Thanet & East Kent Chamber of Commerce

1. Edinburgh in 80 Minutes

Kent International Airport at Manston has begun its much heralded expansion of passenger services with the announcement of flights to Edinburgh. In writing to the Chamber, the airport informed us that the tickets are now available for travel from 27th May this year at www.flybe.com at a price of £24.99 including taxes and charges.  A quick check on the rail fare to Edinburgh from Ramsgate departing on Tuesday morning at 0656 hrs revealed that a single standard seat costs £158.50 and the journey takes 6 hours and 41 minutes - and that is using the new High Speed service to London. The Flybe service promises a mere 80-minute flight on its fuel efficient 78-seat Bombardier Q-400 turboprop aircraft which will depart Manston at 1245 hrs from Sunday to Friday and at 1645 hrs on Saturdays. The launch has already stimulated new business. The Thanet & East Chamber is liaising with one local company about to sign a lucrative contract with its Edinburgh counterpart. This is great news for the East Kent coastal business community we represent. Congratulations to KIA and Flybe and MORE OF THE SAME PLEASE SIR.



2. Approaching Centenary

This is the 96th edition of the Thanet & East Kent Insider. The weekly bulletin has a growing readership of key decision-makers across Kent. Contributions from Chamber members are essential if we are to ensure that we meet the needs and interests of the East Kent coastal business community. In our 100th edition, we would like to feature some of your comments on the publication. If you have found any articles to be to your taste or have enjoyed any particular aspect of the bulletin, do let us know. We will not be annoyed at receiving frank criticism nor be embarrassed by effusive praise. We just want to know what you think so that we can serve you better.   



3. Margate in Focus

Last Thursday evening, Margate Town Partnership (MTP) celebrated its newly reconstituted board with an evening meeting in Margate Town Hall. Under the austere gaze of robed Margate Mayors of the past displayed in profusion on the walls, the invited guests gave voice to a deep-seated passion to see Margate flourish. The dynamic new Chairman, Terry Painter, orchestrated the meeting with his customary flair and ensured that all those present were included in his vision for a strong commercial future for the town. Fundamental differences in national politics were set aside in a shared enthusiasm to work together on local regeneration. Labour stalwart and board member of the Margate Old Town Action Group, Cllr Irish Johnson, joined forces with the Conservative Deputy Mayor of Margate, Cllr Mike Tomlinson, in promoting an agenda of responsible change. Lucy Tuson, Thanet District Council’s Economic Development Officer, was the main speaker and gave a succinct account of the Shop Local First Initiative targeted at retailers in Birchington, Broadstairs, Margate, Northdown Road and Ramsgate. Thanet & East Kent Chamber members John Harrison and Frank Thorley gave particularly lucid accounts of their own determination to raise income levels in Margate with property very much at the centre of the agenda. Rebecca Smith of Chamber member Thanet Gazette took careful note of the positive stories and the £2,500 available to prospective retailers willing to move into an empty shop in Margate or Ramsgate. The Turner Contemporary was well represented. There was unanimous agreement that the establishment of this world-class facility on Margate’s seafront will raise the quality threshold for all local traders seeking to benefit from the well-heeled visitors attracted by the £17.4m gallery.



4. Thanet Earth

The Thanet & East Kent Chamber hosted a well-attended presentation on Thanet Earth last year and these pages regularly chart the company’s progress. If world-class developments are a theme this week, then we must turn our attention again to this triumphant example of green science in action at the cutting-edge of hydroponics which expects to deliver 15% of the UK’s supply of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. An investment of over £80m is a wonderfully welcome addition to our local economy. Fresca provided 50% of the capital and three salad growing companies furnished the other half; Kaaij Greenhouses UK Ltd, Rainbow Growers and A&A. Newly installed Managing Director, Ian Craig, is looking forward to expanding the business. He brings with him extensive experience of senior decision-making roles in the fresh produce industry. In a letter to the Thanet & East Kent Chamber, Ian acknowledges the solid progress made in the last three years and relishes the challenge of bringing the company ‘to the next level of maturity and success’. With a strong and established management team in support, Ian is confident of building on the excellent platform provided by his predecessor, Steve McVickers. This Chamber thanks Steve for his first class backing and understanding of local businesses and looks forward to working with Ian in continuing the remarkable story of this world class business that has revolutionised greenhouse food production in the UK.



5. Predict & Prevent - Again

Chamber member, Jon Cleverdon of Jon Cleverdon Chartered Accountants tel: 01843 866599, publishes an excellent guide to help companies prepare for changes in legislation relating to accounting practices. With perhaps an acknowledgment of the rich maritime history of the East Kent coastal business community, he writes, ‘A sailor without a destination cannot hope for a favourable wind’. Jon recommends that every company should have a clear idea of its Key Performance Indicators and where it should be a year from now. In other words, if you do not know where you are going, you will never arrive where you should be. Jon also provides some helpful tips on how to generate new business from social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and My Space and offers some recommendations for ‘Useful IT Tools For 2010’. His list includes www.printanywhere.comwhich allows you print your documents on a remote printer anywhere in the world;  www.crossloop.comwhich connects computer screens for training and support; www.zhornsoftware.co.uk/stickies which offers electronic ‘post it notes’ and www.smart-survey.co.uk which allows you to offer satisfaction feedback and information request forms over the web. If you have ever wondered if the email you sent was ever read, check out the site at www.msgtag.com which allows you to deliver emails and not just send them. If you download the free software, you can arrange to receive an automatic acknowledgement when an email you send is opened.  This is all clever stuff which was not possible in the days of quill pens and leather-bound ledgers.



6. Monster Graphics

‘Making it big’ may be the dream of every start-up company but it is a daily occurrence at Monster Graphics, tel: 01843 853311. Specialists in producing large format designs, this Ramsgate company lives up to its name with a wide range of services for those advertising opportunities that require something to stand out from the crowd. Full colour reinforced PVC banners that resist the weather and displays for hoardings are all in the catalogue of products available from Damien and Chrissy Clarke. Add to these, roller banners, magnetic signs, digital wallpaper, textile flags and a 30ft x 10ft sign for that roadside splash and you can see why companies from as far away as Barcelona come to Ramsgate for their monster printing needs. With a minimum order value of £35 plus VAT and delivery, Chrissy and Damien are confident of meeting the needs of local companies looking for a quality solution at a reasonable price. We have also recorded excellent feedback from the following printers and signmakers able and willing to provide a level of service that only successful customer-focused traders can provide: Alphabet Signs of Cliftonville tel: 01843 229891; Framework Displays of Hersden tel: 01227 714830; Lanes of Broadstairs tel: 01843 861314; Oyster Press of Whitstable tel: 01227 772605; Seaward Color Copy of St Peters tel: 01843 602557; Sharp Printing Services of Broadstairs tel: 01843 600123 and Thanet Plastics of Ramsgate tel: 01843 590950.



7. Windfarm Benefits

The Thanet & East Kent Chamber is in discussions with the Windfarm operators to ensure that local companies receive the maximum benefits from the investment in East Kent. With a £2.5bn price tag on the London Array, companies of all sizes in East Kent will be looking to see if their products and services can interest the key buyers at E.On, Danish Oil & Natural Gas and Masdar. Following a series of meetings in Ramsgate and in London, the Thanet & East Kent Chamber will be working closely with the London Array on a Meet The Buyer event in April. Read your Thanet & East Kent Insider for details.



8. Art and Football Meet at La Loge

When managers speak to the press after a high profile game, their eloquence is sometimes in question. There was a marked improvement when some foreign managers arrived at our top clubs. Arsène Wenger is more likely to say, “There was Cartesian dualism evident in the concomitant mental acuity and physical ambition of the player” whereas Harry Redknap might content himself with “The boy done good”. Widely accepted as ‘the best manager England never had’, Brian Clough often expressed the simple truth in football. When the Swede, Sven Goran Eriksson was appointed England coach, Cloughie said, "At last they have appointed a manager who speaks English better than the players." A creative centre forward, manager and raconteur, even Cloughie could never be described as bringing fine art to football. However, there may be an exception. Between appointments in London last week, the editor of the Thanet & East Kent Insider called in at the Courtauld Institute to see the Impressionists, not Rory Bremner, John Culshaw and Harry Enfield, but the French painters. Among the ‘Loads of Monet’ is an undoubted star of the collection, a painting by Renoir, La Loge, known in English as “The Theatre Box”. Created in 1874 for the world’s first Impressionist exhibition, it is remarkable to note that this is a picture which speaks with a Geordie accent. The canny lass in the foreground is surely wearing a Newcastle United shirt. Judge for yourself in the image below… and isn’t that a young Jimmy Hill with the opera glasses? The art of football indeed.

A Box in Paris or at St James’ Park ?

9. Our Sponsors

The Thanet & East Kent Insider is grateful for the support and sponsorship provided by Girlings, Express By Holiday Inn and Adecco. Girlings Solicitors has been managing the managing the legal affairs of commercial and private clients for over a century. Twenty-six partners and one hundred and twenty members of staff ensure a comprehensive range of services from the local offices in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, Herne Bay and Margate. Offices in France and Spain complement specialist departments for charities, individuals and companies. For details, telephone 01843 220274. Express By Holiday took on the daunting task of restoring the former Prospect Inn at Minster. The result is a spectacular hotel that combines the best of Oliver Hill’s 1930s design with ultra modern facilities and technological support. Conveniently located for business guests and holiday makers in East Kent, the meeting rooms and 105 bedrooms are available at competitive prices throughout the year. For details, telephone 01843 820250. Adecco is the world’ s largest HR solutions company offering a comprehensive service of temporary and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outsourcing, outplacement, career services, training and consulting. Officially designated as a 2009 British Superbrand, Adecco is represented in Thanet and Dover by its Broadstairs office, tel: 01843 609292.