KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees28, June, 2011

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KAY STOREY MARK DALTON

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Repor t ing moves onl ine

Co lumn - Page 4

An EXAMINER publication

HighoctaneSTAFF at the Birstallhead office of globalpaints and coatingsmanufacturer PPGArchitectural CoatingsEMEA were joined bymotor racing outfitAirwaves Racing at anopen day. The eventmarked the firm’spartnership with paintbrand Leyland Trade,which sponsorsAirwaves Racing’sBritish Touring CarChampionship team.

WinningschemeHOLME Valleydeveloper TowngateHomes picked up aprize for a housingscheme in Halifax at theLocal AuthorityBuilding Control WestYorkshire BuildingExcellence Awards.

FTSE 100+24.62

5722.34

Company conveyssecret of successA COMPANY providing equipmentfor manufacturers of conveyor systemshas unveiled the results of a £1minvestment programme.

Pennine Industrial Equipment Ltdhas created more than 20 jobs as partof its investment in new machinerydesigned for use on production lines inthe food, drink and glassware indus-tries.

The company, based at CommercialRoad, Skelmanthorpe, staged twoopen days to update customers on thedevelopments, which are designed tokeep Pennine Industrial Equipment atthe forefront of its industry.

Managing director Graham Hobbssaid: “We are blowing our own trum-pet about the £1m investment we havemade in the past 12 months. We havecreated 10 full-time jobs and 15part-time posts and we have investedin new products.”

The company has taken advantageof favourable exchange rates to bolsterits export business – supplying cus-tomers in about 80 countries.

They include four companies inItaly which make wine glasses.

Other end-users include majornames in the food and drink sector aswell as manufacturers of wine glasses,

pint and half-pint beer glasses as wellas pressed glass products, such asashtrays.

Pennine Industrial Equipment,which has been based at Skel-manthorpe since 1983, also makesplastic components used to preventmetal moving against metal on theproduction line and safeguardingagainst metal particles contaminatingfoodstuff ranging from loaves of breadto chocolate bars.

Said Mr Hobbs: “We have increasedmarket share and with the lowerpound we have more customers com-ing to us from overseas.

“We have had to invest in newmachinery and staff to keep up withdemand.

“We still take on an apprentice eachyear and we also have a vacancy for agraduate engineer.”

Mr Hobbs said he was pleased withthe success of the two open days. “Wehad a lot of products on display in onemarquee – and we even had a 1930Lagonda to attract attention!”

The company, which has 65 staff onits Skelmanthorpe site and fiveemployees at its subsidiary in Birming-ham, has further developments in thepipeline.

“Eighteen months ago we got plan-ning permission for an extension toour facilities,” said Mr Hobbs.

“We are assessing the timing for thatextension, which will represent a fur-ther £250,000 investment.”

■ MOVING PARTS: Graham Hobbs (centre), managing director of PennineIndustrial Equipment, with Martin Sykes (left) and Martin Hallam displayingsome of the products on show during the two open days

Small firms put customers first, says bank surveySMALL firms are putting customersatisfaction first, according toresearch by Yorkshire Bank.

A poll of more than 500 smallbusiness owners in the UK found thatalmost nine out of 10 rated customersatisfaction was one of their top three

priorities – well ahead of exploringmarketing, sales and new businessopportunities.

In addition, 90% of owners ofaccountancy, finance or legal busi-nesses agree that customer satisfactionis one of the top three important

priorities – pipping the retail industrywith 89% to the post as the mostcustomer savvy industry.

Small business owners attached theleast importance to legal advice,investment in the workforce andhealth and safety.

Bank director Gary Lumby said itwas “absolutely right” that small firmsshould see customers as their mainpriority, adding: “When times aretough, ensuring that your existing cus-tomers stick with you becomes evenmore important.”

An eye for colour!

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

Solicitors for business inYorkshire

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICESLocal shares

FTSE closed at

5722.34Up 24.62

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.45 dollarsBangladesh................. 111.35 takaBrazil.............................. 2.28 realsCanada....................... 1.50 dollarsChina ............................. 9.23 yuanCzech Republic ...... 25.29 korunasDenmark....................... 8.00 kroneEuro............................... 1.08 euroHong Kong................ 11.78 dollarsHungary ................... 272.25 forintsIndia.......................... 63.37 rupeesJapan........................... 122.70 yenMexico ....................... 16.96 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.85 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.40 kronePakistan.................. 128.96 rupeesPhilippines ................. 59.47 pesosSouth Africa................. 10.34 randSouth Korea.............. 1508.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 164.92 rupeesSweden......................... 9.94 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.27 francsTaiwan ...................... 40.28 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.46 new liraUSA ............................ 1.52 dollars

Carclo 3081/2 +23/8Marshalls 109 -3/4National Grid 5951/2 +41/2Weir Gp £201/2

Takings slip for WolfsonA MAKER chips for household gad-gets saw shares slump after it revealedthe impact of the consumer spendingsqueeze on revenues.

Edinburgh-based Wolfson Micro-electronics, which supplies Black-Berry maker RIM and sat-nav groupTomTom, said sales in the threemonths to June were towards thelower end of previous guidancebecause of product delays faced bysome customers and pressure on con-sumer sales.

The group now expects sales of£23m in the second quarter of 2011 –about 15% down on its previous fore-cast.

Revenues in the previous threemonths rose by 44% to £27m, drivenby more than doubled year-on-yeargrowth in mobile phones, particularlysmartphones, gaming, eBooks andPC/tablets.

Wolfson said it now expects salesgrowth for the full year of between10% to 20% compared to previousconsensus forecasts of 30%. It said theprecise outcome will depend on thetiming of product launches by itscustomers.

Shares slumped by more than 20%on the update, even though Wolfsonsaid its take-up of its products wasaccelerating.

OptimismrecoversBUSINESS confidencerebounded in June to alevel last reached in May,2010, according to theLloyds Bank CorporateMarkets BusinessBarometer.

Some 51% ofcompanies polled saidthey were more optimisticabout economicprospects than threemonths ago while only15% said they were lessoptimistic – resulting in abalance of plus 36%.That is an improvementof 22% on the May figure.

The bank said thateconomic growth lookedset to pick up in thesecond half of the year –possibly the fourthquarter – if this trendcontinued.

Lloyds Bank said thepast few months hadseen unusual swings witha balance of plus 22% inApril followed by minus16% in May. However, thetrend had remainedupwards in this secondquarter, averaging plus27% against plus 4% inthe first quarter.

Asked about prospectsfor their own firms, 49%of companies expecttrading prospects toincrease and only 3%expect a decrease.

The survey showedthat Yorkshire and theNorth East were the mostoptimistic about tradingprospects, whileoptimism was belowaverage in Scotland, theSouth West and SouthWales.

Trevor Williams, chiefeconomist for LloydsBank Corporate Markets,said the surveysuggested that the Ukwould come out of its“economic soft patch” inthe second half of theyear.

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £30.64 +0.38Gannett 848.36 +1.25Hess Corp £42.99 -0.23Microsoft 1567.74 +46.33Motors Liquidation 46.96Wal-Mart Stores £32.89 +0.08

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 316 +5BAE Systems 3053/8 -1/8Rolls-Royce 6061/2 -21/2

AIMBrady Plc 70Dawson Intl 17/8Man Brnze 47 -3/8Uniq 771/2 -1/2

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 2153/4 +23/8

BANKSBarclays 2371/2 +1/4HSBC 6061/4 +31/4Lloyds Banking Gp 433/8Ryl Scotland 351/8 -1/2Stan Chart 1540 +21

BEVERAGESDiageo 1270 +10SABMiller £215/8 +5/8

CHEMICALSCroda 1840 -31Elementis 98 165 -21/8Johnsn Mat 1881 -28

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 3011/8 -1/2

Costain 217 +1ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 4893/4 -15/8Intl Power 3081/8 +11/8Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1391 -1

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 2001/8 +15/8

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3733/4 +13/4

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1977/8 +3/4Cable & WirelessComm

391/2 +2

Cable & WirelessWwide

521/4 -1/4

Colt Group 1433/8 +3/8KCOM 741/4 -1Talktalk Telecom 1441/2 +1

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2917/8 -1/8Sainsbury 3271/8 -11/4Tesco 3961/2 -3/4

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1085 +13Tate Lyle 630 +3Unilever 1986 +16

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3233/4 +1/4National Grid 5951/2 +41/2Pennon Grp 666 +15Severn 1415 +27United Utils 5871/2 +19

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 268 +1/4ICAP 4303/4 +2London StockExch 937 -101/2Man Group 2275/8 -73/4Provident Financial 9261/2 -11/2Schroders 1429 -9Schroders NV 1195 -12

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 6221/2REXAM 3721/8 -1/2Smiths Grp 1107 +3

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 191/4 -1/2Carphone Whse 412 +63/4Dixons Retail 151/2 -1/2Home Retail 1601/4 +11/4Inchcape 3981/8 -11/8Kingfisher 2697/8 +1/4M & S 368 +35/8Mothercare 3905/8 +1/4Next £223/4 -1/8WH Smith 4733/4 -21/4

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 640 +31/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 110 -13/4Barrat Dev 1101/2 +13/4Persimmon 4697/8 +81/8Reckitt Benckiser £335/8 +1/8Taylor Wimpey 365/8 +1/8

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 5961/2 +211/2I M I 9831/2 +1/2

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 4397/8 +81/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 2083/8 +7/8

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 4197/8 -23/4Lgl & Gen 1095/8 -3/8Old Mutual 1251/4 +3/4Prudential 6871/2 +41/2Resolution 288 +1/4Standard Life 2011/2 -1/4

MEDIABSkyB 8431/2 +81/2D Mail Tst 4421/2 +13/4ITV 671/2 +1/8Johnston Press 51/2Pearson 1131 -4Reed Elsevier 538 +4STV Group 1263/8 -1/8Trinity Mirror 403/4 -11/4Utd Business 5181/2 +10UTV 1251/2 +1WPP 742 -11/2Yell Group 51/8 -1/8

MININGAnglo American £287/8 +1/4Antofagasta 1283 +17BHP Billiton £231/8 +1/8Eurasian NaturalRes

7161/2 +5

Fresnillo 1375 +18Kazakhmys 1264 +9Lonmin 1395 +5Rio Tinto £425/8 +1/4

VEDANTARESOURCES

1905 +57

Xstrata 12611/2 -91/2MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 5421/2 -10Vodafone Group 1633/4 +3/4

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1634 +3RSA Insurance Gp 1301/2 -1/4

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 13031/2 +281/2BP 440 +27/8Cairn Energy 3835/8 +43/8Royal Dutch Shell A £211/4 +1/8Royal Dutch Shell B £211/4 +1/8

Total £341/8 +1/8Tullow Oil 1218 +2

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1049 -11Petrofac 1500 -14Wood Group 607 -11/2

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1360 -3PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £301/4 -3/8Axis-Shield 320 -5GlaxoSmithK XD 81/2Shire 1890 +17

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 5751/2 +31/2Captl Shop Cent 384 +17/8DTZ Hldgs 451/8 -27/8Hamrsn 4633/8 +21/4Land Secs 827 +51/2SEGRO 3041/4 -3/4

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1630 +6Invensys 3103/4 -21/8Logica 1293/4 -1/4Misys 4153/4 +25/8Sage Group 2813/8 +3/4

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 4961/8 +43/4Bunzl 762 +12Capita 7121/2 -1De La Rue 7521/2 -1/2Electrocomp 2607/8 -11/4Experian 752 -6G4S 2741/8 +1/8

Hays 981/4 -1/8Homeserve 513 -1/2Menzies J 501 +1Rentokil 915/8 -3/4Smiths News 861/2 -1/4Wolseley 1930 -3

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 5811/2 -61/2Psion 92 +4Spirent Comms 148 -7/8

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £263/4 +1/4Imperial Tobacco £201/2

LEISURE & HOTELSBwin.Party Digital 129Carnival £237/8Compass Grp 597 +31/2easyJet 3501/4 +1/2Enterprise Inns 67 -7/8FirstGroup 3373/4 +43/8Go-Ahead Gp 1578 -14Greene King 4983/4 +63/8Intercontl Htls 1228 +16Intl Cons AirlinesGp

2455/8 +33/8

Ladbrokes 1473/4 +15/8Mitchells & Butlers 3181/4 +17/8Natl Express 2483/8 -11/4Rank Org 1497/8 +1/8Stagecoach Group 2473/4 -31/4TUI Travel 2261/4 +1/2Whitbread 1573

INDEXFTSE 100 5722.34 +24.62

INDEXFTSE 250 11549.06 +20.81

BELEAGUERED retailer HMV tookhas announced a £2m deal to sell its121 stores in Canada.

The sale of HMV Canada to retailrestructuring firm Hilco follows thegroup’s recent agreement to offloadWaterstone’s to Russian billionaireAlexander Mamut for £53m.

The disposals, which will enableHMV to focus on its estate of about260 stores in the UK and Ireland, –including one in Huddersfield’sKingsgate Centre – enabled chiefexecutive Simon Fox to secure a new£220m borrowing facility coveringthe next two years.

HMV Canada’s first store openedin 1986, from which it has grown to

become a market leader with flag-ship stores in Toronto, Edmontonand Montreal and sales of £222m inits last financial year.

Mr Fox said: “Having receivedshareholder approval for the dis-posal of Waterstone’s, and with arefinancing in place, the group isfocusing on clear and tightly definedplans for transforming HMV into abroad-based entertainment busi-ness.”

HMV, which is has been hit bycompetition from supermarkets andthe internet, hopes to revive its corebusiness by selling more gadgetssuch as iPads and through its liveentertainment division.

ONLINE retailer Ocado scraped itsfirst ever half-year profit – butrevealed that sales growth had slowedand more orders were delivered late asit struggled to keep up with demand.

The grocer, which sells Waitroseproducts to much of the UK, madepre-tax profits of £200,000 in the 24weeks to May 15.

That compares with losses of £6.7mthe previous year.

Ocado admitted that the propor-tion of orders delivered on time fell to92.7% from 94.9% in the period.

The company blamed the declineon capacity issues at its main distribu-tion centre in Hatfield. Efficiency oforder picking at the centre alsodeclined.

But Ocado said it would spend£80m in 2011 and 2012 increasing thecapacity at the site and pledged itsperformance and efficiency would

improve as the investment paid off.Sales increased by 20.8% to

£296.7m down from 24.7% in the first12 weeks of the period.

Ocado also revealed a tie-up withFrench supermarket giant Carrefour,which will see it trial a range ofauthentic French products, calledReflets de France from July 14.

It also expanded the number of itsOcado branded products by 100 to350 in the period.

The online grocer faces stiff com-petition from other supermarkets’online offers, which will be stepped upas Morrisons enters the market.

Waitrose will also go into directcompetition with Ocado within theM25 from next month and recentlylaunched its biggest ever e-commercemarketing campaign.

Although the two companies areincreasingly treading on one another’s

toes, they recently signed a deal thatwill allow Ocado to continue to sellWaitrose products for the next 10years.

Ocado said it continued to seestrong demand in recent weeks,although it is still dogged by capacityissues.

It said it was making progress inincreasing its capacity and expectsfurther profitable revenues growth forthe rest of the year.

It has spent £10.4m on upgradingits systems in the half-year andintends to start increasing the amountof orders it can handle from Septem-ber.

Ocado recently opened a new depotin Wimbledon and a new distributioncentre in Warwickshire, is on-track toopen at the end of 2012.

Shares in Ocado closed 9% or 17pdown at 170p each.

HMV sells Canada retail chain

Slowdown in salesgrowth hits Ocado

■ ONLINE OFFERING: Ocado facesstiff competition from supermarkets

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

Kay Storey

K Design

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Creative andownerAge: 38Holidays: Turkeyand Switzerland, but Ihope to visit SouthAmerica and theGalapagos IslandsCar: Fiesta ZetecFirst job: Saturdayjob taking admissionmoney and handingout tickets at NostellPrioryBest thing aboutjob: The fact that itdoesn’t feel like a jobWorst thing aboutjob: Building a busi-ness in a difficult eco-nomic climateBusiness tip: Youonly get out what youare prepared to putin. Treat people prop-erly and they willrepay you

Work: Creativebrand and marketingagencySites: Hunsworth,CleckheatonPhone: 01274877092Email: info@kdesignworld.comWebsite:www.kdesignwork.com

Kaysetsrighttone!

KAY Storey realised earlyin life that she wasdestined for a colourfulcareer.

She jokes: “I had a goodidea I’d end up as designer– because I couldn’t sing!

“At school assembly atChristmas all the childrenwould group around thepiano to sing carols. I’mtone deaf, so every yearthey’d say ‘Kay can do theChristmas posters’. I’vebeen ‘colouring in’ since Iwas seven years old. It wassomething I excelled at!”

Having an eye for colourand form has paiddividends for Kay, who hasbeen running her owncreative brand andmarketing agency, KDesign, since 1998. For thepast four years, she hasbeen working from home –a converted village shoptucked between Birstall andCleckheaton, which putsher in easy reach of manyof her clients.

“After finishing school, Iwent to Wakefield Art andDesign College. I loveddrawing and always havedone. I completed an ONDin graphic design and thenwent to Sheffield to do anHND in designcommunications. I waslucky enough to walk into ajob the week I left college.”

Kay joined SkoposDesign to work oneverything from pressadvertisements tobrochures. “ It was a goodgrounding in the industry,”says Kay. “After that, Iworked at various studiosand freelanced for a lot ofthe best agencies aroundLeeds.”

Kay decided to try herhand at self-employmentafter being maderedundant. “I decided Ididn’t want to work foranyone else any more. Ihad been a senior designerfor a company in Saltaireand one of my friends whohad been a freelancer wasmoving to Manchester. Shegave me her contacts bookof clients because it wasno longer any use to her.That gave me a goodstart!”

Kay admits that the firsttwo years working forherself were difficult, butsaid: “The past 12 monthshave been very good and Ihave been winning newclients.”

Kay is philosophicalabout the facts ofeconomic life. “Wheneverthere is talk of a recession,the first thing companiesdo it rein back spending ondesign and marketingbecause they see it as aquick way to save money.

“Now things areimproving a little and theyare waiting to see whathappens. They are stillcoming up with newproducts and services, butnobody knows about them.Now is the time they needmarketing and designagain to put their productsand services in front of thepublic.”

Says Kay: “Our sector isthe first to come and thefirst to go, but I think thingsare quite positive at themoment.

“The best time for firms togear up marketing anddesign is when thecompetition is stillhesitating.”

K Design works forclients ranging from smallbusinesses to internationalcompanies in sectors asdiverse as engineering andfloristry. The firm also workswith “third sector”organisations, such ascharities. Kay specialises incorporate branding andlogos, working oneverything from businesscards and corporatebrochures to major tradestands gracing the NEC inBirmingham.

Says Kay: “I put 100%effort into all my projects,whether it is creatingbusiness cards, new signsfor premises, vehicle liveryor a major marketingprogramme. The best thingabout my work is thevariety. Every week I will beworking on somethingdifferent. You never knowwhat will be next.

“A lot of the time it doesn’tfeel like work. Last week, forexample, I was working onillustrations for a newadvertising campaign and aChristmas brochure for ahotel.”

Working from homeallows Kay to use her timeto best advantage. Shesays: “I am quite disciplinedabout work, but I feel I’mentitled to four or five weeksholiday a year the same asanyone else! But it has to befactored in – and there aredays when I will work longhours.

“Creativity isn’t a nine tofive thing. Creative peoplewill get up in the middle ofthe night to jot down an ideathat has just come to them.”

Kay is supported by ateam of people, including acopywriter and webdesigner, who are all expertsin their field and who shecan call on to work onprojects. She says: “It’s amore ‘American’ way ofworking – small teams oftenworking from home.Technology means peoplecan work online, work canbe sent for approval as aPDF and there are videoand conference calls.

“However, face-to-facemeetings are still the bestway to do business withclients. It is really important– and it means clients endup as friends when you workfor someone for a longtime.”

Despite working fromhome, Kay keeps a highprofile in the local businesscommunity through hermembership of women’snetworking organisationForward Ladies and theBradford-based YorkshireBusiness Club. She alsoregularly attends events atthe Media Centre inHuddersfield.

Travel is one of Kay’sgreat loves. “I lived in

Sydney when I took ayear out,” she says. “Ithought about staying outthere, but I came backbecause of the family. Istill have a lot of friendsin Sydney, but it is a longway to go and a tiringtrip. I worked for a fewagencies out there. I alsotravelled around Asia onmy way back and visitedHong Kong, which ismassive for design.

“I love travelling. I go toTurkey every year –which is where Irecharge my batteries!But I also want to go toArgentina and Brazil.Travel broadens the mindand those experiencesare invaluable.”

Kay includes scubadiving among herhobbies. She is aqualified Dive Mastertaking groups into thewater. She has alsoundertaken parachutejumps and likes to fill herspare time – like herwork time – by beingcreative. “I do eveningclasses in things likemaking stained glasswindows,” she says. “IfI’m doing somethingcreative with everyminute of my day, I’mhappy. I’ve evenrenovated my housefrom scratch. Once I’vefinished painting thestairs and the smallroom, it’s done!”

Meanwhile, Kay iskeen to bring the valueand importance ofdesign to a wideraudience.

“The Design Councilhad a campaign last yearto educate companiesabout how design andmarketing can reallymake a difference to aproduct or service,” shesays. “People arebecoming more aware,

but there are still a lot ofpeople who just ‘don’t getit’. A business card,vehicle livery or brochureis a sales tool for yourcompany, so it ought tolook professional.

“Everyone is influencedby design, even thoughthey aren’t consciouslyaware of it.

“Companies have tomake their brandappealing to potentialcustomers and to standout in the market – byusing the right colours andthe right typography. Thatis what I’m trained to do.

“You can tell thecompanies that haveinvested in design andmarketing – they are thecompanies that aregrowing.

“You can have the bestproduct in the world, but ifnobody knows about it,what have you spent yourtime working towards?”

■ PRIMARY COLOURS:Kay Storey, showed a talentfor design at an early age

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

RISKYBUSINESSMark Dalton

Mark Dalton is associate director at Wilby Ltd

They’re losinginterest in debtYORKSHIRE firmsare learning tosurvive with lessdebt, a report hasrevealed.The study intobusiness debtfinancing by theInstitute ofCharteredAccountants ofEngland and Wales, shows that UKbusinesses are moving to a moresustainable model of financialmanagement.The report reveals that only a smallproportion of businesses areseeking to open new external debtfacilities.Most are managing operationswithin their existing debt facilitiesthrough improved financialmanagement.Chris Manners (pictured), ICAEWregional director for Yorkshire, said:“We believe long-term sustainableUK growth will only be realisedwhen government, businesses andindividuals adjust to a world withless debt.“This report suggests thatbusinesses are taking positivesteps towards a more sustainablemodel of financial management.The research also shows that thelending environment has improvedover the past year, both in the waylenders administer existing facilitiesand in relation to the terms thatbusinesses face when renewingtheir debt finances.However, there remains a challengeto ensure a lending environmentconducive to growth for all sizes ofbusiness in all sectors.ICAEW members in largebusinesses reported a greaterimprovement than those in SMEs –while businesses in the propertysector remained far more likely toexperience pressures from lenders.While there was some relaxation inthe lending environment forbusinesses renewing existing debtfacilities, a significant proportioncontinued to report increasedarrangement fees or interest rates.

Third factory forbusy valves firm

AN engineering firm has opened a newfactory following a seven-figure invest-ment.

Valve maker Koso Kent Introl hasopened the 18,000sq ft premises just afew hundred yards from its originalfactory at Armytage Road, Brighouse,as part of efforts to boost manufactur-ing capacity, improve efficiency andmaintain existing quality standards.

The new factory is the company’sthird facility in Brighouse, where it hasbeen based for more than 40 years.

The new site houses the firm’s after-market team responsible for serviceand spares and creates extra capacityfor scheduled shut-down or mainten-ance programmes that demand highvolume turnaround in short times-cales.

KKI managing director Denis West-cott said: “We are fully committed toproviding world-class service engineer-ing and manufacturing practices forour oil and gas customers around theworld.

“We recognise that to remain com-petitive and maintain our position as aglobal player, we need to continue toinvest in our Yorkshire roots – that’s inour people, processes, facilities andnew machinery.”

Further work has already started atKKI’s machine shop, which is beingreconfigured to accommodate thearrival of several new pieces of hi-techmachinery over the coming months –allowing the company to producehigher volumes more quickly whilereducing waste.

Lynn Mowbray, KKI operationsdirector, said: “As part of our continu-ous improvement programme acrossthe business, it’s essential that we havethe ability to keep production in-housewherever possible to maintain a degreeof flexibility and production schedul-ing.

“The new factory enables us to focuson the spares/service sector while theinvestment in the existing machineshop will increase our capacity.

“Our investment in the latestmachining centre is going to make ahuge difference to our operationalcapabilities, particularly for some ofthe high volume projects that we haveon our order books.”

KKI’s investment extends to itson-site testing capabilities.

Construction of a state-of-the artgas test facility – one of only a handfulin the UK – is under way and isexpected to be fully operational thissummer.

The company said that having thiscapability in-house would enable KKIto control cost, time and quality acrossthe KKI product range.

It will also enable the firm to supplytesting services to other manufacturersfor the first time.

KKI, formed in 1967 under thename Introl Ltd, supplies a wide rangeof control valves, high-technology sur-face choke valves and high-perform-ance rotary valves for the oil and gas,petrochemical and power industries.

■ EXPANSION: DenisWestcott, managing director ofKoso Kent Introl, based atBrighouse

Money talksFINANCE and the future provide thetopic for a seminar next month.Bill Hostetter, of InspirationalFinancial Management, will telldelegates The Truth About Moneywhen the Mid Yorkshire Chamber ofCommerce stages the latest in itsseries of events entitled 60 UsefulMinutes.The event gets under way at 8.30amon Tuesday, July 12, at The StableBlock, Brewery Drive, LockwoodPark.Chamber spokeswoman TracySmith said the event would focusno “life planning” – helpingdelegates plan financially for theirgoals and aspirations.Contact Tracy Smith on 01924311607 or tracy.smith@mycci.co.uk

Making a move onlineWORK-RELATED injuries

and incidents report-able under RIDDOR willhave to be notified to theHealth and Safety Executivevia its website from Septem-ber, 2011.

From that date, reportablework-related injuries and incid-ents under the Reporting ofInjuries, Diseases and Danger-ous Occurrences Regulations1995 will move to a predomin-antly online system, with a suiteof seven forms available onHSE’s website.

However, those reporting fatalor major incidents will still beable to do so by phone, in recog-nition of the need for a morepersonal response in such cir-cumstances.

Online reporting is also likelyto fulfil the main aim ofRIDDOR reform, which is toreduce the administrative andcost burdens on both businessand the regulator.

In making this decision, theHSE said that more than half ofreportable injuries are alreadynotified through the website andthis proportion has been increas-ing steadily over the past sevenyears.

Taking advantage of the grow-ing use of the internet allows theHSE to be more efficient in the

way it works.The HSE also emphasised that

because people reporting a trau-matic event, such as a workplacedeath or serious injury, “stillneed that personal interaction”,the notification of such incidentscan still be done over thephone.

In another efficiency measure,the HSE will end its Infolinetelephone service on September30.

Instead, it will be encouragingbusinesses and members of thepublic seeking information andofficial guidance on health andsafety to visit its website, which itdescribes as “a huge knowledgebank where people can accessand download information freeof charge and use interactiveWeb tools”.

The website currently receives26m visits a year and has 100times more visitors than theInfoline has callers.

It has recently been enhancedwith interactive tools forlow-risk businesses and anexpanded “frequently-askedquestions” section.

A further possible change hasbeen under consultation by theHSE.

This would see the presentneed to report over three-dayinjuries being extended to sevendays, which would tie in with theself-certification and “fit-note”systems for illness and injury, assuggested by Lord Young in hisproposals for changes to sim-plify health and safety regula-tions.

The consultation closed inMay and is due for evaluation bythe HSE board in August.

While there is much supportfor such a proposal, thereappears to be some doubt as towhether the measure will suc-ceed. We can only wait and see.

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Hard lessons ofGreek tragedy

Simon Kaye is divisional director at Investec Wealth & Investment

CITYTALKSimon Kaye

ONCE again, our patienceis being severely tested

by the inability of the Euro-zone to deal with the currentproblems and internal con-tradictions of the single cur-rency.

For the sceptics who hadalways doubted the sustainabil-ity of a currency union without afiscal union (or the achievabilityof a fiscal union in a region ofsuch ancient cultural diversity),the road ahead is clear, the Eurowill not survive in its currentform.

The believers in the single cur-rency project (and they are notlimited to the heads of the Euro-zone countries) view this crisis asan opportunity to strengthen theunion with the creation of mech-anisms to deal with crisis resolu-tion, increasing bank capitalstandards, intensifying banksupervision and by writing-inmore definitive language infuture government debt instru-ments to ensure that the impactof shocks is shared between cent-ral governments and private

investors .Should the union survive,

these features are certainly cru-cial to preventing a repeat of thepresent situation – whose genesiswas in fixed income investorsassuming that Greek credit wasas good as that of Germany andtherefore over-lending at thewrong price.

In truth, these positions arenot entirely contradictory. It ispossible both that the Eurozonewill not survive in its currentform and also that the remainingparticipants will enjoy the bene-fits of a stronger union. Theproblem, as the joke goes, is thatif I am trying to get to thatposition, ideally I wouldn’t start

from here.In the meantime, many are

perplexed by the position of theEuropean Central Bank, whichis fighting tooth and nail againsta restructuring of Greek debt,when its burden appears com-pletely unsustainable. If it isobvious to all in the financialmarkets that a Greek default isinevitable, why do Europeanbankers insist that it is not?

Our guess is that it is all abouttiming. Although Ireland andPortugal have signed-up in prin-ciple to taking European aid atthe expense of austerity pack-ages, they are not yet fully tied-inthrough legislation.

Offering to restructure Greek

debt on favourable terms today(frequently called giving the debta “haircut”) would only invitethose next in line to ask for thesame deal. This would quicklylead to contagion to Spain –which would be a problem of adifferent magnitude.

However, once Ireland andPortugal have ratified their termsof engagement, with the punish-ment for Greek misbehaviourstarkly evident in the engineeringof a painful sudden structuralchange in the economy to ensurethat the country does not finditself in the same situation againin the future (assuming MrPapandreou gets his package ofmeasures through), then it maybe time for the overdue trip tothe barbers for Greek debt hold-ers.

Our view is that we are close toa period of maximum uncer-tainty – with the resolution ofthat uncertainty (even if it is ahaircut for Greek bondholders)more likely to be a relief than anunpleasant shock for financialmarkets.

Private sector ‘gets stronger’THE private sector economy inYorkshire continues to improve,according to latest research by aHuddersfield law firm.

Baxter Caulfield, which hasoffices at Station Street, haspublished its latest evaluation ofWest Yorkshire’s business deals– which documents 11,200 newjobs announced and more than£1.1m of new investment in thefirst five months of 2011.

The firm has conducted anevaluation of announcementspublished by companies relatingto jobs, investment and new con-tracts.

It said the figures providedstrong evidence of innovation,private sector investment and

n ew p r ivat e s e c t o r j o b sthroughout the region – balan-cing the difficult news of joblosses in the public sector.

The analysis showed that11,213 private sector jobs wereannounced in the first fivemonths of 2011 while £1.15m ofnew investment was undertakenby private sector business in theregion. Companies in Yorkshirealso landed contract wins worth£312,826.

Stephen Newman, seniorpartner at Baxter Caulfield,said: “There is no doubt that theregion has been through somet o u g h e c o n o m i c t i m e s .However, our research clearlyindicates that – led by the private

sector – things are improving.“Since we announced the fig-

ures for the first two months ofthe year, there has been a steadyincrease in both the number ofjobs created and the investmentannounced.”

In March, Baxter Caulfieldshowed that 8,000 private sectorjobs were created in the first twomonths of 2011, while some£758.33m of new investmentwas undertaken by private sec-tor business in the region. Com-panies reported more than£185.61m worth of new contractwins.

The figures followed estimatesof 5,000 job losses among WestYorkshire councils.

■ IMPROVEMENT: StephenNewman, of Baxter Caulfield

Focus on finance for companies facing a cash squeezeKIRKLEES companies facing acash squeeze have been invitedto attend a series of seminarson raising finance.

Business Link Yorkshire isstaging the events on July 15 inDoncaster, on September 13 inScunthorpe, on October 12 inYork and on October 19 in

Scarborough.The seminars will be run by

an experienced Business LinkYorkshire adviser and presentedby a panel of industry specialistsincluding senior bankrepresentatives. Topics coveredwill include business planning,financial forecasting, invoice

finance, equity finance andangel finance.

The next seminar takes placefrom 8.30am to 1pm on July 15at the Mount Pleasant Hotel,near Rossington, Doncaster.Call 08456 048048 or visitwww.businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk/events

Jeff Long, of Business LinkYorkshire, said: ““At our financeseminars, senior bankrepresentatives will discuss theirparticular bank’s attitude tolending and we will also coverhow to write concise, compellingand credible business plans andsales forecasts.”

Home advantagePEOPLE looking to set up businessesfrom home can get some help fromBusiness Link Yorkshire, which isstaging a “Getting the Basics Right”session on Friday, July 8, in Dewsbury.Go to www.businesslinkyorkshire.co.ukor ring 08456 048048

The value of your investments may go down as well as upand you might not get back the money you’ve put in.

Individuals • International • Charities • Financial AdvisersCourt of ProtectionMember firm of the London Stock Exchange. Member of NYSE Liffe.Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. InvestecWealth & Investment Limited is registered in England. Registered No.2122340. Registered Office: 2 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QP.

Traditional valuesand modern methodsin Wealth & Investment

At Investec Wealth & Investment we offerexpertise and out of the ordinary levels ofpersonal service.

Our heritage extends as far back as 1827but our eyes are firmly fixed on your future.Located in 11 offices across the UK, we arewell placed to offer one-on-one insightand expert advice on your investments,pensions or other financial matters.

Please visit our website, call Simon Kayeon 0113 245 4488 or emailsimon.kaye@investecwin.co.uk

investecwin.co.uk

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

Prizewinner is on the right roadA CONSTRUCTION group withoperations covering Brighouse andElland has landed an award for theway it manages and motivates itsemployees.

Amey undertakes a wide range ofcontracts in Yorkshire – with morethan 1,000 employees across theNorth of England and offices inLeeds, Sheffield, York, Wakefield,Halifax and Bradford.

The contracts include providinghighways maintenance for CalderdaleCouncil, street lighting in York andWakefield and design andconsultancy work for the North East.It also manages and maintainsmessage signs, emergency phones,CCTV cameras and traffic signalsalong parts of the M62, M1 and other

key motorways on behalf of theHighways Agency.

Amey was named Team of the Yearat the Employee Benefits Awards2011.

The accolade comes in recognitionof the way it delivers training,well-being and benefits programmesfor its employees.

Amey was the first company of itskind to implement a comprehensivewell-being programme, whichreduced sickness absence acrossthe company.

Judges from the awards alsopraised Amey’s flexible benefits planand Career Path Framework – asimple map which shows how peoplecan progress their careers at Amey.

Group human resources director

Valerie Hughes-D’Aeth said: “Werecognise that people are ourgreatest asset and we are delightedthat this commitment has beenrecognised by Employee Benefitsmagazine.

“Amey is a dynamic, innovativecompany which delivers manycomplex HR projects.

“It is therefore essential for Ameyto have a strong HR team and webelieve in doing everything we can todevelop and maintain a happy,productive workforce.”

The award follows Amey’s recentsuccess in the prestigious RoyalSociety for the Prevention ofAccidents Occupational Health andSafety Awards 2011.

Scheme winsLABC awardA PROPERTY developer based in theHolme Valley has won an award forexcellence.

Brockholes-based TowngateHomes picked up another accoladefor its prestigious Broomfield Avenuedevelopment in Halifax at the LocalAuthority Building Control WestYorkshire Building ExcellenceAwards.

The competition is organised by thebuilding control services at Kirklees,Leeds, Wakefield, Calderdale andBradford councils.

A total of 11 awards were given tocelebrate the excellence of buildingquality in a variety of projects fromdomestic extensions to commercialdevelopments.

Graham Barber, site manager andwinner of the Nation House BuildingCouncil Pride in the Job award, col-lected the trophy for the BroomfieldAvenue scheme – which won the cat-egory for two or more dwellings.

The LABC Awards recognise theimportance of building control in cre-ating a high quality, sustainable builtenvironment in England and Wales.

Local authority building controlhelps to ensure better design andbuild by co-operative workingbetween local councils, developers,designers and builders to avoid costlycorrections during construction, andto make sure projects comply with thehighest standards of safety, sustainab-

ility and accessibility.Broomfield Avenue is a luxury res-

idential development of 16 spacious,natural stone detached homes andtownhouses, occupying a two-acresite in a conservation area overlook-ing Savile Park.

Towngate Homes chief executiveRichard Conroy said: “We are incred-ibly proud to have received this levelof recognition for Broomfield Avenue

and to have been given the opportun-ity to showcase the high standard ofhomes in Yorkshire.”

This latest award follows accoladesachieved by Towngate Homes’ sistercompany Conroy Brook in the UKHousebuilder Awards 2010, where thefirm was named Housebuilder of theYear’ in one category and took thetitle of Best Design for its SomersburyCourt scheme in Almondbury.

■ HOME WIN: Graham Barber (left), of Towngate Homes, with MalcolmSpeak, of Haven Building and Maintenance Ltd

Permission for Plaza planPLANNING approval has beengranted for the final officedevelopment phase of a £50mscheme for Broad Street Plaza inHalifax town centre.

Colliers International in WestYorkshire tabled the application onbehalf of Gregory Projects (HalifaxLtd). The 280,000sq ft mixed usedevelopment is already under

construction for the first phase, whichis more than 85% let.

Occupiers include a multi-screenVue Cinema, a 100-bed Premier Innwith ancillary bar and restaurant,Frankie & Benny’s, Wetherspoon’s, a429-space car park and an NHSdrop-in centre. Completion isexpected by Easter, 2012.

The second phase, where detailed

planning has now been granted, willprovide 41,525sq ft of Grade A officeaccommodation on four floors.Gregory Projects (Halifax) Ltd isalready marketing the space as OneBroad Street Plaza through agentsand intends to commence buildingwork once sufficient “pre lets” havebeen secured.

Textiles firm movesonto Batley estateA NEW tenant hasbeen secured at anindustrial estate inBatley.

Travelfast Ltd,which specialisesin textile samplesand finishing, hastaken more than4 1 , 0 0 0 s q f t o fspace at GrangeRoad IndustrialEstate in a dealcompleted by theBradford office ofchartered surveyors Eddis-ons.

The property comprises asingle storey unit with officesand a dedicated service yardas well as car parking for 100vehicles.

Travelfast has relocatedfrom its original premises atNew Ings Mills, Batley, due toexpansion.

Eddisons completed the let-

ting on behalf ofWharfedale FinanceC o m p a n y L t d ,based in Birstall.

The landlord andtenants have inves-ted over £250,000 inthe site includingthe installation of anew sub station,upgraded officesand various generalrefurbishment.

Jonathan O’Con-nor, of Eddisons

(pictured) said: ’We have con-cluded this deal during chal-l e n g i n g t i m e s f o r t h ecommercial property marketand have achieved excellentrental income for our client.

“The landlord has made asignificant investment in arange of improvementswhich are of direct benefit tothe tenants and are resultingin high occupancy levels.”

Company rewardA DEWSBURY manufacturerhas been recognised for itscommitment to communitiesand the environment.

Rixonway Kitchens, whichworks in affordable and socialhousing, was named Environ-mental , Social and Gov-ernance Management Team ofthe Year in the North Eastregion British Venture Capital& Private Equity AssociationAwards.

The awards recognise theposit ive impact of f irmsbacked by private equity andventure capital on the UK andglobal economies.

Among its achievements,Rixonway recycles all wastewood created during manufac-turing to produce bio massenergy and segregates com-ponents from old kitchensbeing stripped to be recycled.

Rixonway is also the largestorganisation in the UK toinstall dust control systemEcogate. The system automat-ically shuts down extractionunits relating to a machinewhen not in use – saving theelectricity needed to run theunit and heat the factory asless hot air is removed.

The company has alsodonated units to Thorn CrossPrison in Warrington for ascheme to teach young offend-ers new skills and help reducere-offending rates.

And it has pledged to tacklehomelessness by helping pro-jects that provide stable andpermanent addresses; assistsupport groups for people withlow level mental health issues;and provide funds and prac-tical assistance to communityregeneration projects.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • AGENTS • CONSULTANT • ADVISOR

TRAFALGAR MILLS • LEEDS ROAD • HUDDERSFIELD • HD2 1YY

Broadfield Mills, Lockwood, Huddersfield

Trafalgar Mills, Leeds Road, Huddersfield

Industrial unit to let9,000 square feetGood yard area andample parking

1st and 2nd floor offices to letup to 4,376 square feet

Main road location

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

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

Industrial

Good quality single storeyindustrial/storage unit with highquality internally built offices welllocated for M1.

Unit 11 BarncliffeBusiness Park, NearBank, Shelley353m2 (3,797 sq ft)

To LeT

Commercial/Retail

102-104Greenside Road,Mirfield88 m2 (946 sq ft)

FOR SALE/TO LET

Ground floor retail/catering premisessuitable for a variety of commercial/food uses(stp) near Co-op andIndian restaurant.

Industrial

Unit B5 GledholtBusiness Park, Paddock,Huddersfield155 m2 (1,670 sq ft)

To LeT Incentives available for new set-ups

High quality modern industrial/warehouse unit with excellent onsite loading & car parking beingsituated on a well maintainedsecure site.

Commercial

Folly Hall, WaterfrontQuarter, Huddersfield186 m2 (2,000 sq ft)Last remainingoffice suiteHigh quality office suite withinhugely successful new developmentwith parking within walking distanceof Huddersfield town centre.

Immediately Available

Price ReducedAvailable from September

To LeT

Commercial

Town Centre retail/commercialpremises with upper floor officeaccommodation near Kingsgate.

Cross Church Street,Huddersfield261m2 (2,807 sq ft)gross

FoR SALe Vacant July 2011

Industrial

Franklyn Court, OffWakefield Road, Lepton650 – 12,250 sq ft

TO LET – IMMEdIATELy AvAILAbLE

Single storey industrial/warehousecomplex with offices underrefurbishment immediately adjacentmain Wakefield Road between M1and Town Centre.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Going placeswith GoogleHOSPITALITY companiesacross Kirklees havereceived special Internetcoaching on how to boosttheir online presence andincrease business.

Companies from acrossthe district attended aspecial course on “GooglePlaces” organised by WSIYorkshire and BusinessLink.

Steve Harvey-Franklin (pictured), owner ofWSI Yorkshire, taught attendees how to claimtheir “places page” on Google to help promotetheir business. He also provided instructions onhow those working in the trade could make themost from it.

Steve said: “The course went incredibly welland I’m delighted that I was able to explain thebenefits of Google Places to local hospitalitycompanies.”

Holmfirth-based WSI Yorkshire, formed in2004, provides Internet marketing services toclients across the UK. More than 4m businessesare currently listed on Google Places.

Ben Hodgson

SheardsCHARTEREDaccountancy firmSheards hasrecruited BenHodgson to theteam.

Mr Hodgson(pictured) qualifiedas a certifiedaccountant in 2010, completing histraining in a firm based in Halifax.

Mr Hodgson, who joins Sheards atits offices in New North Road,Huddersfield, has extensiveexperience in accounts preparationand audit. His specialist skills includehis work for solicitors and preparingcash flow forecasts.

Amanda Vigar

Bell BrownTHE owner of aHolmfirth-basedaccountancy firm hasadded to herimpressive list ofprofessionalqualifications.

Amanda Vigar(pictured), whobought the practice of Bell Brown in2007, has become a fellow of theChartered Institute of ManagementAccountants. Ms Vigar became anassociate member of the organisationabout a year ago.

Ms Vigar, who is a qualified barrister,is also a fellow of the Institute ofChartered Accountants of England andWales and is a chartered tax adviserwith the Chartered Institute of Taxation.She also has a marketing qualificationwith the Chartered Institute ofMarketing.

Ms Vigar, who lives in Honley, ownsV&A Vigar Group, which includes BellBrown, Vigar & Co in Peterborough andV&A Monkshead Preece in Ely. As wellas qualifying for the Bar, she trainedwith Coopers & Lybrand before workingfor Robson Rhodes and Ernst & Young.

It’s the car that’s the star!

STAFF at a business in Kirklees tastedlife in the fast lane when a racing carrolled up for a special open day.

Employees at the Birstall head officeof global paints and coatingsmanufacturer PPG ArchitecturalCoatings EMEA were joined by leadingracing outfit Airwaves Racing.

The high-octane event was held tocelebrate the partnership with PPG’spaint brand Leyland Trade, which isenjoying its third year as official sponsorof Airwaves Racing’s British Touring CarChampionship team.

Staff and their families had a chanceto meet drivers Mat Jackson and LiamGriffin and take a close-up look at theteam’s spectacular cars. The event alsohelped raise significant funds forYorkshire charity Levi’s Star, which

supports children with brain tumours.The lucrative sponsorship deal with

Airwaves Racing sees local brandLeyland Paints’ name on all of the cars,transporters, drivers’ protective andteam clothing as well as throughout theteam’s position in the pit lane – ensuringthe brand reaches the hundreds ofthousands of BTCC fans across the UK.

Leyland Trade brand manager SharonHendry said: “We are very grateful thatthe team could come along to ourBirstall offices as it was great for the restof the PPG team to be able to see whatLeyland Trade has been up to!

“Everyone really enjoyed the chanceto see the cars and talk to the drivers.Thanks to all those who took part in theraffle, we have been able to raisemuch-needed funds for Levi’s Star.”

■ SPEEDY: The Airwaves Racing car made an appearance at an open day at PPGArchitectural Coatings in Birstall

Matthew Crewe

GreensHoldingsA HUDDERSFIELD man has taken upa senior post with a major energysector company.

Matthew Crewe, of Highburton, hasbeen appointed chief executive ofGreens Holdings, a Hong Kong-listedcompany involved in building powerstations, design engineering andproject management.

Mr Crewe graduated in businesscommunication in 1993 from TeesideUniversity. He qualified as a charteredaccountant in 2000 and has 14 yearsexperience in financial and accountingroles in practice and in industryfocusing on industrial products andconstruction.

In 2005, he took a nine-monthsecondment to Pilkington Plc withtime spent working in its Chinese andHong Kong businesses. He has alsoworked for Ernst & Young and KPMGas associate director of its transactionservices business since 2006.

Be a good sport!BUSINESS people in Huddersfield are beinggiven a have a sporting chance!

The next meeting of informal networkinggroup First Friday Club takes place from12.30pm to 1.30pm on Friday, July 1, at TheSportsman pub, St John’s Road – giving towncentre professionals a chance to meet up for adrink and a chat with no pressure to provideleads or referrals.

Contact Krishna Patel by emailingkrishna.patel@revellward.co.uk

It’s magnificentfor Severn UnivalKEY staff from a company in Huddersfieldshared in the celebrations when the Queen’sAward for Enterprise was presented to anengineering group.

Dame Janet Trotter, Lord Lieutenant ofGloucestershire, presented the award to dir-ectors and employees of Severn GloconGroup at its headquarters in Gloucester.

The group includes Severn Unival, based atMilford Street in Huddersfield, which playeda major role in the group gaining industry’smost coveted prize.

Dame Janet was given a tour of the group’sheadquarters and primary manufacturingplant where she also met some of the key stafffrom the Huddersfield facility.

She said it was a great pleasure to presentthe award – especially since it was her firstsuch presentation since becoming Lord Lieu-tenant.

Severn Glocon Group director Colin Find-lay, said: “The Lord Lieutenant’s visit was aproud moment for us. It was good to see someof the group’s longest-serving members get-ting external recognition for their role in oursuccess. Dame Janet took the time to under-

stand our business, which made the awardpresentation feel very personal and special.”

The group won its award in the interna-tional trade category – acknowledging itsextensive growth which has seen export earn-ings increase by more than one-and-a-halftimes in three years.

Severn Glocon Group designs and makesspecialist valves for the energy industry inmarkets, including the Middle East, the FarEast, Europe, Canada, the USA and theNorth Sea.

Severn Unival, which has 80 employees, isresponsible for repairing, upgrading andreplacing control valves used in some of themost hostile natural environments.

The firm, which won the category forinternational trade in the 2009 ExaminerBusiness Awards, has operated in the town formore than 25 years.

Last month, Severn Unival joined forceswith a long-term business partner to launchSevern Norway in Bergen to provide expertisein the service, repair and retrofit of criticalcontrol and choke valves used in the Norwe-gian oil and gas industry.

■ BOWLED OVER: Dame Janet Trotterwith Severn Glocon Group managingdirector Maurice Critchley