Serving the Teesside Business Community | 75
Pictures by Doug Moody
Speakers - Graeme Parkins (Dyer Engineering), Gill Hall,
Helen Brain (both Square One Law), Justin Musgrove
(Bannatyne Group), Dan Foskett (Createcity Group).
Let’s get digital
Square One Law helps businesses
looking for a digital take-off
T
hree high-profile business leaders from
the region revealed the secrets of their
company’s digital transformations in an
event organised by North East commercial
law firm Square One Law at the Centre for
Process Innovation in Darlington.
Directors from health club specialists
Bannatyne Group, Franks the Flooring
Store and Dyer Engineering gave revealing
insights about their digital journey to an
audience of business representatives from
across the Tees Valley and beyond.
They all operate in different sectors and
have changed from traditional analogue
working to advanced digital processes,
resulting in growth, increased profits and
future proofing their businesses.
Gill Hall, managing partner and head of
the commercial team at Square One Law
said: “The audience of businessmen and
women found it extremely interesting to
hear how they have embraced change,
evolved their operations and grown their
market share.”
The event gave those in attendance an
opportunity to learn from businesses who
have “been there and done it” when it
comes to the potentially challenging journey
from traditional business to embracing the
digital age.
Gill continued: “I think what businesses
can take away is that digital is not just
for technology companies, it's for all
businesses - and it can be used in a
variety of different ways to enhance the
business and to make it stronger and more
profitable.”
Each firm shared how they had
evolved dramatically by embracing digital
technology to expand their operations
and improve their interactions with their
customers.
Justin Musgrove, chief executive of
Bannatyne Group, explained how he
had led the digital transformation of a
group that runs health clubs, spas and
hotels across the country. Founded by
Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne
OBE, Darlington-based Bannatyne Group
is a major national leisure operator with
72 health clubs, 47 spas and four hotels
across the country.
Dan Foskett of the Createcity Group,
which includes Frank’s the Flooring Store
– the North East’s largest independent
flooring store – and Connection Retail
and Flooring Superstore gave insight into
how they have evolved dramatically to
embrace digital technology to expand their
operations alongside their store network.
Digital technology has helped the firm’s
significant expansion since opening its first
store on Stockton’s Portrack Lane in 1996.
Managing director of Dyer Engineering,
Graeme Parkins, discussed how innovation
had ensured the ongoing success and
expansion of the fabrication and machining
business. County Durham-based Dyer
Engineering is leading the way in digital
manufacturing after recently becoming
Host Graham Robb chats to Dan Foskett
about the digital transformation at
Franks the Flooring Store.
the UK Digital Catapult’s first Connected
Factory Demonstrator.
Graeme explained why the demonstrator
is part of the development of the fourth
industrial revolution and its purpose to
explore how digital technologies can
improve operations, productivity and
efficiency and secure the future of the UK’s
manufacturing and engineering sectors.
The fourth speaker was Square One
Law’s commercial partner, Helen Brain,
who explained how the commercial law
firm can support clients on their digital
transformation, adding: “Whether we’re
working for businesses in the digital/IT
or manufacturing sector, we invest time
to understand your business and use our
specialist knowledge to provide insight and
commerciality.”
Businesses are continuously using digital
technologies to improve their productivity
and operations. The digital transformation
process inevitably requires the business to
revisit how it stores, uses and shares data.
Helen, a tech-law specialist, discussed
the legal implications of the use of data
in a digital world including data security,
protection of confidential information and
the use of personal data.
Square One Law works with
entrepreneurs, owner-managed businesses,
high-net-worth individuals, fast-growing
businesses and strong brands, operating
across the whole of the North East region
from its offices in Newcastle and Stockton.