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HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014
Just a Minuteman! Interview - Page 3
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COLIN BARRATT Off to work we go! Column - Page 4
An EXAMINER publication
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS The business NEWSpaper for Kirklees
By HENRYK ZIENTEK Business Reporter henryk.zientek@examiner.co.uk
A company making machined plastic and metal components is set to expand its 65-strong workforce following the opening of a new factory extension. Skelmanthorpe-based Pennine Industrial Equipment has added 600sq metres of accommodation to its Commercial Road premises to take advantage of rising demand for premium conveyor chain, which the firm manufactures for the glass-making and bottling industries. The move represents a £2m investment in building, machinery and new products for launch. The company is now on track to increase its workforce by 30% over the next five to 10 years. Dewsbury MP Simon Reevell unveiled a plaque to mark the opening of the new extension before invited guests who included Kirklees Mayor Clr Martyn Bolt; Clr John Cook, chairman of Denby Dale Parish Council; and Paul Radcliffe, of Lockwood-based Radcliffe Construction, which built the new facility. Guests were welcomed by managing director Graham Hobbs, son of the firm’s founder, who recalled the company’s
■■ At the opening of the new extension are (from left) director Graham Womersley, MP Simon Reevell, Kirklees Mayor Cllr Martyn Bolt and managing director Graham Hobbs
origins in Saddleworth and his own background, saying: “I am very proud as a Lancastrian to have achieved this in Yorkshire.” Pennine Industrial Equipment was founded by Leonard Hobbs in 1973 but sought out new premises following his retirement in 1983. Graham said “We went to Scotland, Devon and were offered a site in Warrington. Instead, we came here to a turn-
of-the century factory that had been used for making rugs but had fallen into a poor condition. I had never heard of Skelmanthorpe, even though I went to Colne Valley High School. “Now we are probably the biggest employer in the village – we’re only 15 minutes from the M1 but our employees can walk to work and we have taken on an apprentice every year since 1983.” The company, which also employs a
handful of people at a site in Birmingham, has two distinct product areas which serve both domestic and export markets. It makes machined plastic components that prevent metal touching metal and contaminating foodstuffs on production lines for customers including Fox’s Biscuits at Batley and McVities in Halifax. It also makes sprockets and chains for conveyors used in glass production and bottling plants. In addition to the factory extension and new production equipment, the company is launching the 2 Pin Conveyor chain for transporting hot bottles and jars at speeds of over 500 containers per minute or 750,000 containers each day. More than 60% of sales are exports to to some 60 countries, including China, Japan, India, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Spain, South Africa and Venezuela. Customers include manufacturers of wine glasses, pint and half-pint beer glasses as well as pressed glass products, such as ashtrays. Officially opening the new extension, Mr Reevell said: “When I first came here a few years ago, we talked about providing this facility and what it might be like one day. It was something we all hoped would happen – and now it has.”
Lift for Stanley’s A social enterprise helping people with learning difficulties has been given a five-figure boost. Cleckheaton-based Stanley’s Training Project has won a “Build It” Award of £16,000 from UnLtd, a leading provider of support to social entrepreneurs in the UK. Stanley’s Training Project offers a safe haven, training and help with key life skills to people with learning difficulties and those that find it hard to access education, training or employment. It supports this work through offering health and social care training to businesses and through food sales from its food business.
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Small firms urged to act now over workplace pensions Training Small and medium-sized firms in Kirklees still to start planning for autoenrolment have been urged to act now. Chartered accountancy firm Clough & Company made the plea after a survey revealed that 40% of business owners believe the process will damage their business. As part of the Government’s auto-enrolment programme, all employers must offer and contribute financially towards a workplace pension scheme. The UK’s largest employers started offering the schemes in 2012 and smaller firms are being phased in at certain points until 2018 when it will become a requirement for all employers. Over the next 12 months, it is estimated that 40,000 employers in the UK will have to automatically enrol their employees into a pension scheme. Initially, employers must contribute at least 1% of an employee’s gross pay into a pension
scheme for them and this will rise to 3% by 2018. However business software firm Sage recently found that two out of five small business owners expect cash flow problems as a result of auto-enrolment and are worried about the cost of introducing the schemes. Lesley Kendrew, a partner at Clough & Company in Cleckheaton, said: “By the end of this year, all businesses that had more than 60 employees in April, 2012, will need to automatically enrol all their employees into a workplace pension scheme and many businesses are underestimating the process, time and cost that this will require. “Time is quickly running out for any business that has yet to start planning for auto-enrolment because they will need to seek external advice about the process and compliance of the proposed scheme and there’s already high demand for this
advice. “They will need to determine the date and deadline by which employees must be enrolled, review their pension arrangements, check their payroll software is compliant, determine which employees are eligible to be enrolled and deal with the compliance issues of communicating all this information to each employee.” Said Lesley: “Businesses cannot afford to miss the deadline because non-compliance can see daily fines that range from £50 up to £10,000. “Businesses also need to plan their cashflow requirements for the effect of auto-enrolment. As well as the cost of the actual employer’s contributions - when it reaches 3% it will mean an additional annual cost of £795 for every employee earning the UK’s average salary of £26,500 – there are also costs associated with upgrading payroll software as well as compliance and administration costs.”
pledge
■■ Lesley Kendrew , of Clough & Co
Development and construction firm Southdale is set to create opportunities for new apprentices, subcontractors and supply chain companies by putting almost £22m into the Yorkshire economy after winning six lucrative contracts. The group,, which partnered Kirklees Council on a major redevelopment scheme, has secured work valued at more than £20m across Yorkshire – and aims to create one apprenticeship for every £1m-worth of new business won.