Kirklees Business News, June 2009

June, 2009

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Partnership is in the training zone A TRAINING company is giving people a sporting chance to improve their skills.

WBL Solutions Ltd has teamed up with sports and fitness facility The Zone to offer training that will benefit both companies and the local community.

WBL Solutions provides training to individuals, schools, work-based learning providers and employers in areas such as health and safety, emergency First Aid, fire safety, COSHH, manual handling, drugs awareness and food hygiene.

Under the new tie-up. WBL and The Zone, based in Huddersfield, will work to provide training with qualifications and

offer the facilities of The Zone for sport and fitness.

WBL’s work on drug awareness will also be linked into sports training to underline the dangers of taking drugs in sport.

David Toulcher, sirector of WBL Solutions Ltd, said: “We have worked with The Zone in the past on different types of projects. It seemed only natural to set up this partnership to develop further learning at The Zone. We envisage that this partnership will flourish – with more courses being added over time – to enable clients to get the best from the services the partnership can offer.”

■ RAIL ALE: .Chairman of the Penistone Line Partnership, Neil Bentley (centre) greets the arrival of the first keg of the Summer Wine Brewery ale, delivered by drayman Gerry Christian (left) with Yorkshire Chef of the year, Tim Bilton

Rail ale fanatics

A RAIL operator is on the right tracks with real ale and train enthusiasts.

Northern Rail joined forces with the Penistone Line Partnership and Honley-based Summer Wine Brewery to create a new “rail ale” to help promote the Hddersfield-Sheffield service.

The first keg was taken by train to Huddersfield rail station, where it was greeted on the platform by the Train Gang jazz band, PLP members, Summer Wine representatives and guests.

The 3.8% golden ale, commissioned by the volunteer-run PLP and Northern Rail, was made available to sample at the Head of Steam pub shortly

afterwards. The ale will be sold in local pubs and on the PLP’s monthly “Music Trains”.

PLP chairman and train driver Neil Bentley said: “It was just really nice when the Summer Wine brewery opened up on the line.

“It was took good an opportunity to miss – to bring a local brewery on board.

“It’s good for the PLP because it raises the profile of the line. We need to go beyond the railway boundaries.

Local pubs are the heart of the community.

“It’s about taking the railway to the

community and the community to the railway.”

Rail Ale is the 33rd brew from Summer Wine, which was launched by James Farran, Andy Baker, Meyrick Kirk and drayman Gerry Christian.

Andy, who is head of sales, said: “PLP approached me with the idea and we just took it from there. Since Northern Rail got involved, it snowballed.”

Among the guests at the launch of the beer was Yorkshire Professional Chef of the Year Tim Bilton, who owns the Butcher’s Arms at Hepworth.

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June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

COMMENT

by

Henryk Zientek IG businesses have been urged to B make a commitment to paying their bills on time – or join retail giant

Argos in the late payment “hall of shame”.

Argos, which operates in more than 700 countries, has doubled the time it takes to pay supplier from 30 to 60 days, according to the Forum of Private Business. It also deductd a 4% “settlement discount” from invoices it pays within that time, says the FPB. The FPB fears that in the current climate, large customers are trying to hang onto their money for longer by delaying payment to suppliers. Yet small suppliers are just as desperate to keep the cash flowing.

FPB chief executive Phil Orford swants big companies to commit to a Prompt Payment Code – which, he says, would help foster much-needed confidence across the supply chain.

The idea has merit. Although suppliers have the legal right to charge interest on late payment, few small companies are willing to risk antagonising their customers by exercising that right. Not surprisingly, some large firms take advantage of that by imposing unilateral changes on their smaller suppliers’ terms and conditions – often mid-contract and with little warning, effectively sidestepping the redress provided by the late payment legislation.

And if a code of conduct doesn’t work, then the FPB – quite rightly – will continue to “name and shame”

Read Henryk Zientek's Business reports Monday to Friday in ...

Inside Issues

● Bakers born and bread – page 4 ● Stressing time to relax – page 5 ● Mission to save millions – page 6 ● TV time in the kitchen – page 7 ● Batley man on the Rich List – page 9 ● General salute at Armouries – page 11 ● Rixonway’s record sales – page 12 ● Garage on technology drive – page 14 ● Loans fund success – page 15 ● Rating scheme attacked – page 20

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FINANCIAL REPORT

More Yorkshire firms show signs of distress

MORE companies in Yorkshire are showing signs of “distress” than a year ago, a gloomy survey has revealed.

Insolvency firms Begbies Traynor’s quarterly Red Flag Alert statistics show all sectors in Yorkshire are continuing to suffer from increases in distress signals compared to a year ago – and that the region is performing worse than other parts of the UK. The first quarter of 2009 saw 12,234 Yorkshire companies showing “significant” problems – defined as firms facing court action, insolvency or tabling average, poor or very poor accounts. That is almost one-and-a-half times the number for the same period in 2008.

The increase is also more than double the

national average of 60%, according to the quarterly statistics.

A total of 238 firms in Yorkshire were facing “critical” – defined as those with county court judgements totalling more than £5,000 or facing winding-up petitions. That is more than 90% up on the same period last year and compares with a 87% increase across the UK. Construction, manufacturing, property services and retail sectors made up almost half of the Yorkshire firms with “critical” problems.

David Wilson, of Begbies Traynor, said: “The downturn in property and retail sectors over the past six months is continuing to translate into distress for the region’s businesses, but Yorkshire has been hit harder than

some other regions in the past quarter.

“The mix of businesses in this region may contribute to this trend – but the recent budget and cuts in public spending are unlikely to improve trading in the short term, so we are likely to see further growth in these statistics over the next few quarters.”

Colleague Julian Pitts said: “Experience tells us that company and personal insolvencies – just as unemployment figures – tend to be a lagging indicator and are therefore likely to continue to rise through the recession, “However, as an average across the country, the rate of growth in these distress signals has slowed – which could be the very first signs that the worst of the problems may stabilise by the end of the year.”

Fighting fund to help firms beat slump

■ BADGE OF HONOUR: Outgoing president Andrew McConnell (left) presents the chain of office to incoming president Andrew Rogers

New president elected A NEW president has taken office at Huddersfield Society of Chartered Accountants.

Andrew Rogers was installed at the society’s annual meeting, which was held at Huddersfield University.

He succeeds Andrew McConnell, finance director at the university.

Mr Rogers trained at Armitage and Norton where he qualified and was audit manager for many years.

In the mid 1970s he set up his own business, Rogers & Co, in Holmfirth,

which rapidly expanded into audit, taxation and insolvency.

Mr Rogers said his year in office would see “winds of change” sweep though the Huddersfield society as a new generation of local young chartered accountants emerges.

Said Mr Rogers: “I believe this year will see the enthusiasm of the new young committee members beaming through.

“They are full of ideas and energy, and I for one am really looking forward to being a part of this transformation.”

Business lending up YORKSHIRE Bank has reported strong six-month figures for its business banking operations.

The business banking network, which has 77 locations nationwide and seven in Yorkshire – including the West Yorkshire Financial Solutions Centre in Bradford, expanded its customer base by 5% during the period.

Business lending was up by 14% – representing £1.2bn of new money to support local business.

This is part of £1.9bn of new lending, which included £0.6bn of new mortgage lending. The bank’s strong funding position was further

improved by a 15% rise in business deposits – a level almost five times higher than the industry average.

In Yorkshire, the bank continued its strong performance with average lending growing by 13%. The bank’s traditional model ensures that every pound raised from local deposits is reinvested into lending for local businesses.

Deposits grew by 11% .

Deals included supporting the development of a new 300-cover Kashmiri restaurant near The Royal Armouries in Leeds, which created 100 jobs. Lending at the West Yorkshire FSC lending grew by 23%.

A COMPANY providing invoice finance has announced a £50m fighting fund to help small and medium-sized firms weather the recession.

Close Invoice Finance is making the money available to SMEs across the north-east and Yorkshire.

Ian Steward, managing director for the north of England, said: “In the current economic climate, as traditional sources of funding disappear, small businesses are at most risk of failure due to cash flow problems.

“We hope our £50m fighting fund will help businesses in the region take advantage of an alternative, more flexible source of funding. Business owners need to understand that banks are not the only route to securing cashflow.”

Invoice finance allows firms to raise cash quickly and easily against their sales ledger, allowing the invoice/payment cycle to keep spinning without interruption.

Said Mr Steward: “We approach businesses in a very different way to traditional lenders such as banks who are focused on more obvious indicators of business success.”

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3

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Global prize for turbo firm WORKERS at a Huddersfield firm have received global recognition for their energy-saving efforts.

The energy reduction team at Turnbridge-based Cummins Turbo Technologies was presented with a best performance award by Tim Solso, chairman and chief executive officer of US-based parent company Cummins Inc. The award recognises the team’s achievements in reducing CO2 emissions at the St Andrew’s Road site by 201 tons and saving £52,000 during the 2008 two-week Christmas shutdown.

The cost saving figure was the best achieved by any of the 54 Cummins sites taking part in the company’s Unplugged Challenge – a contest designed to encourage Cummins employees worldwide to conserve energy at their plant or office.

The 54 participating sites account for almost 90% of Cummins’ total energy use. Reduction in use of gas and electricity has saved more than 7,220 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

HUDDERSFIELD

■ HEROIC EFFORT: Andy Hobson (alias Captain Fantastic) with mascot and members of the Fantastic Media team before Andy's half-marathon efforts to raise £1,000 for charity

Captain Fantastic to the fore CAPTAIN Fantastic has his running shoes on as he rallies the troops at Fantastic Media!

The Birstall-based marketing agency entered no fewer than seven runners into the Leeds half-marathon – and another six members of the team undertook the corporate challenge on behalf of West Yorkshire charity, Cash for Kids.

Managing Director, Andy Hobson

pledged to run as alter ego, Captain Fantastic if the team managed to raise £1,000 in sponsorship.

The figure is well beyond the £1,000 mark so the Captain took to the streets of Leeds Ros Raine, charity manager for Cash For Kids, said: “Support from local companies is always appreciated and the money raised will stay in West Yorkshire

to help the region’s sick, underprivileged and disabled children. It’s good to see everyone joining in and having fun!”

Said Andy: “Taking part in the marathon has created a buzz around the office as we all work towards a common goal.

“It is further proof that the Fantastic Team can achieve great things when we work together!”

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Award for Elland firm A COMPANY providing accountancy software has won another award.

Longwood-based Liquid Accounts was named Best Emerging Business at the 42Under42 Awards held in Leeds.

Managing director Matt Holmes was presented with his award by Jules D’Or, director of enterprise services at Business Link Yorkshire.

The award came in recognition of Liquid Accounts’ “fresh approach and good commercial proposition”. Judges commented that “Liquid stood out for the strides it has made in such a challenging market”.

Liquid Accounts is one of the pioneers of online accounting software in the UK. Among its other accolades, it has been voted Best Web-Hosted Accounting Software by its customers at the Software Satisfaction Awards. It received the highest customer satisfaction rating in the whole

■ PRIZE GUY: Liquid Accounts managing director Matt Holmes (left) receives the award from Jules O’Dor

competition of 19 software categories – beating big names like Sage and Iris.

Mr Holmes attended the latest prizegiving with Stefan Rask, finance director of c l i e n t S t a r s u p p l y Re n e w ab l e s, a Swiss-based biofuels broker, which is opening a new branch office in the USA next month.

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June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Individual approach pays off

TECH TALK

Roger Pearson

Too much information ATA, data everywhere – and nowhere DWhether near enough time to use it? affected by recession or not, firms

continue to accumulate data at an alarming rate – presenting IT challenges relating to storage, availability, backup and security.

But, look beyond these technical challenges and we often find that accumulated data is an under-utilised asset, held back by the sheer volume of data that needs processing, reporting tools and skills not suited to the task and difficulty identifying the magical “nuggets” of data which can be used in the decision making process of the business.

In many firms, data is held in a number of different systems and pulling that information together into a useful, presentable and reliable format that can be used to influence business direction and decisions requires significant manual effort by key staff and management whose time is at a premium. Surely this time spent moving, analysing and formatting data would be better spent actually making those decisions given the data in hand?

In some cases, built-in dashboards that can provide key performance indicators and management information/business intelligence are the start of a solution, but these being vendor specific may not be flexible enough or take account of the data stored in different systems and how these data items interact together. If this is the case then a Data Warehousing solution may be appropriate.

Data Warehousing, although the name suggests it is primarily concerned with simple storage, is more typically associated with the facilitation of data transformation and analysis enabling a more flexible approach to reporting and performance dashboards. Data Warehousing provides a central repository for all company data and should be packaged with Business Intelligence tools to work with and compare data items from all areas of a business delivering a true, all-round vision of your firms performance.

Why not just run reports directly from the company database? This is technically possible, but often causes issues relating to perfo r m a n c e, s e c u r i t y a n d ava i l ab i l i t y.

Operational live databases are generally optimized for speed of data entry and data integrity whilst receiving small amounts of data on a regular but random basis. This is at odds with the demands on a reporting system which is optimized for data retrieval, perhaps on a number of levels to enable drill down.

Data Warehousing enables data to be synchronised periodically and bulk transformation and retrieval to be carried out “offline” from the live system.

To get the right information at your fingertips, some consultancy is essential to distil requirements and available data into your reporting “schema”. Backend database connections can then be made to retrieve appropriate data sets from your databases. Finally, presentation tools can be fine tuned to deliver user friendly end results in graphical or tabular form.

As data mountains continue to rise in all aspects of business, Data Warehousing and similar technologies which help us see the wood from the trees are likely to be more prevalent.

Roger Pearson is a project manager at P2 Technologies Ltd, Lockwood

■ CELEBRATIONS: Marcus Hodge, director of Hadfield’s Bakers (right) celebrates 50 years for the company with longest serving employee, confectioner Rita Doran (front left), who has been with the firm for 40 years, and some of the staff from the Factory Lane bakery

Celebration time for family bakery A FAMILY bakery is celebrating 50 years of successful business in Kirklees.

Hadfield’s bakery was formed in 1958 in Harrogate and was bought by the Hodge family the following year.

Michael Hodge, 76, expanded the business and brought Hadfields to Huddersfield – opening a shop at Dalton. Now the company has 16 stores across Kirklees, 14 of them in the Huddersfield area, as well as a bakery making bread and cakes 24-hours a day at Milnsbridge.

Son Marcus, 38, who lives at Upper Cumberworth, now runs the business and is the fifth generation of the family to enter the trade.

Said Marcus: “Being a baker is all I’ve ever done from being a little boy. I’ve worked in the factory and loaded the sacks or greased tins. It becomes instilled in you.”

He said: “The business has

changed very much. Even until 15 years ago, my dad would make hundreds of loaves of bread by hand before the rest of the staf came in at breakfast time.”

Marcus said the company’s success was down to its strong local identity and commitment to providing quality breads, cakes and sandwiches made using quality ingredients. “ L o c a l p e o p l e t r ave l l i n g through the villages will see our shop and recognise out logo,” he said. “It is a very traditional logo, but it is one that stands out.

“Our commitment to quality and consistency means that you get the same sandwich whichever shop you go into – whether its Lindley or Lepton.”

Marcus said large increases in costs for ingredients such as flour, cheese and tuna had put margins under pressure.

The company was not passing on the whole of the increase, but at the same time recognised the need

to price realistically.

“There have been cases of sandwich shops opening and offering ridiculous prices – but having to close 18 months later because they are not competitive,” he said.

Marcus said Hadfields, which also supplies pubs, hotels and sandwich shops wholesale, was now reputedly the longest-standing bakery in the town.

Special initiatives to mark the firm’s 50 years have included a new livery for its fleet of vans and a Golden Ticket competition for customers with prizes linked to the 50th anniversary theme.

CELEBRATIONS Marcus Hodge, director of Hadfield’s Bakers of Milnsbridge (right) celebrates 50 years for the company with longest serving employee, confectioner Rita Doran (front left), who has been with the firm for 40 years, and some of the staff from the Factory Lane bakery (AC300309Bfifty-02.jpg)

AIM transactions ‘standstill’ TRANSACTIONS on the AIM market have ground to almost a standstill, latest figures reveal.

The latest quarterly survey by business advisory firm Deloitte showed that just £1m of new money was raised on the market in the first quarter of 2009 – down on the figure of £13m for the final quarter of 2008, which was itself a 10-year low.

By comparison, some £300m was raised on the AIM market by new companies in the first

quarter of 2008.

Across the same periods, the number of companies listing has fallen from 32 to five, while in the last 12 months there have been 87 listings in total compared with 519 in the 2005, the most active year on AIM. Roger Esler, corporate finance partner at Deloitte in Leeds, said the figures were particularly relevant to yorkshire – as most of the region’s quoted companies are listed on AIM .

Said Mr Esler: “Consistent with quarter four 2008, the new year has brought such low levels of new companies coming to AIM that to all intents and purposes the fundraising market for new companies on AIM does not exist.

“However, there remains more opportunity for select companies already on AIM to raise money if their proposition is compelling enough.”

A DESIGN agency in Huddersfield has completed a brief for a leading lingerie company.

The Individual Agency, based at Heritage Exchange, Oakes, has refreshed the brand identity for Fleur of England.

The rebranding included changing the name from Fleur T to emphasise its English heritage and giving it a clear position in both its UK and overseas markets, where it is sold through a selection of lingerie boutiques.

The new brand identity is being rolled out across all materials and the agency is now working on the new website which will launch later this year.

The Individual Agency opened its doors last July and specialises in working with brands, big and small – with a particular focus on female brands and products.

Service centre HUNDREDS of business support organisations across Yorkshire have been urged to achieve a national customer service quality standard.

Regional development agency Yorkshire Forward has awarded more than £100,000 for three years to help York-based customer service quality standard Customer First UK assess an initial 50 business support organisations throughout the region for the new standard.

The campaign will urge hundreds of other bodies throughout the region which are part of networks operated by the initial 50 groups to gain Customer First accreditation and help make the region a national model for best practice.

Awarding body Customer First UK, which was founded in 2004, was acquired last year in a joint partnership between QED Professional Development Ltd in Doncaster and the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies.

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June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

RISKY BUSINESS Mark Dalton

Take safety seriously T

HE Crown Prosecution Service has announced a Cotswolds firm and one of its directors will be the first to be prosecuted under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007.

The CPS authorised a charge of corporate manslaughter against the company in Gloucestershire, in relation to the death of an employee on September 5, 2008. A director of the company has also been charged with gross-negligence manslaughter and under section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The employee, a junior geologist, was taking soil samples from inside a pit which had been excavated as part of a survey of a site, when the sides of the pit collapsed and crushed him.

Under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, an organisation is guilty of corporate manslaughter if the way in which its activities are managed or organised causes a death and amounts to a gross breach of a duty of care to the person who died. A substantial part of the breach must have been in the way activities were organised by senior management. The CPS concluded there was sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction for this offence.

As the first case to be taken under the new Act, it is likely to be watched with interest by employers and legal experts alike.

Although the Sentencing Advisory Panel has not yet finalised its guidelines in respect of the Act, it is recommending that fines be between 2.5% and 10% of the company’s turnover, the outcome of this case will be interesting. The judge will be mindful that this is the first conviction under the Act, and so may apply a larger fine.

This reinforces the message that companies must ensure their policies and procedures are robust.

Some of the areas which could make a company vulnerable are: ● Inadequate training of employees, particularly those in safety-critical positions ● Procedures not followed by staff and junior management ● Poor operational management ● An organisation believing it could contract out the risk to another company ● Contractors’ roles being poorly defined ● Poor communication with employees and/or contractors ● Inadequate management, audit and review of safety systems/contractors – relying on KPIs to manage the risk ● Inadequate attention to ‘near misses’ ● Middle managers telling senior managers what they want to hear rather than what is actually happening ● Senior management making decisions on incomplete/wrong information – particularly where budget decisions affect safety Mark Dalton is an associate director at Wilby Ltd, based in Halifax

Company is stressing the need to relax A HUDDERSFIELD man has set up a thriving business promoting stress-busting techniques.

John Edmonds helped about 200 new businesses get off the ground as head of the ground-breaking Huddersfield Business Generator.

But when European funding for the project ceased last year, he was made redundant at the age of 60.

Now he is using his computer skills to follow a long-held passion for meditative stress reduction techniques with Stress Gone In 10 Minutes Ltd, a company which produces 10-minute high-definition video images of natural scenery – mostly around Huddersfield.

The images – which include rivers, streams, rain, flowers, cloudscapes, waterfalls and barley – are viewed in combination with simple posture, breathing and focus instructions to reduce stress very rapidly.

Said Mr Edmonds: “The technique is based on leading-edge global research into stress reduction. I have tested this technique on more than 1,000 people across the world through my online network. Hundreds have supplied written testimonials and endorsements to state that this technique works very effectively in over 95% of cases.”

Mr Edmonds said: “One of the features of this stress reduction technique is that it can be installed onto corporate central IT systems to provide employees with instant on-demand stress reduction.

“Stress Stress Gone In 10 Minutes Ltd has already received interest from some of the UK’s largest companies as well as the NHS in London.

“Affiliates to promote the technique world-wide are currently being negotiated in about 12 countries to date, including the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Australia and the USA.” Dr Dawit Mengistu, a public health consultant and specialist in lifestyle preventative medicine, cardiovascular and cancer epidemiology based in Huddersfield, said “The videos are brilliant and very clever.

“John has combined the latest scientific knowledge on stress reduction to produce a stress reduction technique which in my opinion is world class – and possibly even a world-first.

“What I like about John’s technique is

John Edmonds

that if used according to the instructions supplied, it becomes an effective form of preventative medicine which can actually keep approaching stress at bay for quite some time.”

Sandra Babbings, director of Huddersfield-based Professional Occupational Health Medical Services, said: “The technique does what it says in the company name – reduces stress in most instances within 10 minutes.

“This is an excellent front-line product for those wishing to combat stress head on. We are speaking to Mr Edmonds about ways to further develop his technique as an occupational health tool to help employees with stress issues.”

Paul Kern, director of Prime50Plus, a website which includes health issues for the over 50s, said: “What John has produced is really quite extraordinary.

He’s put everything together in such a way that you really can experience significant stress reduction in just a few minutes.”

Mr Edmonds will demonstrate his technique and explain the science behind it at a free public seminar at the Textile Centre of Excellence on May 20, 2009. For details, go to http://stressgonein10minutes.blogspot.com/ or telephone 07793 195 099.

Awards for engineers MANUFACTURERS in Kirklees have been urged to enter a new award.

Manufacturer’s body the EEF has launched the competition to reward enterprise, innovation, environmental performance and skills development among Yorkshire’s 11,500 manufacturing firms.

The EEF Future Manufacturing Awards will give particular recognition to companies seizing the business opportunities presented by the fast growing market for low carbon products and services.

Alan Hall, EEF regional director for

Yorkshire, said: “With the services economy in disarray, its time for the manufacturing industry to get the recognition it deserves as the true engine of economic growth and a hot bed of innovative thinking.”

The awards will recognise outstanding achievement in Innovation, environment and enterprise. There will also be an Apprentice of the Year award.

Regional winners will be announced in November with the national awards presented in February, 2010. Go to www.eef.org.uk/awards

Scientific experiment EMPLOYERS in science-based industries in Kirklees can design their own apprenticeships under a new initiative.

Cogent – the sector skills council for the chemicals and pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, nuclear, petroleum and plastics industries – is offering a faster way for science-based companies to bring on new talent.

From August 3, employers can use Cogent to quickly identify apprenticeship needs specific to their sector – and apply for funding.

If there isn’t a suitable apprenticeship scheme available, employers complying with the Apprenticeship Standards for England, will get the green light to design their own apprenticeship specially customised to their business.

The science industries in the Yorkshire and Humber contribute £2.1bn to the UK economy, employ 41,000 and cover 1,700 companies.

Cogent apprenticeship manager Ian Lockhart said: “From August 3, all the old methods of approving apprenticeships disappear. Any employer, training provider or further education college can submit an Apprenticeship Framework to Cogent free of charge.

“We can help people develop apprenticeships tailor-made to their needs and come up with a quality assured, developed programme for each industry.”

The new initiative aims to respond to research by Cogent showed that too few technicians were coming into the sector.

Go to www.cogent-ssc.com

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6

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Sponsors

Power play for Africa

WEST Yorkshire mobile s group Link Telecom has agreed a further three-year sponsorship deal with its chosen charity, the NSPCC. The group’s support over the initial three-year term saw more than £30,000 raised for the NSPCC’s ChildLine service in Leeds – the 24-hour helpline on 0800 1111 for children and young people.

Keighley-based Link Telecom, which has its fixed line division at Mytholmroyd, near Halifax, is donating £1 to the charity for every new mobile phone network connection made. Last year alone, the group established some 9,000 new connections.

Chief executive Gary Fawcett said: “Our pledge to support the NSPCC for a further three years reaffirms an ongoing commitment to our chosen charity.”

■ NAME CHANGE: Richard Baxter (left) and Michael Lumley, of Lumley Baxter Asset Management, John William Street, Huddersfield.

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A LONG-STANDING business in Huddersfield has changed its name.

Robert Lumley Associates, with offices at John William Street, has become Lumley Baxter Asset Management with the arrival of Richard Baxter to join Michael Lumley in leading the firm’s six-strong team.

The new company, a limited liability partnership, provides financial advice in areas including pension planning, investment, inheritance tax planning and mortgage advice.

The business was launched in 1969 by Michael’s father, Robert Lumley. Michael joined the business 26 years ago.

Richard has joined the newly-named business from Oval insurance. He ran his own company, Westbourne Insurance Services, before that business was acquired by Oval six years ago.

Both men are well-qualified in the financial services sector. Michael was one of the first people in the country to gain the Financial Planning Certificate and is also an Associate of the Society of Financial Advisers. Among his qualifications, Richard is a certified financial planner.

Michael said Lumley Baxter Asset Management had been very busy in the weeks since the re-launch as people sought advice about the best options for their money in the current downturn.

Firms could save millions – report KIRKLEES firms could save £12.3m a year by reducing carbon emissions, claims a report.

Analysis by the Carbon Trust s a i d bu s i n e s s e s a c ro s s t h e north-east could save themselves £124.6m a year by taking action.

The Carbon Trust has produced a map of the UK of places that have the greatest potential to save businesses money by taking measures to reduce their carbon emissions.

Collectively, UK business could save more than £2.5bn annually through cost-effective carbon reduction measures – such as replacing old boilers or installing new lighting.

The map is part of the Carbon Trust’s One Million A Day campaign, encouraging businesses of all sizes to make energy-saving a priority.

The Carbon Trust is already providing practical help and advice, including interest-free loans to enablesmaller firms to

upgrade to energy efficient equipment.

The campaign, which is backed

by Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Theo Paphitis, aims to save the UK economy £1b over the next three years – and reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by at least 17m tonnes CO2 – equivalent to heating nearly 5.5m average UK homes annually.

Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust, said: “We’re talking about money that businesses in the north-east could save from their energy bills by making quick and easy changes – such as encouraging staff to turn off computers, changing lighting, turning down the heating or replacing out of date equipment.

“Being more energy-efficient can reduce costs for any business by up to as much as 20%.

“We urge UK businesses to prioritise action on carbon reduction and to contact the Carbon Trust to find out more about the interest

free loans and other support available.”

Three key areas for immediate action are: Energy management – Last year UK businesses working with the Carbon Trust implemented energy saving measures including metering and monitoring, staff awareness and setting board level policies to effectively identify opportunities and monitor results, that will save more than £64m a year Improved lighting – Installing controls, replacing and upgrading lamps to energy efficient versions and installing motion detectors are a few examples of action that will enable more than £11 m of savings in one year Efficient heating – Upgrading inefficient boilers, installing controls, improving insulation and improving maintenance schedules will lead to savings of more than £8.5m a year.

A COMPANY with offices in Huddersfield is helping bring power to people in South Africa.

Environmental consultancy SLR, which has an office at Denby Dale, has provided expert help in the development of a methane gas extraction system for a large landfill site in Durban.

The connection of the site to the country’s national grid system will help to support electricity generation of up to 8MW – enough to power the equivalent of 5,000 homes in the developed world – as well as significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

SLR’s landfill gas team also assisted Durban’s city officials to register the scheme with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – enabling the local authority to sell carbon credits, providing a much needed source of additional revenue.

Landfill gas from the site, which takes up to 3,500 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day, is now collected and burned in a series of engines.

Four 1MW engines were commissioned in 2008 and a further 2.5MW capacity is nowy being installed.

SLR associate Grant Pearson said: “As well as providing technical expertise, a key part of our role was to provide support to keep the project moving forward and to ensure that the environmental, social and financial benefits of the scheme could be realised.”

SLR Consulting is one of the fastest growing and most profitable environmental consultants in the UK with more than 650 employees working from 22 offices in the UK and Ireland and 24 offices in USA and Canada.

It has a broad base of blue chip customers in energy, waste management, planning and development, manufacturing, mining and financial sectors.

7

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Seminar offers advice FIRMS seeking the best professional advice will emerge from the recession fitter and stronger, delegates were told at a commercial property seminar in Yorkshire.

Leading experts in surveying, law and taxation shared their insights at the event, which was hosted by national commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton in partnership with Leeds-based law firm Brooke North.

Richard Wackett, head of LSH’s Leeds office, said that while the commercial property market had suffered all-time lows in terms of capital and rental values – with the north seeing the greatest slowdown in activity – recent price adjustments had now begun to stimulate investor interest.

Mr Wackett summarised the main issues contained within the Chancellor’s Budget while Dominic Rayner, senior manager in the property tax group at KPMG, guided the audience through a number of innovative strategies for tax planning during the downturn.

Robert Kelly, partner at Brooke North, highlighted the key opportunities arising for both owners and occupiers throughout the course of a lease – suggesting that flexibility was the main driver of recovery.

He added: “Landlords, as an act of self-preservation as opposed to charity, have a duty to offer a flexible approach towards the structuring of leases in order to restore the collapse in confidence that has occurred.”

Mr Wackett also provided an evaluation of the RICS and LSH joint survey into the impact of the Government’s Empty Property Rates legislation, which found that EPR was having a detrimental impact on the regeneration of our towns and cities.

Said Mr Wackett : “While we are by no means out of the woods yet, it is clear that opportunities do exist and investors, landlords and occupiers alike should start to plan for the upturn now in order to take advantage of them and emerge from these challenging times stronger and fitter.”

Pay-out for Co-op members

■ SCREEN TEST: Debbie Pullen tunes into the television while busy in the kitchen

Firm taking TV into the kitchen VIEWERS can now keep up with all those kitchen sink dramas – by watching TV while doing the washing up.

Meltham-based company TechVision is supplying waterproof televisions which can be fitted behind the kitchen sink.

The firm, led by husband and wife directors Andy and Debbie Pullen, already provides LCD TVs which can be fitted into the bathroom – to allow people to watch their favourite soaps while soaking in the tub or taking a shower.

Now the waterproof TVs are attracting interest from builders, architcts and interior designers as well as bathroom and kitchen suppliers.

To demonstrate the latest TVs, TechVision teamed up with The Ideal Kitchen Company, based at Leeds Road, Deighton, where one of the Meltham firm’s Infiniti range of waterproof TVs has been

fitted in the showroom in the plashback behind a kitchen sink.

Debbie said: “We supplied partners John Revell and Susan Baines with a free 17-inch Infiniti TV for display in their showroom – and they have already reported a great deal of interest.

“The display TV has been fitted right behind a kitchen sink, to show that these TVs can be situated anywhere in a kitchen – or indeed bathroom or outdoors.”

The Ideal Kitchen Company, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, has already received a string of enquiries.

“We launched the 17-inch Infiniti model in 2007 at the Interbuild exhibition in Birmingham,” said Debbie. “Since then, we have added a 7-inch model to the range and are currently developing a larger version, as well as other waterproof products aimed at the luxury bathroom and kitchen sectors, home-

builders and hotels groups, worldwide.

Said Debbie: “Kitchen retailers are looking for something that can be an integral part of a fitted kitchen – just like a fitted oven or fridge – rather than a chunky portable TV sitting on the worktop.”

TechVision has already had sales success with its waterproof TVs. Among its customers, Premiership football club Tottenham Hotspurs bought a bank of small waterproof TVs to allow coaching staff to view video of players’ performances in all weathers.

Techvision was set up by Andy and Debbie, who are joined in the business by sister-in-law Kerrie, who is based in Hull.

The company began by importing small televisions from China in 2003 and nown works with a company in Taiwan producing a waterproof television to TechVision’s design.

THOUSANDS of Co-op members across Kirklees will get a share of a £50m pay-out after the group Group reported an 11% hike in annual profits.

The UK’s largest mutual retailer posted pre-tax profits of £217.6m in the year to January 10, boosting the total member dividend pay-out by £5m.

Sales at its supermarket business, which includes Somerfield following a recent takeover, rose by 5% on a like-for-like basis and excluding fuel.

First quarter like-for-like sales rose by 6.5%, according to the Co-op.

The results compare well with its bigger supermarket rivals – with Tesco and Sainsbury’s lagging behind with annual sales growth of 3% and 4.5%.

The C-op has scores of food stores across Kirklees and Somerfield sites at Milnsbridge and Elland.

The Co-op completed its £1.5bn takeover of Somerfield last month – creating the fifth-largest food retailer with an 8% market share, 110,000 workers and 4,900 stores UK-wide generating annual sales exceeding £7bn.

Payment to members is based on how much they spend with the group over the year. The pay-outs will be made after final approval following the Co-op's annual meeting.

The Co-op said it was benefiting from the trend for cash-conscious consumers to shop locally – with its convenience stores appealing to those not wanting to travel by car to the supermarket.

The mutual is the now the UK’s fifth largest food retailer, the third largest pharmaceuticals chain, the biggest provider of funeral services and the largest independent travel business in the country.

The Co-op is also merging its financial services business with Britannia Building Society to create a “super-mutual” with more than 300 branches. The deal which is expected to be completed on August 1.

The financial services business has already reported annual profits showing a 2.8% drop to £148.7m after it took a knock from the general insurance business. However, underlying profits were 70% ahead as customers flocked to put their money in a trusted bank.

Peter Marks, chief executive of Co-op, said the group – which also includes travel, pharmacy and funeral services among its businesses – was “coming into its own” amid the recession.

Security takes priority A U S T I N A COMPANY providing security systems for hospitals to warehouses has been launched in Elland.

Creating Security Systems has been set up by businessmen Damian Mallinson and Peter Whaites, co-founders of Acting Tagging and developers of the XTAG electronic bracelet.

Active Tagging was set up in January last year to provide elec-

tronic tags to keep track of legal documents.

It went on to develop tagging devices to protect vulnerable people such as the elderly or new-born babies from harm or ab d u c t i o n a n d h a s s y s t e m s installed in hospitals worldwide.

The company also makes equipment for access control to high security areas and tagging products to keep track of valuables or mon-

itor the whereabouts of employees.

CSS was launched at the annual ID 09 event at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

The new business has a range of products to cover five key areas of security management, including hospitals and care centres homes, warehouses and goods in transit.

It also includes consultancy and security system maintenance.

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8

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Firms get insight into Dubai deals HUDDERSFIELD businesses have been given an insight into trading with one of the world’s wealthiest economies.

The Mid Yorkshie Chamber of Commerce hosted a briefing on business opportunities in Dubai at its Lockwood headquarters.

Deleates from scores of firms were provided with information and advice on launching or expanding business ventures on the United Arab Emirates from senior officials of the Dubai Government’s department of tourism and commerce marketing They were welcomed by chamber director Andrew Choi, who also introduced representatives of the UK Government’s export support arm, UK Trade & Investments.

A chamber spokesman said: “The free briefing was mainly aimed at small to medium-sized companies who have little or no activity in Dubai as well as those looking to expand their busniesses in the Emirates.”

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LEGAL BRIEF Peter Matthews

Care over contracts HE recent case of Furmans ElecT trical Contractors v Elecref Ltd contradicts the general assumption

■ WORKWISE: Michelle Edgar-Parsons, of The Individual Agency

Ready for the world of work A HUDDERSFIELD busineswoman is among more than 60 Yorkshire employers who have signed up to help secondary school students get “business ready” for the workplace.

Michelle Edgar-Parsons, head of Longwood-based design and branding consultancy The Individual Agency, is taking part in a pilot scheme with the regional Young People’s Enterprise Forum to offer mentoring, mock interviews, work experience and help with enterprise projects.

The scheme, funded by the Edge Foundation offers a variety of options to help employers work in practical ways with schools and colleges to skill the workforce of the future.

Thousands of firms already work with schools – but feedback to YPEF suggests many more employers would do so if there was a easier way to match what a business can offer with what a local school and its students need.

Business and schools can find out more about working together and register by going to www.businessinschools.co.uk The Individual Agency has run workshops, guest lectures and mentoring schemes at several schools across Yorkshire – including Cottingham, Hessle, Hull and Wakefield – since registering at the Business in Schools website.

Michelle said work-related learning could inspire young people to pursue a path they might not have otherwise considered.

“There are many young people in the region who lack motivation because their talents lie away from academia,” she said.

“They can succeed in the marketing industry without necessarily going through the university process.”

The agency also takes part in mock interviews at Huddersfield schools to prepare students for the sort of questions that a potential employee will ask.

Said Michelle: “The Business in Schools website has provided us with the opportunity to become involved in a range of activities in the Yorkshire area which will benefit our industry and the next generation in the long run.”

Among its activities, the YPEF is supporting a campaign by the Yorkshire and

Humber 14-19 Challenge to increase and improve links between employers and education – and in particular to support diploma qualifications which combine practical experience with classroom study.

Bob Jones, regional director for Yorkshire and Humber Education Business Partnerships, said: “We are fortunate in our region that we have tremendous support from local employers.

“In excess of 30,000 are already involved, enabling young people to make informed choices about their future as well as gaining an understanding about the skills, knowledge and personal attributes employers are looking for.

“As members of YPEF, we welcome any initiative that helps promote this and encourages even more companies to get involved.”

YPEF is speaking to the region’s key business organisations, including The Federation of Small Businesses, the Institute of Directors, Yorkshire and Humber Chambers of Commerce and Business in the Community to encourage businesses of all sizes to register their interest.

Martin Hathaway, YPEF chairman, said: “Employers who are working with schools are seeing so many benefits to their own organisation. Businesses are signing up because this is a way to help develop managerial skills in their existing employees and the only resource required is a little time.

“Relationships are built which help future recruitment, young talent is spotted and companies find this a helpful way to deliver on corporate social responsibility commitments.”

The YPEF is a regionally-based group of private and public organisations promoting enterprise among young people.

The Yorkshire and Humber 14-19 Challenge is sponsored by the Learning and Skills Council, regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, local authorities and the Department for Children Schools and Families.

Edge is an independent education foundation aiming to raise the status of practical and vocational learning.

that an overpayment can always be recovered.

The facts of the case are that Furmans were sub-contractors to Elecref and had agreed to work with daily rate payment of £650 for four contractors. The agreement was informal and did not indicate the number of hours on which the daily rate was based. Later Elecref alleged that Furmans agreed to work 11-12 hour days and the 9 hours worked were inadequate.

Despite complaining that Furmans were not doing the agreed hours of work, Elecref continued the daily rate payment and the site supervisor marked each invoice as checked. Elecref later alleged that they had overpaid Furmans for the work done and initiated a County Court claim to recover the overpayment.

The Court of Appeal decided that Elecref could “not” recover the overpayment. It was decided even though Elecref made the complaint known to Furmans, the mere fact that the payments continued meant that it had waived its right to object to the invoices.

Could this have been avoided?

The problems in this case stemmed out of the simplicity of the contract. A standard form contract may have provided greater protection.

Most standard contracts allow overpayments to be recovered through the interim payment process only when the value of work done catches up with the payment value. For example, if a contractor is overpaid £5,000 in one month, the payment certificate for the next month may be reduced to reflect this.

The recovery of overpayments can prove difficult if a standard form contract is not used. Usually, money is only recoverable if the employer had mistakenly made the overpayment, or if it was induced by a misrepresentation made by the contractor as to its entitlement.

Key Points The Furmans case highlights that overpayments cannot always be recovered. Recovery can only be made if you have an express contractual right to do so, even if you either knew or suspected the overpayment.

A payer can protect itself by using a contract that expressly entitles it to recover overpayments, regardless of the reasons for overpayment.

A thorough and disciplined approach should be taken to interim payments to ensure that overpayments are not made even though interim payments are usually on account.

If an overpayment is made, it may not be legally recoverable, or in practice it may not be recoverable, eg if the overpaid contractor becomes insolvent before the overpayment can be recouped.

Peter Matthews is a member of the commercial law team at Austin Kemp Solicitors

9

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

■ HIGH WAYS: Andrew Sugden (centre), of Eaton Smith, presents the award to Alison France (third right), managing director of Sanderson Associates, with (from left) Lynn Harrison, of Business Link Yorkshire; David Butterworth, of Wheawill and Sudworth; Claire Draper, of Real World Business; Carl France, of Sanderson Associates; and Anne Gerard, of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. The presentation took place at the High Street offices of Eaton Smith, which runs the award in conjunction with the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

MARKETING MATTERS Clare Quartermaine

Follow footprints OU might be forgiven in thinking Y that consumers are simply after the “cheapest deal” at the moment. But

recession aside, businesses ignore the green agenda at their own peril.

The public are now holding organisations to account. Where once we would shrug and accept some negligence as “just a bit naughty”, irresponsible behaviour, especially around finance and resources is no longer acceptable – think MPs expenses and all the hype surrounding that!

No bad thing… but what does it mean for business and marketing? Especially when we are also being squeezed financially from all sides.

Resources is the key word here. The public are being constantly hounded by themes of climate change, carbon neutrality, wind farms, sustainability and yes, we must all have an allotment! The list is endless.

The issue of the planet’s resources is being thrust into the collective consciousness relentlessly. Moreover, (and I’m sorry to sound cynical here) people generally just want to shake off the guilt and who can blame them? Haven’t we all got enough to deal with at the moment? If it means they have a small amount of money to spend on a chocolate bar and the fair trade one is only 10p more, then I think they will do their good deed for the day.

But I think it also means that the public are expecting everyone to “‘do their bit” too and marketing this is just sensible.

Many companies have cottoned on to this and are adopting environmental impact policies or adding sustainability issues into their marketing strategies.

Not only are they trying to reduce their carbon footprint in all kinds of ways including switching their electricity suppliers, but many are looking at adopting marketing activities that have the least detrimental impact.

From print to general advertising, businesses are looking at more than cost when choosing their marketing mix.

Interestingly, we are increasingly being asked to provide recycled stock for print jobs as well as vegetable based inks since the prices are coming down as technology improves.

E-newsletters and online campaigns are becoming ever more popular as they not only reduce costs from a postage point of view but they also use less resources. Every little helps…to coin a strapline!

Organisations are trying very hard to gain a few extra points in the currently very competitive marketplace. Google recently committed £14m to an investment in renewable energies.

Another interesting development is the way that some companies are not only aiming for carbon neutrality themselves, but tell their customers: “Use us and we will bring your carbon footprint down too!”

Maybe shameless exploitation of public concern, maybe a genuine attempt to save the planet… You decide.

Clare Quartermaine is founder and managing director of QT Creative

Route to success A COMPANY helping to draw up plans for new roads and drainage schemes has won a monthly business award.

Consulting engineers Sanderson Associates Ltd is the latest winner of the Business of the Month Award run by Huddersfield law firm Eaton Smith and the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

The Grange Moor-based company, founded in 1987, is a market leader in highway, traffic, transportation and water engineering – and one of the largest independent highway development specialists in the UK. The company, led by managing director Alison France, was recognised for its investment in staff and its development – building on its success and experience and increasing its portfolio of clients and pro-

jects.

During the past 22 years, Sanderson Associates has undertaken more than 5,300 schemes in both the private and public sectors with some top names on an ever-increasing client list.

Its success enabled the company to expand into its purpose-built head office at Grange Moor, with direct access to the MI and M62 and clients such as Morrison’s, Netto, Asda and Tesco – as well as non-food retail developments, office schemes and residential sites.

The Business of the Month Award is open to all companies in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. For more details visit the website www.eatonsmith.co.uk or contact Ian Greenwood on 01484 821389.

Batley tycoon climbs higher up the Rich List A BATLEY-born businessman is racing up the earnings table.

Lawrence Tomlinson (right), founder and chairman of the LNT Group, which makes the GInetta sports car, is in 178th place in this year’s Sunday Times Rich List of the UK’s wealthiest people with an estimated for tue of £300m.

He moves up 36 places from his place at 214 in last year’s list – the position now occupied by the Queen!

M r To m l i n s o n w a s brought up in Batley, but now lives in Otley.

Mr Tomlinson attended Batley Grammar school and studied engineering at Huddersfield Technical College before gaining an engineering degree at Bradford University.

He later worked on the graduate trainee scheme at Holset Engineering, now Cummins Turbo Technologies, at Turnbridge.

Mr Tomlinson launched LNT in 1987 – eventually building up a string of

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businesses together employing 800 people.

His company employs more than 300 people at its headquarters in Garforth, Leeds.

The purpose built offices, which house the Ginetta Cars factory, were opened in 2007 by former F1 world champion Damon Hill.

The LNT Group also has businesses involved in construction, business surveying and valuing, software, chemicals and leasing executive heilcopters.

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10

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

ON THE MOVE

R3 names Peter as new president MARKETING agency Nourish has appointed experienced art director Colin Griffiths (above) to the team. The appointment follows a series of significant client wins for Nourish during the first quarter of 2009 – including MYA Cosmetic Surgery, PetCityOnline and national helicopter rescue charity AirFire.

Managing director Paul Harker said: “These client wins – in addition to other new clients that came on board at the end of 2008 – have led us to add to our team sooner than we expected. “As well as making this key appointment, we are also currently looking to move to bigger premises.” Mr Griffiths, formerly of TM Worldwide, Cream Design and Viddy Creative, said: “Nourish is definitely an agency that’s going places – and I'm really looking forward to making a big impact on the agency.” Nourish is part of the Lick Group, the Elland-based direct mail fulfilment and print company.

PETER Sargent has been elected president of insolvency industry trade body R3.

Mr Sargent (pictured), of Meltham, is Huddersfield and Halifax spokesman for R3 and has more than 25 years experience working on both corporate and personal insolvency cases.

He began his career with Revell Ward in Huddersfield and became a partner in 1988 before leaving to start his own firm in 1995. His business was acquired

by Begbies Traynor in 2005.

Mr Sargent is a founder member of the Huddersfield Town Survival Trust, which played a key part in the rescue of the club from administration in 2004.

Mr Sargent succeeds Nick O’Reilly, a partner at insolvency firm Vantis, as president of R3.

During his year in office,

Mr Sargent said he aimed to focus on raising the profile of

financial education and providing value for money for member firms.

He said: “I am particularly keen to raise the profile about financial education, because as an insolvency practitioner I feel as though I am constantly treating the symptoms, but we need to work towards a cure.

“As the recession deepens, the personal cost of debt will continue to rise.

“I see cases where people have put their lives into companies, and when they fail it is like a death in the family.

“We need to look at rehabilitating business owners, and educating individuals as it is proven that those with financial qualifications are less likely to struggle financially later on in life.”

Coffee time Regional recognition

pitality industry, having worked as bar and restaurant manager in cities across the UK including London, Ms Huntingdon has Brighton, Birmingmore than 10 years ham, Glasgow and experience in the hos- Nottingham.

COFFEE distributor Cooper’s Coffee has appointed Lisa Huntingdon as barista trainer.

BARRY Middleton has been elected president of the Yorkshire and Trent region of the Federation of Master Builders.

Mr Middleton (right) joined the FMB in 1972 and has been a stalwart of the Huddersfield and Halifax branch. He has held every office on sevefral occasions, including being president of the branch five times

and has helped make it one of the most active branches in the region.

Mr Middleton said: “I consider it a great privilege to be elected as regional president and thank my fellow delegates for their confidence. I will endeavour to carry out my duties with the same dignity and professionalism as my predecessors’.”

South African connection Gillian taking the lead A LAWYER who has worked extensively in Africa has joined a Huddersfield firm of solicitors.

Margaret Harvey, who was born in Durham, but has worked in Zimbabwe, has joined Applebys Solicitors with offices in Marsh and Bradford.

Ms Harvey joined the Ministry of Justice in 1975 to work in the register of deeds. In 1984, she joined the legal firm Wintertons in Harare and worked there until 1996 working in conveyancing and administration of deceased estates.

While working full time, Ms Harvey studied law with the University of South Africa and gained her degree in 1996.

She joined law firm Byron Venturas and Partners in Harare while continueing her studies at the university and gained her

LLB degree specialising in civil law in 2004.

In 2008, Ms Harvey gained her LLM degree in commercial law, specialising in insurance law and the law relating to security documents.

She was admitted as a legal practitioner in Zimbabwe in 2001 with right of appearance in court. While working for Byron Venturas and Partners, she dealt with general civil litigation, personal injury claims and family law.

She moved back to the UK in 2008 and enrolled as a solicitor of England and Wales last September.

At Applebys Solicitors, she specialises in consumer law, representing clients on all such matters and particularly issues involving mis-sold personal insurance protection policies and unenforceable loans.

LANCASTRIAN Gillian Alden has been elected president of the Chartered Accountants Students Society of Huddersfield.

Gillian (left), who hails from Blackburn, is an audit manager at Revell Ward in Huddersfield. She joined the firm after graduating in economics and accounting at Hull University.

She is a former treasurer of CASSH, which represents all trainee chartered accountants in the Huddersfield area.

Food group role MELANIE Whitehead has been appointed trade developmentr manager at the Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humber.

Ms Whitehead (right) will work with member firms to provide guidance on issues including packaging design, competitor analysis, negotiation advice and promotional strategy to help them expand their businesses.

Ms Whitehead, 29, a former fresh

food buyer for Morrison’s, said: “There are lots of business issues that small producers are not always aware of when they start up.

“It’s my responsibility to ensure our members have the right guidance and information.”

Part of Ms Whitehead’s role is also to organise the RFG Meet the Buyer events, which enable local suppliers to meet buyers from retail and food service industries.

The society is run by a committee made up of students and honorary members from practice firms across the area. The society aims to enhance the personal development and netwo rk i n g s k i l l s o f i t s members through social, sporting and work-related events organised throughout the year.

Fo r t h c o m i n g e v e n t s include a night at the dog races, a curry night, a new starter evening, a Christmas night out and a dinner.

General manager CRAIG Squelch (above) has been appointed general manager at Woodlands Leeds, the flagship hotel of the Tomahawk Group, which also owns Aston Hall in Sheffield and the Great Victoria in Bradford.

Woodlands was the first hotel to be opened by the group five years ago. Since then it has won a reputation for its high level of service and hospitality.

Over the past few years it has also become a favoured venue for corporate events and has won awards for its stunning wedding location.

The hotel has recently increased the number of its bedrooms from 17 to 23 and further expansion plans are in the pipeline.

Mr Squelch, who lives in Ripon, trained at the Ripon Spa Hotel where he became deputy general manager before taking up the post of general manager at Aston Hall three years ago. He was made a director of the Tomahawk Group last year.

Leeds director LEEDS Building Society has appointed Kim Rebecchi as director of sales and marketing.

Ms Rebecchi now has executive responsibility for the society’s marketing and public relations in addition to her existing executive duties for the society’s branch network, call centre, Leeds Financial Services, intermediary sales and overseas operations.

Martin Richardson assumes the post of general manager for marketing and business development with Nigel Wray taking over the position of head of marketing.

11

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

TAX TALK

Directors face the ‘green’ agenda RISING energy prices and tightening regulations have forced the “green” agenda into the boardroom, a survey has revealed.

Research by business advisory firm Deloitte said companies were using green IT strategies to reduce energy use and cut carbon emissions.

The survey showed that 67% of companies questioned had an IT program in place to monitor environmental performance.

Andrew Winters, head of technology risk at Deloitte in Yorkshire, said: “The energy consumption of IT equipment and data centre facilities has not historically been of primary concern for directors.

“But this discussion is particularly relevant now as businesses will need to respond to likely regulatory changes in the near future.”

He said: “As a major consumer of electricity and producer of waste electronics, the IT department should be one of the first business functions to be scrutinised and made to improve its efficiency.

“Progressive organisations will recognise the opportunity to gain the advantage through cost reduction and service improvement.”

Some innovative examples of green IT strategies include Intel taking the heat its servers produce and redirecting it to warm the cafeteria water supply and HSBC incorporating environmental standards into procurement criteria to ensure the equipment is energy efficient.

“In the UK, legislation in the form of the Carbon Reduction Commitment is coming that will legally oblige some companies to establish them,” said Mr Winters.

“These strategies should include understanding of the cost of carbon and where to best deploy resources to reduce carbon outputs.

“Pending regulations will link environmental and social standards to economic and financial performance, making them priorities for businesses.”

Colin Barratt

Bites from the budget HE Chancellor has delivered one of T the most important Budgets in years against a backdrop of rising unemploy-

■ ATTENTION: Lt-Gen Jonathon Riley, a former commander of British Forces in Iraq and one of Britain’s most senior generals, is to be the new director-general and Master of the Armouries

General salute at the Armouries A HIGH ranking soldier with family roots in Huddersfield has been appointed to a top post with the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

Lt Gen Jonathon Riley, whose ancestors hail from the tiny area of Riley, Kirkburton, takes up his new post in June when he leaves the army after a distinguished career, which included commanding the British forces in Iraq.

Lt-Gen Riley commanded The Royal Welch Fusiliers in Gorazde, Bosnia, in 1995 during the Bosnian War when he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for bravery and distinguished conduct.

In 2003, he was appointed general officer commanding British forces in Iraq and subsequently served as deputy commander of the NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Lt-Gen Riley is one of only a few British officers to command a tri-service joint task force on operation, which he did in Sierra Leone in 2000-2001.

He was made an Officer of the Legion of Merit of the USA in 2004 and a Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in 2008.

Lt-Gen Riley is a visiting fellow in modern history at Birmingham University and a member of the Council of the Royal United Services Institute.

He is a member of the council of the Army Records Society and chairman of the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum and Archive Trust, based at Caernarvon Castle.

Lt- Gen Riley has written a number of books, including several military histories and four studies of command, the most recent of which – Napoleon as a General – was published in 2007.

The long-serving solder grew up in Yorkshire and attended St Mary’s preparatory school in Beverley before going to Kingston Grammar School in Surrey. His family also retained a home at Gargrave until he was 20 years old.

Announcing his appointment, Ann Green, chairman of the Royal Armouries, said: “With an MA in history from Leeds University and a PhD in modern history from Cranfield, Dr Riley is well qualified to lead the Royal Armouries to new levels of excellence.

“Most importantly, he has a vision for bringing education to as wide an audience as possible.”

Lt-Gen Riley said: “This is a dream job. The Royal Armouries contains one of the world’s finest collections of arms and armour and is an international centre of excellence in terms of the quality and expertise of its staff.

“I share their passion for the collection and am looking forward immensely to providing the necessary leadership to take the museum forward.”

The Armouries has also made another high-profile appointment. Janice Murray, head of cultural planning at the National Railway Museum in York, will take on the role of chief executive officer. She has been on secondment to the Royal Armouries as interim chief executive since November, 2008.

Tips to tackle late pay KIRKLEES firms have been given tips to tackle the scourge of late payments.

The advice comes from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales following concerns that late payment is posing a particular headache for small businesses.

Merryck Lowe, president of the West Yorkshire Society of Chartered Accountants, said: “Despite the introduction of late payment legislation, the culture of late payments to suppliers has not been curbed.

“However, this does not necessarily mean small businesses are powerless in the face of large organisations they sell to. On the contrary, small businesses must be ready and brave

enough to negotiate terms when they receive an order, particularly from new customers.”

The tips include making it clear to the customer what the credit terms are and what the supplier’s procedures are for making payment.

Companies can also consider factoring or invoice discounting to help manage the cashflow implications of late payment; considering employing professional cred.

They should ensure that senior staff are involved sooner rather than later.

And firms should also review the debtors’ ledger for customers slipping behind with payment

ment, soaring government borrowing and quite possibly the hardest hitting recession since the Second World War. For 2010/2011, individuals whose taxable income exceeds £150,000 will be subject to an income tax rate of 50%. Also, where an individual’s “adjusted net income” is above the income limit of £100,000, the personal allowance will be gradually reduced to nil. The amount of the personal allowance will be reduced by £1 for every £2 above the income limit.

The tax rise is greater than that announced in last year’s Pre-Budget Report and will be applied one year earlier than originally proposed.

The Government has also announced its intention to restrict, to the basic rate of income tax, relief on pension contributions with effect from April 6, 2011, for people with taxable income of £150,000 or more.

It will not be possible to increase pension contributions between now and April 6, 2011, to take advantage of the restriction, if the following conditions are met, for an individual with an income of £150,000 or more who, on or after 22 April, 2009, change their normal pattern of regular pension contributions, or change the normal way in which their pension benefits are accrued, and their total pension contributions/benefits accrued exceed £20,000 a year.

In cases where regular pension savings exceed £20,000, the new tax charge only applies to any pension savings made on or after April 22,2009, in excess of regular savings.

These provisions apply to both final salary and money purchase pension schemes on or after April 22, 2009, and for both employer and employee contributions.

Landlords with income from furnished holiday accommodation situated in the UK have been able to qualify for generous tax treatment such as relief for losses and capital gains tax reliefs as well as treating profits as relevant earnings when calculating the maximum relief due for an individual’s pension contributions.

Such reliefs have not been available to landlords with FHL in other parts of the European Economic Area.

This discrimination may not be compliant with European law, and HM Revenue & Customs has decided to regard the FHL rules as applying to holiday accommodation elsewhere in the EEA. In addition, until July 31, 2009, HMRC will accept late amendments to income tax and capital gains tax returns for the year ending April 5, 2007 and corporation tax returns for accounting periods ending on or after December 31, 2006.

The FHL rules will be repealed from 2010/2011. This repeal will affect properties situated in the UK and elsewhere in the EEA. Colin Barratt is tax partner at Wheawill and Sudworth, chartered accountants, Huddersfield

12

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Firm is full of beans!

EMPLOYERS' BRIEFING Neil Wilson

Firms dealt Budget blow HE Chancellor announced in the recent T Budget that the calculation of a statutory redundancy payment is to change

although the implementation date is unclear.

Currently, a week’s pay is capped at £350 for the purpose of calculating a redundancy payment. It has now been announced that this will increase to £380.

The news comes as a further blow to companies facing the need to make redundancies as it means the maximum payment will now increase to a significant £11,400.00. The announcement has the potential to impact on redundancies taking place currently as it has not yet been announced when the changes apply from.

Employers should, therefore, factor this news into their considerations when considering redundancy proposals and it may even affect those who have been given notice of redundancy but whose employment has not yet terminated.

While employers will see this as another negative blow, one consolation is the fact that the proposal to increase redundancy entitlements to those with 12 months service rather than the current 2 year requirement was not adopted in the budget.

Meanwhile, recent research carried out by a background checking firm has found that there has been a significant increase in lies told on application forms and CVs from applicants in the last few months. This is particularly prevalent in the retail sector where over a third of candidates CVs include false references.

Employers are being warned to check the information contained on the application forms as it is becoming increasingly likely that the information contained in them is simply not true.

Other similar research has found that at least one in three people lie on their CV’s with the most common exaggerations relating to exam qualifications (where many are simply invented) and work experience (which often never takes place).

It is likely that the marked increase in lies on CVs is in response to the current economic climate and increase in competition for jobs.

Another survey has been carried out exploring how individuals spend their working and social day. In total 1,200 respondents were interviewed across a range of industries at varying positions within their companies.

The study revealed that some employees spend up to half of each working day using the internet for such matters as sending personal emails, viewing online dating sites and interacting on social networking sites such as Facebook.

About half of the respondents admitted using work computers for personal reasons regularly and perhaps the most worrying finding is that 70% of younger workers admitted to spending up to half their working day accessing social networking sites on their company computers.

Employers should ensure that they have clear policies on email and internet usage and that such use is restricted to time when the employees are not working.

It would also be prudent to incorporate internet abuse into the company’s disciplinary procedure.

Neil Wilson is an Employment Lawyer at Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors

■ FIT FOR BUSINESS: Paul Rose, managing director of Dewsbury-based Rixonway Kitchens

Rixonway’s good reason to celebrate A KIRKLEES company is celebrating its 39th anniversary – with record-breaking sales.

Dewsbury-based Rixonway Kitchens has reported a 22% rise in annual turnover to £23.4m.

The firm is also marking the 10th anniversary of its “cutting edge” production facility.

Rixonway moved to its current site at Shaw Cross Business Park in 1999.

The factory and warehousing space has more than doubled in size as demand has soared for its products and services.

Rixonway, the UK’s only manufacturer of kitchens solely for use in affordable housing, employs more than 380 people at the Dewsbury base, which has benefited from 10 years of continuous capital investment.

The introduction of bespoke systems and equipment, including a barcode tracking system and an extranet service, allows customers to monitor each production step and confirm delivery timings. The company is now producing in excess of 10,000 units a week.

Managing director Paul Rose said: “Over the last five years, our focus has been on innovation, reliability and further improving our service.

“Our success in delivering this has secured many new contracts and has created excellent relationships among those who provide and maintain affordable and social housing stock. It is this that has given us the significant growth and record turnover and

profit.”

Said Mr Rose: “In the last decade, the market has become more sophisticated and more demanding and our success has allowed us to become trusted partners of customers who value tenant involvement, competitively priced quality products, quicker delivery and ethical trading and environmental credentials.

“These qualities will be ever more important as the social housing sector comes under increasing scrutiny from government, residents’ groups, the public and media.”

Mr Rose led a management buy-out of the company in 2006 and ushered in several measures to improve delivery performance, customer service and tenant involvement.

The company now has 40 on-site designers operating nationally, who work closely with customers and social housing residents on individual kitchen design and layout.

Rixonway is a lynchpin of the Government’s Decent Homes drive. It also has several projects under way to improve the quality of life for tenants and wider communities – including drives to tackle unemployment, support disabled and elderly residents and promote local green initiatives.

Rixonway has received acclaim for its environmental and sustainable practices – such as recycling all kitchen units and wood waste removed during housing refits for conversion to biomass fuel and undertaking energy and fuel-sving initiatives.

A COFFEE distributor in Huddersfield has won two new contracts worth more than £60,000.

Bradley-based Cooper’s Coffee has been appointed to supply coffee and coffee-making machines to Wentworth Garden Centre near Rotherham and The Forbidden Corner , the North Yorkshire-based folly and tourist attraction.

The new contracts come just weeks after Cooper‘s won £75,000 worth of business supplying its equipment and ingredients to the National Coal Mining Museum and Buxton Pavilion, Derbyshire.

Wentworth Garden Centre has signed up to three of Cooper’s espresso machines from the Italian Dalla Corte brand.

The garden centre will install the machines in its new deli and at its 250-seater coffee shop and restaurant, which is due to open this autumn.

The new deli sells local produce in support of regional suppliers and will also offer Cooper’s own award-winning blend of Louie Mio coffee.

Wentworth’s catering manager Chris Bond said: “Having looked at several coffee suppliers we felt that Cooper’s had the best overall service offering combined with an excellent reputation.

“Our new deli and coffee shop are all about offering the best possible quality right down to the equipment. We’re confident that Cooper’s outstanding espresso machines and coffee will help us deliver.”

Cooper’s has supplied a Dall Corte machine in the new cafe at The Forbidden Corner.

Cooper’s has also created a bespoke blend of coffee for the North Yorkshire-based tourist attraction. It features Ecuadorian coffee beans in honour of the Ecuadorian wife of owner, Colin Armstrong, and will be served exclusively to customers of the café.

The Forbidden Corner receives more than 100,000 visitors through its doors every year and has invested in refurbishing its existing cafe to improve its catering facilities. It will offer local, fresh produce to its customers.

Mr Armstrong said: “In the current economic climate, it’s tempting to choose a supplier based on cost alone but we were determined not to fall into this trap and awarded Cooper’s the contract based on their overall service offering.

“Not only were we impressed with the quality of coffee, the professional barista training and round the clock maintenance service but also the speed of delivery – Cooper’s contract roasts all of its coffee on a daily basis to ensure maximum freshness and delivers the next day – a service which many other suppliers simply could not compete with.”

Staff at both Wentworth Garden Centre and The Forbidden Corner will undergo intensive training delivered by Cooper’s own barista trainer to ensure that they are able to get the very best out of their new espresso machines.

David Cooper, managing director at Cooper’s Coffee, said: “We’re thrilled to have won two new accounts so soon after our recent appointment by the National Coal Mining Museum and Buxton Pavilion.

“It’s a great boost in the current economic climate and an additional bonus that both businesses are based in Yorkshire, proving that the regional economy is still vibrant. I hope that this will be the beginning of two positive long term relationships for Cooper’s Coffee.”

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

13

Stadium names new sponsorship partner

Vicki aiming for new prize BUSINESSWOMAN Vicki Davenport is in the pink after being named as a finalist in national awards.

Vicki (above), who is sales and commercial director of haulage business The Pink Link at Netherton, is one of three finalists for the 2009 MAN Everywoman in Transport and Logistics Awards in the Director of the Year category.

The awards highlight the huge contribution women make to an industry which is traditionally dominated by men. Her motto is “Get it Right First Time” and she pays the greatest attention to detail. She attributes her success to excellent organisational skills.

Since returning to her father’s business, she has improved customer relations by allocating a customer service manager to each client.

The company also offers flexible working hours for women with families, including part-time working and also boasts a high retention of staff.

Not only is Vicki determined in her career, she works with local schools and demonstrates her competitive streak through charity events.

Pink Link has raised almost £55,000 for charities since 2001 – with Kirkwood Hospice, the Laura Crane Trust, the Forget Me Mot Trust and Dominic Rodgers Trust among beneficiaries.

The family-run firm, which has almost 50 employees, stages The Pink Ball in October every second year as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Last year, it donated money to eight organisations supporting cancer and MS sufferers and warning about carbon monoxide poisoning.

Taking space MERLIN Professional Claims Services has taken nearly 4,000sq ft of prime office space at Tomlinson House, Capitol Park, south Leeds.

Merlin, which provides leading insurers and brokers with claims management, loss adjusting and surveying services, has relocated its Yorkshire operations and is occupying the top floor of the recently-completed Tomlinson House. The company is paying rent of £18.50 per sq ft.

Leeds-based developers Sterling Capitol named their latest office development at Capitol Park, Tingley, in honour of Jane Tomlinson, the brave Yorkshire woman whose fight against cancer captured the nation’s imagination.

Tomlinson House, which comprises 13,500sq ft of office space on three floors, was officially by Jane’s

ANOTHER sponsor has signed up to support Huddersfield’s Galpharm Stadium.

The Howarth Partnership, based in Cleckheaton has given employment law support to the stadium company for more than three years now – during which time the relationship between the two organisations has grown closer.

Now the name of the Howarth Partnership adorns the length of the North Stand tempirary seating area at the stadium under a three-year sponsorship deal.

Andy Howarth, managing director of The Howarth Partnership, said: “We specialise in guiding employers through the minefield of human resource issues and employment law.

We work closely with our clients on a personal basis through a complicated and fast moving area of law.

“Organisations regularly need expert advice at very short notice as well as long term support in strengthening their own HR functions.

“We have found this personal approach very successfully and the business has developed quickly!”

Said Mr Howarth: “This sponsorship is a real milestone in our company’s history.

Personally, as a fanatical sports fan, it means a great deal to me to see us make this sort of a mark in such a tremendous stadium.”

Ralph Rimmer, stadium company managing director, said: “The Howarth Partnership has already been a fantastic partner for us in the service provided and I look forward to this relationship continuing in the future.

“They are a company which has grown quickly because of their quality and we intend to help them grow further yet.

■ TEAM EFFORT: Galpharm Stadium managing director Ralph Rimmer (left) with Helen and Andrew Howarth, of Cleckheaton-based Howarth Partnership, which has agreed a three-year sponsorship deal at the stadium

“Andy and his team are great people and it is fair to say that we have had a little bit of fun along the way, too. The sponsorship marks a further development in our association and long may it continue.”

This latest deal comes hot on the heels of a

Couple going extra mile to raise cash for a good cause HUSBAND and wife Jim and Jill Harris are going much further than the extra mile to raise charity cash.

The couple, who live in Almondbury, are directors of Leeds-based public relations and marketing agency Harris Associates.

And they have been pounding the streets around their office with colleague Neil Craven in preparation for a 123-mile cycle ride this summer.

The trio will cycle from Workington to Sunderland in July on a coast-to-coast trek to raise money for the British Kidney Patient Association.

Neil said: “My father has received wonderful support from the British Kidney Patient Association following a kidney transplant 20 years ago, so this is the perfect way to show my gratitude.”

Jim said: “Having gone the extra mile for our clients for more than 20 years now, what better way to show our commitment to going the extra mile than a sponsored cycle for a fantastic cause!”

Donations can be made online at www.justgiving.com/harris-associates Harris Associates specialises in construction, property and business-to-business marketing.

Services include brochure design and print, PR, advertising, website design and programming, event management and architectural photography.

five-year sponsorship deal between the stadium and Crown Paints and significant deals between Huddersfield Town and Thornton and Ross as well as the club’s shirt sponsorship deal with Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

14

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Recession leads to more fraud

CITY TALK Simon Kaye

Looking for green shoots HE two months’ rally since the bear T market lows in early March has been driven by signs that the steep collapses

in economic growth in the early part of the year are moderating.

The UK and US economies shrank at annualized rates of over 6% in the six months following the banking crisis that erupted in September, 2008.

The collapse in confidence that spread throughout the global financial system, in the aftermath of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers seems to have led to a collective “emergency stop” response from the world economy, causing economies to go into freefall. This gathered momentum over the turn of the year, but the pace of adjustment appears to have slowed recently.

There are indications that output was cut back more sharply than final demand, resulting in a drop in inventories. As the impact of lower interest rates, lower commodity costs and fiscal stimuli filter through to the global economy, their effects may therefore be assisted by stock-building, bringing forward a return to tangible economic growth.

The headwinds of rising unemployment, debt reduction and banks repairing their balance sheets seem likely to keep any such recovery weak but anaemia is better than rigor mortis.

There are differing views over whether this marks an economic turning point or a pause in a longer term recession. Similarly, some believe equity markets have seen their lows, while others expect earnings disappointment to drag them back again.

The value of forecasts is lower than usual in such rapidly changing times, as evidenced by the IMF’s forecasts made in late November 2008. They estimated that the UK economy would shrink in the fourth quarter – a period that was nearly over – at a rate of 2% and Japan’s by 1%. The outcomes were falls of over 6% and 12% respectively. So, if the IMF was unable to forecast the past, the rest of us should feel humble about trying to forecast the future.

The answers to both questions (about the recession and the bear market) are closely linked, since improving economic growth will reduce bad debts for the banks, enabling them to lend more freely and equity markets will benefit from the resulting improvement in corporate profitability.

At economic turning points, it is not uncommon for signals to be mixed so investors are likely to be buffeted by the ebb and flow of data releases in coming months and there are some near-term tactical obstacles in the form of the bank capital tests being applied in the US and the possible bankruptcy of General Motors.

However, ultimately, it seems likely that the concerted policy stimulus applied by governments and central banks will successfully avert a slump and usher in a gradual economic recovery.

However, with markets less oversold than in March and trading at higher levels, further progress now depends on confirmation that the turning point of the recession has been reached, not simply that the economy is deteriorating more slowly. So, investors will be trying to judge whether the reported green shoots represent new growth or mould.

Simon Kaye is Divisional Director at Rensburg Sheppards Investment Management

■ FINE TUNING: Michael Flint works with the vehicle testing kit at Great Northern Street Motors

Tested technology A HUDDERSFIELD garage is tuning into the latest technology to put customers’ cars back on the road.

Great Northern Street Motors has invested thousands of pounds in futuristic diagnostic equipment to help detect and repair faults with new and nearly-new cars. Employees have been trained in its use.

Owner Robert Walker said the decision to introduce the Texa technology was paying off – as several main dealers closed due to the recession, leaving customers high and dry or facing trips further afield to get their vehicles serviced and repaired.

The system, using a touch screen “pad” with Bluetooth connection to a monitor and printer, allows the technician to check the car’s performance in crucial areas such

as emissions, wheel speed and the effectiveness of seatbelts and airbags.

Texa can “talk” to a range of makes of vehicle, including Peugeot, Citroen, Nissa, Renault, Saab and Mitsubishi – pinpointing any problems by “reading” the vehicles’ electronic control unit.

Said Mr Walker: “A lot of independent garages are frightened of introducing this technology, but by using the system we have found problems more quickly – resulting in a reduction in ‘downtime’ for the customer and making our job a lot easier.

“There are so many people running modern cars, where electronics have replaced engineering. Texa can ‘interrogate’ the car to pinpoint the problem. it takes the traditional garage into a whole new sphere.”

THE recession has contributed to a big increase in fraud cases, a new survey has revealed.

Figures from insolvency industry trade body R3 showed gthat member firms had seen a 39% rise in corporate fraud during the past six months and a 33% increase in personal fraud.

Peter Sargent, R3 national president and spokesman for Huddersfield, said: “We have been through a period where the vast majority of companies have had to tighten budgets.

“In the last few months, cases have come to light where someone has been extracting money for personal benefit inappropriately – and it’s the scrutiny of the director or trader which has revealed the crime.”

Mr Sargent said increases in personal and corporate fraud tended to feed off each other.

“In a recession, we quite often see desperate people seeking desperate measures,” he said.

“Members are reporting cases where people who have taken a pay cut try to supplement their income by ‘putting their hand in the till’.

“Companies try over-invoicing and people avoid paying taxes, thinking they won’t get caught.

“Then, often when bankruptcy nears, we do see cases where people try and transfer assets to keep those assets out of the insolvency.”

But he added: “What people often don’t realise is that when an individual or a business enters a formal insolvency process such as bankruptcy or administration, one of the jobs of the appointed practitioner is to investigate the finances for any wrong-doing.”

The latest Insolvency Service statistics – due to be announced today – are expected to show a big rise in the number of business failures and personal insolvencies for far this year.

The insolvency service statistics, due to be released at 9.30am tomorrow will begin to reveal the extent of the rising insolvencies for 2009.

The R3 member survey showed that insolvency practitioners believe that personal insolvencies in England and Wales will rise by 31% on 2008 figures to about 139,000 for the year.

Respondents also believe that corporate insolvencies will rise by a similar percentage during 2009 to about 29,000.

Textile triumph TALENTED textile students were presented with awards at a dinner in Huddersfield.

Huddersfield Textile Society medals were presented by president Bill Skidmore to Natalie Hakimian, Helen Locke, Adam Ribka and Peter Antich for their achievements on textile design and manufacturing courses.

Peter received the award for weaving techology and Adam was recognised for yarn technology.

Both undertook their training with the Huddersfield Textile Training Group.

Natalie was rewarded for creativity in design while Helen won the award for innovation in design. Both are students at Huddersfield University.

Mr Skidmore welcomed 180 guests to the dinner, which was held at the Cedar Court Hotel, Ainley Top. The guest speaker was Paul Fletcher.

■ DINNER GUESTS: Society President, Bill Skidmore (centre) and Speaker, Paul Fletcher (centre right) with award winners, from left: Natalie Hakimian, Helen Locke, Adam Ribka and Peter Antich

15

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Pupil power as Co-op store opens PUPILS from nearby schools performed a ribbon-cutting to launch a £750,000 new-look Co-op food store at Marsh.

Youngsters from Paddock Junior, Infant and Nursery School and Reinwood Junior and Infant School were also presented with donations of £100 for each school by store manager Emma Smith.

The Westbourne Road store has been refitted with modern decor, new shelving, check-outs and environmentally-friendly refrigeration as well as a better layout.

The changes include increasing the range of chilled and fresh foods, extending the delicatessen counter, providing more in-store baked products and offring a wider choice of chilled wines and beers.

Said Ms Smith: “As a community retailer, it is appropriate that we involve the community in our special events.

“We are delighted that our two local schools have played a central role in the relaunch of our store.”

Jill Hague

Currency questions this month’s edition, I am hoping to IyouNmake you think about looking at how can mitigate the risks if your busi-

■ SCHOOL TRIP: Esther Warren and Niall Gallagher, of Reinwood School, with other local schoolchildren and Co-op staff at the re-opening of the Marsh Co-op store

Loan fund provides a boost for local firms

■ SWEET RECIPE: Allison Whitmarsh, of ProperMaid

TWO new businesses in Huddersfield have been given help under a council loan scheme.

ProperMaid, a cake firm based in Marsh, and Sugar Cube, which sells pick-and-mix sweets from a stall at Kingsgate, have benefited from Kirklees Council’s Huddersfield Loan Fund.

Allison Whitmarsh set up ProperMaid in 2008 and has built up demand for unusual cakes such as Beetroot and Chocolate, Courgette and Lime.

The company was winner of the category for New Business of the Year in the 2008 Examiner Business Awards.

Sugar Cube, owned by Luke Wells, offers customers a range of moe than 100 sweets, most not available at other outlets.

He said: “Without the Huddersfield Loan Fund, I would not have been able to start

trading this year.

“The support, advice and information provided by Kirklees Council has been invaluable and I hope to expand my business by the end of this year.”

The Huddersfield Loan Fund is available for start-up and expanding businesses with an HD postcode.

The scheme provides help through low interest loans of up £15,000 to be repaid over three years.

Loans from the fund can support start-up costs, help expand floorspace or support capital investment if there are no other sources of funding available.

Tel Jayne Pearson, senior business development office at Kirklees on 01484 221677 or email jayne.pearson@kirklees.gov.uk

Three Peaks poses legal challenge A TEAM from Huddersfield law firm Eaton Smith will be rising to the challenge this summer when they take on the three highest peaks in Yorkshire to raise cash for charity.

The eight-strong team will take part in the Three Yorkshire Peaks Challenge to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society.

The event on June 6 is among fundraising activities being organised by LawNet, the UK-wide group of independent law firms, under the title of the Twenty;Twenty Challenge. To celebrate 20 years since the formation of LawNet, members are trying to raise £20,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Neil Murphy, a partner at Eaton Smith, said: “one of the Partners at Eaton Smith, “The challenge is to walk the 25 miles – including the three peaks, which are all over 2,200ft – in less than 12 hours. We aim to raise at least £2,000 in sponsorship between us.”

Donations can be made online by visiting www.justgiving.com/eatonsmith

BANKER'S BLOG

ness is exposed to exchange rate fluctuations as we consider that the volatility in the market is set to continue.

Despite all the uncertainties surrounding the economic future, many UK importers and exporters take their guidance solely from their view of where they think sterling will go next, or what they consider the pound’s ‘normal’ value to be.

While sterling’s recent decline to near parity with the euro and below $1.40 against the US dollar, certainly proved dramatic, a number of specific factors prompted it.

For example, the UK economy has a relatively high level of household debt to income and the financial services sector is a bigger proportion of the economy than in most other countries.

On the other hand, you could argue that sterling’s decline may now be overdone and the next move might be up.

Some analysts are either suggesting that the price of Sterling already takes into account all the bad news about the UK, or there’s scope for more bad news in countries abroad than there is here.

In other words, a shift in the balance of economic factors has to occur for the FX markets to change their way of pricing Sterling.

In the meantime, there are several reasons to suggest that volatility will remain high on the foreign exchange markets in the near term – making holding a strong view in either direction more dangerous.

Many UK importers, taken by surprise by sterling’s rapid decline, are struggling to pass on higher FX costs because their customers are becoming more resistant to higher retail prices.

Faced with an unpalatable hit on margins, there has never been a more appropriate time for importers to seek help with their foreign exchange to protect their profitability.

Hoping for a bounce back in the pound’s fortunes is more of a speculative rather than strategic approach, particularly if FX is a meaningful part of the business.

In contrast, UK exporters (who benefit when sterling declines) will be hoping that the pound doesn’t recover anytime soon. Indeed, given the magnitude of the pound’s downfall and the subsequent boost to revenues this can bring, there’s a real risk to exporters that these ‘windfall gains’ arising from sterling’s fall may not always be there. This could have a profound impact on financial performance.

Whatever happens, the message is clear – take a strategic view of your FX exposures to ensure your business doesn’t live or die on sterling’s fortunes as the pound’s roller-coaster ride may well be far from over.

For further details on how HSBC can help your customers develop an effective risk management strategy in today’s volatile markets please e mail me jillhague@hsbc.com Jill Hague is Head of Commercial Banking for HSBC in Huddersfield

■ LAW TEAM: Neil Murphy ( third right) with the Eaton Smith team of (from left) Daniel Broadbent, Magda Dyson, Joanna Bell, Neil Murphy, Lydia Pignataro and John Royle

16 Dragon’s Den star backing local firms DRAGON’S Den panellist Theo Paphitis has joined the search for Britain’s best-loved local firms.

Theo, who is already a supporter of Huddersfield University’s pioneering BA honours degree in enterprise development, has now teamed up with Barclays Local Business.

He joins a panel of experts in choosing which deserving businesses from up and down the country will receive a share of £85,000 worth of prizes and cash.

Firms can only be entered into the competition by their customers' nominations.

Barclays is asking people to take part by proposing their favourite small firm – by telling Barclays how the business treats them as a customer, about its contribution to the local economy and its place in the local community.

Said Theo: “Everyone has their favourite local firm. The diversity of UK small businesses is mind-boggling and it's what makes our high streets up and down the country truly unique.”

Steve Cooper, managing director of Barclays Local Business, said: “Barclays recognises that local businesses are at the heart of our communities and are utterly crucial to regional economies.

“We want to recognise their contribution to daily life and so we've put together a competition to highlight their great work.”

There will nine regional winners with eight of them taking home £5,000 in prize money and a one year free business support package from Barclays.

The overall winner will receive £20,000 in cash as well as three years of free business support from Barclays.

The winner will also get a one-to-one mentoring session with Theo.

To find out more, go to www.barclays.co.uk/ bbb.

The closing date for entries is the June 6, 2009.

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Impressive floor show A KIRKLEES carpet manufacturer has supplied flooring to a school in Bradford.

Heckmondwike FB, billed as the UK’s leading fibre bonded carpet manufacturer, has provided floorcoverings for the newly-built All Saints’ C of E Primary School in Bradford.

The school, which has 420 pupils and a nursery for 30 children, has been transferred to a new site at Little Horton Lane.

More than 1,000sq metres of Supacord fibre bonded carpet tiles was specified for the library, food science room and communal areas while the classrooms on the first floor level were fitted with Supacord Tiles.

The carpets were installed by Tyndales Flooring Group. The main contractor on site was ISG Regions Ltd. Supacord is widely used for educational buildings across the country because it is designed for areas of heavy wear and tear, as well as providing acoustic and thermal properties.

It is also used for offices, shops, libraries and public buildings.

As well as low installation costs, Supacord is designed to offer anti-slip and antistatic properties, both of which are a major concern for schools

looking to protect their students and equipment.

Interior designers Robinson Design Ltd specified Heckmondwike FB’s Total Care carpet for the ground floor classrooms, which are used by the younger pupils.

Total Care has an impervious backing and is bleach resistant, making it easy to clean and highly resistant to permanent staining. Total Care is also used for student accommodation, sheltered housing and medical centres.

Heckmondwike FB also supplied its Diamond range for the main entrance area. The firm’s Entrance Area range has a hardwearing cobbled-effect surface tand is designed to protect indoor carpets from excessive soiling or moisture.

Chris Turner, director at Robinson Design Ltd, said: “Heckmondwike FB provided a complete solution for the carpets in this school and we have been delighted with the end result.

“Flooring for any school needs to be extremely robust, as well as having acoustic and thermal performance properties.”

Heckmondwike manufactures all its fibre bonded products at its factory in Liversedge.

■ UNDER FOOT: Heckmondwike FB, the UK’s leading fibre bonded carpet manufacturer, has supplied floorcoverings to the newly-built All Saints’ C of E Primary School in Bradford

Firms keep green issues on agenda

■ FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humber staged a Meet the Buyer event at Oulton Hall

Food for thought at event FOOD and drink firms in Kirklees pitched for business with some of the biggest names in retailing.

Local companies were among those attending a Meet the Buyer event run by The Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humber.

Buyers from major regional and na tional retailers –

including Asda, Costcutter, Greggs and Morrisons – attended the annual event, which took place at Oulton Hall, Leeds.

Others taking part included catering giant Compass, Rudding Park Hotel as well as representatives of other hotels, shops, restaurants, NHS departments and distrib-

utors.

A spokesman for the RFG said: “Over the six years that Meet the Buyer has been held, a total of £4.7m worth of new business has been contracted. Last year, more than 1,000 meetings took place in one day – culminating in prospective contracts totalling £6.8m.”

COMPANIES in Kirklees have not abandoned environmental matters as they get to grips with the recession, a new survey has revealed.

Some 77% of 300 firms polled by environmental support group Envirowise said that environmental best practice has stayed on the agenda or become a greater priority at their business during the economic downturn.

The findings show how most businesses, which have already sought free advice from Envirowise, now regard sustainable practices to be an integral part of their day-to-day operations and an important area for cutting costs, protecting profitability and defending market position.

E l a i n e S h a r p, p rogramme marketing manager at Envirowise, said: “It’s encouraging to see businesses are still focused on the cost-savings benefits that the improvement of environmental impact

brings.

“While these figures are positive, there are obviously going to be some cases where resource efficiency has slipped in importance.

“We would urge anyone in that position, and those who haven’t yet considered the savings to be made through environmental best practice, to get in touch with Envirowise to find out how they could benefit.”

Envirowise estimates that businesses in the UK stand to save about £6.4bn through resource efficiency initiatives and that waste costs a typical office-based business four per cent of turnover.

Envirowise delivers free, independent advice to UK businesses. This assistance enables companies to increase profitability and reduce environmental impact.

V i s i t : w w w. e n v i r owise.gov.uk or call 0800 585 794

17

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

PROPERTY FOCUS

Perfect practice CHRIS West and Marion Brydson (pictured) have joined Huddersfield-based architectural and interior design practice Above & Beyond.

Mr West has 35 years’ experience as an architect and aims to strengthen the industry sectors in which the practice currently operates and expand into new ones.

His specialisms include commercial offices, residential, distribution, retail and masterplanning.

He joins the practice at Folly Hall Mills after spending 30 years of his professional career in Leeds.

Ms Brydson joins the practice to build and develop the interior design department.

She brings with her a background in the commercial office sector, outstanding academic qualifications and a proven track record in achieving customer objectives.

Adam Varley

Sarah Hooper

John Willoughby

Matthew Scrimshaw

Four promoted at LSH THE Leeds office of national commercial property consultancy, Lambert Smith Hampton has announced the promotion of four of its staff.

Matthew Scrimshaw has been appointed as director. Mr Scrimshaw, who heads the lease advisory team, joined LSH in 2005 having previously worked in the property, petrochemicals and natural gas sectors.

He conducts rent reviews and lease renewals on behalf of major institutions, landlords and multiple tenants on rental properties across Yorkshire.

His clients include blue chip, independent and public sector organisations.

Adam Varley has been promoted

to associate director and will head the office agency team. Mr Varley has more than eight years experience in all aspects of agency work, advising on major projects on behalf of high-profile clients and helping LSH achieve the accolade of Top Regional Office Agent across Yorkshire & Humberside for the fourth consecutive year.

Sarah Hooper has been promoted to associate director and works in the valuation team. She joined LSH in 2007 having qualified as a chartered valuation surveyor in 2006.

Ms Hooper conducts loan security valuations, regulated purpose valuations, as well as valuations for

acquisition and disposal purposes on behalf of major lending institutions, including the main high street banks and building societies, as well as private investors, developers and owner occupiers.

John Willoughby has been promoted to associate director in the rating team. Previously a senior surveyor, Mr Willoughby joined LSH in 2004 having worked in the property sector in Yorkshire for 10 years. He advises a number of major clients on a range of rating issues and has a wealth of experience in dealing with sports stadia, licensed and leisure premises, educational, industrial, retail, offices and shopping centres.

commercial properties

14 st georges square, huddersfield hd1 1jf telephone 01484 558231/530361 - jonathan.wilson@bramleys1.co.uk

www.bramleys.com

offices industrial ST ANDREWS ROAD, HUDDERSFIELD

SHAWS IND ESTATE,

RENT REDUCTION

● ● ● ●

Modern Industrial Unit 1,473m² (15,857ft² ) Roller Shutter Door Popular Industrial Estate

●

3 phase electricity

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Outskirts of

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7 CLIFTON LANE, MELTHAM

£300,000

£30,000 P/A

●

Huddersfield town

●

centre

● ●

Flexible Terms

offices

Secure Site/External Storage 1.25 acres (0.5 hectares) Secure Perimeter Popular Industrial Location

Just off Leeds Road Outskirts of Huddersfield town centre ● Good Motorway access ● ●

ST THOMAS'S ROAD, HUDDERSFIELD

●

● ●

●

Characterful Office Building Large Car Park 246.65m² (2,655ft²) Net Well refurbished

Rare opportunity to purchase Pleasant private setting ● 6 miles from Huddersfield town centre ●

OLD LEEDS ROAD, HUDDERSFIELD

£26,000 P/A

●

●

First Floor Office

●

Suite

●

●

245m² (2640ft²)

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Spacious ground

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floor reception

Central Heating Extensive car parking 1 Mile from Huddersfield Town Centre

£600 PCM

High Quality

●

Office

●

●

Flexible Terms

●

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Canal Frontage

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61.78m² (665ft²)

●

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High Specification Former Chapel Car parking Outskirts of Huddersfield Town Centre

retail QUEENS MILL ROAD, HUDDERSFIELD

BRADLEY MILLS ROAD, HUDDERSFIELD

£15,000 P/A

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Secure Yard

●

0.16 Hectares (0.4 acres)

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Good External Storgae

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Single Storey Building 3,780 sqft Outskirts of Town Centre Predominant Industrial Area

WAKEFIELD ROAD, HUDDERSFIELD

£7,000 P/A

● ● ●

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Modern Industrial Unit 123.56m² (1,330ft²) Mezzanine Floor 97.73m² (1,052ft² ) Good Car Parking

Rateable Value £5,900 Good access to M62 ● Popular Inudustrial Location

SHOP 3 STABLE COURT,

£12,500 P/A

●

●

●

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Retail shop with storage 103m (1,110ft) Main road location On street car parking

Fully centrally heated ● Rateable value £5,200 ● Outskirts of town centre ●

WESTGATE, CLECKHEATON

£6,000 P/A

●

Lock up shop

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24.15sqm (260sqft)

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Modern ground floor shop

Useful loft storage area ● Rateable value £4,500 ● Floor to ceiling display window ●

£110 P/W

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£110 P/W

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Shop/Clinic

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35.86m² (386ft²)

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uPVC shop front

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Central heating New lease Main road location Various uses subject to planning consent

18

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

PROPERTY

FOCUS

Buy-to-let makes a welcome return

■ FOOT SURE: Marshalls staff (from left) Christine Sharp, Sam Wilds, David Vann, David Rushworth, Tracey Horsfall, Neil Davidson and Jim Shaw, promote Walk to Work Week

INVESTORS seeking better returns for their cash starting to look again at the buy-to-let housing market, claims a Yorkshire housebuilder.

Alison Deakin (right), sales and marketing director for CALA Homes (Yorkshire), said: “With little more than 3% interest available from even the best bank accounts, investors are looking elsewhere for a better return.

“And for those who have done their research and understand the rental market, buy-to-let property is once again providing a solution.”

She said cacs investors at the firm’s Fusion at Hexagon apartment development at Birkby, Huddersfield, could expect to receive an annual return of up to 7% a year by purchasing and then renting out one of the company’s oneor two-bedroom apartments.

Prices at Fusion include floor coverings, built-in stainless steel oven and hob, integrated fridge and washer dryer, plus a choice of four free modern furniture packages, which include a bed, sofa, table and chairs, curtains and blinds.

Said Ms Deakin: “We have sold three apartments to investors – all of which have been quickly let – and there is already some interest from investors in the remaining units.

“We have also received enquiries from people looking to rent, which we have passed on to investors.”

A PROPERTY expert has reported a resurgence in popularity for post offices.

Allen Shepherd, retail director at Christie + Co, said interest had been renewed following the cancellation of the tender process for the Post Office Card Account and the conclusion of a closure programme at the end of 2008.

The Government decided to cancel the tender process for the £1bn POCA in November last year – meaning the contract for the scheme would remain with the Post Office until 2015.

Mr Shepherd said the uncertainty over the account and its impact on the future of local post offices had led to a stagnation in sales and a drop in demand for post offices during the months leading up to the Government’s decision.

However, since the turn of the year, interest shown in acquiring a post office has picked up

with a number of businesses across the UK changing hands in the first three months of the year.

Said Mr Shepherd: “Over the last six months, we have witnessed a rise in viewings regarding post offices and also exchanged on a number of deals involving combi-sites as buyers have reacted to the post office having a more secure future.

“The fact that the Post Office is encouraging applications from people with a sales-driven and business background also presents an ideal opportunity for people who are looking for a change or who have been made redundant in the present climate.

“Those entering the sector have also witnessed the benefits that the many that did remain have seen – with an increase in business and income over the last six months.”

Marshalls workers picking up the pace Post office premises are back in demand

WORKERS at an Elland firm are stepping out to stay healthy.

Employees at building products firm Marshalls plc took part in Walk to Work Week as part of efforts to reduce stress and keep fit.

Employees who would normally drive to work or take the bus picked up the pace by walking instead.

The move follows research by Walk to Work Week organiser and national charity Living Streets showing that 84% of full-time office workers feel stressed when they arrive at work.

While most people polled agreed that exercise could make them feel less stressed, the survey found that those working at their desks all day were least likely to undertake physical activity during their working day – either by going for a walk during their lunch break or on their trip to and from work.

The first-ever national Walk to Work Week urged workers and bosses to incorporate exercise in their daily routine as a way to cut stress.

Living Streets, a charity promoting the interests of pedestrians, previously staged Walk to Work Days in London 2008 and 2007.

Living Streets chief executive Tony Armstrong said: “We were shocked by the results of our research.

“It’s no surprise that in a time of financial stability people put an enormous amount of time into their work, but we are very concerned that they are forgetting to look after themselves.”

The survey showed that 49% of people polled admitted to eating lunch at their desks at least three time a week – without getting so much as a breath of fresh air during their working day.

Said Mr Armstrong: “Incorporating walking into your daily routine is an excellent way to relieve the symptoms of stress.

“Being active doesn’t have to mean costly gym sessions or marathon running attempts.

“It can be as simple as stepping

outside for a lunchtime walk or getting off the bus a few stops earlier on your way to the office.”

Marshalls joined forces with Living Streets through its business supplying paving for paths and pedestrian areas.

Major contracts have included providing paving for Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London and Wembley Stadium.

A spokeswoman for the firm said: “The charity is working towards people-friendly public spaces. Our partnership underlines Marshalls desire to create better landscapes for all.”

As part of the partnership, some Marshalls staff have trained in “community street auditing” – listening to members of the public and local authority representatives to get an insight into what they would like to see and what street designers need take into consideration when landscaping public areas.

New recruit for Carter Jonas ESTATE agency Carter Jonas has added a new recruit to its growing rural division.

Duncan Clarke has joined the team, based in the Huddersfield offices of the national property consultants.

Mr Clarke joins the team at Slaithwaite as a senior rural surveyor.

His previous experience includes

working with the livestock markets in Exeter and Newton Abbot. He is now involved in the management of a substantial mixed use estates in West Yorkshire.

Tom Fawcett, partner at Carter Jonas, said: “We are delighted to welcome Duncan to the Yorkshire rural team. He has made a positive impact in the short time

he has been with us and has helped to strengthen our rural expertise in the region.

“Our rural department is an ever-expanding division of Carter Jonas with the team currently working on many varied projects across Yorkshire, including the sales of rural land and farms as well as new forms of capturing wind and wave energy.”

19

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

PROPERTY FOCUS

Southdale Homes backs leadership training drive

Bed firm sells site A FORMER bedding factory has been sold to another manufacturer in the same sector.

The former Jay-Be Ltd bedding factory at Spen Lane, Cleckheaton (above), has been sold by property agents Michael Steel & Co on behalf of private clients to Ravensthorpe-based Highgrove Beds. Highgrove plans to move to the site shortly.

The sale follows Jay-Be transferring all its operations to larger premises at Thornhill Road, Dewsbury.

The Cleckheaton premises provide more than 80,000sq ft of production space, warehousing, offices and showroom on a site exceeding three-and-a-half acres.

Alec Michael, partner at Michael Steel & Co, said: “In what undoubtedly continues to be a difficult market place, especially for the banks and financial sector, it was pleasing to complete this deal on behalf of clients. The purchasers were well supported by their bank, HSBC in Dewsbury.”

IAN Hebblethwaite has been confirmed as estimating manager at Halifax-based Southdale Homes following his successful graduation from a leadership and management programme.

The Future Leaders programme, delivered by Action Halifax, aims to help companies develop their own staff to take up key management posts.

Southdale director Richard Greenwood said: “This was part of a planned and proactive development for Ian. “We looked internally for a manager and have invested in developing Ian into his role as estimating manager.

“Future Leaders provides staff with the skills and knowledge to grow in their roles and was therefore used to consolidate Ian’s development and his position has now been formalised.

He is getting very good results from his team, so he is clearly managing them well.”

The purpose of the Future Leaders programme is to develop managers’ skills, knowledge and overall effectiveness in the workplace.#

It is an intensive course of six full day modules over 12 weeks, together with a work based assignment. It leads to qualification to the Institute of Leadership & Management’s Level 4 or Level 5 in Management.

“The delivery of the programme was very good and everyone was involved in the process,” said Ian. “It was not all theory and the fact that there were some practical elements made it much more interesting. I particularly enjoyed being able to compare and share with delegates from other industries.”

The Future Leaders Programme is open – with delegates from a broad spectrum of business sectors, bringing a wide range of skills and experiences to the table.

Said Ian: “There was no ‘Eureka!’ moment for me, but there were a lot of really helpful things that made me realise how to manage people. It has given me a lot of different ideas, different perspectives and more confidence.

“The experiences I gathered from others on the course and problem solving techniques were particularly helpful. It also consolidates what you

already know, confirms that a lot of what you are doing is right and highlights areas that need reviewing.”

Southdale HR manager Beverley Robinson said: “All of our staff, including Ian, who has been with Southdale Homes since leaving school, completed ILM Level 1 about eight years ago.

“When we heard about the Future Leaders programme, we decided to develop our leadership and management skills further.

“The company ethos is to help people to progress through the company and it’s important that they become role models for others. We want to have the best people and it’s important to train the people we have and equip them with the skills to get the best from their teams” “Five managers have now completed the programme and Future Leaders has equipped them with the skills that will benefit them for many years to come.”

Said Richard: “We’re still investing in training and development, even during this very difficult time for the construction industry.”

industrial

St. Thomas' Road, Huddersfield

Old Fieldhouse Lane, Huddersfield

FOR SALE/MAY LET 1,460 m² (15,720 sq ft) Modern warehouse/trade counter unit Prominent frontage to busy main road Planning consent for 500 m² (5,400 sq ft) extension

TO LET 1,272 m² (13,689 sq ft) Modern warehouse/trade counter unit Generous secure yard/car parking facilities Excellent access to J25/M62

office

Holme Bank Mills Station Road, Mirfield

Walkley Works Walkley Lane, Heckmondwike

TO LET 93 m² - 930 m² (1,000 sq ft - 10,000 sq ft) Varierty of warehouse, workshop and office accommodation Located within popular business park Convenient for J25/M62

FOR SALE/TO LET 2,629 m² (28,300 sq ft) Prominent industrial complex Generous yard/car parking area extending to 2.58 acres Extensive craneage provision

office

eddisons.com

Cartwright Court Bradley, Huddersfield

Norwich Union House Market Street, Huddersfield

TO LET 69 m² - 231 m² (740 sq ft - 2,490 sq ft) Modern office accommodation Popular business park location Ease of access to M62 motorway

TO LET 39 m² - 402 m² (421 sq ft - 2,595 sq ft) High quality office accommodation Passenger lift access Prominent town centre location

Contact Philip Deakin or David Wright 01484 533151

Offices in: Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Glasgow, Huddersfield, Leeds, London, Manchester

Eddisons

20

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

PROPERTY FOCUS

Expert demolishes argument for EBR

Firm’s energetic roadshow A COMPANY providing health and safety services to the property sector is helping firms get the low-down on the new Energy Performance Certificates.

Bradley-based Safety Monitoring and Management Services has launched an Energy Performance Certificate Roadshow to help companies clarify the requirements involved and to improve the energy performance ratings of their buildings and premises.

Since the introduction of the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2007 – and despite the phased introduction of the regulations throughout 2008 – confusion still surrounds the legislation.

The roadshow will provide companies with expert advice and information as well as recommendations on how they can achieve better ratings for their buildings and premises.

It will also help companies on how to take a responsible, sustainable approach to managing energy within its business, which will see long term

Richard Davis benefits.

Richard Davis, energy manager at SM&MS said: ‘Over the past few months, the whole industry has been on a very steep learning curve trying to interpret the legislation and the issues involved.

“The introduction of our EPC Roadshow aims to clarify the requirements of the legislation and advise companies on the most cost effective action to improve energy efficiency in their buildings.”

Companies interested in taking part in the EPC Roadshow and receiving a free one hour consultation at their offices should contact Richard Davis at SM&MS on 01484 452349 for further information.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AGENTS CONSULTANT ADVISOR •

•

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TRAFALGAR MILLS • LEEDS ROAD • HUDDERSFIELD • HD2 1YY

To Let Modern & Purpose Built Units

Why not use the experts? MB Services have over 20 years experience in letting industrial units

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Queens Mill Road, Huddersfield 1 mile from town centre, easy access to M1/M62 Modern Industrial Units to let Mezzanine floor Unit 19 ....4966 square feet Unit 20 ....5362 square feet Brockholes Business Park

New Mill Road, Brockholes 41/2 miles from town centre, easy access to motorway network Unit to let in attractive business park Unit 3.......985 square feet Unit 11 ....985 square feet Unit 25 ....1170 square feet

REDUCED RENTALS AVAILABLE Trafalgar Mills

Leeds Road, Huddersfield 2nd floor offices to let up to 4376 square feet Main road location Broadfield Mills

Albert Street, Huddersfield Unit 1a . .6650 square feet Mezzanine floor Junction 25 Business Park

Mirfield Good access to motorway network Modern Units to let Unit 2 . . .5272 square feet Unit 3 . . .5349 square feet

Old Fieldhouse Lane

Fieldhouse Park

Leeds Road, Huddersfield Unit 2 . . .3250 square feet

Leeds Road, Huddersfield Unit 12 . .11986 square feet

Contact: Paul Andrew Eddisons 01484 533151

Christine Eccleston MB Services 01484 557113

Alec Michael Michael Steel 0113 248 999

PROPERTY owners are increasingly turning to demolition as a way to avoid paying Empty Property Rates, it is claimed.

A survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and Lambert Smith Hampton said EPR was “paving the way for future instability” in non-residential property markets.

The survey, billed as the first industry review of the tax following its controversial introduction a year ago, showed that EPRs were exacerbating the financial difficulties of many property companies and occupiers.

Some 75% of those polled agreed that there had been an increase in the demolition of perfectly sound properties, while 85% believed this was to avoid paying the rates.

In addition, all sectors saw a decrease in investment of new properties – with the industrial sector being the hardest hit. And 79% believed that empty rates were having a detrimental effect on town regeneration and speculative development.

The survey said there was likely to be a shortage of available commercial property once the economy turns around. EPR would also have a significant negative impact on the ability of central and local government agencies

■ RATE CALL: Colin Harrop, regional chairman of the RICS

to pursue property-led urban regeneration.

It added: “The problem of demolition is set to get worse over the coming months, as the results indicate that

owners are tending to wait about 12 months before considering demolition of empty stock.

“That means we should expect to see a sharper rise in occupiers resorting to knocking down empty buildings over the coming months.”

Colin Harrop, Yorkshire chairman of the RICS and senior associate at King Sturge, said: “Although the Government’s motives for reducing EPR relief were well-intentioned when initially introduced, it is clear that the recession has led to these rates having the opposite effect and causing more damage to a sector that is already suffering.

“This survey has finally produced the evidence-based facts to support the need for changes to be made to this hugely unpopular tax.”

Said Mr Harrop: “On the basis of these findings, we have urged the Government to give serious consideration to increasing the EPR relief to 12 or even 18 months before full business rates across all non domestic properties become payable, or to remove or significantly reduce empty property rates across all non domestic property, i n f u l l c o n s u l t at i o n w i t h t h e industry.”

Eddisons completes string of property deals CHARTERED surveyors Eddisons has announced a string of five-figure property deals.

Among them, the Bradford franchise of carpet and upholstery cleaning business Chem-Dry, part of HomeServe Plc, has taken a unit in excess of 4,000sq ft on the Euroway Trading Estate off an annual rent of £23,750.

Property management services at the premises are also provided by Eddisons.

Meanwhile, Eddisons has let a prime office suite in Bradford city centre to Remploy off a passing rent of £20,250 on behalf of HFC Bank Plc. The office extends to 2,546sq ft and is in Howard House on Bank Street, close to the proposed Broadway shopping centre.

John Padgett, head of agency at Eddisons, said: “We are delighted to have concluded these deals and achieved excellent rental income for our clients despite the tough current economic conditions.”

Eddisons has also completed lease renewals with Amplitude Audio and Visual Services and Urbis Lighting for their respective units on the 606 Industrial Estate at Bradford.

The firm has also announced a deal on two prime retail units in Ilkley town centre. The units on

■ CORNER SPOT: Howard House at Bradford

Grove Promenade extend to 640sq ft and have been let to Craggs Shoe Repairs on a 10-year lease off an asking rental of £23,000 per annum.

Jonathan O’Connor of Eddisons said: “These are prime retail units in a popular part of the town. We were able to conclude the deal with the new tenant very quickly following

vacation of the previous tenants in order to maintain our clients’ rental income.”

The Bradford office of Eddisons has also been instructed on a residential development site at Bolling Road in Ilkley. The 1.9 acre site has planning permission for 19 two-bedroom apartments. Offers are invited in excess of £1m.

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

PROPERTY FOCUS

REAL ESTATE

Lettings complete

Amandeep Kooner

Late pay pointers RECENT judgement of the Court A of Appeal has clarified the operation of the Late Payment of Commer-

cial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 and will be of interest to contractors faced with worsening payment practices in the current economic climate.

The Act allows high interest rates to be levied on late payments under construction contracts in certain circumstances.

In respect of delayed payments under construction contracts, there are four ways in which interest may be recovered: under a specific contractual provision allowing interest; under the Late Payments Act, which presently allows 8% above the Bank of England base rate; by proving one’s actual financing costs (or loss of investment return) as damages for breach of contract; or under the general powers of courts and arbitral tribunals to award interest on top of their judgments/awards.

The substantial rate of interest allowed by the Act often provides the best recovery (although only as simple interest – the other ways mentioned above sometimes allow compound interest).

While the Act is generally applicable to most payments under construction contracts, the parties are free to agree otherwise. The Act requires that any such agreement still provide a “substantial remedy” for late payment. If it does not, because it provides too low a rate for example, then the higher rate under the Act will continue to apply.

Although most standard forms substitute a lower rate of interest, some still leave room for the higher statutory rate to apply in certain circumstances and it remains to be seen whether the lower rates found in all standard forms will amount to a “substantial remedy”.

Unless the amount claimed to be due is precisely specified in the contract, the contractor is required under the Act to give notice of the sum “which it claims is the amount of the debt”. The Court of Appeal’s decision has clarified the meaning of this phrase and particularly how it applies to claims which are initially overvalued.

The case concerned invoices issued by a contractor at an early date which were subsequently agreed at a lesser amount in a Final Account document. The employer argued that interest should be calculated based on the date of the Final Account document whereas the contractor argued for the date of the invoices.

The Court of Appeal agreed with the contractor, deciding that an overvalued claim was still able to set time running under the Act. The initial invoices sufficed for this purpose, particularly as they contained sufficient supporting documentation to enable the employer to calculate the true value of the claim. As a consequence, the higher rate of interest under the Act applied.

As mentioned above, the Act can be, and often is, excluded by agreeing a substitute rate of interest.

Amandeep Kooner is a real estate partner at Austin Kemp Solicitors

21

■ SALES PITCH: Nick Brown, of Holmfirth-based Amberglobe, is seeing brisk business

Firm rides out the recession A COMPANY specialising in selling businesses is riding out the recession.

Holmfirth-based Amberglobe was only launched nine months ago – but has already completed a string of transactions across the country and acquired another national business brokers to expand its scope still further.

Valuation director Nick Brown said: “Since opening nine months ago we have bucked the ‘doom and gloom’ trend and are going from strength to strength.

“From day one, we have shown tremendous growth in this industry. Although the economic climate was not in the best shape, we have found that there have been – and still are – a lot of people looking to buy businesses.”

Mr Brown said would-be purchasers included people who had been made redundant and wanted to work for themselves.

Transaction s had also been buoyed by sellers setting more realistic asking prices – as well as companies wanting to expand their existing businesses or consolidate.

Recent successes for Amberglobe include the sale of a retail shop in Holmfirth and a children’s play gym and cafe in Meltham.

The average time for a business sale is six to nine months – but both The Potters Dens and Woodland Play Gym sold well within this time frame.

Mr Brown said Amberglobe has also acquired another national business brokers – taking the number of businesses that it has

for sale to about 2,000.

He said: “This was a very bold move for us, but because we had all worked together before setting up Amberglobe we felt that we had the skills and infrastructure in place to be able to integrate this business into our business.

“Due to this exciting acquisition, the number of people employed by us has doubled and we are already considering further expansion of our offices in Holmfirth.”

Said Mr Brown: “The good news is that we are finding the enquiries for businesses throughout country are growing. The number of e-mail enquiries we receive at the Holmfirth office are averaging 100-plus a day.”

The company has also trained a team to help ensure that businesses being marketed for sale have the necessary energy performance certificate.

But he added: “We have found that – as finance for buying is not as easy to come by as in previous years – it is imperative that businesses are valued correctly in the first place and that the agent selling the business has the knowledge and experience to be able to see the sale through to completion.”

Added Mtr Brown: “We are very pleased by how far we have come in such a short space in time and even though the market remains hard work – because competitors are cutting back and struggling to survive – the future looks bright for this fledgling company.”

Agency rewarded PROPERTY adviser DTZ has been named Office Agency Team of the Year.

DTZ beat off competition from JLL, Cushman & Wakefield, AtisReal, Colliers and EA Shaw to win the top prize in Property Week’s annual Property Awards.

DTZ has 80 offices across the country. During 2008, the company completed more than 800 deals involving more than 9.7m sq

ft of space.

Highlights included fully letting Bridgewater Place in Leeds within 12 months and achieving a new headline rent of £27 per sq ft; pre-letting 69% of Spinningfields at Manchester, one of the largest speculative office buildings ever built outside London; and completing transactions at Newcastle’s Baltic Business Quarter.

YORKSHIRE developer St James Securities has completed a series of lettings at Shaw Lodge Mills in Halifax.

Leeds-based St James Securities, which bought out Hanson Partners, its co-developer at Shaw Lodge Mills at the end of last year, has secured planning permission for an urban village on the site.

Plans for the urban village are currently on hold due to the recession and St James Securities is working hard to revive the mills in their existing condition.

Companies already taking space at the mills this year are Creative International Adventures (UK) Ltd, Advanced Processing Ltd and TTG (UK) Ltd. These companies will be joining the existing occupiers on site, including Artworks, an art and design project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and Linda Riordan, Labour MP for Calderdale who has her constituency offices at the historic Grade 2 listed mill.

John Hendy, managing director of Creative International Adventures, said: “This is the most fabulous and exciting business location, which already has a great buzz about it. It’s close to Halifax town centre, but the historic setting is just amazing. Working here will become a wonderful way of life, rather than just being part of an anonymous business venue.”

Oliver Quarmby, of St James Securities, said: “Despite the recession, these are exciting times at Shaw Lodge. There is office space, industrial accommodation, workshops and studios, storage and other accommodation available on site for individuals, start-up businesses and companies.”

The agents for the development are Walker Singleton, of Halifax.

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22

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

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23

June, 2009

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

TOWN TALK

Support to build skills

Sean Jarvis

Summer’s busy season F I had a penny for every time someIdaybody asked me: “So do you go on holinow until the season starts?” I

would have the kind of wealth that could challenge Roman Abromavich!

In all seriousness, this is a question that is often asked and I will try and answer it.

From the end of the season right up until 3pm on that first league game at the stadium, the commercial team are working on a variety of activities. Listed below are some that give you a feel of what we are up to.

Retail, for example are now working on the launch of our away and home kits for next season. At the time of writing they were due to be launched week commencing June 1 and week commencingJuly 6 respectively.

Then there's our media department who are currently working on a summer long awareness campaign of our season ticket pricing, not to mention sorting out what our new look programme will be like next season. Our lottery department is a 52-week-of-the-year business and every Tuesday they organise our lottery draw.

Our ticket office is extremely busy and at the time of writing we had sold just short of 9,000 season tickets, which is a fantastic achievement and is set to break all our records. On the back of the Centenary offer, our supporter base has increased by about 20%. New for next season, we are also working on building our superb family reputation and the Fantastic Media Stand, will go under a bit of a makeover by becoming the Fantastic Family Stand.

Our commercial department us extremely busy with all of the sponsorship and advertising renewals as well as looking to attract new businesses. Over the coming weeks, you should be reading in the Examiner and the Kirklees Business News on a number of new organisations that are joining the “Town Family”.

As for new activities in the commercial department, we are introducing a new business club. This gives businesses a no-frills package to come to the game on a Saturday and Tuesday nights to enjoy the match and rub shoulders with like-minded businesses and build a new customer base. To join the business club its only £399 plus vat which includes tickets for all the league games and access to your own “business area” that features a bar, TV and food if you want it. To be honest we see this as our “credit cruncher offer” to local businesses to try and get out there talking and at the same time enjoy the surroundings of the stadium. If you fancy giving us a call to discuss further then you can contact us on 01484 484140.

Last but by no means least we have our partnerships department, which over the past 12 months has exploded. We have our long standing partnerships with Yorkshire Building Society and Thomas Cook, but we also have our new partnership with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Over the next 12 months, we have a number of activities planned including the recently launched 'Bag It Up' scheme. All of our season ticket holders will be getting a recycle bag from us for any unwanted clothes. Proceeds will go towards the Keep It Up campaign which benefits the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and our very own Academy.

Another fundraiser we are planning is the production of 10,000 plastic white roses to go on the front of cars.

Sean Jarvis is director of business development at Huddersfield Town

■ SIGN HERE: Members of the Addy’s Butchers team (from left) Joe Brereton, Adam Shaw and Ros Campbell, point to the new Q Guild sign now on display outside the Hade Edge shop

Butcher boosted by celebrity chef

A HOLMFIRTH butcher is set to get a boost from a major branding exercise.

Television chef and food author Lesley Waters is helping to lift the profile of the Q Guild– the organisation that represents some of the best butchers in Britain, including Addy’s Butchers, of Hade Edge.

Lesley is the Guild’s celebrity partner in 2009 and will be devising a series of seasonal recipes for promotion in Q butcher shops throughout the country – showing consumers what can be achieved with British beef, lamb, pork and chicken.

The promotion coincides with a national branding exercise by the Guild in all of its 150 member shops to convince consumers that the best place to buy the best meat is at a Q butcher’s shop.

Responding to competition from supermarket meat counters,

Q butchers shops like Addy's now carry external branding declaring it to be a member of the Guild – a sign to consumers that they are shopping at one of the best independent meat retailers in the country.

Q butchers voluntarily submit their businesses to a stringent, independent audit before attaining membership. They are then subjected to regular audits, spot checks and visits from mystery shoppers.

Brindon Addy, of Addy’s, who is chairman of the Q Guild’s north-east region, said: “We want to get that across to consumers.

Many of them are fed up with the impersonal service, confusing labelling and variable quality frequently experienced in the multiples.

“Q Butchers support local retailers and local producers.

There are less food miles, meat is fresher, there are quality products and quality service.

“We have our own individual brand, but being associated with the Q brand should send a strong message to local consumers.”

Lesley’s recipe cards – to be made available to Q butcher customers – will include Beef Ragout with Herby Muffins, Greek-style Shoulder of Lamb, Crispy Pork Chops with Lemon and Basil and Spatchcock Chicken with Hot Tomato Chutney.

“We are well-known for our innovative approach to developing and presenting meat products,” said Brindon. “Now we have the celebrity touch to add to our repertoire and Lesley's recipes will offer opportunities for seasonal promotions. We are sure they will go down well with customers.”

WOMEN workers in the Kirklees fashion and textiles industry could be climbing the career ladder – thanks to a new programme.

Although women account for 52% of the sector’s workforce, research shows that they occupy just 37% of the top jobs – while pay for women in the manufacturing part of the sector is 18% lower than for men.

Now Skillfast-UK, the sector skills council for fashion and textiles, has launched an initiative called Women & Work, which will provide training grants of up to £500 per person to help women update their skills.

Sue Green, programme manager, said: “This is the third time that we have run Women & Work – and the results in previous years have been fantastic.

“Last time, more than 190 ladies in Yorkshire learned highly-valued technical skills – and it is not uncommon for people on the programme to move from the factory-floor into management positions.”

Kirklees has about 345 fashion and textile businesses – making it a major sector for the region.

The Women & Work programme is one of several initiatives by Skillfast-UK in the region to boost skills and increase competitiveness in the downturn.

Further success on the cards HUDDERSFIELD Town chairman-elect Dean Hoyle is among 11 Yorkshire contenders for a top business award.

Mr Hoyle, who heads greeting cards retailer Sportswift – which runs the Card Factory chain – is among nominations for the title of Ernst & Young North and Midland Entrepreneur of the Year.

The 11 nominees from Yorkshire firms are among 43 business leaders competing for the title. The winners will be announced in June.

Mr Hoyle, who is set to take over as Town chairman from Ken Davy this summer, began his business in the early 1990s – selling greetings cards from the back of his

van in his home town of Wakefield.

By 1997, he and his wife Janet had set up Card Factory with the aim of selling quality cards at low prices.

Card Factory now has about 400 stores across the UK, including one at the Packhorse Centre in Huddersfield. At the end of last year, it also acquired the 80-strong Card Warehouse chain.

Finalists in this year’s competition will be hoping to emulate the success of Richard Harpin, chief executive of home emergency insurance provider HomeServe.

York-based Mr Harpin was named Ernst & Young's UK Overall Entrepreneur

of the Year in 2008.

Stuart Watson, partner at Ernst & Young in Yorkshire, said: “The finalists are fine examples of businesses that are picking up market share and succeeding despite economic adversity.

“We have been greatly impressed by how swiftly the finalists have responded to the rapidly-changing market.

“These entrepreneurs are making quick decisions to respond to market conditions – such as clamping down on cash flow where business is slow and taking advantage of the opportunities that turbulent times present.”.

WE BRING BUSINESS FACE TO FACE WITH BUSINESS

Carbon copies

Knitting to some pattern

A NEW busniess aiming to capitalise on the resurgence of knitting as a hobby has been launched by a Huddersfield woman.

Jadwiga Bialkowska and her York-based sister Anna have set up web-based business Serenity Knitting to supply a wide range of natural yarns, cottons and wools for the growing army of UK hobby knitters.

Holmfirth-based Rowan Yarns and Designer Yarns, of Keighley, have been contracted to supply Serenity Knitting, which also provides knitting patterns, a product search service, accessories, advice and a blog to cater for rapidly-growing interest in knitting across the UK and overseas.

Latest fashion tips and knitting ideas are also available from Serenity Knitting. the firm’s website also promotes the production, sale and use of natural, low-environmental-impact fibres – from cotton plants to silk worms.

The website also ofers an e-mail response service in French and Polish to cater for overseas customers.

Jadwiga, who has been a knitter since the age of 10, worked in financial services before deciding to strike out as an internegt entrepreneur.

She said: “Knitting is undergoing a massive resurgence both because it is a great, practical hobby for the current economic climate and taps into the current creative impulse – helping to make unique, fashionable and durable garments.

“It is also becoming very fashionable, with celebrities including Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz becoming avid knitters as well as millions of

■ WOOL WORLD: Internet entrepreneur, Jadwiga Bialkowska who is capitalizing on growing interest in knitting as a way of getting through the recession.

ordinary people, both men and women from all walks of life.

“One stimulus for this has been some of the UK fashion chains importing clothes from the Far East.

These are often knitted from synthetic yarns.

“Shoppers are inspired by the design of the clothes and want to create their own garments out of high quality natural wool, which is fairly traded and coupled with premium quality patterns.”

Serenity Knitting reckons that 4m women in the UK – and 448,000 men – knit or sew.

More than 93,000 balls of yarn were sold at one UK store chain in a single week before last Christmas and the UK now has its own National Knitting Week in October ,which is growing in popularity.

The development of the online business used two different web professionals – York-based ecommerce specialists Purenet and web designer Tara

Smith, of Pure Azure.

Anna, Serenity Knitting’s marketing and business development manager, said: “We wanted the best of both design and e-commerce.

“This has worked well for us with a strong ecommerce platform and content accompanied by high-quality design which will constantly be updated with news and ideas as we develop an online following.

“Online businesses are more confident than traditional retailers about the recession and we are already experiencing a high level of interest.”

Rowan Yarns national sales manager Emma Mychajlowskyj said: “It is wonderful to see all Jadwiga and Anna's hard work pay off as www.serenityknitting.co.uk is a credit to them both and a welcome addition to the online knitting community.”

YORKSHIRE Bank has become the first UK high street bank to gain the Carbon Trust Standard for its efforts in tackling climate change.

The bank, part of the NAB Group, was given the prestigious accolade after reducing its carbon footprint by 15.8% over a period of 12 months.

The Carbon Trust Standard is the world’s first carbon award that requires an organisation to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint and make real reductions year-on-year.

Nigel Larkman, environmental programme director for Yorkshire Bank, said: “Being awarded the Carbon Trust Standard demonstrates how important cutting carbon is to us as a business.

“We aim to be entirely carbon neutral by September, 2010. The carbon cutting measures we have undertaken have brought us one step closer to achieving that goal.”

Refitting the bank’s head office in Leeds, completed in 2008, has helped generate a 68% cut in building energy use through changes to lighting controls and air conditioning.

New guide has timely advice Redundancy Advice Services.

Call Neil Wilson on 01484 519 999

www.chadwicklawrence.co.uk

Huddersfield | Leeds | Wakefield | Halifax | Dewsbury

NEW online guide to help small and medium-sized firms in Kirklees get funding for growth and innovation has been launched.

The No-Nonsense Guide to Finance for High Growth aims to help companies bring new and improved products and services to the market and boost their profitability.

The guide, which is available free on the Business Link website at www.businesslink.gov.uk/no-nonsense,

aims to provide a one-stop resource for companies wanting to know where and how they can access sources of funding available to support innovation.

It includes details on funding from both the private and public sectors.

They include organisations like the Carbon Trust, which supports firms working on technologies to cut carbon output.

They also include regional

development agencies, which as Yorkshire Forward which run a range of funding schemes to help small firms purchase innovation support from sources of research expertise, including universities.

The launch of the guide follows the Government’s commitment to increase awareness of the funding available to SMEs for innovation.

Published by Trinity Mirror Huddersfield Ltd, PO Box A26, Queen Street South, Huddersfield HD1 2TD. Printed by Trinity Mirror Printing Oldham Ltd, Hollinwood Avenue, Oldham. OL9 8EP. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office.