KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees3, August , 2010

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MARTIN THOMPSON CHRIS HUNTERProperty cycle

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Signs of success

Fu l l s to r y - Page 5

FTSE 100+139.09

5397.11An EXAMINER publication

Boostingskill levelsA HUDDERSFIELDwoman is helping UKbosses boost theirmanagement skills.Business educationexpert Narinder Uppalhas been appointedhead of the awardingbody at the CharteredManagement Institute.She will be in charge ofpromoting CMImanagement andleadershipqualifications anddeveloping links.

FashionstatementAN online boutique hasmade a smart move.Cleckheaton-basedBusiness Wardrobe,which providesdesigner office wear forwomen, has seen ahuge rise in web trafficsince forming a link-upwith fashion label BettyJackson.

Yorkshire lagging behind in workforce trainingYORKSHIRE is failing to keep upwith other regional economies when itcomes to employment rates and pro-ductivity, it is claimed.

A new report – Ambition 2020:World Class Skills and Jobs for theUK – ranks Yorkshire and Humberninth out of 12 regions in a productiv-ity league table of the UK.

Yorkshire also has a lower thanaverage employment rate – 70.9%versus the UK average of 72.7%.Overall it ranks 10th in the RegionalUK Competitiveness Index.

The report warned that the UKrisks sliding down the internationalproductivity rankings – threateningthe country’s competitiveness – unlessits skills and employment systems arefundamentally improved.

Investors in People, the body pro-moting staff training and develop-ment in firms, urged local businessesto boost investment in the skills oftheir people to help stay on track andremain competitive.

Report author Mark Spilsbury said:“In the current economic climate, it’s

more important than ever that busi-nesses are able to get the best out oftheir people.

“This means challenging and inspir-ing managers and employees at alllevels to achieve their potential.

“Employers have to be ambitiousand act now to develop the skills theywill need in future. This will improvetheir productivity and performance,benefiting them, their employees andthe country as a whole.”

Steve South, managing director ofReal Radio Yorkshire, which has

Investors in People status, proposed afive-point plan for firms to improveskills and productivity.

They should review their businessgoals and break down business ambi-tions into small, manageable steps;create a plan for up-skilling the busi-ness to turn raw talent into the stars ofthe future; think creatively about howto train staff; consult employees whenplanning a learning and developmentstrategy; and make sure they sharetheir vision of the company’s futurewith the workforce.

Small firms seekto bolster financesYORKSHIRE firms are turning tonew sources of funding in a bid toconserve cashflow in the event of a“double-dip” recession, it is claimed.

Birstall-based specialist businessfinance firm Absolute Invoice Fin-ance, reported a 47% year-on-yearrise in the number of small andmedium-sized enterprises securinginvoice finance facilities from the firmin Yorkshire and the north-east dur-ing the second quarter.

Absolute, which is part of newBritish bank Aldermore, revealed thelatest figures following a report by theBritish Bankers' Association, whichshowed that traditional bank lendingto small businesses in May fell bymore than £100m against the samemonth in 2009.

It also comes as some analystspredict that the UK will enter adouble dip recession before the end of2010.

The BBA figures showed that newloans to small firms increased by

£75m between May and June 2010 –but year-on-year term lending fell by£269m compared to June, 2009, whenthe economy was still in recession.

Average monthly loans haddeclined by almost half since 2008,when banks lent an average of £991mto small firms. In 2010, the averagemonthly loan rate is £564m.

Dave Jones, regional managing dir-ector at Absolute in Yorkshire and thenorth-east, said: “It is hugely encour-aging that growing numbers of SMEsin the region are heeding the lessonsof the last 12 months and preparingthemselves well in advance of anyfurther downturn in the economy.

“The last downturn was disastrousfor thousands of SMEs, many ofwhich simply were not prepared forthe triple whammy of dwindling con-sumer spending, cost squeezes andincreased payment terms from theircustomers.

“Cash is king – and forward plan-ning is crucial to ensure healthy cash-f low throughout any furtherdownturn.

“But with the major high streetbanks apparently reducing lendinglevels further or demanding heftyadditional collateral from SMEs assecurity for loans, alternative financemay prove to be the preferred optionfor a large number of businesses.”

Matthew Goodman, head of policyat the Forum of Private Business, said:“Our own research shows that bothloans and overdrafts have decreasedsince the start of June – at a time smallbusinesses need more finance in orderto expand.

“The need for finance is only goingto increase as the economy grows andas small firms, which must be thecatalyst for sustained economic recov-ery, try to meet renewed demand.”

■ CASH CALL: David Jones, ofAbsolute Invoice Finance

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICESLocal shares

FTSE closed at

5397.1Up 139.0

NATIONAL Lottery operator Cam-elot stepped up its efforts toappease regulators over plans tooffer extra commercial servicesthrough its terminals.

The group outlined a raft of meas-ures it hopes will reverse theNational Lottery Commission’s ini-tial decision to block proposals thatwould see it provide mobile phonetop-ups and electronic bill paymentservices.

Camelot said the NLC had agreedto consult on the remedies put for-ward – which include publishingseparate accounts for the new busi-ness and employing a competitionlaw officer to police the service.

The NLC has now extended itsreview to September 17, but Camelotclaimed each month of delay wascosting about half a million poundsof lost donations to good causes.

The NLC, which has been review-ing Camelot’s proposals since Feb-ruary, announced a provisionaldecision last month to refuse theplans on the grounds it could breachEuropean or competition laws.

It said the risks to competitionoutweighed the “relatively small”returns – pointing out that Camelot’slottery business generates about£1.6bn a year for good causes, whilethe proposed additional serviceswere estimated to raise £5m a year.

BANKING giant HSBC said it more thandoubled half-year profits to £7bn in thefirst six months of this year.

The bigger-than-expected surplus cameamid mounting political furore over aperceived failure by banks to lend tobusinesses. However, HSBC claimed it hadlent more to Britain’s small firms since thestart of the year.

The pressure on banks to show they arefreeing up credit is unlikely to ease asHSBC’s performance meant UK playersare on course to report a combinedhalf-year profits haul in excess of £10bnthis week.

HSBC generates a large slice of its profitsfrom emerging markets. The bank said theUK side of the business lifted underlyingprofits by 23% to £593m.

The global results were helped by a sharpfall in bad debts, which dropped to their

lowest level since the financial crisis,according to HSBC.

The leap in profits came despite a drop intrading revenues at its investment bankingdivision, which was hit by “exceptional”stock market volatility in the secondquarter of the year.

HSBC’s figures follow a warning fromChancellor George Osborne at the week-end that banks had an “economic obliga-tion” to lend to businesses.

Business Secretary Vince Cable hascalled for dividends and bonuses to betargeted in a “carrot and stick” approachto boost lending to cash-strapped smallfirms.

HSBC risked stoking anger further byrevealing a 39% hike in staff pay andbonuses at its Global Banking and Mar-kets division to £1.6bn since the end of2009.

It set aside total pay and benefits of£6.2bn across the group – up 7% on a yearearlier.

Michael Geoghegan, HSBC group chiefexecutive, said the bank was braced for“intense public and political scrutiny”.

He said the banking sector and regulat-ors had a “responsibility” to take the nextsteps to free up the flow of credit andsupport the wider economy.

Lending was up 4% across all regionssince the end of last year and HSBC saiddemand for credit among businesses hadincreased, despite recent suggestions fromthe sector that there is a lack of appetite forborrowing.

Gross new lending to small businessesrose by 38% to £1.4bn in the half-year.

HSBC’s performance helped the FTSE100 close up 139.09 at 5397.11.

THE UK’s biggest horseracing oper-ator revealed a rise in half-year earn-ings after seeing signs of recovery incorporate hospitality spending.

Arena Leisure, which owns racingvenues Wolverhampton, Worcester,Windsor, Doncaster, Lingfield Park,Southwell and Folkestone, said aver-age attendance was up by 3% to 1,498as underlying profits for the sixmonths to June 30 rose by 25% to£2m. Hosp i ta l i ty at t endanceincreased by 13%.

The group expects to stage 353fixtures this year – accounting forabout 25% of all UK racing – but thesize of next year’s schedule is still

uncertain due to the impact of a sharpfall in the horseracing betting levy.

The sport is funded by a levy onbookmakers’ profits, but the figure isset to drop to about £70m from the£94.5m expected in this year.

The amount received by Arenaracecourses from the levy during thehalf-year period fell by more than£1m to £10.6m with most of theshortfall affecting prize money.

Arena said 88 fixtures leased fromthe British Horseracing Authoritywere most at risk from the fundingshortfall, although most make a pos-itive contribution to the levy andshould survive.

TYRE fitting franchiseHiQ reported a 7%-plusrise in annual turnoverand double-digit growthfor gross profits.

HiQ also reported an8% rise in customers forits 145 centres, whichinclude Huddersfield andDewsbury.

Retail director JuergenTitz called the results “awelcome boost for allassociated with HiQ”.

SHOPPING centreowner Hammersons saidits markets continued torecover from therecession after lowervacancy levels and risingincome helped lifthalf-year profits by 7%.

The owner of the BrentCross and Bullring retailcentres said adjustedprofits improved to£70.2m in the six monthsto June 30.

Occupancy ratesimproved to 96% at theend of June 30 whilelike-for-like rental incomerose by 5%.

Demand for officespace in central Londonalso reached athree-year high duringthe first quarter asfinancial organisationstook advantage of lowerrents and incentivepackages.

Hammerson said it hada “substantial” pipeline ofpotential futuredevelopments inreadiness for whenmarket conditionsimprove.

HSBC earnings fuelfurore over lending

Camelot courts lottery regulator Arena profits race ahead

Retailtherapy

All-roundsuccess

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.64 dollarsBangladesh................. 102.95 takaBrazil.............................. 2.46 realsCanada....................... 1.54 dollarsChina ............................. 9.52 yuanCzech Republic ...... 27.37 korunasDenmark....................... 8.53 kroneEuro............................... 1.15 euroHong Kong................ 11.59 dollarsHungary ................... 304.88 forintsIndia.......................... 64.11 rupeesJapan........................... 129.74 yenMexico ....................... 17.64 pesosNew Zealand .............. 2.01 dollarsNorway ......................... 9.06 kronePakistan.................. 126.99 rupeesPhilippines ................. 61.05 pesosSouth Africa................. 10.66 randSouth Korea.............. 1607.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 166.99 rupeesSweden....................... 10.79 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.56 francsTaiwan ...................... 43.70 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.23 new liraUSA ............................ 1.50 dollars

Carclo 152 -1Chapelthorpe 253/4Marshalls 90National Grid 524 +141/2Weir Gp 1226 +53

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £28.34 +0.29Gannett 862.93 +34.57Hess Corp £34.98 +1.30Microsoft 1646.03 +23.88Motors Liquidation 47.14Wal-Mart Stores £32.15 -0.03

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 1131/2 +1BAE Systems 3187/8 +61/2Rolls-Royce Gp 5861/2 +61/2

AIMBrady Plc 67 -1/2Dawson Intl 21/4Man Brnze 40

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1365/8 +11/2

BANKSBarclays 344 +111/8HSBC 680 +34Lloyds Banking Gp 721/2 +31/8Ryl Scotland 521/8 +21/8Stan Chart 18611/2 +191/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 1127 +20SABMiller 1977 +43

CHEMICALSCroda 1344 +53Elementis 98 801/2 +3Johnsn Mat 1740 +49

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2565/8 +71/2Costain 197 +31/2

ELECTRICITYDrax Grp 3863/4 +23/4Intl Power 366 +8

Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1129 +21

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTChloride 3731/4 +1/8Laird 1247/8 +21/4

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3221/4 +55/8

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1421/2 +1/4Cable & WirelessComm

60 +3/4

Cable & WirelessWwide

68 +11/4

Colt Group 1253/8 -31/2KCOM 49 +1/4Talktalk Telecom 1211/4 -11/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2711/4 +61/4Sainsbury 3483/4 +51/4Tesco 3985/8 +8

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1040 +13Nth Foods 423/4 -1Tate Lyle 450 +5/8Unilever 1815 +4Uniq 10 -1/2

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3097/8 +6National Grid 524 +141/2Pennon Grp 600 +10Severn 1344 +34United Utils 5901/2 +51/2

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 2857/8 +13/4ICAP 4141/8 +131/8London StockExch 6631/2 +161/2Man Group 2231/4 +6

Provident Financial 827 +201/2Schroders 1334 +46Schroders NV 1105 +38

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 467 +23REXAM 311 +2Smiths Grp 1139 +23

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 13Carphone Whse 2301/2 +1/2DSG International 271/2 +5/8Home Retail 2433/4 +43/4Inchcape 3083/4 +10Kingfisher 2213/4 +61/2M & S 3591/4 +143/4Mothercare 530 +8Next £22 +1/2WH Smith 4283/4 +41/8

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 5661/2 +12

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 93 +5Barrat Dev 1011/4 +5Persimmon 3751/4 +221/8Reckitt Benckiser £317/8 +5/8Taylor Wimpey 281/2 +2

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 7281/2 +61/2I M I 736 +221/2

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 2953/4 +19

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 2041/8 +81/8Forth Ports 1289 +17

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 3727/8 +151/2

Lgl & Gen 911/4 +13/4Old Mutual 1251/8 +41/4Prudential 5661/2 +12Resolution 2431/4 +47/8Standard Life 2091/4 +7

MEDIABSkyB 714 +3Chrysalis 101 +1D Mail Tst 4991/8 +14ITV 531/2 +17/8Johnston Press 191/2 -1/2Pearson 1009 +191/2Reed Elsevier 5551/2 +31/2STV Group 871/4Trinity Mirror 1041/2 -2Utd Business 571 +201/2UTV 1211/2 -1WPP 695 +171/2Yell Group 24

MININGAnglo American £261/4 +1Antofagasta 1037 +49BHP Billiton £203/8 +7/8Eurasian NaturalRes

940 +331/2

Fresnillo 1058 +27Kazakhmys 1278 +62Lonmin 1632 +62Rio Tinto £341/2 +11/2VEDANTARESOURCES

£255/8 +11/4

Xstrata 1075 +591/2MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 7551/2 +181/2Vodafone Group 1507/8 +21/8

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1513 +65RSA Insurance Gp 130 +23/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERS

BG 1050 +281/2BP 4131/8 +71/8Cairn Energy 482 +151/4Royal Dutch Shell A 18201/2 +66Royal Dutch Shell B 17501/2 +71Total £33 +1Tullow Oil 1300 +69

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 901 +28Petrofac 1328 +78Wood Group 380 +221/4

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry 8591/2 +18PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £325/8 +1/4Axis-Shield 2653/4 -1/2GlaxoSmithK XD 13Shire 1454 -1

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 4711/2 +93/4Captl Shop Cent 3473/8 +47/8DTZ Hldgs 58 +1/4Hamrsn 3983/4 +101/4Land Secs 627 +141/2SEGRO 2845/8 +45/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1660 +15Dimension Data 1217/8 -11/8Invensys 274 +7Logica 1093/4 +13/8Misys 2571/4 +51/4Sage Group 2421/2 +35/8

SUPPORT SERVICESBunzl 693 +3Capita 7321/2 +131/2Davis ServiceGroup

3881/4 +141/4

De La Rue 738 +41/2Electrocomp 228 +3Experian 637 +91/2G4S 264 +53/8Hays 935/8 +33/8Homeserve 4503/4 +151/4Menzies J 414 +1Rentokil 1061/4 +37/8Smiths News 1091/4 -21/4Wolseley 1462 +24

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 332 +33/4Psion 80 +21/2Spirent Comms 128 +1/8

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £217/8Imperial Tobacco 1807 +3

LEISURE & HOTELSArriva 7721/2 +21/2

Brit Airways 2307/8 +111/4Carnival £233/8 +3/8Compass Grp 5481/2 +181/2easyJet 4071/4 +73/8Enterprise Inns 105 +23/8FirstGroup 3753/8 +71/2Go-Ahead 1146 +30Greene King 451 +8Intercontl Htls 1121 +18Ladbrokes 1403/4 +51/4Mitchells & Butlers 3171/2 +55/8Natl Express 2363/4 +31/4PartyGaming 3091/2 +91/2Rank Org 1181/4 -3/4Stagecoach Group 1731/2 +51/4TUI Travel 2151/2 +51/4Whitbread 1450 +42

INDEXFTSE 100 5397.11 +139.09

INDEXFTSE 250 10161.17 +212.45

■ STATEMENT: A big fallin bad debt helped HSBC

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

MartinThompson

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Partner in thecommercial propertydepartmentAge: 39Family: Married toSara with daughtersEva, nine, and Nell, sixHolidays: Cornwall,the Canaries and theCaribbeanCar: Land RoverDefenderFirst job: Shop assist-ant in a farm tools shopBest thing aboutjob: The variety ofproperty work and build-ing close relationshipswith other professionalsWorst thing aboutjob: The problem creat-ing a balance betweenthe amount of paper-work and being immedi-ately available for yourclientsBusiness tip: Priorit-ise, plan, execute!

Work: Legal servicesSites: Huddersfieldand BrighouseEmployees: 65Phone: 01484538121Email: martinthompson@armitagesykes.co.ukWeb: www.armitagesykes.co.uk

ArmitageSykes

Martinsteerssteadycourse

KEEN cyclist MartinThompson is steering apath through the WestYorkshire property jungle.

Martin, 39, a commercialproperty partner at law firmArmitage Sykes, likesnothing better thanmountain biking around thelocal countryside.

But he wouldn’t change athing when it comes to thecourse his career is taking.

Martin first got to knowthe partners and staff atArmitage Sykes when hespent a period on workexperience at its New NorthRoad offices in 1994.Shortly afterwards, heapplied for a position astrainee solicitor with thefirm. After joining as atrainee in 1995, hecompleted his two years oftraining and qualified as asolicitor.

He worked in the generalcompany commercialdepartment for a year or twobefore the opportunity arosewhen one of the partnersretired to move into thecommercial propertydepartment in 1999.

Says Martin: “I deal withgeneral commercialproperty matters such aslandlord and tenant issues,acquisitions and disposals,but I specialise in acting forproperty developers –acquiring sites, dealing withlocal authoritiesdocumentation and utilityclaims, plotting off the siteto create new plot titledeeds and dealing withmain contractors andarchitects.”

Martin says the economicclimate remains uncertainfor the property sector,although there are tentativesigns of recovery.

“Although the recession istechnically over, it is verydifficult still for propertydevelopers,” he says. “Anumber of the main banksare virtually closed toproperty development work.They have their eyes oncontinued volatility andrestrictions in the residentialmortgage market.

“They see commercialproperty development ashigh-risk at a time whenthey are continuing to focuson building up theirreserves.

“Some cash-rich buyershave been able to get someincredible bargains, but thedownside of that is thatsome sellers have been hitparticularly hard where theycannot wait for the market torecover.”

Martin stressed: “There ispent-up demand, which willcome forth once moneymarkets ‘free up’ – but it isdifficult at this point to seewhen that will happen. Itmay be another 18 monthsto two years.”

Armitage Sykes conductsa lot of its commercialproperty work in Kirklees,although the departmentalso works in Calderdale –through its Brighouse office– and in Wakefield andLeeds.

“We also have clients whohave moved out of the area,but still want us to representthem,” says Martin. “Wehave developed strongrelationships with our clients

and we have an excellentreputation for retainingclients.

“We undertake detailedclient satisfaction surveys ona regular basis and theoutcome is that 98% of ourclients would recommend usto other people needing ourservices. We have a loyalclient base and a lot of ourwork comes throughrecommendation.”

Martin traces his interest inthe law to the efforts of oneteacher.

“I did law at A-level atWakefield College,” herecalls. “We had this fantasticlecturer – one of thoseexceptional types who justdrew you into the subject andmade it fascinating in a waythat another lecturer wouldbe unable to do.

“Once I got into law,property law was where Iwanted to be working. I havealways had an interest inproperty. If I wasn’t involvedin property law I would beinvolved in property in someother capacity.”

Martin, who grew up inNetherton, Wakefield, gaineda law degree at LeicesterUniversity and completed hisLaw Society finals at LeedsMetropolitan University.

“Wakefield andHuddersfield is my locality,”he says. “I enjoy working in acommunity of this size. I am

not sure it would be the sameexperience in Leeds,Sheffield or Manchester.

“The size of the businesscommunity in Huddersfieldand the wider area means itis possible to build closerelationships with otherprofessionals in the town.

“I also think it means youcan provide a more roundedservice to your clients. Youfind with the bigger firms thatthey are ‘over-specialised’. Ihave been in negotiationswhere I’m facing three or fourspecialist lawyersrepresenting a single client.

“Huddersfield people wanta rounded, complete serviceand they want to talk to oneperson who knowseverything about their case.”

Armitage Sykes, one ofHuddersfield’slong-established law firms,deals mainly with companyand commercial work – suchas commercial property,business acquisitions anddisposals and sharetransactions.

The firm, employing 65people, also deals withissues such as probate, willsand trusts, advice oninheritance tax, residentialconveyancing, litigation,dispute resolution, personalinjury, family andmatrimonial, debt collectionand employment law.

Says Martin: “The name

Armitage Sykes iswell-recognised in the townand the firm has beenaround a long time.

“A lot of firms put too muchemphasis on marketing andgetting people through thedoor at the expense ofpersonal service.

“That’s not a businessmodel to which we subscribe.People don’t want the ‘callcentre’ treatment – they wantto speak to the persondealing with their case. Thevast majority of our workcomes throughrecommendation – and thereis a reason why peoplerecommend us.”

Armitage Sykes is asupporter of KirkwoodHospice, Overgate Hospiceand the Laura Crane Trust.

“We sponsor variousevents,” says Martin, “I try totake part in fund-raisingevents when I can. I was in ateam competing in theKirkwood Hospice It’s A

Knockout a little while back,which was great fun.

“At one point, I did a cycleride from John O’Groats toLand’s End when the hospicewas fundraising for its newannexe about 10 years ago.

“That’s something I’d liketo do again. I’m not ready forit now, but I might try Land’sEnd to John O’Groats atsome stage – or an equallychallenging bike ride,perhaps somewhere hotter!

“I do like cycling. I am partof a group of mountain bikerswho go out every Tuesdaynight and most weekends.

“It started as an informalthing, but it is a commitmentnow – even if we do end upin the pub for a couple ofpints and some porkscratchings to undo all ourgood work!”

■ ON LOCATION: Martin Thompson, of law firm ArmitageSykes, couldn’t be happier with his choice of career

local Page 4 KIRKLEES BUSINESS

TAXTALKColin Barratt

Colin Barratt is tax partner at Wheawill and Sudworth chartered accountants, Huddersfield

Flexible way tobeat ‘sickies’EMPLOYERS should introduceflexible working policies to counterthe problem of workers throwing“sickies”, says an employmentlawyer.Gareth Dando, head of employmentat Ramsdens Solicitors inHuddersfield, said figures fromAon Consulting showed that one infive UK workers feigned an illnesslast time they took a day off workas sick leave – costing theeconomy billions of pounds in lostproduction, benefits andhealthcare.The soaring absence rate in Britainis equivalent to every worker takingat least one day off, yet only 52% ofBrits take a sick day for genuinehealth reasons, according to theAon survey.Some of those phoning in sickwere doing so because they felt anhonest request for time off to carefor children and loved ones wouldbe met with refusal.Mr Dando said employers were welladvised to tackle the issues ofsickness and workplace absence –before they seriously damagedefficiency and hit their balancesheets. Many workers would notfeel forced to take a day as sickleave if they could just be honestand have access to flexibleworking hours or ‘social days’.By giving workers the option toundertake flexible workingpatterns, employers could easeworkplace tensions, improve staffconfidence and increaseproductivity.Among the Aon survey’s findings,15% of people said that moreinteresting work would keep themin the office.And while 11% of people said thethreat of redundancy wouldpersuade them to cut down thenumber of days off for non-medicalreasons, almost a quarter said acash incentive on top of theirsalary would also encourage themto come in to work.”

■ ADVICE: Gareth Dando, ofRamsdens Solicitors

Forward planningTHREE directors at regional developmentagency Yorkshire Forward have beenconfirmed in their posts.Mark Lovell, Clr Mark Kirk and LindaPollard will serve on the board of theLeeds-based agency from December 14and will help steer its multi-million poundprogramme of work throughout 2010 and2011 until the agency closes to make wayfor a new regional support framework.Linda Pollard is deputy chairman ofYorkshire Forward and takes a lead rolein skills, tourism and key accountmanagement.Mark Lovell is executive chairman of A4eLtd. Clr Mark Kirk is leader of NorthLincolnshire Council.

Making Britain aqualified successBRITISH bosses need to boost their manage-ment skills, says a Huddersfield woman.

Business education expert Narinder Uppal hascalled for more senior and middle managers to gofor professional management qualifications.

Narinder, who hails from Fenay Bridge, madethe plea on her appointment as head of theawarding body at the Chartered ManagementInstitute.

Narinder joined the CMI in March last year tobuild up a business leaders’ network promotingbest practice for managers.

Now she will be responsible for promoting theCMI’s management and leadership qualifica-tions and developing its links with its network ofapproved centres – colleges, universities andprivate providers – offering CMI qualificationsto more than 34,000 middle and senior levelmanagers each year.

Said Narinder: “In a climate where managersand leaders are often the first to be blamed, it isimperative that they take steps to develop theskills which other criticise them for lacking.”

But she added: “Developing management cap-ability isn’t just the domain of the employer. Itshould be everyone’s business. The opportunityto drive home this realisation and make a differ-

ence to the quality of UK management issomething I cannot wait to begin.”

Narinder said the case for managers seekingprofessional qualifications was stronger thanever – forecasts suggested the number of man-agers in UK organisations will rise by 900,000

between now and 2017.Employers also needed to get their manage-

ment teams qualified as a way of improvingretention rates – against a backdrop where four in10 people leave their jobs because they are notgiven the training they were promised.

Narinder said individuals should take moreresponsibility for their own skills development toimprove their employment prospects. Evidencesuggested that a professional qualification makessomeone 9% more employable.

Narinder has almost 20 years experience in thebusiness education sector.

She began her career in the sector as a pro-gramme leader for Huddersfield training pro-vider S&S Training before becoming assistanthead of faculty at Calderdale College’s businessand professional department.

Later, as interim director of internationaldevelopment at the London School of Businessand Finance, she helped increase revenue by morethan £1m in little over a year.

She also spent five years as head of educationnetworks at the Chartered Institute of Market-ing, where her shake-up of its accredited studycentre network resulted in it generating 40% oftotal organisational revenue.

■ PROMOTION: Narinder Uppal is urgingmore middle and senior managers to gainprofessional qualifications

Gift Aid well worth itWITH planned public sector expenditure

cutbacks set to commence, there isconcern for many charities over theirsource of funding and they may have todepend further on the generosity of theBritish public in order to carry on theirvaluable work.

For many individuals, significant tax relief isavailable as an added reward.

Since April, 2000, all donations to charities aremade under the Gift Aid scheme, where dona-tions are deemed to have had basic rate tax reliefdeducted by the donor. The charity will receivenot just the amount of donation but the taxdeemed to be withheld.

For individuals who are liable to basic rate tax,broadly those with gross income of up to £43,875,there will be no further tax relief due on the GiftAid donations made. But higher rate taxpayerswill be able to obtain a tax refund on theirdonations equivalent to 25% of the amount paid.(Pay £80 and the charity get back £20 and you geta refund of £20).

With the introduction of the additional 50%tax rate, from April 6, 2010, those with taxableincome in excess of £150,000 will be able to claimeven more tax back on any Gift Aid donationsmade.

For those with income over £100,000 thepersonal allowance will taper away and an indi-vidual with an income above £112,950 will receiveno personal allowance at all.

Individuals with income falling in this rangewho make a Gift Aid donation, or a personalpension contribution for that matter, will obtain atax refund equivalent to 50% of the net payment.

(Pay £80 and you get back £40, the charity gets£20; or a pension contribution of £80 and getback, £40 tax back and the pension fund gets £80plus £20 tax refund).

However, for individuals who make Gift Aiddonations but pay no tax then beware as HMRCwill seek to recover from them the basic rate of taxthat is deemed to have been paid on donations.Philanthropy can come at a price!

Tax relief on Gift Aid donations is usuallyallowed in the year of payment. However, anelection can be made, normally through the SelfAssessment Tax Return, to carry back a lateryear’s donation to the previous tax year. Theavailability of this election allows an individual toobtain higher rate tax relief in the earlier year ifthey know they will only be liable to tax at a lowerrate in the later year.

But there is a deadline for making this election.For 2009-10, the election needs to be made beforeor at the same time as 2009-10 return is preparedand no later than January 31, 2011, otherwise2010-11 donation cannot be carried back.

For married couples suffering different rates oftax, it would be sensible for Gift Aid donations tocharities to be made by the spouse who is thehighest rate taxpayer as they are able to obtain theoptimum relief for these payments.

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

RISKYBUSINESSMark Dalton

Mark Dalton is associatedirector at Wilby Ltd

TrainingassignmentcompletedA CONSULTANCYspecialising in humanresources has completed afour-month project topromote apprenticeships.Shepley-based JCS HRwas commissioned byLocal GovernmentYorkshire & Humber toencourage councils to takeon more apprentices.JCS director Julie Sykessaid: “LGYH approachedme as they needed help toput together a toolkit whichwould encourage andsupport local councils inmaking greater use ofapprenticeships.“Having worked with LGYHpreviously, I was more thanhappy to get involved.“It’s great to receivefeedback on how some ofthe authorities areproposing to use thematerials we haveproduced.”Amanda Glew,apprenticeship managerfor LGYH, said: “Julie’sinput into this project hasbeen invaluable and we areincredibly proud of whatwe have produced.“The feedback we havereceived already from thelocal authorities is veryencouraging.”JCS has worked with LGYHon a number of projects,including research intoredeployment practicesand preparation of jobdescriptions.

Sign of the timesat busy companyA COMPANY supplying signs forhospitals and clinics is focusing onfurther expansion after a move tobigger premises.

Visual Systems and Signs, led byhusband and wife Chris and HelenHunter, has moved from 4,000sq ftpremises in Denby Dale – its homefor more than 20 years – to occupy anew 6,000sq ft unit at Station RoadTechnology Park, Skelmanthorpe.

The move this summer hasenabled the firm to increase work-shop capacity by 50% and salesoffice space by 40%. The extra spacemeant the firm could buy newdigital sign-making equipment andlaminators as well as new graphicdepartment computers.

Mr Hunter said: “Investment innew equipment will enable us tomanufacture more productsin-house as opposed to out-sourcingand provide the ability to supply anew range of products.

“Following the move, we are justabout to offer our apprentice afull-time position, increase thehours of one of our part-timeemployees and start the recruitmentprocess for a full-time sales memberof staff.

“We currently employ eightpeople, all of them living local to thebusiness. The idea is to increase thisfigure to 10 by January, 2011.”

The Hunters acquired the busi-ness through a managementbuy-out in 2003. Mr Hunter had

worked for the previous owners fornine years and progressed fromtrainee salesman to general man-ager.

Following the buy-out, the newowners changed the focus of thebusiness towards the healthcaremarket. During their first two yearsin charge, the company achieved itsbest-ever performance since itsformation in 1981.

Now the company makes signs

and visual display systems rangingfrom patient chart holders locatedon the front of a patients’ bed to bedlocation boards that monitorpatient arrival and discharge.

The company deals with both theNHS and the private healthcaresector nationally and has alsoshipped its products to hospitals inCosta Rica and Germany.

Said Mr Hunter: “The culmina-tion of all our hard work resulted in

forming a working relationship withthe NHS Institute of Innovationand Improvement who saw ourproducts as ‘cutting edge’ for help-ing them implement and achieve theconcept of a ‘productive ward’.

“In essence, a productive ward is awell-run and efficiently organisedhospital ward, where – through theuse of our visual boards – staff areable to speed up patient discharge,thus creating bed space and savingthem thousands of pounds a year.”

Visual Systems and Signs won aregional business award in Januarylast year on the back of achieving itsmost successful year ever.

Mr Hunter said that spurred thecompany onto bigger and betterthings – including a full re-brandcourtesy of Huddersfield-basedbranding agency The EngineRoom.

The firm is also planning toexhibit at the Kirklees BusinessConference in September as part ofefforts to raise its profile locally.

Said Mr Hunter: “Our marketresearch had shown that our cus-tomers perception of us was ‘smallbusiness, homemade design’. Thiswas costing us money.

“As a result of the re-brand, wehave been able to create an identitythat sits well with everyone rangingfrom directors of nursing services tomatrons and ward managers. Con-sequently we have seen an increasein sales and profitability.”

■ GOOD SIGNS: Chris and Helen Hunter are setting their sights on newmarkets for Visual Systems and Signs following a move to new premisesat Skelmanthorpe

Keep up to date with insurance mattersBUSINESSES may be putting

themselves at risk of facinghuge costs by not insuringtheir properties to the full rein-statement value, according to asurvey by a leading insurer.

The survey found that more than7 7 % o f p r o p e r t i e s w e r eunder-insured with an averageincrease to sum insured required ofabout 55%.

This degree of under-insurancecould be devastating to a business inthe event of a major claim such as afire.

If the sum insured is too low thenan insurance policy may not provideenough money to rebuild the prop-erty.

This could leave a business in acritical condition especially giventhe current economic climate.

The recession has led to signific-ant reductions in the market valueof buildings.

This has led to some property

A professional valuation carriedout on a property will ensure it isvalued for the correct amount.

Often valuations are undertaken forbank or sale purposes and these maynot accurately reflect the total costof rebuilding a property.

Some insurers have agreements inplace with valuation suppliers tooffer discounted rates for their cus-tomers meaning they could providea good first point of contact forbusinesses looking to properly valuetheir property.

For further information abouthow to ensure your buildings areadequately insured or for furtherinformation on this topic pleasecontact us now on 01422 358 525 oremail info@wilbyltd.co.uk

ing sums insured should besimilarly reduced.

However, while propertyowners may be looking forsavings in these troubledtimes, it is important thatthis is not at the expense ofinsurance cover.

They should consider avaluation immediately asthey may not have suffi-cient reserves to deal witht h e c o n s e q u e n c e s o funder-insurance.

owners questioning whether therehas been a similar reduction in rein-statement values and whether build-

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

Plea to protecttraining budgets

THE building industry must continue to invest intraining – regardless of the impact of public sectorcuts on construction activity.

Steve Housden, Yorkshire region strategyadviser for sectors skills council CITB-Construc-tionSkills, said construction was crucial to thesuccess of the UK economy.

However, construction output had fallen by 13%during the recession and while output nationallywould average at 1.7% growth this year, Yorkshirewould be slightly weaker at 1.6%.

Said Mr Housden: “Given this background, it isall the more important to secure and maintain theright level of skills and investment in training, sothat the industry has the necessary human capitalto make a positive contribution to the region’sinfrastructure – a pre-requisite to economic recov-ery.

“Many workers have suffered at the hands of thedownturn, being laid off or leaving the industry forgood, which in an upturn leaves the region exposedto skills shortages.

“To prevent this skills shortfall we need to ensurethat we have a sufficient pool of talent to meet the

future demands.”Mr Housden said: “Apprentices are the lifeblood

of the construction industry and a vibrant appren-ticeships programme, supported by government, isthe best way to ensure that Yorkshire and Humberavoids any future skills ‘time bomb’.

“As well as benefits for local firms and the widerindustry, apprenticeships are also vital in helping tocreate opportunities for young people in their owncommunities.

“Only by keeping those opportunities local toour region can we ensure that we help a generationof young people who are not employed or ineducation and training to find work on theirdoorstep.”

Mr Housden said the coalition government hadset a target of £6.25bn of savings this financial yearand cuts to be made in several areas would affectthe construction sector.

But he said: “The government does put skills andtraining high on its list of priorities – investment intraining, as well as a continued focus on retainingand re-skilling current employees, particularly tomeet the green agenda.”

■ TRAINING RUN: SteveHousden, Yorkshire and Humberregional strategy adviser forCITB-ConstructionSkills

Company builds reputation for safetyA HOUSEBUILDER with adevelopment in Kirkleeshas won a top safetyaward.

M c I n e r n e y H o m e s ,which built the Heritagedevelopment at Mirfield,has won a gold award in theRoyal Society for the Pre-vention of Accidents Occu-pational Health & SafetyAwards 2010.

The RoSPA Awardsscheme aims to cut thenumber of accidents andcases of ill-health at workand encourage organisa-tions to develop robusthealth and safety manage-ment systems.

McInerney collected itsaward during a presenta-tion ceremony in Birming-ham during Safety & HealthExpo 2010 , Europe ’spremier health and safetyat work exhibition.

T h e c o m p a n y w a s

judged on its accidentrecords and on strictstandards of managementand health and safety per-formance.

Lee Mills, UK health andsafety director for McIner-ney Group, said: “We’reabsolutely delighted tohave secured a gold awardfrom RoSPA.

“We’ve developed abespoke management sys-tem for McInerney’s busi-ness and our expert teamdelivers health, safety andenvironment stra tegyacross the group.

“It’s fantastic to have ourhard work recognised withsuch an influential awardand to be honoured withgold as a leader in our field.The work will continue aswe hone our health, safetyand environment systemsand build on this year’ssuccess.”

■ SAFE HANDS: Lee Mills (right), UK health and safety director forMcInerney Group, receives the gold award on behalf of McInerney Homesfrom RoSPA trustee Ian Walker

Investmentmarket gainsmomentumINVESTMENT in the UK commercialproperty investment market has risen to atwo-year high, according to latest figures.

National commercial propertyconsultancy Lambert Smith Hamptonreported 15 deals worth more than £100mduring the second quarter of the year,accounting for £3bn of the total.

Overseas investors replaced UKinstitutions as the most active investors inUK commercial property, accounting fornine of the top 20 positions in LSH’s mostactive buyers index.

The largest transaction during thequarter was the £580m purchase of theKnightsbridge Estate by Saudi Arabianinvestor Olayan Group from AvestusCapital Partners – formerly QuinlanPrivate.

However, investment activity acrossYorkshire fell during the second quarter of2010 to just over £200m, compared withthe £233m achieved during the firstquarter of the year.

While the number of individualtransactions rose, the average deal pricedropped by almost 25% to just under£10m.

The retail and leisure sector accountedfor 54% of total activity in the region –although that figure is swelled by onetransaction, CIT Group’s acquisition ofPrinces Quay Shopping Centre in Hull,which was the region’s largest deal at£71m.

Other key transactions includedHermes’ sale of BT’s Yorkshireheadquarters on Sovereign Street inLeeds for £40.17m and Jersey-basedEdiston Opportunity Fund’s acquisition ofCutlers Gate in Sheffield for £14.3m.

LSH said it had also seen a smallrecovery in the lending market.

Ezra Nahome, chief executive of LSH,said: “The market has become morebroadly based in recent months withrenewed buying activity from severalsources that have been out of the marketfor some time.

“The greater variation of buyers mustbode well for the coming months, in whatwe believe will be a more challengingmarket.”

Mr Nahome said that after a period ofincreased activity at the start of 2010,which had resulted in a swift adjustment invalues, the market was expected to gothrough a period of consolidation as itfound its new level.

He said: “The market needs to pausefor breath, to allow investors to becomecomfortable with the new yield regime.”

To date, yield improvement had beenfocused on prime assets, with secondaryproperty values in some cases stilllanguishing at levels set near the bottomof the market. This was likely to remainthe case until investors became moreconfident about the underlying strength ofthe economy.

This may take some time to beestablished and fears of dipping back intorecession did nothing to help investorsentiment.

Said Mr Nahome: “The austeritypackage instigated by the newgovernment has made investors unsureabout the prospects for the recovery in theeconomy.

“The early signs from the equity marketshowed nervousness, but propertyremains an attractive asset class and –with running yields of almost 6.5% –compares favourably with the returninvestors can achieve by investing theircash in the equity or bond markets.

“The market may have come a long wayin a short period of time, but this hasarguably been too much too soon andfurther improvement will be harder toachieve for the remainder of the year.”

A SHORTAGE of buyers sent house pricesfalling in July for the first time since February,according to figures from the NationwideBuilding Society.The latest survey by the mortgage lendersaid the average price of a UK propertydropped by 0.5% to £169,347 between Juneand July.Nationwide said the fall came as the numberof househunters numbers dwindled amiduncertainty over jobs and the wider eco-nomy as the Government ramped up itsausterity drive.

The scrapping of home information packsalso tempted more sellers on to the market,which has seen supply outstrip demand.July’s fall comes after growth stalled in June,although prices remain higher on ayear-on-year basis. Nationwide said priceswere 6.6% higher on an annual basis in July- lower than the 8.7% in June.James England, head of residential forestate agency Carter Jonas in Huddersfield,said: “Supply has improved considerably inthe past month or two and while this willnaturally place some downward pressure on

prices, we expect them to stay in this generalrange due to the extremely low base rate.“A degree of price stabilisation was inevit-able after the strong growth seen in thesecond half of 2009.”Said Mr England: “We are beginning to seea divide in the market between the mid tohigher end, where demand is still strong andproperty prices are staying firm, and thelower end, where confidence and the abilityto arrange mortgage finance are certainlyconstraining factors. A two tier market isslowly beginning to form.”

House prices fall as supply rises

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 7

Waitrose unveilslocal shops planSUPERMARKET chain Waitroseis seeking sites for new stores inWest Yorkshire – with Kirklees oneof the districts being considered.

The retailer is keen to roll outnew stores – creating hundreds ofjobs – in town and city centres aswell as suburban areas across thearea.

Retail specialists at the Leedsoffice of property consultants KingSturge have been appointed to findand acquire suitable sites as part ofWaitrose’s plans to open 30 newstores throughout the UK nextyear.

The first new-format Waitroseconvenience store opened in Cam-bridgeshire earlier this year, creat-ing about 40 jobs. A further fivehave followed.

Waitrose is seeking sites suitablefor stores with a sales area of3,000sq ft to 7,000sq ft or 4,00sq ftto 10,000sq ft gross in town and citycentres, transport hubs and the sub-urbs. The team at King Sturge saidit already had several sites underconsideration.

Jonathan Newns, head of theKing Sturge in-town retail team,said: “Waitrose’s move into smallerstores demonstrates that conveni-ence shopping is a growing mar-ket.

“Today’s busy lifestyles mean

that customers want choice andaccess to food shopping on theirdoorstep. The convenience storeswhich open in the north will help tocreate easier access to a widerchoice of quality products which isgood news for shoppers.”

Said Mr Newns: “From a prop-erty point of view, the smallerformat stores should be easier toaccommodate as they allow forgreater flexibility in the size of retailunit and location and should

encounter fewer potential planninghurdles.”

Research based on shopping pat-terns at Waitrose’s existing conveni-ence shops shows that customersuse them to buy everything theyneed for the next 24 hours.

The new stores in the north willfocus on freshly-baked bread, sand-wiches, salads, deli products andindividually-wrapped cakes, quickmeals, fresh meat and fish as well as

household items such as health andbeauty goods, cleaning products,greetings cards and gift wrap,

The Leeds office of King Sturgeis one of the region’s largest inde-pendent firms of chartered survey-ors and property consultants with70 staff providing property agencyand investment services throughoutYorkshire and Humber and NorthDerbyshire.

Revamped units set to boostsupply of industrial propertyINDUSTRIAL units at Brighouse have beenplaced on the market following refurbishmentwork on the properties by its new owner.

MB Services has completed partial extensionand refurbishment at Caldervale Works to forma series of self-contained industrial units rangingin size from 2,857sq ft to 29,581sq ft.

The units will each have secure yards andparking and a large steel roller shutter loadingdoor.

A spokesman for MB Services said: “We haveand will continue to invest significantly in therefurbishment and extension of the existingbuilding structure to provide a range of work-shop units to satisfy local demand.

“We have noted a particular shortage ofsmaller industrial units to let at the present time– particularly in the immediate Brighouse area –and we believe that following the economicdownturn that the units we are creating atCaldervale Works will appeal to the market.”

MB Services, based at Deighton, is one of thelargest commercial property landlords inKirklees with more than 500,000sq ft of indus-trial, retail and commercial properties.

Paul Andrew, of Walker Singleton, who isjoint marketing agent for the property, said:“Caldervale Works lends itself well to sub-divi-sion to form the smaller industrial units occupi-

ers demand at the moment.“It occupies an excellent location on the edge

of Brighouse town centre and benefits from easy

access to Junction 25 of the M62.“We anticipate that there will be a good level

of interest from potential occupiers.”

Property salerealises £5.2mSTRONG demand for residentialstock contributed to proceeds ofmore than £5.2m being generatedat the latest Eddisons propertyauction.Some 79 lots out of 112 offeredwere sold at the two-day saleheld in Leeds and Manchester – a70% success rate.Eddisons said interest in theresidential stock was in responseto sensible pricing which hadbeen set to reflect current marketconditions.Tony Webber, of Eddisons, said:‘With bank lending remainingdifficult, we advised vendors toset prices at realistic levels. Thisencouraged multiple bidding formany of the lots which droveprices beyond their originalguides.“It is clear that residentialproperty remains the preferredlong-term investment of choicefor many people.”Highlights included a vacantformer farm and outbuildings inWakefield which was sold onbehalf of Wakefield Council for£162,000 off a guide price of£100,000-plus. Old Park Farm onWelbeck Lane includes afarmhouse in need of renovation,a barn and derelict stables.A vacant doctor’s surgery inBatley was sold for £190,000. Theformer Undercliffe Surgery wasoffered with planning consent forconversion to two houses. It hadbeen marketed previously at£275,000.A number of pubs acrossYorkshire and Derbyshire offeredby Punch Taverns were alsosnapped up by individual buyersat prices above their originalguides.The next sale takes place onSeptember 16 at Leeds UnitedFootball Club, Elland Road,Leeds, and on September 21 atThe Fairways Lodge and LeisureClub, Prestwich, Manchester.

■ SPACE FINDER: MB Services has completed work to extend and refurbish part of CaldervaleWorks at River Street, Brighouse, to form a series of self-contained industrial units

■ STORE STRATEGY: Jonathan Newns (left), partner with propertyagency King Sturge in Yorkshire, says Waitose is keen to expand itsconvenience store format in the region

Housebuilderis UK’s bestTHE developer of a majorhousing scheme in Huddersfieldhas been named as the besthousebuilder in the UK.CALA Homes, which built theHexagon residential developmentat Birkby, came top in six of theeight categories in a nationalsurvey of people who boughtnew homes in 2009. The surveywas undertaken by he HomeBuilders Federation.CALA topped the ranking on thetwo key measures of overallcustomer satisfaction and ofcustomers prepared torecommend the company’shomes to a friend with scores of95.6% and 97.2% respectively.CALA was also ranked best forcompleting homes on time(95%); the condition of the homeon move-in day (94%); thestandard of finish (95%) ; andpost move-in service (88%).The company beating theaverage score on each occasionby more than 12%.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Philip Kelshaw

FlexitallicINDUSTRIAL sealingscompany Flexitallic Grouphas appointed Philip Kelshawas managing director.

Mr Kelshaw (pictured)spent more than 20 years inthe chemical industry beforemoving to sealing technologyin 2005 at Precision PolymerEngineering in Blackburn.

He joined Flexitallic assales and engineering director in 2007 and wenton to focus on improving distributor networksand material supply chains.

As part of the Cleckheaton company’srestructuring, former managing director DavidMitchell becomes group corporate developmentdirector and Alex Lattimer has been promoted tocommercial director with responsibilities fordirecting internal sales. Stuart Lumley has beenappointed as operations director responsible formanufacturing and logistics.

Julie Charlton

Horizon SignsA SIGN manufacturing firm has announced anew appointment.

Horizon Signs, based at Milnsbridge, hasappointed Julie Charlton as national accountsmanager.

The move follows a period of expansion whichhas seen the company invest in a new powdercoating works and set up a sister company tofocus on the education market.

Ms Charlton, who is pictured (above) withdirector George Foster, joins the team with morethan 10 years experience working in sales as anaccount manager for blue chip companies suchas Wrigleys.

She will work on key accounts at Horizon,overseeing the entire process from order throughto completion.

Setting a trendwith teamwork

A KIRKLEES-based online boutique hasmade a smart move.

Cleckheaton-based Business Wardrobe,which provides designer office wear for women,has reported a massive rise in visits to itswebsite after forming a partnership with BettyJackson to stock its spring/summer range oftailored workwear.

Since March, Business Wardrobe has beenstocking items from the Betty Jackson Twocollection.

Jane Dawson, director of Business Ward-robe, said the relationship was proving verysuccessful as both companies recognised theimportance for women to look stylish in theworkplace while not compromising on comfortor quality.

Betty Jackson, launched in 1981, is a leadingUK fashion brand offering a wide range ofwomenswear. It has also recently expanded into

footwear and accessories.Although Betty Jackson ranges are sold

nationwide in department stores, it is not yetwidely available online – making BusinessWardrobe a great outlet for the label.

Said Jane: “We’re delighted with the successof the Betty Jackson Two collection.

“Our customers love the brand.“It is quality women’s workwear at its best

and we’ve seen a substantial rise in visits to thewebsite since we started stocking Betty Jack-son.”

Gianluca Consoli, international sales man-ager for the Betty Jackson brand, said: “Ourspring/summer collection shows that workweardoesn’t have to be dull.

“With an injection of colour and great tailor-ing, women can look forward to dressing forwork.”

Joanne Williamson

Lloyds TSBLLOYDS TSB CorporateMarkets has appointed JoanneWilliamson as businessdevelopment director for Northand West Yorkshire.

Ms Williamson (pictured) hasmore than 25 years’ bankingexperience, including 14 yearsworking in the corporatebanking arena. She is creditedwith playing a key role in thecreation of Lloyds TSB’s corporate office inLeeds in 1996 and was part of the teamdelivering support and financial solutions tobusinesses across the city and the wider regionfor 12 years.

Ms Williamson will work with area directorShaun Ellenthorpe and is joined by two newrelationship support managers, Richard Howarthand Michelle Oates. Ms Oates joins from LloydsTSB’s Manchester office, while Mr Howarth,already based in Leeds, joins from the bank’sbusiness support team.

■ SUITED: Jane Dawson,director of Business Wardrobe

There mustbe an angelA TOP award has winged its way over to acompany in Huddersfield.

Longwood-based accounting softwareprovider Liquid Accounts was recognisedat the British Business Angels AssociationAwards – when it scooped the categoryfor Angel-VC Deal of the Year.

The category was open to individualventure capitalists, business angelnetworks, groups and syndicates andindividual investors who had successfullystructured a deal including both VC andangel investment.

Liquid Accounts raised £770,000 ofinvestment funding in February by sellingan 18% stake to a syndicate of prominentlocal business angels.

A further 12% was match-funded by theGovernment’s flagship fund for women-ledbusinesses, The Aspire Fund. Thatsupport was secured through marketingdirector Lisa Kendrick, one of the foundersand owners of Liquid Accounts.

She said: ““We’re delighted that ourefforts and success have been recognisedand we’re proud to win such a high-profileaward.

“The fact that we managed to raisesuch a substantial investment, especiallyin a recession, is testament to how muchthe business has grown since starting outfive years ago.”

The award was collected on behalf ofthe firm by Ken Cooper, of Capital forEnterprise. He said: “Liquid won becausetheir recent investment was a greatexample of a strong syndicate of businessangels working effectively with a moreformal venture fund.”

The main speaker at the awardspresentation in Manchester was JulieMeyer, founder of Entrepreneur Country,chief executive officer of Ariadne Capitaland panellist on BBC’s Dragon's DenOnline.

The BBAA is the only national tradeassociation dedicated to promoting angelinvesting and supporting early stageinvestment in the UK.

Say cheese – twice over

CHEESEMONGER Cryer & Stott hasachieved an awards double.

The West Yorkshire company has wonthe Business of the Month Award – runby Huddersfield law firm Eaton Smith inassociation with the Lockwood-basedMid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce –for the second time after impressingjudges with its latest expansion plans.

The Castleford-based firm began as apartnership in May, 1998, and runs as afamily business. It is a wholesale“consolidator” buying food from 40 to 50local suppliers as well as producing itsown range of cheeses.

The company plans to expand itsactivities following the recent acquisitionof premises at Allerton Bywater. The newfacility will include a small café and willalso sell cheese, meat, bread and freshproduce as well as preserves which willbe made on the premises.

Cryer & Stott have also won a

£120,000 contract to supply its “artisancheeses” to several local football clubs,as well as supplying £20,000 worth ofspecialist cheeseboards to the St Ledgerat Doncaster Racecourse and to YorkRacecourse.

The company anticipates significantgrowth and is predicting that turnover willrise by £300,000 in the next 18 months.This growth will create a further ninefull-time and five part-time positions.

Richard Holmes, director of Cryer &Stott said: ''Winning the Eaton SmithBusiness of the Month Award means agreat deal to us. It’s wonderful that ourcommitment to supporting localproducers has brought us recognition.

The award is open to all companies inCalderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield.

For more details visit the websitewww.eatonsmith.co.uk or contact IanGreenwood of Eaton Smith on 01484821389

■ TWICE AS NICE: Chris Taylor (centre), of Eaton Smith, presents the award toClaire Holmes (second right) and Jemma Hammond (right), of Cryer & Stott Ltd,watched by (from left) Karen Borowski, of Revell Ward; Tracy Smith, of the MidYorkshire of Commerce; and Kate Dallas-Wood, of Business Link