PRIMARK CHIEF REITERATES SORROW OVER FIRE TRAGEDY

The chief executive of ABF, owners of fast-growing retail chain Primark, has again reiterated his sorrow at the factory fire which claimed the lives of many of those who make the store’s clothes. 

In the company's  annual report, published today, George Weston says: "We were deeply saddened by the events in April 2013 where the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.

“ A Primark supplier occupied the second floor of this eight-storey building which was also the location of a number of other garment manufacturers.

“Our response focused on meeting the immediate needs of the victims and, in parallel, organising long-term compensation.

“We donated food to some 1,300 families shortly after the tragedy, and have since paid short-term financial support of six months’ salary to more than 3,600 workers in the building, irrespective of their employer.

“Primark has committed to provide long-term financial compensation to victims who worked for its supplier, and their dependants."

ABF (formerly known as Associated British Foods) also owns extensive food interests, including British Sugar, but Primark has been its star performer with profits up by a staggering 44 per cent over the past 12 months.

The company recently revealed plans to expand its premises in Freshney Place, Grimsby.

ENTRENCHED IN HIPPIEDOM?

JOHN Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, has issued a rebuff to the claim by former Chrysalis boss Chris Wright (see previous post) that he declined to sign the Sex Pistols because he would not have felt "comfortable" watching them with his wife and friends.

Lydon claims  it was the band  who turned down the label, not vice versa.

He says Chrysalis was "still entrenched in hippiedom and obviously not the right place for the Sex Pistols."

In the end, the punk rockers, managed by Malcolm Maclaren, signed with Virgin Records

PREMIER STEPS UP THE PACE

 IT’S all-systems-go for Whitbread, owners of the Premier Inn budget hotel chain which includes one now nearing completion at the south end of Cleethorpes.

The company has this month announced plans to roll out its Premier brand to Germany which is not well-served by low-cost accommodation.

In Frankfurt, Whitbread has already acquired the freehold of a 200-room hotel which it plans to convert and rebrand. If the venture goes well, another half-a-dozen hotels will be opened in other German cities over the next five years.

If it can identify suitable sites, the company is also intent in doubling the number of its London hotel rooms to 18,000 over the same period.

The finishing touches are now being put to the Premier which is expected to open its doors to the first guests this winter - or sooner

MITCHELL ON SAVILE: "A RAVING LUNATIC WITH TARTAN HAIR"

IT has been  busy month for Great Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell following the publication of Calendar Boy - his account of working for Yorkshire TV's regional news programme  in the 1970s.

The book, packed with colourful anecdotes from yesteryear,  is already doing brisk business in the House of Commons bookshop and copies should soon be arriving at Waterstone's at W.H.Smith in Freshney Place.

Mitchell, who has been busy promoting the book, has an interesting take on Jimmy Savile.

He writes: " He appeared on Calendar but there was never any indication that he was anything more than a raving lunatic with tartan hair who posed as Yorkshire's gift to sex.

"Indeed he boasted of his sexual prowess and conquests to such an extent that it made it seemed to me that he was over compensation for not getting any."

Calendar Boy is also available through online retailers such as Amazon.

AN EMOTIONAL BATTERING - BUT NOW THEY'RE SMILING!

ONE of the most poignant moments in an episode of Dragons' Den earlier this year featured John and Claire Brumby of Grimsby-based Scrubbys Crisps.

Just as dragon Peter Jones looked poised to make an investment, he had an abrupt change of mind.

With an insensitivity bordering on cruelty, he squeezed as much as emotion as he could out of the couple's distress. "You've got a dream, but you're broke," he declared.

John 's dismay was all too apparent, but it was nothing to that of his wife who had to choke back tears as she confessed that this was, indeed, the case
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p022ngg9

It was a tough moment, but as Claire admitted: "That's reality TV - we knew the risk we were taking."

The couple lefty empty-handed, after 10 hours at the studio plus one hour and 52 minutes in the dragons' glare - of which just 11 minutes was screened.

Speaking last week at a conference and exhibition  organised by  Grimsby Business Hive, Claire confided: "We took an emotional battering - and it was followed by a horrendous two months."

The episode featuring the Brumbys was filmed in April this year and screened in July.

It looked as if the business might  go under . . but, after the darkest hour comes the dawn.

Claire Brumby - she and husband John bounced back

In August, the couple  received the lifeline, they had been seeking - an order to supply 281 branches of Waitrose whose food team were impressed that Scrubbys crisps were  lower-fat than those of competitors, yet also remained full of flavour.

Since then things have got better and better for the Brumbys - especially as they now have crucial financial backing from an investment  fund that specialises in supporting new snack food businesses.

Other retailers such as Lincoln Co-op and even the prestigious Harrod's of Knightsbridge have opened their doors to Scrubbys - prospects have never looked brighter.

During the TV show, another dragon, Duncan Ballantyne, expressed interested in Scrubbys' crisps, and, following their appearance, the couple are  hoping he might yet place a contract with them to supply his chain of gyms.

Earlier in her presentation, Claire revealed that the beginning of the journey for  the Brumbys came with a nine-month spell at Beverley market where they initially  sold vegetable boxes - John comes from a  farming background.

After sounding out the opinions of customers and checking  on what was selling well for fellow- stallholders, they decided to spread their wings.

"The market for healthy snacks was growing, and we were sure there was a gap we could fill," continued Claire."The challenge was to make them low fat, yet retain the taste."

They experimented with various cooking processes including baking and de-hydrating, before settling on vacuum-frying which involves frying at low temperature, then de-oiling.

The name Scrubbys, incidentally, is an amalagamation of scrub (the vegetables are scrubbed) and the last two letters of the couple' surname.

Once they were confident enough of their product, the Brumbys hit the road with their three  children in tow - and a particular maxim at the forefront of their minds : "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone!"

"We attended every festival and fair you can think of,"continued Claire. "The kids wore T-shirts publicising the brand. We dragged them here there and everywhere."

Publicity was also crucial. "With no money, we managed to make quite  a lot of noise.

"Through a guerilla marketing approach, we got mentions in the Daily Mail and the influential trade magazine, The Grocer."

But as well as being technically challenging and hugely time-consuming, launching a new brand of crisps is
phenomenally expensive.

Although there was welcome seed funding from organisations such as Grimsby-based e-factor, which does all it can to encourage entrepreneurs, raising capital from other sources was, until recently, problematic.

"It was very difficult, "says Claire. "We had no track record in  food manufacturing and our brand was not yet established."

There were many times when the Brumbys thought their fledgeling business might not survive. and Claire had to take another job to pay the bills.

But they persevered, inspired partly by the famous Churchill saying: "When youre going through hell - keep going!"

What of the future? Every days there are new challenges - but also new opportunities. Scrubbys is definitely on the up.

The Brumbys can see a time not too far off when their millionth bag of crisps comes off the production line.

"We can't wait for the day," chuckled Claire. "I shall enjoy sending it off to Peter Jones!"

DOES EXPANSION BECKON FOR THIS ABBEYGATE RESTAURANT?

COULD expansion be on the cards for a popular Grimsby wine bar and bistro?

Liz Parry of Abby's in Abbeygate gave the question a fairly wide berth when she was quizzed at yesterday's Business Hive Live exhibition and conference conference at The Auditorium.

But  the final slide of her presentation gave a  clue with its cryptic message : "Coming soon to a place near you . . .

Earlier, the businesswoman of the year  provided a whistlestop tour of her life and how Abby's has grown since she took it over with a friend and partner (whom she has since bought out) in April 10 years ago.

Liz grew up at Girlsta in the Shetlands and obviously had a knack for the hospitality and catering industry from an early age because she was appointed supervisor of a local restaurant when she was just 16.

She still recalls how, two years earlier,  the creation of the Sullom Voe oil terminal - the largest in Europe - brought prosperity to the isles.

Energy giants BP only paid one pence for every barrel of oil landed but,  even so, the extent of the operations - millions of barrels -  generated huge wealth.

Liz  is hoping that North East Lincolnshire could benefit similarly in the years to come through the creation of a huge renewables industry.

She  came to Grimsby in 1987 following  her marriage to husband John,who is in the Merchant Navy, and she took a job in sales - which she "thoroughly enjoyed" - with Nunns, the car dealers.

Subsequently, she joined Lloyds TSB, first as a personal account manager, then as a financial consultant.

Following her joint purchase of Abby's wine bar, it expanded to become Abby's Wine Bar and Bistro Ltd.

In 2011, Abby's Upstairs was created at a cost of approachig £65,000. This was some 10 times more than her provisional budget but it meant she could cater for receptions, parties and, since last year , civil weddings and partnerships

Liz now heads a team of 18 including five chefs (Andy Rendall, the head chef, has been with her since 2006.)

Her son, Lewis, a Sheffield art graduate, is  events and marketing manager at Abby's. He helps topromote and oversee speciality evenings such as Gin and Jazz nights and Lobster Nights.

Liz emphasised that Abby's prides itself on its food having been grown locally (wherever possible)  and  freshly cooked. The origins of all the meat is traceable.

Liz began her presentation by flying the flag for the Shetlands and she ended it by doing the same for Grimsby.

" It is a great place but its needs to become better at singing its own praises,"she declared.

Liz chats with entrepreneur Levi Roots at an event held in October last year at The Oaklands Hotel on the outskirts of Grimsby

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THINKING POSITIVE HAS GIVEN ANGELA  

A  HEAD’S  START

HOW could anyone fail to  be impressed by Angela Smith who used the experience of her fight against illness as a launch-pad for developing a unique Cleethorpes business?

Angela describes losing her hair, as a side effect of  chemotherapy, as “almost as frightening as the cancer that was invading my  body”.

She continues: “My confidence was affected - I felt ugly and vulnerable.”

Angela Smith - inspirational example

 As a mother, hairdresser and also a singer, image was obviously important to Angela, and she felt compelled to search for a wig while she waited for her hair to re-grow.

Though that experience was “traumatic” in itself, it set her on a path to opening a new salon and wig clinic, offering a highly personal service customising wigs and toupees - made from either human or synthetic hair - to meet the needs of clients.

Because hair loss affects more than just the head, Angela also specialises in enhancing eyebrows and eyelashes as well as hair.

Her Positive Image Clinic is based at 243 Grimsby Road, but she took time off to showcase the service she offers with an impressive stand at last month’s Business Hive Live exhibition at Grimsby auditorium.

Angela’s wesbsite is : www.positiveimageclinic.co.uk

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DON’T TREAD ON THE CUSTOMER!

A LIFETIME of trust is an absolute must. . .

That natty little rhyme was the springboard for an entertaining presentation by Matthew Storey to the Business Hive Live conference and exhibition

Matthew, of Crofton Myers, used to work in a bank’s call centre, but he now provides a consultancy service, advising businesses on the do’s and dont’s of customer service.

He suggested that too many firms were so intent on pursuing new markets, that they risked overlooking the needs of existing customers.

He pinpointed two particular “own goals” to be avoided at all costs - allowing employees to use the terms “With respect, Sir” or “It’s company policy” as potential put-down responses to dissatisfied customers.

In the first case, the employee is seeking to have the last word, and, in the second, he or she is showing that a firm lacks both flexibility and the readiness to empower its workforce to come up with solutions.

Matthew Storey - plaudits for Branson and Bezos

Sir Richard Branson was praised by Matthew for his success with Virgin Airlines. Although he started with just one plane, he saw off many rivals by dint of excellent customer service.

This commitment to the customer was again in evidence at the end of a London Marathon - sponsored by Virgin – when Sir Richard congratulated participants who completed the course.

For their excellent approach to customer service, Matthew  also pinpointed the John Lewis Partnership and Amazon whose boss, Jeff Bezos even encourages feedback by making available to all and sundry his email number: Jeff@Amazon. com.

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THE exhibition at Grimsby Auditorium (October 23) provided a great opportunity for Business Hive members to showcase their products and services. Here are some of those who took stand space and added to the vibrancy of  the event.

Representing health insurance specialists WPA- Sally Harvey and daughter Sophie

 Flying the flag for Wilkin Chapman solicitors - Alison Mitchell and Katie Davies

  Ebony Chapman (left) and Hannah Quayle of Navigo

Up The Gunners! Lisa Smith of Black Fish Print & Clothing

 Dream as if there are no impossibilities - Angie Burnett of Janella Giftware

 Banging the drum for  Europarc Pallets - Chloe Phillips and Olivia Ridlington 

A hive of activity - plenty going on at the auditorium last Thursday

Former psychology student Phillipa Jayne Richardson, from Hull, is now forging herself a successful career in network marketing, fucusing on  Arbonne beauty products

Sarah Clarke, proprietor of  of Graphic and Print, and Lee Shakespeare, sales manager  of Sign of The Times - both based on Cleethorpe Road, Grimsby