KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees14, Febr uar y, 2012

INSIDE

exam

iner

.co.

uk

● Full story - Page 8

● Full story - Page 4

Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

HELEN CASSON

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Pension reform facts

Co lumn - Page 5

An EXAMINER publication

Space toexpandA FIRM offering design,digital services, printand display productshas made a move tobigger premises inElland. PortfolioDisplay has movedfrom its long-timepremises to MarshallHall Mills followingcontinued growth ofthe business – allowingthe company to stay inElland while doublingits production andoffice space.

Cash stillthe kingKIRKLEES firms havebeen urged to put theirefforts into preservingcash flow. PeterSargent, of rescue andrecovery specialistBegbies Traynor, saidthe first few months ofthe new year oftenproved to be a criticalfinancial struggle forbusinesses aspressure on cash flowbuilds to crisis pointfollowing the festiveseason. The firstquarter of the year istraditionally a peakperiod for personalinsolvency andbusiness failure.

KAREN WYNARDFTSE 100+53.31

5905.70

Engineering freshbusiness in ChinaA COMPANY providing expertise tothe engineering industry has returnedfrom a major trip to China – and isalready reaping the rewards.

Edgerton-based Doyle ConsultingEngineers, part of the Parsons Group,travelled to China alongside its New-castle head office, Patrick ParsonsConsulting Engineers.

The visit, which was backed bygovernment export support armUKTI and the China-Britain BusinessCouncil (CBBC), saw Patrick Parsonsmanaging director Peter Stienlet andChin Joon Gan, of Doyle ConsultingEngineers, spend 10 days in meetingsacross China and Hong Kong.

Now both firms are set to benefitfrom the trip to forge long-termlinks.

The trade mission included meet-ings with the Chinese Tourist Board inGuangzhou and visits to a water parkin Hong Kong and a multi-millionhotel development company in Wen-zhou.

And the trip has resulted in severalnew business opportunities for theengineering firm.

The Patrick Parsons team wasinvited by the Chinese Tourist Boardto discuss their specialism in engineer-ing white water rafting courses whichhas resulted in Patrick Parsons beingengaged to work on a number ofprojects later this year.

At Ocean Park in Hong Kong, the

Patrick Parsons team were receivedvery positively – with the prospect ofcollaborating on the second phase of avast project to construct a water park.Working on a project like this wouldallow Patrick Parsons to showcase thepioneering techniques they recentlyused in the UK on the Tees BarrageWhite Water Rafting course, wherethey used so-called Rapidbloc techno-logy to create a near-infinite variety ofcourse configurations.

In addition, the CBBC is assisting insecuring UK knowledge for use in a

range of heritage projects acrossChina. Heritage is a major area ofexpertise for Patrick Parsons, whichhas worked on sites such as DurhamCathedral and the UNESCO WorldHeritage site Prebends Bridge.

As a result of meetings organisedthrough the CBBC, Patrick Parsonswill host a visit to the UK frommembers of the Hainan provincialgovernment next month, who are keento harness Patrick Parsons’ expertiseto work on current heritage projects inChina.

The final leg of the trip involved ameeting with a multi-national luxuryhotel development company in Wen-zhou, where Patrick Parsons has beenengaged to deliver projects across theNorth of England.

This will help generate job oppor-tunities, as well as the investment thatwill be poured into the region as aresult. Contracts are currently in theprocess of being signed, with furtherannouncements imminent.

Chin Joon Gan, of Doyle Consult-ing Engineers, said: “Having recentlybecome part of the Parsons Group,this was a great opportunity to becomefully integrated into the work of thepractice and work closely with PeterStienlet.

“It was also useful to discover moreabout the Chinese white water raftingand water park market, with a view toworking on some exciting projects.”

Mr Stienlet said: “This was a hugelyproductive trip, with several oppor-tunities in the pipeline as a result.

“Next month we’re very much look-ing forward to a visit from a delegationfrom the Hainan provincial govern-ment to inspect our heritage work,which could see us working to deliverheritage projects in China.

“We’re also very keen to build onour successes with White Water Raft-ing courses across China in the nearfuture.”

Working environment

■ CHINA CHANCES: Peter Stienlet (right), managing director of PatrickParsons, with colleagues Mark Turner (left) and Doyle Consulting Engineersdirector Patrick Parsons, who are set to benefit from a trade trip to China

Innovation vouchers help six firmsMORE Kirklees firms are getting helpto gain an edge over the competition.

The second round of the InnovationVouchers Scheme – run by KirkleesCouncil with Huddersfield Universityand Kirklees College – was launchedlast year to provide local businesses withanother opportunity to buy knowledgeand expertise from a leading expert.

Vouchers were awarded to SimpleLittle Creations, based at Dalton;Briteair Systems Ltd, Batley; Able Part-nerships Ltd, Heckmondwike; SW Part-n e r s, M e l t h a m ; M o l ly O l ive r,

Huddersfield; and Not Just A TradingCompany, Netherton.

The recipients work in business sec-tors including manufacturing, design,ICT, environmental technologies andeducation.

It is expected that up to 30 jobs in thebusinesses could be created and a fur-ther 13 jobs safeguarded as a result.

The vouchers enable companies todevelop their products, services or busi-ness models to improve competitivenessand enhance wealth creation.

The scheme is part of the council’s

Economic Recovery Programmedesigned to promote and create jobs andhelp individuals and businesses throughthe economic downturn.

Cabinet member Clr Peter McBridesaid the projects supported would leadto the development of new jobs and jobsecurity for existing employees.

Previous recipients of innovationvouchers include drinks dispense equip-ment manufacturer Brewfitt Ltd, ofFenay Bridge, and extraction systemsspecialist Westin Design, based at LeedsRoad in Huddersfield

■ PROJECTS: Kirklees cabinetmember Peter McBride

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICES

closed at

Local shares

FTSE

5905.70Up 53.31

LENDING by Britain’s top five banksshrank every quarter last year, officialfigures have revealed.

After taking loan repayments intoaccount, the five – Lloyds BankingGroup, Royal Bank of Scotland, Sant-ander, Barclays and HSBC – saw com-bined net lending slide in 2011, the Bankof England said, including a 3% drop inthe final quarter.

The figures also confirmed that thefive banks missed gross lending targetsfor small businesses in 2011 by morethan £1bn, but beat the target for allbusinesses by £24.9bn.

Royal Bank of Scotland, which is 83%owned by the taxpayer, is the culprit forthe shortfall in small business lendingafter the other four lenders came for-ward and confirmed they had beatentheir targets.

Under the Project Merlin agreementwith the Treasury, Britain’s top five

banks said they would increase lendingavailable to SMEs to £76bn this yearand boost lending available to all busi-nesses to £190bn.

The British Bankers’ Association saidthe overall lending figure demonstratedthe banks’ commitment to help UKbusinesses and pointed to Bank of Eng-land data that showed SMEs’ demandfor credit had fallen in three out of thelast four quarters.

A spokesman for the Merlin bankssaid: “The banks’ efforts to encouragecustomers to come forward with bor-rowing proposals are set against thisoverall challenging economic environ-ment. The business demand for creditremains weak.”

Chancellor George Osborne is likelyto face questions over whether anypenalties will be put in place for thebanks’ failure to hit the SME targets.

The Project Merlin agreement will not

be repeated this year, although the Gov-ernment plans to launch its credit easingprogramme, which will initially see£20bn made available over the next twoyears under a National Loan GuaranteeScheme.

RBS chief executive Stephen Hestersaid his bank’s lending will not be farshort of all the other banks combined.

He said: “There is no bank in thiscountry coming close to punching abovetheir weight in the way we are. ForgetProject Merlin and how it’s defined,that’s damn impressive. People have lostsight of that.”

Barclays said it exceeded targets by13% last year, handing out £43.6bn ofnew lending to businesses.

Part-nationalised Lloyds BankingGroup also beat its target after lending£12.5bn to SMEs while Santander UKlent £8.7bn to businesses in 2011, a 25%increase on the previous year.

THE owner of jewellery businessesincluding Goldsmiths and Mappin &Webb defied lacklustre conditionsto unveil a 53% rise in profits.

Aurum Holdings said the launch ofexclusive brands such as CanadianIce and Biba boosted Goldsmiths,while its Watches of Switzerlanddivision benefited from the launch ofits new transactional website.

The group’s operating profits roseto £18.3m in the year to January 29,from £12m, while like-for-like saleswere up by 10.2% to £300.6m.

Aurum, which has about 150stores in the UK and Ireland, said itcontinued to consider seekingpotential new owners for the busi-

ness after advisers were hired tooversee the sale of the Lon-don-based company last year.

It is controlled by the resolutioncommittee of failed Icelandic bankLandsbanki, having acquired itsstake after the collapse of Baugur in2009, to which it loaned money.

Aurum chairman Don McCarthysaid: “I am extremely pleased withour performance over the year, des-pite the difficult trading environ-ment.”

Aurum claims to be the largestdistributor of luxury brands such asOmega, Tag Heuer and Gucci, aswell as the UK’s largest distributorfor Rolex, Cartier and Breitling.

Profits shine for jewellery group

RBS the ‘culprit’ asbank lending falls

VODAFONE is mulling a potentialtakeover bid for struggling telecomsfirm Cable & Wireless Worldwide, themobile phone giant has confirmed.

In a brief statement to the stockmarket, Newbury-based Vodafonesaid it was in the early stages ofevaluating the merits of a deal forC&WW, which sells telecoms andinternet services to major UK busi-nesses.

Newspaper reports suggested thatVodafone would need about £700m tobuy C&WW, which is also thought tobe in the sights of private equity firmApax.

Interest has been spurred by the

collapse in CWW’s share price since itsplit from Cable & Wireless’s Carib-bean-based telecoms arm in 2010.

It has been hit by the squeeze onGovernment spending and the weakeconomy, leading it to report heavylosses for the six months to September30 and warn of no dividend paymentsin order to bolster its balance sheet.

Former Vodafone executive GavinDarby, who in November became thecompany’s third chief executive inaround a year, is expected to provideearly details of a turnaround planalongside a trading update onThursday.

AIRPORT operator BAAreported an increase inpassenger numbers.

BAA’s six airportsserved 7.5m passengersin January – an increaseof 0.5% on the previousyear.

Heathrow handled5.2m passengers lastmonth – a record forJanuary. The figure was2.3% up on the previousyear.

Aberdeen recorded a14% rise in numbers, butthere were declines atStansted, Edinburgh,Glasgow andSouthampton.

Stansted recorded adrop of 6.6% on last year,driven by a reduction inEuropean traffic.Southampton posted adrop of 0.9%, largely as aresult of a 1.5% drop indomestic traffic.

Glasgow andEdinburgh reported areduction in passengertraffic of 0.4% and 4.4%respectively – with anexpected dip in the winterschedule at Edinburghpartially mitigated by theaddition of several newroutes.Vodafone weighs up bid

Increasefor BAA

MILK and cheesesupplier Dairy Crest isfacing a one-off hit of upto £4m after one of itscustomers – QuadraFoods, of Plymouth –went into administration.

Dairy Crest is lookingat options to reduce theamount involved andsaid the collapse willhave no bearing on itsdividend or end-of-yearborrowings.

£4m hitfor dairy

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.39 dollarsBangladesh................. 124.83 takaBrazil.............................. 2.43 realsCanada....................... 1.50 dollarsChina ............................. 8.88 yuanCzech Republic ...... 27.34 korunasDenmark....................... 8.41 kroneEuro............................... 1.14 euroHong Kong................ 11.61 dollarsHungary ................... 312.45 forintsIndia.......................... 68.39 rupeesJapan........................... 116.64 yenMexico ....................... 17.86 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.76 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.62 kronePakistan.................. 134.93 rupeesPhilippines ................. 57.36 pesosSouth Africa.................. 11.34 randSouth Korea.............. 1541.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 172.79 rupeesSweden....................... 10.02 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.37 francsTaiwan ...................... 40.68 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.62 new liraUSA ............................ 1.51 dollars

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £32.98 +0.15Gannett 931.50 +5.70Hess Corp £39.37 +0.20Microsoft 1937.52 +5.13Motors Liquidation 47.53Wal-Mart Stores £39.27 +0.04

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 2981/2 -41/2BAE Systems 320 +21/4Rolls-Royce 7791/2 +7

AIMBrady Plc 811/2Dawson Intl 11/2Man Brnze 30 +1

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 2191/4 +21/8

BANKSBarclays 237 +27/8HSBC 5643/8 +63/4Lloyds Banking Gp 351/4 +3/4Ryl Scotland 281/8 +1/4Stan Chart 16121/2 +251/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 1503 +191/2SABMiller £253/8 +1/8

CHEMICALSCroda £201/2 +1/4Elementis 98 1641/8 +31/4Johnsn Mat £223/4 +1/2

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 285 +13/8

Costain 2063/4 +13/4

ELECTRICITYDrax Gp 5301/2 +141/2Intl Power 3311/4 +15/8SSE 1260 -1

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 167 +1/2

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3643/4 +13/4

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 2153/4 +13/4Cable & WirelessComm

38 +13/4

Cable & WirelessWwide

281/2 +83/4

Colt Group 923/4 +13/8KCOM 731/4 -3/4Talktalk Telecom 1373/4 +51/8

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 291 +1/4Sainsbury 2911/8 +3/4Tesco 3193/8 -11/4

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1199 +7Tate Lyle 690 +5Unilever £203/4 +1/4

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 2911/2 +3National Grid 639 +61/2Pennon Grp 6861/2 +1Severn 1526 +7United Utils 5971/2 +1

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 1991/2 +23/4ICAP 3681/8 +11/2London StockExch 940 +16Man Group 1311/4 +7/8Provident Financial 9891/2 +20Schroders 1602 +6Schroders NV 1282 +9

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 6211/2 +11REXAM 3793/4 +11/8Smiths Grp 1050

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 22 +1Carphone Whse 1721/2 +1/2Dixons Retail 143/4 -1/4Home Retail 1091/4 +21/4Inchcape 3661/8 +21/8Kingfisher 272 +5/8M & S 3483/4 -13/8Mothercare 216 +21/4Next £273/8 +1/8WH Smith 5371/2 +6

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 6351/2 +1

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 813/4 +3/4Barrat Dev 1213/4 +41/4Persimmon 559 +8Reckitt Benckiser £353/8 -1/8Taylor Wimpey 441/2 +7/8

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGI M I 921 +12

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 3441/8 +101/8

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 197 +37/8

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 368 +63/4Lgl & Gen 1191/4 +3/4Old Mutual 1581/4 +31/4Prudential 7161/2 +21/2Resolution 271 +11/4Standard Life 2277/8 +23/4

MEDIABSkyB 700 +6D Mail Tst 4351/8 -17/8ITV 793/4 +3/4Johnston Press 61/4Pearson 1197 +9Reed Elsevier 534 +31/2STV Group 111 +6Trinity Mirror 481/2 +3/4Utd Business 5791/2 +9UTV 1231/8 +3/4WPP 7931/2 +15Yell Group 57/8 +1/8

MININGAnglo American £281/8 +3/4Antofagasta 1348 +25BHP Billiton £207/8 +1/4Eurasian NaturalRes

702 +171/2

Fresnillo 1773 +19Kazakhmys 1139 +15Lonmin 1035 +20Rio Tinto £381/2 +3/4

VEDANTARESOURCES

1282 +22

Xstrata 1213 +15MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 4677/8 +91/4Vodafone Group 1743/8 +13/4

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 968 +4RSA Insurance Gp 1121/4 +2

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 1468 -101/2BP 496 +53/4Cairn Energy 348 -23/4Royal Dutch Shell A £23 +1/8Royal Dutch Shell B £231/4 +1/8

Total £343/8 +3/8Tullow Oil 1523 -9

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1112 +17Petrofac 1532 +20Wood Gp(J) 695

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1393 -16

PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGYAstrazeneca £301/8 +3/8GlaxoSmithK 22Shire £221/2 +3/8

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 4951/4 +33/8Captl Shop Cent 3371/8 +41/8Hamrsn 3911/4 +85/8Land Secs 690 +111/2SEGRO 2341/8 +33/4

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESInvensys 2121/4 -1/2Logica 833/4 +21/2Misys 2901/4 +1/4Sage Group 299 +3/8

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 4563/4 +21/4Bunzl 878 +6Capita 6341/2 +2De La Rue 9941/2 +61/2Electrocomp 2373/8 +23/8Experian 9291/2 +81/2G4S 2793/4 +1/4Hays 815/8 +21/8Homeserve 2501/8 -13/4

Menzies J 596 -4Rentokil 763/4 +11/4Smiths News 973/4 -3/4Wolseley £231/8 +1/4

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 5751/2 +8Psion 493/4 -3/4Spirent Comms 1313/4 +11/8

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £311/4 +1/4Imperial Tobacco £241/2 +1/8

LEISURE & HOTELSBwin.Party Digital 1711/4 +3/8Carnival 1913 -49Compass Grp 635 +3easyJet 4591/4 +7/8Enterprise Inns 501/4 +1FirstGroup 3047/8 +1Go-Ahead Gp 1312 +34Greene King 5201/2 +3Intercontl Htls 1402 +5Intl Cons AirlinesGp

1751/4 -21/2

Ladbrokes 1473/8 +3/4Mitchells & Butlers 2711/8 +1/2Natl Express 2271/4 +25/8Rank Org 138 -1/4Stagecoach Group 2653/4 -41/8TUI Travel 2071/2 +53/4Whitbread 1714 +16

INDEXFTSE 100 5905.70 +53.31

INDEXFTSE 250 11275.60 +107.99

Carclo 369 +221/2Marshalls 1015/8 -7/8National Grid 639 +61/2Weir Gp 1983 -14

■ IMPRESSIVE: RBS chiefexecutive Stephen Hester

closed at

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

HelenCasson

VibrantHR

BusytimesforHelen

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: HR consultantAge: 32Family: Husband Philand daughter Emma,threeHolidays: The York-shire east coast andSpainCar: Hyundai MatrixFirst job: I wasoffered two jobs on thesame day when I wasat school – and tookthem both. One wasserving in a fish andchip shop and theother was waitressingat a local pubBest thing aboutjob: Variety in termsof the clients and busi-nessesIWorst thing aboutjob: There’s nothing Idon’t like about it!!Business tip: Don’ttry to do everythingyourself. There arealways some things forwhich you need spe-cialist advice

Work: HR con-sultancySite: SkelmanthorpePhone: 07840 112001Email:helen@vibrant-hr.co.ukWeb:www.vibrant-hr.co.uk

THESE are uncertain timesfor employers andemployees alike.

The economic climate hasput the emphasis firmly onkeeping costs under control– and often that meanscompanies are having tolook at restructuring and joblosses.

Human resourcesspecialist Helen Casson is inthe thick of it – as firms seekher advice and help.

“Businesses are looking atchanges terms andconditions so the business isflexible enough to carry on,”she says. “They are makingsure their policies andprocedures are fit forpurpose. That can meanredundancies andtransferring of businesses.”

At the same time, Helen isalso being called on moreoften to investigate employeegrievance claims – anothersign of the times, shebelieves.

So, exciting times to set upyour own business, then!

Helen, 32, launched herfirm, Vibrant HR, only lastSeptember from offices inSkelmanthorpe. But she cancall on extensive experiencein the industry, havingworked with both public andprivate sector clients.

Doncaster-born Helenwent to HuddersfieldUniversity to take a degree inbusiness studies.“Huddersfield was farenough to get away fromhome – and close enough tocome back when I wanted!”she says. “I always knew Iwould work in some sort ofcommercial or corporateenvironment. There was anHR module in my first yearand that’s what changed mycareer path for me. It was abit of a ‘eureka’ moment. HRwas something I was reallygood at and passionateabout.”

Helen also took theopportunity to gainqualifications with theChartered Institute ofPersonnel and Developmentduring her second year atHuddersfield. “I went touniversity during the yeartuition fees were introduced,”she says. “Getting the CIPDqualification while I was atHuddersfield was anopportunity to get twoqualifications for the price ofone!”

On graduation, Helen hada bachelor’s degree inbusiness studies and herCIPD qualification. After afew years, she returned toHuddersfield University togain a master’s degree instrategic human resourcemanagement. She alsoachieved the exactingstandards needed tobecome a fellow of the CIPD.

Helen’s first professionaljob after graduating was inthe NHS, working on aproject reforming juniordoctors’ rotas to maximisethe number of doctorsavailable to hospitalconsultants.

“I have been shakingthings up ever since!” saysHelen. “Every role since hasbeen demanding andstressful, but I thrive on theopportunity to deal withpeople. I have worked withthe public, private and thirdsectors. I have dealt with

everything HR can throw atyou.”

It’s no surprise that Helendecided to step out on herown. “It’s always somethingI’ve wanted to do,” she says.“It has always been a goal.”

Now she works with awide range of clients acrossthe north, including lawfirms, marketing agencies,charities and commercialbusinesses.

“I have some regionalcompanies where I providesupport to their ownin-house HR and I havesome clients who are takingon employees for the firsttime and want to make surethey have the paperwork setup.”

Says Helen: “Payroll is thebiggest single investment forany business, but peoplemanagement can be difficult.I use my expertise to helpemployers put the policiesand procedures in place andinto practice with the aim ofhelping to improve thebusiness. Most businessesare differentiated by thepeople who work for them.People management is somuch more than just

employment law.”Helen covers issues as

wide-ranging as managingemployee absence and illhealth, disciplinary andgrievance procedures,discrimination claims andrecruitment to redundancyand restructuring, terms andconditions of employment,project management andadvising new businessstart-ups.

While many bossesbelieve that employment lawfavours the employee overthe employer, Helen pointsout that employers shouldfeel reassured by changesthe government is making toreduce the likelihood ofvexatious and spuriousclaims coming beforeemployment tribunals.

“There is a misconceptionamong some employers thatemployees have more rightsthan employers,” says Helen.“That’s not true. Whereemployers fall down if theyend up in a tribunal is notbecause of a decision todismiss an employee, but theway they handled theprocess.”

Helen says businessesneed to keep up with bestpractice, pointing out: “Someof my clients have had theirfingers burnt in the past. Isend clients regular updatesso they know what to lookout for. Employers cannotafford not to get good advice.

“All my clients have comefrom recommendation andword-of-mouth and from mynetworking and contactsacross the region. It’s alsogood to get positivefeedback from the clients.”

“I’m vice-chair of the WestYorkshire CIPD branchcommittee and we providelearning and developmentopportunities for 3,500members in the area. It’s avoluntary role, but I do itbecause I am passionateabout what I do.”

Helen chose Vibrant HRas the name for hercompany to reflect her beliefthat it is people who makevibrant and profitablebusinesses, adding: “It alsoreflects my personality!”

Helen finds ruralSkelmanthorpe an ideallocation for her business. “Ilive in the village, so I canwalk to work when I know I’llbe spending the day in theoffice,” she says. “I haveeasy access to themotorways and the office isequally accessible for clientswho want to come here todiscuss mattersconfidentially.”

Away from work, Helengoes to the gym regularlyand enjoys trips toScarborough and Whitbywith husband Phil andthree-year-old daughterEmma.

And she has no regretsabout setting up her ownbusiness. “It has been like apractical business studiesdegree course.” she says. “Itnever felt like a risky thing todo. I have the experiencebehind me, I have thequalifications and I have thenetworks. I don’t feel a senseof isolation because I go toevents and keep myknowledge up to date.

“Setting up a business ischallenging, but my mantrais you engage the talentsand knowledge of expertswho know – so I’ve workedwith a good accountant,marketing agency andbusiness advisor, I can’tstress enough how expertknowledge has enabled meto develop the business theway I want it to go.”

■ POSITIVE: HelenCasson, of Vibrant HR,based at Skelmanthorpe

On the board with

01484 538 351theboard@revellward.co.ukTwitter@RevellWard

www.revellward.co.uk

RevellWardBudget 2012

Think Global,Act LocalDate: Friday 23 March 2012Location: Revell Ward Suite,

Galpharm StadiumCoffee and registration: 11.00am

Seminar Starts: 11.30amPresenters:

Annie Bradley - International Trade Adviserfrom UKTI

Andrew Burgess - Budget UpdateRhona Graham & Lesley Sutton -VAT & Tax Opportunities in 2012

Two course lunch served at: 1.00pmClose: 2.00pm onwards

Tickets: Cost £15 each fromhttp://revellwardbudget2012.eventbrite.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

TAXTALKColin Barratt

Colin Barratt is tax partner at Wheawill and Sudworthchartered accountants, Huddersfield

Cash flow isthe top priorityKIRKLEES firmshave been urgedto put theirefforts intopreserving cashflow.The first fewmonths of thenew year haveoften proved tobe a criticalfinancialstruggle for businesses aspressure on cash flow builds tocrisis point following the festiveseason, according to Meltham manPeter Sargent (pictured).Mr Sargent, a partner with rescueand recovery specialist BegbiesTraynor, said: “January is anotoriously difficult month and thefirst quarter of the year istraditionally a peak period for bothpersonal insolvency and businessfailure.“The world doesn’t stop justbecause it’s been Christmas andproblems experienced by businessduring the winter months can soonescalate. There are still bills,wages and the quarterly rent topay as well as PAYE and NIC in themiddle of the month and VAT dueat the end.“Combined with this, businesseshave had to cope with a shorttrading month in December andoften a dip in productivity andturnover in the run up toChristmas.“This is followed by a start-up lagin the New Year when orders tendto be poor and debtors slow topay. The result is that manybusinesses will be facing a severecash flow nick point that couldprove fatal.”Mr Sargent said: “After tougheconomic conditions over the lastfew years, many businesses haveno wool on their backs to getthrough more lean times. Ouradvice is to face up to the situationand seek professional help assoon as possible.”

Excellent idea!KIRKLEES firms excelling in allareas of their business are invitedto apply for the 2012 North ofEngland Excellence Awards.The awards are open to all privatepublic and voluntary organisationsand go to companies showing highstandards of performance all round– in areas such as customerservice, innovation, leadership, llearning and development,sustainability, and high growth.They are organised by North ofEngland Excellence and supportedby the British Quality Foundationand Chartered Quality Institute. Thewinners will be announced at the18th annual awards ceremony inautumn.Contact Suzanne House at North ofEngland Excellence on 01925715242 or go to www.noee.co.uk

Home in ontax mattersWHETHER a property is

inherited and is sub-sequently rented out orwhether an individual buys aproperty to let, the issue oftax on rental income andwhich expenses can be legit-imately claimed to reduce aperson’s tax bill will arise.

Rental profits arise wherei n c o m e exc e e d s a l l owabl eexpenses incurred in the year.

Where expenses exceed rentalincome the loss arising is carriedforward to set against futurerental profits.

If an individual has severalproperties, a loss on one propertycan, in most cases, be set againstthe profits on the other in thesame year thereby reducing therental profit for the year.

For those buying a property, themost significant of expensesincurred will be loan interest.

Interest payable on loans usedto buy land or property used inthe rental business or on loans tofinance repairs, improvements oralterations is deductible when cal-culating the profit or losses of thebusiness.

It is the use of the funds whichdetermines whether a tax deduc-tion is given for the interest paidrather than what the loan issecured on.

As long as the funds are usedwholly for the purpose of thebusiness, then the interest will beallowed for tax.

But it is only the interest pay-able on the mortgage, not the

capital repayment that is deduct-ible.

It doesn’t matter if the interest ispaid on a personal loan, a mort-gage, or even an overdraft, as longas the borrowing was made tofund the letting business.

Other expenses a landlord candeduct from rental income arecouncil tax, water charges, gasand electricity, insurance for theproperty and its contents.

Any other expenses directlyrelating to the letting of the prop-erty will be allowable, such asgardening.

If you collect rents, then thecosts of travel to do so will bedeductible. Otherwise, the agent’sletting costs will be allowable.

But professional fees for thefirst letting for more than one yearare not deductible. The costs ofrenewing a letting will always beallowable.

Repairs and decorations arealso deductible, but improvementexpenditure will not be. Improve-ments will be structural altera-tions or extensions.

Renewing what was there

before will be regarded as a repairbut putting something into theproperty that wasn’t there beforewill be a capital item and notdeductible.

If repair work is carried out ona property before it is let for thefirst time, the expense will not beallowable.

The reason is that the repairdoes not arise from letting. It maybe beneficial to leave non-essen-tial work until after the propertyhas been let, although this is notalways practical.

There is additional relief forfully furnished residential lettingsonly, which is a deduction of 10%of the gross rents, less Council Taxand water charges if paid by thelandlord.

M a i n t a i n i n g re c o rd s o fexpenditure incurred is essentialas otherwise deductions may bedenied if HMRC enquiry into alandlord’s tax affairs, leading tofurther tax payable as well asinterest charges and potentialpenalties being levied.

Public recognitionfor private firmsPRIVATE sector businesses in Kirkleeshave been urged to take part in thePrivate Business Awards.Nominations are open for the 2012award, which is backed by major namesPricewaterhouseCoopers, HSBC andDechert.This year’s awards include two newcategories – the Rising Star Award,which will champion vision, strongleadership and growth strategies; andthe Exporter of the Year Award, whichwill celebrate a strong and growingpresence in overseas markets.Arif Ahmad, private business partner forPwC in West Yorkshire, said: “We knowhow important private businesses are tothe region’s economic recovery and weare passionate about working with suchinspirational leaders.”Go to www.privatebusinessawards.co.uk

Searching for winnersTHE search is on to find Britain’smost pioneering women – andshrewd operators from Kirkleesare invited to compete.

The First Women Awardscelebrate trailblazing women fromthe business, entrepreneurial,manufacturing, science andtechnology, and media sectors

who are leading the way for thenext generation.

The awards, created in 2005 byReal Business and the CBI andheld in association with LloydsBanking Group, has previouslyrecognised “glass ceiling”breakers such as Dame MaryPerkins, founder of Specsavers;

Angela Strank, the most seniorwoman at oil giant BP;multi-million selling authorAnnabel Karmel; and TheaGreen, founder of Nails Inc.

Matthew Rock, co-founder ofReal Business, said: “Over thepast six years, the scale of theFirst Women programme hasgrown and grown.

“An awards project has becomea national network of pioneeringwomen across a range ofindustries and professions.”

This year’s First WomenAwards launch event will takeplace on March 5.

The closing date for entries isApril 13, 2012. An awardsceremony will take place on June28 in London.

For details, go tofwa.realbusiness.co.uk/home

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

➢ Valuation advice

➢ Negotiating the deal

➢ Raising finance

➢ Due diligence

➢ Tax mitigation ideas

➢ Getting the job done

Our independent and partner-drivenapproach ensures clients receiveadvice they can rely on and trust.

To discuss your plans in confidence pleaseconatct David Butterworth

W&SWheawill & Sudworth

Experience you can count on

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

W: www.wheawills.co.uk

Independent financialplanning services for

companies and individualsEastwood & PartnersEastwood & Partners

(Financial Services) Ltd(Financial Services) LtdPennine House, Lowfields Close, Lowfields

Business Park, Elland HX5 9DA01422 377737

www.eastwoodfinancial.co.ukAuthorised and Regulated by the Financial Services Authority

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5The Engine Room gearsup to help student website

FINANCIALFOCUSKaren Wynard

Karen Wynard is head of corporate services at Eastwood &Partners (Financial Services) Ltd

ding to Meltham man

escue

ficult month and the

or bothusiness

usinessduring the winter months can soon

YE and NIC in the

gs tend

e

er the laste

tion

Supply chain game

vited

te,tions

o to companies showing highound

ted

. The

th of

Keep an eye onthese key datesTHE key package of regula-

tions for workplace pensionreforms were published earlierthis month by the Departmentfor Work and Pensions.

This will provide further clarityfor employers who are preparing forthe reforms and also for theadvisers who are assisting themwith their preparations!

I will write more about thereforms and the key regulations inthe coming months. After all, thereforms will launch from Octoberthis year.

However, some of you will beaware that in November last year,Steve Webb, the Pensions Ministerannounced a delay to the imple-mentation of the reforms for smal-ler firms.

The revised dates were not clari-fied at that time but were promisedfor the end of January, 2012.

For those employers that are keento start their planning process or forthose that are conscious that theymust start giving this some thought,I am pleased to say that the revised

dates have now been published.According to the Pensions Regu-

lator, the “likely” staging dates (thedates from which different employ-ers will be required to comply) foremployers with over 250 or moreemployees in a PAYE scheme areunaffected.

For those employers with lessthan 250 employees in their PAYEscheme, the Government has pub-lished the staging time bands thatthese employers will fall into.

With regard to the smallestemployers (less than 50), they willnot reach their staging date until

June, 2015, at the earliest and theindividual staging dates of employ-ers within these time bands will beconfirmed later this year.

Please remember that stagingdates are determined by the size ofan employer’s largest PAYE schemeon April 1, 2012, when it willbecome fixed.

All staging dates are “likely” datesuntil then as PAYE schemes maychange size before April 1, 2012.

To view the likely staging date ortime band for your largest PAYEscheme, view wwebsite www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk

NATIONAL digital and webvideo producer Campuslifehas appointed a Huddersfielddesign and brand agency tocreate a fresh corporateidentity and brandcommunications strategy.Campuslife creates dynamicvideo products designed tocomplement studentexperience at further andhigher education centres inthe UK.The Engine Room, based atLeeds Road, carried out a fullbrand audit and re-positioningstrategy to strengthen

Campuslife’s reputation withits target audience.Simon Horniblow, managingdirector at Campuslife, said:“Working with The EngineRoom was great – they aredefinitely light bulb-headedpeople.”The work included providingnew marketing material andfull website. A speech bubblewithin the brand representsthe two sides to thecompany’s work – bridgingthe gap between theeducation authority andstudent life.

STUDENTS atHuddersfield Universityhave been urged to spend,spend, spend!

The final-year businessundergraduates weretaking part in a businessprogramme devised bySCALA Consulting, basedat the town’s Media Centre.

SCALA’s FreshConnection business“game” helps to equip thestudents for entry into workby testing them withreal-life scenarios around

supply chains.The programme is

devised by SCALA,consultants in supply chainlogistics, and used byworld-leading organisationssuch as Mars,Kimberly-Clark, Unileverand Cadbury, SCALA’sFresh Connection teachesessential skills for the worldof work.

Now in its third year atthe university, the trainingprogramme has been builtinto the Supply Chain

Strategy module of thebusiness course and thenumber of studentsinvolved has risen from 70to 120.

At a time when graduatejobs are scarce, SCALA’sFresh Connection isproving an invaluabletraining tool, providing animaginative way of allowingstudents to learn throughexperience and enhancingtheir employability.

Jayne Hemmington,logistics and hospitalitymanagement lecturer, said:“The programme providesour students with the singlemost valuable opportunityto learn as part of theirundergraduate degreeprogramme.

“The students have thechance to refine anddevelop key transferableskills such as teamworking, leadership,negotiation and influence,commercial awareness andanalysis.”

The industry-leadingtraining programme is opento schools as well asuniversities, andbusinesses can sign up tothe on-line competition orin-house training courses.

■ CHAIN GANG: Students at Huddersfield Universitytake part in SCALA's Fresh Connection business game

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

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

property Page 6KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

New developmentfor award-winnerAN award-winning propertydeveloper is embarking on anew residential scheme.Brockholes-based is buildingfour detached family homes inthe village of Ryhill, nearWakefield.The Mill Lane Gardensdevelopment – close toWintersett Reservoir andWaterton Park – marks thecompany’s return to theWakefield area.Family-owned and run ConroyHomes is part of the Conroy

Group of companies, whichalso includes Conroy Brookand Towngate HomesThe company’s previousdevelopments have won anumber of prestigiousindustry awards, includingHouse Builder of the Year andBest Design in the 2010 HouseBuilder Awards.The first craftsman-built homeat Mill Lane Gardens is due forcompletion this March/AprilThe properties will be pricedfrom £349,950.

Buyer steps forwardfor landmark hotelA WEST Yorkshire hotel hasbeen sold by propertyconsultants Jones LangLaSalle Hotels.The 103-bedroom RamadaHotel at Seacroft, northLeeds, was sold on behalf ofKirstie Provan and Mark Fry ofBegbiesTraynor, the jointadministrators of MillgreenView Securities Ltd. The hotelhas been bought for anundisclosed sum by BritanniaHotels, a privately ownedhotel chain, who already own37 hotels across the country.The hotel is well-known in thearea as it incorporates theshell of the old SeacroftWindmill, which has been alocal landmark for manygenerations. The hotelincludes a 78-cover restaurantand a range of conference andbanqueting facilities for up to340 people.Joint administrator, KirstieProvan said: “I am delightedthat we have achieved a saleof the hotel as a going

concern which will save 42local jobs.”Alex Langsam, managingdirector of Britannia Hotels,said: “We are delighted to addthis hotel to our portfolio. Wehave changed the name of thehotel to Britannia Leeds Hoteland will be carrying out aprogramme of refurbishmentand adding extra bedrooms.We look forward to welcomingguests and feel sure they willappreciate the improvementstaking place.”Chris Moore, director in JonesLang LaSalle’s Hotels team,said: “We expected andreceived strong interest inthis hotel which enabledcontracts to be exchangedwithin two months oflaunching the sales campaign.“This underlines theconsiderable appetite in themarket for corporate sizeproperties and especiallywhere there is clear potentialto grow the existingbusiness.”

Positive results for 2011REGENERATION specialist StModwen reported a healthy rise inprofits in the face of a “challenging”marketplace.

St Modwen posted annual pre-taxprofits of £50.4m, up by 34% on thefigure of £37.5m in 2010. Realisedproperty profits were up by 9% to£23.8m while net rents were 5%ahead at £35.5m.

The company achieved valuationgains of £34m against £23m last timein a flat market and lifted dividendsfor the year by 10% to 3.3p per share.

St Modwen said it had a “secure”development programme for 2012with commercial developmentsalready on site to deliver in excess of£15m profit.

It also reported a positive outlookfor residential land with good levels ofhousing sales already achieved andstrong on-going demand.

St Modwen said it enjoyedexcellent relationships with principalpartners Persimmon, Vinci and Salhiaand was well-placed to delivergrowing returns in 2012 and beyond.

Chief executive Bill Oliver said: “Wehave had a very successful year,despite the challenges posed by themarket conditions, significantlygrowing profits and completingtransactions across the portfolio andwe have the foundations in place todeliver very good results in 2012.

“Our commercial developments inprogress together with our activehousebuilding sites will deliverproperty profits to underpin ourresults for 2012 and beyond.

“We can also see clearopportunities to add value to ourassets through the planning processand our active management of ourincome producing portfolio isproducing a resilient income stream.

“Although the wider economicenvironment remains unpredictableand there may still be furtherchallenges for the sector we areconfident that our asset portfolio anddevelopment pipeline will provide uswith many opportunities to addsignificant value for ourshareholders.”

Stephen Prosser, Yorkshireregional director, for St. Modwen,commented: “It is encouraging thatthe company continues to performwell against the return of challengingeconomic conditions.

“Across Yorkshire and the NorthEast we continue to find developmentopportunities to generate value.

“For example, we recently startedconstruction of the new 140,000sqftSiemens facility at Teal Park inLincoln.

“We have also just obtainedplanning permission from DoncasterMetropolitan Borough Council for the£5m development of the former TycoElectronics Factory on Wheatley HallRoad, Doncaster.

“In addition to our developmentpipeline we have had continuedsuccess in finding occupiers for ourexisting industrial stock and haveadded a further £330,000 a year toour rental income in the last 12months.”

Growing firmmakes a moveA COMPANY offering design, digitalservices, print and display productshas made a move to bigger premises inElland.

Portfolio Display has moved fromits long-time premises to MarshallHall Mills following continued growthof the business.

The move means the company canstay in Elland, but has doubled itsproduction and office space.

The new premises provide morethan 9,000sq ft of space on twofloors.

The ground floor houses all themanufacturing and printing equip-ment while upstairs houses a designstudio and sales offices.

Portfolio’s customer base is focusedon car manufacturers, motor groupsand councils, but the companyattracts companies across all indus-tries.

The firm provides customers with awide range creative design services,point of sale manufacture and largeformat print.

The company can service a projectfrom concept right through to manu-facture all under one roof.

Its main area of expertise is thedesign and print of display productsfor company promotion.

Introducing a range of design anddigital services has helped to attracthigh-profile clients. The company nowemploys 21 people, but is alreadyplanning to increase this with newpositions.

Brothers Garth and Robert Walker,who run the family business, havealready scooped awards for their busi-ness success.

Rob Walker, sales director, said:“We’ve all worked extremely hardover the last few years to be in thisposition.

“We try to ignore all the negativepress on the economy and just focuson what we do well.

“We are currently developing a newsection of the business, which willfocus on project-based services for ourlarger clients.

“We are very excited about this andare confident it will help our businessto develop even further.”

Products manufactured by Portfo-lio Display the company include PVCbanners, roller banners, bunting, flagsand flagpoles.

Advertising products include taxdisc holders, car window stickers, keyrings, poster cases and brochurestands.

■ MILL SITE: Portfolio Display'snew premises at Marshall Hall Mills,Elland (above) and Rob and GarthWalker outside the building (right)Construction figures

prompt VAT cut callFIGURES showing a fall inconstruction output haveprompted fresh calls foraction.The data from the Office forNational Statistics show thatconstruction output fell by0.5% in the final quarter of2011 compared to theprevious three months –driven by volume reductionsin five out of the nine sectors.Construction output for 2011as a whole was 2.8% higherthan 2010 – in part because ofthe increases in infrastructurework. New public housingalso increased – with 2011being its highest level since1980.Julia Evans, chief executive ofthe National Federation ofBuilders, said: “Whilst outputwas higher generally in 2011

over the previous year, it isconcerning that overallestimates show outputdropped in the fourth quarter.“Conditions are stillprecarious across sectorsand any growth is largely dueto infrastructure and publichousing orders. Whilst this iswelcome, there is still a hugechallenge for thousands ofsmall and medium sizedbuilders struggling with lowerorders for new work andrepairs.“It is essential that we look atthe picture now rather than attrends – and the governmenturgently reviews lendingavailability. A cut in VAT to 5%for home improvements isbecoming more compellingby the day.”

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Waterside view up for saleA PROMINENT watersideproperty is being offeredfor sale at a forthcomingauction.Riverside House (above),which stands next to hecanal at Aspley inHuddersfield, is among thelots on offer at the auctionto be held by propertyagents Eddisons nextweek.The detached two-storeyoffice building and carpark, which is being

auctioned on theinstructions of BritishWaterways, currentlygenerates annual rent of£5,100 with rent reviewsevery five years. It has aguide price of £70,000-plus.The leasehold interest isbeing offered with 99 yearsleft to run.Meanwhile, a parcel ofdevelopment land inSlaithwaite is also set to gounder the hammer.The land next to 99,

Manchester Road hasplanning consent for six,one-bedroom flats and oneduplex flat. The guide priceis £50,000-plus.Eddisons has attracted 166lots for its first two daysale of the year, whichtakes place on February 21at The Premier Inn, TraffordPark, Manchester and onFebruary 23 at LeedsUnited Football Club,Elland Road, Leeds. Bothsales start at 12.30pm.

Mixed resultsfor industrialA SURVEY has reported an increase in thetake-up of UK industrial property during thefourth quarter of last year – but said the totalfor the whole of 2011 was down in theprevious 12 months.

The Property Times UK Industrial reportby property agency DTZ, showed take-up ofindustrial stock reached 7.45m sq ft in thefourth quarter – the highest quarterly totalfor over a year.

But despite this, annual take-up for 2011totalled 28m sq ft – down from the 31.6m sqft recorded in 2010.

Investment activity in the industrial sectorrose in the final quarter of 2011 to nearly£1.4bn, which is the highest level since thefourth quarter of 2006 and more than 65%higher than the long-term average.

The availability of stock continued to fallfor the fifth successive quarter with most UKregions reporting a severe shortage of primespace, although this has been limited by alarge number of secondary units coming onto the market.

Mike Baugh, director for DTZ’s industrialagency in West Yorkshire, said: “In the last 12months, we have seen the profile of occupiersshift, with manufacturing now accounting for33% of all transactions which is up 13% fromthe previous year.

“This shift is further emphasised by areduction in deal size as manufacturers typic-ally occupy smaller units than retail andsupply chain providers.

He continued: “Looking ahead, we anticip-ate that pre-lets, land sales and build-to-suitdeals will be the overriding trend influencing2012 take-up as speculative development

remains unlikely given the current economicclimate.

“The lack of available grade A space hasimpacted on the take-up figures, as there havebeen fewer opportunities available to occupi-ers.”

In Yorkshire, fourth quarter take-upincreased slightly to 460,000 sq ft, capping offa disappointing year.

The 1.6m sq ft let in 2011 was well belowthe long-term average of 3.5m. The largestdeal of the quarter was 160,000 sq ft taken byDHL in Doncaster. Up to 1.5m sq ft isexpected to be returned to the market over thenext two years.

Said Mr Baugh: “Although the 2011take-up figures for Yorkshire were disap-pointing, there is still a good level of enquir-ies, across all sectors, taking into account theregion.

“Although there are still excellent dealsavailable to companies considering relocationto the region, as take-up continues andspeculative development remains unlikely,the window of opportunity for occupiers isclosing.”

The report also revealed that rental levelsremained flat in the fourth quarter, althoughagents expect incentives to harden on primestock.

Martin Davis, DTZ’s head of UK research,said: “Providing there are no further shocksto the economic recovery, we anticipate thatthe developing shortage of industrial spacewill increase the likelihood of rental growth inthe near future.”

TO LETModern Trade Counter UnitUnit 3 Queens Mill, Old Fieldhouse Lane,Off Leeds Road1 392.71m2 (4,227)1 Leeds Road Corridor location1 Shared secure yard area1 CCTV securityRent: On Application

FOR SALE/MAY LETProminent Showroom/Office2/4 Ruth Street, Newsome, HD4 6JF1 305.37m2 (3,287 sq ft)1 Potential redevelopment opportunityPrice: £175,000Rent: £15,000 per annum

TO LETSpen Valley HouseBradford Road, Cleckheaton1Modern office suite1 41.7 – 83.40m2 (449 – 898 sq ft)Rent: From £5 psf

TO LETIndustrial PremisesCalder Trading Estate, Lower Quarry Road,HD5 ORR1 800 – 10,000 sq ft1 Leeds Road Corridor location1Generous yard and car parkingRent: From £1 psf

TO LETIndustrial PremisesPine Street, Huddersfield, HD1 1SS1Workshop/Warehouse1 473.64m2 (5,098 sq ft)1 Edge of town centre location1 Ease of access to A62 Leeds Road CorridorRent: On Application

TO LETIndustrialUnits 4b, 4c & 4d, Armytage Road,Brighouse, HD6 1QF1Modern single-storey workshop units1 5,000 & 10,000 sq ft1 To be refurbished1 Self-contained with yard/loading1Adjacent to J25 of M62 motorwayRent: On Application

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Client they canreally count onA CHARTERED accountancy firm inKirklees is celebrating its successful workingrelationship with an award-winning business-woman.

Clough & Company, based in Cleckheaton,has been working with Jane Middlebrook,managing director of Kaleidoscope DayNurseries Ltd, since 2002 – providing taxadvice as well as helping raise finance for theentrepreneur.

Jane, who recently won a prestigiousWomen in Enterprise award, formed Kaleido-scope in 1991 during the last recession withjust one site in York.

The company has steadily grown its busi-ness over the last 20 years and now provideshigh quality childcare and after school clubsacross 11 sites in Yorkshire, employing 130staff.

Said Jane: “We have continued to expandour business over the last 20 years despiteoperating through two recessions.

“Thanks to the dedication of my staff andthe professional support I have received fromfirms like Clough & Company we are stillexpanding with a new nursery opening in2012 in Drighlington.”

Ann Brown, senior manager at Clough &Company, who has worked alongside man-aging partner Nigel Bullas for Kaleidoscopefrom day one, said: “When we started work-ing with Jane 10 years ago she was operatingas a sole trader with four sites, but weprovided guidance that helped with the com-pany’s profitability and aided the ambitiousbusiness plan that has seen Kaleidoscopebecome a real success story.”

Leigh Parsons

ColliersInternationalPROPERTY agencyColliers International hasappointed Leigh Parsonsto head its licensed andleisure team for Yorkshireand the North East.

Mr Parsons (pictured)joins the firm after aperiod running his ownconsultancy. Before that,he held senior roles withtwo other leading agents and is credited forhandling a number of major deals.

In his new role, Mr Parsons aims toexpand the pub and restaurant agency teamprimarily through pub disposals for corporateclients in Yorkshire and the North East. Hewill also work closely with a strong nationalteam that has been bolstered with theappointment of several senior people workingto position Colliers International as themarket leader in licensed and leisureproperty consultancy.

Jennie Blagg

RamsdensLAW firm Ramsdenshas launched aspecialist insolvencyteam.

The team is headedby Steven Singh andincludes Jennie Blagg(pictured), who isbased at the firm’sEdgerton offices.

Ms Blagg qualifiedas an insolvencysolicitor in 2008 and worked at hlwCommercial Lawyers in Leeds before joiningRamsdens last month.

She deals in a broad spectrum ofcorporate and personal Insolvency workincluding, administrations, liquidations,voluntary arrangements, bankruptcy anddirectors’ duties. He has experience indealing with insolvency practitioners,individuals, directors and creditors.

Paul Joyce, managing partner atRamsdens, said: “The new team has theexpertise to advise on a wide variety ofrescue, recovery or restructure situations,whether on behalf of banks, lenders,insolvency practitioners, companies orworried creditors.”

Serving up a real treat

A HOLME Valley company hasproduced a taste of perfection for aWest Yorkshire car dealership.

Coddy’s Farm Shop at Holmbridgewas asked by Lexus Bradford to comeup with a limited edition sausage.

The Lexus Bradford WasabiSausage is made from Coddy’shome-reared Aberdeen Angus beefand seasoned with traditionalJapanese wasabi.

Diners can enjoy the tasty fare atHolmfirth eateries The Vineyard, TheHepworth or The Ford – and get avoucher for a free MOT on their Lexuscar or £20 off their next MOT if theydon’t drive a Lexus.

The special sausages are alsoavailable to cook at The Deli inHebden Bridge or at Coddy’s stalls atfarmers’ markets across WestYorkshire.

■ SERVICE: Nick Kennett (left), of Lexus Bradford, with Andrew Colwill(centre), of Coddy’s Farm Shop, and Ian Sheveling, of Holmfirth Vineyard

Emma Semwayo

ApplebySolicitorsAPPLEBY Solicitors,which has offices atMarsh in Huddersfield,has appointed EmmaSemwayo as assistantsolicitor.

Ms Semwayo (pictured)specialises in casesdealing with public andemployers liability,including accidents in the workplace,which may include any accident thatoccurred due to unsafe or hazardousworking conditions. She also deals withcases involving slips and trips in public.

Before becoming a solicitor, MsSemwayo, who lives at Skipton, took adegree in East European Studies at theUniversity of London, where shespecialised in Romanian. She came tothe law after having raised a family andstudied for her graduate diploma and thelegal practice course at ManchesterMetropolitan University.

She previously worked at Curtis Lawin Blackburn and prior to that BeteshPartnership in Manchester.

Amin Ullah, the principal of ApplebysSolicitors, said: “Emma will be a greataddition to our well established accidentsat work department and we are reallyexcited that she has joined us.”

Gemma Price

ChamberInternationalCHAMBER International has appointedGemma Price to strengthen its activities ininternational trade documentation and otherservices.

Ms Price, a financial services expert, joinsthe organisation to help co-ordinate itsexport office service and provide back-up toChamber International’s advisers.

She previously worked with a trainingcompany and as a sales executive beforespending several years in banking with adivision of HSBC in Leeds, working her wayup to assistant manager.

She said: “I’m very much looking forwardto getting involved in this role and I hope tocarve a long-term career in internationaltrade.”

■ TEAM WORK: Ann Brown (left) and Jane Middlebrook, of Clough & Company