Flying high

Great to see Eastern Airways picking up a top industry award.
In the Grimsby-area they really are a one-off, our own airline to be proud of.
It will have surprised many to find out they employ 400, with half of those here in northern Lincolnshire.
A good cross-section of jobs and a maintenance base here that is something the company is very proud of, means that skilled people are being attracted to the region.
Routes continue to be added and with an expanding fleet it really is one to watch.

Fibres fight will be a tough one.

OPTIMISTIC, enthusiastic and ready to take on the challenges of the industry it was once seen as a champion of - well that was the mood 11 months ago.
When Acordis was rescued in a £12-million deal it appeared the investors had seen the opportunities that previously had been overlooked.
New markets, pushing existing products harder and further, and developing more business was the plan, welcomed by a workforce that had endured five months of uncertainty and seen their number reduced dramatically.
But the key element, and a problem that seems to have stuck, is the profitability of the orders. The company just hasn't been able to turn the all-important first corner, to allow for the development to take off.
Within weeks of the new start under the Fibres Worldwide banner, the problems that stacked up to cause Acordis grief were there. High gas prices led to production being suspended, and this continued. Orders were coming in, but making them profitable was the issue. That issue has remained, and led to the bitter disappointment of a return to administration.
Yet more uncertainty for a workforce so loyal and driven, that they managed to fulfil orders and exceed expectations when it was under the microscope of interested parties last summer.
The strong team there must now hope that one failed attempt will not deter others who perhaps see a future at the plant. There was lots of interest last time round, and there could be yet again, but the core of the company will have to be seriously addressed if it is to survive.

What a Catch for the region

TODAY is a proud day for North East Lincolnshire.
The opening of the £8-million chemical training centre has captured the minds of the nation within the massively important industry.
Catch (Centre for the assessment of technical competency - Humber) is something which should make the industry leaders and their public sector partners incredibly proud.
It certainly wowed Sir Digby Jones today, who was on his usual blockbusting form as he did the honours for major funders Yorkshire Forward and the Impress team led by Novartis' Adrian Wallis.
Now the task is to make sure that the youngsters of today who will be the leaders of the future take advantage of all this mock-chemical plant and the associated learning environment it offers.
For filling it up with apprentices and people upskilling will be the success, the building of the infrastructure, as impressive and as valuable as it is.



Don't miss today's Business Telegraph for all the detail on Catch. Adrian Wallis looks to the future with the plant, and it also features an eight-page supplement on the fantastic facility.
There's also major port news and all the latest developments across the business spectrum, from commercial property to ready-meal success.

Energetic Grimsby renewing itself

WHEN you think of the industries Grimsby specialises in, food processing jumps out like an over-excited salmon. Then your mind wonders down the Humber bank to the ports, and the allied logistics industry, or haulage as it was once known. They are undoubtedly huge economic drivers and help sustain the other industries.... such as... the chemicals sector and the oil refineries.
But power is also a big player here too, and the recent proposals coming out, including today's £100-million plan for a biomass plant at Stallingborough, is further evidence of the growing importance Grimsby plays to the UK's power supply.
Should this and E.on's clean coal vision become a reality, then nearly 10 per cent of our electricity will be sourced on the south bank. That's probably more than the percentage of food in your fridge-freezer that is from here.
While the number of jobs once built is fairly low on these plants, the investments and the confidence these bring are huge. More service work becomes available and skills in that sector are a great asset when it comes to attracting more inward investment.
So, when you turn your monitor off, just think, one day every week and a half you can thank Grimsby for it working!

Cash for crash

It seems not a day goes by without the cost of motoring being in the news.
This week with petrol dipping below the hefty prices it has been in recent months, it is the turn of motor insurance.
Norwich Union got the debate into gear with a warning about the potential for 40 per cent price rises for young drivers, and now other insurance giants are also assessing their own charges.
Profit-making many are, but like any other service or product-based business, it is the consumer that eventually picks up the bill when other factors increase.
This time round it appears to be the legal factor that has pushed up prices. Debated claims lead to lawyers, and the fees charged are on the rise - meaning the cost of solving the responsibility issue is on the up.
Thankfully the increases that come in will not be as large across the board. Insurers are using their own knowledge to work out who to charge the most, and the young are the ones who are under particular scrutiny.
But one factor that hasn't been mentioned is the positive impact of the new generation of police cameras is having on the industry. Number plate recognition gives the authorities immediate knowledge of vehicles being driven without MoT, tax or insurance, via a link with the DVLA. It has led to more cars being insured, and withdrawn the temptation of many to go on the road without the necessary cover.
For years we have been told that insurance is so high because of the number of uninsured drivers.... time to look into that surely?

Cash for crash

It seems not a day goes by without the cost of motoring being in the news.
This week with petrol dipping below the hefty prices it has been in recent months, it is the turn of motor insurance.
Norwich Union got the debate into gear with a warning about the potential for 40 per cent price rises for young drivers, and now other insurance giants are also assessing their own charges.
Profit-making many are, but like any other service or product-based business, it is the consumer that eventually picks up the bill when other factors increase.
This time round it appears to be the legal factor that has pushed up prices. Debated claims lead to lawyers, and the fees charged are on the rise - meaning the cost of solving the responsibility issue is on the up.
Thankfully the increases that come in will not be as large across the board. Insurers are using their own knowledge to work out who to charge the most, and the young are the ones who are under particular scrutiny.
But one factor that hasn't been mentioned is the positive impact of the new generation of police cameras is having on the industry. Number plate recognition gives the authorities immediate knowledge of vehicles being driven without MoT, tax or insurance, via a link with the DVLA. It has led to more cars being insured, and withdrawn the temptation of many to go on the road without the necessary cover.
For years we have been told that insurance is so high because of the number of uninsured drivers.... time to look into that surely?