r&s august 2012

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August 2012 // Issue 457 // £4 On the cover M.D.Simon Fahey of P . Fahey & Sons talks about how the company has remained true to its vision of finding removals solutions, half a century on. Pages 46 & 47 www.bar.co.uk Removals & Storage The Magazine of the British Association of Removers Inside this Issue Industry News BAR News >> VAT on fuel duty U-turn >> Foreign trucks to be charged from 2015 >> BAR’s new membership criteria explained >> James Dasey and Simon Osborne: new OG Councillors Breaking News >> National award for BAR Training Services >> Free sales leads for six months! Features >> How Retirement Date Funds will work in practice >> W Southerington & Sons on their storage business P. Fahey & Sons: Celebrating 55 years of moving!

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Page 1: R&S August 2012

August 2012 Removals & StoragePB

Features

Removals & Storage August 2012 1

Features

August 2012 // Issue 457 // £4

On the cover M.D.Simon Fahey of P. Fahey & Sons talks about how the company has remained true to its vision of finding removals solutions, half a century on. Pages 46 & 47 www.bar.co.uk

Removals & StorageThe Magazine of the British Association of Removers

Inside this Issue

Industry News BAR News

>> VAT on fuel duty U-turn

>> Foreign trucks to be charged from 2015

>> BAR’s new membership criteria explained

>> James Dasey and Simon Osborne: new OG Councillors

Breaking News

>> National award for BAR Training Services

>> Free sales leads for six months!

Features

>> How Retirement Date Funds will work in practice

>> W Southerington & Sons on their storage business

P. Fahey & Sons: Celebrating 55 years of moving!

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Industry NewsIndustry News

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BAR News

Removals & Storage August 2012

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Industry NewsIndustry News

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Olympics Monitor 26

News from Watford

Recognising the importance of BARTS award for Most Innovative BTEC Apprenticeship Provider of the Year, and preparations are now underway for the BAR Annual Conference 2013.

On the cover: A P. Fahey truck outside Adlington Hall, Cheshire, celebrationg 55 years in business.

P. Fahey & Sons: still moving ‘n’ shaking after 55 years.How Retirement Date Funds will work in practice.Getting GrowthAccelerator to work for you.BAR Affiliate: The Private Health Partnership.

Contents

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06

BAR News

BAR membership criteria, new offerings, Area meetings coverage and Young Mover, Kyle Tiltman.

18

Commercial Moving Group News

New CMG Council, CMotY 2012 feedback and profile of Ryans Removals.

Overseas Group News

Ian Palmer explains the OG’s new membership criteria.

34

BAR Services

Product of the month

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28

Features46People News54

European News44

Diary Dates52

Membership56

Contents

National Award for BAR Training ServicesBAR Training Services has won the National BTEC Awards Most Innovative BTEC Apprenticeship Provider of the Year. This clearly reflects the strong potential of the removals industry to provide high quality and rewarding employment to young people.

Global Moving Systems joins BARJohn Greening, General Manager of Global Moving Systems talks about why the company recently joined BAR and about its on-going investments in expansion.

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40

VOSA advises on load securityThe Vehicle and Operator Services Agency roadside staff will use a ‘load security enforcement matrix’ to apply the rules on load security in a fair and consistent way across the country. 08Industry News

Just a snippet...•Fueldutyrisepostponed•Foreigntruckstobechargedfrom2015?•GoldawardsforBARAffiliateO’Neil•Hamiltonssupportmoonlitcycleride

07

New! Self Storage Special Interest Group News

W Southerington & Sons on their storage business.

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Training News40

Competition35

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BAR News

Removals & Storage August 2012

News from Watford

No sooner do we have the very complimentary feedback from the Annual Conference in Windsor last May, than planning starts in earnest for the next event in 2013. Next year’s conference will take place at the prestigious Newcastle Marriott Hotel, Gosforth Park between 16-19 May. The Conference Committee has been active, and a full business and social programme is being put in place, so mark the dates firmly in your diaries now!

It is always nice to receive a firm pat on the back, and BAR was out in force at the House of Lords recently, when Vice-President, Gary Wheadon, Director-General, Stephen Vickers, Training Manager, Loren Webster, and Chairman of the CMG Training Committee, Kevin Mack, were present at the National BTEC Awards ceremony. BARTS were selected as the Most Innovative BTEC Apprenticeship Provider of the Year: “BARTS have shown outstanding creativity and innovation in the delivery of their BTEC Apprenticeship.” The award is a

significant tribute to all the hard work done by staff and Members in producing the first ever Removals Apprenticeship, which was launched earlier this year.

Members will be used now to receiving the weekly BAR Newsletter, which has replaced the previous ad-hoc arrangements of circulating in- formation. If you have any news items that you think might or should have a wider audience, let the Commercial Department team know here at BAR Headquarters.

Everyone will be aware that, following the recent consultation, we now have in place new, and more rigorous, criteria for membership of the Association. This is an important step, demonstrating clearly the commitment of the Association to the highest professional standards. All Members will have to comply from January 2013 onwards, and further details can be found on page 18 and, of course, on the BAR website.

Contact Details:

Editorial Contributions on all aspects of the removals and storage industry are welcome, together with photographs if appropriate.

Please contact the Managing Editor, Louise Gale on:Tel: 020 3235 1806Email: [email protected]

Advertising For all enquiries and bookings, please contact Steve Pearce on:Tel: 0117 957 5400Email: [email protected] or [email protected]: The booking deadline for all display advertisements for the September 2012 issue of R&S is 10 August.

Subscriptions Removals & Storage is subscribed to by members of the British Association of Removers in the UK and Overseas. Current annual subscription is £48.00 in the UK and £72.00 overseas. Additional subscriptions are available from BAR (see contact details to the left).

Registered as a magazine © The British Association of Removers 2012. ISSN 0034-4265

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be scanned, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in part or whole in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the British Association of Removers.

Opinions expressed in Removals & Storage are not necessarily those of the publisher, British Association of Removers. The description of a product or service in this publication does not constitute endorsement by the publisher. The publisher does not accept any responsibility for any claims by advertisers. The articles in this publication are for general information only and are not intended to be advice to any specific person. Readers are recommended to seek professional advice before taking or refraining from taking any action on the basis of the contents of any article in this publication.

The British Association of Removers

Tel: 01923 699 480 Fax: 01923 699 481 Email: [email protected]

Tangent House, 62 Exchange Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD18 OTG

President: Ian StuddDirector General: Stephen VickersCompany Secretary: James Falkner

Removals & Storage is designed on behalf of The British Association of Removers by:Rubicon Marketing Ltd. Tel: 0117 957 5400Email: [email protected]

Removals & Storage is written and edited for the British Association of Removers by Analytica MediaTel: 0203 235 1800 Email: [email protected]

Copy and advertising deadlines 2012 for future issues of R&S magazineArticle submission: 2nd of the month preceding publication

Booking of display Adverts: 10th of the month preceding publication

Booking of classified adverts: 10th of the month preceding publication

Booking of trade adverts: 10th of the month preceding publication

Artwork for adverts: 15th of the month preceding publication

The proud team at BAR with the first ever award recognising a Removals-specific Apprenticeship.

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Foreign trucks to be charged from 2015A proposal to charge foreign trucks for using UK roads has been given the green light by the Coalition Government, which says the scheme will come in if time can be found to get a Bill through Parliament. May 2013 has been flagged as the most likely date for the introduction of a Bill, with March 2015 as the date when charging HGVs will start.

This news has been strongly welcomed by the Road Haulage Association. The Association worked constructively with the DfT and also HM Treasury to find a workable scheme. The proposal is the best that can be achieved for UK hauliers within EU law, and gained very strong support from members, both for the principle of charging foreign trucks and for its plan to share the haulage taxes more fairly between UK and foreign trucks. All HGVs will be charged up-front, but UK trucks will pay a reduced VED rate.

New HMRC-compliant apps for small businessesSeveral apps for record-keeping are now available following consultation with HM Revenue & Customs.

Stuart Crook of Wellers Accountants says “the apps, many of which are free, are primarily geared towards businesses below the VAT threshold and include links to HMRC guidance related to record-keeping. So many businesses these days are operated at a very quick pace so it’s always useful to be able to update our records on the go.” Apps he particularly recommended include Forbes Receipt Keeper, Zip Zip Books, Sage Record Keeper, Moneybox, My Biz Tracker and Earnest.

This measure has a one-off cost of around £550m. The Treasury said that the decision means that pump prices will be ten pence a litre cheaper than if the Government had not abolished the pre-existing fuel duty escalator: “As a result of repeated action to support motorists, fuel duty will not have increased for two successive years and the average family with a car will be £159 better off overall than they otherwise would have been. Hauliers will on average be £4,900 better off,” the Treasury added.

The news has been welcomed from across the transport sector.

Stephen Vickers, Director General of BAR, said “it’s a real shot in the arm for removals companies. Fuel is the most important variable cost for our Members. Summer is a very busy period for the removals business and many BAR Members were dreading the rise in their fuel costs at this time. More broadly, we are encouraged that the Chancellor has recognised

the crucial role that the transport sector plays in the economy. We believe that the Government now needs to take more measures to help our members grow their businesses, which will create jobs and also generate higher revenues for the Treasury.”

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) commented that “the Chancellor now sees the merits of using fuel duty cuts to stimulate growth by keeping cash within businesses. FTA Managing Director James Hookham called on the Government to “engage in a national debate about the role of fuel taxation in the economy.”

BAR is a member of FairFuelUK which also welcomed the news, thanking all those who have signed up to the campaign. “There are serious longer term issues to address on fuel taxation and pricing – but for today, we thank the Government for listening and acting,” said Peter Carroll who founded the campaign.

Fuel duty rise postponedThe British transport industry is celebrating a major victory, following Chancellor George Osborne’s decision to delay the fuel duty rise scheduled for 1 August until 1 January 2013.

… but more cuts still neededThe Chancellor’s climb-down is a potential life saver for transport industries in the UK, coming at a time when fuel costs have reached record levels. Research by the Freight Transport Association (FTA) shows that heavy goods vehicle operating costs for the UK freight industry have reached an all-time high, due to the soaring price of fuel. Between April 2011 and April 2012, increases in diesel alone pushed the cost of running a 44-tonne articulated vehicle up by the equivalent of £1,900 per year.

Simon Chapman, FTA’s Chief Economist said “the high price of diesel is the number one concern keeping hauliers awake at night. Fuel now represents around 40% of annual operating costs compared to around a third just 3 years ago.” At the same time, although operating costs have now reached record levels, hauliers face pressure from customers not to raise their haulage rates and are seeing overall levels of activity fall as the economy slides back into recession. According to the FTA, “Problems for UK

operators are compounded by the duty that the Government applies to diesel. At 57.95 pence per litre, UK diesel duty is on average 24 pence per litre higher than the rest of Europe.” This places UK carriers at a significant cost disadvantage when competing with their foreign counterparts for domestic haulage business in the UK. A foreign carrier entering the UK with a full tank of fuel is able to undertake a week’s work using low-cost fuel purchased on the continent, before returning to mainland Europe. Mr Chapman said “there is a compelling case for an immediate cut in diesel duty. Independent research undertaken by the Centre for Economic and Business Research shows a modest 3 pence per litre cut in duty today would be cash neutral to the Treasury within 12 months. The loss in revenue from duty would be fully offset by extra revenues and savings on the public purse resulting from more rapid economic growth.”

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Major step forward for Silvertown tunnelThe Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has welcomed the decision by the Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening, to designate the proposed new Silvertown Tunnel a ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project’. The decision could reduce the overall timescale required to secure all necessary approvals for the project and help deliver the Mayor’s objective of having this new crossing in place and open to traffic by 2021. The Silvertown Tunnel would reduce the pressure on and congestion affecting existing Thames crossings in the east of London, particularly the Blackwall Tunnel, where current congestion levels also have an impact on the Dartford Crossing and M25, part of the UK’s Strategic Road Network. Transport for London (TfL) undertook preliminary consultation on Thames river crossings in March this year. Altogether, 3,900 responses were received, with 93% agreeing that more river crossings were required and 82% supporting the proposed Silvertown Tunnel. TfL will now take forward design work and undertake further consultation later this year with Londoners, local boroughs, businesses and stakeholders, in readiness for the formal development consent order process.

Check your number platesRecent changes to VOSA’s Categorisation of Defects include a reference to the legibility of number plates. VOSA says that its officers will not prohibit vehicles for a dirty number plate as long as the driver cleans it up, but point out that drivers are responsible for making sure their number plate is legible as part of their daily walk- around check. “Any early signs of deterioration should be recorded in the driver’s defect reporting book so that it can be replaced before it becomes illegible,” VOSA says. “Getting legal replacement plates can take some time – so if there are the early signs of failure it is worth ordering new plates early.” Visit www.direct.gov.uk/replace-registration-plate to find out how to order a replacement number plate.

According to VOSA, staff will use a ‘load security enforcement matrix’ – a systematic method to help them decide whether or not a load is secure. This matrix will guide examiners on what action to take, based on how secure the load is and how dangerous it could be if unsecured.

For example, a potentially dangerous load that has not been strapped in, restrained or otherwise secured will result in enforcement action. There must be evidence that a reasonable attempt has been made to keep each load secure during the journey. If a less hazardous load is insecure, but there is evidence that an attempt has been made to secure it, VOSA examiners will offer advice and guidance.

Although VOSA will be looking at load security with a fresh eye, there have been no changes to policy.

“We will only take enforcement action (prohibition and sanction) where there is a clear danger. VOSA examiners will have sufficient knowledge, training and tools to help them apply the rules consistently, but industry must remember that this is still a subjective area. Where a reasonable attempt has been made to secure a load, enforcement action will not be taken and advice will be given,” VOSA says.

Examiners will not routinely look in the back of vehicles or inside curtains unless there is cause for concern – for example, excessively bulging curtains or signs of load shifting.

The load security training programme is being introduced throughout the country, so operators and drivers will start to see a gradual change in enforcement during the summer.

VOSA advises on load securityVOSA, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, has been developing improved training in load security for its roadside staff, in partnership with the Health and Safety Executive. VOSA says that this means that VOSA staff have the information they need to apply the rules on load security in a fair and consistent way across the country and are playing closer attention to the issue.

A9 dualling works to start ahead of timeThe £3bn programme for dualling the A9 is to start early, the Scottish Government has said, with work on extending the A9 Kincraig to Dalraddy overtaking-lane scheme to a full dualling project now set to be ready for construction by 2015/16. The A9 is the longest trunk road in Scotland, with the Perth to Inverness section forming 177 km (110 m). The combined total of the existing dual carriageway sections between Perth and Inverness is approximately 48 km (30 m). The seven sections to be dualled total around 129 km (80 m). This is 16 times the length of the recently delivered M74 Completion and 8 times the length of the recent M80 Stepps to Haggs project. Dualling the A9 is expected to revolutionise the backbone of Scotland’s road network while significantly improving road safety. Alex Neil, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment commented that “we have always said that delivery by 2025 was challenging but achievable. I’m especially delighted to announce we are advancing the Kincraig-Dalraddy section to full dualling and doing

so early. This development of the existing scheme will now provide overtaking opportunities in both directions, breaking up platooning and reducing driver frustration.” “Not only are we adding these additional safety benefits,” he added, “we are also getting underway two years earlier than previously expected. By 2015, we expect to have begun and, in some cases, completed the statutory processes to start procurement and then construction.”

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According to the Freight Transport Association (FTA), similar legislation has been in existence for many years in England, Scotland and Wales and will be a welcome addition in Northern Ireland, bringing it in line with the rest of the UK, and is backed by the majority of operators in the industry. The new legislation will see the introduction of much-needed road safety enforcement, including new vehicle safety checks and planned preventative maintenance requirements, together with greater powers of enforcement at the roadside, in operator premises and through licensing curtailment. The implementation of the new legislation will also ensure that unscrupulous operators can no longer continue to pollute through poorly maintained operating centres and goods vehicles, which have hazardous effects on the environment. In addition, the Organised Crime Task Force and the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee (which was also behind the introduction of the O-licensing project) are likely to see the new operating licence as good news. It has been commonly recognised that organised crime generally requires goods vehicles, and the licensing should help to curtail criminals’ freedom as well as reduce the number of illegal operators on the road.

Tom Wilson, FTA’s Head of Policy in Northern Ireland said “the Goods Vehicles Licensing of Operators Transport Bill has been an overriding priority for the FTA in Northern Ireland for many years, and to know the final hurdle has been cleared and that the much needed legislation has now been approved, can only be good news to the industry.”

Hammersmith flyover finally reopens... Apologies for the repetition of text on page 8 of R&S July 2012! The story is set out in full below.

Repair work to the Hammersmith Flyover in London was completed in May, allowing the structure to be fully reopened to all traffic well ahead of the London 2012 Games. The flyover, built in 1961, initially closed on December 23 for emergency repair works and reopened to one lane of traffic, with weight restrictions for HGVs and large vehicles, on January 13. There have also been regular overnight closures. The works have seen around 200 metres of the central reservation along the flyover removed, a new structural slab and concrete barriers installed, as well as tailored anchorages for the new cables within the structure. TfL will return to the structure during 2013 to strengthen the remaining spans. This work will be carried out, where possible, with no weight or lane restrictions and minimal closures to the flyover, which will be coordinated by TfL to minimise traffic disruption.

..as local council calls for tunnelHammersmith and Fulham Council has given a mixed response to the reopening of the flyover and called for a tunnel to replace the structure. Cllr Nick Botterill, deputy leader of H&F Council and cabinet member for environment, said “the repairs are only temporary and TfL has admitted its workers will have to return next year to continue fixing the structure. The lanes are narrower with concrete barriers in the middle of the road, and that, coupled with a lower speed limit of 30mph, will lead to a reduced capacity on the road.” He said now was the time to think about alternatives and that many local people, including local architects, are starting to think about a tunnel which could bring environmental, economic and social benefits and have a regenerative effect by reconnecting the town centre with the river.”

Road upgrades start in West Midlands, South EastMajor construction work has started on a vital £126m scheme to increase capacity, reduce congestion and improve safety on the M6 between junctions 5 and 8 near Birmingham. Once the scheme is complete in Spring 2014, road users will benefit from improved journey times, thanks to the use of variable speed limits to smooth out traffic flows and opening up the hard shoulder as an extra traffic lane. The scheme will also connect the two existing stretches of managed motorway on the M6 − junctions 4 and 5 and junctions 8 to 10a − making it the longest stretch of managed motorway in the

country. This is one of 20 major road improvement projects due to start construction before March 2015, as part of a £2.1bn Government package of strategic road projects to boost the economy. Meanwhile, construction work on a multi-million pound scheme to improve journeys on one of the South East’s most important roads began early last month. The A23 in West Sussex between Handcross and Warninglid − just south of Gatwick Airport and on the main road between London and Brighton − will be widened to three lanes in each direction.

O-Licensing comes to Northern IrelandThe Goods Vehicles Licensing of Operators Transport Bill has been unanimously passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly, bringing Operator Licensing to all operators of commercial vehicles above 3.5 tonnes.

Do you have any news to share with R&S readers?Send to: [email protected]

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DVLA scam Warning Watch out for emails claiming to be from the DVLA asking you to verify your driving licence details via an online link – they are likely to be part of a scam. The DVLA advises it has not sent any such email, so if you do receive one, please delete it immediately.

Beverly Bell appointed Senior Traffic CommissionerBeverley Bell has been appointed Senior Traffic Commissioner for the next four years.

She has taken on the position with plenty of experience as she had been Acting Senior Traffic Commissioner since Philip Brown’s retirement last October. Mrs Bell is the second Senior Traffic Commissioner appointed following the changes in the Local Transport Act 2008 that gave the post-holder new responsibilities to determine how the traffic commissioners perform their statutory functions. She will also continue in her role as Traffic Commissioner for the North West of England.

In accepting the appointment, Mrs Bell said she envisages working with VOSA “to achieve the Traffic Commissioners’ mission statement of championing safe, fair and reliable passenger and goods transport.”

New penalties for careless drivingCareless drivers will be targeted under new proposals announced for consultation by Road Safety Minister Mike Penning.

The proposals would make fixed penalty notices available for careless driving, giving the police greater flexibility in dealing with less serious careless driving offences and freeing them from resource-intensive enforcement processes.

The fixed penalty will also enable the police to offer educational training as an alternative to endorsement. Drivers would still be able to appeal any decision in court.

The proposed fixed penalty for careless driving will be £90, with 3 points on the driver’s licence. The most serious examples will continue to go through court,

where offenders may face higher penalties.Other proposals announced for consultation today

include plans to increase the payment levels for many fixed penalty motoring offences, such as speeding, not wearing a seat belt and using a mobile phone whilst driving. The proposals would see penalties for these offences increase from £60 to £90.

Similar increases to other fixed penalties are also being considered for non-endorsable offences (such as vehicle defects), insurance offences and graduated fixed penalties, such as driver hour regulations.

The consultation will close on 5 September 2012.

European Shippers oppose compulsory weighing of containersThe European Shippers’ Council (ESC) has attacked proposals to make it mandatory to weigh loaded containers at ports, a move some in the industry say could prevent accidents at sea, ports and on the roads. The maritime industry, in particular ports, shipping lines and unions, is putting pressure on the International Maritime Organization to require weighing of all containers before they are stowed on board. However, the ESC said that extra regulation of container weights will not solve the safety issues in container transport, is superfluous and hardly feasible. “The ESC’s concern is that the discussion is entirely

focussed on a relatively small risk factor, when it comes down to the safety of container transport, namely misdeclared container weights,” the organisation said. “Shippers believe this is a false remedy for an ill-defined disease.” The ESC also pointed out existing regulations already require shippers to declare the weight of their containers correctly. “We admit that misdeclaration of weights needs our attention but oppose the idea that it’s the biggest threat to the safety of workers in the supply chain. If the sector is truly looking for a safer supply chain all parties should take their responsibility,” the ESC said.

Do you have any news to share with R&S readers?Send to: [email protected]

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Growing businesses face rising taxesA new report from the Institute of Directors, ‘Tax – the Weighty Burden’, reveals that the British tax system increases the burden on businesses as they grow, acting as a deterrent to taking on more staff and expanding.

It is often thought that businesses pay only Corporation Tax on their profits, at 24% for large companies and 20% for small companies. However, when all of the other taxes businesses pay – such as national insurance, business rates, road fuel duty on haulage and business motoring – are taken into account, even the smallest businesses pay more than 30% of their profits in tax, while medium-sized businesses pay more than 40%.

To put this in concrete terms, profits from the first four or five months of the year are taken by the tax man.

It is particularly damaging that this burden increases as a business grows.

A firm with only 5 employees would typically pay 117 days’ worth of profit in tax in 2012, but if it expanded to 20 staff, this figure would rise to 140 days.

If the company were to make the leap to 100 employees, the figure would rise again, to 152 days.

Richard Baron, Head of Taxation at the IoD, said “it may be easy to think that bigger businesses have broader shoulders, but it’s important to remember that they only got to that size because someone took a chance on their idea. It is always risky to start, or to expand, a business.

Entrepreneurs and investors will not put their money on the line if the return after tax is too small.

At a time when there are already so many economic risks and unemployment is so stubbornly high, we cannot afford to make it so difficult for businesses to invest and grow.”

Mr Cable said “settlement agreements are smart, fair and pro-business reforms, which deliver results for employees and employers. It empowers employers by enabling them to keep their workforce flexible and encouraging alternative ways of solving workplace problems rather than resorting to a tribunal. But crucially it does so in a way that keeps the necessary protections for employees in place. Our proposed measures and guidance will achieve this objective. Making this approach simple to use will encourage employers to take on staff in the knowledge there is an effective mechanism for dealing with serious problems if they occur.”

Neil Carberry, CBI Director for Employment & Skills, said “simplified settlement agreements will give firms the confidence to have a frank conversation about ending employment on fair terms, without the fear of a drawn-out and costly tribunal claim.

The CBI has long taken the view that simpler and more legally certain settlement agreements would be more effective for employees and businesses, especially smaller firms.”

Employment Relations Minister, Norman Lamb said “employers have to feel confident in dealing with situations such as where an employee isn’t pulling their weight or where someone is unreliable or even guilty of misconduct. In these instances it is sometimes in the best interests of both employee and employer to end the relationship speedily by reaching a settlement. An employee leaving by agreement can do so with their dignity intact. The employer secures peace of mind knowing that they will not face expensive tribunal proceedings.”

“Many large companies use settlement agreements in this type of situation,” he continued, “but we want to ensure that all employers − large and small − can make use of them without incurring large legal fees.”

The Government wants to encourage greater use of settlement agreements and make it easier and quicker for employers − including SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) − and employees to end the employment relationship by mutual agreement in a way that protects workers’ rights but helps businesses remain flexible.

Cautious welcome for settlement agreementsBusiness Secretary Vince Cable’s proposals for ‘settlement agreements’ to resolve workplace disputes have been welcomed by the business community.

Do you have any news to share with R&S readers?Send to: [email protected]

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Gold awards for O’Neil

BAR Affilliate O’Neil Software has attained the new Gold Certified status in the Microsoft Partner Program, with a competency in ISV/Software Solutions.

This achievement recognizes O’Neil’s expertise with Microsoft technologies and proven ability to meet customers’ needs. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners receive a rich set of benefits, including access, training and support, giving them a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Meanwhile, O’Neil Software was also recently granted Gold Motorola PartnerEmpower Status.

“Both recognitions allow us to clearly promote our expertise and relationship with both Microsoft and Motorola to our customers,” said Ian Thomas, Executive Vice President of O’Neil Software.

“The benefits provided from both will allow us to continue to enhance the offerings that we provide for customers.”

Employment minister Chris Grayling (pictured) has written to BAR to inform the association and its Members about the availability of this funding, designed to help young unemployed people into work.

Under the Youth Contract, the Government provides a wage subsidy to recruit young people, and employers then keep the young person on and develop that young person in the job, after the subsidy ends. In return the young person is asked to commit to the job opportunity they have been given through the Youth Contract otherwise they risk losing their benefit.

Simplified processBusinesses can take on under 25s, with wage incentive payments worth up to £2,275 for full-time employees. There will be a part-time rate of £1,137.50 for work between 16 and 29 hours. The amount will be paid 26 weeks after the employee starts work, although small businesses (less than 50 employees) can claim a part payment eight weeks after the employee starts work.

The Government says it has simplified the process for businesses and that the amount is more than

enough to cover an employer’s National Insurance contributions for employing a young person for a year. The job must last for at least 26 weeks.

An extra 250,000 work experience places will be provided over the next three years. Any 18 to 24 year-old Jobseekers Allowance claimant will now be able to take up a placement before receiving more intensive support offered through the Government’s Work Programme.

For more information, contact your local Work Programme provider who will manage the recruitment for you, from identifying suitable candidates and completing your claims forms.

Funding for work experienceThe Government is providing a total of £1bn in funding for its Youth Contract, which will provide new opportunities for 18-24 year olds to gain voluntary work experience.

Anglo-Pacific ready for Australian migration increase Following the 2012-13 Commonwealth Budget announced in May, there will be a targeted increase in numbers accepted on Australia’s Migration Program to support Australian regions and sectors with acute skills shortages.

International removals company, Anglo Pacific, has been busy working with clients who have been applying to migrate to Australia.

This year there has been a surge in enquiries for Australia, up 15% for the same period in 2011.

The Company attributes this rise to the Australian Government’s other latest initiative – SkillSelect, an invitation-only visa system with no guarantee of permanent residency, that recently came into force. Jason Diggs, Sales Director for Anglo Pacific, anticipates that the increase of 5,000 places in the Migration Program (from 185,000 places in 2011-12 to 190,000 for 2012-13) will position the company well for a busy year shipping personal belongings down under.

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Interdean gets ready for rugby tournament Interdean is holding its annual and ever-popular Rugby 7s tournament in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care at the world-famous Wasps Training Ground on Saturday 18 August 2012. The company is very keen to recruit teams from the industry to enter the tournament. The event offers plenty to keep the kids amused as well as some exciting pre-season rugby with the best local teams competing for one of four pieces of silverware. There is also the chance to win some great raffle prizes, including cases of champagne, designer clothing, plasma TVs and an overseas holiday.For those ready to take on the challenge, more information can be found at www.interdean.com/news/interdean-rugby-7s-tournament-2012/

Intermovers Malaysia manage massive bed Difficult access is not a problem for Intermovers Malaysia. The pictures show the team managing to move an antique Opium bed, weighing some 250 kgs, into one of Kuala Lumpur’s high rise apartments. “It was too big for the service lift and the stairs, so the only solution was to crane it in,” Julien Wilkinson tells us.

The cyclists had left Hackney by moonlight to arrive the following morning for breakfast on the beach and a swim in the sea.

This is the eleventh year that Hamiltons have transported the bikes back from the Dunwich Dynamo cycle run. “We support the ride every year because it is so rewarding to help these cyclists who have made the effort to cycle through the night,” says Hamiltons’ Managing Director, Michael Sawyer, who personally oversaw the transportation.

“We have a special technique for packing the

bikes,” he explains. “The first row goes in forwards, the next with their handlebars in the opposite direction. Then they are wrapped in cardboard, before the next row is loaded. These bikes are of immense value, in price and to their owners, and as with every job we undertake, we ensure that they are packed effectively.”

The cyclists describe themselves as “regular, low tech commuters with a taste for adventure. Many people say that doing this ride has changed their lives.”

Hamiltons support moonlit cycle ride As the sun rose on the city of Dunwich, on the coast of Suffolk, Hamiltons Removals were poised waiting for 1,500 cyclists who had ridden 120 miles overnight from London.

Harrow Green moves Durham treasures

Harrow Green has been entrusted with the task of handling the temporary relocation of some of Durham University Library’s most important and valuable special collections. The Palace Green Library of Durham University houses archives, early printed books and other special collections of world significance. The collections occupy listed buildings within the Durham World Heritage site. The library storage and conservation facilities are being enhanced, with building work due for completion in July 2012. This will mean that the Sudan Archive, which was designated an outstanding collection by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council in 2005, will need to be temporarily relocated.

Harrow Green also undertook the relocation of the Cosin Collection, which shares the status of a Designated Outstanding Collection, from its current home to its original 1669 library building following extensive renovation work. Harrow Green adheres closely to detailed methodologies for the handling and packing of specialist library collections and artefacts. Bound volumes were individually wrapped in acid-free tissue, which was also used to seal open drawers from plan chests.

“We need to take as much care of the library collections as librarians and archivists would themselves,” said David Ryan of Harrow Green, who organised the relocation project.

Hamiltons perfect the art of packing cycles.

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Reason Global appointed as Lloyd’s of London broker Reason Global has become the first insurance broker dedicated to the removals and self-storage industries to be accepted as an official Lloyd’s of London broker.

This appointment means Reason Global is one of just 180 brokers across the globe to have direct access to the world-renowned underwriting expertise within Lloyd’s.

Commenting on the appointment, Dave Raynor, Managing Director at Reason Global, said: “the Lloyd’s name really does sell itself and we’re delighted to be the first in our highly specialist industry to offer these types of services to our customers, both in the UK and overseas.”

Reason Global underwent a rigorous selection process to become Lloyd’s brokers.

“With our continued success over recent years, we felt the drive to become a Lloyd’s broker was the next logical step, particularly as we already have team members with a great deal of experience of working within the Lloyd’s marketplace,” Dave Raynor explained. “Now, not only will direct access to the Lloyd’s marketplace give us greater ability to place global risks, but it will also provide our customers with access to a broader range of underwriters to suit their specific needs and requirements. Whilst we’ll maintain excellent relationships with our existing panel of insurers, we believe the new relationships we’re building with Lloyd’s insurers will offer greater choice and even more competitive policies for our customers.”

Started more than 300 years ago in the modest surroundings of Edward Lloyd’s coffee house, Lloyd’s is now the world’s largest insurance market and business at Lloyd’s is still conducted face-to-face in the market’s famous Underwriting Room, enabling immediate access to decision-makers around the world.

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Nationwide reported that house prices fell by 0.6 per cent in June and were 1.5 per cent lower than in June 2011. The survey is based on a sample of loans issued in any given month and the price of a typical home in June was £165,738. Chief Economist Robert Gardner said “The outlook for house prices remains highly uncertain. Economic conditions are expected to remain challenging over the next twelve months,” he warned. “However, policymakers’ efforts to bolster the supply of credit to the economy and to help lower the cost should provide support to demand. Moreover, the supply side of the market is still constrained, with construction failing to keep pace with the number of new households being formed. Overall, this suggests a continuation of the pattern experienced over the past two years, with prices remaining fairly stable over the next twelve months.”

Halifax, which bases its index on a sample of each lender’s own loans every month, said that on a monthly basis house prices increased by 1.0 per cent in June. Prices continue to fluctuate on a monthly basis, Halifax said, with an even number of falls and rises in the past 12 months. House prices in the three months to June were 0.3 per cent lower than in the preceding three months (January-March). Prices on this measure of the underlying trend slipped back into negative territory following successive small gains in the two previous months. Prices in the three months to June were 0.5 per cent lower than in the same period a year earlier. Housing economist Martin Ellis said “continuing low levels of mortgage payments relative to income and recent increases in employment may have helped support house prices so far this year. We expect little change in prices and sales over the remainder of the year provided that the UK’s economic outlook does not deteriorate significantly.”

The Land Registry survey is one of the most comprehensive and accurate indices as it is based on actual sale prices achieved and includes nearly all sales in England and Wales, whether the purchaser obtains a mortgage or pays the full price in cash. Although its June report was not available as R&S went to print, it is interesting to note that its May figures show an annual price increase of 0.4 per cent which takes the average property value in England and Wales to £161,677. The monthly change from April to May was an increase of 0.5 per cent.

The region in England and Wales which experienced the highest increase in its average property value over the last 12 months was London with a movement of 7.7 per cent. London also experienced the greatest monthly rise with an increase of 2.6 per cent. Yorkshire & The Humber experienced the greatest annual price fall with a decrease of 3.9 per cent. The

North East saw the most significant monthly price fall with a decrease of 1.9 per cent.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that in the 12 months to April 2012 there was relatively little growth in house prices in the UK, with the index increasing by 1.4 per cent over the period. The year on year increase reflected growth of 1.7 per cent in England, which was offset by declines in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland of 1.1 per cent, 0.3 per cent and 8.1 per cent respectively. Annual house price increases in England were driven by a 4.9 per cent rise in London, and increases in the South East and South West of 2.1 and 1.6 per cent respectively. The largest decreases in England, of 1.3 per cent, were recorded in both the North West and in Yorkshire and Humber. On a seasonally adjusted basis, UK house prices increased by 1.1 per cent between March and April 2012.

The National Association of Estate Agents’ (NAEA) market report for May showed that the number of house hunters registering at branches across the country decreased, with 274 per branch in May compared with 294 in April.

Sales remained stable across the property market for a third consecutive month in May, with an average of 7 per branch. However, supply levels were bolstered during the month with an average 66 houses available, up from 62 in April.

New NAEA President, Mark Hayward, called on the Government to do all it can to stimulate housing market activity. “It remains to be seen what effect the £140bn emergency funding plan, announced jointly by the Treasury and Bank of England … will have in encouraging banks to pass on cheaper mortgages to house hunters,” he commented.

Price Change by Region source: Land Registry

House prices volatileHouse prices in the UK continued to fluctuate during May and June. This was likely to be due to a combination of, on the one hand, the stamp duty holiday in March which had provided a temporary boost as buyers brought forward purchases that would otherwise have taken place later in the year. And, on the other hand – and more worryingly – in response to the deepening economic uncertainty.

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BAR NewsIndustry NewsIndustry News

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The new BAR Membership CriteriaAll BAR Members will surely be aware that an extensive consultation has been carried out over recent months, into the best way to make the already stringent Criteria for membership of the Association even more robust.In challenging economic times this is not an attempt to make life more difficult for those in BAR, for by being in effect that much tougher, it is confidently believed that the new Criteria will provide a clear and recognisable Unique Selling Point for Member companies when pitching to the buying public in what is an increasingly competitive market. Only BAR Members will be able to demonstrate the high standards to which they must operate in this way.

The Membership Criteria Review Working Group deliberated long and hard on what enhancements to the Criteria were appropriate, and the draft document went out for consultation in February 2012.

The consultation exercise was extremely thorough, and conducted at local level, through Area meetings, all of which were addressed on the issue by a Board member, and nationally through meetings of the three Functional Groups Councils, with articles in Removals & Storage, on the BAR website, with a presentation by the President at the Annual General meeting in May, and by Members contacting their Directly Elected Directors, or making their often trenchant views known to the Director-General in Watford. An encouraging number of members took part in the consultation, and the noticeably recurring theme was that (a) the Criteria had to be made significantly more robust, and that (b) as a part of that aim annual membership inspections

should be carried out rather than just once in every three years. This is, of course, a major innovation, involving a much increased workload for the QSS inspectors, but it is surely the very best way of underscoring the fact that BAR membership really means something, and that only the best will do. As the pre-amble to the new Criteria states ‘All Members will be subject to annual inspection, and are expected to demonstrate their commitment to high professional standards.’ The full text of the new Membership Criteria, which was approved by the Board of Directors at their meeting on 27 June 2012, can be found on the BAR website at www.bar.co.uk/trade/mybar/resources/membershipcriteria.aspx. The main enhancements to the Membership Criteria, are that:

(a) Each Member company will be subject to annual inspection(b) All Members must be VAT registered(c) All staff, whether permanent, temporary, or

provided by an agency must have proper contracts or agency agreements, be suitably trained and qualified, and be paid through PAYE. Self-employed staff must meet HMRC requirements for self employment.

(d) Members must be of good financial standing (annual credit checks)

(e) All Members’ office premises must have an exclusive entrance for customers, and present a professional, disciplined and well-regulated appearance.

(f) All Members must have an O-Licence where this is legally required, or meet the financial requirements for an O-Licence where not legally required

(g) Members must show evidence of a formal lease, sub-lease or contract for any rented commercial premises in use.

Having agreed the new Criteria, the Board moved swiftly to implementation, as the new Criteria is effective immediately for new applicants to membership, and accordingly has been in effect from 1 July.

The ‘bar’ has already been raised in this way, and the Criteria will be applicable to existing Members with effect from 1 January 2013.

Where improvements and amendments have to be made, there will be a brief but reasonable time for Member companies to put these in place. The Membership Criteria Review Working Group will meet again in September to fine-tune the detail of the new inspections, and report back to the Board at the December meeting ready for full implementation from January onwards.

BAR is The Trade Association representing professional removal and storage companies in the UK.

The membership and marketing executive will be responsible for the professional development and delivery of high standard commercial services and support to BAR members, BAR Affiliates and other members and external organisations with which partnership agreements exist. The successful candidate will be part of the Commercial Department, headed up by the Director of Marketing.

The successful candidate must be well organised, logical, creative, IT literate and a first-class administrator with excellent written and verbal communication skills. Knowledge of website administration and Adobe InDesign CS4 would be beneficial, but not mandatory.

To apply in the strictest of confidence, please send a covering letter, explaining why you would be the ideal candidate, with an up-to-date CV and current or most recent salary details to: [email protected] by Friday 24th August 2012.

Main areas of responsibility are to: 1. Manage membership applications process.2. Design, develop and complete marketing campaigns to recruit/attract new members and retain current Members for all membership categories.3. Run and analyse industry survey(s). 4. Compile BAR newsletter and support communication activities. 5. Provide full secretarial, administrative and marketing support to the functional Group Councils.6. Design marketing material to ensure maximum exposure and brand consistency (e.g. brochure, advertising etc.).

7. Maintain website and database (in conjunction with Finance Department).8. Assist with organising, and if required attend, the Annual Conference and any other events as required (e.g. Business seminars). 9. Manage commercial external relations including partners (e.g. Professional Advisors Panel, Corporate Alliances), R&S, marketing, FEDEMAC, press. 10. Manage BAR Social Media platforms (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter).

British Association of Removers

MEMBERSHIP AND MARKETING EXECUTIVEBased in Watford www.bar.co.uk

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Advice Line takes 27 calls in first halfThe BAR Advice Line continues to handle a variety of enquiries by BAR Members.

In the first half of this year, the majority of enquiries related to employees, customer disputes and queries about invoices and debts.

Employee-related enquiries included advice on flexible working hours, sick periods and notice periods, advice on dismissing an employee with a PI claim, and on how to handle an employee believed guilty of theft.

Advice on customer disputes included issues related to breakage of items belonging to clients, damaged goods and even a crate left behind, as well as an enquiry about a company’s right to sell stored items that a customer refused to pay for.

Advice was also provided on contractual issues with a housing association and during a dispute with an energy supplier about meter readings.

The BAR Advice Line also responded to a number of enquiries about invoices, including a refusal to pay storage charges, various customer complaints, and one case in which goods were left in storage as security for outstanding monies.

Other miscellaneous issues ranged from legal advice about how to proceed in relation to the liquidation of another BAR Member company, to advice about an item of jewellery which went missing during a customer move.

In all of these enquiries, the Advice Line endeavoured to provide Members with the appropriate advice on how best to proceed and what action to take.For more information about the Advice Line, see page 55.

In response to feedback from the Overseas Group Council, the icons that denote the European enquiries and Overseas enquiries are now more representative and appropriate and have been changed to avoid any confusion by the general public choosing the wrong option.

The Overseas enquiry symbol is now a ship (previously it was a bird) and the European enquiry symbol is now a truck (previously it was a ship).

BAR web icons changeA small but important change has been made to some of the symbols used on the BAR website that represent Overseas enquiries and European enquiries for the online estimating system.

BAR partners with NewHomesToday

Apprenticeship for Domestic Removals

New media section for BAR

BAR has entered into a partnership with online publication, NewHomesToday. NewHomesToday is a website aimed at delivering daily news and supplier/ product information to people in the new homes industry. It currently has a network of 80,000 UK home buyers and many of these people could of course become potential movers. For more information, see the ‘remover’ page on www.newhomestoday.org.uk

Having already successfully launched the Commercial Moving Apprenticeship, BAR is currently developing an Apprenticeship designed specifically for Domestic Removals. In order to do this, BAR Training Services (BARTS) will need to collate ‘expressions of interest’ from the BAR Membership. Loren Webster, BARTS Training Manager, says: “This is not a commitment to take on an Apprentice but simply an expression of interest in

this type of qualification being available. The benchmark set by our sector skills council to develop this Apprenticeship is 200 Apprentices.” If you want to help BARTS to obtain the 200+ responses needed to produce this Apprenticeship, please email [email protected] with your contact details saying that you are in favour of a Domestic Moving Apprenticeship scheme and an indication of a number of Apprentices.

To support BAR’s increased marketing activities, BAR has launched a new media section on the consumer side of the BAR website within ‘About BAR’. The section contains a ‘press release’ page and an ‘In the News’ page. The press release page contains the latest BAR press release articles and the ‘In the News’

page features latest BAR activities through external media articles as well as online videos of BAR events and interviews with BAR Members. For more information please see: www.bar.co.uk/consumer/AboutBAR/Media/IntheNews.aspx

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Generously sponsored by Reason Global, Members enjoyed first class hospitality and an outstanding lunch, in a suite with a balcony, a spectacular vantage point for watching the 6 races.

Armed with ‘top tips’ from Radio 5 Live’s Luke Harvey, in addition to various other methods of selecting race winners (including the traditional studying of form, colours of Jockey’s shirts and names which ‘stood out’), Members headed to the hustle and bustle of the betting stations to soak up the atmosphere and place their bets before returning to the balcony to watch each race.

With Exeter Racecourse having no named sponsor for the last race, Dan Reynolds (Reason Global), Sharon Gerrard (Area Chairman) and Sue Christophers (Area Secretary) were invited to choose the best presented horse in the race and present the stable girl with a prize. In addition, they watched the final race from the paddock before presenting the race winner with their trophy.

The excitement and enjoyment that a day at the races brings, together with friendly, efficient staff, superb food and great atmosphere ensured all had a superb time.

Everyone who attended was ‘up’ at the end of the day whether financially or just having enjoyed a social meeting with colleagues and family, in addition to Members.

The South Western Area aims to strike a balance between formal and social meetings.

For Jacky from Rose Removals, this was “a superb afternoon!” A feeling which was echoed by most.

As Mark Chudley of Chudley International added: “For me, Area Meetings that are more socially based are much more enjoyable than the formal meetings. It gives us all a chance to talk about work, but also families and interests etc.”

A day at the Exeter Races By Sue Christophers, South West Area Secretary

BAR South Western Area Members and guests experienced a meeting with a difference in March, with their day out at the Exeter Racecourse.

Dan Reynolds, Sue Christophers and Sharon Gerrard present the stable girl of the best presented horse with a trophy.

Nurse Lucy Fisher with Yorkshire Area BAR Members who have raised funds for her to gain work experience in Malawi.

Yorkshire Area digs deep for nurse The Yorkshire Area of BAR has responded generously to a charity appeal from Lucy Fisher, a student nurse at York University.Lucy needed to raise £2,000 in order to go to Zomba in Malawi to gain experience of working in a hospital in a developing country. She hopes to gain an understanding of the challenges faced by staff working with minimal resources (such as staff and equipment) in order to cater to the demands of the local district and to establish a relationship between the department of health sciences in York and the department in Zomba. “The donations that I am asking for will help to take me to Malawi and cover the costs of staying in accommodation offered by the Zomba nursing school as well as go towards new up to date textbooks for the nursing school,” she told the 31 Yorkshire Area Members present representing 10 companies. The Members were so impressed and supportive that they spontaneously raised £1,800 on the night. The generous contributors were Kidds Services, Britannia Leeds, Britannia Appleyards, Specialised Movers, Pickfords, Reason Global Insurance (Yorkshire Members), JTS Relocations Sussex, Clockwork London, Johnsons Business Moves Manchester and Britannia Anchor, North Manchester. One of the main ways this rather substantial amount of money was raised by only ten companies in one evening was the offer by Timon Thorncroft of JTS who volunteered to match on the night pound for

pound any money raised from the Yorkshire Area. And it was not only money that was raised at the Area Meeting for this worthy cause. Graham Puddephatt of Reason Global offered to make contact with a customer in Malawi, Worldwide Movers Africa, who have subsequently agreed to be on hand in Malawi should Lucy require any assistance. This offer prompted Nigel Shaw of Specialised Movers to mention that he also knew the company as

they are partners within the Euromovers Group. Nigel volunteered to provide a 20ft container to Malawi in which Lucy could put some pharmaceuticals andother medical donations; any space left in the container would be filled with office furniture and the like donated by Nigel from recycled furniture from his company’s office moves. All in all, a terrific effort from the Yorkshire Area and testimony to the power of the BAR network to get things done.

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BAR News

Kent Area holds bowling event

Western Area to hold horse racing night

The Kent Area of the BAR has celebrated its annual bowling tournament, sponsored by Reason Global. This year the event, which has become something of an institution for Kent Members, was won by a joint team from Bournes and Reason Global. Members brought along office and operational staff. Reasons sponsored the food and the trophy.

The Kent Area wishes to thank Mike Reason for his continued support of the area.

BAR Members in the West of England should mark their diaries for a horse racing night that the Western Area is organising on 13 November. The event will be held at the Brent House carvery in Highbridge. Everyone will be given chips to bet on the races with a prize for winners at the end of the night. The cost is £25 per head including meal and (non-edible) chips. For more information, contact Ria Russell at Britannia Lanes of Somerset and Bristol: [email protected]

Do you have any news to share with R&S readers?Send to: [email protected]

BAR sales leads increase by 6%Latest figures published by BAR indicate the growing effectiveness of BAR’s Lead Generator

The latest data from the past three months indicates the leads generated via BAR’s website have applied to companies throughout the UK. In addition, Caroline

Suard, BAR Director of Marketing, told R&S that “Compared to 2011 data, the leads generated from January to June of this year have increased by 6%.

Sales leads for six months!The BAR Board of Directors have decided that, for a trial period of six months from 2nd July 2012 (until 31st December 2012) the BAR Sales Lead system will be completely free to all BAR Members. This offer is extended until the end of June 2013 for those Members who have regularly used the estimating system in the past couple of years. The online sales lead system has generated over £2m worth of real business to BAR Members since it was launched in 2010.

To benefit from this new arrangement, Members will need to opt-in and set up their details online. To learn how to do this, visit the Lead Generator section in MyBAR or contact the BAR Commercial department.

FREE

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Young Mover Profile

Kyle Tiltman: In at the beginningFive Oceans Moving of Oxford is a family-owned and run removals company that was founded three years ago, in February 2009. Company director Kyle Tiltman (pictured) speaks to R&S about how the company is growing and how he thinks the industry needs to modernise and invest in the new generation.

Kyle Tiltman is in a privileged position for a Young Mover of witnessing the birth of a removals company and being involved in all aspects of its early expansion..

It’s not Kyle’s first taste of the industry, however. After leaving school he worked for two years as a porter for Careline International Moving and Storage in Ireland before taking on a warehouse operative job at construction company SIG Ireland.

“After two years and two quick promotions I was running their warehouse, managing stock levels, arranging delivery and dealing with suppliers. I did enjoy work at SIG but when the chance to start a new company came begging, I had no doubt that Five Oceans was the step in the right direction for me,” Kyle says.

Company owners Barry and Sharon Tiltman, Kyle’s parents, have many years’ experience in the industry in both the UK and abroad.

Currently, Kyle deals with Five Oceans’ domestic and trade clients for all European and international groupage. But in this small family firm, his duties do not end there: “I am also the driver, porter, packer, fork lift driver, warehouse man, accountant,

receptionist, quality manager, move coordinator, operations manager, sales rep, buyer, marketing manager, yard cleaner and tea boy,” he says.

Kyle is also in charge of the advertising for this side of the business, which he says is a challenge he particularly enjoys because of its creative aspects.

With a keen interest in website design and marketing, Kyle says that to the young generation some of the online marketing he has seen from smaller companies is “stone age.”

“We are in the 21st century now. The Internet has taken over and removals companies need to respond to that. It’s not the 1980s any more, a single advert in the Yellow Pages isn’t enough!”

In his time off, Kyle is a keen sportsman playing rugby in the winter and cricket in the summers. He has attended two Young Movers events and particularly enjoyed the greyhound racing day.

“It’s a great scheme, although I think the BAR should be promoting it more,” he says. “It’s important for the future of the industry for companies to encourage their younger staff to get involved. More young staff need to be put forward!”

BAR Training ServicesTraining from the Removals Experts

To book Call: 01923 699484 or email: [email protected]

Introduction to EstimatingIdeal for staff who are new to the role. This 1 day course focuses on teaching students the unit system, methods of estimating, risk assessment, the role of the Estimator and selling services to the customer

• Quantity Assessment • The Role of the Estimator• Health & Safety • Contract Conditions • Communication Techniques • Removals Insurance

Just £199 + VAT p/p (BAR Member)

BRANDNEW

for 2012!

Course Dates 201210 September 5 November

Course to be held at BAR, Watford

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BAR Services

Don’t miss out on our new flat screen TV carton• Usethisgoodquality,heavydutyandrobustcartonto protect your customers expensive flat screen TV cartons.

• Manufacturedinaheavyduty,doublewallcorrugated(150k/150TBC) this box will provide the ideal protection and help negate unnecessary insurance claims.

• Easytoassemblesosavestime,currentlyavailableinbrown.

• Sizeis1200x340x830mm(Forthoseofuswhopreferimperialunitsthismeanstheboxwillholdanyplasmascreenupto47”.BARServicesiscur-rentlyexploringwhichfurthersizeswill be added to the range and these will be available in the near future).

BAR ServicesMoorhallSandhawes LaneEast GrinsteadWest SussexRH19 3NR

Tel: 01342 870087Email: [email protected]

‘Working for you’

NEW FLAT SCREEN TV CARTON

BAR Services

New RB flute carton proves a success with BAR MembersIt is always exciting for any supplier to introduce a new product in to the market place but it can also be done with a little trepidation. However after being tried and tested by BAR Services Directors’ companies last year, BAR Services is confident that the new RB flute, now known as ‘BARS’ flute, is an ideal product for the removals industry. It was successfully launched at the beginning of 2012 and has been incredibly well received by the membership. With a lot of time and investment given to the new product using a revolutionary new fluting, the reaction has been extremely positive with sales exceeding 500,000 cartons. If you missed the announcements then you may be wondering what all the fuss is about; what is the hype about the new RB flute over its BC flute predecessor which seemed to serve its purpose more than adequately? Well, the new RB fluting used in the cartons is smaller, flatter and closer together and consequently has major benefits to the removal industry. So what are the advantages of the new RB flute? Firstly, the cost is lower than the existing BC flute. The specially designed shape and pitch of the flute means 25% more corrugated can be loaded on to a pallet. This leads to fewer deliveries to handle therefore savings in logistics and fewer storage space requirements. The implications for the environment are also huge. With less pallets required to transport the same quantity of cartons, fewer lorries are required leading to less pollution on the roads. An initial concern from BAR Members was that a decrease in fluting size would mean its performance is compromised. This is not the case. RB flute still provides the necessary and optimum protection for your customer. During extensive testing, the new fluting design has consistently out-performed the BC flute both in its crushability and stackability. Furthermore, the closeness and structure of the flute tips delivers a better print quality and enables the pack to fold more accurately. The pack is neater, squarer

and has a better overall appearance. According to BAR Services’ Ali Cowie, it is necessary to address the misconception that decreased fluting means a decrease in performance. “We need to change people’s perception that thicker fluting means better quality,” comments Ali. “It’s not as simple as that, there is more of a science behind it and, in this case, thinner definitely means stronger but with the added benefits of a reduced cost and savings in transport and storage.” In the present climate cost savings are vital and RB flute can provide such necessary savings. Previously, BAR services has regularly heard Members say they cannot take the larger quantities of cartons that will afford them the benefit of bulk buying discounts; often due to the lack of storage space. With 25% more boxes on a pallet, RB flute will allow Members to take more cartons without taking up any extra storage space. Members who have already tried them have commented that the RB boxes gave them the choice between storing more, therefore, being able to order bigger quantities at a lower rate, or ordering the same quantities and benefitting from the extra storage space they gain. One customer also made the point that the reduced thickness of the RB cartons means that when a quick dash to a customer with

some extra cartons is required; more cartons could be put in to a small van or even the back of the car. Matt Purdie, owner of Matt Purdie & Sons, is full of praise for the product. “I think that the new RB fluted cartons are a brilliant innovation for the Removal Industry,” says Matt. “Not only are they stronger and cheaper, they also take up less space in the warehouse when they are stored. It is always good when costs come down rather than go up.” Britannia Sandersteads have always prided themselves on the image of their company. As with many companies, the economic climate pushed a change from white to brown cartons in order to save costs. Preferring the image of white cartons, Company Director Stuart Almandras points out that as well as the obvious benefits of reduced transport and storage costs, the savings of the new BAR flute meant that they were also able to change back to this option. Now known as ‘BARS’ flute, if you would like a quote on these new cartons or to place an order then please call the sales team on 01342 870087 or email [email protected].

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Olympics Monitor

>> Olympics monitor

This section provides the latest transport information and tips for coping with the challenges during August and the first ten days of September as the UK hosts the largest sporting event in its history.

Olympic torch arrives at McGimpsey’s

More BAR Members and their families have been involved in the honour of carrying the Olympic torch as it made its way around the UK. Campbell McGimpsey, Director at McGimpsey Brothers (Removals) Limited in Northern Ireland, told R&S about the “great morning we had when the Olympic torch arrived at McGimpseys.” Laura McGimpsey, who is the daughter of one of the company’s directors (Stephen McGimpsey), was

chosen as a Young Ambassador for the Olympic Games. As a result, she had an opportunity to take the Olympic torch home for a few days. “She very kindly brought it into McGimpseys and all the team took the opportunity to hold the flame and, in their own small way, share in the anticipation and excitement of the Olympic Games,” Campbell said. “We were even nearly tempted to run an Olympic relay around the yard with the torch!”

Do you have any news to share with R&S readers?Send to: [email protected]

Planning for the Games

The website www.GetAheadoftheGames.com is one of the best sources of information road users need to plan journeys during the Games period.

The Temporary Road Changes has been updated to include local parking and traffic management plans around Games venues, and is searchable by postcode. It also shows how roads around race routes will be affected during the seven days of Road Events during the Olympic Games and the single day during the Paralympic Games. The management of traffic around the Road Events will include road closures along the routes and on some surrounding roads on competition days.

In particular, it will be worth avoiding the areas around the Road Event courses on competition days such as the Women’s and Men’s Marathons on 5 and 12 August.

Olympic route network now in operation With the Olympic Games now started, operation and enforcement of the Olympic Route Network (ORN) has now begun. It will end two days after the Games end on 12 August and will not be in operation between the Olympics and Paralympics. As R&S readers know, the ORN is a 109-mile network of roads linking Games venues across 1% of the Capital’s roads. The network will include 30 miles of Games Lanes, alongside lanes for general traffic,

available only to vehicles carrying the ‘Games Family’ – the athletes, officials, media and some sponsors. The ORN and the Games Lanes are in operation daily between 06:00 and 00:00. The smaller Paralympic Route Network (PRN) will come into operation on 25 August, a couple of days before the start of the Paralympic Games. Once Games events are completed at a venue, the ORN will be removed.

McGimpsey Brothers Directors (L-R Campbell McGimpsey, Stephen McGimpsey, Peter McGimpsey and Paul McGimpsey) with Laura McGimpsey

Key datesOlympic Games: 27 July - 12 August 2012Paralympic Games: 29 August - 9 September 2012

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BAR NewsOlympics Monitor

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Removals & Storage August 201228

CMG News

The Commercial Moving Group (CMG) is a dedicated group of companies within the British Association of Removers that specialise in all aspects of commercial relocations.

CMotY 2012 Awards David Bunting, one of the judges in the recent CMotY 2012 Award process, provides feedback on comments made by the competition entrants’ clients during the course of the judging process.

David Bunting at the BAR Annual Conference in Windsor in May 2012.

“There is no doubt that the majority of comments were extremely favourable, with words and phrases such as “excellent”, “couldn’t do enough for us”, “impressive grasp of requirements”, “it doesn’t matter what we throw at them, they always achieve it”, “everything went so much better than I could have expected”, “did a cracking job” and “couldn’t fault them”, being made on a regular basis in response to specific questions.

However, being aware that improvement can only come about through noting and acting on what might be termed as adverse comments, however mild, I decided to make a note of every negative remark made – not, understandably, verbatim, but enough to ensure that I was accurately recording what was said, and a summary is given below.

Whilst I obviously have a notation of what was said by clients about every Remover, it would be unfair to pass on such information on that individual basis as the remarks were made to me in confidence. I have therefore restricted my reporting to subject matter and the number of clients who made those remarks.

Out of the fifteen entrants, 2 were completely criticism free, with no negatives whatsoever. And, of the remaining thirteen, 6 had one adverse comment in total from the 3 clients spoken with, while 3 had 2 such comments, another 3 had 3 comments of this type, and 1 had 4 comments like this.

This feedback came from my asking 9 questions of 45 Clients. Questions 1 to 8 carried a mark out of 10, and the final one, a mark out of 20. These questions are not freely available from Watford. They have, however, been circulated to all companies that entered along with the other judges’ questions, and the scoring against each question as well as comparisons with the winner scores were also provided to individual entrants.”

Topic Number of Clients

Desk/furniture Damage 6

Buildings Damage (slight) 2

Boisterous men 2

Some porters not wearing protective footwear 2

Some crew not up to speed so were replaced by others from another depot 1

Crates were old stock and looked poor 1

Poor timekeeping 1

Inconsiderate parking 1

Staff changes from day to day meant lack of continuity and affected productivity 1

No CRB checks undertaken as required 1

Not all men in uniforms 1

Men slept in vans and used Client’s showers in the morning before starting work 1

Remover used Agency staff who were not as knowledgeable or productive as full time staff 1

Some staff had personal hygiene issues 1

Poor labelling convention 1

Confusion over labelling of IT equipment 1

Ongoing dispute over extended hire crates as Client insists all crates were returned 1

Client feedback

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BAR NewsCMG News

Commercial Moving Group Seminar, Golf Day and Awards

Tuesday 2nd October 2012St Pierre, a Marriott Hotel & Country Club,Chepstow, Wales.

The CMG Chairman, CMG National Council and Basil Fry look forward to welcoming you on the day.

For more information please visit: www.barcmg.co.uk or email: [email protected]

VAT included in above prices

Sponsored by:

This year we are promising an excellent networking opportunity for all BAR Members, CMG Members and Facility Managers whether you enjoy your golf or not.

Afternoon seminars are set in the relaxed atmosphere of the St Pierre Country Club and the day finishes with John Stiles, our after dinner speaker, who promises us an entertaining evening and awards presentation.

Golf, Seminar & Dinner £48Golf, Seminar, Dinner, B&B £145Seminar, Dinner, B&B £125Seminar & Dinner only £28Golf Buggies £30

Prices

CMG Council newsFollowing its recent Annual General Meeting, there have been some changes to the membership of the CMG Council. In the CMG ballot, Danny Rutter and Richard Hill were re-elected as Councillors, and Tom Ryan, Sarah Cole and Simon Fahey have joined as new Councillors to the Group.

Chairman Mark Herrington

Pickfords

Deputy Chairman

Company Moves

Immediate Past Chairman

Rod Seeland

BCL

Councillor Nigel Shaw Specialised Movers

Councillor Danny Rutter

Premier Moves Ltd

Councillor Brian Maidman

Maidmans Removals & Storage

Councillor Richard Hill Delivery Services

Councillor Elizabeth Harper

Harrow Green Ltd

Councillor Timon Thorncroft

JT & Sons Relocations Ltd

Councillor Sarah Cole Universal Commercial RelocationsLtd.

Councillor Simon Fahey

P. Fahey & Sons Ltd

Co-opted Tom Ryan Ryans Removals Ltd

Co-opted Phil Oram Premier Moves Ltd

Do you have any news to share with R&S readers?Send to: [email protected]

Kevin Mack

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Removals & Storage August 2012

Ryans Removals – A Family AffairRyans Removals Ltd of Solihull is a family-run company that is enjoying rapid growth thanks to its philosophy of high quality service and customer care. R&S spoke to CMG Council member Tom Ryan about the expansion of the company, the growth of its self-storage business and his vision for the future of the professional removals industry.

Ryans Removals Ltd was founded in 1969 by Tom’s grandfather, Tom Ryan, his wife, Eileen Ryan and their three sons (including current Managing Director, David Ryan). Together they helped build a removal firm based on an excellent reputation for reliability and care while working in people’s homes.

Ryans Removals started business with just one Luton Van and in less than 50 years has grown into a company that operates 4 vehicles and a warehouse in Olton Solihull, while it is currently building a half-a-million pound second branch in Hall Green, which will operate 7 vehicles.

“We still have a strong family backbone,” David’s son, Tom Ryan, says. “I run both the branches and my father and his brother Keith are still actively involved in the business.”

Over the years Ryans Removals Ltd has always prided itself on treating each removal with the same respect and care as any other, whether it be a small one-bedroom flat or a major commercial move over several weeks. In 2012 Ryans Removals expect their moving work to be split equally between domestic removals and commercial clients, in addition to the company’s storage, self-access or archive and document storage businesses.

“I am the company manager of all areas, including both branches and our self-storage franchise, Simply Store,” Tom says. “I am the main estimator for the company so it is my role to seek out new business and to provide the estimates for potential customers.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way as I like to keep my finger on the pulse, whether it be employing new staff and conducting appraisals or writing the cheques for uniforms. Even though Ryans Removals is growing and we have found the need for an office manager and a company foreman, I still like to keep my eye on all areas so that I am knowledgeable in all areas of my business.”

Tom says he likes his staff to leave their work at work and see their families during the evening. “I am the one who has to take work home and make the final decisions and sleep less at night. After all, Ryans Removals is my family!”

One challenge the company is now facing is a tough decision on what to do about the livery. Ryans Removals’ colours have always been blue and orange, which are the colours of the kingfisher, the favourite bird of Tom’s grandfather. After more than 40 years, the company has decided to update the livery, using a new motto and a new look for commercial removals.

“We are still undecided whether to keep the two liveries, one for commercial removals and one for domestic,” Tom says. “But it’s a nice headache to have, as it shows the company is growing fast!”

Tom says that, like everyone else in the market, Ryans Removals was hit hard by the economic

downturn. But the family held several key meetings and it never crossed their minds to cut prices. “We thought that would be the road to disaster,” Tom says. “It would go completely against our belief in a quality service! How can you provide a quality service when you are dropping prices? Experienced and well trained staff need paying well, vehicles need maintaining and bills need paying, so dropping prices was never an option.”

“My father said quite honestly to me on one occasion, ‘son, I will downsize or sell rather than send the vans out the yard for nothing!’

“We made the necessary staff changes and reduced our vehicle fleet by one or two and made sure that every job we did would result in a recommendation.”

Tom believes that business has now started to pick up again and that BAR removal companies are adapting successfully to changes in the market. “People will always move home or business. It may go up and down, but that’s why I believe you should add bolt-ons to your business to provide more services. What you bolt on is the key as no one wants to be busy fools!”

BAR Members need to promote the BAR and Quality Standards to the market, so that customers regain confidence in the removal industry and use

professional removal and storage companies, Tom argues. “For customers it has been difficult across the country to get a quality service during the downturn, but those removal businesses that have continued trading have been those that most push quality. Customers want to save money but not cut corners.”

In recent years, Ryans Removals has focused heavily on enhancing quality and also on expanding its self-storage business. Tom is a keen supporter of the new BAR Self Storage Group that helps differentiate the professional, quality end of the market from other operators.

CMG is keyRyan’s Removals have always been strong supporters of BAR. Tom says that BAR membership is the company’s biggest selling point, along with quality standards and the OFT code of practice, all helping give customers peace of mind.

“Membership of the BAR Commercial Moving Group is a massive boost for Ryans Removals as this is a great professional group that really helps provide potential commercial clients. For me, I think BAR Membership, CMG Membership and any Quality Standard is essential for any removal business to push forward.”

The Team at Ryans Removals

CMG Profile

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BAR News

Ryans Removals currently have two liveries, one for commercial removals and one for domestic.

Tom first got involved with the CMG at the BAR annual conference in Bristol in 2010. “I felt that as Ryans Removals was growing in the commercial sector, it was vital that we joined to help not only the growth of Ryans Removals but of the CMG.

I have not looked back since, and after 12 months we obtained BS 8552 and CMG membership along with the BS EN 12522 and BS EN 14873.”

Tom attended his first CMG Council meeting in February of this year and is excited by the work that the CMG Training Committee is doing with BAR Training Services (BARTS) to develop new higher level qualifications and provide a full career path to people in the industry.

Ryans Removals trained all of its staff with BAR less than two years ago and will most likely work with BARTS in connection with the Driver CPC Courses.

“We are seriously considering the apprenticeships available and believe it to be a great way to train our

young staff and to mould them into the industry,” Tom says. “I have noticed a younger element come into the industry.

When I joined my family business, the only newcomers were family members, but that has changed, as the BAR Young Movers shows.”

Tom is Project Manager of the Young Movers. “It’s a great group for younger people to get involved in to learn the industry and to make new contacts and friends in the business,” he said.

“I feel that membership of BAR could become more strict, as a lot of Members have expressed the view that membership should be more unique to add value for the customers when choosing a BAR company,” Tom adds. “The CMG and BAR are both vital to our reputation and help towards the current growth of Ryans Removals, helping us stand out in the market as a company that can offer more to our customers than non-Members.”

Our company’s sole purpose since its inception in 1977 is to serve the

membership – to supply good quality, innovative packaging products at

low prices. This is achieved by buying jointly on your behalf and

passing on the discount achieved from this bulk purchasing power!

As a member, we should be your preferred supplier but are we?

For many of you the answer will be yes but for those of you that say

no then we would like to know why?

Your feedback is important so please ring us on 01342 870087

or you can simply email [email protected] We look forward to hearing from you.

Are we your preferred supplier - if not, why not?

Unit S2A, Olton Wharf, Olton,Solihull, West Midlands B92 7RNTel: 0121 706 2777www.ryansremovals.co.uk

Ryans Removals

‘‘Even though Ryans Removals is growing and we have found the need for an office manager and a company foreman, I still like to keep my eye on all areas so that I am knowledgeable in all areas of my business.

‘‘

CMG Profile

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Overseas Group News

The Overseas Group (OG) is a dedicated group of companies within the British Association of Removers that specialise in all aspects of overseas relocations.

New minimum standards for Overseas Group membershipBAR’s Board of Directors has approved a proposal from the Council of the Overseas Group that it will become mandatory for all group members to either possess FAIM, or BS 8564, or equivalent, or a higher approved externally audited standard, together with an approved advance payment guarantee scheme, as the minimum criteria for membership of the Overseas Group. R&S spoke to Ian Palmer, Chairman of the Overseas Group, about the reasons for the decision.

Membership of the Overseas Group (OG) gives wide access to information and support from fellow members and provides a link to FIDI and other worldwide overseas trade bodies. Members of the OG are those removals companies who specialise in overseas removals rather than companies who undertake occasional overseas removals.

“My own company was a founding member of the Overseas Group,” says Ian Palmer, the OG Chairman and the Chief Executive of White & Company. “Whenever I travel overseas for business, OG membership certainly makes overseas agents take note of our company and gives us a lot of credibility, particularly when developing relationships with companies that have not previously traded with us.”

Ian explains that the minimum standard criteria was developed to ensure that there is a clear distinction made between members of the Overseas Group of BAR and members of the National and European Group. “We want to be able to demonstrate our enhanced skill set and our professionalism to the public,” he says. “We have now established the Overseas Standard BS 8564 and I believe this to be a major step forward in our efforts to differentiate membership of the Overseas Group from National and CMG membership.”

The condition applies to all new applicants immediately and to existing members by July 2013. It is not intended to be onerous; BS 8564 is available through BAR’s quality assurance arm, QSS, and shares many elements of the BAR recognised removal standards such as BS EN 12522. FAIM is a considerably higher quality standard and is achieved through membership of FIDI.

Ian emphasises that not only is an OG member required to hold one of the approved standards, they are also required to have an approved Advanced Payment Guarantee (APG) scheme. “For most members of the Overseas Group, the approved APG scheme is operated through IMMI,” he explains. “You can apply to become a member of IMMI which will require your company to acquire a shareholding in that company. The APG scheme protects customers in the event of the failure of an overseas moving company who is a member of IMMI and where the customer has paid in advance for a shipment to take place. IMMI will arrange to complete the shipment through one of

its members and ensure that the move is completed with the minimum of disruption to the client.”

In the last two years, following two major company failures (European Van Lines and Wentworth), IMMI assisted in both cases and ensured that over 70 families were assisted with the completion of their moves.

Training OG managementIan has been an enthusiastic Chair of the OG since May 2009. “I have met some great people in the industry and greatly broadened the scope of companies that my own company does business with.”

He says setting the standard has in no way been his high point. “What I think the Council has achieved over the past three years is to greatly enhance the profile of the Overseas Group and this in turn has given us far more input into the running of the

association. This is the high point for me and I have been fortunate enough to work with others on the Council who had the same mind set and ambitions as myself.”

This likemindedness has led to the OG’s commitment to improving the quality of management training available to its member companies, through BAR. For Ian “there is an enormous pool of talented individuals in our member companies who are capable of passing on their knowledge, and we want to see that talent utilised to the full advantage of our management trainees.

Ian Palmer, Chairman of the Overseas Group

The Overseas Group membership currently consists of 54 Members. There are 153 BAR International Associates.

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BAR NewsOverseas Group News

OG Council newsFollowing its recent Annual General Meeting, there have been some changes to the membership of the OG Council. In the OG ballot, Nick Kerr was re-elected as Honorary Vice Chairman, and Rob Bartup, Steve Fanning, Andy Wade and Peter Strange were also re-elected as Councillors. James Dasey and Simon Osbourne have joined as new Councillors to the Group.

Chairman Ian Palmer White & Co plc

Deputy Chairman Tony Tickner Eurogroup International Movers Ltd

Honorary Vice Chairman Nick Kerr DT Moving Ltd

Councillor Steve Denning Fox Group (Moving & Storage) Ltd

Councillor Chris Mackley ICM Gerson Ltd

Councillor Wesley Bourne T Bourne & Son Ltd

Councillor Austin Clark Clark & Rose Ltd

Councillor Robert Bartup GB Liners Ltd

Councillor Steve Fanning Britannia Movers International plc

Councillor Andy Wade F+N Worldwide Logistics Ltd

Councillor Peter Strange Robinsons Relocation Ltd

Councillor James Dasey The Doree Bonner International Group

Councillor Simon Osborne Momentous Moving Excellence

Co-opted Moore Shanks MTC Chairman

Co-opted Stephen Gray Anglo Pacific International

Co-opted Ian MacLeod Excess International Movers Ltd

Competition

1) WhatcountrywastheQueenvisitingwhenGeorgeVIdied?2) Whatwasthenameofthehotelwhereshewasstaying?3) WhoconqueredMountEverestontheQueen’sCoronationDay?4) WhenwastheQueen’sannushorribilis?5) WhoistheonlyotherBritishmonarchtocelebrateadiamondjubilee?6) In what year and month could the Queen become the longest reigning Britishmonarch?7) WhoistheeldestgrandchildoftheQueen?8) WhichthreetownswoncitystatustocelebratetheDiamondJubilee?9) InLondon,whatboroughhaswonroyalboroughstatus?10) WhencouldtheQueensurpassLouisXIVasthelongestreiningEuropeanmonarch?

Usual rules apply and one of the winning entries will win a free quarter page advert in a future R&S.Don’t delay! Send in your answers now to [email protected] Deadline for entries: 15 August 2012.

Diamond Jubilee Special!Keep the Jubilee spirit going with ten questions about the Monarch!

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Overseas Profile

New OG Councillor: Simon OsborneSimon Osborne, Group Managing Director at Momentous, has joined the Council of the Overseas Group. Simon talks to R&S about the part he expects to play in helping steer the overseas removals industry through today’s stormy waters.

Momentous is one of the leading names in international removals and a long-standing member of the Overseas Group (OG). As Group Managing Director, Simon Osborne will be contributing extensive experience to the Council, as both company owner and manager.

His current role is only the latest in a long line of senior positions that Simon has held in the industry. Prior to buying Momentous in 2007, Simon was Group MD of another removals company, and before that he spent 17 years in logistics in the UK and Europe.

“What I learnt in that very tight margin business sector has helped me greatly in all my roles,” he says. “I have also learnt a lot from my previous role as it gave me the knowledge to make the good bits better and not let the bad bits happen.”

“At Momentous we either do it properly or not at all. Our ambition is to constantly look to improve on the standards of what we do, through reviewing what we do and asking ourselves why we are doing it this way. All our suppliers and clients are doing the same and we have to keep working hard to stay on the same page as them.”

Momentous has been in business since 1978. The company has been doing overseas business for over 15 years and became a member of the OG in 1987.

“You must understand other people’s challenges in such a market to ensure you learn from those and improve your own,” Simon argues. “The way to do this in my mind, is to work with like-minded businesses in the same sector. As an Overseas Group Councillor, I want to work in a team to assist and improve the services of the Overseas Group members where possible, through a structured and well thought out vision. If the world continues as it is, we will have an ever-changing remit!”

Simon believes that the Overseas Group has a central role to play in providing a road map and a vision for the international removals business to follow.

Between watching motorcycle races all over Europe on his own bike, looking after his classic car, a Porsche 356, and running one of the industry’s leading international removal companies, Simon plans to play an active part as the OG confronts the issues of today and tomorrow.

Brunel Road, AylesburyBuckinghamshire HP19 8UNTel: 01296 393339www.momentousmoving.com

Momentous

‘‘At Momentous we either do it properly or not at all. Our ambition is to constantly look to improve on the standards of what we do, through reviewing what we do and asking ourselves why we are doing it this way.

‘‘

Taking time out from the office: Simon Osborne, Momentous Group Managing Director (left) with Sales Director Tony Jarvis.

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BAR NewsOverseas Profile

New OG Councillor: James DaseyJames Dasey from Doree Bonner has been elected a new councillor of BAR’s Overseas Group. R&S caught up with James to discuss his experience in the industry and his ideas for the future of the international business.

BAR Members may know James Dasey, currently Group International Director at Doree Bonner, from his work at FIDI, where he was on the board for five years, followed by a two-year stint as President of the FIDI 35 Club.

“Joining the Overseas Group (OG) Council seemed like a very sensible step for me into a different part of the industry,” he says. “As an active member of FIDI, I have amassed a lot of experience of the industry and I intend to become involved in the OG in a similar way, helping to guide and influence new developments and make sure that the voice of industry is heard. The OG should be a driving force for the development of the international removals business.”

James is passionate about the need to focus on quality in order to survive and prosper in today’s industry. “The marketplace is extremely competitive now,” James says. “At Doree Bonner we are very focused on providing customers with a quality product. OG membership can help companies such as ours differentiate from man-and-van operators, and assure our customers that we sell a quality offering. Standards are critically important in differentiating professional, serious removers from the cowboys.”

James has worked his way up from an international salesman position in 1999 to now being charge of Doree Bonner’s international strategy in the company’s ten locations, looking after and monitoring the individual branches and supporting general managers.

“Much of my role now involves managing performance at all our different locations and looking at specific areas where solutions are needed,” James explains.

Doree Bonner itself has long been committed to high quality and high standards. This year the company won a 5 star rating from emigrationreviews.

com, receiving excellent feedback and testimonials on the website for expatriates, which rated removal companies for their performance in areas such as transfer times, customer service and competitive pricing.

He is looking forward to new challenges on the OG Council and to helping the industry work together to meet these challenges. “Companies can sometimes feel a bit isolated from each other but at the end of the day we are all in the same industry and I strongly believe that one of the best ways to proceed is to work side by side in associations such as FIDI and BAR,” he says. Being involved with FIDI has been one of the most enjoyable parts of my time in the removals industry, and I am looking forward to continuing with this work on the OG Council.”

19 Kennet Road, Dartford, Kent DA1 4QNwww.www.doreebonner.co.uk

Doree Bonner

‘‘At Doree Bonner we are very focused on providing customers with a quality product. OG membership can help companies such as ours differentiate from man-and-van operators, and assure our customers that we sell a quality offering. Standards are critically important in differentiating professional, serious removers from the cowboys.

‘‘

James Dasey, International Moving Director, Doree Bonner

Momentous

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Removals & Storage August 2012

Self Storage Group

The Self Storage Special Interest Group was established in response to the needs of many Members who now include self storage as an important element in their service offerings. The Group offers a forum for companies to promote and develop their self-storage operations and is designed to encourage best practice in the self-storage industry.

W Southerington & Sons on their storage businessFamily business W Southerington & Sons, based in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, celebrates its 120th anniversary this year. For the last 10 of those years, it’s been running a fast-growing storage business. Paul Southerington discusses the company’s strategy with R&S.

“We’ve been here for 120 years and we want to be here for another 120,” operations manager Paul Southerington says. “Maximising opportunities has always been our strategy, and the growth of our storage business reflects just how well we have seized the storage opportunity.”

Southeringtons provides a range of storage services, including archive storage, self-storage and containerised storage. In all, revenue from the storage business now represents a healthy proportion of the company’s turnover, behind only the long-standing domestic removals work.

The company converted a building 10 years ago into purpose-built rooms of different square footage, enabling it to address nearly all segments of the storage market. “We saw a gap in the market coming, which is why we took the plunge and made the investment,” Paul says. “It’s been a fast growing area for us ever since and given us a whole new stream of revenues, at not too much cost, as we could use an existing building. If you have something to be stored, we will do everything we can to store it.”

Southeringtons’ reputation in the removals business, painstakingly earned over the course of more than 100 years, has been the key to its success in storage. The company has been a BAR Member for over 50 years and quality is at the heart of everything they do. Naturally, Southeringtons was an early member of the Self-Storage Special Interest Group, and SSIG membership plays a major part in their storage marketing.

Differentiating the company from its competition“It’s important for us to be competitive and to market ourselves differently,” Paul says. “We are up against some companies with containerised storage of 20-foot and 40-foot containers and we need to differentiate what we do from them. Being a Member of the BAR, which has a code of practice approved by the OFT, reassures people about the quality of our operations. It sets us apart from the cheap and nasty operators who have entered the business, from people who will just fill a field with containers and sell storage.” As an example of the poor standards that exist in the sector outside the framework of the SSIG, one competitor’s main security system consists solely of a mannequin in a window, to give the impression that a security guard is on site! In such a market, BAR and SSIG membership is a badge of quality that is needed more than ever before. “At Southeringtons, we always go the extra mile on quality, whether that is in domestic removals or in any of our storage services,” Paul says. “It’s important for us that the SSIG is always looking to raise the level of quality that people can expect from a member company.” Paul himself has worked at the company all his life, from summer holidays on the vans as a school child to his current position of operations manager. His sister, Emma, is head of sales, while their father, John, still runs the whole show – until they take over and John can have more time for himself. “We’ve come through the downturn while many of our competitors have gone under,” Paul says. “We’re a hard working lot, and we are all committed to investing in quality and new opportunities such as self-storage as the only way ahead for our industry.”

Lakeside, Leicester Road, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE13 0DATel: 01664 562236www.southeringtons.co.uk

W. Southerington & Sons

‘‘At Southeringtons, we always go the extra mile on quality, whether that is in domestic removals or in any of our storage services. It’s important for us that the SSIG is always looking to raise the level of quality that people can expect from a member company

Paul Southerington

‘‘

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BAR News

W. Southerington & Sons

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Training News

National Award for BAR Training ServicesBAR Training Services has won the first ever removals-specific Apprenticeship provider award in the form of a National BTEC Award for Apprenticeships. This is a remarkable achievement that is testimony to the hard work of the BARTS team in recent years and to the support of BAR Members to the new Apprenticeship. It also clearly reflects the strong potential of the removals industry to provide high quality and rewarding employment to young people.

BAR Training Services (BARTS) was selected as the National BTEC Awards Most Innovative BTEC Apprenticeship Provider of the Year. The Commercial Moving Apprenticeship was designed specifically for the commercial moving industry by BARTS and the BAR Commercial Moving Group. It was launched earlier this year to broad support from BAR Members and is delivered nationally by BARTS in partnership with West Herts College.

The award represents a major achievement and is recognition of the commitment of BARTS and the CMG to provide high quality, innovative and relevant training solutions to the industry.

The expert judging panellists said they were extremely impressed by the quality of the BARTS entry, citing “outstanding creativity and innovation in the delivery” of this Apprenticeship. The judges also felt that BARTS excelled in “finding new technologies and resources to improve learning and giving the best training opportunities for their Apprentices.”

This first ever Removals Apprenticeship runs alongside BARTS’ standalone industry-specific BTECs to further enhance industry specific training, creating a suite of training to provide employees within the industry with a structured career path and development plan for the first time.

BAR at the centre of ApprenticeshipsBAR Director General Stephen Vickers, BAR Vice President Gary Wheadon, Loren Webster of BARTS and Kevin Mack, Chairman of the Commercial Moving Group Training sub-committee proudly travelled to London on 5 July for a series of events for award winners which included a Parliamentary reception and lunch at the House of Lords followed by the awards ceremony.

The Awards Ceremony was hosted by Radio 1’s Reggie Yates and speakers included David Willetts, Minister of State for Universities and Science.

Congratulating the award winners for their dedication, David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science who attended the awards ceremony, said: “These awards rightly celebrate the practical skills and knowledge which will help our economy grow and remain competitive with the rest of the world.”

Richard Harrington, Member of Parliament for Watford, said he was delighted by the success of BAR and their training partner, West Herts College. “I am very proud of this achievement,” he said. “I am very pleased with how the system is working, both locally in Watford with the local partnership between BAR and West Herts College, and also nationally.”

Loren Webster, Training Manager with BAR Training Services and Stephen Vickers, BAR Director General, holding the National BTEC Awards Most Innovative BTEC Apprenticeship Provider of the Year awards.

Stephen Vickers receiving the award. L-R: Reggie Yates (award Host, Radio & TV presenter), Stephen Vickers (BAR Director General), Tim Campbell (Keynote Speaker)

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finding new technologies and resources to improve learning and giving the best training opportunities for their Apprentices.

L-R: Richard Harrington Watford MP, Stephen Vickers (BAR Director General)

The team winning the award! Kevin Mack (CMG Training Committee Chairman), Richard Harrington (MP for Watford), Gary Wheadon (BAR Vice President), Stephen Vickers (BAR Director General), Loren Webster (BARTS Training Manager)

Training News

Mr Harrington has been working with Watford businesses and organisations of all sizes to increase the number of Apprenticeships and jobs in Watford.

“I think it’s the right thing to give young people a chance,” he told R&S.

“In my thirty years in business, I’ve always believed in giving people a break. Apprenticeship schemes are very significant opportunities for young people and employers, and West Herts College are really ahead of the game in training.

It is great to see Watford and BAR at the centre of this movement.”

Sambit Sen, Head of Skills for Business at West Herts College, said “For BAR Training Services to have won this award is well deserved and we are very proud to work together with BARTS providing this Apprenticeship scheme.

We now look forward to working with them in the development of further programmes for the removals sector.”

As part of the Ceremony, a short film of each of this year’s winners was shown to the audience – a film crew had visited BARTS in June for filming.

The judges for the Award included Rod Bristow, president of Pearson UK, Sandra Kelly from Whitbread Group PLC, and academics and tutors who specialise in learning, skills and further education.

BARTS’ expertiseAs well as the Apprenticeship, BARTS has delivered the BTEC Advanced Award in Removals Management and the BTEC Intermediate Award in Practical Estimating since 2009. Both qualifications have been specifically designed and tailored to provide nationally recognised qualifications for the niche Removals sector. The BTEC Intermediate Award in Practical Estimating is the most popular industry- specific training provided by BARTS.

Using the latest Removals technology, materials and equipment together with knowledge of the most up to date training techniques provides trainees with the skills to become confident and excel in their career. Recently a trainee gained an outstanding pass mark of 94% in the BTEC Removals Management exam. BARTS have received the highest pass mark possible, an ‘A’ grade rating on their Edexcel audit for the past two years for the provision of the Removals industry’s only nationally recognised qualifications.

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Training News

ATLAS (formerly Alghanim Freight), Kuwait

Diamond Relocations

In June, Peter travelled to the Al-Rai district of Kuwait to deliver a two-day Fragile and non-Fragile Packing Export Wrapping course to 12 trainees with the help of a translator, Ali Khan. The trainees, whose experience ranged from 3 months to 28 years in the industry, faced the challenge of having to rely heavily on corrugated paper and polythene sheeting, as paper blankets, bubble blankets, acid free tissue paper and other such products used in the UK and elsewhere are not readily availaable in their part of the world. However, by the end of the two days they all proved that they could wrap tightly, neatly, professionally and cost effectively.

Trainees from Diamond Relocations in Croydon attended a removals-specific half-day course in June. The trainees had little experience of the removals industry, although some had experience of Manual Handling.

The course included different techniques for handling furniture, and information and practical training on the use of Manual Handling equipment.

There was a particular emphasis on Health and Safety and Risk Assessment, and trainees were pleased to have been shown how to avoid injury to themselves or others and how to adopt the correct lifting technique.

Azhar Ali Khan: “The BAR Training was very interesting and informative. Fragile packing techniques will be helpful for the safe transportation of goods locally and for export, and the volume saving techniques will enable us to load more material in containers or lift vans.”

Agusto M. Caballes: “My skills have improved and I have learned additional techniques to help my company reduce the cost of materials.”

Feedback includes:

Age UK, SuffolkIn June, eight people from Age UK in Suffolk attended a Manual Handling and Furniture Handling skills course. The charity Age UK has extensive experience in retail but, having recently opened a second hand furniture shop, required training in safe and effective furniture removals for transporting donations to the

shop and occasionally delivering purchased goods to the buyer’s property. The course focussed on the Health and Safety aspects of Manual Handling and the different techniques for negotiating items of furniture through doorways and narrow spaces. Attendees were also shown how to use webbing to best effect and the

many different uses for it, as well as the various types of Manual Handling equipment available to them. They were also given tips on protecting property and furniture with the use of furniture blankets, and how to prevent reclining sofas and sofa beds from opening up or becoming damaged.

Simon Tuddenham: “The Age UK Suffolk Furniture Store is a new venture and is proving to be very successful and although we have some experience in the moving of heavy items, today’s training was very helpful and reassuring.”

Robert Gorringe: “The Manual Handling course is both informative and educational. Who knew that a piece of material (webbing) could be so useful!”

Graham Barker: “I found the course very useful and relevant to my job. The course was enjoyable and it was good to be trained by an expert who has worked in furniture removals.”

Paul Scales wrote “This has opened my eyes to the industry-wide equipment and techniques used.”

Blair McCormick: “Practical and impartial advice and instruction given on correct and safe methods of Manual Handling.”

Brian Dineen: “Peter Walters, who took us through the course was informative and very interesting, he has a wide knowledge of the trade and presented it well to a group of removal men who probably would not normally enjoy a classroom situation. I felt that I learnt a lot of good tips to make my job easier.”

Jamie Tantawi: “Peter knew what he was talking about and wasn’t reading from prompts on his laptop, which happened at other venues I’ve trained at before.”

Sealontai Tiberiu: “I learnt a lot of new things that will help me to do my job more easily and with a smaller risk of injury.”

Feedback includes:

Feedback includes:

BAR Training Services carry out a range of training courses for removals companies. Peter Walters, BARTS Field Trainer, provides a roundup of the courses recently delivered. For more information on all courses, please go to www.removalstraining.co.uk

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Feedback includes:

To book Call: 01923 699484 or email: [email protected]

Just £99 + VAT p/p (BAR Member)

Selling Skills/Promoting the BAR OFT Code of PracticeThis 1 day course is designed to enhance sales skills and to demonstrate the most effective way of promoting the BAR OFT Code of Practice to win business, covering topics such as:

• The Role of the Salesperson • Marketing• Prospecting & Negotiating • Promoting the OFT Code • Communication & Presentation• Identifying Customer Needs • Closing the Sale

Course Dates 201219 September21 November

Introduction to EstimatingIdeal for staff who are new to the role. This 1 day course focuses on teaching students the unit system, methods of estimating, risk assessment, the role of the Estimator and selling services to the customer

• Quantity Assessment • The Role of the Estimator• Health & Safety • Contract Conditions • Communication Techniques • Removals Insurance

Course Dates 201210 September 5 November

Just £199 + VAT p/p (BAR Member)

BRANDNEW

for 2012!

BTEC in Removals ManagementThe course can now be completed in 5 days meaning less time away from your place of work!

Upon completion of the later exam, successful students will be presented with a nationally recognised BTEC qualification.

Course Dates 201224 & 28 September

£1,675 + VAT p/p (BAR Member)

NEWLY IMPROVED for 2012!

BTEC Award in Practical EstimatingThis 2 day course is practically based and is designed to teach students the art of estimating as well as face to face sales techniques, covering topics such as:

• Quantity Assessment • The Role of the Estimator• Health & Safety • Contract Conditions • Communication Techniques• Removals Insurance

Course Dates 2012

11 & 12 September 6 & 7 November

£545 + VAT p/p (BAR Member)

NEWLY IMPROVED for 2012!

1 Day (7 hours) Driver CPC

£129 + VAT per driver (BAR Member) prices start from as little as £49.25 + VAT per driver, delivered on site at your premises

Course Dates 201229 August

JAUPT APPROVED CENTRE AC00191

*BAR Training Services train you at BAR in Watford, in the BAR areas or at your premises.

BAR Training ServicesTraining from the Removals Experts

BARTS 2012 Training Dates All courses taking place at BAR Watford*

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Industry NewsIndustry News

44 Removals & Storage August 2012

European News

IRU Diploma of Honour 2012 Later this year the IRU will award its Diploma of Honour 2012 to the best drivers in national and international road transport. If you are interested in nominating drivers, the requirements are that the transport operator must be a member of an IRU national member association. Companies that are members of a FEDEMAC Association (which would include BAR) or who are a Direct Affiliate of FEDEMAC meet this condition.

The deadline for applications is 31 August 2012. The IRU Diploma of Honour distinction and an IRU lapel pin will be awarded to each driver (or owner-operator) who:• hasbeenregularlyandcontinuouslyactivein

his/her profession for at least 20 years to the complete satisfaction of his employer;• hasbeenintheserviceofthesamecompany

for at least five years;• hasdrivenaminimumof1millionkmasa

professional driver in national or international road transport;• hasnotcaused,byhis/herownfault,aserious

road traffic accident (with bodily harm) during the past 20 years;• hasnotcommittedaseriousviolationof

traffic, customs or administrative regulations during the last five years.

Germans truck tolls A truck toll started this month on 1,135 km of 4-lane federal trunk roads which are similar to motorways and connected to the German autobahn network. This toll applies to trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 12 tonnes or more. Toll Collect, the toll operator in Germany, is responsible for implementing the truck toll on federal roads. The operating data has been transferred via mobile communication signals to all On-Board Units and has been automatically downloaded by the 717,000 On-Board Units currently installed in foreign and domestic vehicles.

A map and a preliminary list showing those federal roads that will be subject to the truck toll are available at www.bag.bund.de.

According to current rules in Europe, hauliers may carry goods without restrictions from their country to another or between two Member States, even if those Member States are not their country of registration. However, there are limitations when hauliers wish to go from one point to another within a Member State other than the one where they are registered. In these cases, they are restricted to three transport operations in the seven days following an unloaded international carriage. These rules have been in place since May 2010.

Since hauliers are not free to carry out transport operations freely (which means they have to travel home or elsewhere with empty vehicles, which creates efficiency losses by preventing them from loading their vehicles in an optimal way), cabotage operations are still limited to around 2% of all national transport operations for hire and reward.

The High Level Group is now proposing a flexible and gradual opening of national road transport markets. In particular, the Group recommends that two different types of cabotage be introduced: ‘linked

cabotage’, limited to a short period of time and connected to an international carriage; and ‘non-linked cabotage’, which may take place for a longer time, independently of any international carriage and which would be subject to a registration procedure to ensure that the drivers involved adhere to the labour law of their local competitor.

The Group considers that this set of measures would allow a step-by-step opening of the market, increasing flexibility of operations and competition in national markets, whilst ensuring fair competition and avoiding a ‘race to the bottom’ in terms of social standards. More flexibility would allow hauliers and shippers to optimise fleet management and reduce empty runs, thereby reducing emissions and fuel consumption whilst improving the competitiveness of the overall economy, which relies on efficient logistics.

The European Commission will consider the High Level Group’s conclusions in its own report on the situation of the EU road haulage market, to be published in 2013.

High Level Group calls for road haulage market openingA report by a High Level Group on the EU internal market for road haulage has recommended a gradual opening of domestic road transport markets to cabotage, the domestic transport of goods in a country by a haulier registered in another country.

European Parliament battles Commission on ‘gigaliners’A battle is brewing in Brussels between the European Commission, which this year permitted cross-border trials of giant lorries or ‘gigaliners’, and the European Parliament, which says it should have been consulted on the decision. Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas’s decision to tolerate the cross-border use of trucks longer than 18.75 m faces a legal challenge by Parliament’s Transport Committee. “The coordinators of the political groups unanimously felt that the Commissioner was acting outside his powers,” said Transport Committee chair Brian Simpson. ‘‘No matter whether or not gigaliners are a good or bad idea, the problem is the process − the Commission is completely bypassing the European Parliament,” said Mr Simpson. “Instead of bringing clarification to the matter, as he claims, the Commissioner’s letter brings even more legal uncertainty,” he added. In 2010, Mr Kallas interpreted the same Directive on the maximum weight and dimensions of lorries to mean precisely the opposite, i.e. that such trucks must not cross the EU’s internal borders. “It’s interesting

that he chose to reinterpret the law rather than coming up with a new legislative proposal, although he knows that ecotrucks or megatrucks are a very controversial issue,” said Simpson. The Transport Committee will refer the matter to Parliament’s President, Martin Schulz, asking him to seek legal advice from Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee to determine whether the Commission has overstepped its authority and deprived Parliament of its rights. The Commission is planning to propose limited amendments to other aspects of the Directive on weights and dimensions late in 2012 (for example, to improve the cabin design and the aerodynamic features of the truck).

This would provide an opportunity for policy makers to review the rules on cross-border use of gigaliners. Currently, use of the trucks is allowed in Finland and Sweden, and is being trialled in Denmark, the Netherlands and some German states (Länder).

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P. Fahey & Sons’ history goes back to Simon and Andrew’s great grandfather Patrick Fahey (Patrick Senior) who left his home in Ireland and went to Chicago, where he joined Wells Fargo Transport in the 1890’s. He worked in the stables, training the wild horses from the prairie in preparation for work on local and long-distance transport and travel.

This will have involved the horses transporting goods to and from ports and mainly for passenger and transport in Chicago. Patrick was known to have said that if the horses were not trained properly for the work, then he would have been out of a job. He was rightly proud that the horses he trained were never returned as unfit for the job. Later he returned to Ireland and started a family; his eldest son, Patrick, inherited his father’s skill and knowledge of transport. Patrick Junior moved to the UK and established P. Fahey & Sons in 1957.

Starting out from humble beginnings in the heart of Manchester, Patrick progressed from delivering furniture by hand cart round the streets of Rusholme, to paying £12 for his first van in 1957. Assisted by his son, Peter, the company soon became a limited company in 1967, purchasing its first new vehicle from Fords in Trafford Park.

From then on the company has gone from strength to strength, with Peter Fahey and his wife Margaret at the helm battling and surviving major recessions. The highs and lows of the past six decades have added to the strength and growth to make the company the thriving business it is today.

The company is currently managed by grandsons, Simon and Andrew Fahey. Simon runs the relocation side of the business; Andrew runs the Commercial Property rental side of the business which consists of 850,000 sq/ft of space, of which 90% is consistently

let. New recruit – fourth generation, great granddaughter – Amy Fahey, joined the family business over a year ago and runs the Self Storage side of the company which now stands at 150 various sized shipping containers, which complements the high standard wooden containerised storage facility.

High standards through trainingEmploying a fully dedicated team of trained staff, all the team out in the field are trained to a high standard. Using BAR Training Services, they have all completed the BAR Commercial team leader qualification, inland and export packing qualifications, and with another outside training specialist they have also gained NVQ level 2 in warehousing. The office team are trained in NVQ Level Business Administration levels 2 and 3, Customer Service level 3 along with Health & Safety, First Aid courses, RTITB forklift truck qualified

P. Fahey & Sons, a fourth-generation family business is celebrating 55 years of trading. One of the company’s current Directors, Simon Fahey, talked to R&S about the company’s proud history and successes in the worldwide removals & storage industry in more than half a century.

P. Fahey & Sons: Still moving ‘n’ shaking after 55 years

1893 Patrick Fahey Snr - 1st venture into transport

1957 Patrick Fahey Jnr far left and Peter Fahey in white overalls

1967 Tony, Peter & Patrick Fahey get the first new van

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Globe House, Globe Trading Estate88-118 Chorlton Road, ManchesterM15 4ALTel: 0161 226 5959/227 9411www.faheygroup.co.uk

P. Fahey & Sons

drivers. “The emphasis is investing in our team to give everyone a pride in what they do,” Simon explains.

“We are currently looking to take on two new recruits under the new Apprenticeship scheme which the BAR has worked hard to obtain on behalf of all members,” Simon told R&S. “I think there is a massive shortage of trained removal people coming into the industry and I believe this is a great opportunity to encourage new blood into the industry.”

For Simon: “The success of the company is not only down to hands-on Directors / owners’ careful management but the fantastic team whom we are very proud of, both in the office – Ian, Lynne, Christine, Tony and Jack – and especially the guys who represent our company directly with the clients. In particular, the team leaders Ged, Dave, Mark, Paul, Ade, John, Alan and Dennis with their teams; we get hundreds of compliments and extremely positive feedback from our clients.”

Commercial Relocation specialistsWith a modern fleet of vehicles ranging from 17ton air ride tail-lift Scanias through 7.5ton / 3.5ton down to courier vehicles to service the Document Storage side of the business. P. Fahey & Sons are specialists in Commercial Relocations throughout the UK and Ireland.

“I was encouraged to join the Commercial Moving Group by former BAR Honorary Treasurer 14 years ago,” Simon recalls. “Although David was running a North West competitor’s commercial division at the time, he still took me under his wing and guided me through the joining process. Being part of the BAR Commercial Moving Group with BS 8522 standard as compulsory and our other quality standards has helped the company stand out from the competition and reassures our commercial clients that we adhere to nationally recognised qualifications. Our

professionalism has gained us many high-profile relocations over the years and membership of this Group has allowed us to grow and sustain ourselves throughout a tough trading time over the last few years,” comments Simon.

P. Fahey & Sons has always based its services on quality standards. Soon after setting up, the company joined the BAR in 1965, and the BAR Commercial Moving Group in 1998. It was one of the first in the country to obtain BS EN 12522, followed by the Commercial moving standard BS 8522, as well as the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 quality standards. P. Fahey & Sons has for many years been committed to operating with a focus on environmental responsibility. “We understand how important it is to act now to provide a better world for future generations, particularly our children,” Simon told R&S. “We do this by recycling and environmentally disposing of our clients’ surplus furniture and effects. We work closely with a partner charity where furniture is sold and donations go to Africa.”

The focus year on year has been to adapt to moving with the times. In the past few years, the company has promoted and marketed itself through social media, Facebook and Twitter, as well as allocating more marketing budget to on-going website development.

Peter Fahey says “The formula for our success is based on flexibility and diversity. Just because that’s the way it’s always been done, does not mean that’s the way it has to stay! Being in the service industry, we have ebbed and flowed and adjusted to our clients’ needs and demands over the years and this has helped us continue to be the successful company we are today.”

The future for P. Fahey & Sons is indeed looking bright. The company was recently awarded a Certificate of Merit. For Simon, “This recognises our position as

one of the Top Ten Commercial Removal companies

in the UK. The award is a significant vote of confidence in the professionalism and experience of what is still, for all the growth of the last 55 years, very much a family-owned and family-run business.”“Even in these turbulent times,” he says, “commercial clients are still relocating to new premises, and with our proud reputation, we are always tendering and carrying out new business.” The company has remained true to the vision established by company founder Patrick Fahey who once said “There probably isn’t a removals problem for which we have not found a solution in all of our years in business!” Peter recalls: “Even though I worked with my father all my life it was only in his later years that I got chance to ask him what gave him the drive and determination to succeed. To which his reply was: “I never got up in the morning without wanting to improve myself.”

We provide a quality service at a competitive price with the care and attention of a family business.

‘‘ ‘‘

1967 Tony, Peter & Patrick Fahey get the first new van

1992 Andrew, Simon, Patrick and Peter Fahey

2012 I was encouraged to join the Commercial Moving group my David Bunting current BAR Honorary Treasurer

Next generation...

Completion of £500,000,000 Hospital Project

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‘‘In the transport and storage sector, despite the harsh effects of the recession, there are still many opportunities for growth and to develop efficiencies that improve profit margins.

‘‘Backing the businesses of the future

Statistics show that jobs are created by fast-growing companies that are built during a recession. How these dynamic companies grow and what they do to grow, is defined by how they build on what they’re good at.

That’s the underlying philosophy behind Growth Accelerator, a new and innovative £200m service which will help businesses in England to reach their potential and become the shining stars of the economic recovery. Over a period of four years the service will help up to 26,000 of England’s brightest businesses to achieve their ambition and potential, as well as creating 55,000 high-value jobs.

At the heart of GrowthAccelerator is job creation and expansion. The American entrepreneurship organisation, the Kaufman Foundation, reported in 2010 that in any given year, the top-performing 1% of companies accounted for some 40% of jobs. Beyond that it is the fast-growing ‘gazelle’ companies (which are between 3 and 5 years old) who though they make up less than 1 per cent of all businesses, still account for approximately 10% of net new jobs in any given year.

GrowthAccelerator is not about sector or speciality, it is about ambition. In the transport and storage sector, despite the harsh effects of the recession, there are still many opportunities for growth and to develop efficiencies that improve profit margins. Whether it is expanding to new markets, unlocking access to finance, generating sales, harnessing the power of digital and social media, training and developing staff or improving cost and pricing policies there are a multitude of avenues that a growing business in the removals and storage sector can explore.

How GrowthAccelerator can work for youThe journey that businesses take with GrowthAccelerator is firstly one of self-discovery.

Working with our team of growth experts, the leadership team will consider the future of the business and assess where they think growth is most likely to come from. The next step is to work together to come up with a plan that will help the leadership team to focus on specific areas that will best accelerate business growth.

As well as coaching, GrowthAccelerator, provides comprehensive support by fast tracking clients to trusted providers of business advice such as UK Trade & Investment, professional advisers as well as relevant networks such as Angel Investors.

The hard truth is that GrowthAccelerator is not for everyone; not all businesses have the genuine potential for rapid and sustainable growth. But this is a completely new way of delivering business support. Directed by the private sector (led by financial advisors Grant Thornton), GrowthAccelerator is designed to provide high potential growth businesses (fewer than 250 employees, turnover of less than £40m) with the know-how and ability to achieve sustainable growth.

Our vision for

GrowthAccelerator is clear – to provide fast-growing businesses with exactly

the kind of expertise, insight and networks that entrepreneurs need to achieve their ambitions. GrowthAccelerator recognises the need for ambitious business leaders to collaborate and access growth

in new ways. The service will rapidly create a community of

support that will help make the UK the best place to grow

a business.

Simon Littlewood (pictured), Head of Business Growth Services at Grant Thornton, introduces GrowthAccelerator, a new service aimed at helping businesses to reach their potential.

Feedback from a warehousing logistics firm, 3P Logistics: CEO, Ian Walker reported that the coaching process was “one of real trust and transparency.” He said that the “absolute hard tangibles were in growth in sales, profits and jobs created but the intangibles were important too. We specialise in providing order fulfilment services to online retailers while our coach Geoff made us think of the proposition beyond the product.” As a result, related services were added to the core warehousing product which Mr Walker says “gave us a firm platform for growth and went some way to us winning the North of England Excellence Award for high growth.” The company’s turnover has accelerated by 30% over the last three years.

How GrowthAccelerator can work

•Areyouregisteredandtrading?•AreyoubasedinEngland?•Doyouhavefewerthan250employees?•Doyouhaveaturnoveroflessthan£40m?•Areyoudeterminedtogrowyourbusinessbydoubleorbetterinthenextthreeyears?

Is GrowthAccelerator right for my business?For more information about GrowthAccelerator and to see if your business could benefit, visit www growthaccelerator.com or join the high growth community on Twitter @GrowthAccel

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You pay a small percentage charge of each new pension contribution that goes into your retirement pot.This contribution charge is set at 1.8%, so from a contribution of £100, £98.20 goes into your pot. There’s also an annual management charge (AMC) of 0.3% of your total fund each year. For example, if £100 is paid into your pot every month, the 1.8% contribution charge would be £1.80 per month. Over one year £1,200 is paid into your pot in total. This means that the contribution charge over that period would be £21.60. The 0.3% AMC is taken from the total value of your retirement pot over the year. If your total retirement pot is worth £1,200 at the end of the year, the annual management charge would be £3.60. In total in that year you would have paid £25.20 in charges.

Management charges explained

From October 2012, many of us will become regular monthly contributors to NEST, the National Employment Savings Trust. NEST anticipates that the vast majority of people will use one of the 46 NEST Retirement Date Funds. R&S explains how they work – and how much they charge.

How Retirement Date Funds will work in practice

Starting this year, almost every employer in the UK will have to provide access to a pension scheme for most of their workers and make a minimum contribution.

All pension schemes used for automatic enrolment will need to provide a ‘default’ investment fund. This is the fund people will be automatically enrolled into if they don’t make an active choice.

NEST expects most people to use its default investment option and stick with it. This is made up of 46 NEST Retirement Date Funds. Most members will be automatically invested in a NEST Retirement Date Fund which matches their expected retirement date. For example, a member would be invested in the NEST 2040 Retirement Fund if they are expected to retire in 2040.

If a member joins before they are 22 years old, they will be put into a starter fund until they reach 22. Likewise if a member reaches their NEST Retirement Date but doesn’t take their money straight away, they will be put into a post-retirement fund until they take their money out of NEST.

Three phases of investmentThe way money is invested through NEST Retirement Date Funds is divided into three phases, reflecting different stages in a member’s life and different attitudes and capacity for risk.

Younger members will usually experience all three of these phases, whereas people who join when they are over 30 will generally not experience the first phase, known as the Foundation phase.

The aim of the Foundation phase is to get people used to the savings habit and protect them from the likelihood of experiencing losses. The aim here is to match the rate of inflation after all charges have been taken out.

The vast majority of members’ time with NEST is spent in the second phase, known as the Growth phase. This introduces higher levels of risk gradually,

and targets returns of 3% over and above inflation after all charges. This phase will last, on average, for about 30 years.

The last phase of NEST Retirement Date Funds is the Consolidation phase, which prepares their pot for when they plan to take their money out of NEST.

The total minimum contribution to each worker’s retirement savings pot will eventually have to equal 8% of their qualifying earnings. Of this 8%, the employer will have to contribute a minimum of 3%.

Contribution levels will be phased in, starting at 2% of a worker’s qualifying earnings. Of this, the employer will need to pay at least 1%. These will increase gradually to let employers and workers adjust.

The new duties affect the largest employers from October 2012 followed by medium- sized employers over the next couple of years, with small and micro employers being affected last.

NEST will levy a 0.3% annual management charge (AMC) on members’ total funds under management, plus a charge on contributions of 1.8%. For many types of NEST members, charges work out as broadly equivalent to a 0.5% AMC across their time saving with NEST. According to NEST, an AMC of 0.5% is a good benchmark for the kind of low charges currently enjoyed by members of large workplace schemes.

The new duties affect the largest employers from October 2012 followed by medium-sized employers over the next couple of years.

‘‘

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Global Moving Systems joins BAR

Global Moving Systems is a privately owned international moving company that specialises in migrant international moves to all international destinations.

“Being a BAR Member has already started impacting on our status and trustworthiness within the industry,”says John, Global Moving System’s newest Director. “We have now formed great relationships with local companies and lead generators. BAR membership also makes our clients feel comfortable as being a BAR Member demonstrates credibility.” The company was originally founded in 2001 as an export packing company that supplied VIP packing crews to high-level corporate moving companies for elite accounts. Then, in 2007, Global Moving Systems started to supply migrant international clients with their brand of service described as ‘a corporate move experience at an affordable price.’

The directors and packers at the company have all been in the industry for 18 years, with extensive knowledge of the industry. “We are a modern day company with old-fashioned values,” John told R&S. “We have 30 members of staff who are all round members of the company. Service always comes before money and this has been the key to our success through the years, which is unusual in the tough economic climate. We are dedicated to providing the

highest standards of service to clients and we pride ourselves on the personal touch.” Global Moving Systems operates within a 65-mile radius of central London. Although the company does not plan to build a network of depots and branches, a brand new warehouse in East Sussex is now nearing completion. At the same time, the team have recently launched their comprehensive European service which has already taken on a high number of consignments for trade partners.

Unique employee conditionsJohn believes that Global Moving Systems is the only international moving company that can state on its terms and conditions that it will not utilise casual or subcontracted labour for the packing of household effects. “This is unique in the industry and it is one of the reasons that we are regarded by our clients and peers as one of the leading international moving companies in the UK,” he explains.

Global Moving Systems also operates an unusual and innovative bonus system for its staff that may be of interest to other Members. To maintain the highest of standards all its crew foremen, the company operates a profit sharing scheme which means that everyone who is involved in a move has a vested interest in ensuring the highest standards of service delivery. John says that like everyone in the industry,

Global Moving Systems has been challenged by the economic downturn. In response, it is sticking to its guns of a strategy based on quality and excellence.

“We have focused mainly on supplying an extraordinarily high quality of service, employing the best packers and using the very best packing materials to support our own stringent in-house training and the best service partners can ensure this, this seems to be one of the secrets of our success in recent years,” he says.

“We want to supply a unique export packing service at origin, and use the very best agents from around the world to act as our destination service partners.”

Global Moving Systems specialises in exactly what its name suggests: carrying out only international moves and providing the very highest levels of service. John Greening, Company Director, spoke to R&S about why Global Moving Systems recently joined BAR and about ongoing investments in expansion.

Tel: 0800 804 8585www.globalmoving.co.uk

Global Moving Systems

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Global Moving Systems

The Private Health Partnership: Finding bespoke healthcare solutions to suit you

“We’ve worked with BAR for over seven years and have been an Affiliate for the last couple of years,” Richard Gould (pictured), Business Development Manager at PHP, says. “We offer BAR Members a wide range of employee benefits including, medical and dental insurance, occupational health services, cash plans, and health screening.

Our services are designed to keep your staff fit and healthy and can reduce workplace absence. All BAR Members are entitled to a free healthcare review. Where PHP engage with a BAR member we do so to enhance the level of service to Members and achieve cost savings for the company. PHP already works with large removals companies such as Interdean and Premier Moves, but also provides services to small and medium-sized BAR Members.

For us, the customer relationship is the most important thing. Every customer is different with their own demands and needs, and we pride ourselves in making sure we find a solution that meets these

individual requirements. One advantage of working with PHP is that we make available to BAR Members products and services which are not available in the open market, creating bespoke products and services to suit you, your family, and your employees.”

Introduction of new screening programmesIn the last five years, PHP has expanded its portfolio of services to include such products as occupational health, absence management and health screening.

“It costs a lot less to put the right prevention programme in place, making

sure that your staff are fit enough for removals work

than it does to pay out if someone ends up being off work

for three months,” Richard says. PHP has recently launched a

health screening programme that will enable removal companies to screen

employees on site. This will typically reduce the cost by half of that what it would cost if the same

screens were conducted at a private clinic. In the current economic climate it is paramount that the benefits not only support the employee but help the business too. Health and well-being

services may reduce workplace absence, contribute to an employer’s duty of care, improve return to work efficiency for long term absence and prove to be an excellent staff retention and recruitment tool. “With an in-depth knowledge of private medical insurance and other health related products, we pride ourselves in sourcing the best overall scheme suitable for your specific needs and requirements.”

BAR Affiliate, The Private Health Partnership (PHP) has been assisting clients with the purchase of health and well-being products and services since 1989. They specialise in working with trade associations and membership-based organisations and currently arrange the healthcare for the members of over 40 trade associations throughout the UK.

Richard GouldTel: 01274 588862Email: [email protected]

The Private Health Partnership

We offer BAR Members a wide range of employee benefits including, medical and dental insurance, occupational health services, cash plans, and health screening.

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BAR News

Removals & Storage August 2012

BOARD, COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS 2012

Board of DirectorsDecember 5

National CouncilOctober 9 2012

Overseas Group CouncilOctober 3 2012

CMG CouncilOctober 11 2012

BAR AREA MEETINGS 2012

East Anglia AreaContact: Gary Beattie01767 [email protected] 11

East Met AreaContact: Paul Freeman0800 [email protected]

East Midlands AreaContact: Andy Wade01476 [email protected]

Kent AreaContact: Tom Bourne01797 [email protected]

New Met AreaContact: Julie Thompson01932 [email protected] 12 2013 - AGMNovotel Hotel, Heathrow

Northern AreaContact: Alan Hoggin0191 [email protected] 19

Do you have any Diary Dates?E-mail them to: [email protected]

Diary Dates

To view diary dates/events, please log into ‘MyBAR’ and click on the Calendar/Events and BAR Calendar tabs where you can view full details including time, date, location and agendas (when available).

To view area minutes, please log into ‘MyBAR’ and click on the BAR Areas tab and then one of the 16 areas listed. Minutes from past 2012 area meetings can be viewed and downloaded (where available).

North West AreaContact: Annette Harris0161 [email protected] 07 - Manchester Ship Canal

Northern Ireland Area Contact: Dominic Murray02890 [email protected]

Scotland Area Contact: Georgina Berry0151 [email protected] 11 - Hilcroft HotelLunch - 12.30pmMeeting -13.00pm

Southern AreaContact: Peter Doman01372 [email protected]

South Wales AreaContact: Andrew Robbins01792 [email protected] South Western AreaContact: Sue Christophers01637 [email protected] 18 - The Ley ArmsDevon, EX6 PUWMeeting -14.00pm

Sussex AreaContact: Miranda Hyder01342 [email protected]

Western AreaContact: Ria Russell01278 [email protected] 04 - Brent KnollSomerset, TA9 4HL

West Midlands AreaContact: Sarah Pargeter01384 [email protected] 17

Yorkshire AreaContact: Graham Puddephatt0845 [email protected] 20 - Boothferry Golf Club

Goole, East Yorkshire DN12 7NG

Diary Dates

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Industry NewsIndustry News

54 Removals & Storage August 2012

People News

Harrow Green appoints Andy Crawford for North-EastHarrow Green has made a major move with the appointment of Andy Crawford as Commercial Manager for Yorkshire and the North East.

Andy will be based at the company’s regional centre in Leeds. He will be responsible for a team of over 40 people as well as all areas of branch management including sales, operations, service delivery and administration. He will be tasked with full profit & loss accountability, growing the customer base and developing new opportunities.

He has joined Harrow Green from Crown where he spent four years a senior business services manager responsible for the management of commercial relocation services, new business and corporate accounts.

He also managed new product development and marketing. Earlier in his career he worked for Pickfords, Business Moves Group and MJF. Andy Crawford, Harrow Green

Hamiltons’ ladies mean business!

Ladies Day sales seminar for Hamiltons RemovalsLeave it to the women in your companies to sort out staff motivation! Megan Lyones, PA to Hamiltons Removals’ Managing Director Michael Sawyer, was recently charged with the task of arranging a sales seminar.

Megan cleverly chose Ascot on Ladies Day – a great opportunity for everyone to get dressed up and in the mood for power selling.

As you can see from the picture, apparently an enjoyable, profitable and stimulating day was had by all!

So much so, that Megan has recommended this should be an annual event as it had been clearly good for morale to ensure sales targets would now be met in future.

Do you have any news to share with R&S readers?

Send to: [email protected]

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August 2012 Removals & Storage 55

For any FREE* independent insurance, financial or legal advice, please contact a BAR Professional Adviser partner.

Financial Legal

Insurance

Basil Fry & Co Ltd

Tel: 01372 385 985Email: [email protected]

Website: www.basilfry.co.uk

Reason Global Insurance

Tel: 01273 739961Email: [email protected]

Website: www.reason-global.com

Wellers

Tel: 0207 630 6665Email: [email protected]

Website: www.wellersaccountants.co.uk

Backhouse Jones Solicitors

Tel: 01254 828 300Email: [email protected]

Website: www.backhousejones.co.uk

in association with

The Professional Advisers Panel is a brand new

initiative specifically designed to offer members

extended support across every aspect of their business.

This is a development of our highly successful Insurance

Broker Panel scheme whereby BAR members receive

unlimited support, guidance and advice from qualified

specialist companies within the UK. We are constantly

looking at ways to support our members’ businesses;

therefore, if this initiative proves to be a success, we

will develop the Professional Advisers Panel even further

into other relevant areas such as Health & Safety and

Environmental services.

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Trade Services

Applications:BAR has received the following applications for:

National & European Group

Destination Services International LtdDanzas HouseKestrel WayDawley ParkHayesMiddlesexUB3 1HJWeb: www.dsi-international.com

Galleon International Shipping Company LtdGalleon HouseKerry AvenuePurfleet Industrial ParkAveleyEssexRM15 4YAWeb: www.galleon-ltd.com

Greenwood Removals & StorageBourneviewMimbridge Garden EstateChobhamSurreyGU24 8ARWeb: www.alangreenwoodremovals.com

Swifts Removals and ATNs Ray Kirkham Removals and Chester & Wirral RemovalsUnit 4 Rhosddu Industrial EstateRhosdduWrexhamLL11 4YLWeb: www.swiftsremovals.co.uk

The Wright Removal CompanyCornish Way SouthGalmington Trading EstateTauntonSomersetTA1 5NQWeb: www.thewrightremovalcompany.co.uk

International Associate

FlatRate International 27 Bruckner BlvdNew York, New York10454Web: www.flatrate.com

Starline Overseas Moving15305 – 128 AvenueEdmonton ABT5V 1A5Canada Web: www.starlineoverseas.com

Change of Name:

Asian Tigers K C Dat (S) Pte Ltd has changed its name to Asian Tigers MobilityMemb No: D301

Nazha & Darwish has changed its name to Darwish LogisticsMemb No: N401

Young European Ltd has changed its name to Dennis’s Removals LtdMemb No: Y004

Resignations:BAR is sorry to lose the membership of the following companies whilst thanking them for their support:

National & European Group and Overseas Group

Kelly’s International LtdMemb No: K002

National & European Group

G E Johnson & Son (Shaftesbury) LtdMemb No: J008

Palmers of Windsor & MaidenheadMemb No: P005

National Affiliate

Cobia LtdMemb No: C962

Overseas Group

Barnes of Lincoln LtdMemb No: B011

Additional Trading Names

Blood Removals and Bishop’s Move East Midlands ATNs of Ballards Removals LtdMemb No: R023

Dennis’s Removals & Storage an ATN of Dennis’s Removals LtdMemb No: Y004

Milwards Removals & Storage an ATN of Maidman’s Removals & StorageMemb No: M018

Moon Removals an ATN of W Southerington & Son Ltd Memb No: S045

Simply Ship Plymouth an ATN of Hackworthy & Sons LtdMemb No: H002

Simply Ship Preston an ATN of Movers International (Europe) LtdMemb No: M095

Simplyship of Sheffield an ATN of Specialised MoversMemb No: S051

International Associate

Baillie Moving Systems LtdMemb No: B408

North International SrlMemb No: N305

Terminations:BAR is sorry to lose the membership of the following companies whilst thanking them for their support:

National Affiliate

Alchemy Recruitment LtdMemb No: A909

Red Recruitment LtdMemb No: R924

BAR Memberships August 2012

Memberships

Any Member wishing to make any comment regarding an application should do so in writing to BAR Head Office within 21 days of receipt of this notification. Details of membership applications in process may also be found on the BAR website: www.bar.co.uk

Do you have any news to share with R&S readers?Send to: [email protected]

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Trade Services

Ireland

Scotland/Europe

Isle of Man

Scotland and Islands

SHETLAND ISLESIAN F REID

Removals & StorageUnits 5&6, Lower Blackhill Ind. Estate, Lerwick, ZE1 ODG

Regular nationwide serviceTel: 01595 696268 • Fax: 01595 693515

Email: [email protected]

EASYMOVES

YOUR MOVE IN SAFE HANDS

Weekly Service between Ireland and UK & UK and Ireland Part Load Specilaists with Competitive rates and fastest times available

Tel:00353 9066 23457 or Freephone UK on 0800 3284984 or Ireland on 1850 35 75 75 Email:[email protected] No:E309

Channel Islands

France

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Trade Services

Weekly Groupage Service Full origin and destination services available.

German speaking staff

WH HUMPHREY & SON LTD

Contact Darrel or JustinTel: 0208 144 0734 • Fax: 0844 770 7111Email: [email protected]

Germany and Austria

Switzerland

Italy

• Regular runs to all areas • Full or part loads • Receiving depot 10mins from M25 J5 ...or we collect• All deliveries and collections carried out by our own crewsPhone Paul for advice and genuine delivery/collection [email protected]

TRADE ROUTES

TO ITALYFRANCE-AND OF

COURSE 01732 358900 ‘WHEN SERVICE MATTERS’EN ROUTE

Austria

Europe

GREECEby Road

&ITALYENROUTE

• 7day transit time

• Twice-monthly departures

• BritishCrews & ProfessionalService

• Highlyrecommended in Greece

00441733311561 | [email protected]

www.nomad-international.com

Greece

We offer Trade storage at competitive rates. Undercover Loading & Unloading Flexible hours

£6.00 p/w no handling charge

www.trekremovals.com [email protected]: 0800 1389242 or 01708 552981

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Trade Services

Europe

Spain

UK Office: 01843 585055, [email protected] Office: 0034 971 693566, [email protected] website: www.william-worldwide-webb.com

Weekly Scheduled Service, Containerised Storage DepotsHolder of Spanish Transport Licence

for our Tranship vehiclesUnrivaled Infrastructure in Mallorca, Menorca & Ibiza Excellent Rates, Payment in Euros or GBP accepted

Purely The Balearics, No Bull! WEEKLY

REGULAR

MALLORCAMENORCAMAINLAND

SPAINFRANCE

IBIZAPORTUGAL

CYPRUSNORWAY

Memb No: W001

TEL: 01202 576514FAX: 01202 574011

[email protected] www.whitesmovingandstorage.com

France - Spain - Portugal - ItalyWeekly Service for the Trade. Call now for best rates

Depots in Preston, Chester, Alicante, Malaga

PRESTON 01772 651570Email: [email protected] Web: www.moversint.co.uk

Cyprus and Malta

Cyprus

Scandinavia

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Germany India

China

Singapore

Qatar

Web Banner Offer for Display AdvertisingAdvertise in Display for 5 or more issues of Removals & Storage magazine and get a free static banner on the BAR website with a direct link to your own website.

Call Sandra on 0117 957 5400 for details

South Africa

United Arab Emirates

Caribbean

Israel

This space is available from just

£85 per month

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LOCAL MOVING • WORLDWIDE SHIPPINGWEEKLY EUROPEAN SERVICE

Recommended by the worlds finest piano manufacturers,auctioneers, music colleges & academies.

A family run business, Est. in 1968.

THE PIANOSPECIALISTS

Mem. No G005

100 BOLLO LANE, CHISWICK, LONDON W4 5LXTel: +44 (0) 20 8994 9733 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8995 0855Email: [email protected] www.gandrremovals.co.uk

G&R Advert 60x60mm:Layout 1 20/10/08 16

NO NEED TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE FOR YOUR TRAININGOPERATIVE TRAINING THAT COMES TO YOUR FRONT DOORPACKING • MANUAL HANDLING • EXPORT WRAPPINGVEHICLE LOADING • CONTAINER LOADING

REMOVAL SPECIFIC HEALTH & SAFETY TRAINING ON SITEHEALTH & SAFETY POLICIES • HEALTH & SAFETY ASSESSMENT • ACCIDENT CONTROL • FIRST AIDRISK ASSESSMENT • HSE COMPLIANCE

Call BARTS on 01923 699484 or email [email protected]

Trade StoragePiano SpecialistsTraining

Trailer Hire Warehouse Containers Space to Hire

This space is available from just

£33 per month

Space to Hire

This space is available from just

£33 per month

Worldwide

BOOK A DISPLAY ADVERT 1/4 Page from just

£270+VAT

1/2 Page from just £435+VAT

Full Page from just £710+VAT

PER ISSUE

PER ISSUE

PER ISSUE

0117 957 5400or email: [email protected]

call Sandra Zealand on:

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Classifieds

Removals & Storage August 2012

Purpose Built Removals Depot in Wheatley, nr Oxford.

22,000 sq ft. 4 container high. Secure Yard. Diesel tank.£5 per sq ft pa rental or £1.25m freehold.

Please contact 07933 123 123

Are You Looking To Sell?We are looking to buy good quality household moving

and storage companies in London and the home counties.Please call 07933 123 123 in full confidence

for a quick decision.

Opportunities

For Sale

For Sale

Removals, Storage & Shipping Business for Sale (West London based) Fantastic opportunity to acquire a well established business.Specializes in Domestic, Overseas & car shipping world wideExcellent staff, 6 vehicles, good storage revenue, turnover in excess of £850k/pa Sale due to moving abroad. Contact: 079 0934 8328

Do you have any news to share with R&S readers?Send to: [email protected]

We have now been running R&S Magazine for just over one year and we know some of you, but not all of you!

Please let us know if you are not receiving and want to receive our monthly email reminders for submitting ideas, news, comments and events to include in future issues of the magazine, and the deadlines for submissions.

While we cannot promise to publish all your news and information, it does help if submissions are received within the copy deadlines.

Please also send us your feedback on the content of the magazine and your ideas for new regular sections or other improvements made.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon. The Editorial Team at R&S E: [email protected] T: 020 3235 1806

If you have any news or comments about your business, the economy, and the industry in general, please send in your information, letters or articles.

It’s your magazine!

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MGA

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