Kirklees Business News 25/03/14

RAJ BEADLE

FTSE 100 -36.78 6520.39

HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014

Time for a coffee?

Interview - Page 3

1

COLIN BARRATT Saving for the future Column - Page 4

An EXAMINER publication

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS The business NEWSpaper for Kirklees

Infection control business Access all areas gets a healthy cash boost

INSIDE

henryk.zientek@examiner.co.uk

A firm producing infection control products for the healthcare sector has secured a six-figure sum to expand its product range and customer base.

Huddersfield-based MTP Innovations has landed £400,000 from Finance Yorkshire’s Equity Linked Fund.

The funding will enable MTP Innovations to promote its innovative product range in the NHS – where the business has already established a foothold – as well as targeting new and broader markets.

MTP, based at Leeds Road, has created a range of cost effective, safe and patentable infection control products.

Its sachets and tablets are used in the healthcare sector to fight against hospital-acquired infections such as Norovirus, C.Difficile and MRSA. The longer term aim is to produce a retail offering for the domestic market.

MTP’s non-alcohol hand gel contains an emollient leaving hands cleansed and moisturised.

Managing director Mike Jepson said: “We knew we had a great product and a great team, but just needed the right partner to inject appropriate resource to take us to the next level.

“With investment secured from Finance Yorkshire, we now have the

■■ Katharine Braim (left), of Finance Yorkshire, with (from left) Jonathan Simms, of Clarion: Mike Jepson, of MTP Innovations; Chris Wright, of Armstrong Watson; and Maxine Burton, of Clarion

funding in place to drive the business forward and exploit the opportunities for our unique product offering.

“Engaging with the right professional advisors was, in my opinion, a key factor in this successful outcome.”

The £400,000 investment will be used

by MTP Innovations to market its range in addition to investing in the research and development of new infection control products.

Katharine Braim, investment manager

with Finance Yorkshire, said: “MTP Innovations’ products are unique in that they offer a one-stop-shop solution saving the end-user both time and money.

“Benefits for key customers such as the NHS include reduced infection rates resulting in a lower number of bed days lost.

“With this investment the company is now ready to widen its market base and highlight the considerable benefits of its product range.

“It’s an exciting time for both MTP and Finance Yorkshire – this is the Equity Linked Fund’s first investment in cleaning products and infection control.”

MTP Innovations was advised by Chris Wright, corporate finance manager at Armstrong Watson, and Jonathan Simms, partner, and Maxine Burton, associate, of Clarion.

Mr Wright said: “With limited resource, MTP Innovations had already generated some traction in the NHS. “The company came to Armstrong Watson looking for help to secure further investment and therefore the resource to assist the business to grow.”

Ms Burton said: “It was immensely satisfying working with the management team at MTP Innovations to secure investment into the business which will help extend its range of products and take them to new markets.”

Finance Yorkshire provides seedcorn, loan and equity linked investments, ranging from £15,000 to £2m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to meet their funding requirements for growth and development.

To date Finance Yorkshire has made 529 investments totalling more than £64m. The project is supported financially by the European Union.

It has attracted £30m investment from the European Regional Development Fund, £15m from UK Government and £45m match funding from the European Investment Bank.

Campervan specialist breaks through £1m sales barrier Campervan conversion specialist Wellhouse Leisure has notched up record-breaking sales.

The Shepley-based company sold 30 vehicles during February when it saw its monthly turnover figure top £1m for the first time.

Wellhouse has also recruiteds more staff for its factory in Huddersfield to cope with demand Managing director David Elliott said the sales boost followed successful exhibitions in Glasgow and Birmingham and the launch of the Wellhouse Ford Terrier, the first UK conversion based on the new Ford Transit/Tourneo Custom – recently named Campervan of the Year 2014 in The Motorhome Awards.

Mr Elliott said: “The demand for campervans seems stronger than ever in 2014 and the great value our award-winning Ford and Hyundai campervans offer is proving particularly popular.

“This is a great sign for the leisure industry and the UK economy, but best of all, it means our factory in Huddersfield will be keeping extra busy and we’ve had to recruit extra staff to meet the demand.”

This success follows two Gold awards for Wellhouse Leisure in the Owner Satisfaction Awards 2014 run by Practical Motorhome magazine.

These awards are the only ones to be voted for by owners who have bought these vehicles,

They were awarded to Wellhouse Leisure as a manufacturer of new motorhomes and as a supplying dealer of pre-owned motorhomes.

The company said it was set to announce further new models this year.

They will include the Ford Terrier L, a compact campervan based on the new Ford Tourneo Connect and the launch of its first Volkswagen T5 conversion under its new Volksleisure brand, Wellhouse Leisure’s latest success comes after the company saw its all-new Ford Terrier snap up the title of Campervan of the Year 2014 in The Motorhome Awards.

The accolade came just weeks after the Wellhouse Ford Terrier – named in

honour of Huddersfield Town – made its first public appearance at the Motorhome and Caravan show at the NEC, Birmingham in October.

Wellhouse started in 2003 by importing compact people carriers from Japan and turning them into camper vans and began with just three staff During 2010, Wellhouse Leisure approached Hyundai Motors with a view to building camper vans with the motor manufacturer.

That progressed to Wellhouse designing and building vehicles on Hyundai chassis from scratch – with the vehicles making a debut at the NEC Motor Show in Birmingham and winning three major industry awards.

examiner.co.uk

By HENRYK ZIENTEK Business Reporter

The sky’s the limit for one Huddersfield company.

Access North Structures, which specialises in working at height, has raised its sights even further after secured guidance and funding to take the business to its next level.

Despite launching the business at the height of the recession, the firm has grown significantly with a string of contracts – from cleaning windows on some of Britain’s tallest buildings to maintaining the weatherproof “hubs” that tower above Butlins holiday resorts.

The firm has now secured a £20,000 grant from Kirklees Council to pay for new asset management reporting software

The most trusted news brand in the business

Sporting chance The potential benefits of this summer’s Tour de France coming to Yorkshire were among topics for debate when Greenhead College hosted a Real World Economics event.

Issues ranged from the viability of running a coffee stall on the days of the Yorkshire Grand Depart stage of the Tour de France to the challenges faced by those staging the forthcoming World Cup and next Olympic Games.

The event, entitled Sport, Health and the Economy, was led by students at the college.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

national

Co-op Bank needs extra £400m to tackle ‘issues’ The Co-op’s banking arm revealed a setback to its recovery after admitting it needs to raise another £400mn to cover past issues.

The business, which is set to report full-year losses of up to £1.3bn for 2013, said the matters relate to conduct and legal documentation, such as legacy PPI business and technical breaches of the Consumer Credit Act. The Co-op Bank is now under the control of bondholders as part of last year’s refinancing to fill a £1.5bn hole in its balance sheet.

The update means the starting capital position of the bank for its four- to five-year recovery is weaker than in the rescue plan announced last year, requiring shareholders to inject another £400m into the business.

Chief executive Niall Booker said: “The proposed capital raise would enable us to reset this starting point and continue with the execution of our original business plan.”

The bank said continuing “root and branch” reviews of processes, procedures and documentation had pro-

■■ The Co-op Bank’s executive team is “making progress” in its turnaround plan

duced further conduct and legal issues. In addition, one-off costs associated with the separation of the bank from the Co-operative Group have proved more costly, time-consuming and more complex than anticipated.

Its capital ratio - a measure of its

financial strength - is now expected to be about 7.2%, compared with previous guidance of near 9% and against the regulatory minimum requirement of 7%. The bank’s results for 2013 are expected to be announced on or before April 8.

King rejects sale claims Former Bank of England governor Lord King has rebuffed suggestions that he was aware of any improper political interference in the decision by state-backed Lloyds Banking Group to sell more than 600 branches to the Co-operative Bank.

Lord King wrote to the Treasury Select Committee to respond to a claim made by Lord Levene, who was chairman of NBNK Investments, who told MPs that Lloyds was “swayed by political considerations” when it chose the Co-op to take on the branches and said the then-governor had acknowledged this.

But in a letter to committee chairman Andrew Tyrie, Lord King rebuffed the suggestion.

“Although it seemed to me that the Government wished to ensure that, if it were possible, a plausible bid from the Co-operative Bank was able to be considered alongside other bids, that was a far cry from any improper conduct in the bidding process,” he said.

“Had I received evidence of improper behaviour I would have raised that with the regulator, the Government and if necessary, Parliament, through the Treasury committee.”

MPs are investigating the Verde deal, in the wake of ithe deal collapsing – to meeet EU regulations – after the discovery of a £1.5bn hole in the Co-op bank’s finances.

The bank said it was focused on improving its capital position and on community banking through retail and small business (SME) customers.

Mr Booker added: “The new executive team brought in just nine months ago is continuing to review aspects of the Co-operative Bank’s legacy operations, assets and liabilities.

“As a result of this continuing review, we are unearthing a range of issues which the new executive team is having to address.”

The risks were identified at the time of the rescue process last year, but the Co-op said it was now quantifying the financial impact of some of those risks.

Mr Booker said there were some early indications of progress in its turnaround plan.

He said: “We have started to simplify the business, reduce costs and de-risk assets as we drive the change needed to return to our roots as a bank focused on our retail and SME customers. However, there remain significant challenges ahead.”

Deadline extended for £4bn deal Albermarle shares suspended Dixons Retail and Carphone Warehouse have been given more time to discuss a potential £4bn merger plan.

Yesterday’s deadline for the two companies to announce their intentions has been extended to May 19, the pair said in a statement.

Details of the possible merger between electrical retailer Dixons, owner of PC World and Currys, and mobile phone retail

giant Carphone Warehouse were revealed last month, sending their shares roaring.

But both stocks fell as it transpired that the initial deadline would not be met. Carphone Warehouse is valued at about £1.9bn and Dixons at £1.8bn.

The high street retailers said that the announcement of talks on February 24 was made “when discussions were at a very preliminary stage”.

Shares in Albemarle & Bond were suspended after the stricken pawnbroker was told by its lenders that they will not be able to support its plans to save the business.

The banks’ rejection of the management strategy means there are just seven days left to find a solution for the group before a March 31 deadline.

It warned that, while it had enough cash to carry on trad-

It said: “Both parties have agreed that they require more time to evaluate a potential merger of the two businesses.”

The statement said that an extension had been granted by the Takeover Panel. It said discussions were ongoing, but there was no certainty a firm offer would be made.

The two firms have more than 3,000 stores with annual sales of more than £12bn.

ing, it would be unable to meet liabilities if all its debts are called in at that time.

Albemarle said a cut-price sale of the business was still a possibility, but warned that the remaining options open to it “provide no realistic prospect of any value being attributable to the company’s ordinary shares”.

Trading in the AIM-listed stock was suspended at 6.65p

yesterday, with the shares having lost about 97% of their value in the last year.

In January, analysts said the firm looked set to go into administration after it abandoned an attempt to sell itself, saying none of the proposals it had received represented a fair value for the business.

The firm has been hit by plunging gold prices and intense competition.

SHARE PRICES NORTH AMERICAN

American Express Chevron Du Pont Exxon Mobil Gannett Hess Corp Microsoft Motors Liquidation Wal-Mart Stores Wrigleys

£54.88 £70.30 £40.18 £57.54 1716.38 £49.47 £24.20 45.47 £46.19 £48.48

-0.61 +0.20 -0.42 +0.36 -40.01 -0.22 -0.15 +0.05

AEROSPACE & DEFENCE

Avon Rbbr BAE Systems Chemring Cobham Meggitt Rolls-Royce Senior

610 4031/2 262 2993/4 4675/8 1081 2951/2

600 Group API Grp Brady Plc Highland Gold Mining Johnson Service Grp London Security M”S Intl Nichols Redhall Group Scapa Grp Youngs GKN

AIM

+41/2 -71/2 -111/2 -43/4 -35/8 +1 -61/8

16 /4 751/2 80 77 561/2 2000 199 985 43 1221/4 930 1

AUTOMOBILES & PARTS

Barclays Bk Ireland HSBC Lloyds Banking Gp Ryl Scotland

+31/2 -4 -21/2 +15 +21/4 +10

3791/4

-43/4

234 251/8 6061/4 781/2 3035/8

-17/8 -11/8 +1/2 +11/8 +41/2

BANKS

Stan Chart Barr (AG) Diageo SABMiller Croda Elementis 98 Johnsn Mat

12011/2

+1

BEVERAGES

582 +31/2 18191/2 +191/2 £283/8

CHEMICALS

£243/4 2751/4 £311/4

+1/8 -71/8 -1/4

2781/8 1615 2713/4 841/2 184

+17/8 -19 +23/4 -1/2 +9

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS

Balfour Beatty C”R”H Costain Low Bonar Marshalls Drax Gp SSE

ELECTRICITY

755 1475

-151/2 -35

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

Domino Ptg Laird Morgan Advanced Ox Instmts Volex

794 2911/8 3501/8 1302 1073/4

-4 -15/8 +31/8 +7 +13/4

4521/2 1351/2 520 268 227 599 £261/4 373 591 794 239 1037 661

+11/2 -1/2 -2 -11/2 +5 -4 -5/8 -27/8 -11/2 +4 -11/2 -16 -6

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTS

Alliance Trust Br Assets Candover Inv Dunedin Inv Dunedin Sml Edin Invst Electra Private Equity Forgn & C Henderson Smllr Cos North American Inc Scot Am Scottish Mortgage Witan

FIXED LINE TELECOMMUNICATIONS

BT Grp Cable & Wireless Comm Colt Group KCOM Talktalk Telecom

3831/8 501/4 146 991/2 3181/4

-4 -5/8 +1 +7/8 -47/8

212 /4 3103/8 2933/8 150

+1 +7/8 +21/2 -13/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERS

Morrison W Sainsbury Tesco Thorntons

1

FOOD PRODUCERS

AB Food Carrs Millg REA Hldgs Tate Lyle Unilever

£273/4 1690 460 649 £241/4

+1/8 +40 +21/2 -1/2

3311/2 814 756 1871 7961/2

-63/8 -81/2 +2 -17 -8

3917/8 1377 3863/4 1968 1027/8 1935 £253/4 £201/8

-111/8 -17 -55/8 -11 -35/8 -9 -1/2 -1/4

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIES

Centrica National Grid Pennon Grp Severn United Utils

GENERAL FINANCIAL

3i Group Close Bros ICAP London StockExch Man Group Provident Financial Schroders Schroders NV REXAM Smith DS Smiths Grp Ashley L

GENERAL INDUSTRIALS 4893/4 314 1280

GENERAL RETAILERS 231/2

-43/4 -3/4 -43 +3/4

Carphone Whse shares 3227/8 Local Dixons Retail 50 Carclo 180 Home Retail 211 Marshalls 184 HR Owen 166 National Grid 814 1/2 Inchcape 635 Weir Gp £2411//22 Kingfisher 406 M & S 454 FTSE closed Mothercare 206 at Next £671/8 Signet Jewelers £597/8 WH Smith 1125

6520.39

-163/8 +11/8 +2 +1//22 +9 -8-31/2 -65/8 -53/4 -4 +1/8 -13/4 -14

Down 36.78 HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICES

Smith Nph

911

-11

HOUSEHOLD GOODS

Aga Rangemaster Barrat Dev Bellway Persimmon Reckitt Benckiser Taylor Wimpey

1711/4 3933/4 1566 1318 £481/4 1133/4

-93/4 -16 -15 -13/4

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

Fenner I”M”I Molins Renold Spirax-Sarco Weir Grp Ferrexpo

3871/4 1438 1801/2 603/4 £281/4 £241/2

INDUSTRIAL METALS

-73/4 -24

+33/4 -3/4

1403/4

-31/8

3241/4

-63/8

476 /8 2073/4 1921/2 13171/2 3131/4 3661/8

-3 /8 +13/4 -13/4 -201/2 -37/8 +1/8

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION

BBA Aviation

Aviva Lgl & Gen Old Mutual Prudential Resolution Standard Life

LIFE INSURANCE 3

7

BSkyB D Mail Tst ITV Johnston Press Pearson Reed Elsevier STV Group Trinity Mirror Utd Business UTV WPP

MEDIA

9411/2 970 193 241/2 1004 911 366 2071/4 674 2471/4 1198

MINING

Anglo American Antofagasta BHP Billiton Fresnillo Kazakhmys Lonmin Rio Tinto VEDANTA RESOURCES

1440 797 1802 852 2401/4 2763/4 £317/8 858

-51/2 -71/2 -3 +1/2 -7 -4 +1 -4 -81/2 -21/4 -20 +1/2 -91/2 -71/2 -33 -83/4 -43/4 -1/8 +91/2

MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Inmarsat Vodafone Group

718 2221/8

+6 -5

1455 1043 £30 933/8

-12 -9 -3/8 -3/8

NONLIFE INSURANCE

Admiral Grp Jardine LloydThomson Marsh McL RSA Insurance Gp

OIL & GAS PRODUCERS

BG BP Cairn Energy Premier Oil Royal Dutch Shell A Royal Dutch Shell B Total Tullow Oil

10821/2 +201/2 4681/2 -1/4 1511/4 -71/4 2877/8 -93/8 £215/8 -1/8 7 £22 /8 -1/8 £383/4 -1 761 -14

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICES

AMEC Petrofac Wood Gp(J)

1094 1392 7341/2

-10 -14 -11

1377 342

-13 +47/8

PERSONAL GOODS

Burberry Gp PZ Cussons

PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca GlaxoSmithKline Shire Brit Land Gt Portland Hamrsn Intu Properties Land Secs SEGRO

£38 /8 1600 £30 5

REAL ESTATE

- /8 -17 -5/8 5

658 6241/2 544 3063/8 1026 3331/4

-2 -14 -4 -3/4 -7 +11/8

4231/2

-7/8

1070 1558 1096 785 267 267 1047 233 1401/4 3053/4 6681/2 646 5311/2 2231/2 1231/2 152 1802

-5 -18 -12 -11/2 -61/2 -61/2 -16 -61/8 -15/8 -5/8 -161/2 -1/2 -281/2

SOFTWARE & COMPUTER SERVICES

Sage Group

Berendsen Bunzl Capita De La Rue Elctro Com Electrocomp Experian G4S Hays Homeserve Interserve Menzies J Northgate Prem Farnell Rentokil Smiths News Travis & P

SUPPORT SERVICES

-1 /8 +1/2 -19 5

Wolseley

-7/8

£33

TECHNOLOGY HARDWARE & EQUIPMENT

ARM Hldgs IBM Spirent Comms

Br Am Tob Imperial Tobacco

9781/2 £1137/8 1011/8

-16 +3/4 -7/8

TOBACCO

£321/8 £241/4

-1/4 -1/8

TRAVEL & LEISURE

Bwin.Party Digital Carnival Compass Grp easyJet Enterprise Inns FirstGroup Go-Ahead Gp Greene King Intercontl Htls Intl Cons Airl Ladbrokes Marston’s Mitchells & Butlers Natl Express Punch Taverns Rank Org Restaurant Grp Ryanair Stagecoach Group TUI Travel Whitbread William Hill FTSE 100 FTSE 250

1221/4 £241/2 901 1632 1413/4 1365/8 1919 881 1923 4107/8 1303/4 1421/4 4467/8 281 14 153 699 6185/8 3773/4 4291/8 £411/2 3357/8

INDEX

6520.39 16019.41

-13/8 -1/8 -61/2 +10 +1/4 -3 -23 -14 -14 -93/4 -1/4 -7/8 -101/2 -33/4 +3/4 +1 -1/2 -37/8 -101/4 -63/4 -3/8 -31/4

-36.78 -140.70

3

HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

profile

It’s the perfect brew for Raj There’s nothing like chatting over a cup of coffee.

And for Raj Beadle, coffee and community go together.

The managing director of coffee retailer and Gaggia coffee machine specialist Caffe Shop Ltd finds time in a busy working week to host a coffee morning from 10am to noon each Friday at the firm’s premises in Old Power Way at Lowfields Business Park, Elland.

It’s a chance to meet with business associates, customers and anyone else who fancies popping in – a real cafe society.

Raj, who was born and raised in Sri Lanka before his business role brought him to Britain, is community-minded away from work, too.

He is a singing member of Gledholt Male Voicer Choir and was its chairman for six years. As well as being first tenor, he takes charge of the choir’s website. Three members of staff at Caffe Shop Ltd are also in the choir.

He’s also an active member of Lindley Methodist Church, where he again handles the website and is helping with its current appeal to raise funds for a new porch.

A trustee of Huddersfield Methodist Mission, Raj is also a board member of Kirklees Music School, although makes no great claims to his talents as a guitarist and pianist.

He says: “I have always liked music and we always sang as a family and at school. And, of course we sing in church.

“As an outsider coming to this country, you don’t get involved with the local community unless you take part in these sort of things.”

Growing up in eastern Sri Lanka, Raj attended a Catholic Jesuit school before starting his career as a trainee accountant with Ernst & Young in Colombo.

He went on to work as an accountant for British company Platinum at its factory in Sri Lanka, which made pens for the UK and Far East markets.

Raj got his introduction to the coffee business when Platinum launched a homeware division in the 1980s and acquired a Gag-

gia coffee distributor in London.

After working as a management accountant, Raj was appointed financial director for the division before becoming managing director in 1996.

Coming to the UK on business, he met and married Huddersfield-born Karen. The couple now live at Edgerton with children Katie, 18, and Michael 15.

In 2001, the Gaggia business became Gaggia UK and Raj became managing director with a minority stake.

However, there were turbulent times ahead. Electricals giant Philips took over the worlwide operation, but were not interested in acquiring Gaggia UK. “I was caught in the middle trying to negotiate,” says Raj. “They decided to handle the UK distribution themselves and all the business we had developed had to go.”

Raj set up Caffe Shop Ltd to buy Gaggia’s UK shops and take on the coffee machine engineers who had been made redundant.

“It was a very traumatic period for the staff as well as for me,” he says.

“We had been part of the division for a long time. The engineers had been with me for 20-odd years.”

Despite saving the business, Raj

Raj Beadle Role: Managing director Age: 58 Family: Married to Karen with children Katie, 18, and Michael, 15 Holidays: I love going to Florida or back to sunny Sri Lanka Car: Renault Megane First job: Trainee accountant with Ernst & Young.

Best thing about the job? I enjoy meeting people. I also hold a coffee morning each Friday which is my “chill time” Worst thing about the job? I find it difficult making time to do the paperwork Business tip: You have to believe in what you are doing. Be honest and hard working had to make redundancies among the 125 full-time and part-time staff as well as closing three of the six coffee shops.

“There were times when I thought I would not be able to carry on,” he says. “The engineers and some of the other staff who had been trained to the job had no other work to go to and they were looking to me to do something. However, they believed in the brand and I made the decision for better or worse to carry on.”

One of the changes welcomed by the employees was a switch of premises.

Says Raj: “We were in a freezing old mill in Halifax. I had a visit from a chap who wanted to buy a coffee machine. As he walked out, he mentioned that he was a commercial property agent and that if we wanted, he could find us some better premises.”

The opportunity to move to Lowfields came up, but Raj wasn’t initially convinced.

“I wasn’t going to move because the premises were bigger than we wanted,” he recalls. “But I made the decision to come here because it was a good location close to the motorway.

“In the first couple of years, we were trying to build and rebuild relationships with new people

■■ Raj Beadle is brewing up a growing business at Caffe Shop Ltd

and with Gaggia in Italy. We stuck to the things we knew – selling, repairing and servicing coffe machines – and we were innovative in trying to capture market share.”

New ideas included setting up a Caffe Club with one-year free membership for customers – offering them the chance to train as a barista and benefit from an accessory kit, free telephone advice and discounts on parts, servicing and repairs – as well as coffee.

Raj believes the strategy is working. The firm is now official UK distributor for Gaggia domestic machines and Gaggia coffee.

It also sells to the commercial markets – with Pizza Express and Carluccio’s among the restaurants and coffee shops to take its products.

It also has three of its own coffee shops at Castleford, Northampton and Braintree in Essex.

The company also has a mobile coffee business, Go Go Gaggia, which operates as a franchise taking Gaggia coffee to commuters and staff at industrial estates and business parks in Huddersfield, Halifax, Wetherby and Glossop.

Go Go Gaggia’s Smartcars in their eye-catching livery, also promote the range of domestic machines at a variety of events.

Says Raj: “We have a massive opportunity, but also a massive challenge.

“There is a lot of competition, but there’s still a big market for ‘coffee culture’. London remains the biggest market and in many ways the rest of the country has yet to catch up.

“We still sell to places in London and we have a major opportunity in terms of distribution.”

The company now employs 19 people – nine of them at Elland.

The team includes six engineers, two of whom man the customer helpline.

Raj’s business philosophy is simple. “You have to believe in what you are doing,” he says. “We have put a lot of our own resources into the business.

“You can’t just rely on getting money from the bank.”

Caffe Shop Ltd Work: Coffee retailer and specialist in supplying, servicing and repairing Gaggia coffee machines Site: Old Power Way, Lowfields Business Park, Elland Phone: 01422 372554 Email: sales@caffeshop.co.uk Web: www. caffeshops.co.ukS

Independent financial planning services for companies and individuals Eastwood Financial Services Ltd Pennine House, Lowfields Close, Lowfields Business Park, Elland HX5 9DA 01422 377737 www.eastwoodfinancial.co.uk Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

4

TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER

local

Firms fear they lack the means to compete A fifth of owners of small and medium-sized businesses in Yorkshire feel they lack a winning edge over their competitors, according to a survey.

And of that number, 36% believe a shortage of funding for growth is preventing them from competing for more business.

The findings come from the latest Close Brothers Business Barometer, a quarterly poll that canvasses the opinions of UK SME owners and business managers on a range of topical issues.

Lee Hayes, regional sales director of Close Brothers Invoice Finance in Yorkshire, said: “Our research suggests that many small business owners in Yorkshire and Humberside are concerned about their ability to compete in the wider marketplace.

“A lack of funding for growth is a real concern because without an adequate supply of working capital, it will be difficult for SMEs to thrive.”

A further fifth of the 20% of bosses that say that they lack a competitive advantage, believe it can be attributed to the fact that their product or service is too expensive.

Mr Hayes said: “Interestingly, the Business Barometer shows that 32%of local firms that are confident they have an edge over their rivals say the key to success is their ability to offer value for money.

“In today’s competitive business landscape, companies need to be able to react quickly to changes in the market, which may mean re-evaluating pricing structures or reconsidering their financial plans.”

The survey further revealed that fewer than a quarter of Yorkshire and Humberside businesses polled expect their business to expand within the next 12 months, while 60% expect trading figures to stay the same.

“In order to gain a competitive advantage in the wider market place, firms must be able to access capital to allow them to seize opportunities as they arise,” said Mr Hayes. “To do this, they need to be aware of the full range of funding methods available to them.

“We harbour some truly brilliant and innovative companies here in Yorkshire and Humberside and we need to ensure they are in a position to compete on a global scale in today’s global marketplace.”

Expansion into Europe pays off A distribution company in Huddersfield has provided fresh evidence of an improving economic climate.

Netherton-based The Pink Link Ltd has successfully doubled its delivery of pallets to its European destinations in the first quarter of 2014.

The company said it saw a sharp increase in its European activity, which is expected to grow with the launch of its Czech Republic and Slovakia services on April 1.

As part of the Palletways Network, The Pink Link Ltd has access to 11 European hubs with 320 member sites, allowing customers to benefit from local expertise and have one distribution partner for both the UK and European services.

The Pink Link Ltd also offers daily, rather than weekly, departures to all destinations.

Since its re-launch of European Services last year, The Pink Link Ltd has received a positive response from Germany, Italy and France.

The firm hopes to encourage more activity in other areas including Prague, Bratislava and the Benelux countries in 2014.

Sales and commercial director Vicki Davenport said: “We are heavily marketing our unrivalled European service and are encouraged by the growth we have experienced in the first quarter of 2014.

“As part of Europe’s largest provider of express palletised distribution services, Palletways, we believe we will be the company businesses choose to access Europe.”

KIRKLEES BUS

Search for savings with a real return With interest rates continuing to remain at an all-time low and inflation hovering around the 2% mark, it is difficult for savers to get any meaningful return on their investment.

But the use of tax-efficient savings products assisted by Budget announcements, can help boost an individual’s finances.

Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) have been around for some time and provide tax-free income and growth while within this investment.

These have been revamped following the Budget.

There are two types of ISA: cash ISAs and stocks and shares ISAs and a saver can have one of each.

Cash ISAs may be suitable for shortterm savings, so that you can get at your money easily.

Stocks and shares ISAs may be appropriate if you can afford to leave your money untouched for longer than, say, five years.

However, your investment may go down in value as well as up and there are no guarantees that you will make a profit.

To open an ISA you have to be aged 16 or over if the ISA is a cash ISA or 18 or over if the ISA is a stocks and shares ISA. You also have to be resident in the UK for tax purposes.

For those who have not already used their 2013/14 ISA allowances, there are a few days left to invest up to £11,520.

For a cash only ISA the limit is £5,760.

From April 6, 2014, the overall ISA saving limit will be increased to £11,880 of which £5,940 can be invested in cash.

Following the Budget, ISAs will be reformed into a simpler product, the

TAX TALK Colin Barratt ‘New ISA’ (NISA) from July 1, 2014 ,with all existing ISAs becoming NISAs. The subscription limit for NISAs is set at £15,000 and any amounts invested into an ISA between April 6 and June 30, 2014, will count against this limit.

NISA savers will also be able to subscribe the full amount into a cash account and for those aged 18 or over they will have the flexibility to switch between stock and shares and cash investments.

For younger savers, the subscription limits for Junior ISAs and existing Child Trust Fund holders will be increased from £3,720 to £3,840 from April 6, 2014, and then to £4,000 from July 1, 2014.

For both these investments, no withdrawals can be made until the child reaches 18, but they offer the possibility of parents, grandparents, other family members and friends saving towards the child’s future educational costs, whatever they will be!

Although not currently on sale, NS&I Index-linked Savings Certificates are an excellent tax-free vehicle as your investment will grow in spending power each year, whatever happens to the cost of living.

That’s because they ensure the value of your savings is guaranteed to grow ahead of inflation as measured by the Retail Prices Index (RPI), when held for at least a year.

Those who currently have such certificates can roll them over into new certificates on maturity.

Another NS&I account which offers a tax-free return is the Children’s Bond which allows parents and grandparents to invest up to £3,000 per child over a five- year period.

The current bond offers a return of 2.5% pa guaranteed over this term.

Investors not seeking a regular or guaranteed return on their investment may want to consider buying Premium Bonds to shelter income from the taxman.

The current maximum amount that can be invested is £30,000, but following the Budget this will rise to £40,000 from June 1 and to £50,000 from 2015/16 with the possibility of tax-free prizes being won.

Two monthly jackpot prizes of £1m will also be offered from June 1, 2014, which would definitely give an investor a significant return in these dim days of saving!

Colin Barratt is tax partner at Wheawill and Sudworth chartered accountants, Huddersfield

Nursery products firm in takeover deal A baby goods retailer backed by businessman Graham Leslie has consolidated its position as one of the region’s fastest growing companies by acquiring Bambino Direct, an independent multi-channel nursery company.

After only a year since revealing a five-year commitment to build its brand within the retail sector, Direct2Mum Ltd has acquired Huddersfieldbased Bambino Direct for an undisclosed six-figure sum.

Direct2Mum is an online retail business offering premium baby and toddler products, from travel and safety items, nursery furniture and prams, to feeding and bath time accessories.

Since its launch in 2010, it has grown from strength to strength, doubling its turnover year on year.

Bambino Direct, part of

■■ Nick Glynne (second right) with (from left) Direct2 Mum’s Fay Briddon, Graham Leslie and Alex Leslie following the acquisition

the Deighton-based Buy It Direct group, is a multichannel nursery stockist that sells big brand names.

The acquisition means that Direct2Mum will benefit from the addition of more than 5,000 products and 80 key brands to its current offering.

The next few months will

also see Direct2Mum move into new 105,000sq ft premises situated off the M1 at junction 37 at Barnsley and plans to open a showroom in the spring.

The company is backed by Graham Leslie, founder of pharacameuticals firm Galpharm International and a former chairman of Hud-

dersfield Town, who has a range of business interests.

Managing director of Direct2Mum, Alex Leslie, said: “We are dedicated to giving our customers access to high quality products as well as providing an excellent level of service.

“This deal has strengthened our commitment and allows us to continue to deliver our vision by offering a more extensive product range from renowned leading nursery brands, enabling customers to purchase everything they need from one easily accessible site.”

Nick Glynne, managing director of Buy It Direct, based at Trident Business Park, said: “I am delighted that Bambino Direct has found the right home.

“It’s a cracking business with huge potential and Direct2Mum can give it the focus it deserves.”

■■ Virgin Group founde has launched his Start U

Branson best sta

Tycoon Sir Richard a search for Britain’s and Kirklees firms ar case for a cash award.

Sir Richard’s Virgin online community fo seeking Britain’s best ness leaders, offering to pitch for investmen self.

The free peer-to-pe more than 6,000 you mentoring, advice a opportunities. This chances for innovato and a panel of prestig The winning prize p includes £5,000 of inv ing – including legal, ing advice – as well as winners to build the their profile in order pects.

The Start Up Awar their first 12 months o entrepreneurs with an that meets the Govern scheme criteria.

Every entrant will application to seek fu mentor with the Vi profit organisation.

The Innovation Aw trading small techno ing to make the next l The winner will be o to the Accelerator Aca 12-week, high-growth ing programme for am preneurs with train workspace and access All semi-finalists wi to help them manage Sir Richard said: “St very little capital is som but with a little back right idea, anything is forward to meeting m young entrepreneurs Award.”

Last year’s Pitch to won by Joshua an founders of High Spir rucksacks which capt Richard and the judge cent Drinks founder hails from Kirkheaon.

Go to www.virginm

5

HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014

SINESS NEWS

er Sir Richard Branson Up Award

n seeks art-ups

Branson has launched s best new business – re urged to make their . n Media Pioneers – the or entrepreneurs – is t up-and-coming busig them an opportunity nt from the man him-

eer network supports ung people, providing and unique business year, there are two ors to “Pitch to Rich” gious judges. package for each award vestment plus mentorbranding and marketan opportunity for the eir network and raise r to further their pros-

rd is for businesses in of trading. It is open to ny early stage business nment Start Up Loans

l be supported in an unding and a business irgin StartUp not-for-

ward is for successfully ology businesses lookleap forward. offered free enrolment ademy – an established h training and mentormbitious digital entrening, mentoring free s to capital. ill receive an HP tablet e their businesses. tarting a business with mething I can relate to king early on and the s possible. I’m looking more of Britain’s best s through the Start Up

Rich competition was nd John Okungbaiye, rit, for their theft-proof tured the interest of Sir es, who included Innor Richard Reed, who . mediapioneers.com

local

Pondering those pension options As you will no doubt have seen on TV and heard on the radio, the government wants to encourage all workers to save for their retirement in as easy a way as possible.

And it is because of this that they have introduced a new legal requirement for all employers to automatically enrol their eligible jobholders into a qualifying workplace pension scheme (if they aren’t already a member of one) without the employee having to do anything.

The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) has been introduced by the Government for this purpose, although employers can instead choose an alternative pension scheme as long as it passes a quality test, based on a minimum level of contributions (or a minimum level of defined benefits) in order for it to be a “qualifying” pension scheme.

Starting with the largest employers first and finishing with the smallest and new employers last, this requirement is being phased in between 2012 and 2018 for any employee who is aged between 22 and state pension age and has earnings above the personal allowance income tax threshold (currently £9,440) and works, or ordinarily works, in the UK under a contract of employment.

Employees who fall into this category are called “eligible jobholders” and must be auto-enrolled into a qualifying pension scheme within one month of the employers auto-enrolment date,.

That date will be the latest of the employer’s staging date (falling between October. 2012, and February.

2018) for any employees who are already eligible jobholders when the new employer duties first take effect; or the date on which an employee first becomes an eligible jobholder if they attain that status after the employers staging date (for example, on someone with qualifying earnings reaching age 22); or at the end of a waiting period, which cannot be longer than three months.

If an eligible jobholder who has been auto-enrolled into a qualifying pension scheme wants to opt-out, they must give their employer a valid optout notice.

As long as they do this within one month of the date active membership of the scheme commenced (or, if later, one month from the date

FINANCIAL FOCUS Karen Wynard their employer informed them that they had been auto-enrolled) they will be treated as having never been a member of the scheme.

If they had already made a contribution to the scheme) the amount of the contribution, less tax relief, will be refunded to them.

Anyone who does opt-out, however, would of course cease to benefit from the employer contributions that would have otherwise been made on their behalf.

If an employee subsequently decides that they would like to opt back in after previously opting-out, the employer will have to re-enrol them at a later date.

If an employer operates a waiting period of up to three months, eligible jobholders can still elect to opt-in during this period.

An employee who is a jobholder, but not an “eligible” jobholder, (for example, because they are aged under 22 or over State Pension Age or they are aged between 22 and State Pension Age but have earnings below the personal income tax threshold) can also choose to opt-in by giving their employer appropriate notice.

If the qualifying pension scheme is a money purchase arrangement (such as a group personal pension or group stakeholder) there is a minimum total contribution that must be paid into your pension pot.

The amount is set by the Government and is made up of your employer’s contribution, your contribution, and tax relief on your contribution.

If your employer decides to contribute the minimum required based on “qualifying band earnings” the total contribution to your pension pot would be made up as follows: your employer pays 1% of your qualifying earnings (rising to 3% by 2018), you pay 0.8% of your qualifying earnings (rising to 4% by 2018); tax relief: 0.2% of your qualifying earnings (rising to

1% by 2018).

This gives a total minimum contribution from October 2018 of 8% of qualifying earnings.

Qualifying band earnings (in 2013/14) are the amount you earn before tax between £5,668 and £41,450 a year, including salary, bonus, overtime, commission, statutory sick pay and maternity/paternity pay.

Given, however, that “pensionable pay” in many existing money purchase schemes is likely to be different to qualifying band earnings, an employer can instead certify that their scheme is a “qualifying” scheme if it meets one of the following alternative minimum contribution levels (from October, 2018) – where earnings must be pensionable from £1 upwards, where only basic pay is pensionable - 9% (including an employer contribution of at least 4%) or where at least 85% of total pay is pensionable - 8% (including an employer contribution of at least 3%) or where 100% of total pay is pensionable - 7% (including an employer contribution of at least 3%).

Regardless of the method of pensionable pay that has been selected though, you and/or your employer can pay in more than the legal minimum and you can pay in less as long as your employer’s contribution means that at least the minimum will be paid in total.

Your employer will tell you how the contributions will be calculated and how much they will pay, but if you have any queries about auto-enrolment and how this can benefit you, we will be more than happy to discuss this with you.

The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the value of your original investment.

The tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of the investor and may be subject to change in the future.

Kirklees businesses have been urged to make sure they don’t end up as April fools.

The Business Crime Reduction Centre is hosting a free Masterclass – “Don’t be fooled in April” – on April 1 for businesses seeking advice tp prevent them falling foul of scams and cybercrime.

BCRC is warning businesses ■■ No fooling around on the web and individuals about a new domain name scam, specialist Mark Connell which offers first refusal said: “Catching someone on new, potentially lucra- off-guard with an offer tive web addresses. too good to miss generFraudsters are calling ates an instant response. businesses using high- Provoking this reaction is pressure sales techniques a common scam techto con them into paying nique. excessive fees for domain Businesses should also names by claiming a beware of emails stating competitor is just about similar messages and to buy the one of interest false renewal letters that to them. appear to be for a busiIn reality, the domain ness’ actual domain name is either non-exist- name.” ent or so worthless as to Anyone receiving this be impossible to sell. type of call should report Domain name scams it to Action Fraud using have existed for some their online fraud reporttime, but as more than ing tool or calling 0300 100 new domain name 123 2040. extensions have gone live To register for free to - with another 1,000 the Masterclass in Shefbeing released this year - field call 0114 2751283, it has re-opened the scam visit www.bcrc-uk.org or for the opportunist fraud- email events@bcrc-uk. ster. org.

The scam varies, but The Business Crime focuses on the eagerly- Reduction Centre is anticipated domain delivered in partnership name extensions of .lon- with Yorkshire-based don, .ninja and .cool. charity People United The aim is to panic Against Crime and the people into impulse buy- police forces of South ing before considering Yorkshire, North Yorkthe options. shire, West Yorkshire and BCRC cyber security Humberside.

LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL A BUSINESS? Use our knowledge and experience to guide you through the process:

➢

Valuation advice

➢

➢

Negotiating the deal

➢

Tax mitigation ideas

➢

Raising finance

➢

Getting the job done

Due diligence

Karen Wynard is at Eastwood Financial Services Ltd

Some responsible behaviour required for chamber events Employers have been urged to make the most of Responsible Business Week by taking part in training events to benefit their staff.

The Lockwood based Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce is staging training and networking events during April to tie-in with Responsible Business Week, which runs from March 31 to April 4.

Firms urged not to venture into the fraudsters’ domain

Chamber member companies Option3 and The Design Mechanics will be giving a 60-minute insight into combining good images and a clear strategy to achieve growth in 2014.

The event will take place from 8.30am on April 2 at the chamber’s offices at Lockwood Park.

People management in the workplace will be the focus from 8.30am on

April 10 when the Lockwood premises hosts a talk on the 10 HR Banana Skins for SMEs to Avoid, given by Mark Butterick, of chamber member firm Reach Higher HR, In addition, the next Connections Count breakfast networking event will take place from 9.30am to 11am on April 3 at the Cedar Court Hotel, Ainley Top. Go to www.mycci.co.uk/events.

Our independent and partner-driven approach ensures clients receive advice they can rely on and trust.

To discuss your plans in confidence please contact David Butterworth

W&S

Wheawill & Sudworth Experience you can count on

P: 01484 423691 E: david.butterworth@wheawills.co.uk W: www.wheawills.co.uk

6

TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

local

Work coaching serves up new job for Darja An unemployed Huddersfield woman has finally ended a frustrating yea-long search for a job – thanks to the specialist support she has received from Work Programme provider Ingeus.

Darja Krjukova, of Newsome, spent 12 months looking intensively for work and – having notched up more than 260 unsuccessful job applications – she began to lose hope of ever earning a wage again.

However, the turning point came when she was referred to Ingeus for help.

Through the Work Programme, Ingeus supported Darja with her job-seeking, including showing her how to respond in interviews, searching effectively for vacancies and writing an impressive CV to catch the eye of prospective employers.

The coaching quickly worked and Darja has now joined the serving team at Caffe Venecia, a new coffee house that has opened on Market Street in Huddersfield.

Caffe Venecia is owned and managed by local entrepreneur Tony Singh, who lost his own job through ill-health and was unemployed for some time before launching his new venture with the support of the Business Enterprise Fund.

“My experience means I understand the many pressures on people who really want to work but just don’t get the breaks,” he said. “When Ingeus asked me if we could work together to fill the jobs I had just created here, I was really happy to accept.

“The result is that Darja has a job and already she’s proving to be a real asset to my business.”

Said Darja: “The past year has been really tough, both financially and on my confidence. I tried really hard to find work when I was made redundant from my previous job in retailing, but I just couldn’t understand where I was going wrong.

“I quickly discovered that it is so hard to grab the attention of employers, which is why I’m so grateful

■■ Mubina Ahmed (left), of Ingeus, with Darja Krjukova and Caffe Venecia owner Tony Singh Caption

for the support that Ingeus and Tony have given me.”

Mubina Ahmed, of Ingeus worked alongside Tony to ensure the clients she selected for interview were well-matched for the broad range of duties required to work in a busy coffee shop.

She said: “We provide a number of services to large and small businesses alike – from understanding what employers are looking for to short-listing potential candidates and offering interview facilities within our own offices.

“Alongside this, we help unemployed people prepare themselves for work and it means that people like Darja can get back on track and enjoy the benefits of having a job.”

Ingeus is one of the UK’s leading welfare-to-work providers. The company offers a free recruitment service to employers which ranges from CV-sifting to hosting full recruitment days and continues to support new employees for up to two years once they start work, helping employers to increase staff retention.

Company expands following contract wins

■■ Tim Power, of Virtual Resolution

A company specialising in 3D visualisation and animation has recruited more staff after seeing an increase in commissions.

Elland-based Virtual Resolution has strengthened its in-house design team with a number of new appointments over the past six months and plans to “significantly” invest in its bespoke 3,000sq ft production studio in the coming weeks to increase capacity.

Improvements at the Wellington Mills site will include enhancing the firm’s filming facilities with the installation of a seven-metre wide green screen.

Managing director Tim Power, who

set up the company in 2009 with fellow director John Hales, said he was committed to ongoing investment in technology and talent.

He said: “Our animations are in high demand from big name firms, including Asda Walmart, Balfour Beatty and Claremont Group Interiors, which means we have to continually review our expertise and technology to make sure we are at the forefront of developments in our field.

“We have recruited from a wide variety of backgrounds to build a versatile team with experience in architectural, graphic, interior and product design and we are now well=positioned to

push into new business areas in 2014.”

Virtual Resolution’s projects range from simple modelling and enhanced computer generated stills through to complex video animation.

The firm’s studios are equipped with in-house rendering facilities and computer design technology supported by an off-site data centre.

Recent work had included architectural visualisations for the refurbished Debenhams store on London’s Oxford Street. The company also works on projects for the Sheraton Hotel in Riyadh and Digicel in Haiti.

The firm will also expand its work with agencies and retailers.

Firms get extra time to take part in business survey The deadline for businesses to fill in a survey has been extended due to popular demand!

Huddersfield Town has teamed up with club partners Bond Dickinson and Ask Insight to “Challenge 2014” through this survey aimed at Yorkshire businesses.

The Challenge 2014 survey reflects

on the issues that businesses faced during 2013 before exploring the key challenges that Yorkshire firms face this calendar year.

The simple, easy online survey will take just five minutes to complete and for every person that does so before the new extended deadline of March 31, 2014, a donation of £2 will be made

to Town’s charity partner the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The data generated will be analysed and reported on by Town, Ask Insight and Bond Dickinson. A report synopsis will be made available for all participants upon request and several will subsequently be invited to take part in Challenge 2014 focus groups.

Town commercial director Sean Jarvis said: “This survey differs from other online business-focused questionnaires in that it allows an open, honest, dialogue with fellow businesses – a conversation that encourages businesses to respond in an open and frank manner in confidence. “ Go to www.challenge2014.co.uk

Innovation recognised A FURNITURE manufacturer in Huddersfield has won an innovation award.

Slaithwaite-basedDaval Furniture was awarded the kbb 2014 Bedroom Innovation Award following its appearance at kbb Birmingham, the UK’s largest exhibition for the kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms market.

This year’s exhibition gave its exhibitors the chance to enter the kbb 2014 Innovation Awards. To take part, each exhibitor displayed an innovation tag on their most innovative product – and after much deliberation by the judges, the awards were annoounced live at the show.

Family-owned and managed Daval put forward its Como bedroom and Option-i design technology. Option-i allows Daval to manufacture bespoke bedrooms so that customers can make the most of their storage space and have what they want rather than what is sitting the shelf, without compromising on design or budget.

The category was sponsored by furniture fittings firm Blum.

Simon Bodsworth, marketing and development manager at Daval, said: “This year’s exhibition is our first and we have had a brilliant experience. Winning the Innovation award for our Como bedroom and Option-i technology reinforces our passion and heritage for manufacturing, design and technology.”

Boots tops the charts The financial sector and retail dominate graduate recruitment in Yorkshire and Humberside, according to a survey today.

Pharmaceutical and retail group Boots was top of the table for graduate recruitment in the region 2012, said TheCompleteUniversityGuide.co.uk – as it was nationally.

The analysis of the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey shows that the financial services industry accounted for seven of the top 10 recruiters nationally and continued to performing strongly in the region – although at a lower level than in 2011.

Royal Bank of Scotland, which was third in 2011, recruited no graduates in the region in 2012, but PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Ernst & Young and the Lloyds Banking Group together recruited 40 graduates in the region in 2012 – down by 70 on the previous year.

In addition to the universities of Sheffield and York, four local authorities together recruit 45 graduates.

Manufacturing was represented in the top 10 by consumer goods producer Reckitt Benckiser and international drug development company Covance.

7

HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014

Firm hits the heights with funding boost The sky’s the limit for a goahead Huddersfield company.

Access North Structures, which specialises in working at height, has raised its sights even further having secured guidance and funding to take the business to its next level.

Despite launching the business at the height of the recession, the firm has grown significantly with a string of contracts – whether it’s cleaning windows on some of Britain’s tallest buildings or maintaining the weatherproof “hubs” that tower above Butlins holiday resorts.

The company, based at Armitage Bridge, secured a £20,000 grant from Kirklees Council to pay for new asset management reporting software – putting Access North Structures head and shoulders above some of its rivals.

The firm landed the funding through Thongsbridge-based Innovate Now, which provides business support for high growth and innovative small and medium-sized enterprises and government departments.

Access North Structures has also received support to attend

■■ A team from Access North Structures at work

seminars on the subjects of growth acceleration, management, marketing and strategy.

The company has also just recruited its first apprentice with Innovate Now’s support.

■■ Access North helps keep Butlins Skyline Pavilion in good order

Access North, led by founder and general manager Daniel Northcott, carries out work such as installing bird wires, canopies and safety netting; cleaning windows and maintaining gutters and roofing for structures including the Skyline Pavilions at Butlins in Bognor Regis and Skegness and high-rise residential buildings. It also works on wind turbines.

Mike Kilroy, director of Innovate Now, said: “We mentor and support a whole range of companies across the region – and none more so diverse and exceptional than the highly skilled and dedicated team at Access North Structures.

“By providing rope access for those hard-to-reach places - from window cleaning to stadium

maintenance – Access North Structures is a truly remarkable company and we are thrilled to be a part of their continued success.

“By working with Access North Structures we have introduced the company to a number of invaluable contacts, one of which being Barnsley council.

“This contact has proved very useful, such as designing an atrium for a proposed sports auditorium, the ETFE Eye.” Daniel Northcott, founder of Access North Structures, added: “Mike has been an angel to the company.

“Innovate Now has helped us in so many ways and we certainly would not be where we are today if it wasn’t for their help and guidance.”

‘Budget fails to tackle real issues facing housing’ The government has failed to get to grips with the shortage of housing, according to a Huddersfield man.

Phil Shanks (pictured), chief executive officer for real estate inevstment trust Houses for Homes, said the Chancellor had “improved the picture a little” with his Budget measures for the sector.

But he said: “I think it is noteworthy that the total coverage for housing in the 120-page budget report was little over one page.”

Mr Shanks said the £500m builders finance fund for SME builders would kick-start 15,000 units and provided recognition that one reason the supply of housing was stagnating was lack of finance for builders. But he said its scale was “puny” and added: “If we aspire to hit the target of 200,000 new housing starts a year we need a pot 10 times the size.

“The £150m fund to kick start the regeneration of large housing estates through repayable loans is intended to boost housing supply; presumably by bringing back empty homes into use. It’s a small but useful measure that needs to be rolled out beyond the three named projects, all in London, but must be welcome as long as it has the scale needed.

“Additionally there are some promises of new relaxation in planning consents, particularly regarding change of use.

These are particularly helpful for developers and are a genuine step in the

right direction.”

But Mr Shanks said: “The main thrust of the budget is centred on stimulating demand, via Help to Buy and soon “Right to Build” rather than building supply.

“The reason we have rents currently rising at twice the rate of wages is to fuel the demand-led housing recovery process, a point confirmed to me by a member of the CTLG parliamentary select committee.

“When asked if we should cap rents he told me that the committee had considered this, but felt that rising rents were the best tool to stimulate housing investment.”

Said Mr Shanks: “The measures announced by the chancellor are too small to have any impact on housing supply. But they do have sufficient force to feed an unhealthy property market, demandled and predicated on rising prices. I think we can look forward to a slow and painful recovery, particularly in the private rented sector and this budget practically guarantees it.”

Tenants drop anchor at new industrial park

Five-star performance

A new speculatively-developed trade/ industrial park is proving popular as businesses flock to acquire space.

Calder Properties has redeveloped the former Anchor Carpets site on Frost Hill, Liversdege, to create seven new industrial/business units providing between 1,300sq ft and 3,000sq ft. of space.

Since the development, known as Anchor Business Park, was completed in December last year, joint marketing agents Hanson and Carter Towler have completed deals to three tenants, including Studio Carpets & Flooring, Fusion Products and Pride Photography.

Another unit is under offer.

Jason Metcalfe, of Hanson Chartered Surveyors in Huddersfield, said:

Housebuilder Barratt Yorkshire West has achieved a five-star housebuilder rating for the fifth year running in a customer satisfaction survey run by the Home Builders Federation (HBF).

The independent UKwide survey, which was completed by 32,137 UK homebuyers between October, 2012, and September, 2013, revealed that more than 90% of all respondents would recommend Barratt Yorkshire West to a friend.

Sam Wood, sales direc-

“We have worked with Calder Properties for a number of years now and had earmarked this site as a great location to develop a trade counter park.

“The quality of the development speaks for itself and has proved very popular with local businesses since the development was completed.”

Josh Holmes, industrial agent at Carter Towler, said: “We have seen a lot of interest in the new units.

“There was a lack of quality stock for small businesses in the area and the development has been pitched perfectly to capture the interest of local businesses.

“Given the current strong level of demand in the market we expect to be fully let quickly.”

■■ Anchor Business Park at, Liversdege is proving popular

tor at ‘Barratt Yorkshire West, said: “We take an enormous amount of pride in the consistently high levels of quality and service that we deliver for our customers across the West Yorkshire area.

“It’s a great achievement for our employees to be recognised as leaders in customer service.

“We are passionate about the quality of the homes we build so it’s fantastic for everyone associated with Barratt Yorkshire West to be rewarded nationally in this way.”

8

TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2014 HUDDERSFIELD EXAMINER

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

movers and shakers

Setting the world to economic rights The potential benefits of this summer’s Tour de France coming to Yorkshire were among topics for debate when Greenhead College hosted a Real World Economics event.

Issues ranged from the viability of running a coffee stall on the days of the Yorkshire Grand Depart stage of the Tour de France to challenges faced by those staging the forthcoming World Cup and next Olympic Games.

Under the subtitle Sport, Health and the Economy, the student-run event featured guest speakers, thought-provoking displays and home-made refreshments.

The event focused on the work of KIVA, an international microfinance charity which allows individuals to loan as little as $25 to entrepreneurs across the globe.

Delegates were invited to say which area they would like their ticket money to go to – agriculture, food, health, retail or housing.

Delegates were given examples of some of the beneficiaries of loans over the last 12 month along with surprising figures regarding the winners and losers of the last five Olympic Games, the benefits and potential legacy of the “Tour de Yorkshire” and alcohol and obesity in the economy.

Prof Colin Bamford, of Huddersfield University, offered his perspective on the pragmatics of this summer’s cycling event while Kerry Kayes, founder member of CNP Professional urged delegates to consider the question: How do we measure success?

Under the guiance of teachers Peter Davies

■■ Delegates listen intently to the debate at the student-run Real World Economics event

and Joe Corcoran, the students unleashed a mass of facts and figures.

The students included Lauren Spark, Sophie Malik, Will Mitchell, Tim Freeman,

Ellie Gilbert, Viv Kemgne, Alfie Ruttle, Rebecca Barry, Joe Richardson, Freddy Blake. Alex Napper, Will Sykes, Fiona Young, David Coombes and Rosie Allsop.

Teacher turned solicitor has retired A senior solicitor has retired from one of Huddersfield’s most established law firms.

Probate specialist Yasmin Cross, of Holmfirth, began her career in teaching, but at the age of 36 – and fuelled by a life-long interest in law – left her role in secondary education and devoted the next four years to retraining as a solicitor.

After qualifying in 1996, she joined long-established Brighouse solicitors Bearders, becoming a partner at the Halifax office in 2000.

In October last year, Bearders merged with Huddersfield law firm Wilkinson Woodward Norcliffe &

Co, whose offices are in Queen Street.

During her 18 year career in the legal profession, Yasmin developed a reputation for her expertise in probate, wills, estates and matrimonial work.

“I’ve always been fascinated by law and consider myself very fortunate to have worked with two of the area’s most established and respected legal practices”, she said.

Maureen Cawthorn, director of Wilkinson Woodward Norcliffe & Co, said: “Yasmin has devoted many years to serving the local community. Her ability to combine

legal expertise with a personal and empathetic approach has been greatly valued by her clients. We wish Yasmin a long and happy retirement.”

Yasmin plans to divide her time in retirement between family commitments and her passion for family history.

Her matrimonial cases will be taken up by Penny Manock at the Halifax office. Her probate cases will be handled by head of probate Katie Swift along with Richard Smithies and Claire Edwards, who both worked closely with Yasmin at Bearders.

■■ Solicitor Yasmin Cross

An app-etite for finance

■■ Rhona Graham, Lesley Sutton and Karen Borowski at the seminar

A Huddersfield accountancy firm is on the button to help businesses with an app-etite for financial facts.

As well as briefing business leaders at a post-Budget seminar, experts from Revell Ward have developed an app with information to help users keep on top of tax topics.

Among its features, the Revell Ward app includes a business mileage log to track and record the distance travelled and email it as well as an expenses log to allow users to log their expenses on the move rather than wait to tot them all up at the end of the month.

Other features include tax calculators covering things like corporation tax, company car and Stamp Duty purchase. There are also key tax dates and reminders, tax facts and a news section which allows viewers to access Revell Ward’s weekly Tax Chat, Key points from Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget were covered in a breakfast session hosted

by Revell Ward at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield.

The speakers were Rhona Graham, Lesley Sutton and Karen Borowski.

Mike Abbott & David Smylie

NDNA’s new appointments Childcare charity the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has welcomed a new trustee to its board.

The Huddersfieldbased association has named Mike Abbott (pictured), group general manager for The Cooperative Childcare as its London trustee, helping to promote quality childcare services in the region.

The NDNA has also appointed David Smylie, head of the business recovery and insolvency department at Lupton Fawcett Denison Till Solicitors as a new member of the board.

Mr Abbott has overall responsibility for more than 3,000 children in 50 settings across the UK in his role at The Co-operative Childcare and will work with NDNA to promote the benefits of nursery care.

The Co-operative Childcare has 23 nurser-

ies in London and the South East.

He said: “I believe it is critical to maintain a strong, informed and robust national organisation to represent the views of all day nurseries. I’m really looking forward to working with NDNA in my new role as trustee for London.”

Mr Smyllie, who lives in Leeds, is a respected solicitor, widely recognised as a leading business recovery and insolvency lawyer.

Paul Torrance & Sean O’Hanrahan

Two join care homes firm A care homes operator has announced two key appointments.

Eldercare (Halifax) Ltd , which runs homes in Huddersfield and Brighouse, has appointed Paul Torrance as chief operations officer and will be responsible for managing a team of senior managers across the organisation and its affiliate Queensland Care Ltd. Mr Torrance has more than 25 years’ care management experience in a number of strategic regional management roles with national operators, most recently with Voyage Care.

In addition, Eldercare has appointed Sean O’Hanrahan, who will head STEP – Supportive Therapies for Enabling People – the group’s new mental health project

with facilities in Rochdale and Bradford.

Mr O’Hanrahan holds qualifications in nursing and leadership and has significant project management experience in secure services. He began his career at Rampton Hospital and has held a number of hospital director and registered manager positions, most recently at a Community Forensic Service, where he oversaw five specialist rehabilitation centres in North East Lincolnshire.

Eldercare managing director Brian Vincent said Mr Mr Torrance would oversee a review of operations. The company had already started a review of administration and training under senior human resources manager Sue Butterworth.

NFU backs awards scheme Insurer NFU Mutual is supporting this year’s British Chamber of Commerce Awards.

The insurer, which has a network of over 300 local offices, inckuding one at Honley, will sponsor the Small Business of the Year category. The category is open to

entries from organisations employing up to 75 full-time members of staff. Entry to the awards is open to members and non-members of the BCC. Theclosing date for entries is June 27, 2014.

Visit www.chamberawards.co.uk