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HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2014
Giant ambitions Interview - Page 3
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NICK GARTLAND Interesting times Column - Page 5
An EXAMINER publication
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS The business NEWSpaper for Kirklees
By HENRYK ZIENTEK Business Reporter henryk.zientek@examiner.co.uk
Kirklees employers have been given their say on plans to attract hundreds of millions of pounds of government investment to the Leeds City Region. Roger Marsh, chairman of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), met Kirklees businesses during a visit to the district. Mr Marsh visited turbocharger manufacturer Cummins at Turnbridge, the Deighton-based Textile Centre of Excellence and multi award-winning fabrics exporter Camira in Mirfield. He also attended a meeting of Kirklees Business Champions at Huddersfield University’s 3M Buckley Innovation Centre, where he outlined the LEP’s ambitious proposals for a share of the government’s £2bn Local Growth Fund. The LEP is currently developing a Strategic Economic Plan in response to the government’s invitation to all 39 local enterprise partnerships nationally to negotiate a Local Growth Deal for their area. As well as providing vital government
■■ Roger Marsh (right), chairman of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, visits multi-award-winning Camira Fabrics in Mirfield
funding to boost the region’s economy – including potential investment in business support, skills, transport, energy infrastructure and housing and development sites – the Local Growth Deal could also help the LEP secure new freedoms
and flexibilities that would enable the region to take greater control of its economic destiny. Mr Marsh said: “I’m delighted to have the chance to meet with Kirklees companies and hear what they see as the key
opportunities for growth over the coming years. “As a major manufacturing cluster within Leeds City Region – itself the largest manufacturing centre in the UK – Kirklees firms, including Camira, Cummins and countless others, are driving the UK’s manufacturing innovation and have an important role to play in helping the LEP develop the Leeds City Region as an economic powerhouse nationally and globally.” Mr Marsh was formerly senior managing partner at PwC in Leeds. As the firm’s UK Northern Leader, Government and Public Sector, he worked with the Smith Institute to create the policy proposal, “Rebalancing the economy: prospects for the north” and was seconded to the Cabinet Office in 2007 as director-general of strategic finance and operations. Mr Marsh took up chairmanship of the LEP in July last year. He has been Deputy Chair of inward investment body Leeds and Partners since 2011, working to help constitute a new board while shaping strategy and priorities for Leeds as one of the UK’s most significant financial centres.
Company gets a real lift from securing export contracts A company manufacturing stairlifts is seeking new recruits after the success of its export efforts. Bespoke Stairlifts Ltd, based at Old Fieldhouse Lane in Huddersfield, embarked on its export drive when the recession threatened to hit domestic sales. The firm’s efforts paid off with a lucrative contract to a German-based reseller – prompting Bespoke Stairlifts to target other European resellers. And by recruiting a multilingual European sales manager, export sales have more than doubled. Operations manager Andy Gaughan said: “Bespoke Stairlifts was formed in 2004 by partners Dave Burns and Gavin Finn and evolved from a desire to create a cost-effective solution for ■■ Directors of Bespoke Stylists Gavin Finn (left) and David Burns customers with curved or complicated staircases, who only had very expensive options within the stairlift industry. Mr Gaughan said the company had set itself apart in “David had been involved in the sales side of the terms of what it offers its trade customers – and what business for 20 years or more and he joined together they in turn can offer theor opwn customers. with Gavin who had the engineering expertise. Sales and marketing manager Simon WaddingtonThe company has recruited and developed a highly said; “Some companies want us to provide a compreskilled work force that is now shipping their products hensive package, while others just want us to do part of to over 60 trade customers across the world.” the process.
“Bespoke Stairlifts’ flexible approach to their services is what sets us apart from other stairlift providers. “Other companies are a lot more rigid in terms of how they provide their products and are unwilling to work with their suppliers’ needs, whereas our team’s core belief is to work hand in hand with our customers to develop a great working relationship that optimises both our customers’ and our requirements which, hopefully, the end user benefits. While expanding its ecport efforts, the firm has continued to develop the UK market. The company continues to work with four of the UK’s leading disability charities and will continue to invest in these partnerships during 2014. The company is also working towards quality standards PAS 99 Integrated Management Systems – incorporating ISO 9001 Quality Management, ISO 14001 Environmental Management, BS OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management. Bespoke Stairlifts is also seeking recrtuits in a number of areas including finance and accounting, fabricating, chair/carriage engineers and installation engineers.
Website a winner A Huddersfield-based web design agency has been praised by staff and students at Trinity Academy in Halifax for its work on the academy’s innovative new website. The academy, which achieved “outstanding” status from Ofsted in 2013, approached Splitpixel Creative Ltd, based at the Media Centre in Northumberland Street, for an re-design of its website that would highlight its achievements and its vision of “excellence in all we do”. Academy principal Michael Gosling said: “It’s important to us that our website reflects the outstanding achievements of the academy.”
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Looking good An opticians business which began with three practices has now opened its seventh. ValliOpticians,launched in 2005 in Huddersfield, has acquired Barbara Watson Eyecare in Outwood, Wakefield. Moin Valli, managing director of the Valli Group, said: “We are delighted to announce our seventh practice. Barbara Watson Eyecare is a fantastic set up situated in the heart of a lovely community. Above all this practice has modern technology and delivers excellent patient care.”