Kirklees Business News 09/04/13

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees9, Apr i l , 2013

INSIDE

● Full story - Page 6

I s i t rea l ly so unfa ir ?Co lumn - Page 5

An EXAMINER publication

EnergeticresponseA BRIGHOUSE firmhad landed a contractto help a care homescompany get greener.Leeds-based LNTGroup, chaired byBatley-born tycoonLawrence Tomlinson,appointed renewableenergy firm Q-Gen toinstall ground sourceheat pumps at six ofLNT’s Ideal CareHomes.

Partners’home winTWO leadingconstruction sectorfirms have been given aboost. Ignite Homes,formed by affordablehousing specialistSouthdale andhousebuilder Strata,has joined theGovernment’s Homesand CommunitiesAgency’s new DeliveryPartner Panel.

NEIL WILSON

exam

iner

.co.

uk Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

FTSE 100+27.166276.94

JASON GLEDHILL

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3

● Full story - Page 7

Loans scheme thespur for start-upsYOUNG people across Kirklees withbright business ideas have been urgedto apply for five-figure loans.

The Start Up Loans schemeprovides loans of up to £10,000 andbusiness mentoring to help youngpeople set up in business.

The scheme is being delivered by anumber of companies, including Print-ing.com, which has operations at Mir-field Printing Ltd, as well as ThePrince’s Trust charity.

Applicants must be aged under 30and apply through one of the deliverypartners, who will interview andmentor hopefuls, as well as approveloans.

The programme is backed by entre-preneur and former Dragons’ Denpanellist James Caan, and is designedto help young people start their ownbusinesses.

The Government has backed it tothe tune of £112m.

Would-be tycoons in Kirklees havebeen urged to follow in the footsteps ofsuccessful applicants such as Paddockwoman Maysoon Shafiq, who wasawarded a £3,000 loan under the StartUp Loan scheme to support her busi-ness, Legal Platform.

The business now has offices at StGeorge’ Square, Huddersfield, andprovides legal advice on issues relatingto commercial law, family law, prop-erty, immigration, personal injury andcrime.

Tony Rafferty, chief executive ofPrinting.com, said: “Our main focuswill be to help young entrepreneursfrom the graphic arts sector, includinggraphic and web designers – but wewant to hear from young entrepren-eurs from other sectors, too.

“Our business is partly based on anetwork of franchises and we alreadyprovide lots of mentoring.

“We know how to help people getgoing.

“As a former director of the BritishFranchise Association I’m also keen toget the Start-Up Loan Scheme out inthe broader franchise community.

“We have a wealth of experiencebuilt up over many years in thisarea.”

James Caan, who chairs theStart-Up Loans Company, said: “Wewelcome Printing.com’s involvementin the scheme and we are thrilled withthe momentum the scheme continuesto maintain.

“To be an entrepreneur is more thanhaving a job. It gives you the freedomto make your own mark, in the way inwhich you choose and create your ownpath to success.

“It can be challenging and excep-tionally hard work, but the rewards areimmeasurable.”

Tony Rafferty set up Printing.comwhen he was 24-years old with a £3,000loan from his father and operated thebusiness from home.

The business is now a global firmand is listed on the London StockExchange’s AIM market.

Mr Rafferty said: “In our sector, youstill really can create a business withjust a Mac, Adobe’s Creative Suite anda connection to the internet – providedyou can afford the hardware and soft-ware.

“I’m often struck by the level ofsupport available to young peoplegoing into higher education, which farexceeds the backing for young entre-preneurs taking their first steps inbusiness.”

Printing.com hopes to help approx-imately 200 entrepreneurs in the nextyear, and the overall scheme aims tosupport 45,000 young business peopleby 2015.

Go to www.printing.com/entrepren-eurs. Applicants are invited to submittheir business plan or simply an out-

line of their idea. A Printing.commentor will then get in touch and takethem through the process.

■ ENTERPRISING: Dragon’s Den star James Caan (above), chairman of theStart up Loans Scheme; Tony Rafferty (top, left), founder of Printing.com, whois also backing the initiative, which provides cash and mentoring for youngpeople with good business ideas; and Maysoon Shafiq, who has alreadyreceived support for her new business in Huddersfield

It’s a capital appointment

There are a number ofways to protect youremployment rights...

There are a number of ways to protect your businessand employment rights... then there’s Howarths Way

01274 864999www.howarths-uk.com

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national

THE UK’s biggest eggsupplier is being primedfor sale with an expected£400m price tag, it isclaiomed.

Chairman andConservative donor PeterDean and co-founderMichael Kent are set toopen talks with privateequity bidders andoverseas rivals aboutselling a large stake inHertfordshire-basedNoble Foods, accordingto newspaper reports.

Noble, which owns theHappy Egg and Big &Fresh brands, collects72m eggs a week fromabout 500 farms acrossthe country, deliveringthem mainly tosupermarkets.

Investment bankRothschild is reportedlyleading the sale, withbuyout groups includingPAI and CapVest said tobe circling.

Noble has more than46% of the UK’s eggmarket and reputedlyachieved earnings ofabout £50m last year.

Sale linkfor Noble

Carpetfirm safeA MAJOR carpetmanufacturer has beenbought out ofadministration as a goingconcern.

Axminster CarpetsLitd, one of the world’slargest makers ofAxminster, Wilton andTufted carpet, has beensold to a new company,Axminster Carpets(2013) Ltd, securing theemployment of 100 staffand two outlet stores.The business will remainin Axminster, Devon.

Travelodge unveilsfranchising dealsHOTELS operator Travelodge hasannounced new franchising contractsfor 20 of its hotels.

Under the agreements, seven hotelshave been sold to motorway servicesprovide Moto while a further 13 havegone to individual operators.

The move follows talks held with thelandlords of 49 hotels – including oneat Leeds Road, Mirfield – to identifynew operators in the wake ofTravelodge’s successful completion of astructuring and CVA in October 2012.

Under the terms of the franchiseagreements, the hotels transfer to newowners, but will continue to be oper-ated and managed by Travelodge.

The new owners will be responsiblefor fully refurbishing these propertiesin line with Travelodge’s new roomdesign and refurbishment programmewhich was launched earlier this year.

Travelodge also announced that ithas transferred 18 hotels and the

majority of staff to new operators,including Best Western, Ibis and MetroInns.

Existing bookings at these hotels

have either been transferred to adjacentTravelodge hotels or will be honouredby the new operators.

Four of the properties under newownership will be re-opened as newbusinesses. Two properties are beingconverted into student accommoda-tion and the other two properties arebeing converted into an events andmeeting rooms venue and staff accom-modation for JCB.

Travelodge will continue to workclosely with the landlords of theremaining 11 hotels to find suitablenew operators and in the meantimethese hotels will continue to operateunder the Travelodge brand as nor-mal.

Travelodge chief executive GrantHearn said: “It is great news that wehave been able to find new operatorsand introduce franchise contracts forthe majority of these hotels.

“We were always confident that we

would secure a future for these proper-ties and the deals that have taken placejust demonstrate the huge strength ofthe Travelodge brand and the success ofour operations model.

“Going forward, we are very excitedto continue to grow our business,strengthen our product offering andmake Travelodge the best value hotelchain in the UK.

“Our £57m refurbishment pro-gramme is well under way and by theend of this year we will have refur-bished more than 50% of our hotelrooms.

“By autumn 2014, almost 90% ofTravelodge’s estate will incorporate thenew room design. This equates to anaverage of more than 50 Travelodgerooms being refurbished every singleday for the next 18 months.

“Initial feedback from our customersin regards to the new room design hasbeen fantastic.”

SHARE PRICESLocal shares

FTSE closed at

6276.94+27.16

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.40 dollarsBangladesh................. 112.85 takaBrazil.............................. 2.72 realsCanada....................... 1.49 dollarsChina ............................. 8.50 yuanCzech Republic ...... 27.99 korunasDenmark....................... 8.37 kroneEuro............................... 1.13 euroHong Kong................ 11.29 dollarsHungary ................... 315.73 forintsIndia.......................... 73.91 rupeesJapan........................... 143.82 yenMexico ....................... 16.63 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.69 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.38 kronePakistan.................. 142.00 rupeesPhilippines ................. 54.18 pesosSouth Africa ................. 13.06 randSouth Korea.............. 1523.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 181.39 rupeesSweden......................... 9.44 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.37 francsTaiwan ...................... 40.17 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.59 new liraUSA ............................ 1.46 dollars

Carclo 3811/4 -133/4Marshalls 125 +1National Grid 785 +4Weir Gp £223/4 +7/8

BT dismisses rival claimsTHE head of BT defended the tele-coms giant against claims it is beingunfairly propped up by the govern-ment to roll out fibre broadbandacross the country.

Ian Livingston called its critics“copper Luddites” for trying to holdthe UK back from fibre, which can befour times faster than existing net-works.

BT is spending £2.5bn of its owncash to connect two-thirds of thecountry to the new network by the endof 2014, but plans to tap governmenthelp to reach rural areas that are lesscommercially viable.

Sir Charles Dunstone, billionaire

founder of mobile phone retailerCarphone Warehouse, want regulat-ory intervention to ensure this statehelp remains in the public interestwhile TalkTalk chief Dido Hardingspoke out against propping up a“monopoly provider”.

Mr Livingston said BT had to paythe same cost to access its network asits competitors, adding: “These criti-cisms are coming from people I canonly describe as copper Luddites.

“They don’t want to see the UKgetting fibre. BT fibre is open to anyprovider in the UK on the same termsas BT. There are 50 or 60 of them –that’s not what I call a monopoly.”

KSL eyes up bid for gym chainTHE American owner of the Belfrygolf course is reportedly circling theDavid Lloyd gym chain – thought tobe worth about £900m.

KSL Capital Partners is one ofseveral private equity firms consid-ering making an offer for the chain offitness clubs, according to newspa-per reports.

KSL bought the Belfry in Warwick-shire in early 2012 and last monthsnapped up the Malmaison andHotel du Vin boutique hotel brands.

Hatfield-based David Lloyd Leis-ure, which has 80 clubs across theUK, is controlled by property groupLondon & Regional and privateequity firm Caird Capital.

Blackstone, a US investmenthouse, is also said to be mulling abid.

The fitness chain is named afterformer English tennis pro DavidLloyd, who founded the business in1980.

David Lloyd has a focus on rac-quet sports, with about 700 tenniscourts, 180 badminton courts and140 squash courts across its UKsites. It has 440,000 members in theUK and Europe and 6,000 staff.

Despite the prolonged economicdownturn, which has squeezed gymchains, the report said David Lloydis “trading well”, increasing itsappeal to potential bidders.

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £42.83 +0.04Gannett 1360.51 +17.69Hess Corp £46.99 +0.01Microsoft 1867.75 -13.11Motors Liquidation 49.15Wal-Mart Stores £50.30 +0.24

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 395 +5BAE Systems 3883/8 +21/8Rolls-Royce 1090 +6

AIMBrady Plc 85

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 2571/4 +17/8

BANKSBarclays 2771/4 -23/4HSBC 6793/4 -13/4Lloyds Banking Gp 461/4 -3/4Ryl Scotland 2661/8 -33/8Stan Chart 1645 -19

BEVERAGESDiageo £201/8 +1/4SABMiller £34

CHEMICALSCroda £27 +1/8Elementis 98 2527/8 +43/4Johnsn Mat £223/4

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2253/4 -1/8Costain 276 -33/4

ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 617 -41/2SSE 1517 +8

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 2081/2 -31/2

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 4285/8 +11/2

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 2653/4 -1/8Cable & WirelessComm

403/8 +1/4

Colt Group 121 -43/8KCOM 811/8 +1/8Talktalk Telecom 261 -1/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2747/8 +2Sainsbury 3735/8 +23/4Tesco 3741/8 +51/8

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1873 +12Tate Lyle 8521/2 +15Unilever £271/2 +1/4

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3693/4 -41/4National Grid 785 +4Pennon Grp 645 +5Severn 1665 +16United Utils 706 +1

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 304 -11/8ICAP 2923/4 +3/4London StockExch 1258 +20Man Group 881/8 +3/4Provident Financial 1548 +20

Schroders £207/8 +1/8Schroders NV 1696 +1

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSREXAM 5181/2 +31/2Smiths Grp 1215 +7

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 29 +5/8Carphone Whse 1881/2 -11/2Dixons Retail 311/8 +3/8Home Retail 1493/4 +13/4Inchcape 4923/4 +35/8Kingfisher 290 +13/8M & S 3751/4 -11/2Mothercare 294 -13/4Next £413/4WH Smith 730 +6

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 752 +41/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 82 +1/2Barrat Dev 2643/8 +1/8Persimmon 1004 -7Reckitt Benckiser £46 +1/2Taylor Wimpey 853/4 -1/4

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGI M I 1237 -1

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 1551/8 -1/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 2551/2 -31/2

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 2963/4 +1

Lgl & Gen 1673/4 +1/4Old Mutual 1953/4 +11/4Prudential 1029 -3Resolution 2613/8 -41/2Standard Life 3293/8 +31/4

MEDIABSkyB 874 +61/2D Mail Tst 6981/2 +10HIBU 3/8ITV 1211/4 +1/4Johnston Press 143/4 +1/8Pearson 1141 +3Reed Elsevier 755 +14STV Group 1331/2 +1Trinity Mirror 933/4 -3/4Utd Business 6871/2 +3UTV 1521/2 -23/4WPP 1034 +10

MININGAnglo American 16441/2 +5Antofagasta 9901/2 +291/2BHP Billiton 1878 -11/2Eurasian NaturalRes

2471/4 +41/4

Fresnillo 1319 +10Kazakhmys 3725/8 +73/4Lonmin 2733/4 +7/8Rio Tinto £297/8 +3/8VEDANTARESOURCES

1060 +13

Xstrata 10331/2 +13MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 677 +8Vodafone Group 1843/4 +21/4

NONLIFE INSURANCE

Admiral Grp 1315 +4RSA Insurance Gp 1083/4 -7/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 11271/2 +131/2BP 448 +1Cairn Energy 282 +9Royal Dutch Shell A £203/4Royal Dutch Shell B £213/8 -1/8Total £313/8Tullow Oil 1191 +37

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1056 +4Petrofac 1396 +12Wood Gp(J) 848 +51/2

PERSONAL GOODS

Burberry Gp 1256 +9PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £33 +1/4GlaxoSmithK XD 101/2Shire 1945 +19

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 5491/2 +51/2Hamrsn 4843/4 +87/8Intu Properties 327 +25/8Land Secs 820 +41/2SEGRO 2521/4 +13/4

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESInvensys 3441/4 -31/8Sage Group 3301/4 +1/2

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 776 -71/2Bunzl 1290 +18Capita 8691/2 -6De La Rue 925 +3Electrocomp 2383/4 +13/8Experian 1141 -6G4S 2883/4 +1Hays 941/2 +21/4Homeserve 1921/4 +65/8Menzies J 700 -2Rentokil 957/8 -1/8Smiths News 176 -12Wolseley £307/8 +1/2

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 8851/2 +71/2Spirent Comms 1345/8 -65/8

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £351/2 +3/8Imperial Tobacco £223/4 +1/4

LEISURE & HOTELS

Bwin.Party Digital 134 -1/2Carnival £223/8 +1/8Compass Grp 824 +91/2easyJet 1023 -4Enterprise Inns 991/2 +1/8FirstGroup 2007/8 +1/8Go-Ahead Gp 1444 +16Greene King 657 +7Intercontl Htls 1938 +25Intl Cons Airl 2331/2 -13/8Ladbrokes 2077/8 +3/8Mitchells & Butlers 3125/8 +5Natl Express 1925/8 +1/2Rank Org 156 -13/4Stagecoach Group 2961/8 +23/4TUI Travel 3023/8 +33/4Whitbread £243/8 +1/4

INDEXFTSE 100 6276.94 +27.16

INDEXFTSE 250 13523.71 +43.50

■ BOOKED UP: Travelodge chiefexecutive Grant Hearn

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile

JasonGledhill

HSBC

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Area commercial dir-ectorAge: 42Family: Married to Magswith children Will, 11, andEllie, nineCar: MercedesHolidays: We have anapartment in southern ItalyFirst job: Working in mystep-brother’s polyurethanefactory in WakefieldBest thing about job: Ienjoy the interaction withpeople. In my banking careerI have always liked workingwith businesses that makethings and supporting theirprogressWorst thing about job:Paperwork – it’s a necessaryevilBusiness tip: Determina-tion – don’t give up. Alwayskeep your customers in mind.Put yourself in their shoes

Work: Commercial bankingSite: HuddersfieldPhone: 07920 416419Email: [email protected]: www.husc.co.uk

Jasonmakeshismark

JASON Gledhill isparticularly pleased withhis new job.

A 25-year career inbanking has taken him toalmost every part of WestYorkshire, but he’s neverworked in Huddersfield–.until now.

And as thenewly-appointed areacommercial director forHSBC, coveringCalderdale, Kirklees andWakefield, he’s keen toget to know more aboutthe town.

“I’ve been learning mynew job with a new bank,”he says.

Mirfield-born Jason, 42,who has lived inPontefract, Dewsbury andMorley, has joined HSBCfrom Barclays, where hewas based in Manchesterwith the corporate bankingteam.

He began his careerwith Lloyds Bank in 1998at Batley and went on tospend 20 years with thebank.

“I went to AckworthSchool in Pontefract,” hesays. “When I left school, Iwanted to get out thereand do things. I was whatyou might call an activelearner! I had no wish togo to university, but I wasattracted to the financialindustry. I don’t reallyknow why.

“My first job in the bankwas making the tea andworking on the counter.

“My path from theretook me through retailbanking to branchmanagement positionsworking in areas likecustomer service andbusiness banking. It gaveme a good grounding inthe nuts and bolts of thebank.”

There’s one majorlesson Jason has taken toheart. He says: “In 1988,the ‘buzz’ phrase was‘Customer First’.“Twenty-five years on, Istill think in those terms. Iask myself ‘What wouldthe customer think aboutthe things we are doing?’ .Whatever a bank does,there is a customer at theend of it.”

Jason is settling into hisrole based at HSBC’s NewStreet branch.

“I’ve completed my90-day plan learningabout the organisationand I have met people inthe organisation and ourkey customers,” he says.“After Easter, with all theinternal planning done, Inow have more time to beout and about.”

A key message he aimsto get across is that allbanks are not the same.Says Jason: “I joinedHSBC because if I think Iam really good at my job, Iwant to be with the bestbank.

“Throughout all theproblems the bankingindustry has faced, HSBChas continued to lendmoney. We loaned over£12bn to SMEs last year.We have grown lending by3% when nationally it hasfallen by 5%.”

Jason sees HSBC’s

global reach and the factthat it avoided the fate ofGovernment ownershipthat befell other banks askey to that success.

Its internationalconnections are alsohelping UK firms to boostoverseas trade.

Says Jason: “I have ateam of people focused ondomestic business and ateam focused oninternational trade. If acompany requires help inmatters such as foreignexchange, we have peoplewho really understandhow that works.

“Not so long ago, wehad a three-way videoconference with a UKcompany that wants totrade in France and ourHSBC colleagues in thatcountry.

“One of our internationalmanagers has supporteda company wanting tobuild a manufacturingfacility in Brazil. We haveused videoconferencing tolink up with HSBC in Brazilto progress matters.

“As the BRIC

economies, such asBrazil, develop with agrowing middle class withmoney to spend, we areseeing trade opportunitiesgrowing all the time.”

Closer to home, Jasonis getting to knowHuddersfield’sprofessional communitythrough networkingevents. “I have alreadyattended the legendaryFirst Friday Club,” he says.“HSBC has a lot ofestablished links with localbusinesses and theprofessions. Now I amfinding out about thepeople we work with.”

He has also been takingsoundings from customersabout the currenteconomic climate.

“People still see tradingas tough,” says Jason.“These are still difficulttimes, but thosebusinesses involved inmanufacturing –particularly advancedmanufacturing – sellingdomestically orinternationally seem to bedoing okay.

“There are a lot ofcompanies that are nolonger going in reverse –they are starting to growand be profitable.”

Says Jason: “We keephearing that the banks orclosed for business. Butfour out of five smallbusiness loans are beingapproved. We are open forbusiness and we want tohelp businesses grow. Wewant to talk.

“If it is a good businesswith good managementgenerating cash then wewant to help.”

Says Jason:“Throughout my bankingcareer, I have always likedworking with businessesthat make things. You seesomething going into theback door of a factory thatyou don’t recognise – andsee something coming outof the front door that youcan see and understand.It’s great to be able to sayyou have helped thathappen.”

While Huddersfield isthe centre of Jason’sworking day, home – for

the present – is inRossendale. “I’m fromYorkshire and my wife isfrom Yorkshire – and she’skeen to move back,”Jason says.

The family’s principalsporting allegiance is torugby league club LeedsRhinos, although Jasonplays rugby union withRossendale.

“I used to play as ajunior for Featherstoneand Morley rugby leagueclubs,” he says. “Now Iplay ‘social’ rugby andhelp coach the under-12steam, where my son is aplayer.

“When I was 23, I brokemy leg quite badly playingrugby and I played golfinstead.

“I came out ofretirement because myson got involved atRossendale and I wasasked to play. I hadn’tbeen on the pitch twominutes when I scored atry. I thought; ‘I can still dothis!’

“I play on the wingbecause that way I canalways pass the ball tosomeone else or kick itinto touch to avoid atackle!”

Jason also watchesfootball and cheers onNottingham Forest. “Mybrother was a Liverpoolfan in the late 1970s, so Itook the next-best team atthe time, which was BrianClough’s Forest.

“I always look out to seehow Huddersfield Townand the Giants have done,though.

“It is good for any townto have successful sportsclubs. Town and theGiants help putHuddersfield on the mapand when they win it putsa smile on people’s faces.”

■ TOWN PLAN: Jason Gledhill, area commercial director for HSBC, is getting toknow his new patch

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal

DIGITALDIRECTIONAndrew Firth

Andrew Firth is managing director of Ascensor Website Design &Digital Marketing

Funding focuses on SMEs

Making moreconnectionsA COMPETITION designed to helpfirms improve the wchains work has seen a big upsurgein interest.Fresh Connection, an interweb-based competition is run byspecialist consultancy SCALA, basedat the Media Centre inNorthumberland StrThe annual competition helpshigh-profile brands to trrefine supply chain manaprocesses.Now organisers havevent to their progrbig increase in bookings fone-day event. The etake place on April 17 aHall, near Towcester inNorthamptonshire.Major names in the manretail, logistics and software signing up to takcontest, which has its UK finals onWednesday, June 12. The UKchampion will go on to compete inthe global finals – in whiccountries take part – in September inTurkey.The competition has also beenrefined to reflect the bconsumer risks from supplierproblems and operaas well as changes in customerdemand patterns.SCALA has been wNewton, previously a dirCadbury/Kraft, to makMr Newton said: “This is a significantnew inclusion and furstrengthens the Fresh Connectionchallenge.Companies taking parConnections now incKimberly Clark, JorWestmill Foods, MondeleBird’s Eye, WaitroseNorbert Dentressangle andFuturMaster.Businesses can still takcontacting Alison Hobson on 01484437486 or emailingalison.hobson@scalagr

Deadline loomsfor apprenticesAPPRENTICES and employers acrossKirklees have less than a month to enterthe 2013 National ApprenticeshipAwards.Nominations close on Friday, April 26,for the awards, which aim to show howapprenticeships are working for a wholerange of industries.This year sees an additional awardcategory – for the best ApprenticeshipEmployer Newcomer. This award willcelebrate employers who beganemploying apprentices only within thelast two years, but can show immediatebenefits from doing so.Other categories cover awards for small,medium, large and macro employersalong with intermediate, advanced andhigher apprentices. One winner will alsobe named Apprentice Champion of theYear.The awards ceremony will take place inNovember at The Skills Show.Go to apprenticeships.org.uk/awards.

Breakfast timefor Fruitypot!A FIRM supplying snacks flunch boxes is backing a driprovide youngsters with healthbreakfasts.Fruitypot, based at Brsupplying Ashbrow ScSheepridge, with a selection of itsproducts for the Early Kick-OfBreakfast Club run by theHuddersfield Town FThe scheme was launcthat young people starthe right way – with a nbreakfast and provides ca complimentary healthfor a full school yearThe scheme – run in conjunctionwith Dalton-based Tand Kirklees College – has targetedsix primary schoolsexpand in the futurFruitypot managing dirBooth said: “We arsupplier for the Early Kick-OfBreakfast Club.”

Marketing tipsMEMBERS of a Huddersfield-basednetworking group aim to put somespring into their marketing!Rachel Gough, of Inspired Marketing,will provide some key marketing tips atthe next 4N Huddersfield meeting, whichtakes place at 8am next Tuesday at theAspley Table Table, St Andrew’s Road,Aspley.Paula Atherill, 4N Huddersfield teamleader, said: “Rachel Gough has adegree in business and marketing, apost graduate diploma from the Instituteof Direct Marketing and 15 years ofexperience marketing differentindustries.”Email [email protected] orvisit www.4networking.biz

Keeping it local viathe World Wide WebWHEN the Yellow Pages came

through my door the otherday, I was shocked to see just howsparse it has become. Each year itgets thinner and thinner. I wonderhow much longer will it becost-effective to print?

Apparently, 80% of the goods andservices that we buy are within a 15-mileradius of our homes and we now preferto use the internet to find these localservices.

In a recent Cisco survey, the numberof smartphones and tablets in use by theend of 2013 globally, will outnumberhumans.

According to eMarketer, it alreadyhas in the UK – with an estimated 83mdevice connections.

If you combine the growing numberof GPS-enabled devices being used tosearch the internet, our local buyingbehaviour and our tendency in the UKto use Google more than any othersearch engine (around 70%), the endresult highlights the growing import-ance of Google+ Local directorypages.

Almost since the dawn of the internet,online service directories have beenavailable. Yell is the Yellow Pages online

alternative.There are many others from our old

friends Thompson Local and BT, aswell as hundreds and thousands ofonline-only options.

With so many to choose from, how doyou choose? Do you go for the freelisting or an advertisement?

Statistics show that the majority ofour online searches include a geo-graphic search term, for example“hairdresser Huddersfield”, “builderHonley” etc.

When you do a place specific searchfor a service, the first set of results younow see with Google is their +Localresults; a map and a directory of busi-nesses that offer that service.

The clever bit is that when you do a

search from a GPS-enabled device, youdon’t even need to type the town or city.In most cases, Google will show you the+ Local results as they already knowroughly where you are.

With more people using devices thanever, it makes sense for all businesses tohave a Google+ Local presence. It’s freeand is by far the quickest way to see yourbusiness on the first page of Google.

Setting up is easy and you get somegreat statistics that show you how thepage is working, how many visits youget and what they searched for to findyou.

This is huge competition for the Yel-low Pages and the others. I think thefuture continues to look uncertain forthe local advertising stalwarts.

A MAJOR £100minvoice finance fundhas been launched byYorkshire Bank to helpsmall businesses copeas bill payment timeslengthen in the tougheconomic climate.

It follows YorkshireBank research whichshows that smallenterprises across theregion face an averageseven-week wait formonthly invoices to bepaid – a delay which,in some cases, isthreatening theirsurvival.

Yorkshire Bank,which assiststhousands of SMEsthroughout the region,has ring-fenced the

£100m cash flowfinance package fromits £1bn BusinessExpansion Fundlaunched last autumn.

The £100m fund isnow available to bothnew and existingYorkshire Bankcustomers through itsconfidential invoicediscounting service.

Yorkshire Bank headof invoice finance,Martin Rothera, saidthe £100m fund wouldprovide “real supportfor many businesseswhich face difficultiesthrough no fault oftheir own”.

He said: “Latepayments can putimmense pressure onsmall businesses ascash flow dries up,leading to pressure ontheir ability to pay theirown bills.

“Providing an invoicefinance service whichsuits new and existingcustomers is a keypart of our support forYorkshire businesses,particularly thosewhich are workingharder than ever tocompete in some verychallenging economicconditions.

“From our research,

we know that cashflow and invoicesbeing paid on time arestill a primaryconcerns for SMEs.Cash flow is thelifeblood of a businessand invoice finance isan extremely usefultool for SME owners.It’s something whichmore businesses couldbenefit fromaccessing.”

Invoice financeallows businesses toaccess up to 85% ofan invoice’s value assoon as it is issued,rather than waiting forit to be settled.

Yorkshire Bank saysthat in the last year, ithas seen manybusinesses seeking tostrengthen their owninvoicing and creditcontrol proceduresusing invoice financeand credit protectionproducts.

Many smallbusinesses wereconcerned about thethreat of late payments– with one in 10 sayingthey would be forcedto drasticallyrestructure theirbusiness or close ifcustomers took 90days to pay invoices.

Want to be your own boss?

Look no further!

07845 564812www.gogogaggia.co.uk

BEEN MADEREDUNDANT?

We worK closely with Gaggia and together we offer abusiness opportunity for a Go-Go Gaggia smart car inyour area. The car will come fitted out with everything youneed to start, and we will guide you in your new businessventure. The perfect opportunity to create your mobilecoffee shop, turning heads, getting people talking and allwith the support of the biggest coffee brand in the world.

To find out how you could ownyour very own Go Go Gaggiafranchise call 07845 564812 oremail [email protected]

Always longed for that coffee shop, but scared of thehigh overheads? Or simply fancy a change of career?

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local

Neil Wilson is an employment lawyer at ChadwickLawrence Solicitors

EMPLOYER’SBRIEFNeil Wilson

Red tape works

Making moreconnectionsA COMPETITION designed to help

e the way their supplyork has seen a big upsurge

esh Connection, an interactiveeb-based competition is run by

specialist consultancy SCALA, basede in

thumberland Street, Huddersfield.ual competition helps

ands to train staff andhain management

ve added an extraogramme following a

ease in bookings for theent. The extra event will

pril 17 at Whittleburycester in

Major names in the manufacturing,etail, logistics and software sectors

e signing up to take part in theh has its UK finals onune 12. The UK

o on to compete inthe global finals – in which 20 other

t – in September in

The competition has also beenlect the business and

om supplierational difficulties

hanges in customer

SCALA has been working with Keithviously a director withaft, to make the changes.

Mr Newton said: “This is a significantlusion and further

esh Connection

Companies taking part in FreshConnections now include Unilever,

ordans & Ryvita,, Mondelez, Mars,ose, Borg Warner,

essangle and

Businesses can still take part bycontacting Alison Hobson on 01484

[email protected]

Coach firm backschild safety schemeA HUDDERSFIELD firmhas become the firstcoach operator in WestYorkshire to join ascheme to improve safetyfor youngsters travellingby bus to and fromschool.E Stott & Sons, based atMilnsbridge, is backingBUSK – Belt Up OurSchool Kids – whichrecognises safe operators.Under the initiative, schools, universities andcolleges can contact an operator and ask if thefirm is a member of the Simply Safe scheme –and know if the company takes children’s safetyseriously.The Simply Safe scheme includes Benchmark, apoints system which awards operators with astar for every five points they gain indemonstrating what they do to promote safety.Operators can achieve from three to six stars,which can be displayed on their coaches. Stottshas gained all six.Director Carl Stott (pictured) said: “As membersof the Confederation of Passenger Transportand CoachMarque, we felt that Simply Safe wassomething that we had to be part of for ourcompany to continue to stand out from thecompetition.“Benchmark is long overdue. You get starratings in other sectors like restaurants andhotels so why not coaches? This can only be agood thing for our industry.”Stotts website – www.stottscoaches.co.uk – isbeing updated with a link to BUSK websitewww.busk-uk.com where people can read moreabout these schemes.

Breakfast timefor Fruitypot!A FIRM supplying snacks for school

es is backing a drive tos with healthy

t Bradley, isow School,

, with a selection of itsor the Early Kick-Off

eakfast Club run by theown Foundation.as launched to ensure

oung people start their day iny – with a nutritious

vides children withy healthy breakfast

ear.heme – run in conjunction

with Dalton-based Total Foodservicege – has targeted

hools, but plans toxpand in the future.

ging director Sarahe are delighted to be a

or the Early Kick-Off

Running ruleon dismissalsIT has been another busy

month in the ongoing claimsbrought against HaringeyCouncil over the “Baby P” sagain 2008, with a number of inter-esting legal issues surroundingthe latest legal challengesbrought by two former employ-ees.

The past month has seen theappeal of two dismissed employeesbeing heard by the Court of Appealover the “Baby P” scandal.

The case of Christou and Anotherv London Borough of Haringey hasnow been decided by the Court ofAppeal.

The Court of Appeal has upheldthe Employment Appeal Tribunal’sJudgement that the dismissal of thetwo social workers involved in the“Baby P” case was fair, notwith-standing that they had previouslybeen taken through a disciplinaryprocess in relation to the same facts,but had only been issued with writ-ten warnings.

The employees had sought toargue that their dismissals had beenunfair due to an “abuse of process”and that the principle of res judicata

applied, which could have preventedthe Council from re-opening thedisciplinary case against them.

This principle prevents claimsfrom being pursued twice on thesame, or substantially similar, facts,to ensure the finality of Judgementsin the English Courts and to preventmultiple claims being brought on thesame grounds.

The Court found, however, that asthe matter in question was aninternal disciplinary hearing and theproceedings were not therefore cap-able of being judicial in nature, resjudicata could not apply and instig-ating further action against theemployees was found to be fair whenviewing the disciplinary process andfairness of the subsequent dismissalsas a whole.

While both the Court of Appealand the Employment AppealTribunal in the above case held thatthe Employment Tribunal was

entitled to support the employer’sdecision to discipline the twoemployees twice for the same offenceand then dismiss the second timearound, employers should treat thisdecision with some caution.

Employers should be very cau-tious of relying on it to support adecision to discipline an employeefor a second time for the sameoffence where no new evidence hascome to light.

As the Employment AppealTribunal stressed, cases in which it isappropriate and fair for an employerto change their view as to the appro-priateness of a disciplinary sanctionpreviously imposed, and to embarkon second disciplinary proceedingsarising out of the same conduct, arelikely to be extremely rare.

BOSSES benefit from“well-defined” employment rulessays a Huddersfield law firm.

And far from complaining about“red tape” employers welcomed the“much-needed support andconfidence” provided by theregulations, particularly in the areaof disciplinary and dismissalprocedures.

Baxter Caulfield’s commentsreinforce research by theDepartment of Business Innovationand Skills, which asked 40business owners their views onemployment law.

The overwhelming majority said

they feared being taken to anemployment tribunal, mainly asthey viewed them as being“unpredictable.”

Baxter Caulfield is nowencouraging businesses to followsome basic rules to avoid disputesabout contractual agreements.

Businesses are encouraged toput everything in writing and toseek legal advice to ensure thatthey stay on the right track legallywith their employment obligations.

Paul Booth (pictured), a partnerand employment law expert atBaxter Caulfield, said: “The surveymakes for extremely interestingreading, as it highlights the fact thatthere’s a perception reality gapamong employers.

“The research, although limited,suggests that many businessowners, rather than railing againstemployment regulations, benefitfrom well-defined procedures.

“These workplace rules andregulations often have the effect ofhelping to reduce anxiety in thesometimes fraught area ofemployer/employee relations.”

The survey revealed thatemployers considered employmentregulation to be both necessaryand fair .

Thinking… outside the booksIt’s timeyou got morefrom your accountantadded value services include…

Tailored programme to maximise profitability

Tailored tax efficient solutions

Regular updates & support to help your business

FREE use of our facilities for your meeting

Support all day, every day

Call Freephone: 08000 32 32 03and quote KBN /1211 to give us the chance to help youachieve your goals, or contact us through our website at:-

www.walker-sutcliffe.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property

Retail sector looking brighterTHE outlook for the retailproperty sector in Yorkshire is stilloptimistic, according to latestresearch by global propertyconsultancy Knight Frank.

The opening of the £350mTrinity Leeds development lastmonth was just one indicator of abrightening picture for the sector,claimed Knight Frank retailspecialist Dan Hyde.

He said: “Obviously, TrinityLeeds is grabbing the headlines –and rightly so – but there areother retail success stories inYorkshire too. Taken together, thestories provide evidence that theretail sector in Yorkshire isfighting back.”

Mr Hyde pointed to Halifax’s£25m Broad Street Plazascheme, which comprises280,000sq ft of mixed-use retaildevelopment, including a 24/7gym, Vue cinema, 429-spacemulti-storey car, Premier Inn andvarious restaurants.

He also highlighted WakefieldTrinity Walk, a partially-enclosedshopping centre with more than40 stores and 1,000 car parkingspaces.

Meanwhile, Sheffield andBradford were pinning their retailhopes on the Sevenstone andBroadway developmentsrespectively – with both projectslooking likely to get off the groundin the next few years.

Knight Frank’s latest UK Retailreport said retailer demand wouldcontinue to be driven mainly bythe structural changes beingbrought about by the internet.

The report said: “This is notgood news for smaller high streettraders and unprofitable shopscontinue to close with a numberof operators remaining underthreat from tough tradingconditions and high levels ofdebt.”

It said the recent failures ofHMV, Jessops, Blockbuster and

Republic would push up nationalvacancy rates and put furtherdownward pressure on rentalvalues.

However, there was renewedinterest and aggressive biddingfor the best stores within theseportfolios – while Dragon’s Denstar Peter Jones had begun torevive the Jessops brand.

The report said investors hadcontinued to target primelocations with solid tenantline-ups and areas withunder-supply.

It said: “This year has got off toa robust start in the shoppingcentre investment market – withnumerous exchanges and likelycompletions in the coming weeks.

“Investor appetite is expectedto remain robust for primeshopping centres and leisure,while sentiment for goodsecondary stock with assetmanagement opportunities isimproving.”

■ HEADLINES: Dan Hyde,retail specialist with propertyagency Knight Frank

Energy efficientA BRIGHOUSE firm has landed a contractto help a care homes company get greener.

Leeds-based LNT Group, chaired by Bat-ley-born tycoon Lawrence Tomlinson, hasappointed renewable energy company Q-Gento install Danfoss-built ground source heatpumps at six of LNT’s Ideal Care Homesacross the North and Midlands.

The move came about after Mr Tomlinsonchallenged his construction company, LNTConstruction, to use renewable energy inorder to provide a more affordable, sustain-able source of energy for the care homes theybuild.

Christine Cooper, managing director ofLNT Construction, said: “We are reallyproud that we are running sustainable andenergy efficient heating systems in ourhomes.

“Although this has involved a major capitalinvestment, it will be paid back within eightyears, which makes good commercial sensefor the LNT Group as well as helping ustowards becoming carbon neutral in thelonger term.”

She said: “We chose ground source heat

pumps because we recognised the efficiencythey offered, which gave us a much greaterenergy output over other renewable energysources.

“We are always reviewing ideas and newtechnologies to ensure that we deliver themost efficient and cost-effective build to ourcustomers.”

Each care home has been built with energyefficiency and sustainability in mind – with allthe six homes also featuring solar thermal,which uses the sun’s energy to generate hotwater during the daytime.

LNT Construction used the most energyefficient method of heat distribution for thecare homes by using underfloor heating,rather than radiators. LNT’s Ideal CareHomes expects to save 40% on its annualenergy bills as a result of the heat pumps.

Q-Gen was chosen to carry out the install-ation as it is an approved Danfoss installerwith experience in both the domestic andcommercial sector.

The company is now completing its sixthcare home installation for Ideal Care Homesat Haydock in Merseyside. This follows

installations at care homes in Newark, Castle-ford, Leicester, Newcastle-under-Lyme andWigan.

Q-Gen director Liz MacFarlane said: “Weworked closely with Danfoss on this projectand their technical expertise has been secondto none.

“We have been a Danfoss-approvedinstaller for three years and are well aware ofthe quality of their products, which gives usthe reassurance that Ideal Care Homes willenjoy many years of reliable, efficient servicefrom their heat pumps.”

Chris Dale, director of Danfoss Ltd, said:“By investing in ground source heat pumps,Ideal Care Homes has chosen a highlyenergy-efficient method of providing heatingand back-up hot water to its new residentialcare homes.

“This will help to minimise the carbonfootprint of each building, as well as protect-ing the company against the rising cost ofconventional fuels.”

Ideal Care Homes has 34 care homes acrossthe North and Midlands.

■ HOT HOUSE: Bowbridge Court in Newark, one of LNT Group's Ideal Care Homes to be fitted with ground source heart pumps supplied byDanfoss and installed by Brighouse-based Q-Gen as part of energy-saving efforts

Business ratesblow for firmsHARD-PRESSED firms across Kirkleescould be saving themselves million ofpounds in overpaid business rates,claims a report.The study by business rates specialistCVS said companies faced the onslaughtof rising rent bills, above-target inflationand a likely postponement by theGovernment of the business ratesrevaluation date to 2017.But delays in the appeals procedure toget business rates bills reassessedmeant firms continued to findthemselves under financial pressure.Don Baker, chairman of CVS, saidbusinesses would have to continuemanaging increasing overheads –including rates based on inflated 2008rent levels in comparison to currentrental levels in some areas and sectors.Mr Baker said the combination of rentand rates bills following what, for manybusinesses had been a tough start to theyear, threatened the viability of firms inthe North East.Compounding the problem was the slowappeals system.The rateable value used to calculaterates bills is assessed by theGovernment's agency, the ValuationOffice, using property market rental dataavailable at April 1, 2008.Mr Baker said those in the leisureindustry could appeal to reduce theirassessment and their rates bills, but theappeal process took 12 to 18 months toproduce a conclusion due to the“cumbersome and bureaucratic”processes at the Valuation Office.CVS have found that about 50% of theirappeals result in a reduction to the ratesbill.CVS figures show there is a £1.8bnburden placed on UK businesses due tothe backlog of 240,000 appeals currentlystuck in the slow and bureaucraticappeals process.in the North East, CVS has saved firmsmore than £57m – but estimates thatthere is still £667m of potential savingsavailable across the region.CVS has helped save Huddersfield firms£596,065 on their business rates to date– but estimates a potential £13.4m ofbusiness rates savings could be made.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property

Partnership fired up tobenefit from new dealA PARTNERSHIP between two leading con-struction sector companies with links to Hud-dersfield has been boosted by its inclusion inan important new house building framework.

Ignite Homes has been included in theGovernment’s Homes and CommunitiesAgency’s prestigious new Delivery PartnerPanel, which is projected to procure housebuilding work worth £4bn over the comingyears.

The news comes just eight months afterIgnite Homes was formed after national con-struction and affordable housing specialistSouthdale teamed up with luxury housebuilder Strata.

Southdale, based at Halifax, partneredKirklees Council in the refurbishment of prop-erties across Brackenhall and Deighton whileDoncaster-based Strata has undertaken threehousing developments in the same areas toprovide more than 250 properties.

The new panel, which is available to a widerange of public sector bodies will be used tostreamline home building procurement, isknown as DPP2 and will begin its work fromnext month.

It will also be a vehicle for housing-ledregeneration using the land assets of theHomes and Communities Agency. It replaces

the original Delivery Partner Panel which wasset up in 2010 by the Homes and CommunitiesAgency. DPP2 membership will last for fouryears.

Southdale managing director Paul Mooresaid: “We’re very excited about this. It’s verygood news for Ignite Homes but really, thehard work starts here.

“Ignite Homes was formed in July last yearwhen two successful specialist firms teamedtogether.

Being included in the DPP2 lot that coversmuch of the North of England shows that wasan important step to take.”

Ignite Homes has been included on a list ofconstruction companies and Registered Pro-viders in the DPP2 lot covering Yorkshire andthe Humber, the North East and the NorthWest.

Jim Wren, chief executive of Don-caster-based Strata, said: “Being included inDPP2 is very important for Ignite Homes andis testament to our wealth of experience andthe quality of the work we do and how we doit.

“ It is also a recognition that the teaming upof our two firms just last summer is alreadypromising much for the future.” ■ BUILDING UP: Jim Wren (left) and Paul Moore of Ignite Homes

LAND

OFFICES

INDUSTRIAL

INVESTMENT

RETAIL

T. 01484 530361 www.bramleys.com

4 RANGE LANEHalifax, HX3 6DLFORMER HOSTEL PREMISES395m2 (4,250ft2)Site Area 0.13 Hectares (0.33 Acres)■ Vacant possession■ Suitable for refurbishment foralternative occupational residentialuses or possible completeredevelopment, subject toplanning consent












■ industrial

■ offices

■ retail

■ investment

■ land

MARK STREET,PADDOCK, HD1 4ST

£14,000 p/a

● 448.72 sqm [4,830 sqft]

● Double Loading Doors

● 3 Phase Electricity and Gas

Supply

● Good Office Content

● EPC Rating : F

industrial premises

VICTORIA STREET,HOLMFIRTH, HD9 7DF

£265,000 / May Let

● 267.74 sqm (2882 sqft)● Currently a Restaurant with

Living Accommodation

● Prominent position

● Freehold with vacant

possession

● EPC Asset Rating D

freehold commercial building

TRINITY STREET,HUDDERSFIELD, HD1

4DA£14,000 p/a

● 55.97 sqm (602 sqft)

● Double fronted

● Basement storage

● Prominent position

● Rateable Value £6,300

● EPC Rating: G

retail premises

LUCK LANE,HUDDERSFIELD, HD1

4QTREDUCED RENT -

£14,000 p/a● 274.78 sqm (2,957 sqft)

● Good headroom

● 2 x inspection pits

● Loading doors

● Off road car parking available

● EPC Rating :D

industrial premises

WESTBOURNE ROAD,HUDDERSFIELD, HD1

4LF£13,500 p/a

● 82.68sqm (890sqft)● Popular suburban location

● Excellent display frontage

● Prominent corner position

● Suitable for a variety of retail

uses

● EPC Rating: C

prominent retail premises

CROSS CHURCHSTREET,

HUDDERSFIELD, HD12PT

£10,500 p/a● 34.65sqm (373 sqft)● Basement Storage

● Secondary retail position

● Close to the Kingsgate

Shopping Centre

● Good display frontage

● EPC Asset Rating C

retail premises

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers

Jamie Sheard

P2 TechnologiesA FIRM providing businessIT support has recruited anew apprentice for the thirdyear running.

Lockwood-based P2technologies has welcomedJamie Sheard, 18, to theteam as part of theMicrosoft AdvancedApprenticeship Programme.

Jamie, who lives atHonley, joins the business with a keen interestin IT after studying the subject at GCSE level atHonley High School.

He hopes to expand his knowledge of the ITindustry during his apprenticeship and use hisprevious customer service skills to benefit P2’scustomers.

He joins the company for 12 months and willshadow experienced engineers for a period oftime before taking responsibility for a number ofimportant tasks in the team.

Director Roger Pearson said this was key tohelping young individuals grow and learn theresponsibility required to work in “real-life”businesses.

He said: “We are very pleased to welcomeJamie to our team and aim to introduce him tothe fast-moving technological world.”

Jamie follows in the footsteps of SarahParnaby, who joined P2 on the MicrosoftAdvanced Apprenticeship Programme over theyear. After successfully completing herapprenticeship, Sarah is now a full timeengineer at P2.

Mark Cannon

ApplebysSolicitorsA LAW firm with offices in Huddersfield andBradford has made a key appointment.

Applebys Solicitors, which has its local officeat Westbourne Road, Marsh, has appointedMark Cannon to the wills and probate team. Hewill head the private client department.

Mr Cannon (pictured) was born and educatedin Bradford and is currently pursuing jointcareers.

He is a Church of England vicar looking aftersix rural churches on the Lancashire-Yorkshireborder.

He was ordained in Bradford Cathedral in1985 and worked in Skipton and Baildon beforemoving to the Lake District where he ran aresidential youth centre.

Mr Cannon is also qualified as a solicitor andhas been working in Lancashire since 2005.

He said: “It is a real pleasure to return toYorkshire and to be able to combine the twovocations of the law and the church.

“I enjoy meeting with clients, understandingtheir situations and working to give them thebest solution possible.

“It’s been good to combine both jobs as I haveoccasionally been privileged to conduct thefunerals of clients for whom I have acted.”

Mr Cannon will provide wills and probateservices to Applebys’ Bradford and Huddersfieldoffices. Andrew’s a winner twice over

A MEMBER of the corporaterecovery and insolvency team atCleckheaton-based CloughCorporate Solutions has passedkey exams – and won two nationalprizes in the process.

Andrew Waudby (right) not onlypassed the three Joint InsolvencyExamination Board exams, heachieved the highest mark in thepersonal insolvency paper andattained the highest mark overall fora candidate from a smaller-sizedpractice.

The qualification means he cannow apply to become a fullylicensed insolvency practitioner,after which he will be able to handle

a full range of corporate andpersonal insolvency cases includingadministration, liquidation, companyvoluntary arrangements,bankruptcy and individual voluntaryarrangements. He will also help toguide businesses through all typesof possible financing paths.

Mr Waudby, who lives inDrighlington, joined Clough &Company in 2004, where hequalified as a chartered accountantbefore subsequently joining CloughCorporate Solutions in 2009.

He said: “I’ve spent many hoursstudying for the exams and havealso gained vital practicalexperience over the last four years

so I’m delighted that I have beenable to qualify and repay Clough &Company for their supportthroughout my studies.

Chris Wood, head of CloughCorporate Solutions, said: “Passingthe JIEB exams is a majorachievement in itself and to cometop in two areas is fantastic,summing up the level ofdetermination and tenacity thattranslates into all areas of Andrew’swork.

“It also highlights our firm has thetechnical knowledge which togetherwith our well known commercialacumen, allows us to providequality solutions for our clients.”

Secure hold onmonthly awardTHE latest Business of the Month Awardconferred by Huddersfield law firm EatonSmith is certainly in safe hands.

Calder Security has been named winnerof the award, which is run by Eaton Smithin conjunction with the Lockwood-basedMid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce andthe government’s export support armUKTI.

Calder Security was formed in 1976 andsuccessfully built up a locksmith and safebusiness serving the general public.

In 2006, Simon Cook, an engineer at thefirm, bought the company and due to hisleadership, investment in new technologyand improved efficiency increased turnoverby 20% each year – moving much of itsbusiness into the commercial market.

The Wakefield-based company is nowone of the leading security companies inYorkshire, splitting its business equallybetween domestic and commercial custom-ers.

Alison Palmer, partner at Eaton SmithSolicitors, who sits on the judging panel,said: “Calder Security impressed the judgesas it has adapted to the emergence ofelectronic security systems and technology,has ach i eved subs tant ia l g rowthyear-on-year, has established itself as amajor player in the security market and hasmoved into the commercial sector servicinghigh profile companies.

“Calder Security was also commended

for sourcing its employees locally, forrecently obtaining ISO 9001 and for itsambitious plans for the future.”

Eaton Smith hosted a lunch for CalderSecurity where managing director SimonCook met with representatives from thejudging panel and received the award onbehalf of the company.

He said: “We’re delighted to be namedBusiness of the Month. We’re working veryhard to build the business and the successwe’ve had over the last few years is testa-ment to this at a time when many of our

competitors are struggling.“Our objective is to grow the business

even further and we have exciting plans toachieve this over the next year.”

The Business of the Month Award isopen to firms in Calderdale, Kirklees andWakefield.

Each month, a new winner is chosen andall 12 then go through to the annualBusiness of the Year Award in July.

Contact Ian Greenwood at Eaton Smithon 01484 821389.

■ KEYMOMENT: SimonCook (second right),managing directorof Calder Security,receives the awardfrom Alison Palmer(centre), of EatonSmith, at the lawfirm’s offices in HighStreet,Huddersfield,watched by (fromleft) Annie Bradley,of UKTI; DannyMcAllister, ofSimpson Wood; andEllie Lyon, of theMid YorkshireChamber ofCommerce

Olympian effort recognisedFLEET incident management companyFMG has been hailed for helping to keepthe traffic moving during last summer’sLondon Olympics.

Huddersfield-based FMG has received aspecial supplier recognition commendationfrom Highways Agency chief executiveGraham Dalton for its contribution toensuring “the effective management forEngland’s strategic road network” duringlast Summer’s Olympics.

FMG holds the National VehicleRecovery Manager contract for theHighways Agency, overseeing vehiclerecovery and co-ordinating incidentresponses across the motorway and major

roads network in England.During last summer’s event, the

company worked alongside the HighwaysAgency to implement plans aimed atrelieving congestion and coping withincreased traffic volumes. This involvedsetting up additional bases near to venuesand strategic stretches of road so thatrecovery operators could be deployed todeal with incidents at a moment’s notice.

Their efforts ensured that millions ofathletes and fans get to their destinations.

Graham Phillips, head of contracts atFMG, said: “This was a unique challengeand this endorsement from the HighwaysAgency is a real testament to the hard

work of our people.“We set up an additional 19 on-road

support units at strategic locations duringthe games.

“This helped to ensure we were able toassist the Highways Agency in keeping theroads moving at this very important timefor the country.”

“Having to be prepared to change plansat very short notice made the situationeven more demanding.

“Through advanced planning andaccurate prediction of traffic flows, we haveworked with the Highways Agency toensure a safer and smooth runninggames.”

Kirklees Business News 09/04/13

Documents

Transcript of Kirklees Business News 09/04/13