KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees28, December, 2010

INSIDE

exam

iner

.co.

uk

● Full story - Page 5

● Full story - Page 8

Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

MARTIN PAGE J ILL PEELAll systems go at Lockwood

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Terminal veloc i ty

Fu l l s to r y - Page 4

An EXAMINER publication

Two morejoin panelTWO successfulHuddersfieldentrepreneurs havejoined the line-up for amajor businessconference in the newyear.Ajaz Ahmed, founder ofrevolutionary internetprovider Freeserve andJames Sommerville,co-founder of creativeagency ATTIK, haveboth agreed to joinHuddersfield Townchairman Dean Hoyleon the Billion PoundPanel, which will takeplace at The YorkshireMafia Conference,which will be held inMarch.

Stars onthe stageBUSINESStransformation firmInsight with Passionhas got a top ratingafter delivering itslatest seminar.Kate Hardcastle andRichard Gomersall,partners at theBarkisland-based firm,were the star speakersat the KeepingBusiness Local Expo,held in Oxford.

Home-based businesses are back in fashion

Gas detector winsinternational prizeA KIRKLEES businessmanhas won a prestigious interna-tional award – after his firmdeveloped a life-saving gasdetection system.

Simon Simpson, commer-cial director of Flowtech Con-trols, collected the innovationaward at the annual Institu-tion of Engineering and Tech-nology Awards in London.

The award was made for thecompany ’s new carbonmonoxide and combustiblegas detection system for resid-ential properties.

The system – which is thefirst of its kind – alerts resid-ents and automatically shutsoff the gas supply in the eventof a leak, an area where tradi-tional detection systemsprovide insufficient protec-tion against poisonous gasfumes and explosions.

The innovation was primar-ily developed to focus on pro-tecting vulnerable members ofthe community and those with

a duty of care over occupiers.Mr Simpson who was

instrumental in the develop-ment of the system, said: “Asa fairly small company withour first product, we are reallyproud and flattered that anindustry body as prestigiousas the IET has recognised ourinnovation over and above theother shortlisted entries andwe hope this will inspire oth-ers to enter in the years tocome.

“We are now embarking onthe next stage of our develop-ment to create a product thatwill cut off gas supply oncesmoke is detected as well ascarbon monoxide.”

The company’s outstandingsuccess for its product wasagainst a record number ofinternational entries – offer-ing industry innovatorsworldwide a unique oppor-tunity to demonstrate theirinnovations and imaginationas they tackle local, economic

and social challenges.Flowtech Control, which is

part of the Peerless ControlsGroup, beat several majorcompanies and organisationsto win the award.

The system uses a newrange of detectors which inaddition to the required visualand audible alarms, also senda wireless signal to a controlpanel when pre-set levels ofgas are reached. This in turncloses the gas supply to pre-vent further build up.

T h e I E T I n n ov at i o nAwards recognise the mostinnovative companies operat-ing in a wide variety of engin-e e r i n g a n d t e c h n o l og ydisciplines.

Fifteen categories includedasset management, transport,telecommunications andproduct design.

The awards ceremony at theBrewery, London, was hostedby TV presenter Suzi Perry.

INCREASING numbers of people inYorkshire are looking to set up lowoverhead, small service sector busi-nesses in the New Year, says a report.

Factors like the unprecedented badweather, job losses, public spendingcuts and January’s VAT rise are allcombining to make aspiring busi-nesses and entrepreneurs take a cau-tious approach.

As a result, Business Link said therehad been a resurgence of interest instarting small businesses from home –such as accountants and virtual PAs.

Karen Marsden, head of BusinessLink Yorkshire’s customer informa-tion centre, said: “We are seeing atrend in pre-starts wanting to set upservice sector businesses, involvingminimal overheads.

“There is also an increase in indi-viduals looking to set up on apart-time basis over a six to 12-monthperiod to test the water before com-mitting to full time.”

Latest figures from the centreshowed that more than 60% of allinquiries were from people thinking ofstarting a business.

Accessing funding remains a keyneed for these customers while helpwith business plans and cash flowforecasting, sales and marketing andweb creation also remain popular.

There was a rise in calls from estab-lished businesses and inquiries aboutdebt and insolvency.

Business Link offers a wide range ofhelp and support about managingcash flow and debt – including inform-

ation, advice workshops and accessingexpert help from professionals such asaccountants and lawyers whenneeded.

The service also has informationabout setting up and running a busi-ness from home.

Other trends reported by BusinessLink include more inquiries aboutputting together a business plan, fol-lowed by options for financing a newbusiness or developing an existing one,finding training to increase skillsamong staff and help the businessdiversify into new markets, and draw-ing up contracts of employment.Queries about sales and marketingremain popular – particularly in termsof finding new customers. Calls aboutwebsites and online shopping carts to

enable e-commerce have also risen.Business Link Yorkshire is urging

businesses to take advantage of thefree help it offers, particularly throughits customer information centre, whichdeals with a huge range of inquiries.

In the New Year, businesses willcontinue to have access to expertisefrom the service after the governmentextended its contract into 2011.

Helen West, chief executive, said:“Our staff have done fantastic workover the past two and a half years –and the quality and impact of theservices delivered has increased stead-ily month on month – evidenced by acustomer satisfaction rating of 90%.”

Call Business Link Yorkshire on08456 048048 or visit the website onbusinesslinkyorkshire.co.uk

■ WINNER: Simon Simpson and TV presenter Suzi Perry

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

Banks get ‘tidy tax cuts’

Sales frenzy hitshigh street stores

Workers miss out on holidaysONE in 10 workers will not havetheir full holiday entitlement thisyear – with some failing to taketwo weeks of their annual leave,new research has revealed.

A survey of 2,000 adults by thePost Office showed that one infour of those missing out on theirfull holidays will lose almost aweek, while 6% will fail to take twoweeks.

Workers who do not take alltheir holiday leave in 2010 will notbe able to carry any days over tonext year, the study found.

The Post Office calculated thatthe UK’s workers will lose 179mdays of holiday this year.

The industries where employ-ees were least likely to take alltheir holidays included construc-tion, media and marketing, agri-culture and leisure.

The research also showed that

more than one in four people willwork over the festive period and afurther one in six will work fromhome.

Some of those on duty overChristmas admitted they had notbooked a holiday off in time or hadto go to the office to cover forcolleagues.

Post Office spokeswomanSarah Munro said: “Booking aholiday can be stressful and busylifestyles mean it often dropsdown the priority list, but if youforward plan you’re less likely tomiss out on being able to takeholidays at key times like Christ-mas.

“Employers often prioritisestaff that had to work at Christ-mas the previous year so nextyear you could be in with a goodchance of getting that time off.”

‘Publicback Skyprobe’THERE is strong publicsupport for anindependent investigationinto the takeover bid forbroadcaster BSkyB byRupert Murdoch’s NewsCorporation, according toan opinion poll.

The survey carried outby ICM for an alliance ofmedia organisations,found that 63% believedthere should be anindependent investigationinto the News Corp bid.

The alliance comprisesBT, the Guardian MediaGroup, AssociatedNewspapers Ltd,Examiner publisherTrinity Mirror plc,Northcliffe Media, andthe Telegraph MediaGroup.

Culture SecretaryJeremy Hunt is due toreceive a report on thebid from the regulator,Ofcom, by December 31.He will then have todecide whether to refer itto the CompetitionCommission.

The decision haspassed to Mr Hunt afterBusiness SecretaryVince Cable was strippedof his responsibilities formedia regulation after hewas recorded tellingundercover reporters thathe had “declared war” onMr Murdoch’s mediaempire.

The poll commissionedby the media alliancefound 84% believed thatno single organisationshould be allowed tocontrol too much of thenews media, while 75%said it was important thatthere should becompeting, independentsources of news in theUK.

Some 44% opposedthe News Corp bid, asagainst 5% who said theysupported it. The restsaid that they neithersupported nor opposed itor did not know.

A spokesman for thealliance said: “This dealmarks a significantchange of control and thepublic is clearlyconcerned. If anything,popular awareness of theissues at stake will nowbe substantially higher.

“A clear majority of thepublic wants a full andindependent investigationinto News Corporation’sbid to take over BSkyB.The CompetitionCommission providesthat mechanism.

“The public’s concernthat no one organisationshould control too muchof the news – as NewsCorporation would underthe planned deal – is alsovery striking.”

TWO high-profile retailers launched their in-storeChristmas sales – hoping to enjoy the boost totrading seen by their rivals.

John Lewis and Harrods opened their doors afterstaying shut on Boxing Day, when most storestraditionally welcome bargain hunters off thestreets.

Highlights at Harrods’ Knightsbridge storeinclude a Marc Jacobs sequined evening bag reducedfrom £670 to £399 and a Sony 3D TV bundle packagedown from £3,549 to £2,828.

Shopping centres and high streets up and downBritain were packed on Boxing Day as stores slashedprices to lure back the crowds after freezingpre-Christmas temperatures and heavy snow hitsales.

Stores were restricted to six-hour Sunday trading,but some malls opened early to allow people tobrowse.

Many out of town centres reported car parks fullto capacity as shops opened their doors.

The impending VAT increase from 17.5% to 20%on January 4 gave consumers a reason to splash outon pricier items such as electronic goods and fur-niture.

Shoppers in London had to contend with the Tubestrike, but crowds still descended on the West End topick up bargains slashed by up to 70%.

Other people opted to browse for items from thecomfort of their homes to avoid the cold condi-tions.

The Interactive Media in Retail Group said Box-ing Day spending online could have topped £300m

for the first time.When Selfridges in Oxford Street opened its doors

for trade at 11am yesterday, more than 8,000 peoplewere waiting outside, compared to 2,000 last year, aspokeswoman said.

A Mulberry bag was the first transaction in thestore’s accessories hall.

Women’s handbags and shoes were best sellingcategories, taking more than £1.2m in the first threehours.

At the Bullring in Birmingham, more than 25,000visitors passed through the doors before 12pm.

Aberdeen’s Union Square shopping centre saidiPads and HD televisions were among the mostsought-after items.

By 1pm there were 70,000 shoppers swarming overthe 200 shops at the Trafford Centre on the outskirtsof Manchester.

Gordon McKinnon, director of operations at thecentre, said the sales had “gone off like a rocket”.

Mr McKinnon said because of the strugglingeconomy throughout the year, many stores had a lotof stock to clear at discount before the Spring rangeof goods arrive.

A spokesman for Bluewater shopping centre inGreenhithe, Kent, said more than 100,000 visitorswere expected to pass through its doors, with over900,000 people forecast to visit the centre by January1.

The Arndale Centre in Manchester reported “phe-nomenal” trading, with in excess of 150,000 throughthe doors.

Glen Barkworth, general manager, said: “There’s

some significant offers on high-ticket merchandise,plasma and flat screen TVs selling for under £400,silly prices.

“With VAT increasing in a few days time theretailers are gearing themselves up to take advantage,they have purchased in bulk and the public arewilling to buy.”

Trevor Pereira, commercial director at CapitalShopping Centres, which manages malls includingLakeside in Thurrock, Essex, and Metrocentre inGateshead, said customers had been “floodingthrough” the doors of its 13 centres.

■ MORE IN STORE: Harrods in London is amongdepartmentr stores and shopping centres reorting abusy start to the post-Christmas sales

Fewer insolvencies – but divide remainsTHE rate of business failures havefallen, latest figures reveal.

A survey by business informationbody Experian showed the rate ofbusiness insolvencies fell to 0.07% inNovember against 0.09% in the samemonth last year.

However, businesses in southernEngland faring better than their north-ern counterparts.

The South East, South West,

Greater London and Eastern Englandwere the four regions with the lowestrates – 0.06% – while Yorkshire, theNorth East – both on 0.10% and theNorth West on 0.09% experienced thehighest rates.

The average financial strength scorefor UK businesses rose from 81.26 inNovember, 2009, to 81.31 in November2010, – with the South East and SouthWest continuing to hold the highest

scores at 82.96 and 82.47 respectively.Experian spokesman Max Firth

said: “So far this year, the insolvencyrate has enjoyed a period of relativestability.

“For the last five months it hasdrifted between the 0.07% and 0.08%mark, which is a more positive picturethan last year.

“Despite the fall in business failures,there continues to be a north/south

divide in the overall level of insolven-cies. Regardless of location, all organ-isations should ensure they understandthe financial health of those they dobusinesses with.”

Businesses with 101 to 500 employ-ees led the fall in the insolvency rate,going from 0.016% to 0.11%.

The spirits, wine and tobaccoindustry saw the biggest increase to itsfinancial strength.

■ ANGER: The TUC’sBrendan Barber

BANKS could soon bepaying a lower tax ratethan consumers andsmall businesses as a res-ult of increased VAT nextmonth and corporationtax changes, the TUCclaimed.

The union organisa-tion said the 20% VATrate – up from 17.5% –and 1% cut in corpora-tion tax to 27% in Aprilcould mean shopperspaying a higher rate oftax than banks.

The TUC claimed thatmultinational companiesin the UK could be pay-ing as little as 19% cor-poration tax in 2011because of various loop-

holes they were able to“exploit” to bring downtheir bills.

UK banks will be ableto offset the forthcomingcorporation tax rate cutagainst the government’s£2.5bn bank levy andactually cut their tax billnext year, the reportclaimed.

TUC general secretaryBrendan Barber said:“Shoppers looking forbargains in the Januarysales will soon be payingmore to clear the debtsracked up by the bankswhen they plunged theUK into recession andasked for a multi-trillionpound bailout.”

Mr Barber also urgedthe Government to con-firm that the VAT risewould only be a tempor-ary measure.

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

Martin Page

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: DirectorAge: 31Holidays: Scotland,ideally the Isle of Skyefor the landscapes andthe sea fishingCar: Audi A8First job: paper roundand working in a nurs-ery growing cressBest thing aboutjob: Hearing customerssay good things aboutour products, servicesand staff. You can’t beatthe feeling you getwhen people are thank-ing you for a job welldoneWorst thing aboutjob: Red tape, rulesand regulationsBusiness tip: Provid-ing exceptional productsand services ensurethat a business will dowell – although it’seasier said than done!

Work: Managed ITservices and softwareSite: LockwoodEmployees: EightPhone: 01484 779020Email:info@p2tech.co.ukWebsite:www.p2tech.co.uk

P2Technologies

Workethicpaysoff

TECHNOLOGY holds nofears for businessmanMartin Page.

As a co-founder anddirector of Lockwood-basedmanaged IT servicesprovider P2 Technologiesthe 31-year-old can copewith concepts such ascloud computing and thelatest Microsoftapplications.

“I was always keen ongoing into atechnology-related job,” hesays. “I was alwaystechnically-minded.

“My father, Kevin, is anelectrical engineer and mytwo brothers – Tim andMichael – both went intoelectrical contracting. WhenI was younger, I couldn’teven bang a nail into apiece of wood – although Ihave since been able torenovate my own Victorianhouse!”

Martin, who grew up inFartown and attendedWhitcliffe Mount School.When he left in 1997, hedid not know what career topursue, although he didhave a basic understandingof computers.

On a whim, he pushed acopy of his CV through theletterbox at the offices ofLiversedge-based softwaresupplier Videss Ltd. “I wasattracted because therewere some fantastic carsparked outside,” he says. “Igot an interview and got thejob.”

Within 10 years, he was adirector of the managedservices business in chargeof a staff of 21 installing ITequipment across the UK,principally for law firms. “Ihad a small sales team, aworkshop team and anengineering team lookingafter 225 customers,”Martin recalls.

In 2006, the companywas bought out by a majorplc “and the world turnedupside down”.

Martin and colleagueRoger Pearson had beenthinking of setting up theirown business – and thetakeover helped them tomake up their minds.

“We got going in May,2007 in these offices atLockwood Park. We boughta small business in Leedsand started trading inAugust, 2007. Weemployed two engineersstraight away and we wereshortly joined by GrahamMoore, who had also beenat Videss, as a co-director.

“We went straight into arecession – which is alwaysquite a challenge! I hadnever experienced arecession. I had worked for10 years in a successfulbusiness.”

P2 Technologies safelynegotiated the downturnand since this summer hasseen a big increase in salesas well as growing its clientbase. The company nowhas a client list of about 60.

The firm specialises inproviding IT managedservices for law practices,accountancy firms andfinancial services. Clientsinclude Castle and MinsterCredit Union, Huddersfieldaccountancy firm Sheardsand B&H Associates atBradley.

Services include helpingfirms select and installsystems, 24-hour monitoringof systems with guaranteedresponse times, networksecurity, a choice of supportoptions and internettelephone connections.

Says Martin: “We workvery hard on being differentto our competitors. We havean ultra-talented team whoare Microsoft-trained. Wealso have our own softwareproducts, such as Smarteye,which helps law firms bygiving them extrainformation on theperformance of each feeearner.

“We are raising our

profile. We have all thisexpertise in Huddersfield,but we are winning businessall over the country. Two ofour clients, for example, areon the south coast.

“Clients like us because ofour fixed costs, expertiseand speed of response aswell as the quality of service.We can deliver things thatsoftware suppliers can not.”

Says Martin: “We try tounderstand what our client’sbusiness is about. If youunderstand what they aretrying to achieve, the ITsystem you providebecomes much moreeffective. Providing the righttailored system helps make

them more agile as abusiness.”

Martin has worked hardto build up P2Technologies alongsideRoger and Graham. Hehas helped the firmachieve Microsoft GoldPartner status as well asintroducing an appraisalmodel for staffdevelopment to ensureservice levels areconsistent.

“My parents wereresponsible for my workethic,” he says. “Theirmotto was that ‘nobodygets something fornothing’ They made us‘graft’ from an early age! Ihad numerous paperrounds and I also workedat Batley’s Growersduring the summer,growing cress, which wasa fantastic job.

“When I was at Videss,they sponsored me to doan HNC course atHuddersfield University aswell as a course tobecome a Microsoftcertified systemsengineer by the time Iwas 22.”

Martin doesn’t fit theusual image of a “techie”sitting for long hours at acomputer.

“I joined Fitness Firsthere at Lockwood twoyears ago,” he says. “ Ihave brought my weightdown and I have run twoGreat North Runs to raisemoney for the StrokeAssociation.

“My father had fourcerebral aneurysms andhad to have a brainoperation. He suffered astroke-related illness afterhis operation and nowwalks with a stick. That’sthe driver for it. I’ve raised£1,000 for the charity sofar – and I’ve alreadysigned up for the 2011Great North Run.

“I try to run 30 miles aweek – about a third inthe gym and two-thirds onthe road. I get in early todo some training beforework. It’s a good way tokick-start the day.

“It’s the personalchallenge that drive me –being able to say ‘I’ve run10 miles today’. It is amental challenge as wellas a physical one. Thefirst time I did the greatnorth Run I clocked 1hr56mins. This year, it was1hr 46mins. My aim fornext year is to complete itin under 1hr 40mins.”

Martin’s other interestsinclude snowboarding,which takes him to theFrench mountains.Although he drives anAudi A8, those bigimpressive cars in theVidess car park hold nogreat interest for himthese days, adding: “Myluxury might be to buy anew pair of trainers everysix months!”

■ SYSTEM RUNNING: Martin Page, of P2 Technologies atLockwood Park

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

Flying start for branding agencyA YORKSHIRE airport has addednew facilities for its passengers –following a link-up with a Hudders-field agency.

Leeds Bradford International Air-port has launched its exclusivePremier Lounge – a brand andexperience created by Bradley-basedbrand specialists 10 Associates.

The prestigious project saw the 10team help to restyle the existinglounge facility – including renamingit Yorkshire Premier Lounge.

It also involved producing literat-ure in the style of a passport explain-ing the facilities available.

The team also suggested theLounge be used to showcase some ofYorkshire’s finest chefs, starting withLife and Fork.

Jill Peel, partner and creative dir-ector at 10 Associates, said: “Wepride ourselves on brand achieve-ment and how we can impact busi-ness through design.

“We are confident that the workwe've done with Leeds BradfordAirport on the Premier Lounge willdo just that.

“The new design is aspirational,sophisticated and appealing. Thecolour palette is aubergine and silverand incorporates ‘travel stamps’which show the airport’s audiences.

“One of the key things was incor-porating ‘Yorkshire’ into the nameso we could ‘own’ that specialuniqueness of the county and itspeople. We even suggested that weshowcase Yorkshire food companies

within the Lounge to drive evenmore people there.

“We expect to see a dramaticincrease in awareness, and use of thePremier Lounge facilities over thecoming months.”

All passengers can enjoy TheYorkshire Premier Lounge's com-fortable surroundings and businessfacilities, irrespective of the airlinethey are travelling with or their classof ticket.

Online nurseryfirm bought upAN award-winning online trader hasannounced a key acquisition.Buy it Direct, based at TridentBusiness Park at Deighton, hasbought online nursery companyBambinoDirect.co.uk for anundisclosed sum.Buy it Direct won the category fore-commerce business of the year inthe Examiner Business Awards.BambinoDirect.co.uk is one of theregion's largest online retailers ofnursery goods such as push chairs,nursery furniture and car seats.Five jobs will be created over thenext three months as the businessmoves to Buy It Direct’s Leeds Roadheadquarters. A new showroom willopen there on February 1.Nick Glynne, managing director ofBuy it Direct, said: “The nurserymarket has been dominated by thelikes of Mothercare for far too long.The lack of competition has keptprices high and given customersless choice.“With our winning combination ofdiscounted prices and excellentservice, we are confident that wewill be the largest independent inthe UK within three years.”

Opportunities forexport hopefulsTHEY’RE cited as the growthmarkets of tomorrow – the ones towatch, the ones to explore and theones to move into as the globaleconomy continues to shift awayfrom the traditional developedworld.

But what are the realities forKirklees businesses forging links inBrazil, Russia, India and China –the burgeoning BRIC power-houses?

And what about the second-tierof emerging markets in Colombia,Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Tur-key and South Africa, the so-calledCIVETS. Why are they important,and what opportunities can theyoffer business leaders and entre-preneurs across Kirklees and widerWest Yorkshire?

A unique event at Aspire inLeeds next year will explore BRICand CIVETS markets in detail,providing first-hand insight andintelligence from industry experts.

Building BRICs For Interna-tional Growth is being organisedby government export support armUK Trade and Investment in asso-ciation with the Economist Intelli-

gence Unit and EHS Consulting.Futurologist Dr James Bellini

and leading international tradeacademics Prof Peter Buckley andAdam Cross are among those giv-ing keynote speeches.

“If you want to develop yourbusiness you cannot ignore therapid growth in these markets,”said Mark Robson, UKTI regionaldirector for Yorkshire and theHumber. “On the one hand thereare opportunities to supplyproducts and services to these mar-kets, but what are the risks and thereal opportunities in doing so? Onthe other hand there are businessesexpanding in high growth marketsthat are looking to compete here inthe UK.

“Consider this for example – 10years ago, who would have believedthat a Chinese company wouldown major British car businesses,or that a Brazilian aircraft manu-facturer would wipe the floor withmajor US and German competit-ors.

“That is the reality of theevolving global business market-place, and to that end we are

planning a gritty event looking atthe facts.”

Said Mr Robson: “Delegates atthe BRIC event will have theopportunity to engage withindustry experts who can help theirbusiness expand in these key over-seas markets.

“It promises to be a hugelyrewarding day for all involved,whether you are a first-timeexporter or an experienced inter-national trader looking to breakinto a new market or sector.”

Other key-note speakers at theevent on February 18 will includeAidan Manktelow and KilbinderDosanjh from the EconomistIntelligence Unit, lawyer JamesLove and Steve Carlyle fromClearly Consulting & Training.

Specialist seminars will focus oncomparisons between India andChina and opportunities in Braziland Russia,

Contact Marcelle Tisserant on0845 607 6715, email mar-celle@clearlytraining.co.uk or visitthe events section of the UKTIwebsite at www.ukti.gov.uk

Trophy time forinsurance groupINSURANCE and investment groupLV= has won two of the top titles inthe National Customer ServicesAwards.The group, which ownsHuddersfield-based roadsiderecovery firm Britannia Rescue, wasnamed Customer Service Centre ofthe Year and Financial Service Teamof the Year.It is the second year running thatLV= has taken the customer servicecentre award, which recognised thework of its contact centres inHuddersfield, Bournemouth,Croydon and Bristol.The group was also a finalist in thecategories for Customer ServiceBack Office Team and The Instituteof Customer Service Best CustomerService Employer.The judges were impressed with thegroup’s “passion for its staff with itsgreat induction programme andcontinuous development scheme”.They felt that its strategy of givingpower to frontline staff shonethrough and showed that the grouptruly cared about its customers.Other shortlisted companies thatLV= beat to win the accoladesincluded American Express,Wonga.com, Natwest, Royal Mail andBritish Gas.Peter Sinden, sales and customerservice director for the generalinsurance business, said: “This is agreat achievement for everyone inthe operations team at LV=.“Since 2006 we have tripled the sizeof our business and our greatservice is a key driver of thissuccess.”

■ MISSION TO MOSCOW: Russia iscited alongside Brazil, India andChina as the next big markets for UKfirms to target

■ PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS: 10 Associates' creative director Jill Peel (left) with airport financial controller SophieBrown at the entrance to the new Yorkshire Premier Lounge at Leeds Bradford Airport

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Back to the land for Chem ResistA KIRKLEES company makingspecialist storage tanks is reapingrewards in the farming sector.

Ravensthorpe-based Chem ResistLtd, which designs and builds ther-moplastic chemical storage tanks, issupplying containers to farms foruse as fertiliser mixing tanks.

Chem Resist has developed theproduct in co-operation with localfarmers.

The thermoplastic mixing tankavoid corrosion issues associated

with more traditional mild steelmixing vessels.

Technical manager Dr StephanMenzer said the tank design reflectsmany years experience in the field.

“Agricultural fertilisers such asiron sulphate, urea and ammoniumnitrate will corrode any mild steelequipment. – of particular concernfor horticultural farmers, as buyersfrom leading supermarkets don’tlike “rusty” fertiliser being sprayedonto “their” fruits and produce.”

Chem Resist’s tanks routinely spend20-plus years on industrial sites con-taining highly corrosive chemicals,including sodium hypochlorite andconcentrated sulphuric acid withoutany leakage or breakdown.

The Chem Resist fertilizer mixingvessel is fitted with a sturdy selfpriming pump and a spurge pipe tomix the tank content water and solidfertiliser.

The Chem Resist team can evenadvise on “recipes” to use.

Other features include the fact thetank is rectangular rather than cir-cular – making it easier to deliverthe fertiliser right to the side of thetank and reduce spillage.

There is also a safety net to pro-tect the operator from falling intothe tank.

One happy customer has alsodiscovered that he can clean out theChem Resist tank and use it as aswimming pool in summer!

insurance group Experts’ adviceis worth billions!TWO of the most successful entre-preneurs in Huddersfield havejoined the high-powered line-up fora major business conference in thenew year.

Ajaz Ahmed, founder of revolu-tionary internet provider Freeserveand James Sommerville, co-founderof award-winning creative agencyATTIK, have both agreed to featureon the Billion Pound Panel, whichwill take place at The YorkshireMafia Conference in March.

Ajaz and James will join DeanHoyle, chairman of HuddersfieldTown Football Club and co-founderof Card Factory, plus other leadingbusiness figures from the Yorkshireregion, to offer advice, guidance andinsights to delegates at the confer-ence.

Mr Ahmed said: “The YorkshireMafia’s reach and influence hasgrown considerably and as such hasbecome the voice for Yorkshire busi-ness. Its concept, application andexecution of services are first classand this inaugural conference is amuch-needed boost to the Yorkshirebusiness environment.

“The landscape is still harsh for usall out there, but these guys aredoing something about it and I’mproud to be part of the conferenceand the group as a whole..”

Mr Sommerville said: “Fortomorrow’s successful businesses, itwill not necessarily be about price,mpg, ram, speed, dpi, location,quantity, plant, tools, 24/7 or lastyear’s bottom line – nor will it beabout the past, the size, the officedecor, the client list, the bank, thePR or the advertising.

“It will be about ‘people’ – thosepeople who are on the inside run-ning the business and the people onthe outside, buying, or assisting thebusiness. The Yorkshire Mafia is allabout people. That's why I thinkeveryone in business in Yorkshire,should be involved in some way. I'm

certainly looking forward to theupcoming events.”

Danny Matharu of Birstall-basedconference organiser Hillrich, said:“We are delighted to have Ajaz andJames on the panel and theirinvolvement is testament to the hot-bed of elite business talent we have inKirklees.

“Both men will offer our delegatesan unbelievable opportunity to gainvital advice and tips on how to get tothe very top.”

Mr Ahmed founded Freeserve,the first free internet service pro-vider in the UK, in 1998.

Launching with only threeemployees, Freeserve grew tobecome the UK’s largest internetcompany and floated nine monthslater, eventually selling for £1.6bn towhat is now Orange Broadband. MrAhmed now focuses on develop-

ments in science and technology andsits on the governing council at theUniversity of Huddersfield and theboard of Yorkshire Forward.

ATTIK was co-founded by MrSommerville during the economicdownturn in 1987 in a cramped atticbedroom in Huddersfield.

Now it is one of the most influen-tial creative agencies in the worldwith offices in Leeds, San Franciscoand Santa Monica and a client listincluding Adidas, Sony, Virgin,Microsoft, Nike and eBay.

Mr Sommeville has advisedCoca-Cola on major campaignssuch as the FIFA World Cup andLondon 2012 Olympics. He chairsthe Yorkshire Leadership Groupand is an active leader of ThePrince’s Trust Enterprises.

Run in the style of BBC’s Ques-tion Time, the Billion Pound Panel is

just one element of the inauguralYorkshire Mafia Conference, whichtakes place on March 15 at the RoyalArmouries in Leeds.

All delegate places are free and theConference will see more than 1,000decision makers from across York-shire and beyond come together toshare best practice, network andpass referrals, leads and trade witheach other.

The Yorkshire Mafia began as aLinkedIn group in November, 2008.With more than 4,500 members andgrowing at about 120 members eachweek, it has grown far beyond itsorigins as an online regional busi-ness networking group to become adeal facilitator, relationship broker,regional business platform andopinion former.

Go to www.theyorkshiremafiac-onference.com

■ MEET THE GANG: Joining the Billion Dollar Panel are James Sommerville (second left) and Ajaz Ahmed(second right) with (from left) Danny Matharu, managing director of Hillrich; Geoff Shepherd and Sat Mann,founders of The Yorkshire Mafia

Six newawards upfor grabsSIX new awards are nowopen to Kirkleesbusinesses as part of theNorth of EnglandExcellence Awards 2011.The new awards willrecognise excellence incustomer service,innovation, leadership,lean performance,learning anddevelopment andsustainability.They will run alongsidethe existing ExcellenceAwards, which cover allareas of anorganisation’sperformance and assessthem against establishedprinciples of businessexcellence.The awards, now in their18th year, are open toprivate, public andvoluntary organisationsof all sizes throughoutthe North.They are organised byNorth of EnglandExcellence andsupported by the BritishQuality Foundation andChartered QualityInstitute.The winners will beannounced at the annualawards ceremony nextautumn.North of EnglandExcellence is alsoseeking volunteerassessors – typicallymanagers or consultantswith an understanding ofbusiness excellence.Assessors undergospecialist training andhave the opportunity tobroaden theirunderstanding ofbusiness improvementprocesses.David Teale, chiefexecutive of North ofEngland Excellence,said: “The awards aredifferent to otherbusiness awards.“Not only is there theopportunity to winrecognition, but allapplicants get feedbackand benchmarking datato promote furtherimprovement.“Given today’schallenges,organisations areincreasingly looking forways to improve service,increase efficiency andenhance performance.“The awards are in linewith these aims and aregood for business.”Contact Suzanne Houseat North of EnglandExcellence on 01925715242 or visitwww.northofenglandexcellence.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 6KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Guarding your online reputation

Keep Gift Aidon the recordBUSINESS people who donate tocharity using Gift Aid have beenwarned to keep records of thesedonations – or face possiblepenalties when it comes to filingtheir tax returns.

Steven Gash, practicechairman of Cleckheaton andKeighley-based Clough & Co,said: “If you have to file a taxreturn and you give to charity, be ita donation at a dinner function,through Comic Relief, or evenwhen you are donating old clothesto a charity shop to sell on, if yousign a Gift Aid declaration then ithas to be declared to the tax man.

“However when it comes tofiling your tax return, unless youkeep track of these donations itcan be very difficult to completethem accurately and there arepenalties for any suchinaccuracies.”

Gift Aid increases the value ofthe donation by allowing thecharity to reclaim basic rate taxon your gift which amounts to 25pfor every pound.

There are also benefits tohigher rate tax payers using GiftAid because – depending onindividual circumstances – theycan claim up to a further 40% taxrelief on the gross amount of thedonation, meaning that thedonation costs less.

Steven said: “By adding Gift Aidto a donation of £100, the totalvalue of that donation to thecharity is £125 – but an individualpaying 40% tax can claim back20% of this (£25) for themselveson their tax return.

“In addition the Governmenthas removed the right toautomatically receive a basicpersonal allowance when youearn more than £100,000, butdonating via Gift Aid can be usedto bring taxable incomes belowthe £100,000 threshold.”

DeadlineapproachesALMOST 24,000 self-employedtax credit claimants in WestYorkshire have been reminded tomeet a looming deadline.

The claimants, including about5,000 across Kirklees, have beenurged to let HM Revenue &Customs know their total incomefor 2009/10 as soon as possibleto ensure payment is correct.

Failing to provide the correctdetails could lead to anoverpayment – and supplyingincorrect information could evenlead to a penalty.

Letters have already gone outurging claimants to tell HMRCtheir final income figure for theprevious tax year no later thanJanuary 31, 2011. The amountthat tax credit claimants receivecan change.

When they renew their claims,the self-employed can give HMRCan estimate of their income. Inthat case, they have until January31 to inform HMRC of the actualfigure.

Link-up brings bigger benefitsAN online accounting softwaresupplier has launched apartnership with a leadingnational business support body.Longwood-based LiquidAccounts has teamed up with theForum of Private Business, anot-for-profit organisationworking with thousands of smalland medium-sixed firms aroundthe UK.The partnership gives FPBmembers exclusive money-savingdeals on top of the standardsubscription to Liquid Accounts’accredited and award-winningonline accounting software,including free personalisedinvoice template and free importof existing accounting data.Chris Eccles, commercial directorfor Liquid Accounts, said: “This

is a great opportunity for us andjust the sort of partnership weare looking for.“Statistics show that businessesthat use some sort ofbookkeeping software are morelikely to survive, thrive and grow.“We hope to help members of theFPB gain skills and expertise that

will help them succeed. UsingLiquid Accounts will give themaccess to their businessinformation whenever they needit to help them analyse sales andkeep on top of how much moneythey have.“They’ll also have information tohand for their bank manager oraccountant or to get supportfrom the FPB.”The launch has been timed toallow members to sign up beforethe VAT rate rises from 17.5% to20% on January 4. It alsocoincides with the Government’sannouncement of a commitmentto provide universal superfastbroadband by 2015 – giving allbusinesses access to the timeand cost-saving benefits of cloudcomputing.

Check out thosecompany bossesFIRMS in Kirklees have been urgedto check out the owners and direct-ors of companies with which theyplan to do business.

The warning comes from businessinformation group Equifax and fol-lows reports that a number of travelfirms which have failed in the pasttwo years are allegedly linked to thesame owners.

Nic Beishon, head of EquifaxCommercial Information Solu-tions, said the economic downturnhad seen a number of high profilebusiness failures – with a particu-larly high proportion of travel firmsgoing under this summer.

He said: “Many of these failureshave seemingly come out of the bluewith customers having no priorwarning and – in the case of thetravel companies – no time to makeother arrangements.

“While the recent collapses have

been devastating for travellers’ holi-day plans, the situation could bemuch more serious for any commer-cial organisation that had been sup-plying services to the companies inquestion – potentially leaving themwith significant bad debts and littlechance of recovery and maybe evencausing their own business fail-ure.”

Just one client defaulting on alarge payment could have anextremely detrimental effect on thecash flow of a supplier, said Mr

Beishon.“Through checking business

credit reports, firms are able toquickly and easily check the creditstatus of a current or prospectivecustomer or supplier,” he said.

“As importantly, they can alsofind out who is behind the business,which might provide some earlywarning signs that could influencethe trading terms offered to the newcustomer.

“In cases where a director of af a i l e d bu s i n e s s h a s h a d a

track-record of unsuccessful busi-nesses, having this knowledgeupfront would enable a companylooking to secure a contract withthem to supply services, to offerpayment terms that would providethe best protection in the long-term– perhaps upfront cash payments orpayment on delivery.

“Unfortunately in these difficulttimes, there is more risk of fallingfoul of less scrupulous individuals.

“So a bit of simple research whichcan be done online in minutes cango a long way.

“And while we wait to see if we arein the grip of a double dip recession,it is vital that businesses keep up todate with how their customers arefaring.

“The more notice a company haswhen a customer begins to havedifficulties, the more chance it hasof protecting itself.”

■ SKILLS: Chris Eccles, ofLiquid Accounts at Longwood

A FORMER Yorkshire chief exec-utive of a multi-million pound listedcompany has used his experience ofthe role to develop a ‘ReputationToolkit’ designed to benefit fellowbusiness professionals whose onlinereputation is often left to chance.

Steve Wainwright, a former chiefexecutive of ICM Computer Groupplc, has added the toolkit to hisexisting online site Profiled.com –to provide a personal PR platformfor business professionals to man-age their internet presence them-selves.

Said Mr Wainwright: “Business

profess ionals of ten becomeanonymous because they leave theironline reputation to chance – yetthe internet is the first place theircontacts will look when decidingwhether to do business with them.

“We’ve created a simple platformwhich allows users to control theironline reputation with no more dif-ficulty than writing an email. OurReputation Toolkit watches yourback and allows busy professionalsto devote their time to other press-ing priorities – namely running theirbusiness.”

Mr Wainwright said his own

experiences during and after histime in charge at ICM led him tobelieve that personal reputations atthe top of business have to bepro-actively managed personally,rather than left to chance.

“Businessmen like Sir RichardBranson and Peter Jones both haveexceptional online presence and willbring in business to their companiesthrough their reputation.

“Profiled.com offers other seniorbusiness professionals the chance todevelop their own online brandwithout the cost and precious timecommitment.”

The process starts with a personalweb address linked to a promotedprofile. These act as the definitivesource of information about theindividual on the web and offer anantidote to the common problem ofwading through a multitude ofincorrect and often bizarre resultson search engines when searchingfor an individual.

“Used in conjunction with otherbusiness collateral such as businesscards and email signatures, userscan create their own space on theinternet” said Mr Wainwright.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 7

New owner for barA HUDDERSFIELD towncentre venue has been sold.Bar Vasco at NorthumberlandStreet has been sold by theLeeds office of Christie + Coon behalf of a national puboperator.The three-storey GradeII-Listed property is a formertenanted pub.It includes an open-plan barand restaurant, a formerfunction room, nine formerletting bedrooms,two-bedroom owner'saccommodation and largecellars.A spokesman for Christie +

Co said: “The sale attractedhealthy interest fromprospective purchasers fromboth the Huddersfield areaand further afield.“Many were interested in theproperty for both continuedlicensed use as well as from adevelopment point of view.”The spokesman said the newowner’ future plans includeddeveloping the upper floorsinto residential apartments.Bar Vasco was sold for anundisclosed figure off anasking price of offers about£275,000 for the longleasehold interest.

Inventors areon the level!TWO inventive businessmen are set tohelp DIY enthusiasts and tradesmenalike with the tiling.

Martin Hemmingway, of Mirfield,and Lepton-based Mark Sykesworked on their inventions independ-ently – but have now come together topromote their products through theHuddersfield branch of B&Q.

And they hope that the retail giantwill introduce their products to itsstores across Yorkshire – and evenfurther afield as spring approachesand the home improvement markettakes off.

Martin’s product, the Tile Tracker,was developed predominantly for thebuilding trade and arose from his ownexperiences in the industry in whichhe has been working for 25 years.

Martin began developing the TileTracker while working as a fitter forB&Q – and coming across problemsfitting tiles in houses hit by flooding.“The traditional way of doing itwasn’t working,” he said. “I alreadyhad a few ideas in my mind, so Ideveloped a Tile Tracker for my ownuse. My colleagues were so impressedwith it that they suggested I makesome more.”

Martin said: “Tile Tracker providesa fast and efficient way in which to tileon an absolute level no matter whatability the operator may hold. TheTileTracker has been trialled andtested with skilled users and the feed-back has been undeniable, even wherefixtures and fittings are in place.”

The system allows the user to setout any tiling project without theneed for batons by setting the trackunit against the wall to be tiled andsetting the level and height using theadjustable legs.

The Tile Tracker takes the weightof the heaviest of tiles available to buyincluding slate, natural stone or evenmarble.

Mark’s product is the Multispacer,a multi-functional tool which allowsusers to avoid problems such asuneven tiles, raised tile edges andincorrectly spaced tiles.

Mark, a chartered surveyor, said:“Multispacer is designed to ensurethat what can go wrong with anytiling job, doesn’t. It's tough, resilientand very easy to use and enables youto correct any errors before the adhes-ive sets.”

Mark said he came up with the ideaafter having some tiling done athome. “The ‘professional’ tiler who

did the job was a very nice chap butthe end result left a lot to be desired,”said Mark.

“Although most of his work wasokay, there were some obvious,simple mistakes which a professionaltiler just shouldn’t make. They werethe type of errors that DIY tilers arealways making and which I've seen

hundreds of times in my profession.“So, the thought that every

would-be inventor has sprang tomind – there must be a tool availableto help tilers avoid making the mostcommon mistakes. I decided to tryand design one; and after a lengthyevolutionary process, I came up withthe Multispacer.”

Business parksgetting togetherKIRKLEES companies havebeen urged to work with otherfirms across Yorkshire inareas such as energyefficiency and local trading.Business CollaborationNetworks have been launchedon business and industrialparks across the region toaddress the problem thatmany businesses do notknow what activities theirneighbours pursue – despitehaving been located at thesame park for many years.Karen Harrison, seniorproject manager at Wakefieldfirst, which is leading thecampaign, said: “ There ishuge potential for businesseslocated on business andindustrial parks to work withtheir neighbours, for exampleby trading with each other ormaking efficiency savings bysharing deliveries or wastefacilities.“This project has put in placea template which will allowlocal authorities to apply themodel to further businessparks and make them moreattractive places forcompanies to be located andinvest.“Solutions developed throughthe networks vary widely from

location to location.“For example, at an industrialestate in Hull, an innovative‘video vulture’ securitysystem was installed toaddress burglaries in thearea.Another in South Kirkby thefocus has been on energywith companies looking tobulk buy fuel and producerenewable energy.”The networks are beingcoordinated by RemakingCompetitive Places for 21stCentury Businesses, aproject designed toreinvigorate business andindustrial parks as engines ofgrowth.Wakefield first, the Wakefielddistrict development agency,is running the project onbehalf of YoHr Space, theYorkshire and HumberRegional Improvement andEfficiency Partnership.Business and industrial parksof all sizes are involved in theproject, with the smallestbeing Brunt Acres inRichmondshire which hostsseven businesses and thelargest at Suttonfields in Hullwith 193 resident businesses.

Adare secures marketing deal with Homeserve

■ DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL: A new future beckons for BarVasco in Northumberland Street, Huddersfield, which has beensold by Christie + Co

■ TILE COUNSEL: Displaying the new products to make tiling easier are(from left) Mark Sykes, Steven Duncombe, of B&Q Huddersfield, and MartinHemmingway

A MARKETING company inHuddersfield has secured asignificant three-year contract.

Adare, based at Clayton West, willprovide marketing services toHomeServe, the UK’s leadingprovider of home emergencyservices and insurance products.

Robert Whiteside, Adare’s chief

executive officer, said the firm wouldprovide high quality digital andtraditional print for HomeServe.

Karen Thorne, director ofmarketing operations withHomeServe Membership, said: “Weare pleased to be working withAdare.

“The partnership enables

HomeServe to deliver more complexdirect mail campaigns in an efficientand effective way, further enhancingour marketing strategy.”

Mr Whiteside said Adare createdhighly personalised communicationswhich enable its clients to “speak in atimely and relevant manner” to theirtarget audiences.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Gatheringwinter fuelA FUEL card provider has been dealta winning hand by Huddersfield textmessaging specialist SMileS.

Be Fuelcards, based in Leeds, istrialling an SMS facility provided bySMileS, of Golcar, to capture newbusiness.

Customers interested in applyingfor a BP card through Be Fuelcardscan now apply by simply and quicklytexting the word FUEL to 67777.

The SMileS SMS systemautomatically forwards each textenquiry to a member of the BeFuelcards team who contacts thesender to confirm all their details andcomplete their application for a BPaccount card.

Be Fuelcards director MarkKilvington said: “We wanted to makeit as quick and easy as possible forcustomers to apply for a BP fuel card.

“Offering a text facility enablespeople to apply immediately, ratherthan waiting until they have time to fillin an application form or visit thewebsite.

“It takes the hassle out of theapplication process, and means morepeople can take advantage of all thegreat benefits Be Fuelcards offers.”

Andy Earnshaw, businessdevelopment manager at SMileS,said: “This is a great example ofusing a keyword on a short code toreceive new sales enquiries.”

He added: “We are pleased to beworking with Be Fuelcards to providethis service, which took us less thanan hour to set up.”

Judges warmto Polar drive!A CAR dealership in Huddersfield hasbeen recognised for outstanding cus-tomer care at a prestigious awards eventheld recently in London.

Polar Ford, based at St Andrew’sRoad, was a winner at the NationalCustomer Service Awards – the Oscarsof the customer service industry.

The company, as part of Ford Retail,won the award in recognition of itsindustry leading staff development pro-gramme called Moments of Truth.

Seven other firms were shortlistedagainst Ford Retail including O2,Lloyds TSB and Thames Water. FordRetail was the first motor retailer in theUK to have won such an award.

John Leeman, regional director atPolar Ford, said: “We’re thrilled to havewon and to be recognised as amongstthe best in providing customer service.

“To win at a national level againstother big brand retailers is a fantasticachievement for every one of our staffwho all pull together with the aim ofproviding our customers with the bestservice possible.”

FinanceYorkshire

Ash Chopra & Mark Johnson

TWO new members have joined the teammanaging the Finance Yorkshire equity linkedfund.

Ash Chopra (above, left), from Leeds, hasbeen appointed as investment director toassess and complete investments on behalf ofthe Finance Yorkshire equity fund alongsideCraig Hopwood who was appointed earlier thisyear.

Mr Chopra joins the team from BarclaysBank where he worked in the BarclaysBusiness Support team with a portfolio of smalland medium sized companies.

He said: “It is increasingly difficult for SMEsto access finance. Many are genuinely goodcompanies but they may not, for example, havesufficient security to obtain conventional bankfinance. They are too risky for banks to loan toso funds such as Finance Yorkshire are agreat way to offer additional support.

“Fundamentally, we are looking for a goodmanagement team with a strong product orservice offering in growth sectors.”

Mark Johnson (right), from Castleford, joinsthe team on secondment from BDO, the fifthlargest international accountancy firm to carryout due diligence on prospective ventures toensure the team have a full understanding ofthe financial health of the business prior toinvestment.

The equity linked investment team investsbetween £100,000 and £2m through takingequity in the business or agreeing amezzanine loan.

Helping a range of small and medium sizedbusinesses to meet their funding requirementsfor growth and development, Finance Yorkshireprovides seedcorn, loan and equity linkedinvestments, ranging from £15,000 to £2m.

The project is supported financially by theEuropean Union.

It has attracted £30m investment from theEuropean Regional Development Fund, £15mfrom Yorkshire Forward’s Single Programmeand £45m match funding from the EuropeanInvestment Bank.

An A-plus performance

A BUSINESS transformation companyhas been rated A-plus for a seminarentitled “Engaging the 2 Cs”.

Kate Hardcastle and RichardGomersall, of Barkisland-based Insightwith Passion, highlighted the link betweencustomers and colleagues in theirpresentation at the Keeping BusinessLocal Expo, held in Oxford.

Kate and Richard, who have worked forbig-name brands including Silentnightand the Co-operative, took to the stagefor the fifth time this year at a majorbusiness event to stress the crucialimportance of the relationship betweencustomers and colleagues.

The presentation illustrated how

customer satisfaction relies entirely onthe quality of service provided by thecolleague – and underlined theimportance of having the right team inplace to guarantee success.

The event was held in the same weekthat Kate was named Innovator of theYear at the Yorkshire Business Awardsand Insight with Passion was highlycommended in the category for newbusiness.

Following on from a busy 2010, Insightwith Passion is already lined up to attendInteriors 2011 – where Kate and Richardwill present another seminar. It follows thesuccess of their seminar delivered atInteriors 2010.

■ TOP MARKS: Kate Hardcastle and Richard Gomersall, of Insight With Passion

Richard Sizer

BOGECompressorsBOGE Compressors hasappointed Richard Sizer(pictured) as area salesmanager.

BOGE, which has operationsat Rastrick, is part ofGerman-based BOGEInternational and manufacturespiston compressors for a widerange of manufacturingprocesses.

Mr Sizer has spent more than 20 years in heengineering industry.

He will be responsible for developing theBoge business throughout East and SouthYorkshire, Lincolnshire and the Humber.

■ DRIVING AHEAD: Collecting the award from comedian Kevin Bridges (left) are (fromleft) Ford Retail customer relations director John Leathem, chairman and chief executiveofficer Chris Hayden and Brent Mitchell from award sponsor Balfour Beatty