keighley business connectThe Keighley Business Club Magazine The Long Haul R McDowell Haulage and Distribution talk Issue investment, growth and building on the #06 legacy of 40 years in business WINTER 2019 this issue q LOCAL BUSINESS NEWS 4 q BUSINESS FOCUS 6 q INVESTMENTS 16 q BUSINESS DIRECTORY 17 2 KEIGHLEY BUSINESS CONNECT WINTER 2019 KEIGHLEY BUSINESS CONNECT WINTER 2019 3 contents from the chairman keighley business connectThe Keighley Business Club Magazine Welcome to Business Connect PUBLISHER Keighley BID elcome to this Winter 2019 edition of to secure another 5-year term. Not only will EDITORIAL Keighley Business Connect. I would first you have a new chairman, I hope new board Editor: Tim Hoggarth W Phone: 01535 618085 like to thank you for taking the time to read members too. With that mind, I would like [email protected] this magazine and also to the many businesses to take this opportunity to invite more DESIGN + EDITORIAL CWJ Media that have submitted content, which makes it BID members onto the board, to give their Emma Steele what it is. This edition features some exciting input on the future of the BID and help to PHOTOGRAPHY news, such as a business expansion involving drive it forward. Bob Smith Chris Jones R McDowell Haulage as well as a few of our I would like to end this by saying it’s been a Connor Graham pubs, one which has invested over £800,000 in huge honour to be the chairman of one of the PRINT renovation works. most forward thinking and productive BIDs in Cougar Print As we move into the renewal year of the BID, the country. Thank you to everyone that has GENERAL ENQUIRIES I feel it is time that I step down as chairman worked with Keighley BID over the past 4 years. Postal Address 68B North Street 05 and pass on the position to someone who can Graham Benn Keighley BD21 3RY 14 West Yorkshire take hold of the reins in readiness for our town Chairman, Keighley BID Phone: 01535 618085 featured [email protected] 06 discoverkeighley.co.uk ABOUT KEIGHLEY BID Growth at R McDowell 06 The Keighley BID (Business 08 New Faces at Keighley College Improvement District) is an organisation set up to manage 10 Investment in the town centre the funding and projects contained within the Keighley 12 Keighley-Made Trade Group BID Business Plan 2015 – 2020. 14 The Benefits of the BID One of the major components of this plan is ‘Backing Business’, and with this aim we founded the Keighley Business Club in 2016 to support professional service industries in the town and provide networking opportunities with companies across the region. The Keighley BID Team (left to right): Tim Hoggarth, Paul Howard and Phil Walker The BID has also helped the town centre from the BID team directly with funding towards the recent works ver the past 12 months the BID has helped on Low Street, replacing all of the old paving. Oits members save money on their bills Phase 1 is set to be complete before the end regular through Meercat Associates and have achieved of this year. over £100,000 in identified savings. Visitors have also benefitted from free town Chairman’s Statement 03 Businesses have also saved on parking centre WiFi which was installed in April and has COPYRIGHT Business News 04 permits in the town centre as well as a number allowed us to monitor footfall figures to help All material appearing in Business Connect Magazine Business Directory 17 taking up the apprenticeship scheme, paying up predict changes in shopper habits. is copyright unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the to £2000 towards an apprentice, helping them We hope you enjoy this edition and if you provider of the supplied material. further their careers. would like to get in touch, please do so via the Business Connect Magazine takes all care to ensure Keighley BID members have also benefitted contact details to the right. information is correct at time of printing, but the publisher from a wide range of marketing services accepts no responsibility or including professional photography, which has Paul Howard liability for the accuracy of Cover Image: R McDowell Directors Geoff Hirst, Joe any information contained in helped them reach over 2.4m views on Google. BID Manager the text. Balmforth, Brian Dent and Nathan Goodridge. 12 4 KEIGHLEY BUSINESS CONNECT WINTER 2019 KEIGHLEY BUSINESS CONNECT WINTER 2019 5 connections Deadline for Investment Scheme Lighting up Christmas Switch On news in brief news in brief Savings Scheme Can You Help? Reaches £105K ward-winning fireworks display have a fantastic record, winning four of Acompany Optimum Fireworks will the past five events. be lighting up the skies over Keighley at At this year’s event the Optimum Dementia Friendly Keighley are the town’s Christmas Lights Switch On team fired to five different songs, relocating to a bigger unit from on the 1st of December. impressing with their opener to a he Bradford District Growth Scheme, Paul Howard, manager of Keighley their current shop in the Airedale Established in 2009, Optimum provide remix of What a Wonderful World, and Under the Keighley BID Business which was established to support BID, said any scheme that promoted Shopping Centre. T tailor-made firework displays for a claimed a fifth win in the competition. Cost Saving Scheme, savings business growth and job creation within investment in the town centre had They provide activities and a wide range of commercial and private This year’s Christmas Lights Switch identified for member businesses the district, will close for new applications to be applauded. social hub for people who have events. Notable displays have seen them On will take place in Church Green at has reached over £105,000. on the 31st March 2020. Businesses are “New investment leads to new dementia, alongside educating produce large scale pyrotechnics for the 4.30pm on Sunday 1st December and The scheme offers a way of encouraged to submit their applications jobs and new jobs in the town centre people and helping carers. They Beat Herder Music Festival and Hull KR will follow a full day of town centre cutting BID members business now to avoid missing out on funding. mean more footfall for our existing also work with businesses to make Rugby live on Sky Sports. activities, with on-stage entertainment costs, using the buying power of The Scheme, which awards relief businesses,” he added. them more dementia friendly. The company has been competing in and special guests. over 10,000 businesses across UK to help businesses locate into the “We are often asked about available The new shop will open on the Firework Champions competition Business Improvement Districts, district, support new businesses and support, so this scheme is certainly Towngate in 2020, and they are for six seasons. This sees three teams For more information about the event visit through the BID business partner help existing businesses to expand, has something we will be promoting to looking for volunteers to help with fire a 10-minute display set to music, discoverkeighley.co.uk. To find out more Meercat Associates. three main priorities: our existing members and as any new the refit. with the audience text voting for the about Optimum Fireworks visit The process is simple and • Investing in new developments enquiries come in.” winner during the finale display. They www.optimum-fireworks.co.uk involves no commission and no • Bringing Listed Buildings back into Some business activity/types will If you can help, please call obligation. Local business M&J commercial use be excluded, including betting shops, 07452 773788, or visit Framing recently benefitted from • Supporting businesses to relocate amusement arcades and car parks. Lab Opens Doors to Rare Insight dementiafriendlykeighley.org.uk the scheme with over £1700 or expand savings on energy and telecoms. Funded from Council resources, the Visit www.investinbradford.com for more eighley Laboratories recently hosted Insurance Basics Owner Manny Ali (pictured above) Bradford District Growth Scheme grants information or contact the team via Ka visit for delegates from Keighley’s was delighted with the service single companies up to a maximum of [email protected] or by phoning Association of Engineers. J.L.Bailey opened in February 2019 and the savings it provided: “When £175,000 (over a three year period). (01274) 437727 Thirteen members of the group with the aim of helping residents save running a busy business it is always arrived for an in-depth tour and were money on their insurance. difficult to find the time to approach shown how Keighley Labs’ Metallurgical The company recently moved to a many different suppliers for the Speaks Expands Analysis, Testing, and Heat Treatment new store on Cavendish Street and best deals. The BID cost saving services provide specialist solutions to believes in the power of face-to- scheme took all the hassle away Production both local and nationwide businesses. face communication. They actively and was a simple way of getting a eighley-based embroiders, Speak’s Debbie Mellor, Managing Director, to interact with our employees in an encourage customers to visit them number of very competitive quotes KWorkwear has recently won a said: “It’s fantastic to demonstrate how interesting and insightful way.” in person as it allows them to make on both energy and telecoms. We large contract to be the sole supplier we provide the highest quality service The visitors also got the opportunity better connections and convey certainly benefited from the scheme of Unitas Wholesale’s embroidered across a wide range of industries.