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HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014
Looking to the future Interview - Page 3
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DANIEL KRIGERS It’s all change in April Column - Page 4
An EXAMINER publication
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS The business NEWSpaper for Kirklees
By HENRYK ZIENTEK Business Reporter henryk.zientek@examiner.co.uk
Business confidence among firms across Kirklees remained bullish during the first quarter of the year, according to a survey today. But raw material costs continued to be a worry, latest figures from the Lockwood-based Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce have revealed. The survey of chamber member firms across Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield, showed an “ongoing encouraging picture” during the first half of 2014 – with home and export sales rising and employment continuing to grow. The chamber said: “Business confidence remains bullish, with turnover and profit expectations running at levels not reported for some years – and our survey reports a welcome revival of cashflow balances, which continued to rally for most companies.” The first quarter of the year also marked a reported increase in investment – both in training and on capital projects. But businesses in the region were still
concerned about continued inflationary effects – with raw material costs the primary concern for the manufacturing sector. But the chamber said: “Overall, the results are positive and encouraging and certainly in line with forecasts for a return to more sustainable economic growth during the course of the year ahead.” Steven Leigh, chamber head of policy, said: “This quarterly economic report for the first quarter of 2014 evidences the continuation of the broadly positive trends reported at the end of last year as well as a recovery that is gathering momentum. “This is particularly apparent in the employment figures and in our ‘Business Confidence’ indicators. “There are also encouraging signs that investment is picking up pace. Government announcements on investment allowances will bring an additional boost and hopefully encourage companies to bring forward deferred expenditure on research and development and plant and machinery. We hope that the positivity evident in this quarter’s survey will be maintained throughout the year.
“Clearly, the global recovery remains finely balanced and the threat of instability – most recently evidenced by the political events in Ukraine – illustrates the sensitivity of the global economy to unexpected news. “However, there are also great opportunities for UK firms and renewed domestic levels of confidence in the economic outlook should help to encourage businesses to expand, take on staff, develop new products and explore new markets.” Among the survey findings, 92% of firms said domestic sales had remained constant or increased during the first quarter of the year while 90% reported Uk orders had remained unchanged or increased. Export sales balances were up by 11% to 55% while balances for export orders were 18% higher at 58%. Employment growth increased from a balance of 6% in the fourth quarter of last year to 23% this time. Employment expectations have remained steady, rising from 19% to 21%. Cashflow balances, which fell to 11% in the fourth quarter of 2013, rose by 16% to 27% this time – while balances for capital investment have increased from
■■ Chamber head of policy Steven Leigh
8% to 14% . Investment in training, which suffered a 30% fall in the final three months of last year, rallied from 7% to 11%. Inflation and business rates were the factors most likely to have a negative impact on firms in the second quarter.
International students set to help Kirklees companies Specialists from Huddersfield University are set to help Yorkshire firms boost their exports or break into new overseas markets. Universities have been successful in placing graduates with companies looking for specific skills. Now businesses are being offered the chance to select graduates and masters level students from Huddersfield University and four other universities in
Yorkshire which have the specialist skills and expertise needed to capitalise on international markets. The Graduates for International Business project is being coordinated by Yorkshire Universities, the membership association that represents all 12 higher education institutions in Yorkshire. Emily Wolton, executive director of Yorkshire Universities, said: “Our universities attract students from over 150
countries, including postgraduate students who already have a degree and are working towards a higher level qualification. “Their cultural awareness and connections in international markets, language skills and other specialist knowledge could be a massive boost for companies and this project will help to make that happen.” Said Emily: “The project is really easy
for companies to use. They simply contact Yorkshire Universities, tell us the profile of the person they need and we will put a call out to the higher education institutions to find candidates that fit the bill.” Students are paid by the firms that employ them as part of the Graduates for International Business and companies must be based in Yorkshire. Visit www.yorkshireuniversities.ac.uk.
Tourism award Louise Holmes, cofounder of Denby Dale ice cream company Yummy Yorkshire, has beaten off stiff competition to win the title Woman in Tourism of the Year at the 2014 Network She Foundation International Women’s Day Awards. Her success follows that of Huddersfield businesswoman Kate Hardcastle, who one of the categories last year.
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Home again A funeral business has “come home” with the dedication of new premises in Honley. Radcliffe Funeral Service, owned by husband and wife Andrew and Gwen Schofield, has opened a new funeral home at Westgate – just yards away from the site where Gwen’s father Brian Radcliffe started the family business 50 years ago.