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NICKY DRAYTON Finding an oasis of calm
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MARTIN THOMPSON Following developments Column - Page 7
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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS The business NEWSpaper for Kirklees
Company answers a royal command
A GLAZING specialist in Huddersfield has completed a string of prestigious contracts – including coming to the rescue for one client during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Just minutes before a visit by the Queen to Leeds City Varieties, the theatre’s bolted glass entrance screen was badly damaged by vandals. Dortech, based at Fieldhouse Business Park, off Leeds Road, stepped in to supply and install the required glass units just in time for the royal visit. The fast-track assignment is the most recent in a series of successful projects for Dortech’s maintenance division, which was launched by the company only last September. The division was called in by brewer Carlsberg Tetley in Leeds to retro-fit a curtain wall screen in place of a demolished bridge which had provided a link between two offices. Dortech was able to perfectly match the existing curtain wall facade. The work was carried out
on a fast track basis and completed within a matter of a few days. Dortech Maintenance was also called in following a serious incident in which a vehicle crashed into the glazed curtain wall facade at the offices of property agency Lambert Smith Hampton in Leeds. Workmen carried out repairs to the screen, during which the entire facade had to be temporarily supported. Several existing vertical mullions had to be cut out and temporarily supported, connecting spigots introduced and the screen reassembled. The complex work, which involved Dortech’s design department and structural engineer, was completed in the course of one day. In a third contract, the owners of Douglas Mill in Bradford called in Dortech to deal with leaking and draughty windows and doors and tackle problems operating tilt and turn windows.. Over a 12-day period, the firm serviced 200 tilt and turn win-
Investors success A CARE home business led by Batley-based businessman Lawence Tomlinson has gained the Investors in People gold standard at its first attempt. Ideal Care Homes, which employs more than 1,500 people, operates 36 care homes in the North and Midlands. The company decided to apply for IIP status for the whole business after its homes in Flixton and Tameside were individually recognised.
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dows. Four balcony doors and a roof access door – which were all letting in water – were also repaired. Dortech, formed in 1993, employs more than 60 staff and 200 sub-contractors. The company, led by managing director James Sutehrland, has turnover exceeding £11.5m and is a key supplier to major UK contractors, including Balfour Beatty, BAM and Wates Construction.
■ GLASS ACT: Workers carry out urgent repairs at Leeds City Varieties (above). James Sutherland (above, left) Dortech managing director
Beware the curse of the ‘zombie’ businesses INSOLVENCY experts have delivered a horrifying warning about “zombie” businesses. Research by insolvency trade group R3 found that 5% of Northern companies are only able to pay the interest on their debts, but not reduce the debt itself. R3 said this equates to 22,000 so-called “zombie” businesses – neither thriving nor failing and teetering on the edge of collapse. It highlighted the indicators that a company may be on the way to becoming a “zombie” firms. Such businesses are just able to the interest on debts, but not reduce the debt itself and in the event of a rise in interest rates will be unable to pay their debt at all;. They may also struggle to pay debts when they fall due and have to negotiate
INSIDE
payment terms with suppliers. Chris Wood, a Yorkshire R3 committee member and partner at Clough Corporate Solutions in Cleckheaton, said: “Five per cent – or one in 20 – of Northern businesses are only able to
pay the interest on their debts but not reduce the debt itself. While this is lower than the national average of 8%, it is still a staggering number. “The implication here is that these businesses have been ‘running on empty’ for quite some time now and with no reserves left in the tank they may not be able to carry on for much longer. “Essentially, a zombie business is one that is on the edge of insolvency, but has been holding on, often for a prolonged period of time. “An insolvent business is one that is unable to pay its debts when they fall due or a business that has debts greater than the value of its assets. “The danger for businesses that are teetering on the edge is that any change of circumstances, such as a rise in
interest rates, the loss of a major customer or suppliers upping their prices will mean that they will not be able to hang on any longer.” The research also revealed that in the last three months, 20% of Northern businesses have seen a fall in their market share; 18% regularly used the maximum overdraft facility; and 7% have had to make redundancies. However, the survey said firms in the North were faring slightly better than those elsewhere in the country. In the last three months, 50% of Northern businesses reported having invested in new equipment, compared with 36% nationally; 33% had seen an increase in sales against the national average of 29%; and 32% had experienced increased profits against 26% nationally.
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Property partners TWO leading construction sector companies with links to Huddersfield have launched a joint venture. National construction and development specialist Southdale has teamed up with luxury house builder Strata to launch Ignite Homes Ltd – to drive a range of mixed tenure developments for registered providers, local authorities and arms length management organisations.
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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
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Finance director quits retailer HMV THE management upheaval at music chain HMV continued after its finance director said he planned to follow the company’s chief executive out the door. David Wolffe’s departure comes just days after it emerged Simon Fox, who has been at the helm for six years, will be replaced next month by Trevor Moore, the former boss of camera retailer Jessops. Much of Mr Fox’s six-year reign has seen HMV locked in a battle for survival as it tackled high debts and a declining market. And the boardroom changes have added to jitters about HMV’s recent performance, with the group expected to report full-year losses of £16m later this week. Seymour Pierce analyst Kate Calvert said after the latest announcement: “This is likely to result in speculation that trading remains under pressure
and that the business may not return to profit in the full-year to 2013.” She said HMV had failed to gain from the demise of Zavvi in 2008 and will continue to come under pressure from online players and the supermarkets. HMV, which has a store at Kingsgate in Huddersfield and more than 250 outlets UK-wide, has said it hopes to return to profit in the current year as it benefits from selling more video games following the collapse of Game. It secured its immediate survival earlier this year following a refinancing deal with banks and better terms with key suppliers such as Universal Music. Shares closed down 0.1p at 3.5p or 4% lower yesterday following the latest announcement. Mr Wolffe, who joined HMV from ITV Studios in January, 2011, will stay on until a replacement is found.
Managers’ skills found wanting MOST firms believe low levels of management skills are having a negative impact on their business, according to new research. A study of 750 organisations by the Institute of Leadership & Management found that more than nine out 10 feared they were at risk of being held back by a shortage of skilled managers – at a time when businesses needed strong direction. Fewer than one in five of those questioned said they expected managers to have received management training before being promoted. Charles Elvin, chief executive of the Institute of Leadership & Man-
agement, said: “The UK needs to address the current shortage of management and leadership skills revealed in this survey in order to compete on the international stage. “Now more than ever, businesses should be investing in leadership and management development at all levels to ensure strong business performance and effectiveness. “They need to consider the personal qualities of managers as well as their technical skills, helping them become more innovative, inspirational and emotionally intelligent in order to prepare them for the demands of 21st century leadership.”
HMV has seen its share price fall from 140p before the financial crisis to just 3.5p at the opening of trading yesterday – giving it a market value of about £15m. As part of its turnaround plans, it sold the Waterstones book chain for £53m in 2011 to Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut and offloaded its landmark Hammersmith Apollo venue. Last year, it announced a £2m deal to sell its 121 stores in Canada. Meanwhile, it has focused on its specialist ranges of music and DVDs and growing sales in portable technology and online and digital offers. The company believes Mr Moore has the right skills to lead HMV forward as he revived Jessops’ fortunes by building closer relationships with suppliers such as Canon and Nikon after it was rescued by its bank, HSBC.
Morgan profits up
■ SOUR NOTE: Trading remains under pressure for retailer HMV
July ‘lacklustre’ for shops RETAILERS suffered a “lacklustre” July as expectations of an Olympic boost appear to be “wide of the mark”, a leading survey shows. Sales values edged 0.1% higher on a like-for-like basis in July compared with a 0.6% rise in the same month last year, according to research by the British Retail Consortium and KPMG. Warm weather in the final week and a slight boost from Olympic fever helped support food and drink sales, but it was not enough to offset the impact of lower prices and wet weather earlier in the month. Some retailers did benefit from the
longer Sunday opening hours brought in for the Olympic period, the BRC said. Helen Dickinson, head of retail at professional services firm KPMG, said: “Sadly, July was a lacklustre month and it’s doubtful this trend will change as early expectations that the Olympics will raise retailers’ fortunes look to be wide of the mark. “Central London’s retailers are already being hit hard by shoppers actively avoiding the capital. It’s likely that any blip of benefit the Games bring will be short-lived.” Total sales were up 2% against 2.5% in July last year.
A LEADING construction firm whose high-profile projects have included fitting out the BBC’s MediaCity offices at Salford said it was weathering the economic storm after posting “solid” half-year results. More than half of Morgan Sindall’s business comes from construction and infrastructure, where operating profits fell by £1m to £8.5m as a result of downward pressure on prices and bidding margins. Its expertise in tunnelling and aviation – it works at nine of the UK’s 15 major airports – as well as in railways, highways and the water sector helped the division overcome fewer public sector opportunities. The group, whose other divisions cover fit-out services, affordable housing and urban regeneration, said half-year revenues slipped by 8% to £1bn. However underlying profits rose by 4% to £20.3m thanks to improved returns in its investment division and a big rise in profits in urban regeneration after it turned a number of “marginal” projects into viable schemes with help from Government initiatives. The decline in revenues also reflected “difficult markets” for its Lovell affordable housing arm, which includes some assets of social housing firm Connaught. Executive chairman John Morgan said the group was on track to meet full-year forecasts after a “solid” half-year performance.
SHARE PRICES NORTH AMERICAN American Express £36.88 +0.01 Gannett 935.16 +9.54 Hess Corp £31.24 +0.70 Microsoft 1917.81 +13.44 Motors Liquidation 48.01 Wal-Mart Stores £47.67 -0.05 AEROSPACE & DEFENCE Avon Rbbr 3071/2 BAE Systems 3111/4 -31/2 Rolls-Royce 856 -1 AIM Brady Plc 92 1 Dawson Intl /4 Man Brnze 28 AUTOMOBILES & PARTS GKN 2163/8 +53/4 BANKS Barclays 1771/4 +57/8 HSBC 5601/4 -1/4 Lloyds Banking Gp 313/8 +3/4 3 Ryl Scotland 228 /4 +123/4 Stan Chart 1470 -97 BEVERAGES Diageo 1699 -81/2 SABMiller £285/8 +1/8 CHEMICALS Croda £237/8 -1/4 Elementis 98 2071/8 +5/8 1 Johnsn Mat £22 /8 +1/4 CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS Balfour Beatty 2845/8 +15/8
Costain
214 -1 ELECTRICITY Drax Gp 4861/2 +1/2 SSE 1315 -13 ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT Laird 2241/2 +13/4 EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTS Alliance Trust 3653/8 +7/8 FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICES BT Grp 2193/4 +31/2 Cable & Wireless 311/2 +3/4 Comm Colt Group 115 +41/4 KCOM 781/8 +1/4 Talktalk Telecom 1761/2 +21/8 FOOD & DRUG RETAILERS Morrison W 2793/4 +23/4 Sainsbury 324 +3/4 Tesco 3221/4 +31/4 FOOD PRODUCERS AB Food 1278 +4 Tate Lyle 676 -2 Unilever £231/8 -1/4 GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIES Centrica 3205/8 -27/8 National Grid 679 +11/2 Pennon Grp 757 -11 Severn 1718 -20 United Utils 6801/2 -6 GENERAL FINANCIAL 3i Group 218 +23/8 ICAP 3337/8 +53/4
London StockExch 9951/2 +33 Man Group 843/4 +3 Provident Financial 1306 -4 Schroders 1364 +14 Schroders NV 1087 +8 GENERAL INDUSTRIALS Cooksn Grp 586 +20 REXAM 4363/8 -1/4 Smiths Grp 1112 +18 GENERAL RETAILERS Ashley L 225/8 +1/8 Carphone Whse 138 +6 1 Dixons Retail 16 /2 +3/8 Home Retail 783/4 +13/8 Inchcape 3911/2 +61/4 Kingfisher 2791/4 +31/4 M&S 3473/4 +65/8 3 Mothercare 205 /4 +53/4 1 Next £35 /8 +1/8 WH Smith 5661/2 +71/2 HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICES Smith Nph 6781/2 +31/2 HOUSEHOLD GOODS Aga Rangemaster 70 +3/4 Barrat Dev 1411/2 +1 Persimmon 645 +51/2 Reckitt Benckiser £36 +1/8 Taylor Wimpey 481/4 +1/2 INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING IMI 864 +25 INDUSTRIAL METALS Ferrexpo 188 +61/2 INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION
BBA Aviation 1831/4 -13/4 LIFE INSURANCE Aviva 3093/4 +31/2 Lgl & Gen 1311/2 +11/2 7 Old Mutual 165 /8 +5/8 1 Prudential 788 /2 -3 Resolution 212 +45/8 Standard Life 254 +3/4 MEDIA BSkyB 7391/2 -31/2 D Mail Tst 4691/2 +6 1 HIBU 1 /4 5 ITV 79 /8 +7/8 Johnston Press 51/4 Pearson 1239 +1 Reed Elsevier 560 -51/2 STV Group 923/8 -1/8 Trinity Mirror 423/4 +51/4 1 Utd Business 658 /2 -31/2 UTV 1335/8 +17/8 WPP 846 +161/2 MINING Anglo American 1926 +251/2 Antofagasta 1107 +18 BHP Billiton 1938 +20 1 Eurasian Natural 403 /8 +147/8 Res Fresnillo 1491 +27 Kazakhmys 741 +171/2 Lonmin 735 +9 Rio Tinto £311/8 +3/4 VEDANTA 983 +281/2 RESOURCES Xstrata 883 +33/4 MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES
Local shares Carclo Marshalls National Grid Weir Gp
435 791/4 679 1719
-81/2 -23/4 +11/2 +25
closed at at FTSE closed
5808.77 Up 21.49 Inmarsat 5541/2 +171/2 Vodafone Group 1903/8 +1/4 NONLIFE INSURANCE Admiral Grp 1159 +3 RSA Insurance Gp 1111/2 +1/8 OIL & GAS PRODUCERS BG 1283 +23 BP 441 +3 Cairn Energy 303 +13/8 Royal Dutch Shell A £221/2 Royal Dutch Shell B £231/4 Total £307/8 Tullow Oil 1333 +28 OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICES AMEC 1139 +4
Petrofac 1545 +14 Wood Gp(J) 805 +19 PERSONAL GOODS Burberry Gp 1330 +25 PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY Astrazeneca £307/8 -1/8 GlaxoSmithK 7 Shire 1954 -4 REAL ESTATE Brit Land 5471/2 -1 Captl Shop Cent 3311/8 +3/4 Hamrsn 4727/8 -15/8 Land Secs 809 +1 SEGRO 2461/2 +51/4 SOFTWARE ETC SERVICES Invensys 253 +8 Logica 1047/8 Sage Group 2951/4 +3/8 SUPPORT SERVICES Berendsen 520 +10 Bunzl 1147 +1 Capita 745 +6 De La Rue 1050 Electrocomp 2213/8 +23/8 Experian 9711/2 +31/2 G4S 2581/2 +15/8 3 Hays 77 /4 +11/4 Homeserve 2187/8 -3/8 Menzies J 647 -2 3 Rentokil 78 /4 +23/4 Smiths News 116 Wolseley £241/4 +1/2 IT HARDWARE
ARM Hldgs Psion Spirent Comms
573 871/4 1451/4
+3 -1/4 +1/2
TOBACCO Br Am Tob Imperial Tobacco
£343/4 £251/8
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LEISURE & HOTELS Bwin.Party Digital Carnival Compass Grp easyJet Enterprise Inns FirstGroup Go-Ahead Gp Greene King Intercontl Htls Intl Cons Airlines Gp Ladbrokes Mitchells & Butlers Natl Express Rank Org Stagecoach Group TUI Travel Whitbread
977/8 £22 704 570 561/2 2431/8 1267 596 1622 1521/8
+1/2 +1/8 +11/2 -21/2 +1/4 +73/4 +4 -21/2 -4 +11/8
1615/8 2691/8 2151/4 1191/8 2811/4 1901/8 £213/8
+13/4 +41/8 +31/2 -7/8 +1/2 +11/8 +1/8
FTSE 100
INDEX 5808.77
+21.49
FTSE 250
INDEX 11426.40
+125.26
TOURIST RATES Tourists going abroad can expect the following rates for sterling: Australia...................... 1.40 dollars Bangladesh................. 120.19 taka Brazil.............................. 2.83 reals Canada....................... 1.49 dollars China ............................. 8.88 yuan Czech Republic ...... 29.20 korunas Denmark....................... 8.93 krone Euro............................... 1.20 euro Hong Kong................ 11.48 dollars Hungary................... 314.32 forints India.......................... 76.44 rupees Japan........................... 116.42 yen Mexico ....................... 18.22 pesos New Zealand .............. 1.78 dollars Norway ......................... 8.91 krone Pakistan.................. 138.28 rupees Philippines ................. 55.90 pesos South Africa.................. 11.92 rand South Korea.............. 1535.00 won Sri Lanka ................ 194.12 rupees Sweden....................... 10.06 krona Switzerland.................. 1.44 francs Taiwan ...................... 40.80 dollars Turkey....................... 2.63 new lira USA ............................ 1.49 dollars
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
profile
Page 3 Nicky Drayton
Why we all need a calming influence NICKY Drayton thinks we all need to calm down. Our hectic lifestyles mean we risk losing touch with what’s really important in life, she says. Now Nicky aims to help people find a better balance – by getting away every so often from the stresses and strains of everyday life – through her fledgling business Soul Touch. Honley-based Nicky provides reflexology, meditation, Reiki, stress management and coaching to help clients find ways to restore their equilibrium. She has moved her business into a sun-lit first floor unit at Queen’s Square Business Park, but also offers a mobile service visiting clients in their own homes or visiting groups. She is also preparing to bring the service she offers to a wider audience with an open day from10am to 4pm on Thursday. Nicky realises that people may not “get” what her services are about at first, but says: “I know that what I am trying to do has value. It sounds a little ‘airy-fairy’ but it is very practical. “Our lives are like a ship on the ocean being pulled by the wind all over the places. “We are pulled about by other people’s agendas. But when you start to take responsibility for your life, you become anchored in your own life, rather than someone else’s.” Nicky had a varied career before finding her forte, including working with her father’s wholesale business in Huddersfield as well as taking a number of sales roles. Devon-born Nicky first came to Huddersfield when she was eight because of her father’s job and admits she wasn’t too impressed!
was that I’d never seen anything like it. It seemed quite dark – the image of cobbled streets and mills.” From the age of 12, Nicky was brought up by her father as a single parent. In her teens, she went to college on a secretarial course, but realised she didn’t really want to spend her life behind a desk in an office. “I wanted to do something that involved providing a service,” says Nicky. “I ended up working behind the bar at the George Hotel for a while and I suppose that was when I began to understand that I was a very caring, ‘deep’ person.” One incident in particular had an big impact on her. “There was a group of people in wheelchairs and I was appalled by the way they were being treated,” she says.” Nicky later worked for the British Shoe Corporation before spending 18 months in the mid-1980s in Portugal working as an au pair.
■ STRESS TEST: Nicky Drayton, of Soul Touch, says people need to escape the ‘rat race’ from time to time
Sales roles followed with firms including Currys, Initial and Maxwell Cable TV – which later became part of Virgin Media – before she joined her father’s business supplying sundries such as plasters, babies dummies and combs to retailers. She became her father’s carer towards the end of his life and also worked for Kirklees Home Care at one stage before taking roles in social housing and social care with organisations including Anchor Housing, Hanover Housing, Kirklees Neighbour Housing and Chevin Housing. During the 1990s, Nicky also became fascinated with the world of holistic healing and completed an accredited course in holistic reflexology at the Hope Centre in Hebden Bridge. Her research into areas such as meditation and stress management has led her to setting up Soul Touch. She says: “In the past five years or so, people have become much more open to these concepts than they ever were before. They see these techniques as a way to reduce stress and reconnect with their inner selves.” Nicky says life can be seen as a struggle between “fear and ego” – with outside pressures relating to work, relationships and materialism contributing to increased stress. She says: “We don’t have to live in the rat race of our own lives. Some people think someone else will fix things for them – but the answers are in the individual.” Nicky said learning relaxation techniques could help people cope with “baggage from the past” and focus more clearly on where they see their lives going. “Past experiences may have been very traumatic,”
Role: Proprietor Age: 49 Holidays: Walking holidays and Turkey Car: Volkswagen Polo – it’s a dependable little car! First job: Working behind the bar at the George Hotel Best thing about job: Helping people Worst thing about job: Having to accept my own limitations. There are certain thins I can’t do! Business tip: Stay true to yourself she says. “The biggest problems for many people in depression – which seems to be rife these days. People are disillusioned, but they need to get things into perspective. “The more we can calm down, the better we feel. “People can learn relaxation and stress management techniques which may only take a few minutes to have a positive effect.” Looking back, Nicky says she found her own sense of calm as a child attending church once a week with her grandfather. It is a sensation she hopes other people will capture. “We have more ‘stuff’ than we have ever had,” she says, “But the more material goods and technology we have the
less we see to communicate as human beings. “I don’t want to have text message conversations with someone. Let’s get back to communicating properly. That starts within by finding out what you want and who you really are.” Nicky’s single-mindedness has brought her this far in running her new business – and it’s an attitude she encourages in others. “If I was to give one piece of advice it would be this: Don’t get pulled all over the place by other people’s view of the world and what they think you should be doing,” she says. “If you have an idea and the passion to realise it – stick with it!”
Soul Touch Work: Reflexology. Reiki and coaching Site: Queen’s Square Business Park, Honley Phone: 07572 346279 Email: info@ soul-touch.co.uk Website:www. soul-touch.co.uk
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Page 4
Student success A HOLMFIRTH student was among those celebrating when Calderdale College staged its VQ Day awards evening. Jonathon Naylor was named Adult Apprentice of the Year at the event, which was attended by 500 people and staged at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax. VQ Day is a national celebration of vocational learning. Jonathan gave up a career in business to move into hairdressing. In doing so, he also gave up a good income to work for an apprentice wage. He started working at the Mark Riley Academy in Brighouse and – despite finding it challenging at first – has progressed well and is now building up a good clientele. Said Jonathon: “It was a great evening. I didn’t expect to receive the award, but I’m so proud to have received it.”
Teachers mind their language!
A LANGUAGE school launched by former Kirklees College teachers is going from strength to strength – with a little help from technology. The seven teachers – Laurence Dickinson, Annick Helliwell, Ros Tyler, Marina Breslin, Gillian Leah, Raffaella Hinchliffe and Mako Byram – set up Huddersfield Language School after losing their jobs due to cutbacks at the college last year. The school has two permanent base – at the Polish Centre in Fitzwilliam Street and at Huddersfield New College. The classroom at the Polish Centre has been purposely renovated and fitted with the latest technology such as projectors to enhance the teaching and the learning. Facilities at Huddersfield New College include Smart Boards. As well as cinema sessions to reinforce listening and the cultural aspect of the language, Huddersfield Language School will also provide students – from September – with access to additional activities such as games, grammar exercises, reading texts and listening exercises. Raffaella has also arranged for her students to have an Italian “pen pal” through a teacher in Italy who teaches
■ SCHOOL PARTY: Language teachers (from left) Laurence Dickinson, Annick Helliwell, Ros Tyler, Marina Breslin, Gillian Leah, Raffealla Hinchliffe and Mako Byram, of Huddersfield Language School
English with Skype – allowing students to meet once a week to have a practice 10 minutes’ conversation in each language on a specific topic.
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The school, which also teaches at other venues around Kirklees, provides tuition in Italian, French, German, Spanish and Japanese.
Vital times for law firms in Yorkshire SUMMER could be sentencing time for more than 100 law firms in Yorkshire which are at risk of failure in the next 12 months, it is claimed.. Partners in law firms are having to make their second tax payment for the year – putting them under greater financial pressure. Research by insolvency trade body R3 – using data from Bureau van Dijk’s ‘Fame’ database – suggests that more than 2,000 UK law firms will be at risk of failure in the next 12 months. Some 110 of them will be in Yorkshire, according to the data. The national figure equates to 29.1% of firms in the UK and Ireland, higher than the cross sector average of 21.8%. Unlike many businesses, limited liability partnerships, partnerships and sole practitioners are not directly assessed for tax on the business’ profits, but will commonly arrange to settle individual partners’ liabilities. Ideally, a tax reserve fund will have been maintained for this purpose, but this is not always the case. Chris Wood, Yorkshire R3 committee member and partner at Clough Corporate Solutions in Cleckheaton, said: “This requires very careful planning and steps should be taken to apply for a reduction of payments on account if earnings are expected to reduce over the coming year. “This time of year is known to put real cash flow pressure on firms and more often than not we see a spike in banks being asked to fund taxation liabilities. The legal services sector is a very crowded market and so firms that are not competitive are unlikely to thrive.”
KIRKLEES BUSIN Firm joins the light brigade
A HOLME Valley company is helping customers see the light after a tie-up with a US firm. LED Bulbs UK, based at Wooldale, has joined forces with Verde 3LC, a provider of energy sustainability software based in Chicago. Kathie Lightfoot, founder of LED Bulbs UK, said her aim was to create a website with that “corner shop feel” where customers could seek advice on how to save up to 90% of electric lighting costs by using LED bulbs instead of traditional incandescent bulbs. Verde 3LC, led by founder Jamie Johnson, has created an iPad app to help householders learn how they can reduce both their energy cost and their carbon footprint. The two companies have teamed up to enable LED Bulbs UK customers to use Verde's iPad app on LED Bulbs UK’s website using specially-created software – and determine how much they can save in terms of running cost and the equivalent carbon savings by purchasing LED bulbs. “We are excited to embark on this joint mission for sustainability across the globe,” said Kathie. “LED Bulbs UK is al about making the choice for energy efficient lighting simple – and partnering with Verde allows us to accomplish this goal.” Said Jamie: “It is not just about integration of our systems, it is about giving consumers the chance to see what impact they can have in real environmental terms such as trees saved. “When people can relate to the savings in both cost and environment, our goal of true eco-impact is easier to understand.”
Water, water everywhere
BOTTLED water business Shepley Spring is partnering Huddersfield Town. The company, which supplies brands including Ice Valley to supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl and Iceland, will now supply Town’s players during the forthcoming 2012/13 Championship campaign. The Town squad will be supplied with Ice Valley water to keep them hydrated, while the company’s water will also be sold at kiosks around the stadium on Town matchdays. Shepley Spring managing director James Smith said: “We are thrilled to become the officia water of Huddersfield Town and look forward to a successful season ahead.”
NESS NEWS
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R&D – it’s not rocket science!
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■ DEADLINE: Paul Captieux, tax partner at Clough Taxation Solutions
MOST Yorkshire businesses investing in research and development are failing to claim the full amount of tax relief available to them, according to a tax specialist. R&D tax relief aims to drive productivity and innovation in the UK by enabling businesses to claim tax relief against a wide range of projects that could advance an organisation’s knowledge or capability in an area of technological uncertainty. But Paul Captieux, tax partner of Clough Taxation Solutions, part of Cleckheaton-based Clough & Company, said: “There’s a common misconception that R&D tax relief only applies to the likes of scientists, professors and inventors – but it can actually benefit all types of organisations from manufacturers, refining processes through to businesses developing new products and services. “Expenses eligible for the tax relief include staffing costs, consumables, software, sub-contracted charges, external workers as well as heat, light and power.
“Often businesses will claim the obvious reliefs, but without specialist advice many miss out on other more complex areas of relief that they are entitled to.” Mr Captieux said: “R&D tax credits can either consist of cash back or a reduction in tax liability. SMEs that pay corporation tax can receive up to 225% tax relief on R&D costs meaning a business spending £10,000 on R&D can write off £22,500 against corporation tax. “Loss-making businesses or those that don’t pay corporation tax can be rewarded with a cash payment of 24.75p for every pound spent and large businesses receive up to 130% tax relief against their corporation tax bill.” But he said: “There is only a two-year time limit to claim from the end of a company’s accounting period so any businesses that have invested in R&D must act sooner rather than later because once the deadline has passed there’s no going back.”
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Euro fears hit UK’s exports FEARS over the uncertainty and instability in the eurozone are preventing small and medium-sized businesses in Yorkshire from exploring the potential of trading overseas, it is claimed. A survey of firms in the region by invoice finance specialist Bibby Financial Services revealed that 20% of firms said they have never considered exporting at all. And 21% of firms in Yorkshire cited the eurozone crisis – with the resulting market instability and impact on exports – as having the biggest negative impact on the day-to-day performance of their business. Bibby said it was this outlook that was stopping firms widening their horizons and targeting new business opportunities around the globe. In addition, more than one in 10 business owners and managers in Yorkshire said the costs and regulations involved in exporting were preventing them from trading in foreign markets. UK trade figures show that the country remains a net importer from Europe – with the
gap between imports and exports growing by 86% in the past year. UK exports to the EU fell by £11.4bn in April – a drop of more than 20% from March. Mark Storey, spokesman for Bibby Financial Services in Yorkshire, said: “Trade to EU member states is clearly being affected by the European debt crisis, but to find that this issue is preventing Yorkshire businesses from any involvement in overseas trade is a huge concern. “Identifying opportunities for growth in new markets is vital to the longevity of any business and it is important that the effect of current turmoil in Europe on the day-to-day performance of firms in Yorkshire is kept to a minimum. “Equally, business owners and managers in this region should not overlook a pool of potential international customers because of fears associated with the financial, cultural or legal implications, as there is help and support available to overcome such barriers.”
Kate answers call for region conference MARKETING expert Kate Hardcastle will be on home ground when she joins the speaker at this year’s Kirklees Business Conference. Huddersfield-born Kate (pictured) is a regular keynote speaker at many industry events and has worked extensively across the UK and internationally, including Australia, Dubai, China and USA. She is a regular contributor and industry commentator as well as being patron of a district of the RSPCA, the founder and chairwoman of The Charity Dreamgirls and founding partner of business transformation organisation Insight with Passion. Award-winning Kate is an in-demand consultant advising household names to help them reach more customers, transform the customer experience and become more successful. Working in the independent
sector or with multi-nationals, she has combined a “back to basics” approach with a career built on helping brands expand and raise their profile. KBC event director Danny Matharu said: “Quite simply, Kate is a one-woman business phenomenon, regularly sharing her expertise on SKY, ITV and BBC TV and radio while winning over 20 national business awards in the process. “We are proud to bring her back to her home town for KBC '12. “This is a superb opportunity to learn from one of the UK’s best. No matter what sector you operate in, retaining your customers is paramount in the success of your business.” KBC ‘12 takes place at The John Smith’s Stadium on September 27. Places are free to delegates. Book online at www.kirkleesbusiness conference.co.uk
Your first-hand experience of being in business could benefit someone who is about to set-up on their own. All we need is one hour every fortnight. It’s not a lot but you could make a huge difference to someone else’s life. MYMentor is a network of people from all backgrounds supporting jobseekers in Kirklees who want to be self-employed.
www.mycci.co.uk Connecting & Supporting Business
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
Slowdown continues NEW figures have revealed a further contraction in the UK housebuilding industry. Statistics from the National House-Building Council show that new home registrations fell by 24% during the second quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. Registrations in the UK totalled 25,798 between April and June compared with 33,820 during the second quarter of last year. The figure for Yorkshire fell to 1,536 from 1,903 a year ago.
Public sector registrations were down by 49% in the second quarter compared with last time while private sector registrations were 10% lower. Richard Tamayo, NHBC commercial director, said: “As the year progresses, we must hope to see a rebound in social housing numbers as providers adapt to new methods of funding. “Hopefully, the decline in private registrations witnessed in June will, in hindsight, prove to be a statistical blip in what will otherwise be a period of sustained, if modest, private sector volume growth throughout the year.”
Back of the net THE Leeds office of property agency Knight Frank has advised the Evans Property Group on letting a 50,000sq ft warehouse at Millshaw Park in south Leeds. The warehouse has been let to @Futsal, Britain's leading operator of Futsal, the official FIFA and FA indoor five-a-side football format.
property
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Firms blaze a trail in construction sector TWO leading construction sector companies with links to Huddersfield have launched a joint venture. National construction and development specialist Southdale has teamed up with luxury housebuilder Strata to launch Ignite Homes Ltd – to drive a range of mixed tenure developments for registered providers, local authorities and ar ms length management organisations. Southdale, based at Halifax, partnered Kirklees Council in the refurbishment of properties across Brackenhall and Deighton while Doncaster-based Strata has undertaken three housing developments in the same areas to provide more than 250 properties. In a statement, the companies said: “The combination of Southdale and Strata provides a financially robust operation, offering unrivalled expertise in public and private sector housing as well as community-scale regeneration.” Ignite is led directly by some of the most senior managers in the two partner organisations, including Southdale managing director Paul Moore and Strata chief executive Jim Wren. Said Mr Moore: “We are very excited at the potential for Ignite to give a real boost to housing. “Getting building started without funding is not easy, but we can use our experience to help clients get around the issue of a lack of grant availability and this partnership with Strata
■ BRICKWORK: Strata chief executive Jim Wren (left) and Southdale managing director Paul Moore
has the potential to make a big difference to home building.” Mr Wren added: “This is something which we know clients need and want and we are confident that the potential for using Ignite to
give housing development a real boost – by working around one of the biggest issues many of them have to face in their day to day work – will be as exciting to them as it is to us.”
Region’s property values rise... THE total value of commercial property investment transactions rose across Yorkshire during the second quarter of 2012, according to a survey. Figures from Lambert Smith Hampton’s UK Investment Transaction quarterly bulletin showed a total value of £172m during the second quarter against £123m in the previous three months and £107.2m for the second quarter of 2011. The most significant deals included Threadneedle Property’s acquisition of The Core Shopping Centre in Leeds for £37m, Credit Suisse’s acquisition of Princes Exchange in Leeds for £36.6m and Blackstone Real Estate’s acquisition of a B&Q at Redhouse Interchange in Doncaster for £35m.
The retail sector, which accounted for only 4.9% of total investment in the first quarter of 2012, increased to 31.4% of total investment in the second quarter with £54m worth of transactions. The office sector, which accounted for 46% of the total market during the first quarter fell to 33% in the second quarter. The industrial sector accounted for 28% of the market at £49m – an increase of 81.5% compared to the first three months of 2012. Abid Jaffry, northern head of Capital Markets, said: “The Yorkshire investment market remained relatively stable throughout the second quarter of 2012, although there continues to be a lack of stock and there have not been any purchases above
£40m within the region this quarter. “There were three deals at circa £35m which accounted for about 60% of the transactions within the last quarter. “There is still a great deal of caution within the market due to economic uncertainty and therefore stock levels are likely to remain ‘thin’. “Investor demand remains focused on prime stock and we are still experiencing a considerable yield divergence away from the prime end of the market.” Focusing on the UK as a whole, UK based investors were net sellers last quarter, with the UK institutions, public and private property companies bringing over £4.3bn of stock to the market.
■ STABLE: Abid Jaffry, of Lambert Smith Hampton
..but market is hit by a shortage of stock A SHORTAGE of stock is hampering activity in Yorkshire’s commercial property market, it is claimed. Property agent DTZ’s latest UK Investment Market Update showed total direct commercial real estate investment across the country totalled £8.4bn in the second quarter of 2012 – up by 21% on the previous quarter. But, the rolling four quarter total remained broadly flat at £30bn.
Although activity in regional markets remained relatively subdued, there were pockets of growth – notably in the West Midlands, where quarterly volumes reached £460m, a figure well above the longer run quarterly average of £380m. The update said the UK regional office markets appear to be suffering from growing “risk aversion” and concerns over the weakness of occupational
markets. Tim Cameron-Jones, senior director at DTZ in Leeds, said: “Investment into commercial property in the Yorkshire region is subdued at the moment. This is partly driven by scarcity of prime sales, but also by general caution from investors. “Whilst we do not expect the return of significant rental growth in the short to medium-term, property investment currently
offers very attractive income returns in comparison to other asset classes and as we saw from investors who bought wisely when the market stalled in 2009, very significant returns can be made on the bounce back.” Ben Burston, head of UK DTZ Research, said: “Looking forward, we expect investment volumes in the UK to reach £34bn this year, a 13% increase on 2011.”
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Kitchen firm to the rescue for charity A DEWSBURY company has donated a new kitchen to a charity providing food supplies for needy people. Rixonway Kitchens, based at Shaw Cross Business Park, responded to a plea to help a foodbank centre in Gillingham, Dorset. The request came via CRASH, the construction and property industry’s homelessness charity. The Dewsbury firm supplied wall units, base units and worktops free of charge to the foodbank team, which operates under the Trussell Trust umbrella and collects donations of non-perishable food from supermarkets, schools, churches, businesses and individuals. Volunteers sort food to check that it’s in date and pack it into boxes ready to be given to people in need identified by care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers and police who issue them with a foodbank voucher. Foodbank manager Robert Rickards said: “We are really most grateful for the generosity of Rixonway Kitchens for supplying a new kitchen for our foodbank. The way we have worked with Rixonway has been a great help in allowing us to be flexible in the layout.” Rixonway director Nick Greenall said: “We’re always keen to help with community initiatives especially when they are as worthwhile as this project. We hope the donation allows the service to continue helping those in need.”
property
Care homes win Investors award A CARE home business led by Batley-based businessman Lawrence Tomlinson has gained the Investors in People gold standard at its first attempt. Ideal Care Homes, which employs more than 1,500 people, operates 36 care homes in the North and Midlands – including Greenacres at Meltham, Ashworth Grange at Dewsbury and Lydgate Lodge in Batley. The company decided to apply for IIP status for the whole business after its homes in Flixton and Tameside were individually recognised. Chairman Lawrence Tomlinson said: “We were confident we had reached a stage where we could demonstrate established good practice across what has been an extremely quickly growing business. “I am passionate about recruiting and developing great people to work in our care homes. To be great places to live they have to be great places to work.” Leeds-based Ideal Care Homes, part of Mr Tomlinson’s LNT Group, had to impress inspectors at every level of its operation to achieve the accolade.
■ TOP LEVEL: Lawrence Tomlinson, of Ideal Care Homes and the LNT Group
Interesting court case INFORMED DEVELOPMENT
Martin Thompson HILE the London Olympics W has been creating the headlines in the popular press, in the
construction industry a compensation case against Sir Robert McAlpine worth a reported £600m has started. There had long been a rumour of a blacklist of workers in the construction industry, but only when the Information Commissioner's Office raided a first-floor office in Droitwich and took away a database containing 3,400 names and invoices showing that 44 construction firms were paying for the data was this confirmed. The list of users of the database run by the Consulting Association includes Sir Robert McAlpine, Balfour Beatty, Costain and Skanska Construction. The database worked with site man-
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agers supplying details of alleged troublemakers based on union activities or raising health and safety issues. Human resources departments then checked job applicants against the Consulting Association's records, paying £2 per check for the service. David Clancy, investigations manager at the ICO, told the Central London Tribunal that “there is information on the Consulting Association’s files that I believe could only be supplied by the police or the security services.” The claim is being made under the “Tort of unlawful conspiracy” and targets Sir Robert McAlpine. As this is a conspiracy case it means that Sir Robert McAlpine could also be responsible for the actions of the other contractors who number more than 40.
Many of the blacklisted workers’ claims go back over many years with one ex-scaffolder’s file going back to 1964. The legal action follows a complaint lodged with the CIDP, the professional body for human resources staff, after publication of their new code of conduct. Five human resources staff are cited as being in breach of five areas of the code, using a blacklist to veto construction workers. The blacklisted workers are being represented in the High Court by Sir Hugh Tomlinson QC, the barrister who acted in the News of the World hacking cases. While there have been a number of employment claims made with limited success, this is a different approach and one we are tracking with interest.
Martin Thompson, is a partner in Commercial Property at Armitage Sykes in Huddersfield
Said Mr Tomlinson: “Inspectors interviewed staff across the homes and head office operation from maintenance to management about all aspects of their roles and training. “Achieving gold standard across the group was far more difficult than for individual homes. “I was always confident the business could demonstrate good practise because of the systems we have to develop and manage our staff. Those in turn contribute towards Ideal achieving the standards it sets for care for the people who live with us.” The award came as Ideal prepared to open its latest care home at Newfield Lodge, Castleford, with renewable heat energy provided by ground source heat pumps and solar thermal panels.. The new complex – which is creating 40 jobs – has been built by LNT sister company LNT Construction. The technology draws heat from the ground which is then fed in to the under floor heating system in the 64 bed room home. In future, all Ideal Care Homes will feature ground source heat pumps which repay the initial investment within eight years.
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
Movers and shakers
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Valve company welcomes VIPs
Louise Wright, Natalie McGuire & colleagues
Cedar Court Hotels THE owner of a Huddersfield hotel has appointed a new sales team. Cedar Court Hotels, which includes the four-star Cedar Court at Ainley Top, has recruited Louise Wright as sales director. She was formerly director of sales at both De Vere and Q Hotels. The new team includes Natalie McGuire, who will work as agency sales manager representing all of the hotels in the Cedar Court collection. The restructure also brings in two new area sales managers to promote the group regionally and nationally. Cedar Court Hotels has also implemented sales training across the group to ensure that all staff are taking advantage of potential sales opportunities. The group said that over the next five years, significant investment will take place at its four-star hotels in Huddersfield, Wakefield, Leeds/Bradford and Harrogate. The group also has the five-star Cedar Court Grand Hotel & Spa in York.
Andy Chaffer
Finance Yorkshire FINANCE Yorkshire has appointed Andy Chaffer to its equity finance team. Mr Chaffer (pictured) becomes business development manager and will be responsible for liaising with businesses south of the M62. He has been working with SMEs for 35 years, beginning with the Yorkshire Bank where he qualified as a chartered banker. He has worked in both the invoice finance and commercial finance sectors and is well-known across Yorkshire for his work with UK Steel Enterprise, South Yorkshire Investment Fund and Connect Yorkshire. Mr Chaffer, 51, of Leeds, joins Anne Salisbury, who recently became the equity team’s business development manager responsible for working with businesses north of the M62. Ian Brown, Darren Morris, Nicola Galvin and Andrew Burton all joined the equity team in June. Finance Yorkshire provides seedcorn, loan and equity linked investments ranging from £15,000 to £2m to help small and medium-sized businesses meet their funding needs for growth and development.
A BRIGHOUSE engineering firm hosted a visit by two of the world’s most respected industry figures. Denis Westcott, managing director of control valve specialist Koso Kent Introl, welcomed Hans Baumann, a German inventor and engineer, and Edward Singleton, founder of KKI’s forerunner Introl. Mr Westcott said: “Both Hans and Edward are hailed as the most experienced and esteemed statesmen in valve engineering. “Between them, they have contributed over a century of invaluable expertise and knowledge to the industry for which we shall be eternally grateful. “Today, they continue to inspire the next generation of engineers, as some of their legendary inventions and practices live on ■ HONOURED GUESTS: Denis Westcott (left), managing director at Koso Kent Introl, with (from left) Yoshi Kawabata, assistant to the group’s president at Nihon Koso, Hans here at KKI.” Mr Baumann, now in his 70s, is Baumann, and Edward Singleton renowned as the most high profile valve expert. He has registered more than 200 He is still one of the most technically facturing practices for our oil and gas customers around the world.” patents in the field of engineering and proficient control valve experts around. During the visit, the two experts shared David Limb, KKI sales director, said: produced more than 100 publications, including numerous valve manuals. He has “At KKI, we continue to fuse the very best their engineering experiences with KKI of the traditional and modern engineering management and employees, toured its also contributed to industry handbooks. Mr Singleton, a former managing dir- techniques across our business. Like Hans three sites at Brighouse and remarked on ector of Introl, retains a passion for and Edward during their with working the investment made by the firm to increase all-things engineering and has written a careers, we remain committed to providing manufacturing capacity and improve provast number of industry and white papers. world-class service engineering and manu- cess efficiencies and quality.
Supply in demand Duncan sitting A CONSULTANCY focusing on supply chain and logistics issues attracted major names from the industry at its ninth annual conference. John Perry (pictured), of SCALA, based at Huddersfield’s Media Centre, hosted the SCALA Logistics Debate at the Marriott Forest of Arden, near Birmingham when the topic this year – Can we Take the Grey Hair out of Logistics? – provided a platform for intense and robust discussion. The debate was chaired by David Grahamslaw, vice-chairman of CILT West Midlands, and included contributions from representatives of leading firms in the sector. Clare Bottle, of Lafarge Cement and vice-chairman of Women in Logistics, took part in the debate and also addressed 120 delegates
in judgement
on questions of gender inequality. Other issues covered during the conference included technology and how to attract talented people to the industry from other disciplines and sectors. There was also a vigorous questions-and-answers session and opportunities for networking.
Celebrating success A BUSINESSMAN is celebrating success in Mirfield – after reaching a milestone. David Cramp (pictured), who set up TaxAssist Accountants in the town eight years ago, has expanded the company to employ three people and now has more than 200 clients. Said Mr Cramp:
“We’re thrilled to be celebrating eight successful years in Mirfield. Myself and the team have really enjoyed helping a variety of small businesses with our specialist tax advice over the years. We pride ourselves on our friendly and personal approach and look forward to working with more local businesses in future.”
DRAGON’S Den star Duncan Bannatyne is the man to impress. The serial entrepreneur (right) is among the judges for the ninth annual Startups Awards 2012 . The competition, which is now open for Kirklees firms to enter, is sponsored by NatWest and organised by Startups.co.uk and aims to recognise the success of Britain’s newest businesses which have been trading for less than three years. Previous winners have included some of the UK’s fastest-rising brands, such as Wonga.com, Naked Wines and BeatThatQuote.com. Thirteen awards up for grabs this year include two new categories – Trade Business of the Year and Freelance Business of the Year as well as Online Business of the Year, Innovative Business of the Year and the overall NatWest Startups Business of the Year 2012. Joining Duncan on the judging panel will be Kate Russell, reporter for BBC Click; and Julie Deane, co-founder of the Cambridge Satchel Company, which won the top award last year David Lester, founder of Startups.co.uk, said: “As one in three start-up businesses don’t make it beyond the first year of trading, we are rightly proud of the Startups Awards which recognise those that successfully negotiate these early hurdles.” The deadline for entries is September 14, 2012. Visit www.startupsawards.co.uk to get an entry pack. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Friday, December 7, at the