KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees31, May, 2011

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CLARE TOLLICK MARK DALTON

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Asbestos woes per s ist

Fu l l s to r y - Page 4

An EXAMINER publication

TalentedtextilesHUDDERSFIELDUniversity has teamedup with a leading textilefirm as part of itsWorking with Industryinitiative. Students areset to benefit from thelink-up with James HHeal & Co Ltd, which isrecognised as a leadingdesigner andmanufacturer of highprecision fabric andcolour fastness testingequipment.

CareerplanningA FORMER Kirkleesplanning chief has“switched sides”. AndyRushby, a formerassistant head ofplanning at KirkleesCouncil, has set up anew planningconsultancy.

Small firms report biggest fall in failure ratesBUSINESS failures among smallfirms fell noticeably during April,according to a report.

Figures from business informationgroup Experian showed that 1,808UK companies went bust last month –0.55% down on the figure of 1,818 forthe same month in 2010.

The failure rate among firmsemploying three to five employees fellby 17.04% while the rate for those with26 to 50 staff was down by 24.59%.

H o w e v e r, f a i l u r e s a m o n gmedium-sized companies with 101 to500 employees increased by 4.44%while large company insolvencies –

firms with more than 500 workers –rose by 9.09 %.

Regional figures showed there were143 company failures across Yorkshire– down by 4.03% on April, 2010.

The biggest improvement was in theEast Midlands, where insolvencies fellby 36.21% year-on-year. Eastern Eng-

land, the South East and the NorthEast saw failures increase by 26.16%,14.68% and 13.73% respectivelyyear-on-year.

The survey showed that theworst-hit sector was property, whichsaw a massive 70.37% year-on-yearincrease in failures.

Firms charmed bycountry locationA PROJECT to transform an historicMirfield mill into high-quality officeshas made big strides.

Wheatley Park, formerly known asHopton Mills, has been turned into arural office park. The latest phase hasseen the restoration of the 1812 Build-ing at the four-acre complex.

An attractive 18th century water-mill alongside the 1812 Building hasalso been refurbished as part of thescheme spearheaded by Leeds-baseddeveloper St James Securities.

The developer has already securedfour lettings in the three-storey 5,800sq ft building while half of the25,000sq ft office space available intotal has been let.

Oliver Quarmby, of St JamesSecurities, said: “Wheatley Park liesin a beautiful wooded valley and is anoasis of calm only minutes away fromthe hustle and bustle of the CalderValley and M62 corridor. It is aunique environment for a modernbusiness park and a hidden gem.”

He said: “We are especially pleasedby the success of Wheatley Parkbecause we took the unusual step ofbuilding speculatively in the middle of

the deepest recession since the SecondWorld War. We have secured five letsalready with a great mix of tenants.

“We have obtained planning per-mission for the conversion of a fur-ther two buildings to offices and theywill be built out on a sequential basis.We are now on course to create athriving, highly-regarded businessenvironment at Wheatley Park.”

Waste recycling business Sunersolhas signed a deal to take 1,065 sq ft inthe 1812 Building, joining interiorarchitecture company Normal TM,marketing consultancy PurebrandCreative Communications and a sci-ence company on the site.

Some 2,400 sq ft of quality officespace, divided into three suites, is stillavailable to lease in the 1812 Build-ing.

Craig Thompson, of Sunersol,said: “We chose the site at WheatleyPark to house our office operationsbecause of the outstanding setting,excellent location and top qualityfacilities.

“The development stood out headand shoulders from anything else inthe area.”

Meanwhile 12,100 sq ft of officespace is avai lable at the lov-ingly-restored Watermill, where textilefirm Camira Fabrics has taken 13,000sq ft. This space can be divided into amaximum seven suites, each with itsown front door. The building over-

looks a mill pond and bridge accesswith panoramic views across therolling countryside.

Agents for Wheatley Park are Han-son Chartered Surveyors, of Hudders-field, and Michael Steel & Co, ofLeeds.

■ MILL WORK: Wheatley Park is proving a popular rural office retreat

Recipe for tackling debt

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

Solicitors for business inYorkshire

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 2

FortunesimproveLEGAL firms in Yorkshirehave reported improvedfortunes, says a surveyby the Law Society.

Figures from its lawmanagement section’sannual profitability surveyreported an averageincrease of 0.2% inpractice fee income in2010 following a fall of6.5% in the previousyear.

The survey, sponsoredby Lloyds TSBCommercial, showed that200 of firms polled spentmore than £2.14m torecruit 1,022 people. Theaverage spend onnon-salary overheads perfee earner dropped to£35,551 from £41,959 in2009.

The poll showed thatmedian fee income perequity partner totalled£455,650 for 2010against £469,666 in2009. Median equitypartner capital rose by7% to £135,191. Themedian cost of a feeearner was £40,240against £43,938 in 2009.

Banks provide hub for business supportYORKSHIRE Bank and its sister businessClydesdale Bank have launched an onlinesupport hub for small firms.

The service has been set up with theForum of Private Business, the leadingnot-for-profit business support organisa-tion.

The hub provides owners and managersof small business with specialist advice,help and resources covering key aspects ofrunning a small business.

The service provides help for people inseven key areas – finance, law, develop-ment, purchasing, human resources,health and safety and communications.

It covers issues such as tax returns anddebt recovery, credit control, monthlymanagement accounts, regulations andlegislation, networking, PR, recruitment

and discipline and grievance procedures.The new hub offers a one-stop business

support service aimed at saving smallbusinesses money through expert adviceand guidance.

Small businesses can choose the indi-vidual elements to help their business growand different levels of support dependingon their size and needs.

Details of the new hub can be found athttp://www.cbonline.co.uk

Gary Lumby, director of small businessbanking at Clydesdale and YorkshireBanks, said: “We are delighted to launchthis new business support hub with theForum of Private Business. Their know-ledge and experience is a fantastic resourcefor small businesses.

“This new service supplements our exist-

ing proposition well and underlines ourbelief that for small businesses banking isabout so much more than money – it isabout knowledge, advice and contacts.”

Phil Orford, chief executive of theForum of Private Business, said: “Whetherthey are start-ups or more establishedfirms, research shows that businesseswhose owners seek support are muchbetter able to survive and grow than thosestruggling along on their own.

“In the modern world, it is simply notrelevant to prescribe what support wethink a business should require. That’s whywe are delighted to be working with Cly-desdale and Yorkshire Banks to helpprovide customers with a range of businesssupport services built around a firm’sspecific needs.”

University teamsup with textile firmHUDDERSFIELD University hasjoined forces with a leading textile firmas part of its Working with Industryinitiative.

James H Heal & Co Ltd is recognisedas the world’s premier designer andmanufacturer of high precision fabricand colour fastness testing equip-ment.

Huddersfield tutors approached theHalifax firm through one of the uni-versity’s former textile technology stu-dents, Lisa Earnshaw, who is businessdevelopment manager at the firm.

The university is keen to ensure thatits textile design and fashion and textilebuying, management and retailing stu-dents receive as many real-life workingexperiences as possible through part-nerships with local businesses.

Lisa and Heal’s technical managerPeter Goodwin organised a series ofworkshops to provide product demon-strations to 36 second-year textiledesign and fashion and textile buying,management and retailing students onthe university’s main campus.

The three one-hour sessions showingdifferent processes and machines had

the aim of enabling the students to puttheir lecture theory into practice.

Said Lisa: “We are very pleased to beoffering our services to the university.The students seemed to really enjoy thesessions, which was evident from theirquestions.

“We would like to continue our part-nership in the future, so that the stu-dents can experience the range oftesting instruments we produce andhow they are used.”

And the next phase is already under-way – with six second-year studentsworking with Heal’s as part of theirfabric performance assignment.

They visited the company to preparea report on the company’s customers,products, processes, quality proceduresand future developments.

Textile design tutor Dougie Blandsaid: “The experience of working dir-ectly with industry professionals isinvaluable for the student’s develop-ment and future employability, whetherthat is through experiencing a place-ment year or even working on a livebrief provided by companies like JamesH Heal.”

OnlinesuccessA CREATIVE agency inHuddersfield hasdesigned a new websitefor the UK’s biggestcommercial vehicle hirecompany.

The site put togetherby ManifestCommunicationsprovides an online “hub”for customers ofNorthgate Vehicle Hirefollowing a successfulre-brand of the company.

Manifest, based atNew North Road, workedwith Northgate’s webteam to bring together anetwork of websites andcreate one unified onlinepresence.

The new sitespecifically caters forfleet managers,businesses, the publicsector and those lookingfor van hire for domesticuse. It features a quotecalculator, online bookingsystem, vehiclecustomisation sectionand a fact finder coveringCO2 emissions and fuelconsumption.

Carly Gould, head ofmarketing at NorthgateVehicle Hire, said:“Having one website forNorthgate Vehicle Hirewill help us to continue toenhance our brandawareness.

“After the success ofthe re-brand it is moreimportant than ever tobuild on our impressivemarket share and keepcommunicating withcustomers as one strongand unified brand.”

Still time to be an Olympic champion!OLYMPIC Games contracts worthhundreds of millions of pounds arestill up for grabs.

Now Kirklees firms have been urgedto find out how they could be amongthe winners of London 2012 byattending a series of free informationevents.

Business Link Yorkshire and theYorkshire Gold Business Club arerunning the events, which include anevening networking session on Tues-day, June 7, at Sheffield’s CrucibleTheatre.

Business Link adviser John Coulter

will be on hand to discuss the oppor-tunities presented by the Games.

Sheffield City Council’s 2012 deliv-ery manager, Ben Brailsford, will alsotalk about the city’s plans in therun-up to the Games.

He said: “Sheffield's had numerousbenefits from London hosting the2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.We've seen four British Olympic teamsand one Paralympic team relocatetheir high performance trainingcentres here.

“We've attracted USA diving, Braziljudo and the Serbian Olympic Com-

mittee to Sheffield for their pre-Gamestraining camps.

“We’ve hosted numerous interna-tional sports events and internationaltraining camps linked to the gamesover the last four years.

“All this boosts Sheffield's economyand employment opportunities. Withthe announcement of Sheffield as oneof the evening celebration sites for theOlympic Torch relay, there's even morefor the city to look forward to.”

Further events include CompeteForworkshops in Harrogate on June 30and Bradford on July 7.

CompeteFor is the website whichoffers businesses unique access toLondon 2012 opportunities.

The workshop guides delegatesthrough the registration and publica-tion process and provides tips on mak-ing their business profiles stand out.

Business Link Yorkshire adviserDon Cartlidge said: “The idea is toshow customers how simple the pro-cess can be – when some may be underthe impression that it is very difficultand time-consuming.”

Go to www.ygbc.co.uk or call 01142866297.

■ WORK EXPERIENCE: Students Beka Benney (left) and Roxy Brewis(right) with Lisa Earnshaw, business development manager at James H Heal,pictured with a machine used for abrasion and pilling testing

■ ADVICE: Gary Lumby

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

Clare Tollick

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Debt recovery managerAge: 31Family: Married to GavinHolidays: European citybreaks. My favourite is Romefor the food!Car: Toyota AygoFirst job: Waitress in a hotelat ChristmasBest thing about job:Meeting new people and devel-oping good working relationswith clients and colleaguesWorst thing about job:Having to tell a client that adebtor has gone into bank-ruptcy or liquidationBusiness tip: Always have agoal and never lose sight of it

Work: Legal servicesSite: Huddersfield andBrighouseEmployees: 65Phone: 01484 538121Web: www.armitagesykes.co.ukE-mail: clare.tollick@armitagesykes.co.uk

ArmitageSykes

Baddebtsandblogs

LATE payment is aperennial problem forbusinesses large andsmall.

Firms and individualsfailing to pay their billspromptly can createserious problems for theirsuppliers.

In the worst cases,companies can go bust asnon-payment plays havocwith their own cash flow.

It is a scenario ClareTollick knows all too well –and a situation she isresolved to tackle onbehalf of her clients atHuddersfield law firmArmitage Sykes.

Clare is debt recoverymanager at the firm. Shewas recruited to set up andlead the departmentfollowing a decision to takea more pro-active role intackling tardy payers.

And she is in no doubtthat companies must gettough when they are owedmoney for their productsand services.

“We still find it issomething a lot ofbusinesses don’t like totalk about,” says Clare.

“They don’t like to dealwith it because it involvesconfrontation They push itto one side and let thematter slide.

“In such cases, it isbetter to instruct someoneto deal with it for you.

“But late paymentshould never be ignored. Itis extremely important. It isthe reason people go intobusiness – to get paid.”

Debtors often come upwith excuses for not payingpromptly. How often havecreditors been told “thecheque’s in the post” or“the financial director’s onholiday and nobody else isauthorised to signcheques”?

Says Clare: “I have agood deal of experience inthese matters and I knowhow debtors think. I knowall the tricks in the book.

“But debtors shouldunderstand that theycannot mess around whenit comes to paying up.They should respect theircreditors.”

She adds: “It is amazingwhat a solicitor’s letter cando! The debtor soonknows we mean business.”

But she acknowledges:“There is a lot of bad debtabout at the moment.Creditors have to be aspro-active as possible.

“I do whatever the clientwants me to do. If theywant to take a ‘soft’approach we can enterinto negotiating settlementterms. if they want to takea more bullish approach,that’s fine.

“I will advise how best todeal with the debtor.Whatever the approach, ithas to be effectivebecause firms don’t wantto throw good money afterbad.

“I would even advise onliquidating a company –but that would be a lastresort for most clientsbecause the chances ofrecovering a debt aremuch reduced.

“I aim to ensure theclient has the best chance

possible of recovering thedebt.”

Sheffield-born Claregrew up in Pontefract, butshe returned to the SteelCity where she gained adegree in English atSheffield Hallam University.

She worked for BritishCoal Insurers dealing withcompensation claims fromminers before joining WakeSmith, a firm of solicitors inthe city, where she workedfor seven-and-a-half yearsand qualified as a legalexecutive.

Clare spentfour-and-a-half yearsspecialising in commerciallitigation, working withbusinesses ranging fromsole traders, SMEs andblue chip companies anddealing with issues relatingto property and insolvency– and debt recovery.

“I enjoy working inlitigation,” says Clare. “It isalways interesting because

you are dealing with quitetense situations and I likethe pace of it.

“You can be dealing withanything – a propertydispute or a breach ofcontract.

“You have to have a goodgeneral knowledge of everyarea of law.

“You are also workingclosely with commercialclients and you need tounderstand their businessneeds.

“Every business isdifferent and every case isdifferent.”

Clare joined ArmitageSykes earlier this year whenthe firm was looking to setup a debt recoverydepartment.

“I had managed adepartment before and Ihad the experience and theknowledge,” she says.

“The department hasbeen up and running for amonth and we are already

making headway.“There are a lot of

good businessesstruggling because theyare not getting paid.

“The advice we givethem is based on asubstantial amount ofexperience.

“We have developedtwo fee packages – afixed fee package and ano-win-no-fee packagewhich are competitivewith what’s on offerelsewhere.”

Clare is happy in hernew role. “ArmitageSykes is a great firm tobe working at.

“It is a bit smaller thanWake Smith, but that’snice because you get toknow people reallyquickly and the partnersare really friendly.”

Clare admits that shealways wanted to be awriter – an ambitious shehas realised through herpassion for food!

She writes two “foodie”blogs – one of her ownand another for aSheffield-based listingsmagazine calledExposed, which is aimedfor twenty andthirtysomethings.

Her weekly blogsinclude restaurantreviews and articles ontopics such as theproblems facing the pigand dairy industries.

“Food is a passion,”says Clare. “I base quitea lot of my life aroundfood – even holidays! Ilove Rome andBarcelona because I lovethe food.

“I do my research onrestaurants and if thefood is bad where we aregoing on holiday I’m notkeen on going at all!

“Food reflects theculture of the country. In

Italy and Spain, theymake time for familymeals. We don’t seem todo that here – probablybecause we are all toobusy.

“I like cooking, but Iwouldn’t want to work asa chef. I would quicklystart to hate cooking –especially if I wasworking for GordonRamsay. It would be achore rather than apleasure!

“But cooking for friendsis something I reallyenjoy. I love havingpeople round and beingthe hostess.”

Clare still lives inSheffield and commutesby car to her job inHuddersfield.

She lives in a citycentre apartment. “It is anew building slap bang inthe city centre,” she says.“It’s certainly good forrestaurants. I can’tremember the last time Ihad to take a taxi home!

“But I’m getting aroundthe restaurants inHuddersfield to see whatthey’re like. I’ve heardabout the HuddersfieldFood Festival and I’mlooking forward to that. Itwill all find its way ontomy blog.”

Clare’s also discoveredYummy Yorkshire icecream. The dairy atDenby Dale is on herroute home, so itsdifficult to resist callingin. “I highly recommendtheir Chilli Jam Man icecream,” says Clare. “It’scool, but it has a bit of akick.”

■ SOUND ADVICE: Good businesses are struggling due tolate payment, says Clare Tollick, of Armitage Sykes

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

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KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

Safeguardingthe successionFAMILYbusinesses inKirklees havebeen urged tosafeguard theirfuture with“positive andmeaningful”successionplanning.The call comesfrom StephenBaxter (pictured), senior partner atHuddersfield law firm BaxterCaulfield, who said: “In thiseconomic environment,succession planning is moreimportant than ever. Businessowners must take the bestavailable course of action tosafeguard their business, theirbottom line, cash flow, assets andworkforce.“It is a case of making the rightchoices for the future of thebusiness and all involved, basedupon solid, logical reasoning andprofessional advice – often beingdispassionate and puttingsentiment aside.”Mr Newman said the first part ofthe process was to identify thedesired outcome. Then, a businessowner should look at a plan foranything up to five years, brokendown into stages, each with itsown timescale.“You need to establish if thepeople you would like to take thebusiness forward have the rightskill sets and abilities, then findout if the potential successors arewilling to assume the role you haveidentified for them,” said MrNewman.“Once you know the direction youwant to move in, enlist expertadvisers to make sure that yourplans are watertight legally, are taxefficient and minimise the potentialfor challenge by or conflict amongthe existing management and theshareholders.“Succession planning is notsomething to go into lightly, nor isit something that can be ignored.”

Firm seals Brazil dealA BRIGHOUSE engineeringfirm has sealed a five-year dealwith a Brazilian company.

KOSO Kent Introl, whichsupplies control valves for arange of industries, has signedthe five-year agency agreementwith RTS Valvulas in a movewhich will help KKI to increaseits presence in Brazil by openingup new distribution channels forits specialist valve products.

David Limb, sales director ofKKI, said: “This agreement withSao Paolo-based RTS Valvulas isa significant milestone for thecompany.

“We are increasing our valvedistribution channels across theworld and this includes buildinga local presence in Brazil wherewe will develop service andsupport channels.

“There are major offshoreproject opportunities that we willcontinue to explore across Braziland South America, particularlyfor our topside and subsea chokevalves.”

Mark Harris, KKI areabusiness manager, will managethe contract and work closely

with RTS Valvulas to developnew business opportunities inBrazil, primarily in the oil andgas production sector.

Based at Armytage Road,KKI is owned by Nihon KOSOCo Ltd. of Japan, a global leaderin the controls and processautomation systems market.

Formed in 1967 as Introl Ltd,the company specialises in thesupply of standard servicecontrol valves, severe servicecontrol valves, high-technologysurface choke valves andhigh-performance rotary valvesfor the oil and gas, petrochemicaland power industries.

■ SIGNED UP: KOSO Kent Introl managing director DenisWestcott, left, and area business manager Mark Harris, second left,with RTS president Pedro Lucio, second right, and commercialdirector Wagner Montanari

Time for funding factsCOMPANIES struggling to getaccess to finance have beenurged to find out more about anew £1.5m loan fund.

West Yorkshire EnterpriseAgency, a subsidiary of theLockwood-based Mid YorkshireChamber of Commerce, isoperating the fund to helpstart-up and establishedbusinesses which have beenunable to get funding throughthe usual channels.

Steven Leigh, head of policyand research at the chamber,said: “There have beenwidespread reports frombusinesses up and down thecountry that difficulties continueto be experienced with raisingfinance.”

Mr Leigh said somecompanies had faced problemsmaintaining levels of debtfinance as banks sought toreduce levels of debt exposureor refused to increase overdraftfacilities.

Firms complained of risingcosts of set-up fees forrenegotiated facilities or wereunder pressure to change thebalance of finance away from

overdrafts towards “the moreexpensive mechanism” ofinvoice finance.

Mr Leigh said: “The new £1mfund will seek to address someof these difficulties in our localcommunities.”

Chamber director AndrewChoi said companies acrossKirklees, Calderdale andWakefield may be able toaccess the new fund, which has

been provided through WYEA’sown reserves, the EuropeanRegional Development Fundand other finance initiatives inthe region.

He also appealed forcompanies to spread the wordabout the fund to theircustomers.

“As publicly-funded businesssupport winds down, we arekeen to make sure localbusinesses are still able toaccess the support they needquickly and easily,” said MrChoi.

Information sessions on theloan fund will be held at 8am onWednesday, June 8, at theCedar Court Hotel, Wakefield;and at 5.30pm on Thursday,June 9, at the Cedar CourtHotel, Ainley Top, Huddersfield.

■ FINANCIAL ADVICE: Steven Leigh, left, and Andrew Choi

Explore exportsKIRKLEES firms can travel theworld in one day – and exploreinternational trade opportunities.Companies across the district havebeen invited to Explore Export, anevent organised by theGovernment’s export support armUK Trade & Investment, which willprovide access to expert advisersfor a series of pre-bookedone-to-one appointments.The event takes place from 9am to4.30pm on June 30 at the Pavilionsof Harrogate conference centre atthe Great Yorkshire Showground,Harrogate.Delegates can register for up tofour one-to-one meetings on theday to discuss any sector or marketof potential interest.Pre-booking is essential.Visitharrogate.ukti-exploretour.com toregister or find out more.

Graduates get some adviceGRADUATES are being urgedto consider self-employment.Officials from Business Linkwill offer advice at a series ofseminars in Leeds andHalifax.

The first, Starting a Business– Is it for me? takes place onWednesday, June 15, atHillside, Leeds.Go to www.businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Heed the asbestos alertTHERE have been three

cases reported recently thatshow – despite the efforts ofthe Health and Safety Execut-ive and well-establishedlegislation – companies andproperty owners are still failingto adequately control the risksfrom asbestos.

A contracting firm was fined atotal of £10,000 and ordered to pay£3,064 in costs after workers at amajor renovation were exposed tomaterial containing asbestos.

The contractor was working onthe refurbishment of three studentblocks at the College of St Markand St John in Plymouth and hadagreed with a specialist asbestosremoval company that they wouldwork simultaneously in parts of thebuilding already cleared by theasbestos removal workers.

However the builders began workin an area of the building which hadnot been cleared of asbestos.

Four employees were exposed tofibres and had to go through aspecialist decontamination process.

A property developer put hisworkers at risk by failing to identifythe presence of asbestos beforeallowing them to start work on anightclub in Wrexham.

He instructed contractors to

remove sprayed coating containingamosite (brown asbestos) from steelbeams while refurbishing thenightclub.

The workers were exposed to thedeadly substance over a period of 13days. As the asbestos was spread inand around the property anddisposed of in an illegal manner, theproperty developer was alsoprosecuted under environmentallegislation.

A plant hire company and aconstruction services firm putworkers and the public at risk byfailing to properly manage thepresence of asbestos during therefurbishment of a residential blockof flats.

Asbestos insulation board wasd i s t u r b e d a n d re m ove d byunlicensed contractor potentiallyreleasing the deadly substance intothe air.

A previous survey, identifying the

presence of asbestos insulationboard in a number of the properties,had been provided but had not beenacted upon or passed to theirsub-contractors. Both companieswere fined £50,000.

Asbestos-related diseases areresponsible for around 4,000 deathsevery year. Further information onworking with asbestos can be foundat http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos

If you are responsible for main-tenance of a property, your businessis involved in the construction orrefurbishment of buildings, or youremployees may encounter asbestosin buildings as part of their trade,Wilby Risk Management stronglyadvises that companies haveadequate training in asbestosawareness and management. Suit-able procedures must be in place toprevent workers, residents, othercontractors and the general publicfrom being exposed to asbestos.

RISKYBUSINESSMark Dalton

Mark Dalton is associate director at Wilby Ltd

Simon Kaye is divisional director at InvestecWealth & Investment

CITYTALKSimon Kaye

Footballerson target

TEN teams took part in acharity five-a-side footballtournament organised by afirm of solicitors with officesin Huddersfield.Chadwick Lawrence held itscompetition at WakefieldFootball Centre. The eventualwinners were Leeds-basedClark Business Recovery,who defeated a committedYorkshire Bank team who hadearlier emerged victoriousfrom their group.The group stages saw someexciting football with teamsfrom KPMG, Bibbys, WalkerSingleton, Oval, Eddisons,RSM Tenon and Booth & Coall competing in the name ofcharity.Before the semi-finals, TomMaher from Yorkshire Bankemerged as the winner of aCrossbar Challenge to hit thebar.The final prize of the eveningwent to Adam Mortimer, ofClark Business Recovery,who kept his head to win apenalty shoot-out to land –and an Xbox Kinect.The teams donated a total of£500 to the chosen charity,Wakefield Hospice, whilefurther sums were raisedduring the evening through ahospice stand manned by twoof its representatives.

Patience – that’sa key commodityIn the oil industry, one contro-

versy has arisen and anotherbeen settled.

In January, BP announced a dealto help Rosneft, the Russian oilcompany, explore the RussianArctic for oil and gas.

This has angered the localpartners in TNK-BP, their existingjoint venture in the Russia anddiscussion between the partners hasbecome extremely acrimonious –including the issue of an injunctionholding up the deal.

On the other hand Tullow Oil hasjust reached a settlement with theUgandan government to finalise thepurchase of assets from Heritage Oilagreed about 12 months ago andheld up by a demand for capitalgains tax to be paid by Heritage.

The eventual settlement involvedTullow underwriting the disputedbalance of the tax bill, potentiallyadding to the cost of acquisition.

The point of relating these storiesis to illustrate the increasing diffi-culty of finding resources which liein remote geographies or potentiallyhostile environments physically,politically or socially.

This applies both to the oilindustry and also to mining com-panies.

Rio Tinto recently bought amajority stake in Oyu Tolgoi(apparently pronounced “Oi-youTall-goy”) – a large copper projectin Mongolia in an area with noinfrastructure, run by a governmentwith no experience in dealing withresource projects and where theywill have to mine far underground(rather than the cheaper “opencast” method).

This has meant that commodityexploration costs are rising with noend in sight, whilst at the same timethe certainty of benefiting fully from

any resulting profit stream isfalling.

Industry analysts estimate thatthe exploration and developmentcost of a new oil field have risen byabout six times over the last 15 yearsor so.

There is a risk that governmentsmay change the rules on how thoseprofits are split, even once theinvestment is made and profitableproduction is achieved, withVenezuela being a particularlyegregious example.

This could be perceived as “bad”for commodity shares.

However, as long as demandoutstrips supply, these extra costs

will be passed on to the ultimatec o n s u m e r by t h e re source scompanies.

This is currently still the situation,but the end of commodity cycles isoften written in the actions of thecompanies.

Up until 2007, the resource com-panies were unusually disciplined intheir spending on new projects, earlytendencies to increase capitalinvestment were stifled by the creditcrunch. As a consequence, newsupply has been limited.

However, now that confidence inthe medium term outlook hasreturned, product prices have risenand cash is flowing through thedoor they have decided to spendagain.

Resource shares look statisticallycheap against their history but thismaybe an illusion as cost base isrising and the risks are slowlyincreasing.

The party may not be over yet andmay not be for the next two or threeyears, but it may be prudent towatch for the band playing itsencores and stay a little closer to theexit door.

Seminars’ healthy optionTWO WestYorkshire-basedfirms have joinedtogether to offerseminars onmanaging mentalhealth in theworkplace.

Elaine Douglas(pictured), leadpsychologist withThe KadeConsultancy inGreetland, said:“With one in threepeople suffering

from mental ill-healthat some point in theirlifetime, being ableto recognise issuesand provide support

to employees iscritical.”

Kade has joinedforces with OrganicHR to stage theevents, which takeplace during June atthe Elsie WhiteleyInnovation Centre inHalifax.

Find out more atwww.organichr.co.ukor contact Kade on01422 372222 orOrganic HR on01422 399535.

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

Conveyancing success for teamLAW firm Ridley & Hall has becomeone of the first in the country to gainaccreditation for the Law Society’sConveyancing Scheme.

Alison Mason, head of propertysaid: “Our team underwent rigorousassessment by the Law Society inorder to secure CQS status, whichmarks us out as meeting the highestpossible standards in the residentialconveyancing process.

In order to qualify and becomemembers of the scheme, Ridley &Hall had to demonstrate excellence inthe four areas of integrity, reliability,quality of service and servicedelivery.

CQS accreditation aims to providereassurance for clients that theirtransaction will be completed asquickly and efficiently as possible.

Accreditation comes at a timewhen Ridley & Hall’s property team(pictured right) is expanding ready forthe upturn in the property market.

Recent arrivals are solicitors AdamFletcher and Kevin Ludgate, whotogether with Alison Mason and Julie

Devenport bring more than 60 yearsof conveyancing experience to thefirm’s clients.

The CQS scheme has the support

of the Council of Mortgage Lenders,the Building Societies Association,the Association of British Insurersand the Land Registry.

Andy unveilsbusiness planA FORMER Kirklees planning chiefhas set up a new business – and saysthe timing could not be better.

Andy Rushby, previously assistanthead of planning at Kirklees Council,has established Assent PlanningConsultancy Ltd, a business aimed atguiding clients through the oftendifficult and complex world of theplanning system.

“While the construction and devel-opment industry are still battling theeffects of the recession, I can see thatthere are some green shoots ofrecovery emerging”, said Mr Rushby.“Some sites that were mothballedmonths ago are now going again,wh i c h i s g o o d n ew s fo r a l lconcerned.

“As the recovery continues, I hopethat I can assist clients by workingwith them at all stages of the planningprocess – from their initial conceptsto the realisation of their ideas – inorder to minimise delays and costs inachieving success.”

Mr Rushby said companies neededhelp more than ever at a time whenthe Coalition Government wastaking a fresh look at the planningprocess.

“One of the things to get across toclients is that local authority planningdepartments will not have theresources they previously had. Goneare the days when you could workwith the case officer to makeamendments to plans several timesover. You need to get it right first timewhen you put in an application.

“And it saves a lot of time, stressand expense if you have someone tohelp who is familiar with the systemand how it works.”

Mr Rushby said many companies

could not raise the cash needed tomove to purpose-built premises, andwere aiming to make the most of whatspace they had.

M r Ru s h b y, w h o l i v e s a tLinthwaite, worked in local authorityplanning for more than 20 years, butsaid he knew the time was right tomake a move into the private sector.

He said: “I had become increas-ingly frustrated with planning in thepublic sector as it struggles withincreasing bureaucracy to a pointwhere the process has become moreimportant than the outcome.”

Mr Rushby said his view was thatgood planning should be aboutensuring high-quality, sustainabledevelopment in the right place at the

right time in a way that balances andprotects the needs of people andplaces alike.

Wakefield-based Assent PlanningConsultancy Ltd is part of the AssentGroup, which also includes AssentBuilding Control Ltd, a well-estab-lished national approved inspectoroffering building control, fire safetyand energy consultancy services tothe development industry.

Richard Batte, director of AssentBuilding Control Ltd, said: “Assent isall about solving problems andgetting development consent. We’redelighted to have someone of Andy’sskill and experience on board to helpclients old and new achieve theirobjectives.”

Care home sale completedPROPERTY agent Christie +Co, has completed the sale ofa West Yorkshire care home.Elm Lodge in Wakefield isregistered for 17 elderlyresidents. It has been acquiredby Alhambra Care Ltd.Director Hasim Ravat said:“We are very excited at havingpurchased an established and

well-run residential care homesuch as Elm Lodge.”Jonathan Wickens, director atChristie + Co, said: “Thisconfirms that care homescontinue to sell. It is aspecialist area of the marketand essential that correctprofessional advice is soughtby both parties at the outset.”

Town centre offices benefitfrom refurbishment workA MAJOR refurbishment hasbeen completed on prominentoffices in Huddersfield towncentre.RO Regional Propertiescarried out the refit of thesecond floor of NU House,formerly Norwich UnionHouse – and the property isnow available to let.Jorge Frutuoso, of RORegional Properties, said:“Refurbishment is part of ourstrategy to providecompetitively priced qualityoffice space in a marketwhere new build is often outof the question.“We are offering flexibleterms and attractiveincentives on suites from1,720sq ft to 8,300 sq ft.”

The refurbished officesinclude new suspendedceilings, lighting with energyefficient controls, comfortcooling, new carpeting, newslimline perimeter trunking,thermostatically controlledradiators, solar-reflectivewindow blinds and newdisabled toilet facilities.The manned reception areahas also been refurbishedwith new automatic entrancedoors, new flooring and décorand a welcoming, open layout.Jonathan O’Connor, of theagents Eddisons, said “Thisrefurbishment now offerswhat I believe is some of thebest space available inHuddersfield.”

■ SITE MEETING: Andy Rushby, of Asset Planning Consultancy Ltd, aimsto help clients find their way through the planning application process

■ WELCOME: The new-look reception area at NU House, MarketStreet, Huddersfield

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • AGENTS • CONSULTANT • ADVISOR

TRAFALGAR MILLS • LEEDS ROAD • HUDDERSFIELD • HD2 1YY

Queens Mill, Queens Mill Road, Huddersfield

Fieldhouse Park, Leeds Road, Huddersfield

Industrial Unit close to town centre.

The unit is a recent build and isfitted out accordingly.

Size 4,899 square feet.

Ideally situated just off the mainHuddersfield traffic network.

Unit is available for immediateoccupation. Incentives available on

application, size 13,706 square feet.

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

Commercial

Huddersfield Road,Mirfield231m2 (2,489sq ft) Gross

To LeT

Highly prominent 2 storeyshowroom premises superblylocated adjacent main A644Huddersfield Road. Potentiallysuitable for alternative uses (STP)

Strategically located high qualityfactory and offices on secure siteless than 1 mile from Junction 27of the M62/M621.

Fieldhead Lane, Off A650Drighlington bypass,Drighlington3,676m2 (39,564 sq ft)

Industrial

To LeT

Modern industrial unit incorporatingsubstantial 2 storey internally builtoffices. Good onsite parking andconveniently located for J38 andJ39 M1.

Park Mill Way,Off Wakefield Road,Clayton West, Huddersfield896m2 (9,641 sq ft)

Industrial

To LeT

Industrial

Modern factory/warehouse withoffices on a self-contained sitebeing easily assessable to Junction26 of the M62.

Rawfolds Way, SpenValley Industrial Park,Cleckheaton3,979m2 (42,828 sq ft)

For SaLe/To LeT

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

Former Walter GreenGarage, HuddersfieldRoad, Holmfirth539m2 (5,808 sq ft) plusformer filling station

FoR SALe

Garage premises with filling station,convenience store and income (fromtenanted houses and car sales).

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Tracey Muniz-Ryan

BarclaysCorporateBARCLAYSCorporate hasappointed TraceyMuniz-Ryan asrelationshipdirector providingspecialist supportto localauthorities inYorkshire.

MsMuniz-Ryan(pictured), whoalready has responsibility for BarclaysCorporate's relationships with theprofessional sector, will join anationwide team of 34 specialistsproviding increased local-level supportto authorities.

The move is a response to thepublication of the Government’sDecentralisation and Localism Bill,which lays out proposals designed tofree councils from central shackles byshifting power back to them and thecommunities they serve.

Ms Muniz-Ryan said: “Working withlocal authorities in Yorkshire andunderstanding the regional aspect ofthe issues they face will give me a realadvantage and help them achievetheir localism goals.”

One of the first issues relationshipdirectors will be helping localauthorities tackle is self-financing andthe abolition of the Housing RevenueAccount subsidy system – a proposedlegislative change which will bebrought in under the Decentralisationand Localism Bill. It means localauthority landlords will no longerreceive subsidies from a centralGovernment pot, but will be requiredto support local authority housingstock from their own rental incomes.

GrantThornton

Jonathan Riley & Garry Meakin

ACCOUNTANCYand businessservices firmGrant Thornton isstrengthening itsposition inYorkshire with ashake-up thatmerges its Leedsand Sheffieldoffices.

The mergersees Leedsbecome GrantThornton’sYorkshireheadquarters andensures itsYorkshire practiceis the largestoutside the BigFour – with morethan 300 staff andturnover totalling £27m.

Jonathan Riley (top), managingpartner of Grant Thornton’s Leedsoffice, steps up to senior practicepartner for the Yorkshire-widebusiness with Garry Meakin (above),current managing partner at GrantThornton's Sheffield office, asmanaging partner role of the mergedpractice.

Law firm’s Famous Five

A LAW firm in Huddersfield has promotedfive of its lawyers to associate level.

Paul Joyce, managing partner atRamsdens Solicitors, said: “Theappointments will further strengthen theteam we have here and illustrate the depthof talent we have within the practice. Itcomes at a time of continuing growth forthe firm.”

Laura Smith has been made associatein the commercial team based at the headoffice in Edgerton.

Veronica Mullins, who works at theHalifax and Mirfield offices; RachaelSykes, based at Slaithwaite; and HeatherNuttall, based at Elland, are raised toassociates in the private client team. Jan

Walters, working at Slaithwaite, ispromoted in the residential conveyancingteam.

Veronica, Rachael and Heather dealwith all aspects of private client workincluding, Lasting Powers of Attorney andWills and Probate.

Heather and Rachael are also membersof the Society of Trust and EstatePractitioners.

Jan specialises in residentialconveyancing and Laura has become theyoungest solicitor to be made associate inthe commercial team in Ramsdens’ history,having only been qualified a lawyer for fouryears. She has already gained recognitionas a specialist in commercial property.

■ HIGH FIVES: Ramsdens Solicitors has appointed five new associates, from left,Rachael Sykes, Laura Smith, Jan Walters, Veronica Mullins and Heather Nuttall

Trade show getsthem all talking!

KIRKLEES companies were out to getnoticed when the Federation of SmallBusinesses held a mini trade show.

About 50 exhibitors took stands at theevent, which was organised by the Kirkleesbranch of the FSB at the Galpharm Stadiumin Huddersfield.

The aim was to spotlight the diversity ofsmall businesses in the area and encouragepeople to buy locally wherever possible.

The show was open to the public andfeatured stands representing private andpublic sector organisations.

The trade show follows a similar event lastyear when 40 local companies exhibited.

Each firm was given a small space or tableto provide information about their productsor services.

Business sectors represented ranged fromaccountancy and IT to complementaryhealthcare and funeral services.

Other attractions at the event included aSupport for Wellbeing area providing freepreventative health checks – includingdiabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol –offered by nurses as part of the NHS

cardiovascular health checks programme.The event provided an opportunity for

visitors to collect up to 50 special offers – allfor local products and services – as well as thechance to network with potential customersor suppliers in one convenient location.

The Kirklees branch of the FSB meets onthe fourth Tuesday of every month, except inAugust and December.

Meetings are held at 7.30pm for 8pm at theBriar Court Hotel, Birchencliffe. The nextmeeting is on Tuesday, June 28.

■ READY TO HELP: Event organiser Rick Robbins withJill Lang at the Federation of Small Businesses event

sponsored by

Community Awards2011

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Monday 6th June

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3 Course Dinner,Awards, Entertainment