TOM OBBARD
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FTSE 100 MARTIN THOMPSON +33.15 Building for growth Column - Page 7 6782.55
HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015
Sitting comfortably Interview - Page 3
An EXAMINER publication
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS The business NEWSpaper for Kirklees
By HENRYK ZIENTEK Business Reporter henryk.zientek@examiner.co.uk
A firm which has supplied window blinds to customers in North America and the Mediterranean is drawing up plans for further expansion as it marks 10 years in business. Excel Manufacturing Ltd, based at Fieldhouse Business Park in Huddersfield, has embarked on its anniversary year with plans to introduce a new products book to the trade when it takes a stand at the industry’s major show in October at the Ricoh Stadium in Coventry. It follows a year in which the familyowned business lifted sales by 15% and raised profits at a time when the home furnishings market remains tough. The firm was launched in February, 2005, by managing director Stephen Halliwell and son-in-law Nathan Schofield in a 10,000sq ft unit at Fieldhouse Business Park. In 2007, they added
■■ Directors Stephen Halliwell and Nathan Schofield, of Excel Manufacturing Ltd
a mezzanine floor to increase floorspace to 16,000sq ft and in 2010 expanded into the next door unit to take total floorspace to 26,000sq ft. The firm now employs 74 people – most of whom have been with the business for almost 10 years.
Stephen and Nathan are joined in the business by Stephen’s wife Janet and daughter Joanne while other members of the family also work for the firm. Stephen, Nathan and Joanne have many years experience in the industry.
Excel manufacturers all types of blinds, including roller blinds, venetian blinds, pleated blinds and curtains. The firm has about 1,000 trade customer accounts nationwide. It also supplies digital printed blinds for dispatch worldwide. Contracts have included supplying 200 printed venetian blinds featuring images of the Beatles from the 1960s to a department store chain in North America and providing printed blinds for Maltese Airways. Mr Halliwell admitted the recession had affected the business, saying: “We did not grow turnover for three years at one stage, but we grew the bottom line.” But he said: “We increased turnover by 15% last year and improved the bottom line as well. We have three sales managers on the road and we are turning our attention to Scotland next.” He said: “It is not just about making the blinds. It is about developing new systems and looking at how we get the blinds out. “We are constantly changing processes to be more streamlined.”
Network group’s tenacious Terriers create £13m of business A networking group has celebrated its 12th anniversary in style. Terriers is a group of like-minded business people from different sectors formed as part of the Business Networking International (BNI) format of referral-based networking. The group, which held its first meeting in January, 2003 at the George Hotel in Huddersfield, takes only one representative from each profession and has boasted an average of 40 members in recent years. By referring business between members, the group has generated
more than £13m of business during its first 12 years – with 2014 seeing the highest annual total of £2.6m. Mark Sanderson, chief executive of QED Financial Associates Ltd and a founding member of the group, said member firms had flourished despite tough economic times. He said: “Over the past 12 years, we have had some great and dedicated members. I continue to benefit from working with some great businesses, but I also find the group a great source of business and turnover for my firm.”
For an annual fixed fee, we provide businesses with an unlimited HR, Employment Law and Health & Safety support service.
Call us today on 01274 864999 or visit www.howarths-uk.com to see how we can help you.
The Terriers chapter has businesses from sectors including financial services, construction and retail. It meets each Wednesday at Hinchliffe’s Farm Shop in Netherton. Chapter director Ken Pearce said: “Referrals are the best way to generate new business for most businesses. We provide a structured mechanism for businesses to refer business to one another and to use networking and referrals as a strategy to develop their businesses.” The group welcomes visitors. Go ■■ BNI Terriers members at the group’s 6,000th meeting to www.bnionline.co.uk/terriers/
Charity boost
A charity has been given a marketing boost following substantial funding from a Calderdale company. Overgate Hospice at Elland has been able to recruit Sarah Clarkson as marketing and communications co-ordinator following an offer by longtime supporter and Halifax-based caravan and motorhome insurance company Caravan Guard to fund her first year’s salary.
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Making the cut A Huddersfield teenager who has struggled to find permanent work since leaving school three years ago has now got an opportunity to carve out a career for himself. Aiden Fairs, 19, who undertook several temporary jobs since finishing his education, has been recruited by a town centre butcher’s shop.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015 HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
national
Budget airline is flying high after huge revamp Ryanair hiked its profit guidance as boss Michael O’Leary hailed a revamp designed to improve its image and attract business customers. The budget carrier now expects an annual profit of 840-850 million euros (£629-636 million), up from previous guidance of 810-830 million euros (£606-621 million), but cautioned of “modest” growth in the following financial year. Fares would be lower due to the oil price slump, though rivals who had bought less fuel in advance stood to benefit more. Ryanair said net profit for the third quarter to the end of December was 49 million euros (£37 million), up from a loss of 35 million euros (£26 million) in the same period a year before. Investors were rewarded with a 400 million euro (£300 million) share buy-back programme while there will also be a 520 million euro (£390 million) special dividend. But shares, which recently hit an all-time high, fell 3%. Mr O’Leary said: “These strong results confirm that our ‘Always Getting Better’ customer programme and
■■ Ryanair Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary
expanded business schedule, coupled with our substantial fare and cost advantage over competitor airlines is drawing millions of new customers to Ryanair.” The airline said low oil prices would help it shave costs in the current final quarter. Traffic should grow by 25% and average fares fall by 6%-8% as
price cuts are used to help expand the network and boost business schedules. Ryanair said some competitors would be “significant beneficiaries” from the lower oil price as they bought less of their fuel in advance in 2015/16, putting downward pressure on fares. The group said analysts and inves-
BP plan for more cuts in spending BP will heap more pain on the UK oil industry when it reveals plans for billions of pounds of spending cuts due to the collapse in oil prices. The company’s annual results today are expected to show underlying profits slumped by 15% to 11.5 billion US dollars (£7.6 billion), with the plunge in the value of the Russian rouble adding to its difficulties. It is expected to disclose that last year’s spending of 23 billion US dollars (£15.3 billion) on major projects will come down as it joins other industry giants in reacting to the new lower price environment of around 50 US dollars a barrel. The results announcement will be more bad news for the oil industry after the company, which employs 15,000 people in the UK, said last month that it would cut 300 North Sea jobs following a review of its operations. It come as an oil industry summit involving the UK and Scottish governments, unions and industry figures has been taking place in Aberdeen, with industry body Oil and Gas UK demanding urgent action including tax cuts. Hundreds of job losses, pay cuts and freezes have been announced by a number of companies in the North Sea region in recent weeks, including BP, Taqa, Petrofac and Wood Group. BP’s results come a day after rival Exxon Mobile said earnings fell.
tors should be “mindful of this likely increased price competition”. “As lower oil prices kick in over the next two years, Ryanair intends to pass on much, if not all, of these savings to our rapidly growing customer base in the form of lower fares and therefore our profit growth will be modest in FY16,” it said. Ryanair, which is this year celebrating its 30th anniversary, said passenger traffic in the third quarter grew 14% to 21 million with the average fare up 2% to 40 euros (£30). Revenues grew 17% to 1.13 billion euros (£846 million). Load factors - a measure of how full aircraft are - rose from 82% to 88%, attributed to its “Always Getting Better” programme and expanded winter schedule. The carrier had previously set out plans for new winter bases in Cologne, Gdansk and Glasgow. Now it said new winter routes and bases were performing well. It will open three new bases in Bratislava, Copenhagen and Ponta Delgada in the Azores in March and April, which the airline said had seen “stronger than expected bookings”
400 jobs on the way for builder
Airport figures hit new record
THERE was good news in one sector of the construction industry. A retirement housebuilder which has been behind projects in Huddersfield and the rest of West Yorkshire is aiming to create over 400 new jobs under plans to expand its business. McCarthy & Stone said it will invest £2 billion over the next four years on land and buildings.
Manchester Airport, the UK’s third busiest airport, has hit the 22 million passenger mark for the first time since 2007. Since January 2014, 22 million passengers have used the airport, flying to a range of 210 international destinations including Singapore, Las Vegas, Washington DC, New York, Paris and Dubai, with new and recent destina-
The company intends to develop 12,000 new homes across 300 locations. The growth will effectively lead to a doubling of the firm’s business of building accommodation for older people. Chief executive Clive Fenton said: “We all know that there is a housing shortage, but public debate is very much focused at the first-time-buyer end of the market rather than giving equal
consideration to the needs of our ageing population. “We know from our many developments that increased quality and availability of owner-occupied retirement housing provides a well-deserved solution for our customers. “!It also frees up much-needed family housing onto the local market, which in turn creates additional supply at the start of the housing ladder.”
tions including Hong Kong and Jeddah. The most popular destinations during the past year have been Dubai, Dublin, Tenerife, Amsterdam and Palma. Passenger numbers have grown 24% since 2010 and have increased by 1 million since May 2014. Ken O’Toole, chief commercial officer of Manchester
Airports Group (MAG), said: “Manchester Airport’s significant growth is testament to the critical role it plays in UK aviation, providing the North of England and our extended catchment area with global connectivity through an unrivalled network of short and long haul destinations. “We have more than 22 million people living within two hours of the Airport.”
SHARE PRICES NORTH AMERICAN
American Express Chevron Du Pont Exxon Mobil Gannett Hess Corp Microsoft Motors Liquidation Wal-Mart Stores Wrigleys
£54.26 £69.58 £47.47 £59.03 £20.59 £46.16 £27.08 49.90 £56.51 £53.21
AEROSPACE & DEFENCE
Avon Rbbr BAE Systems Chemring Cobham Meggitt Rolls-Royce Senior
AIM
600 Group API Grp Brady Plc Highland Gold Mining Johnson Service Grp London Security M”S Intl Nichols Redhall Group Scapa Grp Youngs GKN Barclays
7971/2 507 2161/4 3201/8 543 884 3101/2
-0.03 +31/2 -1/2 -1/4 -65/8 +4 -71/2 +7/8
151/4 59 821/2 393/4 695/8 £233/8 1281/2 1078 111/2 1343/4 10021/2
-11/4 -171/2
3711/2
+27/8
AUTOMOBILES & PARTS BANKS
+0.57 +1.36 +0.09 +0.86 -0.05 +1.25 +0.20
2357/8
-3/8 -1/4 -3/4 -1 -2
+13/4
Bk Ireland HSBC Lloyds Banking Gp Ryl Scotland Stan Chart Barr (AG) Diageo SABMiller Croda Elementis 98 Johnsn Mat
201/2 6123/8 735/8 3651/2 881
+3/8 +23/4 -1/8 +31/8 -63/4
BEVERAGES
628 1950 £361/4
-31/2 -20
CHEMICALS
£267/8 2753/4 £323/4
+1/4 -5/8 +1/8
2243/4 1718 2793/4 501/4 250
+23/4 +115 -8 -1 +51/2
CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS
Balfour Beatty C”R”H Costain Low Bonar Marshalls Drax Gp SSE
ELECTRICITY
3653/4 1617
+51/4 +8
ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
Domino Ptg Laird Morgan Advanced Ox Instmts Volex
685 3183/8 304 687 66
+21/2 -3/8 -1/2 -571/2 +1/4
EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTS
Alliance Trust Br Assets Candover Inv Dunedin Inv Dunedin Sml
4893/4 1303/4 3697/8 2651/2 1771/4
+1 -1/4 +95/8 -1/2 +1/4
Edin Invst Electra Private Equity Forgn & C Henderson Smllr Cos North American Inc Scot Am Scottish Mortgage Witan
6611/2 £301/4 4547/8 5621/2 862 248 2491/4 772
+31/2 +33/8 +4 -3 -1 +3/4 -1
FIXED LINE TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BT Grp Cable & Wireless Comm Colt Group KCOM Talktalk Telecom
4131/8 511/8 1311/2 831/4 3181/4
FOOD & DRUG RETAILERS
Morrison W Sainsbury Tesco Thorntons AB Food Carrs Millg REA Hldgs Tate Lyle Unilever
-43/4 +11/8 -3/4 +1/4 -1/8
182 /8 2671/4 2283/8 831/2
+3 +117/8 +35/8 +1/4
£311/8 1461/4 3181/2 674 £291/8
+1/8 +41/2 -8 -4 -1/8
2931/4 934 866 £21 1001
-1/2 -11/2 -221/2 -1/2 -26
7
FOOD PRODUCERS
GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIES
Centrica National Grid Pennon Grp Severn United Utils 3i Group Close Bros
GENERAL FINANCIAL 4651/8 1521
+53/4
Smith Nph
Local shares Carclo Marshalls NationalGrid WeirGp
98/ 250 934 1734 3 4
-3 +51/2 -11/2 +54
FTSE closed at
6782.55 4677/8 £233/8 1771/2 £261/8 £291/8 £221/4
+1/4 -1/4 -13/4 -1/4 +1/8 -1/8
3171/4 1141
+1/4 +14
GENERAL INDUSTRIALS
Smith DS Smiths Grp
GENERAL RETAILERS
Ashley L Dixons Carphone Home Retail Inchcape Kingfisher M & S Mothercare Next Signet Jewelers WH Smith
293/4 4281/2 1941/4 698 3351/8 478 1893/4 £715/8 £801/8 1309
Aga Rangemaster Barrat Dev Bellway Persimmon Reckitt Benckiser Taylor Wimpey
-61/2 +2 +11/2 -73/4 -63/8 +101/4 -3/4 -3/4 -41
HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICES
-7
100 4581/4 1801 1572 £561/4 1333/8
-3 -1/4 -23 -20
190 1291 901/2 561/4 £305/8 1734
+4 +15 +1
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
up 33.15 ICAP London StockExch Man Group Provident Financial Schroders Schroders NV
1184
HOUSEHOLD GOODS
Fenner IMI Molins Renold Spirax-Sarco Weir Grp Ferrexpo
-2
+1/8 +54
INDUSTRIAL METALS 50 /4
+ /4
337
-21/2
1
1
INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION
BBA Aviation
LIFE INSURANCE
Aviva Friends Life Gp Lgl & Gen Old Mutual Prudential Standard Life
D Mail Tst ITV Johnston Press Pearson Reed Elsevier Sky STV Group
MEDIA
529 3985/8 2673/8 2093/4 16101/2 4003/4
+1 +1/4 -1/2 +15/8 -91/2 -21/4
8631/2 2215/8 171 1363 1157 926 373
+2 +15/8 +41/4 +12 +1 -2 -2
Trinity Mirror Utd Business UTV WPP
MINING
Anglo American Antofagasta BHP Billiton Fresnillo Kaz Minerals Lonmin Rio Tinto VEDANTA RESOURCES
1761/2 528 192 1458
+41/4 -11/2
1124 672 1484 8861/2 2047/8 1641/2 £295/8 3957/8
+11 +22 +41 -121/2 +41/8 +11/8 +3/8 +221/2
850 2337/8
+16 -5/8
1459 936 £357/8 4513/4
+11 -101/2 +1/8 -25/8
9341/4 4373/4 197 1567/8 £203/4 £213/4 £351/2 399
+471/4 +131/4 +5 +121/4 +1/2 +5/8 +11/8 +34
-8
MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Inmarsat Vodafone Group
NONLIFE INSURANCE
Admiral Grp Jardine LloydThomson Marsh McL RSA Ins Gp
OIL & GAS PRODUCERS
BG BP Cairn Energy Premier Oil Royal Dutch Shell A Royal Dutch Shell B Total Tullow Oil
OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICES
AMEC Petrofac Wood Gp(J)
1055 /8 7271/2 +211/2 6011/2 +301/2 3
PERSONAL GOODS
Burberry Gp PZ Cussons
1743 3167/8
+14 +11/8
£467/8 14601/2 £49
-5/8 -61/2 +1/2
PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY
Astrazeneca GlaxoSmithKline Shire
REAL ESTATE
Brit Land Gt Portland Hamrsn Intu Properties Land Secs SEGRO
839 791 6981/2 3693/8 1294 4163/8
+91/2 +51/2 +10 +43/8 +20 +4
477
-31/4
SOFTWARE & COMPUTER SERVICES
Sage Group
SUPPORT SERVICES
Berendsen Bunzl Capita Connect Group De La Rue Elctro Com Electrocomp Experian G4S Hays Homeserve Interserve Menzies J Northgate Prem Farnell Rentokil Travis & P Wolseley
1105 1888 1115 1427/8 5141/2 2055/8 2055/8 1168 2787/8 1547/8 3307/8 535 364 5981/2 170 1203/4 1915 £373/4
-9 -9 -3 +5/8 -4 +3/4 +3/4 -5 -61/4 -1/4 -61/2 -1/2 -71/4 -171/2 +1 -1/4 -7 -7/8
TECHNOLOGY HARDWARE & EQUIPMENT
ARM Hldgs IBM Spirent Comms
TOBACCO
Br Am Tob Imperial Tobacco
1040 £1015/8 881/2
-1 -3/8 -3/4
£375/8 £311/4
+1/8
105 £291/4 1159 1742 1041/4 101 £25 845 £26 5291/2 1161/8 1451/2 4231/4 2561/4 1101/4 177 716 7371/8 3433/4 £497/8 376
-13/4 -3/4 +8 -120 +7/8 +13/8 +1/4 +41/2 -1/2 -15 -1/8 -1 -31/4 +3/4 +1 +1 -31/2 -471/8 +15/8 -1/4 -11/8
TRAVEL & LEISURE
Bwin.Party Digital Carnival Compass Grp easyJet Enterprise Inns FirstGroup Go-Ahead Gp Greene King Intercontl Htls Intl Cons Airl Ladbrokes Marston’s Mitchells & Butlers Natl Express Punch Taverns Rank Org Restaurant Grp Ryanair Stagecoach Group Whitbread William Hill FTSE 100 FTSE 250
INDEX
6782.55 16355.56
+33.15 +49.79
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HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
profile
Move to Mirfield proves a winner! There’s no sitting down on the job for Tom Obbard. The 39-year-old owner of Mirfield-based Furniture Choice has worked hard to build up a business employing 26 people in the UK and a team of four in Malaysia. And more jobs are in the pipeline as the company bids to expand further this year. Tom, who lives at Birkby, hails from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and worked for a number of years in Slough, close to Heathrow Airport, as a manager with online giant Amazon. He later worked for two years as e-commerce manager with famed upmarket furniture retailer Heals – making a daily commute to its landmark store at Tottenham Court Road in London. But he says: “I always wanted to run my own business. My brother, who lives in the Far East, had come over to the UK to visit and as I was driving him back to the airport I explained that I wanted to do my own thing. “He is a furniture manufacturer out in the Far East, so with his encouragement I went ahead and set up the business. “I had to continue working fulltime at Heals, but at weekends and evenings I was working to set up Furniture Choice.” When it came time to find premises, Tom took the advice of his operations manager, who lives at Ossett, and looked no further than Kirklees. “We needed to find premises somewhere with good transport links,” he says. “Because furniture is big and bulky, we needed a lot of warehousing. The warehousing here is good value compared to the prices for premises around Heathrow, so we moved up north.” Now the company has more than 100,000sq ft of warehousing – with two warehouses, its offices and a showroom at Bankfield Business Park on Huddersfield Road in Mirfield and two further warehouses at Heckmondwike. Says Tom: “When I started the business it was just me and I had to do everything. I have
answered the phone, made calls to customers, done the marketing and shifted the stock. My wife Anna was working at Selfridges in London and she cut her working hours so she could help me.” Now firmly established at Mirfield for the past five years, Furniture Choice sources its products from trusted manufacturers in the Far East, specialising in dining sets, sofas and mattresses, but covering a range of dining, living room and bedroom furniture. “We are focused on quality, service and value,” says Tom. “We sell to the consumer as well as businesses needing things like reception seating.” Despite the geographical distances involved, Tom says: “We are close to our manufacturers. It’s crucial that we have a good relationship with them. It can be difficult, but if you make the effort and invest in having staff on the ground you can overcome the quality issues that people associate with sourcing from the Far East. “We have a full-time quality manager who visits the factories to check on stock. “We visit the factories to find the products we like and before we order anything our quality manager goes and does a factory audit to make sure they have the
Tom Obbard
right standards. “We get samples made up, check them, check the packaging and when the product comes to the UK we do a final check here to make sure we are happy before we commit to ordering stock.” The company has ridden out the recession, says Tom, adding: “It has actually provided an opportunity for us because people have been prepared to consider buying from us because we were an unknown brand. “Today, there are fewer competitors around because some of them went to the wall during the recession, but those that are still around, especially the big name retailers, mean it is highly competitive. “Now we are increasing our product range, increasing the size of our sourcing team in the Far East as well as our buying team in the UK, our customer service department and our web team. There will be a lot more focus on new categories as ‘businesses within the businesses’.” While 95% of business is done online, Tom says having a “bricks and mortar” store at Bankfield Business Park “reassures customers that we are not selling from a bedroom!” Tom attends trade shows in the Far East – but a couple of days
■■ Tom Obbard of Furniture Choice, Bankfield Business Park, Mirfield
based in hotels and conference centres doesn’t leave much time to get to know the countries, their cultures and people. “I went on a buying trip two years ago and visited Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore,” he says. “I was there for just a few days. That was an experience, but it would have been nice to spend more time out there.” Tom is now firmly rooted in Yorkshire. His wife is also in business as owner of Czar men’s hairdressers in Huddersfield’s Imperial Arcade while seven-year-old son Maks attends a local school. “I get ribbed about the way I pronounce words incorrectly – or should I say correctly,” jokes Tom. And he has no regrets about setting up his own business. “Running your own business is a lot of hard work, but there are benefits,” he says. “I am my own boss and I am in control of where we go as a company. “When you’re working for someone else, you can’t always achieve what you set out to achieve because you are held back by other people in the business or by people taking the business in a different direction.” Says Tom: “I like spending time with the family. We like going out for a meal and I enjoy running – which is one of the ways I like to blast away the stress. “Even in cold weather it is quite fun. You do need that stress release. You need some way of taking your mind off work. “I try to go for a run about three times a week – but that has been difficult this month because we have had our team over from Malaysia. That means meetings and meals out in the evenings! “The quality control manager will come over to speak to our customer services team to get feedback on any issues they have. He is also able to let them know about new products coming on board and speaks to the warehouse teams about packaging issues. “It’s nice to get everybody involved and we make a friendly team.”
Role: Owner and managing director Age: 39 Family: Married to Anna with son Maks, seven Car: Jaguar XF Holidays: I combine holidays with business trips. I love going anywhere in Asia, which is a fantastic part of the world First job: Bob-a-job with the Cubs and later working as a kitchen porter Best thing about the job? I love working with a great team of people. You can’t do everything yourself. You have to have the right people in place Worst thing about the job? I hate the admin! It feels so unproductive Business tip: Work hard and enjoy the moments you have away from work. When I was working seven days a week to get the business going, any time off felt brilliant. Remember, you are working hard for a reason
Furniture Choice Work: Furniture retailer Site: Bankfield Business Park, Huddersfield Road, Mirfield Phone: 0800 0350070 Email: info@furniturechoice.co.uk Web: www. furniture.choice.co.uk
Who will be the next Business of the Month? If you are proud of what your business has achieved; why not tell us about your success story and you could be a winner of our prestigious award. For further details please contact: Ian Greenwood, Eaton Smith Solicitors, 14 High Street, Huddersfield HD1 2HA T: 01484 821389 E: iangreenwood@eatonsmith.co.uk
Business Of The Month Awards - Rewarding Success Since 1995
4
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015 HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER
local
KIRKLEES BUS
CKMA welcomes funding support A group representing Kirklees manufacturers has welcomed support for the sector in West Yorkshire. The Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has announced that it has provided funding totalling £50m to support 350 businesses across the LEP area – including Kirklees – and create about 3,500 jobs in the coming years. More than a third of the cash has gone to help manufacturing businesses invest in land, machinery and equipment which will lead to more employment and training. Gary Smith (pictured), chairman of Calderdale and Kirklees Manufacturing Alliance, said: “This is great news for
local manufacturers that grants are being taken up.” But Mr Smith, who is also a director of Huddersfield specialist glass manufacturer Novaglaze, added; “There must be many more smaller manufacturing companies in the Calderdale and Kirklees area who could benefit from some grant support.”
We deserve better from tax collectors It was heartening to read I’m not the only one who feels that the HMRC’s service falls well below what hardpressed taxpayers (and their advisors) should be able to expect from it. At the end of 2014, the Institute of Chartered Accountants surveyed a large number of its tax practitioner members. Over a third of us felt that HMRC’s performance had declined and over 50% felt it hadn’t changed. The handful that felt it had improved either don’t deal with HMRC very often or have even worse experiences in the past than we have! The biggest frustration reported is, surprise, surprise, HMRC’s inability to get things right first time. How many apologies have we heard that they’ve sent out batches of thousands of incorrect or inaccurate letters? And isn’t it strange that the “errors” always seem to work in HMRC’s favour? I’ve lost track of how often they allocate payments to wrong years or have wrong information about clients – for example counting the same income in two different years or sending out demands for payment in relation to periods before a company was even formed. Sorting out these issues costs us and HMRC time and, therefore, taxpayers’ (read clients’) money to do this – and it’s simply not necessary! You can add the costs of the time we spend on hold on the phone waiting for a response only to be told to ring back another time; the cost of faxing/posting documents because HMRC in the main doesn’t accept or send emails; and the lack of certainty about a taxpayer’s position because of the sheer length of time HMRC can take to respond to correspondence (if indeed they do at all). The ICAEW tax faculty are of the opinion that HMRC is being starved of resources. Our view is that penny pinching
THE BUSINESS BATTLEAXE Amanda Vigar coupled with a dogmatic belief that every taxpayer is trying to “pull a fast one” are costing HMRC dear, now and in the long run. The public needs to have confidence that they get the right answers and they get them when they
administrative costs they inflict on taxpayers. It would drag the organisation into the 20th (and no, that’s not a typo) century in terms of communicating with the people they are supposed to be there to serve – and even, maybe, us
■■ Tax might be less taxing if HMRC faced a little competition, says Amanda Vigar
need them. As this is election year, I will be looking kindly on whichever party puts forward a commitment to an HMRC Service Covenant – one which puts experienced staff back on the front line who can actually answer queries and which has real teeth when HMRC fail. That covenant would also make HMRC accountable for the extra
accountants. Alternatively, how about a party (beyond our friends in the Monster Raving Loonies) being brave enough to suggest we should put our tax collection system out to tender or introducing some of the consumer choice and competition that they talk about so enthusiastically elsewhere in our society?
Amanda Vigar is managing partner at Holmfirth-based accountants V&A Bell Brown LLP
Good times. Bad times.
Search begins for region’s top director
Whatever financial problems you are experiencing in your business, we can help.
The Institute of Directors (IoD) has launched a call for entries to its prestigious Director of the Year Awards. There are five awards up for grabs, with the winners to be revealed on June 11 at the Hilton Sheffield hotel in Victoria Quays. The regional winners will go forward to the national IoD Director of the Year awards. Natalie Sykes, regional director of the IoD in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “We are looking for applications from a diverse range of business people to demonstrate the true depth and breadth of Yorkshire business. If you are interested or know someone who should
Call us for a consultation on
01422 348 448
Peter Sargent, Partner Richard Kenworthy, Director Begbies Traynor 36 Clare Road, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX1 2HX www.begbies-traynor.com
■■ Natalie Sykes, regional director for the IoD in Yorkshire
be entering these prestigious awards, I’d urge you to get in touch.” The deadline for entries is March 26, 2015. Application
forms can be downloaded from www.iod.com The categories are Director of the Year (small to medium company); Director
of the Year (large company); Young Director of the Year; Not for Profit/CSR Director of the Year; and Lifetime Achievement. The judging panel will determine the winner of the overall Director of the Year for 2015. The awards will also see the presentation of the North East Director of the Year (small to medium company) award. Last year, Gary Verity, of Welcome to Yorkshire – the man who brought the Tour de France to the region – was named Director of the Year and given the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to business and leadership.
■■ Hilary Garnett, part
Solicito ‘pre-pac
A law firm in Hudde posed reform of administrations. Pre-packs are a val tool, but have often be tors because they en to conclude a sale wi tors. The Insolvency Ser with the Joint Insol improve the transp administrations with Insolvency Practice lished in March. A pre-pack admini sale of the business is company entering ad sequently sold on administrators. Baxter Caulfield pa who specialises in c and insolvency, said process has been crit tors are usually left ou sale has taken place. “In some instance owed money does n has taken place until a completed. Reform o concentrate on greate ency.” An independent r 2014 highlighted vari ing pre-packs and re areas for improvemen The proposed chan ments for valuations valuer with professio ance and the marke take place before the cluded. The aim of the ch perceived injustices, p of creditors, custome to give greater transpa
Healthy c
Health and safety i try come under the sp month. The British Safety morning seminar fro on Thursday, Februar dium in Manchester w tackle a range of heal mental topics affectin Visit www.britsafe.o
5
HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015
SINESS NEWS
tner at Baxter Caulfield
or backs ck’ plan
ersfield is backing pro“pre-pack” business
luable business rescue een criticised by credinable an administrator ithout involving credi-
vice has been working lvency Committee to parency of pre-pack a revised Statement of expected to be pub-
istration is where the s arranged prior to the dministration and subthe appointment of
artner Hilary Garnett, commercial litigation d: “The administration ticised because crediut of the loop until the
es, a supplier that is not realise a pre-pack after the sale has been of the process needs to er clarity and transpar-
review undertaken in ious concerns regardecommended six key nt. nges include requireto be undertaken by a onal indemnity insureting of businesses to administration is con-
hanges is to eradicate particularly on the part ers and employees and arency.
choices
issues affecting induspotlight at an event this
y Council will hold a om 8.30am to 12.30pm ry 26, at the Etihad Stawhen key speakers will lth, safety and environng business . org.uk
local
Jobseeker Aiden meats his match
A Huddersfield teenager who has struggled to find permanent employment since leaving school three years ago has finally got an opportunity to carve out a career for himself. Aiden Fairs, 19, of Crosland Moor, undertook a number of temporary jobs after finishing his education – but was unable to find a job with a future. Now that’s all changed – thanks to a recruitment partnership between a town centre butcher’s shop and Ingeus, the company delivering the government’s Work Programme in West Yorkshire. Aiden has started working at Mitchell’s Butchers on Station Street, where he is learning the trade from boss Mark Lockwood, “We wanted a young person we could train ourselves,” said Mark. “Aiden impressed us when he came for his interview and convinced us he was keen to learn everything about the trade – from knowing about cuts of meat, to serving customers, to helping keep our shop spotlessly clean each day. It’s hard work here and he is up for the challenge.” After six months without a job, Aiden was referred to Ingeus for special employment support. He enrolled on a number of courses designed to help him overcome his barriers to getting a job – the biggest of which was his lack of confidence. Having applied for countless jobs and been rejected each time, his selfesteem had suffered badly. Ingeus helped Aiden rewrite his CV to list all
■■ Aiden Fairs (right) with Rebecca Teagle, of Ingeus, and Mark Lockwood at Mitchell’s Butchers in Huddersfield
the skills he had amassed and taught him how to perform in job interviews so that he would really impress prospective employers. “Our role is to help young people like Aiden understand that, given our advice and support and with the right attitude, there is a real future ahead,” said Rebecca Teagle, of Ingeus. “We also work alongside employers in the town to understand their needs – and then we match people with jobs. “It’s very satisfying to see these rela-
tionships succeed and in Aiden’s case he’s found a future that he thought did not exist.” Said Aiden: “I really wanted to work – to get out of the house and start earning a living for myself. “However, with so many knockbacks, it was hard to remain enthusiastic. Ingeus helped me believe in myself again and now that I’m working, life could not be any better. Others believed in me and that made all the difference.”
Janet named among UK’s top 50 business advisers A social media marketing consultant has been named one Britain’s top 50 business advisers. Janet Bebb, who offers business advice to help local early stage entrepreneurs, was picked from hundreds of advisers from around the UK for her work with start-ups, small to medium sized businesses and social enterprises. Janet, who runs Social Progress Ltd from her office in Honley, said: “It’s a well known fact that 50% of businesses fail in the first year. But 37% are likely to survive beyond the fourth year. High risk businesses are independent restaurants and retail stores.” She said: “It’s all too easy for an early stage business to get distracted and lose sight of what’s important and what they’re trying to achieve. “There’s a strong risk that without good strategic advice you can wake up one day with a business that is under performing and has become a chore not a pleasure. And what’s worse, because you arrived there through a series of a hundred small compromises over several months, you didn’t see it coming. “Good advice can help put simple systems and practices in place to make sure that your business stays on track and does what you wanted it to, and hoped it would.”
■■ Janet Bebb, of Social Progress Ltd
Janet has 10 years of experience as a business consultant. The awards are run by small business network Enterprise Nation, which asked fledgling businesses to nominate an adviser who had helped them to build and grow a sustainable business. The awards, which set out to highlight the work done behind the scenes by experts helping Britain’s army of small businesses to build and grow, revealed a rich vein of dedicated supporters for the UK’s expanding entrepreneurial culture. Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation, said: “These business advisers
are the unsung heroes behind Britain’s booming small business culture. The awards have uncovered some incredible work that has helped fledgling firms take steps towards sustainability and growth by taking a strategic look at their business. “Research shows that those firms that take advice do better than those that don’t – and it stands to reason that good advice can help avoid some of the damaging, early mistakes entrepreneurs can make that can often force them to give up. “Thanks to the Government’s £30m Growth Voucher initiative, there is now an increasing interest in taking strategic advice to overcome some of these behavioural barriers and unlock growth potential.” The 50 advisers were chosen from hundreds of entries from around the UK, with 10 outstanding experts picked out as the cream of the crop. Janet’s top tips for growing a business are: Build a good strong network base around you and if you can, develop a mastermind team that supports one another to help grow both you and your business; Ask others you know who’ve started up what they wish they’d asked for with hindsight; Make sure you actually get around to running your business and don’t spend all your time talking about it.
Minister encouraged by rise in vacancies The number of apprenticeship vacancies in Kirklees has hit a high – as the district’s employers back a new generation of workers. Official figures have revealed a 19% increase in apprenticeship vacancies in Kirklees posted online on the apprenticeship vacancies website between August and October, 2014, compared with the same period the previous year. Some 310 vacancies were advertised over the three months against 260 last time. The increase is in addition to many more opportunities offered by employers to young people directly. Nationally, the greatest number of online vacancies overall was for business, administration and law apprenticeships, while health, public services and care apprenticeships saw the biggest rise in vacancies year-on-year – up by 50%. There were also noticeable rises in the number of apprenticeship vacancies within the vital STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) fields. Apprenticeship vacancies advertised online in engineering and manufacturing technologies and information and communication technology both recorded a 23% increase on the same period last year. Skills Minister Nick Boles (pictured) said: “Apprenticeships are at the heart of the Government’s drive to equip people with the skills employers want and need.
“We want it to become the new norm for people to choose between an apprenticeship or university as equally prestigious routes to a great career. That is why it’s so encouraging to see even more excellent apprenticeship opportunities available across the country.” The data also shows that higher apprenticeships – which offer a way to enter professional careers by gaining valuable work experience while achieving a degreelevel qualification – have almost doubled in the past year. More than 450 higher apprenticeship vacancies were advertised online in the first three months of the 2014/15 academic year. The most popular apprenticeships to apply for online were in business, administration and law with 166,280 applications and retail and commercial services with 61,590 applications. The annual celebration of apprenticeships, National Apprenticeship Week, takes place from March 9 to 13. To find out more, go to www.gov.uk/ naw2015
Business Advisors and Chartered Accountants
• A firm led by people who have actually run businesses • Through the year support and advice delivering comfort and value • Management information and account specialists • VAT, payroll and tax support • Year end reporting and full compliance service • Planning and support for your business and you Contacts Phone: 01484 688 616 Email: enquiries@bellbrown.com Web address: www.bellbrown.com Part of the V&A Vigar Group
6
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015 HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
property
Energy efficiency
Work starts on industrial site
Brighouse-BASED eco-roof specialist Ploughcroft invited home owners and businesses across the region to the opening of two newly-renovated heritage EcoHomes at Sowerby Bridge – to provide some pointers to the latest in energy efficient home improvements. Energy efficiency ratings for both houses - which were extensively renovated and insulated by Ploughcroft – have fallen significantly from an EPC rating of F to a C as a result of insulation measures alone, in turn significantly reducing their annual energy bills. The event was opened by the Mayor of Calderdale, Clr Patricia Allen, in a ribbon cutting ceremony. Ploughcroft founder Chris Hopkins answered questions about home energy efficiency measures and explained about the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund. Energy and Climate Change Minister Amber Rudd said: “These two energy efficient heritage homes provide the local community with a great example of what
Work is under way on a new industrial estate in Huddersfield. Stead Commercial Estates bought the 2.5 acre site at Leeds Road in 2013 and subsequently secured consent – through planning consultant Robert Halstead – for a new trade warehouse and industrial unit scheme. The new scheme, to be called St Andrew’s Court, is next to the Spindlegate development, where occupiers include Travelodge and Costa Coffee. St Andrew’s Court will provide units from 3,500sq ft to 25,000sq ft aimed at the local and regional market place and will be built on a speculative basis. Over the past 10 years, Huddersfield-based Stead has developed more than 150,000sq ft of new industrial and office space in the Clayton West area alone. Developments have been
■■ Chris Hopkins (right), of Ploughcroft, with the Mayor of Calderdale, Clr Patricia Allen and her consort Robert Weeks at the opening of two newly renovated heritage Eco-Homes in Sowerby Bridge
can be done to help save money on bills and stay warm this winter. Through the Green Deal and ECO, we’re helping households across the country become more energy savvy and improve the energy efficiency of their homes. I hope this showcase encourages even more people to get on board.”
Visit our Auction Site for the latest news!
LAND AND PROPERTY AUCTION – THURSDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2015 Cedar Court Hotel, Lindley Moor Road, Ainley Top, Huddersfield, HD3 3RH
Waterside Redevelopment Opportunity
Fern Mills, 5-7 Old Leeds Road, Huddersfield, HD1 1SE
12,000 sq ft canalside building close to town centre. Suitable for a variety of uses STPP.
Residential Renovation Opportunity 39 Knowsley Street, Bradford, BD3 9LN
2 bedroom stone built back to back dwelling, just off Leeds Road, requiring comprehensive renovation.
Guide Price: £100,000 – £125,000
Guide Price: £5,000 – £10,000
Residential/Student Investment
Retail/A5 Investment Opportunity
3,106 sq ft period building very close to University. Potential £50,000 pa income post refurbishment.
Retail/hot food takeaway investment next to Wetherspoons in town centre. Rental £12,140 pa exc. Upper parts suitable for residential STPP.
Guide Price: £200,000 – £250,000
Guide Price: £135,000 plus
Prime Housing Site Subject to Planning Consent
Paddock Grazing and Woodland
10 Kings Mill Lane, Huddersfield, HD1 3AN
Westfields, Westfields Road, Mirfield, WF14 9PW
2 acre parkland site in popular low density area. Planning application submitted for 11 detached dwellings.
Guide Price: £600,000 – £700,000
Former Denby Dale Nursery School Wakefield Road, Denby Dale, HD8 8RX
5,000 sq ft traditional school house on 0.39 acre corner site in village centre. Suitable for a variety of uses STPP. Planning application submitted for residential conversion.
Guide Price: £200,000 – £250,000
Edgerton Cemetery Lodge
109 Blacker Road, Edgerton, Huddersfield, HD2 2AX
3 bedroom former groundman’s cottage requiring renovation, in popular residential area.
1 Barum Top, Halifax, HX1 1NL
VARIOUS FORMER PUBLIC CONVENIENCES
Suitable for various alternative uses, i.e. retail, office etc, subject to appropriate planning approvals. Carr Lane, Slaithwaite
£22,500 pa
l l l l l
RESTAURANT TO LET 6 months' rent free over first 2 yrs FULLY EQUIPPED Approx 720 sq ft 66 sq m RV £4700 - 100% SBRR EPC C66
l l l l l l
TRINITY STREET £8,000 pa
MIRFIELD
A2 Planning Permission Arranged over 3 floors High Pedestrian Flow OFFERS INVITED Viewing a Must EPC G204
NEW STREET HUDDERSFIELD
£3,000 pa
Close to village centre with on-site parking.
Guide Price: £300,000 – £375,000
Guide Price: £10,000 – £15,000
Character Office Building/Residence
Morley Lane, Milnsbridge
Fronting busy thoroughfare, close to centre.
Guide Price: £275,000 – £325,000
Guide Price: £5,000 – £10,000
Potential Housing Site
Market Street, Birstall
Battye Street, Dewsbury, WF13 1PL
l
Picturesque village centre location next to canal.
Moor Bottom, Honley
4,000 sq ft (approx) property with planning consent for change of use from offices to residential. Pleasant parkland setting – close to town centre.
HUDDERSFIELD
Guide Price: £25,000 – £35,000
Potential Housing Site
Westfields, Westfields Road, Mirfield, WF14 9PW
£15,000 pa
5.17 acres, suitable for agricultural, equestrian and leisure activities subject to relevant planning consents. In rural location yet 5 minutes drive from J24 M62 motorway.
Guide Price: £30,000 – £40,000
Former garden nursery. Planning application submitted for 15 houses.
GREENHEAD
Lower Edge Road, Elland, HX5 9PL
Guide Price: £75,000 – £95,000 1.24 acres, Healey Lane, Batley, WF17 8BN
completed on Colliers Way and Park Mill Way – with units from 5,000sq ft up to 60,000sq ft. Occupiers include Wesco Aircraft, Vitakraft and D&G Educational. Stead is also promoting a 40-acre plus development site in the south Huddersfield area and has secured permission for a 40,000sq ft site on the former Richard Alexander VW site on Bradford Road in Huddersfield. It is anticipated the speculative development of this site will follow the completion of the Leeds Road scheme, where most of the units should be available for
occupation by late summer/autumn 2015. Ben Stead, managing director at Stead Commercial Estates, said the firm was committed to the speculative development of the Leeds Road site as soon as possible, adding: “In addition, we have an ongoing appetite to acquire other development land and investment opportunities across the region to further expand our portfolio.” Alec Michael (pictured), of Michael Steel & Co, who acted for Stead, said: “It is exciting to be involved with such a scheme following so little speculative development over the last seven-year period. “Demand continues to be good for trade and small units along Leeds Road and therefore we share our client’s optimism for success with the proposed scheme.”
Small corner plot in popular residential location close to town centre. Planning application submitted for two 3 bed houses.
Just off Market Place. On-site parking, planning application submitted for retail with residential over.
Guide Price: £20,000 – £30,000
Guide Price: £20,000 – £30,000
l l l l l
Industrial Unit To Let Approx 1500 sq ft RV £6600 Parking Security shutters
RIVERSIDE WAY 54 John William Street, Huddersfield West Yorkshire, HD1 1ER
l l l l l l
RETAIL UNIT TO LET VICTORIAN ARCADE Approx: 360 sq ft RV £2125 S.charge App: £850 per annum EPC B37
BYRAM ARACDE
7
HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
property
New businesses fire demand for property Whilst the Centre for Cities delivered disappointing news for Huddersfield in terms of employment, the survey showed the number of businesses in Huddersfield rose by 1,515 or 13%. New businesses fuelled much of this growth and should in time need commercial property to buy or rent in the area. While the rental recovery is well advanced in London, the UK regions are still very early in the cycle and this could continue to drive a steady growth in investor interest in non-London locations in 2015. This – together with the newly widened M62 – should allow for further development of the M62 corridor and in particular new grade 1 office space for Kirklees. Office take-up in the top nine regional markets, which include both Leeds and Manchester, is predicted to increase by an aver-
INFORMED DEVELOPMENT Martin Thompson
TO LET
age of 11% in 2015 as business confidence and investment continues to recover. 2015 will hold both excitement and challenge for the commercial property investor with the forthcoming General Election, market movements and the debate, timing and pace of the long anticipated, but currently held at bay, rise in interest rates all having an impact. However, 59% of the biggest high street names are expecting 2015 to be a year of growth, with
over two-thirds planning to invest more or the same in their businesses as they did last year. In the retail sector, we are likely to see more click and collect services, integrating the online and offline parts of their customer proposition. As such, infrastructure within Kirklees will become more important. Of course ,there is the little matter of the election and the conclusion of the Northern Hub debate before we get to the close of 2015.
Martin Thompson is a partner in Commercial Property at Armitage Sykes in Huddersfield
Industrial
TO LET
OC
Industrial
UMM TE S A L TION CUPA
015 ER 2
Victoria Court, Colliers Way, Clayton West, Huddersfield 809 - 1,803m2 (8,710 - 19,402 sq ft)
St. Andrews Court, Leeds Road, Huddersfield 325 - 2,323m2 (3,500 - 25,000 sq ft)
Good quality single storey industrial units well located for M1 motorway (Jcn 38/39), available from April 2015.
**PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT** Brand new industrial/trade warehouse scheme located just off A62 Leeds Road.
TO LET
Industrial
TO LET
Retail
FLEXIBLE TERMS
Franklyn Court, off Wakefield Road, Lepton, Huddersfield 311m 2 (3,349 sq ft)
22 Branch Road, off Bradford Road, Batley 782m 2 (8,412 sq ft)
Modern single storey warehouse with shutters and internal office, just off main A642 Wakefield Road.
Highly prominent showroom/retail or commercial premises located near bus station. Available for immediate occupation.
www.michaelsteel.co.uk
All enquiries to Alec Michael alec@michaelsteel.co.uk
A powerful connection A Huddersfield electrical company has secured its biggest contract to date. Ti Installations, based at Marsh, has landed a 26-week contract to deliver full electrical wiring services, fire alarms, door entry systems, external lighting and TV aerials on a scheme to convert a redundant three-storey office building into residential apartments at Woose Hill, Wokingham (pictured). Main contractor Tandem Contracts appointed Ti following the support provided by Ti’s Kristopher Johnson and Mark Copley on another Tandem job in London last in July. Ti’s emergency services were sought for a 1,250sq metres property that required the installation of an isolator, fire alarms, small power and the segregation of power from two units into one. Tandem Contract managing director Jon Fairley said: “I was aware of Kris and Mark’s expertise before they came together to form Ti Installations and when I saw the growth that the company had experienced I knew they were capable of successfully completing a job of the scale we had in London.”
Site at New Mill Road Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, HD9 7LN 1 1 1 1
6.4 Acre redevelopment site Range of possible uses including ‘roadside uses’, leisure, residential and employment STPP Prominent roadside position on A635 Holmfirth/Barnsley Road Offers over £750,000
walkersingleton.co.uk 01484 477600
8
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015 HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
It’s a real education for Michael
One of the stars of hit Channel 4 documentary Educating Yorkshire has received specialist positive impact training from a leading personal branding coach to help him land the role of head teacher. Deputy head and maths teacher Michael Steer worked closely with Huddersfieldbased Deborah Ogden to give him the extra edge in his job interview and enhance his prospects of landing the position of headteacher at Thornhill Community Academy. The role is currently held by Johnny Mitchell, who leaves the school in the summer to take up a new post in Leeds following his four-year career at the now famous Dewsbury school, which has won a number of awards since the documentary aired in summer 2013. Deborah, who specialises in positive impact, conducted the private session with Mr Steer in Wakefield. As well as encouraging the teacher to discuss his strengths and weaknesses and increase his confidence in presenting, she showed Mr Steer how to express self-assured body language in order to connect with his audience. Said Deborah: “We all saw on Educating Yorkshire how dedicated
■■ Deborah Ogden and Michael Steer
Payment plan gives hospice a big boost By HENRYK ZIENTEK Business Reporter henryk.zientek@examiner.co.uk
Michael is to getting his students the best possible grades and there is no doubt that he is a leader in the classroom. “However, an interview panel is quite a different scenario and so it was imperative that we worked together to bring out the best from him on a more intimate level, whereby he could effectively convey how he is equipped to take on the running of the school position.” Michael, who allowed Deborah to film the session, said: “It was quite a unique opportunity. “I do a lot of coaching myself, but I don’t personally get coached. I know I need to put myself out of my comfort zone and think about how I respond and avoid deflecting questions as Deborah has picked up on for the greatest chance of success of getting the headteacher job.”
Sally Steadman
Sally takes CIM regional role Sally Steadman (pictured) has been appointed to chair the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) in Yorkshire. Ms Steadman, a chartered marketer, is head of external relations at Askham Bryan College, York. She takes over at the CIM from Giovanna Battiston and has been a member of CIM for 13 years. Diane Earles, network manager for CIM, said: “Although we are all sorry to see Giovanna leave, we are very excited to be working with Sally, who has bags of energy and drive. I am sure we will continue to develop and grow the region with her at the helm.”
movers and shakers
A charity has been given a marketing boost following substantial funding from Calderdale company. Overgate Hospice at Elland has been able to recruit Sarah Clarkson as marketing and communications co-ordinator following an offer by specialist insurance firm Caravan Guard to fund her first year’s salary. The caravan and motorhome insurance specialist, based in Halifax, has worked in affiliation with the hospice for many years – supporting fundraising initiatives, providing marketing support and sponsoring the charity’s annual 5k and 10k Fun Run Challenge. Caravan Guard also buys each member of its staff an Overgate Lottery ticket each week, giving them a chance to win up to £750. Caravan Guard managing director Ryan Wilby said: “We have invested a lot of our time and resource supporting Overgate’s marketing efforts in recent years
■■ Caravan Guard managing director Ryan Wilby and Sarah Clarkson, Overgate Hospice’s new marketing and communications co-ordinator
and could see a clear benefit in Overgate hiring their own marketing professional. “So we offered to fund the first year salary to prove the concept. We were also keen to help provide the necessary tools and support needed to recruit the right person and develop a strategic marketing
Agency’s new recruit Birstall-based Fantastic Media has recruited Dominic Agnew as a senior account executive in its client services department. Dominic graduated from Sheffield University with a degree in economics and has a range of industry experience within both the marketing and finance sectors. His previous role was in the commercial marketing team at Global Sports Media Company, part of Perform Group. In his new role, he will be responsi-
ble for managing a range of accounts and assisting with new business insights. Fantastic Media managing director Andrew Hobson said: “We are pleased to welcome Dominic to the team. “I believe that he will add significant value to our clients and will be a great asset in helping us achieve our growth targets. Our team will grow throughout the first quarter of 2015 following a series of recent account wins, which is a testament to our stability and continued success.”
The owner of a designer childrenswear boutique in Denby Dale was among the judges of a prestigious competition which recognises and supports new talent entering the children’s fashion sector. Amanda Evans (pictured), of Your Children’s Wardrobe, joined a panel of leading figures from across the childrenswear industry to judge the Rising Star competition, which took place at the UK’s leading kids’ trade event, Bubble London at the weekend. The bi-annual international trade show saw more than 280
■■ Dominic Agnew has joined Birstall-based Fantastic Media
Accreditation for Amanda
Searching for a Rising Star Sally, who has already been vice-chair for five years, said: “I am delighted to step up to the role. The CIM is going through some exciting changes. I am pleased to be able to be part of that and support the region to continue in its growth.”
plan that will enhance the hospice’s brand identity. “We are confident that it will be the gift that keeps on giving. If Overgate can prove that marketing works for them to help generate further support and funding, then the investment should pay for itself multiple times over.”
In her new role, Sarah is responsible for managing marketing communications and developing innovative fundraising ideas for 2015. She was given one-to-one coaching from Caravan Guard marketing director Craig Thompson and brand manager Thea Jordan. Together with Overgate Hospice’s corporate fundraiser, Jo Sygrove, Sarah is also looking to secure corporate support from more local businesses. Said Sarah: “Overgate Hospice is such an asset to the Calderdale community and I feel extremely privileged to be a part of the team. “My time here to date has been spent working closely with the fundraising, clinical and senior management teams with a view to ensuring consistency in our messages and increasing the general profile of the Hospice. “My efforts have been greatly aided by Caravan Guard and I cannot thank them enough for their advice and support.” For more information go to www.overgatehospice.org.uk
exhibitors and leading figures from across the childrenswear industry assemble at Islington’s Business Design Centre to showcase autumn/winter 2015 collections in children’s fashion, accessories and gifts. The Rising Star competition celebrates new talent making its way onto the market.
A Holme Valley accountant is among the first in the country to gain accreditation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW) to carry out probate work. Until recently, probate – the process which is required to transfer ownership of property or assets from a deceased person to their beneficiaries – was the sole preserve of solicitors. However, due to a
change in the law, chartered accountants are now able to provide probate service after passing a rigorous set of exams and satisfying the ICAEW that they are an appropriate firm to deal with probate work. Amanda Vigar, managing partner of V&A Bell Brown LLP in Holmfirth, is now able to carry out probate work via V&A Legal Ltd, She said the change in the law would open up the market and provide people with
more choice. She said: “We are proud to be among the first tranche of firms in the country to be authorised under these new rules. “It makes perfect sense for appropriately qualified chartered accountants to be allowed to carry out probate work as it complements our existing services such as tax planning. “After all, few know more about the financial affairs of their clients.”