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BUSINESS | LIFESTYLE | CORNWALL

ISSU E

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INTRODUCTION e all know that Cornwall is a fantastic place to visit. Four million visitors a year cannot be wrong. But why not have it all? Why not work in Cornwall and run your business from here as well? That perfect work/life balance is more obtainable than you think.

Cornwall offers so much more than just cream teas and Poldark. And over the following 52 pages we will be telling the story of some of the exemplar businesses and business sectors that makes Cornwall such a compelling proposition in the 21st century.

There are high growth sectors delivering world class products and services from aerospace technology and spaceport ambitions through to luxury superyachts and superfast software solutions.

The talented people that are the driving force behind these businesses might raise an eye brow if you talked to them about the “laid back pace of life”.

They are working the long hard hours like anyone else in a successful business; however they’ve chosen Cornwall for a reason.

When the hard graft is over and they close down that email and lock the office door, they and their staff will have a short drive to their favourite place on the coast or in the countryside that lets them unwind with their family and friends and enjoy the kind of charms and attractions that Cornwall has to offer every day of the week, not just on holiday.

And with Britain’s fastest-growing airport and some of the quickest broadband speeds in the country also at your disposal, it really does mean you can have it all.

I T ’ S W H AT W E C A L L , T H E B A L A N C E .

PUBLISHER Tonick Business Publishing LTD (publisher of Business Cornwall Magazine)

Tonick Business Publishing, Pool Innovation Centre, Trevenson Road, Redruth, TR15 3PL, 01209 718688.

EDITORS Morveth Ward and Alex Ledbrooke

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher.

DESIGN Eight Wire

This publication is supported by Cornwall Development Company and the European Regional Development Fund.

PRINTERS

Deltor

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N AT H A N O U T L AW W H AT D O E S CO R N WA L L M E A N TO YO U A N D YO U R B U S I N E S S ? ornwall means everything to my business. I really don’t think it would work anywhere else as I focus on serving amazing fish and seafood from Cornish waters alongside wonderful produce which is grown locally. Add to that the fact that my customers are able to look out onto those waters when they are dining, whether in Port Isaac or Rock, and I think that says it all! Of course, I do have restaurants in London and Dubai, but even there the focus is on fish from mainly Cornish waters. Why? Because as far as I’m concerned, it’s the best in the world!

Nathan Outlaw

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CONTENTS 4 – CROWDFUNDER

UK's leading crowdfunder website

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8 – AG R I C U L T U R A L E XC E L L E N C E

Down on the farm, analysing data

10 – M A R I N E

The sexy business of superyachts

14 – S PAC E

The next flight to space will be the 10:53 from Cornwall Airport Newquay…

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20 – D I S R U P T I V E T H I N K I N G

Encapsulating the leading minds in healthtech

22 – E X P O R T

The world is your oyster

28 – M A N U FAC T U R I N G

Family values making winning moves

30 – CO N N E C T I V I T Y

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One of the best rural broadband networks in the world

34 – E D U C AT I O N

A launchpad for exciting careers

38 – W O R K S PAC E

Inspiring places to work

41 – CO F F E E C U L T U R E

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The art (and science) of cupping

42 – S P O R T A N D F I T N E S S

Miles of ambition

44 – AT T H E T I P O F S U CC E S S The UK’s most southerly registered business?

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TECHNOLOGY ornwall’s software industry is thriving. In 2016, the region’s cluster was recognised by the UK’s Tech Nation report as achieving the second highest level of growth in the UK, exceeding London by over 50%. It is home to forward-thinking creative technology businesses, whose expertise is sought out by companies across the globe.

The Superfast Fibre Broadband network and capabilities (which exceeds many major cities) allow operations to be agile and flexible helping to quickly react to opportunities. In addition, organisations delivering high calibre education, such as Falmouth University, the UK’s number one arts university, feed a rich and diverse talent pool into this exciting sector.

Thanks to organisations such as Software Cornwall, Tech South West, and Kernow DAT, creative businesses in Cornwall can become part of a community of like-minded professionals that are willing to collaborate and share knowledge to aid business growth.

UK’S LEADING CROWDFUNDING WEBSITE VA L U E D AT £ 1 5 M IN 2016

Rob Love, executive chairman of Crowdfunder

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CROWDFUNDER C R O W D F U N D E R E X E C U T I V E C H A I R M A N R O B L O V E TA L K S A B O U T LIVING AND THINKING ON THE EDGE. rowdfunder is the UK’s leading crowdfunding website. At the time of writing, over £50m has been raised via its platform; supporting thousands of business ideas, charities, people in need, community groups, sports clubs, and political movements.

The company’s mission is to change the world by making good ideas a reality and it’s doing so from a converted surf shop in Newquay.

The premise of Crowdfunder is in the name. Individuals or groups, who are in need of funding, upload their idea onto Crowdfunder’s website and “the crowd” are able to donate.

The company is the biggest of its kind in the UK and is growing rapidly. “We have an ambition to not just be really big in Cornwall or compete with London, we are working to be the best in the world at what we do. There’s a tendency when you’re outside of the bigger cities to think small, when what’s needed is to be ambitious and think globally, those are the key drivers in our success.

A disruptive company like Crowdfunder needs the constant ebb and flow of fresh ideas. I think that being in Cornwall is an advantage. Cornwall is full of innovators and creative thinkers, I think it attracts those kinds of people, they’re slightly different. It sets us apart because we’re not treading the normal trail but choosing to work down here so that’s a big advantage and I believe it’s a fundamental key.

I think the places in the world that tend to be on the edge physically, are also the places where you get good ideas.

Not only that but historically there were less opportunities in Cornwall than say London so everyone naturally has to be more creative to make it work. You find a lot of small companies, the one or two man bands and a real ingenuity in the way that everyone operates. So they’re all plusses of Cornwall and Cornish people. That’s why I like being here, because people have this inbuilt innovative thinking and creativity.

Crowdfunder currently employs around 30 people in addition to a number of freelancers. No one is here because they’re filling time. They’re here because they want to change the world. We have up to 200 projects coming in every day and in the last 30 days our platform has raised £1.5m. There’s another obvious draw to working at Crowdfunder. The company overlooks Great Western Beach, one of Cornwall’s famous surfing spots. Everyone surfs here. When it’s good we will surf before work, during lunchtime and after work. It’s about making the most of

“I N T H E L AS T 30 DAY S O U R P L AT F O R M H A S R A I S E D £1.5M” where we are and empowering our team with the flexibility to do that and make up the time. We work incredibly hard so it’s vital to have a workforce that is happy and motivated.”

In 2016 Crowdfunder was valued at £15m. It is forging a path in a next generation industry and its attitude towards doing business is equally as progressive. The company demonstrates that the old adage ‘work hard, play hard’ needn’t be reserved for the fast paced lifestyles of city workers and that the concept of ‘surfing on your lunch break’ may not be quite so far flung after all.

FIND OUT MORE W W W . I N V E S T I N C O R N WA L L . C O M

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H E A D F O RWA R D S oby Parkins is one of the founding directors of Headforwards, an outsource software company. In a sector with a global demand for developers at an all-time high, Toby has attracted talent from around the world building an enviable team of expertise.

Toby takes us through how he does it and what part Cornwall plays in his business.

The team is made up of 19 nationalities and two thirds of our staff are from outside of Cornwall. We attract people because we are able to offer first and foremost, very high quality jobs that use next generation approaches to building software. Agile excellence is at the core of the business, enabling the team to develop software in an extremely efficient way. The “agile” work process is championed by hundreds of companies around the world and disrupts the traditional approach to project management by prioritising individuals, customer collaboration and responsiveness to change. From a professional perspective our employees gain a real career enhancement by learning how to work with the best tools available in the industry. This approach, combined with a business model that is focused on people and collaboration, is what makes Headforwards different.

The benefits of working at Headforwards are by no means restricted to office hours. From a professional perspective it’s a great opportunity and then from a lifestyle perspective employees are able to take advantage of all the benefits that come from living in Cornwall, two key factors being lower living costs than London and minimal crime rates.

We view this as a massive advantage when it comes to attracting talent and we leverage that when recruiting.

As a result our team is made up of professionals from all over the world who have relocated in order to live and work in Cornwall. The quality of life that can be achieved in Cornwall is well documented: A vibrant, creative culture, fantastic food and drink and a breath-taking landscape all contribute towards making life in Cornwall a huge draw for businesses looking to achieve a balance between working life and personal time.

Digital infrastructure has played a key role in the success of Cornwall’s Creativetech sector. The region has got a massive advantage from a connectivity perspective.

It’s pretty hard, not impossible, but pretty hard to find an office in Cornwall without Superfast Broadband.

I’ve met with people from some quite big companies when attending events who ask, “What do you do for connectivity?” When I tell them I have 300mbps at home, well that tends to come as a bit of a shock. Cornwall’s Creativetech sector is expanding at an exponential rate and competing on a global scale. Businesses like

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Headforwards are able to take advantage of some of the best connectivity in the world. Not only that, but by embracing the unique attributes that the region has to offer they have been able to conquer the challenge of recruitment facing the entire software industry worldwide.

The unique aspect for Cornwall (and its main advantage) is that the region is not overwhelmed by software development companies, especially in comparison to larger cities where the density of competing businesses is huge.

Headforwards places some of the success of its recruitment campaigns on a forward thinking approach to software development and an unrivalled lifestyle for their employees. The other reason for the success and high staff retention rates can be attributed to the core values of the company and the sense of community throughout the region.

TEAM MADE UP OF 19 N AT I O N A L I T I E S CLIENTS INCLUDE A GLOBAL TOP 100 COMPANY AIMING TO GROW TEAM FROM 100 TO CIRCA 250 IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS FIND OUT MORE W W W . I N V E S T I N C O R N WA L L . C O M

THE QUALITY OF L I F E T H AT C A N BE ACHIEVED IN CO R N WA L L I S W E L L DOCUMENTED

Toby Parkins, Director of Headforwards

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AGRICULTURAL EXCELLENCE s famous for farming as for its marine heritage, Cornwall is the perfect place for the Agritech sector to shape solutions for meeting the challenges of feeding an ever-growing world population. The UK is regarded as a Global Centre of Excellence for Agritech research, development and innovatiion and Cornwall is at the nation’s cutting edge. Expertise in dairy, grassland and speciality cropping sectors is strong, based on generations of innovation in farming and food production.

In contrast to many rural areas, Cornwall’s Superfast Broadband connectivity makes the region one of the best rurally connected communities in the world.

This enables Cornwall to pioneer new technologies with the support of a flourishing network of cross-sector collaborative approaches and internationally recognised research and development institutions – Rothamsted Research, Plymouth University and the University of Exeter, bolstered by Duchy College, offer the Agritech sector a steady stream of local expertise with a visionary global outlook.

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CLEANGROW griculture runs deep in Cornwall’s roots. Today agriculture is faced with increasing challenges that require new approaches to empower farms to become more efficient, more productive and more environmentally friendly.

CleanGrow is working with Rothamsted Research to develop its phosphate ion selective electrode technology as part of its broader nutrient analysis technology.

The analyser combines the intuition of a smart phone with advanced sensor technology, the device is the first of its kind in the world and is a recent winner of the prestigious Royal society of Chemistry emerging technology award.

Co-founder of CleanGrow, Roy O’Mahony created the sensor. “I wanted to develop a smarter way of growing plants that used less water and less fertiliser, so I did a Google search for devices that measured nutrients in the water and there wasn’t anything, that’s where it all started.

To have the opportunity to work with Rothamsted is phenomenal, the insight and expertise is world renowned and we are able to apply it to a truly innovative concept.”

O’Mahony and his team at CleanGrow is also working with the European Space Station as part of the Horizon 2020 project, the biggest EU Research and Innovation project ever. CleanGrow will play an important role in Horizon 2020’s work in Future and Emerging Technologies, providing expertise in nutrient analysis as part of its biotechnologies research. “It’s fantastic that our expertise has been recognised and that we are able to contribute to such important future proofing research. Sensors for space is an area that we’ve accidentally fallen into but it’s a fascinating area and complements that work that we are already doing in Cornwall.”

Co-founder of CleanGrow, Roy O’Mahony

I WA N T E D TO D E V E L O P A S M A R T E R WAY O F G R O W I N G P L A N T S T H AT U S E D L E S S WAT E R A N D LESS FERTILISER CleanGrow’s research project will work with farms and agriculture businesses throughout Cornwall to develop the device for commercial application. “Working out of Rothamsted’s research facility we will be developing the device for commercial application so that farmers, consultants and environmentalists can get the most value out of the data it creates.” The shift towards data-led decision making is one that is felt across the spectrum from healthcare to energy production and agriculture is no exception. “In recent years there has been an explosion of data – dairy farms, beef, horticulture, everything is being measured to understand how processes can be more efficient and more environmentally friendly.”

F I N D O U T M O R E W W W . A E R O S PAC E CO R N WA L L . CO. U K

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MARINE ornwall’s unrivalled natural resources, connected supply chain and dynamic digital communications mean the region is a global leader in marine technology innovation. The combination of a strong maritime heritage, a talented skills base and unique environment has led to the establishment of many world leading marine businesses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The cohesive network of marine expertise and industry-leading resources to be found in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly provides access to everything a business needs in one dynamic region.

CIRCA £46M ANNUAL SALES ‘WE ARE AMONG THE TOP T H R E E S A I L B O AT BUILDERS IN THE WORLD.’

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LUXURY VISION ike Carr has developed Pendennis Shipyard in Falmouth into one of the foremost custom-build and refit superyacht businesses in the world.

Working with joint managing director Henks Wiekens, they have created a business with annual sales in the region of £46m and clients spread across the globe. We met Mike at Pendennis’ state-of-the-art facilities where he talked us through the business world of the super-rich.

Mike Carr: I Came to Falmouth in 1989 and joined a team of about 40 people including Henk Wiekens, and we have been partners in the business ever since. In 1993 we completed a management buyout from the founder with two colleagues.

I came ostensibly to set up the refit side of the business having learned a little bit about the yachting industry and shipyard management and naval architecture at Vosper Thorneycroft, where I was prior to coming here.

I joined Vosper Thorneycroft as a graduate trainee after studying naval architecture in Southampton and worked there for about eight years, but always leant towards the project management side of putting things together.

Back then it was “Minehunters”. I did three minehunters, where you almost started with a bucket of resin and then handed the flag over to the navy two years later! It was a great opportunity for a fairly young guy at the time to have the responsibility to help coordinate building these things.

What’s it like, working in the world of superyachts?

have Sunseeker and Princess Yachts, but they’re building production boats, whereas here everything is bespoke.

So everything here is built to order?

MC: Look at Amels in Holland for example, who have a range of boats. They’ve worked out they can build the chassis the same each time and change the lay out on top.

The Princess and Sunseeker model is there’s the design of the completed boat and they sell that. You may be able to change the aspects of the finish, but generally the structure and design dictates, simply because that’s how they drive the cost down.

If you start something brand new each time, you have the whole design cost. When I built minehunters, we built ten in the series, all exactly the same. And the hours for number four or five were half that of the initial hours.

And that’s how a production boat builder does his sums.

He works out I’ll sell three or four of these, I can’t sell them at the bespoke price, but I can sell them at this price.

Then if you have a production boat and you have a very strong brand, your margins are based on your brand.

Take trainers as a simple example. You could spend hundreds of pounds on a pair of designer trainers or £10 on a supermarket pair, but they’re selling on brand name, because there are people who want them. They don’t need them, they want them, which comes back earlier to what I was saying about superyachts.

Mike Carr, joint managing director of Pendennis Shipyard

MC: You’re dealing with products that no one really needs, it’s all about want. Yes, it is another world, but I think most people can probably relate it to something they do. Most people have something they don’t need in life but they do it because they want to do it. And if they want it, enjoy the process and continue to want it, they will compromise in other areas to ensure they get what they want.

I assume the market must be quite small. There can’t be that many superyachts out there in the world?

MC: Our info leads us to believe there are about 5,000 superyachts.

Which isn’t that many. How many boatyards like Pendennis exist in the word?

MC: (laughs) Well, I think we’re unique! But seriously, for building new boats there are a couple of dozen, if that. There’s no one else really in the UK. Of course you

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Last year we took on our 200th apprentice and we’ve been running that scheme for 18 years. The retention rate is great, 80 to 100 are still working in the business right now.

There must be a huge amount of skills involved.

Is your market global or from Europe?

MC: Global. We have clients from all over the world. If you look at the demographic, most of the clients come from the northern hemisphere, America, but we have built boats for people in Australia, in New Zealand.

How do you win new business?

MC: We work very hard building our own brand name and we get a lot of business by word of mouth. So if we get the opportunity and do a good job then the client of the boat would probably know others. We work hard with brokerages and management houses that are managing these boats, at tracking when they are likely to need work doing and promoting our facilities to them. We work hard on the dock and promote ourselves quite heavily to the captains and the crews who are running the boats.

And we work very hard at when we get them here, they have an enjoyable experience.

Yes, I didn’t realise. The crews stay here while you’re working on the boats.

MC: We can have up to 50 crew on site. The alternatives for them are Barcelona, or Italy, which have certain attractions!

How does Cornwall compete with the obvious attractions of those places?

MC: Barcelona may have the Bernabeu and razzmatazz, but Cornwall has one hell of a lot to offer as well.

And you also have facilities in Palma, Majorca.

MC: Yes, we have a service centre in Palma. If we do a job here, the boat is probably going to spend half of its life in the Mediterranean and half in the Caribbean, so aftersales, early warranty work for example, we can do the work there rather than it having to come back here.

MC: Yes. It starts with design and a lot of these people have gone into design as well as management that have come through this scheme. When I say design, that’s not just how the plates come together, but how the electrical systems work, how the air con works, the sewage.

The boats are basically five star villas that have to be self-sufficient. You don’t just hook up to a mains supply.

There’s the sailing systems on deck, or the hydraulic systems. All this has to be figured out and drawn up to level of detail that can be passed on to the next stage of making it. And then making it you need fabricators skilled in working in aluminium and steel, welding specialists, then painting and coating not just outside but inside, then engineering into the boat and electrics, interiors et cetera et cetera. There are something like 12 different trades involved.

Where does Pendennis stand on the global stage?

MC: I would say we are among the top three sailboat builders in the world. If someone was building a motor boat, there is more choice, but we have built several motor boats and do have that knowledge, but most would see us as a sailboat builder.

Is that where your passion lies?

MC: I like sailing, I have a small boat of my own. But for me it’s a passion for things in the sea and a passion for getting things organised and built.

This is a very ‘sexy’ business. Do you appreciate that fact?

MC: We’ve been very lucky in the jobs we’ve had, the support we’ve been given, the people that work with us, and the way we have managed to develop the facility.

Just driving in here and looking at the buildings, you think ‘wow’. I think it’s easy to get complacent about it, but it is a hell of a business.

What does a typical work day’s work involve for you?

MC: I don’t have one. I might not be here if I had a typical day!

How many people do you employ now?

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MC: 380, which has grown steadily. It has been fed by the apprenticeship schemes we run which are crucial.

It’s a people business. It’s about skilled people working well together in teams. And through the apprenticeship scheme we have really been able to pull that off.

WWW.MARINE-I.CO.UK

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First appeared in Business Cornwall issue 110

PADDLE LOGGER ornwall based Paddle Logger is a watersports software app that allows stand-up paddle boarders, surfers, kayakers and general watersports enthusiasts, to track their progress after a session out on the water. Stylish and simple to use, Paddle Logger has proven popular with watersports enthusiasts all over the world.

We grabbed five minutes on the beach with Paddle Logger founder David Walker.

The idea itself was born out of my passion for being on the water around Cornwall. The coast becomes part of most people’s lives in Cornwall. Whether they’re a surfer, paddleboarder, kayaker, sea swimmer, dog walker – people in Cornwall have an understanding of, and a connection to, the ocean which makes it a great test bed for marine related products. In addition to this the business support offered here is fantastic.

The great thing about living in Falmouth is that a lot of my social network is involved in the creative industries – photographers, filmmakers and graphic designers so there’s no shortage of people available to help and inspire you, or to collaborate with.

‘Digital Nomads’ seems to be the term of the moment for freelancers and there are loads of us in Cornwall.

Why would you want to battle on the tube every day, or queue for an hour to get a coffee? Actually, walking down Falmouth high street is not too dissimilar to walking through parts of Hackney or Shoreditch.

There are cool bars and a great music scene, you could easily pick Falmouth up and drop it into a London borough – however the benefit we have is that we’re also right by the sea.

We’ve been running seriously for about 18 months.

The University of Exeter is really good at recognising self-employment as a destination after graduation and I won some funding through their employment programme which got me started. The funding I received was invested in a friend who works in Falmouth who helped me with the design and a total re-brand from my first iteration.

THE COAST BECOMES PART OF MOST PEOPLE’S LIVES I N CO R N WA L L

F I N D O U T M O R E W W W . A E R O S PAC E CO R N WA L L . CO. U K

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SPACEPORT t a Space Symposium in Colorado in early 2018, there was an eye catching US headline that read: “The British are coming – for the rocket-launching industry”. The headline was largely due to the team leading the Cornwall Spaceport project.

Director of Spaceport Cornwall Miles Carden gave The Balance the latest position on this fast moving project.

We believe the space industry could become a major employer in Cornwall within the next decade. A reassuring positive message from the US was the notion that the UK was the best and simplest first step when considering US Space technology deployment in Europe.

There are a few things fuelling our ambition. The first is some serious hardware using new technology. Cornwall Airport Newquay, home to our proposed Spaceport, is one of the UK’s fastest growing and most modern airports and has one of the longest runways, at 1.7 miles. It’s also right next to the sea with access to uncongested airspace, all positive attributes when it comes to getting things safely into space.

We also have something no-one else has, Goonhilly Earth Station. Already famous as the world’s largest satellite earth receiving station, it will soon be upgraded thanks to an £8.4m investment from our Local Enterprise Partnership to become part of the deep space network, capable of communicating with future missions to the Moon and Mars.

Add those two together and Cornwall can offer both a launch solution for commercial space flight, and a tracking communications service for spacecraft. We are also on the doorstep of the biggest cluster of aerospace companies in the UK. In fact south west England has the largest concentration of aerospace and defence capabilities in Europe.

The massive investment in digital infrastructure for more than a decade has given Cornwall one of the fastest networks of any European rural region.

The real driver is the burgeoning global space economy, and the UK Government’s appetite to win a much greater market share. Britain already produces around 44% of the world’s small satellites, supporting more than £250 billion of GDP in the wider economy, but lacks any means to get them into space.

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The UK is determined to increase its share of the global space sector from 6.5% to 10% by 2030, and if the UK can build its own spaceports, it will be able to tap into the rapidly expanding launch market, worth an estimated £10 billion over the next decade.

Such ambitions prompted a search for suitable spaceport locations in 2014, resulting in a shortlist of eight potential sites, of which Cornwall Airport Newquay was the only site in England. Last year the UK Space Agency launched a funding call for Spaceport bids from locations and potential operators. And the Government set aside £50m to support satellite launches and low gravity space flights from UK spaceports in its Industrial Strategy last November.

In March the Government’s Space Industry Act became law, setting the legislative framework for the first commercial space launch from UK soil in history.

We want that launch to be from Spaceport Cornwall.

The other real driver, of course, is new technology. When Elon Musk’s booster rockets from the Falcon Heavy rocket landed in serene harmony back on earth in March, Twitter went crazy and we had to remind ourselves that we weren’t watching Thunderbirds.

Soon after, the Blue Origin rocket company launched its reusable six-man New Shephard capsule 66 miles into space, its highest altitude ever. The rocket landed itself back in the American desert and the capsule floated back to earth with parachutes. The company hopes for human spaceflight tests later this year.

These were both vertical launches but what we’re targeting in Cornwall is the horizontal launch market for satellites and, in time, human space flight. We see no reason why Cornwall can’t attract human horizontal launch systems in the future, like that being developed by Virgin Galactic. Its VSS Unity spaceship vehicle completed its first supersonic, rocket-powered flight last month having been taken to an altitude of 46,000 feet by its mother ship, WhiteKnightTwo, which takes off like a conventional aircraft.

If you combine these technological advances with a fast-growing global industry, a UK Government hungry for market share in a post-Brexit world, and some word-class hardware perfectly located next to the Atlantic Ocean in a dynamic part of the UK, we see no reason why Cornwall shouldn’t be aiming high. We are the obvious easiest first step into Space.

CO R N WA L L CA N O F F E R

S PAC E P O R T CO R N WA L L

BOTH A LAUNCH SOLUTION

COULD REALISE £320M

F O R CO M M E R C I A L S PAC E

OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

FLIGHT, AND A TRACKING C O M M U N I C AT I O N S S E R V I C E FOR SPACECRAFT

SPACEFLIGHT MARKET I S E S T I M AT E D TO B E WORTH £25BN OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS S PAC E P O R T CO R N WA L L C O U L D C R E AT E 2 0 0 0 JOBS BY 2028

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BLOODHOUND n November 2017, Cornwall Airport Newquay played host to one of the largest, loudest and outright crazy science and engineering experiments this country has seen for many years. The idea was first conceived several years ago by what could be described as a calculated adrenaline junkie, none other than former land speed record holder, Richard Noble.

The project, known as Bloodhound SCC (the SSC stand for supersonic car) was motivated by two things; to inspire a generation of young people in the STEM subjects, science, technology, engineering and maths and, to break the world land speed record and drive a car at over 1,000 mph. Just think about that for a second, one thousand miles per hour. In the second you thought about it, Bloodhound SCC will travel the length of four and a half football pitches and hopefully be brought to a safe stop at the end of the 12 mile track by driver Andy Green, an RAF Fighter Pilot.

It’s the length of the track, or at least the test track that brought the project and the team to Cornwall Airport Newquay; the airport is home to one of the longest in the UK. Back in 2012 the first tests took place at Newquay to test the hybrid rocket that would be strapped to the car years later. Those early tests were a resounding test but it was several years later before the team would return with a functioning car for the “shake down” test run.

Over 10,000 sponsors, VIPs, members of the public and students witnessed history being made over the three days of testing as Bloodhound SSC reached speeds of over 200mph down Cornwall Airport Newquay’s nearly 3km long runway. The excitement of seeing Bloodhound’s Rolls Royce Eurofighter engine afterburner fire is something no one will ever forget. From high powered company sponsors to students choosing their GCSE’s the reaction to seeing Bloodhound SSC speed past was the same, jaw-dropping amazement.

As with all experiments, but particularly ones that involve 1,000 mph cars, the team are now reviewing all the data generated by the test and gearing up for the next phase in South Africa. Bloodhound SSC aims to break the record in South Africa when the car will speed across the Hakseen flood pan from 0-1000mph in just 55 seconds.

The Bloodhound team will be back at the airport in the near future for further rocket and runway testing before going to South Africa.

If you have flown into or out of Cornwall Airport Newquay, close your eyes and remember you’re on a science and engineering laboratory that could just make world record history.

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OVER 10,000 SPONSORS, VIPS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND STUDENTS WITNESSED HISTORY BEING MADE

TOP SPEED OF 1,000 MPH A C C E L E R AT I O N – 0 - 1 , 0 0 0 M P H I N 55 SECONDS FOUR AND A HALF FOOTBALL PITCHES IN 1 SECOND 150 METRES IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

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AEROSPACE he global space and aerospace sectors are experiencing exciting changes, and growing rapidly, with increased focus from industry and Government. Many of the advances in coming years will require innovative products, services and technologies, and the south west is one of the most capable regions of the UK. The Aerospace Cornwall programme promotes research, development and innovation (RD&I) across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. It offers technical and commercial support for businesses looking to develop products, services and technologies which could add competitive advantage to the aerospace and space sectors. The programme will support RD&I projects with a team of technology mentors, match funding, a supply chain competitiveness toolkit and Innovation Vouchers.

A E R O S PAC E CO R N WA L L A I M S TO SECURE INVESTMENT FROM GLOBAL C O L L A B O R ATO R S The programme is led by Cornwall Development Company, delivered in partnership with the West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF). It aims to increase the size and capability of the space and aerospace sectors in Cornwall and secure ongoing investment in them. A central platform of the programme is to develop an ‘innovation environment’ for the aerospace and space sectors by encouraging local businesses to collaborate and engage with other business across the UK as well as research institutions. Key areas of focus include advanced engineering in aerospace, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), digital technologies such as embedded software and software applications using satellite communications, earth observation, navigation and meteorology.

Aerospace Cornwall aims to secure investment from global collaborators and investors as potential end users of the products, services and technology developed as part of the programme. In addition, it will increase the performance and competitiveness of local enterprises, create highly skilled jobs and launch new products into the marketplace.

Businesses can benefit from collaborative R&D funding for projects with a typical consortia project receiving an average of £125K (although there may be exceptions to this) and Innovation Vouchers of up to £5K. Other assistance includes a ‘supply chain competitiveness toolkit’ which can lead to SC21 – a nationally recognised change management toolkit. The programme is able to support

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partner relocation to Cornwall, such as feasibility studies, travel assistance, and promotional activities.

The sector is being enthusiastically backed by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which recently launched its Space Action Plan. By harnessing existing assets like Cornwall Airport Newquay, Goonhilly Earth Station, digital connectivity and higher education expertise, the LEP believes that the space sector in Cornwall could be worth more than £1 billion by 2030, which is over 10% of the current economy.

By 2030, the global space economy is projected to be worth £400 billion annually, and the UK has set a target of securing 10% of this activity through its own Space Growth Action Plan.

Tim Bagshaw, head of operations at the LEP, says, “Space has a huge impact on our lives, from communication and entertainment, to navigation and climate science. It will help tackle some of the biggest challenges facing mankind in decades to come, and its applications are growing fast.

“There is a tremendous opportunity to make Cornwall synonymous with the global space economy, whether that’s harnessing space data for the creation of new businesses, or launching hardware and people into orbit.

The Space Action Plan has been drawn up by the LEP in partnership with Goonhilly Earth Station, the South West Satellite Applications Centre of Excellence, Spaceport Cornwall, Invest in Cornwall and Cornwall Development Company. Between now and 2025 the plan sets out to achieve a Space Science Hub: this will be a space research, education and training hub focused on space science and innovation. The plan will see the creation of a high-tech business cluster at Goonhilly Earth Station: building on Goonhilly’s international satellite communications and data centre services to become a centre of space-focused high-tech business. Goonhilly will also be the world’s first commercial deep-space communications station, capable of tracking future missions to the Moon and Mars, thanks to a recently announced investment of £8.4m by the LEP to upgrade one of its antennas on site. Perhaps the most exciting of all is the ambitious Spaceport Cornwall. A proposal to create a UK spaceport at Cornwall Airport Newquay to offer accessible, safe and low-cost horizontal launch facilities for satellite launch operations and human spaceflight from 2020.

If you or your business would like to be involved in the exciting plans, contact James Fairbairn at AeroSpace Cornwall, james@aerospacecornwall.co.uk 01209 614047

GOONHILLY oonhilly, the name is famous around the world in the space industry. The profile of the huge satellite dishes on the southern tip of the wild Lizard peninsula are an iconic part of Cornwall’s landscape.

The dishes and in particular the largest, affectionately known as “Arthur” beamed the first trans-Atlantic TV transmission (via Telstar) in 1962. In 1969 pictures of the Moon landings were shared with millions and in again in 1985 when Live-Aid was transmitted to the world. It’s a site with an impressive CV. Thanks to the vision and ambition of a small team of passionate experts, Goonhilly is about to start its next historic chapter.

In May 2018, Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd secured a £24m investment from UK businessman Peter Hargreaves.

Hargreaves, a founder of leading finance and investment services company Hargreaves Lansdown. Investment in the space sector is becoming a popular choice for high net worth individuals who are attracted by the pace of innovation, brilliant minds involved and breath-taking excitement.

Since 2014 Goonhilly Earth Station has been owned

by Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd. (GES), a privately held company founded by technology entrepreneur Ian Jones.

Jones had spotted an opportunity to create a dynamic communications hub with diverse revenue streams, so he set about building the company from the ground up.

Goonhilly now provides spacecraft tracking and monitoring services to many of the world’s largest satellite operators.

The company recently announced an £8.4m contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) which will see it become the first private operator in the global Deep Space communication network and this new private investment will allow it to expand further to create its own fully independent, global Deep Space Network. The ambitions don’t stop there. Working with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd and ESA, the company plans a privately funded mission to the Moon, providing communication relay and navigation services to other lunar missions.

For Hargreaves, with an uncanny knack of spotting high growth investment opportunities, this is an ideal addition to his investment portfolio. “The team at Goonhilly have been delivering on an insightful vision which has already propelled them to the key position in this expanding market. I wanted to add my backing to ensure they can realise their bold plans to be the recognised leader in the field,” he says.

GOONHILLY NOW PROVIDES SPACECRAFT TRACKING AND M O N I TO R I N G S E RV I C E S TO M A N Y O F T H E W O R L D ’ S L A R G E S T S AT E L L I T E O P E R ATO R S As part of its high-growth strategy, Goonhilly is an Enterprise Zone, supporting a technology cluster and hosting other companies. Cornwall is incredibly well served with fibre optic cables with transmission reach to all parts of the world. Goonhilly is also a key part of the UK’s ambitions to site Europe’s first Spaceport at Cornwall Airport Newquay.

Jones says: “Peter’s involvement is perfect timing as it allows us to realise our plans to grow parallel, but highly connected, revenue streams. We are breaking new ground in developing a private global deep space network at the same time as pushing the technology and service boundaries in other parts of the business.

“The ‘new space’ entrepreneurs are all about changing the model of how the space industry works, shattering previously entrenched practices and replacing them with new models of high productivity, workforce energy and embracing technology. This leads to much better solutions for our customers. Peter’s strategic thinking coupled with his financial backing will help to propel Goonhilly to new heights,” Jones adds.

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DISRUPTIVE THINKING or forward thinkers in Healthtech, Cornwall has a lot to offer.

The UK’s most south westerly region is an ideal location for those wishing to revolutionise healthcare with technology led devices and services. The region has a streamlined healthcare system with a single NHS Trust, one Clinical Commissioning Group and one local authority, cutting through the red tape that holds up decision making in more complicated structures.

Cornwall’s dispersed rural, ageing population makes it a realistic launch pad for trialling more efficient systems, with health technology businesses able to call on a stream of highly qualified medical graduates, many of whom are educated at the University of Exeter’s Cornwall campus, and neighbouring Plymouth University. The Health and Wellbeing Innovation Centre, located adjacent to the main acute care hospital site in Cornwall – Treliske – provides dedicated space for businesses operating in the health and wellbeing sectors including lab space and the ability to network and collaborate with like-minded businesses.

Dr Paul Upton, director of Ultramed

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES E N C A P S U L AT I N G T H E LEADING MINDS IN HEALTHTECH

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ULTRAMED ornwall is already home to a thriving cluster of disruptive and forward thinking businesses in the Healthtech sector. The infrastructure, the talent and the resources required to operate a world class business are what Dr Paul Upton and his business partner Alan Sanders discovered when they founded Ultramed in 2014.

Paul and Alan’s collaboration was the result of a chance meeting on one of the returning daily flights from London to Cornwall Airport Newquay. After both discovering a shared passion for sailing, conversation progressed from leisure to business and how Paul’s medical knowledge as a Consultant Anaesthetist could be applied to Alan’s expertise in creative design to develop a digitised alternative to existing preoperative assessment processes.

The result was MyPreOp, a programme that empowers patients to complete their patient assessment from their own digital device, increasing accuracy of data capture and reducing NHS waiting times. The project built on Paul’s long standing interest in preoperative assessment having been on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) panel that established the preoperative investigation guidelines in 2002. “My skills allowed me to develop the clinical algorithm for the software and ensure that the medical elements were correct, whilst Alan designed an interface that patients would like and use.”

At the time of interview Ultramed was based in the Health and Wellbeing Centre in Truro (having subsequently moved to the second of Cornwall’s three business acceleration facilities, Tremough Innovation Centre). The centres are delivered by Plymouth University on behalf of Cornwall Council and focus on supporting businesses at all stages of their journey, from incubation through to mature enterprises looking to innovate and grow. According to Paul, “being based at the Health and Wellbeing Centre was incredibly beneficial for Ultramed, not just in terms of physical space, but also because of the support and knowledge that comes with the facility. The centre is home to a number of businesses from across the Healthtech spectrum with a breadth of knowledge and experience.”

The majority of Ultramed’s rapidly expanding team, including Paul and Alan, live in the Falmouth area driving the decision to move operations to Tremough Innovation Centre at the start of 2017. “The strength of Cornwall’s digital infrastructure has allowed our business to be very

agile and the positive experience that we have had with the Truro based Innovation Centre made deciding where in Falmouth to move very easy.” In addition to expanding the existing team, Ultramed is also collaborating with Newquay based software company Buzz Interactive to develop the platform’s software. “It’s a huge advantage to work with another Cornwall based company. Being able to problem solve in face-to-face meetings is invaluable and something that we wouldn’t have been able to do if it wasn’t for the skilled labour force of a local company.”

The type of collaboration seen between Ultramed and Buzz Interactive is commonplace in the region. Superfast Broadband allows Cornwall based businesses to connect with partners and clients both locally and globally. This digital infrastructure, combined with a thriving community of creative and technical talent, has resulted in the region becoming home to a melting pot of innovative businesses.

THE STRENGTH OF C O R N WA L L ’ S D I G I TA L INFRASTRUCTURE HAS ALLOWED OUR BUSINESS TO BE VERY AGILE Working and living in Cornwall is undeniably different to the hustle and bustle of London, but for Ultramed the differences are solely positive. “Being an outstanding employer is one of our five strategic objectives.” The business takes a progressive view on operations with schemes such as flexible working. “It is hugely important to us that our team are able to work in a way that allows them to do their job most effectively.” This outlook is something that can be witnessed throughout Cornwall with many businesses embracing the flexibility that the region’s connectivity enables, providing employees with a sense of balance between professional and personal life that simply cannot be achieved for many inner city commuters.

Ultramed’s story is one of collaboration at its very best, a chance meeting of two highly skilled business people, combining knowledge and expertise to solve a common goal.

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THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER ornwall offers a huge variety of unique and desirable business opportunities in a host of different industries. Mark Sullivan has capitalised on this has pulled together an impressive portfolio of businesses as chairman of Provenance Brands. You might not know it yet, but you probably already love his work, as you’re about to find out.

How did the journey start? I believe you come from a banking background?

Mark Sullivan: Actually, I started life as a scientist and did a Phd in chemistry. Then I went into banking, working in strategy, mergers and acquisitions etc. But because I had a chemistry background, I spent a lot of time working in the industrial sector, food ingredients, starches, salts and flavouring agents. I got to know that very well.

I left that over ten years ago, moved to Cornwall and then after a few years became involved in Cornish Sea Salt.

At the time they had some issues, maybe not quite focused on the right markets and were very domestic.

One of the challenges was that it had quite an expensive technology process, but had gone into the market and found itself, in no time at all, popular with the supermarkets who are obviously big to service. They were naturally looking at price and the margins were not that great and they didn’t quite have the technology platform at that stage to do what one of our major competitors, Maldon’s, was doing which is a salt flake.

So we put a parallel technology platform in place to create the flake, and hired a sales team to focus on international markets, which has been a great success and we’re now going out to 33 countries in places like Scandinavia and China and won a Queen’s Award for export.

The Cornish Sea Salt brand is a remarkable brand in its simplicity. And luckily the world understands us, they get the product.

I guess in this country the ‘Cornish’ aspect sells, but what about markets like Sweden and China where maybe Cornwall is lesser known? Is it more about the quality?

MS: It’s mixed, but it does translate. What Cornwall conveys is an image about quality, purity, sustainability and things that many of us hold dear. So when you take that message into places like Scandinavia, actually their value systems are pretty close. A strong set of values around purity, supply chain, and, of course, quality.

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This was the origin of Provenance Brands. We recognised these qualities had far greater appeal than just around Cornish Sea Salt. And in that respect, Cornish Sea Salt is a great brand ambassador.

And then you bought Warrens Bakery?

MS: We recognised Warrens had some very similar characteristics to Cornish Sea Salt, a tradition of great products but perhaps not optimised as it could be. It is the oldest Cornish pasty maker in the world, no one can ever take that away from you. It struck me and the team that here was something really exciting, if we can just optimise it and get it right.

So we set about rebranding it, focusing on a contemporary heritage, keeping the best of the past but fusing it with crisp modern consumer interest.

Where did the Simply Cornish brand fit in?

MS: That was a small brand wrapped around some biscuits. It had a very heritage Cornwall look which was fine as it went, but doesn’t always translate into international markets. So we decided to give Simply Cornish its own identity, these pastel lines, more colourful shelf visuals. And really make it stand alone. The biscuits are now winning awards, the Christmas pudding beat Harrods to be best Christmas pudding in the UK which I’m proud of. So it’s moving forward and going internationally quite nicely.

So we were doing this stuff but felt this feeling of provenance and quality, we could really move on this idea.

We had ingredients and condiments, the bakery and, saw some other activity which we felt could be interesting, so started to piece together Provenance Brands.

We invested in the Cornish Crisp Company, which was struggling. Sue Wolstenholme had done a fantastic job getting the business out of the blocks with limited resources. It was a nice brand but we felt it wouldn’t work internationally and the UK crisp scene is a really busy space.

We leaned on our Warrens Bakery heritage, and speaking to relevant bodies, they agreed that we were the oldest player in potato snacking, through the pasty. Because of that, we managed to capture the name of the Great British Crisp Company. The idea of that was not too much of playing into the UK, although we feel it’s got legs, but to take it out to the world. And people love it. From the Chinese to the UAE to the Philippines, they love the concept.

NOW GOING OUT TO 33 COUNTRIES IN PLACES LIKE S CA N D I N AV I A A N D CHINA AND WON A Q U E E N’S AWA R D FOR EXPORT

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Mark Sullivan, chairman of Provenance Brands

We thought we can’t be a ‘me too’ crisp company. We’re not Kettles. We can use Cornish sea salt, use great basic flavours, but we’ve got to be innovative. Jason Jobling (Warrens master baker) came in with his team and created these more complex flavours like Fish & Chips, Chicken Tikka Masala and Cornish Pasty. It differentiated us.

So the nice thing about that is you’re not just competing against an established brand, you’re broadening the shelf interest.

We use Cornish manufacturing, Cornish potatoes, sea salt, so it has real local legs in terms of provenance, but we lead on a bigger, more universal brand, because we felt that was the right mechanism to get it out there.

And because we were piecing together a portfolio, we started to attract people who could see a bigger picture.

They could see they could start in a crisp business, but if they got bored with that, they could go over there, and so on. So we had this matrix developing, of businesses, of products, functions, and we started to get superb people from marketing, sales, HR, people coming from out of county. We try to keep a really strong West Country dynamic, but it gives us an opportunity to take people we wouldn’t ordinarily capture and work them over a range of businesses.

Most recently you’ve added Cornish Seaweed Company and Living Sea Therapy. A slight change in direction, moving away from food?

MS: Yes, but the commonality is the products. Cornish sea salt goes into everything, into crisps, biscuits, so many other applications too. This commonality around the group is a point of linkage. We knew in Cornish Sea Salt, the salt and by products could go into therapeutic applications.

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And as the world has been shifting, seaweed as a category has grown more topical, so we thought we should really harness both sides of what we’ve got down here. So we invested in the Seaweed Company and fused it all together.

We spent ages on the banding (Living Sea Company), lots of time on the formulations, very organic and pure. It came to fruition five or six months ago and is going around the world. We’re talking to major retailers in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Some very interesting opportunities are developing.

I understand you’re the fastest growing franchise in the UK? MS: If we hit our 250 target and we’ve got 14 or 15 stores down, we’ll easily be that and we are on course. So, yes, it’s exciting, from being nowhere in franchise 18 months ago. It has involved a lot of hard work, though. Getting the distribution sorted, making sure our products were right for national distribution. And hiring a team who could go out and get new partners, and service those new partners.

How many people work across all the businesses?

MS: About 600 now, including the retail arm, which I think puts us among the top ten employers in Cornwall. We’re heading towards £25m turnover, but you will see that start to accelerate. Over the last few years we’ve been putting the building blocks in place. A huge amount of work has gone into the various businesses and now we’re beginning to see the results. And then with Warrens Bakery on the equity side, we’d like to do more of that ourselves, some infilling stores around the West Country, and then put some stores of our own around London.

First appeared in Business Cornwall issue 115

hether it’s products, services or skills, Cornwall has a long tradition of successfully exporting. There are many locations around the world where the tin mining engine house, synonymous with the Cornish landscape can be found after the technology was taken and shared by innovators from the rich tin mining industry.

The successful tradition has continued and in April 2018, the prestigious Queen’s Award was awarded to a cluster of innovative and enterprising companies. All these businesses will be able to use the Queen’s Award emblem for the next five years.

St Austell Brewery, famous for its renowned pint, Tribute, received the accolade for Sustainable Development.

Brewery CEO, James Staughton, said, “Winning the Queen’s Award is an enormous honour for all of us as it is the highest accolade that any business in the UK can aspire to. To us, sustainability is now second nature, as it should be with any organisation and this award isn’t just about the honour and prestige; just as important is the added insight it can offer towards the future proofing of your business.”

Double award winners Resilience Communications, were recognised for International Trade and, for Innovation.

Resilience Communications designs and manufactures products that add value to communications systems and has military contracts with ten NATO nations, plus Austria and Australia. Company director, former Royal Marine Alasdair Keir, said: “I’m delighted such a small dedicated team has achieved the highest business accolades available in Great Britain. My colleagues, our suppliers and friends have done incredible work; the awards recognise a real devotion to ensuring our customers get the service they deserve.”

Watson Marlow received the award for Innovation for the second year in a row for their “Qdos pump” technology, the world’s first self-contained, chemical metering pump.

Simon Nicholson, MD at Watson Marlow in Falmouth, added, “To win a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of Innovation is fantastic news for our business.

It is a marker of the tremendous energy and commitment of our staff, as well as their pursuit of the very best in product innovation.

IN APRIL 2018, THE PRESTIGIOUS QUEEN’S AWA R D WAS AWA R D E D TO A C L U S T E R O F I N N O VAT I V E AND ENTERPRISING COMPANIES Newquay-based clothing brand, Celtic & Co, was honoured in the International Trade category. Since being founded 28 years ago by Nick and Kath Whitworth, the company now sells to more than 90 countries across the world and most recently has seen significant growth in the North American and Australian markets. Nick Whitworth said, “Receiving this Queen’s Award has to be one of our most memorable experiences since we started so long ago back in 1990.”

Kath and Nick Whitworth

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WE STRIVE EVERY DAY TO G I V E BACK TO THE COMMUNITIES WE WORK WITHIN

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J A M E S S TA U G H TO N e should never underestimate the power of a place.

We all have emotional connections with places and both those who were born here and those who have come to visit or stay will know what I mean when I say that Cornwall has a special allure.

Our business has been a part of the fabric of the county for over 165 years and we owe our very existence to the support that St Austell Brewery has received from local communities and the families that have worked so hard alongside mine to build our success story.

For that reason and many others, we strive every day to give back to the communities we work within, through sponsorship of grass roots sport, through our Charitable Trust and through our continued effort to preserve our environment through sustainability in innovation, for which we have just been granted the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

It is fair to say that since the decline of the traditional industries the county’s fortunes have suffered but I am delighted to say that I believe we have turned a corner. There are many initiatives now taking root, such as the Thinkingplace vision for St Austell and the wider place story for Cornwall that will make a real difference to those living in the county and that will attract others to come to Cornwall to live and bring up families.

I have made no secret of the fact that my vision, which is shared by many passionate and inspirational civic and business leaders, is to work towards a future where young people can grow up and lead fantastic lives with fulfilling and well-paid careers here in Cornwall and our business will be just one of many offering those real and long-term job prospects.

Cornwall is and always will be a special place. I can’t think of anywhere else that offers such diverse and beautiful natural scenery from coastline to country.

We have a real opportunity here for everyone to take ownership of their county and create a sense of place to help it flourish for generations to come. Every place has its time and I believe this to be ours.

James Staughton, CE St Austell Brewery

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S T AU S T E L L P R I N T I N G CO M PA N Y n the late 1970s, a young man called Peter Moody was leaving a career in the army and stepping out onto “civvy street”. After nine years serving in the military, he moved with his family to Cornwall to take on his first job as a humble photocopy salesman. In 1981, staying with the industry but moving away from sales, Peter took the opportunity to open a photocopy shop on Truro Road, St Austell. He called the shop Kwik Print.

Kwik Print started with a simple service offering photocopies, business cards (that would be proudly distributed from some very stylish 1980s Filofaxes), leaflets, posters, wedding invites or whatever opportunities walked through the door. Peter soon invested in a lithographic printing press recognising the quality of product he could offer with the new machine, an approach that he has stuck to throughout his career. The new press enabled the business to offer a very attractive service which helped to secure new local and national contracts.

That little shop on Truro Road soon grew into the neighbouring property as new staff and new printing presses demanded expansion. For years, that shop evolved as best it could to accommodate the rapid growth through the 1990s but eventually, a new home was needed. After years of searching and resisting the temptation to leave the company’s St Austell roots, Peter struck on a piece of land where he could really put the business on the map. With the opportunity to tap into European funding through BIG2, little did he realise at the time just how important this prime location would be.

you can see the famous satellite dishes at Goonhilly Earth Station, home of “Arthur”, the satellite that beamed the moon landings and Live Aid around the world. To the east, you can see the wild expanses of Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor, and in front, St Austell Bay. You can actually have a look yourself thanks to a new webcam they’ve installed, just so everyone can share their view.

“My vision was to construct the most sustainable, economical, high-quality building we could, with outstanding design and landscaping,” says Peter. “Not a soulless industrial unit, but one with a heart. A place that is healthy, safe, productive and inspiring; a build we could all be proud of.

“You can never underestimate the enormity of such a project. There were challenges at every step of the way, but I had excellent support from the team at the Cornwall Development Company who were very encouraging.”

Just for good measure, whilst Peter was developing his dream workspace, he also built St Austell Business Park and Conference Centre around his new business home helping to meet a demand for new high quality workspace in the area. He’s never one to miss an opportunity.

This all took place in the early 2010s, a time when access to the internet for home users was growing exponentially.

The internet was and still is a huge rival to traditional print media. There is huge potential audience reach and with ever improving technology, users can access the web anytime and anywhere.

The growing business was very much a family affair and still is today. Peter and his wife Amanda are the company Directors, with Amanda running the digital printshop. His sister Di works in finishing, brother-in-law Steve manages the print room and today, daughter Beth is the operations manager. Then there is the team that’s ‘as-good-as’ family, including Kevin who joined the company when he was 16 years old as an apprentice. Kevin is now Head of prepress, some 30 years after joining. Staff turnover is minimal, people simply like working at St Austell Printing Company.

It’s something the business prides itself on.

Yet despite the threat of these new platforms, St Austell Printing Company continued to grow and continued to produce a quality product made possible by the team of hugely experienced, knowledgeable, and committed staff.

Peter’s dream was to create a bespoke printing factory that would not only be an environment in which the business could create a premium quality product, but also a space that would inspire staff and clients. That might sound a little “out there” but, if you ever get the chance to visit, you’ll see just how that dream has been realised. The building itself is a modern bright space flooded with natural light aided by its position at the top of St Austell town, overlooking the south Cornish coast. Look west and on a clear day

Years after building the new home of St Austell Printing Company, moving away from its home on Truro Road, that dream building in the perfect location it would earn the business one of its most high-profile contracts to date.

Whilst enjoying a family break in Cornwall and driving up the St Austell by-pass, seeing the building appear at the top of that hill, an email was quickly sent asking if St Austell Printing Company might like to be involved.

The email came from a director of a company called

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Now however, print media is enjoying a resurgence. Digital fatigue has set in and now we look forward to holding and feeling a great quality piece of printed advertising. How many emails to you get every day? How many adverts do you see on social media? How many do you stop to read?

Exactly…

Winning Moves. The question asked? “Could you serve one of our contracts? Have you heard of the card game Top Trumps?” The rest as they say is history…

Peter and St Austell Printing Company are still progressing and still investing. They recently installed a brand new £1m press which offers a larger format and is the first with LED-UV drying technology in the region. This forms part of the suite of equipment that prints for St Austell Brewery, The Eden Project, Heligan Gardens, National Trust, Rick Stein, Hachette Book Group, Elsevier, Camden Council, University of Westminster, Wolters Kluwer and hundreds more including still, those important local business cards (just without the 1980s filofaxes).

Peter Moody, founder and director of St Austell Print Company

P E T E R’S D R E A M WAS TO C R E AT E A B E S P O K E PRINTING FACTORY “We are now market-leaders in Cornwall and our national contracts continue to evolve as well. We have the capacity to meet our potential as a modern, lean, service-driven print company. We have spent the last few years making our new space work even better for us and ultimately the customer. We have invested time and money across the company with some major investments in new machinery and really excellent staff.

“We would like to think that our story is proof that businesses in Cornwall are ambitious and can compete on a national scale. With continued investment improving the regions connectivity and transport infrastructure, Cornwall is an exciting place to do business.”

Peter and his family are a busy little lot. But, when there is time for a moment’s rest, there is nothing they like more than simply enjoying each other’s company in this stunning part of the world they call home.

“We’re very lucky to have such stunning surroundings and activities within minutes of our factory and we actively encourage our team to enjoy it with their families, ensuring a healthy work-life balance.

“Someone once asked when I would retire. I told them when I run out of ideas. I still have lots of things I want to do. And that’s what worries me about retirement. I still have lots of ideas and things I want to do in business. Always things to do, to do better, and as I have got older I realised that is part of my character.”

01726 624900 WWW.SAPC.CO.UK ST AUSTELL BUSINESS PARK, S T AU S T E L L, CO R N WA L L, PL25 4FD

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CO R N WA L L A I R P O R T N E WQ UAY riving to Cornwall for your summer holidays, leisure breaks, family get-togethers or for work can be a truly beautiful journey.

Just before the county border a few minutes before you cross over the Tamar River on the A30, you’ll spot the famous Cookworthy Knapp trees. That iconic copse planted around 1900 that says, “We are nearly there”. Then you’ll cross the wild Bodmin Moors and catch your first glimpses of the sea off the North Coast. And since the dualling of the A30 across the Moors, that infamous holiday traffic blackspot, queueing to get here is now a thing of the past.

However, there is an even better way to start your holiday with even more breath taking views and it takes a fraction of the time. If you’ve not yet tried, Cornwall Airport Newquay, which is the fastest growing UK airport outside of London, you really should.

T H E R E I S A N E V E N B E T T E R WAY TO S TA R T YO U R H O L I D AY W I T H E V E N M O R E B R E AT H TA K I N G V I E W S The airport is just 10 minutes up the coast from Newquay nestled between the beautiful beaches of Watergate Bay and Mawgan Porth (make sure you visit both whilst you’re staying here). Over 460,000 passengers go through the airport every year travelling to and from the rest of the UK and beyond.

There are currently direct flights to 13 UK destinations enabling business travel and weekend breaks from cities like London, Newcastle, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. London Gatwick is an onward global connection hub for international flights from Newquay with Virgin, Emirates and BA as well as Flybe multi-stop routes and what’s more it’s only 30 minutes from central London. In addition, there are direct flights to and from key European business destinations such as Berlin, Dublin, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart and holiday hotspots like the white-washed fishing villages of Portugal’s Algarve, alongside year round flights to Alicante and beaches of Spain’s Costa Blanca – providing a winter sun destination.

So if you like to start your holidays in style and you want to be on the beach before lunchtime, next time you’re planning a visit, think about Cornwall Airport Newquay.

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S O A R I N G S U C C E S S AT CO R N WA L L A I R P O R T N E WQ UAY 453,795 PASSENGERS IN 2017 FASTEST GROWING UK AIRPORT OUTSIDE OF LONDON THREE DAILY LONDON FLIGHTS

Cornwall Airport Newquay is the UK’s fastest growing airport outside of London

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S U P E R FAS T CO R N WA L L

hat’s the one thing people in almost any walk of life and business use every day? Coffee? Probably. But at a push, most people can think of something to do if the coffee jar is empty. However, how long does anyone last when the internet goes down? How long before someone, “switches it off, then on again”? What is more frustrating than a slow and unreliable internet connection? Whilst the buses around Cornwall may be a little slow, the internet certainly isn’t.

Since 2011, fibre broadband has been transforming the way that people work and play in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The first phase of the massive Superfast Cornwall project ran for four years concluding in 2015. By the end of this stage, over 132,000 km of optical fibre had been laid – enough to stretch around the globe three times over. This huge achievement was thanks to 1.2 million hours of engineering work. It was all made possible by a £132m investment, £53.5m from the European Regional Development Fund and £78.5m from BT. By 2015, Cornwall was recognised as having one of the best rural fibre broadband networks in the world.

The current £17.5m phase of the project, part- funded by the EU, BT, Cornwall Council, and UK Government, began in 2017. This phase will address some of the most challenging locations in the county. It will see the latest Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology – capable of

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delivering speeds up to one gigabit per second (Gbps) – rolled out to more than 7,000 premises by the end of 2019. Just think about that for a minute, have you ever connected to speeds of one gigabit per second? Just think of the possibilities.

The latest independent research shows that the highspeed technology is delivering huge economic benefits. The Superfast Cornwall project has so far provided an estimated £275m annual boost to the economy of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, creating 3,120 jobs and safeguarding 3,430. An estimated 16,150 businesses have connected to high-speed fibre broadband with the technology helping the creation of around 3,300 start-up businesses1.

The superfast connectivity is the reason business leaders like Toby Parkins of Headforwards is able to grow his businesses so successfully. “I’ve met with people from some quite big companies when attending events who ask, ‘What do you do for connectivity?’ When I tell them, I have 300Mbps at home, well that tends to come as a bit of a shock.”

And now more than 87,000 premises, around one third of Cornwall, have access to the fastest form of fibre broadband, Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) – making it the leading county for FTTP in the country. Not bad for a part of the world famous for its pace of life.

Even the very rural and remote locations which simply will not gain access to superfast speeds through fibre have access to superfast connectivity. This is where Avanti Communications comes in. Avanti is a UK satellite operator which owns communications satellites and, under a scheme funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), provides superfast connectivity to rural businesses across Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. The scheme helps rural eligible businesses who do not have access to superfast broadband, get a connection of up to 40Mbps, the fastest satellite broadband speeds available in Europe.

One of the most remote locations connected to fibre to the premises is the Minack Theatre. Next to the spectacular Porthcurno beach, location one of the earliest submarine telecoms cables in 1870, the Minack now enjoys an ultrafast connection. Perched on the edge of the cliffs at Porthcurno, has a worldwide following.

Now, the Minack will be able to provide an even better experience to theatre lovers around the globe, thanks to its ‘fibre to the premises’ superfast connection.

Theatre Manager Phil Jackson explained, “Previously, we struggled with a very slow internet connection. Now we can rely on download speeds of around 60 Mbps and upload speeds of 20 Mbps. We are really excited about the innovations we can introduce for our audiences as a result of the high-speed connection. We have webcams that attract thousands of viewers a year from around the world, but they have only delivered a low-resolution image

up until now. Now we have been able to upgrade to high definition webcams.

“Now that we have higher bandwidth, we have also become a WiFi hotspot providing free WiFi to our visitors, a service they are bound to appreciate. We also plan to launch a virtual tour and WiFi based apps for our visitors, which will help make their experience of the Minack even more magical. We expect that this will be especially popular with schoolchildren.”

Phil concludes: “The Minack is a world class venue in a stunning location. Now that we have world class business broadband connections too, we can take our performance to the next level.”

So, if you’re reading this you can add superfast digital connectivity to the list of reasons to do business in Cornwall.

Figures provided by PFA Research for the Superfast Cornwall Baseline Summary Report April 2017 in accordance with the Market Research Society Code of Conduct.

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E D U C AT I O N F O S T E R I N G C R E AT I V E I N N O VAT I O N ondering if Cornwall has the schools and further education to match the ambitions of your children? Or the exceptional resources to facilitate the growth of your business and/ or the development of your career?

We reckon it’s got you covered.

To name just a few: Truro College With an Ofsted Outstanding education and a range of courses from Apprenticeships to A Levels and Diplomas to Degrees, Truro and Penwith College is every bit outstanding as the scenery that surrounds it.

Truro and Penwith College is a tertiary college that provides excellence in teaching, learning and facilities that meets the educational and skill needs of the county and beyond. The college provides a wide range of both further education and higher education courses as well as an extensive selection of adult part-time courses and apprenticeships. There is also award-winning provision for students with special educational needs and a staff and student health and wellbeing programme that has won national awards for excellence.

The college was awarded ‘outstanding’ status after its Ofsted inspection in 2016, the first college in the country to receive the grade under the new inspection framework, and which puts it at the very top nationally for the quality of its teaching, outcomes for learners, student support, facilities and management.

This support is seen at every level, with sport, academic, media and artistic academies adding breadth to students’ studies, apprenticeships giving students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience working with some of Cornwall’s top employers and personal support on university level courses that means you can fit life around your lectures.

Truro High School Truro High School for girls strive to educate girls across a broad range of subjects, including engineering.

A subject that is not usually explored by young girls, Truro High have been encouraging the girls to learn basic computer programming as well as building their own Greenpower Goblin race cars.

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The Greenpower Engineering Team work hard to develop their design and engineering skills through the creation of a race car. The school have already created a fleet of eight cars and race them competitively every year.

Falmouth University Described as the hub of creative thinking and design innovation, Falmouth University offers courses that range from every aspect of the creative industry.

Located in the coastal town of Falmouth, the university spans over two idyllic campuses, both surrounded by natural beauty that is sure to stimulate creative thinkers.

Tremough campus is based on the outskirts of Falmouth and is known for its dynamic and innovative architecture.

A campus that boasts of creative collaboration across all courses that range from design and media to performance and writing.

Woodlane is the tropical campus with creative studio space, home to the fine art, graphic design and illustration courses, it is the smaller campus buzzing with individuality and imagination.

Launchpad Falmouth University also has a programme that offers aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to begin their business journey. The Launchpad specialises in new digital businesses and helps to grow successful start-ups based in Cornwall.

Developed by the university, Launchpad helps create new digital businesses that meet an identified market demand in 12 months. Software engineers, digital creatives and business people are brought together to collaborate on challenges set by strategic partners.

Launchpad has helped to boost the economy and create jobs locally by creating thriving businesses such as Glas Data, an agricultural data collector, and Codices, a mass user gameshow toolkit.

Exeter University A member of the prestigious Russel Group, Exeter University offers a variety of subjects that produce graduates educated in the field of business and engineering. With 95% of graduates entering employment

or furthering their education after graduation, Cornwall is brimming with promising alumni.

Professor Anne Carlisle (centre) with students at Falmouth University

Located on Falmouth’s Tremough Campus, students are offered engineering courses that specialise in areas such as renewable energy, geology and mining as well as encouraging experience in those respective fields.

Being based in Cornwall has encouraged the development of the Environment and Sustainability Institute, making the university’s exploration into the solutions to problems of environmental change, leading research in the area.

Falmouth University has invested millions of pounds of EU funding in world-class facilities and teaching that has been ranked as Gold standard.

Now, not only are more Cornish students able to access a great education right on their doorstep, but we are also attracting and retaining talent from all over the world.

Cornwall is an exciting place to be at the moment; it is fast becoming a leading digital hub, as its creative heritage is fusing with modern tech infrastructure. All our undergraduate courses and research programmes are focused on fostering creative innovation, so that we’re meeting the challenges and needs of our society now, and in the future economy.

Professor Anne Carlisle, vice-chancellor

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A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS B L O G G E R A N D B U S I N E S S E N G AG E M E N T M A N AG E R , A B I R U L E , E X P L A I N S W H Y , F O R H E R , CO R N WA L L B E AT S C I T Y - L I F E . was brought up in Falmouth and my family were always big into travelling, partly necessitated by my father’s work, a lot of which was abroad, for instance I lived in Papa New Guinea for two years growing up as well as living in New Zealand after graduating from university, amongst having many other temporary homes along the way. So I guess from an early age I started getting a good perspective on the different facets each and every place has to offer. I moved back to Cornwall in 2012 as, for me, it provides the perfect blend of all the things I look for. Coming out of university there is a notion that to be successful one was to head for the city. Whilst there’s no denying the opportunities that come with citylife, it is not an essential part of the formula for success, and whilst success is measured in many ways, Cornwall has it all covered, you just need to embrace it.

My job, as business engagement manager for Invest in Cornwall, by definition means most of my clients are based outside of Cornwall (as my job is to entice them in!) yet never do I feel disconnected. Skype is only a click away and when it suits better to meet in person it is an easy sell to encourage a client trip to Cornwall. Otherwise, I tend to fly since I can make an AM London meeting from my home, near St Ives, no sweat, and then return same day to see my horses or go for a beach run. Cornwall is truly well-connected now and with much work gone into the infrastructure, including stunning office space, deployment of fibre broadband and other things such as branding benefits which depict: health, wellness and creativity.

Cornwall is always an ice-breaker too, it seems everyone I speak to likes to reminisce about a fond memory of visiting Cornwall. There’s rarely a time when I need to pitch the lifestyle offering, everyone knows it’s an incredible county in this sense.

Selling Cornwall’s business case starts more difficultly, however after I start reeling off bucket-loads of phenomenal business success stories in Cornwall, across wide-ranging sectors, perceptions soon change and hesitancy turns to excitement.

I also run one of the UK’s leading equestrian blogs, A Country Lady, and ‘home’ has been essential to its success. I feel so fortunate because people engage with my blog not just because of all the horse-led content from which the blog was derived, but because of the lifestyle

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that comes with being a Cornwall-based equestrian, the images I use which suggest a healthy, happy lifestyle are truly reflective of the real thing.

Go for a walk along the coast path and there’s a good chance you will come back with a new idea and buzzing with energy, this probably explains why my partner and I, along with many other Cornwall-based folk, tend to have several business projects happening at any one time.

I never see Cornwall as having any limitations to my career and success and rarely should anyone. Never worry about being isolated, your friends and clients alike are just waiting for an excuse to visit Cornwall.

G O F O R A WA L K ALONG THE COAST PAT H A N D T H E R E ’ S A GOOD CHANCE YOU WILL COME BACK WITH A NEW IDEA AND BUZZING WITH ENERGY

Abi Rule, business engagement manager and blogger

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WORKSPACE ROOM WITH A VIEW ornwall has a wide selection of quirky and beautiful as well as high-tech and modern premises from which to run a business.

Many businesses in Cornwall monopolise on the county’s natural landscape, establishing premises that inspire employees and clients alike, gaining enviable views of the coastline. Take Falmouth-based digital marketer, 3WhiteHats, whose office comes with its own private beach, complete with Kayaks and Stand Up Paddleboards.

This helps to encourage its teams to balance work and play, keeping creativity fresh by focusing on personal wellbeing and recognising that the most exciting ideas may appear when employees are able to explore their natural surroundings, rather than spending endless hours at their desks – providing higher levels of motivation, inspiration and break out space to think.

Cornwall is also home to various Enterprise Zones, including Aerohub at Cornwall Airport Newquay, Goonhilly and Hayle Marine Renewables Business Park, which are designated areas that provide tax breaks and Government support.

Aerohub at Cornwall Airport Newquay is a 36 hectare business park and designated Enterprise Zone offering 14 serviced plots for development. It benefits from a Local Development Order, which allows for B1, B2 and B8 planning-free development. This planning freedom means businesses can reduce risks associated with traditional planning, such as timings and costs.

New for 2018 is ESAM: The Enterprise Space for Advanced Manufacturing. It offers flexible, high specification office and industrial space to businesses in the growing sectors of advanced manufacturing, engineering and low carbon good and services.

Deliberately sited close to innovative low-carbon initiatives such as the iconic Eden project, a global eco-tourism success story, ESAM provides an ideal opportunity for ambitious businesses to enhance their productivity and efficiency within a sustainable and inspirational environment. Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, ESAM is the first phase of the new Carluddon Technology Park, which offers development land in the strategically located mid-Cornwall growth area.

Soon to benefit from an £85m investment in linking key transport routes, Carluddon tech park and ESAM are a prime example of how Cornwall is regenerating old and disused industrial land for refreshed economic purposes.

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And even in mid-Cornwall at a high-end industrial building – it still has a sea view and is less than ten minutes from a beach!

The business clusters and Enterprise Zones are complemented by innovation centres like Tremough, a business acceleration facility embracing the creative, media, eco and environmental science sectors.

Likewise, there’s the Pool Innovation Centre – home to an array of businesses, and the Health & Wellbeing Innovation Centre based at Treliske in Truro which welcomes knowledge-based businesses supporting health and wellbeing. Together these kinds of centres give the region a proactive, connected business support network committed to helping businesses succeed and grow. There are a growing number of shared workspaces like Mor in Newquay and The Hive in Bude which offer the potential for independent business owners, freelancers and startups to co-work and collaborate in vibrant locations with breath-taking views.

Furthermore, there’s support for inward coming businesses who relocate or open an office or facility in Cornwall.

Below: Hayle Marine Renewables Business Park. Opposite page: ESAM, new to 2018; 3WhiteHats, Falmouth; Aerohub Development, Cornwall Airport Newquay.

Employment Space for Advanced Manufacture (ESAM) opens in 2018

THIS HELPS TO ENCOURAGE THEIR TEAMS TO BALANCE WORK A N D P L AY

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NETWORKING AND EVENTS S H A R E A N D CO N N E C T As One Talks, Truro n Cornwall we’re spoilt for choice in terms of simply stunning venues to meet for an incredible Latte or for hosting stand-out events. Yes, we do go networking on the beach, whilst observing the glorious sunsets (cold beverage in hand). But don’t for a second think this means we’re in deficit of business substance.

These inspiring settings is why phenomenal ideas come about and partnerships are formed. Business people from all over the country and further come to Cornwall for team building and to be inspired – we get the privilege of these advantages each and every day.

Every month there is a busy events calendar across the county and sharing ideas and collaboration is at the heart of this and a big part of the Cornish ethos.

WE EXIST TO GET THINGS DONE WE SHINE LIGHT ON AMAZING P E O P L E , P R OJ E C T S A N D CO M PA N I E S WE BRING EPIC PEOPLE TOGETHER WE WORK WITH INCREDIBLE BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE WE BELIEVE IN ONE THING; ACTION Alex Light, Founder of As One Talks Alex Light, founder of As One Talks, set up a series of networking and events and is a prime example of the type of event you can expect in Cornwall. An event designed to bring people together to inspire and encourage, described as: ‘a collision of epic people, innovation, inspiration and push for action. Hear the journey of champions, learn, encourage, contribute and connect.’

There are many other examples of such events that will invigorate you, your business as well as galvanize your soul.

Cornwall-based Unlocking Potential, ensures we’re all future-proofed and being proactive with its, roughly quarterly, Future Focus events. This free to attend event offers talks from global business leaders on their area

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Agile on the Beach, Falmouth of expertise – speakers have included head of brand at Innocent drinks, Dan Germain, who told tales of ‘Fruit Towers’ and how to set yourself up for the future. For another example, members of the Cornish clothing and textile world stepped into the future of fashion where attendees heard from keynote speaker Ruth MarshallJohnson, foresight director at Future Laboratory.

You may think a beach in Cornwall is an unlikely gathering place for technology and business experts. However hundreds head to Falmouth’s Gyllyngvase beach each summer to celebrate, following a global conference at Falmouth University.

The event, Agile on the Beach, is one of the most popular conferences in the world for Agile practitioners – a specialist project management method that started out in the software industry and is now widely adopted across other sectors.

Though we’ve mentioned just a few, you can be sure that each and every week you can meet with likeminded people and both share and connect.

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CUPPING T H E A R T ( A N D S C I E N C E ) O F CO F F E E hen it comes to enjoying a coffee with a view you can lose yourself in, not many places do it better than Cornwall. Whether it’s on the high-street, in a back-street, on a cliff top or an off-the-beaten-track beach shack, everyone has their favourite spot. One company that’s thriving on the coffee culture boom is Helston based Origin Coffee. To learn about the finer side of the subject, Origin’s recently crowned UK Barista Champion, Joshua Tarlo, talks through the art and science of Cupping.

the coffee allowing it to spread over the whole tongue and force a vapour, which allows the aroma to be assessed in greater detail. The categories assessed and scored include flavour, acidity, body, balance, uniformity and sweetness.

These all add up to give a total score out of 100.

We hold monthly Cupping Clubs at our coffee shops in Penryn and Porthleven, where our talented baristas will sample our most recent feature and special edition coffees.

We always look forward to welcoming new people along to these events, which are open to all abilities.

Cupping is a hugely important part of what we do at Origin, and is a ritual of speciality coffee. It’s a system which is used to describe the quality of coffee. This is particularly important for an industry which sets its quality criteria against the scores generated by the system; to be considered speciality a coffee must score 80 points or more out of 100.

While this is a useful way to assess and justify the quality of coffee, at Origin we use the process for so much more.

We use it to help us make decisions on what green coffee to buy, to evaluate new roast profiles, and as a means of quality control. Sometimes it’s just a great way to get a group of people together to taste some interesting new coffees.

CUPPING IS A HUGELY I M P O R TA N T PA R T O F W H AT W E DO AT O R I G I N , A N D I S A RITUAL OF SPECIALITY COFFEE In practical terms coffee cupping involves a table of different coffees, each dosed into separate cupping bowls to assess uniformity. Hot water is added and a crust forms as the gasses release from the coffee. The coffee is left to brew for four minutes, at which point the crust is broken and the wet aroma is assessed. Breaking the crust also stops any further extraction. A leftover foam is skimmed from the surface and the coffee is ready to be assessed.

The coffee is assessed by taking a spoonful of it and slurping into the mouth. The all-important slurp aspirates

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CO R N WA L L O F F E R S T H E I D E A L P L AT F O R M F O R S P O R T A N D F I T N E S S

St Piran Pro Cycling tackle the challenging Cornish coast roads

Empirical Fitness, St Ives

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Empirical Fitness, St Ives

Saint Piran

SPORT AND FITNESS WHEN DISCUSSING THE LIFESTYLE OFFERING I N CO R N WA L L , T H E R E I S A N A B U N DA N C E O F AC T I V I T I E S A N D S O C I A L E S C A PA D E S O N OFFER. SOME ARE OBVIOUS, AND OTHERS M AY J U S T S U R P R I S E YO U. ith all the outdoor space and coastline, Cornwall offers the ideal platform for sport and fitness and it certainly has a big influence on the lifestyles of many that live and visit here. For example, if you’ve ever visited the fishing village of Newlyn in West Cornwall you would probably be surprised to know that this is where two highly notable world class athletes were born and raised. The first is double Olympic rowing champion, Helen Glover MBE, who has been ranked number one female rower in the world since 2015. More recently has been the emergence of Jack Nowell, Premiership rugby champion with the Exeter Chiefs in 2017 and one of Eddie Jones’ go to guys when England need a little ball carrying magic in the England squad.

An impressive yield from a quaint but hard-working fishing village.

With miles of diverse coast and country roads there’s fewer better counties for cycling both on and off road. There’s everything from family friendly biking trails like the famous Camel Trail between Wadebridge and Padstow. Then there’s something for the adventurous off-roaders around both Cardinham Woods and Lanhydrock. And for those who like a challenge there’s the infamous coast roads, home to as many grueling climbs as you could wish for. If the riding doesn’t leave you breathless, the views certainly will.

Just recently, the first elite cycling team in Cornwall was formed. The Saint Piran elite cycling team is giving talented riders the opportunity to perform on a national stage and by 2023 would like to compete as an accredited continental professional squad in the world’s biggest races.

The team is owned by Cornishman Steve Lampier, one of the UK’s most successful pro cyclists. Steve has matched Cornish riders of exceptional abilities to five professionals across the UK. The result? A team as formidable as any on today’s domestic scene.

The list of activities goes on and on and people of all ages certainly make the most of what’s on offer. In the summer you’ll find circuit classes moving out of the gym and onto the beach, it’s as good as it sounds! Then there’s horse riding, open water swimming, a triathlon series, cross-fit, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, walking on the moors, walking on the coast, sailing and of course, surfing!

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AT T H E T I P OF SUCCESS ased on the idyllic Lizard peninsula, the southernmost tip of the mainland, Niddocks must be one of the UK’s most southerly registered businesses. It is almost certainly the most southerly online marketing and technology business and Google Premier Partner.

Founded by Andrea and Rob Edlin in March 2003, Niddocks serves clients all over the world. The business focuses on search advertising, tag management, analytics and website structural troubleshooting with a focus on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

Rob and Andrea specialise in supporting e-commerce and tourism businesses including international outfits Rick Stein, Seasalt and St Austell Brewery.

They also develop and support a number of software applications that add additional functionality to websites such as integrated tag management, website personalisation, advertising automation, weather, demographic and geographic analytics.

NIDDOCKS MUST BE ONE OF THE UK’S MOST SOUTHERLY REGISTERED BUSINESSES Running a business from such a remote location could be seen as a disadvantage to many but for Andrea and Rob it means they can run a successful business and follow their passions of fishing, foraging, fine food, quilting and walking their dog, Ben. Last year they bought a top of the range (and mega trendy) VW California campervan which allows them to enjoy mini-adventures locally or make use of the nearby ferry port at Plymouth to go and explore further afield. In particular, they love to explore Italy sourcing new recipes and food and wine to bring home.

Work travels with them as the van is set up as a remote office with desk, laptops, power, 4G data connectivity, tea, coffee and even a toaster!

Rob says: “I really enjoy the flexibility of living in a peaceful and beautiful part of the world away from the hustle and bustle of a big city. I get much more work done and can head out before or after work to do the things I love doing.”

When at home, Rob and Andrea enjoy the fruits of their labour, especially in summer and autumn when there’s an abundance of fresh fish and shellfish to be caught. Along with foraged food and a well-stocked and equipped garden and kitchen, they enjoy curing and smoking their own food or hosting pizza parties with friends.

The couple love sharing on Instagram and you can follow them at instagram. com/hyggeandrea and instagram.com/robedlin their work account can be found at instagram.com/niddocks.

Opposite page: Rob Edlin, within sight of his office catching tasty Red Bream

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BIG BUSINESS SUPPORT

Supporting Ben Treleavan of ISO Spaces hether you’re starting out with an idea and a dream or you’re making the next steps from seven figures to eight, there is a huge amount of support available for businesses in Cornwall. The support can be in the shape of capital funding, mentoring, coaching, whatever is needed to help a business grow and thrive. Amongst the support options are a number of projects funded by the European Regional Development Fund. This includes the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth and Skills Hub, a single point of contact for business looking for support.

come forward, which shows the wide variety of expertise and talent we have here.”

Included in the success stories is the Business Investment for Growth programme or BIG2 for short. Run by Cornwall Development Company and funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), BIG2 aims to support 200 businesses in Cornwall with growth projects, and create 360 jobs by 2019.

Ben Treleaven, co-founder and managing director of ISO Spaces, says: “The number of homeless people and families in the area was growing and the council found they were having to relocate up to 130 families a week. They wanted to provide a quick, high quality solution to enable those families to stay in the area, as well as be more cost effective than using Bed and Breakfast accommodation.

The containers that we design and build in Cornwall will be used to provide an interim housing solution on a brownfield site while the council develop additional social housing.”

Anna Staevska, who joined BIG2 as a programme manager in May 2017 after a career in the private sector, says: “The progress over the last two years has been fantastic. The businesses we have supported are really putting Cornwall on the map on a national and international scale and it’s exciting to be part of their success. We’ve also had a diverse range of businesses

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One of the most exciting stories has come from ISO Spaces, a shipping container conversion specialist who used BIG2 funding to secure a contract to provide temporary housing for homeless people in London.

Based in Truro, ISO Spaces has delivered 88 social housing units to a London borough council. After delivering 34 units in 2016, ISO Spaces was asked to provide more converted one, two and three bedroom containers to provide emergency relocation for homeless people.

In order to fulfil the contract ISO Spaces needed to invest in casters to allow the containers to be moved easily around the company’s factory in Par.

Ben adds: “The casters lock into the bottom of the containers and make moving them from station to station much easier. It means that we can be more efficient. However, as there is only one container caster manufacturer in the UK, the cost is high and we needed 30 sets. To complete the order and once again show that a Cornish business can provide an innovative solution, we spoke with the BIG2 team about funding opportunities.”

Currently the project has provided £2,217,849 of grant funding. Supporting 107 businesses from Penzance to Bude, to create 220 jobs.

SECTORS Business Services Manufacturing Environmental

Anna says: “The work that ISO Spaces showcases Cornish ingenuity and innovation to the rest of the world.

It was a straightforward decision for us to back the project and it’s great to know that our support will help families in need. We’re actively seeking other businesses that have projects that will create jobs and deliver growth to invest in.”

Seeking a very different kind of investment but no less significant was Buzz Interactive, a high tech company based overlooking the surf capital of Europe, Newquay.

Buzz Interactive, which was already working with Tesco Mobile, Santander and Gain Capital, used its funding to gain industry accreditation to compete on the global stage.

Buzz Interactive, has achieved ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management Accreditation. The company, which develops websites, apps and games, already lists Tesco Mobile, Santander and Gain Capital amongst its clients.

Buzz Interactive’s project director, Lindsey Axten, says: “We’re all really pleased to have gained the accreditation.

It was a big undertaking, so the support from BIG2 to help us engage consultants to be ready for the audit was invaluable. The team really benefited from going through the accreditation as it allowed us to hone our internal processes. We believe this will open doors for us as it will give national and international clients that additional confidence. We’re really grateful for the support received from the BIG2 team enabling us to go for the accreditation.”

Medical Engineering/Aerospace Creative/ICT/Art

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Food and drink 2

Logistics Marine

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2

3 4

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EUROPEAN UNION

European Regional Development Fund

T H E B U S I N E S S E S W E H AV E SUPPORTED ARE REALLY P U T T I N G CO R N WA L L O N T H E M A P O N A N AT I O N A L A N D I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C A L E Working with Buzz Interactive

Since achieving the accreditation Buzz is in talks with a global bank to develop a product which for now is being kept under wraps.

Anna says: “Buzz Interactive are leading the way for Cornish tech businesses on a global level and we are proud to have supported them achieve the accreditation.

FIND OUT MORE WWW.BUSINESSINVESTMENTFORGROWTH.CO.UK

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B U S I N E S S I N CO R N WA L L ornwall is an inspiring, ambitious region for business owners to locate to. It’s a global centre for modern business. It’s not just for anyone. It’s for innovators. It’s for people who want to challenge the norm. For enlightened businesses who are ready to rethink workstyle. For next generation businesses who want a happy, more productive team. For businesses who want to thrive on innovation and flourish in a connected ecosystem. It’s for people who love where they work as much as the work they do.

If you’re interested in finding our more about Cornwall’s business landscape and the opportunities the region may present for your business or start-up idea get in touch with Invest in Cornwall.

IT’S FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE WHERE THEY WORK AS MUCH AS THE WORK THEY DO Invest in Cornwall comprises of a team made up of dedicated experts, on hand to provide support and advice about establishing a business in the region. From premises and talent through to funding and introductions – we are committed to helping your business succeed.

To find out more about setting up your business in Cornwall contact Invest in Cornwall.

F I N D O U T M O R E W W W.I N V E S T I N CO R N WA L L.CO M

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Experience a day out like no other to the Isles of Scilly Fly, sail or try the new Island Helicopters service

Travel

The Isles of Scilly are the first place summer arrives in England and Isles of Scilly the last place it leaves. Just 28 miles off the Cornish coast, the five islands offer a welcome sanctuary from stress with crystal clear seas, long sandy beaches and an opportunity to live the island life.

Book online at islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

IS LE S O F SCI LLY

Apprenticeships A Levels Vocational University Part-time

truro-penwith.ac.uk truro.penwith.college