KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees11, December, 2012

INSIDE

● Full story - Page 8

● Full story - Page 6

Financia l c l i f fhangerCo lumn - Page 5

An EXAMINER publication

MarketingmattersTWO Huddersfieldchartered marketershosted a Q&A sessionat a meeting of theKirklees branch of theFederation of SmallBusinesses. AndyEarnshaw and NadioGranata were invited bySarah Gathercole, thenew branch secretary,to lead the debate. Shesaid: “Both Andy andNadio had previouslyhostedmarketing-basedsessions for us andwere requested toreturn by members.”

Joiningthe GiantsBUILDING productsspecialist Myers Grouphas renewed its linkswith HuddersfieldGiants for the 2013season – by featuringits logo on the collar ofthe team’s home andalternative playingshirt. The family-ownedgroup, formed in 1929,first joined forces withthe Giants in 2011. Thegroup has enjoyedstrong growth over theyears in the building,renovation and DIYindustry.

SIMON KAYE

exam

iner

.co.

uk Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

FTSE 100+ 7.235921.63

Web design company is hitting the heightsBUSINESS is really taking off fora Brighouse web design com-pany.

Spacecake, run by husband andwife team Dean and Jill Wilsonfrom their Halifax Road home,has completed a website for Aus-trian luxury aviation VistaJet –specifically to announce its $7.8bnorder for 56 new BombardierGlobal aircraft.

The Brighouse firm was entrus-ted with helping announce thedeal – the single largest transac-tion placed with any aircraft man-ufacturer in the history of businessaviation – to the industry and thewider world.

And it all began with a shoeshop.

Dean explained: “About threeyears ago, someone rang me andasked me to do some searchengine optimisation for a shoeshop in Hipperholme. About amonth later, the same caller rangto thank me because his websitewas on the first page of Google.

The caller turned out to bevice-president of VistaJet – and hisnext assignment saw Spacecakedesigning the website to promotethe multi-billion pound aircraftdeal.

The new aircraft will directlyservice growth markets, includingRussia, China, the Middle Eastand Africa as well as serving theEast and West coast UnitedStates.

Dean attended a number ofmeetings at VistaJet’s Mayfairoffices to iron out the detailsbefore undertaking the project,which took about a month tocomplete. Now Dean is expectingto continue working with VistaJeton other web-based projects.

Spacecake was set up in 1998and mainly carries out work forbusinesses and organisations inthe Huddersfield, Brighouse andBradford areas – ranging from achildren’s nursery to a buildingfirm and motorcycle clothing sup-plier.

Services cover brochure websitedesign, e-ommerce website design,web hosting and internet market-ing.

■ TAKE-OFF: Dean and Jill Wilson of Spacecake,and the website they built for VistaJet

Record orders forkitchens supplierA KITCHEN manufacturer has cre-ated more jobs after reporting recordorders.

Dewsbury-based Rixonway, whichsupplies the social and affordablehousing sector, has lifted output by25% in the past month – providing thecompany with a record November.

The boost in business has promptedthe firm to add an extra shift to itswork pattern and recruit an additional14 staff, including five apprentices, tomeet demand.

Rixonway said it had enjoyed itsbusiest-ever quarter as an increase innew-build developments fuelleddemand in the sector.

The company said confirmation inSeptember that the Governmentwould continue its commitment to thesector and invest £2.1bn of capitalfunding for the Decent Homescatch-up programme had also given aboost to the business – helping toensure Rixonway’s current order bookwill remain strong well beyond2014-15.

Rixonway, which has 485 employ-ees, is one of the biggest manufacturersworking in affordable and social hous-ing in the UK and is the largest privatesector employer in Dewsbury.

The award-winning company hasbeen commended for its apprentice-ship scheme, its environmental creden-tials and a commitment to using localsuppliers.

Chief executive Paul Rose said:“These figures demonstrate that fol-lowing a slow start to the year – largely

due to the economic situation anduncertainty surrounding the changesin Social Housing finance – we are nowseeing a significant increase in orderconfirmations from major new con-tracts across the social and affordablehousing sector.

“In addition to the Decent Homes

programme work, demand is increas-ingly being driven by PFI new-builddevelopments that are now comingonline and we expect this trend tocontinue as the government incentiv-ises councils and landlords to buildnew homes.”

Mr Rose said: “It remains a challen-ging economic climate, but we’verepositioned the business by listeningto our customers and responding tothe changing market conditions.

“Our focus has been to provide thebest service in the sector. This has beenmade possible by constantly investingin our IT infrastructure and designsystems to help improve the overallcustomer experience, primarily byspeeding up ordering and delivery andthis has kept us at the forefront of thesector.”

Since the start of the Decent Homesprogramme in 2002 the company hassupplied in excess of 500,000 kitchensas part of the government’s pro-gramme.

The company, founded in 1978,makes about 12,000 units a week andemploys 485 people at its UKheadquarters and manufacturing siteat Shaw Cross.

■ RIGHT RECIPE: Paul Rose, chief executive of Rixonway Kitchens

GEMMA BLAGBROUGH

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

Focusing on ability

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICES

closed at

Local shares

FTSE

5921.63Up 7.23

closed at

THE Greggs boss who led a suc-cessful campaign against the Gov-ernment’s “pasty tax” earlier thisyear is to step down from the highstreet bakery.

Chief executive Ken McMeikan ral-l i e d c u s t o m e r s w i t h a300,000-strong petition againstplans to charge 20% VAT on its hotpasties and sausage rolls, prompt-ing Chancellor George Osborne tooverturn the tax plans.

Mr McMeikan, who replacedlong-standing Greggs boss SirMichael Darrington in 2008, will takethe job at catering group Brakes.

Shares in Newcastle-basedGreggs – which has shops acrossKirklees and more than 1,600 in theUK – closed down 14p at 472.5p.

Shore Capital analyst Clive Blacksaid: “We cannot hide our disap-pointment for Greggs shareholderson the announcement of MrMcMeikan’s resignation.”

He credited Mr McMeikan withengineering a more efficient supplychain and creating a “fit-for-pur-pose” retail estate, including 28franchise stores in Moto service sta-tions and shops in locations such asbus and train stations.

Greggs boss set to step downONE of the world’s biggest set-topbox manufacturers has revealed it isworking on plans to merge its busi-ness with a Google-owned rival.

Pace, based at Saltaire, has submit-ted a bid for Motorola Home, theinternet giant’s set-top box division.

Shares in Pace, which suppliesboxes to BT, BSkyB and VirginMedia, were suspended yesterday asthe deal would be classed a reversetakeover because of the size of Pacerelative to the business it is eyeing.

It is understood Pace is in competi-tion with US technology businesses

Technicolor and Arris and a handfulof private equity firms, which havealso submitted bids.

Motorola’s cable box business wasacquired by Google as part of a£7.8bn deal announced last year.

Google launched its interactive TVservice for British consumers in Julyin a tie up with electronics giant Sony,a move which saw its interactive TVservice made available outside the USfor the first time.

Earlier this year, Pace was hit whentwo of its key suppliers suffered dis-ruption due to floods in Thailand.

Pace plots set-top merger

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.45 dollarsBangladesh................. 122.23 takaBrazil.............................. 2.97 realsCanada....................... 1.51 dollarsChina ............................. 8.92 yuanCzech Republic ...... 28.74 korunasDenmark....................... 8.81 kroneEuro............................... 1.19 euroHong Kong................ 11.78 dollarsHungary ................... 315.49 forintsIndia.......................... 76.74 rupeesJapan........................... 125.58 yenMexico ....................... 18.32 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.79 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.69 kronePakistan.................. 146.04 rupeesPhilippines ................. 56.15 pesosSouth Africa ................. 13.01 randSouth Korea.............. 1505.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 194.11 rupeesSweden....................... 10.24 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.43 francsTaiwan ...................... 40.69 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.71 new liraUSA ............................ 1.53 dollars

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £35.33 +0.10Gannett 1110.14 -3.73Hess Corp £31.23 +0.31Microsoft 1672.87 +26.63Motors Liquidation 46.67Wal-Mart Stores £44.88 -0.10

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 3643/4 +13/4BAE Systems 3383/4 +3/8Rolls-Royce 8911/2 -5

AIMBrady Plc 1011/2

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 2251/4 +13/4

BANKSBarclays 2491/2 -2HSBC 6411/4 -23/8Lloyds Banking Gp 463/4Ryl Scotland 2973/4 -11/4Stan Chart 14971/2 +12

BEVERAGESDiageo 18861/2 +8SABMiller £277/8 -1/8

CHEMICALSCroda £235/8 +1/4Elementis 98 2343/4 +4Johnsn Mat £245/8 +1/4

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2571/8 -2Costain 2481/2 +1/4

ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 5501/2 -11/2SSE 1432 -1

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 215 -21/2

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 378 -3/4

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 2357/8 +3/4Cable & WirelessComm

361/8 -3/8

Colt Group 971/2 -31/4KCOM 701/8 -1Talktalk Telecom 2191/2 -21/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 268 -11/8Sainsbury 3417/8 -11/4Tesco 336 -3/4

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1506 +21Tate Lyle 769 +10Unilever £241/8 -1/8

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3351/4 -13/4National Grid 7061/2 -1/2Pennon Grp 607 +3Severn 1555 +5United Utils 6851/2 -4

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 2131/2 +3/8ICAP 3001/8 -1/4London StockExch 9841/2 +71/2Man Group 771/4 +35/8Provident Financial 1334 +4

Schroders 1634 -7Schroders NV 1303 -6

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 6431/2 +3REXAM 4491/8 -1Smiths Grp 1132 +1

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 271/2Carphone Whse 1981/2 -21/2Dixons Retail 281/8Home Retail 1301/4 +1/4Inchcape 4361/2 +7/8Kingfisher 2721/4 +1M & S 3921/4 -13/8Mothercare 326 -11/2Next £37WH Smith 654 +3

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 6781/2 +121/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 74 +41/2Barrat Dev 1963/4 -2Persimmon 789 -9Reckitt Benckiser £397/8 +1/4Taylor Wimpey 62 -1

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGI M I 1092 +2

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 2255/8 +1/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 2225/8 +21/8

LIFE INSURANCE

Aviva 3593/4 -65/8Lgl & Gen 1463/8 -5/8Old Mutual 1741/2Prudential 9111/2 +31/2Resolution 2443/8 -1Standard Life 3301/2 +3/8

MEDIABSkyB 7631/2 +2D Mail Tst 537 -4HIBU 1/4ITV 1011/2 -1/4Johnston Press 133/4Pearson 1182 +5Reed Elsevier 6471/2 +1/2STV Group 1021/4Trinity Mirror 931/4 +21/4Utd Business 7401/2 -7UTV 128 -1/4WPP 860 -91/2

MININGAnglo American 18141/2 +31/2Antofagasta 1358 +11BHP Billiton £201/4Eurasian NaturalRes

2761/4 -63/4

Fresnillo 1961 -8Kazakhmys 754 +81/2Lonmin 272 +7Rio Tinto £323/4 +1/4VEDANTARESOURCES

1105 -6

Xstrata 10321/2 -21/2

MOBILE TELECOM SERVICESInmarsat 600Vodafone Group 1611/2 -1/4

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1118 -12RSA Insurance Gp 1217/8 +1/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 10751/2 +71/2BP 4261/8Cairn Energy 2681/4 +21/4Royal Dutch Shell A £21 +1/8Royal Dutch Shell B £213/4 +1/8Total £311/8 +1/4Tullow Oil 1256 +11

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1059 -3Petrofac 1706 +20Wood Gp(J) 775 +11/2

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1316 +11

PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGYAstrazeneca £301/8 +1/8GlaxoSmithK XD 181/2Shire 1918 +18

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 556 +1Captl Shop Cent 3501/4 -1/4Hamrsn 484 +31/8Land Secs 8141/2 +11/2SEGRO 2421/4 -7/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESInvensys 3193/4 -3Sage Group 2921/8 -3

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 583 +11/2Bunzl 1042 +3Capita 754 -51/2De La Rue 927 -91/2Electrocomp 2171/4 +1/4Experian 1041 -10G4S 2491/4 +1/8Hays 783/4 +1/2Homeserve 234 -21/4Menzies J 608 -6Rentokil 933/4 +1/2Smiths News 1591/2 +4Wolseley £281/2

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 759 +5Spirent Comms 1435/8 -11/4

TOBACCO

Br Am Tob £323/4Imperial Tobacco £247/8 -1/8

LEISURE & HOTELS

Bwin.Party Digital 1071/8 -1/4Carnival £241/2 -1/8Compass Grp 735 +6easyJet 738 +6Enterprise Inns 981/4 +43/4FirstGroup 188Go-Ahead Gp 1265 +11Greene King 6271/2 +1/2Intercontl Htls 1654 +4Intl Cons Airl 1705/8 -5/8Ladbrokes 1933/8 -1Mitchells & Butlers 3111/4 -23/4Natl Express 180 +11/8Rank Org 1391/2 -1/8Stagecoach Group 3051/4 -41/4TUI Travel 2841/4 -21/4Whitbread £241/4

INDEXFTSE 100 5921.63 +7.23

INDEXFTSE 250 12178.15 -9.41

Carclo 4383/4 +23/4Marshalls 101 -1/4National Grid 7061/2 -1/2Weir Gp 1813 -22

BA link-upfor airportOFFICIALS at LeedsBradford Airportcelebrated the return ofregular services toHeathrow – and pledgedthe move would bringbenefits to Kirklees andthe wider Leeds CityRegion.

British Airwaysyesterday launched thenew service which seesflour flights a daybetween Leeds Bradfordand Heathrow –providing links forbusiness and leisuretravellers to thesouth-east andconnections to keydestinations in Europe,the USA, India, the FarEast and Australasia.

Airport chief executiveJohn Parkin said: “Thisnew service is asignificant milestone forLeeds Bradford Airportand I urge businesses totake advantage of BritishAirways’ global networkto stimulate furthereconomic growth for theLeeds City Region.”

Airport marketingdirector Tony Hallwoodsaid the airport had beennegotiating to restorelinks to Heathrow eversince BMI ceased tooperate LeedsBradford-Heathrowservices three years agofollowing its takeover byLufthansa.

“It has been right at thetop of the agenda in ourdiscussions with majorcorporations,” he said. “Itprovides access not justto the Home Countiesand the M25 corridor aswell as worldwidemarkets. It should alsoattract inward investmentto the region asbusinesses find thatgetting to West Yorkshireand its market of 3mpeople is now far easier.”

UK Coal digs deepto secure its futureBRITAIN’S biggest coal producer finished a com-plicated reshuffle of its business in a move thatsafeguards 2,500 jobs.

UK Coal, which was renamed Coalfield Resources,has split its operations into two businesses – a miningarm called Mine Holdings and a property divisionHarworth Estates.

Ownership of the South Yorkshire-based grouphas been broken up between the company, a newlyestablished Employee Benefit Trust and the PensionFund.

Under the restructuring, the Pension Fund nowowns 75% of Harworth Estates, which has 30,000acres of land and other property, in return for a £30mcash injection.

The company, which generates about 5% of Bri-tain’s electricity requirements, slumped to a loss in thefirst half of the year as production at its Daw Millmine near Coventry plunged.

Chairman Jonson Cox said: “The restructuring hashelped to safeguard 2,500 highly skilled and well-paidjobs, a skilled supply chain, and created a fundingplan for the £450m pension deficit that UK Coal hasbeen burdened with.”

The group also saw several changes among itsboard of directors as part of the shake-up, including

the appointment of RWE Npower’s chief operatingofficer as chief executive of Mine Holdings.

The group’s other deep mines are at Thoresby inNottinghamshire and Kellingley in North York-shire.

It previously warned it was “unlikely” that Daw

Mill, which employs 800 staff, would continue tooperate beyond early 2014.

Mr Cox said: “This has been a restructuring ofunprecedented scale and complexity for this size ofcompany, dealing with a legacy structure that wasinherited on the privatisation of British Coal in1994.

“I’m delighted that we’ve succeeded in completingit. Without it, it was almost certain that the coalmines would have been unable to trade beyond thefirst quarter of 2013.”

Control of Mine Holdings has passed to a newlyestablished “Employee Benefit Trust”, which holdsshares representing 67% of the voting rights.

Among board changes, finance director DavidBrocksom will step down on December 31, althoughhe will continue to remain available under contractfor some months to ensure a successful transition.

And Owen Michaelson has stepped down as adirector of the company to become the chief executiveof Harworth Estates with immediate effect.

Mr Cox will remain chairman of the company andwill also chair Harworth Estates and shareholdermeetings of the mining business.

■ GEARING UP: UK Coal has announced detailsof a major shake-up intended to secure its future

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

GemmaBlagbrough

JigsawEnterpriseTraining

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: ProprietorAge: 32Holidays: Cruisingaround the Mediter-ranean. I also spent sev-eral weeks in AustraliaFirst job: Selling sta-tionery to customers inmy dad’s pubBest thing about job:The flexibility is gives meand the fact that I canmake my own decisionsWorst thing aboutjob: Because I’m stillworking part-time, theworst thing is time man-agement and trying to pri-oritiseBusiness tip: Ignorethe business books thatsay you can be up andrunning in six weeks.Take your time to put thefundamentals in place.Build a good reputation.

Work: Personal devel-opment and trainingSite: DaltonPhone: 07747 770322Email: info@jigsaw-training.orgWeb: www.jigsaw-training.org

Onepieceat atime

THERE’S no such word as“can’t” according toGemma Blagbrough.

The award-winningDalton businesswomanhas spent much of her lifedemonstrating thatdisability is no obstacle toachieving success.

That success wasrecognised last monthwhen Gemma was namedwinner of the category forStart-Up Business Womanof the Year in the ForwardLadies Women in BusinessAwards.

The award was one ofseveral won byHuddersfieldbusinesswomen in thecompetition run by theYorkshire-basednetworking group.

Now Gemma is set toembark on the next phaseof her career at the helm ofJigsaw Enterprise Training,a social enterprise offeringpersonal development andtraining opportunities toyoung people and adults.

The focus is on peoplewith physical or learningdisabilities and those whowould benefit from a moreinteractive approach – andthe aim is to make traininga fun and interactivelearning experience.

Gemma, who was bornwith cerebral palsy and hasmobility problems, set upJigsaw Enterprise Trainingin January last year toaddress the kind ofemployment and learningbarriers that she faced inher formative years – andhelp other people who mayface such barriers.

The training includesshort taster workshops andfully accredited courses,where participants cangain a qualification througha recognised awardingbody.

Training can be given togroups or one-to-one atvenues such as theChestnut Centre atDeighton or learners’ ownhomes.

The company can helpwith bidding for externalfunding for courses andcan also provideassociates to workalongside any regular orlong-term training suppliersalready in place.

Gemma says: “Thecompany was incorporatedin January, 2011, but it hadbeen in my mind for twoyears.

“I had always struggledwith learning andemployment and that’s whyI set it tup to enable peopleto help people enjoylearning and gain a senseof achievement.”

Despite her disability –and thanks to her motherJanet’s determination –Gemma attendedmainstream schools.

She was a pupil atRawthorpe Infant andJunior School before goingto Newsome High Schooland then on to DewsburyCollege to train as anursery nurse.

She also gainedqualifications in youth andcommunity studies atHuddersfield University.The barriers she facedonly made her more

determined to succeed.“At college, we were

always on the top floor andsometimes the lift wouldbreak down,” says Gemma.“I was often learning on myown as a result. So withJigsaw I wanted to makelearning fully inclusive.”

Gemma recalls the initialresistance she met whenshe said she wanted tobecome a nursery nurse.

“No one with a disabilityhad done childcare before,”she says. “But it neverentered my head NOT to doit because I had wanted todo it since I was six.Nursery nursing was myfirst love and I worked as anursery nurse in a numberof nurseries linked toschools for several years.

“Later, I was employed bythe Careers Service as aConnexions worker, whichinvolved working eveningsand weekends and thatbecame really difficult. Itwas then that I beganthinking about having myown business and how thatwould give me more control

and flexibility. I found apart-time job I really likedand began to set up Jigsaw.I still have the part-time jobto help bring in funds,although Jigsaw is startingto make some money, too.”

Gemma says: “Jigsaw isall about personaldevelopment, workpreparation and disabilityawareness. It’s aboutconfidence building,assertiveness, managingemotions, work preparation,CV writing, interview skillsand goal setting.

“There are also disabilityawareness classes fornon-disabled people.”

She says: “In thebeginning, I thought it wouldbe an extension of my youthwork, but I have beenworking with a lot of adultswho are low in confidenceor have been maderedundant or want tochange career. You need acertain set of skills workingwith young people and Iwork interactively, whichtook some of the adultlearners by surprise. Theywere used to boringseminars where you fallasleep at the back of theroom!”

Gemma is alsoconsidering extending intoone-to-one coaching onlineand coaching by email andtelephone.

And she is keen topromote the cause ofdisabled people inmainstream jobs, saying:“Many employers will dowhat they have to do‘legally’ but do not alwaysunderstand the value ofhaving a disabled employee.

“Running disabilityawareness courses foremployers is something Iplan to expand in the newyear. My ambition is to gettogether a group oflike-minded employers who

are able to see past thedisability.

“Employers are oftenworried about the extracost of employingsomeone with adisability, but that is a bitof a myth because thereare schemes out there tohelp. They are alsoconcerned aboutsickness and absence,but disabled people arevery unlikely to be offsick.

“Disabled employeesare also very loyal andwhile they may not beable to do 10% of things,it doesn’t mean theycan’t do the other 90%.”

Gemma recalls:“When I wanted to dochildcare, three collegeswould not have me. Theycame up with the ‘healthand safety’ excuse.

“I want to beresponsible for changingattitudes as much aspossible. I can’t changethe world, but I hope Ican be a role model.”

Gemma recalls: “Myfirst real job was in anursery as part of mywork experience.

“I went on to work at aschool in Dewsbury,where the headteacherwas in a wheelchair andshe was my inspiration.

“I worked for threedifferent primary schoolsas a classroom assistantbefore moving into youthwork.”

But she says: “Myfamily have been mybiggest supporters.

“We didn’t get pocketmoney when we werekids unless we earned it.

“My father, who has apub in Halifax, helpedme set up my first‘business’ when I was12. I went around hiscustomers – using my

sister as the cute one –and sold stationery.

“Eventually, my fatherstopped me because itwas turning into a realbusiness and he wasafraid the taxman wouldbe after me!

“My mother wasinstrumental in ensuring Ihad mainstream schooling.She felt very strongly thatwith support I couldmanage.

“And there’s nothing likekids in the playground fortoughening you up!”

Gemma’s certainly“toughened up” in her roleat Jigsaw, where sheworks with co-directorRuth Sharp.

“Running your ownbusiness gives youautonomy – and I am quiteambitious,” she says.

“Every decision is yours,which is scary, but it isexciting as well. When Iget to the stage where I’mmanaging my own staff –now that will befrightening!”

■ CAN-DO: GemmaBlagbrough, of Dalton-basedJigsaw Enterprise Training

Who will be the nextBusiness of the Month?If you are proud of what your business has achieved;why not tell us about your success storyand you could be a winner of ourprestigious award.

For further details please contact:Ian Greenwood, Eaton Smith Solicitors,14 High Street, Huddersfield HD1 2HA

T: 01484 821389 E: iangreenwood@eatonsmith.co.uk

Business Of The Month Awards - Rewarding Success Since 1995

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

RISKYBUSINESSKevin Barrett

Kevin Barrett is risk management consultant at Wilby Ltd

Kirklees Collegegets the answersSTAFF at Kirklees College have beenworking with a Huddersfield marketingagency to help students make the bestchoices of course.

Ask Insight, based at the MediaCentre, has helped the college develop acreative research tool for students toprofile their lifestyles through a series ofonline activities.

The new tool, called 8 Doors, aims tofind out about the types of students thatstudy particular courses at the collegeto help target marketing and courserecommendation.

Each of the college’s 2012-13 applic-ants was invited to complete an onlineprofiling tool, which went live inAugust and was promoted at enrolmentevents and through social media.

From more than 100 responses, onestudent was selected to represent eachcourse area in the prospectus, whichlists the full-time courses available atthe college and was launched this weekwith a special event which celebratedthe students featured.

College engineering apprentice JamieGledhill, 18, of Slaithwaite, won anApple iPad for his detailed 8 Doorsprofile.

The prize was presented to him at thelaunch event by Jane Roper, director ofmarketing, communications and publicrelations at the college.

Michael Bennett, head of marketingand PR at the college, said: “We want toexplore the type of students who makeup our student body, why they choose aspecific course and find out if there areany trends or patterns.

“We live in a world where peoplewant to be seen as individuals. This isespecially true for young people whoare constantly sharing what they’re

doing, what they think and what they’reinterested in online.”

Ask Insight director Susan Kenyonsaid: “8 Doors is a creative research toolwhich allows students to profile theirlifestyles through a series of onlineactivities which delivers valuableinsight.

“We are delighted that our jointcollaboration with the college has resul-ted in useful insight which is being used

to promote their courses in the pro-spectus.

“As an agency, we are specialists inthe 14-19 education sector and we areproud to have worked with KirkleesCollege on their benchmarkingresearch for the last four years whichhas formed a strategic partnership.”

8 Doors got its name from the eightdoors on the homepage which representthe eight course areas.

■ PRIZEWINNER: Engineering apprentice Jamie Gledhill with Laura Rogers(left), marketing communications manager for Ask Insight, and Jane Roper,director of marketing, communications and public relations at Kirklees College

Staying safe at the wheelAS the temperature has now hit

freezing and the gritters areout on the road it's important thatanyone who drives on behalf ofyour business is well prepared.

Employers are responsible for thesafety of employees when driving oncompany business, whether in a com-pany vehicle or a private car.

Surveys indicate that drivers of com-pany vehicles are less well prepared forwinter driving than drivers of privatecars, which is a warning to fleet man-agers to spread the word – be pre-pared.

Drivers should be prepared as far aspossible for the hazards associated withwinter driving.

Ideally, journeys should be avoidedin bad weather but if travel by road isnecessary, some reasonable precau-tions should be taken:

● Check traffic information andweather bulletins for advance warnings

of trouble along the route● Plan your route to avoid exposed

routes or steep country lanes. Leaveyourself plenty of time to avoid rushingand make sure someone knows yourroute and your expected arrival time

● Make sure your vehicle is fit for thejourney. Tyres should be properlyinflated and have at least 3mm treaddepth to be safe in wet or icy condi-tions. All lights should be working asshould windscreen wipers, de-misters,etc

● All windows and mirrors should

be unobstructed by ice or snow beforestarting off

● The vehicle should be regularlyserviced with anti-freeze in the radiatorand a winter additive in the windscreenwash

● The vehicle should carry a basicemergency kit containing as a min-imum de-icer and scraper, warning tri-angle in the event of a breakdown,mobile phone, torch, warm clothes,boots, blanket, a first aid kit, food anddrink and a spade.

China is newyear destinationA BATLEY-based bpromoting trading links with Chinawill be getting the new yflying start.ConnectChina Ltd is leading a trmission to Hong Kfrom January 13 to 20 with thesupport of UK Trade & InConnectChina spokLavan said: “China ofopportunities for companiesor small, across the full rsectors for goods and ser“This trade visit will intrcompanies to doing bHong Kong as the gand mainland China itselfParticipants on the trfeature companies frsectors and will incalready doing business with Chinawho want to strengthenrelationships and companies gout for the first time to rmarket and identify opporSaid Jo: “With one of the most openand business-friendly enin the world, Hong Kexcellent opportunities fcompanies.“Hong Kong is a major centrBritish business in the rthe UK's second largest markAsia, behind China. Not only isHong Kong an attractiits own right and a springboarto the mainland China markalso an ideal base foperations.”UK goods exports to Chinaincreased by 21.4% fr2011 and China rose frseventh place in termost important exporgoods export volumeShanghai, with its popula19m, is the largest porand the industrial, trfinancial centre of China.The trade visit packabusiness meetings specific to eaccompany in both citiesaccommodation and full supporbefore, during and after the visit.

Crisis over rawmaterial costsMORE than one in fbusinesses – equifirms – are considering cuttingcosts to cater for the rising costs ofraw materials, accorresearch commissioned bycommercial insurer NIGLarger firms are being hit harwith 46% of those with an annturnover exceeding £20m actilooking to offset rising rcosts by making reductions inother areas of the bSome 6% of businesses in the UK,equivalent to 109,000 firthat the rising prices of rmaterials means thanot be adequately insurtheft given the extrcosts to replace stock. The samenumber also admit thanot be adequately insurdamage such as firCourt of ProtectionCharitiesFinancial AdvisersInternationalIndividuals

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CITYTALKSimon Kaye

Avoiding the‘Fiscal Cliff’WITH the leadership trans-

ition in China now com-pleted and Greece’s position inthe eurozone finally assured, atleast in the near-term, the“Fiscal Cliff” issue in the US isset to stand out as the keyfocus for financial marketsbetween now and year-end.

Indeed, there is plenty at stake –the failure of Republicans andDemocrats to compromise on a dealwould almost certainly send the USeconomy back into recession nextyear, which would have inevitableand significant repercussions world-wide.

Global equity markets haveexpressed their worry, with recentweakness apparent, although theyremain over 10% higher on a totalreturn basis in the year-to-date.

Overall, we remain hopeful thatUS policymakers will find a resolu-tion and that this will allow investorsto focus on what we see as a fairlyencouraging macroeconomic out-look for 2013, which should ulti-mately prove positive for “riskassets”.

There is no question that the levelof systemic risk posed by the euro-zone crisis has fallen dramaticallysince the summer months. Throughtheir OMT – Outright MonetaryTransactions programme – theEuropean Central Bank has finallytaken on the role of lender of lastresort for troubled nations, whichhas helped to bring governmentbond yields lower in countries suchas Spain and Italy.

Policymakers have also removedthe possibility of an immediateGreek exit from the eurozone, byrecently agreeing to disburse 44bneuros in much-needed funding. The500bn euros European StabilityMechanism fund is also now in placeand it has been agreed that a movetowards a Banking Union should becompleted by the end of next year.

Overall, it seems that Europeanshave now convinced the markets thatthey understand the risks associatedwith the debt crisis and are willing toact accordingly.

Nevertheless, the macroeconomicand fiscal outlook for the regioncontinues to remain somewhat of aconcern and this is likely to remainthe case going into 2013. The euro-zone economy fell back into reces-sion in the third quarter of this year,unemployment is at a record high(11.7%) and political risks remainhigh – indeed, with regards to thelatter, there has been increasing dis-content from various Spanishregions towards Madrid (includingCatalonia, the most significantSpanish region by GDP) and Italy

goes to the polls next spring.Despite heightened political

uncertainty in the US over the lastfew months, due to the Presidentialpolls and the “Fiscal Cliff” issue,economic news from the US hasremained encouraging – forexample, third quarter GDP rose by2.7%, the fastest pace since the lastquarter of 2011.

The labour market also continuesto improve – the unemployment ratehas now fallen to 7.9%, which isclose to multi-year lows and recentdata suggests that this is now beingdriven by job creation, rather than adecline in the overall workforce.

The housing market, the initialcause of the credit-crunch, alsoappears to have turned a corner –record low mortgage rates, a signific-ant fall in inventory levels (back tothe long-term average), risingemployment levels and improvingcredit conditions, have all providedsupport to house prices, which are5-10% higher on an annualised basis.Rising house prices will help to bringa number of individuals out of neg-ative equity (about 25% of UShomeowners are currently in thisposition), which should qualifythem to re-mortgage at lower rates,thus helping to further boost con-sumption going forwards, ultimatelythe key driver for the US economy.

We would note that one currentarea of weakness in the US economyhas been business investment, whichhas steadily declined in recentmonths. However, it is hoped thatthis trend could swiftly reverse nextyear, once the “Fiscal Cliff” isresolved, which would further sup-port growth.

Meanwhile, monetary policy inthe US is likely to remain extremelyaccommodative, with another roundof Quantitative Easing likely beforeyear-end, to replace “OperationTwist”.

On the political front however, thepolicy outlook is far less clear, des-pite the recent re-appointment ofPresident Obama. Indeed, the threatof another recession is very real inthe US if the Democrats (who con-trol the Senate) and the Republicans(who control the House of Repres-entatives) fail to steer clear of the“Fiscal Cliff” by year-end, whichcould result in a potential fiscalcontraction in 2013 of about 4.5% ofGDP.

Although we believe that some

form of compromise will be formed(both parties agree that somere-assessment of planned spendingcuts is needed and that the poten-tially expiring tax benefits, to a cer-tain degree, will need to beextended), it is difficult to predict thecomposition of the fiscal packagewhich could emerge, although weanticipate that the level of austeritynext year will ultimately be morethan manageable for the economy.

Some fears of a slowdown inChina have proven to some extentjustified, with the economy this yearset to grow at its slowest rate since1999.

Nevertheless, although the eco-nomy has clearly slowed, China isstill very likely to remain the keydriver for global growth going for-wards.

Late payers‘hitting region’LARGE companies are squeezing the lifebloodout of the Yorkshire economy by failing to paytheir suppliers promptly, it is claimed.A new study by invoice finance provider BibbyFinancial Services, which has regional officesin Cleckheaton, found the trading performanceof small businesses in the region is beinghampered as between 20% to 30% of their salesledger is overdue at any given time.Some 39% of firms in Yorkshire say thesituation is so bad that it is squeezing cashflow and reducing opportunities for growth.Some 58% of firms consider late payment to bea major challenge for their business.The survey said that for most smallerbusinesses, payment is rarely received on time– with 28% of owners and managers inYorkshire having to wait up to a month past theinvoice due date before getting their money.In addition, 21% say they spend one day amonth pursuing outstanding invoices –affecting productivity, performance and growthprospects.Bibby said the findings supported DavidCameron’s argument that up to £20bn infunding could be made available to smallbusiness if leading UK firms improved cashflow in their supply chain by joining up to theGovernment’s new supply chain financescheme.Mark Storey, spokesman for Bibby FinancialServices in Yorkshire said the wealth andpower of larger organisations should be usedto support smaller businesses in Yorkshirealong the supply chain.”

China is newyear destination

-based businessading links with China

will be getting the new year off to a

ConnectChina Ltd is leading a trademission to Hong Kong and China

y 13 to 20 with theade & Investments.

ConnectChina spokeswoman Joan said: “China offers many

or companies, largeoss the full range ofoods and services.

ade visit will introducecompanies to doing business in

ong as the gateway to Chinaand mainland China itself.”

ticipants on the trade trip wille companies from a variety ofs and will include firms

usiness with Chinaengthen

tionships and companies goingst time to research the

et and identify opportunities.o: “With one of the most openusiness-friendly environments

orld, Hong Kong offerstunities for UK

ong is a major centre forusiness in the region. It is

the UK's second largest market inAsia, behind China. Not only is

ttractive market inits own right and a springboard into the mainland China market, it isalso an ideal base for regional

ts to Chinaeased by 21.4% from 2010 to

ose from ninth toenth place in terms of the UK's

xport markets byolume.

Shanghai, with its population of19m, is the largest port in the worldand the industrial, trade and

e of China.ade visit package will include

usiness meetings specific to eachcompany in both cities, travel and

tion and full support, during and after the visit.

Crisis over rawmaterial costsMORE than one in four UK

usinesses – equivalent to 480,000e considering cutting

or the rising costs of, according to

h commissioned byer NIG.

e being hit harder,with 46% of those with an annual

ceeding £20m activelyfset rising raw material

costs by making reductions ineas of the business.

usinesses in the UK,alent to 109,000 firms, admit

t the rising prices of rawterials means that they might

tely insured againstxtra, unaccounted

eplace stock. The sameumber also admit that they might

tely insured againsth as fire or flooding.

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

Demand strongfor Grade A sitesDEMAND is improving for top-quality busi-ness space, a report has revealed.

The latest Property Times UK IndustrialReport, which covered the market for proper-ties exceeding 50,000sq ft said take-up ofgrade A space rose by almost 7% in the thirdquarter of 2012 – the first quarter-on-quarterrise for nearly 18 months. As a result of stronggrade A take-up, the availability of primespace fell by nearly 7% to 15m sq ft.

Overall, take-up in the quarter fell by 30%to 5.6m sq ft across 44 deals, the lowest levelsince the first quarter of 2099 – reflectingoccupiers’ preference for the best buildings.Total availability rose by 1.3% to 142m sq ft –the first quarter-on-quarter rise in nearly twoyears – as a number of secondary units cameto the market across the UK.

The report found that many occupiers haveturned their attentions to freehold and lease-hold build-to-suit deals in order to satisfytheir requirements due to a lack of suitablegrade A stock. As a result, bespoke take-uprose by 54% to 1.2m sq ft, accounting for 22%of total take-up.

DTZ Research also found that the profile ofoccupiers had changed considerably from thethird quarter of last year – with retail demandfalling from 51% to 10% while demand frommanufacturing increased by 41%. However,the reduction in take-up by retailers is expec-ted to bounce back over the forthcomingquarters.

Regional proportions of grade A space

remain at historically low levels, with over halfthe regions’ grade A space constituting lessthan 10% of total availability. The North Westand North East retained their status as theregions with the lowest amount of availablegrade A space.

Mike Baugh, director of industrial agencyfor DTZ in West Yorkshire, said: “Q3 has seenan encouraging increase in Grade A take upwith two excellent deals for the Barnsleyarea.

“With further deals likely to complete inQ4, supply of existing large warehouse spacein the Yorkshire region will reduce to below3m sq ft – circa 75% of which is in the SouthYorkshire region.”

In Yorkshire, take-up comprised two gradeA lettings in Barnsley totalling 360,000sq ft.Ellbee took 205,000sq ft at Nexus 36 andGalpharm Pharmaceuticals took 155,000sq ftat Elmhirst Park.

Grade A availability in the region fell to3.4m sq ft, the majority of which is splitbetween South and West Yorkshire. As mostenquiries are focused in West Yorkshire, par-ticularly around the M62 corridor, occupiersare turning to grade B stock to satisfy theirrequirements.

Industrial investment volumes fell in Q3 to£435m across 38 transactions, which is nearly50% below average and the lowest volume fortwo and a half years. ■ ENCOURAGING: Mike Baugh, director of

DTZ's industrial agency in West Yorkshire

Town’s office dealHUDDERSFIELD Town has teamed upwith new Academy sponsors CompleteOffice Solutions.They have launched an initiative to helpbusinesses make savings on their officesupplies - with any company making aninitial order to the value of £50 or overreceiving two free passes to the club’sLewis James Suite for an npowerChampionship home match.

Giants collared by Myers

■ NAME CHECK: Giants player Jermaine McGillvary with Myers Groupsales manager Andy Hoarty (centre) and Giants commercial manager PaulCribb

BUILDING products specialist MyersGroup has renewed its links withHuddersfield Giants for the 2013season – by featuring its logo on thecollar of the team’s home andalternative playing shirt.

The family-owned Myers Groupfirst joined forces with the Giants in2011. The Huddersfield-based group,formed in 1929, has enjoyed stronggrowth over the years in the building,renovation and DIY industry.

The companies within the group –Readymix, Naylor Myers, JohnsonsWellfield Quarries, Myers Build & DIY,Boards Timber and HSH Skip Hire –together employ 335 people and areheavily engaged with the localcommunity while supporting manycharitable events and local projects.

The Giants will work closely withMyers Group to create great activitiesfor fans to enjoy on match days, whileMyers Group will continue to engagewith the Claret and Gold faithful.

A spokeswoman for Myers Groupsaid: “We do our very best to supportthe local community whereverpossible. We have a strongassociation with the John Smith’sStadium, being major suppliers ofbuilding materials – specificallyready-mixed concrete – during thestadium’s construction in 1994.

“Our association with HuddersfieldGiants is very important to us and wehad no hesitation in renewing ourpartnership for a second term, wevery much look forward to supportingthe team and engaging with local fans

throughout the forthcoming season”.Huddersfield Giants commercial

manager Paul Cribb said: “We haveworked very closely with our partnersMyers Group to create some greatactivities for our fans to enjoy over thepast year and a half.

“These have included the extremelypopular Beach Week which has justcelebrated its second year inGreenhead Park.”

Said Mr Cribb: “It’s always great to

work with Myers because theydefinitely understand how to engagewith the local community as they arestill a family owned business withtheir roots firmly in Kirklees.

“It’s fantastic Myers Group arecontinuing their support of the Giantsfor the 2013 season and we urge theClaret and Gold fans to reciprocatethis support with Myers and all ourcommercial partners.”

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 7

Osborne misses outCHANCELLOR George Osborne has missed anopportunity to boost growth, cut carbon emissionsand reduce householders’ fuel bills by failing tosupport energy efficiency in the home in hisAutumn Statement, it is claimed.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation ofMaster Builders, said: “The Chancellor should havetaken the opportunity to support the Government’sown Green Deal energy-efficiency initiative byintroducing more incentives, including a lower rateof VAT on housing repair, maintenance andimprovement work to encourage homeowners totake advantage of the Green Deal.

“Local building companies are best placed forthis type of work, but are reluctant to jump throughthe hoops involved without stronger marketdemand.”

He said: “The £5bn for capital investment isgood news and clearly shows the Governmentrecognises the positive impact a growingconstruction sector has on the economy. However,the Chancellor should have done more beyond themeasures to support 120,000 new homes alreadyannounced. That is just half the number of newhomes needed each year to meet currentdemand.”

Meanwhile, property agency Lambert SmithHampton said the Government had not gone farenough with a ruling that all newly built commercialproperty completed between 1 October 2013 and30 September 2016 will be exempt from emptyproperty rates for the first 18 months, up to thestate aids limit and subject to consultation.

■ HOME TRUTHS: GeorgeOsborne should have done more”

Opticiansgets wholenew look

■ SIGHT PLAN: Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney (right) with Moinand Rachel Valli at the opening of the Meltham opticians

Companies still keen to investPROPERTY businesses in Yorkshire havevoiced strong investment intentions for thenew year.

A survey by Lloyds TSB Commercial foundthat 62% reported a commitment to maintainfinancial investments over the next three tosix months.

But the bank’s latest Property Mattersreport also found that small to medium-sizedproperty businesses in Yorkshire continue toface challenges across the sector, including alack of confidence over issues such as localplanning policy, which are hitting investment.

Businesses in Yorkshire reported a netimprovement from minus 11.8 to plus 1 inconfidence in the region – contrasting with thenational average which stands at minus 10.

Three quarters of small and medium-sized

businesses in Yorkshire expect no shift invalues over the next three to six months,compared with 64% nationally.

Residential lettings are set to remainstrong, with 37% of Yorkshire SMEspredicting that the market will prosper overthe coming three to six months. Thiscompares with 45% of all SMEs nationally.

Of these businesses, 59% of the region’sresidential property businesses said theywere expecting to see strong performance inresidential lettings, compared to 40% ofcommercial operators.

More emphasis is also set to be placed onhouse build opportunities, with 40% ofcommercial businesses in Yorkshire planningto focus on this area of the market, comparedwith 31% of all SMEs nationally.

Ken Davies, relationship director for LloydsTSB Commercial in Yorkshire, said: “Itcontinues to be a challenging time for thoseoperating in the property sector in Yorkshire.

“It is welcome news that 62% of SMEs inthe region plan to maintain their financialcommitment over the next three to sixmonths. The commercial sector andoperators in residential also revealed anintention to invest for the future.

“SMEs continue to cite the challenging UKeconomy and local planning policy issues asinfluencing their decisions to invest.

“We continue to work closely with ourcustomers and have a team of dedicatedproperty managers focused on supportingand advising businesses operating in theresidential and commercial sectors.”

THERE was a Christmas themeto the re-opening of a Melthamopticians.Guests at the launch of ValliOpticians’ Meltham practiceenjoyed mince pies and mulledwine as Colne Valley MP JasonMcCartney cut the ribbon. Thecelebrations also coincidedwith Meltham village’sChristmas lights switch-on.Throughout November, theHampshire Opticians practicesin Lockwood, Meltham andHonley have been undergoinga transformation – rebrandedunder the Valli Opticians name– and the premises atHuddersfield Road, Meltham,have undergone extensiverefurbishment.The Hampshire practices havebeen part of the Valli Group ofindependent opticians since2005 when husband and wifeteam Moin and Rachel Vallipurchased them.Moin, who was named YoungBusiness Person of the Year inthe Examiner Business Awards

2012, said: “Along with ourteam, we are passionate aboutproviding state of the artequipment to make sure ourpatients receive the bestpossible care.“During November ourMeltham practice closed fortwo weeks to undergo acomprehensive refurbishmentprogramme. It re-opened onNovember 26 when all theHampshire Opticians practiceswere renamed Valli Opticians.”Mr McCartney said: “I metMoin at the Examiner BusinessAwards. I was immediatelyimpressed by his dedication tohis patients, his passion forthe area and his ambitions togrow the business andcontinue providing top qualityeye care for our localcommunity.”There are seven opticalpractices in the Valli Groupportfolio, including therecently-acquired MamtoraOpticians in Hebden Bridge.

Picture brightensfor estate agentsBUYER interest grew across Yorkshire andHumber last month, says the latest RICShousing market survey.

Enquiries from would-be buyers saw arise in the region during November andhave remained in positive territory for twoconsecutive months.

Meanwhile, the number of homescoming up for sale remained fairly flatduring November.

The RICS said the sector was nowhoping that the government’s recentannouncement of funding to free up landfor development in England will have thedesired impact and increase availability.

Yorkshire chartered surveyors reporteda modest fall in house prices – with a netbalance of 29% more RICS membersseeing falling prices during November.

Across the UK, London was again theonly part of the country to see pricesincrease, with surveyors in the capitalreporting a net balance of plus 40%.

Northern Ireland and Wales experiencedthe most significant drops withrespondents in those areas reporting netbalances of minus 49% and minus 36%respectively.

Yorkshire’s chartered surveyors saidthey were optimistic that activity levelsshould hold firm – with 4% morerespondents expecting sales to increaserather than decrease over the comingthree months.

RICS regional residential spokespersonBruce Collinson said: “There is certainlysome optimism creeping back into thehousing market and it is encouraging tosee an increase in enquiries from potentialbuyers, which will hopefully result in salesincreasing next year.

“That said; there is still a way to go untilwe see significant improvement in thehousing market, and the barriers to homeownership are still very much a problemfor the likes of first time buyers.

“We have had encouraging sales resultsduring the last quarter of the year, butthere’s a slight shortage of saleable stockand a strong sense that if there was moresupply of better quality and pricedproperty, we could sell more.”

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Let them eat cakeA FURNITURE store celebrated its first year tradingin Huddersfield with cakes all round.

Staff at the DFS store at Phoenix Retail Park, helda day of celebrations – with local Kirklees councillorsand customers among those invited to join in.

Store manager Jayson Boocker said: “I can’tbelieve how quickly a year has passed. It’s been agreat adventure and I would like to say a thank youto everyone who has passed through our doors.”

Laying claim to a prize

A CLAIMS management firm based inHuddersfield has landed a nationalaward.

First4Lawyers, which has its headoffice in Dundas Street, was namedClaims Management Company of theYear at the Personal Injury Awards2012 in London.

The awards, run in conjunction withClaims Magazine, celebrate excellencein the personal injury claims sector andprovide an opportunity to applaud highstandards of practice by organisationsworking in this field.

The judges said First4lawyers hadaided numerous clients to gain accessto justice in an innovative and ethicalmanner, while striving to raise industry

standards. It praised the firm’s“rigorous” false claim vetting processand “exceptional” panel of law firms.

First4Lawyers is one of the UK’sleading personal injury claimsspecialists. Formed in 2008, thecompany has grown to now representmore than 40 of the UK’s mostrespected law firms.

Chris Rodgers, head of businessdevelopment, said: “It’s a real accoladeto be named Claims ManagementCompany of the Year. This award isrecognition of the hard work anddedication of the entire First4Lawyersteam – from our claims advisers to ourexcellent panel of solicitors.”

Question timefor marketers!HUDDERSFIELD-based chartered marketershosted a marketing-based question-and-answersession at a meeting of the Kirklees branch of theFederation of Small Businesses.

Andy Earnshaw and Nadio Granata wereinvited by Sarah Gathercole, the new branchsecretary, to lead the debate.

She said: “Both Andy and Nadio had previ-ously hosted marketing-based sessions for usand were requested to return by members, asmany small business challenges are market-ing-based and these guys really know theirstuff.”

Attendees included specialists from sectorsincluding accountancy, internet marketing,social media, agricultural contracting, literacy,contract cleaning, window blinds, secretarialservices and radio advertising.

Branch chairman Alex Mullen said: “Theseguys mix knowledge, experience and humourwhich keeps everyone engaged; in fact the ses-sion ran over by 25 minutes but no-one real-ised.

“It’s monthly meetings like this that will enticemore and more members to regularly attend andit really adds value to FSB membership, aseveryone could start work the following morningand implement Andy and Nadio’s advice.”

For further information on the FSB contactcall Sarah Gathercole on 01484 818783

Steve Lindsay

Orchard EnergyORCHARD Energy hasexpanded its energy solutionsdivision with the appointment oftechnical sales manager SteveLindsay (pictured).

Managing director GarethHenderson said theappointment had been made inresponse to increased demandfor energy efficiency adviceand auditing from businesses looking to reducecosts and cut carbon emissions.

He said: “Steve’s role will be to work withorganisations with an annual gas and electricityspend of £50,000 or more to find ways ofreducing their energy bills.

“An important part of this process will be tounderstand their budgets and their businesspriorities to find solutions that will produce thereturn on investment they need in line withspecific timescales and business needs.”

Orchard’s energy solutions team currentlyworks with more than 1,300 large public andprivate sector organisations and many smallerfirms on energy efficiency planning andenvironmental performance.

Orchard Energy has its UK headquarters inElland and has offices in Bradford, Glasgow,Cardiff, Bristol and Newcastle. New officeopenings are planned for Surrey andNorthampton in 2013.

■ QUIZMASTERS: Andrew Earnshaw (left) and Nadio Granata (right) with FSBKirklees branch chairman Alex Mullen

Alan Young, David Maybury, Darren Owers,Dan Rosinke, Cath Worsley & Paul Grace

Yorkshire BankYORKSHIRE Bank has announced a newleadership team for its eastern region, whichcovers Kirklees.

Alan Young has been appointed regionaldirector for the region. Mr Young has been withClydesdale and Yorkshire Bank for 37 years,most recently in New Zealand.

He will lead a team responsible for YorkshireBank’s Business and Private Banking Centres inNewcastle, Stockton, York, Hull, Bradford,Doncaster, Sheffield and Lincoln, as well as theregional hub in Leeds – all with access toYorkshire Bank’s £1bn Business ExpansionFund.

David Maybury has been appointed as head ofthe regional hub at the Business and PrivateBanking Centre in Leeds with Darren Owersbecoming head of commercial and smallbusiness banking for businesses with an annualturnover up to £25m; Dan Rosinke, head ofcorporate banking for businesses with an annualturnover of more than £25m; Cath Worsley, headof private banking; and Paul Grace, head ofbusiness development.

■ ACCOLADE: Chris Rodgers, head of business development at First4Lawyers,with colleagues and the award

Cool resultfor FionaA CLECKHEATONcompany run by amother of two hasbeen hailed as one ofthe UK’s top start-ups.

Children’s skincareproducts firmNaturally Cool Kids,founded by FionaWood (right), won theMumpreneur of theYear category in theStartups Awards2012.

The awards were presented at theKensington Roof Gardens in London beforean audience of more than 130 leadingbusiness figures.

The competition, which is organised byStartups.co.uk, celebrates the success ofbusinesses in the UK that have been tradingfor less than three years.

Duncan Bannatyne led the judging panelalongside a number of other highlysuccessful entrepreneurs and businessexperts.

Business journalist and entrepreneurAdrienne Lawler presented 15 awards to thewinning companies and individuals.

It’s the latest accolade for Fiona, who wasnamed regional winner of the Take OneSmall Step competition run by BarclaysBusiness in 2010 and reached the 2011finals of The Mumpreneur Awards – anannual contest to celebrate parents whomanage the difficult task of juggling businesswith family life – run by Mumpreneur UK, asupport network for mums in business.

Fiona was also shortlisted in the in thethird annual Forward Ladies Women inBusiness Awards earlier this year.