KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees12, March, 2013

INSIDE

● Full story - Page 7

I s Facebook fading?Co lumn - Page 4

An EXAMINER publication

DrivingaheadA FIRM layingdriveways and patiosaims to go one betterthis year. Drivewaysand Patios, based atRastrick, is through tothe national final of anannual competition runby Birkby-basedpaving supplierMarshalls PLC for itsregistered installers.Driveways and Patioswon one regionalaward in 2011 and tworegional titles last year.Now the firm, run byfather and son Chrisand Adam Hallinan,hopes to go one betterby winning an award atthe national final.

HighereducationFIRMS in Kirklees areamong constructionsector employers tosign up for a schemegiving their apprenticesuniversity-levelwork-based training.Almost 40 firms havepledged to back theHigher LevelApprenticeship inConstruction and BuiltEnvironment(Sustainability) course,which is now beingoffered at 17 colleges,including LeedsCollege of Building –one of the first to offerthe course.

ANDREW FIRTH

exam

iner

.co.

uk Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

FTSE 100+20.056503.63

DAVID DENTON

I n te r v i ew - Page 3

● Full story - Page 6

‘Let’s make moreof manufacturing’MANUFACTURING has the poten-tial to deliver huge benefits to theeconomies of Kirklees and Calderdale,it is claimed.

But the image of manufacturingmust be improved if the sector is torecruit more of the science, technologyand engineering graduates who are keyto its future.

The call to back businesses thatmake things comes from the Calder-dale and Kirklees Manufacturing Alli-ance at a time when economic datapaints a gloomy picture for the UK.

CKMA chairman Gary Jones said:“Latest reports argue that overallquality of life could stagnate for thenext 10 years. Income per head in theUK has fallen 13% since 2008; ourannual output is no higher than it wasat the start of 2007 and British manu-facturing has just had the worst 12months’ period since 2008 with a con-tinuing contraction of output andreduction in new orders.

“Yet despite the doom-and-gloom,we do have key assets in our localeconomy – a strong manufacturingpast and a dynamic present.

“Manufacturing is crucially import-ant to our area and nationally.

“Over 40,000 people are directlyemployed by well over 2,000 businessesin the sector locally with thousandsmore dependent on it – twice thenational average.

“And rather than being seen as adoddery old uncle confined, in histwilight years, to the protective care ofloving relatives, manufacturing has thepotential to deliver huge benefits.From research, design, production,

logistics and distribution, sales andmarketing and after-sales service,manufacturing is a succession ofvalue-adding activities.”

He said: “Manufacturing is stillresponsible for the majority of theUK’s innovations, exports and bet-ter-paid jobs.

“Many of the jobs that remain onthe factory floor now require a higherlevel and broader range of skills.

“Manufacturing is at the forefrontof helping to grow a ‘cleaner, greener’economy and society.”

He said new materials such as car-bon fibre composites, ground-break-ing new processes such as 3D printing,nanotechnology, cheaper robots andcollaborative manufacturing servicesavailable online were revolutionisingthe manufacturing industry.

He said: “Outsourcing to China isno longer a given as the age of massmanufacturing is turning towardsmore individualised production, evenshorter lead times and a greater con-trol over our production processes.

“After years of austerity in the UK,the big disparities between Far Easternwages and local pay packets have beeneroded, meaning some jobs could bereturning ‘back home’.

“Our area has a proud tradition ofspecialised manufacturing in bothlarge and small order sizes for a widearray of everyday and high-valueproducts.”

He said the CKMA had a key role toplay in the revival of local manufactur-ing. Its network of more than 3,000companies included members who hadsurvived and sometimes prospered inthe worst post-war recession and had awealth of experience to share.

The CKMA, which works with localauthorities, government, trade bodiesand other partners but remains inde-pendent, also provided opportunitiesfor business-to-business trading andcollaboration on larger projects –enabling firms to compete with the“big boys”.

He said it was “incredible” that only6% of graduates who study science,engineering and technology go intomanufacturing after university.

“The image of manufacturing as acareer choice is severely bruised andbattered and our businesses struggle toget good quality recruits.

“However, we are working to dosomething about it. We are, forinstance, working with local schools toturn around the image of manufactur-ing as a job for the ‘also-rans’.

“And we are helping to foster moreand better local supply opportunitiesto grow our economy.”

Go to www.ckma.co.uk

■ ASSETS: CKMA chairman GaryJones is championing manufacturing

Town’s record year for company registrationsHUDDERSFIELD is a hotbed fornew companies, according to latestfigures.

A report by company formationspecialist Duport.co.uk showed arecord 1,187 new businesses wereformed in the town last year.

The number of firms dissolved stoodat 683.

The resulting total net gain stood at504. That compares with a net gain of394 in 2011 and 333 in 2010.

The Duport Business Confidence

Report said net company growth inHuddersfield has been increasingsteadily since 2009 – suggesting thatthe town is gradually recovering fromthe worst effects of the recession.

The figures of 1,187 new companiesformed represents an 8% increase onthe 2011 figure of 1,098 and is wellabove the 2010 total of 1,008.

The report said the town had severaladvantages, commenting: “Hudders-field has one of the largest economieswithin the Leeds City Region – yet the

cost of business premises remains rel-atively low, making it a desirable areafor new companies to start up.”

Peter Valaitis, managing director ofDuport.co.uk, said: “Our latest reportcontains some very positive figures forthe Huddersfield region.

“A record number of company form-ations and net company growth thathas been on the rise since 2009 areindicators of a good year ahead for thetown.”

Among other findings, the report

found that the average company dir-ector in Huddersfield is aged 42.

One in 20 directors in the town areaged 25 or under while fewer than 3%of directors are 65 or over.

The percentage of female directorsstands at 32.3% against a nationalaverage of 29.9%.

The report draws on statistics fromsources including Companies House,the Office for National Statistics andOrdnance Survey.

The next big project

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICES

closed at

Local shares

FTSE

6503.63Up 20.05

closed at

CONSTRUCTION giantJCB has secured a £40morder from the Braziliangovernment for morethan 1,000 backhoeloaders – theworld-renowned diggerwhich made the companyfamous.

The contract will behandled at JCB’s newfactory in Sao Paulo, butwill also bring benefits toits transmissions andaxles factory in Wrexhamand its headquarters inRocester, Staffordshire.

Now sold in 120countries, JCB’s backhoeloader was first made inRocester in 1953 andrecently achieved a500,000-productionmilestone.

The 1,000 machinesordered by Brazil’sministry of agrariandevelopment will be putto work improving ruralroads to ensure foodproduced for sale gets tomarket more quickly.

A similar number weredelivered to the samecustomer last year.

JCB chief executiveAlan Blake said it is animportant deal for JCB,adding: “It is hugetestament to the qualityand versatility of JCB’sbackhoe loaders and it’sfantastic to win an orderof this size as wecelebrate 60 years ofbackhoe loaderproduction this year.”

Current productionrates see one backhoemachine roll off one ofthe company’smanufacturing linesevery three minutes.Despite the maturity ofthe backhoe loader, it isstill one of the world’sbiggest selling pieces ofconstruction machinery.

BOOKMAKER Ladbrokes is to rollout another 200 casino-style games forits online and mobile customers afterstriking a new software deal.

The partnership with Playtech,which has already played a big role inthe digital growth of rival William Hill,will see the launch of a new “Vegas” tabon Ladbrokes.com later this year.

The bookmaker said the tie-up withthe gaming software firm representedthe next phase in the re-invigoration ofits digital business.

The agreement, which is for an initialfive-year period, builds on Playtech’sexisting relationship with Ladbrokes,through which it provides bingo andVideobet technology for its bettingshop gaming machines.

As part of the deal, Ladbrokes iscreating a new e-commerce and digitalmarketing services operation, whichwill be based in Israel.

Isle of Man-based Playtech wasfounded in 1999 and has more than2,500 staff working on gaming applica-

tions in casino, bingo, poker and sportsbetting.

It recently raised £424m by sellingthe 29% stake it held in William Hill’sdigital operation.

Its chief executive Mor Weizer said:“Ladbrokes is one of the largest andmost respected brands in the bettingand gaming industry.

“We are delighted to have secured the

opportunity to play an important rolein accelerating the growth of its digitalbusiness.

“The breadth and depth of the soft-ware and services to be provided underthese agreements are unique toPlaytech and reflect the group's suc-cessful acquisition strategy.

“We are very excited about the pro-spects for this venture with Ladbrokes

and are committed to making it a greatsuccess.”

Playtech will receive payments basedon the pace of growth in Ladbrokes’digital business.

The bookmaker’s shares closed 14.6phigher at 239.8p, a rise of 6% whilePlaytech rose by 18.5p to 570p.

Ladbrokes generated operatingprofits of £31m from its digital arm lastyear, having fallen behind rivals such asWilliam Hill.

It has focused on growing its onlinesportsbook, which helped revenues rise9% to £178.1m in 2012.

Ladbrokes, which dates back to1886, has more than 14,000 people inBritain and over 16,000 in total.

It is a leader in retail bookmaking inthe UK, Ireland, Belgium and Spainwhere it operates a combined total ofmore than 2,700 betting shops.

The company also operates bettingfacilities at eight FA Premiershipgrounds and nine racecourses, includ-ing Ascot.

THE owner of British Airways hasbacked a compromise deal that willlimit the number of job cuts atSpain’s ailing carrier Iberia to justover 3,000.

International Airlines Group, cre-ated from the merger of the twoairlines in 2011, originally proposed3,800 redundancies, but has nowaccepted a government-appointedmediator’s recommendation that3,141 workers should go.

The response of Iberia’s unions tothe revised proposals, which includeseverance pay of 35 days a yearrather than 20, is still not known.

IAG chief executive Willie Walshsaid recently that Iberia “must adaptto survive”, having made a loss of£303.5m last year.

Despite three months of negoti-ations, no agreement on a way for-ward has been reached between theairline and its unions. Iberia workershave already held two strikes and areplanning further industrial actionthis month.

Mr Walsh said BA is already see-ing the benefit of recent structuralchange as it posted profits of £300min a year when it bought and integ-rated regional carrier BMI.

Digital deal gives aboost to Ladbrokes

BA’s owners accept Iberia plan

Big boostfor JCB

WH Smith is to revive sales of DVDsand CDs in some stores as the station-ery retailer plugs a gap left by HMV’scollapse.

Low profit margins drove the com-pany away from the entertainmentmarket over the last few years – butfollowing the closure of more than100 HMV stores, DVDs and CDs aremaking a comeback in some WHSmith outlets.

These shops include one of its mostprofitable in London’s Victoria rail-way station, where HMV closed ashop late last year.

However, it is not expected therewill be a change in the company’sstrategy on a national level.

WH Smith plans to keep entertain-ment sales – mostly of popular DVDssuch as the latest James Bond filmSkyfall – in the “low single digit”percentages, after reducing it from25% in 2003.

WH Smith’s move away from theentertainment sector in favour ofbooks and stationery has been a keypart of the strategy of chief executiveKate Swann, who leaves this summerafter 10 years in the role.

Retailer hails DVD revival

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.38 dollarsBangladesh................. 110.88 takaBrazil.............................. 2.60 realsCanada....................... 1.46 dollarsChina ............................. 8.30 yuanCzech Republic ...... 26.84 korunasDenmark....................... 8.15 kroneEuro............................... 1.10 euroHong Kong................ 10.99 dollarsHungary ................... 309.86 forintsIndia.......................... 71.43 rupeesJapan........................... 136.48 yenMexico ....................... 16.80 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.69 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.15 kronePakistan.................. 137.49 rupeesPhilippines ................. 52.01 pesosSouth Africa ................. 12.71 randSouth Korea.............. 1423.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 178.18 rupeesSweden......................... 9.13 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.35 francsTaiwan ...................... 38.71 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.55 new liraUSA ............................ 1.43 dollars

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £43.86 +0.46Gannett 1448.41Hess Corp £46.65 +0.05Microsoft 1866.36 -12.08Motors Liquidation 50.32Wal-Mart Stores £49.03 +0.03

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 415 -5BAE Systems 3691/4 +21/8Rolls-Royce 1051 -1

AIMBrady Plc 92 +1/4

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 279 -37/8

BANKSBarclays 3111/2 -71/8HSBC 7343/4 -21/4Lloyds Banking Gp 50 -1/8Ryl Scotland 3011/4 -47/8Stan Chart 1822 +22

BEVERAGESDiageo 19981/2 +41/2SABMiller £341/2 +1/2

CHEMICALSCroda £263/4Elementis 98 262 -23/4Johnsn Mat £233/8 +1/8

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 277 -27/8Costain 288 +2

ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 619 -3SSE 1452 -14

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 2351/4 -21/8

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 4351/2 -5/8

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 2701/2 +31/2Cable & WirelessComm

411/2 -3/8

Colt Group 1283/8 +21/2KCOM 80 -1/4Talktalk Telecom 2653/4 +71/2

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2681/2 +51/2Sainsbury 3467/8 +47/8Tesco 3773/8 -25/8

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1871 +3Tate Lyle 8231/2 -61/2Unilever £271/2

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3521/4 +1/8National Grid 737 +21/2Pennon Grp 653 +3Severn 1634 +13United Utils 7231/2 +12

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 3167/8 -6ICAP 3301/4 -123/8London StockExch 1392 +9Man Group 971/4 -21/4Provident Financial 1645 +35

Schroders £211/4Schroders NV 1700

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSREXAM 5251/2 +3Smiths Grp 1293 +3

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 29 -1/4Carphone Whse 2021/2 -11/2Dixons Retail 321/8 +3/8Home Retail 1295/8 +5/8Inchcape 530Kingfisher 292 +21/4M & S 3623/8Mothercare 289 -21/2Next £415/8 -1/8WH Smith 733 +28

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 7281/2 +31/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 913/4 +53/4Barrat Dev 2375/8 -4Persimmon 9361/2 -131/2Reckitt Benckiser £467/8 +1/2Taylor Wimpey 841/2 -1/4

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGI M I 1322 -5

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 2151/8 -45/8

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 2525/8 -33/8

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 3221/4 -25/8

Lgl & Gen 1671/8 +5/8Old Mutual 210 -1/8Prudential 1027 +11Resolution 2665/8 -31/4Standard Life 3781/4 -23/4

MEDIABSkyB 870 +10D Mail Tst 7121/2 +5HIBU 3/8ITV 1277/8 -11/8Johnston Press 131/4 +1/2Pearson 1187 +22Reed Elsevier 734 +11/2STV Group 144 -27/8Trinity Mirror 1201/4 -3/4Utd Business 7311/2 -18UTV 147 -3WPP 1077 -11

MININGAnglo American 1861 +101/2Antofagasta 1095 +26BHP Billiton £211/4 +1/4Eurasian NaturalRes

346 -31/4

Fresnillo 1490 +11Kazakhmys 5201/2 -12Lonmin 3313/4 -51/8Rio Tinto £343/8 +1/8VEDANTARESOURCES

1187 -1

Xstrata 11661/2 +6MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 665 +141/2Vodafone Group 1853/4 +13/8

NONLIFE INSURANCE

Admiral Grp 1359 +6RSA Insurance Gp 119 -11/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 1174 +5BP 4521/2 +17/8Cairn Energy 2921/8 -3/8Royal Dutch Shell A £221/8Royal Dutch Shell B £223/4Total £341/4 +1/8Tullow Oil 1254 +6

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1058 +8Petrofac 1479 +9Wood Gp(J) 8631/2 -3

PERSONAL GOODS

Burberry Gp 1433 +16

PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGYAstrazeneca £303/8GlaxoSmithK XD 6Shire £203/8 -1/8

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 5801/2 -4Hamrsn 5181/2 +1/2Intu Properties 3273/4 -1Land Secs 8321/2 -15SEGRO 2661/8 -23/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESInvensys 364 -3/4Sage Group 3417/8 -71/2

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 733 +15Bunzl 1304 -2Capita 891 -3De La Rue 907 +81/2Electrocomp 2641/2 -1/2Experian 1163 +17G4S 3013/8 +7/8Hays 97 -1Homeserve 235 -9Menzies J 775 +2Rentokil 901/2 -7/8Smiths News 177 +2Wolseley £325/8 -1/8

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 9481/2 +3Spirent Comms 1531/4 +1/4

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £361/4 +5/8

Imperial Tobacco £235/8 +1/8

LEISURE & HOTELS

Bwin.Party Digital 156 +1/4Carnival £25 -1/4Compass Grp 837 +21/2easyJet 1064 +6Enterprise Inns 1143/4 +31/4FirstGroup 197 +31/2Go-Ahead Gp 1456 +1Greene King 7111/2 +61/2Intercontl Htls 1975 +4Intl Cons Airl 2451/2 -3/4Ladbrokes 2393/4 +145/8Mitchells & Butlers 3417/8 +33/8Natl Express 2063/8 -1/8Rank Org 164 -1Stagecoach Group 305 +27/8TUI Travel 3111/8 +21/8Whitbread £257/8

INDEXFTSE 100 6503.63 +20.05

INDEXFTSE 250 14012.74 -6.05

Carclo 462 +1Marshalls 111 +1National Grid 737 +21/2Weir Gp £243/4 +5/8

■ FAIR GAME: Ladbrokes said its tie-up with Playtech – initally for five years –marked the next phase in reviving its digital business

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

DavidDenton

DDJC Ltd

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: OwnerAge: 36Family: Married to Alisonwith daughter Annie, sixCar: Land Rover DiscoveryHolidays: Ski-ing in Europe,mainly FranceFirst job: Working on myfather’s farm at Hade EdgeBest thing about job: Thevariety of work. After being inmanagement, dealing mostlywith paperwork, it is nice to betackling physical projectsagainWorst thing about job:Doing the paperwork!Business tip: Make sureyou are customer-focused.Most of my work comes fromword-of-mouth recommenda-tion. Look out for “scams”.Small businesses are oftenprey to people trying to trickyou

Work: Joinery and con-structionSite: EllandPhone: 07747 024096Email: david@dentonjoinery.co.ukWebsite: www.dentonjoinery co.uk

Gettingthingsoff theground

AFTER 20 years in thebuilding industry, DavidDenton is no stranger toworking long hours.

And now he’s runninghis own business, theapprentice-trained joinerwho rose to become sitemanager for one ofBritain’s best-knownhousebuilders, saysseven-day working weeksare not unusual.

But the day starts evenearlier since Daviddecided to take part in the25-mile OvergateMountain Bike Challengein June to raise funds forthe Elland hospice.

“My typical day startswith me leaving the houseat 6.30am and gettinghome at 5.30pm beforestarting on the paperworkin the evening,” he says.“But some mornings, I’mout of the door at 5am toget some cycling in tobuild up my fitness for theevent.

“I got into mountainbiking when I was in my20s. I also enjoy ski-ingand snowboarding in thewinter.

“But I cycled the route ofthe mountain bikechallenge last Novemberand realised how unfit Iwas!”

David, who lives inElland with wife Alison andsix-year-old daughterAnnie, has been in thebuilding trade sinceleaving school at 16.Within weeks of taking hisexams, he became anapprentice joiner atGeorge Booth & Sons inNew Mill.

“I remember fancyingbeing a botanist at onestage,” he says. “But itwas the thought of havingto go to university that putme off!

“I once thought I wasgoing to be a chef, but Idid two weeks’ workexperience working a splitshift from 8am to 2pm andthen back on at 5pm. By1pm I was clock-watchingand I realised if I wasdoing that, then cateringwas not for me.”

Luckily, David found theright career inconstruction,

After his three-yearapprenticeship, he got ajob with McAlpine Homesand after about a yearprogressed to assistantsite manager with BenBailey Homes, where heworked for five years.

He became afully-fledged site managerat Termrim Construction inHuddersfield, withresponsibility for schemesincluding a developmentof 14 bungalows atMoortown, Leeds.

He later worked for NuConstruction in Ellandbefore joiningHalifax-based Southdale,where he was involved ina £12m social housingproject.

As the recession bit,David was maderedundant in 2011 andtook the decision to set uphis own business offeringjoinery and constructionservices as well as

freelance projectmanagement.

“There were no sitemanager jobs around,” herecalls. “I would look onthe internet and searchescame back ‘zero’.”

Now David is involved infreelance sitemanagement, covering forholidays or tacklingshort-term projects as wellas working as an NVQassessor for thosefollowing his footstepsthrough theapprenticeship route.

He’s also projectmanaging a barnconversion with adifference atScammonden, where hewill have up to 10tradespeople on site atpeak times, includingdecorators and plasterers.

The property wasconverted about 15 yearsago, but is now beingrefitted to provide holidayaccommodation andrequires upgraded

insulation.While David is busy, he

says: “At the moment, Ithink the building industryis struggling and it willcontinue to struggle forthe next five years.”

He says progress onGovernment initiativessuch as Green Deal – withfinancial incentives tocarry out work to makeproperties moreenergy-efficient – isproving slow whilesources of finance arehard to come by forconstruction businesseskeen to invest.

David says the industryis changing. “The weakercompanies have gone tothe wall and the strongerones have survived,” hesays.

“What has helped me isthat schools, doctors’surgeries and localauthorities are nowlooking for value formoney.

“Instead of being tied by

framework agreements,they have the freedom toput work out to tender anduse smaller, localcompanies.”

David has completedwork for several schools,including KirkburtonMiddle School, whileduring his career he hasbeen project manager onschemes for the likes ofLeeds MetropolitanUniversity and LeedsCollege as well as thegroundwork phase of theBingley Five Rise Locksshopping centre.

Says David: “My bigadvantage is having abackground in bothmanagement and ‘on thetools’

“When I was at BenBailey, my job as assistantsite manager meantdealing with thecustomers.

“The site managerwanted to carry onbuilding and left theassistant to deal with thecomplaints! That was finebecause I learned moreabout people.

“When I moved up tosite manager it was simplybecause an opportunityarose.

“While I was working onthe tools, someone sawpotential in me. I wasapproached to go into sitemanagement.

“I thought I had nothingto lose, so I decided togive it a go. I have beeninvolved in sitemanagement for morethan 10 years now.”

The role can be likenedto that of a juggler – tryingto keep all the balls in playby ensuring that men andmaterials are on site whenthey are supposed to be,troubleshooting anyproblems and all the timekeeping an eye on the

timescale.David says: “You need

to have the right peoplearound you.

“You can be the best inthe business, but if youhave the wrong people,things will come unstuck.You start on site with aprogramme and you haveto do your best to stick toit. You have to adapt tosuit changingcircumstances.

“But one thing thatnever changes is the enddate – when you have tofinish the job!”

David enjoys the varietyof work that comes withrunning his own business.“Being in management isbasically paperwork,” hesays.

“But I’m also back ‘onthe tools’ which is nicebecause I am creatingsomething physicallymyself.

“I enjoy ‘the tools’ morenow than if I had juststarted because it is likedoing somethingcompletely new after somany years as a sitemanager.

“But having been inmanagement has givenme a greaterunderstanding of othertrades.

“Part of being a sitemanager is to inspect thequality of someone else’swork, so you have tounderstand about cablerouting by the electricianand so on.

“You have to deal witheverything from the major‘civils’ installing flowcontrol systems to preventflooding right down to thefinal touches by thepainters.”

■ BUILDING A BUSINESS: David Denton says theconstruction industry is still about dealing with people

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

DIGITALDIRECTIONAndrew Firth

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

Firm sampleslife in fast laneA COMPANY with operKirklees is taking the fast lane tosuccess on the track.Brake pad specialist TMD Fwhich has premises aCleckheaton, has teamed up withGerman-based motorcompany Black Falcon – the thiryear of collaboration.The Black Falcon TFriction’s Porsche 997 GT3 win its class in the 24-hour DubaiRace – the first interendurance race of the yNow the team is focusing on thesecond motorsport marhighlight of the yearrace at the NürburgringVLN Endurance Championship athe same venue.“We are extremely pleased to beable to work with a parFriction,” said Black Fmanaging director AleBöhm. “The brakes come undermore pressure on the Nürbthan on any other rmaking it a great advto be able to refer to the eof the world’s leading manof brake friction ma“In return, the results thaachieve for TMD with new pron the race track armeaningful and can haimpact on the further deof new high-performance brpads. The successes actogether in the past twthe result of a well-structurpartnership.”David Baines, director salesstrategy and group markTMD Friction, said: “Both sides canonly profit through thisco-operation and wpleased to support the team as itstechnical partner. WBlack Falcon TMD Fsuccess in this year’

Chance to jointhe Brady bunchBUSINESSWOMAN Kleading the search fsmall businesses.The star of BBC1’s The Aamong the judges fBusiness Small Business Awhich celebrate the acsuccessful small businesses andbusiness people acrFirms will be competing fcash, 50,000 Nectar points and thechance to get tailorKarren and other industrSix categories cover smallbusinesses, start-upscontribution to the communityentrepreneur of the ytradesperson of the yBusinesses can enter as manycategories as they likwww.nectar-businessdownload an entry fabout category criteria. Entries canthen be submitted onlineor by post.

Innovation inthe spotlightBUSINESS growth was the topic for discussionwhen serial entrepreneur Graham Leslie spokeabout his career and achievements atHuddersfield’s newly-opened 3M BuckleyInnovation Centre.

Prof Leslie charted his journey from thecreation of Galpharm International Ltd, thelargest privately-owned over-the-counterpharmaceutical company in Europe, in 1982, toits sale in 2008 to US giant Perrigo.

He also spoke about how he has sincecreated six companies, including start-ups andcorporate turnarounds.

He also explained his work at the 3M BIC onFirth Street as Huddersfield University’s residentprofessor of entrepreneurship – and its efforts toprovide support for small and medium-sizedbusinesses..

The event, entitled Accelerating Your BusinessGrowth, also heard from Patrick Allen, managingdirector of 3M BIC and former executive directorof marketing for the Co-operative Group, whospoke about the centre and what it has to offersmall and medium-sized firms by providing helpto access to finance, markets and technology.

Prof Nick Wilson, of Riskscorer Ltd, spokeabout the principles behind predicting companygrowth and failure. He gave examples of whatworks and what doesn’t work and how toanalyse a firm’s potential for growth.

■ SPEAKERS: Patrick Allen (left), managing director of the 3MDBuckley Innovation Centre with (from left) Prof Nick Wilson, ofRiskscorer Ltd, and Prof Graham Leslie at the Accelerating YourBusiness Growth event

Are we getting fedup of Facebook?SOCIAL media is the most popu-

lar online activity and globallyit accounts for one in every fiveminutes spent online.

For the last few months, reports thatthe globe’s leading social network islosing popularity have been circulat-ing.

In January several media channelsreported the loss of almost a millionusers since December.So has Facebookreached its saturation point in theUK?

More than 50% of the UK populationhave a Facebook account and the net-work’s largest market in America onlyhas 54% saturation.

It is the slowdown part of the naturalcycle or is it a sign of something moresinister?

Facebook have themselves blamednatural attrition and stated the reduc-tion in active accounts is just the normalflow of activity.

Commentators have recently sugges-ted that the loss could be caused by‘Facebook fatigue’ as continuous con-cerns over data ownership, privacy andinvasive advertising dog the business asit tries to monetise and add value.

But a change in user behaviour could

also be having an effect.According to a comment on Pocket

Lint recently: “A lot of UK people are alot more worried and only want to talkto their friends. People friended every-one when they signed up and now theyregret that.”

Has using Facebook lost some of itsearlier kudos?

As with any new trend, unless it keepsre-inventing, Facebook’s popularity islikely to wane.

That much is natural. Keeping upwith technology, keeping up withchange is hard for most businesses butcan be especially hard for technologybusinesses themselves, as rapid growthcan become a black-hole where changebecomes harder and newer, more sim-plified solutions grow in popularity.

Take Instagram, owned by Facebook,which despite its negative press, seemsto be the cool haunt for the latestgeneration.

The photo sharing network has hadcriticism over image rights, but is popu-lar due to its simplicity and lack ofprivacy concerns.

Younger users are also much lesslikely to bump into their parents onthere.

If Facebook is going to regain pop-ularity without being cannibalised byInstagram or beaten by other compet-ing social networks, including the seem-ingly very private Snapchat, then itneeds to get cool again.

Big is not always beautiful, Facebookmade its mark from undergroundroutes, a niche player that was new anddifferent, growing rapidly into thehousehold software it is.

Can Facebook become cool againnow that it is so big? Only time will tell,nothing lasts for ever… Do you remem-ber MySpace - have you seen “newMySpace”?

Britannia rules indeal with mutualROAD rescue company Britannia Rescuehas sealed a deal with the NationwideBuilding Society.Britannia Rescue, which is based inHuddersfield, will provide breakdowncover to customers of the mutual’s newlylaunched fee-paying current accountFlexplus.A comprehensive road rescue cover willbe provided to all FlexPlus accountholders in any car they travel in whenmotoring in the UK and Europe.Britannia Rescue’s appointment extendsan existing partnership with parent LV=as sole provider of its car and landlordinsurance portfolios.Britannia Rescue employs more than 200people at its Folly Hall Millsheadquarters. The company has seensignificant growth in the past year andthis new contract will result in furtherrecruitment over the coming 12 months.As well as recruiting new staff to handlebreakdown calls for this contract win, thecompany is recruiting people to deal withcustomers reporting car insuranceclaims for LV=.Peter Horton, Britannia Rescuemanaging director, said: “A key elementof our five-year strategy is to grow ourpartner portfolio, so this win is fantasticnews and means more jobs for localpeople.”Martyn Dyson, Nationwide’s head ofgeneral insurance, said: “We aredelighted to be able to offer their cover toour customers.”

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Neil Wilson is an employment lawyer at ChadwickLawrence Solicitors

EMPLOYER’SBRIEFNeil Wilson

Firm sampleslife in fast lane

ANY with operations inKirklees is taking the fast lane to

ack.e pad specialist TMD Friction,

emises atton, has teamed up with

man-based motorsportalcon – the thirdtion.

alcon Team TMDhe 997 GT3 was fifth

lass in the 24-hour Dubaist international

ace of the year.ocusing on the

t marathonear, the 24-hour

urgring, and theance Championship at

emely pleased to beork with a partner like TMD

riction,” said Black Falconector Alexander

es come undere on the Nürburgring

than on any other race track,t advantage for user to the expertise

s leading manufacturere friction materials.

esults that weor TMD with new products

ack are extremelymeaningful and can have a major

ther developmentmance brake

. The successes achievedtogether in the past two years are

ell-structured

ector salesoup marketing at

riction, said: “Both sides canough this

tion and we are veryt the team as its

. We wish Teamalcon TMD Friction every

ear’s races.”

Going for growth

■ CHALLENGE: Allison Lee, whohas acquired a nursery in Goole

Chance to jointhe Brady bunch

OMAN Karren Brady ish for outstanding

s The Apprentice isamong the judges for the fifth NectarBusiness Small Business Awards,

te the achievements ofusinesses and

usiness people across the UK.ms will be competing for £2,000

cash, 50,000 Nectar points and thehance to get tailored advice from

en and other industry experts.er small

t-ups, innovation,ution to the community,eneur of the year and

son of the year.Businesses can enter as many

y like for free. Visitusiness.com to

y form and find outy criteria. Entries can

then be submitted online, via email

Dropping offat the POA NEW service allowingsmall business to sendtheir mail more easily hasbeen launched at sevenpost office branches acrossHuddersfield.The new Drop & Go serviceenables small businesscustomers who regularlyspend more than £20 aweek on postage to handover their mail at thefast-drop counter at thesebranches and swipe apre-paid Drop & Go card.The new service, which isbeing rolled out in morethan 2,200 Post Officebranches across the UK,aims to save small andmedium-sized enterprisesSMEs valuable time – and isfree to join.Local branches offering theservice are atNorthumberland Street andNew Street in Huddersfieldtown centre and atWestbourne Road, Marsh;Broad Lane, Moldgreen;Wellington Arcade,Brighouse; LewishamRoad, Slaithwaite; andHuddersfield Road, Mirfield.For further details about thescheme, go towww.postoffice.co.uk andselect “Drop & Go” as theservice required.

Now, how canwe settle this?IN 2012 the Government announced

that it was proposing to giveemployers more freedom to have dis-cussions with employees about a pro-posed settlement outside the contextof an existing dispute without thosediscussions being admissible inemployment tribunal proceedings.

A consultation was launched by the Gov-ernment and a response was published inlate January 2013.

The principle concern was that therewould be an unequal balance betweenemployers and employees, namely thatemployees would not have a genuine choiceabout whether to enter into a settlementagreement.

The Government has suggested that exist-ing safeguards will remain in place; inparticular, the need to take independentlegal advice on any settlement agreementbefore it becomes binding.

A concern was raised about the lack ofprocedure which is required to instigate adiscussion about settlement.

The Government does not want to beoverly prescriptive about what form theprocess must take however and this is with aparticular emphasis on the problems associ-ated with statutory dispute resolution pro-

cedures which applied from 2004 to 2009.Concerns raised by employers focused on

the fear that employees would raise con-structive dismissal complaints upon reject-ing an offer to settle. The response is thatwill be prohibited from relying on an offer tosettle in support of a constructive dismissalclaim although the legislation in its currentform may need amending to achieve this.

A further concern from businesses wasthat employers would use settlement offersand initiate these discussions to extract apayout in circumstances where they wouldbe resigning anyway. It is not seen as asignificant problem by the Government,

As with the discipline and grievance pro-cedures, a statutory code of practice andguidance will be developed with ACAS andtemplate settlement agreements and letterswill be drafted.

It was initially proposed that a guidelinetariff would be set in the guidance whichmight assist employers and employees in

coming up with a suitable figure of com-pensation. This was unpopular withrespondents to the consultation and this willnot be pursued further. Instead, in theACAS guidance there will be factors whichshould be taken into account when negotiat-ing a settlement.

It was made clear when the consultationwas opened that improper behaviour inrelation to the use of settlement agreementswill not be tolerated. There is concern fromboth employer and employee groups thatthis is rather ambiguous and again theGovernment has responded by stating thatthe statutory code and guidance will provideillustrative examples.

Although the Bill is likely to receive RoyalAssent in spring 2013, until the statutorycode and guidance are put in place most ofthe provisions will not come into force. It isexpected that the whole Act will thereforeapply from summer 2013 onwards

A FORMER childminder turnednursery owner has expanded withthe takeover of a well-establishednursery in East Yorkshire.

Allison Lee, who already runsLittle Acorns Day Nursery atMeltham, has acquired The DaisyChain Nursery in Goole. Thenursery, which was established in2000, is registered for 48 childrenand has 14 staff.

Allison, who lives at Lepton, said:“I have wanted to buy anothernursery for quite some time.

“We looked at a few nurserieslast year. I looked around

Huddersfield, but I didn’t reallywant an ‘overflow’ nursery for LittleAcorns.

“The Daisy Chain is anestablished nursery. The owner,who is retiring, has had it for 13years.We went to look at it inOctober and the deal was struck atChristmas. Now we havecompleted the paperwork.

“It will be a new challenge forme, dealing with a new localauthority in East Yorkshire CountyCouncil.”

Allison, who worked as achildminder for 18 years, acquiredLittle Acorns in 2010. The nurseryis registered for 63 children andhas 19 staff.

“At the moment we are verybusy,” said Allison. “A lot ofmothers who work part-time areextending their hours in the currentclimate so they have more stabilityin their jobs.”

Allison worked as an office juniorin a Huddersfield law firm beforebecoming a legal secretary. Shelater worked for a stockbroking firmbefore taking a change of directionto join her mother running achildminding business.

Allison has also written booksand courses on childcare andchildminding. She is also tutoringand will have another book outlater this year.

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 Page 6

Student among award finalistsA STUDENT at HuddersfieldUniversity is among the finalistsin a regional propertycompetition.

Toby Rainland, who is studyingarchitectural technology, isaiming to impress the judges inthe Yorkshire and North EastAssociation of Women inProperty Student Awards 2013.

She joins seven others in thefinals in the competition.Universities are invited tonominate their best students,who have to be studying on the

second year of a builtenvironment degree course.

Nationally, more than 80students will be judged acrossthe Women in Propertybranches. During the course ofthe awards’ seven years, morethan 400 students have beeninvolved.

The other students are fromLeeds Metropolitan, Leeds,Newcastle, Northumbria,Sheffield and Sheffield Hallamuniversities.

Clare Danahay, WiP branch

chairman, said: “The studentsare put through their pacesdescribing to the judges a pieceof course work they’ve beenworking on, plus they need to bepretty well informed on theindustry, too.

“We’re looking for the futurestars in property andconstruction, so the standardsnationally are very high. In thepast, we’ve had someoutstanding competitors from ourregional universities and I haveno doubt we will be as inspired

and impressed by them this year,too.”

The regional winner willreceive a cheque for £300, ayear’s free membership of WiPupon graduation and will goforward to the national final inLondon in September, when shewill compete against her peersfrom across the UK.

Women in Property also helpto secure work placements forfinalists, to give them thatall-important work experiencebefore graduating.

Firms flock to training initiativeCOMPANIES in Kirklees areamong construction sectoremployers to sign up for a schemegiving their apprenticesuniversity-level work-basedtraining.

Almost 40 firms have pledged toback the Higher LevelApprenticeship in Constructionand Built Environment(Sustainability) course, which isnow being offered at 17 collegesacross the country.

They include Leeds College ofBuilding, which just six monthsago became one of the first tooffer the course. Others includeBradford College and BarnsleyCollege while partnerships havealso been built with sector skillscouncils, awarding bodies andprofessional institutions.

Sarah Carter, project managerfor higher apprenticeships atLeeds College of Building, said:“Construction firms,housebuilders, architects, NHStrusts, local councils and transportcompanies are just a fewindustries that have apprenticessigned up to the three-yearcourse, which is helping to shapethe future of the construction

industry.”The course has been

specifically designed for A-levelstudents with 80 or more UCASpoints, Level 3 AdvancedApprentices, those with BTECs, arelevant HNC or people alreadyworking in the industry.

The first students to enrol onthe course started last September,but places are available forSeptember, 2013, enrolment.

The students will study towardsan NVQ Level 5 in ConstructionManagement (Sustainability) anda Higher National Diploma inConstruction & the BuiltEnvironment as well as selectingconstruction management, civilengineering or building servicesas a specialist subject.

Successful participants will thenbe able to pursue a career in awide range of disciplines,including architecture, buildingservices, civil engineering,construction management,maintenance, planning andsurveying.

Go to www.hasbe.co.uk orwww.lcb.ac.uk or call Sarah Carter0113 2226000.

■ ON THE LEVEL: Bethany Wilson, of Batley, has her sightson the new Higher Level Apprenticeship in Construction andBuilt Environment (Sustainability)

A KIRKLEES pub has found a buyer.The Stafford Arms (above) at Scholes,Cleckheaton was marketed at offersexceeding £195,000 by ColliersInternational on behalf of Spirit PubGroup.After several offers, the landmarkdetached property was sold for anundisclosed sum significantly above theasking price.The buyer, Richard Wilson, now intends tore-open the pub this month sellingtraditional ale and has plans to offer foodas well.Colliers also sold the Crown & Anchor atRodley, Leeds.The pub sold for well in excess of the£100,000-plus asking price and will reopenunder the ownership of Alan Howard as acommunity pub offering food and a wideselection of local cask conditioned beer.Leigh Parsons, director of the licensedand leisure department at ColliersInternational in Leeds, said: “It is veryreassuring to note that both of thesehistoric pubs will remain open in thefuture.“Additionally, these sales follow on fromtwo other pub sales for the same client,both of which are to re-open, proving thatrumours of the death of the British Pubare greatly exaggerated.”

Westminstergoes to pot!FLOWERPOTS made by a clayware company have goneon display in Westminster.The products made by the Yorkshire Flowerpot divisionof Cawthorne-based Naylor Industries are attractingattention from visitors in the foyer of the Departmentfor Business Innovation and Skills.The company, which employs a number of Kirkleespeople, was invited to contribute to a display organisedby the Design Council to spotlight the importance ofdesign in UK manufacturing.Naylor chief executive Edward Naylor attended thelaunch and met John Mathers, Design Council chiefexecutive, and Michael Fallon, Minister for Businessand Enterprise.Mr Naylor said: “We are very proud of our YorkshireFlowerpot range and it is nice to get ministerialrecognition of our efforts.”The company has already shipped a container-load ofits frost-free flowerpots to Tokyo and Osaka in Japan.About 600 pots, ranging in size from nine to 21 inches,have been sent to a number of garden centres in Japan.The company has also exported pots to Scandinaviaand North America and has had recent enquiries fromSweden and Norway.The Cawthorne company is the largest UK producer ofterracotta pots, turning out 1,000 a day or more than athird of a million a year.

■ POT SHOT: Edward Naylor, chief executive ofNaylor Industries, with the firm's flowerpots on displayat the offices of the Department for BusinessInnovation and Skills in Westminster

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • AGENTS • CONSULTANT • ADVISOR

TRAFALGAR MILLS • LEEDS ROAD • HUDDERSFIELD • HD2 1YY

UNITS 9 AND 10 FIELDHOUSE PARK

UNIT 6 QUEENS MILL INDUSTRIAL ESTATE

Contact: Paul Andrew Walker Singleton 01484 477600Christine Eccleston MB Services 01484 557102

UNIT 3 JUNCTION 25 BUSINESS PARK

Junction 25 Business Park, Huddersfield Road, Mirfield

Industrial Unit to let

Industrial Unit to let

Industrial Unit to let

• Secure and spacious yard withgenerous parking available

• Easy access to motorway• Unit size 4,970 sq.ft

Queens Mill Industrial Estate, Huddersfield

Fieldhouse Park, Leeds Road, Huddersfield

• Modern industrial warehouse unit• Close proximity to A62 Huddersfield Ring Road• Good sized communal service yard• Unit size 1,175 sq.ft

• Prominent commercial site situated off Leeds Road• Units are available for immediate occupation• Terms available on application• Unit size 10,322 sq.ft - 13, 706 sq.ft

• Flexible Terms • Inexpensive Rents• Immediately available for occupation

Midland Mill, 9-11 Hillhouse Lane,Huddersfield HD1 6EF

Office Accommodation (Option forServiced offices)120ft2 - 1,500ft2

and Warehouse Accommodation1,931ft2

Tel 01484 530361www.bramleys.com

email:commercial@bramleys1.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 7

RIBA pleafor BudgetTHE Government must use next week’s Budget to getthe UK building again. claimed an industry leader.

Angela Brady, president of the Royal Institution ofBritish Architects, said action was needed to creategrowth, address the housing crisis and deliver homesand communities that people want to live in.

She called on the Government to increase capitalinvestment in new infrastructure, public buildings andhousing to kick-start economic growth.

The Government should also provide the mechanismsto finance the delivery of 300,000 high quality newhomes each year – and take immediate action to startbuilding the next generation of eco-friendly gardencities.

Ms Brady said ministers should also create andpromote a comprehensive inventory of all pub-licly-owned land and detail the sites that can be sold todevelopers in order to attract innovative developmentand create local growth.

Sites sold to developers by Government should bedeveloped though design and community-led competi-tions, ensuring long-term value is prioritised ahead ofshort-term revenue.

Ms Brady called for the rate of VAT on buildingrefurbishment to be reduced from 20% to 5% – and forthe Government to adapt the existing 0% VAT rate fornew-build to incentivise high quality sustainable homes.Such a “payment by results” 0% VAT rate for new-buildwould be applied only where the scheme meets aspecified level above building regulations and anincreased 5% rate would be applied for those that fail tomeet high sustainability standard.

She also called for additional funding to bolster localauthority planning and housing delivery teams – toensure councils have the skills and expertise to helpdeliver sustainable growth in construction and addressthe chronic skills shortages that are holding backdevelopment.

Said Ms Brady: “After five years of economic turmoil,it is time for the Government to use this Budget to domore to support the UK economy and constructionindustry by getting this country building.

“Every £1 of investment in construction activitygenerates £2.84 of economic activity. The constructionindustry is the place to start if the Government is trulycommitted to generating growth and jobs in this coun-try.

“We are in the grip of the worst housing crisis fordecades, but only building a tiny proportion of thehomes needed to meet demand. The Government mustuse the 2013 Budget to deliver a minimum of 300,000desperately-needed affordable new homes in the nextyear.

Funding ‘failure’hitting buildersA QUARTER of small and medium-sizedbuilding firms have missed out oncontracts because they can’t securevital funding, it is claimed.The Federation of Master Builders saidlatest figures showed the Government’sFunding for Lending scheme is failing tosupport construction – as lending fellsignificantly in the last three months of2012.The FMB has urged ministers to act,citing the results of its own survey ofmore than 1,000 member firms, whichclearly show the ongoing restriction offinance to SME constructionbusinesses.More than 40% of construction SMEssurveyed said they had found it harderto gain access to finance in the past twoyears, while 43% reported that credit ismore expensive than two years ago and25% were subject to increased chargesfor credit facilities.Of those surveyed, a quarter reportedthey had lost business or had toabandon plans for growth or investmentbecause they were unable to raise thenecessary funds and 18% said that thenumber of staff they were able toemploy had fallen as a direct result.

Colliers on a highat MeadowhallCOLLIERS International has beenappointed to carry out plannedmaintenance work on the 1.3m sq ft roofat the Meadowhall Shopping Centre, nearSheffield.The company will project manage theinvestigation and subsequent repairprogramme for the entire roof. This willalso include assessment of the fire andsmoke extraction system across the siteand the implementation of refurbishmentwork. The phased project is expected tolast more than five years.Colliers International’s Yorkshire-basedteam has been involved with Meadowhallsince 1999 when British Land acquiredthe site. Colliers conducted the originalacquisition survey and since then hasmaintained a successful relationshipwith Meadowhall’s team.

Renewing link-up with nurseryWASTE management firmOrchard Environmental hassecured a deal that will see itswork with a local day nurseryexpand during 2013.

Elland-based Orchard hasbeen working with the family-runWater’s Edge day nursery forthree years to ensure efficientand environmentally friendlymanagement of its generalwaste.

Now the nursery, which hasoperated from its scenic settingon the banks of the Calder andHebble Navigation Canal formore than 10 years, hascommissioned Orchard tomanage its entire waste,recycling and washroomservices.

Water’s Edge runs threeseparate childcare units cateringfor children up to the age of fiveand employs more than 20nursery staff.

Last year, it opened its doorsto The Edge Playgym and Cafe,offering a friendly and clean playenvironment for local childrenand their parents and carers.

Justin Holley, of OrchardEnvironmental, said: “The newcontract will see us managewaste, recycling and washroomservices for Water’s Edge with aview to minimising costs bysourcing the best providers ineach case and bringing alladministration under one roofwith a single point of contact.

“We are delighted to haveexpanded our work with along-standing client and lookforward to continuing ourrelationship with Water’s Edgeto ensure they are maximisingtheir revenue potential fromrecycling and minimising theirwaste costs across the board.”

Auction realisesmore than £7.8mA PROPERTY auction featuring lots inMirfield and Batley has generatedtakings of more than £7.8m.The first auction of the year for propertyagency Eddisons – which took place ontwo days in Leeds and Manchester – saw79% of the 123 lots on offer find buyers.Tony Webber, of Eddisons, said: “Thiswas an excellent performance to startour auction year and continued thepositive trend we saw at the end of 2012.“The sale rooms were packed andinvestors showed a real appetite for alltypes of stock, with many lots attractingmultiple bids, which helped drive pricesup.”These included vacant ground floorretail premises in Mirfield. TheGreenside Road property, which extendsapproximately 946sq ft sold for £71,000,off a guide of £50,000-plus.And a vacant two-bedroom terracehouse at Bradford Road, Batley, sold for£40,000. The guide price was £30,000.

On the path tonational finalsA COMPANY laying driveways andpatios aims to go one better this year.

Rastrick-based Driveways andPatios is through to the national final ofan annual competition run byBirkby-based paving supplier MarshallsPLC for its registered installers.

Driveways and Patios won oneregional award in 2011 and tworegional titles last year. Now the firm,run by father and son Chris and AdamHallinan, hopes to go one better bywinning an award at the national finalto be held next Monday at Bagden HallHotel, Scissett.

The company, which is one of 20finalists, was recognised for a projectto lay a driveway at a house inEdgerton using Marshalls’ Cobbletechproduct – a paving which replicates oldstone cobbles.

Chris set up the company sevenyears ago having been a generalbuilder for many years.

Competitors in the annualcompetition are judged by their fellowregistered installers from other regions.

David Jessop, manager of theMarshalls register, who presented theregional certificate to the firm, said theRastrick firm had previously been

successful in regional awardcategories for best use of a newproduct and best driveway over 70sqmetres. The national final features 10categories.

Mr Jessop said: “Cobbletech issomething of a unique product which isproving very popular.”

■ CLEAN DEAL: Water’s Edge Nursery's management team of (fromleft) Kelly Heavyside, Carl Heavyside and Joanne Wood, has signed anew deal with Elland firm Orchard Environmental

■ DRIVE TIME: David Jessop (centre), of Marshalls PLC, hands the registeredcontractors award to Adam (left) and Chris Hallinan. Below – The Cobbletechsystem for which the Hallinans gained the award

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Ryan Barlow

virtualDCSHUDDERSFIELD man RyanBarlow has joinedLeeds-based virtualDCS asa member of the supportteam.

The announcementcomes shortly after thecompany welcomed PeterBowers to the business assales director.

Mr Barlow (pictured) will be responsiblefor resolving technical issues for customersas they arise. The company provides Cloudsolutions for customers in a range ofindustry sectors.

Managing director Richard May said:“Ryan is heavily skilled in providingcomprehensive, first-line IT support tocustomers and we are more than confidentthat he will be an asset to our existingsupport team.”

Steve Moody

BizspaceA COMPANY providing flexiblebusiness accommodation hasappointed a Huddersfield man asregional sales manager for thenorth, covering 20 sites inYorkshire.

Steve Moody (pictured), ofHolmfirth, joins Leeds-basedBizspcae with a background inthe telecoms and digitalindustries. He takes responsibility for managinga team of 10 throughout the region, based atBizspace’s Brooklands Court business centre inSouth Leeds.

The company provides flexible term officespace, workshops, industrial space, storage andmeeting rooms in Huddersfield, Dewsbury,Leeds, Bradford, Hull, Sheffield, Barnsley,Halifax, Wakefield and Wath-Upon-Dearne.

Lucy Tinker

G&TAccountancyAN accountancy firm based in Denby Dale hasmade a key appointment.

Chartered accountant Lucy Tinker is pictured(above) being welcomed by Steve Glover,managing partner at G&T AccountancyServices Ltd.

She joins the firm from Sochall Smith Ltd inLeeds and will be responsible for staff trainingas well as supporting accounts preparation,business and personal tax computations,bookkeeping and management accounts.

G&T Accountancy Services Ltd was formedin 2010 by managing partners Mr Glover andCassie Turner. High-profile clients include serialentrepreneur and business mentor Prof GrahamLeslie, who founded Galpharm Stadium andwas instrumental in the creation of the world’sfirst 25,000 all-seater stadium in Huddersfield.

Some timely advice

MAJOR new tax rules will beaffecting all employers from April –under HM Revenue & Customs’ RealTime Information initiative.

And more than 80 delegates gotan update at a workshop hosted byHuddersfield accountancy firmWheawill & Sudworth, Elland-basedEastwood & Partners FinancialServices and accountancy softwaresupplier Sage.

The event, held at the CedarCourt Hotel, Ainley Top, included areal-time RTI payroll demonstrationfrom Dan Shah, of Sage. He said:“Employers need to be making sureall their employee and payroll is

accurate and complete as a matterof urgency.”

Karen Wynard, of Eastwood &Partners Financial Services,highlighted equally important newpension regulations that localbusinesses will need to get to gripswith in the coming months.

Avoiding problems during a HMRCpayroll inspection was the theme ofa presentation by Colin Barratt, ofWheawill & Sudworth.

He said: “Collection yields are animportant measure of the success ofthese inspections and businessesare under increasing pressure toaccept extra PAYE/NI bills.”

■ SPEAKER LINE-UP: Colin Barratt (left), Dan Shah and Karen Wynard,who addressed the seminar on HMRC’s Real Time Information initiative

Sean Battles

Cedar CourtHotelsTHE owner of the Cedar Court Hotel at AinleyTop in Huddersfield has announced a keyappointment.

Sean Battles has been appointed generalmanager of the four-star Cedar Court HotelLeeds/Bradford with plans to develop itsconference and events facilities.

His previous experience includes generalmanager at The Best Western York PavilionHotel and The Craiglands Hotel, Ilkley, where hesecured above target growth in sales as well asgrowing its wedding business and increasing theAA star rating. He has also worked at StudleyCastle, Warwickshire and Heythrop Park,Oxfordshire.

In addition to the Leeds/Bradford hotel, CedarCourt Hotels has four-star hotels atHuddersfield, Wakefield and Harrogate as wellas the five-star Cedar Court Grand Hotel & Spain York.

Healthier optionsKIRKLEES business leaders are invited to learnmore about the benefits of a healthy diet at anetworking event next week.

The 4Networking Huddersfield group meetsevery other Tuesday over breakfast at the AspleyTable Table on St Andrew’s Road. The next eventtakes place from 8am to 10am next Tuesday.

As well as the opportunity for open networkingand three focused one-to-one meetings with otherattendees, the morning includes a presentationcalled “Eat your way to health – it’s cheaper thanthe gym” by Tony Ryalls, of the UpstairsDownstairs Café & Coffee House. Go towww.4networking.biz

Blooming good show!EVERYTHING in the garden centre’srosy.

Staff at Armitage’s Garden Centre arecelebrating after scooping a prize in theGarden Centre Association’s regionalawards.

Armitage’s Pennine Garden Centre atShelley was named Best DestinationGarden Centre 2012 in the North East.

Director William Armitage said: “It is

always very rewarding to achieve theseawards as the Garden Centre Associationchampions professionalism in gardencentre retailing and the competition isalways tough.”

More than 160 garden centres nationwideare audited annually by the Garden CentreAssociation, whose annual inspectionscover all aspects of service, plant quality,product display and professional advice.

“We are absolutely delighted with theBest Destination Garden Centre award forour Pennine centre,” said Mr Armitage.“Our team plays a huge part in achievingthese high standards and we wholeheartedlythank them for their effort and commit-ment.”

Armitage’s also has a garden centre atBirchencliffe, Huddersfield.

■ FLOWER POWER: Pennine Garden Centre manager Andrew Harper (right) and assistant manager Andy Mears (left) with theaward and staff