KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees25, Januar y, 2011

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Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

STEVE HARVEY-FRANKLIN ANDREW WALKERHelping firms get sociable

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Dishonest director s

Fu l l s to r y - Page 4

An EXAMINER publication

SportinggestureA PE teacher inDewsbury has wonbacking for hisbusiness idea topromote sport andactive lifestyles.Matt Hodkinson haswon a competition runby Cleckheaton-basedaccountancy firmClough & Company togive a would-beentrepreneur thechance to start theirown business.

Dealer’smilestoneCAR and motorcycledealership ColinAppleyard iscelebrating 40 years inbusiness – growinginto a multi-millionpound businessemploying 120 people.

FTSE 100+47.60

5943.85

Yorkshire firms put focus on growth for 2011

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Professor praisesengineering firmA FORMER David Brown apprenticewho has risen to become a leadingfigure in engineering made a nostalgicvisit to the Lockwood-based firm.

Prof Roderick Smith spent fiveyears at David Brown as a studentapprentice between 1966 and 1971while studying engineering science atOxford University.

And he was keen to re-visit thecompany which helped set him on hiscareer path as he prepares to take upthe key post of president of the Insti-tute of Mechanical Engineering laterthis year.

Prof Smith said he would makespecial reference to the firm in hisinauguration address on May 18 inLondon.

Prof Smith, who hails from Old-ham, said: “I am very keen to saythank-you to my roots and do appreci-ate the training I had at David Brown.I had an excellent apprenticeship and Iwas reluctant to leave. It was a reallyfruitful time.”

During his apprenticeship, ProfSmith spent time at Brown’s ParkWorks in Lockwood, its MelthamMills tractor factory and at Scholes,

near Holmfirth, where the companyhad a research centre.

He said: “I wanted to work at theAston Martin plant, which was ownedby David Brown in those days, but Ididn’t get the opportunity.

“However, although Aston Martinis no longer part of David Brown, itretains the DB designation, which isseen as a sign of quality.”

Prof Smith signed on as an appren-tice at Durker Roods, Meltham, whichwas then the training headquarters.His first task was to write a history ofthe company. Later, he visited siteswhere David Brown gears were in use,including coal mines, power plantsand the Jodrell Bank telescope.

Prof Smith went on to complete aPhD in metal fatigue, an area ofparticular interest and take up seniorposts at Cambridge and Sheffield uni-versities.

He is now Royal Academy of Engin-eering research professor in advancedrailway engineering and chairman ofthe Future Rail Research Centre atImperial College, London.

He has written more than 300 pub-lications on fatigue and fracture of

metals and latterly on many aspects ofrailway engineering.

He was a member of the British RailBoard’s Research and Technical Com-mittee during the 1990s and was headof the advanced railway researchcentre at Sheffield University for sevenyears until 2000.

Graham Penning, group technology

director at David Brown Gear Sys-tems, said the visit was a chance toshow Prof Smith how the companycontinues to invest in training throughits Gear Academy to provide continu-ous learning opportunities for allemployees and its work with Hudders-field University to set up a new MScdegree in gearing and technology.

MORE than 90% of Yorkshire firmsexpect to increase revenues in the next12 months, says a survey.

The annual Entrepreneurship UKreport from Deloitte showed that thefigure for the region compared closelywith the rest of the country.

Some 46% of firms in Yorkshireagainst 56% nationally expect to gen-erate at least 10% revenue growth overthe coming year.

In addition, 46% of Yorkshire com-panies forecast growth of up to 10%compared with 36% UK-wide. Just 5%

project no growth against 8% nation-ally.

Raising and generating cash remainsa high priority for entrepreneurs as46% of respondents reveal they areactively stockpiling and retaining cashwithin their business.

Some 22% have less cash than at thesame time last year, but say they haveenough to get by. A further 20% aremonitoring their cash position dailyand making decisions as needed.

The UK, Europe and North Amer-ica remain the preferred markets.

■ BROWN STUDY: Prof Roderick Smith (centre) with (from left) seniorapplications engineer Daniel Iddon, director of production and innovation ScottTran, group technology director Graham Penning and design engineer GregMackie

www.chadwicklawrence.co.ukHuddersfield | Wakefield | Halifax | Leeds

Solicitors for business inYorkshire

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICES

Local shares

FTSE closed at

5943.85Up 47.60

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.53 dollarsBangladesh................. 106.76 takaBrazil.............................. 2.39 realsCanada....................... 1.51 dollarsChina ............................. 9.38 yuanCzech Republic ...... 26.24 korunasDenmark....................... 8.33 kroneEuro............................... 1.12 euroHong Kong................ 11.80 dollarsHungary ................... 287.99 forintsIndia.......................... 64.18 rupeesJapan........................... 125.79 yenMexico ....................... 17.14 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.95 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.85 kronePakistan.................. 129.05 rupeesPhilippines ................. 60.89 pesosSouth Africa................. 10.53 randSouth Korea.............. 1558.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 166.93 rupeesSweden....................... 10.05 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.46 francsTaiwan ...................... 40.47 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.37 new liraUSA ............................ 1.52 dollars

Carclo 304Marshalls 120 +33/4National Grid 5511/2 +91/2Weir Gp 1612 -41

Airlines merger takes offBRITISH Airways has embarked ona new stock market journey – follow-ing its merger with Spanish rivalIberia.

The new company’s chief executiveWillie Walsh and chairman AntonioVazquez were present at the LondonStock Exchange for the launch ofInternational Consolidated AirlinesGroup (IAG).

During early trading, shares rose by2% from the pair’s joint valuation lastThursday, when BA called time onnearly 24 years of trading under itsown name. They closed 3.1p lower at285p, although this was still 1% up onThursday’s joint valuation.

BA and Iberia will retain theirbrands under the merger, which isexpected to save £337.3m a year by itsfifth year. IAG is the third largestscheduled airline group in Europe andthe sixth largest in the world based onrevenues.

Together, Iberia and British Air-ways fly to more than 200 destinationson more than 400 aircraft. Last yearthey carried 55m passengers.

IAG plans to expand aggressivelyand has already drawn up a list of 12other airlines it will consider buying.

BA will benefit from Iberia’s strongpresence in South America, where BAoperates only a handful of routes.

Northern takeoverboosts share price

Bank plans to reform bonusesTHE new boss of Barclays is tooverhaul the way bonuses are paidnext month – by giving senior staffloan notes that are dependent on thesuccess of the bank, according to areport.

Chief executive Bob Diamond isconsidering paying a large propor-tion of bonuses in special contin-gent convertible bonds that areeffectively worthless if the bankruns into trouble, newspaperreports said.

Issuing the bonds would providean incentive to staff to ensure thebank is run in a sustainable way andwould give the bank extra stability intimes of stress, it was claimed.

Meanwhile, the Treasury’s negoti-ations with the UK’s biggest banksto hammer out an agreement onbonus payments and levels of lend-ing to small businesses have stalled.No agreement is now expected thisweek – as big banks prepare toannounce annual award packages.

The bonds could be paid toBarclays’ top 1,000 staff who rank atmanaging director level and above.

Barclays said no decision hasbeen made, but it is understood thebank intends to announce the payplans when it reports its annual res-ults in mid-February.

Shares in Barclays fell by 0.4p toclose at 300.5p yesterday.

Sour noteFRENCH firm Oberthurhas ditched plans to buybanknote printer De LaRue after its latestapproach was rejected.

Paris-based Oberthur,which had increased itsproposal from 905p to935p a share, said itpulled its indicative biddue to “the continuedrefusal of the board ofDe La Rue to engage inmeaningful discussions”.

De La Rue said the£926m offer undervaluedthe company. Its sharesfell by 15% yesterday.

Premierseals salePREMIER Foods hascompleted the sale of itsmeat-free brand Quorn totwo private equity firmsfor £205m.

Exponent PrivateEquity and IntermediateCapital Group bought thedivision, which has threemanufacturing sites inthe UK and employsnearly 595 staff – endingmonths of speculationover Premier’s plans forthe business.

The deal left Premier’sshares 0.6p down at21.8p. Premier has beenlooking to tackle a £1.4bndebt pile built upfollowing a takeoverspree that included Hovisowner RHM andCampbell’s Soup in UKand Ireland.

Premier bought Quornfor £172m in 2005.

The first Quorn productwas launched in 1985using a speciallydeveloped protein-basedingredient. It has sincebecome a popular optionfor vegetarians.

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £28.76 +0.01Gannett 923.75 +7.50Hess Corp £49.11 -0.05Microsoft 1779.38 +28.12Motors Liquidation 46.88Wal-Mart Stores £34.99 +0.16

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 250 +21/2BAE Systems 353 +33/8Rolls-Royce Gp 6291/2 +21/2

AIMBrady Plc 77 +21/2Dawson Intl 15/8 +1/8Man Brnze 461/4

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 2077/8 -4

BANKSBarclays 3001/2 -3/8HSBC 6971/4 +13/8Lloyds Banking Gp 65 -23/8Ryl Scotland 441/8 -7/8Stan Chart 16531/2 -191/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 1221 +17SABMiller £21

CHEMICALSCroda 1517 +7Elementis 98 1265/8 +21/2Johnsn Mat 1931 +46

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 3303/4 +51/4Costain 219 -1/4

ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 3941/8 +53/8Intl Power 4191/8 +71/8Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1222 +5

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 1593/8 +1/4

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3671/2 -1/4

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1727/8 -13/4Cable & WirelessComm

471/4 -7/8

Cable & WirelessWwide

72 +21/8

Colt Group 1481/8 +1/8KCOM 593/4 -1/4Talktalk Telecom 153 +2

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2675/8 +31/2Sainsbury 3733/8 +23/4Tesco 4051/2 +51/2

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1092 +6Nth Foods 74 +11Tate Lyle 550 -5Unilever 1920 +8Uniq 57/8

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3271/8 +5/8National Grid 5511/2 +91/2Pennon Grp 6181/2 +41/2Severn 1416 +15United Utils 5521/2 +21/2

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 3173/8 -21/4

ICAP 5481/2 -5London StockExch 8691/2 +221/2Man Group 2847/8 +27/8Provident Financial 9641/2 -11/2Schroders 1828 +17Schroders NV 1432 +18

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 639 +1REXAM 3361/4 -31/4Smiths Grp 1367 +27

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 241/2 +1Carphone Whse 3961/2 +31/4Dixons Retail 221/4 +1/4Home Retail 2175/8 +35/8Inchcape 3863/4 +73/4Kingfisher 2651/4 -21/4M & S 3693/8 +13/8Mothercare 542 +21/2Next £213/8WH Smith 4793/8 +3/8

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 696 -31/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 125 +41/4Barrat Dev 99 +1Persimmon 4233/4 +13/4Reckitt Benckiser £341/2 +5/8Taylor Wimpey 371/4 +3/4

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 797 +51/2I M I 877 -13

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 4247/8 +51/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION

BBA Aviation 2251/4 +51/4Forth Ports 1340 +4

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 4343/8 -21/8Lgl & Gen 1103/8 +1/2Old Mutual 1251/4 +1/8Prudential 6541/2 -101/2Resolution 2451/4 -11/2Standard Life 2261/8 +23/8

MEDIABSkyB 750 -1Chrysalis 1591/4 -11/4D Mail Tst 5671/2 +11/2ITV 77 +17/8Johnston Press 111/4 +1/4Pearson 1054 +11Reed Elsevier 567 +6STV Group 1261/2 +4Trinity Mirror 861/4Utd Business 7081/2 +61/2UTV 120WPP 793 -11/2Yell Group 11 -1

MININGAnglo American £311/4 +3/8Antofagasta 1408 -3BHP Billiton £243/8 +3/8Eurasian NaturalRes

1030 +1

Fresnillo 1355 +6Kazakhmys 1558 +14Lonmin 1743 -10Rio Tinto £431/2 +1VEDANTARESOURCES

£241/4 +5/8

Xstrata 14231/2 +211/2

MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 621 -51/2Vodafone Group 1777/8 +21/4

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1649 -7RSA Insurance Gp 135 +23/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 13221/2 +91/2BP 497 -1/4Cairn Energy 4401/4 -43/4Royal Dutch Shell A £213/4 +1/4Royal Dutch Shell B £213/4 +3/8Total £365/8 +3/8Tullow Oil 1340 +10

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1176 +6Petrofac 1580 -2Wood Group 532 -111/2

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1030 -1

PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGYAstrazeneca £303/8 +5/8Axis-Shield 305 +101/4GlaxoSmithK 231/2Shire 1654 +15

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 5181/2 +2Captl Shop Cent 3793/4 +53/4DTZ Hldgs 41 -11/2Hamrsn 4397/8 +33/4Land Secs 6851/2 +71/2SEGRO 2931/2 +51/2

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1478 -2Invensys 3253/8 -95/8Logica 1371/8 +3/8Misys 3323/8 -71/4Sage Group 2797/8 -1/4

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 4341/4 -23/4Bunzl 747 +7Capita 6931/2 -4De La Rue 695 -1241/2Electrocomp 2501/4 -7/8Experian 774 +121/2G4S 2641/4 +23/8Hays 1221/4 +3/4Homeserve 4431/2 +23/8Menzies J 438 -7Rentokil 1041/2 +2Smiths News 981/2 -11/2Wolseley £215/8

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 5181/2 +1/2

Psion 100 +1Spirent Comms 1333/4 -31/2

TOBACCO

Br Am Tob £233/4 +7/8Imperial Tobacco 1834 +35

LEISURE & HOTELS

Carnival £293/8 -3/8Compass Grp 5671/2 +31/2easyJet 3847/8 +27/8Enterprise Inns 108 -11/2FirstGroup 3911/4 +121/4Go-Ahead Gp 1295 +5Greene King 4521/2 +53/8Intercontl Htls 1297 +2Intl Cons AirlinesGp

285 +21/2

Ladbrokes 131 -1Mitchells & Butlers 347 -2Natl Express 2497/8 +73/4PartyGaming 1917/8 -71/4Rank Org 1293/8 +3/8Stagecoach Group 2031/4 +23/4TUI Travel 2671/8 +1/8Whitbread 1773 +53

INDEXFTSE 100 5943.85 +47.60

INDEXFTSE 250 11573.44 +40.75

SHARES in Northern Foods – whichincludes Batley-based Fox’s Biscuits –soared after its management backed a£342m buy-out offer from the owner ofthe Harry Ramsden’s fish restaurants.

Ranjit Singh Boparan’s last-minuteoffer for the food manufacturer promp-ted Northern’s management to ditch aprevious deal involving a merger withsandwich maker Greencore.

The Irish firm said it is consideringits options – with speculation that itmay return with an improved bid forNorthern.

Northern’s shares rose by 11p toclose at 74p yesterday – slightly aboveMr Boparan’s offer price of 73p pershare.

Mr Boparan wants to combineNorthern with his other food busi-

nesses, including chicken producer 2Sisters, to create a major player in theindustry with £2bn of annual sales.

Previously, Northern’s managementrecommended that shareholders votefor the merger with Greencore, whichwould see the creation of a new com-pany Essenta Foods.

Now they are backing Mr Boparan’scash offer, which comes at a 61.3%premium to the closing share price of45.3p per share on November 16 whenthe merger with Greencore wasannounced and more than 10p abovelast Friday’s closing price of 62.8p.

Northern Foods chairman AnthonyHobson described Mr Boparan’s offer– made after a two-hour extension to adeadline from the Takeover Pane – as“compelling”.

Greencore and Leeds-based North-ern had agreed to create a new com-pany with annual sales of £1.7bn andcost savings of £40m a year.

Shares in Greencore, which has 7,000staff and 17 manufacturing facilities inthe UK, fell by 5% yesterday.

Greencore said the merger still rep-resented “a compelling opportunity forvalue creation for both Greencore andNorthern Foods shareholders”.

Northern is one of the biggest suppli-ers of own-label products in the UK,with sales of £977m last year.

Along with Fox’s Biscuits and Good-fella’s pizza, it makes pies, sandwiches,salads, puddings and ready meals.

Bromwich-based 2 Sisters suppliesraw chicken and prepared chickenproducts, with brands includingBuxted Original and The DevonshireRed.

The group’s most recent earningstotalled £46m on sales of £739m.

■ CHIPS WITH EVERYTHING: Fox’sBiscuits and Harry Ramsden’s look setto have the same owner

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

SteveHarvey-Franklin

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Managing dir-ectorAge: 50Family: Married toFiona with childrenSophie 20, Olivia, 18,Naomi, 16, Sarah 14,and Aidan 12Holidays: Camping inthe UK and MajorcaCar: MGFFirst job: AccountantBest thing aboutjob: Meeting people,getting to understand avariety of businessesand solving problemsWorst thing aboutjob: Never havingenough people to del-egate to!Business tip: Under-stand your businessmodel and be “forensic”in finding where yoursales come from

Work: Internet market-ing servicesSite: HolmfirthEmployees: 10Phone: 01484 690430Email: steve@wsiwebdesign,co,ukWebsite: www.wsiwebdesign.co.uk

WSIYorkshire

Starof thesocialscene

YORKSHIRE businessesshould get to grips withtheir online activity in 2011– or risk losing valuablebusiness, according to aninternet marketingconsultant.

Steve Harvey-Franklin,who runs Holmfirth-basedinternet marketing servicescompany WSI Yorkshire,says that firms in the regioncan significantly improvetheir sales and boostbusiness in 2011 by takingup the opportunitiespresented by being online.

And he says they shouldnot be frightened of addingsocial media – such asFacebook, tweets and blogs– to their armoury if it helpsbring in business.

“Everyone is looking forexceptional value this yearas the recession bites andpeople tighten their belts,but it doesn’t have to be allgloom and doom,” saysSteve.

“Any business can giveitself a boost by simplygetting online andembracing the technologiesand opportunities that areout there.

“It always amazes mehow many companies donot realise the impact theweb can have on theirbusiness, especially when itcomes to using socialmedia sites or blogging.

“Most companies havesome sort of website, butfew have any sort ofinternet marketing strategy.Companies will manageand measure their salesteams, but few pay thesame attention to theirwebsite.”

As managing director atWSI Yorkshire, Steveregularly speaks atconferences to advise firmson the benefits of effectiveinternet marketing.

He believes that a socialmedia presence on sitessuch as Twitter, Facebookand LinkedIn can benefitany business providingfirms use them correctly.

“Many people aredismissive of socialnetworking sites, but usedcorrectly, they really are asimple, cost effective andsuccessful way ofpromoting your business,”he says.

“Some think socialnetworking is just for kids,but most Facebook usersare over 25. Firms have thisidea in their heads that theirtarget market doesn’t usesocial media or blogs – butblogs are incrediblysuccessful when they areused properly.

“Similarly people discountTwitter because they thinkits all about peopleproviding a status reportabout themselves – ‘I’mwalking the dog’ or ‘I’mhaving a bath’. Butcompany blogs getthousands of followers andcan be used to providecompany news, productreviews and so much more.It’s a great way for firms toboost their internet rankingand attract new customersand clients.”

Steve, whose businesshas worked with companiesranging from Black CatFireworks at Crosland Hill

to the massive Novotel hotelchain and construction giantCostain, said clever use ofsocial media had beenknown to double salesconversion rates.

Steve says: “There isn’t amanaging director of financedirector who couldn’t getmore out of their existingresources.

“The website is a greatplace to start. Making somesmall changes to thecompany website can makea massive difference inconversion rates.

“Company bosses shouldput themselves in theircustomers’ shoes and askwhether their website iseasy to use and bringing inresults.

“If you hired a salesperson you would want toknow what they were sellingand who was buying, howmany calls or visits theymade to customers. That’sthe kind of information youshould be getting from yourwebsite.

“Bosses should also taketime to look at theircompetitors as part ofefforts to appraise their ownstrengths and weaknesses.”

Sadly, manufacturersseem in particular need of

help.“Many manufacturers say

they don’t need to worryabout marketing onlinebecause they get work fromreferrals,” says Steve. “But ifthey had a lot of scruffy oldbrochures in reception,they’d replace them.However, they leave thewebsite looking worn andtired for the whole world tosee.”

Helping firms get the mostof their online presence, WSIYorkshire has a team of 10at Holmfirth, but is part of afranchise organisation of1,000 businesses around theworld.

“Globally, we areconsidered to be among thetop 10,” says Steve. “I am onthe international marketingcommittee for WSI and wehave a web meeting everymonth to discuss bestpractice.”

Steve was born inBeverley and lived inRotherham for 10 yearsbefore gaining anaccountancy degree at theUniversity of East Anglia.

”I took accountancybecause I felt I was good atit, but I did not have apassion for it,” he admits.“However, it has providedsome good foundations formy subsequent career.

“At the time it was the onlyBSc in accountancy – ratherthan a BA – because thecourse had a high level ofcomputer content, which inthe 1980s was quite rare.That has been tremendouslyuseful to me in my career.”

Steve went on to work inLondon for 20 years,including a role as financialdirector for a photo library.He helped grow thebusiness from about£250,000 turnover to £10mbefore it was sold and Stevemoved into managementconsultancy.

“When family came along I

didn’t fancy continuing tolive out of a suitcase,” hesays, “I wanted to getback into business.

“I rang up my oldcompany for a reference -and I was offered a job,My referee became myemployer.

“This was in 1995 whenthe internet washappening. The photolibrary was one of the firstproducts to go onlinebecause it could beviewed, ordered anddelivered easily. Ours wasone of the firste-commerce sites.”

Steve worked for othersimilar companies atmanaging director andchief executive levelbefore deciding to set uphis own business.

And he chose to basethat business inHuddersfield, havingworked as a consultant inthe area from time totime.

“We moved here eightyears ago and began thebusiness seven yearsago,” he says. “I havefriends all over the worldand when they come tovisit I love showing themthe countryside aroundhere.

“We also had a ‘guyswalking weekend’ when agroup of eight of us wentwalking parts of theKirklees Way and in theHolme Valley.”

Steve also discovered ataste for playing tennis.He took up the sporttwo-and-a-half years agoand is a member ofThongsbridge TennisClub.

“I play three or fourtimes a week during thewinter and five or sixtimes a week in thesummer,” he says. “I amstill learning!

“When I lived in London

I did a lot of running. Ihave done the LondonMarathon and the BerlinMarathon.

“I loved to go runningaround the hills here, but Ipicked up too manyinjuries.”

Steve says tennis is afar more exciting sport. “Idid a couple of triathlons,which was great funbecause – when you aretraining – if you get tiredof running, you can goswimming or bike riding.

“But running isgenerally a solitarypursuit. I love the socialaspect of tennis.

“I also enjoy walking. Agroup of us have gone onthe Trans-Pennine Trial,the Castle and Coastlineand Lochs and Glenswalks. It’s great exerciseuntil we get to the creamteas and pubs. Weusually end up weighingmore than when westarted!”

■ WEB WISE: Socialnetworking is vital for firms,says Steve Harvey-Franklin

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

Dealership awardA HUDDERSFIELD car dealer haswon national recognition.

Senior staff from Hepworth Honda atLeeds Road received a surprise awardfor outstanding long service during theHonda (UK) annual dealer conferenceat Celtic Manor in Gwent, southWales.

They were presented with a commem-orative trophy in recognition for theircontribution to building the Japanesebrand in the UK over a 34-yearperiod.

Stephen Brighton, managing directorof Hepworth Honda, said: “We werethrilled to receive this award – and it’slovely to be recognised in front of yourcolleagues.

“It’s been great to be involved with abrand like Honda for such a long time

and this award is recognition for all thestaff, past and present. We will be dis-playing it very prominently in the dealer-ship.”

Janice Kennedy, head of sales atHonda (UK), said Hepworth Hondawas doing “a fantastic job” in sellingHonda’s range of modern, fuel efficientcars.

“This long service award is a tribute tothe passion, enthusiasm and hard workof every employee, some of whom havebeen there for all 34 years,” she said.“They should be proud of what theyhave achieved.”

She said: ““Hepworth Honda hasbeen a successful business for so longbecause the people behind it have cre-ated a loyal customer base of driverswho return time and again.”

Company provides client with a sweet solutionA COMPANY making boiled sweetshas more than doubled its outputwhile reducing energy costs follow-ing investment in new equipment.

Elland-based Joseph Dobson,formed in 1850, has installed twonew air compressors from specialistsupplier Thorite, which has a depot

at Barge Street in Huddersfield.Joseph Dobson, originator of the

famous “Yorkshire Mixtures” ofboiled confectionery, has extendedits factory following increaseddemand for its entire range ofproducts.

One of the new compressors is

used to provide forced air for pack-ing traditional hard boiled sweetsinto polypropylene bags while thesecond powers another packing linein the new factory extension, hand-ling newly-designed products for thepharmaceutical industry.

Both compressors have enabled

Joseph Dobson to increase capacityfour-fold while reducing man hoursby half. This increased efficiency hasgreatly reduced production prob-lems, allowing customer orders to befulfilled in record time. Potentialenergy savings are expected toprovide a boost to profitability.

Capital advicefor businessesCOMPANIES are sitting on £60bn ofunproductive working capital, saysa new study.Analysis by business servicesgroup Deloitte showed that workingcapital – the amount of money acompany needs to fund itsday-to-day operations – is beingtied up in a myriad of simpletransactions.Now firms across Yorkshire arebeing advised to reassess theirinternal processes to free up someof their cash.Deloitte’s Global Review of WorkingCapital analysed data of more than20,000 companies from across theglobe over a five-year period.Unproductive working capital wasfound to be tied up in basicaccounting cycles – for example inthe manner in which accountsreceivables and payable processesare being handled. Inventory andsupply chain management werealso noted as a key factorunderlying poor working capitalmanagement.Simon Adcock, head of Deloitte’scorporate advisory team, said: “Asthe economy absorbs the fullimpact of the Spending Review, it isclear that cash and its effective usewill continue to be high on theagenda.“ While some companies have builtup cash reserves, many othersrequire additional cash to help themfund growth and, importantly, topay down debt.By reassessing how working capitalis put to use and releasing theexcess element as cash, manybusinesses will find themselves in amuch stronger position to fund thefuture of the business.”Said Mr Adcock: “Working capital isthe cheapest and most accessibleform of funding available to abusiness. It is alarming that UK plcsare sitting on top of such aphenomenal amount of money andnot reviewing how it’s really beingdeployed. Optimising a company’scash conversion cycle will mark thedifference between the real winnersand losers.”

■ SUPER SIX: Stephen Brighton (second left), of HepworthHonda, with colleagues from other long-serving Honda dealershipswho were honoured at the awards

Time to sort out‘dodgy’ directorsMORE “dodgy” directors are get-ting away without being punished,an insolvency expert in West York-shire has claimed.

Figures from the Government’sInsolvency Service show that thepercentage of reports taken forward– disqualifications – fell by half from40% in 2033-2004 to 20% in2009-2010.

Andrew Walker, Yorkshireregional chairman of insolvencyindustry body R3, said fraudulentactivity was known to increase dur-ing tough economic times.

Last year, insolvency practitionerssubmitted 7,030 reports on direct-ors’ behaviour which they believedwarranted further investigation.However only 1,387 cases were con-cluded that year by the InsolvencyService.

Mr Walker said: “This mechanismis in place to protect the generalpublic and other businesses fromdishonest directors. Not punishingdirectors who are blameworthysends out a dangerous message toothers.”

He said the most common reasonsfor insolvency practitioners report-ing directors were failure to pay tax

debts (35%), obtaining personalbenefits from the company (28%),and appropriating assets to othercompanies (24%).

Said Mr Walker: “These are seri-ous infringements that damage thereputation and success of UK plc.

“R3 is offering to assist the Insolv-ency Service in implementing aneffective system which ensures that itis not just the easier cases that arepursued. It is important that themore serious offences are punishedappropriately.”

Mr Walker said R3 would like tosee blameworthy directors fined andwants to work with Government toestablish a financial and corporateeducation programme for disquali-fied directors.

He said: “This would help preventthe sequential failures from directorswhich are so damaging to publicconfidence – as would increasing thepercentage of insolvency practi-tioner reports taken forward by theinsolvency service.”

Cases when directors have notbeen disqualified despite the insolv-ency practitioner reporting obviousmisconduct include a retail companyin Yorkshire where there was evid-

ence of misappropriation of funds,wrongful trading, preferential pay-ments to a connected company, fail-ure to co-operate with the insolvencypractitioner, non-payment of Crowndebts to finance trading and failureto keep proper accounts.

The insolvency practitioner

involved said: “I received athree-page letter from the Disquali-fication Unit explaining why each ofthe six major failings were notenough on their own to merit adisqualification.

“Apparently, they were unable toadd up!”

■ FINDING FAULT: Andrew Walker, Yorkshire regional chairman ofinsolvency trade body R3, said not punishing blameworthy directors sentout a dangerous message

Jobs targetA WEST Yorkshire firm is urgingjobhunters in Kirklees to take alook at what it can offer.Castleford-based IT distributorTarget Components is staging itsfirst recruitment day on Friday,February 4.The move follows a two-year periodof expansion during which turnoverhas increased from £12m to £20mand staff numbers have risen from28 to 40. Profits trebled last yearand the firm is currently on courseto double its earnings again thisyear.The recruitment event takes placefrom 10am to 2.30pm at TheWhitwood Inn, Castleford.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Landmark for familywith driving ambition!

■ STILL MOTORING: Dave Silk (left) in charge of motorcycle preparation with (fromleft) retired senior director Stuart Feeny, Peggy Appleyard and Colin Appleyard

A CAR and motorcycle dealership with opera-tions in Huddersfield is celebrating 40 years.

Colin Appleyard and his wife Peggy opened thedoors of their small motorcycle shop in Keighleyon December 28, 1970.

Today, the firm has grown into a multi-millionpound business with six motorcycle and cardealerships employing 120 people.

Colin’s career in the industry began in 1951when he joined Allan Jefferies Motorcycles ofShipley as an apprentice on £1 7s 6d a week. After19 years and having worked his way up to salesdirector he took the plunge and started his ownbusiness.

As well as converting the premises at Keighley,Colin was busy organising Honda, Lambrettaand Yamaha franchises as well as seeking outquality used bikes. Meanwhile, Peggy was hard atwork applying elbow grease and to turn thoseused machines into “gold dust”.

All their efforts paid off – for the first 28 bikessold very quickly and Colin Appleyard Motor-cycles was launched.

The business outgrew the Bradford Road siteand in 1975 moved to its current premises onWellington Road, Keighley.

It was also about this time that Colin and Peggy

were joined by Stuart Feeny, who recently retiredas a director after 34 years.

On the back of the success selling Suzukimotorcycles, the Japanese manufacturer askedColin to launch Suzuki Cars in Great Britain. Thedealership’s Keighley showroom was opened in1979 as Suzuki’s very first UK car franchise.

The company is still Suzuki’s top performingdealership – operating showrooms in Keighley,Huddersfield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Shipley.

In 2004, to celebrate Suzuki’s 25th anniversary,Colin was among leading dealers invited to Japanto tour the country and visit the Hamamatsufactory.

During the 1980s, Colin hosted factory delega-tions to the UK from Honda Europe, HondaJapan and Yamaha.

From the outset the company has picked upnumerous awards – including winning the presti-gious Motorcycle News Dealer of the Year twice,being made Suzuki Dealer of the Year five timesand winning the National Marketing Award atthe 2007 Motor Trader Industry Awards.

Colin has now handed over day-to-dayresponsibilities to son Robin, who is now man-aging director. But Colin is still very muchinvolved in the running of the business.

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

Don’t get caughtout by rate rules

COMMERCIAL property own-ers in Kirklees have been handed atimely warning over changes tothe appeal process for businessrates.

Experts at property agent CBRichard Ellis in West Yorkshiresaid the changes, which came intoeffect at the start of the year, couldseriously hinder the chances offirms winning an appeal.

Any business occupying com-mercial premises is liable for rates.The Valuation Officer assesses therateable value, which is an estim-ate of its rental value and busi-nesses are charged a percentagefixed by the government.

Businesses wishing to appealagainst the charges allocated totheir premises have one chance tolodge an appeal against thisvalue.

New rules implemented by theValuation Tribunal for Englandinclude various practice state-ments which must be adhered toshould an appeal go to the

tribunal stage. The most notableone relates to the disclosure andexchange of information prior toa hearing, known as the statementof case.

The Valuation Officer dealswith appeals by placing them in anappeal programme. This specifiesa period within which discussionscan take place with appellants.However, if discussions do notlead to settlement then the VTE’sprocedures take over – a tribunalhearing date is assigned andwithin four weeks of the hearing astatement of case has to be pre-pared by the appellant.

If the statement of case is notprepared within four weeks of thehearing, or is compiled incor-rectly, businesses could have theirappeal struck out by the VTE andwill lose their appeal rights as it isnot possible to re-appeal on thesame grounds.

Nick Marsden, of CBRE’s leaseconsultancy and rating team, said:“The new procedures are intended

to streamline the VTE service sothat only appeals which are genu-inely in dispute and have beenproperly prepared end up beforethe tribunal.

“However, it does make it moredifficult for ratepayers to accessjustice through their own efforts.It becomes more expensive to theratepayer and will perhaps bringan end to a ratepayer’s day incourt.

“The Valuation Office willbegin programming appealsagainst the 2010 Rating Listshortly.

“The VTE’s strike out policymeans it has perhaps never beenmore important for ratepayers inthe region to seek professionaladvice from a reputable ratingspecialist in order to protect theirinterests.

“Businesses need to be awarethat these new processes exist sothat they can seek advice accord-ingly.”

■ DIFFICULTIES : Nick Marsden, ofCB Richard Ellis

Flooding alertfor companiesKIRKLEESbusinesses havebeen urged tocheck out therisk of floodingto theirproperties.The RoyalInstitution ofCharteredSurveyorswarned thatchanges in weather patterns meantYorkshire could face an increasingnumber of floods in the future –with properties not previously atrisk of flooding potentiallybecoming vulnerable.More than 5m of the UK’s 28mhomes are said to be at risk offlooding – along with more than300,000 business premises andmany more public and utilityservices buildings.Although for most of theseproperties the chance of beingflooded in any one year remainssmall, for hundreds of thousands ofproperties, especially those whichhave been flooded in recent years,the potential risk is much moresignificant for repeated flooding.RICS Yorkshire regional boardchairman and chartered buildingsurveyor Colin Harrop (pictured)said: “Flooding is a natural disasterwhich could seriously affect thevalue and amenity of your home orbusiness premises, your insuranceand your marketability.“All property owners andprospective purchasers should beaware of any flood risk.”Mr Harrop said the first check tomake was to find out if yourproperty is in a river or coastalflood risk area. This could be doneby visiting the Environment Agencywebsite atwww.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/37837.aspx.He said: “The maps that areavailable only provide a generalguide. Although they are notaccurate to the degree that theyshow individual properties, they doindicate areas which are most atrisk. The maps also show whetherit is considered that there areadequate flood defences in place.”A new RICS Consumer PropertyGuide to flooding – available freeon the organisation’s web sitewww.rics.org/flooding – advises fora more accurate assessment offlood risk,it is advisable to commission aspecialist search provider who, fora fee, will be able to provide a moredetailed, property-specific report.This will determine the risks fromthe different types of flooding.It includes local ground andsurface water flooding risks, whichare not currently included on theEnvironment Agency’s flood riskmaps. This type of report, however,will not identify how floodwatermay enter a property, damage it andthe contents because it does notinvolve a full survey.Mr Harrop said: “Prospectiveproperty purchasers should bear inmind that detailed Flood RiskSurveys are not currentlymandatory as part of standardproperty searches.“It is advisable therefore, to checkwith vendors whether there havebeen any incidents of flooding ofproperties for sale in the past andask for or any related insuranceclaims details.”

Firm has starringrole at major showA FAMILY-OWNED company inHuddersfield has been selected to play amajor role at a concrete industry tradeshow.

Lockwood-based Decorative ConcreteLtd will host workshops at the first UKConcrete Show, which takes place onFebruary 23 and 24 at the Ricoh Arena inCoventry.

The event will bring together concreteindustry professionals from around theworld, including architects, engineers andglobal industry leaders.

Decorative Concrete Ltd specialised inpattern-imprinted concrete and suppliedinnovative paving systems for more than 15years.

Founder and managing director JohnQuinn (pictured) said: “The UK has neededsuch a dedicated concrete show for quitesome time considering the size andcomplexity of this industry.

“ To be part of this much-needed event isa great achievement for the company andwe are looking forward to demonstrating ourskills and expertise to the exhibitors.”

Mr Quinn, who has more than 40 years ofconstruction experience, has also formed alicensed network, Spectacular DrivewaysUK and heads a training and distributioncentre at the company’s head office onAlbert Street.

Said Mr Quinn: “The success of thebusiness, particularly over the last fewyears, has been a combination of thepassion for the industry and qualities of ourmaintenance-free paving and the formationof a licensed network of trained and highlyskilled installers.”

Steven Callaghan, show director for the

organisers Marwood Events, said:“Decorative concrete is an important part ofthe concrete industry, so we are delighted tosee it strongly represented at the show andare particularly pleased to have someone ofJohn’s experience and talent presenting atraining workshop – we expect it to be verypopular.”

Disposals boostproperty dealsDISPOSAL programmes by some of thelargest operators led to an increase indeal activity in 2010, figures haverevealed.A survey by property agent and adviserChristie + Co showed that the number ofdeals completed by the company rose by32% during 2010 compared with theprevious 12 months.Of the deals completed by Christie + Colast year, 44% of businesses were sold onbehalf of corporate operators against 40%in 2009 and just 29% in 2008.Although some corporate buyersre-entered the market after successfullyadapting to the trading conditions, themajority of buyers were localentrepreneurs.Almost 70% of those who boughtbusinesses through Christie + Co lastyear were local buyers living within 20miles of the businesses they bought.David Lee, location manager of Christie +Co, said: “Having acquired significantnumbers of businesses whilst the marketswere at their most buoyant, some of thelargest operators in our sectors hadassembled vast estates that could beshorn of hundreds of assets.“Freehold businesses that werepreviously absorbed by these largeestates were brought back to the market,where they have been acquired by smallergroups and private owner operators.”The analysis is part of Christie + Co’sBusiness Outlook 2011 publication, whichincludes a look back at the issues thataffected the firm’s specialist sectors in2010 – and the factors which will impactthese markets in the coming 12 months

For more information contact Alec Michaelon 07717 870 320 or email alec@michaelsteel.co.ukwww.michaelsteel.co.uk

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Albert Works, AlbertStreet, Lockwood,Huddersfield915 m2 (9,854 sq ft)on 1.3 acresMainly single storey engineeringworks with offices only shortdistance from town centre.Could be available with large yard.

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Sports venturethat’s a winnerA PE teacher in Dewsbury has won back-ing for his business idea to promote sportand active lifestyles.

Matt Hodkinson, who teaches atEarlsheaton Technology College, has wonthe backing of Cleckheaton-basedaccountancy firm Clough & Companyafter winning a competition offering awould-be entrepreneur the chance to starttheir own business with a year’s worth offree business advice.

Matt was part of the government’sSchool Sport Partnership programme,which offered further training to teachersand forged links with local sport clubs andteams in order to increase participationand fitness levels for children aged five to18.

Said Matt: “I am responsible for a familyof schools in the St John Fisher Partner-ship, which includes seven high schoolsand 42 primary schools in the Dewsburyand Batley areas.

“Unfortunately, following the recentgovernment spending review, funding forthe partnerships has been cut, but I want tocontinue the work of the partnership as anew enterprise – SportUnity.”

Matt said SportUnity would provide allchildren, regardless of social background,with access to sports and physical activ-ity.

“I hope the company will be funded inpart by the schools that benefit from theservice and local health organisations,” hesaid. Money is often a stumbling blockwhen it comes to sporting activities, partic-

ularly among children from lower incomefamilies, but I am confident that SportUn-ity will be able to bridge the gap.”

Shafiq Khan, who leads Clough & Co’s121 Business Centre, said: “We ran thecompetition to encourage local entrepren-eurs to buck the trend of the recession.

“SportUnity has the potential to growinto a thriving business, with an ethicalfocus that gives something back to thecommunities that invest in it.

“Clough & Company is proud to be a

part of SportUnity's development.”Steven Gash, practice chairman of

Clough & Co, added: “We ran the compet-ition as we wanted to encourage localentrepreneurs to take the plunge and starttheir own business.

“The prize of a year’s worth of part-ner-lead financial and business advicemeant that we had a phenomenal response,but Matt Hodkinson's idea to provideenhanced sports initiatives to schoolsticked all the boxes.”

Making a splash to back the TerriersA BATHROOM firm is making asplash at Huddersfield Town.

National brandbathrooms4all has become theclub’s latest partner in a dealthat will include kicking-off anew initiative for children inMay and incentives for seasonticket holders. Details will berevealed at a later date.

The Dewsbury-basedcompany, launched in 2000,specialises in supplyingdesigner bathrooms and hasshowrooms across the UK.

Town commercial directorSean Jarvis said: “I would liketo officially welcomebathrooms4all to theHuddersfield Town family.We’re all tremendously excited

about how the relationship willdevelop and we certainly hopewe can help to further developtheir bathrooms4all brand.

“It’s fantastic that the clubhas attracted yet anothernational brand into the fold. Wenow have a superb mix of local,regional and nationalbusinesses ‘on our side’, whichis a testament to the fantasticthings going on at HuddersfieldTown.”

Sarah Buchanan, ofbathrooms4all, said thecompany was delighted tosponsor Town, adding: “We arelooking forward to working inpartnership to achieve everysuccess in 2011.”

■ SPORTING GESTURE: Matt Hodkinson (left), of SportUnity, with Shafiq Khan, ofClough & Co

■ TAP OF THE TOWN: Sarah Buchanan and CraigWaddington (centre), of bathrooms4all, with Town commercialdirector Sean Jarvis and commercial manager Tracey Nelson

Knight FrankAndrew Harrison

PROPERTY consultancy KnightFrank has strengthened itsYorkshire investment team withthe appointment of AndrewHarrison as a senior investmentsurveyor.

Mr Harrison (pictured)graduated in 2006 from SheffieldUniversity with a degree in lawbefore gaining a mastersdistinction in real estate management fromOxford Brookes University.

He has now become a full member of theYorkshire investment team working alongsidepartners Henrie Westlake and RebeccaFarnsworth.

Mr Harrison has advised clients on more than£8m worth of transactions – with recenthighlights being the sales of Aldham IndustrialEstate for DTZ Investment Management andElmfield Business Park for Valad PropertyGroup.

He has also worked closely with Mr Westlakeon a number of additional deals throughout2010, including the £13m sale of ConceptHouse in Sheffield for Irish Life and the £14macquisition of 2 Cutlers Gate, also in Sheffield,for the Ediston Opportunity Fund.

Agency lands an early ‘double’A DESIGN agency inHuddersfield has secured twonew accounts – marking asuccessful start to the newyear.

Blacksmith DesignConsultancy, based in Lepton,has been enlisted by twotechnology-based companiesto manage branding and web

based projects in 2011.Labtex, a Fenay

Bridge-based companyspecialising in “scale up”laboratory equipment, hasengaged Blacksmith to designand build its new website – aspart of a shake-up in the waythe company markets itselfonline.

Blacksmith has also beenworking closely withPontefract-based Contedia, anIT company specialising insoftware and hardware fordisaster recovery. Blacksmithwill develop packaging,branding and sales literaturefor the firm’s BlackBox productand a campaign promoting its

Storagecraft ShadowProtect.Blacksmith managing

director Neil Smith said thetime was right for small andmedium-sized businesses tore- evaluate their branding,marketing and web strategiesin order to gain a competitiveadvantage in difficult times.

James Bornshin

10 AssociatesBRAND specialist 10 Associateshas appointed James Bornshin tothe Bradley-based team.

Mr Bornshin (pictured) joins thecompany after gaining afirst-class honours degree incommunication design fromHuddersfield University.

Mr Bornshin, who specialises inprint work, was offered the roleafter impressing creative director Jill Peel andhead of design Michael Freemantle with hisportfolio of degree work and freelance projects.

Away from the studio, his interests includefootball and music, while his current claim tofame is shaking hands with HuddersfieldUniversity chancellor Patrick Stewart at hisgraduation ceremony!

Drew Norton

Acua LtdA MANAGEMENT anddevelopment company hasappointed a Huddersfield man toa senior post.

Drew Norton (pictured) hasjoined Coventry-based Acua Ltdas regional manager. Thecompany delivers accreditedleadership and managementprogrammes for public and privatesector organisations across the UK.

Mr Norton, 45, of Waterloo, will be responsiblefor leading the company’s business developmentteams in the north of England.

He said: “I have been presented with afantastic opportunity and am excited aboutexpanding our client base even further acrossthe north. I have a team of businessdevelopment managers based across northernEngland and will be implementing the northernsales strategy to continue growing the numberof organisations we work with.

"We are already working with largeorganisations in the north and we are confidentthere are many more who could benefit from ourservices.”

Mr Norton’s previous experience includes an18-year career in the logistics industry as well asworking at two recruitment agencies in WestYorkshire.