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HEIDI DAWSON Business at the gallop!
COLIN BARRATT Personally speaking
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An EXAMINER publication
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS 1 7 , Ja n u a r y, 2 0 1 2
The business NEWSpaper for Kirklees
Company tapping into new markets part of the specification and the scheme has already won a number of best practice and construction awards. The Floodline Breeameter system offers flow monitoring and water leak detection to meet and exceed the W02 and W03 regulations – and can aid in the accumulation of credits. The system uses two flow meters to monitor the mains water supply – one on the site boundary and the other within the premises, after the stop-cock. Mr Pogson said: “We’ve identified a market need and invented Breeameter’s intelligent control panel to allow more flexibility than conventional meters. “This means a much lower chance of repeated construction and installation costs as a building’s requirements change during its life cycle.” Andel Ltd, formed in 1992, is a market leader in the design and development of leak detection systems with distributors across Europe, America and Canada, the Middle East, China and Brazil. Its products and systems have been installed in Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and in locations belonging to UK government departments, TV and radio stations, computer and data centres, banks, sports centres, hospitals, art galleries, libraries and museums.
Gola, which can trace its origins to 1905, has been associated with some of the biggest names in sport and is now one of the UK’s leading sportswear and fashion brands. The firm’s British sporting pedigree have been incorporated in the new 2012 ad campaign, which takes an entirely new direction from previous product and colour focused campaigns..
WORKERS building the £7.5m engineering centre for Kirklees College in Huddersfield have been highly commended for being good neighbours by the Considerate Constructors Scheme. The team was praised by assessors from the CCS, who visited the site at St Andrew’s Road, Turnbridge. Contractor GMI received particular praise for its efforts in being a responsible constructor and a good neighbour in the area.
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■ WATER WAY: Andel managing director Ian Pogson with Breeameter monitoring system
Agency scores with latest sports industry win BRITISH sports brand Gola Classics has developed a new advertising campaign for 2012 – with help from a Huddersfield agency. The new campaign was developed with The Sharp Agency, based at the Media Centre in Northumberland Street, using the agency’s Co-Create by Sharp approach to develop ideas that would resonate with the brand and its core audience.
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A COLNE Valley firm providing levels of enquiry from major buildflood detection equipment is help- ing contractors, mechanical and ing organisations cut water costs electrical engineers to help solve and meet tighter environmental their problems in both new-build and retrofit applications.” standards. West Yorkshire Police commisAndel Ltd, based at Marsden, has landed contracts worth thou- sioned Andel to provide the new sands of pounds to install its equipment for computer server Breeameter monitoring system to and water plant rooms at its new cut mains water leaks and reduce £12m Scientific Support Unit at water bills at engineering firm Calder Park, where the force has BAE’s Preston operations and at committed itself to pledges regardthe West Yorkshire Police scientific ing its environment credentials. BAE Systems – which provides support unit in Wakefield. New environmental benchmarks manufacturing and support for mean organisations are having to such major military programmes consider tackling not only leaks as the Eurofighter Typhoon and inside buildings, but to examine F35-Lightning II – has installed where pipes are buried or where the Breeameter at its Samlesbury water has a long way to travel from site in Lancashire, where it has the boundary or internal mains expanded its manufacturing and office facilities and carried out supply. Andel said the high risk of leaks infrastructure improvements. Renewable energy, rainwater going unnoticed carried cost implications and could lead to harvesting and biomass boilers are maintenance issues, losses or damage to property.. The Breeameter control panel is designed to be adapted for the lifetime of a building. As processes and staff numbers change or extensions are built to a company’s premises, the device is simply reset to meet changing requirements. Andel group managing director Ian Pogson said: “Water metering and environmental awareness have made conservation increasingly ■ BOX OF TRICKS: The control critical and costly to ignore. panel used with the Breeameter “We are experiencing rising system
INSIDE
T h e n e w c o n c e p t i s p h o t ography-led, featuring models striking sporting poses at iconic London locations including the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament. The campaign – launched in the year of the London Olympics – features a new tag line, Born in Britain, which reinforces Gola’s 107-year British heritage and sporting legacy. The cam-
paign will also feature in outdoor advertising, online and at sales tills in-store. Donna Hill, marketing manager for Gola said: ‘We are really pleased with the new direction the 2012 ad campaign has taken. We wanted to capitalise on the euphoric wave of patriotism that will sweep the UK in 2012 by reinforcing Gola’s British credentials and vast sporting heritage.”
Firm with real drive A CAR dealership has driven away with a monthly business award. Longley Park Motors, based at Paddock, was named Business of the Month in the competition run by Huddersfield law firm Eaton Smith in conjunction with the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and government export support body UKTI.
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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
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Bovis on course to meet profit targets A FOCUS on family homes in the south of England has left Bovis Homes on course to deliver a “significant” increase in profits, the company said. Kent-based Bovis expects to meet City profit forecasts of about £31m in 2011 – up by 68% on the previous year. The group benefited from an 18% increase in private completions, while it also bought cheaper land following the downturn and focused on larger, more lucrative family homes in the south as first-time buyers struggle to get on the housing ladder. This helped average selling prices increase by 4.5% to £180,100 last year. Bovis said that its strong pipeline of new sites meant it was on course to deliver further “significant” improvements in profits
in 2012, even though the market was expected to remain “challenging”. The bullish statement prompted a 1% rise in the company’s share price, following gains made last week from other house builders, including Persimmon and Barratt Developments, which also reported healthy trading. Bovis chief executive David Ritchie said: “We are delighted with the improved returns delivered in 2011. “The group is well placed for 2012 with increasing active sales outlets and stronger profit margins.” Bovis had 80 active sales outlets at the start of 2012, but expects to add a further five sites during the year. It had 568 forward sales at the start of the year, 35% higher than
a year ago, reflecting stronger reservations for private and social housing. The housebuilding sector was hit hard by the slump in property prices in the wake of the recession but its big players have rebuilt profits despite low transaction levels. Companies have focused on snapping up cheaper land, concentrating their activities more on London and the South East – where the market has remained more resilient – and on building family homes rather than starter homes. Three-quarters of Bovis’ land bank now runs across the south from Devon in the west to Kent and Essex in the east. This compares with a 50-50 split between south and north England in 2007 before the financial crisis hit.
Bloomsbury has the right recipe BEST-SELLING cook books and further magic from Harry Potter helped publisher Bloomsbury report strong sales for its Christmas trading quarter. River Cottage Veg Everyday! by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Heston at Home by Heston Blumenthal were among its top selling titles, alongside the full collection of the books featuring the boy wizard. The company also highlighted the “enormous opportunities” in digital publishing after seeing a 38% jump in book sales in the quarter to December 31. its Public Library Online initiative also continued to grow with 8m
people served in the UK and 17m elsewhere in Europe. I n p ro fe s s i o n a l p u b l i s h i n g, Bloomsbury recently launched an online service for UK tax practitioners. Investec Securities said the update showed that Bloomsbury was managing to deliver in the tough retail environment as the publishing business adapts to new technologies and a demand for more specialised publications. Bloomsbury chief executive Nigel Newton said the “robust” business was set to take full advantage of the opportunities arising from growth of online sales and sales of ebooks.
■ FLYING HIGH: Bovis increased private completions and lifted its average selling price to put it on track to meet City expectations
Wiseman agrees sell-off THE founding family of the UK’s biggest fresh milk supplier is set to pocket almost £100m after agreeing to sell out to German giant Muller. The Glasgow-based Robert Wiseman Dairies said more than half of its shareholders have accepted a £279.5m takeover offer from the yoghurt maker, which is best known for Muller Corner and Muller Rice. Although shareholders have yet to officially vote, it is being seen as “a done deal” by analysts – which will trigger a £98.1m windfall for the Wiseman family, who own 35% of the shares. Wiseman produces about a third of
the fresh milk consumed in the UK and counts the Co-operative Group, Sainsbury’s and Tesco among its customers. Shares closed 59.5p higher at 387.5p after gains of 34% last Friday when Wiseman admitted it was in talks with Muller. Wiseman chairman Robert Wiseman said the deal made “strong commercial and strategic sense”, by combining two leading dairy businesses. The management of Wiseman will stay in their posts after the deal. Mr Wiseman said: “Muller’s offer represents an attractive price for an outstanding business.”
Page 2 Stepping up sales THE owner of health chain Boots reported a strong Christmas – driven by sales of beauty and cosmetic gift sets. Alliance Boots said its UK retail division, which has more than 2,500 stores, saw like-for-like sales grow by 4.1% in the five weeks to December 31, while group revenue increased by 14.1% compared to the previous year. The privately-owned company, which owns more than 3,000 stores worldwide, said its pharmaceutical wholesale division – supplying medicines to more than 160,000 pharmacies, doctors, health centres and hospitals in 21 countries – saw revenue surge by 21.3% or 1.6% on a like-for-like basis. In a letter to staff, executive chairman Stefano Pessina said the group’s strong performance was driven by its exclusive offering and international expansion, particularly its acquisition of German pharmaceutical giant Anzag. He said the group was on track to meet its financial and operational targets. But he said: “We expect the economic environment to remain tough with continuing pressure on consumer and governmental expenditure.” Alliance Boots, which was taken private in an £11.1bn takeover in 2007, employs 75,000 staff in the UK and posted a 14% rise in underlying profits to £1.05bn in the year to March 31.
SHARE PRICES NORTH AMERICAN American Express £32.44 Gannett 955.80 Hess Corp £36.87 Microsoft 1841.83 Motors Liquidation 48.90 Wal-Mart Stores £38.82 AEROSPACE & DEFENCE Avon Rbbr 3111/2 BAE Systems 3047/8 Rolls-Royce 764 AIM Brady Plc 811/2 Dawson Intl 13/8 Man Brnze 281/2 AUTOMOBILES & PARTS GKN 2023/4 BANKS Barclays 1991/8 HSBC 5073/4 Lloyds Banking Gp 291/2 Ryl Scotland 243/8 Stan Chart 1468 BEVERAGES Diageo 1406 SABMiller £231/4 CHEMICALS Croda 1907 Elementis 98 147 Johnsn Mat £201/4 CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS Balfour Beatty 2821/4
2013/4 -61/4 ELECTRICITY Drax Gp 533 +21/2 Intl Power 3311/4 -31/4 SSE 1246 -5 ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT Laird 156 +21/4 EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTS Alliance Trust 354 FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICES BT Grp 2075/8 +41/4 Cable & Wireless 38 Comm Cable & Wireless 17 Wwide Colt Group 893/4 -3/4 KCOM 69 +21/4 Talktalk Telecom 133 -11/4 FOOD & DRUG RETAILERS Morrison W 2881/4 +7/8 Sainsbury 2831/4 -7/8 Tesco 3123/8 -41/2 FOOD PRODUCERS AB Food 1131 +3 Tate Lyle 697 +111/2 Unilever £203/4 +1/4 GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIES Centrica 2833/4 +3/4 National Grid 6281/2 +31/2 Pennon Grp 705 +41/2 Severn 1549 +7 1 United Utils 610 /2 +1/2 Costain
+31/4 +17/8 +11/2 +61/2
+63/8 -21/8 +3 +3/8 +2 +16 +1/8 +11 -3/4
5
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GENERAL FINANCIAL 3i Group 178 -1/4 ICAP 3313/8 -51/4 1 London StockExch 841 /2 -12 Man Group 1101/4 +31/4 1 Provident Financial 987 /2 +21/2 Schroders 1348 -3 Schroders NV 1115 -1 GENERAL INDUSTRIALS Cooksn Grp 556 +131/2 REXAM 3733/4 +13/4 1 Smiths Grp 937 /2 +2 GENERAL RETAILERS Ashley L 207/8 Carphone Whse 321 +21/2 Dixons Retail 97/8 +1/4 3 Home Retail 89 /8 +43/8 Inchcape 3063/8 +1/2 Kingfisher 2461/2 -53/8 1 M&S 316 /2 -1/2 Mothercare 176 +81/2 Next £261/8 +1/8 WH Smith 530 +5 HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICES Smith Nph 596 -2 HOUSEHOLD GOODS Aga Rangemaster 77 +3 Barrat Dev 108 +11/8 1 Persimmon 519 /2 +4 Reckitt Benckiser £331/4 +1/8 Taylor Wimpey 403/4 -3/8 INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING IMI 8691/2 -1
INDUSTRIAL METALS Ferrexpo 319 INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION BBA Aviation 1863/4 LIFE INSURANCE Aviva 3241/2 Lgl & Gen 1123/4 Old Mutual 1423/8 Prudential 670 Resolution 262 Standard Life 2051/8 MEDIA BSkyB 6831/2 D Mail Tst 4281/4 ITV 74 Johnston Press 61/8 Pearson 1250 Reed Elsevier 5241/2 STV Group 861/8 Trinity Mirror 481/2 Utd Business 5151/2 UTV 1021/2 WPP 738 Yell Group 51/8 MINING Anglo American £26 Antofagasta 1301 BHP Billiton £203/4 Eurasian Natural 735 Res Fresnillo 1707 Kazakhmys 1067 Lonmin 9691/2 Rio Tinto £357/8
-2 +31/2 +11/4 +11/8 +11/8 +71/2 -5/8 +5/8 -91/2 +97/8 +1/4 +33 +21/2 +85/8 +11/2 +21/2 +1/8 +7
+1/4 +2 +3/8 +1 +20 +15 -1/2 +1/4
Local shares Carclo Marshalls National Grid Weir Gp
3141/2 90 6281/2 £21
-2 -1/4 +31/2 -1/8
FTSE closed at
5657.44 Up 20.80 VEDANTA 1074 -11 RESOURCES Xstrata 1073 +10 MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES Inmarsat 3973/4 -221/4 Vodafone Group 1757/8 +7/8 NONLIFE INSURANCE Admiral Grp 878 -1 RSA Insurance Gp 1097/8 -1/8 OIL & GAS PRODUCERS BG 1456 +3 BP 478 +13/4 3 Cairn Energy 291 /8 -3/4 Royal Dutch Shell A £225/8 +1/8 3 Royal Dutch Shell B £23 /8
Total £325/8 +3/8 Tullow Oil 1428 -1 OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICES AMEC 977 +1 Petrofac 1548 -6 -21/2 Wood Gp(J) 6611/2 PERSONAL GOODS Burberry Gp 1300 +29 PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY Astrazeneca £303/4 +1/4 GlaxoSmithK 11 7 Shire £21 /8 +1/4 REAL ESTATE Brit Land 467 +1 -5/8 Captl Shop Cent 3113/8 5 Hamrsn 369 /8 -5/8 Land Secs 634 -11/2 3 SEGRO 199 /4 -11/8 SOFTWARE ETC SERVICES Invensys 183 -1/4 Logica 743/8 +11/2 3 Misys 265 /4 +41/2 Sage Group 3013/4 +13/4 SUPPORT SERVICES Berendsen 4223/8 -63/4 Bunzl 880 -21/2 1 Capita 647 /2 -101/2 De La Rue 935 +7 Electrocomp 2091/8 +3/4 1 Experian 875 /2 +31/2 G4S 2683/4 -11/4 Hays 65 +3/8 Homeserve 301 +1/8
Menzies J 535 Rentokil 723/4 Smiths News 79 Wolseley £21 IT HARDWARE ARM Hldgs 581 Psion 46 Spirent Comms 120 TOBACCO Br Am Tob £297/8 Imperial Tobacco £235/8 LEISURE & HOTELS Bwin.Party Digital 1641/8 Carnival 1878 Compass Grp 610 easyJet 401 Enterprise Inns 273/4 FirstGroup 3157/8 Go-Ahead Gp 1293 Greene King 4853/4 Intercontl Htls 1220 Intl Cons Airlines 1553/8 Gp Ladbrokes 134 Mitchells & Butlers 2501/2 Natl Express 2191/2 Rank Org 1293/4 Stagecoach Group 2755/8 TUI Travel 1647/8 Whitbread 1616 INDEX FTSE 100 5657.44 INDEX FTSE 250 10478.63
-2 +1 -1/2 -1/8 +6 +3/4 -1/4 +1/4 -1/4 +13/8 -370 -1/4 -2 -7 +43/4 -15 -11/4 +3/4 -3/4 -3/4 +1/8 -21/2 +31/4 -12 +20.80 +20.92
TOURIST RATES Tourists going abroad can expect the following rates for sterling: Australia...................... 1.41 dollars Bangladesh................. 118.44 taka Brazil.............................. 2.44 reals Canada....................... 1.49 dollars China ............................. 8.64 yuan Czech Republic ...... 28.43 korunas Denmark....................... 8.55 krone Euro............................... 1.15 euro Hong Kong................ 11.29 dollars Hungary................... 338.39 forints India.......................... 69.51 rupees Japan........................... 111.92 yen Mexico ....................... 18.50 pesos New Zealand .............. 1.80 dollars Norway ......................... 8.86 krone Pakistan.................. 130.25 rupees Philippines ................. 57.52 pesos South Africa.................. 11.70 rand South Korea.............. 1538.00 won Sri Lanka ................ 164.49 rupees Sweden....................... 10.24 krona Switzerland.................. 1.39 francs Taiwan ...................... 40.16 dollars Turkey....................... 2.68 new lira USA ............................ 1.46 dollars
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
Horse sense from Heidi YOU could say its an occupational hazard! Businesswoman and horse lover Heidi Dawson is nursing a bruised foot – an injury sustained while riding. Her cob, Ruby, got spooked and Heidi came off, getting her foot trampled by Ruby in the process. It’s not the worst injury she has sustained pursuing her hobby – an interest that has now become part of her career in business coaching and hypnotherapy. “I came off a horse two years ago on a beach ride in Cumbria,” says Heidi. “I landed on wet sand and it was like concrete. I was airlifted to hospital, but I didn’t remember anything of the accident. I had severe concussion and compression injuries to my arm which left me with nerve damage. It took 18 months to stop having problems with my arm.” But Heidi, who has been passionate about horses since childhood, wasn’t deterred by her frightening experience. In fact, it helped her develop her service as a business coach. “Talk about every cloud having a silver lining,” she says now. Heidi began to research the growing phenomenon of Equine Assisted Coaching – or Horse Assisted Development – as she prefers to call it. Heidi, who worked in health and safety for 15 years before setting up her coaching business in 2006, has introducing the concept of Horse Assisted Development to help people learn more about themselves and the way their behaviour influences other people – through horses. Heidi, who runs Success Unbridled from offices at New North Road, Highfields, said: “I began looking at this just as the recession bit. People were being made redundant and there was suddenly a big increase in the number of people in the consultancy field – but no increase in the amount of work to go around.
profile
Page 3 Heidi Dawson
■ STABLE MATES: Heidi Dawson (below) and (above) with horses Ruby (left) and Zahra
“I felt I needed to do something to differentiate myself from the other coaches. I had always loved horses, although until then I had never owned one. I was also interested in the interaction between people and horses. That was more interesting to me that just riding.” Coaching sessions based at her stables help delegates develop leadership, communication and “people” skills as well as help in team-building. Says Heidi: “Horses don’t do ‘role play’ – they provide instant and honest feedback based on how we are behaving around them. In the wild, horses are prey. So they are particularly sensitive, but they are also full or energy because all the time they are wondering if they are safe. They respond to our energies and moods.” Heidi has used Horse Assisted Development to help one client – involved in combat sport – to learn how to “switch off” and calm his aggression. She has also worked with hyperactive children who have learned that to calm an agitated pony they need to moderate their own behaviour. Courses at the stables have helped young people struggling with school or facing other problems by helping build up their confidence and raise their self-esteem. Heidi set up her centre last October, having previously worked out of a livery yard. She is assisted in her work by her three equine friends –
a miniature Shetland pony named Gertie, a rescued Arab called Zahra and Ruby. “They each have their own characteristics and personalities,” she says. “Clients choose which horse they want to work with. People think that Gertie will be quiet because of her size, which shows that we all make assumptions!” Heidi takes delight in seeing the positive results of her coaching sessions. “One group of pupils from a school in Dewsbury were blown away by the scenery and the animals,” she says. “I don’t think they had ever been out of the town. Things that I would take for granted, they saw as wondrous.” She says: “Horses are genuine and honest in their behaviour. They help you get back to basics. Horses have always been seen as a class thing – the battle between the haves and the have-nots. I got my first horse because of my work. I didn’t get it for competitions. I ride once in a while and they live their lives as horses. It is important to let them be natural and respond to things naturally.” Heidi says TV programmes such as Martin Clunes’ Horse Power have created interest in all things equine. “The equine industry is a growth industry at the moment,” she says. “I wanted to be a vet when I was young. There were not many other options if you wanted to work with animals. I grew up in Ossett and there were two riding schools. I spent every minute I could there. “Now, far more people own horses and job opportunities have increased. Colleges offer courses in stable management and being a groom in a livery yard is the first step on the career ladder to owning your own yard or being a riding instructor.” Regarding her own career path, she recalls: “When I was 19 or 20 I applied for 400 jobs I applied for anything and everything. I was very determined to get a job, but I didn’t know what I
wanted to do.” She worked as a school lab technician before moving into environmental health and food safety. She held posts with organisations including Rank Hovis McDougal, York City Council and Greggs before working for a construction company as a public liaison officer on flood defence schemes. When that company lost its contract with the Environment Agency, she became a consultant for the agency itself in relation to flood defence projects, including ones in Wakefield and Todmorden. With Government cutbacks in 2006, Heidi was given six months’ notice that her contract was going to end. Instead, she set up her own consultancy – drawing on her own “people” skills and her training as a hypnotherapist, which she had undertaken some years before. “I enjoyed working with people, so I trained as a coach,” she says. “My career before that had been was fulfilling, but it was stressful,
which might have been damaging long-term. I think I made the right decision. I am much happier doing what I do now.” Along with Horse Assisted Development, Heidi offers conventional business coaching, personal coaching and hypnotherapy. She also runs Success Unlimited Business Masterminds, a forum which meets regularly for members to share best practice and tackle common business challenges. When things get fraught, there’s always a little horse sense to fall back on. “There’s nothing more relaxing than being in the fields on a nice spring morning,” says Heidi. “The horses give you something else to focus on and you can be alone with your thoughts. “I don’t need to go to the gym any more, either. Pushing a wheelbarrow up and down the hill a couple of times is a pretty good workout!”
HENRYK ZIENTEK
It’s a good time for change!
Role: Owner Age: 46 Family: Married to Jonathan Holidays: France and the Greek islands Car: I used to have a lovely Alfa GT. Now I have a very practical Mitsubishi L200 pickup First job: Replenishment technician at the Co-op – ore shelf-stacker!! Best thing about job: Seeing people blossom and come into their own. It’s very rewarding Worst thing about job: Mud Business tip: The things that have kept me going are adaptability, a sense of humour and making sure your glass is always half-full
Success Unbridled Work: Personal development and helping people discover they have no limits Site: Highfields Phone: 01484 428930 Email: heidi@successunbridled.co.uk Web: www.success unbridled.co.uk
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Home win for Terriers A PROPERTY agency is staying at home – by renewing its partnership deal with Huddersfield Town for a third consecutive year. Oxley Property, which is based at Westbourne Road, Marsh, covers the Brighouse, Halifax and Bradford regions as well as Huddersfield. Huddersfield Town commercial director Sean Jarvis said: “We've enjoyed working with them so far and the feedback we've received about their service has been fantastic. “So we're happy to continue our partnership with them. “Partnerships like this is a great sign of how far the club has come. “Businesses want to continue long-term relations with us as they can see we’re heading in the right direction.”
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KIRKLEES BUSIN
Getting personal over tax matters! S we approach the end of A another tax year, there is still time before the April 5
deadline to review our affairs to ensure that we are obtaining the maximum benefits of available allowances and reliefs. In doing so, it is worth looking not just at husband and wife but also parents and children. Both husband and wife have the benefit of the Personal Allowance and the basic rate tax band. Transfers of assets between them are free of all taxes. It may be beneficial to review the assets of each spouse to see if transfers can be made from one to the other to ensure Personal Allowances are not wasted and basic rate tax bands are utilised as far as possible whilst at the same time mitigating the extent of any higher rate tax liabilities on the transferring spouse. Basic rate taxpayers can save 20% tax on income earned on assets transferred to a spouse who has not used their Personal Allowance. Those with gross income in excess of £42,475 can save tax at 40% taxpayer and for very high earners, who begin to lose their Personal Allowance when income exceeds £100,000, the saving can
TAX TALK Colin Barratt
be as high as 60% and those over £150,000 could save 50%. Charitable Gift Aid donations should also be made by the spouse who is the highest rate taxpayer as they are able to obtain the optimum relief for these payments, without affecting the tax position of the charity. Remember to use up each spouses’ ISA allowance, given that the maximum subscription limit has increased to £10,680 (£5,340 for cash ISAs and £5,340 for stocks and share ISAs). Children under 18 also have their own Personal Allowances and tax bands, but income from capital gifted by a parent is only taxable on a child if it does not exceed £100 gross per annum. Otherwise it is taxable on the parent. Gifts of up to £3,000 per donor (plus £3,000 for the previous year if unused) can be made completely free of inheritance tax. Larger gifts
can be made tax-free and without affecting future tax liabilities provided the donor survives seven years. So if grandparents wish to help with increased educational costs it may well be appropriate for them to gift the money directly to the grandchildren rather than their parents so that any income is assessable on the grandchildren and would therefore be tax free up to the annual Personal Allowance. Where children work in the family business then payments could be made to them provided the amount is realistic for the work done. A tax deduction will be given to the business for the wages paid and would potentially be tax free in the hands of the child.Potential tax savings may be possible but due consideration should always be given to any commercial or other risks involved with such transactions.
Colin Barratt is tax partner at Wheawill and Sudworth chartered accountants, Huddersfield
It’s a touch of genius! A FORMER Huddersfield University student found inspiration for his latest invention on the ski slopes. Phil Mundy has come up with iPrints, small adhesive strips that can be attached to the fingertips of any glove to make it easier for the user to operate a smartphone or tablet. Phil developed the concept following his own frustrations trying to answer an important phone call while on a ski chair lift. He teamed up with clothing manufacturer Fordville to develop and make the product, which was launched last November to target the skiing and winter-sports market. But it has seen demand exceed all expectations – with the initial run of 8,000 strips selling out over Christmas as “everyday” glove wearers warmed to the handy product. The iPrints can be fitted to any existing pair of gloves, including winter-sport, motorbike and even work-wear gloves. They can also be branded to feature company logos, trademarks and other branding. Mark Press, managing director of Fordville, commented: “Due to
Study highlights positive trends
KIRKLEES firms have been urged to start 2012 on a positive note. The call comes from Huddersfield law firm Baxter Caulfield following its latest assessment of the private sector in Yorkshire and Humber. The firm, based at Station Street, conducted an evaluation of announcements published by companies relating to jobs, investment and new contracts – and says its findings provide strong evidence of new innovation private sector investment and new private sector jobs throughout the region to balance the “difficult” news of jobs at risk in the public sector. The firm’s research shows that 36,257 private sector jobs were announced in 2011 along with mo than £2.2m of new investment by private sector business in the region. Stephen Newman (pictured), senio partner at Baxter Caulfield, said: “There is no doubt that the region has been through some tough economic times and the future remains uncertain for many businesses. “However, our research clearly indicates that more than 36,000 new jobs and £2m of investment were announced by organisations in Yorkshire and Humber last year “We heard an awful lot about job losses in 2011, but nowhere near as much about the job creation th has been happening in the region private sector.” Said Mr Newman: “The region’s companies are now investing som of the money they have saved as a result of cost reduction. This is filtering through but is not hitting the headlines. We need to address that and talk up Yorkshire and Humber.”
Beware pitfalls of social media ■ THAT’S HANDY: Phil Mundy (right), Huddersfield University graduate, who came up with his iPrints idea after struggling to use a smartphone while wearing gloves their size and the nature of their use, iPrints make an effective promotional product.” Phil graduated from Huddersfield University in 2004, when he became managing director of Creative North, a company based at the Media Centre’s Creative Lofts that developed games for mobile phones. But he was keen to launch a tangible product, rather than
developing software. Said Phil: “The current economic climate is a huge catalyst for change and innovation within the business place. If you are smart and take a clever approach, it doesn’t need to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to market a product – as exemplified by the iPrints.” The iPrints product is available online at www.iprints.org.uk
MANAGERS of firms in Kirklees are set to get a lesson in the dangers of social media. The Chartered Management Institute’s Central and West Yorkshire branch is staging a free event on next Tuesday at the premises of Walker Morris, 12 Kin Street, Leeds. It will feature a talk on the legal issues relating to social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. CMI branch chairman Michael Short said the use of social networking sites posed significan workplace issues for managers. Email David Fisher at david@davici.co.uk
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AN engineering company in Huddersfield has joined a scheme designed to help industry improve its safety record. Westin Drives, which celebrated 90 years in business during 2011, received accreditation from SAFEcontractor, a programme which recognises very high standards of health and safety practise among UK contractors. The £1m-plus turnover company, which employs 17 people and is based at Phoenix Mills, Leeds Road, offers repair services for all types of motors as well as pumps, gearboxes and electronics. Serving the chemical, pharmaceutical, food, textile, engineering and aggregate industries, its recent clients have included major players such as Santander Bank, Greggs Bakery and Lockwood-based David Brown Gears. The company’s application for SAFEcontractor accreditation was driven by the need for a uniform standard across the business. “Achieving this accreditation is a great accolade and testament to the companies commitment to its customers and safe working pract i c e s,” s a i d m a n a g i n g director Richard Bruffell. SAFEcontractor accredit-
■ ACCOLADE: Richard Bruffell, of Westin Drives
ation is expected to enhance the company’s ability to attract new contracts. Its commitment to safety will also be viewed positively by its insurers when the company liability policy is up for renewal. SAFEcontractor is applicab l e t o m o s t s e c t o r s, although it is particularly relevant to food manufacture, property, facilities management, retail and leisure sectors, all of which are big users of contract services. John Kinge, head of risk at S A F E c o n t r a c t o r, s a i d : “Major organisations can no
longer run the risk of employing contractors who are not able to prove that they have sound health and safety policies. “More companies need to understand the importance of adopting good risk management in the way that Westin has done. The firm’s high standard has set an example, which hopefully will be followed by other companies within the sector.” Under the SAFEcontractor system, businesses undergo a vetting process, which examines health and safety procedures and the firm’s track record for safe practice. Those companies meeting the high standard are included on a database, wh i c h i s a c c e s s i bl e t o registered users only via w e b s i t e w w w. s a f e c o ntractor.com Employer organisations who sign up to the scheme can access the database, enabling them to vet potential contractors before they even set foot on site. More than 150 major nation-wide businesses have signed up to use the scheme when selecting contractors for services such as building, cleaning, maintenance, refurbishment or electrical and mechanical work.
Reducing the risk for firms KIRKLEES companies have been urged to help reduce the risks facing their businesses. Firms across the district have been invited to attend a two-day Fundamentals of Risk Management course run by the Institute of Risk Management. The event, which takes place on January 23 and 24 at the Rose Bowl In Leeds, provides a comprehensive introduction to risk management It comes at a time when high-profile organisations have repeatedly fallen victim to risks that were either unexpected or inadequately mitigated. Steve Fowler (pictured, right), IRM chief executive, said: “Managing risk is not just
about avoiding pitfalls, but is also about positioning the organisation to take maximum advantage of business opportunities. “Our course provides a practical introduction to the tools and techniques of risk management for any sort of organisation.” The IRM is the world’s leading enterprise-wide risk education Institute. The not-for-profit organisation is owned by owned by practising risk professionals and provide qualifications, short courses and events at a range of levels Email tina.asgari@theirm.org
local
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Time to celebrate success KIRKLEES firms which have displayed strong finances and good growth during the economic turbulence of 2011 are being urged to celebrate the efforts of their finance directors. Nominations are now open for the FDs’ Excellence Awards 2012, in association with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, which recognise the best-performing FDs from quoted and privately-owned companies in the UK. Last year. the top prize of FTSE 100 FD of the Year went to Richard Pennycook, chief financial officer at Bradford-based supermarket group Morrisons. Richard Perry, FD at Hessle-based Fenner, was joint winner of the FTSE 250 FD of the Year category. Michael Izza, ICAEW chief executive, said: “Finance directors and CFOs have a unique position and crucial role in driving a resilient, profitable business. “Organisations that strive to achieve long-term sustainable value rely upon
financial leadership as they face the challenge of 2012 and set their objectives for growth. “The FDs’ Excellence Awards set the gold standard for financial management in the UK economy. Across the public and private sector, the candidates and winners exemplify rigour and excellence. They are role models for the next generation of British businesses and their board rooms.” The categories for this year’s awards include ones for auditors, business banks, financial software suppliers, financial directors of quoted and private companies and young FDs. Nominations can be made for the Young FD of the Year; Private Company FD of the Year; and FD of the Future categories. Nominations close on March 2, 2012. Shortlisted candidates will be evaluated by a panel of judges in April before an awards ceremony on May 24 in London. on April 19, 2012. Go to www.fdsawards.co.uk
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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
Page 6
Building for a brighter future ■ NEW YEAR CHANGES: Nigel McDonald (left), managing director of Eddisons, with Philip Booth, director for its licensed, leisure and hotels division
Surveyors unveil major changes A PROPERTY agency with offices in Huddersfield has marked the new year with a hat-trick of significant announcements. Eddisons, with offices at Highfields, has launched a licensed, leisure and hotels division, opened two offices in Ireland and introduced a new corporate identity. Philip Booth, 48, formerly director of licensed and leisure at Grant Thornton, leads the new division at Eddisons with an initial team of six, which is expected to increase to eight by the end of the year. Eddisons has added offices in Dublin and Limerick to its eight offices across the UK. The new offices will target banks and insolvency practitioners with services such as valuations, impaired debt strategic advice, plant and machinery and property
management. Managing director Nigel McDonald said: “Ireland is a natural extension of our current geographical footprint where we will offer the same director led approach and specialist services to banks and insolvency practitioners as we do from our existing offices. ‘It will also help us to attract and service Irish clients who have property interests in the UK. Similarly, UK businesses that have property interests in Ireland will benefit from the fact that we now have dedicated representation in the country offering invaluable local knowledge.” Meanwhile, Eddisons’ new corporate identity is the first change of branding for more than 10 years. As well as a new logo, Eddisons has carried out a major overhaul of its website.
Food firm warms to solar panels A FROZEN food supplier has warmed to solar energy. Lindley-based U Energy Solar has installed one of the largest photovoltaic systems in the UK for Durham-based Eden Farm Frozen Foods. The system has been installed across two sites at Eden Farm’s distribution centre at Peterlee, County Durham. It is estimated that the system will reduce CO2 emissions at the sites by about 60 tonnes a year. U Energy Solar designed, supplied and installed the system – providing 2,500sq ft of solar panels capable of producing more than 100,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per annum. Almost 500 modules were
fitted to the southern elevation of two units. The technical team from U Energy also assessed the buildings – and specifically the roof structures and wind loadings – to calculate the optimum system to best capitalise on each. U Energy director Farhan Gohir said: “Eden Farm has made a huge, yet savvy investment. They have made use of an existing asset – their roof space – to create green energy and to make a significant saving on what was previously their largest expense. “These are the largest roof mounted installations we have undertaken so far and are amongst the biggest in the UK.”
THE workers of the future in Huddersfield are highly ambitious, clued-up and keen to quickly climb the career ladder, claims a survey by the UK’s construction industry training body. The online poll conducted by CITB-ConstructionSkills found that “the opportunity to become your own boss” was the most appealing factor about working in the building industry for those born after 1985. This was followed closely by the variety offered by working on different projects and the opportunity to become a master craftsman in a specialist area. The potential financial rewards were low down the priority listing for youngsters in Huddersfield – although the majority thought that earnings in construction were about the same or higher than other careers. Youngsters said a company’s “commitment to training and development” was the most important consideration when choosing an organisation to work for
This was almost matched by the organisation’s “reputation as a fair employer”. However, a company’s size, location, reward package and its commitment to the green agenda were not rated highly in the pecking order. Teamwork topped the poll as the aptitude, ability or skill the Huddersfield participants thought most useful to bring to the industry. Project management and organisational skills were not rated highly – with most reckoning that technical ability, confidence and physical fitness were more valuable to a prospective employer. Russell Buckley, regional delivery manager for Yorkshire at CITB-ConstructionSkills, said: “It’s clear from the survey that young people in Huddersfield interested in construction are driven,
ambitious and ready for tough challenges. “This is exactly what construction needs – quality candidates who are keen to raise the bar and meet the future needs of an ever changing industry. “As an industry, we need to pay close attention to the expectations around training and development. Opportunities for up-skilling and continuous improvement must be an integral part of our sector’s offering or we risk losing talented youngsters who will bring their skills and energy elsewhere.” Among other findings, 76% of Huddersfield respondents thought that females made up between 20% and 30% of the construction workforce. In fact, the figure is 13%. Over half thought apprenticeships were the most important way to help secure a career in the industry with only 10% thinking that higher qualifications such as a postgraduate qualification or a Higher National Diploma were important to getting into the industry.
Storm warning for insurers FLOODS and storms are the risks that most concern home insurers in Yorkshire, a survey has revealed. Analysis by business advisory firm Deloitte showed that the household insurance market will make an underwriting profit in 2011 following losses in 2010. However, the firm’s annual household insurance seminar suggested that household insurers are likely to impose price rises of between 5% and 10% in 2012. Steve Williams, financial services partner at Deloitte in Yorkshire, said: “In 2010, the insurance industry was hit hard by
the extremely cold weather that Britain experienced in December that year, and the additional freeze claims wiped out the profits insurers expected to make on household policies. “The weather in 2011 was more benign and it looks as though the industry is on target to declare an underwriting profit for 2011. “The outturn for 2012 will largely be determined by the weather. The storms that hit Britain in the first few days of January are a reminder of the huge losses that natural perils such as storms and floods can produce.”
■ FORECAST: Deloitte’s Steve Williams
Energy rules ‘will hit firms’ NEW Government legislation on the energy efficiency of buildings will have a significant effect on property values in Yorkshire, it is claimed – leaving landlords exposed to diminishing property values and potentially unlettable premises. The Energy Act 2011 will make it unlawful to let buildings with F and G rated Energy Performance Certificates after April, 2018. Darren Hughes, regional director for commercial property agent Lambert Smith Hampton, said landlords had to act now to avoid falling property values and significant improvement costs in the future. He said: ““Proactive investors and landlords should be starting to identify which of their properties are at risk of
falling foul of this new legislation and putting a plan in place to improve the future environmental performance of their properties.” Colleague Jonathan Nellar, director of building consultancy at LSH, said: “This legislation could have a significant impact on the marketability and value of investment stock well before the 2018 enforcement date. “Investors and landlords are already under a huge amount of pressure in the current climate. “Additional expenditure will undoubtedly impact on the market, particularly for secondary stock where we are already seeing the effect of physical obsolescence on pricing and marketability.” Government figures suggest that as
much as 18% of buildings with an Energy Performance Certificate fall into the bottom two categories. Said Mr Nellar: “Statutory compliance costs will increase if work isn’t done to improve environmental performance. “It’s far better to identify the reasons for poor performance and carry out efficiency improvements during routine maintenance or periodic refits. “Landlords also need to revisit their leases to understand to what extent compliance costs are recoverable from the tenant and which they will have to bear themselves. “Tenants will be reluctant to agree leases on poor performing buildings, so this will have an inevitable effect on values.”
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Thursday 26 January 2012 7pm Cedar Court Hotel, Ainley Top, Lindley Moor Road, Huddersfield, HD3 3RH For further information contact: Richard Smith 01484 477623 or Paul Andrew 01484 477621 or Doug West 01484 477624 Complete Catalogue and Legal Packs available online LOT 1 Land adjacent to 64 Woodhouse Hill
Fartown, Huddersfield, HD2 1DH 1Residential building plot 10.052 Hectares (0.13 Acres) 1Outline planning permission for one dwelling 1Good residential location 1Guide: In Excess of £30,000
Being neighbourly is just good sense! WORKERS building a new £7.5m engineering centre for Kirklees College have been highly commended for taking “exceptional measures” in respecting the community. The team was praised by assessors from the Considerate Constructors Scheme, who visited the site at St Andrew’s Road in Huddersfield (pictured above). Contractor GMI received particular praise for its efforts in being a responsible constructor and a good neighbour in the area. Initiatives such as controlled working hours to reduce noise and inconvenience, clear communications and a good relationship with local trainee schemes helped Leeds-based GMI gain full marks in two of the eight sections of the Site Code of Considerate Practice.
GMI is also working with Kirklees College to provide activities for students and the local community – including giving construction students the chance to tour the site to find out how – once qualified – their skills may be used on multi-million pound projects. Students from the college have also entered into a design competition to create artwork for the gates and provides designs for areas in the building – initiatives being delivered by architects KKP. And GMI is sponsoring the engineering and motor vehicle categories at the college’s annual awards. Andrew Schofield, contracts manager for GMI, said: “The team are thrilled with the CCS assessor’s comments and the overall score as it shows that a full commitment to the scheme can result in value and benefit to all involved on a project of this scale.”
VAT rise ‘has led to job cuts’ MORE than one in five small building firms report being forced to cut jobs as a direct result of last year’s VAT increase to 20%. In addition, more than half of these small businesses reported falling workloads as a consequence of the VAT hike. These are the findings from the Federation of Master Builder’s latest quarterly State of Tr a d e S u r v e y c ov e r i n g s m a l l a n d medium-sized construction firms. FMB director Brian Berry said: “The FMB warned the Government at the time that raising the rate of VAT to 20% would suppress demand for building work and cost jobs. “Unfortunately, our prediction has been borne out by our latest research which shows that the VAT increase is hurting the very small businesses that the Government is looking to for economic growth.” Mr Berry said: “More than 200,000 construction jobs have been lost since 2008 when the UK economy was hit by recession. “There are obviously a large number of different factors affecting employment in the construction industry, but we do know from these survey findings that the rise in VAT has
made things worse. “A separate piece of research by the analysts at Experian estimates that nearly 4,000 jobs were lost in the housing repair maintenance and improvement market last year as a result of the rise in VAT. “When the effects of ‘the multiplier’ are added in, the total employment loss to the UK economy could have reached 10,254 by the end of last year – and may rise to more than 17,360 by 2020.” Said Mr Berry: “The research also shows that a targeted reduction in the rate of VAT on just the labour element of domestic repair maintenance and improvement works could cost as little as £161m – but could generate a total stimulus effect of £1.7bn and create 34,400 jobs by the end of 2012. “Such a cut could also release £374m of public money to refurbish over 20,000 units of social housing stock and help meet the Government’s energy efficiency objectives. “As the economy stalls, the Government should be re-examining the case for a cut in VAT as a targeted reduction would help generate much needed jobs and growth on a very limited budget.”
LOT 2 67 Huddersfield Road
Elland, HX5 9AA 11 bedroom plus box room mid terrace house 1Let on AST producing £300 pcm 1Guide: In Excess of £30,000
LOT 3 69 Huddersfield Road
Elland, HX5 9AA 1Large two bedroom mid terrace house 1Let on AST producing £420 pcm 1Guide: In Excess of £50,000
LOT 4 71 Huddersfield Road
Elland, HX5 9AA 1Hire centre/workshop investment 1290m2 (3,126 sq ft) – Approx GIA 1Let at £15,500 per annum 1Guide: In Excess of £100,000
LOT 5 Land at Burgh Mill Lane
Dewsbury Moor, Dewsbury, WF13 3QS 1Outline planning permission for five dwellings 1Level rectangular cleared site 10.129 Hectares (0.32 Acres) 1Guide: In Excess of £75,000
LOT 6 Land adjacent to 3A Shelley Lane
Kirkburton, Huddersfield, HD8 0SJ 1Outline planning permission for a four/five bedroom detached dwelling with double garage 1Excellent residential location 10.069 Hectares (0.17 Acres) 1Guide: In Excess of £100,000
LOT 7 19, 21 & 21a Southgate
Elland, HX5 0BW 1Town centre investment opportunity 1Two self-contained retail units with separate three bedroom flat 1Gross rental income of £18,200 per annum exclusive 1Guide: In Excess of £145,000
LOT 8 Oaklands
2 Coach House Drive Dalton, Huddersfield, HD5 8EG 1Residential/commercial conversion opportunity 1Character detached stone property 1Approx 667m2 (7,180 sq ft) GIA (Not measured by auctioneer) 1Good residential location 1Guide: In Excess of £200,000
LOT 9 82 Lower Gate
Paddock, Huddersfield, HD3 4EP 1Part complete four/five bedroom detached property 1Popular residential location 1Guide: In Excess of £90,000
LOT 10 Cold Hill Farm
Cold Hill Lane, Berry Brow, Huddersfield, HD4 6TU 1Farmhouse, barn and outbuildings for conversion 1Rural location with views over neighbouring fields 1Planning permission for conversion to a large four bedroom house 1Site area of 0.07 Hectares (0.17 Acres) 1Guide: In Excess of £140,000
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
Movers and shakers
Page 8
Car dealership in the fast lane Gary Lumby
Erimus Insurance A LEADING West Yorkshire financier has taken up a new appointment. Gary Lumby has joined Erimus Insurance Brokers as non-executive director as it looks to expand its markets. Mr Lumby, pictured (standing, left) with directors (from left) Scott Pinnell, Shaun Hughes and Paul Davison, received the MBE for services to the financial services industry in 2008. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland and director of small business banking for Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank. Mr Lumby, who has 30 years experience in banking, will continue to work with Yorkshire Bank in an ambassadorial capacity and will also carry out his duties as vice-chairman of the Leeds, York and North York Chamber of Commerce and as a board member of the Leeds City Region LEP. He also hold several other non-executive director roles. Middlesbrough-based Erimus specialises in business-to-business insurance, offering a full range of professional insurance broking and risk management services to a wide industry sector.
A CAR dealership has driven away with a monthly business award. Paddock-based Longley Park Motors, was named Business of the Month in the competition run by Huddersfield law firm Eaton Smith in conjunction with the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and government export support body UKTI. The award came in recognition for the firm’s strong performance and contribution to the local economy. It was presented to managing director John Waite by Chris Taylor, of Eaton Smith, at the law firm’s High Street premises. The dealership was founded in 1981 by local garage boss Tony Baines, who re-mortgaged his home and took a loan from Lada Cars UK in order to start his business. His decisive nature and hard work paid off and his business went from strength to strength. Tony died in 2008, but the dealership continues to operate to the high standards of customer care put in place by its founding manager – with a personal approach and flexibility that enables it to compete with even the largest franchises. The company, which has 19 employees, has consistently outperformed the national market by a considerable margin, growing its market share significantly over the past three years. Successful growth of the brand has led to recent expansion and investment, including the opening of a brand new after-sales facility.
■ PARK LIFE: Chris Taylor (centre) presents the award to John Waite (third right), of Longley Park Motors and colleagues Sharon Brennan (second right) and Sandra Cross (right) with (from left) Kathryn Shuttleworth, of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce; Annie Bradley, of UKTI; and Steve Molloy, of Walker Singleton
Mr Waite said: “2011 has been yet another record breaking year. With Kia Motors, we have the opportunity to sell a truly fabulous range of cars. “We always endeavour to make buying a car both a satisfying and comfortable experience.
“I am very proud of Longley Park and our reputation. I am honoured to be the guardian of it.” The Business of the Month Award is open to firms in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. Contact Ian Greenwood at Eaton Smith on 01484 821389.
Dave Jones
Reward YORKSHIRE financier Dave Jones has left his position as senior regional managing director at Aldermore Invoice Finance to become a partner at both Reward Capital and its recently launched sister business, Reward Commercial Finance. Mr Jones (pictured) joined Birstall-based Cattles Invoice Finance, which was later acquired by Aldermore, in 2002 after previous senior roles with Eurosales Finance and Yorkshire Bank. Over the past 10 years, he has become one of the region’s most active and respected experts in asset based lending and was named ABL Professional of the Year in the 2011 St Nick Awards. Mr Jones, who qualified as a chartered banker more than 20 years ago, has become a partner in both Reward businesses with a role heavily focused on business generation, deal structuring and ongoing risk management. Reward Capital was established in Leeds in November, 2010, with substantial financial backing. Its success in the first 12 months has resulted in increased funding support for Reward Capital, and a drive to expand its product offering through the recently formed Reward Commercial Finance which offers ongoing working capital for businesses of up to £3m turnover, via all aspects of factoring, invoice discounting, and inventory finance.
Swiss assignment for Ajaz
Simon Boyd
Sunersol
HUDDERSFIELD entrepreneur Ajaz Ahmed was guest speaker at a major legal conference in Europe. Ajaz (pictured), who found fame as a co-founder of Freeserve, addressed the LawWithoutWalls Zurich conference at the University of St. Gallen Executive School in Law and Management at the weekend. US-based LawWithoutWalls enables law students to participate and interact with leading business people and lawyer entrepreneurs from around the world. Students from universities and law schools across three continents
attended the event. Among those represented were Harvard Law School, Indiana University School of Law, Miami Law School, New York Law School and others in Spain, China, Australia, Colombia, the UK and Switzerland. The conference gave attendees the opportunity to discuss problems facing the legal profession and how innovation and change can occur. Ajaz is working with Leeds-based law firm Last Feather Cawthra on its LEGAL365.com initiative and sits on the board of Huddersfield University Business School.
WASTE recycling company Sunersol has appointed Simon Boyd as operations manager. Sunersol, based in Heckmondwike and Mirfield, is a specialist waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling company working with councils and waste management companies on a contract basis. Mr Boyd (pictured) previously worked for EnvironCom England and Viridor Waste Management. He brings a raft of knowledge on recycling and re-use of WEEE along with substantial operational experience for material received from council waste sites and commercial collections. Mr Boyd also has experience of relocating business, which will be invaluable when Sunersol opens an additional 35,000sq ft warehouse in the next few months. Managing director Craig Thompson said: “Sunersol is a growing business and attracting someone with the experience and pedigree that Simon has is testament to the company’s hard work and ambitions in its first 12 months of trading.”