ISSUE 1 Issue 2 A BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESSwww.shropshirebiz.com MAGAZINE DSDGSLFD FDFDSFS FDFJ IFFDF Ddfg dfgdfgfg sdf sddfdfdfd fdfgfgffdf fdgbdf gugioz xhg djsygc dygcdgfdfb FOOD FOR THOUGHT Century of success Plus: Building A Hidden Never Truly Careers Vineyard Off Duty? for your complimentary guide 01743 240968 Call to Pension Reform Pure Telecom help us get on with the things MANY SMALL EMPLOYERS REMAIN UNAWARE OF THEIR AUTOMATIC we do best... ENROLMENT PENSION OBLIGATIONS Having a named single point of contact for all our telecom requirements has made life so very employer needs to implement a workplace pension scheme by a prescribed date between now and much easier for my team. It has to be said that 2018. The Workplace Pensions Service, brought to you by Nick Jones and his team, is designed to give Pure Telecom’s support is first class. you a bespoke level of service to ensure you are able to comply with the new requirements with the Eminimum of fuss so you can concentrate on your business. WORKPLACE PENSIONS WORKSHOPS DATE: 24 January 2017 - to be held in Telford Andrew Goddard DATE: 28 February 2017 - to be held in Shrewsbury Managing Director Open to business owners or decision makers Morris Lubricants Register your interest now by logging onto www.njwealthplanning.co.uk/workplacepensions Michael Place, Anchorage Avenue, Shrewsbury Business Park, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY2 6FG NICK JONES t 01743 244933 e [email protected] @puretelecom /puretelecom Principal For more information call Tel: 01743 240968 www.pure-telecom.co.uk Email: [email protected] the team on 01743 244 933 Web: www.njwealthplanning.co.uk The Partner Practice represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The title ‘Partner Practice’ is the marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives. 4 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION 5 ISSUE 1 Issue 2 A BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESSwww.shropshirebiz.com MAGAZINE Dipping toes in to uncharted waters DSDGSLFD FDFDSFS FDFJ IFFDF ongratulations. You did it. impending threats, there’s another licking their lips businessman who is about to put Shrewsbury well One of the things I love so much about galleries from Ddfg dfgdfgfg sdf at the potential to exploit opportunities. and truly on the map with some mouthwatering Shropshire is its ability to surprise. Around the business social sddfdfdfd fdfgfgffdf You survived everything that Here at Shropshire Business, we’re taking a vineyard plans. most unexpected of corners, you stumble across gatherings, fdgbdf gugioz xhg djsygc dygcdgfdfb 2016 had to throw at you! glass half-full approach. But we’re not raising a glass to everything a gem of a business making waves on a global and news of CPolitically, and economically, it has to go down Thank you to everyone who was kind enough right now. scale. who’s been as one of the most tumultuous years in living to say such good things about our launch issue – One of the perils of the modern working world Kadai Firebowls, based near Church Stretton, on the move memory. we hope we can live up to your lofty expectations is the pressure to be on duty 24/7, courtesy of that is one such example, naming Game of Thrones in our regular And if the truth be known, we’re all still trying to going forward. omnipresent mobile phone and tablet. and Tom Cruise’s production crew among its A-list Appointments FOOD FOR digest the upheaval, on both sides of the Atlantic, If that first edition was something of a scene- Can you relate to this? If so, take a look at customer base. section. which has implications for every economy in the setter, this one gets stuck into some of the key what one HR expert has to say about the perils of But however successful you may be, there’s Have you THOUGHT developed world. So, how are you feeling about issues in vital areas of the Shropshire economy. failing to maintain a sensible work-life balance. always scope to learn. Our columnists offer advice got something A century of success things? The construction sector, for example, clearly We’ve also got a fascinating insight into the on a vast array of topics, from hosted telephony to say? We’d Plus: Building Vine of Never Truly Gauging the temperature of the Shropshire has some medium to long-term concerns, but life of a Bank of England agent, courtesy of Glynn and pay-per-click advertising to trade agreements, love to hear from you. Tell us what you are up Careers the Times Off Duty economy as we set off on the 2017 rollercoaster, it right now our big building companies are working Jones, who was born and raised in Shropshire, succession planning, and apprenticeships. to, and let’s all share a happy, fascinating and certainly seems to be a mixed picture. flat-out. and is well versed with the quirks of our business We’ve also got more news from the prosperous 2017. For every owner or manager fretting about English wine is on a roll, too, and we meet a climate. commercial property and farming sectors, picture Carl Jones, Editor Magazine editor: Carl Jones [email protected] Online editor: Henry Carpenter [email protected] Advertising: [email protected] General enquiries: 6 36 42 52 59 [email protected] Contents 25 Always on duty 39 Fire in his belly ONLINE 6 Built on dreams 28 Interns join team 42 Commercial property Web: www.shropshirebiz.com 11 Bridging the gap Benefit from Brexit Rio inspires website 46 Technology Twitter: 12 Beware snooper’s charter @shropsbiz Opulent lifestyle 29 Car plant cranes 50 It all adds up National living wage Facebook: 14 Apple of the eye 51 Honorary membership facebook.com/shropsbiz Mini department store 30 Export 15 52 Charity 64 Linkedin: 15 Cheers to vineyard 32 Engineers in training Shropshire Business 54 Trump’s triumph (shropshirebiz.com) 20 New service 33 Pitfalls of loss Transit specialist 55 British Chambers of Commerce ISSUE 2: More rights JAN / FEB 2017 21 Stitch in time 34 59 Farming Book of greats Pop-up practice Pension plot 64 Social Scene Shropshire Business is published by Wiggly Worm Media Ltd. Reproduction of this magazine 22 Clear ideas in whole or in part is prohibited without written 36 Banking on feedback 68 Personal Finance permission of the editor. 25 24 Future workforce 68 The publishers have taken all reasonable care News in brief 38 Return of the dam 70 Appointments to ensure that the information in this magazine is accurate at time of going to press. Wiggly Worm Media accepts no responsibility for the consequences of error or for any loss or damage suffered by users of any of the information and material contained in this publication. The views expressed by our columnists are not necessarily those held by the publisher, or editor. Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company: www.magprint.co.uk 30 39 46 55 70 6 SPECIAL REPORT SPECIAL REPORT 7 By Carl Jones for companies to declare the number of foreign nationals they But Mr Emberton says with the impending exit from the helping, but there is still plenty of room for more radical solutions to meet the one million target. Builtappy new year . or is it? The employ in a bid to reduceon the number of migrant workers will have a dreamsEuropean Union – whenever that may eventually be – there is still major impact on the county’s building sites. cause for concern in the industry. “The Government needs to turbo-charge the SME house answer to that question seems to Gareth Emberton, chairman of the network organisation for “The Government has nailed its colours to the mast with its building sector. Smaller firms, once the main drivers of house depend greatly on which sector of the construction and supply chain businesses, says the Government attitude towards migrant workers and, with the plan ned Brexit in building in this country, have become only marginal players in the must be realistic about the significant numbers of foreign workers two years, the construction industry could have a massive shortfall market, which has hampered the capacity of the industry. Heconomy you find yourself working in – and required by construction employers in order to meet housing in available labour,” he continues. “The Government has already recognised the importance of whether your company is a net importer, or demand. “More needs to be done by those in power to address this revitalising SMEs through its attempts to improve the availability of exporter. “The proposals announced by Amber Rudd at the Conservative as soon as possible or it will have a huge impact on future finance for smaller firms, but much more can be done. Economists reckon the construction industry is conference are worrying to say the least. Her development and economic stability.” usually one of the most reliable barometers to the health message was that British people should be filling The Federation of Master Builders believes the Government “Figures showing that 189,000 additional of a nation, but right now it’s painting a pretty confusing those jobs,” he adds. needs to start by ‘turbo charging’ the SME house building sector in homes were created in 2015/16 is positive picture. “But there is already a huge skills gap which exists 2017. More homes are being built in the county than in the UK in the construction sector and we need to The rise in house building completions is helping to tackle the progress towards solving the housing crisis” we’ve seen for several years, there’s evidence of find practical ways of tackling that issue.