Kirklees Business News 16/10/12

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees16, October, 2012

INSIDE

● Full story - Page 8

● Full story - Page 4

VICKY NEWHAM

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

Ready to count the cost?Co lumn - Page 4

An EXAMINER publication

Safety onthe roadsINCIDENT managementcompany FMG has putthe accent on roadsafety. The firm hasappointed Paul Holmesto the new post ofstrategic accountdirector in charge ofrisk. And it has joinedforces with charityBrake – of which it is acorporate sponsor – tostage a road safety dayfor employees at itsBradley millsheadquarters in therun-up to Road SafetyWeek, which starts onNovember 19.

‘Zombie’threatZOMBIE businesses arehampering the UKrecovery, it is claimed.Peter Sargent, partnerat rescue and recoveryspecialist BegbiesTraynor, saidforbearance by HMRevenue & Customsand the banks meant alarge number ofcompanies continuedto trade. But many ofthem were ‘zombiebusinesses’ unable topay off their debts anddamaging viablebusinesses byundercutting them.

DEBORAH TAYLOR-MCLEAN

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FTSE 100+ 12.295805.6

Yorkshire mills ‘still vital’ to world textile sectorA TEXTILE stalwart says West York-shire remains a major part of the worldtextile industry.

And Huddersfield man RichardPoole said British industry must buildon the “feel good factor” generated bythe Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and theLondon Olympics.

Mr Poole was speaking as he took upthe reins as president of Bradford Tex-tile Society.

Mr Poole has worked in the Bradfordwool industry for 40 years, completinghis further education at Bradford Tech-nical College and working withwell-known companies Thomas HenryShaws, Wool Testing Services, and theWool Auction House – the Committeeof London Woolbrokers selling both

New Zealand and British Wools.He is currently European business

manager for the British Wool Market-ing Board in Bradford and executivedirector for its Japanese office based inTokyo.

Speaking at the first meeting of thesociety’s 120th year, Mr Poole saidYorkshire still played a major part inthe global the wool industry – with twomajor scouring companies in the regionand numerous spinning mills supplyingthe carpet and cloth sectors, dyers,weavers and finishers.

He said: “Rather than a shrinkingindustry, we can currently see highlevels of investment in these companiesin new technology as it become moreviable to produce goods here rather

than Asia, with faster turnaround andhigh quality.”

And he added: “After a year of highdrama with the jubilee celebrations andsporting achievements in the Olympics,we have really come to fly our flag withpride and this can extend to our atti-tudes in supporting local UK busi-ness.”

Mr Poole also stressed his supportfor young people entering the textileand fashion business to be involved insciences and technology, chemistry,languages, geography, mathematicsand the environment.

He said: “These skills are needed forthe continuing growth of the industryas we move into a more competitivemarketing.”

■ FLYING THE FLAG:Huddersfield man Richard Poole

Firm has bottle forGlastonbury dealA COMPANY supplying water toquench the thirsts of GlastonburyFestival-goers turned to a Hudders-field manufacturer to build a newbottling plant.

Karmelle Liquid Packaging Solu-tions, based at Canal Street, off LeedsRoad, was approached by Glaston-bury Spring Water to design and buildthe equipment after the Somer-set-based firm deciding it wanted tosupport British suppliers.

Father-and-son team Brian andShaun Dickinson came up with thefinished design for the rotarymono-block filler, which automatic-ally feeds bottles onto the productionline, washes them and fills and capsthem before they move onto a labellingmachine – also supplied by Karmelle.

Glastonbury, which draws its waterfrom a spring below the famous Gla-stonbury Tor, specified a machine cap-able of filling 330ml bottles of still orcarbonated spring water at a rate of 40a minute.

Under tests, the filling line provedcapable of running at 80 a minute.

Karmelle managing director PeterKrawczuk said: “Glastonbury wantedto buy British, but they were havingdifficulty finding a supplier.

“Italy is the market leader, but thefirm wanted to find someone in Bri-tain.

“We had already sold them alabelling machine, so they approachedus about the new filler.

“We developed the machine withthem to incorporate a range ofmod-cons and they are very happywith the finished product.”

Said Mr Krawczuk: “We are hopingthat this contract to supply a completefilling line from start to finish will openthe door for us to supply some of thebig boys in the drinks sector. But thenew line can be used for any liquidproducts, including bleaches ormilks.”

He said: “We have brought a newmachine shop on line within the pasttwo years and we are getting busier.Things are quite buoyant at themoment. We have also got a number ofpotential orders in the pipeline.”

Karmelle, which was formed in1985, has completed numerous con-tracts for clients locally, nationally andacross the world.

Earlier this year, it supplied alabelling machine to Linthwaite-basedpharmaceuticals and householdproducts firm Thornton and Ross.

Other commissions have includedsupplying a production line to fill, sealand label plastic containers of fungi-cide for a factory in Ghana; providing

equipment to fill containers with agro-chemicals at a factory in Flint, NorthWales; and supplying a white spiritbottling plant for DIY chain B&Q.

■ RIGHT LINE: Peter Krawczuk and Brian Dickinson, of Karmelle LiquidPackaging Solutions are helping festival-goers quench their thirsts

Adding to her business

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national

SHARE PRICES

Local shares

FTSEclosed at

5805.6up 12.29

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.49 dollarsBangladesh................. 122.84 takaBrazil.............................. 2.93 realsCanada....................... 1.50 dollarsChina ............................. 8.98 yuanCzech Republic ...... 28.45 korunasDenmark....................... 8.80 kroneEuro............................... 1.18 euroHong Kong................ 11.79 dollarsHungary ................... 309.94 forintsIndia.......................... 74.99 rupeesJapan........................... 119.83 yenMexico ....................... 18.37 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.83 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.75 kronePakistan.................. 144.05 rupeesPhilippines ................. 56.93 pesosSouth Africa ................. 13.15 randSouth Korea.............. 1551.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 194.30 rupeesSweden....................... 10.28 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.43 francsTaiwan ...................... 40.97 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.74 new liraUSA ............................ 1.53 dollars

Carclo 4131/2 +151/2Marshalls 877/8 +23/8National Grid 6941/2 +31/2Weir Gp 1720 -8

One Trinity is way forwardNEW chief executive of Trinity Mir-ror Simon Fox has announced a man-agement reshuffle, which will see itsnational and regional divisions fallunder one structure.

The consolidated publishing opera-tion, which includes the HuddersfieldDaily Examiner, will be managed byMark Hollinshead, current managingdirector of nationals.

Mr Fox, who joined Trinity fromstruggling entertainment groupHMV, said he would provide a stra-tegic update early next year.

Trinity recently said revenues fell4% in the 26 weeks to July 1 as its

regional papers were hit by the eco-nomic malaise in northern cities andadvertising slumped 10%. But thecompany added that underlyingprofits rose to £52.5m as it movedforward with a cost-cutting drive,which includes job cuts, changingregional titles to weekly publicationsand integrating its Scottish operationsas Media Scotland.

Trinity said the market for onlinedeals was worth £100 million in 2011and is set to grow to more than £1billion by 2016. The companyannounced a plan to shut down itsdaily deals website, Happli.

Deal collapse hitsbank group sharesTAXPAYER-backed Royal Bank ofScotland saw its shares come underpressure as investors weighed up theimpact of its collapsed £1.65 billionbranch sale with Santander.

The Spanish-owned bank pulledthe plug on the deal, which covered316 branches and 40 banking centresfor small and medium-sized busi-nesses, on Friday evening.

RBS shares dipped 1% as brokerInvestec warned the lender was nowlikely to settle for terms that are £500million to £1 billion worse thanthose originally agreed with Sant-ander.

Meanwhile, i t emerged SirRichard Branson’s Virgin Money,which took control of nationalisedNorthern Rock in January, is weigh-ing up a bid for the network of

branches.Other banking shares fared well

with the likes of Barclays andstate-backed lender Lloyds BankingGroup adding more than 1%.

Sir Richard is reportedly facing abattle with US private equity groupJC Flowers – run by billionaireentrepreneur Christopher Flowers –over the EU-enforced disposal.

RBS chief executive StephenHester is understood to be confidentthat he can secure an extension to theBrussels state aid deadline to sell thebranches by the end of 2013.

Investec analyst Ian Gordon said:“The original terms agreed appearedgenerous at the time, and even moreso in the light of loss-making LloydsBanking Group’s recent “giveaway”of its mandated 632 branch disposal

to the loss-making Co-op. “Earlyspeculation cites Virgin Money andothers as potential alternate bidders,though unless the European Com-mission’s terms are materiallyrelaxed, we believe that a loss ondisposal of £500 million or morenow appears likely.”

The Spanish lender agreed inAugust 2010 to buy the assets but itemerged it had pulled out as itbecame apparent that a revised tar-get for the purchase to be completedby the end of the year would not beachieved.

Credit Suisse analyst CarlaAntunes-Silva said Santander’smove creates “additional uncer-tainty” for RBS and the prospect of“more value destructive alternat-ives”.

Women suffer in pay scalesWOMEN apprentices earn up to afifth less than their male peers,according to a new report.

It suggests that apprenticeshipsare more likely to go to men due todiscrimination in the labour market,and the types of jobs for whichtraining schemes are available.

Unesco’s 10th Education for AllGlobal Monitoring Report suggeststhat when it comes to apprentice-ships, a gender pay gap still exists inthe UK.

It cites research which shows thatfemale apprentices in the UK earn21% less, on average, while doingtheir training.

And the wage benefit for a woman

who has completed an apprentice-ship is just 4%, compared with 20%for a man who has done the sametraining.

It says research shows that ingeneral worldwide “apprentices areoften more likely to be men becauseof discrimination in the labour mar-ket and the types of occupations forwhich apprenticeships are avail-able”.

“Young women who have takenapprenticeships get paid less inthem, find it harder to get a job andreceive lower pay once they are inwork,” it adds. The current hourlyminimum wage for a UK apprenticewho is under 19 is £2.65.

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £35.84 -0.18Gannett 1102.61 -11.20Hess Corp £32.76 -0.39Microsoft 1834.98 +18.04Motors Liquidation 46.67Wal-Mart Stores £47.66 +0.49

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 3073/4 +21/2BAE Systems 3261/8 -1Rolls-Royce 875 -1

AIMBrady Plc 103Man Brnze 9

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 2117/8 +2

BANKSBarclays 2367/8 +45/8HSBC 6001/4 +5Lloyds Banking Gp 403/8 +5/8Ryl Scotland 2681/8 -23/4Stan Chart 14611/2 +34

BEVERAGESDiageo 1772 +6SABMiller £265/8

CHEMICALSCroda £223/4 +1/8Elementis 98 2253/4 +2Johnsn Mat £225/8 +1/8

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2981/4 -5/8Costain 2393/4 +7

ELECTRICITYDrax Gp 526 +31/2SSE 1433 +7

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 218 +1

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3711/4 +11/4

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 217 -13/4Cable & WirelessComm

357/8 +1/4

Colt Group 119 +1/8KCOM 76 -13/8Talktalk Telecom 180 -33/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2671/2 -1/4Sainsbury 3573/4 +7/8Tesco 310

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1340 +14Tate Lyle 695 +21/2Unilever £231/4 +1/4

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3323/4 -1National Grid 6941/2 +31/2Pennon Grp 7211/2 +1Severn 1668 +1United Utils 7231/2 -1/2

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 2171/4 +3/8ICAP 3173/4 -1/4London StockExch 957 +241/2Man Group 901/8 +1/8

Provident Financial 1396 +10Schroders 1533 +2Schroders NV 1193 -7

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 533 +21/2REXAM 4503/8 +21/4Smiths Grp 1048 -2

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 283/4 +1/2Carphone Whse 167 -21/4Dixons Retail 211/4 -1/2Home Retail 1023/8 -17/8Inchcape 3573/4 +11/4Kingfisher 2753/4 +71/4M & S 3851/8 +47/8Mothercare 2211/4 -1/2Next £36 +1/4WH Smith 6271/2 -81/2

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 658 +41/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 58 +11/4Barrat Dev 1801/4 +31/4Persimmon 7461/2 +71/2Reckitt Benckiser £363/8 +1/4Taylor Wimpey 57 +1/4

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGI M I 903 -1

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 1885/8 -21/8

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 2071/4 -11/2

LIFE INSURANCE

Aviva 3301/2 +23/4Lgl & Gen 134 +15/8Old Mutual 1711/4 +11/4Prudential 8461/2 -2Resolution 218 +11/4Standard Life 2847/8 +23/4

MEDIABSkyB 750 +21/2D Mail Tst 4683/4 -31/4HIBU 1/2ITV 907/8 +13/8Johnston Press 12 +1/2Pearson 1234 -2Reed Elsevier 608 +41/2STV Group 927/8 +3/8Trinity Mirror 683/4 +23/4Utd Business 7221/2 -1UTV 1371/2 -1/4WPP 856 +1

MININGAnglo American 17881/2 -36Antofagasta 1257 -10BHP Billiton 19261/2 -81/2Eurasian NaturalRes

3193/4 -91/8

Fresnillo 1916 -24Kazakhmys 690 -251/2Lonmin 4865/8 -193/8Rio Tinto £293/4 -1/2VEDANTARESOURCES

1072 -13

Xstrata 952 -13/8

MOBILE TELECOM SERVICESInmarsat 5671/2 -41/2Vodafone Group 1731/4 -11/2

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1119 +32RSA Insurance Gp 114 +1/2

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 1321 -7BP 4291/2 -17/8Cairn Energy 2853/4 +3/4Royal Dutch Shell A £213/8Royal Dutch Shell B £22Total £31 +1/4Tullow Oil 1415 +11

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICES

AMEC 1099 -4Petrofac 1611 +16Wood Gp(J) 842

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1134 +9PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £287/8 +1/4GlaxoSmithK 13Shire 1794 -14

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 532 +10Captl Shop Cent 337 +3Hamrsn 4727/8 +45/8Land Secs 7961/2 +12SEGRO 232 +13/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESInvensys 2261/4 -3/4Sage Group 3021/4 -11/4

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 5671/2 +11/2Bunzl 1106 +12Capita 739 +3De La Rue 1049Electrocomp 2081/2 +13/8Experian 1069 +11G4S 2661/4 +21/2Hays 781/8 -3/8Homeserve 2253/4 +21/2Menzies J 6271/2 -17Rentokil 867/8 +13/4Smiths News 1331/4 +31/4Wolseley £265/8 -1/8

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 5771/2 -1

Psion 873/4 -1/4Spirent Comms 1501/4 +31/8

TOBACCO

Br Am Tob £321/4 +1/8Imperial Tobacco £223/4

LEISURE & HOTELS

Bwin.Party Digital 115 -1/4Carnival £233/4 +1/4Compass Grp 6871/2 +7easyJet 5991/2 +2Enterprise Inns 653/4 +2FirstGroup 1845/8 -61/8Go-Ahead Gp 1290 -20Greene King 601 +21/2Intercontl Htls 1604 -13Intl Cons AirlinesGp

158 -21/4

Ladbrokes 1763/4 -3/4Mitchells & Butlers 312 +11/8Natl Express 2057/8 -11/2Rank Org 1515/8 -3/8Stagecoach Group 2801/2 -11/4TUI Travel 2471/8 +3/4Whitbread £233/4 +1/4

INDEXFTSE 100 5805.61 +12.29

INDEXFTSE 250 11855.67 +17.41

Job boostfor townwith newcinemaALMOST 50 jobs are tobe created with a newcinema in the centre ofCalderdale.Vue Entertainment isopening a nine screencinema in Halifax towncentre.The 1,300-seat venuewill open on Friday,October 26, as part ofthe new Broad StreetPlaza shoppingcomplex.The new shopping andentertainmentdestination willinclude a bowlingalley, restaurants, abingo hall and shops.The launch will includeHalifax’s firstVueXtreme auditorium,offering asuper-cinema with ascreen well over thesize of two doubledecker buses, crystalclear picture quality,immersive surroundsound and luxurystepped seating.Tim Richards, CEO ofVue Entertainment,said: “Vue Halifax willhave the lateststate-of-the-artprojection technology.We expect this cinemato be a massive hit forthe people of Halifaxand the widersurrounding areas.”It will offerconcessions forchildren, teens, seniorand at off peak timesplus OrangeWednesdays andNectar Point offers.

■ POSSIBLE BID: Sir Richard Branson

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile

SolutionsAccountancyandBookkeepingLtd

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Work: Accountancy andbookkeepingSite: LindleyEmployees: 10Phone: 0845 8387334Email: enquiries@solutionsbookkeeping.co.ukWebwww.solutionsbookkeeping.co.uk

VickyNewhamRole: OwnerAge: 32Family: Married to Tony withdaughter Elissa, sixHolidays: Long-haul destin-ations and cruisesCar: Renault ClioFirst job: Saturday jobworking in a sweet shop inQueensgate MarketBest thing about job:Having a team which workswell together and seeing cli-ents benefit from the advicewe give themWorst thing about job:The pressure of running abusiness and being respons-ible for your clients and thepeople who work for youBusiness tip: Work hardand always have integrity inwhatever you do

Vickygoesby thebook

VICKY Newham alwayswanted to go into business.

The owner ofLindley-based SolutionsAccountancy andBookkeeping Ltd first triedher hand atself-employment as ateenager living inSlaithwaite and attendingColne Valley High School..

“I had always beensurrounded by ‘business’,”she says. “My parents wereinvolved in various smallbusinesses and at the ageof 13 or 14 I set up abusiness of my own goingaround feeding people’scats while they were onholiday. I made a bit ofmoney out of it!

“I always knew I wantedto run my own business. Idon’t like being told what todo, I like knowing thateverything I achieve isdown to me – and thateverything that fails is downto me.”

After A-levels atHuddersfield New College,Vicky took a degree inbusiness studies atLancaster University.

She undertook teachertraining and was a lecturerin accounts at BradfordCollege before makinganother, more concertedeffort at self-employment.

Initially, she ran SolutionsAccountancy andBookkeeping Ltd from abedroom at her Cowlersleyhome. “I was lecturingpart-time and running thebusiness part-time,” Vickyrecalls. “I was also afull-time mother to mydaughter, Elissa. I waslucky in having parents andfriends around to helpbecause I couldn’t affordchildcare.

“I was fortunate workingin a teaching job because Ihad long summer holidaysto build up my business.

“In a mad moment, Idecided it would be a goodidea to rent an office – eventhough I only had one ortwo clients.

“It’s much easier now.The business makes moneyand my daughter is atschool. There’s morestructure.”

Indeed, five years on andthe business has boomed.Vicky heads a team of 10based at HeritageExchange – but will soon bemoving to bigger premisesat Little Brunswick Street onthe edge of Huddersfieldtown centre.

“We are primarily abookkeeping business,” shesays. “We work with clientswho will bring a carrier bagfull of receipts and put themin order. We are workingwith clients who don’t havetheir own finance director orfinance department.”

Vicky’s business alsoworks closely with KeyCommercial Finance,headed by her businesspartner – and husband oftwo years – Tony Newham,who set up his businessafter a lengthy career inbanking.

Together, they offer arange of services tobusinesses, includingstart-ups and those facingthe threat of insolvency.

Said Vicky: “We arefinding things busierbecause of the economicclimate at the moment.There are businessesre-evaluating what they aredoing and turning tooutsourcing work such asbookkeeping because it ismore efficient and flexible.

“We haven’t doneanything revolutionary, butwe are growing.

“People are very aware ofthe climate. They arefeeling the pinch. A lot ofbusinesses are saying it ismore difficult to get peopleto pay them. When they tryto make a sale, thepotential client is takinglonger to make a decision.They are moreprice-conscious.

“Having said that, thereare many successfulbusinesses around. It is alot to do with the peoplerunning the business. Ingood times, a lot ofbusinesses surviveDESPITE the peoplerunning them. Those thatare surviving now are doingso BECAUSE of the peoplerunning them.”

Vicky and her team alsokeep a watching brief –“interrogating” theinformation they glean fromhandling clients’ monthlymanagement accounts tohighlight any potentialproblems and setting keyperformance indicators forthem to follow.

“Our bookkeepers aren’tjust data inputters,” shesays. “They are looking atwhat is happening in abusiness and asking why.”

Says Vicky: “In the goodtimes, a lot of people don’tthink they have to worry toomuch about budgets andaccounts. They think that ifthey have money in thebank there’s nothing toworry about.

“But you should alwaysplan and set targets,otherwise the money won’tbe in the bank for long. It isabout good habits anddisciplines.”

Vicky’s experience inteaching helps here. Sheoften gives seminars on keyfinancial matters tobusinesses – andconstruction students atKirklees College who might

be thinking of becomingself-employed oncompleting their courses.

“There are a lot ofpeople in their early 20ssetting up in business –and they are often verydriven,” she says.

“There is nothingmagical about beingsuccessful in business.You need to keep at itand you need to behonest with your clients.Do what you say you aregoing to do and do itright.”

Vicky sets somethingof an example when itcomes to good habits. “Ilike to get into the officeas early as possible,” shesays. “I like earlymornings, so if I attend anetworking event I preferthe early morning ones!

“I do the marketing forthe business, so I visitcurrent clients to checkthings are okay, meetnew clients and talk tothe ‘introducers’ such asthe banks andaccountants.

“My days are very full,but I try to finish at areasonable time. If I finishearly to attend the schoolnativity play I don’t worryabout it. Working hard inbusiness isn’t aboutdoing as many hours asyou can – it’s about howeffectively you use thehours you are there.

“I try to have weekendsfree. When I waslecturing as well asrunning the business, Ihad no choice but to workweekends and evenings.Now I don’t have thatpressure.”

Vicky now lives inBirkby, which also meansshe is spared thedrudgery of the dailycommute. “I have clientsin Doncaster andManchester and NorthYorkshire, so I have todrive on business,” she

says. “But I would notwant to commute again.Now, if I forgetsomething, I can driveback home for it!”

Vicky says: “I valuefamily life. We like to gowalking and we like to goon a lot of holidays.Travel is one of my petthings – even if it’s onlyfor a two or three-dayshort break in Europe.

“I like long-hauldestinations and cruises.We have cruised in theMed a few times andbeen to the PanamaCanal.

“I try to get exerciseduring the week – I doZumba.

But first and foremost Ilove my business andanything to do withbusiness.

“I will read books aboutinspiring businesspeople.

“I can’t imagine goingback to what I was doingbefore this all happened.”

■ MONEY WISE: Vicky Newham, says companies cannotbe complacent during the ‘good times’

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: [email protected]

Business Of The Month Awards - Rewarding Success Since 1995

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

RISKYBUSINESSDebra Taylor-Mclean

Debra Taylor-Mclean is risk managementconsultant at Wilby Ltd

Fiona keepsher cool withTV’s DragonsAKIRKLEEScompanyhas wonplauditsfromDragon’sDen starsDeborahMeaden andTheoPaphitis as the winner of anational award.Cleckheaton-based children’sskincare company Naturally CoolKids, run by Fiona Wood(pictured) has been namedamong the Smarta 100 – the UK’100 most dynamic andinnovative small firms – in thecompetition run by smarta.comand telecoms firm O2.In total, 2012’s Smarta 100 aregenerating revenues of morethan £200m a year andemploying more than 1,104people.More than a quarter of the 100are female-run businesses andtwo thirds are self-funded, withjust 9% borrowing from a bank.Fiona, owner and founder ofNaturally Cool Kids said: “Thishas been an amazing journey forus over the last 18 months andto be a winner in the Smartaawards is fantastic.“This opportunity will provide uswith lots more coverage inbuilding our brand.”Smarta board member DeborahMeaden said: “This year’sSmarta 100 showcase thefantastic breadth of smallbusinesses making waves in theUK business scene.“Some demonstrate managerialmagnificence, overseeing teamsof dozens to grow theirbusinesses quickly andcreatively.“Other Smarta 100 winners aresole traders, or just individuals –and how impressive that, evensingle-handedly, they haveproven that being innovative anddedicated can give you theedge.”Theo Paphitis, one of the judgesin the competition, said: “TheSmarta 100 has proved yet againhow many exciting, innovativeand successful small businessesand start-ups there are in the UKtoday, and I really find theminspiring.“Some of the 100 are disruptingestablished industries, some arecreating completely new marketsand others are simply doing anexceptional job in age-old marketplaces – but knocking the socksoff their competition.”Fiona is now hoping for furthersuccess – as one of the femaleentrepreneurs shortlisted in theForward Ladies Women inBusiness Awards, which takeplace on November 16 in Leeds.

Warning over impact ofUK ‘zombie’ companiesZOMBIE businesses arehampering the UK recovery, saysan insolvency expert.

Peter Sargent, partner at rescueand recovery specialist BegbiesTraynor, said the current downturnwas unlike previous recessions.

He said: “Having witnessedvarious recessions, the currentdownturn is not following thetraditional pattern. We arecontinuing to face a flat economy,but we have not seen the samehigh level of corporateinsolvencies and, therefore,unemployment has not risen aspreviously and nor have we seenthe knock-on effect of growingnumbers of personal insolvencies.

“There are a number of reasonsfor this, but largely it is due to lowinterest rates as well as theforbearance of HM Revenue &Customs and of the banks whichhave, in many cases, adopted amore flexible approach and notcalled in debts.

“This has obviously enabled alarge number of companies to

continue to trade, which at firstsight would appear to be goodnews. However, many of these arein fact ‘zombie businesses’ which

are not able to pay off their debts;they continue to exist as tradingentities, but are damaging viablebusinesses by undercutting them.”

Mr Sargent, who lives atMeltham also highlighted theproblem of businesses failing topay HM Revenue & Customs.“The reality is that we needbusinesses to pay taxes in orderto fund public services,” he said.

“There seems to be a commonview that it’s fine for HMRC to bethe last to be paid, but ifbusinesses fail to honour their taxdebts, ultimately we as taxpayershave to make up that shortfall.What’s more, the profitability ofother businesses is beingundermined by those who do notpay their taxes on time.

“Despite the current spirit offorbearance which is givingbusinesses breathing space, it isincumbent on directors to do allthey can to turn their businessesaround in order to honour theirresponsibilities to creditors,including HMRC.”

■ TAX CALL: Peter Sargent,partner at Begbies Traynor

Is this goingto cost you?THE Health and Safety Exec-

utive’s cost recoveryscheme, known as Fee forIntervention, began on Octo-ber 1.

FFI empowers the HSE tocharge those who break health andsafety laws for related costs, includ-ing inspection, investigation andtaking enforcement action.

This makes it more importantthan ever that businesses takehealth and safety seriously andensure adequate procedures are inplace to comply with health andsafety regulations.

The FFI hourly rate for 2012/13is £124 and will apply when aninspector identifies a contraven-tion of health and safety law; is ofthe opinion that the contraventionis serious enough to require writtennotification (i.e. it is a materialbreach); and notifies the personcontravening the law of their opin-ion, in writing, by a notification ofcontravention, Improvement orProhibition Notice, or prosecu-tion.

HSE stressed that law-abidingbusinesses will not pay a penny andthat the HSE will only recovercosts from duty-holders who arefound to be in material breach ofhealth and safety law.

This means that firms who man-age their workplace risks properlywill not pay.

The HSE have defined a materialbreach as follows: “A materialbreach is when, in the opinion ofthe HSE inspector, there has been acontravention of health and safetylaw that requires them to notify thedutyholder, in writing, of thatopinion.”

Detailed advice on the scheme’soperation is now available in anewly published guidance docu-ment on the HSE’s website.

The guidance includes a numberof examples of material breachesbut does not cover every scenariowhere FFI might apply.

It also explains how the schemewill operate in accordance with theHSE’s existing Enforcement Man-

agement Model and the Enforce-ment Policy Statement.

The process for handling queriesand disputed invoices is alsocovered, although full guidance onthese procedures will be publishedon the HSE website in advance ofthe Health and Safety (Fees) Regu-lations 2012, under which FFI isbeing introduced, coming intoeffect.

With disputes all initial inquirieswill be treated as a query for whichno fee is payable.

However, if duty-holders are notsatisfied with the responses to theirqueries, they can formally disputethe invoice by writing to the HSEand setting out the specific reasonswhy they do not believe the chargeis valid. A fee is payable for hand-ling disputes.

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Open for business!MEMBERS of the Huddersfield businesscommunity attended the opening of a newlegal service in Huddersfield.

YES Personal Injury Lawyers, whichprovides help and support to people acrossthe UK, has opened an office at High Streetin Huddersfield town centre to help peopleclaim compensation if they have suffered aninjury that wasn’t their fault.

Anne Pendlebury, head of YES PersonalInjury Lawyers, a division of Eaton Smith,said: “We are part of a large modern law firmand are well aware that people who havebeen injured like to deal with their claim indifferent ways.

“We are easily accessible via the internet,by email and by telephone but we alsoappreciate that many people prefer to sitdown with us and chat things over at whatcan be a very traumatic time for them.

“That isn’t an available option with manypersonal injury claims companies and wewant to change that.”

She said: “By opening an easily

accessible, bright and friendly high streetoffice, we can ensure that we can provideprofessional guidance and support toeveryone that comes to us for help in theway that they prefer.”

■ FIRST CUT: Anne Pendlebury (left), headof Yes Personal Injury Lawyers, with partnerJudith Schofield (centre) and associateAdele Whitfield

Cleckheaton firmamong winnersA CLECKHEATON firm has been highlycommended in a regional competitionhighlighting training andapprenticeships.Graphic design business MatthewsBrand Solutions, which has offices atRiverside Drive, received the accolade inthe category for medium employer of theyear in the Yorkshire heat of the NationalApprenticeship Awards and NationalTraining Awards.The firm was among 24 companies andapprentices shortlisted for the awardswhich were contested at a joint awardsceremony organised by the NationalApprenticeship Service at the LeedsCollege of Music.

Fewer failuresYORKSHIRE has seen a fall in thenumber of corporate insolvencies, latestfigures reveal.PwC showed the number of failures fellby 21.4% across the region during thethird quarter of the year. The figure of 364insolvencies compares with 463 for theprevious three months. Insolvencies weredown by 17.5% on the 441 recorded forthe third quarter of 2011.Hospitality and leisure was the worst-hit,according to the national figures – with1,464 business failures in the thirdquarter against 1,304 for the same periodin 2011.

University takesmilitary honoursHUDDERSFIELD University has beenrecognised for supporting members of itsstaff who served in the Reserve Forces.

University Vice-Chancellor Prof BobCryan was presented with a special certificateafter reaffirming the organisation’s support.

The certificate – one of only 80 presentedeach year – is signed by the Chief of theDefence staff and the Secretary of State forDefence. It was presented by Richard Lenton,regional SaBRE campaign director for York-shire and Humber.

Prof Cryan said: “We are delighted to berecognised in this way and are very proud tobe able to demonstrate our support for theReserve Forces.

“Not only do reservists provide a vital roleto our armed forces, but we know that in thepast both we and our employees havebenefited enormously from the transferables k i l l s t h e y l e a r n , p a r t i c u l a r ly i ndecision-making, leadership and team work.

“Ultimately, this means better personaldevelopment for the employee and a betterbusiness for all.”

With more than 10,000 companies andorganisations throughout the UK supportingand encouraging over 8,000 volunteerReservists, SaBRE – Supporting Britain’sReservists and Employers – encourages busi-nesses to support employees who are keen tobe reservists.

Mr Lenton said: “Becoming a Reservistcan benefit businesses by developing vital lifeand management skills for their employees,from motivation, self-discipline and confid-ence to organisation and leadership.

“Through educating employers and speak-ing directly to the decision-makers withincompanies, we want to encourage employersand employees to sign up.”

He added: “It can be hard to comprehendthe contrast between a Reservist andemployee’s civilian work and the activitiesthey carry out during mobilisation.

“Some of the roles Reservists can findthemselves responsible for are providing forceprotection, emergency relief, contingencyplanning and regularly providing the lead rolein reconstruction efforts in countries such asAfghanistan and Iraq – all skills which trans-fer across in the work place.”

Reservists in the Yorkshire and Humberareas serve in the Royal Naval Reserve, theRoyal Marines, the Territorial Army and theRoyal Auxiliary Air Force and can be mobil-ised wherever needed to work alongside Bri-tain’s regular Armed Forces. Reservists are anintegral part of the UK Armed Forces and aretrained to a high standard.

■ BY THE RIGHT: Richard Lenton (centre), of SaBRE, presents the certificate to YvonneHarding and Prof Bob Cryan, of Huddersfield University

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Town getsthe all-clearHUDDERSFIELD Town has been given the“all-clear” after checks on how spectators would beevacuated from its home venue.

Cleckheaton-based Ferno, which makes medicalequipment for the emergency services, carried out anevacuation audit for the club to assess its evacuationprocesses and procedures in the event of an emer-gency at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Following changes to legislation such as the Equal-ity Act 2010 and the fire safety Regulatory ReformOrder 2005, venues such as football stadiums arelegally obliged to make sure that all spectators haveequal access to facilities.

Property owners also have to take responsibility forthe evacuation of everyone on their premises – payingparticular attention to vulnerable and disabled peoplewho may be especially at risk in an emergency.

Huddersfield Town already has several Fernoproducts at the stadium and requested the evacuationaudit to ensure they had the best plans in place shouldthey people to get out quickly.

Ferno managing director Jon Ellis said: “We haveworked with several sports clubs and property ownersoperating across a whole range of industries andsectors who are struggling to understand and meetthe standards set by health and safety legislation.

“Our evacuation audit is a new form of riskassessment which considers all the potential aspectsof an emergency evacuation including the manage-ment of disabled people, treating the injured, theeffects of smoke, lighting and crowd control.”

Sean Jarvis, commercial director at Huddersfield

Town said: “We’ve successfully worked with Ferno forseveral years and found the evacuation audit to beextremely useful in terms of highlighting exactly whatwe’d need to do in an emergency and how ourevacuation plans could be improved upon.

“All being well it’s a situation we’ll never need toface, but with the Hillsborough disaster back in theheadlines it really hits home just how important it isthat there are plans in place and that everyone knowswhat to do in an emergency.”

Huddersfield Town uses a wide range of Fernoemergency medical equipment, including evacuationchairs and stretchers to carry injured players of thefield and medical staff at the ground have received fulltraining in how to use them safely.

The Evacuation Audit is suitable for all leisurevenues including sports stadiums, music venues,theatres and cinemas as well as hotels, schools,universities and workplaces.

Other clubs to benefit from Ferno’s evacuationaudit include Derby County, Arsenal, West BromwichAlbion and the Leicester Tigers.

Ferno is a global leader in the manufacture anddistribution of emergency patient-handling equip-ment and mortuary products and exports to morethan 95 countries worldwide.

Site manager getsregional accolade

A SITE manager working in the Holme Valleyhas been named regional winner of a nationalcompetition.

Richard Burridge, 38, who works for family firmBurridge Homes Ltd, will represent the North Eastregion in the single plot category of the NationalHouse-Building Council’s 32nd annual Pride in theJob Awards for site managing the construction ofMarsh House in Scholes.

Mr Burridge was one of five site managers to berecognised as the region’s winners at a prestigiousdinner held at York Racecourse.

He is the North East’s first ever single plot winnerin the category’s debut year.

The NHBC Pride in the Job Awards are dedicatedto house-building site management in the UK.

They reward site managers for the contributionthey make to the house-building process, deliveringhigh quality homes and directing projects from startto finish.

Mr Burridge won his regional award foroverseeing the build of Marsh House – a singlehome worth just under £750,000.

Neil Jefferson, customer and businessdevelopment director for NHBC, said: “Richard isdelivering new homes of outstanding quality andshould be rightly proud of his achievement. Thisaward marks him out as a top site manager forhouse building in the UK and I wish him the best ofluck in the national final.”

Mr Burridge now progresses to Pride in the Job’sSupreme Gala event, which will be held nextJanuary in London when five UK Supreme Winnerswill be announced.

He said: “I am delighted that we have beenrecognised by the NHBC for our work at thisparticular site because it is exactly the type of buildwe want to be known for.”

Mr Burridge began his career as a joiner and hasworked in housebuilding for 20 years. He has been asite manager for the last six, working for his father’scompany.

Society’snew branchYORKSHIRE Building Societyis set to open its fourth newbranch of 2012.The society, which has itsroots in Huddersfield, willopen its doors in Malton,North Yorkshire, at the end ofNovember.It follows on from newbranches opening in Pudsey,Bingley and Ilkley.The latest outlet, creating fourjobs, will bring the totalnumber of branches in theYorkshire Group to 228. TheBradford-based society plansto open another eight newbranches by the end of 2013.Chief executive Chris Pillingsaid: “We are very excited tosoon be a part of the Maltoncommunity and a fixture ofthe town’s high street.“Our branches and agenciesare at the heart of ourorganisation and we areproud to be one financialorganisation opening newbranches when others areclosing theirs.”The Yorkshire’s branchnetwork has grownconsiderably over the pastfew years following itsmergers with Barnsley,Chelsea and Norwich &Peterborough buildingsocieties.All branches of each societyhave remained open, takingthe total number of branchesfrom 135 in 2008 to 228.

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Funds neededto lift housing

LACK of finance needed to buildhomes and buy homes is at the heart ofthe housing crisis, it is claimed.

That was the consensus that emergedfrom a meeting hosted by the NationalFederation of Builders and the Federa-tion of Master Builders during theConservative Party Conference.

In a discussion on the impact oflocalism on the construction industry,Clr Gary Porter, vice-chairman of theLocal Government Association, saidlocal authorities were willing to helptackle the housing crisis and argued forthe next tranche of quantitative easingto be pumped through local authoritiesto be used to kick-start house build-ing.

Speaking at the fringe event, JohnHowell MP said some local authoritiesneeded to work harder to embrace theGovernment’s planning reforms anddeliver the new housing and infrastruc-ture local communities and neighbour-hoods need.

Brian Berry, FMB chief executive,said: “It’s good to hear from the LGAand from our members that some localauthorities are already renegotiatingSection 106 agreements in order to helpdeliver more homes.

“We want to see this flexibility rep-licated across all local authorities sothat the local population can reap theeconomic and social benefits of newhousing in the right places.

“Coupled with this willingness,councils now need more opportunitiesto invest in helping builders build andbuyers buy.”

Julia Evans, chief executive of theNFB, said: “We know that finance is atthe heart of our current difficulties.Recognition of that is a start, but weneed solutions.

“The idea of putting future quantit-ative easing through local authorities iscertainly one which should beexplored.

“We need finance to flow to where itis needed. Local authorities are at thecoal face of delivering the housing weneed and they are used to working withsmaller volume builders to developsmaller sites.

“A constructive dialogue betweenlocal authorities and local builders iskey to getting us out of current predic-ament.”

Slump in demandfor retail propertyDEMAND for retail space inYorkshire fell further duringthe third quarter of the year, asurvey has revealed.The latest report by the RoyalInstitution of CharteredSurveyors, showed an 1%decline in demand for shopspace in the three months toSeptember. Interest in highstreet sites has now fallen forfive consecutive quarters.The latest figure was coupledwith a marked increase inunoccupied floor space – as anet balance of 18% moresurveyors in the regionreported a rise in availability.Unsurprisingly, this resulted ina continued fall in rentalexpectations of minus 23%.Overall demand forcommercial property alsocontinued to stutter in theregion with 5% moresurveyors reporting fallsrather than rises in interestfrom potential occupiers asthe economic climatecontinues to weigh heavy onthe region’s businesses andtheir appetite to expand.As a result of this negativity,regional surveyors’expectations for future rentscontinued to slide with a netbalance of 15% predictingvalues to drop over thecoming three months. Overall

rental expectations have nowremained negative since theend of 2007.Turning to the investmentmarket, the negative picturecontinues across Yorkshirewith capital value expectationsfalling across the region.Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chiefeconomist, said:“Unsurprisingly, with the retailsector still struggling to findits feet, fewer companies inYorkshire and Humber lookedto take on new premises lastquarter. Consequentially, theamount of empty floor spacecontinued to rise. This was thecase in most parts of thecountry and it was a similarstory for the commercialproperty sector as a whole.”

■ STRUGGLE: RICS chiefeconomist Simon Rubinsohn

■ CONFERENCE PITCH: Brian Berry (left), chief executive, of the Federationof Master Builders; MP John Howell and Julia Evans, chief executive of theNational Federation of Builders

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Joanne leadsfinancing moveA HUDDERSFIELDwoman is spearheadinga new service to providelow-cost funding to theUK’s smallestbusinesses.

Joanna Holloway isthe managing director ofUC Finance, which hasset up a service toprovide freelancers andcontractors with theessential low-costfunding facilitiesfrequently denied themby the high street banks.

Ms Holloway wasbrought up in Honleyand attended HonleyHigh School andGreenhead College. Shestarted her career withFirst Direct in Leeds.

Before joining UCFinance, she held seniorroles at RBS InvoiceFinance and RBSInsurance during whichshe developed hermanagement andbusiness developmentskills.

UC Finance’sTimesheet Financeproduct is aimed at

freelancers, contractorsand one-man limitedcompanies. It enablesthem to borrow up to80% of the value of theircontracted work.

The service, createdin response to a sharpdecrease in lending bytraditional banks, hasbeen set up to help

self-employed workersimprove their cash flowwith access to a fast,flexible and affordablealternative to overdraftsand expensive paydayloans.

Chief executiveAlasdair McGill said:“Freelancers andcontractors represent asignificant proportion ofthe workforce, yet theyare all too frequentlyignored by a bankingsystem that doesn’t treatthem with the respect orthe degree ofseriousness theydeserve.

“The harsh reality ofthis situation is that itleaves them with fewaffordable options whenit comes to raising fundsand creates a significantobstacle for anyonetrying to start outworking for themselves.

“Timesheet Financehas been created to fill aglaring gap in the marketfor individuals strugglingto find fair treatmentelsewhere.”

■ MONEY MATTERS:Joanna Holloway, of UCFinance

Networking eventplanned for EllandA NETWORKING event is planned forbusiness people across Huddersfield andHalifax.Elland-based Simply Networking has joinedforces with The Ian M Franklin ConsultancyLtd and its associate firm StickFest Ltd tostage the event from 3pm to 5pm onWednesday, October 24, at Bertie’sBanqueting Rooms in Elland.Co-organiser Ian Franklin said: “Havingorganised informal networking events since2003 in Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool weare excited to announce our Halifax launch.“The launch is free of charge. It will berelaxed with no commitments, no pressureto speak in public or to pass referrals,simply an opportunity to meet lots of otherbusinesses.”For details and to book go towww.networking4business.com

Jim Farmery, Andrew McConnell & Alan Ward

Media CentreTHE Media Centre in Huddersfield hasappointed Jim Farmery, Andrew McConnell andAlan Ward as non-executives on its board.

Mr Farmery, a graduate of HuddersfieldUniversity, has a wealth of experience in thecreative and digital industries – working withPace Micro Technology before becoming directorof projects and programmes at regionaldevelopment agency Yorkshire Forward. He iscurrently director of business investment atCreative England, the national agency dedicatedto supporting digital and creative serviceindustries.

Mr McConnell began his career as a charteredaccountant in Huddersfield, spending more than20 years with Huddersfield firm Revell Ward.Since 2002 McConnell, has been director offinance at Huddersfield University. He is alsochairman of the British Universities FinanceDirectors’ Group.

Mr Ward joined BT in 1984 where he has led awide range of major projects, including thestrategic deployment of fibre networks acrossWestern Europe. He is now head of BT’sCorporate ICT Research Practice, where heleads a team of analysts accountable for settingthe innovation direction for enterprise services inBT.

Margaret Coleman, who chairs the MediaCentre board, said: “I welcome Jim, Andrew andAlan who will each complement the existing skillsand networks of The Media Centre’s board.”

Lauren Titley

OsborneTechnologiesHUDDERSFIELD woman LaurenTitley has been appointedmarketing executive at aBarnsley IT and audio company.

Ms Titley (pictured), who livesat Milnsbridge, has joinedOsborne Technologies Ltd,based at Dodworth. She hasbeen recruited to help sell thefirm’s new product, aself-contained, multi-sensory room for peoplewith special needs called the SensoryPod. Shewill be promoting the innovation to schools,colleges and visitor attractions.

Ms Titley, 25, was born in Liversedge andattended Heckmondwike Grammar School andHuddersfield New College before graduatingfrom Central Lancashire University with a degreein advertising and marketing.

Her studies took her to the University ofConnecticut, USA, for a year and her five years’experience in sales and marketing have alsoincluded a year working in the States, promotinga quantity surveying firm in California.

Roger Clapham, Rabina Ditta & Cheryl Ford

ABR SolicitorsA LAW firm specialising in fraud crime andregulatory services has opened offices inHuddersfield.

ABR Solicitors which already has premises inLeeds, Liverpool and Harrogate, has launched anew practice at Bank Chambers, Market Street,and has recruited experienced advocates RogerClapham, Rabina Ditta and Cheryl Ford.

ABR Solicitors offers a range of fraud crimeand regulatory services, defending prosecutionsand investigations of all kinds. It also advisesbusinesses about regulatory compliance toavoid prosecutions.

The practice was recently ranked number onein the Legal 500 in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Senior partner Rob Rode said: “The openingof this new Huddersfield office is part of ourambitious plans to build on our criminal lawexpertise by establishing a network of officesthroughout the country.”

Safety lessonsfor FMG team!INCIDENT management com-pany FMG has put the accenton road safety.

The company – billed as theUK’s only incident manage-ment company dedicated toreducing the frequency andimpact of incidents – hasappointed Paul Holmes to thenew post of strategic accountdirector in charge of risk.

He joins the Hudders-field-based firm with a wealthof experience in automotivesafety, having previously beenfleet director at AA DriveTech.

His appointment comesshortly after FMG announcedits corporate sponsorship ofroad safety charity, Brake, withwhom the company is workingon a number of initiatives in therun-up to Road Safety Week,which starts on November 19.

A programme of events onthe theme of road safety gotunder way with a Road SafetyDay for staff at FMG’s BradleyMills headquarters.

Colleagues were encouragedto take part in a series of eventsaimed at safer driving.

Brake and The Institute ofAdvanced Motorists wereamong those presenting on arange of issues to employeesthroughout the day.

Employees were also able tot a k e a d v a n t a g e o f athree-minute service for theirvehicles. About 100 cars werechecked for things like oil levelsand tyre pressure on the nearbyJohn Smith’s Stadium carpark.

Mr Holmes said: “Ourapproach to incident preventiongives us a unique insight into thef leet industry and we’re

delighted to be working along-side Brake in the run up to RoadSafety Week.

“Our own Road Safety Daywas designed to give all ourpeople the chance to thinkabout the way they drive andhear from the experts, provingwe practice what we preach.

“I’m excited to be working forFMG, with the i r s t rongemphasis on accident preven-

tion. I’ll be involved in buildingand promoting a driver risksuite of services to expand onFMG’s already considerableoffering in that area.”

John Catling, FMG chiefexecutive, said: “Paul’s appoint-ment underlines FMG’s com-mitment to accident preventionand he’s already been busy pro-moting our message internallyand to our wider customerbase.

“We’re excited to continueour relationship with Brake as acorporate partner and our RoadSafety Day will hopefully getpeople thinking about businessdriving. “

Martin Howard, of Brake,said: “We’re pleased to workwith companies like FMG topromote the message of saferdriving.

“According to statistics, roadcrashes account for 39% ofwork-related deaths in theEuropean Union. This is whollyunacceptable and we aim towork with industry and busi-ness to change this. We’veworked with FMG on a cam-paign to help third partiesunderstand the business case forsafer driving.”

■ PRESSURE POINT: Andrew Vater (left), of Kwikfit Mobile, with(from left) Yvonne Willan, of the Institute of Advanced Motorists;Martin Howard, of Brake; Paul Holmes, of FMG; and ClareBracken, of claims insurance business Young Marmalade

Met Club does lunchPICTURESQUE Bagden Hall Hotel atScissett is the venue for a networking lunchtomorrow. The meeting takes place fromnoon to 1.30pm and has been organised bythe Harrogate-based Met Club.Organiser Lorraine Malatesta said: “Therewill be no formal seating plan and peoplewill be able to move around the table aftereach course, therefore being able to speakto most people.”Contact Lorraine on 01423 525622 or [email protected]

Kirklees Business News 16/10/12

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