KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees1, December, 2009

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DAVID COOPER CARL BUTTERWORTHCoffee’s his cup of tea

Pro f i l e - page 3Bui lder bites back !

Repor t - Page 8

FTSE 100- 55.055190.68

An EXAMINER publication

Town talkat forumBusiness leaders havebeen urged to give theirviews on shaping thefuture of Huddersfieldtown centre.Members of theCommercial PropertyForum hosted by lawfirm Baxter Caulfieldwere told about theconsultation processbeing undertaken byKirklees Council onhow to make the townmore appealing.

Down onthe farmCOUNCIL chiefs visitedLongley Farm atHolmfirth as part of afact-finding mission.Kirklees leader ClrMehboob Khan andchief executive RobVincent discussedbusiness issues withmanaging partnerJimmy Dickinson.

Firm exhibits right qualities to win top contractA COMPANY desiging and buildnigexhibition stands has landed a con-tract for work in Germany.

Bradley-based DMN Display Main-tenance Ltd is supplying stands forhousehold products distributorAmway Germany at three majorevents in Spring and autumn, 2010, inLeipzig, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt.

Mark Lamont, project director atDMN, said the stands would bemanned entirely by UK – and mainlyYorkshire-based – staff.

He said: “We are delighted to havewon this contract in such a difficulteconomic environment.

“It is testimony to the expertise andquality of workmanship that we have

displayed for the past 46 years oftrading.”

Nick Duxbury, managing directorof DMN, said: “We have done workfor Amway in the UK and France, butin this case we were in competitionwith two German contractors.

“It is significant that a UK companyhas won a contract in Germany, for a

German company against Germancompetition.”

Among other successes, DMN haslanded key contracts with the BritishMarine Federation for the LondonBoat Show and with an Indian firm forthe prestigious Heimtex textiles exhib-ition in Frankfurt.

Both events take place next month.

Well-known storesin the ‘at risk’ zoneRETAILERS should prepare for a“bloodbath” on the high street in thenew year, a Huddersfield insolvencyexpert has warned.

Peter Sargent, president of insolv-ency industry body R3, has predictedcontinued gloom for the retail sector in2010 – with 22 household names set togo into insolvency.

That would match the number ofwell-known high street names to dis-appear this year.

The warning comes days after highstreet book store chain Borders calledin administrators after running intofinancial problems.

The company, which has a store atthe Spring Ram Retail Park at Birstalland 45 shops UK-wide, is continuingto trade while administrators frominsolvency firm MCR seek a buyer forsome or all of the stores.

But a chilling survey reveals that94% of R3 member firms in Yorkshirebelieve retailers are deliberately hold-ing off from starting insolvency pro-ceedings until the New Year – hopingthey will recoup the money by boost-

ing sales over the festive period.Some 61% believe creditors are also

hanging back – in the hopes of gettinghigher returns due to increased takingsover Christmas.

However, 81% of Yorkshire’s insolv-ency experts believe rising unemploy-ment will result in less consumerspending – while 89% predict thisdecrease in spending will push manyretailers into insolvency in early2010.

In addition, 81% believe that anysigns of economic recovery willprompt creditors to start acting moreaggressively as assets rise in value.

The gloomy picture is compoundedby a return to normal for VAT in thefirst quarter of 2010.

Mr Sargent, partner with BegbiesTraynor covering Huddersfield andHalifax, said: “Rising unemploymentand decreased spending in the lead upto Christmas coupled with heightenedcreditor aggression in the New Yearleaves the retail sector at risk ofanother bloodbath.

“While it would be comforting to

think that the worst of the downturn isover, it’s worth remembering thatinsolvency peaks usually happen aftera recession ends.

“We urge retailers to seek adviceearly when there is a better chance ofrescue, rather than desperately cling-ing on, hoping that Christmas willcure all ills.”

Mr Sargent said the recent case ofcreditors reaching an agreement forpayment with outdoor clothing firmBlacks Leisure showed there wereinsolvency and rescue proceduresavailable to stave off liquidation.

More than 97% of creditors voted infavour of a company voluntaryarrangement, which aims to restruc-ture the company.

Blacks asked landlords of 89 closedor closing retail stores to accept lowerfinancial claims on the firm.

Mr Sargent said the CVA routeshould be considered by other strug-gling retailers.

“These procedures could help manybusinesses currently in the ‘at risk’zone,” he added.

■ STORE WARNING: PeterSargent, president of insolvencyindustry body R3

Yorkshire’s Legal Peoplewww.chadwicklawrence.co.uk01484 519 999Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICESLocal shares

FTSE closed at

5190.6Down 55.0

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.71 dollarsBangladesh................. 107.26 takaBrazil.............................. 2.57 realsCanada....................... 1.66 dollarsChina ........................... 10.09 yuanCzech Republic ...... 26.32 korunasDenmark....................... 7.78 kroneEuro............................... 1.05 euroHong Kong................ 12.16 dollarsHungary ................... 267.20 forintsIndia.......................... 67.65 rupeesJapan........................... 135.68 yenMexico ....................... 18.99 pesosNew Zealand .............. 2.14 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.88 kronePakistan.................. 129.98 rupeesPhilippines ................. 66.85 pesosSouth Africa.................. 11.43 randSouth Korea.............. 1675.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 178.83 rupeesSweden....................... 10.94 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.58 francsTaiwan ...................... 46.45 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.34 new liraUSA ............................ 1.58 dollars

Carclo 1081/2 +5Chapelthorpe 133/4Instore 45/8Marshalls 971/4National Grid 6601/2 +21/2RensburgSheppards

636 +11

Weir Gp 684 -10

Warning over funding gapTHE UK’s biggest water companywarned of a potential funding gap asthe recession poses “significant chal-lenges” for the business.

Thames Water said rising bad debtsand the higher cost of financing “willmake it more difficult to fund theessential investment in the networkthat is required”.

The company, which supplies waterto 8.5m customers across London andthe Thames Valley, had planned toinvest £5.5bn in the 2010-2015 period– funded by a 17% rise in bills.

But regulator Ofwat’s final decisionon prices published last week limitedthe firm to a 3% rise.

Thames Water has two months todecide whether to accept the decisionor appeal to the Competition Com-mission.

The spending plans for the next fiveyears include building two tunnels toreduce overflows from London’s sew-erage system to cut pollution in theThames and the River Lee.

The company said it met its leakagetargets for the third year runningdespite a severe winter causing a bigrise in the number of burst pipes.

Thames Water’s pre-tax profitsjumped by 15% to £225.5m for the sixmonths to September 30, despiterising bad debts and energy costs .

Bank acts to quellDubai debt worriesBANKS facing losses from a potentialdefault in Dubai have been promisedemergency support by the central bankof the United Arab Emirates.

The move comes after state-backedinvestment firm Dubai World asked todelay payments on its £36.8bn debts –sending shockwaves through world mar-kets fearful of losses.

The UAE’s central bank said it wasstanding behind all UAE banks as wellas branches of foreign banks operatingin the region.

The central bank said it would makeavailable to banks “a special additionalliquidity facility linked to their currentaccounts at the central bank”.

The move aims to prevent a wholesaleloss of confidence in the region and amass exodus of funds.

The London market languished in thered yesterday amid fall-out from theworst ever one-day declines seen on theDubai and Abu Dhabi stock markets.

The FTSE 100 closed 55.05 down at5190.68 – with the banking sector worsthit. Lloyds Banking Group 3.45p lowerat 55.15p while RBS dropped 1.545p to33.18p.

Other fallers included the LondonStock Exchange itself, which is 22%owned by Borse Dubai. Shares dropped23.5p to 752.5p.

Dubai’s main stock exchange slidmore than 7% and Abu Dhabi marketsfell more than 8% on the first day oftrading since news that Dubai Worldwould seek a six-month delay in payingcreditors.

Peter Sands, chief executive of Stand-

ard Chartered, a bank with a strongpresence in the region, said the UAE hadacted “decisively and pragmatically” inannouncing the measures.

“Their support for the banking systemwill underpin consumer and market con-fidence in the economy,” he said.

“We are confident that Dubai and theUAE as whole will work through theseissues and continue to prosper as adynamic and vibrant part of theworld.”

Dubai World’s investments rangefrom Scotland’s historic Turnberry toNakheel, the developer behind Dubai’sluxurious Palm man-made islands.Other assets owned by Dubai’s sovereignwealth and investment firms include theQE2 cruise liner, Emirates airline and theTravelodge budget hotel chain.

Pubs chain in ‘sabotage’ claimPUBS firm Mitchells & Butlers hasaccused its major shareholders ofsabotaging attempts to appoint anew chairman.

The group, which owns the All BarOne, Harvester and O’Neills chains,has approached the Takeover Panel,claiming it has evidence that severalkey shareholders were seeking togain control of the board.

It said a boardroom representativeof billionaire currency trader JoeLewis, who has a 22.3% stake in thecompany, had vetoed the appoint-ment of three independent candid-ates for the post of chairman –despite being involved in the selec-tion process as a member of the

nomination committee.Mitchells said Piedmont, Mr

Lewis’s investment vehicle, alsorequested the resignation of seniorindependent director Simon Laffin.If he does not step down, Mitchellshas been told that a small number oflarge shareholders will vote againsthis election at the company’s annualmeeting in January.

Mitchells said the actions of thePiedmont representative under-mined the “independence andeffectiveness” of the company’sboard, but added that the majority ofthe board were continuing to work tostrengthen the board through fur-ther independent appointments.

Bookingsstill strongTRAVEL companyThomas Cook saidholidaymakers weredetermined to take theirsummer break despitethe recession.

The firm said bookingsfor next summer remainon track with “continuedstrong growth” forhotspots such as Turkeyand Egypt as customersshun Eurozone countriesdue to the weak pound.

C&C buysUK cidersMAGNERS firm C&C hasadded Blackthorn, OldeEnglish and Gaymers toits stable of leadingdrinks brands in a £45mdeal.

C&C has agreed tobuy Somerset-basedGaymer Cider Company,the UK cider business ofUS premium wine-makerConstellation Brands.

The firm said the dealwould strengthen itsposition in the UK, whichis the world’s largestcider market by value.

Dublin-based C&C,which also makes theIrish cider Bulmers andthe Tennent’s beer brand,said Gaymers was thesmallest of the firm’sthree main cider brandsbut had the greatestpotential for growth.

The company is payingfor the deal through anew £6m facilityarranged with threebanks, including LloydsBanking Group.

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £24.86 -0.04Gannett 594.37 -34.75Hess Corp £35.18 -0.05Microsoft 1773.95 -7.32Motors Liquidation 45.72Wal-Mart Stores £32.99 -0.32

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEBAE Systems 3281/8 -27/8Rolls-Royce Gp 4741/2 -17/8Smiths Grp 954 +11/2VT Group 539 -10

AIMBrady Plc 691/2Dawson Intl 13/4

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1063/8 -1/8

BANKSBarclays 2923/8 -51/2HSBC 707 +3/4Lloyds Banking Gp 551/8 -31/2Ryl Scotland 331/8 -11/2Stan Chart 1484 -36

BEVERAGESDiageo 1025 -5SABMiller 1770 -12

CHEMICALSCroda 7441/2 -18Delta 1371/2 +11/2Elementis 98 461/2 -31/2Johnsn Mat 1482 -12

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2551/2 -13/4Costain 261/2 +11/2

ELECTRICITY

Drax Grp 4103/8 -10Intl Power 2767/8 -27/8Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1117 -8

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTChloride 1685/8 -23/4Invensys 280 -71/2Laird 1111/2 -51/4

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3061/4 -31/8

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1401/4 -41/4C & W 1417/8 -11/4Colt Telecom 1221/2 -11/4KCOM 42

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2751/4 -2Sainsbury 3217/8 -45/8Tesco 423 -6

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 8051/2 -4Cadbury 806Nth Foods 641/2 -5/8Tate Lyle 4143/4 -83/4Unilever 1784 -8Uniq 283/4 -11/4

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 2545/8 -23/4National Grid 6601/2 +21/2Pennon Grp 4973/8 -41/8Severn 1050 +10United Utils 4763/4 -31/4

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 2693/4 -41/4ICAP 4321/4 -93/4London StockExch 7521/2 -231/2

Man Group 3183/8 -61/4Provident Financial 8851/2 -181/2Schroders 1149 -25Schroders NV 9681/2 -81/2

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSAvon Rbbr 951/2 +31/2Cooksn Grp 3861/2 -61/4REXAM 2773/8 -43/4

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 131/2 -1DSG International 365/8 +1/8Home Retail 2941/4 -41/4Inchcape 273/4 -13/8Kingfisher 2371/4 -23/4M & S 3857/8 +21/4Mothercare 6211/2 +31/2Next 1976 -13WH Smith 5091/2 -16

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 578 -101/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 1231/2 -21/4Barrat Dev 1181/4 -21/4Persimmon 4135/8 -143/8Reckitt Benckiser £31 -1/4Taylor Wimpey 351/2 -13/8

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 7241/2 -351/2I M I 4913/4 -51/4Man Brnze 129 -2

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 200 -63/8

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 1551/8 -41/8Forth Ports 1070 -8

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 3703/8 -91/8Lgl & Gen 773/8 -35/8Old Mutual 1131/2 -11/2Prudential 6251/2 -131/2Resolution 841/2 +1/8Standard Life 2081/8 -47/8

MEDIABSkyB 5291/2 -1Chrysalis 109D Mail Tst 4131/4 -61/4ITV 52 -1Johnston Press 231/2 +1/4Pearson 829 -41/2Reed Elsevier 4545/8 -71/2STV Group 601/4 -13/4Trinity Mirror 1445/8 +2Utd Business 4351/2 -41/2UTV 1021/4 -193/4WPP 568 -71/2Yell Group 383/4 +13/4

MININGAnglo American £26 +1/8Antofagasta 9001/2 -1/2BHP Billiton 18571/2 -61/2Eurasian NaturalRes

8611/2 +16

Fresnillo 843 -21/2Kazakhmys 1233 -4Lonmin 1775 -8Rio Tinto £307/8VEDANTARESOURCES

£23

Xstrata 1069 -3MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 6351/2 +1/2Vodafone Group 1371/8 -11/4

NONLIFE INSURANCE

Admiral Grp 1061 -3RSA Insurance Gp 1163/4 -13/4

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 1103 -23BP 5745/8 -91/4Cairn Energy £303/4 +3/8Norsk Hdro 4281/2 -115/8Royal Dutch Shell A 18001/2 -301/2Royal Dutch Shell B 1737 -32Total £375/8 -5/8Tullow Oil 1234 -9

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESPetrofac 973 +5Wood Group 3073/4 -11/4

PERSONAL GOODS

Burberry 570 -21/2PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £271/8 -1/8Axis-Shield 403 -71/2GlaxoSmithK XD 22Shire 1185 -2

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 4453/8 -143/8DTZ Hldgs 701/4 -23/4Hamrsn 4003/4 -101/2Land Secs 6581/2 -12SEGRO 3251/2 -117/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1425 -15Dimension Data 74 -11/2Logica 1173/8 -21/8Misys 2033/4 -41/2Sage Group 2131/4 -41/4

SUPPORT SERVICESAMEC 7931/2 +1/2Bunzl 624 -11/2Capita 712 -101/2Davis ServiceGroup

402 +6

De La Rue 952 -91/2Electrocomp 1651/4 -13/4Experian 573 -41/2G4S 244 -1/4Hays 975/8 -21/8Homeserve 1560 -49Menzies J 3301/2 +51/2Rentokil 1003/4 -11/2Smiths News 105 -31/2Wolseley 1160 -31

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 1543/4 -33/8Psion 89

Spirent Comms 973/4 +21/2

TOBACCOBr Am Tob 1847 -3Imperial Tobacco 1768 -8

LEISURE & HOTELSArriva 4581/2 -131/2Brit Airways 1951/4 +11/2Carnival £203/8Compass Grp 4303/4 -25/8easyJet 367 -33/4Enterprise Inns 983/4 -53/8FirstGroup 3911/4 -81/4Go-Ahead 1215 -42Greene King 4011/4 -41/2Intercontl Htls 8411/2 +11/2Ladbrokes 135 +4Mitchells & Butlers 2521/2 -1/2Natl Express 1677/8 -6PartyGaming 2541/4 -1/2Rank Org 763/4 -1/2Stagecoach Group 1443/8 -35/8TUI Travel 2457/8 +21/4Whitbread 1283 -22

INDEXFTSE 100 5190.68 -55.05

INDEXFTSE 250 8918.44 -113.10

■ CHECK POINT: A trader followsthe latest stock changes at theDubai financial market in the wakeof the city’s huge debt crisis

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

DavidCooper

Cooper’sCoffee Ltd

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Managing dir-ectorAge: 43Family: Married toco-director Jacqueline.Two sons, Louis andBradleyHolidays: Spain andthe CaribbeanCar: Audi A5First job: Pizza chefBest thing aboutjob: Controlling myown destiny and takingresponsibility for itWorst thing aboutjob: Dealing withpeople who don’t careabout qualityBusiness tip: Havea plan with firm goalsand objectives

Work: Coffee andcoffee-making equip-mentEmploys: 17Site: Calder TradingEstate, BradleyPhone: 01484431450Email:info@cooperscoffee.co.uk

Davidfinds theperfectblend

DAVID Cooper ispassionate about coffee.

The managing director ofBradley-based Cooper’sCoffee Ltd has been knownto get up and make a brewhimself when dining out at arestaurant where the coffeefails to meet the grade –much to the embarrassmentof his two teenage sons.

“You can have the mostamazing meal, but if youfinish with a disastrous,horrible-tasting coffee, that’sthe taste you walk out with,”he says. “The best coffeesin the world are traded onthe London market. Wehave access to coffees from50-odd countries and a highlevel of expertise. Caterershave no excuse for servinga poor cup of coffee.”

David knows what he’stalking about. David and hiswife and co-directorJacqueline Cooper havebuilt up a multi-awardwinning business sellingcoffee and coffee-makingmachinery for Britain’sgrowing army of coffeedrinkers – with acommitment never tocompromise on quality.

“The ‘coffee culture’which started with peoplelike Starbucks in Seattle isabout 15 to 20 years old inthe UK,” he says.

“But UK consumption isstill 80% instant coffee to20% roasted. So there’s alot of virgin territory for usstill to explore.

“In other Europeancountries, such as Franceand Italy, the coffee culturehas been around forcenturies.

“In the 17th century,coffee was given a papalblessing – because bydrinking coffee and stayingawake the priests could praylonger. It has become a partof the European culture.”

However, coffee culture isfirmly established. “Coffeeshops are the new pubs,”says David. “There is nodoubt about it. There is agreat deal of business donein coffee shops as well associalising.”

David set up Cooper’sCoffee when he wasworking as a “rep” for acompany making coffeeequipment.

When his employersfound he was selling coffeeto its customers on the side,he was promptly sacked.

“Jacqueline had beenworking for Yorkshire Bank,but had been maderedundant,” David recalls.“So we started Cooper’sCoffee in the back bedroomof my flat in Leeds. Irealised we had a viablebusiness when we wereturning over about £250,000after two years.

“We moved toHuddersfield 18 years ago,starting with a unit at theRay Street EnterpriseCentre before moving toCalder Trading Estate,which gave us premisescloser to the M62.

“The main reason forstarting the business was togive ourselves a job.

“The first thing that drivesyou out of bed in themorning is fear. If you aremotivated by fear you tend

to work hard – and I wasworking 80 hours a weekbecause I was the boss, thesalesman and the deliveryman.

“But we loved thechallenge of building abusiness.”

David and Jacquelinehave gone on to create 10businesses – including oneselling imported Dalla Corteespresso machines andanother successfully lettingproperty.

It has also trained 15,000people as true coffee“baristas” – coffee makers –some of whom went on tobecome national champions.

Cooper’s Coffee suppliesseveral hundred independentcoffee shops across thecountry from Aberdeen toBrighton.

Each of the 2006, 2007and 2008 winners of theBeve Award for the bestcoffee shop in the UK areCooper’s clients.

“We train their staff to usethe espresso machines,”says David. “Dalla Cortemachines are renowned asamong the best in the world.They are very expensive forthe reason that they closelycontrol the parameters of

temperature accurate to a10th of a degree. That meansevery cup of coffee tastesperfect.”

Food and drink has alwaysbeen part of David’s workinglife. He was a chef for fouryears before going to workfor a food and wine supplierin the mid-1980s.

“They were staggeredwhen I could blind-tastedifferent coffee blends andtell them which was which,”he says.

“But I had been tastingthem for years as a chef.Coffee and wine becamethings I was very good atselling.

“I left that job after twoyears and went to work for acoffee machine manufacturer.A little while after that I beganto sell coffee as a sidebusiness because customersbegan asking my adviceabout where to buy coffee.

“I wrote a recipe for ablend called Cooper’sSpecial Blend and had itmade by a local roastery. Inthe first month 22 customersbought my coffee. But I gotthe sack from the coffeemachine company forrunning this business on theside.”

Despite the recession,Cooper’s Coffee is ontarget for 5% growth thisyear – and David isdetermined to set hissights on a 25%improvement next year.

“Our reputation meansthat we get asked totender for some reallymeaty business,” he says.“That’s despite being 20%more expensive than themarket. We have apremium product whichcomes with a hugeamount of added-value.Our customers getmenus, branding anddesign and training fortheir staff that is availableall year round.”

With Cooper’s Coffeefirmly established, Davidtakes a strategic role,handling marketing anddirecting the businessplan, while Jacqueline’srole covers humanresources and training.

“We have 17 fantastic

people in the business andas a result of her efforts, allstaff have three trainingdays a year forself-development,” saysDavid.

Away from work, Davidplays squash for a club atLockwood while Jacquelineenjoys yoga and pilates.Weekends are spentwalking Pippa, theirPatterdale Terrier, andfollowing the sportingexploits of sons 16-year-oldLouis and Bradley, 13.

“We have a house inSpain and try to spend atleast six weeks of the yearthere,” says David. “Wealso enjoy socialising andtry to make one dinner datea week.”

The advice torestaurateurs is simple. Ifthe Coopers turn up fordinner, just make sure thecoffee’s spot on!

■ CUP WINNER: David Cooper, of Coopers Coffee Ltd, withone of the company’s state-of-the-art Dalla Corte coffee makingmachines

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

MARKETINGMATTERSClare Quartermaine

Clare Quartermaine is founder andmanaging director of QT Creative

Cooking upmore salesHELP is at hand for householderswho take pride in their iconic Agacookers.While the world-famous cast-ironAga is a much-coveted addition toany kitchen – keeping the cookergleaming is notoriously hard work.Now White’s Aga Services haslaunched a cleaning service tocomplement its well-establishedservicing and repair operation.The business is headed by coupleDale and Jaime O’Connor, whowork from their home address inSouthowram.Said Jaime: “We have beenrunning the servicing business forabout five years, but more recentlycustomers have been asking if wealso carry out Aga cleaning.“We have always said ‘no’ in thepast – but now we have decidedthat it would be silly to turn thework away.”“It is not an easy job,” she said.“Cleaning an Aga properly shouldtake a minimum of three hours.People who have invested in anAga usually want it to look good,so the response from ourcustomers has been fantastic.”Aga has been at the heart of thekitchen for many years. The firstAga was installed more than 80years ago – with many passeddown from one generation to thenext.During 2009, Warwickshire-basedAga Consumer Products, ishelping to celebrate the 300thanniversary of the historic foundryin Coalbrookdale – where Agashave always been made – andwhere Abraham Darby first usedcoke to smelt iron, enablingcast-iron to be produced.Proud Aga owners includecelebrities such as actors MartinClunes and Susan Hampshire,television presenter Janet StreetPorter and chefs Jamie Oliver, RickStein and Antony WorrallThompson.

Funeral serviceopens in Kirklees

A NEW funeral business has beenopened in Kirklees.

Gateway Funeral Services,which is run and owned byShepley woman Janice Huttonand Richard Arnold, of Birken-shaw, has opened a new funeralhome at Southfield Terrace,Birkenshaw.

A service of dedication was heldto mark the opening.

The service was attended byKirklees Mayor Clr Julie Stew-art-Turner and two leading fig-ures from the industry – SueSaville, president of the NationalAssociation of Funeral Directors;and Ken Satterley, president of

the British Institute of FuneralDirectors.

Rev Martin Lowles conductedthe service, which was attended by40 colleagues, family and friends.

Janice has been a funeral dir-ector in Bradford for the pasteight years. She holds the Dip-loma in Funeral Directing, alicence to practice from The Brit-ish Institute of Funeral Directorsand is an accredited Civil FuneralCelebrant.

Richard has worked as afuneral director for the past twoyears and is very experienced inrepatriations from all over theworld.

Mums steppingout for businessAN enterprise run by twomums has taken a giantstride.Kirsty Vickerman andVanessa Taylor, who bothlive at Netherton, set upin business earlier thisyear to sell children’sshoes – by visitingschools, play groups andplay gyms around theHuddersfield area.Now they have openedtheir first shop – at DerbyTerrace, Marsden – tostock children’s shoes

and boots made bywell-known names as wellas gifts such as matchingraincoats and wellies,pyjamas, babygrows andsnowsuits and fleecehoodies.The shop, called CuckooShoes, is also the basefor their charityfundraising efforts –helping schools,nurseries, play groupsand toddler groups raisecash for toys andequipment.

■ DEDICATION: Kirklees Mayor Clr Julie Stewart-Turner (second left) with (fromleft) Richard Arnold, Sue Saville, Ken Satterley and Janice Hutton

■ SHOES SHINE: Kirsty Vickerman and Vanessa Taylorof Cuckoo Shoes

Eleventh winfor YorkshireYORKSHIRE Bank has beennamed best regional mortgagelender by Your Mortgage magazine– for the eleventh time.And the Bradford-based bank wasjoined as winners this year bysister organisation ClydesdaleBank and parent companyNational Australia Group.The group was presented with thepublishers special award, createdto mark the 20th year of the YourMortgage Awards, whichrecognised National AustraliaGroup’s “consistency,commitment and excellence” inthe mortgage market for the past20 years.Clydesdale Bank was named bestmortgage lender in Scotland forthe sixth year running at theawards ceremony in London.

Stores unwrapChristmas ideas

AS the pressure of Christmasshopping looms over us and the

retailers wait with bated breath onwhat is their most important time ofthe year – what are we and theyexpecting this December and howare their marketing activities chan-ging?

Firstly, I have read recently that manybrands and supermarkets are cutting theirranges down drastically – slashing choicesand variants.

Heinz is cutting back on 20% of its linesand Unilever announced it is axingtwo-fifths of its huge line of food andcleaning products.

Is this a reaction to the back of basicstrend spurred on by the recession?

This purge may be the result of theeconomy or a continuation of the con-sumer trend towards a “less is more” wayof shopping.

Whatever it is, for many of us, this is asigh of relief when even choosing a chocol-ate bar in the local shop can leave usstanding in the aisle for half an hourdebating the frenzy of chocolate choicebefore us (or is that just me?)

The next interesting development is theconcept of the “pop up” shop.

I’m not talking about the randomChristmas shop that opens every year intown, but the idea that the big name

brands will erect a temporary shop topromote a set of products for a short spaceof time.

This is something that both HMV andMarmite have done in the wake of largernumbers of retail spaces become avail-able.

Where letting agents are now more keento let out their spaces for shorter periods,there are deals to be made.

Lastly, it seems the retailers are playingit safe by using the same Christmas adconcepts that they used before – maybe alittle rehashed.

Nostalgia is always a big theme in thefestive season, anyway. We see lovely Vic-torian street scenes and carol singers involumes, but now some retailers are evenusing ads from 20 years ago. Heritageagain. “You should buy from us becausewe’ve been around a long time and weneed your business”.

Plus, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmaswithout the M&S girl prancing around inher underwear, would it? Very whole-some.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Healthyresult forInteractiveSolutionsA HUDDERSFIELD company hashelped one its clients scoop a major train-ing award.

Interactive Solutions, based at the MediaCentre, Northumberland Street, wasinstrumental in client St George’s, Uni-versity of London, gaining an award for itse-learning package, A Taste of Medicine, atthe E-Learning Age Awards in London.

The training package began as aCD-ROM, but has now been redevelopedfor use on the web.

New content has also been developed tocreate a range of products to help studentsget the most from work experience; preparefor medical interviews and introduce themto teaching and learning techniques inhigher education.

Judges commented that the site“provides transparent and appropriateinformation, advice and guidance, in aformat that is appealing and accessible toits target audience”.

Interactive Solutions has been workingwith St George’s for more than six years todevelop e-learning content in support of itsWidening Participation programme.

The programme is aimed at 13 and14-year-olds and seeks to dispel miscon-ceptions about requirements for entry intothe healthcare professions and raise aware-ness of the scope and scale of careeropportunities.

“It’s fantastic that the site has been giventhe recognition it deserves,” said KentonLewis, head of Widening Participation andstudent recruitment at St George’s.

“Lots of work has gone into it – bothfrom St George’s and Interactive Solutions– and our success is testament to the qualityof relationship we have with the designteam.”

A Taste of Medicine is free to access andcan be found at www.tasteofmedicine.com

Interactive Solutions is an e-learning andweb development agency with clientsincluding several UK universities, educa-tion authorities, career services andregional development agencies.

Seminar putting focus on financeFINANCIAL planning specialists in Hud-dersfield are staging an investment seminarto help business people with their moneymatters – and raise charity cash.

Paul Dickinson and Christopher Brown,who head Brantwood Financial Planning,have organised the seminar to take place at5pm next Tuesday at the Galpharm Sta-dium.

About 50 professionals are expected toattend the event, which will include anaddress by Justin Urquhart-Stewart, of Lon-don-based 7IM Investment Management.

Mr Dickinson said the two-hour eventwould include a raffle to raise funds for theCystic Fibrosis Trust.

One of the firm’s clients has two youngchildren who both suffer from the condi-

tion.Paul Dickinson and Mr Brown have more

than 50 years experience in financial plan-ning. Their business, based at Market Street,was formerly Martin Smith & Co beforerebranding as Brantwood Financial Plan-ning following Mr Smith’s retirement inOctober last year.

Back ‘home’ forbank’s birthdayBANK manager Andrew Bray has morereason than most to celebrate as his branchmarks 30 years in Huddersfield.

As a clerk, he was one of the staff whenWilliams and Glynns opened its doors atMarket Place in November, 1979.

Thirty years later, he has returned tomanage the branch – now Royal Bank ofScotland – in the same Victorian listedbuilding.

Andrew and his colleagues marked the30th anniversary of the branch by invitingcustomers to share in a celebration cake.

They also displayed old photographs and acutting from the Examiner recording theopening of the branch.

Andrew recalls: “Williams and Glynns hadbeen looking for premises in Huddersfieldsince about 1975 and secured this site inJanuary, 1979, when Barclays moved fromhere to Ramsden Street.

“The manager at the time was Martin Ellisand his deputy was Jim Beesley.

“In September, 1985, the branch becameRoyal Bank of Scotland.

“But interestingly, the building originallyopened in 1864 as a bank – the West RidingUnion Banking Company.

“The building is still serving its originalpurpose.”

Andrew joined Williams and Glynns at theage of 16 after leaving Almondbury Second-ary School and began his banking career inHalifax in 1977 before being posted to thenew Market Place branch.

Later, he worked for the bank at branchesin Halifax, Bradford, and Harrogate beforereturning as branch manager in Huddersfieldlast July.

“We have sent a gift to the first customerwho walked through the doors when weopened in 1979,” said Andrew.

“A lot of customers have been with thebank 25 or 30 years and the fact they are stillbanking with us is testament to the commit-ment of the bank staff.

“It is nice to be back. I enjoy working here

with a great team who get on well with thecustomers.”

The branch employs about 20 staff andprovides services including business banking,private banking and healthcare for clientssuch as doctors and dentists as well as retailbanking.

■ BANK BALANCE: Andrew Bray (front) manager of the Royal Bank of Scotland inHuddersfield, celebrates with colleagues (from left) Nasra Riaz, Mary Byrne, Chris Sykes,Michelle Christopher, Martin Shaw, Tracey Butterworth and Marie Nutall

Charity is the Christmas winnerFOOTBALLERS from Hudders-field Town joined representatives ofthe Yorkshire Air Ambulance tohold a fundraising Christmas shop-ping fair.

The event was held at the HeritageCoffee Mill and Bistro in Lindley toraise cash for the club’s Keep It Upcampaign.

The aim is to raise funds for foot-ball club’s youth academy and thecountywide charity – with 50p from

every £1 raised going towards eachworthwhile cause. To date, more than£74,000 has been raised for the cam-paign since the start of the currentFootball League season.

The festive fair featured a largeselection of stalls selling items ran-ging from jewellery, handbags andbeauty products to children’s toysand chocolates.

Hot food and drink was availableto shoppers and Santa made an

appearance in his grotto.First team players Gary Roberts

and Lee Peltier joined Cammie Bat-ten, of Huddersfield Town; KatieGration, of the Yorkshire Air Ambu-lance; Mandy Barwick, of Heritage;and Town mascot Terry the Terrier.

The next Keep It Up event onMonday, December 14, is a Christ-mas celebration at WakefieldCathedral featuring a choir serviceand readings from Town players.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

Strategy forexpansionA COMPANY operating business centres isseeking new sites in the region.

Prospect Business Centres, which hasthree centres in Leeds and York, hasembarked on a multi-million pound drive toopen a further six across the north-east andMidlands.

The firm, which is owned by the Monu-ment Investments group of property com-panies, said it was responding to increasedmarket demand for high specification, flex-ible work space.

The firm plans to secure leases or toacquire at least two more Yorkshire centresin 2010.

Warren Hill, managing director and soleshareholder of Monument, said: “Our ori-ginal venture, Prospect House in Leeds, wasfirst established in 1980 and set the bench-mark for flexible working environments inthe city.

Conferencecall at t’millA TRAINING company has unveiled itsnew conference centre at an award-winningdevelopment in Huddersfield.

ESTL celebrated its move to the grade IIlisted Folly Hall Mills by inviting busi-nesses from Kirklees, Calderdale andLeeds to visit its flagship Waterfront Con-ference Centre.

The conference centre was officiallyopened by Craig Dickinson of global bankHSBC, who announced that the bank hadalready booked a training day at thecentre.

He said: “This is such an impressivebuilding with amazing facilities and atremendous history.

“It is totally unique and I am delightedto open a centre which is sure to become animportant feature of the Kirklees businessand social community in the months andyears to come.”

The conference centre offers seven mod-ern and well-equipped conference suitesand meeting rooms in the newly-refur-bished historic mill overlooking the RiverColne.

Organisations including Kirklees Coun-cil, Business Link Yorkshire, West York-shire Police and the NHS have already usedthe Waterfront Conference.

Developers, tenants and backers of FollyHall Mills were all recognised for theirefforts when the scheme scooped theRegeneration Award in last month’s Exam-iner Business Awards.

Ideas welcomefor ‘grand plan’BUSINESS bosses have beenurged to help formulate a “grandplan” for the development ofHuddersfield town centre.

Members of the CommercialProperty Forum hosted by towncentre law firm Baxter Caulfieldwere given an outline of the con-sultation process now under wayby Kirklees Council on the devel-opments needed to make Hud-dersfield an attractive place towork, live and visit.

Planning officer Hamish Gled-hill gave a presentation to prop-erty professionals meeting atBaxter Caulfield’s Station Streetoffices – and stressed: “We want toflag up the issues of concern topeople and organisations in Hud-dersfield and hear their views andideas.”

He said: “Over the next 15years, there will be a lot of changein Huddersfield. This is the majortown in Kirklees and we expect thetown to grow.”

A document drawn up by thecouncil puts forward its vision forthe town for the next 20 years.

It suggests how different parts

of the town might be developedbased on their existing character-istics – such as the retailing heartof the town centre, the areaaround the university, the trans-port hub around the bus and rail-way stations and the civic areacomprising the town hall andcouncil buildings.

It looks at development oppor-tunities in areas for retailing,offices, housing and leisure as wellas ways to overcome the barriercreated by the ring road betweenthe town centre and areas such as

the technical college site, High-fields, Springwood, Folly Hall andthe Galpharm Stadium complex.

The consultation process asksfor views on key issues such ashow to improve Huddersfield’sretail offering, whether or notmore needs to be done to promotean “evening economy”, what kindof office accommodation isneeded and whether rules aboutsome listed buildings should berelaxed.

Mark Hanson, of HansonChartered Surveyors, said action

was needed to reduce the impactof the ring road, which was actingas a collar on town centre.

He said the problem of rateslevied on empty properties wasalso holding back development ofall kinds while lack of town centreparking was also an issue.

Peter Butler, of Bramleys saiddeveloping suitable office spacewas difficult because so manytown centre buildings were listed –even though some properties didnot merit such protection..

And Richard Gillatt, head ofproperty at Baxter Caulfield, saidKirklees Council had to adopt aflexible policy to find a solution tothe problem of long-empty build-ings.

Mr Gledhill said the councilwould use views amassed duringthe consultation period to formu-late a range of options for Hud-dersfield’s future before askingpeople to comment again in late2010 on a grand plan which couldbe agreed and sent to the Govern-ment for final approval.

■ ISSUES:Peter Butler(left) and MarkHanson raisedconcernsaboutpotentialbarriers todevelopingHuddersfieldtown centre asa great placeto work, liveand visit

Top prizesfor agencySTAFF at estate agency Your Move arecelebrating after winning four awards.

The agency landed three gold awards andone silver award in the national EstateAgency of the Year Awards 2009 – thegreatest number achieved by a large UKagent.

Your Move won three golds as best UKlarge estate agency, best large UK lettingsagency and for having the best technologyand website. Silver was for best financialservices.

Simon Bentley, valuation director forYour Move in Huddersfield and Halifax,said: “This is fantastic news for Your Moveand our customers.

“The awards have been designed to celeb-rate and endorse best practise and highstandards in the industry and we aredelighted that our efforts in ensuring weprovide the best service and products pos-sible has been recognised in this way.

“The judges said that our entry into thebest large estate agency category was excep-tional and ensured Your Move stood out asa top agent. We were also acknowledged forour ‘ truly impressive’ lettings service.

“The technology we employ and ourwebsite – www.your-move.co.uk – were alsodescribed as worthy gold award winners.Our financial services win confirmed YourMove’s ongoing focus and success in thisarea.”

The awards were presented to DavidNewnes, Your Move’s managing director,at a special awards ceremony in London infront of hundreds of property professionalsand experts from across the UK.

‘Corner shop’ up for saleA CONVENIENCE store in Huddersfield ison the market.The Leeds Office of business agentChristie + Co, has been instructed to sellthe Premier Express Supermarket atChurch Street, Paddock.The premises are offered for saleleasehold at an asking price of £155,000plus stock at valuation. The current rentis £11,500 a year.Nick Nunn, who is handling the sale at

Christie + Co, said: “Our client has runshops for many years and is now lookingto sell due to a family bereavement.“The shop was refurbished in 2004 underthe Premier banner and has been wellmaintained since then.“The store offers an experienced retailerthe potential to increase the turnover byintroducing newspapers and magazinesand extending the opening hours.“This is a fantastic opportunity.”

■ AT YOUR CONVENIENCE: The Premier Express store at Paddock, Huddersfield, whichis up for sale with Christie + Co with a £155,000 price tag

• Modern Single Storey Industrial Unit• 89.96m2 (968ft2)• Popular industrial location• Outskirts of town centre• Max. eaves 5.5m• Rateable value £5,300

Unit 2 Riverside Court,Colne Road, Lockwood

£7,250 P/A

e: commercial@bramleys1.co.uk t: 01484 530361

For further information please contactJonathan Wilson

lease terms andrents available uponapplication from thejoint agents

Unit 19 Queens MillIndustrial Estate,

Queens Mill Road, Lockwood

465m2 (5,000 sq ft)

Modern industrial/warehouse unitwith offices & on site parking.

LAST REMAINING UNIT

Brockholes Business Park, NewMill Road, Brockholes

985 – 2,400 sq ft

Modern starter workshop/warehouse units onpopular estate in Holme Valley

TO LET

Alec Michael Jason Metcalfe

HANSON

01484 432043THE OLD GATEHOUSE, 68 NEW NORTH ROAD

HUDDERSFIELD HD1 5NE

CHARTERED SURVEYORS

Industrial

Office/Commercial

TO LETinclusive

rents

291 Wakefield Road(A642) LeptonOffice suites 322 & 405 sq ft and retail space 836 sq ft

Highly prominent commercial building with rear parkingsuitable for a variety of uses(stp)

TO LETimmediately

available

Whitby Court, Abbey Road North, Shepley102 m2 (1,099 sq ft )

High quality ground floor office suite in popular officecomplex with good on site parking

TO LETwillsplit

Units D – L - Industrial/Storage

5,000 – 40,000 sq ft

Affordable industrial/storage units nowimmediately available on very flexible terms.

Rent from only £2.25 per sq ft

TO LET

TO LETPreliminary

Announcement

Colne Road, Huddersfield90m2 (970 sq ft)

Modern trade warehouse/starter unit on outer ring roadadjacent Just Tyres and Plumb Centre just off Chapel Hill

Brighouse Trade Park, Armytage Rd I E7,349 – 16,815 sq ftHigh quality trade warehouse/warehouse units less than½ mile from Junction 25 with M62 adjacent Plumb Centreand Powersaver.

Barncliffe Business Park,Near Bank, Shelley700 – 15,000 sq ft

Predominantly single storey industrial/storage units alongwith office accommodation available on part recentlyrefurbished multi-occupational complex.

TO LETflexible lease

terms

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

DMB GroupJohn Dobson

John Dobson has joined direct marketing companyDMB Group as a non-executive director.

Mr Dobson is one of the founders of marketingintelligence specialist EuroDirect and helped thatBradford-based firm achieve a Queen’s Award forinnnovation in 2002.

DMB Group, based in Leeds, is a leading directmarketing firm and works for clients including B&Q,Meadowhall, McDonald’s and Kingfisher.

Mr Dobson has been involved in launchingseveral successful companies since 1983 startingwith BDMS in 1983.

He then went on to help set up databasemarketing specialist EuroDirect, which wassubsequently acquired by Skipton Building Societyin 1998.

Welcome toYorkshire

Marcus Falconer

TOURISM agency Welcome toYorkshire has appointed MarcusFalconer to lead its marketingteam.

Mr Falconer (pictured) joinsWelcome to Yorkshire asmarketing director from UK highropes adventure company GoApe.

As head of marketing, heplayed a key role in developingthe Go Ape brand and marketingit during the last four years.

Previously he worked in various media andadvertising agency roles, including Swedish brandcommunications agency Lowe Brindfors and WareAnthony Rust in Cambridge.

Mr Falconer’s appointment follows Welcome toYorkshire’s recent marketing success, includingwinning TravelMole’s best tourist board website forwww.yorkshire.com and the International BusinessForum’s award for Innovation in Marketing.

Taking care ofthe team’s kitA COMPANY running carehomes for the elderly is sponsor-ing a girls’ football team.

Ashbourne Senior Living issponsoring Lepton HighlandersGirls FC.

Team captain Rachel Lock-wood (second right) was joinedby some of the players and teammanager Clive Walsh on a visit toone of Ashbourne’s homes,Alwoodleigh at Edgerton to meetd e p u t y m a n a g e r C h a r i t yMwamba (right) and residents.

Clive said: “The people at

Alwoodleigh have been very kindand the girls are delighted withtheir new kit.”

Charity added: “It’s lovely forthe residents to see the youngstersin their new kit.”

Ashbourne Senior Living –part of Southern Cross Health-care Group – has more than 70private care homes throughoutt h e c o u n t r y , i n c l u d i n gAlwoodleigh, Astley Grange atFartown, Abbey Place at Shepleyand Botham Hall at Milns-bridge.

BedfordsTransport

Duncan Butler, Roy Redihough & Lauren Slack

NATIONWIDE carrier Bedfords Transport, hasstrengthened its team by recruiting three newemployees to key positions.

The Birstall-based company has appointedDuncan Butler (left) and Roy Redihough asbusiness development managers while LaurenSlack joins as PA to the directors and to helpco-ordinate the firm’s new sales force,

Roy and Duncan, who both have backgrounds intransport and warehousing, will mainly focus onhelping the company diversify and make inroadsinto new markets.

Managing director Steff Pfadenhauer said:“These are tough times for our industry.

“However, our financial strength and recent newbusiness successes mean we are in the fortunateposition of being able to employ specific expertisewhich will help us to move into new markets andprovide the necessary support to do so.”

Avon calling...for builder Carl!

BUILDING contractor CarlButterworth has finally managed toput away his most valued piece ofequipment after this year’s long spellof mild weather.

Carl, who is a master craftsmandrystone waller and his companyLove2Build.co.uk, undertake a lot oflandscaping work and can often befound in remote areas of thecountryside around Huddersfield.

“We have been blighted this yearwith midges due to the mild weather,”he says. “Being outdoors most of thetime, we often get the odd midge bite.But this year has been exceptionallybad – so much that I had to get intouch with my feminine side!

“It isn’t often you hear of a bloketaking advice from his mother-in-lawand wife. However, I was left with noalternative after trying almost everyrepellent on the market over theyears.”

But midge bites are now a thing ofthe past, he says. And Carl’s secretweapon? Women’s beauty productAvon's Skin So Soft is his favouredrepellent of choice.

“It brought on fits of laughteramongst my staff and customerswhen I proposed spraying them allwith women’s product – so much sothat one of my wallers refused andended up with the nickname of MrBlobby, after being bitten so many

times on one particular project.“We had the last laugh though

because from that day on they havenever bothered us again, and he wascovered in red blotches all over.”

Says Carl: “My mother-in-law andwife have been using the product foryears when we go on foreign holidaysto fend off mosquito bites. My wifeSharron suffers from allergicreactions to mosquito bites, so shehas used Skin So soft for a number ofyears.

“I don't know how it works, all Iknow is it does.”

By chance, Carl’s sister-in-law is anAvon representative – so he has nowrequested a fresh supply atChristmas ready for spring next year.

“I seem to have struck gold forAvon,” adds Carl.

“I also mentioned it to a friend ofmine who happens to be anex-Huddersfield Giants player whowas going camping this year. He waslooking forward to the break, butwasn’t looking forward to the midgesthat came with it. So I promptlydisappeared into my van and cameback with a bottle of spray. He used it– as did his friends – and he has alsoplaced an order.

He is considerably larger than me,so I will remain tight-lipped about hisidentity, though!”

■ BITING BACK: Carl Butterworth, of Love2build.co.uk has solved the peskyproblem of midges when he’s working outdoors by taking his wife’s advice

Farm workfor councillorCOUNCIL chiefsspent time down onthe farm – to discussbusiness issues.

Kirklees Councilleader Clr MehboobKhan (right) and chiefexecutive Rob Vincentwere given a tour ofLongley Farm atHolmfirth bymanaging partnerJimmy Dickinson tohear first hand about some of the issues facingthe company – which is famed for its yoghurtsand cream – and how the council could help.

Said Mr Dickinson: “We were happy to showthem around the dairy and discussed how theservices provided by the council are viewed bythe firm.

“Under the current council management,there have been clear improvements in the waythe council relates to its customers and in itsdesire to satisfy their needs.”

Clr Khan said: “For me, this was a learningvisit – to have a look at a successful local firm,employing local people and generating wealthfor the area.

“I am always willing to listen to how thecouncil can constantly improve its relationshipswith businesses, whether there is more we cando or whether there are things which we shouldstop doing.”

Alarm callA COMPANY providing security systems isgiving householders a crime-fighitng boost.

Predator Security Systems, based atLinthwaite, is offering a free burglar alarmservice to help cash-strapped householders.

Spokesman Karl Deitch said: “Most peopleare finding things tough and their security couldbe at risk if their system is not workingproperly.”

Throughout December, Predator is providingthe service for people whose systems are morethan three years old. The offer applies to thefirst 100 domestic households in theHuddersfield area.

Said Karl: “We are doing this to putsomething back into the local community andhelp get local households secure.”