Employee-owned business, Kite Packaging, was pleased to welcome West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, to its Regional Distribution centre in Coventry this week. The team were delighted to show Mr Street around their day-to-day operations and give him a deeper insight into the Kite brand. “On behalf of all the staff and
National drinks distributor Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd has relocated to a new purpose built distribution facility at Thorp Arch Estate, near Wetherby. The firm, which distributes both soft and alcoholic drinks to thousands of hotels, clubs, pubs and restaurants across the north of England, has relocated to the 62,925 sq
Energy companies are divided over the need for a mid-period review (MPR) within the present eight-year price control for businesses operating both in electrical energy and gasoline transmission, and fuel distribution. Big six provider British Gas and consumer body Citizens Advice are heading up the decision for an MPR for
Employee-owned business, Kite Packaging, was pleased to welcome West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, to its Regional Distribution centre in Coventry this week. The team were delighted to show Mr Street around their day-to-day operations and give him a deeper insight into the Kite brand. “On behalf of all the staff and partners at Kite Packaging, we’d like to thank Andy Street for the time he gave us. It was great to be able to talk about the opportunities and difficulties that we all face,” commented Managing Partner, Gavin Ashe. The organisation, which has expanded its Coventry operation and earned a place on the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Barometer earlier this year, is set for continued growth as it goes in to 2019. With a regional branch network across the UK this Coventry-based business also has sites in Rotherham, Swindon, Letchworth, Sittingbourne Portsmouth and Gateshead, as well as an Environmental Compliance business and a leading ecommerce offering. Coventry and Warwickshire’s Growth Hub’s Strategic Account Manager, Phil Peak, joined them as Mr Street explored Kite’s Coventry base and met with some of its employees. Kite’s key founding principle of a sense of partnership being at the heart of every good long term relationship has laid solid foundations as the Kite brand has grown over its 18 year history. Kite’s hard work and dedication to its sector did not go amiss, with Mr Street describing it as “a hidden gem in the Coventry economy.”
National drinks distributor Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd has relocated to a new purpose built distribution facility at Thorp Arch Estate, near Wetherby. The firm, which distributes both soft and alcoholic drinks to thousands of hotels, clubs, pubs and restaurants across the north of England, has relocated to the 62,925 sq ft site, Unit 512. The move was one of the biggest commercial property deals in Yorkshire over the last 18 months. The relocation has meant that 90 jobs have been transferred to the Thorp Arch Estate, which has seen Matthew Clark Wholesale move its Yorkshire operation from the Derwent Valley Industrial Estate, in Dunnington, near York. The firm had previously been based there for over 15 years. The Rockspring Hanover Property Unit Trust owns the Thorp Arch Estate. Unit 512 is the third biggest unit on the 385-acre Thorp Arch Estate, a former wartime munitions factory, and the largest warehouse that Rockspring Hanover Property Unit Trust has built for a new tenant Director of Wharfedale Property Management, which manages the estate for owner, Rockspring Hanover Property Unit Trust, Tim Munns, commented: “The completion of the Matthew Clark Wholesale Ltd relocation is further evidence that Thorp Arch Estate is becoming the top destination for businesses across north Leeds, Harrogate and York which want to expand and be near the motorway network but do not want to move to the M62 corridor.“ The new Matthew Clark Wholesale distribution hub will include nine dock levellers, two level-entry goods access doors, a large goods yard and 6,350 sq ft of office space. Property and construction consultants, LHL Group, York, managed the construction for Rockspring. Ian Gordon, Matthew Clark’s regional managing director, Ian Gordon, commented: “We are delighted with our brand new depot, providing us with more space to operate and allowing us to be closer to the motorway network, all of which serve our customers better within the region. “These factors were crucial when it came to choosing the new location as we continuously look to strengthening the service to our customers.”
Energy companies are divided over the need for a mid-period review (MPR) within the present eight-year price control for businesses operating both in electrical energy and gasoline transmission, and fuel distribution. Big six provider British Gas and consumer body Citizens Advice are heading up the decision for an MPR for all three sectors to establish whether the existing price control is appropriate. That call will take into account whether providers are offering value for money to consumers as well as addressing what has been described as the systemic “outperformance” of network operators according to their required outputs. In its recent submission on the potential MPR to the regulator, Ofgem, British Gas conceded: “We recognise that much has changed since the first round of RIIO price controls were finalised which, in turn, has significantly impacted consumers’ interests”. Charity and consumer lobbyist, Citizen’s Advice reported that the average return on investment for network companies in T1 and GD1 is “well in excess of what appears appropriate for such low-risk investment” – a stonking 9.4%. The charity went on express its support for an MPR and it represents “an opportunity to identify the root causes of outperformance, for both transmission and gas distribution.” It was only last November that Ofgem recommended an MPR, asserting that, over the last 12 months, it had recognised some issues with price control management that an MPR could address. Issues identified included by the body included: network output measures, strategic wider works submissions, and incentive on both consumer and stakeholder sides. Ofgem didn’t, however, establish any points for gas distrbution that required reform. As could be predicted, network operators have welcomed Ofgem’s findings on gas distribution while disagreeing with its support for a transmission-focused MPR, insisting the issues identified could be resolved without a sector-wide review. Trade body the Energy Networks Association (ENA) chipped in, saying the changes resulting from the price control are “within the range of uncertainty anticipated in the design of RIIO-T1 and can be managed through the existing uncertainty mechanism,” adding that an MPR runs the risk of creating two four-year price controls and may “undermine longer term investor confidence.” “Our transmission operator members would urge Ofgem to consider the longer term customer interest when assessing the scope of the RIIO-T1 MPR and not just the short terms benefits within the last four years of this price control,” ENA said. Distribution and transmission operator, SP Energy Networks was the single provider to say it would support Ofgem’s decision if an MPR get the go-ahead. The company did however add that it felt the issues could be resolved more successfully with the employment of specialist firms and bodies. SP Energy networks went on to insist that, “as a matter of fairness”, all companies – not just distribution – ought to reviewed if an MPR does go ahead.
