Kirklees Business News, April 2009

April, 2009 238

Bang on targetA MARKETING agency in Hudders-field has been awarded contractsworth £250,000 by a leading creativeagency.

Bang, based at King’s Mill Lane, hassecured work from Leeds-based Pro-paganda, which was founded in Hud-dersfield.

The deal includes taking on£250,000 of work from Propaganda inthe next 12 months.

To support the move, several mem-bers of staff will move across fromPropaganda to Bang and Propa-ganda

And Laura Kynaston, joint man-aging director at Propaganda, will take

up a post of non-executive director onBang’s board.

A mentoring scheme will also be setup between senior members at Propa-ganda and staff at Bang to shareexperience, knowledge and insightsinto current clients.

Propaganda, which has 50 employ-ees, said the contract would allow theLeeds-based agency to focus on itsstrategic and creative work with majorclients as it it develops a consultancyrole.

Bang will be responsible for imple-menting creative work ranging frombrochures and packaging to advert-ising campaigns and websites.

Said Ms Kynaston: “Propaganda’sroots began in Huddersfield, so it isgreat to be forming a relationship withanother local company and putting asignificant amount of finance backinto the business community.”

Bang marketing director Chris Gar-ratt said: “Our relationship with Pro-paganda – and the high expectationsthey have – clearly demonstrates thestrength and quality of the work thatwe produce.

“The announcement marks animportant step in Bang’s growthstrategy, which will see us build ourprofile in the regional agency scene.”

Failing to benefitfrom going greenNORTHERN firms are fallingbehind businesses in other UKregions of Britain when it comesto adopting environmentalpolicies – and missing out onpossible cost savings.

That’s just one of the findingsof recent research which lookedat business organisations’ greenpolicies and the ways in whichthey deal with the issue of wasteoffice furniture.

Each year, 500,000 tonnes ofwaste furniture is sent to landfillby organisations from across theUK – a figure that many expertsfear will only worsen given thecurrent economic conditionsand the heightened risk of busi-ness failure.

The research by business

movers Robinsons found that15% of businesses in the northhad disposed of up to 500 piecesof furniture in the past 12months – 5% up on the nationalaverage and almost double thatof any other region.

Most of the discarded fur-niture went into skips or the localtip, meaning it all ended up inlandfill.

The research also found thatbusinesses in the North were theleast knowledgeable about theirenvironmental obligations com-pared to their peers in the Mid-lands and the South.

More than half had no CSR orenvironmental policy in place –5% higher than the national aver-age.

■ DEAL MAKERS: Propaganda joint managing director Laura Kynaston with Bang directors Chris Garratt (centre)and Matt Skelland

Commercial Bankinghsbc.com/commercial

Your business successis out there. Is your bank?Call Jill Hague on 08455 848702Email [email protected] in to Huddersfield andHalifax Commercial Centre

2 KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSApril, 2009

COMMENT

byHenryk Zientek

Read Henryk Zientek'sBusiness reports Monday

to Friday in ...

Inside Issues● Pump company taken over – page 3● Principles goes Stateside – page 4● Call to step up road funding – page 6● Meritmill finds a partner – page 7● Milnsbidge costume drama – page 9● Birstall haulier at the hub – page 11● New owners at Concorde – page 13● Anger at parking levy plan – page 14● Fifty years for Allsops – page 16● Green success for supplier – page 19

A Trinity Mirror Huddersfield publication

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS IS MAILEDFREE OF CHARGE TO NAMED INDIVIDUALSIN ALMOST EVERY BUSINESS IN KIRKLEES

EditorialHENRYK ZIENTEK

(01484) [email protected]

Distribution & AdvertisingANNE BARRETT

(01484) [email protected]

Recycled paper made up75.5% of the raw material

for UK newspapers in 2004

FINANCIAL REPORT

IF there’s one topic guaranteed toprovoke the public, it’s car parking.From complaints about “over-zealous”

traffic wardens to anger over “exorbitant”charges for council-run car parks, the sub-ject is rarely out of the headlines.

Now, business leaders are fuming oversuggestions that local authorities should beallowed to charge companies for the work-place parking spaces they provide theirstaff.

The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Com-merce is among business organisations lob-bying the Government to scrap proposalsfor a Workplace Parking Levy, which isbeing suggested as a way to raise revenues tofund public transport.

They rightly point out that now is not thetime to be talking about adding extra coststo businesses already battling a deep anddevastating recession.

The chamber has called it “a tax to far”and expressed concern that anyone shouldbe contemplating such a move when the“wealth-creating” sector needs all the help itcan get to turn around the fortunes ofindividual firms and the economy.

As a way to encourage more people ontobuses and trains, the Workplace ParkingLevy is all stick and no carrot. It will onlyreinforce the cynical view that councils viewmotorists as an easy target for raisingfunds.

Given how much they hand over in roadtax, fuel duty and other costs, surely they arealready doing more than their share?

Bankruptcyrates soarMORE people across Yorkshire are declar-ing bankruptcy as the recession deepens,latest figures have revealed.

Huddersfield and Dewsbury were amongthe worst-hit in West Yorkshire, accordingto figures from the Ministry of Justice.

A total of 64 people in Huddersfieldpetitioned for bankruptcy during thefourth quarter of 2008 – up by 50% on thesame period in 2007. The figure for Dews-bury was 98 – more than double the tally forthe final three months of 2007.

Some 861 people petitioned for bank-ruptcy in West and North Yorkshire – 50%up on the previous period. The figuresshowed increases of 78% for Wakefield,76% for Leeds, 49% for Bradford and 18%for Halifax.

There was a 32% increase in the numberof people making themselves bankrupt inEngland and Wales. There was also a 12%increase in the use of Individual VoluntaryArrangements – where an individual infinancial distress reaches agreement withcreditors to restructure their debts.

Society underlinessolid performanceYORKSHIRE Building Societydelivered another solid perform-ance – and said it remained one ofthe UK’s strongest savings institu-tions in a year of unprecedentedturmoil for financial markets.

The society, which has its rootsin Huddersfield and ioperates sev-era l branches in K irklees,strengthened its funding and cashposition during 2008 withoutrecourse to taxpayer support.

The Bradford-based societysaid its performance had not beenimmune to the global bankingcrisis, but said its underlying fin-ancial strength meant it was “verywell-placed” to weather the cur-rent storm.

It had also protected savers bynot passing on the full impact ofthe Bank of England base ratecuts – which over the course of ayear will make its savers £50mbetter off than they would haveotherwise been.

During the year the Yorkshirecompleted its merger with Barns-ley Building Society, increasedmember savings balances by£1.2bn and reduced its manage-ment expense ratio for the thirdyear running.

Operating profits totalled£53m, although pre-tax profit of£8.3m were affected by the Finan-cial Services CompensationScheme charge of £14.7m for the

failures of Bradford & Bingley,Icelandic and London Scottishbanks.

Chief executive Iain Cornishsaid: “The Yorkshire reactedextremely early to a crisis whichbegan in mid-2007 and intensifiedthroughout 2008. Our capital andour funding position are amongstthe very strongest in the UK fin-ancial sector.

“At a time when competition forretail funds has been particularlyaggressive, we have grown ourretail member savings balances by£1.2bn, more than enough to fundall our mortgage growth in 2008and without having to resort tounsustainable savings rates.”

Awards night honoursstudents to count on!TALENTED young accountants havebeen recognised at a regional awardsnight.

Prizes were presented at the annualdinner of the Leeds Chartered Account-ants Students’ Society at the RoyalArmouries in Leeds.

The evening also raised more than£2,250 for the Yorkshire Cancer Centre,based at the St James’s Institute ofOncology in Leeds.

The award for Young CharteredAccountant of the Year 2009 went toVictoria Wilson, of Grant Thornton, whowon a luxury weekend for two in Milan.

Second place was awarded to KristinaSohanpaul, from Ernst & Young, andthird place to Elizabeth Holloway, ofPwC.

Tim Lincoln, audit partner at GrantThornton, said: “Victoria is a fantasticperson to have around the office and she

demonstrates great initiative andexpertise beyond core audit work. Thisis also brilliant news for Grant Thornton,and shows our commitment firm-wide tothe local market.”

Lee Sweeney, egional driector forawards sponsor Sharp Consultancy,said: “The three judges really put the sixfinalists through their paces this yearwith questioning which reflected theeconomic realities all business nowface.

“It’s a credit to them all that they couldsoon drill down to the key issues show-ing that their clients are truly in safehands”

The Young Accountant of the Yearaward celebrates the achievements ofyoung chartered accountants who arejudged on professionalism, both in andout of the office, work competence andoverall personality.

■ WINNING LINE: Pictured at the West Yorkshire Young Accountant of the YearAwards are (from left) Joseph Hennigan, Chris Hirst, Elizabeth Holloway, Victoria Wilson,Lee Sweeney, Kristina Sohanpaul and George Herd

Iain Cornish, chief executive,Yorkshire Building Society

Whether you are looking at buying a new business or sellingyour existing one, there are plenty of things to think aboutincluding:• Valuation range and structuring options• Financing arrangements• Tax-planning ideasFor truly independent adviceand guidance, backed by yearsof experience, please contactAm Hayer orDavid ButterworthTel: 01484 423691email: [email protected]

Chartered AccountantsBusiness &Tax Advisers

Registered Auditorswww.wheawills.co.uk

3KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSApril, 2009

Pump repair firmaims to progressunder new ownersAN engineering company in Hud-dersfield has new owners.

TAPS Ltd, based at FieldhouseBusiness Park, off Leeds Road, hasbeen bought by AxFlow UK Ltd foran undisclosed sum. All 18 employ-ees in Hudders f ie ld w i l l beretained.

TAPS Ltd, formed in 1994,provides a nationwide repair andsales service covering a wide rangeof pumps and mechanical seals.

The takeover is seen as a majordevelopment for AxFlow as itprovides the company with a sub-stantial in-house pump mainten-ance engineering based for its northof England customers and potentialclients.

AxFlow managing director TonyPeters said: “This is the mostimportant development that we

have undertaken in the UK. It estab-lishes AxFlow as one of the leadingpump and service suppliers in thecountry.

“Bringing TAPS into AxFlowgives us the additional engineeringresources that will allow us toexpand our capabilities.

“Under the stewardship offounder Tom Cooper, TAPS hasbuilt up a fine team of engineers andsupport staff, which will be a greatasset to the AxFlow group of com-panies.”

Mr Cooper said: “I started TAPS.over 13 years ago and I am veryproud that we have achievedyear-on-year growth throughoutthis period.

“Now is the right time to joinforces with a much larger organisa-tion that can give us the support and

financial strength to develop agreater customer base and gainincreased market share. Joiningforces with AxFlow presents us witha fantastic opportunity.”

Mr Cooper said integrating TAPSinto the AxFlow UK operation gaveAxFlow the capabilities to providemaintenance and service facilitiesfor a far wider range of pumps thanit has in the past.

The company said “considerable”investment has been made in newequipment at the Huddersfieldplant, including the installation oftwo new cranes capable of lifting 15tonnes in tandem to enable largerpumps to be handled.

Other investment has includedtesting facilities, a new shot blastingmachine bay and a spray paintingbooth.

Back on theprizes trail!A PUBLIC relations agency founded by Gomersal womanSuzanne Johsn is celebrating with its first nationaindustry award nomination of 2009.

The multi-award winning team at Approach PR hasbeen shortlisted for Best Small Consultancy in the FreshPR Awards. It will compete against agencies fromManchester and Newcastle in the competition inManchester.

The nomination comes hot on the heels of clinching twoChartered Institute of Public Relations PRide awards in2008.

The Fresh PR awards were created to celebrate innova-tion and creativity within consultancies outside theM25.

The national judges shortlisted Approach PR in acompetitive two-stage decision process.

Suzanne, who is managing director of the Brad-ford-based agency, said: “Being nominated for a nationalaward so soon after the CIPR PRide awards is a real boostfor the team who work incredibly hard to really make adifference to our diverse mix of clients.

“It’s been a fantastic 12 months for us in a difficulttrading climate with four recent new business wins, tworegional PR awards under our belt and now a national PRnomination.”

The five-strong team has recently secured new busi-ness contracts with Skipton-based Rendezvous Hotel;Leeds Brassiere No 3 York Place and Bradford’s ownbusiness brainchild, the Yorkshire Biz Awards.

Alongside managing international brands such as Déli-france UK Ltd and national charitable campaigns such asNational Eczema Week, Approach PR also led the nationaland regional media campaign for “Who Do We Think WeAre Week” headed by Bradford’s Schools Linking Net-work.

“In a time where many companies are cutting budgetsand staff we are working with and being approached byclients who recognise they need to become more proact-ive to survive,” said Suzanne.

“Our strategy of looking closer to home is clearlypaying off and it feels really good to be working withbusinesses on our doorstep.

“We’ve had a great start to the year and we’re trulydelighted to have ongoing recognition for our campaignsand acknowledgement of the development of our busi-ness and team.”

■ TEAM EFFORT: Suzanne Johns (front) and theApproach PR team are seeking their first awardssuccess of 2009 – after a series of successes lastyear. Previous triumphs have included winning twoChartered Institute of Public Relations PRide awardsfor campaigns on behalf of their clients

Company news?Appointments?Contact HenrykZientek at KBN on01484 437766

Ring today for a free consultation and quote

01484 437435www.contegosecuritysystems.co.uk

Intruder Alarm, Access ControlCCTV Specialist

OR VISIT WWW.HUDDERSFIELD-PRINTING.COM

TO REQUEST A BUYING GUIDE CALL US NOW ON:

01484 609 847

LETTERHEADSSTICKERSLEAFLETSFOLDED LEAFLETSBUSINESS CARDSFLYERS& MORE . . .

HUDDERSFIELD

managing & protecting your wealth

T 01484 608 095www.robertsonbaxter.co.uk

contact Greg Robertsonor Stephen Baxter


Roger Pearson is a project managerat P2 Technologies Ltd, Lockwood

Roger Pearson

TECHTALK

UnlockinghiddenpotentialKIRKLEESbusinesses canunlock hidden profitsby takng steps tordeuce their impact onthe environment, it isclaimed.Business advicegroup Envirowise,said the UK’sstruggling retailsector alone couldreap the rewards ofsignificantly reducingthe £360m worth ofwaste it produceseach year.Now the group haslaunched a guideadvising retailers andothers on how todevelop a cost-savingenvironmentalstrategy.Elin Crebbin,Envirowise regionalmanager forYorkshire, said: “For abusiness to be trulycompetitive, it needsto improve itsperformance acrossall areas.“As environmentalregulations are morerigidly enforced andcompetitive pressuresincrease, failure tomake the most ofresources andminimise waste couldprove an expensivemistake for manycompanies.“The EnvironmentalStrategic Reviewguide helps todemystify the processby providing simple,straightforward advicethat will helpbusinesses betterunderstand wherethey are in termsofresource efficiencyand enable them totake crucial stepstowards makingimprovements.”The ESR guide isavailable at www.envirowise.gov.uk orby calling 0800 585794

Principle aimshigher in USAA COMPANY in Huddersfieldhas opened offices in the USA – aspart of efforts to help customersmake a name for themselvesacross the States.

Waterloo-based global brand-ing business Principle Group hasset up premises in Knoxsville,Tennessee, and launched PrincipleUS Inc to help spearhead itsambitious growth plans acrossNorth and South America.

Managing director RichardButterfield said: “The US officewill form the hub for all of ouractivity across the Americas. Wehave a successful track record inimplementing branding projectsacross the US, including nation-wide branding projects for a num-ber of major clients.”

Principle US Inc will have aninitial workforce of 20. The USarm is headed by chief executiveofficer David Pitt, who has morethan 15 years’ experience in theindustry.

The company is looking to cap-italise on key relationships it hasbuilt up in the brand design

industry with clients includingWolff Olins, 20 /20 Ltd andFuturebrand to secure majorglobal and US-based brandimplementation projects.

Principle Group – winner of thecategory for creative business inthe 2008 Examiner BusinessAwards – was established in theUK in 1987 and operates across50 countries.

It specialises in large-scalenational and international brand-

ing projects for clients includingBarclays, HSBC, Xerox and steelgiant Arcelor Mittal.

Said Mr Butterfield: “Withinthe US, we expect to generate amulti-million pound turnover thisyear and expect this to continue torise as more and more Fortune500 companies in the US start torealise that Principle Group Inc istheir trusted brand implementa-tion partner.

“We realise the importance ofbrands and the impact poorbranding can have on a company’sreputation and sales.”

Principle Group’s work rangesfrom designing signs for factoriesand offices and producing highquality vinyl graphics for vehicleliveries to setting up exhibitionstands and designing office interi-ors.

The company, which has morethan 100 employees, started outfrom a rented office in a formertextile mill in Scissett. Its firstcontracts were to provide signs forcommercial buildings.

Food industry group has appetiteto promote best of Yorkshire fareA GROUP promoting Yorkshire’s foodand drinks industry is expanding its opera-tions team.

The new team at the Regional FoodGroup for Yorkshire and Humber will helpto develop customer service and supportbusiness growth.

Services available include faster enquiryresponses, bespoke focus groups and tast-ing panels as well as tailored informationabout networking events and promotions.

RFG operations director Colin Richsaid: “It’s a great testament to the businessthat we’ve needed to increase both our

personnel and the services we offer to meetthe demand from an increased number ofmembers – now over 350 – and our expand-ing client base for specialist services.

“We’re pleased that our newly expandedteam is now in place and that we cancontinue to deliver our clients’ objectivesto the highest standard, ensuring that allour members and clients receive the bestservice possible.”

The team operates from six departments– client and membership service, sales,consumer projects and corporate relations,technical services, skills and workforce

development, and trade development.It will continue to offer services includ-

ing advice and support on food technology,market research, product and businessdevelopment, training, supply chain devel-opment, innovation, design, distributionand export.

RFG is also recruiting for two furtherpositions of account manager and salesco-ordinator. RFG members and clientsrange from small independent producers tomultinationals covering wholesale, retail,distribution, hospitality, specialist serviceand production.

■ TEX MESSAGE: Principle Group’s headquarters at Tandem Industrial Estate, Waterloo. The companyhas now launched a US-based operation

■ WINNER: Richard Butterfield,Principle Group managingdirector

UncloudedjudgementARE you thinking about Cloud Com-

puting? Is it right for my business?Does it work?

Thinking about it is probably the right placeto be just now as one of the major cloudcomputing vendors, Google, has suffered asignificant failure with users unable to accessemail, calendars and contact information.

For the average home user this is not goingto spoil the day, but how would your businesscope if your CRM, accounts or line of businessapplication was unavailable?

Even more worrying perhaps that this canhappen to the likes of Google, who you wouldexpect to have the ultimate in resilient failsafesystems.

Cloud computing is, as the name perhapssuggests, a slightly hazy concept. A Cloudservice is typically an application run onservers and infrastructure owned, located andoperated by a service provider outside yourorganisation. Applications are typicallydelivered to you via an internet connectionand usually paid for on an ongoingmonthly/annual basis.

The attraction, marketing and also the riskof Cloud Computing is in handing overresponsibility for key business applications toa third party.

Because your business depends on theseapplications, if you are considering taking theplunge then it is extremely important to do duediligence. While there may be benefits ofmoving to a hosted/cloud system, there is somesuggestion that the cloud is inherently goodand this is not always the case.

As with many things, you are likely to getwhat you pay for.

Security and availability are two of the keyconcerns.

Alex Hamer, partner at City law firm Reyn-olds Porter Chamberlain points out that theuse of cloud computing could lead to breachesof the Data Protection Act.

The important point here is to be aware ofyour regulatory requirements and ensure thata potential provider provides an appropriatelysecure service to match.

The Google problem above is an example ofthe availability issue and when your applica-tions and data could be located in a data centreon the other side of the country (or the world)you need to know who to call in the event of aproblem and how your data will be safe-guarded.

With Cloud Computing, the performance ofyour business also becomes acutely dependenton the speed and quality of the internetconnection between your office and the datacentre.

With typical “non-cloud” usage this canappear not to be an issue as you are sendingemails and web browsing on a regular basis,but in fact this usage is very different to theconstant, rapid connection needed to runCloud Computing.

There are some benefits to Cloud Comput-ing, but it is not all plain sailing and notnecessarily a cheap option. Do your duediligence and particularly make sure you con-sider the ongoing costs.


Mark Dalton

Mark Dalton is an associate directorat Wilby Ltd, based in Halifax

RISKYBUSINESSRISKYBUSINESS

Countingon successACCOUNTANCY firm Wheawill & Sund-worth has scored a string of successes inrecent exams.

Darren Eastham and Chris Marshallhave moved further towards qualificationas chartered certified accountants, whileAndrew Hudson, Stephanie Bowker,Lauren Hirst, Anton Sydor and Will Hal-stead continued their progress in theaccounting technician exams.

David Butterworth, managing partner atthe Huddersfield firm, said: “It is good tosee a lot of hard work and effort paying offwith some excellent results.

“The extra knowledge and experiencegained by the team will be of great benefitto the firm and its clients.”

Carpet firm’snew image forhistoric schoolA SCHOOL celebrating its 400thanniversary has chosen to keep right upto date when it comes to carpets.

King James’s School in Almondburyturned to Liversedge carpet firm Heck-mondwike FB to provide carpeting forits new IT suite. The school selected thefirm’s Momentum range, which is avail-able in 12 colours and features a strikingcriss-cross design.

The carpet is hard-wearing and suit-able for heavy traffic as well as havinganti-static properties making it suitablefor computer rooms. The British-madeheavy contract broadloom carpet alsohas dust-trapping properties.

Other benefits include a two-layerstructure which helps reduce noise fromheavy footfall, making the range idealsolution for installation in schools, col-leges, universities, offices and libraries.

Doug Norris, area manager for Heck-mondwike FB, said: “We are delightedthat the school selected our Momentumcarpet as we know it will provide themwith years of trouble-free use. It alsolooks superb and helps make the ITsuite a real credit to the school.”

Heckmondwike FB is the leading spe-

cialist manufacturer of heavy contractfibre bonded carpets and carpet tiles.The range includes fibre bonded andtufted carpet as well as specialist barrierand entrance area products.

Alison Douglas, school business man-ager, said: “Since we received the RoyalCharter from James 1 in 1608, we havepr ided ourselves on qua l i ty ineverything we do. This is one of thereasons why we chose Momentum fromHeckmondwike FB. It offers style, dur-ability and the anti-static dust-trappingand acoustic properties are essential forour IT suite.”

Heckmondwike FB, which has beenmaking carpets in the UK for more than40 years, is one of the leading carpetsuppliers to the education and publicsector.

The company has in-house researchand development facilities, whichincludes providing technical support tocustomers and a first rate after-salesservice. The firm has achieved theISO14001 environmental standard andits production processes meet ISO 9001accreditation.

■ FLOOR SHOW: Heckmondwike FB has supplied this new high-performancecarpet for the IT department at King James School, Almondbury

Buildingsite focusALTHOUGH over the past few years

the numbers of people killed orinjured in the construction industryhas fallen steadily, there continue tobe many accidents that are a result ofignoring legal responsibilities or cut-ting corners.

Accordingly, the Health and Safety Exec-utive has launched two campaigns thatimpact upon property developers and thoseinvolved in refurbishment.

The first of these is to raise awarenessamong property developers in the SMEbracket about their duties under the Con-struction (Design and Management) Regu-lat ions 2007 . A dedicated webs ite(www.hse.gov.uk/property) has been set up,with a tailored leaflet to follow, to givedevelopers free advice on how to complywith their health and safety responsibilities.It is built around three key themes: employ-ing a competent team; understanding thestructural risks and hazards associated witha building; and planning a successful pro-ject.

It would appear that many propertydevelopers are not aware of – or are ignor-ing – their legal duties under the CDMRegulations. These include not employing acompetent structural engineer when mak-ing structural changes to buildings or beingunaware of the presence of asbestos. Per-haps I should remind developers not to putlives at risk by cutting corners on health &safety due to the economic climate. Healthand safety should be an integral part of anyproject and will assist – not hinder, as manywill think – bringing it to completion ontime and to budget.

In the second campaign, sites acrossBritain where renovations and maintenancework are being undertaken are to be tar-geted as part of a renewed inspection driveby the HSE. The reason for this is that in2007/08, the refurbishment sector accoun-ted for only around 40% of the constructionmarket but was responsible for over half ofconstruction fatalities.

Unsurprisingly, the HSE feel there is stillmuch poor practice to be found and areusing about 100 inspectors to visit about1500 sites. The inspectors will be targetingthree main themes: falls from height; asbes-tos; and clean, tidy and well managed sites.They will be carrying out full inspections,not simply a sampling exercise, and anypoorly performing sites will be issued withimprovement or prohibition notices as maybe required. Similar inspections carried outby the HSE at this time last year resulted inwork being stopped on nearly one in threesites, and a total of 395 enforcement noticesserved.

Both of these highlight the need for goodhealth & safety practices on all types ofconstruction sites. A site that is accidentand incident free is likely to complete ontime and without additional outlay,whereas a site only has to have one seriousaccident to be closed down. This, in turnwill lead to completion delays with theinevitable delay in income or payment.

Centre opensA NEW training centre for construction workershas opened in Huddersfield.

Kirklees Mayor Clr Karam Hussain per-formed the official opening of the training andassessment centre at the Chestnut Centre,Deighton.

The new facility has been set up by FreshHorizons Ltd, a social enterprise which ams toincrease the number of building workers gainingqualifications help local building firms becomemore competitive.

Fresh Horizons will work with building com-panies to qualify all their employees – enablingthem to claim “Fully Qualified Workforce”status and giving them an edge when bidding forwork, particularly from the public sector.

Let Wilby be yourHealth & SafetyManager from only£2,000 per year

INSURANCE

RISK MANAGEMENT

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Struggling with Health andSafety Management?

Need help but don’t thinkyou can afford it?

We can manage your Health and Safetycontact us today on 01422 35 85 25 oremail [email protected]


Colin Barratt is tax partner atWheawill and Sudworth, chartered

accountants, Huddersfield

TAXTALK

Colin Barratt

Tax-savingsuggestionsAS we approach another tax year-end,

there are various ways to save tax,both now and for the future, which maybe of benefit to both individuals andbusinesses.

Ideas include:● Reviewing the assets of each spouse to see

if transfers can be made from one to the otherto ensure personal allowances are not wastedand basic rate tax bands are utilised as far aspossible. Assets transferred between spousesare done so on a no gain/no loss basis whichmay also reduce a couple’s overall tax bill ontheir sale as both will be then be entitled to aCapital Gains Tax exemption of £9,600 for2008/09. Unused allowances and rate bandscannot be carried to a subsequent year. Dueconsideration should always be given to anycommercial or other risks in identifying suchtransactions particularly with business assetsqualifying for Entrepreneurs’ Relief whichcould be jeopardised.

● If you have the means to do so, use up yourInheritance Tax gift allowance of £3,000; thisallowance can be carried forward for one year,so if you did not use it in 2007/08, you could gift£6,000 before April 6, 2009.

● Switch savings into an ISA to build up atax-free fund; the maximum investment is£7,200 of which £3,600 can be held as cash ondeposit.

● Top up your pension fund with an addi-tional contribution to mitigate higher rate taxliabilities; if you are employed, your employermight offer a salary sacrifice option to boostyour pension savings. The salary sacrifice willneed to be correctly structured to avoid“attack” by the Revenue.

● Think about making contributions toStakeholder Pensions for non-earning spousesand minors. The annual allowance is £3,600 butwith basic rate tax relief given on such contri-butions the amount actually paid would be£2,880.

● Check that you have paid enough NIcontributions for state pension and benefitpurposes and where appropriate consider pay-ing additional voluntary contributions to pro-tect pension and benefit entitlements.

Organise or review your Will to ensure thatyour affairs are structured in the best way foryour family. Such action may help mitigatepotential inheritance tax liabilities.

● Consider making payments into ChildTrust Funds for younger generations to buildup tax-free funds. The annual tax free invest-ment allowance for children born on or afterSeptember 1, 2002, is £1,200 with family mem-bers’ and friends’ contributions qualifyingtowards this allowance.

● In the 2008 Pre Budget statement, it wasannounced that temporary enhanced tax relieffor trading losses will be available for busi-nesses which can generate cash refunds and achange of financial year-end to March 31/April5 might help accelerate this benefit.

Reducing the next tax payment due on July31, 2009, may be possible and is worth review-ing. Careful timing of capital expenditure anddisposals can maximize benefits under the newAnnual Investment Allowance under which thefirst £50,000 of expenditure can be whollywritten off against profits.

‘Spendcashon theroads’A LEADING Huddersfield-basedbusiness has called for “sensible” Gov-ernment spending to help lift Britainout of recession.

Sanderson Associates, one of theUK’s top consulting engineers, saidpublic spending on “much-neededinfrastructure schemes” and onschools, councils and the NHS wouldcreate jobs and improve efficiency.

Alison France, managing director ofthe Grange Moor-based company,said: “There has been a good deal ofcriticism of Prime Minister GordonBrown’s decision to spend his way outof the recession and there is clearly adanger in Britain getting deeper intodebt.

“But if the money is spent wisely onimproving this country’s road networkand infrastructure, for example, thenthat would have enormous benefits.”

Sanderson Associates is recruiting11 extra staff to add to its 46-strongworkforce in response to increaseddemand for its expertise in highways,traffic, transportation and water mat-ters.

Said Alison: “It has been a bitquieter recently, but we are beginningto see plans coming through from somemajor construction companies.

“The signs are that it is starting tomove again, which is very positive.”

She said: “We have very recentlybeen instructed on completely newpossible housing sites – so that areadoes seem to be on a recovery.

“We also have clients that arecash-rich, not having to borrow andthey are purchasing new sites for devel-opment.

“Then we have been instructed toconsider access to these new sites fordevelopment – again a positive stepforward.”

Ms France said smaller developerswere also beginning to return with newsmall housing developments.

She said: “All in all, things aremoving forward positively and I expectan upturn this spring, especially if thebanks feel able to lend more freely.”

Sanderson Associates provides areliable barometer of the state of theeconomy.

At a time of high consumer spend-ing, developments such as fitnesscentres and office developments fea-tured heavily on the books.

Today, with money tight, discountretailers are a feature on the work-loads.

The firm’s work includes advising onthe traffic aspects of developmentsranging from major roads and motor-way junctions, shopping centres andindustrial estates to access issues.

It also provides services, includingtraffic assessments and surveys, givingexpert evidence in court cases and atpublic inquiries and advising on issuessuch as street lighting and speed lim-its.

■ ON THE UP: Alison France (front) and colelagues at Sanderson Associates, Grange Moor


Simon Kaye is Divisional Director atRensburg Sheppards Investment

Management

Simon Kaye

CITY TALK

Simon Kaye is Divisional Director atRensburg Sheppards Investment

Management

Simon Kaye

CITY TALK

Co-op strengthened bySomerfield acquisitionCO-OPERATIVE Group has completesits £1.5bn takeover of the Somerfieldsupermarket chain.

The Co-op, which has scores of foodstores in the Kirklees area, said the dealpropelled the UK’s largest mutual retailerinto the “premiership” of food retailers –creating the fifth strongest player iwith an8% market share and 3,000 stores generat-ing annual sales exceeding £7bn.

Somerfield has stores at Milnsbridge andElland.

Chief executive Peter Marks said: “Thisis great news for customers of both TheCo-operative and Somerfield. It is a trans-formational deal which cements our posi-tion as the UK’s number one communityretailer and returns us to the premiership offood retailers.”

He said: “Our first priority is to startintegrating the two businesses – somethingthat will bring real scale benefits, enablingus to provide better value to our custom-ers.

“There is a strong strategic fit betweenthese businesses and we are looking for-ward to creating a single business combin-ing the inherent strengths of bothSomerfield and the Co-operative Group.

“Somerfield has some great people andwe are delighted to welcome them to theCo-operative family.”

Somerfield chief executive Paul Masonsaid: “The Co-operative Group is buying abusiness that is in rude health with strong,positive like-for-like sales, and a profitmargin that has doubled since the businesswas taken private in 2005.”

Shopworkers' union Usdaw welcomedthe completion of the aquisition. Generlsecretary John Hannett said: “As the recog-nised union for both Somerfield and theCo-op, we are very pleased that this dealhas now been finalised.

“The acquisition will put the Co-operat-ive Group in an even stronger position as aleading retailer, which is good news for ourmembers.”

Talented textilefirms teaming upTWO textile firms have joined forces to create amarket leader in the manufacture of samplingpresentations for the carpet and flooringindustry.

Creative Sampling Solutions has been formedfrom the merger of Baildon-based MultishadesLtd and Meritmill (UK) Ltd, which has headoffices in Batley and facilities in Poznan, Poland.The two firms have a combined 77 years ofexperience within the industry.

The new company will continue to operate fromexisting bases and hopes to create at least 20 jobsin the UK this year as well as safeguarding itsexisting workforce of almost 200.

Shafiq Rehman, joint managing director withCSS, said: “This merger will increase our flexibil-ity in meeting customer requirements as we com-

bine our two working practices.“By aggregating under one name we are able to

offer improved levels of service and value formoney.

“CSS is now the largest manufacturer ofsampling presentations in the UK and we are alsohoping to build on our existing share of interna-tional markets,.”

Joint managing director Stephen Hubbard said:“Both firms bring a lot of industry experience tothe table and by pooling our collective resourceswe will be in a much better position to increase ourmarket share.

“The staff at both firms have been enthusiasticand excited about the merger which will help tosecure jobs and generate new recruitment oppor-tunities.”

Chambersupportpackagefor storesA PACKAGE ofmeasures to helpKirklees’ hard-pressedretailers has beendrawn up by businesschiefs.The Lockwood-basedMid Yorkshire Chamberof Commerce said itwas providing supportto help local traders hitby the spending slump.It follows the collapseof high-profile retailerssuch as Woolworths,Adams and Zavvi andfears for the long-termfuture of many smallerstores in the Kirklees,Calderdale andWakefield areas.It also comes amidconcerns that banksare still reluctant tolend money tobusinesses.Chamber presidentMargaret Wood said:“Retailers play a vitalrole in supporting thelocal economy byproviding valuablegoods and servicesand creating jobs forlocal people.“They have been hardhit by the down turnand we want to helpthem recover quickly.”Local retailers who jointhe chamber willbenefit from thesupport, whichincludes a free trainingprogramme to improvethe skills of staff; freelegal advice on allbusiness matters and afree debt recoveryservice to help tradersget paid more quickly.The training supportoffered is the NVQ level2 in Retail Services.The free legal advice istelephone-based andcovers all areas ofcommercial law whilethe free debt recoveryservice is provided byHuddersfield law firmEaton Smith.Contact the chamber’sWakefield office on01924 311594.

Economicdeep freezeTHE unaccustomed arrival of tradi-

tional winter weather in the UK inearly February coincided with furtherevidence of a deep freeze in the eco-nomy.

In both cases, the authorities appearedpowerless to cope with the immediate crisis.Unfortunately, the processes of rebuilding sav-ings in the UK, together with repairing thedamage caused to the banking sector by pastmistakes will take longer than the arrival ofspring.

A rapid increase in savings to historicallymore normal levels is undesirable because itwould deepen the recession. So, the authoritiesworldwide are trying to smooth the process, byreducing interest rates and cutting taxes, toencourage consumers to keep spending.

However, the problems of the banking sectorcontinue to unfold like a cross between thedance of the seven veils and a slow motion carcrash and it is hard for the authorities tocalibrate their response until the problemsholding back the banks are fully in the open.

There has been controversy over governmentmoney being used to “bail out” the banks.Although there will be further inquests overwho was responsible for the worst mistakes,policy makers now have to concentrate oncountering the economic fall-out.

The economy cannot revive unless compan-ies can fund their normal operations and obtainfinance for new investment, through a function-ing bank sector.

So far, increased injections of capital by thegovernment and greater liquidity provided bythe Bank of England have lagged the sector’sproblems and failed to alleviate the creditsqueeze.

At present, the UK economy is trying to copewith a simultaneous outbreak of precautionarysaving and a cut back in bank lending. Theresult has been a major disruption in economicoutput, as sales fall short and companies lackfunding for working capital. Lower interestrates should eventually encourage spendingand will help direct savers’ funds towardscompanies (whose bonds and equities offergreater yields, albeit at greater risk).

March has seen a further cut in base rate,taking rates to yet another 300 year low of ½%.Having taken rates as low as they can go, theBank of England is set to embark on unconven-tional means of boosting the money supply,having announced a plan to buy up to £75bn ofcorporate bonds and gilts in coming months.This is intended to offset the increased “sticki-ness” of money in the economy, as owners ofcash hoard it rather than spending or lending.

Although such a policy of “printing money”to buy bonds could have inflationary con-sequences if implemented in an economy wheremoney was circulating rapidly, in the near termthese risks seem low because the fracturedcredit system is rendering the economymoribund.

As 2009 unfolds, the positive effects of offi-cial policy moves and falling fuel inflationshould count for more and help engender arecovery in 2010. Although it is proving hard tonurture optimism in the face of near-term badnews, the best opportunities seem likely toappear amongst the fallen assets whereas thesafe havens may prove to offer expensive insur-ance beyond the immediate uncertainties.

■ WORKING TOGETHER: Shafiq Rehman (left), former managing director of Multishades, with SteveHubbard, of Meritmill, Batley

Whatever financial problems you areexperiencing in your business, we can help.

Call us now for a consultation 01422 348448www.begbies-traynor.com36 Clare Road, Halifax, HK 2HX Begbies Traynor

Financial problems hanging overyou - can’t see a way forward?


Celebrations beginfor Central LodgeENTREPRENEURS Joe and JohnnyMarsden are celebrating 10 years of success attheir town centre hotel, The Central Lodge.

And they count themselves lucky to haveanticipated the trend for low-cost, no-fussgood quality accommodation which has seenthem play host to celebrity guests Dame ThoraHird and comedian Russ Abbott as well asbusinessmen, tourists and shopfitting teams.

The brothers opened The Central Lodge inFebruary, 1999, as an “overflow” for theirpopular Huddersfield Hotel at Beastmarket.

They converted the property, which hadpreviously housed a takeaway and a taxi office,to provide 12 bedrooms.

In 2003, when they sold the HuddersfieldHotel and other business interests, includingJohnny’s nightclub, The Palace Bar and theBoy and Barrel, they retained The CentralLodge together with a car park for 50 cars.

The following year, they ripped out theground floor rooms to create a reception area,lounge, bar, laundry and kitchen – beforeacquiring neighbouring premises frontingSouthgate to create additional bedrooms andbring the total to 21.

Joe Marsden, 55, said the decision to focuson The Central Lodge proved a good one. “Wehave found that even before the recession,people were looking for lodge-style accom-modation,” he said.

“Bigger hotels were pricing themselves outof the market, but nor did people want thetraditional B&B with tea served in chinacups.

“We didn’t go looking for this market, itfound us. I wish we could say we saw it comingbefore everyone else, but it was just goodfortune.”

The Central Lodge has four full-time andeight part-time staff, including three nightporters who work in shifts to ensure the hotel’sstatus for 24-hour reception service.

Joe and his brother Johnny, 64, continue tokeep an eye on things. “I come in two or threetimes a week to do the invoicing and pay roll,”said Joe. “Then I sit in the lounge in the

evening and talk to the guests as they checkin.”

Guests include business people visiting localcompanies and plumbers, electricians andshopfitters working on retail developments.Joe takes the opportunity to give them aninsight into the town and its famous names.

“”Huddersfield has been good to us and welike to think we have put a lot back,” he said.“It is a refreshing change to talk to people fromall over the UK and Europe who come to ourtown knowing nothing about it.

“I tell them about James Mason, HaroldWilson and David Brown and they are amazedby it all.”

Training call for food firmsFOOD and drink companies in Yorkshirecan ride out the recession in better shape –if they take advantage of billions ofpounds being pumped into apprenticeshipschemes.

Jack Matthews, chief executive ofYork-based food and drink sector skillscouncil Improve, said the Government’scommitment to subsidising apprentice-ships was a “great tonic in tough times” forfirms seeking affordable ways to add valueto their business.

Mr Matthews said the food and drinkindustry was in a unique position to takeadvantage because demand for foodwould remain stable whatever the eco-nomic outlook.

“There will always be jobs in food anddrink because there will always be ademand there,” said Mr Matthews.

“But companies that want to survive orindeed thrive in the recession will have torespond to changes in demand. We arealready seeing consumers shop around tofind better value, which puts producersunder pressure to lower costs while main-taining quality.

“In response, companies need to

improve productivity and efficiency, whichrequires a higher skilled, more able work-force. Training staff to have the right skillstherefore becomes more important thanever.”

Mr Matthews acknowledged that thefood and drink industry would not beimmune from job losses during the reces-sion, but pointed to research which sug-gests that demand for higher-skilledworkers will rise.

A survey by the Institute of Employ-ment Research suggested that Yorkshire’sfood and drink industry will need torecruit 17,000 workers by 2017 to coverretirement and other forms of naturalwastage – with a significant rise in thenumber of management, professional andskilled technical roles.

“There are already shortages ofhigher-skilled workers in the industry,”said Mr Matthews. “Around 6% of foodand drink companies in Yorkshire cur-rently struggle to fill management andtechnical positions – and clearly we expectthe demand for people with these kinds ofskills to rise.

“Training people to rise through the

ranks is much more cost-effective thanrecruiting higher-skilled people extern-ally.

“The major advantage apprenticeshipshave is that they are almost entirelywork-based, affording employers the flex-ibility and control to train their staff in theskills they really need for their business.

“While the company gains a valuablestaff member with the talent to make adifference to the business, the apprenticegains the confidence, ambition and senseof value which goes hand-in-hand withearning a recognised qualification, inspir-ing loyalty and the drive to take theircareer further.”

All training costs for Apprenticeshipsare fully-funded by the Government forapprentices up to the age of 18, withvarying levels of subsidy available for olderworkers. The Government has pledged tosubsidise apprentice wages for companieswith under 50 employees, while largercompanies can now access a £10m“bonus” pot to train more apprenticesthan they need for their own business. ■ ADVANTAGE: Jack Matthews, chief executive

of food and drink sector skills council Improve

■ LODGE MEETING: Manager Liz Wood and co-owner Joe Marsden celebrate 10 years ofthe Central Lodge at Beast Market, Huddersfield

AppointmentCHRISTOPHER Rooney has beenpromoted director in the recoveryservices team at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Leeds. Mr Rooney joinedPwC almost three years and is aspecialist in business recoveryservices. He began his career withAndersen 11 years ago and has workedwith businesses and their funders andshareholders across a wide range ofsectors.

• Business Technologywith Business Benefits

• Flexible Systems & Support• Rapid Local Service• IT Budget Control• Trustworthy Engineering• Expert Advice

www.p2tech.co.uk 01484 779020

[email protected] 01484 512741

Showroom: Lockwood Road, Huddersfield

QualityCommercial Blinds

made in Huddersfield since 1969

Specialist FlameRetardant Fabrics

Solar Reflective Fabric tocontrol heat and glare

Professional fitting byCSCS trained installers

Free measure and quote


James triumphsJAMES Briggs, 20 has qualified as the youngestchartered accountant in West Yorkshire afterundertaking nearly three years of demandingtraining and passing the tough accountancyexams with flying colours.

Mr Briggs (left) works with accountancy firmClough & Company in Keghley. The firm alsohas offices at Cleckheaton. He has also beennominatied for the prestigious Sharp Con-sultancy Young Accountant of the Year 2009Award.

Mr Briggs joined Clough & Company nearlythree years ago as a trainee accountant afterstudying A-Levels at Bradford GrammarSchool.

As part of his new role as a charteredaccountant he will work across a variety ofareas including corporate finance, auditing andcorporate and indirect taxes.

Steven Gash, managing partner of Clough &Co, said: “We’re delighted with James’ pro-gress. James has a very bright future ahead ofhim and we’re looking forward to seeing him puthis new skills and knowledge to good use andfurther progress in his career with Clough andCompany.”

Costume firmto the rescue!A COSTUME hire firm in Huddersfieldhas completed one of its biggest ordersyet – to kit out the cast of the outrageousMel Brooks musical, The Producers.

Staff at B Authentic were asked tosupply dozens of wartime German uni-forms for an amateur production of theaward-winning comedy, in which ascheming theatrical producer and hisaccountant try to make money by sta-ging a sure-fire flop.

Milnsbridge-based B Authentic wasasked to help by members of HalifaxAmateur Operatic Society, who are set tostage The Producers from April 1 to 4 atthe Victoria Theatre, Halifax.

Karen Hever, of B Authentic, said:“We have a massive selection of originalwartime uniforms. Members of the casthave been along for fittings and we willbe assembling all of the outfits andaccessories during the course of nextweek for delivery before trhe curtian goesup.”

She said: “We were asked for 50 uni-forms – and we have them all in stock. Itis one of the biggest orders we have everreceived, although we get quite a fewrequests for hiring historical costumesfrom theatre groups.”

B Authentic said wartime uniformsand fashions were popular with manycustomers. “We get people attending1940s parties or re-enactments, “ saidKaren. B Authentic regularly turnpeople into US army officers, ARPwarden or RAF fighter pilots – whileomen can get the Pearl Harbour look bytransforming themselves into US ser-vicewomen or go for stylish civvies withgowns, hats and sable jackets.

B Authentic lcan ay claim to being theNorth’s biggest “dressing up box”,boasting more than 10,000 outfits span-ning every period of history from theMiddle Ages to the Swinging Sixties. Thecostumes are also in demand from TVproduction companies, schools andmuseums.

THE Scrivens Group is expanding inWest Yorkshire with the takeover ofLeeds Co-operative Society’s opticiansdivision. Scrivens, which has 134branches, is taking over the Co-op’sthree stores at Beeston, Headingleyand Hunslet.

SuzanneprovidesawardsmessageBUSINESS owner Suzanne Johns, who hailsfrom Gomersal, is helping to support smalland medium-sized businesses through theYorkshire Biz Awards.

Her Bradford-based company ApproachPR is heading the media campaign to attractentrepreneurs from across Yorkshire to enterthe awards, which reward those who havetriumphed over adversity in making theirbusiness idea a success.

The Approach team is also contributing tothe sponsorship of the event, which takesplace on June 26 at the Royal Armouries inLeeds.

The Yorkshire Biz Awards, now in theirthird year, are supported by Yorkshire For-ward and the region’s business support agen-cies.

Alongside Approach PR, the 2009 spon-sors include Yorkshire Forward, BusinessLink, Keyfund Yorkshire, Bradford Kick-start and Sharing the Success.

Biz Awards organiser Alison Metcalf, ofthe Bradford Chamber, said: “These awardshighlight those who have triumphed against

all odds – from being turned down by everyhigh street bank to those who didn’t have theright skills in an industry yet have becomeleaders within it.

“The Biz Awards create a sense of achieve-ment for those who never thought they wouldmake it.”

The awards are free to enter and all winnersreceive a cash prize. Categories include BestNew Start, Fastest-growing Business, Enter-prise Through Innovation, Contribution tothe Community and Business of the Year.

Said Suzanne: “This year, the Biz Awardsare focusing on encouraging companies tostand up against the doom and gloom andshowcase their success in the face ofadversity.

“Despite the climate, the organisers are soconfident in the entrepreneurial flair withinYorkshire that they’re aiming for their highestnumber of entrants yet.”

She added: “Raising awareness is key to thesuccess of the campaign, so we’re workinghard at spreading the word to entrepreneursfrom Cleckheaton to Doncaster.

“We’re delighted to be associated with theBiz Awards because we relate to every singleentrant having been through the setting upand running of a business ourselves.

“By helping to sponsor the event this year,we hope to be an inspiration to others who arestarting out on the road to independence andto show that with the right mindset, businessformula and energy, your dreams can berealised.”

Visit www.thebizawards.co.uk or callAlison Metcalf on 01274 230050.

■ HELPINGHAND:Suzanne Johns,of Approach PRis leading rhemedia campaignto encourageentries for theYorkshire BozAwards


ON THE MOVE

New director joinsregional food groupTHE Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humberhas appointed John Hendy as interim commercialdirector, covering for Elizabeth Halsall, who is onmaternity leave.

Mr Hendy (right) will be responsible for providingcommercial support for RFG’s food and drink industrymembers in the region, and directing RFG’s Deliciously-orkshire consumer brand.

Previously, Mr Hendy led business development forthe William Jackson Food Group in Hull and spent fiveyears as business development director for AuntBessie’s, during which time the brand grew from £70mto £170m. In addition, he was responsible for leading themarketing and sales teams and helping Aunt Bessie’sbecome a Top 50 UK grocery brand.

SterlingeffortNICK Sterling hasbeen promoted to man-aging director of theproperty services divi-sion at constructionand civil engineeringgroup Osborne.

Mr Sterling (right),who lives at ClaytonWest, was formerlydiv is iona l directorresponsible for opera-tions.

He joined Osbournein February, 2008, aftera career in the afford-able housing sector.

Osborne’s propertys e r v i c e s d i v i s i o np rov i d e s r e p a i r s ,planned maintenanceand other works in theaffordable housing sec-tor, including morethan 50,000 homes inthe south-east.

Vince takes uptechnical postPROPERTY compli-ance specialist BESC o n s u l t i n g h a sappointed Vince Doo-her as chief technicalofficer.

Mr Dooher joins theMoldgreen-based firmfrom a leading IT con-sultancy, where he washead of informationsystems.

He has worked withc l i e n t s i n c l u d i n gBalfour Beatty, BT,Barclays, HBOS andMicrosoft.

A c e r t i f i e dMicrosoft developerand a computing andinformation systemsgraduate, Mr Dooherhas more than 10 yearsexperience of leading

IT teams. This includeswork for the BritishL ib ra ry whe re hedesigned the UK’slargest data storageproject.

BES Consulting hasannounced a £1minvestment in buildingthe largest field-basedteam of surveyorsqualified to help com-mercial property man-agers to reduce theire n e rg y c o s t s a n dreceive Energy Per-formance Certificates.

BES Consulting iscreating at least 30 newjobs to help meet soar-ing demand, which hasincluded deals withMarston’s and PunchTaverns.

Property analystPROPERTY group A l lsops hasappointed Beth Hill to the new post ofproperty analyst and researcher.

Ms Hill (left), who gained a first classdegree in geography at Leeds Uni-versity, will specialise in the residentialproperty sector providing analysis forboth fund valuations and reversionaryresidential interests.

Allsops handles more than £6bn

worth of residential property valuationsevery year.

The firm’s Leeds office provides spe-cialist advice on residential propertyholdings to a range of clients, includingmajor institutional investors, high networth individuals, housing associ-ations, property companies, housebuilders and developers.

New directorsfor SandersonC O N S U LT I N G e n g i n e e rSanderson Associates has pro-moted Bob Greenwood, PeterMaurice and Jason McKellar toassociate director.

The three men will take on theresponsibility of management ofoperations for traffic and trans-portation, detailed design, floodrisk and training respectively.

Mr Greenwood joined GrangeMoor-based Sanderson Associ-ates in 2006 as a principal engin-eer and team leader . He has morethan 30 years experience in thetransportation planning depart-ment of several local councils.

Since joining Sanderson Asso-ciates, he has led his own team ofengineers and technicians in thetraffic and transportation sectorof the business. Mr Greenwoodwas promoted to the new post ofprincipal engineer to the man-aging director in January.

Mr Maurice joined the com-pany in 2002 as a highway designengineer. He previously workedfor Barnsley Council for 10 years.He was promoted to the role ofprincipal engineer and teamleader in 2004.

He manages his own team offive engineers and techniciansconcentrating on detailed design,highway construction and spe-cifications for various types ofdevelopments.

Mr McKellar joined Sander-son Associates in 2000 as anengineer. He had nine yearsexperience in the detailed design

section of an independent con-sultancy.

He was promoted to principalengineer and team leader in2004.

He established a flood riskdepartment within SandersonAssociates in 2007 and now man-ages his own team of four engin-e e r s a n d t e c h n i c i a n sconcentrating on flood risk,detailed design, highway con-struction and specifications forvarious types of developments.

Managing director AlisonFrance said: “Jason, Peter, and

Bob have always shown real com-mitment and passion for the con-struction projects that they haveled and worked on and I have nodoubt will continue to do sowithin their new roles.

“I am sure that they will allenjoy the opportunity to build onthis successful portfolio of workthat Sanderson Associates haveundertaken over the years, main-taining and enhancing our repu-tation for delivering successfulprojects, within agreed timescales, for all of our valued cli-ents.”

■ DIRECT LINE: Sanderson Associates, based at Grange Moor,has appointed (from left) Jason McKellar, Peter Maurice and BobGreenwood as associate directors

Takingcharge ofthe teamP R O P E R T Y c o n-sultancy Knight Frankhas appointed TearlePhelan, 30, to head itsresidential land develop-ment team in Yorkshire.

Mr Tearle (above), whowill be based in Leeds,joined the Sheffield officein 2000 and worked in theoffice agency departmentbefore specialising in res-idential land develop-ment in 2004. He becamea partner in 2007.

He sa id : “I t goeswithout saying that welive in challenging timesand that we face a verytesting property market.

“Ultimately, the mar-ket is cyclical and thegood times will return. Inthe meantime, we must allwork harder than ever tosecure affordable dealswhich match vendors’expectations.”

Mr Tearle said: “Thedramatic fall in the priceof land does presentopportunities and I amcurrently talking to anumber of landownersand developers who arekeen to do deals.

“I think a couple ofstrong Yorkshire dealswill restore confidence inthe market and confid-ence is a vital commodityat the moment.”

Associatejoins lawpracticeL A W f i r m L e e &Priestley has appointedIan Hemingway as anassociate.

Mr Hemingway joinsthe Leeds-based firmwith substantial experi-ence running high valuecommercial cases. Hea lso has par t icu larexpertise in defamationlaw.

His appointment fol-lows Lee & Priestley’sappointment of intellec-tual property litigatorFe l i c i t y H a r r i s o n .Toge the r, the new-c o m e rs h ave b e e nhanded the task ofdeveloping a first classdefamation team.

Senior postfor bankerGregory Flynn hasbeen appointed seniormanager with LloydsTSB Commercial.

Mr Flynn (pictured)will be based at theK i rklee s Bus ine s sCentre in Huddersfieldas part of an 11-strongteam supporting com-panies ranging fromstart-ups to establishedand growing firms.

Huddersfield-bornMr Flynn, who is aTown season ticketh o l d e r, j o i n s t h eKirklees office fromLeeds Business Centreand has 30 years ofexperience workingwith Lloyds TSB cus-tomers.

Mart in Humber-stone, area director inWest Yorkshire, said:“Greg has consider-able experience withcompanies across a

number of sectors andwe’re happy to wel-come him to our grow-ing team.

“This appointmentdemonstrates our com-mitment to supportinglocal firms through thecurrent economic diffi-culties by building astrong team whichtakes a long-term, rela-tionship-led approachto banking.”


BANKER'SBLOG

Jill Hague

Jill Hague is Head of CommercialBanking for HSBC in Huddersfield

Supplier in the fast laneBRIGHOUSE-based automotive fuels spe-cialist Millers Oils is revving up for a newseason.

The company is to supply advancedmotorsport products and provide technicalsupport to the Arena International Motor-sport team as it masterminds thelong-awaited return of the Ford marque tothe British Touring Car Championship.

Millers Oils will also provide its newNano Technology range of gear and trans-mission oils for the team’s two Ford FocusST entrants.

Arena has a long and proven track recordin BTCC. The team has been using HondaCivics in the championship until 2005 andrecorded some high profile wins.

Following a short absence from the com-petition, it has re-entered the fray by bring-ing Ford back to touring cars for the firsttime since the late 1990s.

Its drivers include 23-year-old TomChilton, who is entering his eighth BTCCseason.

Millers Oils will form a technical partner-ship with Arena, working closely with the

team and the Ford Focus STs throughoutthe season.

Arena will be one of the first racing teamsto use Millers Oils highly innovative NanoTechnology range of transmission oils,which employs nano-particle oil techno-logy, while the team is also trialling newgrades of Millers Oils’ established CFSMotorsport range during qualifying.

Dave Mott, product manager at MillersOils, said: “We are thrilled by the partner-ship with Arena – and that our high qualityproducts have impressed during testing.”

PracticalassistanceIN today’s economic environment, there

are many practical tips that we can takeon how best to survive and succeed inthese uncertain times.

HSBC has produced a video which is access-ible from our web site called “ChallengingTimes” and I have picked out some extractsfrom it which I thought you may find useful.

The video covers managing cash flow, cuttingcosts, sales and marketing, building relation-ships and seeking opportunities.

Managing cash is vital and your cash resourceneeds to be managed daily.

It is important that you keep paying suppliesand that you have contingency plans in place ifthere are any delays in payment.

Keep invoicing at the right time and thenfollow up through statements, e-mails andphone calls to ensure that you are paid.

Avoid the temptation to extend credit tocustomers unless you can afford it.

I would say it, but ensure you keep speakingto your bank and try and avoid unauthorisedoverdrafts – they are more expensive.

Our chief economists, Dennis Turner, hassome useful messages. He talks about separatingout the economic situation from the creditcrunch – the needs for all business to adapt,respond and be flexible.

Remember that your expenditure is some-body else’s income. In the current climate youneed to search out new markets, customers andproducts. The temptation may be to reduce yourmarketing spend, but you need to keep yourselfin pole position. Be proactive and focus on yourexisting customer base, cross sell and up sell.

Consider online marketing and work withpartners to collaborate, which can reducecosts.

It is essential that you focus on service, remainpositive and continue being proactive.

How do you ensure that you have goodhousekeeping? Look at where your money isspent. Are your cash flow systems robust and dothey allow you to foresee any problems?

Shop around for all cost items, stationery,insurance, fuel etc. You need to prioritise cashabove profit – cash is the lifeblood of thebusiness.

I would also recommend that you access thechamber of commerce and Business Link web-sites as they can provide you with many othersources of help that are free. For more informa-tion and some great customer ideas go tohsbc.co.uk/business

It’s a hub of activityA HAULAGE company is benefitingfrom a new state-of-the-art distributioncentre – following a £30m investment bypalletised transport network Pallet-force.As a member of one of the UK’s biggestpalletised transport delivery networks,Birstall-based Bedfords Transport willhave full use of the ‘Palletforce Hub’, thelargest of its kind in the UK.The news is a significant step forwardfor Bedfords Transport, which will beable to offer faster delivery turn-around.Philip Lockwood, depot principal atBedfords Transport, said: “This is animportant part of our growth and willenhance the services we can offer as wedrive our business forward in 2009.“The new Hub will act as a nerve centrefor the overnight delivery of palletisedgoods and bring huge benefits to mem-bers who need to transport goods

quickly and efficiently across the UKand Europe.”Being a member of Palletforce meansBedfords Transport works with othertransport companies to reduce the dis-tance travelled by haulage fleets andempty running – proving efficient, costeffective and environmentally respons-ible.The 380,000sq ft distribution Hub inStaffordshire is so big that it couldhouse eight football pitches or 1,736double deck buses end-to-end. It canhandle up to 600 trunks a night and usesthe latest technologies to deliver a widerange of goods that are used in our everyday lives.Michael Conroy, Chief executive officerof Palletforce, said: “Palletforce hasenjoyed years of constant growth andthis fantastic new Hub will ensure thatwe are well positioned to provide acompetitive and quality service as the

country faces challenging times ahead.“In 2009, many companies are lookingat ways to drive efficiency and keep costsas low as possible – and therefore oursystem of palletised distributionbecomes a very attractive way to trans-port goods around the country.“Hub-driven network distributionprovides fast, high-density movement ofpalletised freight, which is both environ-mentally responsible and cost effective.“The new Hub will give our customersthe very best express freight deliveryservices out there – in terms of quality,flexibility, cost and efficiency – all ofwhich will be crucial to them in 2009.”Bedfords Transport and about 100 othertransport operators across the UKmake up the powerful Palletforce distri-bution network. Together they servethousands of customers – which includemajor brands and well-known highstreet retailers.

Denby Dale firm in the pictureA COMPANY designing and manufac-turing visual presentation systems isin the picture as winner of a monthlybusiness award.

The Visual System and Sign Com-pany, which has been in business inHuddersfield since 1981, was namedwinner of the Eaton Smith Business ofthe Month Awrad, which run by the lawfirm in association with the Mid York-shire Chamber of Commerce.

In 2003 however, following a suc-cessful management buy-out, man-aging director Chris Hunter decided ona new direc t ion for the DenbyDale-based firm – focusing more on theUK healthcare market, including thelarge NHS Trusts.

Since the takeover and new direc-tion, the business has grown by 17%and established itself as one of themarket leaders in the UK for the supplyof visual display products for the nurs-ing environment.

Mr Hunter said the firm was lookingto develop the business furtherthrough diversification into otherprivate sector niche markets and alsoby exporting the company’s productsinto Europe.

He said: “It’s a great honour toreceive the award and to gain recogni-tion for all the hard work and effortwe’ve put in. Winning Business of theMonth gives us excellent promotionand just goes to prove that manufactur-ing in Yorkshire is still going strong.”

The award is open to companies ofall sizes in Calderdale, Kirklees andWakefield.

V is i t the webs i te www.ea ton-smith.co.uk or contact Ian Greenwoodon 01484 821389.

■ WINNERS: Deborah Melluish (third right). of Eaton Smith, presents the award toHelen Hunter and Chris Hunter (centre), of Visual Systems and Signs, with (fromleft) Andrew Kemp, of Business Link Yorkshire; Andrew Choi, of the Mid YorkshireChamber of Commerce; Kevin Winterburn, of Sheards; and Wayne Goodman, ofPlatinum Money Ltd

Opportunity knocksASIAN business people in Kirklees have beenurged to enter a national award.

The seventh annual Lloyds TSB Jewel Awardsaim to recognise the impact British Asians aremaking in the world of trade and industry.

The first of three regional awards will be held inApril in Manchester when the winners of sevencategories will be announced. They include onescovering retail, food and franchise; healthcareand education; public service; and business.


Lawyers hear from UgandaMEMBERS of Huddersfield LawSociety were updated on theorganisation’s work in Ugandaat their annual dinner.

Almost 200 guests attendedthe dinner at Bertie’s Banquet-ing Suite in Elland.

Guests were welcomed bypresident Lyn Crabtree and theguest speaker was barristerJohn Myers.

O the r top ta b l e guestsincluded Eileen Marchant, chair-man of the bench at Hudders-field Magistrates Court; StephenBonfield, president of HalifaxLaw Society; Andrew McCon-nell, president of the Hudders-field Soc iety of Char teredAccountants; Jimmy McKiee, ofthe St Andrew’s Society; andIain Glencross, past president of

the Huddersfield Medical Soci-ety.

Sarah Young, a solicitor withRidley and Hall in Huddersfield,urged more local lawyers to getinvolved with the work of thesociety with the Ugandan LawSociety, providing text booksand arranging visits to providesupport and advice.

Seize goldenopportunity,firms urgedKIRKLEES firms have been urged to graba share of the Olympic dream – by compet-ing for contracts to help stage the 2012Games.

Gold medal winning kayaker Tim Bra-bants was speaking at the launch of theYorkshire Gold Business Club – a group of600 companies bidding for some of the250,000 contracts available still remainingfor the 2012 Olympic Games and Para-lympic Games.

He said: “I have been fortunate enoughto go to three Olympic Games and I amhere to tell everyone what a fantastic exper-ience it is to be involved in the Olympics.

“Not everyone can compete, coach orofficiate at the games, but Kirklees com-panies can still be Olympians by taking upa once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bid forcontracts.”

Tim was joined by Sheffield Central MPRichard Caborn and Paralympic archerygold medallist Danielle Brown for thelaunch of the Yorkshire Gold BusinessClub at York racecourse.

Total contracts amounting to £9.3bnhave been identified by the Olympic Devel-opment Authority in relation to the

Games.Tim said: “People at the launch event

were very positive about the prospect ofLondon hosting the games.

“While most of the events will be within50 minutes of the capital, there is no reasonthe build-up to the games and the contractscannot be shared with the rest of thecountry. They can’t all be awarded to firmsin London.”

He stressed the massive scale and rane ofcontracts available, saying: “As an athlete,you take it for granted that things happen.You arrive on the plane, travel to the venuesand everything is organised for you.

“I hope to compete in London 2012,although I wil be coming to the end of myathletic career at that stage. I will certainlywant to be involved in some way or other. Itis too good an opportunity to miss – and Ihope Kirklees companies will think so,too.”

The Yorkshire Gold Business Club isbacked by regional development agencyYorkshire Forward and offers companiesjoining a rane of benefits, including help toidentify and bid for 2012 contracts. Visitwww.ygbc.co.uk or call 0114 2015730.

Supportfor firmsA SCHEME to provide Yorkshire firmswith free financial advice – to help themoperate more effectively and survive theeconomic crisis – is proving popular.Cleckheaton-based chartered account-ancy firm Clough & Company hasreported a fast take-up of the BusinessLink scheme, which offers a free finan-cial health check worth up to £2,000.The innovative advice service has beendesigned to give companies a compre-hensive understanding of their financialsituation through a full business assess-ment.It includes looking at a company’s rev-enue, cash flow performance and costsof overheads and sales.Nigel Bullas, a partner at Clough &Company, said: “In the current reces-sion, it is imperative that businesses doall that they can to make sure they arefinancially secure.“The financial health check is the idealway of helping companies understandtheir financial situation and whether ornot they need to implement any changesin order to generate healthy sales andsteady growth.“It provides businesses with a robustfinancial plan that will help protect andprepare them for any challenges theymay face in the changing economicclimate and ensure they are ready for theupturn.”Financed by Yorkshire Forward, thescheme is open to businesses in York-shire that have been trading for a min-imum of 12 months and employ at leastfive staff.

Chamberseeksdirectorsto joinboardA BUSINESS groupproviding a voice forHuddersfield firms isseekingnon-executives tostrengthen its boardof directors.The Lockwood-basedMid YorkshireChamber ofCommerce, whichdates back more than130 years, wants tobring in localbusiness peoplefollowing theappointment of a newmanagement board.Chamber president ...said the organisationwantred to hear frompeople who had“substanial businessexperience at thehighest levels” inCalderdale, Kirkleesand Wakefield.She said: “Interestedparties will be placedon our ‘register ofinterest’ for a periodof two years and ournominations panelwill draw talent fromthis register fromtime to time.”Chamber chairmanEddie Rodgers saidnon-executives wouldnot be paid, but thosetaking part would berewarded by being ina position to make areal difference to theirlocal businesscommunity. Thechamber board meetsup to six times a year.Contact Mr Rodgersat [email protected]

Takingstock inIrelandINDEPENDENTstockbroking andinvestment managementfirm Redmayne-Bentleyis to expand its branchnetwork to Ireland withan office in Cork – and itsfirst outside the UK.The Leeds-based firmalready has more than 30offices in the UK.Senior partner KeithLoudon said: “Our newteam of stockbrokers has30 years combinedexperience instockbroking. We aredelighted to welcomethem on board torepresent the firm inIreland .”

■ LEGAL LINE-UP: President of the Huddersfield Law Society Lynn Crabtree with (from left) guestspeaker John Myers; Iain Glencross, past president of the Huddersfield Medical Society; AndrewMcConnell, president of the Huddersfield Society of Chartered Accountants; and Jimmy McKiee of the StAndrew's Society


Clare Quartermaine is founder andmanaging director of QT Creative

MARKETINGMATTERSClare Quartermaine

BeingpositiveLIKE the eternal optimist I am known

to be, I am determined to focus onthe positive aspects of this recessionand see it as an exciting challenge.

And watching what the big boys are doingis providing me with endless entertainment.

This is the time when the banks are tryingto make themselves appear as boring and safeas possible; when supermarket giants likeTesco are so scared of Aldi and Lidl that theylaunch new lines that undermine their ownvalue brands! Ever get the impression thatthere are some knee jerk reactions goingon?

Certainly, not all brands are suffering fromrecession depression, but are thriving in thisclimate. Those that are winning are notundermining their brand with extreme pricereductions, but are promoting their moreappealing side. The trend at the moment is tofocus on brand heritage, sustainability andvalue for money. All hail the new NationalTrust strap line “time well spent”!

And with “Keep Calm and Carry On”being the mantra of the moment, people seemto have adopted a war effort frame of mindand are responding to more traditional val-ues as opposed to the luxurious messagessuch as.. “Because I deserve it”.

However, when budgets are being stretchedto their limits – I have been considering whichmarketing activities appear to be the mosteffective in terms of both cost and result.

Online marketing in the form of e-mailcampaigns is a popular and very cost effectivemarketing solution. When data is becomingcheaper to buy and you don’t have to spendyour budget on print and postage, you can seewhy companies are moving away from moretraditional mail shots.

However, the real jewel in the crown here isthat with the majority of e-mail campaignsoftware, we can collect a fantastic amount ofmarketing information. We can see who readsthe email, how many times they have openedit, when and what time they read it, whetherthey clicked through to the website and evenif they forwarded it on. With this sort ofinformation at your fingertips, you canrespond quickly to the wishes of your audi-ence and develop your products or servicesaccordingly.

The results also strongly suggest that morepeople read the email shots than print. And,of course, it appeals to our environmentallyfriendly readership as well. So you really cantgo wrong.

But don’t be tempted to overdo it andbombard your readers. They might get fed upand turn against you! The trick is to use itfrugally; such as when you have a special offeror for an important announcement. A maildrop from a favourite shop or general sup-plier is sometimes a very welcome breakduring the day and wont be dropped straightaway into the recycling bin like its paperrival.

Obviously, using emails as part of a largercampaign is the best use of this marketingmethod but it can initially help to streamlineyour offers by giving you the strategic inform-ation you need to market your business inthis, shall we say, challenging time?

New ownerstake helm atIT companyA BRIGHOUSE company providingcomputer services has been bought by aconsortium of local businessmen for aseven-figure sum.

Concorde Informatics Ltd, billed asone of the north of England’s leading ITservice and solutions providers, wasformed in 1985 and has a turnover of£37m. The company employs 50 people atthree sites.

Long-term clients include YorkshireWater, Yorkshire County Cricket Club,Jewsons Ltd, Birkby-based Marshalls plc,Rugby League club Bradford Bulls andseveral police authorities around theUK.

The consortium is led by Colin Meakin,Concorde’s business development dir-ector, who joined the business 12 monthsago after agreeing a deal in principle withits shareholders to set up a buy-in man-agement buy-out that would enable theprincipal shareholder to retire.

The sellers were advised by Hudders-field accountants Revell Ward and lawfirm Eaton Smith.

Mr Meakin had previously spent 21years at West Yorkshire-based ICM Com-puter Group plc, latterly as sales andmarketing director. When the businesswas acquired by new owners in 2007 heleft to look for his own investment oppor-tunity.

One of the key members of Meakin’sconsortium is his former mentor, founderand chief executive of ICM ComputerGroup plc, Barry Roberts. Mr Meakin istaking on the role of managing directorwhile Mr Roberts will act as non-execut-ive chairman.

Marcus Armstrong, of Leeds commer-cial law firm Lupton Fawcett, and JamesWhite, of accountants Brown Butler,advised the consortium on the deal, whichincluded setting up a new company –Concorde Excel Holdings Ltd – to pur-chase the shares in Concorde InformaticsLtd.

The company, a Microsoft Gold Part-ner, has two specialist divisions offeringbespoke software solutions to the auto-motive and public safety sectors.

Together, Mr Meakin and Mr Robertshold a majority stake in the new company.The consortium of new owners alsoincludes two of the former major share-holders in Concorde, Terry Locker andKieran Trimmer, who will continue aspart of the senior management team.

Mr Locker, previously managing dir-ector, becomes sales director of the neworganisation while Mr Trimmer continuesas finance director.

Said Mr Meakin: “Concorde Informat-ics is a successful business with an excel-lent reputation and plenty of scope forfuture growth, both organically andthrough acquisition.

“Having Terry and Kieran committhemselves to the new business is a majorplus point and structuring the deal hasenabled the transfer of ownership to becompleted smoothly with little or nodisruption to our clients and theday-to-day running of the business.

“Last but not least, it’s fantastic to bereunited with Barry, who has a wealth ofknowledge and experience in this market.We had a very successful relationship atICM and we are both excited by theprospects at Concorde.”

Mr Armstrong, a director in LuptonFawcett’s corporate finance team, said:“We are delighted to have played a keyrole in Colin's first acquisition, which hasbeen completed without any recourse toexternal finance.

“Having worked closely with the man-agement team, I am confident that thecompany is well placed to succeed in theIT service sector through organic growthand further acquisition.”

The sellers were advised by Hudders-field accountants Revell Ward and lawfirm Eaton Smith.

■ DEAL MAKERS: Concorde Informatics non-executive chairman Barry Roberts(second left) and managing director Colin Meakin (right) with Marcus Armstrong (left), ofLupton Fawcett, and James White, of Brown Butler

Law firmgets sportyCOMMERCIAL law firm Lupton Fawcetthas launched a new sports and medialaw department.

The new unit is headed by StephenTaylor Heath, one of theYorkshireregion’s leading sports and media law-yers who has held in-house counselpositions with Sports Network Ltd, theboxing promotion company spear-headed by promoter Frank Warren, andRacing UK, the subscription horseracing channel.

To mark the launch of the department,Leeds-based Lupton Fawcett hosted amasterclass for clients and contactspresented by Des Hasler, head coach ofAustralian rugby league team Manly SeaEagles, the current NRL Grand Finalwinners.

Hasler, an Australian rugby leaguelegend, took a break from preparing hisside to face Leeds Rhinos in the WorldClub Challenge to give a presentation onmotivation, man-management, prepara-tion and performance.

Richard Marshall, Lupton Fawcett’smanaging director-designate, said:“This is part of our drive to providespecialist advice in niche areas.

“Stephen is one of the region’s mostexperienced and respected sports andmedia lawyers. His arrival has addedsignificantly to the firm’s expertise inthis field of law and has provided theimpetus for establishing this newdepartment.”

Stephen said: “Sports and mediabusinesses play an important part inthis region’s economy and they havespecialist legal needs. Our aim is tomake Lupton Fawcett their number onechoice.”

InvestmentManagement

Investment ledwealth management

We can help you in all aspects of your financial planning,whether it’s your investments, pension or generalfinancial matters.

We are committed to providing high quality independentprofessional advice with the aim of helping our clients toachieve their financial objectives.

We manage funds for private clients,charities, trusts and pension funds.

Member firm of the London Stock Exchange. Member of LIFFE. Authorised and regulatedby the Financial Services Authority. Rensburg Sheppards Investment Management Limitedis registered in England. Registered No. 2122340. Registered Office: Quayside HouseCanal Wharf Leeds LS11 5PU. Offices at: Belfast Cheltenham Edinburgh FarnhamGlasgow Leeds Liverpool London Manchester Reigate Sheffield.

Rensburg Sheppards Investment ManagementQuayside House, Canal Wharf, Leeds, LS11 5PUTel: +44 (0)113 245 4488Email: [email protected]

Simplify your life


Jewelin thecrownA J E W E L L E RYretailer with a branchin Huddersfield hasbeen voted the best inBritain for taking careof its staff.

Beaverbrooks, whichhas a store at KingStreet and 65 outletsUK-wide, topped the2009 Sunday Times100 Best Companies toWork For.

The results of theaward are based on asurvey of employeesand a company ques-tionnaire.

A spokesman for thefirm said: “Lookingafter and motivatingtheir employees is atthe heart of Beaver-b ro o k s ’ c o m p a nyethos.

“The working envir-onment this generatesmeans employees oftenmove swiftly throughthe ranks from shopfloor to management,resulting in a dedicateda n d c a r i n g wo r k-force.”

Equestrian supplieris taking the reinsA COMPANY specialising inequestrian and country cloth-ing is galloping ahead of thepack after securing fundingfrom Birstall-based CattlesInvoice Finance.

York-based GNY SourcingLtd was set up in 2002 byentrepreneur Gary Yates andowns the Blaze equestrianclothing range, which isstocked throughout the UK.

Each year, six young ridersare selected by experts tobecome ambassadors for thebrand. The lucky few then jointhe exclusive Blaze Academyand receive a training bursaryof £500.

Sport England recentlyawarded the British Eques-trian Federation £5m as partof its £480m investment ingrass roots sport.

The grant will be used toincrease participation andsustain the development ofhorse-riding in the UK. GNYSourcing plans to use thefunds from Cattles InvoiceFinance to expand the busi-ness and ensure financial sta-bility in a turbulent retailmarket.

Gary Yates, director of GNYSourcing Ltd, said: “The 2012O lympics has defini telysparked interest in picking up

a new sport, especially inhorse-riding. The new line offunding will help us developour existing brands but alsohelp kit out all those aspiringOlympians!”

Jamie Hunt, regional man-ager at Cattles Invoice Fin-ance , sa id : “A l terna t ivesources of funding such asinvoice finance can provide alifeline for growing busi-nesses.

“It is great to see busi-nesses like GNY Sourcing Ltdproactively seeking to securetheir future through expan-sion and extra funding.”

Anger atparkingchargeschemeBUSINESS leaders in Kirklees have attacked proposalsto allow councils to charge firms that provide car parkingspaces at work.

A consultation period has closed on the WorkplaceParking Levy scheme which would let councils chargefirms for private parking spaces.

Supporters of the scheme said revenues could it woulddeter people from using their cars and the revenues raisedcould be used to fund improvements in public trans-port.

Nottingham City Council has already said it willadopt WPL and intends to charge firms £185 a yar foreach workplace parking space from April 2010, rising to£350 by 2014.

But Stephen Leigh, policy spokesman for the Lock-wood-based Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commercebranded the WPL as “a tax too far” and urged TransportSecretary Geoff Hoon to reject it.

The British Chambers of Commerce calculate that ifevery council in Enaldn outside London adopted WPL,it would cost companies up to £3.4bn a year.

A petition on the BCC website opposing the levy hasbeen signed by 5,500 people.

Said Mr Leigh: “In the present economic circum-stances these proposals, if taken forward, would have afurther serious adverse effect on the wealth-creatingsector of the economy.

“It will business which will drive the UK out ofrecession and it is particularly important that businessshould be given urgent and special consideration ratherthan being burdened with increased taxation.”

Mr Leigh said that despite all the difficulties faced bybusinesses, the Government continued to “niggle awaywith more and more taxation, control and regulation” –which was likely to prolong the recession and increasethe likelihood of job losses.

And he claimed: “The effect of the WPL would belikely to be the complete opposite of what is supposedlyintended.

“Far from reducing congestion, the effect of the newtax would be to displace vehicles from off-road parkingparking bays onto the streest – and add to the congestionin city centres and surrounding areas.”

Closecall forfirmsSMALLER firms inYorkshire are showingtheir resilience in theface of the financialcrisis.

A survey by CloseI n v o i c e F i n a n c eshowed that one in fiveSMEs in the regionexpected their businessto expand during 2009– while 45% predictedit would stay the samesize. Only 4% felt theywould have to ceasetrading.

Asked to pedict theimpact on staffingleve l s, mo re thantwo-thirds of the 500firms polled expectedto keep the same num-ber of permanent staff,while one in seven saidthey would recruit newpermanent employeesduring 2009.

Dav id Thomson ,chief executive officerof Close Invoice Fin-ance, said: “Our surveyshows that this sectoris incredibly resilientand – even as the UKenters a recession – onein five SMEs st i l lexpects to expand thisyear.”

Architectsin spotlightAN architectural and interior design practice inHuddersfield has been shortlisted for a nationalaward.

Above & Beyond, based at Folly Hall Mills, isamong the contenders for an award from theBritish Council for Offices in recognition of thefirm’s work on a new head office development forSouth Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive inSheffield.

Andrew Stoddart, managing director of Above& Beyond, said: “We’re delighted to have our hardwork rewarded with this shortlisting.

“The project really brought to life what Above& Beyond is all about as a practice – understand-ing our clients’ business objectives and using ourdesign to help them achieve their goals. We believethis is an outstanding project and we’re lookingforward to showing the judges our work.”

Above & Beyond, formed in 1999, has a staff of20 and works across a range of sectors includingoffices, transport and residential.

■ YORKSHIRE RIDING: Jamie Hunt (front), regional managing director, of Cattles InvoiceFinance, pictured with Gary Yates, manager of GNY Sourcing at York


Neil Wilson is an Employment Lawyerat Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors

Neil Wilson

EMPLOYERS'BRIEFING

Stress in theworkplaceTHE Health an Safety Executive now

gives detailed advice and guidance onpreventing stress in the workplace on itswebsite www.hse.gov.uk.

The resources range from self assessmentquestionnaires for line managers to case studiesand practical examples of how other organisa-tions have benefited from the guidance.

The launch of the website comes after recentfigures showed an estimated total of 13.5m dayswere lost to work related stress last year. Employ-ees absent with stress often means a significantcost to the business through sickness costs, costof replacement and the management time it takesto deal with the illness.

The HSE recommends that spotting the signsearly and encouraging a culture of communica-tion with managers and directors can help toprevent work place stress and the costs associatedwith it.

Peter Brown, head of the HSE’s health andwork division, said: “Pressure is part and parcelof all work and helps to keep us motivated. Butexcessive pressure can lead to stress which under-mines performance, is costly to employers andcan make people ill. In the current economiccrisis businesses are looking to save whereverpossible and managing work related stress effect-ively could represent some significant savings.”

The recent economic downturn has seen amarked rise in employees suffering from stress;whether it be work related or from other factors.What is apparent from recent research carriedout by a consultancy firm is that only a third ofemployees would discuss the stresses of their jobwith their managers. This could potentially meanthat many employers are not aware that theiremployees are stressed and cannot thereforeproactively manage this problem. As mentionedabove this could lead to prolonged periods ofabsence and significant costs to businesses.

It is suggested that employees may feel unableto talk to not only their managers but otherfacilities available within the Company such asoccupational health therapists. More alarminglyit may even be seen as a sign of weakness to showthat an employee is stressed.

As mentioned in the previous article thereforeit is imperative that employers recognise earlysigns of stress and put clear support measures inplace to encourage employees to discuss mattersinternally if they have any problems.

Meanwhile, the Work and Families Act 2006made significant changes to maternity leaveentitlements and it was expected that furtherchanges would follow in 2009 and 2010.However, in light of the current economic down-turn the Government has announced that it isreviewing these proposals.

The plans were to allow mothers to take up to52 weeks paid maternity leave (currently they areentitled to a maximum of 39 weeks paid leave)and allowing fathers to take up to 26 weeks ofpaternity leave subject to the mother taking all ofher entitlement.

It appears that the announcement from Busi-ness Secretary Lord Mandelson has beenreceived warmly by employer groups. A spokes-man at the British Chamber of Commerce hasstated “the cumulative cost of regulation onbusiness now stands at £66bn. A moratorium onharmful extra legislation would be good news indifficult times”.

KirkleescompanyexpandsA KIRKLEES company is set to invest£500,000 in expanding and upgrading itspremises to meet growing demand for itsequipment.

Sewtec Automation, based in Raven-sthorpe Industrial Estate, is a specialistmanufacturer of automated equipment forthe process and packaging industries.

The company designs and producesmachinery for the efficient handling andpacking of products in a range of marketsincluding food, tobacco and pharmaceut-ical.

Sewtec managing director Bernard Mee-han said that business remains strong,despite the current downturn.

“In tough economic times, it is all themore important for manufacturers to max-imise production efficiencies and through-put,” said Mr Meehan.

“We are continuing to see a lot of interestin our bespoke solutions from a widevariety of companies. This investment pro-gramme will ensure that we are well placedto respond quickly to develop equipmentand systems to meet specific customerrequirements.”

he expansion will see the companyincrease its current “footprint” by some10,000sq ft, which as well as providing asmoother flow of work through the factoryand helping to improve response times, willprovide room for additional equipment inorder to expand manufacturing capacity.

The plans also include increased officeaccommodation for administration, con-trol/electrical engineers, and design staff.

Sufficient overcapacity is being built intoall areas of the factory to allow for a currentrecruitment drive for additional skilledpersonnel.

Allison’s backas managerof M&S storeA WOMAN who began her career withMarks & Spencer in Huddersfield on aYTS scheme has returned to the town – asmanager of its latest store.

Allison Burnley cut the ribbon to openthe new M&S Simply Food store atWakefield Road, Waterloo.

She was joined for the ceremony bycolleague Helen Rowell, who began workwith M&S on the same day as Allison 26years ago at the firm’s New Street storeand who is now in charge of training atthe new Simply Food outlet.

Said Allison: “We used to say that oneday we’d run a shop together!

“To come back to Huddersfield andopen this fantastic new store is a dreamcome true for me.”

Allison, 41, first worked for M&S onwork experience when she was a pupil atNewsome High School.

She joined the company on a youthtraining scheme in May, 1993, but nur-tured plans to attend Greenhead Collegeand eventually join the police.

When the company offered her afull-time job that summer, Allisonjumped at the chance. “I thought workingwith the public would be good experiencefor when I joined the police,” she said.

However, 10 years later, she was stillwith M&S – leaving the Huddersdfieldbranch to become a performance man-ager overseeing the food halls at a numberof M&S stores.

In 2004, she graduated in training anddevelopment from Middlesex Universityas part of an M&S scheme.

Allison became store manager at thefirm’s Castleford branch before workingin Leed for a number of years – latterly asmanager of the Simply Food store atCrossgates.

As manager of the new 7,200sq ft storeat Waterloo, Allison heads 50 full andpart-time staff, including three sectionheads.

The store, which occupies a unit at theGallagher Centre on the site of the formerHuddersfield Rugby Union ground,stocks more than 2,000 food products,including ready meals fresh produce,sandwiches, salads and snacks, as well aswines and champagne.

There is also a bakery providing bread,cakes and pastires as well as a selection ofclothing, and accessories, greetings cardsand gift wrap, flowers, homeware, news-paper and magazines.

T h e o u t l e t a l s o i n c o r p o r a t e senergy-sav ing features, inc ludingdual-flush toilets and self-closing taps aswell as lighting with movement sensors toreduce waste.

Some 70% of materials used to buildthe store have been recycled.

Allison, who was also joined by M&Sretail director Steve Rowe for the officialopeing, said the store would appeal to a“different” customer to the town centrebranch.

“Because there is a large car park, weexpect the store to attract people in cars,although it is also close to bus routes,” shesaid.

“Wakefield Road is a commuter routeto Sheffield and Wakefield as well, so weexpect to pick up on that.”

Allison is married to Simon, 42, aself-employed eletrician. The couple, wholive at Lascelles Hall, have a 12-year-oldson, Ben.

She said opening day at the store hadbeen “heaving” and added: “We’ve had afantastic first day.

“The initial response from local cus-tomers has been that they are delightedwith the range of products on offer.

“There are already lots of loyal M&Sshoppers in the area, so it’s great to beable to offer them our products in such aconvenient location.”

Top awardfor SesameA FINANCIAL services group based inHuddersfield has scooped a topindustry award.

Lindley-based Sesame Group wasnamed Best Network and Support Ser-vices Provider at the Money MarketingFinancial Services Awards held in Lon-don in recognition of the service andsupport it delivers to 7,500 financialadvisers across the UK.

The award covers a wide range ofregulatory, product research, trainingand business development support ser-vices that enable IFA firms to tradeefficiently and responsibly.

Judges praised Sesame for its effortsto helping IFAs and their customersbuild robust and profitable businessesduring the current economic climate.

Sesame, which is based at Independ-ence House, Holly Bank Road, has 500staff across the UK and an annualturnover of £300m.

It is part of the Friends ProvidentGroup.

■ SHOP TALK: Allison Burnley, manager of the new M&S Simply Food store atWaterloo in Huddersfield


Allsopsmarks50 years

Glitteringevent forcoachesYORKSHIRE firmsachieving successwith the help ofbusiness coacheswere recognised as aglittering awards night.The ActionCOACHAwards were held atthe Alea casino inLeeds when the guestspeaker was formerfootballer and nowBurnley FC chiefexecutive PaulFletcher.York-based buildingservices companyHDTi Ltd scooped theprizes in threecategories – forenterprise, innovationand the top title ofBusiness of the Year.The company, which iscoached byYork-basedActionCOACHbusiness coach MandyHildred, has increasedits workload andincreased the value ofits average contractfrom £250 to £10,000 inless than a year.Said Mandy: “I am overthe moon that HDTiLtd have won threeawards and that all oftheir hard work hasbeen recognised. Theawards celebrate eachteam member and theeffort that has beenput in to realise thetrue potential of thebusiness.”

Movingnorth forrecruitsLEGAL and financialrecruitment specialistSellick Partnershiphas opened forbusiness in WestYorkshire as part of anexpansion strategy.The new Leeds office,led by board directorHannah Cottam, willprovide financial andlegal recruitmentservices for publicand private sectororganisations acrossthe region.Sellick Partnership,formed in 2002, hasseven officesUK-wide.It achieved turnovertotalling £16m in 2008and expects salesreach £21m this year.Ms Cottam said:“Leeds was theobvious choice as alocation due to thecity being the secondlargest legal centre inthe UK as well asoffering a fantasticinfrastructure andlinks to reach otherareas within theregion.”Amy Bullock managesthe legal recruitmentdivision, supplyingqualified solicitorsand barristers topublic and privateorganisations acrossthe north.

Offering analternativeto job cutsYORKSHIRE firms facing the prospect of makingredundancies are being offered specialist help.

Regional development agency Yorkshire Forwardand arbitration service ACAS have joined forces tooffer advice to help firms cope.

The move comes as ACAS revealed that redundancyissues now accounted for almost a third of all calls to itsnational helpline.

The link-up provides ACAS with more resources tosupport Yorkshire businesses – advising them on theirresponsibilities when it comes to making redundanciesas well as helping them identify potential alternativesto making job cuts.

ACAS adviser Fiona Williams said: “Companieslooking at reducing staff costs often assume that theonly way that they can do this is to shed jobs. In reality,if the company has timely and expert information andguidance, then alternatives can be found.

“Where businesses have to consider cost cutting andchanges to their practices, then we want to ensure theyhave the opportunity for an early intervention withexperts who can advise them on all of their options andobligations.”

Helen Thomson, assistant director at YorkshireForward, said: “It is important that companies andemployees have access to expert skills and support thatcan help them if they do reach the difficult position ofmaking cuts.”

Contact Fiona Williams on 0113 205 3800 or call thehelpline on 08457 474747

A FIRM providing sheet metal compon-ents to a wide range of industries iscelebrating 50 years of business success.

Allsops Ltd, launched by founder BobAllsop with just three employees in 1959,has grown to employ 120 staff and achieveannual sales of £10m.

It has become one of the most respectednames in the field of quality sheet metalcomponents and fabrications – thanks inpart to its commitment to investing in thelatest state-of-the-art equipment, com-puter technology and automation.

Until 1990 the company was a tradi-tional sheet metal subcontractor usingconventional machine tools,.

Recognising the need to become moreefficient and more competitive, the com-pany has installed computer-controlledmachines and laser cutting kit to increasespeed, accuracy and flexibility.

Investment in up-to-date equipmenthas also contributed to a reduction inmaterial costs.

Paul Goodwin, who became managingdirector in 1993, said: “Considering wehave never had our own product, it isamazing that we were able to continuallyexpand, particularly during some of thedifficult trading conditions in the 1990s.

“We put this ability down to our large,diverse customer base. We keep a carefulwatch on industry and market trends andseek new areas of business where oppor-tunities are identified.

“We try to always anticipate changeand are prepared to exploit other avenues

of business. We manufacture, to order,from customer’s own designs or we candraw up customer’s requirementsourselves, for many industries includingshopfitting, electrical control cabinets,lighting, metal furniture and food pro-cessing equipment.

“The choice we can offer customers ofCNC laser cutting and high speed CNCpunching provides customers with themost cost effective choice of flat compon-ent production.”

By 1998 the company was employing120 people and boasting a turnover of£5.5m. At about this time, the firm intro-duced a purpose-built powder coatingplant to further enhance the service All-sops offered to customers.

The most significant investment andfurther step towards automation tookplace in 1999 when Allsops had commis-

sioned nine press brakes.Allsops entered the new millenium

looking for further growth. At the start of2000, the company invested in its secondBystronic laser cutting system andtowards the end of the year the companypurchased the latest Pullmax 6000 punch-ing system.

The company moved to a new 85,000sqft site in 2001 and invested in an addi-tional powder coating plant and a secondBysprint laser cutting systems as well as aVirtek Laser QC quality inspection sys-tem.

Additional investment in laser cuttingand bending systems and punchingmachines took place throughout the yearsuntil 2008 when automation really beganto play a major part in Allsops manufac-turing process.

■ FIFTY UP: Celebrating the firm's 50 years in business are Allsops managingdirector Paul Goodwin (left) and (from left) business development director StephenFennell, technical director Stephane Levicoalis and finance director Ian Johnson

Project helps job seekersJOB seeeker Akbar Amini may soon besitting on the other side of the desk aftergaining qualifications in developinginformation, advide and guidance.

Akbar joined the Up & Workingproject – a community employmentagency fundined by Yorkshire Forward– in June, 2008, as he struggled with hisEnglish, which was preventing him get-ting a job.

Akbar was a secondary schoolteacher in his native Iran and during hisinitial appointment with an Up & Work-ing employment adviser, he expressed aninterest towards working in an advisoryposition.

When the opportunity arose for Up &Working to place candidates on theadvice and guidance course, Akbar wasthe first name on the list.

To further support Akbar with thecompletion of the course, Up & Work-ing hired an interpreter to ensure thatAkbar fully grasped what the course wasabout. With the help of the translator,Akbar was able to complete all thenecessary course work.

Up & Working, based in the MediaCentre at Huddersfield, are fundedthrough the Kirklees Access to Employ-ment Programme. The agency providessupport to consult, advise and guidepeople to overcome barriers preventingthem from securing employment.

Up & Working is now helping Akbarsecure some voluntary work to give him

practical experience in giving advice. .Helen Thomson, assistant director of

economic inclusion at Yorkshire For-ward, said: “As the region's develop-ment agency, we work with our partnersto ensure that everyone in Yorkshire andHumber has equal employment oppor-tunities, particularly during this time ofeconomic difficulty.

“Up & Working plays an importantrole in the community by helping toimprove employment opportunities andsupporting individuals in overcomingany existing barriers to employment –bringing local employers and prospect-ive employees together.”

Contact Up & Working on 08000510299.

■ WORKING HARD: Akbar Amini, with the qualification he gained thanks tohelp from community employment consultancy Up & Working at the MediaCentre, Huddersfield


PROPERTY FOCUS

‘Waterfront’ architectsland top property awardTHE architects behind Huddersfield’sWaterfront Quarter scheme has won a topaward.

Leeds-based DLG Architects lifted theArchitectural Practice Award for Excellenceat the second annual Property ExecutiveNorth Awards.

The ceremony took place in Manchester –with DLG being the only nominated archi-tectural practice from Yorkshire.

Other shortlisted practices includedRyders Newcastle and Broadway Malayanfrom Manchester.

DLG, which also has offices in London,was recognised for its work on severalschemes, including master planning for theWaterfront Quarter project, which is set totransform a triangle of land bordered byManchester Road, Chapel Hill and the riverColne.

The scheme includes offices, flats, a newcampus for Kirklees College, car parkingand the re-opening of a section of Hudders-field Narrow Canal.

The site is currently occupied by SellersEngineers, which will move to a newlcoation in the town.

Andrew Gardner, partner at DLG Archi-tects, said: “We felt honored to be nomin-ated and delighted to win this much covetedaward.

“It is a great boost to our dedicated teamwho have contributed greatly to the suc-cessful completion of some key projects forthe practice this year.”

Scheme include The Atrium in Camberley;Willow Place in Corby; 14 Cornhill in Lon-don; The Becketts in Leeds; and The Rid-ings in Wakefield.”

Falling priceslure would-behouse buyersHOUSEBUILDER Persimmon has rackedup losses of £780m for 2008 after reviewingthe value of its land holdings.

Exc luding one-off costs tota l l ing£904.8m, the York-based company madeunderlying profits of £126.6m – down by78% on 2007.

The firm warned that 2009 would beanother difficult year, but offered someencouragement on recent trading. Weeklysales volumes so far this year were ahead ofexpectations, it said, while the order bookwas worth £698m.

And West Yorkshire regional managingdirector Wayne Gradwell reported anincreased level of interest in its develop-ments across the region – including ones inH e c k m o n dw i ke, C l e c k h e at o n a n dSouthowram – during the first two monthsof trading in 2009.

He said: “Many potential purchasers arenow taking the view that properties havereached a price level where they representgreat value for money. Our wide geographicspread, covering 25 sites throughout WestYorkshire means that we are well-placed tobenefit from this upturn in the market.

“In addition, we have a wide productrange from one bedroom apartments rightthrough to five bedroom family homes andwe continue to market these with a widevariety of sales incentives such as partexchange and shared equity.”

The company said: “We believe the com-bination of lower interest rates and animprovement in affordability will assist inincreasing first time buyer activity, althoughthe threat of increased unemploymentremains a concern.”

The company said it had renegotiatedterms on its existing debt and had alsoagreed a new facility of £322m repayable in2012. It will have funding lines of £1.08bn,reducing to £560m during 2011.

The company said: “We expect thesefacilities to provide ample headroom andsupport for the effective management of thebusiness over the next few years.”

The severe downturn in the housing mar-ket last year led Persimmon to focus onkeeping costs to a minimum and conservingcash.

It reduced staffing levels to about 2,300after cutting its number of staff by 55% sinceearly 2008.

The company maintained its three operat-ing brands of Persimmon, Charles Churchand Westbury Partnerships, but reduced thenumber of operating businesses from 36 to25 over the year.

Legal completions for 2008 of 10,202represented a cut of 36% on last year,generating revenues of £1.75bn. The averageselling price of £172,994 was down by 8.7%on a year earlier as a result of continuedpressure on prices and a 22% increase inaffordable homes completions.

Wayne Gradwell

eddisons.com

01484 533151Oak House New North Road Huddersfield HD1 5LG

Contact Philip Deakin or David Wright

Eddisons

offic

eof

fice

offic

eoffi

ceof

fice

Birmingham Bradford Bristol Glasgow Huddersfield Leeds London Manchester

eddisons.com

reta

ilin

dust

rial

reta

ilret

ail

reta

il

Units 2&7 Jubilee Business ParkGrange Moor, Wakefield

Holme Bank Mills, Station Road, Mirfield

Unit 3 Hoyer Industrial ParkLeeds Road, Huddersfield

Units 1&2 Radcliffe Industrial EstateLowlands Road, Mirfield

Bent Ley MillsHuddersfield Road, Meltham, Holmfirth

Cartwright CourtBradley Business Park, Huddersfield

Wakefield Road, Lepton, Huddersfield

Norwich Union House, Huddersfield

The Library, Wellington Road, Dewsbury

The Other Rooms41-45 Queengate, Huddersfield

TO LET/ MAY SELL

Modern warehouse units. Generous 10m minimum eaves heightRental incentives available

TO LET

Varierty of warehouse, workshop and office units. Popular securebusiness park. Convenient for junction 25/M62

TO LET

Modern warehouse unit. Prominent main road location off theA62 Leeds Road. Generous secure yard and car parking provision

TO LET

Open span warehouse/industrial units. Cost-effective industrialspace. Generous eaves height

FOR SALE

Industrial investment opportunity. Passing rent of £80,600 p.a.Substantial single storey warehouse

TO LET

High quality office suites. Self contained office developmentImmediately available

TO LET

Newly refurbished retail/office units. Prominent position frontingbusy A642 Wakefield Road. Generous car parking provision

TO LET

Prominent town centre location. High specificationaccommodation. Lift access to all floors

TO LET

Imposing town centre property. Suitable for a variety ofcommercial uses (subject to planning). Generous rental incentivesavailable

FOR SALE

Prominent bar/restaurant premises. Opposite the University ofHuddersfield. Suitable for a variety of uses without the need forplanning

3,261 m² - 8,451 m² (35,102 sq ft - 90,970 sq ft)

73 m² - 930 m² (786 sq ft - 10,000 sq ft)

569 m² (6,130 sq ft)

779 m² - 1,729 m² (8,385 sq ft - 18,609 sq ft)

3,428 m² (36,896 sq ft)

70 m² - 410 m² (740 sq ft - 4,420 sq ft)

11 m² - 193 m² (126 sq ft - 2,078 sq ft)

Various suite sizes available

769 m² (8,275 sq ft)

538 m² (5,792 sq ft)


PROPERTY FOCUS

Key sectors hit by credit crisisLACK of cash and confidence caused by thecredit crunch has reduced activity and pricesfor properties in the leisure and retail sectors,says a report.

Christie + Co’s Business Outlook 2009showed that values in the hotel sector fell by18.3% during 2008 while the pub and restaur-ant sectors saw declines of 11.6% and 14.9%respectively.

The care sector reported a 16.8% reductionwhile retail fared a little better with a 6.4%drop in average values.

David Rugg, chairman of Christie + Co,said: “We are still seeing a consistent volumeof buyers registering on our website andviewing businesses.

“In fact, we arranged more viewings bymore viewers in 2008 as against 2007. Thenumber of businesses for sale is stable andconstant. It is the lack of cash, and with it alack of certainty, that has slowed the marketconfidence of both buyer and seller.

“Vendors continue to be motivated to sellfor a variety of reasons — retirement, death,changes in personal circumstances or finan-cial need — and buyer enthusiasm stillexists.

“Although many first time buyers havebeen deterred by the economic uncertainty,our transactional activity confirms that thereare still new entrants to our markets, seekingto control their own investments and careers,

as well as the experienced operators whopossess sufficient confidence and knowledgeto expand.”

Mr Rugg said Christie + Co’s advisoryactivity was also in demand – in line with theindustry’s need for valuations and specialistprofessional advice.

Mr Rugg said the challenge in 2009 wouldbe matching vendor expectations with thoseof funded buyers.

He said: “We saw signs, late in 2008, thatvendors had become more realistic in theirprice expectations, thus providing real valueopportunities for cash rich buyers in 2009.”

Chris Day, international managing dir-ector at Christie + Co, said: “Most businesses

enter 2009 with concerns about future trad-ing and the impact current economic diffi-culties will have on their performance.

“At whatever level a business is trading webelieve that service delivery and customercare will ensure that the business stands thebest chance of success.

“Increasingly we are seeing buyers lookingto acquire businesses to achieve much higherreturns on their cash than can currently beachieved almost anywhere else.

“Unfortunately there will be “distressed”opportunities, as the market readjusts to amore normalised financing climate and val-ues reflect the more cautious approach oflower leveraged investors.”

Upbeat report – butoutlook far less rosyTAKE-UP of industrial and dis-tribution space across Yorkshirerose by 5% last year, a report hasrevealed.

Figures from national prop-erty consultancy Lambert SmithHampton showed that 7.5m sq ftof space was taken up during theyear.

Some of the largest dealsincluded Sainsbury’sacquiring564,000sq ft at the formerS o m e r f i e l d u n i t i nSherburn-in-Elmet and the takeup of 380,000sq ft by CampackSA at Opus Maximus, Scun-thorpe.

Rob Whatmuff, head of indus-trial agency at LSH in Leeds,said: “The major industrial anddistribution markets across WestYorkshire performed better thanaverage during the early part oflast year, with occupier demandbeing mainly driven by the localeconomy.”

H ow e v e r, L S H ’s l a t e s tresearch showed that thenational industrial and distribu-tion sector was bracing itself for

a sharp reduction in demand forspace from retailers as a result offalling house prices and reducedconsumer spending.

Said Mr Whatmuff: “Despiteits strong performance, theregion has already begun to see aslowdown in enquiries with signsof take-up reducing.

“Consumer confidence hasbeen decimated, which has had adisastrous effect with retail col-lapses and the inev i tab leknock-on effect on the big shedmarket in the region.”

Despite the continued eco-nomic downturn, headline rent-als are still being achieved,although landlords are offeringgreater incentives in order toachieve this.

Mr Whatmuff said: “The eco-nomic uncertainty has also hitthe small unit market, with occu-piers increasingly wary of com-mitting to new premises withoutflexibility and the feeling of a‘deal’ being won via greaterincentives.”

LSH suggested the recent his-

toric drop in interest rates wouldnot prevent a significant weak-ening in the UK industrial anddistribution property sector in2009 and 2010.

■ UNCERTAINTY: RobWhatmuff, head of industrialagency at Lambert SmithHampton

Consultancywins healthynew contractA COMPANY in Huddersfield hasbeen awarded a three-year contract toprovide health and safety services to oneof the UK’s bigest commercial propertyconsultancies.

Bradley-based Safety Managementand Monitoring Services will carry outhealth and safety, fire and flood riskassessments as well as asbestos surveysand online data management for 350managed properties on behalf of Lam-bert Smith Hampton.

SM&MS has been working with LSHfor more than four years, having gained“preferred supplier” status to provideasbestos surveys on a national basis in2004.

Since then, it has completed morethan 500 asbestos surveys on behalf ofLSH and has provided expert health andsafety advice to many of the regionaloffices as required.

In addition, SM&MS provides itsbespoke online contractor managementsystem, ContractorPlus, to LSH.

This allows the company to vet thehealth and safety documentation of allcontractors it uses in order to reducerisks in using such contractors.

Sue Morris, director at SM&MS,said: ‘We are delighted to have beenawarded such a prestigious contractwith LSH.

“This is a reflection of the expertadvice and support we have providedthem on health and safety matters in thelast few years and is a further indicationof our continued success in the commer-cial property market.’

LSH provides a broad range of com-mercial property services and advice toclients in both the public and privatesector.

It has a network of 28 offices span-ning the UK and Ireland.

Robert Faulkner, head of asset andproperty management at LSH in Lon-don, said: ‘We are very happy thatSM&MS will be supporting our healthand safety requirements over the nextthree years.

“As a company we have a compre-hensive health and safety policy and

with the involvement of SM&MS wewill ensure that our teams work safelyand securely, with no risk to themselvesor those around them.”

As part of the new contract, SM&MSwill also supply LSH with its innovativePropertyPlus system, which links intoContractorPlus and will enable the com-pany to assign tasks to approved con-tractors, get fee proposals and raisepurchase orders for tasks derived fromrisk assessments.

SM&MS)was founded in 1994 andhas grown into one of the UK’s leadingproviders of health and safety services –helping companies meet legislativedemands and achieve best health andsafety practice.

The company, which ha s i t sheadquarters at Bradley Business Parkand branch offices in London and Bris-tol, employs 80 people UK_wideproviding health and safety, fire andflood risk assessment as well as disabil-ity audits, asbestos surveys, environ-mental management and training.

Hat-trick triumph forMarshalls personnelBUILDING products companyMarshalls has won a hat-trickof awards in a nationalcompetition.Marshalls, which is based atBirkby and has operations inElland, picked up the prizes inthe Sustain Magazine Awards,which were presented at aceremony in London.The company won theInternational Trade Award for

its partnership approach toworking with overseassuppliers.It also landed the GovernanceAward for being the firstcompany to “carbon label” anentire product range.And it secured the Gold Awardfor Sustainability, Businessand the Built Environment inrecognition of its “green”credentials.

Group marketing director ChrisHarrop said: “Winning theseawards is a testament to ourapproach and Marshalls’commitment to sustainability.“Every business should makean active contribution tosociety as part of its keystrategy, and the SustainMagazine Awards showcasedthe very best.”

■ HEALTH PLAN: Sue Morris,director of Safety Management andMonitoring Services


PROPERTY FOCUS

Funding successfor green supplierA COMPANY in Huddersfieldproviding environmentally-friendlybuilding materials has secured asix-figure loan to help it grow evengreener.

Env ironmenta l Construct ionProducts Ltd, which trades as GreenBuilding Store, has received the£100,000 loan from PartnershipInvestment Finance.

The funding is being used to helpthe Golcar-based business promoteits products in new and emergy mar-kets.

It will also enable the firm todevelop new products targeted at thepublic sector.

The company supplies environ-mentally-sensitive building productswhich promote energy efficiency.Items range from insulation to win-dows and from paint to bathroomfixtures.

The company was involved inbuilding a low-energy house at Long-wood and has been praised for itsworrk with West Yorkshire PassengerTransport Executive for its installa-t ion of waterless urina ls and

water-saving toilets in bus stations.Steve Slator, financial director of

Env i ronmen ta l Con s t ruc t ionProducts, said: “We need to maintainour position as a leader in providingenvironmentally sound buildingmaterials.

“New Government legislationaffecting social housing builds meansarchitects and developers are lookingfor us to provide materials aimed atachieving tough environmentalstandards.

“The loan enables us to commis-sion and hold stock of a unique newwater-saving bath, to help developershit their targets for water efficiency,and achieve Secure By Design statusfor our range of windows.

“It will also help us target ourmarketing in the social housing sec-tor which is one of the few construc-tion markets with potential forgrowth.”

Ian Howson, PIF lending manager,said: “Environmental ConstructionProducts is an innovative companywhich has found a niche away fromtraditional markets.

“It is forward thinking and theywere moving towards the public sec-tor construction market before thecredit crunch hit.

“Their business plans are strongand we believe the funding will enablethem to develop their products andexpand further.”

PIF is an investment fund aimed atsupporting growing businesses inYorkshire.

It has invested £37m in growingbusinesses over the past four years .

The move was welcomed by AlexMcWhirter, assistant director ofbusiness at regional developmentagency Yorkshire Forward.

He said: “Companies that aredeve loping green technologyproducts are ideally positioned tocontribute to the long term growth ofthe region.

“They will become increasinglyimportant as the Government strivesto hit its carbon reduction targets andit is important we provide support forcompanies like Environmental Con-struction Products enabling them tothrive and expand.”

Majorupgradefor BESA COMPANY specialising inproperty compliance hasinvested £600,000 instate-of-the-art technology.Moldgreen-based BESConsulting is upgrading itscomputer systems andinternet-based operations tohelp clients ensure theirproperties meet legalrequirements for energyefficiency, fire safety andasbestos protection.“Managing propertycompliance is complex,time-consuming and requiresthe storage of considerablepaperwork,” said BESConsulting sales andmarketing director StevenDaniels.“Each property needs to besurveyed regularly to ensureits continued compliance ineach area governed bylegislation. Remedial actionsneed to be managed andpaperwork needs to be readilyavailable.“It is a considerable challenge.If just one key date or action ismissed, a company riskstough penalties.“We are investing in the

further development of ourProperty Compliance Manager,an innovative web-basedproduct that removes thisheadache for propertymanagers.”The new investment follows a£1m investment in building thelargest field-based team ofsurveyors qualified to helpcommercial propertymanagers to reduce theirenergy costs and receiveEnergy PerformanceCertificates.EPCs became a legalrequirement for all commercialbuildings let or sold fromOctober and BES Consultingis creating at least 30 new jobsto help meet soaring demandfrom clients, including puboperators Marston’s andPunch Taverns.

■ CHALLENGE: StevenDaniels, consulting sales andmarketing director at BESConsulting

commercial properties

offices

offices retail

retailindustrial

www.bramleys.com

14 st georges square, huddersfield hd1 1jf

telephone 01484 558231/530361 - [email protected]

BRETTON STREET, SAVILETOWN, DEWSBURY

PRICE ON APPLICATION

* Single StoreyIndustrial Unit with 2Storey Office Block* 865.10m²(9,312ft²)* Popular IndustrialEstate* Roller Shutter

Doors* Secure Site* 3 Phase Electricity* Gas BlowerHeaters* 2.3 mles fromDewsbury TownCentre

SILVER STREET, SHAWS INDESTATE, ASPLEY£75,000 P/A

* Modern IndustrialUnit* 1,473m²(15,857ft² )* Roller ShutterDoor* Rateable Value£61,500

* Popular IndustrialEstate* 3 phase electricity* Outskirts ofHuddersfield towncentre* Gas supply

WHITACRE STREET,OFF LEEDS ROAD

RENTS ON APPLICATION

* Newly RefurbishedIndustrial Units* 500, 4260 & 6,337sqft'* Single Storey* Good Secure YardSpace* Roller Shutter Doors

* Popular Leeds RoadCorridor location* Close to M62Motorway and towncentreSTARTER UNITSALSO AVAILABLE

HALIFAX ROAD, LIVERSEDGE£4,750 P/A

*Modern IndustrialUnit*73.2sqm (788sq ft)*Modern industrialunit on smallindustrial park*Rateable value tobe assessed

*Self contained

*Large roller shutter

door

*UNIT OF 571ft2

also available

WAKEFIELD ROAD,HUDDERSFIELD£12,500 P/A

* Retail shop withancillaryaccommodation* 103m (1,110ft)* Main roadlocation* On street carparking

* Fully centrallyheated* Suspendedceiling* Rateable value£5,200* Outskirts of towncentre

OLD LEEDS ROAD,HUDDERSFIELD

FROM £10 PSF

* High Quality OfficeAccommodation* From 61.78m²(665ft²) to 383.87m²(4,132ft²)* High SpecificationOffices withContemporary Design

* High Security* Former Chapel* Central Heating* Good car parking* Outskirts ofHuddersfield TownCentre* Double Glazing

* Self Contained 3rdFloor Office Suite* 151.59m²(1,631ft²) netinternal* Town centrelocation* Adjacent to railway

station* Full repairing andinsuring lease* Gas fired centralheating* Lift access* Security entrancesystem

DAISY LANE, HOLMFIRTH£10,000 P/A

* ContemporaryOfficeAccommodation* 80.54m² (867ft² )NIA* Former CoachHouse* Pleasant Setting

* High specificationCategory II Lighting* Rateable Value£4,350* Outskirts ofHolmfirth* Car parkingspaces

UPPERHEAD ROW,HUDDERSFIELD£6,000 P/A

* Refurbished Second FloorOffice Suite* 88.25m² (950ft²)* Open plan accommodation* Refurbished Second FloorOffice Suite* 88.25m² (950ft²)* Open plan accommodation

* Opposite bus station* Centrally heated* Rateable Value £4,550* Suspended ceiling withinset lighting* Close to Multi-Storey carpark

WESTGATE, CLECKHEATON£110 P/W

7 Westgate,Cleckheaton£110 P/W* Shop/Clinic* 35.86m² (386ft²)* uPVC shop front* Central heating* New lease

* Main road

location

* Various uses

subject to planning

consent

ST GEORGES SQUARE, HUDDERSFIELD£12,000 P/A

FLEXIBLE TERMS/ INCENTIVES


PROPERTY FOCUS

Future perfect!A FUTURISTIC building at Hud-dersfield University has been shortlis-ted for a top property award.

The £14m creative arts building atQueensgate is one of 17 impressivestructures across West Yorkshire to benominated for the Pro YorkshireAwards 2009 run by the Royal Institu-tion of Chartered Surveyors.

The university building is one of sixnominees in the sustainability cat-egory of the awards.

Its rivals are St Margaret’s parishcentre, Horsforth, Leeds; SharrowNursery, Junior and Infant School,Sheffield; Shibden Park interpretationcentre, Halifax; and eco-friendly hous-ing developments Pad 55 in Pickeringand Henley Rise in Rotherham.

Other buildings shortlisted in sevencategories at the Pro YorkshireAwards include Leeds City Museum,Leeds Grand Theatre, St JamesChurch in Baildon, The Arthouse inWakefield, Brewery Wharf in Leedsand Eastbrook Hall in Bradford.

The categories cover building con-servation, commercial, communitybenefit, regeneration, design andinnovation, tourism and leisure, sus-tainability and residential.

The creative arts building, whichopens its doors last September, was

built with the help of a £6.5m fundingpackage from Lloyds TSB CorporateMarkets.

It is billed as one of the mostexciting and inspirational teachingand research facilities for music andcreative arts courses in the universitysector – incorporating rehearsal space,lectures theatres, a 120-seat concerthall, a recording studio, practicerooms, exhibition space and an innov-ative, “cube-shaped” electro-acousticresearch studio.

It also boasts a rain harvestingsystem to collect rainwater and use itto flush toilets in the building after ithas been filtered. The system includesa huge 45,000-litre capacity waterstorage tank, which has been installedinto an underground pit next to thenew building.

A total of 46 projects from an entrylist of 76 across Yorkshire have made itto the final shortlist of the region’sproperty “Oscars” – which recogniseinspirational initiatives and develop-ments in land, property, constructionand the environment.

The regional winners will be enteredinto the national RICS Awards, wherethey will compete against other lead-ing projects from across the UK.

Colin Harrop, chairman of the

RICS regional board and charteredsurveyor with peroperty agent KingSturge in Leeds, said: “We receivedstrong support for this year’s Awards.

“In fact, the Pro Yorkshire Awardsattracted more entries than any of theother RICS regiona l propertyawards.

“It just goes to show that despite thechallenging economic conditions,property professionals in the area arestill as committed as ever to theindustry and helping us to recogniseand reward the important work car-ried out by chartered surveyors andother skilled specialists in ourregion.”

Said Mr Harrop: “All 17 of theprojects short listed in West Yorkshireare a credit to the region and illustratethe important, skilful work thatchartered surveyors and property pro-fessionals in the area have com-pleted.

“Their inclusion in the short listputs West Yorkshire on the map as anarea that offers world-class, innovativebuildings.”

NNC newsreader Nicholas Owenwill announce the winners of the ProYorkshire Awards at a glittering cere-mony held on Friday May 15 at theRoyal Armouries in Leeds.

■ AWARD CANDIDATE: the creative arts building at Huddersfield University – pictured during final building work –has been shortlisted for a top regional architecture prize of Huddersfield new Creative Arts building

Figures fall for new housingTHE number of homes being builtin Yorkshire has dipped sharply –with only 880 started in the lastthree months, a drop of 74% com-pared with the same period lastyear.

The Communities and LocalGovernment House Building fig-ures showed that the Governmentis falling behind in meeting itsambitious house building targetof 3m new homes by 2020.

Shelter chief executive Adam

Sampson said: “These figuresshow Government is still notdoing any where near enough tokick start the flagging housebuilding industry and get Britainbuilding again”

“House building starts areseverely declining at a time whenmore and more people in the York-shire and Humberside are in des-perate need of a decent home.”

Mr Sampson warned: “If theGovernment continues to sit back

and watch the house buildingindustry completely stall, theeffect on our economy, the housebuilding industry and the lives ofpeople who need a home, will bedevastating.

“There can be no question thereis an urgent need to build morehomes. Ministers must make amajor investment in social hous-ing now before the consequencesof our failure to build are too greatto ever recover from.”

Eddisons tohandle salefor ClariantSPECIALITY chemicalcompany Clariant hasinstructed charteredsurveyor Eddisons to handlethe disposal of a majorindustrial complex in the AireValley.The site on Calverley Lane,Horsforth, extends to over 48acres and has excellentdevelopment potential,according to Eddisons.Sion Croft, of Eddisons, said:“This is a significantindustrial site in an enviablelocation six miles north-westof Leeds city centre.“It could be appropriate forhigher value uses, includingresidential schemes subjectto the usual planningconsents and local authoritypolicies.Most of the site has beendeveloped for industrial useHowever, more than 15 acresremains undeveloped and

has been used for agricultureand recreation.“This land is allocated asGreen Space or a protectedplaying pitch within a SpecialLandscape Area.The accommodationincludes modern offices,laboratory, production andwarehouse space including aquality high bay warehousewith more than 8,000 palletspaces.‘The Calverley Lane siteoccupies a prime piece ofland in an area which hasconsistently attractedinvestment,” said Mr Croft.“Even in the tough tradingconditions, we expect thereto be significant interest.Eddisons is also workingwith Clariant on the disposalof the firm’s Bawtry Roadsite to the south of Selbytown centre.

To LetModern & PurposeBuilt UnitsWhy not use the experts? MB Services have over20 years experience in letting industrial units

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • AGENTS • CONSULTANT • ADVISOR

TRAFALGAR MILLS • LEEDS ROAD • HUDDERSFIELD • HD2 1YY

Queens Mill Road, Huddersfield1 mile from town centre,easy access to M1/M62Modern Industrial Units to letMezzanine floorUnit 19 ....4966 square feetUnit 20 ....5362 square feet

New Mill Road, Brockholes41/2 miles from town centre, easyaccess to motorway networkUnit to let in attractive businessparkUnit 3.......985 square feet(available March 2009)Unit 11 ....985 square feetUnit 25 ....1170 square feet(available for sub let)

MirfieldGood access to motorway networkModern Units to letUnit 2 . . .5272 square feetUnit 3a . .4793 square feet

Leeds Road, Huddersfield2nd floor offices to let4376 square feetModern hi-tec office unitcan be subdivided

Albert Street, HuddersfieldUnit 1a . .6650 square feetMezzanine floor

Broadfield Mills

Junction 25 Business Park

Contact: Paul AndrewEddisons01484 533151

Christine EcclestonMB Services01484 557102

Alec MichaelMichael Steel0113 248 999

Queens Mill Industrial Estate

Leeds Road, HuddersfieldUnit 12 . .11986 square feet

Fieldhouse Park

Trafalgar Mills

Brockholes Business Park

Leeds Road, HuddersfieldUnit 2 . . .3250 square feet

Old Fieldhouse Lane

REDUCED RENTALON SOME UNITS


PROPERTY FOCUS

Carter Jonas gets a new lookA PROPERTY agency with officesin Huddersfield has announced amassive re-branding exercise.

Carter Jonas, which has abranch at Slaithwaite, has adopteda new logo, corporate identity andwebsite.

Tony Wright, a Yorkshire-basedpartner, said: “We are all veryexcited about the re-brand. I thinkour clients will be very pleasedwhen they see our new look.

“We’ve also launched a newwebsite to showcase the know-

ledge of our many propertyexperts across the UK and allowusers to quickly and simply searchfor residential, commercial andrural property across the north ofEngland – and indeed the entirecountry.”

Developer unveilslatest mill schemeDEVELOPERS have launched thesecond phase of a £6m mill redevelop-ment scheme – buoyed by the successof the first part of the ambitiousprogramme.

The 19th century listed Folly HallMills, which stands alongside the riverColne, at Folly Hall, has been conver-ted by Dewsbury-based Jay TeeGroup to provide 60,000sq ft of primeoffice space.

The first phase of the scheme, com-prising 16,900sq ft of offices, hasalready been fully let to two Hudders-field companies, ESTL and Above &Beyond.

The second phase, providing almost40,000sq ft of office space, is nowunder construction – with suites dueto be available for occupation fromAugust.

The launch was attended by about150 business leaders, Kirklees council-lors and property professionals fromacross Yorkshire.

Last month, the council’s cabinetapproved a grant of £400,000 towardsthe second phase of the develop-

ment.Clr Ken Sims, who was Cabinet

member for regeneration at the time,said: “Given the current economicclimate, it is heartening that a localdevelopment company which nowowns the properties – Jay Tee Group –is confident to bring these buildingsback into use with the potential ofproviding more than 150 new jobs.

“The development will provide topgrade office accommodation – ofwhich there is a shortage and forwhich there is a demand in Hudders-field.”

Training company ESTL has taken15,000sq ft of office space at FollyHall – including almost 7,000sq ft inthe small mill building, 3,300sq ft inthe former boiler house and 3,400sq ftin the main mill.

Architects Above & Beyond havetaken two floors in the smaller of thetwo mills – moving from offices atHuddersfield Media Centre.

Jay Tee Group said the develop-ment would also boast its own cafebar – Cafe 1844 – which is due to open

in September and occupy 1,600sq fton the ground floor of the largermill.

Paul Bailey, project director at theJay Tee Group, said: “The successfulcompletion of phase one is a superbendorsement of the development.

“Altogether there is 40,000sq ft ofprime office space left in the main millover five floors, which can be leased orbought. This space can be divided intooffice units from 2,000sq ft upwards.

“We feel they will prove veryattractive to professional servicesfirms of all sizes, as well as to thepublic sector.”

Said Mr Bailey: “The interior ofFolly Mill is absolutely stunning –with vaulted ceilings, spiral staircases,exposed beams and flooded with nat-ural light. It is an absolutely wonder-ful place to work.

Joint agents for the scheme areEddisons and Michael Steel 7 Co.

Folly Hall, which was built in 1844,stands next to the Grosvenor casinocomplex. It has 180 car parking spacesand use of a 100 space pay and displaycar park nearby.

■ MILL WORK: Pictured at Folly Hall Mills are (from left) Paul Bailey, director of Jay Tee Group; Andrew Stoddart,managing director of Above & Beyond Architecture; Miles Jessop, former director of Joseph Lumb & Sons Ltd; RachelStirling. managing director of ESTL; and Angela Dowd, of Handelsbanken

Property expertbranching outA FORMER officer at KirkleesCouncil’s estates departmenthas set up his own propertyconsultancy.

Dave Wood, who has 21years experience in the sec-tor, has fofrmed Wood Stra-tegic Property Consultancyto help businesses reducetheir property costs by identi-fying buildings that are sur-plus to requirements, reviewrents and leases and cut theirrateas bills.

Said Mr Wood: “Property isone of the biggest costs formost businesses after staff-ing expenses. If businessescan reduce their propertycosts it helps them stay inbusiness.”

Mr Wood, who is based inAlmondbury, said he wasfocusing his attentions onWest Yorkshire.

He was responsible for thee s t a t e s d e p a r t m e n t a tKirklees until March last yearwhen he left to set up his ownconsultancy. A chartered sur-veyor, he joined the council asa valuer and worked his wayup the organisation.

He has been involved inmany of the major develop-ment schemes of the past 20years, including the Sains-bury’s Shorehead store, theMcAlpine Stadium – now theGalpharm – and the LeedsRoad Retail Park.

Before joining Kirklees, heworked in private practice inLeeds for two-and-a-halfyears in the non-residentialproperty sector covering stra-

tegic estate management.Mr Wood said property

issues became even moreduring times of recession.

“Bus inesses are morelikely to be scaling down andfind themselves with a bigsite and surplus property,” hesaid. “Others might be sittingon proper t ies tha t havereached the end of their use-ful life or on land they want todevelop.

“And as we come out ofrecession, there will be newstart-ups looking for proper-ties as well as small firms whomight need another unit orshop premises.

■ AUTHORITY: Dave Wood,managing director of WoodStrategic PropertyConsultants

Latest lettings boost DTZA RAFT of lettings have beenannounced at Albion Park inLeeds.

REIT Asset Management,advised by DTZ, has let threeindustrial units to SanctuaryBathrooms, Total Trade Framesand Carousel Envelopes.

The deals follow four other

significant deals at this wellestablished industrial park.Other recent new occupiersinclude Morfitts, UnderworldLtd and Warehouse SystemsLtd. Philip Caspell, senior sur-veyor at DTZ, said: “The recentspate of lettings has broughtoccupancy levels to 90%.” ,


014 8 4 4 3 2 0 4 3 The Old Gatehouse

68 New North Road

Huddersfield

HD1 5NE

01484 432043Contact orJason Metcalfe Mark Hanson

Visit our website www. hans o n- c s . co.u k

Offices

Ripponden Business ParkOldham RoadRipponden

FOR SALE/TO LET

Brand new self contained offices

Finished to a high specification

Car parking and ease of access to

junction 22 M62

780 to 1,524 sq ft

Offices

FOR SALE2,764 sq ft

Brig Royd SurgeryBrig RoydRipponden

Central location next to public library

All local amenities in close proximity

High profile elevated position

Offices

TO LET632 sq ft

Marten HouseSt Andrews RoadHuddersfield

Good quality office suite

Adjacent to Aspley Marina

Rental incentives available

Offices

First floor office suite

Newly refurbished with DDA lift access

Central location close to all amenities

TO LET1,483 sq ft

Standard HouseHalf Moon StreetHuddersfield


Sean Jarvis is director of businessdevelopment at Huddersfield Town

TOWNTALKSean Jarvis

Warm outlookA COMPANY making radiatorshas launched two new productst h a n k s t o f u n d i n g f r o mBirstall-based Cattles Invoice Fin-ance.

The new RadArt and RadGlassranges from Leeds-based Roco(Europe) Ltd combine stunningartwork with contemporarydesign to make radiators a person-alised feature in the home.

Despite the credit crunch, saleshave remained strong for Roco’selegant and innovative radiatorsand the newly formed company islooking forward to the future.

Managing director Dav idMankin originally set up the com-pany to find his own route tomarket and encourage creativityin radiator design.

Expansion into Europe is his

next goal – and talks have alreadybeen completed with Turkishwholesalers to distribute theproducts. Negotiations are nowunder way with French and Italiandistributors.

Jamie Hunt (top), regionalmanager of Cattles Invoice Fin-ance, is pictured with Mr Mankinat the Radstore showroom inLeeds.

Agencypassesthe testA MARKETINGagency has puts itsrugby unionknowledge to thetest.Wakefield-basedNourish hascompleted a contractat Cardiff’sMillennium Stadiumto promotehospitality packagesfor the RBS 6 NationChampionship.The agency wascommissioned by thehome of Welsh rugbyto produce a creativecampaignincorporating advertsand printed materialsto promote thetournament and itsnew offering – theUltimate BootroomExperience.The marketing teamat the stadiumwanted to makepeople aware of theamazing opportunitythey were offering towatch preparationsfor the match –including the chanceto get up “close andpersonal” with thehallowed grounditself.Emma Rogers,hospitality salesmanager forMillennium Stadium,said: “Working withthe team at Nourishon the campaign forthe RBS 6 Nationshas been great. Theyunderstood exactlywhat we needed anddelivered, even onsome really tightdeadlines.“The BootroomExperience givesrugby fans theopportunity to enjoya glass ofchampagne behindthe posts the eveningbefore one of two keymatches in thechampionship andshare a three-coursemeal with a celebrityfrom the world ofrugby.

Companies value talentCOMPANIES are keen to keep hold oftheir talented staff – despite the impact ofthe recession.

A survey by the Chartered Institute ofPersonnel and Development found thatthree-quarters of firms were not allowingthe economic climate to affect theirstrategy when it came to retaining toptalent.

Among the 26% that had changed theirpolicy, almost one in five were placingmore emphasis – not less – on identifying,developing and retaining talent.

Some 55% of the 705 firms polled said

they were working to develop more talentin-house while 45% were focusing on“essential” development.

A quarter of respondents said they hadbeen forced to reduce the scale of theiroperations – but had consciously pre-served key talent throughout this process.

Just 3% of those firms “downsizing”were having to let go of key talent, while11% were taking the opportunity to recruittalent discarded by competitors.

CIPD adviser Claire McCartney said:“It is essential that organisations avoidknee-jerk reactions and cost-cutting in the

very areas that will make the biggestdifference.

“Now is not the time to halt employeedevelopment, nor is it the time to postponeor sca le back ta lent managementstrategies. However, more cost-effectivesolutions need to be found as return oninvestment will come under greater scru-tiny.

“Managing, developing and motivatingtalented employees is even more importantbecause it is the one thing that can differ-entiate organisations and ensure that theythrive in the long term.”

Sponsorsdeal sealedBY now I hope all our fans and the local

business community have noticedthat we have entered into a new and excit-ing sponsorship agreement withThornton and Ross.

I am delighted with the agreement on anumber of fronts. Firstly, it is great to have oneof the region’s largest and most respectedemployers supporting the club but also to beworking with such an international brand isequally important.

I am honoured to welcome them to Hudders-field Town’s “growing family”. In fact, over thepast six months of negotiations I have got toknow the team at Thornton and Ross very welland its clear they have a lot of synergy withourselves including a fantastic family organisa-tion built on a great history. They are greatpeople to work with and of course we lookforward to a long lasting relationship.

I would also like to use my notes to thankcurrent sponsor Casino Red for their supportover the past couple of years and wish them wellfor the future. To that note, we are still in talkswith Casino Red and hopeful that they continueto support the club, which I am sure they will.

Over the coming weeks, I would also urgepeople to monitor the official website(www.htafc.com) and Kirklees Business Newsas we will have a number of further sponsorshipannouncements coming up.

I am sure those who attended the CentenaryLegends Dinner will agree it was a great even-ing. To hear stories from the likes of Worthing-ton, Sidebottom, Lillis, Cowan, Ellam, Hutt etal was fantastic. What’s more to have thepleasure of meeting the legendary Ray Wilsonwas also a great honour and having over 300fans gather in the room on a Monday night wasalso a great sight.

Another event that was hugely successful wasour second Business Forum held in associationwith business partners Chadwick Lawrence. Wehad about 50 businesses come along to thestadium before the Colchester game and listento Steve Black and Mark Bradley, a customerservices expert. The whole event was superbwith some valuable lessons including motiva-tion, dealing with customers and employmentlaw (which was delivered by Neil Wilson ofChadwick Lawrence). I

As some of our supporters will know, Iattended the Stockport game, on the terraces,having previously gone to the North WestHTSA launch. The launch was great with morethan 100 fans asking myself, Dean Hoyle andNigel Clibbens some very topical questions. Mycongratulations go to Steve King and the rest ofthe HTSA team that made it a great event.

Finally for my column this month, I wouldlike to highlight some significant dates ofannouncements that are coming up.

On Saturday, March 21, we will be revealingthe new away kit – at the stadium on the bigscreen. This will be something a little differentfor us but worth coming to see.

Then at the end of March we will announceour new home kit sponsor, shortly followed byrevealing the home kit. A few days later we willbe able to reveal the new season ticket prices. Soas you can see some interesting times ahead.

If you want to be a part of it give me a call on01484 484193.

WE BRING BUSINESS FACE TO FACE WITH BUSINESS

Published by Trinity Mirror Huddersfield Ltd, PO Box A26, Queen Street South, Huddersfield HD1 2TD. Printed by TrinityMirror Printing Oldham Ltd, Hollinwood Avenue, Oldham. OL9 8EP. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office.

Fleet managementgroup joins elite listVEHICLE fleet managementgroup FMG Support has beenranked among Britain’s elitebusinesses.

The company, based atBradley Mills, is 97th in the2009 Sunday Times DeloitteBuyout Track 100.

The league table ranks Brit-ish private equity-backedcompanies with the fast-est-growing profits to Septem-ber, 2008.

Nearly a third of the 100companies listed have theirheadquarters in London.

FMG Support is one of 13companies based in north-eastEngland to feature.

The company secured a £7minvestment from Spirit Capitalin March last year to deliverits ambitious growth plans.

Since the investment, FMGSupport has won heavyweightcontracts with Lloyds TSBAutolease and the HighwaysAgency.

Nick Brown, chief executiveat FMG Support, said: “Wehave enjoyed an immenselysuccessful 12 months and have

already fulfilled several majorambitions.

“Our contract wins reflectour continued focus on innov-ation and people develop-ment, which is enabling FMGSupport to become increas-ingly recognised at a nationallevel.”

Craig Hopwood, of SpiritCapital, said: “This listingrepresents a significant mile-stone for FMG Support andwe are pleased to continue tosupport the team throughoutits future developments.”

Staff takeshare ofbig bonusMORE than 500 workers ata Huddersfield supermarketare sharing in a record £22mbonus pay-out.

The 545 employees atAsda’s Bradford Road storereceived hundreds of poundsextra in their February paypackets after hitting targetsfor sales and customer ser-vice.

Staff at the Huddersfieldstore achieved 95% of theirallotted targets – one of thebest performances in thecompany.

Nationally, 133,000 Asdastore and depot workers aresharing the £22m bonus pot.The pay-out is sharedamong employees with morethan six months service atthe Leeds-based firm’s 358stores and 23 depots acrossthe UK.

For the third year run-ning, more than 44,000 Asdaemployees from 130 storesand 16 depots nationwideexceeded their performancetargets – entitling them topocket the full bonus entitle-ment.

Workers in stores reaching

a “super bonus” threshold of20% above target get up to£420 each.

This year’s average bonusequates to £269 for afull-time Asda store col-league or £177 part time. Afull time employee earningthe 100% bonus gets apay-out of £350.

The annua l perform-ance-related bonus schemewas first introduced in 1999after Asda was acquired byUS-based retailing giantWal-Mart. The total paid tocolleagues across the chainhas now reached more than£129m. This year’s recordbonus payments reflectASDA’s performance in2008.

The company is due toreport its fourth quartertrading figures next Tues-day.

Asda director CarolineMassingham praised the“hard work and dedication”of store and depot staff,adding: “Once again theyhave helped us deliver out-standing value and customerservice.”

Red ‘alert’ for retail groupSTAFF at two Huddersfield storesshowed their support for charity by“going into the red”.

Employees at DIY store Homebaseand catalogue shop Argos stores worea variety of red outfits as part ofnational Wear Red to Work Day.

S o l o m o n A n t w i ( c e n t re ) , o fHomebase, is shown with RahelGojam, of Argos, and James Davies, ofHomebase.

The event marked the start of theBritish Heart Foundation’s Red for

Heart campaign, which takes placethroughout National Heart Month inFebruary.

Homebase and Argos storesthroughout the UK are working to raise£2m over the next 18 months with avariety of fundraising events and activ-ities.

The two retailers are part of HomeRetail Group, which has the BritishHeart Foundation as its charity part-ner.

So far, the partnership has raised

more than £750,000 to help the BHF putmore defibrillators in communitiesacross the UK.

The Red for Heart campaign encour-ages people to “go red” for their lovedones in any way they choose and raisevital funds to fight the UK’s biggestkiller – heart and circulatory disease.

Mary Jones, acting store manager ofHomebase at Leeds Road, said: “Weare thrilled to be taking part in theBHF’s national campaign to celebrateNational Heart Month.”

RedundancyAdvice Services.

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

Call Neil Wilson on 01484 519 999

Kirklees Business News, April 2009

Documents

Transcript of Kirklees Business News, April 2009