Tees Business #4 | Page 6

6 | Tees Business / ADVICE Matt Parsons – brought positive news to meeting of the Teesside Engineering Network. TIME FOR A REVIEW? Every business’s finance requirements are different. From card payments to overdrafts, from property loans to asset finance, from factoring to stocking loans, the list is endless. Each element is as important as the other. The high street banks offer all of the above and more, working as a ‘onestop-shop’ for business owners. This is a simple solution that is effective and certainly saves time. Researching the hundreds of available financial options in the market takes time and expertise, but there are lenders out there who offer specialist and bespoke solutions in each aspect of finance. The difference is that these lenders are usually the most effective and economic solution for business owners. Specialist lenders can add value and knowledge to a growing business, coupled with market leading rates, arrangement fees and may even allow an enhanced facility or more competitive rates. These lenders ‘could’ give your business the competitive edge you have been looking for, as many have clever and innovate systems and processes. Why not get your financial director or commercial finance expert to have a fuller review of the financial products that you use? Your lender might be the most suitable, it may be that there are more economic solutions for you elsewhere that could offer an understanding ear. Either way, it is always wise to review your financial facilities on a regular basis, the finance market is ever emerging and it costs nothing to check. I hope you find this useful. Mike Coates Commercial Expert Ltd [email protected] Send us your advice columns and we’ll consider them for Tees Business and our weekly e-news bulletin. Email [email protected] T YOU CAN BE PART OF £2 BILLION PROJECT! eesside businesses can now express their interest in being part of the supply chain for the £2 billion York Potash Project that will get underway in 2016. The scheme, that will feature a 23-mile tunnel between the mine at Whitby and processing plant at Wilton, will create more than 2,000 local jobs, with up to 300 people directly employed on Teesside. The world’s largest of its type, the mine will produce up to 20 million tonnes of polyhalite at full production. In an exclusive Video Interview with Tees Business, Matt Parsons, general manager external affairs for the project’s owner, Sirius Minerals, told us: “We’re committed to using local suppliers, wherever it’s practical to do so. “We’re also ensuring that our principle contractors are aware of those commitments, and in turn they will be expected to hold meet-the-buyer events and to source local suppliers where it’s possible to do so. “Once they understand the market and the nature of the businesses that are in the area, I think they will want to use them.” The mined mineral will be transported T underground in a tunnel from a mine head at Whitby to a materials handling facility at Wilton, near Redcar. Production will initially reach 10 million tonnes per year, a figure that will eventually double to make the massive project the world’s largest producing potash mine. Sirius Minerals aim to have finance in place for the project during the first quarter of 2016, with construction planned to begin midway through the year. Speaking at a meeting of the Teesside Engineering Network (TEN), Parsons added: “We’re forecasting that there’ll be at least a thousand people directly employed by us. That will include around 700 at the mine and around 250-300 at the Teesside site. “We’re committed to employing at least 80% of the workforce from the local area, and as part of our Section 106 Agreement we’re committed to training more than 300 local people, including 50 apprentices, and putting young people through university. “We’re entirely comfortable that we’ll be able to achieve those targets.” Businesses interested in being part of the supply chain can register their interest at www.yorkpotash.co.uk Uni building gets £6m upgrade eesside University’s Orion building has been completely transformed with a multi-million pound investment to develop the scientists and engineers of the future. The £6m project has seen a major refurbishment of the building and laboratories, together with the latest industry standard e