Business suprises with resilience UK business is showing surprising resilience in the face of ongoing turbulence in the financial markets, according to a report from BDO Stoy Hayward. An index based on the firm’s monthly ‘poll of business polls’ report, which measures UK business confidence, rose from 99.4 in February to 99.9 in March; a significant turnaround  following five consecutive declines which indicates that UK growth will only dip marginally below trend rate of 2.5 per cent in the next quarter. Expectations for growth two quarters ahead also strengthened although the firm’s inflation index rose to a record high. Gary Ives, lead partner at BDO Stoy Hayward LLP in the eastern region, said: “Today’s report suggests UK business, with the exception of the housing and finance sectors, remains robust and reasonably confident both in the short and medium term which is an encouraging sign for the economy.”   Gt Yarmouth telecoms investment Business Telecom, a provider of telephone systems for SMEs, has opened a new hq in Great Yarmouth where it plans to increase its workforce from 60 to 240 over the next three years. Founded in 1999, Business Telecom has invested £1m in the move and now has 12,000 sq ft of floor space in which to expand. Chairman Chris Fox said: “We have a very strong skills base on which to expand the business nationally through acquisition and organic growth, and this means we can offer terrific career opportunities for people in and around the town.” Opening the firm’s call centre and offices at Southtown Rd., the town’s MP Tony Wright said “I’ve had the opportunity to visit call centres in India but they cannot compare with the level of skill and expertise we offer in this country. It’s a growth industry and it’s vitally important to have one in Great Yarmouth.” Photo:Tony Wright MP (front left) with (l to r)) general manager Carolyn McDonald, directors Theresa and Chris Fox, staff and invited guests. Manufacturing 'cool' The new chief executive officer of EEF has told an audience near Ipswich that part of his mission is to make manufacturing “cool”- by engaging with schools and teachers to show what an exciting business it can be. Speaking to EEF East Anglia member companies at Seckford Hall, Gilbert Topping, criticised a culture of negativity that had resulted in a loss of confidence, and extolled the positive aspects of UK manufacturing. “Now is a great moment for manufacturers. Instead of looking at  industry in terms of jobs lost, or as a declining percentage of GDP, we should be celebrating what is a resilient, responsive, energetic and growing sector, “ he said.

Work is set to start on Glasswells’ new 73,000 sq ft, £5 million, furniture showroom on Ipswich’s Orwell Retail Park. Paul Glasswell, managing director of the furnishing retailer, has handed over to the site to contractors, Barnes Construction. When completed the two-floor glass fronted showroom will be four times the size of its existing store in Martlesham Heath and create 70 new jobs in the town. Photo (l to r)  left to right: Chris Bruce, divisional pre-contracts director for Barnes Construction, Paul Lambert, Colin Lockwood, Paul Hutton, all of Barnes Construction, then Paul Glasswell, managing director of Glasswells.

Work has started on the extension to the South Rail Terminal at the Port of Felixstowe. The terminal is being extended by 39 metres on all three lines, to accommodate 22 wagon trains, as opposed to the current 20 wagon trains, increasing train volume capacity by 10 per cent, equivalent to 16,500 TEUs per annum. These works are due for completion in May, before the delivery of a new rail-mounted gantry crane for the terminal, from Zhenhua Port Machinery Company in China. Chris Lewis, chief executive officer of Hutchison Ports (UK), owner of the port , said “We are committed to increasing the share of freight transported by rail through the Port, and the current undertakings will improve speed, reliability and service integrity for rail customers.”   The largest vessel in the privately owned Turkish shipping line, Turkon Line fleet made its inaugural call at the Port of Felixstowe on 29 March. The 1,900-TEU Mukaddes Kalkavan, is a 149m-long vessel which is the first of four increased-capacity Turkon vessels due to be in service by the end of the year. The new service will operate between the Turkish ports of Istanbul, Gemlik and Izmir, calling at Genoa, Marseilles and Barcelona on its way to Felixstowe. New research from Business Link shows that more than a quarter of businesses in the East of England are failing to seek professional advice to ensure they comply with current legislation. Almost one in five had not heard of the new Corporate Manslaughter Act and only 40% of businesses in the region were fully aware of its implications. http://www.buisnesslink.gov.uk/east and click on ‘Your type of business’. Acas, the employment relations service has launched a new guide, to help businesses promote and manage a healthy workplace. Recent statistics show that 182,000 people in the East of England suffered from an illness which they believed was caused or made worse by their work. Available at www.acas.org.uk ‘Health, work and wellbeing in the workplace’ offers valuable and free advice to businesses, HR managers, and employees. Savills Ipswich has appointed Philip Bird to its commercial team. Philip joins Chris Moody and Tony Box to help underpin the office’s growing department. He moves to Savills as a commercial negotiator from Welcome Finance where  he became  fully FSA trained. Kestrel Timber Frame - the Market Deeping, Lincs, based manufacturer of timber frames for energy-efficient housing – says it is set to become the region's first company to meet tough new government standards for 'green' buildings; the Code for Sustainable Homes. EACS, the Huntingdon, Cambs-based IT advisor and provider, has been approached by SUPER  AGURI  F1 TEAM to become its official IT partner. EACS systems engineers are responsible for installing and supporting the team’s mobile IT infrastructure during testing and at Grand Prix worldwide. EACS also provides IT support to the SAF1 factory in Oxfordshire. Systems engineers from EACS have travelled with SAF1 to Barcelona for testing and been present during the racing in Melbourne and Malaysia. Mike Dearlove, managing director at EACS, said, "We are pleased that Super Aguri F1 Team has asked us to help them with their IT requirements and look forward to working with them on this exciting project".   Suffolk Chamber and Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce have joined forces to offer a series of business networking events over the coming months. A night at Newmarket Racecourse in May and wine tasting evening at Chilford Hall in June will bring together businesses of all sectors and sizes, bridging the county line to allow Suffolk businesses to enter a new geographical marketplace. To book your place at these events, please contact Rowena on 01473 694 805, or email mailto:rowena@suffolkchamber.co.uk?subject=enquiry%20from%20Business%20in%20East%20Anglia%20eBiz%20newsletter The Centre for Integrated Photonics, an EEDA-owned hi-tech business based in Martlesham, saw around 40 delegates meet to discuss the hurdles restricting fibre-to-the home technology deployment and why the UK is lagging behind other European countries in rolling out a broadband network capable of offering up to 1Gbit/second capacity; a huge increase on existing capacity. They concluded that whilst the technology problems have been solved, there is an uncertainty in the regulatory position causing UK investors to be wary of long term investment. Peterborough-based engineering specialist Peter Brotherhood has delivered a 15 MW steam turbine to a diesel combined cycle power plant at a refinery in Pakistan.  The contract is valued at £2 million. The UK company will install and commission the steam turbine at the refinery. A series of events to highlight the range of venues and facilities on offer in Cambridge is inviting people to take a look at Queen’s College, the Pitt Building (on May 28th) and St John’s College (pictured) on (May 8th). ‘Opendoors’ is being organised by Conference Cambridge as part of its tenth anniversary celebrations. Conference Cambridge is the official, free venue-finding services for The University of Cambridge. 01223 740578 or on http://www.conferencecambridge.com/ Shell Step is inviting businesses in Essex and Suffolk to become involved in its national summer work placement programme which places second or penultimate year undergraduates within small and medium sized businesses during the summer.  Undergraduates undertake a particular project for a company that possibly in an ideal world they would use a consultant for, or time permitting, they would carry out themselves.  Shell Step can provide SME's with an undergraduate committed to giving businesses fast and affordable access to knowledge. Colchester Business Enterprise Agency has appointed Chris Holmes to its board of directors. Mr Holmes retired from the role of senior partner with Essex law firm, Birkett Long Solicitors in 2007 but remains as a consultant. Bob Baggalley, Colbea chief executive, said: “Chris will be a real asset to our board with his knowledge of law, experience in charitable work and local community links, and we are thrilled to welcome him.” 

The Norwich & Peterborough Building Society’s new branch at St Andrews Street, Cambridge was officially opened this week with a giant ribbon cutting ceremony by chief executive, Matthew Bullock. To mark its arrival, N&P; has donated £10,000 to Teenage Cancer Trust’s appeal to raise funds for a specialist 12 bed unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital for young cancer patients.   Simon Osborn has been made a full voting partner at Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP. He joined the Colchester-based law firm last year and is a member of the Law Society Family Panel at Advanced Level, an Accredited Resolution Specialist in Financial Provision and Children, and a trained Collaborative Family Lawyer. Bury St. Edmunds law firm, Gross & Co., has appointed a new partner, Sohan Sidhu in its immigration department. He has been been practising immigration law since 1997 and specialises in all types of UK immigration law, including work permit applications, highly skilled migrant applications, and all types of family and private immigration work. Suffolk-based law firm Attwells Solicitors LLP has opened a new London office on St John’s Wood High Street. Managing partner Nick Attwell said: “Attwells’ background and client relationships are London-based and the St John’s Wood offices provide Attwells with the opportunity to develop these established relationships and share its unique service proposition with new London clients.”