Issue 47 www.businesscornwall.co.uk February 2011 Face to Face with Suzanne Bond, the new chief executive of Cornwall Development Company Also Cornish Gems in profile LEP disharmony Business Clinic Insuring what you do naturally Tel 0845 900 1288 www.cornishmutual.co.uk Our products: Farm Business Home Personal Accident Let Property Special Events Fleet Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority Contents Issue No.47 Digest General Air Southwest quits Newquay-London route 5 New export service for Cornwall 6 FSB calls for fuel stabiliser 7 Creative & IT Tel: 01209 718688 Goonhilly’s plans to rejoin the space race 8 www.businesscornwall.co.uk Marine Editorial Director Government contract for Marine Network 9 Nick Eyriey Tourism Email: [email protected] Encouraging signs for tourist industry 10 Sales Director Construction Toni Eyriey Contractors drill 600ft borehole at Treleigh 11 Email: [email protected] Business Development Manager Food & Drink Rhys Bonney Keeping it local 12 Email: [email protected] Envrionment Designer New home for recycling company 13 Andy Peat Email: [email protected] Digest+ 15 Business Cornwall magazine is Mixed response to Sir John Banham’s LEP plans published 10 times a year by: Tonick Business Publishing The Old Farmhouse Business Clinic 16 Nancemellin Camborne Cornwall TR14 0DW IP advice from Coodes, Business Link looks forward to 2011, Registered under the Data Protection Act and YTKO on collaborating with confidence All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in an electronic retrieval system or transmitted without the written permission of the publisher. Stringent efforts have been made by Business Cornwall magazine to ensure accuracy. However, Company Profile 19 due principally to the fact that data cannot always be verified, it is possible that some errors or omissions may occur. Business Cornwall magazine can not accept responsibility for such errors or We profile luxury holiday lettings specialist Cornish Gems omissions. Business Cornwall magazine accepts no responsibility for comments made by interviewees that may offend. Face to Face 22 “Richard Caborn came down to Exeter, and said to us ‘Cornwall hates Devon, Devon hates Cornwall, you both hate Bristol, and all of you hate London, but I don’t care, it’s going to be the South West region as a economic development entity”. In conversation with Suzanne Bond, the new chief Business Cornwall is printed on 130gsm Hello executive of the Cornwall Development Company silk paper supplied by Robert Horne and printed in Cornwall by St Ives Roche Ltd Regulars Letters 4 Business Cornwall is a proud sponsor of Commentary 5 Arts & Business On the Move 14 Events & Networking 28 Business Cornwall magazine is a patron of the Cornwall Chamber The Last Word 30 of Commerce and Industry Kernowpods.com’s Matthew Clarke Business Cornwall Magazine - February 2011 www.businesscornwall.co.uk Contents 3 Letters Email your letters to [email protected], alternatively post them to the address at the front of the magazine. We endeavour to print all correspondence to the magazine, good or bad, as long as they’re not going to get us into trouble with the lawyers! Mr Roach states that occupancy rates were at 90% for 2005 Allaying fears and are now down to 80% for 2010 and implies this is because visitors who would normally come here in August are now Dear editor coming in the shoulder months as a result of Cornwall being Our company, Cornwall Tourism Ltd, is one of the leading marketed as an all year round holiday destination. This ration- tourism industry marketing agencies in Cornwall and we have ale is totally flawed. worked very hard for the last three years to get the Cornish Firstly, the UK and Europe, which is Cornwall’s largest mar- tourism sector to accept the need to market their businesses all ket place, has been in a recession since 2008 therefore, visitors year round which is a necessity in the current financial climate numbers will naturally have fallen as a whole, simply because if they are to survive over the next five years. people have less money to spend. Secondly, our extensive mar- I have just read the article on ‘Peak fears for the tourist ket research indicates in previous years visitors were taking industry’ (Business Cornwall, Nov 2010) by Tom Roach of two holidays each year, however, due to the current economic Winter Rule on the issue of marketing Cornwall as a year climate many people are either forgoing the second holiday round holiday destination and felt I had to respond. period in August completely or taking it later in the year when I fully appreciate that you may not print this letter, however, prices are lower. it is important that a view from the Cornish tourism promotion The fact is, Cornwall is an all year round holiday destination industry is clearly stated because statements that promoting and many businesses rely on the off season income to survive Cornwall as an all year round holiday destination is causing so any suggestion that marketing Cornwall as an all year a drop in visitors, just creates unnecessary negativity and is holiday destination is the cause of the fall in occupancy rates in based on seriously flawed thinking. August when there are very obviously other major factors that have impacted on visitor numbers is quite frankly ridiculous. The main problem for the Cornish tourism industry as a whole is that there has been far too little marketing activity Do you have surplus stock? done in the past on both local and more specifically national levels. This situation will only deteriorate further now that End of season lines? the official tourism body has had its budgets slashed. And with businesses seeing falling visitor numbers and revenues, conclusions based on flawed information about the benefits of Customer returns or marketing and promoting your business will only have a nega- slight seconds? tive effect and will ultimately cause many businesses to suffer even more. Rather than continual negativity about the tourism industry Or maybe you just need to being reported which adds no value, we think it is about time make room for new stock? people began to talk it up. The tourism sector in Cornwall has much to offer and with the official bodies figures indicating Why not call Sam at MIL Outsource that around 88% of visitors return to Cornwall, what we need for a no obligation chat to do is create an increase in visitors numbers. This can only be achieved by marketing Cornwall all year We could buy your unwanted goods for re-sale round and business owners have to do this themselves. If they online through sites such as Ebay and Amazon don’t, they may not exist in two years time. In addition, people tend to book their holidays for the following year at the tail end We consider any items from clothing to electricals; of the year or in the early part of the next, so telling business if you’re unsure why not give us a call? owners that promoting their businesses all year round is wrong is completely flawed and shows a complete lack of understand- Call Sam on ing of how the tourism industry actually works. 01872 266774 or 07814 561252 Peter Harding, Cornwall Tourism Ltd Email: [email protected] Bonney on board A warm welcome to the latest recruit here at Business Cornwall, Rhys Bonney. Rhys joins us under the Unlocking Cornish Potential scheme, and will be responsible for business development. 4 Letters www.businesscornwall.co.uk Business Cornwall Magazine - February 2011 Commentary Standing at the crossroads A strong accent on the local circumstances, and that certainly economy in this month’s Business seems to be what’s happening at the Cornwall magazine. moment. We take an early look at how Sir While the Government has stressed John Banham’s prospectus for a Corn- the importance of a strong private wall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise sector involvement in the LEP, there Parternship (LEP) is taking shape, has been much unhappiness in certain while we also speak to new Cornwall quarters over whether this is being Development Company chief execu- adhered to, particularly the involve- tive Suzanne Bond, and learn why she ment of small businesses. thinks this is “Cornwall’s time”. While everyone wants to see the scrap yard, but if a new venture has Clearly, Sir John also thinks this Cornwall’s economy strive ahead, its way, the Lizard facility could soon could be “Cornwall’s time”, but there appear to be stark differences again be striving forward to support whether the Duchy is quite ready to at present on how things should move future space missions to the “Moon, grasp the nettle that he would like us to forward. Mars and beyond.” grasp is another thing. Also this month, we report on big Bond tells us that a “jockeying plans for Goonhilly. It had looked as if for position” is inevitable in such its iconic satellite dishes were set for Nick Eyriey Digestgeneral Sponsored by www.cornwallchamber.co.uk Air link blows for Newquay Qualifications at One new route announced, two routes axed, it has been something of a roll- Coodes ercoaster for Newquay Airport in the last few weeks. A partner at law firm Coodes has While the year began on a positive been awarded a Masters Degree note, with Air Southwest opening its in legal practice, while a number new link to Cardiff, this news was soon of trainees have now qualified as tempered by an announcement from solicitors. the same airline that it was pulling out Christian Wilson, who specialises of its four-times daily route to London in commercial law, completed the Gatwick.