THE FIRST WORD


W


e’ve all seen the gloomy headlines about people’s livelihoods being destroyed by the pandemic, with the health tragedies of the past 15 months accompanied by unemployment heartbreak.


But for all the jobs being lost in our towns and cities as the likes of Debenhams and Arcadia


collapse, while Boots and plenty of others cut back, many vacancies have been opening up in logistics parks along the M1 and surrounding the airport. It’s not just warehouse operatives they’re looking for but people in finance, IT, marketing,


operations and HR. In fact, those on the shop floor might not even have to approach a shelf as robots will do the job for them, such is the hi-tech nature of these workplaces. They’re household names, too – Amazon, M&S and Nestle are among the brands whose


slick operations are made possible by the thousands of people working at these sites in our region. And yet it feels like the logistics industry is still a hard sell. Outside perceptions remain


stuck in the past, even though the digital skills it needs are very much the future. That’s why we’ve dedicated the June edition of Business Network to this increasingly vital


part of the East Midlands economy, in the hope of demystifying it – to borrow a phrase used by the subject of our big interview Peter Bardens (p22). He occupies a senior role at DHL Express’ East Midlands Airport hub, which many may not


be aware is the courier giant’s main UK base and one of its largest in Europe with 3,000 people, and discusses why the region is so important to the company. DHL delivery drivers on our doorsteps have been one of the most visible signs of e-


commerce growth during the pandemic and there’s little prospect of this slowing down post- Covid, as we explore in the focus feature (p52) along with the skills, planning and sustainability challenges faced by the industry. Elsewhere in this edition, we look at how to make construction greener (p40), the


exporting challenges faced by food and drink companies (p42), and the opportunity for a “Midlands as a factory” concept by creating an end-to-end regional supply chain (p44). This all feeds into the Chamber’s belief that the East Midlands can be a national and


international centre of trade – at the cutting edge of a new sustainable approach to how we make, move and innovate.


Dan Robinson, Editor, Business Network


CONTENTS JUNE 2021


NEWS UPDATE 4 MEMBER NEWS Amazon to bring jobs boost to the region


20 APPOINTMENTS Housing association team expansion to deliver 700 homes


THE BIG INTERVIEW 22 Peter Bardens, vice-president of UK hubs for DHL Express


26 PATRONS How the pandemic has changed living spaces


28 CHAMBER NEWS Reaction to Queen's Speech legislative agenda and hospitality reopening


SUSTAINABLE EAST MIDLANDS 40 Building back greener in construction


INTERNATIONAL TRADE 42 Exporting food and drink after Brexit


POLITICS 44 Can the region’s manufacturers work as one?


FEATURES


47 BUSINESS CRIME & PROTECTION How can businesses stay safe?


50 Defence in breadth rather than depth


52 FOCUS FEATURE Logistics in the East Midlands


57 CHARITABLE CAUSES, PROMOTION & PARTNERSHIP Making charitable giving a habit


60 Why should daily physical activity be on the menu for every child?


TRAINING & EVENTS 62 Stepping up as a leader in challenging times


DIGITAL & TECHNOLOGY 64 Google’s page experience update explained


Editor Dan Robinson T: 07764 431028 E: dan.robinson@emc-dnl.co.uk


Contributor Jasmine Thompson


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BUSINESS NETWORK is produced on behalf of East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) by Kemps Publishing Ltd and is distributed to members without charge. The Chamber and the publisher are committed to achieving the highest quality standards. While every care has been taken to ensure that the information it contains is accurate, neither the Chamber nor the publisher can accept any responsibility for any omission or inaccuracies that might arise. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Chamber. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format without prior written permission of Kemps Publishing Ltd.


BUSINESS SUPPORT 68 LEGAL Employees heading overseas: What you need to know


70 FINANCE Do you need cyber security insurance?


72 SKILLS How the pandemic has transformed academies’ finances


74 PROPERTY New Government hub in Nottingham completed


76 MOTORING Nick Jones tests the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio


77 INFORMATION Why we need more elephants in sales


COMMENT 78 THE LAST WORD Chamber president Eileen Richards MBE on forging an identity for East Midlands business


business network June 2021 3


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