shop toopen in Broadmead� A NEW e-cigarette shop will openin Bristol’s Broadmead.

Portishead-based eVapor hastaken the ground floor shop at 58Union Street on a five year lease.

It plans to sell e-cigarette andtheir accessories from the store,next to Yorkshire Building Society inthe recently part of Broadmead.

The firm is renting the site for£29,500 a year, which adds to itsgrowing chain of e-cigarette storesacross the country.

The site comprises a ground floorstore of 638 sq ft with storage andkitchen area.

Hartnell Taylor Cook LLP advisedthe landlord’s, a private propertyc o m p a n y.

#SBS

Ret a i l

How Andrew’s brave decisionturned out to be a Smarter move

A PROPERTY management companyin Bristol has launched a new divisionas part of its expansion.

BNS Property Management, whichlooks after apartment blocks, flats,housing estates and large propertiesconverted for multiple occupation,has launched a new service for retire-ment homes and sheltered retirementc o m m u n i t i e s.

It will maintaining communalareas and provide a 24/7 call out ser-vice for any issues.

Managing director Andrew Sim-monds said: “As a business we havebeen slowly expanding in the SouthWest and part of this expansion is themove into retirement living.

“This is a really exciting area for usas we’ve gained a reputation in theregion for being fast to react and very

reliable which is going to be import-ant with our retirement clients.

“We ’re really looking forward togetting stuck in and making sure wecreate a nice environment for the res-idents who live there.

“We will be responsible for the up-keep of all communal areas includinglounge and dining areas as well as theoutdoor spaces. The portfolio will bemanaged by a team of specialist prop-erty managers.”

“BNS is very big on community in-volvement and retirement complexesare little communities of their own. Ithas been known for management com-panies to exploit those living in hous-ing structures like this, charging overthe odds for services and not complet-ing jobs to a high enough standard. Wewill ensure the service we provide is

affordable, transparent and ethical.”Run by brothers Andrew and Ian

Simmonds, BNS Property Manage-ment is based in Downend and looksafter more than 230 blocks in theSouth West.

Andrew added: “In recent years wehave been focussing on growing ourteam and finding the best propertymanagers and maintenance staff inthe region while building strong con-nections with trusted contractors and

s u p p l i e r s.“We recently rebranded and we

have now spread our reach from theGreater Bristol area to Bath,Gloucestershire, North Somerset,Taunton, Yeovil, Cardiff and evenUxbridge and Newbury.

“The latest development is the ad-dition of our retirement division andwe ’ve got some more exciting newsabout new services coming nextye a r. ”


Assistant Editor (Business)Gavin Thompson

Call 0117 934 3336Email gavin.thompson

@b-nm.co.ukTwitter @gavin_thompson1

Get in touch

Advertising RobertRodgersonCall07828 941469Email ro b e r t . ro d g e r s o [email protected]

Advertising JaneChapman

Call 01179 343025Email jane.chapman

@b-nm.co.uk

good fun.”And he’s left the garage far behind.

A year ago Smarter Web moved intoserviced offices at Aztec West.

“It allows us to look more pro-fessional but without the big over-h e a d s, ” he said. “I remember asharply dressed client coming to thegarage while my wife and childrenwere heading out. It was quitestrang e.”

And already, they are outgrowingthe space and looking for somewherebigger. He may not be on the FTSE100 like his former employer, but forAndrew it was a smart move.

Investors look forethical choices� MORE than three quarters (78per cent) of savers and investorsin the South West would like tosee their money invested inenvironmental and social sectors,according to research from theethical bank Triodos Bank.

But when it comes to actualinvestment plans for the next year,it drops to just 14 per cent whoare likely to choose the socialinvestment sector. That, however,is still an increase on last year’sfigure of 11 per cent.

Tr i o d o s ’ research reveals ethicshave become increasinglyimportant to people.

Huw Davies, head of personalbanking at Triodos Bank, which isbased in Bristol, said: “Since thebanking crisis, the ethicalpractices of banks themselves areunder much more scrutiny. Ourresearch shows that only six percent of those in the South Westregion considered the ethics ofour bank or building society whenwe first opened our accounts.

“Now, more than half (58 percent )would see this as a keydeterminant when choosing whoto bank with.”

He added: “It is probably nogreat surprise to learn that thepaying of huge bonuses is notpopular with consumers in theSouth West. Almost three quarters(74 per cent) say that knowing thattheir bank doesn’t pay bigbonuses would be important nowif they were to switch providers.”

S u r vey



Off ices

Top-floor move for financial technology firmA FINANCIAL technology companyis opening a new office in Bristol.

Blue Speck Financial is opening a120-person office at 10 Templeback,just weeks after the building wasacquired by Benson Elliot.

The Bristol-born tech companyhas taken the top floor of the build-ing, including a roof terrace, andplans to move in in March.

The deal follows the UK Invest-ment Summit in Wales in November,where it was announced Blue Speckplanned to open a new office in thecity and create around 100 jobs by2017. The company was acquired byone of the largest financial servicesgroups in South Africa, MMI Hold-ings, last year.

Blue Speck has taken 13,000 sq fton a ten-year lease.

Chief executive Toby Hughes said:“We knew finding grade A officespace large enough to house 120people in the city centre would be achallenge so we are delighted to have

completed the deal here at 10 Tem-pleback, which offers us everythingwe need and more. The contempor-ary open-plan space will allow thebusiness to grow its operation andprovide jobs and income for the localeconomy, which we’re very happy tobe a part of.”

Cube Real Estate, which assetmanages the property on behalf ofthe owners, has applied for planning

permission to re-model reception atthe office building, which is alsohome to NFU Mutual.

It also plans to create a newshower hub in the car park whichwill include cycle racks, showers, adrying room and lockers to enhancethe building’s green credentials andpromote sustainable travel. Thebuilding already has a ferry stop.

Jonathan Lawes, asset manager at

Cube, said: “It is very encouraging tosee a deal complete at 10 Templebackso soon after we acquired it on behalfof the owners, Benson Elliot. We nowlook forward to progressing plans tobring one of the city’s largest avail-able grade A offices back to life.

“Unlike many schemes in the citycentre, we will be offering a muchmore flexible approach to the size ofthe occupier we’ll consider and willprovide space from 4,700 sq ft.”

Matthew Cross, head of inwardinvestment at Invest Bristol & Bath,said: “As well as bringing a primecity centre site forward, breathingnew life into 10 Templeback will helpattract further investment into theregion and allow some of the city’shome-grown start-ups and SMEs togrow in situ.”

Andy Heath of letting agents DTZ,added: “We are delighted to welcomeBlue Speck to Templeback which wehope will be the first of many newtenants in the building.”

� Andrew Webley at his Aztec West office Photograph: Barbara Evripidou

� Cotswold Court atChipping Sodbury andAndrew Simmonds

Marj Cook

“Bristolwas theobviouschoice fora secondTiger Lilybecauseof itsdiversedemo-graphicandc re a t i v eedge

thrilled that she now has her seconds t o re.

Tiger Lily opened on Saturday andis currently recruiting part-timestaf f.

� BlueSpeckFinancial isopening a120-personoffice at 10Te m p l e b a c k

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SOPHIE Batt is a reminder toany business when it comes tohiring someone with a dis-ability: focus on what they cando, not what they can’t.

The 20-year-old from Fishpondswas hired as a vehicle repairer andpainter at Restomod Automotive Re-pairs. Bosses describe her as “h a rdworking, driven and passionate”.

She also happens to be profoundlyd e a f.

Sophie communicates by lip-read-ing and British Sign Language. Shehad struggled to get a job in the tradedespite being well qualified.

“I was at college, firstly in Don-caster for two years where I did acertificate in car and body spraying,and then I did a third year at BristolColle ge,” she said.

“I had looked for jobs but it wasdifficult to find a one to match my

skills and interests.“It’s quite rare for women in jobs

like this. People didn’t accept awoman would want to be in a job likethis one and yet last year I camefourth in a national competition heldin Birmingham for car spraying.

“I also think communication wasan obstacle – some people talk too fastand they see me as a barrier.”

Determined Sophie discoveredPluss, a local social enterprise whichsupport more than 200 people withdisabilities into employment acrossBristol through the DWP’s WorkChoice programme.

She said: “Pluss helped me to lookfor jobs. After a couple of weeks wefound this garage and it suited meand my skills. When I came to lookaround I could see the atmosphereand the people were very positive.

“I have become much more con-fident since I’ve been here and I feelm o t ivat e d .

“It’s affected my life outside – I ammore confident there now too, es-pecially with lip-reading and com-municating with people. I had to

write things down before and it usedto be difficult to communicate.”

Body shop owner James Nichols isjust as delighted with his new em-p l oye e.

“Sophie is a very hard worker,” hesaid. “She has real drive and uses herinitiative. This type of work can bequite demanding and you’ve got tohave a real passion and be able tokeep up – which Sophie does. She isvery good, willing worker.

“She is always here bang on time;always makes sure a job is finishedbefore she leaves – she won’t go untilshe is finished.

“We were a little apprehensive atfirst just around how things would gowith communication but everythingis going very well.

“It really seems to be working. Youneed to know a little bit of sign lan-guage but I’m really quite enjoyinglear ning.

“I have never had to speak otherlanguages but she is quite willing toteach me and I find it interesting andrefreshing to do something a bit dif-f e re n t . ”

Focus on what the disabledcan do, not what they can’t

The art of thinking commercially

YOU might not know the face,but you more than likelyknow his work. Luke Jerramis the brains behind thewater slide down Park Street

which made headlines around theworld last year.

His other projects include pianosleft across the city in 2009 for peopleto play and his next projects includeturning Clifton Suspension Bridgegold and installing giant fishingboats in Leigh Woods as part of Bris-tol’s European Green Capital celeb-r at i o n s.

Luke, who recently turned 40, hasbecome a well-known artist. But be-hind that is a successful, if reluctant,businessman too.

“It’s difficult for artists to survivejust working in Bristol,” he said. “Yo uare forced into thinking commer-cially in order to make a living.”

It may be necessity rather thandesire, but Luke is increasingly run-ning a business. He’s a limited com-pany, VAT registered and, from hisoffice in Spike Island, Luke employsthree people.

They manage his art installationswhich operate almost like a franchisebu s i n e s s.

He comes up with a great idea,makes it work, usually amid a blaze ofpublicity, then exports the idea toother places.

It’s at this point he now handsthings over, leaving him free to thinkof the next big idea.

Luke said: “Once art projects be-come financially viable, getting re-peated sales, I hand them to someoneelse to manage to enable me to go onto new stuff.”

One of this team manages the pi-anos project. If you thought this hadonly happened in Bristol, you werewrong. This year 11 cities around theworld are installing 1,000 pianos.

Another team member is helpingLuke with his project putting bigfishing boats into Leigh Woods.

“When artists become successfuldoing one thing which is brilliant,they can become trapped by it and areunable to move out of that space,”said Luke – something he was de-termined would not happen to him.

L u ke ’s work has become wellknown enough that people approachhim.

“It could be a piano competition inBarcelona who want us to do a streetpiano project,” he said. “We givethem documents to show them how todo it, to enable them to bid for funds todeliver it. We charge fees for that, andI might fly in and meet the mayor, dointerviews and so on.

“We are providing them the op-portunity to deliver tried and testedart works pretty much guaranteed toget national press and reach perhaps

200,000 people.“Some organisations prefer to com-

mission new stuff, others wantsomething they already knowwo rk s. ”

After the street pianos project wascarried out in London, Luke hadabout 60 inquiries from cities aroundthe world.

One project for which he changedthe approach was the Park and Slide,water slide in Park Street.

THE fibre broadband market shouldbe shaken up so that small businessesin Bristol can harness the potential tohelp them grow, according to the bossof one of the biggest providers.

Charles Bligh, managing directorof Talk Talk, was speaking to Busi-ness as the company launched a cam-paign to target more SME customersfor its standard broadband package.

He said: “Fibre is an unregulatedproduct. We are encouraging Gov-ernment to put more regulation onthe charges because the prices we getfrom BT Open Reach are too expens-iv e.

“If we want to put higher speedsinto our SMEs we need regulation onfibre. That’s why we are seeing a

muted take up of fibre among busi-n e s s e s. ”

Talk Talk is the second biggestplayer in the business broadbandmarket but with less than 10 per centof the market share it is dwarfed byBT which has closer to 60 per cent.

Charles said on regular broadband,the market was competitive and heurged companies to take advantage ofthe Government-backed voucherschemes to get connected if theya re n’t already.

“At first the scheme wasn’t good atall,” said Charles. “But we haveworked with Government and nowit’s a lot better. Now if you are lookingto connect it can be done seamlessly,we sort the problems for you.”

But he goes back to fibre as key formany businesses with higher de-m a n d s.

“While consumers want fibre fordownloading from Netflix, businessneed it for uploading data to theirwebsite. More businesses usecloud-base software and services andmight be uploading a lot of data.

The firm carried out a surveyamong Bristol SMEs and found 23 percent were uncertain about achievinggrowth in 2015. The same figurenamed growing revenues as their toppriority this year while 15 per centsaid it was cutting costs.

But most - 65 per cent - of smallBristol business believe broadbandconnectivity is fundamental to their

Broadband shake-up would be boost for growth

Making good firstimpression ‘crucial’� MAKING a good first impressionis crucial to success in business,according to appropriately namedspeech and voice expert DebbieChatting.

She believes the way you useyour voice can be the vital elementthat wins work.

Debbie, founder and managingdirector of Bristol-based VoiceSynergy, said: “Your voice is amarketing tool that you can use toyour benefit

“You may only get one chanceto impress – and first impressionstend to last.”

And as the Government urgesbusinesses togrow throughexporting,Debbie,pictur ed,believes itcan beeven moreimportantwhendealing withcustomersoverseas.

“Clarity is everything,” she said.“Focus on what you want to sayand say it clearly – especiallywhen presenting to people whosefirst language may not be English.”

Powerful non-verbalcommunication methods –positive body language whichsupports a can-do approach arealso important factors.

“These are skills we can allbenefit from,” said Debbie, “butparticularly so in the business andwork environment where you haveto grab and hold the listener’sattention. These communicationskills are very important toolswhich will give you the edge overyour competitors and ensure youmake an immediate impact andare remembered – for all the rightre a s o n s ! ”

Debbie has helped universityprofessors, actors, lawyers andMiddle East-based oil-industrypersonnel to become better andmore powerful speakers.

She is running a presentationskills workshop at Engineers’House at Clifton Down tomorrow.

“I want people to be able to gostraight out and use their newskills,” said Debbie.

“They’ll notice a difference notjust for their work or business, butin terms of their own personaldevelopment as well.”

Find out more at visitw w w. v o i c e s y n e rg y. c o . u k / e v e n t s .

S p ea k i n gAwards for leisurecentre organisation� AN organisation that runs leisurecentres in South Gloucestershirehas been awarded with the twomanagement and health andsafety certificate accreditations.

The awards for the CircadianTrust follow an environmentalaccreditation awarded just a fewmonths ago, making a hat trick ofachievements for the not-for-profitorganisation. The two most recentawards, ISO9001(QualityManagement systems) andISO18001 (Occupational Health &Safety), recognise the dedicationthe trust and its staff give toimproving customer experienceand following best practice.

The trust introduced remoteaccess so staff can monitor energyconsumption and make health andsafety checks remotely usingtablets and smartphones.

Buildings director Ian Jonessaid: “These accreditations areextremely challenging to gain, andwe are delighted to have achievedsuch a high number in just a fewmonths.”

Chief executive Mark Crutchleyadded: “Our recent performancehas confirmed to our customersand staff that the trust can deliveran outstanding level of service onan everyday basis.”

Concerns overpossible tax changes� BUSINESSES are worried aboutpotential tax changes after thegeneral election, according toaccountants Baker Tilly.

It point to Entrepreneur’s Relief,which allows business owners topay less capital gains tax – 10 percent on qualifying assets, insteadof the normal rate of 18 or 28 percent – when selling their company.

A change in government couldsee this lucrative tax benefitreduced or scrapped, meaningsome business owners who areconsidering selling might want tofinalise before May.

Kirsty Sandwell, Baker Tilly’shead of corporate finance in theSouth, said: “‘With less than sixmonths to go until the generalelection, I would encouragebusiness owners to think aboutthe timing of selling their businessand to seek professional adviceon any commercial or taxconsiderations.”

Making the most ofnuclear new-build� SMALL and medium sizedmanufacturers in the Bristol areamust focus more emphasis onquality and health & safety if theyare going to make the most of the£60 billion+ nuclear new build anddecommissioning opportunity.

The rallying call was made by FitFor Nuclear (F4N) assessor JohnRuddleston, currently helping anumber of companies stake theirclaim for work ranging fromfabrication and maintenance, toprecision components andtechnical design.

John believes a completelydifferent mindset is required bymanagement teams looking toenter the industry for thefirst time, withspeed and costplayingsecond fiddleto exactings t a n d a rd sand aworld-classhealth andsafety record.

“For a long timemanufacturers havehad it drummed into them thatthey need to deliver quicker andtake cost out of the equation,especially those supplying intoautomotive, food and, on someoccasions, aerospace,” said John.

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

The Manufacturing AdvisoryService recently joined forces withthe Nuclear AdvancedManufacturing Research Centre toroll-out Fit For Nuclear, which letscompanies measure theircapabilities against industrystandards and helps them bridgegaps to meet requirements.

“We knew it would be copied and Id i d n’t want to try it around thewo rl d , ” he said. “I’m not even sure it’san art work – more an artistic in-t e r ve n t i o n .

“So instead we created an 80-pagemanual with risk assessments, all thedocuments you need. We are sellingthe pack to raise money for FrankWater. We’ve covered the adminis-tration and raised about £3,000 for thech a r i t y. ”

THE boss of a company makingwheels using cutting edge materialshas secured £180,000 investment to-wards his expansion plans.

Now entrepreneur Chris Shelleywill now launch a drive to secureinvestment from local small in-vestors to take that figure to £500,000so that Dymag can take advantage ofthe growing market for luxury andsupercar carbon composite wheels.

The firm is based in a factory inChippenham but if he raises themoney, Chris wants to build a newfactory in Bristol close to the NationalComposites Centre in EmersonsG re e n .

He said: “I’m delighted and veryexcited by the response we have had

from cornerstone investors who willform the bedrock of our expansionc ap i t a l .

“Because this has been so suc-cessful, we are now offering smallerinvestors the opportunity to buyshares in Dymag for as little as£1,000. This will give our currentcustomers, fans and petrol heads achance to be part of our very excitingf u t u re. ”

The firm has been working withthe NCC to build and test pilotproducts at a competitive price.

Chris said: “The city is a worldleader in composite technology forthe aerospace industry and we nowhave the potential to make it a centreof excellence and expertise for the

automotive wheel market which isset to explode with new legislationcoming into force that will make carmakers focus on weight which iswhere carbon wheels have great be-n e f i t s. ”

Dymag built its reputation as aworld leader in wheel technology andsupplied the wheels for F1 championssuch as Ayrton Senna and NigelMansell. The company currentlybuilds wheels for motorcycle racet e a m s.

Chris is now working withcrowd-funding company Syndicate-Room to allow individuals to investin Dymag.

The company only lists businessesthat are already backed by profes-

Drive to win further investment for expansion

E m p l oy m e n t Certif ication

Election

M a n u fa c t u r i n g Te c h n o l o g y

F4NArt installations



� Sophie Batt at work

� Chris Shelley, Chief Executiveof Dymag

g rowth.It also found a worrying 42 per cent

of firms locally were using Januaryand February to pay off Christmascosts such as the office party of an-nual bonuses. It found Christmascosts upwards of £20,000 for manysmall businesses.

With that in mind, Charles urgedBristol business to follow the con-sumer market and shop around andswitch to the best provider for them tocut their costs.

“Look at your options,” he said.“Look at what you are paying. Youcould save £6-700 a year by switching.We switching in the consumer marketbut not in business. January is a goodtime to cut expenses.”

� Talk Talk managing directorCharles Bligh


� Artist LukeJerram and someof his projects -fishing boats inLeigh Woods;pianos left acrossthe city for peopleto play; turningClifton SuspensionBridge gold and thePark Street waterslide

sional “business angels” who havecommitted their own funds and thushave taken an active role in eval-uating the strength of the companythey are investing in.

“I’ve decided to raise the re-mainder of the capital required inthis way because Dymag is a Britishcompany with a rich heritage thathas a great following amongst pas-sionate fans and customers of ourbrand.”

Dymag has developed carbon com-posite wheels to go into commercialproduction in 2015 and will targetluxury marques such as Porsche,BMW, Aston Martin, Jaguar, RangeRover and Audi as well as continuingits motorcycle wheel production.

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SOPHIE Batt is a reminder toany business when it comes tohiring someone with a dis-ability: focus on what they cando, not what they can’t.

The 20-year-old from Fishpondswas hired as a vehicle repairer andpainter at Restomod Automotive Re-pairs. Bosses describe her as “h a rdworking, driven and passionate”.

She also happens to be profoundlyd e a f.

Sophie communicates by lip-read-ing and British Sign Language. Shehad struggled to get a job in the tradedespite being well qualified.

“I was at college, firstly in Don-caster for two years where I did acertificate in car and body spraying,and then I did a third year at BristolColle ge,” she said.

“I had looked for jobs but it wasdifficult to find a one to match my

skills and interests.“It’s quite rare for women in jobs

like this. People didn’t accept awoman would want to be in a job likethis one and yet last year I camefourth in a national competition heldin Birmingham for car spraying.

“I also think communication wasan obstacle – some people talk too fastand they see me as a barrier.”

Determined Sophie discoveredPluss, a local social enterprise whichsupport more than 200 people withdisabilities into employment acrossBristol through the DWP’s WorkChoice programme.

She said: “Pluss helped me to lookfor jobs. After a couple of weeks wefound this garage and it suited meand my skills. When I came to lookaround I could see the atmosphereand the people were very positive.

“I have become much more con-fident since I’ve been here and I feelm o t ivat e d .

“It’s affected my life outside – I ammore confident there now too, es-pecially with lip-reading and com-municating with people. I had to

write things down before and it usedto be difficult to communicate.”

Body shop owner James Nichols isjust as delighted with his new em-p l oye e.

“Sophie is a very hard worker,” hesaid. “She has real drive and uses herinitiative. This type of work can bequite demanding and you’ve got tohave a real passion and be able tokeep up – which Sophie does. She isvery good, willing worker.

“She is always here bang on time;always makes sure a job is finishedbefore she leaves – she won’t go untilshe is finished.

“We were a little apprehensive atfirst just around how things would gowith communication but everythingis going very well.

“It really seems to be working. Youneed to know a little bit of sign lan-guage but I’m really quite enjoyinglear ning.

“I have never had to speak otherlanguages but she is quite willing toteach me and I find it interesting andrefreshing to do something a bit dif-f e re n t . ”

Focus on what the disabledcan do, not what they can’t

The art of thinking commercially

YOU might not know the face,but you more than likelyknow his work. Luke Jerramis the brains behind thewater slide down Park Street

which made headlines around theworld last year.

His other projects include pianosleft across the city in 2009 for peopleto play and his next projects includeturning Clifton Suspension Bridgegold and installing giant fishingboats in Leigh Woods as part of Bris-tol’s European Green Capital celeb-r at i o n s.

Luke, who recently turned 40, hasbecome a well-known artist. But be-hind that is a successful, if reluctant,businessman too.

“It’s difficult for artists to survivejust working in Bristol,” he said. “Yo uare forced into thinking commer-cially in order to make a living.”

It may be necessity rather thandesire, but Luke is increasingly run-ning a business. He’s a limited com-pany, VAT registered and, from hisoffice in Spike Island, Luke employsthree people.

They manage his art installationswhich operate almost like a franchisebu s i n e s s.

He comes up with a great idea,makes it work, usually amid a blaze ofpublicity, then exports the idea toother places.

It’s at this point he now handsthings over, leaving him free to thinkof the next big idea.

Luke said: “Once art projects be-come financially viable, getting re-peated sales, I hand them to someoneelse to manage to enable me to go onto new stuff.”

One of this team manages the pi-anos project. If you thought this hadonly happened in Bristol, you werewrong. This year 11 cities around theworld are installing 1,000 pianos.

Another team member is helpingLuke with his project putting bigfishing boats into Leigh Woods.

“When artists become successfuldoing one thing which is brilliant,they can become trapped by it and areunable to move out of that space,”said Luke – something he was de-termined would not happen to him.

L u ke ’s work has become wellknown enough that people approachhim.

“It could be a piano competition inBarcelona who want us to do a streetpiano project,” he said. “We givethem documents to show them how todo it, to enable them to bid for funds todeliver it. We charge fees for that, andI might fly in and meet the mayor, dointerviews and so on.

“We are providing them the op-portunity to deliver tried and testedart works pretty much guaranteed toget national press and reach perhaps

200,000 people.“Some organisations prefer to com-

mission new stuff, others wantsomething they already knowwo rk s. ”

After the street pianos project wascarried out in London, Luke hadabout 60 inquiries from cities aroundthe world.

One project for which he changedthe approach was the Park and Slide,water slide in Park Street.

THE fibre broadband market shouldbe shaken up so that small businessesin Bristol can harness the potential tohelp them grow, according to the bossof one of the biggest providers.

Charles Bligh, managing directorof Talk Talk, was speaking to Busi-ness as the company launched a cam-paign to target more SME customersfor its standard broadband package.

He said: “Fibre is an unregulatedproduct. We are encouraging Gov-ernment to put more regulation onthe charges because the prices we getfrom BT Open Reach are too expens-iv e.

“If we want to put higher speedsinto our SMEs we need regulation onfibre. That’s why we are seeing a

muted take up of fibre among busi-n e s s e s. ”

Talk Talk is the second biggestplayer in the business broadbandmarket but with less than 10 per centof the market share it is dwarfed byBT which has closer to 60 per cent.

Charles said on regular broadband,the market was competitive and heurged companies to take advantage ofthe Government-backed voucherschemes to get connected if theya re n’t already.

“At first the scheme wasn’t good atall,” said Charles. “But we haveworked with Government and nowit’s a lot better. Now if you are lookingto connect it can be done seamlessly,we sort the problems for you.”

But he goes back to fibre as key formany businesses with higher de-m a n d s.

“While consumers want fibre fordownloading from Netflix, businessneed it for uploading data to theirwebsite. More businesses usecloud-base software and services andmight be uploading a lot of data.

The firm carried out a surveyamong Bristol SMEs and found 23 percent were uncertain about achievinggrowth in 2015. The same figurenamed growing revenues as their toppriority this year while 15 per centsaid it was cutting costs.

But most - 65 per cent - of smallBristol business believe broadbandconnectivity is fundamental to their

Broadband shake-up would be boost for growth

Making good firstimpression ‘crucial’� MAKING a good first impressionis crucial to success in business,according to appropriately namedspeech and voice expert DebbieChatting.

She believes the way you useyour voice can be the vital elementthat wins work.

Debbie, founder and managingdirector of Bristol-based VoiceSynergy, said: “Your voice is amarketing tool that you can use toyour benefit

“You may only get one chanceto impress – and first impressionstend to last.”

And as the Government urgesbusinesses togrow throughexporting,Debbie,pictur ed,believes itcan beeven moreimportantwhendealing withcustomersoverseas.

“Clarity is everything,” she said.“Focus on what you want to sayand say it clearly – especiallywhen presenting to people whosefirst language may not be English.”

Powerful non-verbalcommunication methods –positive body language whichsupports a can-do approach arealso important factors.

“These are skills we can allbenefit from,” said Debbie, “butparticularly so in the business andwork environment where you haveto grab and hold the listener’sattention. These communicationskills are very important toolswhich will give you the edge overyour competitors and ensure youmake an immediate impact andare remembered – for all the rightre a s o n s ! ”

Debbie has helped universityprofessors, actors, lawyers andMiddle East-based oil-industrypersonnel to become better andmore powerful speakers.

She is running a presentationskills workshop at Engineers’House at Clifton Down tomorrow.

“I want people to be able to gostraight out and use their newskills,” said Debbie.

“They’ll notice a difference notjust for their work or business, butin terms of their own personaldevelopment as well.”

Find out more at visitw w w. v o i c e s y n e rg y. c o . u k / e v e n t s .

S p ea k i n gAwards for leisurecentre organisation� AN organisation that runs leisurecentres in South Gloucestershirehas been awarded with the twomanagement and health andsafety certificate accreditations.

The awards for the CircadianTrust follow an environmentalaccreditation awarded just a fewmonths ago, making a hat trick ofachievements for the not-for-profitorganisation. The two most recentawards, ISO9001(QualityManagement systems) andISO18001 (Occupational Health &Safety), recognise the dedicationthe trust and its staff give toimproving customer experienceand following best practice.

The trust introduced remoteaccess so staff can monitor energyconsumption and make health andsafety checks remotely usingtablets and smartphones.

Buildings director Ian Jonessaid: “These accreditations areextremely challenging to gain, andwe are delighted to have achievedsuch a high number in just a fewmonths.”

Chief executive Mark Crutchleyadded: “Our recent performancehas confirmed to our customersand staff that the trust can deliveran outstanding level of service onan everyday basis.”

Concerns overpossible tax changes� BUSINESSES are worried aboutpotential tax changes after thegeneral election, according toaccountants Baker Tilly.

It point to Entrepreneur’s Relief,which allows business owners topay less capital gains tax – 10 percent on qualifying assets, insteadof the normal rate of 18 or 28 percent – when selling their company.

A change in government couldsee this lucrative tax benefitreduced or scrapped, meaningsome business owners who areconsidering selling might want tofinalise before May.

Kirsty Sandwell, Baker Tilly’shead of corporate finance in theSouth, said: “‘With less than sixmonths to go until the generalelection, I would encouragebusiness owners to think aboutthe timing of selling their businessand to seek professional adviceon any commercial or taxconsiderations.”

Making the most ofnuclear new-build� SMALL and medium sizedmanufacturers in the Bristol areamust focus more emphasis onquality and health & safety if theyare going to make the most of the£60 billion+ nuclear new build anddecommissioning opportunity.

The rallying call was made by FitFor Nuclear (F4N) assessor JohnRuddleston, currently helping anumber of companies stake theirclaim for work ranging fromfabrication and maintenance, toprecision components andtechnical design.

John believes a completelydifferent mindset is required bymanagement teams looking toenter the industry for thefirst time, withspeed and costplayingsecond fiddleto exactings t a n d a rd sand aworld-classhealth andsafety record.

“For a long timemanufacturers havehad it drummed into them thatthey need to deliver quicker andtake cost out of the equation,especially those supplying intoautomotive, food and, on someoccasions, aerospace,” said John.

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

The Manufacturing AdvisoryService recently joined forces withthe Nuclear AdvancedManufacturing Research Centre toroll-out Fit For Nuclear, which letscompanies measure theircapabilities against industrystandards and helps them bridgegaps to meet requirements.

“We knew it would be copied and Id i d n’t want to try it around thewo rl d , ” he said. “I’m not even sure it’san art work – more an artistic in-t e r ve n t i o n .

“So instead we created an 80-pagemanual with risk assessments, all thedocuments you need. We are sellingthe pack to raise money for FrankWater. We’ve covered the adminis-tration and raised about £3,000 for thech a r i t y. ”

THE boss of a company makingwheels using cutting edge materialshas secured £180,000 investment to-wards his expansion plans.

Now entrepreneur Chris Shelleywill now launch a drive to secureinvestment from local small in-vestors to take that figure to £500,000so that Dymag can take advantage ofthe growing market for luxury andsupercar carbon composite wheels.

The firm is based in a factory inChippenham but if he raises themoney, Chris wants to build a newfactory in Bristol close to the NationalComposites Centre in EmersonsG re e n .

He said: “I’m delighted and veryexcited by the response we have had

from cornerstone investors who willform the bedrock of our expansionc ap i t a l .

“Because this has been so suc-cessful, we are now offering smallerinvestors the opportunity to buyshares in Dymag for as little as£1,000. This will give our currentcustomers, fans and petrol heads achance to be part of our very excitingf u t u re. ”

The firm has been working withthe NCC to build and test pilotproducts at a competitive price.

Chris said: “The city is a worldleader in composite technology forthe aerospace industry and we nowhave the potential to make it a centreof excellence and expertise for the

automotive wheel market which isset to explode with new legislationcoming into force that will make carmakers focus on weight which iswhere carbon wheels have great be-n e f i t s. ”

Dymag built its reputation as aworld leader in wheel technology andsupplied the wheels for F1 championssuch as Ayrton Senna and NigelMansell. The company currentlybuilds wheels for motorcycle racet e a m s.

Chris is now working withcrowd-funding company Syndicate-Room to allow individuals to investin Dymag.

The company only lists businessesthat are already backed by profes-

Drive to win further investment for expansion

E m p l oy m e n t Certif ication

Election

M a n u fa c t u r i n g Te c h n o l o g y

F4NArt installations



� Sophie Batt at work

� Chris Shelley, Chief Executiveof Dymag

g rowth.It also found a worrying 42 per cent

of firms locally were using Januaryand February to pay off Christmascosts such as the office party of an-nual bonuses. It found Christmascosts upwards of £20,000 for manysmall businesses.

With that in mind, Charles urgedBristol business to follow the con-sumer market and shop around andswitch to the best provider for them tocut their costs.

“Look at your options,” he said.“Look at what you are paying. Youcould save £6-700 a year by switching.We switching in the consumer marketbut not in business. January is a goodtime to cut expenses.”

� Talk Talk managing directorCharles Bligh


� Artist LukeJerram and someof his projects -fishing boats inLeigh Woods;pianos left acrossthe city for peopleto play; turningClifton SuspensionBridge gold and thePark Street waterslide

sional “business angels” who havecommitted their own funds and thushave taken an active role in eval-uating the strength of the companythey are investing in.

“I’ve decided to raise the re-mainder of the capital required inthis way because Dymag is a Britishcompany with a rich heritage thathas a great following amongst pas-sionate fans and customers of ourbrand.”

Dymag has developed carbon com-posite wheels to go into commercialproduction in 2015 and will targetluxury marques such as Porsche,BMW, Aston Martin, Jaguar, RangeRover and Audi as well as continuingits motorcycle wheel production.

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The Big Interview

FILTON is a once in a gen-eration opportunity for theaerospace industry, accordingto Simon Young, chief exec-utive of the West of England

Aerospace Forum.That remark might surprise some

in the wider community, who lookedon the closure of the airfield by ownerBAE Systems in 2012 as a harbinger ofdoom for the city’s aerospace in-d u s t r y.

“T hat’s not a language I hear at all,”says Simon, not quite falling off hischair. “I hear the opposite. The pas-sion among the businesses alreadyhere who think ‘we are where we arebecause of the what’s gone before andthe skills here’.

“The language from industry is notabout leaving, it’s about sustainingand growing. The future is fantastic.This is certainly not about aerospaceleaving Bristol.

“Filton has been at the centre ofaerospace for 100 years,” he adds.“Look at the heritage around Filton.Concorde, Rolls-Royce, GK, it is im-

mensely rich heritage and with thebig names there now we feel pas-sionate about not wasting that her-ita g e.”

He says the development of theairfield is an opportunity for the in-d u s t r y.

“It’s brilliant that the BristolAerospace Collection Trust is goingto create an incredible learning fa-cility based around the past, presentand future,” he says.

“It’s a misnomeor to just call it theConcorde museum, though that willbe a magnificent centrepiece. Whatthat will do to enthuse and engageyoung people and teachers about thebrilliance of engineering is phenom-enal.”

Yes, Simon admits people in theindustry were saddened by the air-field closure, but things change.

“Whilst we would all love to haveseen the airfield stay active, it canonly stay active if you have got ademonstrable need for it,” he says.“So we acknowledge it’s a great op-portunity to service the social eco-nomic need for housing.

“But also want to see thataerospace exploits the opportunity tosustain those high-quality,high-value jobs that keep the SouthWest and UK at forefront of design

‘FUTURE’S F A N T A S T I C F O R OUR A E R O S P A C E INDUSTRY’The aerospace sector across Bristol and the SouthWest is world leading but it will take planning andforesight to keep it that way. Gavin Thompsonmeets Simon Young, the man in charge of theindustry body trying to pull the vision together

“We are trying to create a strategiclandscape that can help the wholesupply chain move forward faster andmore coherently than it currentlyd o e s, ” he says.

“Local Enterprise Partnershipsand other bodies want to make theirinterventions. This gives them an-other layer to work with so they can

WHAT IS WEAF?

� The West of EnglandAerospace Forum is amembership organisation forthe industry across much of theSouth West, from Tewkesburyto Cornwall.

It aims to help membersgrow, be more competitive andoffer them support.

It runs networking events,offers professional servicesand also delivers fundingprojects, such as NATEP.

that. There are new ideas all the timeon how to use composites, it’s a keyarea, along with additive layer man-ufacturing (3D printing). There is anexpertise emerging here in thesea re a s. ”

He explains the strategy is aboutbusinesses and other organisationsworking together for mutual gain.

and technology.“We are working with local au-

thority and the Local EnterprisePartnership and BAE Systems, whichowns the land, to say ‘can we have asuitable area made available that wecan use to put new capabilities in’,”he says.

“Some of those maybe specific in-dustry needs, such as a companywants a building there, or could bemore collaborative such as supplychain incubator units. But make nobones about it, it will be a jewel in thec row n . ”

This means making sure the landfreed up by the closure is put to theright use, and specifically thatenough of the right kind of space isthere for the aerospace industry toexpand.

“It can be far too easy for de-velopers to meet the demands foremployment targets for the land byputting high-density jobs in it,” s ay sSimon. “Call centres and offices allplay a part in our economy. But thehigh-skilled jobs that are associatedwith aerospace don’t come fromhigh-density sites.”

The challenge is for industry to bequick enough to influence the plan-ning process. And that’s whereWEAF has a big role to play. Theorganisation has evolved in recentyears. It was largely funded throughthe South West Regional Develop-ment Agency had around 800 mem-bers. When the agency was scrapped,it was left to find its own way. Asubscription fee was introduced andalthough membership plummeted tocloser to 150, the organisation becomeself-financing. The not-for-profit bodynow employs eight people at its of-fices in Clevedon.

Simon joined as chief executive inJanuary, leaving a teaching job inOxfordshire to return to aerospace.

He had previously had a number ofroles including running the avionicsdivision for what was then SmithsAerospace and is now GE AviationSystems near Cheltenham. Go backfurther and he was a jet pilot in theRoyal Air Force.

The aerospace sector has beenworking with Government to draw upa national investment strategy calledthe Aerospace Growth Partnership,and WEAF has taken on the task ofdeveloping a local vision.

“Everybody was saying thiss h o u l d n’t be owned by Airbus, Au-gusta Westland or Rolls-Royce, it’ssector strategy,” says Simon. “T heyturned to WEAF and said ‘it’s abouttime you guys stepped up to act ascustodian of this on the sector’s be-half ’ and that’s the role WEAF is nowp l ay i n g . ”

Innovation Aerospace – or iAero –is becoming a blueprint for how thesector will develop in the comingyears in Bristol and the South West.

Simon said: “It’s a strategy focus-ing around the things we are good at.We are leaders in wing design, wingintegration, engine controls and in-tegration onto wings, rotary aircraftintegration and design. The strategyis about sustaining that expertise andstaying out in front.

“Composites are very much part of

Simon Young

“Filton has been at thecentre of aerospace for100 years. Look at theheritage around Filton.Concorde, Rolls-Royce,GK, it is immensely richheritage and with the bignames there now we feelpassionate about notwasting that heritage.”

A SMALL manufacturer has won a major con-tract to supply ground-breaking technology tothe airport sector.

Powervamp based on Oldmixon Crescentbusiness park, in Weston-super-Mare, has sup-plied 10 mobile electrical ground power units toLondon City Airport.

The units are used to power the plane duringservicing, cleaning and other jobs carried outwhile it is on the ground.

The deal is for new units to replace old dieselones and is a UK manufacturing first.

Powervamp employs 40 people and is aworld-leading designer and manufacturer ofspecialised equipment for powering all types ofaircraft and vehicles.

Joint managing director Ken Walker said itwas a great achievement to beat much largerfirms to the contract.

He said: “We score over the major multi-na-tional companies that have tended to dominatethe ground power industry because we canrespond quickly to a customer’s unique re-quirements using our team of exceptionallytalented graduate engineers.

“It is our ability to make decisions quicklyand work closely with the client, backed by ourengineering and service support capacity, thatgave the customer the confidence in the productand company.”

The contract involved designing compactground power units, which are mounted onbattery powered movable carts.

London City Airport made the decision toswitch to mobile electric power as part of itsplan to reduce Co2 emissions.

It is estimated that the electric power unitswill eliminate 2,000 tonnes of CO2 annually andproduce fuel savings exceeding of £200,000 pera n nu m .

Powervamp already supplies its products tomore than 60 countries and with new productsbeing continuously developed and launched itsees a growing world market for its productsand services.

Being at the forefront of electric technologycould open up big opportunities for the Westonfirm, as the gas-guzzling aviation industrylooks to become greener and cut carbon emis-s i o n s.

Pioneering power unit firmwins major airport contract

WHAT IS NATEP?

� From left, Richard Roller, joint managing director; Kevin Brown, director; Ken Walker, jointmanaging director; and Jake Mearns, director

� The National AerospaceTechnology ExploitationProgramme, of course!

It’s scheme were businessescan secure funding up to£150,000 for products orservices that are past theconcept stage but where thecompany us struggling to give ita final push to make it saleable.

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

least preserve existing ones.It has to be collaborative,

making companies look for other

companies or academia to workwith.

And it has to have “e n d - s u revalidation”. That means getting apotential end user for theproduct to agree it’s a good idea.That process helps themanufacturer to hone theproduct and make sure there is amarket.

Several rounds have alreadypassed but there are furtherdeadlines in December andMarch for applications. ContactWEAF for details.

target them better and time thembetter. And it gives private firms op-portunity to look at their investmentst o o. ”

The future of the Filton site will bea key part of that strategy and Simonis keen to get it right.

“We ’re trying to achieve a balanceso that amount of enterprise land isneither so excessive that you can’tbuild enough houses but neither arewe being choked off so that we don’tfind in five years’ time that there’s afantastic opportunity but we justd o n’t have the real estate.

“Industry can’t say ‘we want halfthe site but we don’t know what weare going to do with it’. But it doestake industry longer to crystallisewhat those needs are.”

The aerospace industry is used toworking in long cycles. It takes yearsto design and build a new aeroplane.

But if the development of Filtonreally is an opportunity for the sector,it needs to move quickly or risk see-ing that it pass by. It is indeed time forfor WEAF to spread its wings.

� Filton airfield from the air

Te c h n o l o g y

� LondonCityAirportmade thedecisionto switchto mobileelectricpower aspart of itsplan tore d u c eCo2emissions

Joint managing directorKen Walker

“ It is our ability to makedecisions quickly and workclosely with the client, backedby our engineering and servicesupport capacity, that gave thecustomer the confidence in theproduct and company.

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The Big Interview

FILTON is a once in a gen-eration opportunity for theaerospace industry, accordingto Simon Young, chief exec-utive of the West of England

Aerospace Forum.That remark might surprise some

in the wider community, who lookedon the closure of the airfield by ownerBAE Systems in 2012 as a harbinger ofdoom for the city’s aerospace in-d u s t r y.

“T hat’s not a language I hear at all,”says Simon, not quite falling off hischair. “I hear the opposite. The pas-sion among the businesses alreadyhere who think ‘we are where we arebecause of the what’s gone before andthe skills here’.

“The language from industry is notabout leaving, it’s about sustainingand growing. The future is fantastic.This is certainly not about aerospaceleaving Bristol.

“Filton has been at the centre ofaerospace for 100 years,” he adds.“Look at the heritage around Filton.Concorde, Rolls-Royce, GK, it is im-

mensely rich heritage and with thebig names there now we feel pas-sionate about not wasting that her-ita g e.”

He says the development of theairfield is an opportunity for the in-d u s t r y.

“It’s brilliant that the BristolAerospace Collection Trust is goingto create an incredible learning fa-cility based around the past, presentand future,” he says.

“It’s a misnomeor to just call it theConcorde museum, though that willbe a magnificent centrepiece. Whatthat will do to enthuse and engageyoung people and teachers about thebrilliance of engineering is phenom-enal.”

Yes, Simon admits people in theindustry were saddened by the air-field closure, but things change.

“Whilst we would all love to haveseen the airfield stay active, it canonly stay active if you have got ademonstrable need for it,” he says.“So we acknowledge it’s a great op-portunity to service the social eco-nomic need for housing.

“But also want to see thataerospace exploits the opportunity tosustain those high-quality,high-value jobs that keep the SouthWest and UK at forefront of design

‘FUTURE’S F A N T A S T I C F O R OUR A E R O S P A C E INDUSTRY’The aerospace sector across Bristol and the SouthWest is world leading but it will take planning andforesight to keep it that way. Gavin Thompsonmeets Simon Young, the man in charge of theindustry body trying to pull the vision together

“We are trying to create a strategiclandscape that can help the wholesupply chain move forward faster andmore coherently than it currentlyd o e s, ” he says.

“Local Enterprise Partnershipsand other bodies want to make theirinterventions. This gives them an-other layer to work with so they can

WHAT IS WEAF?

� The West of EnglandAerospace Forum is amembership organisation forthe industry across much of theSouth West, from Tewkesburyto Cornwall.

It aims to help membersgrow, be more competitive andoffer them support.

It runs networking events,offers professional servicesand also delivers fundingprojects, such as NATEP.

that. There are new ideas all the timeon how to use composites, it’s a keyarea, along with additive layer man-ufacturing (3D printing). There is anexpertise emerging here in thesea re a s. ”

He explains the strategy is aboutbusinesses and other organisationsworking together for mutual gain.

and technology.“We are working with local au-

thority and the Local EnterprisePartnership and BAE Systems, whichowns the land, to say ‘can we have asuitable area made available that wecan use to put new capabilities in’,”he says.

“Some of those maybe specific in-dustry needs, such as a companywants a building there, or could bemore collaborative such as supplychain incubator units. But make nobones about it, it will be a jewel in thec row n . ”

This means making sure the landfreed up by the closure is put to theright use, and specifically thatenough of the right kind of space isthere for the aerospace industry toexpand.

“It can be far too easy for de-velopers to meet the demands foremployment targets for the land byputting high-density jobs in it,” s ay sSimon. “Call centres and offices allplay a part in our economy. But thehigh-skilled jobs that are associatedwith aerospace don’t come fromhigh-density sites.”

The challenge is for industry to bequick enough to influence the plan-ning process. And that’s whereWEAF has a big role to play. Theorganisation has evolved in recentyears. It was largely funded throughthe South West Regional Develop-ment Agency had around 800 mem-bers. When the agency was scrapped,it was left to find its own way. Asubscription fee was introduced andalthough membership plummeted tocloser to 150, the organisation becomeself-financing. The not-for-profit bodynow employs eight people at its of-fices in Clevedon.

Simon joined as chief executive inJanuary, leaving a teaching job inOxfordshire to return to aerospace.

He had previously had a number ofroles including running the avionicsdivision for what was then SmithsAerospace and is now GE AviationSystems near Cheltenham. Go backfurther and he was a jet pilot in theRoyal Air Force.

The aerospace sector has beenworking with Government to draw upa national investment strategy calledthe Aerospace Growth Partnership,and WEAF has taken on the task ofdeveloping a local vision.

“Everybody was saying thiss h o u l d n’t be owned by Airbus, Au-gusta Westland or Rolls-Royce, it’ssector strategy,” says Simon. “T heyturned to WEAF and said ‘it’s abouttime you guys stepped up to act ascustodian of this on the sector’s be-half ’ and that’s the role WEAF is nowp l ay i n g . ”

Innovation Aerospace – or iAero –is becoming a blueprint for how thesector will develop in the comingyears in Bristol and the South West.

Simon said: “It’s a strategy focus-ing around the things we are good at.We are leaders in wing design, wingintegration, engine controls and in-tegration onto wings, rotary aircraftintegration and design. The strategyis about sustaining that expertise andstaying out in front.

“Composites are very much part of

Simon Young

“Filton has been at thecentre of aerospace for100 years. Look at theheritage around Filton.Concorde, Rolls-Royce,GK, it is immensely richheritage and with the bignames there now we feelpassionate about notwasting that heritage.”

A SMALL manufacturer has won a major con-tract to supply ground-breaking technology tothe airport sector.

Powervamp based on Oldmixon Crescentbusiness park, in Weston-super-Mare, has sup-plied 10 mobile electrical ground power units toLondon City Airport.

The units are used to power the plane duringservicing, cleaning and other jobs carried outwhile it is on the ground.

The deal is for new units to replace old dieselones and is a UK manufacturing first.

Powervamp employs 40 people and is aworld-leading designer and manufacturer ofspecialised equipment for powering all types ofaircraft and vehicles.

Joint managing director Ken Walker said itwas a great achievement to beat much largerfirms to the contract.

He said: “We score over the major multi-na-tional companies that have tended to dominatethe ground power industry because we canrespond quickly to a customer’s unique re-quirements using our team of exceptionallytalented graduate engineers.

“It is our ability to make decisions quicklyand work closely with the client, backed by ourengineering and service support capacity, thatgave the customer the confidence in the productand company.”

The contract involved designing compactground power units, which are mounted onbattery powered movable carts.

London City Airport made the decision toswitch to mobile electric power as part of itsplan to reduce Co2 emissions.

It is estimated that the electric power unitswill eliminate 2,000 tonnes of CO2 annually andproduce fuel savings exceeding of £200,000 pera n nu m .

Powervamp already supplies its products tomore than 60 countries and with new productsbeing continuously developed and launched itsees a growing world market for its productsand services.

Being at the forefront of electric technologycould open up big opportunities for the Westonfirm, as the gas-guzzling aviation industrylooks to become greener and cut carbon emis-s i o n s.

Pioneering power unit firmwins major airport contract

WHAT IS NATEP?

� From left, Richard Roller, joint managing director; Kevin Brown, director; Ken Walker, jointmanaging director; and Jake Mearns, director

� The National AerospaceTechnology ExploitationProgramme, of course!

It’s scheme were businessescan secure funding up to£150,000 for products orservices that are past theconcept stage but where thecompany us struggling to give ita final push to make it saleable.

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

least preserve existing ones.It has to be collaborative,

making companies look for other

companies or academia to workwith.

And it has to have “e n d - s u revalidation”. That means getting apotential end user for theproduct to agree it’s a good idea.That process helps themanufacturer to hone theproduct and make sure there is amarket.

Several rounds have alreadypassed but there are furtherdeadlines in December andMarch for applications. ContactWEAF for details.

target them better and time thembetter. And it gives private firms op-portunity to look at their investmentst o o. ”

The future of the Filton site will bea key part of that strategy and Simonis keen to get it right.

“We ’re trying to achieve a balanceso that amount of enterprise land isneither so excessive that you can’tbuild enough houses but neither arewe being choked off so that we don’tfind in five years’ time that there’s afantastic opportunity but we justd o n’t have the real estate.

“Industry can’t say ‘we want halfthe site but we don’t know what weare going to do with it’. But it doestake industry longer to crystallisewhat those needs are.”

The aerospace industry is used toworking in long cycles. It takes yearsto design and build a new aeroplane.

But if the development of Filtonreally is an opportunity for the sector,it needs to move quickly or risk see-ing that it pass by. It is indeed time forfor WEAF to spread its wings.

� Filton airfield from the air

Te c h n o l o g y

� LondonCityAirportmade thedecisionto switchto mobileelectricpower aspart of itsplan tore d u c eCo2emissions

Joint managing directorKen Walker

“ It is our ability to makedecisions quickly and workclosely with the client, backedby our engineering and servicesupport capacity, that gave thecustomer the confidence in theproduct and company.

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IT would be easy to think theaerospace industry locally is allabout three or four companies.But behind Airbus, Rolls-Royce,GKN and BAE Systems, there is

a supply chain made up of small andmedium sized businesses.

They face different challenges:being innovative enough to stayahead of the curve and look beyondthe current big orders and offeringjob security while often winning onlyshort-term contracts as the big play-ers seem to hold all the cards.

Recruitment of experienced engin-eering talent is one of the challenges,according to Michelle Raven, busi-ness development director at onesuch firm, Stirling Dynamics in Clif-ton.

“We work closely with Bristol,Bath and UWE universities whoprovide us with excellent calibreg raduates,” she says. “We do like totake those bright people and trainthem up. But you can’t always dothat, you need a mix of experienceand that can be hard to find.”

The firm employs 70 people andhas worked on a similar number oftypes of aircraft including Concorde,the Black Hawk Helicopter and thelatest Airbus A350, in the past 28years. Recently it developed the handcontrols for the flight simulatorsused to train pilots of the F35 jointstrike fighter.

“Every single pilot who flies theF35 has been trained on our equip-ment,” says Michelle.

Recently, the company has had tolook further afield for work. Thatmight seem surprising when the civilside of aviation is booming.

“Airbus and Boeing have spent a lotof time and money over the last fewyears designing their new aircraftand put a lot of money into in-novation and technology,” saidM i ch e l l e.

“But now they are focusing ongetting those designs manufacturedand into the marketplace whichmeans a slowdown in front-enddesign work.”

Established firms such as StirlingDynamics, however, know that the

industry grows.“There is capacity for growth in

existing companies in the region,” hesays. “The order book on the civilside of aviation is the largest it hasevery been, out to 2030.

“Companies in the supply chainwill need to grow too or they will taketheir business elsewhere.”

Barry says the growth areas are inthe manufacturing and engineeringservices side and he believes arounda third of local firms in the sector arethinking about expansion.

Developers are still reluctant tobuild new premises speculatively, sofor most firms that means huntingfor an existing site that works.

“They can come to us with theirspecific requirements – for example Ihad one company looking for a spacewith 9-metre high eaves because ofthe size of parts they planned tomanuf acture,” says Barry. “Then we

can contact all the agencies and comeback with some suggested options.”

One such agency is JLL, headed inBristol by Jeremy Richards.

Jeremy says there isn’t ahuge amount of good

existing stock avail-able, but there isplenty of space.

“There will be arange of employ-ment land as theFilton Airfieldsite is re-

developed and atthe nearby

Rolls-Royce EastWo rk s, ” he says.

“If you look across fromAztec West to Emerson’s Green,

there is enough space to meet futurere q u i re m e n t s. ”

While demand for offices will in-evitably take some of that land,

Focus on start-ups | Sponsored by THEME SPONSOR’S NAME HERE.

Following the recent launchof the latest Airbus plane,the A350, Gavin Thompsonlooks at how the aerospacesupply chain in Bristol isshaping up to new challenges

Sector focus: Aerospace

SUPPLIERS OF SKILLS RISE TO NEW CHALLENGES

t h e re ’s room for a mix which he sayscould accommodate firms looking forsites in the 10-20,000 square footrang e.

For smaller businesses, landaround the National CompositesCentre in Emerson’s Green and nextdoor Bristol and Bath Science Parkcould be an option, where Jeremybelieves there is now enough demandto justify building the next phase.

The recent announcement by BAESystems that it is closing its R&Dcentre in the area is a blow, butJeremy believes it is “a small dent ina massive industry”.

He says the well established sectorin the region has been a magnet,pulling in more investment.

“T here’s definitely been a clustereffect going on in and around northBristol for the past 15 or 20 years,” hes ay s.

“The most obvious example is the

National Composites Centre wherethere is a lot of research and de-velopment work going on but alsoaround Airbus where the BrabazonOffice Park filled up with suppli-e r s. ”

Aerospace suppliers often havespecialist requirements, particularlyif they work on defence projects withall the stringent security demandsthat involves. That means developersare unlikely to build space spec-ulatively, just when it is required.

So companies may have to com-mission buildings. And that takestime. For manufacturers that meansmoving quickly to keep up while onthe R&D side if demands are slower,this is the time when our for-ward-looking businesses should belooking at the space they will need tobe ready for when the developmentcycle comes around again in a fewye a r s ’ t i m e.Michelle Raven

“We work closely withBristol, Bath and UWEuniversities who provideus with excellent calibregraduates... We do liketo take those brightpeople and train themup. But you can’t alwaysdo that, you need a mixof experience and thatcan be hard to find

aerospace world moves in cycles andthe firm has found new marketsexporting its services to the likes ofChina, South Korea and India.

“Comac is a good example,” s ay sMichelle. “China wanted to design itsown competitive aircraft. They haveall the engineers but what they don’thave is the aerospace heritage andexperience that a company like usholds. So they reach out to us and askfor our help.

“We are now exporting about 50 percent of our products and services.”

The other area of opportunity foraerospace suppliers is diversifica-tion. And Bristol is well-placed forthose who want to tap into the greentech market.

“A lot of the technologies are trans-ferable into other advanced engin-eering sectors,” Michelle explains.“We have been focusing our problemsolving and innovation-led approachfrom aerospace on the low carbonenergy sector. Bristol is a hub foraerospace and it’s a hub for lowcarbon so it make sense.”

If firms like Stirling Dymanics areto continue to grow, however, theyneed to room to do so. And the kindsof space they need are different tohigh density offices that developerstend to reach for when looking tomeet employment land require-m e n t s.

T hat’s where Barry Warburtonmight step in. As the Invest in Bristoland Bath aerospace sector champion,Barry can act as a link between thecompanies and the property agenciesand developers. It’s a task he isincreasingly being asked to do as the

� A formation flight of A350 XWB test aircraft

Gavin Thompsonin [email protected]

TECHNOLOGIES in theaerospace industry arechanging fast – and thatmeans challenges and op-portunities for companies

in the supply chain.Airbus chief operating officer

Tom Williams believes suppliersaround Bristol need to push theboundaries of technology aroundcomposite materials and 3D print-ing.

“With 3D printing we have not yetfully exploited the potential,” he toldBusiness.

“Most things made in this wayhave been simply copying a part wehave already designed and made.The next step will be to combineseveral parts. That will be big thechange in the next three or fourye a r s. ”

The only Brit on the board atAirbus finds it hard to envisage acompletely 3D-printed plane anytime soon.

“Some materials such as alumini-um are difficult to 3D-print,” hesaid. “And we use a lot of aluminiumto make planes. We also need to beable to take parts off to replacethem.”

Tom believes the South West has agood supply chain currently.

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

“There are a lot of small andmedium-sized enterprises aroundthe Bristol area too, particularlyaround structure design and partswith engineering capability. Wehave a strong relationship with theUniversity of Bristol too around re-search and technology.

“But there are always opportun-ities as technology is changing.3D-printing is an area that is de-veloping quickly.”

Another challenge is recruitment.Sitting at the top of the food chain,Airbus can attract the right level oftalent but Tom believes it is vital forAirbus that its suppliers furtherdown the chain can do the same.

“We have to make sure we en-courage enough young people to do

the science, technology, maths andengineering subjects,” he said.

“You can’t really be successful inour business without a strong graspof mathematics and physics.

“In particular we need morewomen and we are encouraging girlsto keep studying maths at A-levels t a n d a rd . ”

With many suppliers facing de-cisions about whether to invest innew premises and equipment tocope with the growing demand incivil aviation and those changingtechnologies, Tom offers reassur-ance that Airbus is committed toFilton.

“In the last year we have openednew engineering and design officesat Barnwell House and PegasusH o u s e, ” he said.

“That was a big investment andreally part of a commitment toFilton because there was always abit of a question mark. We had aseries of rather old, slightly decrepitbuildings and it really wasn’t theright atmosphere for the level ofpeople we wanted to recruit.

“I’ve been really pleased to getthat investment under way.”

Airbus chief operatingofficer Tom Williams

“We have to makesure we encourageenough youngpeople to do thescience, technology,maths andengineering subjects... In particular weneed more womenand we areencouraging girls tokeep studyingmaths at A-levels t a n d a rd .

Chances and challengesin fast-changing industry

Michelle Raven, of StirlingDynamics, with the handcontrols for the flightsimulators used to train pilotsof the F35 joint strike fighter

“Every single pilotwho flies the F35fighter has beentrained on ourequipment

Barry Warburton

“There is capacity forgrowth in existingcompanies in theregion. The orderbook on the civilside of aviationis the largest ithas everybeen, out to2030.Companies inthe supply chainwill need to grow tooor they will take theirbusiness elsewhere

RULING THE SKIES: PAGE 15

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IT would be easy to think theaerospace industry locally is allabout three or four companies.But behind Airbus, Rolls-Royce,GKN and BAE Systems, there is

a supply chain made up of small andmedium sized businesses.

They face different challenges:being innovative enough to stayahead of the curve and look beyondthe current big orders and offeringjob security while often winning onlyshort-term contracts as the big play-ers seem to hold all the cards.

Recruitment of experienced engin-eering talent is one of the challenges,according to Michelle Raven, busi-ness development director at onesuch firm, Stirling Dynamics in Clif-ton.

“We work closely with Bristol,Bath and UWE universities whoprovide us with excellent calibreg raduates,” she says. “We do like totake those bright people and trainthem up. But you can’t always dothat, you need a mix of experienceand that can be hard to find.”

The firm employs 70 people andhas worked on a similar number oftypes of aircraft including Concorde,the Black Hawk Helicopter and thelatest Airbus A350, in the past 28years. Recently it developed the handcontrols for the flight simulatorsused to train pilots of the F35 jointstrike fighter.

“Every single pilot who flies theF35 has been trained on our equip-ment,” says Michelle.

Recently, the company has had tolook further afield for work. Thatmight seem surprising when the civilside of aviation is booming.

“Airbus and Boeing have spent a lotof time and money over the last fewyears designing their new aircraftand put a lot of money into in-novation and technology,” saidM i ch e l l e.

“But now they are focusing ongetting those designs manufacturedand into the marketplace whichmeans a slowdown in front-enddesign work.”

Established firms such as StirlingDynamics, however, know that the

industry grows.“There is capacity for growth in

existing companies in the region,” hesays. “The order book on the civilside of aviation is the largest it hasevery been, out to 2030.

“Companies in the supply chainwill need to grow too or they will taketheir business elsewhere.”

Barry says the growth areas are inthe manufacturing and engineeringservices side and he believes arounda third of local firms in the sector arethinking about expansion.

Developers are still reluctant tobuild new premises speculatively, sofor most firms that means huntingfor an existing site that works.

“They can come to us with theirspecific requirements – for example Ihad one company looking for a spacewith 9-metre high eaves because ofthe size of parts they planned tomanuf acture,” says Barry. “Then we

can contact all the agencies and comeback with some suggested options.”

One such agency is JLL, headed inBristol by Jeremy Richards.

Jeremy says there isn’t ahuge amount of good

existing stock avail-able, but there isplenty of space.

“There will be arange of employ-ment land as theFilton Airfieldsite is re-

developed and atthe nearby

Rolls-Royce EastWo rk s, ” he says.

“If you look across fromAztec West to Emerson’s Green,

there is enough space to meet futurere q u i re m e n t s. ”

While demand for offices will in-evitably take some of that land,

Focus on start-ups | Sponsored by THEME SPONSOR’S NAME HERE.

Following the recent launchof the latest Airbus plane,the A350, Gavin Thompsonlooks at how the aerospacesupply chain in Bristol isshaping up to new challenges

Sector focus: Aerospace

SUPPLIERS OF SKILLS RISE TO NEW CHALLENGES

t h e re ’s room for a mix which he sayscould accommodate firms looking forsites in the 10-20,000 square footrang e.

For smaller businesses, landaround the National CompositesCentre in Emerson’s Green and nextdoor Bristol and Bath Science Parkcould be an option, where Jeremybelieves there is now enough demandto justify building the next phase.

The recent announcement by BAESystems that it is closing its R&Dcentre in the area is a blow, butJeremy believes it is “a small dent ina massive industry”.

He says the well established sectorin the region has been a magnet,pulling in more investment.

“T here’s definitely been a clustereffect going on in and around northBristol for the past 15 or 20 years,” hes ay s.

“The most obvious example is the

National Composites Centre wherethere is a lot of research and de-velopment work going on but alsoaround Airbus where the BrabazonOffice Park filled up with suppli-e r s. ”

Aerospace suppliers often havespecialist requirements, particularlyif they work on defence projects withall the stringent security demandsthat involves. That means developersare unlikely to build space spec-ulatively, just when it is required.

So companies may have to com-mission buildings. And that takestime. For manufacturers that meansmoving quickly to keep up while onthe R&D side if demands are slower,this is the time when our for-ward-looking businesses should belooking at the space they will need tobe ready for when the developmentcycle comes around again in a fewye a r s ’ t i m e.Michelle Raven

“We work closely withBristol, Bath and UWEuniversities who provideus with excellent calibregraduates... We do liketo take those brightpeople and train themup. But you can’t alwaysdo that, you need a mixof experience and thatcan be hard to find

aerospace world moves in cycles andthe firm has found new marketsexporting its services to the likes ofChina, South Korea and India.

“Comac is a good example,” s ay sMichelle. “China wanted to design itsown competitive aircraft. They haveall the engineers but what they don’thave is the aerospace heritage andexperience that a company like usholds. So they reach out to us and askfor our help.

“We are now exporting about 50 percent of our products and services.”

The other area of opportunity foraerospace suppliers is diversifica-tion. And Bristol is well-placed forthose who want to tap into the greentech market.

“A lot of the technologies are trans-ferable into other advanced engin-eering sectors,” Michelle explains.“We have been focusing our problemsolving and innovation-led approachfrom aerospace on the low carbonenergy sector. Bristol is a hub foraerospace and it’s a hub for lowcarbon so it make sense.”

If firms like Stirling Dymanics areto continue to grow, however, theyneed to room to do so. And the kindsof space they need are different tohigh density offices that developerstend to reach for when looking tomeet employment land require-m e n t s.

T hat’s where Barry Warburtonmight step in. As the Invest in Bristoland Bath aerospace sector champion,Barry can act as a link between thecompanies and the property agenciesand developers. It’s a task he isincreasingly being asked to do as the

� A formation flight of A350 XWB test aircraft

Gavin Thompsonin [email protected]

TECHNOLOGIES in theaerospace industry arechanging fast – and thatmeans challenges and op-portunities for companies

in the supply chain.Airbus chief operating officer

Tom Williams believes suppliersaround Bristol need to push theboundaries of technology aroundcomposite materials and 3D print-ing.

“With 3D printing we have not yetfully exploited the potential,” he toldBusiness.

“Most things made in this wayhave been simply copying a part wehave already designed and made.The next step will be to combineseveral parts. That will be big thechange in the next three or fourye a r s. ”

The only Brit on the board atAirbus finds it hard to envisage acompletely 3D-printed plane anytime soon.

“Some materials such as alumini-um are difficult to 3D-print,” hesaid. “And we use a lot of aluminiumto make planes. We also need to beable to take parts off to replacethem.”

Tom believes the South West has agood supply chain currently.

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

“There are a lot of small andmedium-sized enterprises aroundthe Bristol area too, particularlyaround structure design and partswith engineering capability. Wehave a strong relationship with theUniversity of Bristol too around re-search and technology.

“But there are always opportun-ities as technology is changing.3D-printing is an area that is de-veloping quickly.”

Another challenge is recruitment.Sitting at the top of the food chain,Airbus can attract the right level oftalent but Tom believes it is vital forAirbus that its suppliers furtherdown the chain can do the same.

“We have to make sure we en-courage enough young people to do

the science, technology, maths andengineering subjects,” he said.

“You can’t really be successful inour business without a strong graspof mathematics and physics.

“In particular we need morewomen and we are encouraging girlsto keep studying maths at A-levels t a n d a rd . ”

With many suppliers facing de-cisions about whether to invest innew premises and equipment tocope with the growing demand incivil aviation and those changingtechnologies, Tom offers reassur-ance that Airbus is committed toFilton.

“In the last year we have openednew engineering and design officesat Barnwell House and PegasusH o u s e, ” he said.

“That was a big investment andreally part of a commitment toFilton because there was always abit of a question mark. We had aseries of rather old, slightly decrepitbuildings and it really wasn’t theright atmosphere for the level ofpeople we wanted to recruit.

“I’ve been really pleased to getthat investment under way.”

Airbus chief operatingofficer Tom Williams

“We have to makesure we encourageenough youngpeople to do thescience, technology,maths andengineering subjects... In particular weneed more womenand we areencouraging girls tokeep studyingmaths at A-levels t a n d a rd .

Chances and challengesin fast-changing industry

Michelle Raven, of StirlingDynamics, with the handcontrols for the flightsimulators used to train pilotsof the F35 joint strike fighter

“Every single pilotwho flies the F35fighter has beentrained on ourequipment

Barry Warburton

“There is capacity forgrowth in existingcompanies in theregion. The orderbook on the civilside of aviationis the largest ithas everybeen, out to2030.Companies inthe supply chainwill need to grow tooor they will take theirbusiness elsewhere

RULING THE SKIES: PAGE 15

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Business diary

Email your business events [email protected] are sometimescancelled without us beingnotified so please check withorganisers before travelling.

Executive briefing on internetsecurity: Designed to informyou of the security threats youface, your responsibilities inrespect of those threats andpractical suggestions on how todischarge those responsibilities.Run by Bristol-based TVS atthe Engine Shed, Tuesday,January 20, 8-9am. Register viaEventbrite.

Library consultation: What roledo libraries play in terms of thelocal business community?Should the business communitybecome more involved withthem in the future? How couldthe business communitybecome more involved or betterutilise the facilities offered bylibraries? Bristol City Council isconsulting on the future of thecity’s libraries and is holding anevent to get business views.Central Library on Wednesday,January 21, 6:15-7:30pm.Register via Eventbrite.

Western Daily Press BusinessGuide 2015: Keynote speakerProf Jane Harrington from UWEwill launch the annual businessguide from our sisterpublication, the Western DailyPress. From 8am at UWEExhibition & Conference Centre,Frenchay Campus, Thursday,January 22. Register via UWEwebsite.

LEP Digital – driving resultsthrough social media: Simplysigning up to Twitter, Facebookand LinkedIn is not enough,you need to align your socialmedia activity with yourbusiness strategy to driveresults. 9.30am-3.30pm onJanuary 22, at the BAWACentre, Filton.

Bristol PA Network: Aprofessional forum where youcan find inspiration, developyour skills and meet fellow PAs.Each meeting includeselements of learning &development, inspirationalspeakers and networking.January 25, 6pm at Hotel duVin. Strictly for PAs, EAs,secretaries and officeadministrative professionals.Book via eventbrite.

Outlook 2015: C o m m e rc i a lproperty agency DTZ presentsanalysis and forecasts for thesector at The Bristol Hotel,from 8am on Thursday,February 5.

Bristol Connected: Save thedate! Thursday, February 5,6-8pm. Details to follow.

Bristol Distinguished AddressSeries - Peter Mather: BP’sgroup regional vice president,Europe and head of country,UK, delivers the latest in theaddress series supported bythe Bristol Post. His role hasoverall responsibility for thegovernance, reputation,co-ordination and integration ofall BP's activities acrossEurope. From 6pm, February11, at the Glendinning LectureTheatre, Frenchay Campus,UWE.

Region’s housing needs spark lively debate

In pictures Remarkable Engagement homes debate

POLITICANS and leadinglights in the property sectorengaged in a lively debateabout the region’s housingn e e d s.

Leaders from commercial propertyagencies, developers and local author-ities made up the audience for theevent, staged at Hotel du Vin in Bris-tol’s city centre.

They questioned policy makers andinfluences on the panel about whatthey could do to make sure the region

has enough homes to meet futuren e e d s.

The politically balanced panel con-sisted of South Gloucestershire Coun-cil leader Matthew Riddle(Conservative), Labour Parliament-ary candidate for Bristol WestThangam Debonaire, Bath and NorthEast Somerset cabinet member forhomes and planning Tim Ball (LibDem) and James Durie from BusinessWe s t .

Bristol Post assistant editor Gavin

Thompson, who chaired the debate,said: “The average house price in Bris-tol is now £277,000 and the averagemonthly rent £1,200. These astonish-ing figures show us why homes need tobe high on the political agenda.

“It was great for industry to get thechance to quiz policy makers.

“We had some interesting answersabout possible solutions, includingbrownfield and in-fill development,more powers to bring empty homesinto use and better consultation on

future building. But it’s hard to getaway from the fact that, one way oranother, we need to create a lot morehomes than we currently have.

“The debate continued in the barafterwards and I suspect the politi-cians left with a few business cardsand words of advice. But it was all goodnatured and hopefully went some wayto make us all better informed.”

The event was organised by Re-markable Engagement, based at AztecWe s t .

AROUND half of the UWEBristol’s students are womenand I want them to leave uswith an equal chance of be-coming business leaders of

the future and successful businessowners. Unfortunately, it is clear fromreports like that by the CharteredManagement Institute (CMI) andWomen in Management (2011) that agender pay gap still exists and womenremain under-represented at thehighest levels of management inmany sectors of industry.

It is important therefore that wehelp build the confidence of femalegraduates, and all those who are set-ting out in business, through celeb-rating the achievements of womenwho have succeeded.

T hat’s why UWE Bristol is de-lighted to once again be the title spon-sor of the Bristol and Bath Women inBusiness Awards in 2015.

In addition to addressing inequal-ities in the workplace, it is essential torecognise the women make a vitalfinancial and non-financial contribu-tion to this region’s economy. Thevalue that having diverse manage-ment teams can bring to businesses inhelping to identify and meet the needsof all customers should not beu n d e r- e s t i m at e d .

It is also clear that successful or-ganisations are generally thosewhere a variety of leadership stylesare used to motivate and manage theworkforce. The Women in Businessawards are a great opportunity torecognise the enormous contributionthat women in business makethroughout this region.

In achieving their career goals re-search shows that men and womenvalue different types of professionaldevelopment. Whilst both sexesidentify business school and profes-sional qualifications as being themost effective career developmentmechanism, women tend to placegreater value on coaching, mentoringand peer support. At UWE we areinvolved in a number of activitieswhich help to support women in avariety of businesses and law firms, afew examples being a funded projecton mentoring women in aerospace

businesses, helping to develop ProjectYou, a peer support network forwomen in corporate roles, and con-tributing to the development of fe-male entrepreneurs in collaborationwith Bristol Woman magazine. It isgood to see that female business andlaw students too have set up their ownpeer support networks with assist-ance from tutors.

There are of course a wide varietyof other peer support networks forwomen in the Bristol and Bath areaand I would encourage female lead-ers, managers and entrepreneurs toaccess these. In my experience thesharing of ideas and practical tips, aswell as the opportunity to meet withlike-minded women and create con-

tacts, is essential in helping women todevelop the confidence to realise theirfull potential.

At the recent Bristol Connectedevent, for instance, it was inspiring tohear about the development of theinnovative Blue Badge Company andthe journey of its Company DirectorEllen Green.

One of the most enjoyable aspects oflast year’s Women in Businessawards was the way in which womenfrom a wide variety of business back-grounds came together to supporteach other and recognise each other’scontributions. I am very much look-ing forward to this year’s event andthe opportunity to celebrate somegreat local businesswomen.

ONCE again the Print andPromotions Company (PPc)are lending their support tothe Bristol and BathWomen in Business

Aw a rd s.The Print and Promotions Com-

pany, a Bristol based business, issponsoring the Woman of the Yearaw a rd .

The category will recognise awoman who made a significant per-sonal contribution to an establishedcompany through either expansionor through launching a new productor service.

PPc specialises in the printing ofeverything from paper products – of-fice stationary, booklets, flyers etc – topromotional items.

The firm’s promotional range is asextensive as your imagination with

products to suit every budget.PPc are a preferred supplier to the

Conservative Party at a national andlocal level.

The company is also able to providea full direct mail service, including avariety of stationary, data handlingand sorting. Direct mail is availablefor promotional items as well.”

Award recognises significant personal contribution

� PPC with London Mayor Boris Johnson

Sponsor profile

Opinion

� THERE are just days left to enterthis year’s Bristol and Bath Womenin Business Awards.

Nominations close this Friday,January 16. But it’s not too late asthe entry process is simple and canbe completed online atw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t . c o . u k / w i b a .

This year’s categories are:

Woman of the Year, sponsored byPPC: A woman who has made asignificant personal contribution tothe success of the establishedcompany they run or in which theyare employed.

Young Entrepreneur of the Year:A woman who has made asignificant contribution to thecompany they run, in which theyare employed or the organisationthey have been promoted or fasttracked within.

Mentor of the Year: The womanwho has demonstrated the skills ofbeing a mentor to male or femaleemployees, who has gone the extramile in supporting a colleague orbusiness and has made adifference to their life or business.

Contribution to the Community,sponsored by The Mall CribbsCauseway: The woman who candemonstrate the difference she hasmade to their community and/orBristol and Bath over the last year(from Jan 1 2014 to Jan 1 2015).

Women in the Workplace Award:A company which hasdemonstrated a flexibility andadaptability to the employment ofwomen.

New Business of the Year,sponsored by Your Street GiftC a rd s : Open to all businesses thathave started trading since January2013 and principal trading base isin Bristol or Bath with eitherwoman/women owners or a femalehead of the company.

Business of the Year: This awardwill go to the profitable businessthat either has a female owner/s ora high percentage of females on thesenior management team.

Award for Innovation: A businessthat has introduced a new product,process, invention, idea, or designthat has made a significantcontribution to the business andhas a female owner/s or a highpercentage of females on the seniormanagement team.

Marketing Campaign of the Year:An organisation that hascommunicated effectively with itstarget audience (internal or external)over the past year, either as part ofan ongoing programme or a one-offcampaign.

Female Apprentice of the Year,sponsored by Crest Nicholson: Afemale apprentice who can showthe impact she has had on theorganisation she works for, as wellevidence of personal developmentand progression.

Outstanding Contribution toBusiness in Bristol and Bath,sponsored by UWE: Thebusinesswoman who, in the opinionof the judges, has made aconsiderable, profitable and lastingcontribution to business in Bristoland Bath. This category is not openfor submissions but handpicked bythe judges.

Last chance toenter awards asdeadline looms

� FionaJ o rd a nspeaking atBristolConnected,the Post’sre g u l a rbusinessnetworkingevent.

SPONSORED BY

Fiona JordanAssociate dean external engagement,UWE Bristol

Let ’s celebrate local success

� The panel at the event, from left, Cllr Tim Ball, Thangam Debbonaire, Gavin Thompson, James Durie and Cllr Matthew Riddle; and attendees networkingPhotos: Dan Regan

in association with

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3


Business diary

Email your business events [email protected] are sometimescancelled without us beingnotified so please check withorganisers before travelling.

Executive briefing on internetsecurity: Designed to informyou of the security threats youface, your responsibilities inrespect of those threats andpractical suggestions on how todischarge those responsibilities.Run by Bristol-based TVS atthe Engine Shed, Tuesday,January 20, 8-9am. Register viaEventbrite.

Library consultation: What roledo libraries play in terms of thelocal business community?Should the business communitybecome more involved withthem in the future? How couldthe business communitybecome more involved or betterutilise the facilities offered bylibraries? Bristol City Council isconsulting on the future of thecity’s libraries and is holding anevent to get business views.Central Library on Wednesday,January 21, 6:15-7:30pm.Register via Eventbrite.

Western Daily Press BusinessGuide 2015: Keynote speakerProf Jane Harrington from UWEwill launch the annual businessguide from our sisterpublication, the Western DailyPress. From 8am at UWEExhibition & Conference Centre,Frenchay Campus, Thursday,January 22. Register via UWEwebsite.

LEP Digital – driving resultsthrough social media: Simplysigning up to Twitter, Facebookand LinkedIn is not enough,you need to align your socialmedia activity with yourbusiness strategy to driveresults. 9.30am-3.30pm onJanuary 22, at the BAWACentre, Filton.

Bristol PA Network: Aprofessional forum where youcan find inspiration, developyour skills and meet fellow PAs.Each meeting includeselements of learning &development, inspirationalspeakers and networking.January 25, 6pm at Hotel duVin. Strictly for PAs, EAs,secretaries and officeadministrative professionals.Book via eventbrite.

Outlook 2015: C o m m e rc i a lproperty agency DTZ presentsanalysis and forecasts for thesector at The Bristol Hotel,from 8am on Thursday,February 5.

Bristol Connected: Save thedate! Thursday, February 5,6-8pm. Details to follow.

Bristol Distinguished AddressSeries - Peter Mather: BP’sgroup regional vice president,Europe and head of country,UK, delivers the latest in theaddress series supported bythe Bristol Post. His role hasoverall responsibility for thegovernance, reputation,co-ordination and integration ofall BP's activities acrossEurope. From 6pm, February11, at the Glendinning LectureTheatre, Frenchay Campus,UWE.

Region’s housing needs spark lively debate

In pictures Remarkable Engagement homes debate

POLITICANS and leadinglights in the property sectorengaged in a lively debateabout the region’s housingn e e d s.

Leaders from commercial propertyagencies, developers and local author-ities made up the audience for theevent, staged at Hotel du Vin in Bris-tol’s city centre.

They questioned policy makers andinfluences on the panel about whatthey could do to make sure the region

has enough homes to meet futuren e e d s.

The politically balanced panel con-sisted of South Gloucestershire Coun-cil leader Matthew Riddle(Conservative), Labour Parliament-ary candidate for Bristol WestThangam Debonaire, Bath and NorthEast Somerset cabinet member forhomes and planning Tim Ball (LibDem) and James Durie from BusinessWe s t .

Bristol Post assistant editor Gavin

Thompson, who chaired the debate,said: “The average house price in Bris-tol is now £277,000 and the averagemonthly rent £1,200. These astonish-ing figures show us why homes need tobe high on the political agenda.

“It was great for industry to get thechance to quiz policy makers.

“We had some interesting answersabout possible solutions, includingbrownfield and in-fill development,more powers to bring empty homesinto use and better consultation on

future building. But it’s hard to getaway from the fact that, one way oranother, we need to create a lot morehomes than we currently have.

“The debate continued in the barafterwards and I suspect the politi-cians left with a few business cardsand words of advice. But it was all goodnatured and hopefully went some wayto make us all better informed.”

The event was organised by Re-markable Engagement, based at AztecWe s t .

AROUND half of the UWEBristol’s students are womenand I want them to leave uswith an equal chance of be-coming business leaders of

the future and successful businessowners. Unfortunately, it is clear fromreports like that by the CharteredManagement Institute (CMI) andWomen in Management (2011) that agender pay gap still exists and womenremain under-represented at thehighest levels of management inmany sectors of industry.

It is important therefore that wehelp build the confidence of femalegraduates, and all those who are set-ting out in business, through celeb-rating the achievements of womenwho have succeeded.

T hat’s why UWE Bristol is de-lighted to once again be the title spon-sor of the Bristol and Bath Women inBusiness Awards in 2015.

In addition to addressing inequal-ities in the workplace, it is essential torecognise the women make a vitalfinancial and non-financial contribu-tion to this region’s economy. Thevalue that having diverse manage-ment teams can bring to businesses inhelping to identify and meet the needsof all customers should not beu n d e r- e s t i m at e d .

It is also clear that successful or-ganisations are generally thosewhere a variety of leadership stylesare used to motivate and manage theworkforce. The Women in Businessawards are a great opportunity torecognise the enormous contributionthat women in business makethroughout this region.

In achieving their career goals re-search shows that men and womenvalue different types of professionaldevelopment. Whilst both sexesidentify business school and profes-sional qualifications as being themost effective career developmentmechanism, women tend to placegreater value on coaching, mentoringand peer support. At UWE we areinvolved in a number of activitieswhich help to support women in avariety of businesses and law firms, afew examples being a funded projecton mentoring women in aerospace

businesses, helping to develop ProjectYou, a peer support network forwomen in corporate roles, and con-tributing to the development of fe-male entrepreneurs in collaborationwith Bristol Woman magazine. It isgood to see that female business andlaw students too have set up their ownpeer support networks with assist-ance from tutors.

There are of course a wide varietyof other peer support networks forwomen in the Bristol and Bath areaand I would encourage female lead-ers, managers and entrepreneurs toaccess these. In my experience thesharing of ideas and practical tips, aswell as the opportunity to meet withlike-minded women and create con-

tacts, is essential in helping women todevelop the confidence to realise theirfull potential.

At the recent Bristol Connectedevent, for instance, it was inspiring tohear about the development of theinnovative Blue Badge Company andthe journey of its Company DirectorEllen Green.

One of the most enjoyable aspects oflast year’s Women in Businessawards was the way in which womenfrom a wide variety of business back-grounds came together to supporteach other and recognise each other’scontributions. I am very much look-ing forward to this year’s event andthe opportunity to celebrate somegreat local businesswomen.

ONCE again the Print andPromotions Company (PPc)are lending their support tothe Bristol and BathWomen in Business

Aw a rd s.The Print and Promotions Com-

pany, a Bristol based business, issponsoring the Woman of the Yearaw a rd .

The category will recognise awoman who made a significant per-sonal contribution to an establishedcompany through either expansionor through launching a new productor service.

PPc specialises in the printing ofeverything from paper products – of-fice stationary, booklets, flyers etc – topromotional items.

The firm’s promotional range is asextensive as your imagination with

products to suit every budget.PPc are a preferred supplier to the

Conservative Party at a national andlocal level.

The company is also able to providea full direct mail service, including avariety of stationary, data handlingand sorting. Direct mail is availablefor promotional items as well.”

Award recognises significant personal contribution

� PPC with London Mayor Boris Johnson

Sponsor profile

Opinion

� THERE are just days left to enterthis year’s Bristol and Bath Womenin Business Awards.

Nominations close this Friday,January 16. But it’s not too late asthe entry process is simple and canbe completed online atw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t . c o . u k / w i b a .

This year’s categories are:

Woman of the Year, sponsored byPPC: A woman who has made asignificant personal contribution tothe success of the establishedcompany they run or in which theyare employed.

Young Entrepreneur of the Year:A woman who has made asignificant contribution to thecompany they run, in which theyare employed or the organisationthey have been promoted or fasttracked within.

Mentor of the Year: The womanwho has demonstrated the skills ofbeing a mentor to male or femaleemployees, who has gone the extramile in supporting a colleague orbusiness and has made adifference to their life or business.

Contribution to the Community,sponsored by The Mall CribbsCauseway: The woman who candemonstrate the difference she hasmade to their community and/orBristol and Bath over the last year(from Jan 1 2014 to Jan 1 2015).

Women in the Workplace Award:A company which hasdemonstrated a flexibility andadaptability to the employment ofwomen.

New Business of the Year,sponsored by Your Street GiftC a rd s : Open to all businesses thathave started trading since January2013 and principal trading base isin Bristol or Bath with eitherwoman/women owners or a femalehead of the company.

Business of the Year: This awardwill go to the profitable businessthat either has a female owner/s ora high percentage of females on thesenior management team.

Award for Innovation: A businessthat has introduced a new product,process, invention, idea, or designthat has made a significantcontribution to the business andhas a female owner/s or a highpercentage of females on the seniormanagement team.

Marketing Campaign of the Year:An organisation that hascommunicated effectively with itstarget audience (internal or external)over the past year, either as part ofan ongoing programme or a one-offcampaign.

Female Apprentice of the Year,sponsored by Crest Nicholson: Afemale apprentice who can showthe impact she has had on theorganisation she works for, as wellevidence of personal developmentand progression.

Outstanding Contribution toBusiness in Bristol and Bath,sponsored by UWE: Thebusinesswoman who, in the opinionof the judges, has made aconsiderable, profitable and lastingcontribution to business in Bristoland Bath. This category is not openfor submissions but handpicked bythe judges.

Last chance toenter awards asdeadline looms

� FionaJ o rd a nspeaking atBristolConnected,the Post’sre g u l a rbusinessnetworkingevent.

SPONSORED BY

Fiona JordanAssociate dean external engagement,UWE Bristol

Let ’s celebrate local success

� The panel at the event, from left, Cllr Tim Ball, Thangam Debbonaire, Gavin Thompson, James Durie and Cllr Matthew Riddle; and attendees networkingPhotos: Dan Regan

in association with

EPB-

E01-

S3

12 We d n e s d a y, January 14, 2015w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

� Elmtree Garden Contractors inPilning took a major prize at theBritish Association of LandscapeIndustries National LandscapeAwards 2014 in association withHorticulture Week. The awards arefor landscape designers andcontractors who have demonstratedexceptionally high standards ofprofessionalism and skill.

The company won a BALIPrincipal Award for its Crest

Nicholson project at BristolHarbourside Building 4 andMillenium Promenade in theSoft Landscaping(non-domestic) cost under£300,000 category.

Former MP Michael Portillohosted the ceremony and

presented the award to

The back page

Pe o p l e� Andrews, the Keynsham- basedproperty group has made twoappointments to the board.

Paul Bumford joinsfrom Legal &

General tobecomemanagingdirector ofthe group’sfinancialservices

business. Hebrings with him

over 30 years’experience and a

career that coversstints with TSB

Trust CompanyandCountrywide.

Paul said:“Theopportunity

was one Isimply couldn’t

ignore. I’vealready presented

myfive-year plan to the managementteam and at its heart is a vision toensure that all our departmentswork together to understand thevalue and needs of each and everyone of our clients.”

Paul assumes the role from ChrisChapman, a veteran with 33 years’service at the firm, Chris has movedto take on leadership of theAndrews estate agents branchnetwork; land and new homesbusiness; and the company’s Fine &Country operations in Bath, Bristol,Cheltenham and Oxfordshire.

He said: “I’ve had a wonderfulexperience over the last 17 yearsleading the financial servicesbusiness here at Andrews, but tohave a new challenge ahead issomething I’m very much lookingforward to.”

� Housebuilder Redcliffe Homeshas appointed Mandy Parker as thenew sales and marketingco-ordinator at itsheadquarters inChipping Sodbury.

Mandy comes toRedcliffe Homesafter 16 years inCrest Nicholson’sSouth West salesteam.

Lorraine Kendrick,R e d c l i ff e ’s marketingand sales manager, said:“We are delighted towelcome Mandy on board – she’s abrilliant team-player with greatcommunications and organisationalskills.

Mandy added: “My newcolleagues have made me sowelcome, and it’s great to know thatmy sales experience is of real valueto the team. We are building avariety of schemes in Wiltshire,Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire andMonmouthshire, so no two days arethe same – and I love it!”

In her spare time Mandy is a keensalsa dancer, drawing inspirationfrom the colourful moves of theCaribbean, where she has holidayedregularly since the mid 90s.

� An in-house health and safetyadvisor has been appointed at agrowing Bristol propertymanagement agency.

Maxine Matthews has joinedDownend- based BNS PropertyManagement where shewill oversee the healthand safety practisesof all 230 blocksmanaged by thefirm across theSouth West.

Maxine, 36,said: “I am reallylooking forward togetting stuck in tomy new role at BNS.

KPMG revealed as anchor tenant

THE anchor tenant for a majorcity centre office develop-ment has been revealed.KPMG – one of the ‘big four’accountancy firms – has

agreed to let most of the 66 QueenSquare development due to be readyin the summer.

The project, part new-build andpart refurbishment of a period build-ing, was one of the first speculativeoffice developments in Bristol sincethe recession.

Alex Jordan, leasing director atdeveloper Skanska, said: “We are de-lighted that KPMG will be the maintenant for our first UK commercialdevelopment project in Bristol.

“As developers working with ourown construction team, we have beenable to adapt the design of the build-ing to fit with the needs of our tenant,while securing the longest lease inthe city in recent years.”

The professional services firm has

agreed a 15-year lease for the first,second and third floors and part ofthe ground floor, filling 52,000 squarefeet (4,831 sq m) of the 61,000 sq ft(5,667 sq m) Grade A office building.

Phil Cotton, Bristol office seniorpartner and South regional chair-man at KPMG, said: “This significant

investment underscores our commit-ment to Bristol and the importance ofthe city to our business.

“We have achieved continued suc-cess and growth in our marketplace,adding £17 million to our incomeover the last two years, and I ampleased to be able to plough these

profits back into the business andinvest in new flagship premises inBristol.

“Our new office in Queen Squarewill provide our colleagues and cli-ents with top quality office spaceequipped with the latest technologyand located in the heart of the city.”

Queen Square is the traditionalheart of the city’s professional ser-vices district. Number 66 integrates agrade two listed Georgian terracewithin the new building, aiming tocombine historic elegance with mod-ern, efficient office accommodationand fantastic views over the square.

The building incorporates sustain-able features for long-term energyefficiency, including photovoltaicpanels, a high-performance buildingfabric, LED lighting and water-sav-ing fittings to meet BREEAM Ex-cellent and an EPC A rating.

There is just 9,000 sq ft (836 sq m)still available to let, comprising 3,000sq ft (279 sq m) on both the groundand fourth floors, in addition to aself-contained 3,000 sq ft unit frontingQueen Square.

Alder King and JLL are lettingagents for the scheme.


The role itself is huge, ensuring thesafety of over 230 apartment blocks,gated communities, housing estates

and new build developmentsacross the South West but I’m

excited to get started.“In the past BNS has

outsourced their health andsafety consultancy so I willbe the first advisor to jointhe team internally. It will begreat to carve out the role

along with the directorsAndrew and Ian and create a

structure which will benefit theresidents. I’m also really excited tobe joining such a forward thinkingbusiness which is growing in sizeand reputation in the area.”

S u ccess

managing director Paul Lynch,contracts director Marcus Bird andCrest Nicholson regenerationmanaging director Debbie Aplin.

Eve n ts� Food Connections festival will beback for its second year betweenMay 1 and 9 and businesses arebeing invited to get involved.

Last year 185,000 peopleattended more than 200 events.

James Durie, director of BusinessWest Chamber & Initiative, said: “Weare proud to be involved in FoodConnections 2015. We encouragefood and non-food businesses andemployers small to large to comeforward and offer their support andget involved so that they too canmake the most of the opportunity toreach a wide audience of peopleinterested in food, drink,sustainability and healthy futures.”

Applications for events closetomorrow, January 15.

Tre n d s� Despite some concerns of aslowdown in the economy at theend of 2014, two new reports painta more positive picture.

The seasonally adjusted LloydsBank Commercial Banking SouthWest Business Activity Indexsignalled a further strong rise inprivate sector output at the end of2014. The Index was little-changedfrom November’s 55.3, at 55.0,broadly in line with the figure for theUK as a whole and indicative of asharp rate of expansion.

Activity has now risen for 21consecutive months, although, on aquarterly basis the rate of growth inQ4 was the slowest since Q2 2013.

Meanwhile, the latest BusinessTrends report by Bristol-basedaccountants and business advisersBDO LLP found firms expect togrow in the first half of 2015.

Your digest of the week in business

In numbers

Business currentaccounts

Petrol prices

1.01%£10,000 deposit

0.25%£1 deposit

State Bankof India

Corporation tax

21 %20 %Main rate

Small profitsrate – below

£300,000

108 .9 1Unleaded

116 .1 1Diesel

119 .74 pSuperunleaded

62 .21pLPG

Source: PetrolPrices.com

Business savingsaccounts

1.49%£10,000 deposit

1.9%£1,000 deposit

State Bankof India

Inflation (CPI)

0.5 %

Weekly earnings

1.8 %Base interest rate

0.5 %Ave mortgage rate

3.99 %

S o u rc e :

Secure TrustBank

Inflation (RPI)

1.6 %

D eve l o p m e n t

� How the 66 Queen Square development could look

� Elmtree team with Michael Portillo

Business 14 January 2015

Documents

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