Business Cornwall Nov 21

CORNWALL'S PREMIER BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION

businesscornwall.co.uk

NOVEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 152 | £3.95

UNIQUE HOMESTAYS

INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER SARAH STANLEY

MADE IN CORNWALL

MANUFACTURING IN THE SPOTLIGHT

IT’S GOOD TO GIVE

CHARITY FOCUS

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Every mission starts with you

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Cornwall Air Ambulance is called to the aid of over 1,000 critically ill and injured people every year. It costs nearly £5million per year to provide this lifesaving service and it wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of people like you.

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NOVEMBER 2021

INSIDE FEATURES 10 CEO INTERVIEW WE MEET THE FOUNDER OF UNIQUE HOMESTAYS, SARAH STANLEY

16 MANUFACTURING SECTOR PROFILE INCLUDING A SPECIAL LOOK AT TEAGLE MACHINERY

28 COMPANY PROFILE HOW ENGINEERING DESIGN CONSULTANCY HYDROCK IS PIONEERING SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATION FROM CORNWALL

30 CHARITY FOCUS FIVE WORTHY CAUSES FOR 2022

ISSUE 152

REGULARS 4 INCOMING WORKING ON HOLIDAY?

6 BUSINESS NEWS CITY OF CULTURE LONGLIST

34 ON THE MOVE MOVERS & SHAKERS

36 CREATIVE & DIGITAL USA IN 3D

37 FOOD & DRINK A BISCOFF FLAVOURED BEER

38 TOURISM NEWS ASPECTS OPENS MULLION OFFICE

39 FSB FEDERATION OF SMALL BUSINESSES

40 EDUCATION & TRAINING NEWS APPRENTICESHIPS

41 CHAMBER NEWS CHAMBER CEO KIM CONCHIE

44 EVENTS DIARY & CONNECTED WHAT’S ON & WHAT’S GONE

46 JUST A THOUGHT PIRATE FM’S MARK PETERS

48 THE LAST WORD FLAMINGO MARKETING’S NIKKI SMITH

42 CHRISTMAS WISH LIST FESTIVE GIFT IDEAS

PHOTO: EDEN ON WORLD STAGE SEE PAGE 8 FOR FULL STORY BUSINESS CORNWALL | 1

NOVEMBER 2021

CORNWALL'S PREMIER BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION

businesscornwall.co.uk

NOVEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 152 | £3.95

UNIQUE HOMESTAYS INTERVIEW WITH FOUNDER SARAH STANLEY

MADE IN CORNWALL

MANUFACTURING IN THE SPOTLIGHT

IT’S GOOD TO GIVE

WELCOME

BY EDITOR NICK EYRIEY

ISSUE 152

CHARITY FOCUS

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11 9 772514

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ON THE COVER

FOUNDER OF UNIQUE HOMESTAYS, SARAH STANLEY SEE PAGE 10 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nick Eyriey nick@businesscornwall.co.uk PUBLISHER Toni Eyriey toni@businesscornwall.co.uk BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Morveth Ward morveth@businesscornwall.co.uk ACCOUNT MANAGER Caroline Carter caroline@businesscornwall.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS PFA Research, Toby Weller

Silver linings These are certainly challenging times we are living in. Fuel shortages, staff issues, rising energy costs, supply chain problems, warnings of an impending winter of discontent etc etc.

And while it is very easy to blame the pandemic on absolutely everything (and many people do), the truth is often more nuanced than that.

But whatever the reasons, the fact is there are many potholes on the road at the moment, both figuratively and literally!

And the manufacturing industry is very much on the front line. In this issue we focus on this important market sector and examine how Cornwall’s manufacturers are meeting these challenges head on.

We also profile one of Cornwall’s most successful manufacturing businesses – Teagle Machinery – and learn how the company has forged a global reputation.

DESIGN Ade Taylor design@businesscornwall.co.uk PRINT Printed in Cornwall by Deltor BUSINESS CORNWALL is published 10 times a year by: Tonick Business Publishing Pool Innovation Centre Trevenson Road Redruth TR15 3PL Tel: 01209 718688

SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@businesscornwall.co.uk Registered under the Data Protection Act. 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, 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 omissions. Business Cornwall magazine accepts no responsibility for comments made by interviewees that may offend.

And talking about success stories, we meet the founder of what must be one of the UK’s most luxurious self-catering holiday specialists, Unique Homestays. How Sarah Stanley has grown her company into a £20 million business is a pretty impressive tale.

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INCOMING

THE CONVERSATION

The big question While there has been an increase in home working in recent times, taking that concept one step further, what are your opinions on staff going on a staycation or even abroad on company time but still working?

Join the conversation @biz_cornwall

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By Paddy Paddison, chief technology officer at Wildanet If you run a business, the recent outage experienced by three of the world’s biggest apps - Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp should have had you wondering how long your business could survive if it went completely offline, and what plans you have in place to ensure you could recover your systems and data after such a significant outage.

Even if you don’t do social media, the ramifications of the event rippled right across the Internet as major telecoms providers and their 4 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

servers globally came under pressure due to the disruption caused from being unable to resolve requests to access the downed platforms.

The contingency planning and multiple layers of protection available to a tech giant like Facebook will be considerable, to say the least, and if such a significant disruption can hit them, then it can certainly hit you.

A major factor in how you insure your IT against accident, incident or attack is going to

THE CONVERSATION

ALEX CALLISTER Well Placed HR

I think it’s still too soon to offer any concrete certainties on the long-term future of remote working. Operating in the staffing and recruitment sector, we’ve observed several changes in approach with many (most), employees now returning to their respective workplaces and an increasing number of employers operating a ‘blended’ strategy of part remote, part site-based working.

Very few employers in the south west are promoting a 100% remote working policy although there are some surprisingly large organisations that appear to have chosen this path.

I think the difficulty with remote working is achieving equilibrium and fairness amongst teams of colleagues because some vocations are better suited to remote working than others. For example, there is no reason why a proof reader couldn’t work remotely from anywhere in the world, but many reasons why a group human resources manager could not. It really comes down to employers analysing the performance effects of remote working on their respective businesses. We’re certainly seeing a change in attitude, but the jury is still out as to whether or not this will be a permanent shift.

Indeed, with our people, provided they can access our systems from abroad, they could base themselves there as long as they can also service the clients sufficiently.

We have already, therefore, experienced this with our model of business and it works seamlessly as it is no different to them working in another part of the country from home, and we have consultants in different locations nationally. Being on staycation makes little to no difference. It again allows people more flexibility and to take time out when they want/need to but still managing their work. And it could be that being in a relaxing place, where one may be on vacation or staycation, is a more conducive environment.

KAREN OLDHAM-WARING Sunflower Training

These new ways of working are definitely not going anywhere soon and perhaps that’s a good thing. But there needs to be boundaries. I’ve long been an advocate for flexible working hours and environment because it can provide people with the opportunity to work when they’re ‘switched on’ and ‘in flow’ – as long as they are able to switch-off again and respect the need for breaks and their own wellbeing.

We are a flexible firm which allows our consultant lawyers to work from where they want when they want. Some work from home but some also pick up bits of work while they are on staycations. Consultants may do this while they are abroad as well.

If you and your employer are both in agreement that you can work remotely from anywhere in the country, or the world for that matter, then great. But I think there needs to be conditions attached. For example, the arrangement needs to be a joint agreement and not something that’s ‘put upon’ staff. There also needs to be an understanding that other leave breaks are used for down-time and switching off the mind.

be the quality of your Internet connection and whether you have the fast, reliable broadband necessary to put in place a comprehensive package of protection.

and helped them recover and get quickly back to their feet following a crisis - but have you got the fast, reliable broadband connectivity to make the most of this?

Data-critical businesses should start by considering whether one Internet connection is really enough and whether you should be considering a second independent line.

If you lost the use of your business premises and everything in it, do you have the capability and bandwidth to upload your backed-up data to virtual servers and set up your staff to work effectively with this?

VERONA COCKS Paddle & Cocks

Secure backups are absolutely vital but it is simply not enough to be relying on just local back-ups that can all too easily become damaged or corrupted, along with your main servers, by catastrophic events such as fire, flood or malware attack.

Cloud backup has saved many a business

INCOMING

And finally, if it is something that people want to do, make sure you get agreement from the rest of the holiday party and keep to planned hours. Managing expectations here can make it work for all parties.

FRANCESA REED Unique Home Stays

Interesting question – one of our team is currently working from Turkey in fact! Her daughter had a baby in lockdown and we’ve allowed her to work from there for a month so she can spend time with her new grandson. On a personal note, I hope it’s something we can do more of. It’ll be a case of ensuring our service and levels of work don’t slip ultimately – but I think that comes down to having the right staff in place.

TOBY PARKINS Headforward

At a team level there is lots of evidence to show things have worked well, but the question that needs asking, is what is not working so well? Generally speaking, the areas that are more challenging are ad hoc interactions between teams, wider company culture, non-work focused company social, and innovative corridor conversations springing new ideas. These activities may not be classed in normal productivity terms (eg. how many invoices were processed, customers were dealt with, etc) and therefore there’s a tendency to consider the former items over the latter ones. Those that see just the outputs will judge things as going well. Those who measure the wider, bigger picture of a business still have questions left to be answered.

Wildanet is the Cornish broadband provider bringing superfast and superreliable broadband to communities and businesses throughout Cornwall. It has a range of options including discounted home connections for staff if your business is connected via Wildanet’s network.

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There are a lot of questions there, but they are as relevant to your business as they are to Facebook and the time to be considering them is before you’re faced with a full-blown IT meltdown.

The good news is we can help.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 5

CORNWALL

BUSINESS NEWS

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HELSTON CHAMBER FORMED A new chamber of commerce and industry is being formed in Helston.

Local business owner and town councillor Gareth Looker believes that businesses in the area need to have their voices heard in the future development of the town and believes a chamber of commerce is the ideal vehicle to communicate their hopes and aspirations.

He said: “It’s been several years since Helston last had a forum where local businesses could compare notes on what is affecting them. The new chamber of commerce will help businesses work together to achieve success for the good of themselves and the town.

“Having spoken with several business owners and managers in Helston I believe the time is right to establish a new chamber of commerce that can help make our business community stronger.”

Cornwall’s bid to be the UK’s City of Culture 2025 has moved a step closer after being longlisted with seven other parts of the UK. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which runs the fouryearly competition, confirmed last month that Cornwall had made the longlist from an initial 20 expressions of interest from around the UK. The other cities/regions include the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Bradford, County Durham, Derby, Southampton, Stirling and Wrexham County Borough.

DCMS will now award Cornwall a grant of £40k to support a full application before a final shortlist is announced in early 2022, with the winner expected to be revealed in May. Announcing that Cornwall had made the longlist, Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Culture is for everyone, regardless of their background and I’m delighted that the bids from our eight longlisted places

FULL MARKS FOR MISH A Cornish business has made history by being the first retailer ever to be awarded full marks in every category of the Drapers award for Best Customer Experience.

the very best independent fashion retailers from across the UK and Ireland and the bestselling brands that make them so successful.

This makes Wadebridge-based lingerie retailer Mish “the best customer experience” across all retail fashion outlets in the UK and Ireland.

The awards celebrate the achievements of

Founder of Mish, Michèle Poynter, said: “We are thrilled to receive this prestigious award and to be told that we received 100% in every judging category is just such an incredible achievement.”

will help areas across the UK level up by increasing access to culture. I wish all our successful bids luck in the next phase of the competition. Cornwall’s bid showed huge promise and I look forward to seeing what they have in store.”

and the transition to a low carbon economy and society at its heart. The bid explores how culture can foster conversations and community responses to some of the biggest challenges facing the world today, including climate change.

Glenn Caplin-Grey, chief executive of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, which is spearheading Cornwall’s bid, added: “This is fantastic news and cements Cornwall’s position among the top cultural and creative regions of the UK. We’ve already shown we can stage worldclass events from the G7 Summit in June to the recent Tour of Britain race, and City of Culture status would put a national and international spotlight on Cornwall’s culture and creativity for a whole year.

Bidding for the City of Culture title has been shown to have a very positive impact on a place, with previously longlisted locations bringing together enduring partnerships to share a vision for an area and attract investment.

“Ours is very much a collaborative bid, working hand in hand with the creative sector, and we look forward to developing our proposals in the coming weeks.”

Cornwall’s bid has the themes of ‘people, place and planet’, with the environment

6 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

And the benefits of winning the title are significant, showcasing a location to the country and the world in a year-long celebration of culture. Coventry, which is UK City of Culture 2021, has attracted over £100 million in capital investment to support cultural projects, while Hull saw more than 5.3 million visits in 2017.

CORNWALL ON CITY OF CULTURE LONGLIST

BUSINESS NEWS

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Cornwall has a new hub for growing businesses following the opening of Cornwall Council’s latest workspace development project in Pool.

The Pool Innovation Centre 2 – Grow On Space project, known as Chi Tevyans “House of Growth”, is located opposite the original Pool Innovation Centre (PIC) and offers 12 high quality office suites for growing or relocating small and medium sized businesses.

PIC 2 OPENS

NEWS IN BRIEF

is part of the Council’s plans to support business development and economic growth and is expected to create 40 new jobs and contribute £1.5 million to the local economy.

Rewind Radio, Cornwall’s newest radio station, officially launched on DAB last month. Programming director Jamie Reed said he wanted the new radio station to be “unashamedly Cornish”. “We have been blown away by the support from local businesses and people living in our communities and we look forward to offering something different to the existing stations.”

It was officially opened by Councillor Linda Taylor, Leader of Cornwall Council.

Cllr Taylor said: “This impressive new development is proof of the Council’s determination to invest in innovative projects that encourage and support business.

These new workspaces will support larger, growing businesses that will in turn create skilled and well-paid jobs for our residents.

Our economy is not just about tourism and we are leading the way in developing world class work spaces, support and facilities to help businesses grow.”

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BUTTERMARKET FUNDING

Feritech Global has been shortlisted for the ‘International Success’ award in the Tech South West Awards 2021. 95% of Feritech’s business is with clients overseas.

It has built its international reputation by carrying out challenging marine geotechnical surveys, using equipment designed, built and operated by its own team. It sells and rents equipment for subsea geotechnical surveying and also carries out operational contracts across the world. Winners will be announced later this month.

Redruth Revival CIC has been awarded a National Lottery Heritage Fund development grant to progress plans for the historic Buttermarket.

The Natural Cornish Pet Shop in Hayle was crowned UK Pet Retailer of the Year, at the PetQuip Awards.

The building, which was safely completed despite the challenges of the pandemic,

The community interest company will received £54,952 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and £59,850 from the Architectural Heritage Fund to redevelop the Buttermarket complex of historic buildings in Redruth.

The project will conserve the Grade II Listed buildings, improve physical accessibility throughout and create a food hall around which will be clustered units for local food providers, as well as bookable meeting and hot-desking

facilities, improved lettable workspaces for local businesses and enhancing the courtyard to support a year-round festival, markets and events programme.

Redruth Revival CIC was formed in 2014 by a group of local businesspeople who recognised the national failure of high streets and wanted to create a better town centre offer in Redruth.

The dilapidated Buttermarket complex was identified as a key site with great potential to help achieve this vision. By 2017, Redruth Revival had raised the funds to purchase the site; the units quickly attracted tenants and regular market days were re-established.

BUSINESS FAIR SPRINGS BACK The Cornwall Business Fair is set to return next year, with a new date and new venue.

attract over 1,250 people from all sectors of Cornwall’s business community.

With a new home at Newquay Sports Centre with plentiful parking and a new spring date (March 9), the 2022 edition of the Cornwall Chamber-organised event has been reinvigorated following a year’s hiatus and a virtual format in 2020.

Chamber CEO Kim Conchie said: “The Cornwall Business Fair is a celebration of Cornwall’s pioneering industry, innovation and infrastructure. It has been a key event in Cornwall’s business calendar for more than a decade and after such an unsettled time, we are looking forward to the 2022 fair more than ever.”

The event, which will be centrepiece of the Cornwall Festival of Business, will bring together at least 80 stand holders and

Stands at the Cornwall Business Fair start from £650. To find out more and to secure a spot, contact naomi@cornwallchamber.co.uk

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____________________ The leader of Cornwall Council has welcomed news that outline planning permission has been granted to regenerate the run-down Pydar area of Truro, calling it “a vision that personifies our aims”. Council leader, Linda Taylor, said: “We have said that we want Cornwall to be a place where our residents can start well, live well and age well and these plans tick all of those boxes.” ____________________ The Bailey Partnership, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, was named Winner of Winners at the Constructing Excellence Awards South West. The company, which has six offices stretching from St Austell to London, is behind several of the Cornwall’s most notable construction projects, including Aerohub Enterprise Zone at Newquay Airport, Treliske Innovation Centre and the conversion of York House in Penzance. ____________________ One of Cornwall’s most highly anticipated food and farming events is back on the calendar for 2021. The Cornish Winter Fair, held at the Royal Cornwall Events Centre in Wadebridge, is returning to its annual slot (Saturday, November 20), having last been held in 2019.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 7

CORNWALL

BUSINESS NEWS

LAW FIRMS RECOGNISED IN LEGAL 500 Cornish law firms have been recognised for their expertise in the latest edition of the Legal 500 industry guide Local law firm Stephens Scown LLP remains one of the region’s top firms of solicitors specialising in commercial litigation, employment, family and corporate law.

In addition to retaining the highest ranking in four sections of the guide, Stephens Scown has ranked in a total of 18 sections based on the feedback of clients and peers. On top of this, 13 of the firm’s lawyers are also singled out for individual praise, with two – Catherine Matthews and Laurie Trounce - being included for the first time.

The Legal 500 recommends Coodes for advice on agriculture and estates, clinical negligence, personal injury and

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contentious trusts and probate.

Describing Coodes as the “firm of choice for a variety of high-profile farming families in Devon and Cornwall,” the directory highlights the firm’s expertise in farm sales, disputes, partnerships, wills and estate planning.

Partner and rural services team leader Pam Johns is described as “a very personable solicitor” who is “knowledgeable in her field of agricultural property law”, while partners Kirsty Davey and Lisa Robinson are also highlighted.

Truro-based Paddle & Cocks, which only set up three years ago, is also recognised for its expertise in commercial litigation describing the team as “highly competent, proactive and insightful”. Joint managing partner and head of commercial litigation, Verona Cocks, is named as a key contact and described as “Tenacious”.

Cocks said: “It really is a tremendous achievement for the firm as a whole to be recognised and recommended in the Legal 500. It reflects the calibre of our people, whether or not they have been individually named, and the quality of work we have been able to attract since opening our doors.”

SPACEPORT AT MUSEUM

EDEN ON WORLD STAGE A new exhibition designed by the Eden Project has opened as part of Expo 2020 Dubai.

Terra, The Sustainability Pavilion, one of the centrepieces of what is billed as the “World’s Greatest Show”, is the first Eden-designed experience to open to the public outside the project’s home in Cornwall. It is the first open example of Eden’s global ambition to create projects on every habitable continent.

The Eden Project International team has co-led the landscape design and visitor experience for the pavilion, alongside its partners on the development Grimshaw, Thinc Design and the Expo 2020 Dubai team.

The pavilion will showcase the Eden ethos to an estimated 25 million visitors during the Expo’s 182-day duration, delayed by a year because of the global pandemic.

It is the first Eden Project-designed content outside Cornwall to open to the public and is at the vanguard of an Eden Project international programme that will see new Edens built in Morecambe in Lancashire, China, Scotland, Australia, Northern Ireland and New Zealand among others.

Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project, said: “Eden is immensely proud to have been offered the opportunity to create marvellous things inside Terra with the genius designer Tom Hennes of Thinc Design. We knew it would have to be brave and startling to capture the imagination of people from all over the world coming to be inspired and entertained.

Spaceport Cornwall has launched a new exhibition at the Royal Cornwall Museum.

The ‘Cornwall Space: from Steam to Satellites’ exhibit follows on from the Story of a Satellite showcase at Cornwall Airport Newquay this summer.

It tells the story of Cornwall’s rich pioneering history and promising future in the space industry.

On display at the exhibit is a genuine 8 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

payload fairing, a model OneWeb Satellite, a model of Sierra Space’s DreamChaser ‘space plane’, and a model of Virgin Orbit’s Cosmic Girl.

Head of Spaceport Cornwall, Melissa Thorpe, said: “We could not have been more pleased to open our hangar through the summer and truly begin to engage with the public at our first exhibition. This second exhibit will be a chance to further that excitement and education.”

“The Expo team deserve huge credit for encouraging the creatives to go for their shots, raising emotionally interesting and challenging questions and ultimately asking all of us: how would we like to be remembered one hundred years from now?

“In our view, this is the world’s first rock’n’roll science centre. Congratulations to all. We loved working on it and we look forward to this being just the start of something very special indeed.”

Cornwall Innovation Centres supporting early-stage innovative businesses and helping companies to grow. Offering flexible, managed and modern workspace combined with access to business support and academic research.

• Fantastic easily accessible locations – Penryn, Pool & Truro • On-site parking • Flexible contract terms • Friendly, welcoming team to support all your business needs • Access to business support and academic research for start-up & established companies • Free networking opportunities • On-site meeting and conference facilities • 3 levels of association • Affiliate Membership • Formation Zone • Private office space

For more information: enquiries@cornwallinnovation.co.uk www.cornwallinnovation.co.uk

SARAH

STANLEY

Sarah

Stanley 10 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

SARAH

STANLEY

Sarah Stanley, founder and director of luxury self-catering holiday company Unique Homestays, does not believe in spending money you don’t have.

But despite having only ever borrowed £500 from her mum, she has managed to build a thriving and very much debt-free, £20 million business.

Reading your bio, I see you started life as a chef.

My background is in fact in farming. My parents had a farm where I have the office now, in the tiny hamlet of Trebudannon near the north coast. I went to Bicton, an agricultural college in Devon, and then came home, but farming at that time wasn’t going so great. So, after some thought, I ended up going to London where I worked as a chef. I was a farmer’s daughter, we can all cook! I put myself through college and got my City & Guilds before staying in London for a few years.

I worked for a guy privately as his private chef and housekeeper. People like Zandra Rhodes the fashion designer would come for dinner, it was an insight into that sort of high-end lifestyle and level of hospitality, especially the entertaining aspect. After that I went travelling, starting in Europe before heading to Africa for five months, then India, Asia and onto Australia where I ended up staying for 12 years.

When I came back to Cornwall, I started cheffing again but wanted a career that would allow me more time with my children. It was then I saw

an ad in the paper about hosting students.

I thought it was an interesting opportunity, probably little money in that, but having travelled all over the world staying in private rooms and houses on a shoestring, you often think, next time I’ll do it in style. I knew there were some amazing homes in the UK and began to wonder if there was a market there, whether I could set up a business around that. I put an ad in the paper: “earn extra money hosting overseas guests”.

I had about 30 calls from the ad, which I think was a bit of a surprise to my mother, who didn’t think I would get much, but I did. I then had to drill down some details and decide what sort of business I was starting. The name, the sort of houses, owners and what market niche I was going to go for. That’s how it all started.

How many properties did you start with?

And have they always been super luxury properties from the very start?

No, but they did have character. One of the houses I marketed had the most perfect hosts, the owners were just lovely, they really got it. I remember they said, “we knew as soon as we heard the name, ‘Unique Homestays’, it said what it was on the tin”.

We had a great relationship and they were very helpful to me in the early days. When I started out, I intended the breaks to be hosted, where you really had the cultural element of the stay. The owners I attracted were looking forward to meeting interesting people from overseas and hosting them in their private homes, they loved food and cooking. The offering evolved as guests wanted more privacy, increasingly asking to hire the homes exclusively. Back then there were very few opportunities to rent such incredible homes, manors, and country houses.

Back then there were very few opportunities to rent such incredible homes, manors, and country houses

Well, my mum had a couple of selfcatering properties on the farm, so I put those on to begin with. I took a photo of the cottage that I was living in, you do what you have to do to get started. From the initial phone call responses, three or four then also joined.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 11

SARAH

STANLEY

Was it just you when you started?

Yes, just me. With my background, I was not an office person. I couldn’t type, I’d never even turned a computer on. I can’t particularly spell well, can’t add up very well either!

Luckily there was a lady just down the lane from me who could write. I used to run down with scribbles, she’d type them up, then I’d get them uploaded. I even took the photos myself when I first started, I did everything.

How many properties do you have now?

We have almost 200 now, ten of which we own. The goal is not to have a huge portfolio, but one where every home is extraordinary.

And do properties on your books come and go?

I was very fortunate in taking on some amazing, talented people

It depends on the owner and it also depends on us, because if we feel we’re not the right marketing agent for that property, then we would have that conversation with the owner. We often ask quite a lot of the owners to invest back into their properties, making sure that everything is as it should be to give guests an experience they simply couldn’t get elsewhere. It’s down to this that we have built a strong reputation and a loyal customer base, who return to us time after time, often for somewhere completely different to where they stayed previously. They love exploring the collection, which is why we also need to evolve it.

Because all the properties on your books now are special, aren’t they?

12 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Yes, there’s some pretty amazing properties on the portfolio. When I first started, I can remember searching through different directories, confirming that the idea I had was a good one. Back then you could search through all these websites and directories and it would take all day to find something really special. So, for me it was all about being unique, out of the ordinary, but also about choosing a specific market. It was a niche, high-end luxury market of experience-seeking travellers that I was looking for.

And now as people approach you with their properties, do you have to turn many down because they are not quite of the level you’re wanting?

In the past, about 95% of enquires were politely turned away. But that’s about marketing, too, isn’t it? Getting the message across of what we’re actually looking for. As we have matured people better understand what we are about, but we do still turn away a lot.

Again, it’s just being honest with the owner.

How many staff do you have now?

We have 37, of which 33 are full time. When I started taking on staff, I was very fortunate in taking on some amazing, talented people.

Rather than me doing everything, I was more than happy them handling things because I knew they were more skilled than me!

The team are super creative, talented, and passionate.

How’s business been in the past 18 months or so? Must have been a bit of a rollercoaster?

Immediately prior to the lockdown, we were inundated with people desperate to get away. Nobody knew exactly if we were going to be locked down, so we took a huge number of bookings. Then as travel

restrictions tightened, it was full-on handling all the cancellations or postponements, making sure that we were doing it correctly, making sure the owners were on board. Our recommendation was if the guest wants to cancel, the guests can cancel, but we also had a lot of guests postpone, which was fantastic.

During lockdown, we carried on in the background, getting things set up such as our marketing campaigns, like the Britain in Wonderland creative we’ve just released.

Doing all the legwork made sure we were ready to go when restrictions were lifted.

In August we were 96% occupied across the whole portfolio, 100% in some properties.

Even going up to December, we have higher booking levels than ever.

Did you have to furlough many staff?

We furloughed a couple who couldn’t work due to personal circumstances and childcare priorities, but most of the team were working because we had to handle the influx of calls. Everybody was piling in. I know some companies did their switch phonelines off, but we didn’t. We’ve always been about customer service. People were worried about what was going to happen and so everybody was pitching in answering the phone. There was a real sense of camaraderie.

Going forward, are you always looking for new properties to add?

Yes, of course it would be great to double, but it’s not all about the numbers, it’s more about making sure we’ve got the right places in the right locations, and different styles of properties. For example, if we had five properties in a village and they were all totally different, that would be fine. But if they were all the same type of property, built by the same builder, then that wouldn’t work for us.

Do you always go and visit every single property before you take it on?

Yes, every single one. But before we do that,

SARAH

STANLEY

we talk to the owner in depth, see videos, images and the location on Google Maps, to understand exactly where it is location wise.

We chat with the owners to find out exactly what they envisage for the future, if they’re willing to make changes and so on. We have a small property team and Jess Clark heads up the visits. Jess has been with me for 14 years and has been involved in most areas of the business apart from accounts.

She’s very knowledgeable, selftaught when it comes to interior design, but super creative and quite inspirational.

What is most important, location or the property itself?

The goal is not to have a huge portfolio, but one where every home is extraordinary

It’s a bit of both. You’d be surprised how many people analyse the photos, they look at the furniture, the style, the spaces, design, materials, landscaping, facilities, architecture; all of those things are important.

Would you ever consider going abroad?

Or is it just purely UK? Many moons ago, we did go abroad, in fact I did a road trip around France and Italy and it was fantastic. I have learnt that to build overseas you would have to have somebody that has been around the business a long time running that department. To keep things at a high level, it requires constant tweaking and making sure that everything’s in-line with the main business, including getting over to do the visits, making sure that the photography is right, the communication with the owner is good. The plan was that it was always going to be worldwide, but I’ve learnt there’s a lot more to it than that.

Are there parts of this country where you don’t have a presence or would like more of a presence?

We’d like to have more in Scotland. We’re finding that a lot of people are wanting a remoteness, seclusion, privacy, simplicity, not

plush or brash luxury: secret shacks on private beaches for example. We love Wales too, its more popular than ever with our guests, especially the country’s wild coastline and remote National Parks. Architecturally interesting homes really appeal to us, those one-off designs that really stand out, but work with the natural landscape.

Has this love for more simple things grown since the pandemic?

Yes, this is true, along with privacy. From grand country homes to small coastal cottages and woodland cabins some of our homes have been with us for 14 years or so. They are pretty pricey to stay in, but it’s the locations that are so unique, as well as the houses themselves. Similar to Cornwall, it’s the same if you ever go to Scotland, it’s about the location, the personality of the house, the food, landscape and just stripping things back a bit. People seemed to have re-evaluated during the pandemic, understanding what’s most important.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 13

SARAH

STANLEY

The vast majority of your customers come from Britain I take it, but do you have much overseas trade?

It is mostly staycations, UK residents

escaping the city. Overseas guests come from Germany and America, a few Italians, some from Russia. Germany is the biggest second market for us; they love Cornwall thanks to some of the film locations.

We’ve had a flurry from Australia since the pandemic, those booking a private home to host or visit family in the UK. What drives you as a business owner?

What gets you up in the morning?

I don’t know, but I am very much a morning person. I go to bed looking forward to waking up in the morning. These days I’m not so involved in the day to day of the business.

What gets me up in the morning? I’ve always wanted Unique Homestays to be the best. I think to be the best, you have to continually be analysing, looking, adjusting and improving constantly. When I first started the business, I was lent £500 from mum. From that point on, I never got a loan, I never got anything. It was always investing back into the business from the money that we were making. Although I didn’t really make any money initially, not for about three years, probably.

I was actually told back then, “Sarah, the business will never work, you’re wasting money, you’ll never make it.” That was from an advice bureau down in Cornwall. but I did forge on. The business was first set up as a listing company. So, people would basically just pay to list their property It only cost £165, which was nothing really. Then I decided I would put the fees up because we were getting bigger houses and bigger groups. I’d still be handling enquiries, but back then they would go on to the owner. I thought, okay, owners don’t particularly want to pay £750 membership fee, so let’s

14 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

think about doing it on a commission basis.

This felt like a huge risk for me, as no money would come in if we did not procure bookings for the owners. That was a turning point however, it was then we started making some money. The other turning point I would say is when we added the online booking facility. That was one of the best decisions we ever made.

I assume the website for a business like yours must be so important, enabling people to see the stunning properties?

We weren’t going to go down the normal advertising road, doing brochures, leaflets, that sort of stuff. It’s always going to be the website first and I will keep investing into that, knowing that the photos are everything.

Having a team that can do the copywriting, who were talented at editing - that’s amazing.

My web developer Dave Marks has been with me for 18 years and everything about our website is bespoke. He has built it all.

We have probably spent more than a million pounds just doing the website.

And when you have such fantastic properties and spectacular locations, and you photograph it well, that’s all you need, in many ways. Photos tell a powerful story.

Yes, it’s been pretty good. When I first started, I didn’t have much money, but there was always that marketing. Somebody told me about a chap called Nigel Massey in London, he ran a PR agency and was very well-known apparently. He was very kind and agreed to meet me, so I travelled up to London to see him. I was very honest with regards my background and situation; I think I’ve always been very honest. When I started, I didn’t have any knowledge of business. I asked him, “do I need to get a PR agency involved?” he said “Sarah, from what you just told me, you’ve got a great story, amazing houses, you don’t need an exterior PR. Plus you don’t have the money…” This was great advice.

And that’s when we started pitching ourselves, contacting journalists, contacting magazines and doing it all in house.

SARAH

So, you have never used a PR agency then?

And how much will a typical house bring in revenue wise?

Last year for the first time we used a Londonbased company for some new forms of digital marketing which involved making a film. This year we didn’t, the team created the Britain in Wonderland campaign, which was done in house and has had a great response We get a great deal of press and PR and because we’ve set up the business to accommodate the journalists well and have built great relationships with them over the years. I believe we have a great product, that’s the most important thing.

That depends on the house. Firefly near Mawgan Porth, sleeps two, would bring in about £70k. If it’s another coastal property like a Gwendolyn overlooking Perranporth beach it could be £120k-£160k. You know, it depends where it is. If it’s a big house that does weddings, it could be over £300k revenue a year.

It’s about making sure we’ve got the right places in the right locations

For me, the crux of the whole business has been keeping it simple. With the money, I know some people can juggle their money, but one thing I never ever did was get a loan or take a risk.

I only ever spent money I had and probably because of my farming background, my mum always hated waste.

Had you taken a few more risks, do you think you would have grown more quickly? The properties you buy, that must involve some element of risk?

Why? All the properties are bought for cash.

I’ve never had a mortgage. I buy old houses that are historically important and there are a limited number of them. They are an investment. I am only a custodian, they’ll be here long after me.

Wow! That must be quite unusual for a company your size?

I know, but I started the business because I wanted security and to be independent.

Getting loans and having to stay on top of all that is not my forte, that would have worried me.

What is your annual turnover?

About £20 million.

Has there ever been any pressure to go for more volume or slightly less up market?

No, but it’s been often talked about because when a house no longer fits our portfolio and is removed, that can be a lot of money we turn away. The owners are usually keen to stay too but we have to evolve to stay relevant. Yes, we could set up a sister company but you know what, my heart wouldn’t be in it. It’s a contradiction to what Unique Homestays is all about. To tell you the truth, focusing on what we’re doing is what we should be doing.

I noticed on your website you offer a property finding service for people looking to buy these kind of properties.

That idea came up more than ten years ago.

We’re always looking for ways to generate new leads and generally help owners with their own property endeavours whether that be interior design, renovation or searching for more properties. We are constantly phoned by new owners saying they’re looking at buying a property. They show us and we often say “Oh God no, don’t buy that!”.

We’re always looking at properties across the UK, so it was just a natural progression to enhance our service.

Has everything gone pretty smoothly would you say? Is the business where you imagined it would be when you started 20 years ago?

STANLEY

If I’d thought about all the things that you have to go through, I don’t know if I’d ever have started the business! I don’t think it was something I naturally would have gone into.

What do you love most about your job?

I have made lifelong friends while building the business. I love seeing the new properties, and I love the owner get-togethers we do. The owners are interesting and so passionate about their homes. They’ve had interesting lives themselves. I enjoy working with the team here, it’s an inspiring environment to work in.

These days I’m more overseeing rather than getting involved with the day to day. You get to a point where you don’t work in the business, you work on the business, I am very lucky to have a team who are loyal and passionate, who run things well.

And plans going forward, where do you see the business in, I don’t know, five years’ time?

You can never sit on your laurels. It’s not necessarily easy to copy, but it’s easy to emulate. Something I’ve learnt over the years is that you have constantly got to keep reinventing, progressing and being creative.

But in five years, I think it’s consolidating constantly and having some growth definitely, pushing it that little bit further and I’d love to go overseas. But I think that’s on the backburner at the moment.

Do you have a favourite property?

There’s a property in Wales that I love. It’s called Charity and it’s got the most amazing views. Again, it’s simple, but with that rustic, farmhouse feel. There’s another fabulous one called Firefly, which is like a woodcutters cabin. It’s really simple and authentic. I love that sort of rusticity and warmth.

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MANUFACTURING

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POLYMERMEDICS

Manufacturing a

covid recovery

Cornwall’s manufacturing sector is a vital contributor to Cornwall’s GDP, accounting for approximately 10% of the Duchy’s economy.

Britain’s manufacturers have hit a record high level of output and orders in this last quarter. Output volumes have reached the highest level ever recorded, UK and export orders are soaring and the 2021 growth forecast sits at +7.1%.

A strong domestic market and improving export sales

have expanded order books at a record rate and you would think that all this extraordinary buoyancy in the industry is all good news?

Not quite. The most recent data certainly continues to support the fact that manufacturing is recovering post Covid and yet, there is another side.

Raw material prices are still rising sharply as manufacturers feel the impact of ongoing supply-chain disruptions and rapidly expanding shipping costs and add in inflation, growing to a record high on balance, you have a formula of rising costs that tops every manufacturers concerns.

Further to this, there’s also the additional barrier of labour shortages with recruitment across the sector struggling at every level.

SMITHS METALS

16 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Jon Hurrell, CEO of the Cornwall Manufacturers Group, says: “Our members have never seen a time like it. Many are

having difficulty filling vacancies and with expectations for employment to expand substantially by the end of this year, Cornwall is awash with opportunities for those with skills in engineering and manufacturing.

However, the lack of a skilled workforce in our specialist sector is the crux of the problem.”

186,000 skilled Engineers are needed annually until 2024 to plug the skills gap

It’s recognised that UK manufacturing and engineering has a big skills shortage.

According to a recent Government study, 186,000 skilled engineers are needed annually until 2024 to plug the skills gap, and almost 20% of the current workforce is due to retire by 2026 according to the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB).

CORNWALL of ground source heat pumps is a perfect example.

MD James Standley confirms: “We are recruiting for 20 positions across multiple sectors within the team, ranging from assembly workers to production planners to R&D engineers and business systems analysts.

“Our growth has been exponential and we want to capitalise on our commercial success by expanding production but to do that we need the right people in the right seats and currently, it’s been difficult sourcing the skills required. Fulfilling production demands now is our immediate concern.”

JON HURRELL So, what can be done?

Jon continues: “We’re absolutely delighted by Truro and Penwith’s new £7 million technology Valency centre, opening up real opportunities for the county’s students to fulfil a rewarding career in engineering, through the excellent provision of courses at the college, but the issue is now. For manufacturers to optimise the opportunities available to them, as the industry benefits from onshoring, we need immediate vacancy fulfilment.”

Truro-based Kensa Heat Pumps, one of the UK’s market leaders and manufacturers

A SILVER LINING? Thomas Smith, head of commercial agency at Miller Commercial, looks at the supply challenge facing manufacturers looking for new industrial premises.

A drive past just about every industrial estate in the county and the ominous lack of agents’ boards tells you all you need to know about the occupational market for industrial premises in Cornwall…there is no supply. And that is not set to change for the foreseeable.

In many ways this is great news. If this can be taken as a barometer for the health of the industrial and business sectors for the rest of the country then we have good reason to be optimistic for the future of the economy. On a more local scale, as these estates support many grass roots businesses and essential services to local commerce, we can feel reassured that Cornish business is in a good place.

Kensa is atypical of key subsector growth with many subsectors within the industry forecast to grow further in 2021. However, growth for industries like automotive have been recently downgraded due to supplychain challenges and with a number of members manufacturing for the car industry in Cornwall, the regions rollercoaster continues.

Contrastingly, business optimism remains high with manufacturers seeing more opportunities than risks. Investment intentions have jumped to its highest balance ever, with many manufacturers now investing in plant and machinery to deal with new demand.

One of the ongoing issues for Cornwall manufacturers, when it comes to growth, is expansion opportunity. With the need for

But for those companies, manufacturers, traders and producers that are growing and are in need of more space for production lines and warehousing, let alone all those entrepreneurs or new entrants to the market looking to get started, the lack of supply means a real barrier to business development.

How can we tackle this challenge?

There is no simple supply tap that can be switched on. Many legitimate reasons exist why land cannot simply be turned over to development; a balance between preserving our natural landscapes and the need for more developable land is paramount, but so too is the balance between the need for commercial and residential land, where an acute shortage of appropriate housing has never been so stark.

The planning system will mean that any scheme from application to delivery could take many months, possibly years.

Furthermore, given Cornwall’s natural landscape as well as its mining heritage,

MANUFACTURING

housing prioritising over industrial development space and no evidential forthcoming funding for industrial developments, how can Cornwall’s manufacturers make the most of strong order books and growth opportunities when there is increasingly less available and affordable land to develop further?

UK and export orders are soaring and the 2021 growth forecast sits at +7.1%

there are also many areas that cannot be developed safely, without meeting significant and project-limiting cost.

But landowners take note. With limited supply and continued strength in demand, the market has appreciated and schemes that once may not have been viable could now stack up in terms of the cost of build against the likely returns on offer. If you have found traditional high street finance an issue, there are a number of lenders and brokers that we work with that could provide the funds to unlock latent value held up in hitherto unused land so don’t let that be a barrier.

At Miller Commercial, we have a large waiting list of occupiers looking for new light industrial and general business premises.

So, get in touch and ask our team how your land could be used to un-block the supply of commercial premises and allow the local economy to keep growing and local businesses to keep flourishing.

Thomas Smith ts@miller-commercial.co.uk 01872 247013

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MANUFACTURING

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ERIC NICHOLLS

Eric Nicholls, chairman of the Cornwall Manufacturers Group, says: “Manufacturers have proven their resilience again and our members played a crucial part in the road to recovery post covid with many classified as essential workers due to their products being identified as core to the UK’s economic recovery.

“It’s clear to see that their laser focused vision and determination has overcome enormous hurdles to deliver growth and yet disheartening to still have a skills gap across an industry that rewards with valuable jobs, personally and financially. Don’t forget, an entry level salary for manufacturing is 30% higher than the average wage in Cornwall!”

Cornwall’s 1,100+ manufacturers contribute £800M to the economy

Cornwall’s 1,100+ manufacturers contribute £800 million to the economy every year and evidence suggests this is going to increase as we move forward to 2022.

Eric concludes: “If we can secure expansion and growth opportunities for these businesses

in Cornwall, preventing them from having to move out simply to secure affordable and suitable industrial sites, we can grow our GVA even further.”

the ongoing battle to attract and retain skilled workers locally will continue to stress-test regional manufacturers.

It seems increasing costs, rising inflation and

*(source: Make UK/BDO survey)

ADVERTORIAL

ST. EVAL SHINING BRIGHT Nestled on a farm in the heart of North Cornwall, St. Eval is the home of highquality candles, home fragrance and hand care inspired by nature. Recently honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development, St. Eval treads softly on the earth; respecting and renewing, with people and planet at the heart of the business.

Crafting candles is a fine art and one which St. Eval has been perfecting for over 28 years with superior quality and meticulous attention to detail.

The mindful practice which comes with producing the finest quality candles, is fused with innovative technology to maintain the high standards for which St. Eval is renowned. Each candle goes through rigorous testing in its candle laboratory on-site, to ensure those standards are maintained throughout.

St. Eval has grown significantly over the last year with the rise in products focused on wellbeing, self-care and home improvements and the company now employs over 50 staff and currently, sustainably produces over 20,000 scented tin candles and 20,000 tealights a week in its core range.

Subsequently, this progressive and innovative company has invested in a new modern workspace and manufacturing facility that will further double its footprint, its candle output and provide a healthy, wellbeing-

18 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Enjoy 10% off www.st-eval.com with code BUSINESSCORNWALL Valid until December 15.

focused environment for its staff, as well as offering electric car charging points. It is also creating a beautiful wildlife, conservation area, a pond and planting trees and a chamomile meadow for staff to enjoy during their breaks.

St. Eval’s Christmas Collection is home to rich, comforting fragrances perfect to celebrate the season. Choose from a great selection of corporate gifts, from small gift boxes to larger gift hampers, filled with beautiful scents to captivate your senses.

New for 2021, St. Eval’s Lavender & Sage Botanical Hand Care range is made with a unique blend of 100% naturally derived ingredients and pure essential oils for calming, balancing, and healing effects. This range is vegan friendly and paraben-free with recyclable packaging: kind to your skin and kind to the planet.

If you have commercial development plans or vacant industrial premises we have buyers and tenants waiting Here in Cornwall and indeed across the wider South West we continue to witness significant demand for light industrial and office premises to the point for industrial where demand is greater than current supply.

If you have land that has a commercial property development opportunity then do please get in touch - we can advise you on valuation as well as potential sales or leases.

For advice and an appraisal of your commercial premises or development opportunity please do get in touch with our team:

Mike Nightingale

Tom Smith

Thomas Hewitt

Will Duckworth

msn@miller-commercial.co.uk 07748 907008

ts@miller-commercial.co.uk 07825 114802

th@miller-commercial.co.uk 07584 027142

wd@miller-commercial.co.uk 07876 387575

The business property specialists

Commercial Property Management

Valuations, Lease Advisory & Business Rates

Commercial Agency

Cornwall’s Most Active Commercial Agent 10 Successive Years

Business Transfer

Investment

Development

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CORNWALL

ADVERTORIAL

CORNWALL STAIRS

At Cornwall Stairs we are committed to providing bespoke quality staircases. Using the finest materials and latest technology and machinery, all our staircases are created by a team of superb craftsman.

One of the main fundamentals of Cornwall Stairs is our ability to deliver all aspects of our staircase design and manufacture in house. Our premises in Hayle Cornwall is home to our showroom, offices and factory.

With everything under one roof we can deliver a commitment to quality from start to finish.

Due to our varied customer base, each staircase we make is tailor-made to fit each individual client brief. From a one-off luxury bespoke set of stairs for a self-build to generic sets of stairs designed for a large housing development, we can cater from one end of the spectrum to the other and everything in between.

Our build procedure consists of four main stages. The first stage usually starts in our

20 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

showroom and design team, building ideas to address the look, features and materials of the stairs. We can produce 3D imagery of all our stairs so our clients can see what it will look like in their homes before manufacturing commences.

The second stage involves a site survey (by one of our stair designers) to ensure measurements are correct and fit with the chosen design. Then using the latest software, we will create a 3D design image for your approval, prior to production.

Our directors, with over 60 years’ experience between them, are passionate about providing excellent customer service and delivering beautiful and practical staircases time and time again.

The third stage, the manufacture, takes place in our onsite 12,000 sq. ft workshop, fully equipped with state-of-the-art woodworking machinery and computercontrolled CNC machines which give incredible accuracy. These are operated by

our qualified and experienced Joiners who take the machined components to their workstations where each bespoke flight is then constructed and fully tested.

All the materials used are sourced from high standard mills and suppliers using the highest quality sustainable timber and other materials.

The final stage of the construction of your stairs is the onsite delivery and installation.

We include delivery of each set of our stairs as standard for each client, by our own delivery team. Installation is not compulsory, but it is recommended as our team of joiners and carpenters are highly trained and experienced in all elements of stair fitting.

cornwallstairs.co.uk | 01736 758582

CORNWALL

MANUFACTURING

PRESSING FORWARD Operations manager, Beth Mayman explains how St Austell Printing Company is bouncing back with eco-friendly print.

The last 18 months has been a rollercoaster ride for many businesses and the manufacturing sector has faced so many challenges, with unpredictability and uncertainty being a huge challenge for us all.

We feel fortunate that the print sector has bounced back fairly quickly, with general marketing and promotional print being in demand.

Fortunately, the print and paper supply chains have coped well despite the range of issues being faced by many due to the pandemic, Brexit, labour and driver shortages.

We have taken this opportunity to find out what is important to our customers.

During the pandemic, people and businesses have had time re-evaluate what’s important to them. There has been a new found appreciation and connection with nature, the outdoors and wildlife.

On the back of this, we have seen a big

increase in new customers coming to us looking for an eco-friendly printing company. As we have been committed to sustainability for many years, we are well into our journey to reduce our impact on the environment.

When we built our new sustainable factory in 2013, we made a conscious decision to embrace all elements of sustainability and reduce our impact on the environment.

We have heavily invested in a range of projects, from energy efficient presses, installing a 150kWp solar panel system through to improving our ISO environmental processes and last year we carbon balanced our entire operation in association with the World Land Trust.

Our next steps on this journey takes us on a Carbon Net Zero programme, for

which we are being supported by the SW Manufacturing Association.

The support provided by the Cornwall Manufacturing Group and staying in touch with colleagues in manufacturing businesses across Cornwall has been invaluable.

sapc.co.uk

A WES SUCCESS STORY Having traditionally operated as a key supplier to automotive industry giants such as Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, BMW, Vauxhall and Honda, it is now a more diverse range of market sectors that is driving growth for WES Engineering Solutions.

As a leading manufacturer of resistance welding consumables since 1983, WES has ridden the UK automotive industry wave for nearly 40 years through major booms in production to the lull that we are currently experiencing. Commercial director, James Gazzard, explains: “Despite low production levels in the industry currently we can clearly see a new dawn on the horizon for car production in the UK, focussed on EV production, and we are aligning ourselves with the new technologies.”

In order to reduce the reliance on the automotive sector, WES purchased local precision engineering company Hardmetal Engineering in 2003 which specialises in producing high quality, intricate parts for a range of sectors.

“Our Hardmetal division is the perfect

platform to access exciting new markets as we can offer improved component life for critical applications in a range of industries such as oil and gas exploration, nuclear power, satellite production, scientific instrumentation, process automation and renewable energy,” adds James.

Moving onto 2016 and the company diversified again, adding another local company to its group - British Classic Car Parts - which designs and manufactures a range of brake calipers and leaf spring suspension for classic cars.

Operations director, Daniel Hutchings explains: “BCC has fast-tracked us into designing our own products which helps to smooth out the peaks and troughs that you get with subcontract engineering and the bigger batches allow more lights out production.”

There are exciting times ahead with further growth planned through new product development, accessing new markets and further acquisitions if the right opportunities present themselves.

“Our employees are central to our success and with more growth to come we are focussing on staff development, working conditions, and creating a really positive culture so that we can attract and retain the best talent available locally,” adds Daniel.

WES is currently recruiting skilled engineers in their CNC Milling, manual milling, CNC lathes, grinding, and EDM sections, visit wesltd.com for more information.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 21

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Built in Cornwall

loved Worldwide

Teagle Machinery has forged a global reputation as a market leading producer of quality farm machinery.

Founded in 1937, Teagle Machinery designs and manufactures innovative agricultural machinery. It is best known for its market leading range of ‘Tomahawk’ Straw and Silage Bale Processors, recently celebrating production of the 20,000th model in this range.

With an impressive archive that spans more than 75 years, the company founder Tom Teagle was one of Cornwall’s foremost inventors whose natural design vision, working from the farmhouse kitchen table, created innovative machinery that started the business.

3RD GENERATION – EXTENSION AND PLANT INVESTMENT The founders grandson, Roger Teagle took the mantle of company chairman in 2021.

As the business turns to its third generation, it does so with a renewed appetite for development of the product line-up, site facilities and manufacturing plant equipment.

Investing for future growth has always been a priority

This included horse drawn tipcarts, potato planters, fertiliser spreaders, hedge trimmers, concrete mixers and even a 49cc two-stroke cyclemotor, some of 22 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

these product lines are still in production today, although they would not now be recognised by the founder of the company.

Teagle is now one of the largest manufacturers of agricultural machinery in the UK, employing around 200 staff, with turnover in FY 2021/22 set to be the highest in the company’s history.

Investing for future growth has always been a priority for the business. To meet increases in both sales volumes and the expectations of the farming sector for a high-quality product, Teagle has recently committed to a

£2.5 million investment in buildings and plant for an industry leading powder coat paint plant, scheduled for commissioning in June 2022. This will be followed by expansion of welding capacity with the addition of further robot welding cells.

To meet this growth, Teagle continues to recruit in all areas of the business, providing opportunities for skilled team members to work in fast-paced environment that changes with the agricultural seasons.

MANUFACTURING ETHOS - LOCAL SUPPLIERS Located near St Agnes, the production site is based around the farmhouse that the Teagle family moved to over 100 years ago. The site has around six acres (25,000 sq m) of manufacturing halls that process around 2,000 tonnes of steel each year to finished product.

This manufacturing ethos is central to the success of the company which sees over 80% of sales value added on site, providing a high degree of control on quality and costs. In the last 12 months this has offered the company an advantage, as relatively low reliance on long supply chains for components has minimised disruption on the final assembly lines.

CORNWALL

MANUFACTURING

When specialist knowledge is required, or there is insufficient design/production capacity, Teagle prioritises partnering with local businesses in the south west; in particular for the development of solutions for software, electronics, and hydraulic systems.

In the last 12 months Teagle purchased around £2.5 million of goods and services from local businesses.

GLOBAL SALES NETWORK The company’s future growth will be realised not only through continued product innovation, but also outward-looking sales ambitions. Teagle has exported products since early in its history, but as competition and the sophistication of products has developed, it has been necessary to put down roots in some key marketplaces.

Working with a committed network of dealers and distributors, the company employs full time sales staff in the US, Russia, Ireland, France and Germany, as well as holding a European Parts Distribution Centre in northern France.

This has stood the company in good stead for the exit from the European Union and ensures that retailers not only sell product, but can provide first class spare parts and service support to farmers in over 50 countries around the world.

Furthermore, this presence offers invaluable feedback from customers in each region, from local trends, competitor information and opportunities for product development.

This strategy for geographical spread also provides resilience in order intake; with downturn cycles in one region typically being met by an upturn in another.

PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL FARMERS As a family business with strong links within the local farming community, Teagle works closely with farmers to test new products, listen to new ideas, and get feedback on current product performance and reliability. Many of the Research and Development team, which makes up around 15% of the staff on site, are also from a farming background. This provides firsthand feedback from customer to manufacturer which Teagle, as a relatively agile business, are then able to react to meet the needs of a changing environment.

Spare parts and service support to farmers in over 50 countries

EYE TO THE FUTURE – ELECTRONICS An eye to the future of agricultural engineering highlights the challenges in recruiting skilled labour on farms, and the environmental pressure that is pushing rapid advances in the technology and sophistication of machinery.

2022 will see Teagle launch its first fully automated electric drive bale processor. This promises improved animal husbandry through more frequent replenishment of calibrated straw for livestock bedding or as a feed ingredient. Increasingly, there is also interest in this product for processing biomass materials for briquetting and pelleting as renewable energy sources.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 23

MANUFACTURING

CORNWALL

Meeting of

minds

Bishop Fleming’s specialist manufacturing, technology and innovation team works in partnership with over 325 clients in the sector from entrepreneurial inventors to manufacturers with international interests and multi-national distribution centres.

Bishop Fleming has an extensive manufacturing client base across the firm and prides itself on building relationships with its clients by getting out to see them in their factories and really getting under the skin of the business.

Clients range from eco-friendly tyre-recycling businesses and not-for-profit renewable energy projects, to car manufacturers and welding/fabrication companies to brush distributors and producers of freeze-dried microorganisms.

This variety gives the chartered accountant and advisory firm valuable insights into a wide range of businesses, allowing it to acquire broad expertise and 24 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

experience and so no matter what size, stage or type of business you operate, they can provide a service that is tailor-made to meet your needs and fulfil your objectives.

To take this a step further it recently held a series of roundtable discussions with several manufacturers. Naturally, a frequent topic of conversation centred around the coronavirus pandemic, which has dominated all walks of life for the past 18 months.

many of the challenges have centred on workforce availability and self-isolation requirements.

One commentator said his company’s processes are very manual and labour intensive and therefore in a period where they saw a higher demand for some products, they, at its peak, had over 20% of the workforce out of action because of self-isolation or showing some symptoms.

A key ingredient for a successful future is innovation

As manufacturing businesses come in all shapes and sizes, some have been impacted more than others, but all had to face many challenges as a result of Covid, from shortages in supplies and reductions in order volumes to operational challenges in creating a Covid safe working environment for their employees.

In many industries the demand for products and services has remained consistent over the pandemic, if not increased. For them,

An interesting observation that was shared by a couple of the businesses in the room was the impact that people returning from furlough has had on the wider workforce.

The furlough scheme has been a saving grace for many businesses who have sought to preserve their knowledge and skills.

However, some reported unrest and a feeling of antagonism from those staff that were not able to work from home in the same way as office staff, for example, were able to.

CORNWALL INNOVATION For many manufacturers, a key ingredient for a successful future is innovation and over the past 18 months, this has never been more apposite.

“Never waste a crisis”, as one attended succinctly put it. There was a strong feeling, that those businesses who used the pandemic as an opportunity for learning and improvement are those that are going to come out the other side with a stronger, more resilient business.

Simon Hyde, CEO at FAUN Zoeller (UK) said they had used the pandemic to make a conscious effort to focus on what they could do rather than what they couldn’t do. This led to a full office refurbishment project in order to revamp the working environment for staff, to ensure that when people returned from furlough they were able to instil a new “output-focused working culture” which focuses on what people are doing rather than where they sit.

Neill Smith, head of manufacturing support services at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), said many of the businesses they work with used the pandemic as an opportunity to adapt the ways in which they work. And innovation has been at the forefront of many manufacturers’ minds.

Simon said: “If innovation isn’t in your board agenda, then you are not going to be around in years to come”. With a focus on the green agenda, decarbonisation, and the introduction of AI, innovation, he says, forms 90% of what he does in a day.

NET ZERO One of the most relevant topics at the moment is how manufacturing companies are considering what a low carbon future means to their business with aim to reach net zero by 2050.

While manufacturers understand and accept the importance of lowering their carbon footprint, it can be a difficult and expensive process, with many barriers to overcome.

“Operating in the ceramic industry, similar to the steel industries there is a considerable demand for high temperature heat and therefore the significance of their gas bill as a company makes it very difficult for them to become carbon neutral through simply using sustainable energy,” said Graham Brown of Morgan Advanced Materials.

“With a business target to become carbon neutral by 2050 they are looking at additional measures such as carbon capture to prevent emissions into the atmosphere.”

MANUFACTURING

R&D Tax Relief Bishop Fleming corporate and business services partner, Ally Allington, explains the latest R&D tax relief available to manufacturers The Research & Development (R&D) tax relief scheme is designed to encourage innovation and global competitiveness by allowing companies an enhanced corporation tax deduction on the money invested in qualifying research and development within the UK. The regime is commonly misunderstood, and potential claims can fall by the wayside without the support of an experienced tax advisor.

The Covid-19 pandemic has meant businesses are experiencing unprecedented challenges and there has been a significant impact on the manufacturing sector, due in part to the industry’s heavy reliance on logistics to fulfil customer and supplier expectations. With heavy transport delays and a reduced workforce that historically has not worked from home, every business has in some way become more resilient by embracing technology to work remotely.

For years, manufacturers have had the oversight to track the particulars of a project and scale operations up or down accordingly. Many manufacturers have successfully implemented automated inventory management techniques which are designed to order materials when quantities drop below a chosen level. For such methods to work properly, businesses require meticulous planning and the ability to accurately produce timely forecasts.

The bespoke technology involved in this process, and the systems implemented to address the rapid changes required to comply with Covid-19 protocols, has led to expedited R&D expenditure to remain operational and competitive.

Qualifying R&D activities include attempts to innovate, to seek a material improvement in a technology or process, and can include those that already exist. Manufacturers have seized opportunities during the pandemic to invest in R&D for both their ongoing product line and to adapt their businesses to innovate their operations and produce new products such as PPE and Ventilators.

Some common areas where R&D activity may be present for manufacturing companies include: • Integration of existing machinery and/or technology to improve processes • Bespoke tooling design and manufacturing • Taking existing technology from a different sector and incorporating it into an untested environment • IT functions – including bespoke stock management systems, novel websites etc.

In terms of costs that can be claimed on qualifying R&D activity, these include staff costs (for example: salary/bonus/ employer NIC’s/employer pension costs), consumable costs used up in the R&D activity (including the cost of raw materials used in the testing stages – even if they are subsequently sold as scrap) and potentially sub-contractor costs.

HOW WE CAN HELP We have a proven track record of supporting our clients with Manufacturing sector specific R&D claims and would welcome the opportunity to discuss innovation and investment in your business.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 25

MANUFACTURING

CORNWALL

Waste management also has an important part to play when it comes to the sustainability agenda.

While many materials used in production processes are recyclable, finding companies that can process some of the more complex waste streams can be a challenge.

And one of the challenges is in ensuring that suppliers have the same drive towards sustainability, and therefore it is vital that open conversations take place about the way in which goods are packaged etc.

Circuit boards are a good example of this.

They are recyclable, but businesses can often find it challenging to recycle them properly unless they can guarantee the volume and consistency in order to attract the interest of specialist recycling businesses.

And of course, change is also driven by the consumer, which took another step forward recently with BSI’s introduction of its new

Reduction Verification Kitemark scheme.

increased cost of production.

This scheme focuses on CO2 emissions and has been designed specifically with the Government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) requirements in mind, so that only greenhouse gas emissions from energy use are taken into account without complicating the measurement with the impact of other sources of carbon such as transport.

It was suggested that in order for there to be a big impact in this area, there needs a broader societal shift where consumers recognise the costs of their choices.

A company achieving a reduction of at least 2.5% per annum calculated from three years’ worth of data will be awarded the prestigious BSI Kitemark.

As we move towards a form of certification in this area, such accreditations will form part of consumers’ choices when purchasing products.

For example, where we look at containers in the food industry, is takeaway/microwavable food simply too cheap and are we likely to see changes in pricing going forwards so that the full cost of the environmental impact of food packaging etc is passed on to customers?

If not, then it will be down to companies to cut already squeezed margins in order to recognise the full environmental cost of their goods.

The group discussed the challenges that the smaller companies within the supply chain may encounter with this shift, given the

Meet the team

Ally Allington Corporate and Business Services Partner aallington@bishopfleming.co.uk 01872 247066

26 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Kevin Connor Audit Partner

Alison Oliver Audit Partner

kconnor@bishopfleming.co.uk 01872 247054

aoliver@bishopfleming.co.uk 01872 247085

Freya Ronayne Audit Manager

Ashleigh Ingram Tax Associate

fronayne@bishopfleming.co.uk 01752 234326

aingram@bishopfleming.co.uk 01752 264052

Our new £3m manufacturing centre near Falmouth is now open for business. It is the only facility in the South West to provide such a comprehensive range of design and production services on one site.

• A complete end-to-end service, all delivered under one roof –enabling streamlined quality control and faster turnaround of projects • Product design, machining, fabrication, electronic, electrical, embedded software, 3D printing and hydraulics • Bespoke solutions, including small batches and even one-off units for testing • Precision machined parts up to large diameter turning • Fabricated assemblies from a few kilos up to over 100 tons • Also offers single discipline subcontract work, eg machining, fabrication, 3D printing • Fully ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certified

Discover world-class advanced manufacturing services – right here in Cornwall Get in touch to find out how Feritech can help your business, bringing your ideas to life.

info@feritech.com | 01326 369 444 | www.feritech.com

ENGINEERING

DESIGN

Agents

for change

How engineering design consultancy Hydrock is pioneering societal transformation from Cornwall.

This year’s G7 summit at Carbis Bay put Cornwall firmly in the limelight of the world stage, with Cornwall’s traditions and natural beauty emerging as common themes in the media.

Staff at Hydrock have long benefitted from the quality of life available locally, which has helped the business to attract and retain highly skilled and qualified talent. Indeed, Hydrock has been privileged to build a reputation within its team in Cornwall for innovation and delivery on schemes of all scales both within the county and beyond.

For its engineers firmly rooted in Cornwall for the past 20 years, they are enthused by the rich vein of engineering heritage that includes well-known innovators such as Trevithick, Davy and Matthews, and motivated by the innovative and ambitious engineering of the future, that is Cornwall born and bred.

28 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Investing in infrastructure Hydrock feels very at home in Cornwall, surrounded by like-minded businesses who want to be a force for good, and play an integral role in helping Cornwall achieve net zero carbon by 2030, 20 years ahead of the rest of the UK. By working alongside companies such as Treveth (Cornish for ‘Homestead’), established by Cornwall Council, it is proud to be at the heart of creating not just sustainable developments, but sustainable communities, that meet the needs of people with local links and addresses the affordability gap. Likewise, it is working with the education sector to provide new schools, colleges and higher education facilities that support the community and develop talent in Cornwall.

Engineering design consultancies like Hydrock are instrumental in delivering the infrastructure which will support and enable growth. Cornwall has attracted funding to deliver schemes including fundamental improvements to the A30 across Bodmin Moor and, shortly, Chiverton to Carland Cross; the Pool link road; and the forthcoming St Austell link.

The G7 summit leaves a legacy of investment at Cornwall Airport (one of the UK’s longest runways) – just one of many Cornish pieces of the national infrastructure jigsaw which includes the emerging Spaceport, deep water docks at Falmouth, geothermal engineering at the Hot Rocks project, Goonhilly Earth Station, Deep Blue and Cornish Lithium.

In the right place, at the right time

Hydrock’s national transportation director, James McKechnie, explains: “Our integrated multi-disciplinary team

ENGINEERING

plays a strong role in helping to shape sustainable engineering solutions to enable infrastructure and the built environment in Cornwall. We have been deeply involved with many of the transport strategies and key developments shaping Cornwall’s continued growth, securing inwardinvestment from Government for significant transport schemes across the region.

“Through our Mobility Analytics team in Cornwall, Hydrock is keeping alive this proud Cornwall tradition of innovation by placing a sharp focus on Electric Vehicles (EV), creating a tool (rEVol) to model the implementation of EV charging points, providing cost-effective and efficient solutions.”

This new modelling tool, rEVol draws together predictions regarding usage, power demand and revenue, enabling EV charging developers across the UK to provide the most efficient solutions in terms of reducing cost and maximising future utilisation.

This allows Hydrock to provide a robust evidence base, enabling the provision of the right amount of EV charging infrastructure, in the right place, at the right time.

The modelling team in Cornwall can also model the distribution of vehicle charging speeds in the area, allowing it to predict

the power draw on the local grid during the busiest periods. Predicting this can identify where curtailment will occur (a reduction in charging speed during the busiest periods), and whether smart energy solutions (on- or off-site) could reduce the draw on the local power network.

Committing to Cornwall So, what is Hydrock’s role and obligation as a contemporary engineering practice in Cornwall? Alongside major employers such as Imerys, St Austell Brewery, Seasalt and Pendennis Shipyard, innovative businesses can provide long-term, high-quality jobs in Cornwall which are highly relevant to the present and look to the future. Within this forward-looking business environment, Hydrock’s pledge to Cornwall is that it will continue to deliver rewarding careers across our business sectors and build upon our two decades of experience creating a positive influence on the development of land and communities across the county.

It is the responsibility of the Cornish business community, and engineers in particular, to work with the private, public and third sectors in the wider interests of the county and the region. Hydrock will continue to deliver engineering excellence

DESIGN

for its clients and to invest in developing our staff into roles that reflect the legacy of Cornish innovation. For example, its Cornwall team also leads the way nationally in assessing and predicting the behaviour of autonomous vehicles, and its electrical and mechanical engineers provide expert advice on sustainable buildings, renewable energy and battery storage to support the national grid resilience.

The G7 summit has provided Cornwall with the exposure that it so deserves with the rich seams of opportunity in Cornwall lying undiminished. The relentless pace of technological innovation will allow us to build exponentially on its pioneering past, developing strength through an engineering sector to drive economic and housing growth, meeting the needs of local communities, and provide regional, national and international expertise once again.

To find out more about what Hydrock can offer, contact the team on 01209 719 037 or email camborne@hydrock.com

PICTURED TOP LEFT (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT): MARK PEARCE, BEN SMITH-LAING, TOM SHILTON, SHARON BLAKE, JAMES MCKECHNIE AND CHRIS HILL.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 29

CHARITY

CORNWALL

a time to We present five worthy causes who all deserve your support in 2022.

give

ISIGHTCORNWALL BE PART OF OUR HISTORY iSightCornwall has been at the heart of Cornwall’s community for 165 years. Formed in 1856 by a group of well-known businessmen and philanthropists concerned with the welfare of miners, its aim was to teach those who had lost their sight in mining accidents how to read using raised type.

Over the years the charity has supported hundreds of thousands of visually impaired people to lead active and independent lives, but this has only been possible thanks to the generosity of the Cornish community.

By making a donation to our charity you will be helping us to deliver our vital services. But we can help you too. There are 23,000 people living with sight loss in Cornwall. We can show you how make your business more accessible and inclusive for these customers and employees. Whether it’s accessible communications, accessible premises or customer service support, we can provide bespoke advice to suit your business needs.

Photo: From the collection of the RIC

Together we can lead the way on accessibility and ensure that the legacy of Cornwall’s oldest charity lives on.

30 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

www.isightcornwall.org.uk 01872 261110

CORNWALL

CHARITY

CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST HELP US TURN THE TIDE ON NATURE’S DECLINE IN CORNWALL Nature in Cornwall is in trouble. Can your business help?

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is working across Cornwall to reverse nature’s decline. But we need your help.

Join our Wilder Business Network today and be part of a collection of local businesses committed to a future where nature in Cornwall thrives on land and at sea - supporting wildlife, people, and the environment.

Photo by Jon Hawkins

Through membership, your business will help create a wilder future; where nature is in recovery, wildlife and wild places are protected, and more people take action to reverse nature’s decline.

Membership starts from just £250 + VAT per year. Check out our new membership page for more details and how to apply: https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/wilder-business-membership

CORNWALL HOSPICE CARE | OUR RESILIENCE AND REVIVAL

Cornwall Hospice Care is a long-established Cornish healthcare charity that provides end of life care at its two hospices, Mount Edgcumbe in St Austell and St Julia’s in Hayle. Both have remained open 24/7 throughout the pandemic ensuring key workers are available for those patients with a terminal illness who need specialist care.

Now in its 40th anniversary year, Cornwall Hospice Care has recently published ‘Our resilience and revival’ the story of the toughest period in the charity’s 40-year history. The digital publication reviews the extraordinary issues the charity faced and the determined way in which its staff and volunteers fought back.

www.cornwallhospicecare.co.uk

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 31

CHARITY

CORNWALL

CORNWALL AIR AMBULANCE | YOUR CHARITY, SAVING LIVES Cornwall Air Ambulance is the charity that provides critical care to the most seriously sick and injured people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The crew attend more than 1000 missions every year, and with no direct government support towards running costs of £5 million a year, it relies on the generosity of businesses like yours to keep flying.

From events and sponsorships, to payroll giving, challenges and volunteering, there are so many ways your business can partner with Cornwall Air Ambulance.

To find out more, visit cornwallairambulancetrust.org/corporate or email fundraising@cornwallairambulancetrust.org

ST PETROCS | TOGETHER WE CAN END HOMELESSNESS As winter approaches and restrictions connected with Covid ease we are unfortunately seeing a rise in the numbers of people becoming homeless here in Cornwall. New people are being forced into rough sleeping as our economy tips and rolls and different sectors of business and industry come under immense pressure as they suffer from the aftershocks of the pandemic and Brexit.

Our services will continue to deliver assistance with re-housing via Outreach and our two resource centres as well as 138 bed spaces of supported accommodation in 20 locations throughout the county. Our aim is always to deliver the highest quality services possible and as part of that philosophy we have recently introduced a new Vocational Development Project which seeks to introduce our clients and local businesses to each other with potential benefit to both.

We have many residents who are looking to rebuild their careers after some catastrophic events in their lives, some are looking to take their previous experience to sectors of the economy which are new to them. If this is of interest to businesses here in Cornwall, pick up the phone or send us an email.

We’d like to thank businesses who have supported us during the pandemic through charity of the year schemes and other direct support we have received. Together we can end homelessness in Cornwall and help keep our local economy thriving. www.stpetrocs.org.uk | home@stpetrocs.org.uk | 01872 260948 Facebook: @StPetrocsCornwall | Twitter: @StPetrocs 32 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Relax

We’ve Got IT Covered As customer expectations rise, businesses depend on reliable technology to deliver goods and services. Keeping your technology healthy, reliable, resilient, secure and with a plan for the future is key to driving growth and success.

Partnering with Focus can help you achieve these goals, and more.

01209 613660 | focus-technology.co.uk

PEOPLE

ON THE MOVE

MOVING FORWARD Cornish Lithium has appointed two new people to its senior management team.

NEW BID MANAGER The St Ives Business Improvement District (BID) has appointed a new manager.

Sarah Stevens (left), who is also chair of the St Ives Town Deal board, assumes the position from Helen Tripconey (right), who was appointed in August 2019, shortly after St Ives BID’s second five-year term was approved.

LAW FIRM COO

“I’m looking forward to getting going,” she said, “and I see the position as an opportunity to use my knowledge and expertise to benefit my home town.

“My voluntary role on St Ives Town Deal board focuses on regeneration, transport, training, skills and sustainable economic growth and this, combined with the excellent work Helen has already done, will continue to improve things for St Ives.”

Stephens Scown LLP has appointed Alex Mackie as its first chief operating officer (COO) to support the firm’s three-year strategy and growth aspirations.

Mackie joins from Tozers LLP, where he was commercial director, and brings with him an impressive range of experience forged in banking, commercial and legal sectors. He will be pivotal in helping to drive the firm’s

PRETTY IN PINK Visitor attractions consultancy, Flamingo Marketing, has welcomed three new recruits to its team of PR and marketing specialists.

Flamingo specialises in marketing and PR for the leisure and tourism industry with a varied client base which includes iconic heritage attractions like Blenheim Palace and Leeds Castle to theme parks, wildlife collections, luxury hotels and major outdoor events.

Experienced marketer Nadia Pendleton and

RCHT CHIEF EXEC 34 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Steve Williamson has been named as the new chief executive for the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT).

Williamson is an experienced NHS and health service chief executive.

MATT DIXON, OLLIE YOUNG AND NADIA PENDLETON

Patrick Forward has been named head of project development – hard rock minerals, while Henry Chalcraft joins as land agent.

Forward brings a wealth of experience of developing a multitude of hard rock base and precious metals projects across the globe.

Chalcraft, meanwhile, has enjoyed a successful career in both land management and minerals extraction. Cornish Lithium says the combination of his experience in these two sectors will be of great benefit as it looks to consolidate its mineral rights portfolio. strategic goals and vision for the future.

Managing partner, Richard Baker, said: “We are delighted to have Alex on board.

His appointment forms a pivotal part of our strategy for growth, as he brings with him a wealth of commercial expertise along with strong interpersonal skills that will help to drive our business forward with purpose and passion.”

SMART ADDS CLOUT

journalist Matt Dixon joined the company ahead of the busy summer season alongside PR executive Ollie Young, who recently started at the consultancy after also beginning his career in journalism.

He is currently working in Australia where he is chief executive of Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service, a role he has held since January 2017.

He was also previously chief executive and chief operating officer at South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust and has also worked at a senior level at University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

RCHT chairwoman, Dr Mairi Mclean said: “We’re delighted to be announcing Steve Williamson’s appointment and look forward to welcoming him in the New Year. “

Smart Commercial Property has appointed a new graduate surveyor and trainee valuer.

Having graduated with a degree in Building Surveying and the Environment from the University of Plymouth, Monty Cloutman is undertaking his APC with RICS in Commercial Real Estate.

His experience of the property sector goes back a number of years and includes working at Driftwood Properties in Hayle.

FESTIVE DINING

Christmas Parties, Festive Lunches and Bottomless Afternoon Teas Christmas Dining Enjoy a three-course set menu from £25pp, available in the Cove Suite, Vista and Restaurant.

15th Nov-17th Jan

Private Christmas Parties Why not meet for a private gathering and enjoy a drink on arrival, three-course set menu, wine and live music!

From £49pp, 15th Nov - 17th Jan

Bottomless Afternoon Tea Spoil yourself, friends, family or colleagues to an indulgent Afternoon tea overlooking the ocean!

From £29pp, 23rd Nov - 17th Jan

Stay for £75 Leaving so soon? Why not turn your party into a mini-break? Wake up to the sound of the sea and enjoy a full Cornish breakfast, then unwind and recharge in our Health Club.

From £75 per room when booked as part of a festive party.

@PolurrianOnTheLizard #PolurrianMoments

Book your Christmas party by calling: 01326 240421 or emailing: reservations@polurrianhotel.co.uk 10% Early Bird discount if booked by the 22nd October

We can arrange special discounted fares with a local taxi service

on the Lizard

P O L U R R I A N R OA D, M U L L I O N , C O R N WA L L T R12 7 E N • 01326 24 0 421 I N F O @ P O L U R R I A N H OT E L .C O M • P O L U R R I A N H O T E L .C O M

CREATIVE

AND DIGITAL

SPONSORED BY ABG Design has completed work on a new interactive visitor centre at Roadford Lake in Devon.

The Value of Water Centre and dryweather garden is a partnership project between South West Water and South West Lakes.

A FRESH THOUGHT

Pool-based software developer Everest Media has rebranded.

The business, which was founded in 2014 by husband and wife Sam and Allanah Armondi, is now called Thought Quarter.

“We were looking to the future and building our vision for where we wanted to take this business and the issue of our name kept

The business, which is now known as Keylu, has seen a 319% rise in new sign-ups compared to last year.

36 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

MD Howard Miles said: “We are really pleased with the outcome of this project. We worked with a really talented illustrator called Charlotte Leady who translated the exhibition messages in a colourful and commanding way.”

“We collaborated with partner agency Sharper B2B Marketing, to dig into who we really are and what we want to be, and design studio Thursday, to bring this new positioning and messaging to life.

“We know we’ve now nailed exactly who we are, what we do, and why we do it.”

Keylu is a secure, online life planning platform which enables users to upload personal, financial, and legal documents as well as personal mementos to pave the way for the creation and management of users’ digital legacies.

Ian Dibb, who founded the company in 2015, said: “We have some big plans in store, and our new name and branding is only the first step. We will be evolving and enhancing our services to further benefit our users. The team at Keylu are very excited for the future.”

A Cornish communications agency was amongst the silverware at last month’s CIPR Awards for the South of England and Channel Islands.

She said: “Over the last three years, Barefoot has really allowed me to develop my skills

ABG Design won the project through a competitive tender and worked closely with the client developing the themes and level of interactivity and a short animated film.

“We’re not really fans of mountains and the word ‘media’ felt limiting, so the name we hastily picked when founding the company just didn’t fit any more.

SILVER STREAK Barefoot Media came away from the virtual awards ceremony with a silver award in the Small PR Consultancy of the Year category, while account manager Sophie Peters also won silver in the Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year category.

DEVON SENT

cropping up,” said MD Sam Armondi.

KEYLU REBRAND Cornwall-based online life planning platform, Once I’ve Gone, has marked a record year with a rebrand.

www.digitalpeninsula.org

across a broad range of sectors, find my specialism, and carve out my own path as an account manager. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Meanwhile, The Nare Hotel also took silver in the Travel Leisure or Tourism Campaign category.

CHRIS WOOD

US MARKET IN 3D A Cornish company which creates 3D tours for industries including education, transportation and health has established itself in the US market with support from the Department for International Trade (DIT) as part of the drive to level up businesses in the region.

Penzance-based Ocean 3D expects to generate sales of £1 million to the US over the next five years, with exports now accounting for 39% of the company’s total revenue.

Ocean 3D was established in 2018 by Chris Wood and Rosalind Osborne after they identified a gap in the market for organisations to produce 3D tours to help people who suffer with autism and other mental health conditions. The tours allow people to experience spaces before visiting them, thereby reducing anxiety surrounding navigation or accessibility.

With DIT’s support, the company has signed its first deal with an airport in Texas. DIT has provided market research support and has given the company the opportunity to attend a virtual trade mission to the US as part of DIT’s Tech 4 Good programme.

FOOD &

SHARP’S ANSWERS SAS CALL As a main sponsor of Surfers Against Sewage’s (SAS) Million Mile Beach Clean, Sharp’s Brewery staff donned their waterproofs last month to support the final mile of the biggest and most active beach clean campaign ever.

Over recent years, Sharp’s Atlantic Pale Ale has supported an extensive number of popular beach cleans across different areas of the county, including National Trust’s Holywell Bay, Falmouth’s Greenbank beach and Polzeath, one of the most local beaches to the brewery.

Marketing controller, James Nicholls, said: “I speak on behalf of the team when I saw

A FISHY TALE The Cornish Hake fishery won the Ocean Hero award for its commitment to sustainability at the MSC UK sustainable seafood awards.

In a nice twist, the winners’ award was designed and manufactured using 3D printing by Cornish-based J Supplied 3D A new, limited-edition beer made with Lotus Biscoff biscuits and spread has been released as part of a collaboration between The Driftwood Spars Brewery and Hampshire microbrewery Fallen Acorn Brewing Co. The small batch release of just 800 litres is a hefty 10% ABV and was made using over 2,000 of the famous biscuits – loved for their unique caramelised taste - plus a significant amount of Lotus Biscoff spread. Not surprisingly, it’s described as “sweet, malty and loaded with silky caramel”.

The beer, which is available in can, cask and keg from a limited number of outlets, is called Niflheim Imperial Biscoff Stout.

Mike Mason, head brewer at The Driftwood Spars Brewery in St Agnes, where the beer

how delighted we were to support the final mile of the Million Mile Beach Clean. It was inspirational to see so many out in force despite the rather undesirable weather conditions.”

Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, added: “The Million Mile Clean has now become the biggest volunteer activation to help protect some of the country’s best beaches, inspiring tens of thousands of people to take action to protect the ocean.

DRINK

FOOD TAKES CENTRE STAGE Truro Farmers Market is joining forces with Truro BID to bring a local shopping experience with a “magical atmosphere” to the city this festive season.

The BIG Christmas Market will run from November 24 through to December 24 on Lemon Quay and will feature a wide selection of the local food and drink, arts and crafts.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the support, particularly from local Cornish communities, who have led the beach clean effort at so many special stretches of coastline.”

Truro Farmers Market is a cooperative of local producers which was formed in 1999; the market trades from Lemon Quay in Truro every Wednesday and Saturday, and on The Moor in Falmouth every Tuesday.

and designed by artist Charlotte Dawe.

It was made in collaboration with Fishy Filaments, which recycles fishing nets from the Cornish hake fishery into engineering grade nylon filament.

BID manager, Alun Jones, said: “We’re delighted to support The BIG Christmas Market, in addition to which Truro BID will be delivering street food and drink stalls on Boscawen Street on late night shopping Wednesdays and four Saturdays from November 27 onwards.

This means that the fishery won an award made from nets from its own fishery. Fishy Filaments’ innovative harbour-side recycling technology was invented in Cornwall and saves about 98% of carbon emissions when compared to using equivalent virgin material. was brewed, explained: “We decided to collaborate on two beers which would push the boundaries of our respective brew kits – the first of which is Niflheim, a beer we brewed over two days and four very sticky mash cycles.

“Both these initiatives will help support Truro’s high street as, by strengthening the Christmas offer, they will help attract footfall and encourage people to stay longer in town.”

BISCOFF BEER!

“I actually brewed a lower ABV Biscoff coffee caramel stout a few years back in collaboration with an excellent pub called The Dog in Burton on Trent. It went down really well, so we decided to revive and adapt the idea for the first leg of the collaboration.”

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 37

TOURISM

NEWS

SPONSORED BY

www.visitcornwall.com

ASPECTS OPENS MULLION OFFICE Cornish holiday lettings agency Aspects Holidays has opened a new office in Mullion.

The new office, says commercial director Mandy Spencer, bridges the gap between its west Cornwall and Falmouth offices.

She said: “With growing demand in the area, we decided it was time to fulfil a longstanding dream of ours to open an office on Cornwall’s most southerly coast.

“We are very excited to welcome Rosina Perry (pictured), Mullion property manager, to our team. She is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the local area and loves where she lives. She is joined by Sarah Gallagher, property administrator; we’re sure they’ll make a fantastic team.”

Aspects Holidays offers fully managed holiday letting services for over 700 properties across Cornwall. It has offices in St Ives, Hayle, Penzance, Newquay, Bude, Mevagissey, Falmouth, Wadebridge and now Mullion.

TRAINING TO BE THE BEST A new business has launched aimed at developing Cornwall’s hospitality sector.

The team at Saffron Academy Limited has extensive experience of the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industry, with more than 150 years’ experience between them.

The overall aim of Saffron Academy Limited is to increase the skills of those working in the sector, to help businesses deliver “a world class service locally”.

Sales and development director Claire

VISIT LOOE LAUNCH

Hall said: “We are delighted to be able to be up and running and being able to offer training to Cornwall and Isles of Scilly businesses.

“Our aims are to deliver hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism training in a strategic manner to ensure businesses get the best service possible with our trainers who have up to date knowledge of the sector on all levels. Our years of experience means that we understand the front and back house of businesses and the challenges that they occur.”

RED HOTELS RAISE PAY The Scarlet and the Bedruthan Hotel and Spa have increased the pay rates for all entry level roles to £11 per hour.

The Visit Looe destination website officially launched last month with a practical webinar on what it takes to stand out from the crowd as a sustainable tourism business in Cornwall.

The online event was led by Robin Barker who runs the Cornwall Tourism Awards and featured a speaker panel including Chris Hines, co-founder of Surfers Against Sewage; Callum Deveney, head of nature reserves at Cornwall Wildlife Trust; Karen Wells-West, owner of The Sanctuary; and Malcolm Bell, CEO of Visit Cornwall.

Visit Looe is owned and managed by Looe 38 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Town Council and is already attracting around 40,000 visits per month.

“Looe is a beautiful, historic town with so much going for it,” said Mel Colton-Dyer, the town council’s commercial strategy director.

“The Visit Looe website is a communal resource that showcases our town’s accommodation, activities, places to eat and wonderful surroundings and this launch was all about building on that successful foundation and forging a bright, sustainable future for the town and its wide range of independent businesses.”

The news comes shortly after Red Hotels’ commitment to becoming a Real Living Wage Employer.

Owner of the Scarlet and Bedruthan, Emma Stratton, said: “We are fully committed at Red to provide our teams with a great place to work and flourish.

“We will reward our teams with a salary that allows them to have a good quality of life, providing them with stronger financial security. This is only the beginning of our plan to become a county-leading employer of choice and one that is recognised for personal development.”

NEWS

SPONSORED BY

#FSBCONNECT

IMPROVING EXPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES A new report from the FSB shines a spotlight on the ongoing difficulties that small business exporters are facing from the Covid-19 pandemic and the UK’s exit from the EU. The report, Ready to Launch, is calling on the Department for International Trade (DIT) to use its upcoming Export Strategy to supercharge the recovery by targeting support at small and micro businesses at a time when they need it most.

• DIT should reform and replace the Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) with a new initiative modelled on the Canadian CanExport programme, providing more funding for more trade activities.

• Export support, including the advice of International Trade Advisors, should be targeted at the smallest business community, who lack the resources of medium and large firms.

• 80% of small firms left in the dark about the real benefits of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) – more must be done to promote the benefits of trade deals and ensure they are useable by small businesses.

Since the end of the transition period, around 25% of small exporters have either temporarily or entirely stopped exporting to the EU, with a further 21% making similar considerations.

Which is why new support to these firms is vital to getting small and micro businesses to return to or start their exporting journeys.

Commenting on the findings of the report, FSB national chair, Mike Cherry, said: “Small exporters have had a difficult time due to the pandemic, ongoing supply chain issues, as well as adapting to the complications associated with the end of the transition period.

“This has left many facing rising costs, unsure of the future of their small firms and debating the best way to grow and nurture their businesses.

“Our report has highlighted some key areas which we hope DIT can act upon to positively help small firms who are either looking to begin their exporting journey, or to help current exporters to thrive.”

WHAT CAN FSB DO FOR YOU? protection, business banking and PR/crisis management as well as access to local and national networking, support, lobbying, information and signposting.

We are a not-for-profit organisation, led by active, experienced business people and professional staff. We exist to serve the small business community across the UK. Feel lonely running a business at times?

Well, there is no need for that with FSB by your side, together we are stronger. FSB membership means inclusive support, market-leading benefits and a voice heard in Government at all levels. If you are self-employed or own a small business, membership is built from the ground up to help you achieve your ambitions.

Did you know that FSB members get access to all of these specific tailored benefits: tax investigation protection, legal protection scheme, employment protection, health and safety advice, legal hub, personal care resources, insurance service, first voice (B2B), payments, funding platform, cash advance, debt recovery, workplace pensions, cyber

Starting at just £147 in the first year plus a £30 joining fee (*see offer) we pride ourselves in supporting smaller businesses like yours.

You can join online at www.fsb.org.uk/join but if you want to meet with or speak to someone to discuss more about how we can help you call our Customer Services Department 0808 20 20 888 or email customerservices@fsb.org.uk

HOW GREEN CAN WE GO? The FSB’s south west regional team staged a highly-successful online conference in September entitled ‘What is Net Zero and why is it important to my SME business?’.

The event, chaired by FSB Cornwall volunteer area lead net zero champion, Edward Chapman, formally kickstarted the local campaign to encourage south west SMEs to become better informed and motivated by the whole sustainability agenda.

Ann Vandermeulen, FSB Cornwall’s development manager, said: “Conference feedback confirmed that it is a big ask whilst everyone seems to be so up against it. With financial, staffing, logistical headaches mixed with a good deal of uncertainty, many businesses struggle to look up from the day job to review habits and operational practice.

“It’s another thing to do, too daunting or perhaps those greener choices aren’t even so obvious in such a pressured environment. We know that the key to this is easy to access information around simple changes and key benefits to the business. Saving the planet is a big enough reason but let’s be honest, after a world pandemic, businesses need to recoup their own resources and build back with purpose, so we want to shine a light on practical solutions that work for both planet and business.”

As part of FSB’s ongoing commitment to the subject, the FSB also hosts a helpful website hub to help SMEs on their journey called the FSB Sustainability Hub.

FSB Offer for Business Cornwall Magazine Readers at www.fsb.org.uk/join If you want to join FSB after reading this page then please quote BCM30 when you join and save £30!

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 39

EDUCATION

AND TRAINING

SPONSORED BY

DRY DOCK LOOKS TO FUTURE

GREEN FINGERS University of Exeter’s Penryn campus won a Green Flag Award, in recognition of the outstanding quality of its outdoor space.

A new marine apprenticeship scheme has started at Penzance Dry Docks.

The four-year apprenticeship programme has been launched by Linked Solutions SW Limited, which offers marine engineering services and consultancy, and also recently took over the operation of Penzance’s historic dry dock.

The four-year programme will involve vessel maintenance, repair work and four new apprentices will work closely with Linked Solutions’ team of marine engineers out of Penzance’s historic dry dock. All training will be at the employer’s premises, removing the lost time and cost of travel for the apprentices.

Linked Solutions CEO Jamie Murphy said:

www.truro-penwith.ac.uk

“We want to give these young people the best chance of future success and we believe the scope of skills development here at the dry dock will deliver Cornwall some very highly skilled apprentices.”

It is envisaged that full-time roles will be available following the successful completion of the four-year apprenticeship, which is being delivered in association with Cornwall Marine Network (CMN).

CMN chief executive, Paul Wickes, added: “Cornwall Marine Network are delighted to support Jamie Murphy and his team at Penzance Dry Dock with their new apprenticeship project.”

Head Gardener, Toby Nenning, said: “We are very pleased to have been awarded the prestigious Green Flag award for the Penryn campus and this conveys the level of care and dedication the team have to the outdoor spaces.

“As for everyone it has been a challenging 18 months, but with the team working throughout the pandemic the site has become a haven for anyone trying to escape the stresses and strains of the modern world, whether it be a walk with the dog, a jog through the grounds or simply to relax in the hammocks within our orchard. We are now working hard to protect and increase the biodiversity of the site with an increase in wildflowers, tree planting and organic gardening.”

APPRENTICESHIP IS ‘ONE OF A KIND’ START-UPS SHORTLISTED Two start-ups from Falmouth University’s venture studio, Launchpad, have been shortlisted for the 2021 Tech South West Awards.

Following on from its success at the awards last year, where it scooped best start-up, Codices, which develops live interactive online game shows, is shortlisted in two categories for best innovation and international success.

Community seed sharing platform Plotty is up for the clean tech award.

Tim Edwards, Codices CEO and co-founder, said: “As a team, we are delighted to be nominated for two awards for our continued growth with Quiz Kit, which today, has around three million viewers and over sixteen thousand streamers each month across the world. For the majority of 2021 we have also been working hard on an unannounced project which we can’t wait to share in the near future.”

Alex Craven, head of investment at Falmouth University, added: “It’s always great to see Launchpad start-ups being recognised in their sector. It’s testament to the dedication and belief they have in their innovations, and we wish Plotty and Codices the best of luck at this year’s awards.”

40 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

HEADLAND DIRECTOR VERYAN PALMER (RIGHT) To encourage and highlight hospitality career development within Cornwall, a local college has worked with employers to redesign and launch a new management level apprenticeship that is the first of its kind in the county.

Truro and Penwith College has relaunched the Level 4 Hospitality Manager Higher Apprenticeship with new content designed in partnership with employers to support post pandemic recovery and the future of the industry.

The Level 4 Apprenticeship has been developed through the college and its ESF part-funded project Hospitality Table Cornwall (part of ESF Business Clusters) to encourage those of all ages to choose hospitality as a career in one of Cornwall’s largest and fast-growing industries.

Martin Tucker, principal at Truro and Penwith College said: “We’re so proud to be the pioneers of this newlyrelaunched apprenticeship, which is the first of its kind in the county. Hospitality is one of Cornwall’s key industries and this Higher Apprenticeship provides a valued qualification to back up learners’ industryrelevant skills, as well as promoting career progression, whilst staying in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

To ensure the content is relevant and appliable between businesses, Truro and Penwith College and Hospitality Table Cornwall have worked with a diverse range of top hospitality employers across Cornwall, including the likes of The Headland Hotel, Paul Ainsworth Collection, St Michaels Hotel and Spa, and Inn Cornwall.

Veryan Palmer, director at the Headland Hotel said: “At The Headland we are excited to have excellent candidates to put forward for the new L4 Hospitality Manager Apprenticeship via Truro and Penwith College starting in January 2022.

The opportunities that this gives us to help our young managers to gain the skills to progress forwards on their stellar career pathways is excellent.”

CHAMBER

SPONSORED BY

cornwallchamber.co.uk

NEWS

THERE’S NO TURNING BACK! However, this month I’ve been reminded of just how important it is to be able to interrupt each other and go off on tangents; often it’s these tangents that lead to the big breakthroughs and ideas!

This is a new era and as such we as employers have been responsive to issues raised by our employees – I urge you to do the same.

If you’ve read any of my previous columns you will know that the phrase ‘return to normal’ jars with me. I don’t consider that we should be returning to anything: this is a new beginning and I’m hoping Cornwall’s businesses are seeing it as such - feeling energised and excited about the future.

At Chamber HQ, we brought everyone back into the office to work for the month of September. I even surprised myself at just how much more progress we as a team have been able to make being face-to-face.

I’ve talked a lot over the past year about the power of Zoom and Teams and how we can still do business without physically attending meetings – and I stand by that.

It’s important that businesses use this transitional period as an opportunity to revaluate how things are done. If someone needs to walk their lockdown dog every Thursday morning and come in at 10 instead of 8.30, will it severely impact the business?

Or could a more flexible working pattern boost productivity?

There’s no rule book anymore, which is a real opportunity to test out what works for your business. At the Chamber we’ve actually come to the conclusion that five days a week in the office isn’t necessary at present, so in October as I write this, we are moving to three days office, two days home.

It’s a whole new balancing act and as responsible employers we should all have the mental health and wellbeing of our employees at the forefront of our minds. Nearly two years working from home is a long time to transition

away from– many have built their lives around the new working conditions, so to reverse it without consideration and flexibility could be detrimental to a business.

If your younger members of staff seem a bit disconnected, get them signed up to Surge of Entrepreneurs. Surge is Cornwall Chamber of Commerce’s business network for the under 30s; we have some great events in the pipeline and a fantastic support network where they can speak to their peers and learn from each other.

Contact jessica@cornwallchamber.co.uk for more details.

BUSINESS FAIR Stands at Cornwall Business Fair now booking! March 9 at Newquay Sports Centre – the centrepiece of Cornwall Festival of Business.

Cornwall’s largest business event.

Book a stand now at the Fair: richardwoods@eslas.co.uk ; or a festival event: naomi@cornwallchamber.co.uk

LEVELLING UP IN CORNWALL This week, I have penned an open letter to Michael Gove MP and Andy Haldane (who is heading up a new task force in the Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities).

The letter calls for Cornwall to be remembered in the Government’s Levelling Up strategy and will be signed by the public and private sector bodies tasked with Cornwall & Isles of Scilly’s economic wellbeing and development.

Cornwall has benefitted from over 20 years of EU funding, but we’re only just getting started. Thanks to the funding, the groundwork has been done, the building blocks are in place, and we are ready to take things up a gear, but to do this we need Levelling Up with Government assistance.

I am concerned that ‘Levelling Up’ seems

to apply to northern red wall constituencies when in fact, both economically and politically, Cornwall & Scilly need more of the government’s attention.

In the letter, we ask the government to look at the metrics by which Levelling Up is to be applied and the impact on voters’ lives and prosperity it can have. We know that if the Government does this, it will find a rock-solid argument for Levelling Up Cornwall.

I will keep you updated with our progress.

It’s absolutely crucial that we keep momentum going in Cornwall and are given a chance to thrive. Now is our time to shine; the building blocks are in place from the funding we have received, the people are keen and showcases like G7 and resulting inward investment clearly show our intent and our potential.

Email: hello@cornwallchamber.co.uk Call: 01209 216006 Online: www.cornwallchamber.co.uk

WHY JOIN? Cornwall Chamber of Commerce is an independent not-for-profit organisation accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce. We solely exist to represent businesses in Cornwall. Our events provide a platform for businesses to connect, create and make valuable business relationships. Membership to the Chamber starts from as little as £17 +VAT per month and provides you with the tools to promote your business.

Get in touch today to have a chat about how we can support you and your business.

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 41

THE WISH

TO PROMOTE YOUR PRODUCT HERE, CALL CAROLINE ON 07801 981 667

LIST

BOTANICAL HAND CARE

St Eval’s new Botanical Lavender & Sage Hand Wash and Lotion are crafted with a harmonious blend of 100% naturally derived ingredients and pure essential oils for calming, balancing, and healing effects. Made with sustainability in mind, this range is vegan friendly and paraben-free with recyclable packaging.

Enjoy 10% off www.st-eval.com with code BUSINESSCORNWALL Valid until December 15.

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

English Spirit is proud to share its award-winning Christmas Spirit this festive season. Scratch distilled English rum, blended with an assortment of flavours, including; fresh orange zest, split vanilla pods, star anise, juicy raisins, and cinnamon.

Christmas in a bottle: an artisan rum liqueur like no other. englishspiritdistillery.com

wishlist list

Introducing a few seasonal suggestions that you might want to add to your letter to Santa...

MAINBRACE RUM

Mainbrace is a premium golden rum, run by a family based in Helford Passage. A very smooth drink it has won several awards this year, including a double gold award at the San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition and a gold at the World Rum Awards. Mainbrace is a blend of two distinctive styles of rum, unaged Agricole from Martinique and 2-5 year old rums from the banks of the Demerara river in Guyana. www.mainbracerum.com

SANDS BOUTIQUE LYNHER DAIRIES

Christmas needs to be extra delicious this year. Help make it so by sending hand-made award winning Cornish cheeses straight from Lynher Dairies to any UK address on a date of your choice. Leafy Yarg, handsome Kern or creamy Stithians, beautifully presented and safely delivered at: www.lynherdairies.co.uk 42 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Sands Boutiques are located in Camborne, Hayle and Helston. Carefully curated gifts, clothing, accessories and homewares… We stock over 40 brands, including Soya concept, Chalk UK, Native Youth, Roka, Madam Stoltz, Cara and the Sky, Silver Origins, Cornishware Pottery and Vanilla Fly. www.sands-boutique.co.uk

THE WISH

LIST

COLWITH FARM

Colwith Farm Distillery is Cornwall’s first single estate plough to bottle distillery. A family run business of fifth generation Cornish potato farmers, who create awardwinning spirits sustainably.

Their Aval Dor Vodka and Gin is not to be missed and they also have new limited edition Christmas Pudding Vodka and Christmas Gin. colwithfarmdistillery.co.uk

CREATURE CANDY

Creature Candy is a unique homewares and gifts company, which raises awareness of declining wildlife species, and donates 10% of everything they sell to wildlife charities.

8 TRACK RUM

8Track is a refreshing new spiced rum, from the new Cornwall based independent drinks company Upbeat Spirits. Offering a full flavour, smooth and zestful spirit balanced with fresh citrus and warm spice. £34.95, including tax and shipping, 37.5% ABV - 70cl bottle, available from www.8trackrum.com

SHARP’S

Box clever with Sharp’s Beer Lover Mystery Christmas Box (£40 including packaging and posting).

Ideal for beer lovers, recipients will receive a mix of 12 beers from; Chalky’s Bite, Offshore Pilsner, Atlantic Pale Ale, recently lauded World’s Best Sea Fury, Wolf Rock and of course, Doom Bar. In addition, a cool mix of Sharp’s merchandise included. Delivered UK-wide (Secret Santa mystery box also available for £20).

This Christmas gift box can be ordered in a range of animal designs. Contact Lizzie - lovenature@creaturecandy.co.uk, 07712651757 or order via the website – creaturecandy.co.uk

DINE AT THE IDLE ROCKS

Experience some of the finest produce Cornwall has to offer this winter at The Idle Rocks. Executive head chef, Dorian Janmaat, has created an exquisite seasonal menu which showcases beautifully presented dishes from land and sea bursting with flavour. www.idlerocks.com

www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 43

UPCOMING

EVENTS

NOVEMBER

EVENTS 4 11

18

birth home of Your Partnerships you are missing out. yourpartnerships.co.uk

NOVEMBER

CORNWALL CHAMBER LUNCH Driftwood Spars, St Agnes

FSB CORNWALL CONVERSATIONS

Join the Cornwall Chamber at the Sea Bistro. Do not miss the chance to expand your Cornish connections, while indulging in a locally-sourced pub lunch. cornwallchamber.co.uk

Online

Every Thursday from 2.30pm join FSB Cornwall for its weekly virtual networking “Cornwall Conversations” via zoom. This is your chance to chat, make new contacts, catch up with FSB Cornwall and share best practice for an hour each week. fsb.org.uk/event-calendar

CORNWALL CHRISTMAS FAIR Eden Project, St Austell

After a year’s break due to the pandemic, the Eden Project welcomes back Cornwall’s most vibrant Christmas Fair. Over the past 30 years, more than £780k has been raised for Cornwall’s charities. All funds raised in 2021 will go to support the Cornwall Community Foundation. cornwallchristmasfair.com

YOUR PARTNERSHIPS OPEN HOUSE Victoria Inn, Roche

This is the original home of Your Partnerships and this is always a great meeting. If you have never experienced an Open House with Your Partnerships at the

DESIGN THINKING WORKSHOP Plantation Store, Hayle

The Design Thinking Workshop will help you and your business to begin exploring creative ideas. Focusing on the customer at the heart of the process, you’ll look at ways to approach problems as opportunities leading towards positive outcomes. aticornwallinnovation.co.uk

20

CORNISH PIRATES V BEDFORD BLUES

Mennaye Field, Penzance

Championship rugby action as the Cornish Pirates take on Bedford Blues. For the full day match

BOUNCING BACKON

experience, why not try a hospitality package – the perfect way to entertain clients and colleagues alike. cornish-pirates.com

24

CHAMBER BIG BREAKFAST

25

CORNWALL INNOVATION CLUB

Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor

Cornwall Chamber’s November BIG Breakfast will be held at the Jamaica Inn with views across the beautiful Bodmin Moor. Don’t miss out on a great networking opportunity in the historic coaching house full of tales! cornwallchamber.co.uk

The Cornwall Hotel, St Austell

Aimed at Cornish manufacturing and engineering businesses that are interested in innovation, new markets, development, support and funding. aticornwallinnovation.co.uk

For further details of these and more networking events visit businesscornwall.co.uk To publicise your event for free, email news@businesscornwall.co.uk

Bouncing Back with Roger Black was the title of a special leadership conference hosted by Truro College at the Atlantic Hotel, featuring a special presentation from the Olympic athlete.

44 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

CORNWALL

CONNECTED

CORNWALL BUSINESS SHOW

The ninth annual Cornwall Business Show proved to be a resounding success, attracting more than 1,000 business people to the Royal Cornwall Events Centre last month.

BUSINESS CORNWALL’S STAND

SPACEPORT CORNWALL’S STAND

BETH MAYMAN (SAPC)

SCENE FROM THE SHOW

BEN CLEMENTS (PEAKY DIGITAL)

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 45

OPINION

JUST A THOUGHT

Pirate FM station director, Mark Peters, still can’t get a parking space in Asda.

THE COVID EFFECT I find myself thinking about the past 18 months in disbelief at what has actually happened and how much has changed during this time. Some of these changes may never reverse and maybe, in part, that’s a good thing. But I think it’s incredible that such a dramatic event in our lifetimes could have provoked so many intricate twists and turns in the way we live and work.

Those that know me well will also know that I prefer a lighter outlook on life, deep and dark strategic philosophy isn’t on my CV!

I have seen the media blamed for pretty much everything over the last two years

Having spent time as a first responder for a few years a while back, I also had my eyes opened to the vulnerabilities of us mere mortals in the most sad and tragic of ways sometimes. but I have to say the medical chaos and narrative surrounding at least the first wave of Covid-19 was something of a shock for me.

This seems completely naïve now in hindsight, but I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that the UK’s top medical minds would have instantly come up with a medicine or a treatment that would have just knocked Covid out of the park before any of us even caught it. The fact we were building additional hospitals and racing against the clock to buy ventilators to keep as many sufferers alive as possible was a genuine shock to me.

Surely medical science was better than this?

46 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

Surely a microscopic virus couldn’t actually do this on a global scale..? I guess its new lesson for me and maybe a lot more of us in the fact that we aren’t as medically robust as we thought we might have been.

THE POWER OF OPINION

I’m not going to open up a debate on Covid here, everyone is entitled to their own medical and political opinions on it, what I will say is I have never unfollowed so many people in such a short space of time on all the social platforms I engage with. Some of the content has been at best highly entertaining but at worst downright scary!

I have seen the media blamed for pretty much everything over the last two years, as a local station we have been very proud of the relevant, timely and accurate information that we have served Cornwall with, we even launched our own “Cornwall Superblog” to keep Cornwall informed and entertained during those initial long lockdown days.

that time whilst also dealing with their own Covid chaos.

I think individuals underestimate the power of influence they have themselves, especially in disruptive times within their social circles and that’s something to really look out for.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? It’s not until you take a minute to really reflect on the last 18 months that you get a sense of just how much has changed and those impacts are still cascading out like the waves at Fistral! The changes have been so widespread for all of us I guess we all have a slightly different view, or path or mission now.

I don’t have a grand philosophical end to this piece I’m sorry so I’ll leave you with this thought that Covid-19 pretty much means everyone in the country is going to be holidaying in Cornwall for a while longer and I can’t get parked in Asda, plus I’m concerned I am never going to lose my new addiction to buying small bottles of nice smelling hand sanitiser.

I think individuals underestimate the power of influence they have themselves

I re-tasked almost our entire workforce to produce content for this site and interact and signpost help to our audiences and I am very proud of what my team of Pirates did during

Cheers everyone.

Saturday, November 20

Cornish Pirates v Bedford Blues Kick-off: 12.30

Get the full match day experience with our amazing match day hospitality package.

For more information email rebecca.thomas@cornish-pirates.com www.cornish-pirates.com

MAGAZINES PERIODICALS ANNUAL REPORTS

PUBLISHING COPYWRITING PHOTOGRAPHY

EVENT GUIDES

DESIGN & PRINTING

NEWSLETTERS

DISTRIBUTION

We know what it’s like to grow a business in Cornwall.

Let us help you cover all the bases, get to know our in-house team of experts with an initial meeting – it’s free. |

www.tonickbusiness.co.uk

talking tourism

FIND

01209 718688

T H E B A L A N C E

www.rrlcornwall.co.uk Chartered Accountants & Chartered Tax Advisers Truro Office | 01872 276116 Penzance Office | 01736 339322

BUSINESS CORNWALL | 47

THE LAST

WORD

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG? Something creative - sculptor/actor /writer then as I started school-holiday jobs in tourism I wanted to be head of Visit Britain.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FULL TIME JOB? My first real job after university was as a publicity officer for Sea Life Centre in Hastings. On my first day I had to pick up three octopuses from Weymouth to take to their new home!

WHAT’S IN YOUR POCKETS? Essentials - dog poo bags, phone and a mask – it’s questionable how hygienic that is!

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO RELAX? Walking my Cairn Terriers along the Cornish coast path.

IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD IT BE? I’d like the Lake District mountains on one side and Holywell Bay on the other – it’s such a long drive between my two favourite places!

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER? Flamingo’s been going for 12 years now and I always feel a sense of achievement at every anniversary and seeing the client base that we have built up and the great team of people with whom I’m very fortunate to work.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE WORST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER? Covid was a real shocker - overnight all of my clients pretty much shut down, including my own visitor attraction. I was left wondering what would happen next and how we would manage.

IF YOU COULD INVITE ANY TWO PEOPLE FOR DINNER, WHO WOULD THEY BE AND WHY WOULD YOU INVITE THEM? I love getting lost in historical fantasy fiction – so Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series, so I could talk time travel. Simon Reeve – I love travel documentaries that get under the skin of countries and communities hopefully from Simon I’d pick up some inspiration for some hidden places now foreign travel is returning.

IF YOU COULD BE GOD FOR A DAY, WHAT MIRACLE WOULD YOU PERFORM? Turn back the clock and remove Covid so we can all have the last 18 months back – and I could finally celebrate my 50th birthday as intended, travelling around Asia for a couple of months.

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE IN LIFE? Probably missing out on some opportunities due to lacking confidence in my earlier career years.

WHAT WAS YOUR LUCKIEST BREAK? Being offered the chance to move back to Newquay 20 years ago to oversee the revitalisation of the aquarium – which led to many more opportunities.

48 | BUSINESS CORNWALL

NIKKI SMITH

Flamingo Marketing

Festive afternoon teas and lunches

@HOTELMEUDON • #RESTAUR ANTMEUDON

Celebrate the festive season the way it should be celebrated, with top class food, great company and in stunning surroundings. Treat yourself this Christmas to lunch or afternoon tea at Hotel Meudon.

Festive Afternoon Tea £20pp from 1st Dec to 11th Jan every Wednesday to Sunday.

Three-course Sensational Festive Lunch £27pp from 1st Dec to 11th Jan every Wednesday to Sunday.

C A L L T O B O O K : 013 2 6 2 5 0 5 41 O R E M A I L : R E S E R VA T I O N S @ M E U D O N . C O . U K

S TAY • E AT • CE L E B R AT E