Presentation title - Stoke-on-Trent City Council

GrowNorthStaffs
Second Annual Enterprise and Business Growth Conference

Councillor Mohammed Pervez
Leader, <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent City Council

Enterprise and growth within
<strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent
John van de Laarschot,
Chief Executive, <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent City Council

Steve Burgin
Regional Vice President, Northern and Central Europe
Alstom Global Power Sales

“A different perspective”
John Betty
Director of Place, <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent City Council

Outside looking in
“Affection beaming out of one eye and calculation
shining out of the other” (Charles Dickens – tale of two cities)

Bristol, Bath - London

VISION: LOCALLY DISTINCTIVE:
GLOBALLY CONNECTED

Who has the ear of Government

Bristol <strong>Stoke</strong> comparison slide
Bristol
<strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent
Population 428,100 372,600*
Employment rate 71% 65%
Working age benefit
claimants
13% 17%
GVA per head £26,164 £16,371
Gross weekly pay £525 p.w £443 p.w.
% educated to degree level 42.6% 18.9%
Average house price £211,000 £98,000
5 Year Business Survival Rate 49% 40%
* Includes Newcastle under Lyme

The ultimate competitor
“You cannot be serious!”
John McEnroe
Image courtesy of Telegraph Media Group Ltd.

Find our own path

<strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent and Staffordshire
LEP
Ay Up
Duck

Strong relationship between
business and the public sector

<strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent and
Staffordshire LEP

Spoke map

Playing to our strengths
• Providing access to RGF and ERDF funding of £137 million 2014 - 2020
• Developing an independent energy programme
• Utilising the strong sense of identity
• Maximising the large markets in Birmingham and Manchester
• Maximising the advantages in connectivity - London in 1 hour 24
Developing our young people through supporting education and
training and supporting the universities to become even stronger and
redress the education imbalance
• Working together to provide premises for start-ups and emerging
businesses
• utilising our lower cost of land and employment advantages
• Ensuring the public/private sector is informed through the LEP
• Utilising our manufacturing and production experience
• Moving into the next generation of materials, ceramics and polymers
• Maximising the City Deal
• Developing local business and encouraging new investment
“Change begets change”
Charles Dickens – Martin Chuzzlewit

Innovation
Skills
Sites
Connectivity
Enterprise
Energy
Innovation

Where and when
1. Keele University
Science Park - 13.0 ha
2. Etruria Valley – 17.0 ha
3. City Centre Spine – 21.1 ha
4. Fenton 25 – 18.6 ha
5. Blythe Bridge -34.0 ha
6. Meaford – 34 ha
7. Lichfield Park – 10.5 ha
8. Branston locks – 20.0 ha

“The city is the nerve centre
of our civilisation”
Josiah Wedgwood

Creating a city centre

Creating a city centre

Make it your business
Focal point for local business networking and supply
chain opportunities
Provides a range of free services to members via our
web based platform
• Business Support Events
• Competitive Intelligence
• Contract Opportunities
• Membership Directory
Miyourbusiness.stoke.gov.uk

Creating a strong story for the area
- a Story of Place

Public and private sector build
great places together
Image courtesy of Telegraph Media Group Ltd.

Access to finance
Sara Williams,
Chief Executive, North Staffordshire Chamber of
Commerce and Industry

GrowNorthStaffs
Second Annual Enterprise and Business Growth Conference

Scientific and Technical Gases Ltd
North Staffordshire Enterprise & Business
Growth Conference
9 th July 2013
Accessing Overseas Markets – a personal view
by
Chris Street – Chief Executive

Chris Street – Chief Executive
• 1983 – 1986 BSc. Mechanical Engineering + MBA
• 1986 - 1991 Air Products – Speciality Gases Sales
and Engineering
• 1992 - 1997 Engineering Contracting for 5 years
• 1998 - 2006 Director - Air Liquide Calgaz
• 2007 Acquired controlling interest in StG
• 2012 Took over as Chief Executive StG
7/9/2013 30

About StG
• Established 1996
• Now one of Europe’s largest
independent manufacturer of
calibration gases
• Expertise in calibration and specialty gas
mixtures, and associated equipment
• Supplying gases and equipment to over 72
countries world wide
• Supplying the world’s OEMs in gas
detection

Early History of StG
The Early Years 2006
1996 Scientific and Technical Gases is
founded by Tony Addison
1998 The company moves to Radway
Green Business Park
Chris Street joins the
company
from Air Liquide
Sales at £1.2m p.a
2004 StG relocates to Speedwell Road
(Units 1+2)
“The site seemed so large
that we considered leasing
out the back warehouse….”.

Today
Today – Global Sales
• Sales of over £6.0m
• Growth at 28% p.a.
• All products are manufactured in the UK at our Newcastle-under-Lyme plant
• Export to over 70 countries
• Export now represents over 70% of StG business
StG Year on Year Sales (£000’s)
Employee
s

2013 so far…
June 26th 2013 – Official opening of new
manufacturing facility
StG
The Award Winning Company
StG won the International Trade Award and
Apprentice of the Year Award at the Sentinel
Business awards this year.
Logistics Co-Ordinator Sarah Bourne was
awarded Apprentice of the Year and went on
to win Apprentice of the Year in conjunction
with <strong>Stoke</strong> on Trent college.

What are the gases used
for
• Calibration and function testing
of gas detection equipment.
• Calibration of laboratory and
analytical equipment.
• Calibration of oil and gas
analytical equipment offshore
and on-shore.

StG – Business Divisions
• Gas Detection
– Calibration and Function Testing
Gases
• Marine
– Calibration gases to ports
worldwide
• Oil Field Services
– Mud Logging gases
36
• Specialty Gases
– Complex HC mixtures
– Pure gases
– Toxic and corrosive calibration gases

StG Reviewed its markets in
2008 and identified…..
• Sales at £2.17m
• UK growth opportunities limited and
recession looming
• Some success in Middle East
• Limited business in Europe
• Small success in Asia

StG Market Review 2008

Strategic Decision in 2008
• “StG decided that Exports
were the key to future
profitable growth”

StG Exports £’s

How did we do it

2008 - Which Markets to
target
• Focus on Historical links
• Knowledge of markets
• Press and Business information
– E.g. Economist, news, UKTI
• Analysis
– Identify key market sectors
(e.g. oil and gas)
– Evaluate size vs. easy of entry

Support from
Chamber of Commerce
and UKTI
• North Staffs Chamber of Commerce support
– Grants for travel and initial marketing visits
– Passport to Export – Develop training
– Explore Export - UK Trade & Investment
Road show (Coventry 2010)
– Overseas Marketing Intelligence Service
(OMIS)

New Markets - Example
• Following UKTI Road show 2010
decided to target South America
• Settled on Brazil
• Undertook OMIS Report with UKTI

What does OMIS give you
• Work with UKTI representatives at
British Embassy in Brazil
• Pay under £2,000 for report per
country
• They work with StG contacts and
together develop a work plan for
identifying new contacts.
• Work plan over 4 weeks.

Results for Brazil
• 12 initial meetings in Oct 2010
• 10 interested prospects
• 8 new customers
• Business in FY13 expected to be
> £100,000 p.a following visit
• Further opportunities following

New OMIS Reports
undertaken since
• Argentina
• Japan
• South Korea
• Mexico
• Russia
• Fantastic value for money!!

Cultural Considerations
• Courtesy and respect goes a long way
• If unsure of what to do “then ask”
• Hospitality is important
• Follow up clearly by e-mail with “next steps”
• Remember English is often their second language
• Nothing beats being there and relationships are key!
• Have fun………

Any Questions

Growing your workforce
Kelly Tomlinson and Danielle Boulton
Employment Brokers, JET Business

Funding business growth in Staffordshire through
collaboration, co-operation and communication
Kathy Poole and David Butler
BCRS Small Business Loans

The patent box
Robert Sales
Swindell & Pearson Ltd

The Manufacturing Advisory Service
Mike White
Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS)

My experience with recruiting new staff;
apprenticeships through a locally-funded programme
Ian Carroll
MBS Computers Ltd

Funding for apprenticeships
David Wellings
Enterprising Futures

Business growth like anything else that
grows needs support
Mark Warren
Lister Trade Frames Ltd

The Growth Accelerator
Rachel Kelsall
Winning Moves Ltd

Doing business in China
Adrian Allen
Anderen Ltd

Working together as local partnerships
supporting each other to bring local business
back to local companies
Sam Longley
Eurolighting Ltd

New enterprise is booming in
North Staffordshire
Gaynor Parkinson
Business Enterprise Support (BES)

Getting an innovative ceramic product
into production
Dean Brindley
Mac & Dean Ltd

My experiences of growing the company
Gabrielle Hadley
ExtraMile Communications Ltd

GrowNorthStaffs
Second Annual Enterprise and Business Growth Conference

Councillor Paul Shotton
Deputy leader, <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent City Council

GrowNorthStaffs
Second Annual Enterprise and Business Growth Conference