Business 23 October 2013

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Businesswww.bristolpost.co.uk

232013OCT

THOUGHTFOR FOODFrom starters to desserts and drinks, thefood and drink industry is worth billions tothe South West

FOOD & DRINK SPECIAL

SPECIAL OFFER

Get 2-for-1 tickets for the BristolHome, Food and Drink Festival

LEARNING CURVE

Students bring accommodationboom to Bristol

PIONEER PRIZE

Finalists named for SouthWest Green Energy Awards

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2 We d n e s d a y, October 23, 2013 3We d n e s d a y, October 23, 2013 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

� Docmail cyclists have delivered their 500,000th letter

CYCLISTS working for aneco-friendly business-postservice have delivered their500,000th letter. DocmailLocal Post has been op-

erating since September 2011 inBristol and Bath, offering busi-nesses within the postcodes ofthe two cities an alternative toRoyal Mail.

Docmail offers secure, bi-cycle-based collection and delivery.Delivery is in less than two days. Thecost is less than the price of a second-classs t a m p.

The firm was set up by Radstock-based printfirm CFH when it spotted the opportunity fora rival postal service, operating locally.

It started as a trial in a storage unit inBristol in September 2011, after Royal Mailannounced price increases of around 13 percent.

Since then Docmail has developed into athriving local delivery service, setting up per-manent delivery offices in Bristol and Bath.

Last November, CFH acquired a print firmin Slough to facilitate its roll-out of the Doc-mail service in the Berkshire town.

The company also has plans to acquire

other small print companies and introduceDocmail into cities and towns around the UKincluding Glasgow, Edinburgh, Reading,Swindon and Cardiff.

Docmail has been shortlisted for two awardsthis year.

These are Environmental Achievementof the Year in the Postal Technology

International Awards 2013 – upagainst global postal giants likeSpanish firm Correos – and asecond Environmental Award inthe Bath Business Awards.

Its 14 cyclists in Bristol andBath are delivering between

20,000 and 25,000 pieces of maileach month.The delivery workers, all cycling

enthusiasts, include a 55-year-oldformer banker as well as a 21-year-old BMX

rider. On average they each cover 25 miles ad ay.

Postal services director Joseph Broadway,p i c t u re d , son of CFH managing director DaveBroadway, said: “Looking back at where westarted two years ago it is amazing to see howfar we have come.

“It is a real milestone to have delivered halfa million letters.

“We now deliver mail for all kinds of or-ganisations from small, independent busi-nesses and charities to NHS services and localcouncils, and we continue to grow at a fastpace. Our next stop will be the millionm a rk . ”

� Buildingengineeringservices specialistS h e p h e rdEngineeringServices hasrelocated intobigger premisesat Aztec West;above, regionaloperationsmanager NickCox

CommunicationsBuilding engineering

Big order book means bigger base

BUILDING engineering ser-vices specialist ShepherdEngineering Services hasrelocated into biggerpremises in Bristol after see-

ing the business grow across theSouth West.

The company has a secured anorder book of approximately£25 million for 2013-14 and expectsthis to rise by a further 10 per cent.

The company’s South West region-al operation has moved from 1,050 sqft into 2,600 sq feet of office space atAztec West Business Park to accom-modate a workforce which has grownfrom eight to 30 in the past threeye a r s.

This includes several student train-ee engineers who will be attendingBath Technical College to obtaintheir qualifications in professionalbuilding services.

SES operates UK-wide, providingmechanical and electrical engineer-ing solutions within the constructions e c t o r.

The company, which has itsheadquarters in York, established itsregional base in Bristol in April 2010and has since expanded its presenceacross the South West.

The growing order book has in-cluded a number of high-profile pro-jects such as the £15.5 millionmechanical and electrical contractwith Miller Construction to deliverthe building services for Avon andSomerset police, comprising the pro-vision of mechanical and electricalservices across four new facilities.

SES predicts turnover could grow

by a further 10 per cent in the coming12 months as the construction sectorcontinues to revive, and the companycapitalises on its technical capabilityin handling highly-complex projects.

Nick Cox, SES regional operationsmanager, said: “This relocation rep-resents our continued commitmentto the South West’s regional oper-at i o n s.

“It allows us to better serve ourclient base and take advantage ofbusiness aspirations and sustainablegrowth in the area.

“Our strategy has been to scru-tinise the market carefully andtender for the more technically-de-manding projects that require great-er planning and collaboration. Thishas paid dividends and hasstrengthened our presence across theSouth West.

“Already we have secured around36 per cent of our projected turnover

for 2014-15, equivalent to approxim-ately £9 million of business.

“There definitely seems to be moreoptimism out there, not only in theBristol area but across the SouthWest region as a whole.

“For instance, we are seeing somegreat and significant tender oppor-tunities coming in now for workstarting next year and in 2015 withinexisting and emerging sectors, in-cluding defence, healthcare, commer-cial and higher education, whichshows a growing confidence in them a rke t p l a c e. ”

Mail company postsimpressive figuresRupert [email protected]

ON THE MOVE

BUSINESS NEWS Our reporters file on themove, and you can keep up to date out andabout via the mobile versions of our website

bristolpost.co.uk/business

Best deals - How the numbers stack upBusiness currentaccounts

National averagepetrol prices

1.01%£10,000 deposit

0.25%£1 deposit

Allied IrishBank

0.05%£500 deposit

Bank ofIndia

0.1%£25,000 deposit

0.05%£1 deposit

Corporation tax

Employer NI rates

23 %20 %

Main rate

Small profitsrate – below

£300,000

13 . 8%Standard rate on

earnings above£148 per week

10 .4%Employees ins a l a r y - re l a t e d

pension schemeearning up £770 p/w

131 .94 pUnleaded

138 .9 1 pDiesel

140 .57pSuper

unleaded

69 .9 5 pLPG

Source: PetrolPrices.com

Business savingsaccounts

1.75%£1,000 deposit

1.49%£10.000 deposit

1.55%£500 deposit

Bank ofIndia

1.45%£10,000 deposit

Bank ofCyprus

MeltonMowbray BS

1.2%£1,000 deposit

Inflation

2.7 %Weekly earnings

0.5 %Base interest rate

0.5 %Ave mortgage rate

3.99 %Source: Business Moneyfacts - moneyfacts.co.uk

CPI

Unity TrustBank

United TrustBank

1.5%£500 deposit

United TrustBank

0.12%£1 deposit

CooperativeBank

Cambridge andCounties

Rupert [email protected]

Property managers switch to green power supplierE n e rg y

Assistant Editor (Business)Gavin Thompson

Call 0117 934 3336Email gavin.thompson

@b-nm.co.ukTwitter @gavin_thompson1

Get in touch

Writer Rupert JanischEmail [email protected]

Advertising RobertRodgerson

Call07828 941469Email ro b e r t . ro d g e r s o n

@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising JaneChapmanCall 01179 343025Email [email protected]

Advertising SimonCoy Media Sales

Executive - BusinessCall 07736 900 705.

Email [email protected]

� A DOWNEND-based propertymanagement business has made the switchto a new energy supplier.

BNS Management Services has signed adeal with Ecotricity, a green electricitysupplier based up the M5 in Stroud.

BNS director Andrew Simmonds said themove marked a change in the way the 185apartment blocks it manages in the regionwold be powered.

“We are constantly striving to find thevery best local suppliers and packages forour customers and our deal with Ecotricityis the latest way in which we have beentirelessly working behind the scenes tooffer the best services to our blocks,” hesaid.

BNS Management Services is based inDownend and offers different levels ofservice for large and small properties.

Fourth strong yearfor advice group

BUSINESS and financial adviserGrant Thornton has recorded itsfourth successive year of strongperformance, with turnover up 13per cent to £471 million.

The growth for the year endingJune 2013 comes on the back ofdouble digit performance in theprevious year and puts GrantThornton in reach of achieving its2015 revenue target of £500 millionone year early.

This growth was driven in largepart by continued strengthening ofthe advisory practice, which grew by21.2 per cent.

The firm, which has a major officein Bristol, saw its audit practiceimprove by 9.2 per cent whilstturnover from its tax offering re-mained broadly flat.

Distributable profits increased sixper cent over the period, albeit theaverage profit per partner rose by 4.2per cent due to the continued in-vestment in new partners, with 25new partners or directors pro-moted.

The firm’s total contribution tothe Exchequer in respect of all taxeswas £161.8 million, with an averagerate of tax paid per partner on thisyear's profits estimated at 42.5 percent.

John Golding, managing partnerat Grant Thornton in the SouthWest, said: “The past 12 monthshas seen the successful integrationof 65 new staff from the formerAudit Commission in our publicsector assurance practice, which isnow the largest of any firm in there gion.”

Scott Barnes, chief executive of-ficer, Grant Thornton UK LLP said:“During the past five years, we’vepursued a very deliberate strategy ofinvesting in those parts of ourbusiness where we could take mar-ket leading positions – such as in thepublic sector audit and financialservices space – along with re-inforcing our strengths in our coremid-market segment.”

F i n a n ceBusiness park’striple success

Lett i n g s

A BUSINESS park in EastBristol has secured a hat-trickof new lettings, with more inthe pipeline.

Corum Office Park inWarmley, has seen a flurry ofa c t iv i t y.

South GloucestershirePrimary Healthcare Trust istaking the second floor of theCorum Two building,totalling 5,152 square feet,while Avon & Wiltshire Part-nership is expanding on theground floor from its 2,000square feet up to 3,000t.

AndGCP Architects has ac-quired 2,080 square feet on thefirst floor.

Corum Two is athree-storey building totalling15,400 square feet, set in alandscaped environment offthe A4174 Avon Ring Road,mid way between EmersonsGreen Village and LongwellG re e n .

Martin Booth, partner atKnight Frank which advisedlandlord Warmley LLP, said:“A proactive approach and

realistic rent expectations bythe landlord have quickly ledto significant interest frommajor organisations.

“The quality of Corum Of-fice Park is head andshoulders above its compet-ition on the east side of Bristoland the landlord’s flexibilityis paying big dividends.”

There is 1,101 sq ft of officespace left available to let.

� CorumOffice Parkin Warmley

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� Docmail cyclists have delivered their 500,000th letter

CYCLISTS working for aneco-friendly business-postservice have delivered their500,000th letter. DocmailLocal Post has been op-

erating since September 2011 inBristol and Bath, offering busi-nesses within the postcodes ofthe two cities an alternative toRoyal Mail.

Docmail offers secure, bi-cycle-based collection and delivery.Delivery is in less than two days. Thecost is less than the price of a second-classs t a m p.

The firm was set up by Radstock-based printfirm CFH when it spotted the opportunity fora rival postal service, operating locally.

It started as a trial in a storage unit inBristol in September 2011, after Royal Mailannounced price increases of around 13 percent.

Since then Docmail has developed into athriving local delivery service, setting up per-manent delivery offices in Bristol and Bath.

Last November, CFH acquired a print firmin Slough to facilitate its roll-out of the Doc-mail service in the Berkshire town.

The company also has plans to acquire

other small print companies and introduceDocmail into cities and towns around the UKincluding Glasgow, Edinburgh, Reading,Swindon and Cardiff.

Docmail has been shortlisted for two awardsthis year.

These are Environmental Achievementof the Year in the Postal Technology

International Awards 2013 – upagainst global postal giants likeSpanish firm Correos – and asecond Environmental Award inthe Bath Business Awards.

Its 14 cyclists in Bristol andBath are delivering between

20,000 and 25,000 pieces of maileach month.The delivery workers, all cycling

enthusiasts, include a 55-year-oldformer banker as well as a 21-year-old BMX

rider. On average they each cover 25 miles ad ay.

Postal services director Joseph Broadway,p i c t u re d , son of CFH managing director DaveBroadway, said: “Looking back at where westarted two years ago it is amazing to see howfar we have come.

“It is a real milestone to have delivered halfa million letters.

“We now deliver mail for all kinds of or-ganisations from small, independent busi-nesses and charities to NHS services and localcouncils, and we continue to grow at a fastpace. Our next stop will be the millionm a rk . ”

� Buildingengineeringservices specialistS h e p h e rdEngineeringServices hasrelocated intobigger premisesat Aztec West;above, regionaloperationsmanager NickCox

CommunicationsBuilding engineering

Big order book means bigger base

BUILDING engineering ser-vices specialist ShepherdEngineering Services hasrelocated into biggerpremises in Bristol after see-

ing the business grow across theSouth West.

The company has a secured anorder book of approximately£25 million for 2013-14 and expectsthis to rise by a further 10 per cent.

The company’s South West region-al operation has moved from 1,050 sqft into 2,600 sq feet of office space atAztec West Business Park to accom-modate a workforce which has grownfrom eight to 30 in the past threeye a r s.

This includes several student train-ee engineers who will be attendingBath Technical College to obtaintheir qualifications in professionalbuilding services.

SES operates UK-wide, providingmechanical and electrical engineer-ing solutions within the constructions e c t o r.

The company, which has itsheadquarters in York, established itsregional base in Bristol in April 2010and has since expanded its presenceacross the South West.

The growing order book has in-cluded a number of high-profile pro-jects such as the £15.5 millionmechanical and electrical contractwith Miller Construction to deliverthe building services for Avon andSomerset police, comprising the pro-vision of mechanical and electricalservices across four new facilities.

SES predicts turnover could grow

by a further 10 per cent in the coming12 months as the construction sectorcontinues to revive, and the companycapitalises on its technical capabilityin handling highly-complex projects.

Nick Cox, SES regional operationsmanager, said: “This relocation rep-resents our continued commitmentto the South West’s regional oper-at i o n s.

“It allows us to better serve ourclient base and take advantage ofbusiness aspirations and sustainablegrowth in the area.

“Our strategy has been to scru-tinise the market carefully andtender for the more technically-de-manding projects that require great-er planning and collaboration. Thishas paid dividends and hasstrengthened our presence across theSouth West.

“Already we have secured around36 per cent of our projected turnover

for 2014-15, equivalent to approxim-ately £9 million of business.

“There definitely seems to be moreoptimism out there, not only in theBristol area but across the SouthWest region as a whole.

“For instance, we are seeing somegreat and significant tender oppor-tunities coming in now for workstarting next year and in 2015 withinexisting and emerging sectors, in-cluding defence, healthcare, commer-cial and higher education, whichshows a growing confidence in them a rke t p l a c e. ”

Mail company postsimpressive figuresRupert [email protected]

ON THE MOVE

BUSINESS NEWS Our reporters file on themove, and you can keep up to date out andabout via the mobile versions of our website

bristolpost.co.uk/business

Best deals - How the numbers stack upBusiness currentaccounts

National averagepetrol prices

1.01%£10,000 deposit

0.25%£1 deposit

Allied IrishBank

0.05%£500 deposit

Bank ofIndia

0.1%£25,000 deposit

0.05%£1 deposit

Corporation tax

Employer NI rates

23 %20 %

Main rate

Small profitsrate – below

£300,000

13 . 8%Standard rate on

earnings above£148 per week

10 .4%Employees ins a l a r y - re l a t e d

pension schemeearning up £770 p/w

131 .94 pUnleaded

138 .9 1 pDiesel

140 .57pSuper

unleaded

69 .9 5 pLPG

Source: PetrolPrices.com

Business savingsaccounts

1.75%£1,000 deposit

1.49%£10.000 deposit

1.55%£500 deposit

Bank ofIndia

1.45%£10,000 deposit

Bank ofCyprus

MeltonMowbray BS

1.2%£1,000 deposit

Inflation

2.7 %Weekly earnings

0.5 %Base interest rate

0.5 %Ave mortgage rate

3.99 %Source: Business Moneyfacts - moneyfacts.co.uk

CPI

Unity TrustBank

United TrustBank

1.5%£500 deposit

United TrustBank

0.12%£1 deposit

CooperativeBank

Cambridge andCounties


Property managers switch to green power supplierE n e rg y

Assistant Editor (Business)Gavin Thompson

Call 0117 934 3336Email gavin.thompson

@b-nm.co.ukTwitter @gavin_thompson1

Get in touch

Writer Rupert JanischEmail [email protected]

Advertising RobertRodgerson

Call07828 941469Email ro b e r t . ro d g e r s o n

@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising JaneChapmanCall 01179 343025Email [email protected]

Advertising SimonCoy Media Sales

Executive - BusinessCall 07736 900 705.

Email [email protected]

� A DOWNEND-based propertymanagement business has made the switchto a new energy supplier.

BNS Management Services has signed adeal with Ecotricity, a green electricitysupplier based up the M5 in Stroud.

BNS director Andrew Simmonds said themove marked a change in the way the 185apartment blocks it manages in the regionwold be powered.

“We are constantly striving to find thevery best local suppliers and packages forour customers and our deal with Ecotricityis the latest way in which we have beentirelessly working behind the scenes tooffer the best services to our blocks,” hesaid.

BNS Management Services is based inDownend and offers different levels ofservice for large and small properties.

Fourth strong yearfor advice group

BUSINESS and financial adviserGrant Thornton has recorded itsfourth successive year of strongperformance, with turnover up 13per cent to £471 million.

The growth for the year endingJune 2013 comes on the back ofdouble digit performance in theprevious year and puts GrantThornton in reach of achieving its2015 revenue target of £500 millionone year early.

This growth was driven in largepart by continued strengthening ofthe advisory practice, which grew by21.2 per cent.

The firm, which has a major officein Bristol, saw its audit practiceimprove by 9.2 per cent whilstturnover from its tax offering re-mained broadly flat.

Distributable profits increased sixper cent over the period, albeit theaverage profit per partner rose by 4.2per cent due to the continued in-vestment in new partners, with 25new partners or directors pro-moted.

The firm’s total contribution tothe Exchequer in respect of all taxeswas £161.8 million, with an averagerate of tax paid per partner on thisyear's profits estimated at 42.5 percent.

John Golding, managing partnerat Grant Thornton in the SouthWest, said: “The past 12 monthshas seen the successful integrationof 65 new staff from the formerAudit Commission in our publicsector assurance practice, which isnow the largest of any firm in there gion.”

Scott Barnes, chief executive of-ficer, Grant Thornton UK LLP said:“During the past five years, we’vepursued a very deliberate strategy ofinvesting in those parts of ourbusiness where we could take mar-ket leading positions – such as in thepublic sector audit and financialservices space – along with re-inforcing our strengths in our coremid-market segment.”

F i n a n ceBusiness park’striple success

Lett i n g s

A BUSINESS park in EastBristol has secured a hat-trickof new lettings, with more inthe pipeline.

Corum Office Park inWarmley, has seen a flurry ofa c t iv i t y.

South GloucestershirePrimary Healthcare Trust istaking the second floor of theCorum Two building,totalling 5,152 square feet,while Avon & Wiltshire Part-nership is expanding on theground floor from its 2,000square feet up to 3,000t.

AndGCP Architects has ac-quired 2,080 square feet on thefirst floor.

Corum Two is athree-storey building totalling15,400 square feet, set in alandscaped environment offthe A4174 Avon Ring Road,mid way between EmersonsGreen Village and LongwellG re e n .

Martin Booth, partner atKnight Frank which advisedlandlord Warmley LLP, said:“A proactive approach and

realistic rent expectations bythe landlord have quickly ledto significant interest frommajor organisations.

“The quality of Corum Of-fice Park is head andshoulders above its compet-ition on the east side of Bristoland the landlord’s flexibilityis paying big dividends.”

There is 1,101 sq ft of officespace left available to let.

� CorumOffice Parkin Warmley

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Proper ty

THE student-accommodationmarket is booming in Bristol.While once students wereseen as hard-up, now they arebig business. Work has star-

ted on a £6.2 million project in An-chor Road. Colston Tower is beingconverted into luxury flats – and all132 have been sold to investors in justseven weeks.

And Bristol-based student-accom-modation firm Unite has just issued a£90 million bond offering to help fundthe student-property building pro-gramme for the coming years.

It is also in the process of devel-oping the former ice rink inTrenchard Street in a £20 millionp ro j e c t .

Student numbers in the city haverisen to 45,000, yet there are only13,000 student beds in Bristol.

And with students paying higherprices for a better standard of ac-commodation, there is profit to bem a d e.

George Griffith, associate directorat CBRE Bristol, said: “Bristol con-tinues to be one of the mostsought-after destinations for under-graduates for many reasons, one ofwhich being the variety of accom-modation that is available.

“There is evidence that there is stillplenty of demand for top-of-the-rangestudent accommodation, especiallyas students, and their parents, be-come more demanding about thequality and type of accommodationthat they seek.”

The 4,250 sq m Anchor Road site,known as Harbour Court, is beingbuilt by Midas Construction forPrime Student Living, part of theCrosslane Group.

It boasts a Harbourside locationwithin walking distance of the Uni-versity of Bristol campus.

It will comprise some studio apart-ments and other cluster accommod-ation with three to five bedroomssharing a kitchen.

Derek Quinn, executive director atMidas Construction, said: “This is amajor development in a prime loc-ation and we are really pleased to beunder way.

“We won the £6.2 million contractdue to our innovative approach

which saved in excess of £300,000 forthe client and reduced the envisagedconstruction period by approxim-ately four months.”

Jon Stewart, director at CrosslaneGroup, said: “There is a huge demandfor affordable, secure and convenientstudent accommodation in Bristol.

“Harbour Court is exceptionallywell placed not only for the universitybut also for all the amenities thatmake student life easier and moree n j oyabl e.

“For our investors, it delivers ex-cellent growth potential and the

sought-after exposure to a key uni-versity city.”

Vita Student is behind the ColstonTower project, which is due to beready in 2014.

The company, founded last year,has been acquiring land around theprestigious Russell Group universityc i t i e s.

The apartments each haveflat-screen televisions, free broad-band, fitted kitchen and en-suiteb at h ro o m .

Chief executive Trevor Moore said:“Investor requirement for student

Investors snap up student flats

� Left, theinterior of Vitastudents’accommodation;below, thestudent flatsbeingdeveloped inAnchor Road,Bristol, calledHarbour Court,by PrimeStudent Living

D es i g n

Ski-chalet projectscoops top award

ASMALL Barrow Gurney design com-pany is on an upward curve afterwinning an award for a ski-chaletproject. Inspired Design won the In-ternational Hotel and Property

Aw a rd s ’ ski hotel or chalet category for itswork in Val d’Isere, the posh French ski resortclose to the Italian border.

Designer Nicola O’Mara said: “It was such asurprise to win this prestigious design award,especially as it was voted for by fellow pro-f e s s i o n a l s.

“And as one of the smaller companies on theshortlist, we are thrilled to have won.”

The project involved the complete interiordesign of a luxury new ski apartment in thecentre of Val d’I s e re.

The brief was to create a contemporary yetcomfortable and individual alpine home,using tactile, textural materials – and avoid-ing a typical, twee Alpine look.

Nicola and John Merriman planned everyaspect of the space, function and style of eachroom in minute detail.

Carefully-designed ceiling beams and tim-ber walls helped to conceal a soft and delicatelighting system and a sophisticated soundsystem. Natural oak, slate and dark woodswere used in conjunction with sleek glass andmetal, contrasting with rich, textural fabricssuch as tweed and wool.

As well as a cinema, office space, sauna andsteam room, apres-ski area, breakfast areaand formal dining area, en-suite bedroomswere designed to accommodate visitors andfamilies with children.

A MOBILE app manufacturer basedin Clifton has been shortlisted forfour top industry awards this year.

Mubaloo, which has offices inQ u e e n’s Avenue near Clifton Tri-angle, will find out during the end ofOctober and mid-November whetherit has picked up victories at the Na-tional Business Awards, the UK ITAwards, the Growing BusinessAwards and the Appster Awards.

It promises to be a busy few weeksfor Mark Mason, who foundedMubaloo in 2009 and now employs 50staff, 45 of whom are in Bristol withthe rest in London.

His company designs and createsapps and since opening has deliveredmore than 160 products for a diverse

range of clients including celebritychef Jamie Oliver, gym chain DavidLloyd and the BBC.

Mubaloo is working on the nextgeneration of apps that make themost of fast mobile broadband.

First up for the firm is the GrowingBusiness Awards, which are now intheir 15th year and highlight some ofthe country’s most exciting, innov-ative and high-growth firms.

Following the first awards cere-mony, which takes place at the Lon-don Marriott Hotel, GrosvenorSquare tonight, the team at Mubaloowill attend events on November 12, 13and 14.

They are nominated for the Busi-ness Enabler prize at the National

Business Awards, for the Best MobileApp at the UK IT Awards, facingcompetition from the likes of VirginMedia, Network Rail and Telefonica,as well as two prizes at the AppsterAw a rd s.

Mr Mason said: “We believe awardsare an important recognition for thestrides we are making and they provethe quality of the work that we aredoing. We are one of the most re-spected app developers in the UK andthese nominations, which will hope-fully turn into wins, demonstratet h at .

“We have 50 staff, most of whom arein Bristol, and these are a great re-wards for all the hard work they haveput in this year.”

Te c h n o l o g y

Mobile app manufacturer in line for four top industry awards

� Mark Mason of Mubaloo

� Nicola O’Maraand her designsfor the ski chalet

Relaxing environmentfor dementia patients� AWARD-winning Bristol architectO’Leary Goss has converted ahospital ward in Bath into a holisticenvironment for dementia patients.

And Health Minister NormanLamb has toured the £500,000Combe Ward at the Royal UnitedHospital in Bath.

O’Leary Goss has a team of ninestaff in its Redland offices.

The firm’s designs for the RUHaim to help people feel more athome.

There is domestic-feel furniture,wood-effect flooring, a fireplace,living area, natural artwork and eventhe sound of running water andbirdsong in the courtyard.

The use of clear signage, sensitivelighting and a clock – which not onlytells the time but what day it is – a reset to help patients with dementiafeel calmer and safer.

Architect Jenny Goss said: “It hasbeen a really exciting project fundedby the Government as part of HealthCare in a Healing Environment.

“We learnt a lot from working withthe ward staff and the RUH projectteam.

“We chose strong,easily-distinguished wall colours toact as visual keys, so patients canrecognise more effectively wherethey are.

“One of the walls is a picture of abluebell wood.”

O’Leary Goss is set to design asmall cafe and garden for CombeWa rd ’s patients and visitors.

RUH consultant geriatrician DrChris Dyer said: “These changes willoffer substantial improvements tothe quality of life not onlyexperienced by patients withdementia admitted to RUH, but theircarers and our dedicated staff.”

According to latest figures fromthe Alzheimer’s Society there are800,000 people in the UK withdementia, costing the NHS some£23 billion in 2012.

The figures are set to soar aspeople live longer.

D es i g n

Turning point forbusiness parks

� RESEARCH by commercialproperty consultant GVA showsbusiness parks in the South Westare contributing to a positive turningpoint for the UK market.

G VA’s biannual Business Parksreport says that, for the first timesince the downturn, there has beena significant fall in availability acrossthe country and a rise in con-struction activity, marking a positiveshift over the past six months.

UK business park office take-upduring the first half of 2013 totalled2.1m sq ft, 12 per cent above thefive-year six-monthly average of1.9m sq ft.

Aztec West in Bristol saw theSouth West’s largest deals. In thefirst quarter Nvidia took BAM’s30,000sq ft building 930 on a tenyear lease, and Barratt Homes took13,000sq ft at building 710.

Ben O’Connor, associate at GVA’sBristol office, said: “What’s mostencouraging is that the business ofbuilding is back on the agenda andwith market sentiment at a six yearhigh this will only improve, certainlyin the short term.”

The amount of office space underconstruction in UK business parksremains at a low level. But on apositive note, the report hasrecorded the first upturn in activitywithin the last five years.

Proper ty

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Nicola said: “The client now happily lives,works and entertains in his beautiful chaletthroughout the ski season.”

The awards, hosted by interior designmag azine design et al, aim to reward the bestin hospitality, interior design and architec-ture from across the globe, as voted for byindustry professionals and readers, clientsand customers.

Inspired Design works on big and smallprojects from chalets to townhouses, countryhomes to penthouses in the UK and aroundthe world.

Current projects include an interiorsscheme nearby in Chew Magna and a largealpine chalet in Russia.

Nicola said the company, which has beentrading for 12 years and employs one full-timeworker in addition to her and John, is aboutpassion for good design.

She said: “We balance originality and ima-gination with attention to detail and an ob-session with quality craftsmanship.”

Bristol firm advises onworld’s longest busway� BRISTOL law firm VealeWasbrough Vizards has providedthe legal expertise needed to delivera major new transport projectsimilar to the rapid-transit schemesthat are being planned here.

The Luton-Dunstable Busway inBedfordshire has been years in theplanning and took three years tobuild. At 13.4km it is the longesturban busway in the world.

VWV project leader Tim Smitherssaid: “The project has similaritieswith the rapid-transit system that isplanned for Bristol, and we aredelighted to have played our part inkeeping this particular transportscheme on track.”

Transpor t

property like ours is at an all-timehigh.

“We are able to deliver such a highyield (7 per cent) by driving effi-ciencies at every level of the con-struction and operational processwhile in turn generating high rentalreturns from students who are will-ing to pay a premium for the facilitiesand level of service we provide.

“The rate at which all our projectshave sold demonstrates that ourmodel is addressing successfully themarket demand.”

Rather than letting directly to stu-dents, the company sells flats to in-vestors, and then manages theproperty on the investors’ b e h a l f.

The scheme attracted a range ofinvestors from overseas and closer toh o m e.

Carpenter Andrew Smith. fromWales, bought one of the Bristolapar tments.

He said: “I am much more com-fortable investing in property than Iam with stocks or funds as it is amarket with which I am very fa-m i l i a r.

“I found the potential yields in thestudent-accommodation market aremuch greater than in other areas inthe property market.

“With the high number of inter-national students and the drastic un-dersupply of student beds in the citycentre, the proposition in Bristol wastoo good an opportunity to ignore.”

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)[email protected]


*Telephone lines open from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays in England and Wales. Calls may be recorded and monitored for security and trainingpurposes. BT landline calls to 0845 numbers will cost no more than 5 pence per minute. Charges from other service providers may vary and calls from mobiles usuallycost more. Allied Irish Bank (GB) and Allied Irish Bank (GB) Savings Direct are trade marks used under licence by AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. (a wholly owned subsidiary ofAllied Irish Banks, p.l.c.), incorporated in Northern Ireland. Registered Office 4 Queens Square, Belfast BT1 3DJ. Registered Number NI 18800.Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.AIB1BO

Our bank has lent us the capital we need at a goodrate, with no fees. We like dealing with a specialistbusiness bank, especially as our local managerunderstands that owner managed businesses arethe engine of the economy. Here in the engineroom, our business is firing on all cylinders.

Mark Cain, Director, Velvet Central Limited

Visit our website or call 0845 045 0900*

8am-8pm Monday to Friday to contact your local branchJason Fleming, Senior Branch Manager, Bristol branch,19 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PB

“Our bank has£250m to lendowner managedbusinesses... and we’regetting our share.”

Our business is business banking aibgb.co.uk

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Proper ty

THE student-accommodationmarket is booming in Bristol.While once students wereseen as hard-up, now they arebig business. Work has star-

ted on a £6.2 million project in An-chor Road. Colston Tower is beingconverted into luxury flats – and all132 have been sold to investors in justseven weeks.

And Bristol-based student-accom-modation firm Unite has just issued a£90 million bond offering to help fundthe student-property building pro-gramme for the coming years.

It is also in the process of devel-oping the former ice rink inTrenchard Street in a £20 millionp ro j e c t .

Student numbers in the city haverisen to 45,000, yet there are only13,000 student beds in Bristol.

And with students paying higherprices for a better standard of ac-commodation, there is profit to bem a d e.

George Griffith, associate directorat CBRE Bristol, said: “Bristol con-tinues to be one of the mostsought-after destinations for under-graduates for many reasons, one ofwhich being the variety of accom-modation that is available.

“There is evidence that there is stillplenty of demand for top-of-the-rangestudent accommodation, especiallyas students, and their parents, be-come more demanding about thequality and type of accommodationthat they seek.”

The 4,250 sq m Anchor Road site,known as Harbour Court, is beingbuilt by Midas Construction forPrime Student Living, part of theCrosslane Group.

It boasts a Harbourside locationwithin walking distance of the Uni-versity of Bristol campus.

It will comprise some studio apart-ments and other cluster accommod-ation with three to five bedroomssharing a kitchen.

Derek Quinn, executive director atMidas Construction, said: “This is amajor development in a prime loc-ation and we are really pleased to beunder way.

“We won the £6.2 million contractdue to our innovative approach

which saved in excess of £300,000 forthe client and reduced the envisagedconstruction period by approxim-ately four months.”

Jon Stewart, director at CrosslaneGroup, said: “There is a huge demandfor affordable, secure and convenientstudent accommodation in Bristol.

“Harbour Court is exceptionallywell placed not only for the universitybut also for all the amenities thatmake student life easier and moree n j oyabl e.

“For our investors, it delivers ex-cellent growth potential and the

sought-after exposure to a key uni-versity city.”

Vita Student is behind the ColstonTower project, which is due to beready in 2014.

The company, founded last year,has been acquiring land around theprestigious Russell Group universityc i t i e s.

The apartments each haveflat-screen televisions, free broad-band, fitted kitchen and en-suiteb at h ro o m .

Chief executive Trevor Moore said:“Investor requirement for student

Investors snap up student flats

� Left, theinterior of Vitastudents’accommodation;below, thestudent flatsbeingdeveloped inAnchor Road,Bristol, calledHarbour Court,by PrimeStudent Living

D es i g n

Ski-chalet projectscoops top award

ASMALL Barrow Gurney design com-pany is on an upward curve afterwinning an award for a ski-chaletproject. Inspired Design won the In-ternational Hotel and Property

Aw a rd s ’ ski hotel or chalet category for itswork in Val d’Isere, the posh French ski resortclose to the Italian border.

Designer Nicola O’Mara said: “It was such asurprise to win this prestigious design award,especially as it was voted for by fellow pro-f e s s i o n a l s.

“And as one of the smaller companies on theshortlist, we are thrilled to have won.”

The project involved the complete interiordesign of a luxury new ski apartment in thecentre of Val d’I s e re.

The brief was to create a contemporary yetcomfortable and individual alpine home,using tactile, textural materials – and avoid-ing a typical, twee Alpine look.

Nicola and John Merriman planned everyaspect of the space, function and style of eachroom in minute detail.

Carefully-designed ceiling beams and tim-ber walls helped to conceal a soft and delicatelighting system and a sophisticated soundsystem. Natural oak, slate and dark woodswere used in conjunction with sleek glass andmetal, contrasting with rich, textural fabricssuch as tweed and wool.

As well as a cinema, office space, sauna andsteam room, apres-ski area, breakfast areaand formal dining area, en-suite bedroomswere designed to accommodate visitors andfamilies with children.

A MOBILE app manufacturer basedin Clifton has been shortlisted forfour top industry awards this year.

Mubaloo, which has offices inQ u e e n’s Avenue near Clifton Tri-angle, will find out during the end ofOctober and mid-November whetherit has picked up victories at the Na-tional Business Awards, the UK ITAwards, the Growing BusinessAwards and the Appster Awards.

It promises to be a busy few weeksfor Mark Mason, who foundedMubaloo in 2009 and now employs 50staff, 45 of whom are in Bristol withthe rest in London.

His company designs and createsapps and since opening has deliveredmore than 160 products for a diverse

range of clients including celebritychef Jamie Oliver, gym chain DavidLloyd and the BBC.

Mubaloo is working on the nextgeneration of apps that make themost of fast mobile broadband.

First up for the firm is the GrowingBusiness Awards, which are now intheir 15th year and highlight some ofthe country’s most exciting, innov-ative and high-growth firms.

Following the first awards cere-mony, which takes place at the Lon-don Marriott Hotel, GrosvenorSquare tonight, the team at Mubaloowill attend events on November 12, 13and 14.

They are nominated for the Busi-ness Enabler prize at the National

Business Awards, for the Best MobileApp at the UK IT Awards, facingcompetition from the likes of VirginMedia, Network Rail and Telefonica,as well as two prizes at the AppsterAw a rd s.

Mr Mason said: “We believe awardsare an important recognition for thestrides we are making and they provethe quality of the work that we aredoing. We are one of the most re-spected app developers in the UK andthese nominations, which will hope-fully turn into wins, demonstratet h at .

“We have 50 staff, most of whom arein Bristol, and these are a great re-wards for all the hard work they haveput in this year.”

Te c h n o l o g y

Mobile app manufacturer in line for four top industry awards

� Mark Mason of Mubaloo

� Nicola O’Maraand her designsfor the ski chalet

Relaxing environmentfor dementia patients� AWARD-winning Bristol architectO’Leary Goss has converted ahospital ward in Bath into a holisticenvironment for dementia patients.

And Health Minister NormanLamb has toured the £500,000Combe Ward at the Royal UnitedHospital in Bath.

O’Leary Goss has a team of ninestaff in its Redland offices.

The firm’s designs for the RUHaim to help people feel more athome.

There is domestic-feel furniture,wood-effect flooring, a fireplace,living area, natural artwork and eventhe sound of running water andbirdsong in the courtyard.

The use of clear signage, sensitivelighting and a clock – which not onlytells the time but what day it is – a reset to help patients with dementiafeel calmer and safer.

Architect Jenny Goss said: “It hasbeen a really exciting project fundedby the Government as part of HealthCare in a Healing Environment.

“We learnt a lot from working withthe ward staff and the RUH projectteam.

“We chose strong,easily-distinguished wall colours toact as visual keys, so patients canrecognise more effectively wherethey are.

“One of the walls is a picture of abluebell wood.”

O’Leary Goss is set to design asmall cafe and garden for CombeWa rd ’s patients and visitors.

RUH consultant geriatrician DrChris Dyer said: “These changes willoffer substantial improvements tothe quality of life not onlyexperienced by patients withdementia admitted to RUH, but theircarers and our dedicated staff.”

According to latest figures fromthe Alzheimer’s Society there are800,000 people in the UK withdementia, costing the NHS some£23 billion in 2012.

The figures are set to soar aspeople live longer.

D es i g n

Turning point forbusiness parks

� RESEARCH by commercialproperty consultant GVA showsbusiness parks in the South Westare contributing to a positive turningpoint for the UK market.

G VA’s biannual Business Parksreport says that, for the first timesince the downturn, there has beena significant fall in availability acrossthe country and a rise in con-struction activity, marking a positiveshift over the past six months.

UK business park office take-upduring the first half of 2013 totalled2.1m sq ft, 12 per cent above thefive-year six-monthly average of1.9m sq ft.

Aztec West in Bristol saw theSouth West’s largest deals. In thefirst quarter Nvidia took BAM’s30,000sq ft building 930 on a tenyear lease, and Barratt Homes took13,000sq ft at building 710.

Ben O’Connor, associate at GVA’sBristol office, said: “What’s mostencouraging is that the business ofbuilding is back on the agenda andwith market sentiment at a six yearhigh this will only improve, certainlyin the short term.”

The amount of office space underconstruction in UK business parksremains at a low level. But on apositive note, the report hasrecorded the first upturn in activitywithin the last five years.

Proper ty

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Nicola said: “The client now happily lives,works and entertains in his beautiful chaletthroughout the ski season.”

The awards, hosted by interior designmag azine design et al, aim to reward the bestin hospitality, interior design and architec-ture from across the globe, as voted for byindustry professionals and readers, clientsand customers.

Inspired Design works on big and smallprojects from chalets to townhouses, countryhomes to penthouses in the UK and aroundthe world.

Current projects include an interiorsscheme nearby in Chew Magna and a largealpine chalet in Russia.

Nicola said the company, which has beentrading for 12 years and employs one full-timeworker in addition to her and John, is aboutpassion for good design.

She said: “We balance originality and ima-gination with attention to detail and an ob-session with quality craftsmanship.”

Bristol firm advises onworld’s longest busway� BRISTOL law firm VealeWasbrough Vizards has providedthe legal expertise needed to delivera major new transport projectsimilar to the rapid-transit schemesthat are being planned here.

The Luton-Dunstable Busway inBedfordshire has been years in theplanning and took three years tobuild. At 13.4km it is the longesturban busway in the world.

VWV project leader Tim Smitherssaid: “The project has similaritieswith the rapid-transit system that isplanned for Bristol, and we aredelighted to have played our part inkeeping this particular transportscheme on track.”

Transpor t

property like ours is at an all-timehigh.

“We are able to deliver such a highyield (7 per cent) by driving effi-ciencies at every level of the con-struction and operational processwhile in turn generating high rentalreturns from students who are will-ing to pay a premium for the facilitiesand level of service we provide.

“The rate at which all our projectshave sold demonstrates that ourmodel is addressing successfully themarket demand.”

Rather than letting directly to stu-dents, the company sells flats to in-vestors, and then manages theproperty on the investors’ b e h a l f.

The scheme attracted a range ofinvestors from overseas and closer toh o m e.

Carpenter Andrew Smith. fromWales, bought one of the Bristolapar tments.

He said: “I am much more com-fortable investing in property than Iam with stocks or funds as it is amarket with which I am very fa-m i l i a r.

“I found the potential yields in thestudent-accommodation market aremuch greater than in other areas inthe property market.

“With the high number of inter-national students and the drastic un-dersupply of student beds in the citycentre, the proposition in Bristol wastoo good an opportunity to ignore.”



*Telephone lines open from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays in England and Wales. Calls may be recorded and monitored for security and trainingpurposes. BT landline calls to 0845 numbers will cost no more than 5 pence per minute. Charges from other service providers may vary and calls from mobiles usuallycost more. Allied Irish Bank (GB) and Allied Irish Bank (GB) Savings Direct are trade marks used under licence by AIB Group (UK) p.l.c. (a wholly owned subsidiary ofAllied Irish Banks, p.l.c.), incorporated in Northern Ireland. Registered Office 4 Queens Square, Belfast BT1 3DJ. Registered Number NI 18800.Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.AIB1BO

Our bank has lent us the capital we need at a goodrate, with no fees. We like dealing with a specialistbusiness bank, especially as our local managerunderstands that owner managed businesses arethe engine of the economy. Here in the engineroom, our business is firing on all cylinders.

Mark Cain, Director, Velvet Central Limited

Visit our website or call 0845 045 0900*

8am-8pm Monday to Friday to contact your local branchJason Fleming, Senior Branch Manager, Bristol branch,19 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PB

“Our bank has£250m to lendowner managedbusinesses... and we’regetting our share.”

Our business is business banking aibgb.co.uk

EPB-E01-S4

EPB-

E01-

S4


In pictures: Business people out and aboutCBRE 10th anniversary celebration at the West of England Academy in Clifton

Bristol Distinguished Executive Address Series by UWE’s Bristol Business School at City Hall

� THE Bristol office of commercialproperty firm CBRE celebrated its10th anniversary in the city with aspecial VIP event attended byaround 200 guests at the West ofEngland Academy in Clifton.

Pictures: James Meredith

Bright Future Conference at Ashton Gate Stadium

� David Smith, Ashley Hancox, Shirley Chan and Michelle Dix � Steve Oades, Martin Guest and Ian Banks

� David Sprague and Philip Morton � Robert Orrett and Charlie Kershaw � Robert Spriggs, Chris Boundy and Simon Meredith

� Brian Lancaster, Eddie Jorden, James Morgan, Simon Colesand Richard Moore � Robert Grist, Mike Ware, Michael Strong and Carolyn Stephen � Christine Hamson, Henry Parkinson and Catherine Simpson

VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH SIR NICHOLAS YOUNG

Sir Nicholas Young

““There are things to

learn from otherpeople and books butyou learn most of itfrom doing. When youare in the hot seat andall eyes turn to you,you have to find theanswer within yourself.

PASSION and commit-ment are the qualitiesneeded to thrive in thevoluntary sector, the lead-er of the British Red Cross

told Bristol’s business com-m u n i t y.

Sir Nicholas Young was thelatest expert to talk at City Hall aspart of a lecture series organisedby the University of the West ofEngland (UWE).

Now in its sixth year, the Dis-tinguished Executive AddressSeries is delivered by UWE’s Bris-tol Business School, in partner-ship with the Bristol Post, the citycouncil and leading business or-g anisations.

An audience which includedbusiness students were told by SirNicholas – a former lawyer work-ing in takeovers and mergers –that the voluntary sector was “agreat place to be”.

He was speaking in the human-itarian charity’s 150th year and inthe same week that an anniversaryevent was held at the organisa-t i o n’s emergency response unit inWar mley.

Addressing an audience of about100 guests, he said of his work inthe sector: “It’s all about passionand commitment, whetherfront-line staff or fund-raisers orthose in the finance and adminteam. It’s incredibly exciting towork in an organisation wherepeople care so damned much aboutwhat we do.”

On leadership, he said he had to

“feel his way” into becoming aleader and was humble initially.

He said: “There are things tolearn from other people and booksbut you learn most of it from doing.When you are in the hot seat andall eyes turn to you, you have tofind the answer within yourself.”

Sir Nicholas was interviewed byIan Mean, content director atmedia group Local World, whichowns titles including the BristolPo s t .

In the interview, he said he tooka huge salary cut to move into thevoluntary sector because ‘helpingbig companies get bigger’ d i d n’tsuit him.

The charity boss spoke of theRed Cross’ efforts to help people inSyria, where 22 of the organisa-t i o n’s volunteers had lost their

l ive s.Sir Nicholas said: “Some coun-

tries are harder to work in thanothers. Twenty two volunteers ofthe Syrian Arab Red Crescent, oursister society, have died in thefighting.

“Every day and every hour,those volunteers have to negotiategovernment road blocks and op-position held road blocks and roadblocks run by gangsters just out toextort money.

“It’s incredibly dangerous anddifficult, and it’s hard getting themoney through to the people whoneed it. What’s incredible is thatthese volunteers are achievingthat, most of the time.”

Sir Nicholas said it was ‘sober -ing’ that his organisation had beencalled in to help with the running

of food banks in the UK.He said: “We ’ve been asked to

help with the collection of foodand, using our volunteers, with thedistribution of it to people inneed.

“It’s a sobering thought that inour country and other countries,like Spain, need that sort of helpthese days.

“We ’ve all been affected by theeconomic crisis in one way or an-other but some more than oth-e r s. ”� The next lecture in the serieswill feature Frances O‘G r a d y,general secretary of the TradesUnion Congress.The lecture, by invitation only, willtake place at City Hall nextWednesday, October 30. [email protected].

LIFE IN THE HOT SEATMarc [email protected]

Watch the video at www.so u t hwest b u s i n ess .co. u k

� Above, from left, Professor Nicholas O’Regan, David Pinchard,Julie Mcleod of UWE and speaker Sir Nicholas Young

� Pictured above and at bottom of page, attendees networking at the latest event in the lecture series organised by theUniversity of the West of England (UWE) Photographs: Michael Lloyd

� THE Bristol’s Bright Future Conference took place atAshton Gate Stadium. The event was aimed at reviewingwhy Bristol is set to boom, the key market sectors that willcontribute to the region's success, projects that bringglobal recognition and the economic outlook for the future.

Left, James Durie, executive director of Bristol Chamber ofCommerce & Initiative at Business West, pictured withattendees. Above left, Clive Wray, director of Business Westaddresses the audience. Above, attendees networking.

Pictures: Elaine Brown

� The Bristol String Quartet: TamsinWinchester, Andrew Barrington, SueLord and Kate Robey

First Intuition Bristol, 6th Floor City Point, BS1 6PL

Simon Wilshire CIMAT4 - March / May 2013Fiona Walker ICAEWAdvanced Stage Business Change - July 2013

Samantha Barnes (2 papers)Tom Foster (1 paper)

- June 2013ICAEW Professional Stage

approved rate for all papers byfirst intuition Bristol students - June 2013

ACCA92% pass rate

100% pass rate

3 regional firsts

2 world firsts

ICAEW Advanced Stage & Case Studyfor all our first time students - July 2013

fi.co.uk

EPB-E01-S4

EPB-

E01-

S4


In pictures: Business people out and aboutCBRE 10th anniversary celebration at the West of England Academy in Clifton

Bristol Distinguished Executive Address Series by UWE’s Bristol Business School at City Hall

� THE Bristol office of commercialproperty firm CBRE celebrated its10th anniversary in the city with aspecial VIP event attended byaround 200 guests at the West ofEngland Academy in Clifton.

Pictures: James Meredith

Bright Future Conference at Ashton Gate Stadium

� David Smith, Ashley Hancox, Shirley Chan and Michelle Dix � Steve Oades, Martin Guest and Ian Banks

� David Sprague and Philip Morton � Robert Orrett and Charlie Kershaw � Robert Spriggs, Chris Boundy and Simon Meredith

� Brian Lancaster, Eddie Jorden, James Morgan, Simon Colesand Richard Moore � Robert Grist, Mike Ware, Michael Strong and Carolyn Stephen � Christine Hamson, Henry Parkinson and Catherine Simpson

VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH SIR NICHOLAS YOUNG

Sir Nicholas Young

““There are things to

learn from otherpeople and books butyou learn most of itfrom doing. When youare in the hot seat andall eyes turn to you,you have to find theanswer within yourself.

PASSION and commit-ment are the qualitiesneeded to thrive in thevoluntary sector, the lead-er of the British Red Cross

told Bristol’s business com-m u n i t y.

Sir Nicholas Young was thelatest expert to talk at City Hall aspart of a lecture series organisedby the University of the West ofEngland (UWE).

Now in its sixth year, the Dis-tinguished Executive AddressSeries is delivered by UWE’s Bris-tol Business School, in partner-ship with the Bristol Post, the citycouncil and leading business or-g anisations.

An audience which includedbusiness students were told by SirNicholas – a former lawyer work-ing in takeovers and mergers –that the voluntary sector was “agreat place to be”.

He was speaking in the human-itarian charity’s 150th year and inthe same week that an anniversaryevent was held at the organisa-t i o n’s emergency response unit inWar mley.

Addressing an audience of about100 guests, he said of his work inthe sector: “It’s all about passionand commitment, whetherfront-line staff or fund-raisers orthose in the finance and adminteam. It’s incredibly exciting towork in an organisation wherepeople care so damned much aboutwhat we do.”

On leadership, he said he had to

“feel his way” into becoming aleader and was humble initially.

He said: “There are things tolearn from other people and booksbut you learn most of it from doing.When you are in the hot seat andall eyes turn to you, you have tofind the answer within yourself.”

Sir Nicholas was interviewed byIan Mean, content director atmedia group Local World, whichowns titles including the BristolPo s t .

In the interview, he said he tooka huge salary cut to move into thevoluntary sector because ‘helpingbig companies get bigger’ d i d n’tsuit him.

The charity boss spoke of theRed Cross’ efforts to help people inSyria, where 22 of the organisa-t i o n’s volunteers had lost their

l ive s.Sir Nicholas said: “Some coun-

tries are harder to work in thanothers. Twenty two volunteers ofthe Syrian Arab Red Crescent, oursister society, have died in thefighting.

“Every day and every hour,those volunteers have to negotiategovernment road blocks and op-position held road blocks and roadblocks run by gangsters just out toextort money.

“It’s incredibly dangerous anddifficult, and it’s hard getting themoney through to the people whoneed it. What’s incredible is thatthese volunteers are achievingthat, most of the time.”

Sir Nicholas said it was ‘sober -ing’ that his organisation had beencalled in to help with the running

of food banks in the UK.He said: “We ’ve been asked to

help with the collection of foodand, using our volunteers, with thedistribution of it to people inneed.

“It’s a sobering thought that inour country and other countries,like Spain, need that sort of helpthese days.

“We ’ve all been affected by theeconomic crisis in one way or an-other but some more than oth-e r s. ”� The next lecture in the serieswill feature Frances O‘G r a d y,general secretary of the TradesUnion Congress.The lecture, by invitation only, willtake place at City Hall nextWednesday, October 30. [email protected].

LIFE IN THE HOT SEATMarc [email protected]

Watch the video at www.so u t hwest b u s i n ess .co. u k

� Above, from left, Professor Nicholas O’Regan, David Pinchard,Julie Mcleod of UWE and speaker Sir Nicholas Young

� Pictured above and at bottom of page, attendees networking at the latest event in the lecture series organised by theUniversity of the West of England (UWE) Photographs: Michael Lloyd

� THE Bristol’s Bright Future Conference took place atAshton Gate Stadium. The event was aimed at reviewingwhy Bristol is set to boom, the key market sectors that willcontribute to the region's success, projects that bringglobal recognition and the economic outlook for the future.

Left, James Durie, executive director of Bristol Chamber ofCommerce & Initiative at Business West, pictured withattendees. Above left, Clive Wray, director of Business Westaddresses the audience. Above, attendees networking.

Pictures: Elaine Brown

� The Bristol String Quartet: TamsinWinchester, Andrew Barrington, SueLord and Kate Robey

First Intuition Bristol, 6th Floor City Point, BS1 6PL

Simon Wilshire CIMAT4 - March / May 2013Fiona Walker ICAEWAdvanced Stage Business Change - July 2013

Samantha Barnes (2 papers)Tom Foster (1 paper)

- June 2013ICAEW Professional Stage

approved rate for all papers byfirst intuition Bristol students - June 2013

ACCA92% pass rate

100% pass rate

3 regional firsts

2 world firsts

ICAEW Advanced Stage & Case Studyfor all our first time students - July 2013

fi.co.uk

EPB-E01-S4

EPB-

E01-

S4


THEY used to say the way to am a n’s heart is through hisstomach. For a growing num-ber of businesses, it is theway to his wallet too. The

food and drink industry is big busi-ness in Bristol. In the South Westregion it is worth £25 billion to theeconomy, according to Taste of theWe s t .

There are more than 3,000 busi-nesses employing about 400,000people. A good slice of those will be inthe Bristol area.

There are plenty of local successs t o r i e s.

Recently, Sandford-based Thatch-ers reported a record summer forcider sales with an annual turnoverof £42 million.

Pieminister, founded in a shop inStokes Croft, has a growing number

John Sheaves, chief executive ofTaste of the West. says: “It is en-couraging that our members expectto grow over the next 12 months,primarily by means of increasingsales and strong order books.”

The survey found most traders, 77per cent, saw their location as anasset.

Mr Shreaves said: “It is perhaps notsurprising, but gratifying nonethe-less, to see the recognition that ourmembers view the South West asbeing a great place to locate a foodand drink business.

“Some 95 per cent of respondentssaid that provenance and localsourcing of products are either im-portant or absolutely vital to theirc u s t o m e r s.

“This demonstrates the strong linkbetween the quality landscapes andquality food we have here in theSouth West.”

The price of raw materials (60 percent) and energy prices (30 per cent)are seen as the biggest concernsamong food and drink firms – p e r-haps not surprisingly as these factors

are often out of their control.But one area where the local in-

dustry can improve is exporting.UKTI international trade adviser

Andrew Fraser recently led a del-egation from the region to ANUGA,the biggest international trade fairfor industry, in Cologne, Germany.

He was joined by Bristol firmsincluding Kabuto Noodles, Pepper-mongers and Bath Ales, as well as

Thatchers, Butcombe Brewery andLye Cross Farm from North Som-erset and First Quality Foods andBramley and Gage from Yate andThornbury respectively in SouthG l o u c e s t e r s h i re.

But those firms are still the ex-ception, not the rule.

“The South West has some of theUK’s best food and drink producers,yet with only 10 per cent of them

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

Bristol has a developed ataste for success in the foodand drink industry. GavinThompson investigates food,glorious food.

of outlets and last year invested inbuying its manufacturing base inWestbury-on-T rym.

Bristol-based Bath Ales, one of anumber of thriving local brewers,now has 10 pubs in the region and itsown bottling plant producing 20,000barrels a year.

It has grown the business 25 percent in the last year and has justappointed a new managing director,Robin Couling, who has big plans.

He said: “Following commitmentto a huge amount of development andimprovement across the business,particularly in our retail division, Ihave a great platform from which todrive further growth.”

Mr Couling’s confidence appears tobe reflected across the sector, withbusinesses looking to grow morethan just their veg.

That is certainly the findings of anew survey carried out by Taste ofthe West, which held its annualawards ceremony at GloucestershireCounty Cricket Club’s headquarterslast week, and business advisoryfirm Grant Thornton.

Some 85 per cent of the 1,000 firmssurveyed said they were feelingeither more optimistic or broadly thesame as they were 12 months ago,with two thirds expecting to increaseturnover over the next year.

Encouragingly, a quarter of themexpect to take on new staff in the nearf u t u re.

� NIGEL Buxton comes from along line of Bristolian professionalbutchers. You can trace butcheryback through his family tree to1890.

To this day, Buxton Butchers isa family-run business. A small andvery passionate team: Thispassion is communicated througheverything they do.

The quality of Buxton's meat isrecognised and used in menus bytop local chefs includingMichelin-starred Josh Eggleton ofThe Pony & Trap, Chew Magna.

Nigel made his debut in themeat trade at just 12 years oldand over the years has learnedevery aspect, working his way upthrough the ranks, moving frombutchery, slaughtering,processing, cutting to the head ofmeat at a top-end organicspecialist meat farm tocommercial director at amulti-million pound meat concern.

He has travelled the world in hisquest to research, source andselect the best meat. In his pursuithe's been to America, Argentina,Canada and most of Europe. Hehas benefited from these travelsby picking up valuable practicesand principles along the way.

Back in Bristol, BuxtonButchers opened in Winterbournevillage in 2009 and by 2013 hasbecome a thriving familybutchers.

All meat is sourced as locally aspossible from the lush ruralsurrounds. Where quality allows,all the pork, lamb and the majorityof beef is local.

The sausages are made on thepremises to traditional recipes.

Nigel says: “We pride ourselvesin only buying quality produce,price always comes second; thisway we maintain the highstandard of meat sold in theshop.”

Case study: Buxton Butchers

� HOTCHA was founded inOctober 2011 by youngentrepreneur James Liang.

It is the only Chinese takeawaychain in the UK and providescustomers with Britain’s favouriteoriental dishes.

James, originally from London,identified Bristol as the ideal placeto set up his business, bucking thetrend of food chains emanating

Case study: Hotcha

Case study: Wogan Coffee

� Adrian Wogan at work

next five years and float on theAIM in 2014.

Hotcha’s freshly-sourcedingredients are prepared in itscentral kitchen/head office inAshton Vale.

They are then delivered toHotcha stores throughout theSouth West on a daily basis.

Hotcha positions itself as thehealthy alternative to the standard

from the capital. In under twoyears, Hotcha has signed leasesfor 10 stores in the South West.

These are Kingswood,Whiteladies Road, GloucesterRoad, Baldwin Street, SouthLiberty Lane, Keynsham,Weston-super-Mare, Yate, Stroudand Swindon.

It plans to open a further 150stores throughout the UK over the

Food and drink special

FOOD and drink is one ofthe South West’s businesssuccess stories – thinkYeo Valley and Thatch-er’s, or here in Bristol,

Bart Spices and Pieminister.This is a sector which has

grown strongly in recent yearsand continues to feel upbeatabout its prospects.

A recent survey carried out byGrant Thornton and Taste of theWest, which represents around1,000 food and drinks businesses,found that most are looking togrow turnover and order booksover the coming year, with asignificant number also plan-ning to take on new staff and totarget overseas markets.

Nonetheless food and drinkfirms in the region remain con-cerned about the rising price ofraw materials and energy, andsay they continue to struggle toaccess finance.

Indeed, food and drink re-mains a demanding environ-ment. Consumer behaviour canshift rapidly, placing increaseddemands on producers at a timeof rising commodity prices andpressure on margins. And issuesaround food safety, sustainabil-ity, healthy eating, increasing de-mand for locally sourced items,an ageing and growing popula-tion, and the shift to own-brandproducts, all combine to make upa challenging menu.

Certainly in recent yearsmany of our most successful foodand drink producers have re-acted to difficult times bystreamlining their processes andinvesting in technology and newproduct development. Yet thesector must continue to up itsg ame.

Against this background itmay seem surprising that theFood and Drink Federation inthe UK has set a growth target of20 per cent for the sector by2020.

We at Grant Thornton believethat these targets, while undeni-ably ambitious, are absolutelyachievable and that is why weare investing in providing ser-vices to help our clients to meetthem.

We work with a wide range ofUK and international food anddrink companies, offering guid-ance on restructuring and re-organisation, process improve-ment, supply chain manage-ment, mergers and acquisitions,and tax and audit.

For further information pleasecontact me on 0117 305 7812 oremail j a m e s. m o r t e r @ u k . g t . c o m .

James MorterFood andBeverage PartnerGrant Thornton

A demandinge nv i ro n m e nt

Know how

GROWING OPTIMISM IN INDUSTRY FINDING R E C I P E F O R SUCCESS

� BACK in 1970, before coffee wasthe drink of choice for the Britishchattering classes, Brian Woganfounded Wogan Coffee.

Today his son Adrian Wogan runsthe family business, supplyingBristol cafes, bars, hotels andrestaurants with fresh roastedc o ff e e .

Adrian said: “I remember workingevery school holiday with my dad.

“We had a fantastic relationshipand my father fully embraced myenthusiasm and taught me most ofwhat I know.

“We tasted coffees togetherregularly, bouncing off each other’sthoughts. We did the same withwine, his other great passion.Coffee is well and truly in my blood –and after 34 years in the trade, I amstill excited by it.”

Wogan Coffee is the South West’slargest independent coffee roaster.

On entering the city on the M32 orwhile shopping in Cabot Circus,sometimes you can smell freshcoffee being roasted from theClement Street site.

Adrian encourages the greatBristol public to follow their noseand, if they are passionate aboutcoffee, to call in.

currently exporting there is hugeuntapped potential for many othersto grow their business overseas,”says Mr Fraser.

“In the current economic climateexports can offer significant growthpotential. In the last two years, ex-port sales grew by 15 per cent percent, compared to total food anddrink sales growth of only three percent.

“Food and Drink Federation datashows that for businesses that doproactively expand into new mar-kets, exports account for at least 20per cent of turnover, compared to anaverage of only five per cent or lessfor those that exported reactively.

“There has never been a bettertime to export British food products.The UK’s reputation in producingquality, innovative, safe products isknown across the globe and as aconsequence, UK food and drink ex-ports have grown by 61 per cent overthe last five years.”

Which should be something com-panies here can dine out on for yearsto come.

Chinese takeaway, with all mealsbeing prepared in front ofcustomers while they wait.

Its head offices are alsoresponsible for all telephone andonline orders, via its call-centrefacility. The company turns over inexcess of £1.3 million and employsmore than 100 people in theregion, with plans for furtherrecruitment in Yate and Stroud.

� Nigel Buxton of Buxton Butchers with Josh Eggleton from the Pony and Trap in Chew Magna

At Wogan Coffee headquarters atthe mouth of the M32, there is atrade counter open to the public.There fresh roasted coffee can bebought at a discounted rate.

Adrian said: “We want toencourage our customers to trydifferent coffees and identify the

different characteristics. Eachmonth, we hand roast a small batchof single-origin beans and subsidiseat a fixed price of £10 per kilo.

“Some of the coffees may bechallenging, with high levels ofacidity, and may not suit everyone’spalate.

“But it is an excellent way toincrease knowledge and try coffeesthat are not usually available – g re a tfor our passionate coffee lovers.”

Wogan Coffee embraces all endsof the market.

It supplies tea and freshly-groundcoffee to leading restaurants, othercoffee companies, offices andpublic houses across the UK.

And it even supplies The BearpitSocial, a People’s Republic ofStokes Croft enterprise which isachieving “fantastic levels of sales”.

And as our passion for coffeegrows, Adrian is well placed for thef u t u re .

He said: “Recently we have seena big increase in the number ofvisitors to our Bristol roastery. It isgreat to see so many members ofthe public who have taken time tocall in on us and sample our widerange of beans.

“I am encouraged that so manypeople are truly interested inexpanding their knowledge anddeveloping their taste along theway. There are signs that we arestarting to truly analyse what we aredrinking and are prepared toexperiment and challenge our tastebuds.”

� THIS weekend – October26-27 – sees the Bristol Home,Food and Drink Festival at theUWE Exhibition and ConferenceCentre in Frenchay.

The event, now in its third year,will showcase some of the bestof what the West has to offer.

Organiser Nigel Stevens said:“It is really exciting to bemajoring on food this time in acity with such a vibrant local foodscene. The festival will provide

an opportunity for foodies andhome lovers to discover newproducts and ideas in a fun andfriendly environment.”

To get two-for-one ticketsuse discount code Post13when booking your tickets(normal price £9) onw w w. h o m e a n d f o o d f e s t i v a l . c o . u k .Standard Local World terms andconditions apply, for a full listvisit w w w. b r i s t o lpost.co.uk/houserules.

Reader offer

Robin Couling

“ I have ag re a tplatformf ro mwhich todrivefurtherg ro w t h

� JamesLiangoutsideHotchaPhotograph:Freia Turland

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THEY used to say the way to am a n’s heart is through hisstomach. For a growing num-ber of businesses, it is theway to his wallet too. The

food and drink industry is big busi-ness in Bristol. In the South Westregion it is worth £25 billion to theeconomy, according to Taste of theWe s t .

There are more than 3,000 busi-nesses employing about 400,000people. A good slice of those will be inthe Bristol area.

There are plenty of local successs t o r i e s.

Recently, Sandford-based Thatch-ers reported a record summer forcider sales with an annual turnoverof £42 million.

Pieminister, founded in a shop inStokes Croft, has a growing number

John Sheaves, chief executive ofTaste of the West. says: “It is en-couraging that our members expectto grow over the next 12 months,primarily by means of increasingsales and strong order books.”

The survey found most traders, 77per cent, saw their location as anasset.

Mr Shreaves said: “It is perhaps notsurprising, but gratifying nonethe-less, to see the recognition that ourmembers view the South West asbeing a great place to locate a foodand drink business.

“Some 95 per cent of respondentssaid that provenance and localsourcing of products are either im-portant or absolutely vital to theirc u s t o m e r s.

“This demonstrates the strong linkbetween the quality landscapes andquality food we have here in theSouth West.”

The price of raw materials (60 percent) and energy prices (30 per cent)are seen as the biggest concernsamong food and drink firms – p e r-haps not surprisingly as these factors

are often out of their control.But one area where the local in-

dustry can improve is exporting.UKTI international trade adviser

Andrew Fraser recently led a del-egation from the region to ANUGA,the biggest international trade fairfor industry, in Cologne, Germany.

He was joined by Bristol firmsincluding Kabuto Noodles, Pepper-mongers and Bath Ales, as well as

Thatchers, Butcombe Brewery andLye Cross Farm from North Som-erset and First Quality Foods andBramley and Gage from Yate andThornbury respectively in SouthG l o u c e s t e r s h i re.

But those firms are still the ex-ception, not the rule.

“The South West has some of theUK’s best food and drink producers,yet with only 10 per cent of them

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

Bristol has a developed ataste for success in the foodand drink industry. GavinThompson investigates food,glorious food.

of outlets and last year invested inbuying its manufacturing base inWestbury-on-T rym.

Bristol-based Bath Ales, one of anumber of thriving local brewers,now has 10 pubs in the region and itsown bottling plant producing 20,000barrels a year.

It has grown the business 25 percent in the last year and has justappointed a new managing director,Robin Couling, who has big plans.

He said: “Following commitmentto a huge amount of development andimprovement across the business,particularly in our retail division, Ihave a great platform from which todrive further growth.”

Mr Couling’s confidence appears tobe reflected across the sector, withbusinesses looking to grow morethan just their veg.

That is certainly the findings of anew survey carried out by Taste ofthe West, which held its annualawards ceremony at GloucestershireCounty Cricket Club’s headquarterslast week, and business advisoryfirm Grant Thornton.

Some 85 per cent of the 1,000 firmssurveyed said they were feelingeither more optimistic or broadly thesame as they were 12 months ago,with two thirds expecting to increaseturnover over the next year.

Encouragingly, a quarter of themexpect to take on new staff in the nearf u t u re.

� NIGEL Buxton comes from along line of Bristolian professionalbutchers. You can trace butcheryback through his family tree to1890.

To this day, Buxton Butchers isa family-run business. A small andvery passionate team: Thispassion is communicated througheverything they do.

The quality of Buxton's meat isrecognised and used in menus bytop local chefs includingMichelin-starred Josh Eggleton ofThe Pony & Trap, Chew Magna.

Nigel made his debut in themeat trade at just 12 years oldand over the years has learnedevery aspect, working his way upthrough the ranks, moving frombutchery, slaughtering,processing, cutting to the head ofmeat at a top-end organicspecialist meat farm tocommercial director at amulti-million pound meat concern.

He has travelled the world in hisquest to research, source andselect the best meat. In his pursuithe's been to America, Argentina,Canada and most of Europe. Hehas benefited from these travelsby picking up valuable practicesand principles along the way.

Back in Bristol, BuxtonButchers opened in Winterbournevillage in 2009 and by 2013 hasbecome a thriving familybutchers.

All meat is sourced as locally aspossible from the lush ruralsurrounds. Where quality allows,all the pork, lamb and the majorityof beef is local.

The sausages are made on thepremises to traditional recipes.

Nigel says: “We pride ourselvesin only buying quality produce,price always comes second; thisway we maintain the highstandard of meat sold in theshop.”

Case study: Buxton Butchers

� HOTCHA was founded inOctober 2011 by youngentrepreneur James Liang.

It is the only Chinese takeawaychain in the UK and providescustomers with Britain’s favouriteoriental dishes.

James, originally from London,identified Bristol as the ideal placeto set up his business, bucking thetrend of food chains emanating

Case study: Hotcha

Case study: Wogan Coffee

� Adrian Wogan at work

next five years and float on theAIM in 2014.

Hotcha’s freshly-sourcedingredients are prepared in itscentral kitchen/head office inAshton Vale.

They are then delivered toHotcha stores throughout theSouth West on a daily basis.

Hotcha positions itself as thehealthy alternative to the standard

from the capital. In under twoyears, Hotcha has signed leasesfor 10 stores in the South West.

These are Kingswood,Whiteladies Road, GloucesterRoad, Baldwin Street, SouthLiberty Lane, Keynsham,Weston-super-Mare, Yate, Stroudand Swindon.

It plans to open a further 150stores throughout the UK over the

Food and drink special

FOOD and drink is one ofthe South West’s businesssuccess stories – thinkYeo Valley and Thatch-er’s, or here in Bristol,

Bart Spices and Pieminister.This is a sector which has

grown strongly in recent yearsand continues to feel upbeatabout its prospects.

A recent survey carried out byGrant Thornton and Taste of theWest, which represents around1,000 food and drinks businesses,found that most are looking togrow turnover and order booksover the coming year, with asignificant number also plan-ning to take on new staff and totarget overseas markets.

Nonetheless food and drinkfirms in the region remain con-cerned about the rising price ofraw materials and energy, andsay they continue to struggle toaccess finance.

Indeed, food and drink re-mains a demanding environ-ment. Consumer behaviour canshift rapidly, placing increaseddemands on producers at a timeof rising commodity prices andpressure on margins. And issuesaround food safety, sustainabil-ity, healthy eating, increasing de-mand for locally sourced items,an ageing and growing popula-tion, and the shift to own-brandproducts, all combine to make upa challenging menu.

Certainly in recent yearsmany of our most successful foodand drink producers have re-acted to difficult times bystreamlining their processes andinvesting in technology and newproduct development. Yet thesector must continue to up itsg ame.

Against this background itmay seem surprising that theFood and Drink Federation inthe UK has set a growth target of20 per cent for the sector by2020.

We at Grant Thornton believethat these targets, while undeni-ably ambitious, are absolutelyachievable and that is why weare investing in providing ser-vices to help our clients to meetthem.

We work with a wide range ofUK and international food anddrink companies, offering guid-ance on restructuring and re-organisation, process improve-ment, supply chain manage-ment, mergers and acquisitions,and tax and audit.

For further information pleasecontact me on 0117 305 7812 oremail j a m e s. m o r t e r @ u k . g t . c o m .

James MorterFood andBeverage PartnerGrant Thornton

A demandinge nv i ro n m e nt

Know how

GROWING OPTIMISM IN INDUSTRY FINDING R E C I P E F O R SUCCESS

� BACK in 1970, before coffee wasthe drink of choice for the Britishchattering classes, Brian Woganfounded Wogan Coffee.

Today his son Adrian Wogan runsthe family business, supplyingBristol cafes, bars, hotels andrestaurants with fresh roastedc o ff e e .

Adrian said: “I remember workingevery school holiday with my dad.

“We had a fantastic relationshipand my father fully embraced myenthusiasm and taught me most ofwhat I know.

“We tasted coffees togetherregularly, bouncing off each other’sthoughts. We did the same withwine, his other great passion.Coffee is well and truly in my blood –and after 34 years in the trade, I amstill excited by it.”

Wogan Coffee is the South West’slargest independent coffee roaster.

On entering the city on the M32 orwhile shopping in Cabot Circus,sometimes you can smell freshcoffee being roasted from theClement Street site.

Adrian encourages the greatBristol public to follow their noseand, if they are passionate aboutcoffee, to call in.

currently exporting there is hugeuntapped potential for many othersto grow their business overseas,”says Mr Fraser.

“In the current economic climateexports can offer significant growthpotential. In the last two years, ex-port sales grew by 15 per cent percent, compared to total food anddrink sales growth of only three percent.

“Food and Drink Federation datashows that for businesses that doproactively expand into new mar-kets, exports account for at least 20per cent of turnover, compared to anaverage of only five per cent or lessfor those that exported reactively.

“There has never been a bettertime to export British food products.The UK’s reputation in producingquality, innovative, safe products isknown across the globe and as aconsequence, UK food and drink ex-ports have grown by 61 per cent overthe last five years.”

Which should be something com-panies here can dine out on for yearsto come.

Chinese takeaway, with all mealsbeing prepared in front ofcustomers while they wait.

Its head offices are alsoresponsible for all telephone andonline orders, via its call-centrefacility. The company turns over inexcess of £1.3 million and employsmore than 100 people in theregion, with plans for furtherrecruitment in Yate and Stroud.

� Nigel Buxton of Buxton Butchers with Josh Eggleton from the Pony and Trap in Chew Magna

At Wogan Coffee headquarters atthe mouth of the M32, there is atrade counter open to the public.There fresh roasted coffee can bebought at a discounted rate.

Adrian said: “We want toencourage our customers to trydifferent coffees and identify the

different characteristics. Eachmonth, we hand roast a small batchof single-origin beans and subsidiseat a fixed price of £10 per kilo.

“Some of the coffees may bechallenging, with high levels ofacidity, and may not suit everyone’spalate.

“But it is an excellent way toincrease knowledge and try coffeesthat are not usually available – g re a tfor our passionate coffee lovers.”

Wogan Coffee embraces all endsof the market.

It supplies tea and freshly-groundcoffee to leading restaurants, othercoffee companies, offices andpublic houses across the UK.

And it even supplies The BearpitSocial, a People’s Republic ofStokes Croft enterprise which isachieving “fantastic levels of sales”.

And as our passion for coffeegrows, Adrian is well placed for thef u t u re .

He said: “Recently we have seena big increase in the number ofvisitors to our Bristol roastery. It isgreat to see so many members ofthe public who have taken time tocall in on us and sample our widerange of beans.

“I am encouraged that so manypeople are truly interested inexpanding their knowledge anddeveloping their taste along theway. There are signs that we arestarting to truly analyse what we aredrinking and are prepared toexperiment and challenge our tastebuds.”

� THIS weekend – October26-27 – sees the Bristol Home,Food and Drink Festival at theUWE Exhibition and ConferenceCentre in Frenchay.

The event, now in its third year,will showcase some of the bestof what the West has to offer.

Organiser Nigel Stevens said:“It is really exciting to bemajoring on food this time in acity with such a vibrant local foodscene. The festival will provide

an opportunity for foodies andhome lovers to discover newproducts and ideas in a fun andfriendly environment.”

To get two-for-one ticketsuse discount code Post13when booking your tickets(normal price £9) onw w w. h o m e a n d f o o d f e s t i v a l . c o . u k .Standard Local World terms andconditions apply, for a full listvisit w w w. b r i s t o lpost.co.uk/houserules.

Reader offer

Robin Couling

“ I have ag re a tplatformf ro mwhich todrivefurtherg ro w t h

� JamesLiangoutsideHotchaPhotograph:Freia Turland

EPB-E01-S4

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The Big Interview

PHIL Smith admits that’s he’sa fair-weather biker. HisBMW 800 motorbike re-mains firmly under cover atthe family home in the Chew

Valley until the sun shines, when itmight be seen roaring along the roadsto Abbots Leigh, where Fortress Busi-ness West – more commonly knownas Leigh Court – is located.

But you certainly can’t accuse Philof being a fair-weather supporter ofbusiness in the region. He’s beenthere from the recovery of the early1990s, to the high times of the 2000sand the credit crunch and recessionfrom which we are only now be-ginning to emerge.

Phil became chief executive ofBusiness Link West, the Governmentsupport service for companies, whenit was set up in 1994. He stayed in thepost for 17 years until Governmentdid away with the service. He thenbecame managing director BusinessWest, which emerged from thea s h e s.

“We are a two-pronged organisa-tion,” says Phil, explaining the role of

the Business West. “It’s partly aboutshouting, lobbying, rallying to makethis part of the world better andstronger – shouting at local govern-ment, the Local Enterprise Partner-ship, European government,sometimes holding them to account.

“T hat’s about leadership and rep-resentation. The other part is abouthelping individual companies withservices. Helping them to export,raise money, with environmental is-sues or technical advice, offices p a c e.

“Both prongs are very import-ant.”

Business West is made up thechambers of commerce for Bristol,Bath, Gloucestershire and Swindon,but each maintains its individualidentity to give local people a flag torally round, while also having theclout of a larger organisation.

And it’s reach goes far beyond its460-strong membership.

“We have 16,000 customers,” s ay sPhil. “T hat’s chamber members butalso people who use our services orattend our events.

“We are the most powerful busi-ness organisation in this part of thewo rl d . ”

It’s a bold claim, and one the likesof the Federation of Small Businessesor the Confederation of British In-dustry may take issue with.

Phil says Business West works withthose other organisations but in itsfavour is the mix of membership,many of the big companies as well as

STEERING A POWERFUL BEASTGavin Thompson meetsPhil Smith, the man headingthe self-proclaimed mostpowerful businessorganisation in the region

the small and micro firms.He points to the organisation’s role

as 50 per cent owner of the BristolCultural Development Partnership,which works to promote and developartistic and cultural opportunities inthe region, as an example of workingwith other bodies.

But adds that working with anorganisation in one area, doesn’t stopBusiness West from taking them totask in another.

“We work with the city council, forexample, but we thought they werewrong on residents’ parking and weshouted about it,” says Phil.

After such a long time in the role,does Phil, who started out as aninvestment banker, ever feel the de-sire for a change?

“The job of managing Business

My working dayYou wake up at? Start of Far mingTo d a y , then snoozeWhat do you have for breakfast?Cereal and strong coffeeWhat time do you start work?Any time from 7am (eg morningradio show interviews/breakfastevents) to 9.30 amWhat happens in your typicalworking day? I don’t have a typicalworking day. Twice a week I am inLeigh Court, once in Cheltenham,

Name: Phil SmithAge: 51Place of birth: CaerphillySchool: St Martin’sComprehensive, CaerphillyFirst job: Oil rig engineer. Ispent five years working offshore then the oil price felland all the projects weremothballed.Hero or inspiration: G a re t hEdwards (left)

Vital statistics

My downtime

perience at Business Link which wasshutdown thanks to a change of Gov-ernment no doubt a fresh memoryfeeding into that strategy.

“We currently bring in £400,000 ayear from commercial services (ex-port documentation, hiring out workspace among other things). I wouldlike to grow that so we are less relianton public sector contracts.”

Looking ahead, Phil is confidentabout the future of Business West.

“We know who our market is, wehave no plans to expand beyondt h at , ” he says. “It’s about makingsure we know what our memberswant so we can shout about it. We arethe place people can come – we ’llmake the point for you.”

Regarding the wider economy,there are big challenges ahead but

opportunities too.“There have been signs of con-

fidence in the last three or fourmonths. There has been a confidencei s s u e.

“Clearly, however, we have somesectors which are finding a way togrow. Environmental technologiesand robotics are huge areas thatcould be core industries in Bristol forthe next 30 or 40 years – we ’ve got tomake the most of the opportunity.

“How do we do that? Partly it’sabout PR, making sure the rest of theworld knows we are specialists insome things. For example this areahas the second highest concentrationof semiconductors within the worldafter California. We have to get thatout there.”

Phil wants to see colleges working

more closely with business to trainthe future workforce to have skillsthat meet employers’ needs, ratherthan just matching up to the wherethere is funding.

And he urged small business own-ers to take a moment to look aroundfor help.

“Small business owners face abunch of risks, in reality often notjust their business but their housesare at stake,” says Phil. “They arealways time poor. But the evidence iswhen they take outside help they aregenerally more successful and gen-erally last longer.

“SMEs are a vital cog, They createthe wealth and pay the taxes thatfund so many services – even we atBusiness West rely on taxpayerm o n e y. ”

So the economy is growing again,and Bristol has some strong com-panies pushing the boundaries in fastdeveloping areas. What’s next?

Phil sits back in the faux leathersofas in the Leigh Court office for amoment and considers this, beforeleaning forward to sell his vision.

“Bristol is a fantastic place to liveand to start a business but we can doso much better,” enthuses Phil.

“What about getting HS3 (highspeed rail) that runs to Bristol? Wecan do it. If the Government wants tohave more than one cylinder firingthe UK economy, then we are it. Let’smake the M4 corridor the growth hubof the country.”

It seems Phil’s need for speed goesbeyond that occasional ride to theof fice.

What’s your perfect weekend?Any weekend when Wales wins atrugby or my children are at home(should probably have put thatthe other way round!)What’s your favourite film or TVshow? Red Dwarf (above).

What are your hobbies (if any)?I like rugby and motorbikes. Iown a BMW 800 trail bike, usedcome to work on it quite oftenbut now I more often need towear a suit. I’m a fair weatherr i d e r.

once in Swindon. My day is full ofmeetings, talking to the staff, oneto one meetings, today I hadconference call today with four orfive chief execs of chamber sin theSouth West, for example.What time do you go home? Anytime from 5.30 pm to not at all(evening events with overnightstays!)Do you take work home/attendevening functions? I n c re a s i n g l y

West keeps evolving – I’m neverb o re d , ” he explains. “I like to the job.It’s a good combination of internalmanagement, public speaking andstrategy. As long as my staff and themembers have faith that I am theright man then I would like to carryon.

“Business West turns over £20 mil-lion, employs 200 staff, we have a goodreputation and we are a powerfulbody. I am proud of pulling thatto gether.”

And there is more Phil wants toachieve, such as shifting the burdenof income within the organisationfrom the public to the private sector.

“I like public sector contracts, wedo them very well and they help thecompany but they can be fickle youcan lose them,” says Phil. His ex-

Phil Smith

“We are the mostpowerful businessorganisation in this partof the world.

Phil Smith (picturedspeaking at the breakfastlaunch of the Bristol Post

Business supplement)

“ It’s partly aboutshouting, lobbying,rallying to make thispart of the world betterand stronger –shouting at localgovernment, the LocalEnterprise Partnership,European government,sometimes holdingthem to account.

� Above, Phil Smith on his bike at Ashton Court Photo: Jon Kent

Green awardsFinalists namedin sustainableenergy contestTHE finalists have been announcedfor this year’s South West Green En-ergy Awards.

There are 36 sustainable energypioneers to make the last phase of thecompetition, which is organised byRegen SW in recognition of the in-creasing importance that renewableenergy and energy efficiency play inthe region.

Merlin Hyman, chief executive ofRegen SW, said: “This year has beenour most competitive ever, with morethan 100 entries from across theSouth West.

“Renewable energy has gone fromstrength to strength this year, withtotal capacity growing by almost 50per cent over the past 12 months, soit’s no surprise that the quality of theentries has been extremely high.

“Our finalists show a tremendousmix of growing renewables busi-nesses, community initiatives, public

THE shortlist includesBest Business Innovation:Kensa; North Sea Systems;Plymouth University COASTLaboratory; GENecoBest Community Initiative,sponsored by The CrownEstate; Bristol Green Doors;Resilient Energy Great Dunkilns;Streets of Solar; South BrentBest Renewable EnergyScheme, sponsored by SERS:Devon Eco Energy; MalabyBiogas; New Earth Solutions;Wessex Waterm, Geneco andTr i o d o sInstaller or Supplier of theYear: Fair Energy; Forest Fuels;Glevum Heating; SERS; SungiftSolar; Mojo; Gregor Heating,Electrical and Renewable Energy.

On the shortlist

sector representation, technologicalinnovations and exemplar renewableenergy schemes.

“The commitment to renewablesset out in our Renewable EnergyManifesto earlier this year – b a cke dby MPs and local enterprise part-nership – is already showing results,and our finalists are testament to thehigh quality of schemes throughoutthe South West.”

Richard Blackmore, of Gregor’s Re-newable Energy – a part of the strongBristol showing in the shortlist –said; “We are pleased and honouredto have been shortlisted for theseawards having worked on some of there gion’s most exciting domestic re-newable projects this year.

“It’s been a great year for the re-newable energy business with a num-ber of new projects about to start thefuture looks very encouraging in-deed.

“In the meantime, we have all ourfingers crossed for the awards ce-remony in November.”

� Merlin Hyman of Regen SW

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The Big Interview

PHIL Smith admits that’s he’sa fair-weather biker. HisBMW 800 motorbike re-mains firmly under cover atthe family home in the Chew

Valley until the sun shines, when itmight be seen roaring along the roadsto Abbots Leigh, where Fortress Busi-ness West – more commonly knownas Leigh Court – is located.

But you certainly can’t accuse Philof being a fair-weather supporter ofbusiness in the region. He’s beenthere from the recovery of the early1990s, to the high times of the 2000sand the credit crunch and recessionfrom which we are only now be-ginning to emerge.

Phil became chief executive ofBusiness Link West, the Governmentsupport service for companies, whenit was set up in 1994. He stayed in thepost for 17 years until Governmentdid away with the service. He thenbecame managing director BusinessWest, which emerged from thea s h e s.

“We are a two-pronged organisa-tion,” says Phil, explaining the role of

the Business West. “It’s partly aboutshouting, lobbying, rallying to makethis part of the world better andstronger – shouting at local govern-ment, the Local Enterprise Partner-ship, European government,sometimes holding them to account.

“T hat’s about leadership and rep-resentation. The other part is abouthelping individual companies withservices. Helping them to export,raise money, with environmental is-sues or technical advice, offices p a c e.

“Both prongs are very import-ant.”

Business West is made up thechambers of commerce for Bristol,Bath, Gloucestershire and Swindon,but each maintains its individualidentity to give local people a flag torally round, while also having theclout of a larger organisation.

And it’s reach goes far beyond its460-strong membership.

“We have 16,000 customers,” s ay sPhil. “T hat’s chamber members butalso people who use our services orattend our events.

“We are the most powerful busi-ness organisation in this part of thewo rl d . ”

It’s a bold claim, and one the likesof the Federation of Small Businessesor the Confederation of British In-dustry may take issue with.

Phil says Business West works withthose other organisations but in itsfavour is the mix of membership,many of the big companies as well as

STEERING A POWERFUL BEASTGavin Thompson meetsPhil Smith, the man headingthe self-proclaimed mostpowerful businessorganisation in the region

the small and micro firms.He points to the organisation’s role

as 50 per cent owner of the BristolCultural Development Partnership,which works to promote and developartistic and cultural opportunities inthe region, as an example of workingwith other bodies.

But adds that working with anorganisation in one area, doesn’t stopBusiness West from taking them totask in another.

“We work with the city council, forexample, but we thought they werewrong on residents’ parking and weshouted about it,” says Phil.

After such a long time in the role,does Phil, who started out as aninvestment banker, ever feel the de-sire for a change?

“The job of managing Business

My working dayYou wake up at? Start of Far mingTo d a y , then snoozeWhat do you have for breakfast?Cereal and strong coffeeWhat time do you start work?Any time from 7am (eg morningradio show interviews/breakfastevents) to 9.30 amWhat happens in your typicalworking day? I don’t have a typicalworking day. Twice a week I am inLeigh Court, once in Cheltenham,

Name: Phil SmithAge: 51Place of birth: CaerphillySchool: St Martin’sComprehensive, CaerphillyFirst job: Oil rig engineer. Ispent five years working offshore then the oil price felland all the projects weremothballed.Hero or inspiration: G a re t hEdwards (left)

Vital statistics

My downtime

perience at Business Link which wasshutdown thanks to a change of Gov-ernment no doubt a fresh memoryfeeding into that strategy.

“We currently bring in £400,000 ayear from commercial services (ex-port documentation, hiring out workspace among other things). I wouldlike to grow that so we are less relianton public sector contracts.”

Looking ahead, Phil is confidentabout the future of Business West.

“We know who our market is, wehave no plans to expand beyondt h at , ” he says. “It’s about makingsure we know what our memberswant so we can shout about it. We arethe place people can come – we ’llmake the point for you.”

Regarding the wider economy,there are big challenges ahead but

opportunities too.“There have been signs of con-

fidence in the last three or fourmonths. There has been a confidencei s s u e.

“Clearly, however, we have somesectors which are finding a way togrow. Environmental technologiesand robotics are huge areas thatcould be core industries in Bristol forthe next 30 or 40 years – we ’ve got tomake the most of the opportunity.

“How do we do that? Partly it’sabout PR, making sure the rest of theworld knows we are specialists insome things. For example this areahas the second highest concentrationof semiconductors within the worldafter California. We have to get thatout there.”

Phil wants to see colleges working

more closely with business to trainthe future workforce to have skillsthat meet employers’ needs, ratherthan just matching up to the wherethere is funding.

And he urged small business own-ers to take a moment to look aroundfor help.

“Small business owners face abunch of risks, in reality often notjust their business but their housesare at stake,” says Phil. “They arealways time poor. But the evidence iswhen they take outside help they aregenerally more successful and gen-erally last longer.

“SMEs are a vital cog, They createthe wealth and pay the taxes thatfund so many services – even we atBusiness West rely on taxpayerm o n e y. ”

So the economy is growing again,and Bristol has some strong com-panies pushing the boundaries in fastdeveloping areas. What’s next?

Phil sits back in the faux leathersofas in the Leigh Court office for amoment and considers this, beforeleaning forward to sell his vision.

“Bristol is a fantastic place to liveand to start a business but we can doso much better,” enthuses Phil.

“What about getting HS3 (highspeed rail) that runs to Bristol? Wecan do it. If the Government wants tohave more than one cylinder firingthe UK economy, then we are it. Let’smake the M4 corridor the growth hubof the country.”

It seems Phil’s need for speed goesbeyond that occasional ride to theof fice.

What’s your perfect weekend?Any weekend when Wales wins atrugby or my children are at home(should probably have put thatthe other way round!)What’s your favourite film or TVshow? Red Dwarf (above).

What are your hobbies (if any)?I like rugby and motorbikes. Iown a BMW 800 trail bike, usedcome to work on it quite oftenbut now I more often need towear a suit. I’m a fair weatherr i d e r.

once in Swindon. My day is full ofmeetings, talking to the staff, oneto one meetings, today I hadconference call today with four orfive chief execs of chamber sin theSouth West, for example.What time do you go home? Anytime from 5.30 pm to not at all(evening events with overnightstays!)Do you take work home/attendevening functions? I n c re a s i n g l y

West keeps evolving – I’m neverb o re d , ” he explains. “I like to the job.It’s a good combination of internalmanagement, public speaking andstrategy. As long as my staff and themembers have faith that I am theright man then I would like to carryon.

“Business West turns over £20 mil-lion, employs 200 staff, we have a goodreputation and we are a powerfulbody. I am proud of pulling thatto gether.”

And there is more Phil wants toachieve, such as shifting the burdenof income within the organisationfrom the public to the private sector.

“I like public sector contracts, wedo them very well and they help thecompany but they can be fickle youcan lose them,” says Phil. His ex-

Phil Smith

“We are the mostpowerful businessorganisation in this partof the world.

Phil Smith (picturedspeaking at the breakfastlaunch of the Bristol Post

Business supplement)

“ It’s partly aboutshouting, lobbying,rallying to make thispart of the world betterand stronger –shouting at localgovernment, the LocalEnterprise Partnership,European government,sometimes holdingthem to account.

� Above, Phil Smith on his bike at Ashton Court Photo: Jon Kent

Green awardsFinalists namedin sustainableenergy contestTHE finalists have been announcedfor this year’s South West Green En-ergy Awards.

There are 36 sustainable energypioneers to make the last phase of thecompetition, which is organised byRegen SW in recognition of the in-creasing importance that renewableenergy and energy efficiency play inthe region.

Merlin Hyman, chief executive ofRegen SW, said: “This year has beenour most competitive ever, with morethan 100 entries from across theSouth West.

“Renewable energy has gone fromstrength to strength this year, withtotal capacity growing by almost 50per cent over the past 12 months, soit’s no surprise that the quality of theentries has been extremely high.

“Our finalists show a tremendousmix of growing renewables busi-nesses, community initiatives, public

THE shortlist includesBest Business Innovation:Kensa; North Sea Systems;Plymouth University COASTLaboratory; GENecoBest Community Initiative,sponsored by The CrownEstate; Bristol Green Doors;Resilient Energy Great Dunkilns;Streets of Solar; South BrentBest Renewable EnergyScheme, sponsored by SERS:Devon Eco Energy; MalabyBiogas; New Earth Solutions;Wessex Waterm, Geneco andTr i o d o sInstaller or Supplier of theYear: Fair Energy; Forest Fuels;Glevum Heating; SERS; SungiftSolar; Mojo; Gregor Heating,Electrical and Renewable Energy.

On the shortlist

sector representation, technologicalinnovations and exemplar renewableenergy schemes.

“The commitment to renewablesset out in our Renewable EnergyManifesto earlier this year – b a cke dby MPs and local enterprise part-nership – is already showing results,and our finalists are testament to thehigh quality of schemes throughoutthe South West.”

Richard Blackmore, of Gregor’s Re-newable Energy – a part of the strongBristol showing in the shortlist –said; “We are pleased and honouredto have been shortlisted for theseawards having worked on some of there gion’s most exciting domestic re-newable projects this year.

“It’s been a great year for the re-newable energy business with a num-ber of new projects about to start thefuture looks very encouraging in-deed.

“In the meantime, we have all ourfingers crossed for the awards ce-remony in November.”

� Merlin Hyman of Regen SW

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12 We d n e s d a y, October 23, 2013w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

� BRISTOL-based Marketingand Design agency, SynergyCreative, continues to expandits creative team with theappointment of a creativemanager and senior designer.

Zoe Grimes (above left), whohas 10 years of experience inbranding, product launchesand advertising, joins ascreative manager. She joinsfrom Herman Miller, the globalworkplace furniture designcompany, where she worked ascreative lead on a number ofbranding and launch projects.

James Jenson (above right),who has nine years ofexperience, joins from Dyson inMalmesbury, and hasexperience in advertising, artdirection, TV and print media.His most recent project wasthe advertising concepts,design and TV advertising forDyson’s new air multiplier TVcampaign.

They will be working oninternational clients includingOlswang, Ladbrokes andBrussels-based global gearmanufacturer, IG Watteeuw.

� PUBLIC relationsspecialistEmpica hasexpandedwith theappoint-ment ofNickiSampsonasstrategicPRm a n a g e r.

The LongAshton-based firm points to asharp rise in confidence acrossmost sectors in the last fewmonths which has brought innew clients.

Nicki Sampson has managedUK operations for a number ofbig-hitting clients includinghi-tech engineering concerns,housebuilders, lawyers and arange of consumer accounts.

After several years’consultancy experience, Nickispent a decade as a seniorlecturer in marketing at theUniversity of the West ofEngland, during which time shegained an MBA with the OpenU n i v e r s i t y.

� A BRISTOL academic hasbecome the Fulbright-RoyalInstitute of Chartered Surveyorsscholar at theUniversity ofCalifor nia,B e r k e l e y.

GrahamS q u i re ,f ro mUWE, willbe basedat theworld-leadinguniversityfor threemonths where hewill research the financing ofreal estate in cities.

Movers & shake-upsUp and comingThe future of businessThe latest appointments news. Sendyour news to [email protected]

Tra i n i n g

AN extra £20 million is beingmade available to the Gov-er nment’s new Traineeshipsprogramme to support evenmore young people into ap-

prenticeships and other jobs.The additional funding was an-

nounced as an extension to the pro-gramme which began in August, toprovide those aged 16 to 23 with theskills, experience and confidence tocompete in the labour market.

More than 500 providers havepledged to take on trainees this year.So far 150 companies, large and small,have agreed to offer placements to

young people. This 150 includes 11training providers and companies inthe Bristol area. Companies arehairdressers House of Clive andSouth Gloucestershire-based MitieGroup, while training providers in-clude Babcock, Didac, KTS, S and BAutomotive Academy, and LifetimeTraining. Also taking part are col-leges in South Gloucestershire,Stroud and Weston-super-Mare, plusSt Brendan’s Sixth Form College inBristol. Bristol City Council makesup the list.

Skills Minister Matthew Hancocksaid: “Traineeships give youngpeople the helping hand they need tocompete for apprenticeships andother jobs. The programme is off toan excellent start with strong back-ing from employers and training pro-viders. We have responded to this

Extra £20m boosts skills scheme

Apprentices rewarded for success5 higher apprenticeship for seniormana g ers.

DHL was named Large BusinessEmployer of the Year 2013 at theColle ge’s Business ExcellenceAwards in June.

Ms Lawrence said: “All the DHLmanagers have been fully supportiveof the training programme, by al-lowing a large proportion of theirstaff to develop their skills and know-ledge. DHL took the decision to investin upskilling their staff with an in-sight that by doing this their staffwould contribute to the growth of thec o m p a ny. ”

Rob Dunning, DHL Tradeteam sitemanager, said: “Weston College wasreally supportive to all our employ-ees who took their NVQ qualific-ations. The courses were a keyelement of the training and devel-opment programme for staff.”

A GROUP of DHL employees whoachieved apprenticeship successwith Weston College were presentedwith certificates by college staff.

Employees from across the regionmet at DHL Tradeteam’s facility inEbbw Vale, South Wales, where as-sessors Paul Varcoe and Lynsey Law-rence presented certificates to 17successful candidates.

The 17 had achieved apprentice-ship qualifications in customer ser-vice, business administration, teamleading and management.

DHL and Weston College have de-veloped a strong working partner-ship. This has resulted in more than40 members of DHL staff workingtowards their apprenticeships andNVQs at various levels over the lastthree years.

DHL is the first business to trainstaff with the college in the new Level

Group of graduateswelcomed to team� BUSINESS and financial adviserGrant Thornton has welcomed a newcrop of graduates to its team in Bristol.

The firm has already recruited threegraduates in its Bristol office this yearand the latest group of new joiners willbe working across the full range ofservices, from audit and public sectorassurance to corporate and personaltax.

John Golding, managing partner atGrant Thornton in Bristol, said: “Weare delighted to be able to securesuch a strong group of graduatesduring what is an exciting period ofgrowth for the firm.

“Firm-wide we have seen a fourthsuccessive year of strongperformance which leaves us on trackto achieve our revenue target of £500million one year early, while here in theSouth West we have successfullyintegrated 65 new staff from theformer Audit Commission, in our newregional hubs.”

Tra i n i n g

Re c r u i t m e n t

demand by providing additional in-vestment. Traineeships will, in time,become the clear route for youngpeople looking to get the crucialgrounding they need in the world ofwo rk . ”

Traineeships are part of the Gov-er nment’s wider aim to ensure thefuture workforce possesses the skillsemployers want in their employees.

Two trainees at Virgin Media, in-cluding Charley Rogers from Bristol,were the first in the UK to completethe scheme, leading to full-time jobswith the company.

Nationwide, the Virgin Media ap-prenticeship scheme takes on around250 candidates every year. MauriceDaw, the company’s chief people of-ficer, said the extra investment in theGover nment’s scheme is a welcomem ove.

He said: “We are really pleased thatthere is more investment in thescheme. It will help employers cre-ating a bigger and better pool of can-didates, and it will help individualslooking for career opportunities.

“Our first trainees are now beingtaken on as full-time field techni-cians, so we are delighted with thescheme. The experience and skillsboost that a traineeship offers isalready creating more opportunitiesfor people to find a route into work.”

Traineeships last a maximum ofsix months and provide work-pre-paration training such as CV writing,support to improve English andmaths skills, a high-quality work-ex-perience placement lasting betweensix weeks and five months, and train-ing from providers which are ratedhighly by Ofsted.

� DHL employees winning the Large Business Employer of the Year 2013category at Weston College's Business Excellence Awards


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