THE Presidents’
views
4
change is the only
certainty
Looking at what has happened previously when
change had been expected, many businesses
put their plans on hold and avoided expansion or
investment. The British Chambers of Commerce
Director General, John Longworth, who spoke at
Bradford’s Annual Dinner, suggested that there
would always be a range of uncertainties from
interest and tax rates to membership of the EU, so
companies should calculate the risks of their own
decisions and just get on with business.
In this quarter’s edition you’ll find features on people
who have invested in manufacturing, international
trade and expansion. There are some great success
stories, including from the Raising the Bar awards.
We will continue to bring you new connections and
business opportunities at home and overseas and
hope that 2015 will be a happy and prosperous year
for you.
Sandy Needham
Chief Executive,
West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce
The latest news from Chamber members
Contacts
11 events
Are you making the most of Chamber events?
TELEPHONE
12 news
08455 240 240
As we start a new year I’m sure that many of us are
thinking about what 2015 will bring. There’s the
Budget, the possibility of increased interest rates,
talk of giving money and powers to the North
(perhaps only if we have a Mayor) and the General
Election.
Membership
BRadford OFFICE
Business news from Bradford, Leeds, York and North
Yorkshire
Devere House, Vicar Lane, Little Germany, Bradford
BD1 5AH
www.bradfordchamber.co.uk
Leeds OFFICE
Welcome to
the ultimate
business
network,
here to
help you
grow your
business.
14 lobbying
16 head–to–head
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Leeds, LS1 2TW
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YORK OFFICE
Innovation Centre, York Science Park, Innovation Way,
Heslington, York, YO10 5DG
www.yorkchamber.co.uk
How your local Chamber is working for your business
Four people, one question
18 raising the bar
Awards review
23 environment
Making environmental improvements, ECO FAIR 2015
Send your news, press releases, or any advertising
and sponsorship queries to:
West & North Yorkshire Chamber, Devere House,
Vicar Lane, Little Germany, Bradford BD1 5AH
Editorial
‘businessplus’ is produced and designed in-house at
the West & North Yorkshire Chamber.
T: 01274 230057
E: [email protected]
W: www.wnychamber.co.uk
24 international
Record number of trade offers flood in
26 FINANCE
Funding boost for brewery
28 BRADFORD ANNUAL DINNER
Chamber Dinner review
31 savings
Chamber Roadside Assistance
34 new members
Welcome to our newest members
Disclaimer
Information provided in this magazine is reproduced
in good faith, and is believed to be correct at the time
of publication. West & North Yorkshire Chamber is
not responsible for information from third parties.
The editor reserves the right to edit articles in
accordance with the style of the magazine and to
decline any unsuitable material submitted.
Printed by Kolorco
35 chamber connect
Savings from across the Chamber network
36 employment
Young people in the workplace
Latest appointments from members
38 e3 bradford
Inspiring young minds
T: 01274 735222
E: [email protected]
40 EMPLOYMENT
cover photo
42 patrons
Giving human resources a helping hand
Simon Vine Photography
2
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
West & North
Yorkshire Chamber
of Commerce
Leeds
Chamber of
Commerce
York & North
Yorkshire Chamber
of Commerce
Bradford
Chamber of
Commerce
Leeds
Chamber of
Commerce
York & North
Yorkshire Chamber
of Commerce
Bradford
Chamber of
Commerce
Leeds
Chamber of
Commerce
York & North
Yorkshire Chamber
of Commerce
17 WHATS YOUR VIEW
Viv takes the biscuit, plus support for manufacturers
Press & PR
Bradford
Chamber of
Commerce
Richard Lenton and Sohan Panesar tell us what’s
happening right now
19 feature
Editorial
Is there a future for
manufacturing?
Westfield Health
West & North
Yorkshire Chamber
of Commerce
Manufacturing never went
away in Bradford, it just
changed its profile and
procedures to adapt to
the changing world. All
firms do that, of course,
but it’s worth noting that
Bradford Council recently
conducted research into
the local textile industry
and found that there are
still a couple of hundred
operators in that sector
alone. These companies
can still, given the right
support and conditions,
thrive and contribute
to the growing local
economy.
Today is much more than
just textiles of course,
but is still very much
about manufacturing.
The Producer City project
is taking shape and –
through the three pillars
of create, make and trade
- links the District’s future
prospects to its heritage.
Construction, creative and
digital sectors are among
those leading the charge
on Bradford’s economic
revival.
Paul Mackie
Locations like South
Yorkshire, the Midlands
or Derbyshire spring
to mind; all have welldeserved and respected
industrial bases yet Leeds
is rarely mentioned in the
same sentence. It may
surprise some at the scale
of manufacturing still
in Leeds and the wider
city region. Across the
region there over 135,000
employed in the sector;
Leeds alone has the third
largest concentration
of manufacturing
companies in the UK with
over 1,500 companies
employing more than
30,000 p eople, in turn
contributing 11% to the
city’s GVA.
Leeds is not known
for a single major
industry sector, but
has a diverse range
of companies feeding
into supply chains
around the world. The
Chamber was founded
by manufacturers and
counts many of the great
Victorian industrialists
as its early members.
We remain resolute
in our support for this
important sector.
‘The knowledge economy’
and ‘the service economy’
are the phrases on
everyone’s lips these days
– sometimes it’s easy to
forget that manufacturing
still underpins a significant
proportion of the national
and regional economy.
The manufacturing
sector in York and North
Yorkshire has a great story
to tell; it’s brilliant to see
new companies starting
up and the established
ones developing more and
more markets – especially
overseas. And as someone
who lives and works on
the coast, I’m delighted
to see the Scarborough
& Whitby area playing its
part with some world-class
manufacturing companies.
Skilled and talented
people are beginning to
realise that it’s not just
the South East that offers
career opportunities – and
may I suggest that North
Yorkshire is rather more
beautiful than the M25?
Suzanne Burnett
Nigel Foster
CONTENTS
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