Kirklees Business News, Ferbuary 2009

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.

Appetitefor foodA GROUP promoting York-shire’s food and drinksindustry has an appetisingidea to boost business.

The Regional Food Groupwill host the third InnovationForum on January 28, 2009,at Thorpe Park Hotel, Leeds.The event will explore issuessurrounding innovation – thelifeblood of successful organ-isations in good times andbad.

The event is being run bythe RFG on behalf of Appet-ising Innovation, a new initi-ative offering food and drinkmanufacturers access toinnovation, development pro-jects in product and pack-aging, seminars, workshops,special reports and innova-tion surgeries.

The speakers will includeTracey Hollowood, associatedirector of sensory and con-sumer research for SensoryDimensions; John Kirkby,creative director of designconsultancy Design Futures;and Sarah Knapper, RFGdirector of research anddevelopment.

Ms Hollowood will focuson how to use sensory andconsumer research to build abetter product, while Mr

Kirkby will packaging innov-ation and improvements.

Said Mr Kirkby: “ThisInnovation Forum will high-light the opportunities andresources available to busi-nesses in our region.

“Innovation is what ulti-mately sets products apartand in the crowded food mar-ket within which companiesoperate in today, it is moreimportant than ever before toinspire delegates to be morecreative and innovative intheir approach to meeting theneeds of their customers.”

Ms Knapper said: “Withadvice from these industryexpert speakers businesses,should be able to embraceinnovat i on and ut i l i seresearch to result in measur-able improvements to theirprofit margins.”

RFG chie f execut iveJonathan Knight said: “Busi-nesses can become more com-p e t i t ive by e m b r a c i n ginnovation, which in turn cre-ates new business opportunit-ies.”

Contact Laura Gill on01937 838895 or visit the web-site at www.regionalfood-group.co.uk

Workers resolve tohold onto their jobsWORKERS are making aNew Year’s resolution to hangonto their jobs, a survey said.

Foreign exchange providerCurrencies Direct said that36% of people in full-timeemployment were restrictingtheir ambitions to staying inwork – with just 10% settingtheir sights on climbing thecareer ladder.

Spokesman Ivars-Lopezsa id : “This snapshot ofemployment sentiment offersa revea l ing ins ight intopeople’s concerns about thestate of the economy and their

fears about job security.“People’s prevailing attitude

is to knuckle down and hopetheir job survives the recessionrather than anything moreambitious in the current cli-mate.

“They are focusing onworking hard to keep them-selves afloat, rather than ask-ing for a promotion or a payrise.”

Fears about job losses aregreatest among those aged 35to 44.

In that age group, 44% ofpeople polled are focusing on

their existing job against 12%voicing ambitions to win pro-motion.

Among those aged under25, some 16% are focusing onkeeping their job comparedwith 33% looking to earn pro-motion.

The survey follows a reportby the Citizens Advice Bureaureported that the number ofenquiries about redundancyhas more than doubled acrossEngland and Wales from anaverage of 189 a day in Aprilto 425 a day in November.

ChamberofficesopenedREPRESENTATIVES of 40 firmshelped the Mid Yorkshire Cham-ber of Commerce celebrate theopening of its new headquartersin Lockwood.

After many years occupyingpremises at Wakefield Road,Aspley, the chamber has opted fora state-of-the-art stable blockrefurbishment in Lockwood Park.in Huddersfield.

Guest of honour Prof BobCryan, vice-chancellor of Hud-dersfield University, was invitedto cut the ribbon.

He commented on the cham-ber’s 155-year history and how itsrole as the voice of business wasas valid and important as the dayit was established.

Chamber cha irman EddieRodgers, described the new-lookchamber with some of the mem-bership services now on offer tohelp local companies weather therecession.

He said: “Despite the currenteconomic climate, we are makinga strong statement about thefuture of the Chamber and aboutthe future of business in thearea.”

The chamber has more than1,000 members across Kirklees,Calderdale and Wakefield..

■ TAPED: Huddersfield UniversityVice Chancellor Prof Bob Cryan(left) cuts the ribbon watched bychamber chairman Eddie Rodgers

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February, 2009 236

Mixed results forregion’s law firmsYORKSHIRE’S top 10 lawfirms reported mixed financialfortunes during 2008, a surveyhas revealed.

The survey by accountancyfirm PricewaterhouseCoopersshowed that 2008 was a year ofstrong fee income growth –although a positive first sixmonths masked a much weakersecond half to the year.

Average fees per partner forthe top 10 firms reached almost£2.9m with the 11-25 groupmanaging an average of £1.8m.More than a quarter of firms inYorkshire increased fees perpartner by above 15%, but onethird reported a fall in this stat-istic.

Top 10 firms UK-wide repor-ted an average fee per fee earner

of £360,000 – some 35% higherthan for the 11-25 bracket. Theaverage for Yorkshire firms issignificantly below this level, at£142,000.

Profits per partner for Top 10firms exceeded £1.1m – almost28% up on the 2007 figure, whileaverage profits per partner forYorkshire firms were £536,000.

David Thurkettle, of PwC’sProfess iona l PartnershipsAdvisory team in the north, said:“Clearly law firms will not beimmune from the effects of theeconomic downturn.

“However, these results arestriking in that they highlighthow effective financial and oper-ational planning have enabledsome firms to move significantlyahead of the competition.”

Mobile homes!A NEW mobile phone game to teachyoung people about living independ-ently is being launched across thenorthern England and the Midlandsafter successful trials in Kirklees.

The InLiving game was developedby Kirklees Neighbouring Housingand mobile phone games developerCreative North Studios, based at themedia Centre’s Creative Lofts,Northumberland Street, Hudders-field.

The game, which is being deliveredfree across Kirklees, has already gotthe thumbs up from former housingminister Caroline Flint, who describedit as “an example of good practice in

communicating with young people”.Now InLiving is to be promoted

more widely following a link-upbetween Creative North and the Hous-ing e-Academy, an Ilkley-based organ-isation which encourages greater useof online learning in the UK housingsector.

Chloe Weatherhead, Housinge-Academy manager, said: “The part-nership with Creative North hasallowed us to explore how InLivingcan be taken a stage further by linkingmobile technology to a planned pro-gramme of online learning.

“This has resulted in the develop-ment of InLiving Progression, an

internet-based tool that gives tenantsthe opportunity to test their under-standing of their responsibilities, raisesawareness of the potential pitfallswhen living independently and giveaccess to further learning opportunit-ies.”

Anton Iacono, InLiving projectmanager with Creative North, said:“InLiving is an exciting new tool thathousing providers can use to helpcreate successful and sustainable ten-ancies for 16 to 24-year-olds.

“Word is spreading like wildfireabout InLiving – with several hundreddownloads to date.”

■ NOT HOME ALONE: Housing e-Academy manager Chloe Weatherhead (left) and Anton Iacono, InLiving projectmanager with Creative North, demonstrate the InLiving mobile phone tenancy training game

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2 KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSFebruary, 2009

COMMENT

byHenryk Zientek

Read Henryk Zientek'sBusiness reports Monday

to Friday in ...

Inside Issues● Celebrating long service – page 3● Law firm in sporting link – page 4● Rotajet makes a clean sweep – page 6● All the right connections – page 9● Myfotowall in US deal – page 10● Lagging behind on pay – page 14● Ajaz issues rallying cry – page 15● Ramsdens in merger deal – page 16● New occupant for mill site – page 17● Estate agents join forces – page 19

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Distribution & AdvertisingANNE BARRETT


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FINANCIAL REPORT

‘Cut in borrowing costsmay not benefit all firms’COMPANIES should check thesmall print before assuming theywill benefit from recent cuts in thecost of borrowing, an accountanthas warned.

Steven Gash, managing partnerof Clough and Co in Cleckheaton,said: “Some business loans willinclude clauses with a minimuminterest rate. This will be buried inthe small print in the loan docu-mentation and not every companywith a loan may be aware that itexists.

“Many small and medium-sizedenterprises will assume that theywill now benefit from the reduc-tion in interest rates.

“However, with a clause inplace, the cuts will not be passedon and instead the banks stand tomake a tidy margin instead.

Therefore I’d encourage businessowners to check their loan docu-mentation, especially if it’s an oldloan.”

Despite the warning, there arenumerous financial products onthe market for businesses to take

advantage of during these times oflow interest rates.

Hedging products “insure”interest rates and are designed tolimi t po ten t ia l losses. Forexample, an interest rate cap limitsthe maximum interest rate that

would be paid for a specific loan.Said Mr Gash: “Hedging

products do incur a premium.However, they provide a safety net– and with the lowest interest ratessince 1951, it is a good time tosecure these low rates on existingand new loans.”

Following last November’sinterest rate cut, the Forum ofPrivate Business said the cut couldsave small firms £750m in interestpayments on loans and overdrafts– if banks passed on the benefits infull.

Said Mr Gash: “The govern-ment needs to ensure that themeasures announced in thepre-Budget report are filteredthrough to businesses quickly andbanks pass on the benefits ofreduced interest rates.”

EffectiveteamworkA TOP team from the Yorkshire and Cly-desdale banks has won an internationalaward.

The banks’ commercial developmentand payments team won the category forMost Effective Cultural Transformation –Change Management at the Institute ofFinancial Services’ Finance InnovationAwards in London.

The team overcame competition frombanks and building societies acrossEurope, America and Australia to win theaccolade, which was presented bycomedian Hugh Dennis.

The award recognised the hard workthat employees and management have putinto developing the team’s culture andmorale, which has significantly improvedteam performance.

As a result, the team generated a 21%increase in income, a four-fold increase inthe number of employees enjoying flex-ible working conditions, a 34% improve-ment in customer satisfaction and a 21%rise in productivity.

Peter Myers, head of commercial devel-

opment and payments, said: “It is a greataccomplishment to have been recog-nised, especially against such strongglobal competition.”

Alternative investmentsALTERNATIVE invest-ments are becoming increas-ingly attractive due to thecredit squeeze, a financialexpert has claimed.

John Chambers, an inde-pendent financial adviserand head of Chartford Fin-anc ia l Management inCleckheaton, said investorswere looking for unusualtargets as the net return oncash deposit accounts con-tinued to be eroded.

Examples of unusualinvestments included pro-duction and distribution ofTV programmes and a trad-ing company leasing ambu-lances, CT scanners and bin

wagons to the NHS.Said Mr Chambers: “It

seems that the Governmentwill not stand by and see aBritish bank fail. As a result,you should be more con-cerned about the return onyour money rather thanabout your money beingreturned.

“Some investment gurusare now beginning to seesigns of the equity marketsreaching the bottom of thecurrent cycle.

“With the unpredictabil-ity of the markets, they seeexcellent buying opportun-ities in historically low shareprices.

“However, you do notnecessarily need to restrictinvestments to traditionalareas of equities, property,fixed interest and cash.”

Mr Chambers warnedthat many alternative invest-ments carried a high risktariff.

But he added: “There areinvestments which havebeen structured to be lowrisk in nature while offeringexcellent tax advantages anda yield comparable to thegross return of those higherpaying deposit accountsthat were available earlierthis year.”

■ WINNERS ALL: Clydesdale andYorkshire banks' commercial developmentteam receive their national award fromcomedian Hugh Dennis (left)

WHO would be an economic fore-caster?

As we survey the devastation wreaked bythe banking crisis, housing market slumpand plunge in consumer spending, whowould be brave enough to predict with anycertainty where the UK economy will be inanother 12 months’ time?

Certainly, pundits at the start of 2008 werenot predicting the collapse of world markets,the loss of a string of familiar high streetnames or taxpayers owning a clutch ofclearing banks – courtesy of the Govern-ment’s multi-billion pound bail-out.

In such circumstances, forecasters couldbe forgiven for taking a pessimistic view ofwhat’s to come. Many believe there must befurther painful fall-out – in terms of joblosses, personal insolvencies and companyclosures – before the economy achievesequilibrium.

It is difficult to blame them. After manymonths of avoiding the “R” word – thereality is that Britain and many of theworld’s leading economies are in direstraits.

Economic experts would do well to focusmore closely on how recovery can be encour-aged – although, inevitably, there is littleagreement on what measures will be moreeffective.

Business people should also consider howeasily the edifice was toppled and considerthe lessons to be learned.

■ WARNING:Steven Gash,managingpartner ofClough &Company inCleckheaton,said it was vitalthat banks passon the benefitsof reducedinterest rates tohelp strugglingcompaniescompete

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]

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23KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSFebruary, 2009

Glass firm is buildingbridges on Dubai tripA COMPANY making curved glass made asmashing impression on visitors to a majortrade show in the Middle East.

Lockwood-based Novaglaze Gardner &Newton was presented with an award for thebest exhibit at the region’s biggest construc-tion industry show, The Big 5, held in Dubaiin the United Arab Emirates.

Managing director Ken Woodcockreceived the award from exhibition directorSimona Novelli

Novaglaze – a first time exhibitor – wowedvisitors with a stand featuring a curved glassbridge, a curved glass office, a shower cubicleand a curved glass boat. One visitor was so

impressed that he bought the lot for asix-figure sum on the first day!

More than 3,200 exhibitors from all overthe world showed off their products andservices to some 50,000 visitors during thefive days of the prestigious show.

Company spokesman Gary Smith said:“We were introduced to the Big 5 last yearwhen representatives visited our stand at anexhibition in Birmingham 12 months ago.

“We went out with backing from thegovernment’s UK Trade and Investmentorganisation and we have come back with anaward and plenty of leads.

“Dubai provides plenty of opportunity for

us. The place is one big building site at themoment – with developers trying to outdoeach other to build the biggest buildings.

“We will certainly be attending again tostrengthen the links we have forged thisyear.”

Novaglaze, which dates back almost 200years, specialises supplying curved glass for avariety of applications and locations, includ-ing royal palaces and stately homes as well asairports, hotels and shopping centres.

The company has a 46,000sq ft factory inLockwood and a 16,000sq ft site in eastLondon as well as a distribution depot inEdinburgh.

More companies seekto ‘farm out’ IT function

■ GLASS SHOW: Ken Woodcock, managing director of Novaglaze Gardner and Newton, receives the best exhibit award on the firm'seyecatching curved glass bridge from Big 5 exhibition director Simona Novelli at the event in Dubai

Sean Jarvis is director of businessdevelopment at Huddersfield Town

TOWNTALKSean Jarvis

Pitching infor the clubAS we all know the credit crunch and

recession have made it – and con-tinue to make it – an extremely difficultclimate for businesses.

Huddersfield Town is not recession-proofeither. However, during the 08/09 season sofar the commercial team has continued in aneffort to maximise revenues for the club.Credit has to be given to all our departmentheads, who have worked hard in the club’scentenary year. I would like to place onrecord my thanks for their continuedefforts.

However, there is still a long way to go andwe as a team look forward to working withour new manager Lee Clark and his team onhow we can continue to progress the club.The commercial team will continue to try andpush the boundaries and challenge tradi-tional thinking to make the club one of themost innovative and forward thinking foot-ball organisations.

Our commercial department arguablyfaces the toughest challenge of all our depart-ments over the coming months due to theeconomic climate. However, when compar-ing league game sales to the previous season,we are 4% up over the same period. Advert-ising sales are up by 41%, which wouldindicate that more businesses are seeing thebenefits of using the club as a platform to acaptive audience.

The rebranding of the Executive Club tothe 1908 Club has also had the desired effectand we are seeing sales 51% up on last year.New revenue streams introduced include aLegends Dinner and Corporate FootballTournament. The outlook for this depart-ment remains tough and our desire is tocontinue to attract new businesses to the fold.To that effect, if your business is interested ingetting involved or would simply like to learnmore about the benefits of becoming apartner with the Club – and you can do for aslittle as £10 per week – then please give us acall on 01484 484141.

Our promotions department have gonefrom strength to strength over the past sixmonths and I am pleased to report that theBlue and White Foundation – an exclusivemembers club – have smashed their all-timerecord by achieving 2,500 members, makingour lottery department one of the mostsuccessful in football.

Profits from the club’s matchday pro-gramme have increased by a massive 185%this season and hits on the club’s officialwebsite, www.htafc.com, have increased toover one million per month. The club’s mediadepartment is introducing new initiatives toattract new customers to Yorkshire BuildingSociety’s Terriers Account from which ouryouth academy benefits financially.

The past six months have been uncharteredterritory for the ticket office and to be honestI think they have managed it exceptionallywell. To achieve nearly 17,000 season ticketholders is a fantastic effort.

Commercially, we have progressed fromprevious seasons and maximised the centen-ary so far. I believe this is our chance to buildand consequently encourage the local busi-ness community that now is the time to getinvolved with Huddersfield Town.

Here’s to a bright 2009!

MORE Kirklees businesses are makingstaff redundant and turning to out-sourcing in an attempt to cut costs andsurvive the economic downturn.

Malcolm Pow, Holmfirth-based dir-ector for computer support companyUlysses IT, said he had noticed a signific-ant jump in enquiries from local businessesover the past three months.

The news coincides with significant ITjob losses around the world.

Reports say 13,000 IT jobs were cut onone day alone last week.

“We are starting to see this global trend

of outsourcing IT properly arrive inKirklees,” said Mr Pow.

“Local businesses are discovering thatthey don’t really need a full-time IT personwhen there are plenty of competant sup-port companies out there.

“It’s a tough call to make a member ofstaff redundant but necessary for manybusinesses to enter 2009 in good shape.”

Ulysses IT specialises as an outsourcedIT department for its clients.

Its staff deal with local businesses acrossYorkshire, as well as much of the rest of theUK.

Mr Pow said outsourcing helped busi-nesses save more than just a salary.

He said: “Typically, clients find theyspend less on IT overall yet have bettercontrol of it.

“This is because a full-time IT personwill create work to keep themselves busy.

“Bosses with no technological know-ledge will not realise that things are beingdone that are not really necessary.

“A good outsourced IT department willnot do these things to try and save clientsas much money as possible.”


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Unwary firmsface penalties,expert warnsKIRKLEES companies have beenwarned that late-filing penaltiesimposed by Companies House are setto rocket from early next year.

David Butterworth, of Hudders-field-based accountancy firm Wheaw-ill & Sudworth, said there was alreadya long-standing penalty regime forlimited companies that do not filetheir accounts on time.

But he said: “The level of penaltiesis increasing significantly from Febru-ary 1, 2009, and some companies aregoing to get a major shock.

For accounting periods beginningon or after April 6, 2008, two majorchanges are coming into effect.

Firstly, the deadline for filingaccounts is shortening to ninemonths after the period end for privatecompanies from its current 10months, and to six months for publiccompanies from its current seven

months.The late-filing penalty rates will rise

to £150 for a private company and£750 for a public company filing up toone month late – rising to £1,500 fotr aprivate company and £7,500 for apublic company filing more than sixmonths late.

Said Mr Butterworth: “These aresignificant increases compared to thepresent regime and – where a com-pany is late two years running – thepenalties are doubled.

“Although Companies House canshow leniency in certain circum-stances, the deadlines and penaltiesare well-publicised and lame excuseswill not be tolerated by them.

“Some companies can take advant-age of a web-filing facility on theCompanies House website and thiscan help speed things up.”

Service with a smile!LONG-SERVING staff at a hotel inHuddersfield celebrated withchampagne.

Beryl Ramsden, assistant res-taurant manager at the CedarCourt Hotel, Ainley Top, toasted25 years at the hotel – where shealso celebrated her marriage.

She was joined by six othermembers of staff who have helpedher clock up a total of 125 yearswith the hotel.

Identical twins Helen and AnnLodge, who are both kitchen port-ers, have 19 years service, as hasconference and banqueting porterSteven Taylor. Breakfast chefMelissa Moses has 18 years ser-vice – having dished up more than500,000 rashers or bacon and400,000 fried eggs.

Lyndsey Hunter has 12 yearsservice as sous chef while ClaireBevins has been restaurant super-visor for the past 13 years.

Beryl, who lives in Newsome,said: “I love my job with a passionas I enjoy working with the generalpublic. The hotel staff are like myextended family.

“The past 25 years have flownby. All three of my children haveworked here at some point – I evenhad my wedding reception here in1976. Little did I know I would endup working here for all theseyears.”

General manager Maria Florousaid: “Having such a loyal team towork with is a real privilege andmakes a difference to our manyregular guests and customers.”

The hotel was bought by CedarCourt Hotels – Yorkshire’s largestindependent hotel group – fromthe Hilton Group in 2001.

The group has four 4-star hotelsin Huddersfield, Bradford, Wake-

On thefasttrackTRANSLATION com-pany Applied LanguageSolutions have been listedas one of Britain’s fastestgrowing private compan-ies.

The firm, headed bymanaging director GavinWheeldon, takes 23rd placein the Sunday Times VirginFast Track 100 annualleague table, after morethan doubling annual salesin the past year. The com-pany reported turnovertotalling £5.5m last yeara g a i n s t £ 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 i n2004-2005.

In the past five years, MrWheeldon, of Meltham,has turned the businessinto an international oper-ation with nine officesworldwide in the UK,USA, India, France, Spainand Bulgaria.

Fast Track 100 ranks thetop 100 private companieswith the fastest-growingsales over three eyars.

field and Harrogate and plans toopen a 5-star hotel in York nextyear.

Pictured enjoying their cham-pagne moment at the hotel are

Beryl Ramsden (centre) with(back, from left) Melita Moses,Claire Bevins, Lyndsay Hunter,Ann amd Helen Lodge and SteveTaylor.

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TECHTALK

Safety iskey forsupplierINSURANCE and riskmanagementcompany Wilby hashelped a nationalkitchen supplier passthe health and safetytest.Halifax-based WilbyRisk Managementworked with Alno UKLtd, part ofGerman-based AlnoAG, to pass its annualCHAS assessment.Contractors approvedby the ContractorsHealth & SafetyScheme must not onlymeet legal health andsafety requirementsbut must alsodemonstrate excellentmanagementprocedures.Mark Dalton,associate director forWilby RiskManagement, worksclosely with Alno UKLtd to undertake aprogramme ofconstruction siteinspections acrossthe UK and toimplement thecompany’s health andsafety policy.Caren Gamble,operations managerfor Alno UK Ltd, said“The CHASapplication takessome time tocomplete, but weconsider being aCHAS approvedcontractor gives aclear message to ourclients of theimportance we placeon health and safety.”

Russian trade routesKIRKLEES firms have been urged to lookto Russia in a bid to combat the reces-sion.

A trade trip to Moscow and the Rostovregion is being spearheaded by Hudders-field University’s Russian-British BusinessCentre.

And centre chief Dr Evgeny Polyakovsaid the mission provided an opportunityfor local companies to target potential newmarkets at a time when the UK economy isin the doldrums.

He said: “The ‘Made in Britain’ brand isstill highly regarded in Russia. There is alsoa lot of investment going into sectors suchas construction and transport, particularlyin Rostov-on-Don, which is the centre ofthe South Russia Federal District.”

The Russian-British Business Centreplans to take up to 15 companies fromacross Yorkshire on the six-day mission,which will run from April 19 to 24.

It will include two days of businessnetworking and one-to-one meetings withpotential customers in Moscow as well asworkshops, meetings, networking eventsand company visits in Rostov.

Firms can claim up to 50% off the basic

cost of £3,120 through UK Trade andInvestment’s Targeted Export SupportScheme. The trip is also supported byregional development agency YorkshireForward; Chamber International compris-ing York, Bradford and Leeds chambers ofcommerce; and the World Trade CentreHull and Humber.

Dr Polyakov said major industries ofRostov included mechanical engineering,food processing, agriculture and coal min-ing. Products made in the region includecars, helicopters and airplanes, industrialboilers and sewing machines.

The region consists of 123 towns andcities and has a population of almost 30mpeople – making up almost 16% of the totalpopulation of the Russian Federation.

However, trade with the UK makes uponly a small fraction of the total. TheRostov region numbers Ukraine, SouthKorea, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Egyptamong its principal trading partners.

Dr Polyakov said a conference organisedby the Russian-British Business Centre atthe Galpharm Stadium last summershowed there was keen interest amongYorkshire firms – which the April trade trip

aimed to satisfy.“Rostov region has ambitious invest-

ment plans between now and 2020,” hesaid. “They include developing river, road,air and rail transport links, modernisingmuch of the existing industry and trainingworkers areas such as marketing and cus-tomer care.”

The trip also includes an optional visit toSochi, chosen as the host for the 2014Winter Olympics.

The deadline to register interest in thetrade mission is Friday, February 6. Con-tact Dr Polyavok on 01484 473107 or [email protected]

Sporting links forKirklees law firmA LAW firm in Huddersfield hasreported a healthy new contract –acting for sports centre operatorKirklees Active Leisure.

Chadwick Lawrence, which hasoffices at Railway Street in Hud-dersfield, will provide KAL withemployment support servicesthrough the company’s EmployerSupport Pack.

KAL is a charitable trustresponsible for managing, operat-ing and developing 10 sportscentres and swimming pools inKirklees.

The trust also manages the Sta-dium Health and Fitness Club atthe Galpharm Stadium and Spen-borough athletics track.

The organisation aims to get“more people, more active, moreoften, in Kirklees” and provides awide range of opportunities foraffordable sport, leisure and recre-ational activities for local people.

Chadw ick Lawrence waschosen because it is a specialist inemployment law, ifor its widercommercial services and becauseit has several offices acrossKirklees.

Tracey Spencer Tootill, head ofhunman resources and marketingat KAL, sa id : “Chadw ickLawrence has extensive experi-ence in employment law, meaningthey are always up to date with thelatest legislation.

“K irklees Act ive Leisurealready has a strong in-house HRteam, which now has the benefitof specialist legal support via theEmployment Support Pack mak-ing HR issues much easier tomanage.”

Neil Wilson, partner andemployment specialist at Chad-wick Lawrence, said: “We’redelighted to be working withKirklees Active Leisure.

“We enjoy building relation-ships with clients and supportingthem in any way we can, so we seethis as a long term partnershipand look forward to developing itin the future.”

Predictionsfor the yearFOR many businesses, the past year

has been a challenging one and it isnot easy to say what 2009 will bring.

However, there may be some useful guid-ance in the annual round of last year reviewsand next year predictions. So, as the finalchampagne cork of the New Year celebrationsgoes “pop” and we all head back to the office,here is a roundup of the IT predictions for2009.

At this time last year, the outlook was fairlygood and this has carried through with lessthan 20% of SME companies responding toThe Registers 2008 survey reporting that thecredit crunch has had a significant effect on ITprojects. This is stunningly close to the sur-veyed percentage last year, so “gold stars”there. A larger percentage (28%) expect thereto be an impact during 2009, although overhalf (58%) are still not expecting a significantproblem.

The important point here is being informedand proactive. Knowing how your top line issupported by your technology is absolutelycritical. This enables you to seek out optimisa-tion and efficiency within the IT function,which may be possible without impactingupon service delivery to your clients. ITdepartments can help with this by beingproactive about maintaining a lean and effi-cient IT system.

Looking at specific technologies, many ofthe predictions for 2009 are continuationsfrom the past year.

Convergence was predicted to be importantin 2008 and it has been so, although for ourbusinesses perhaps not to the extent expected.In many cases, this refers to convergence of ITand telephone systems and this has perhapsbeen held back by the slow roll-out of BTs new“21st Century Network” or 21CN which isexpected to be an enabler for many convergedsystems.

For our businesses, convergence must berelated to specific business requirements andthis is hinted at in some of the predictions forconvergence in 2009. Before deciding on asystem, find out how it will improve yourbusiness. For example, look for how a systemwill promote your company and its productsand services to new clients and/or how thesystem will provide a better service to yourexisting clients.

Online applications are again tipped for2009 with the likes of Microsoft and Googlecontinuing to invest in development. However,how this will become mainstream, busi-ness-supporting technology is yet to be seen.Pricing is not always clear and for firmslooking to integrate more closely with clientsand business partners, moving to a proprietaryon-line system may not be the answer. On theface, there are benefits to consider but lookcarefully at how this will affect your businessprocess.

Ending on a happy New Year message,commodity technology costs such as straightforward PCs, broadband connections andhard disks also continue on a downward trend.There have been some price fluctuations relat-ing to the dollar rate changes but the overalltrend on these items is expected to be in theright direction.

■ FIT FOR BUSINESS: Tracey Spencer Tootill, head of public relations and marketing at Kirklees ActiveLeisure, with Neil Wilson, partner and employment specialist at law firm Chadwick Lawrence

■ DRUMMINGUP TRADE:Dr EvgenyPolyakov, headof the RussianBritishBusinessCentre atHuddersfieldUniversity


PROPERTY FOCUS

Housebuildermore positiveA HOUSEBUILDER with sites inKirklees has hit back at gloomyforecasts for 2009.

Miller Homes, which has prop-erties in Huddersfield and Liv-ersedge, said it was now seeingsigns of confidence slowly butsurely returning to the housingmarket – aided by a pledge fromHSBC to increase the amountavailable for mortgages by 20%next year.

The housebuilder said Novem-ber’s 1.5% cut in lending ratessparked a rise in enquiries at itsdevelopments across Yorkshire – apattern also reported by house-hunting websites rightmove.co.ukand smartnewhomes.co.uk.

Miller Homes said the trend hasstrengthened following anotherrate cut to bring the cost of bor-rowing to 2% – a level not seensince 1951.

Sales and marketing directorSue Warwick said the latest cutwas just one item on a long list ofinitiatives that together were hav-ing a positive effect on marketconfidence.

She said: “The number ofchartered surveyors who believethe market has bottomed out hasincreased fivefold, from 4% to20%, according to a recent surveyof members of Chartered Insti-tuted of Surveyors.

“The number of transactionsrecorded by the Land Registryseems to be increasing again – and

there are early indications thatlarge lenders are considering amove to accept builders’ depositsfor the first time in months.

“Obviously, we need banks topass the interest rate savings ontocustomers for the full benefit to beseen – but the cut in rates is areflection of the economy in gen-eral.

“Oil prices are coming down andtaking food and heating bills downwith them. We’ve also seen cuts inVAT and Government reassur-ances that hardworking homeown-ers will be protected if they faceredundancy – and this is the newsthat many people have been wait-ing for.”

Miller Homes said that the clos-ing weeks of 2008 have seen adefinite increase in sales rates,much of which the business attrib-utes to its MiWay scheme wherebuyers pay 75% now and 25%later.

The company said the initiative– which will be rolled out in 2009 –had already helped the company tosell several hundreds of homes.

Ms Warwick said a shortage ofhousing was underpinning themarket, so in the long termdemand would grow again.

:She added: “We certainlybelieve the worst has now past andthere are calmer waters on theh o r i z o n f o r b e l e a g u e r e dhomeowners everywhere.”

Double success forestate agency staffSTAFF at the Huddersfield andHalifax branches of estate agentYour Move Alexanders have tri-umphed twice in the EstateAgency Awards 2008.

Alongside the two goldawards, they were also shortlis-ted for best small agency in thenorth and the technologicalaward.

The national awards recog-nise the significant contributionthat companies have made inproviding exceptional customerservice.

Your Move Alexanders beatoff tough competition to takegold for best financial servicesand best marketing categories inrecognition of the support itoffers vendors in selling theirproperty.

The awards build on the com-pany’s past successes, includingthe Daily Mail UK PropertyAwards 2007, where Your Movewon 19 Awards – the most everwon by an estate agent – theFranchise Marketing Awardsand this year’s Estate Agencyand Lettings Awards.

Simon Rowell and Simon

Bentley, directors of Your MoveAlexanders in Huddersfield andHalifax, said: “The team aredelighted by this great successand feel this will provide addedreassurance to customers thatthey are dealing with a reput-able and highly professionalagent.

“In particular, the award bestfinancial services acknowledgesour strength in providing cus-tomers with a comprehensivemortgage and remortgage ser-vice.

“However, it’s not just aboutworking hard to find a mort-gage to suit their personal cir-cumstances – particularly inthese difficult times – but alsothe additional support we canoffer like advice on filling outapplication forms and help inprocessing them and at the sametime, ensuring that we follow theregulatory requirement andstandards set by the industry.”

The awards were presented toYour Move by telev is ionpresenter Melissa Porter, at aprestigious awards ceremonyheld in London this month.

A WORKER at the Dewsburybranch of Leeds Building Societyhas been hailed a hero.

Anita Firth, assistant manager ofthe branch, won the society’sannual Community Hero Award,which recognises the member ofstaff who has made a real differ-ence to a charity or their localcommunity.

Anita is pictured receiving her

award from the Duke of York whenhe visited Leeds to re-open thesociety’s refurbished head office.

Anita was nominated for theaward by Michael Barber, chairmanof the civilian committee at 127Squadron Air Training Corps inWakefield, for her major efforts tosupport the organisation over anumber of years.

Anita has been treasurer of

quadron’s civilian committee formore than seven years and man-ages the squadron’s accounts. Shehas also led fundraising events toenable the squadron to buy a newminibus.

Said Anita: “To win the annualcommunity hero award was aninspiration. To be presented withthe award by the Duke of York wasa once in a lifetime experience.”

Propertyprizes inprospectsPROPERTY projects in Kirklees could be inline for a top award in 2009.

Entrants are being sought for next year’sPro Yorkshire Awards run by the RoyalInstitution of Chartered Surveyors.

The award will celebrate the best propertyschemes over the past 12 months – andshowcase the achievements of property pro-fessionals working across the region.

RICS operations director Jennifer Welchsaid: “The 2009 Pro Yorkshire Awardsprovide a welcome opportunity to celebratethe great work that is continuing in our regiondespite the turbulent market conditions.

“The Awards always attract entries fromtalented property developers, civil engineers,planners, architects, constructors and survey-ors who want to promote their high profileprojects and clients – and I’m sure this yearwill be no different.”

The awards will be presented on May 15,2009 at a gala dinner at the Savils Hall, RoyalArmouries in Leeds.

Winners last year included a residentialdevelopment at Victoria Mills in Bradfordand an arts building in Hull.

The deadline for entries is January 23.There are eight categories, including ones forcommercial and residential development,design and innovation, regeneration, com-munity benefit and building conservation. AProject of the Year Award will be selectedfrom the category winners.

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PROPERTY FOCUS

Sales raise £4.5m

Brighouse firmis at the top ofits professionA BRIGHOUSE roofing andbuilding company has become thefirst in the country to train itsworking to install a revolutionaryrenewable energy product.

Six roofers at Ploughcroft Build-ing Services have so far completedtraining from UK solar energycompany Solarcentury to fit itsnew solar electric roof slates.

Ploughcroft managing directorChris Hopkins said: “The newsolar slates are very relevant for usbecause there are so many slateroofs in the area where we work.

“In fact, we have already had anumber of requests for the productfrom loca l author i t ies andschools.”

Last year, Ploughcroft becamethe first company in the country tooffer certificated National Federa-tion of Roofing Contractors train-ing in the fitting of solar panels onroof tops.

Solarcentury provided its firstprivate course for Ploughcroft per-sonnel at Ploughcroft’s pur-p o s e - b u i l t t r a i n i n g a n ddevelopment centre in Brighouse.

Following the successful inspec-tion of two installations, Plough-croft will become an approvedroofing contractor of Solarcen-tury’s C21e systems.

Solarcentury product managerMartin White said: “It’s great thatroofers are proactively gettinginvolved in solar.

“Roofers are best placed toprovide C21e insallations andChris’s forward thinking approachcombined with the Ploughcroftteam’s strong knowledge of bothour product and of solar power ingeneral, made them really receptiveand very easy to train.

“Solar roof tiles and slates arebecoming key to diversifying theroofing trade, as demand is risingfor intelligent energy and they’revery simple to install.”

The C21e slate converts light

into electricity – unlike solarthermal panels, which heat water.

The tiles fix directly to the roofbattens, sitting flush with tradi-tional roof slates.

This reduces the likelihood ofplanning issues associated withtraditional “bolt-on” solar panelsand means trained and approvedroofing contractors can finish the

work without the involvement ofother trades.

As part of the government’s lowcarbon building programme,householders can apply for grantsof up to £2,500 towards the install-ation of the slates.

Grants of 50% are also availablefor community groups, public andnot for profit organisations.

Estate agencies land two accoladesSTAFF at the Huddersfield and Halifaxbranches of estate agent Your Move Alex-anders have triumphed twice in the EstateAgency Awards 2008.

Alongside the two gold awards, theywere also shortlisted for best smallagency in the north and the technologicalaward.

The national awards recognise the con-tribution that companies have made inproviding exceptional customer service.

Your Move Alexanders beat off toughcompetition to take gold for best financialservices and best marketing categories in

recognition of the support it offersvendors in selling their property.

The awards build on the company’s pastsuccesses, including the Daily Mail UKProperty Awards 2007, where Your Movewon 19 Awards – the most ever won by anestate agent – the Franchise MarketingAwards and this year’s Estate Agency andLettings Awards.

Simon Rowell and Simon Bentley, dir-ectors of Your Move Alexanders in Hud-dersfield and Halifax, said: “The team aredelighted by this great success and feelthis will provide added reassurance to

customers that they are dealing with areputable and highly professional agent.

“In particular, the award best financialservices acknowledges our strength inproviding customers with a comprehens-ive mortgage and remortgage service.

“However, it’s not just about workinghard to find a mortgage to suit theirpersonal circumstances but also the addi-tional support we can offer like advice onfilling out application forms, help in pro-cessing them and ensuring that we followthe regulatory requirement and standardsset by the industry.”

■ HIGH POINT: Solarcentury trainer Brian Evans (left) withPloughcroft managing director Chris Hopkins at Brighouse-basedPloughcroft’s training and development centre

Factory finds tenantA NEW tenant has been found forthis modern factory in ClaytonWest.

The 18,000sq ft premises at River-side House (above) in Collier’s Way,have been let to UK Panel ProductsLtd, which makes wall panelling forthe shopfitting, furniture manufac-turing and joinery trades.

Joint agents for the deal wereMichael Steel & Co in Leeds andWakefield-based Vickers Carnley.

Alec Michael, partner at MichaelSteel & Co, said: “Riverside Houseoffered high quality factory space in aconvenient location for Huddersfield

and Wakefield, but in particular themotorway network.

“While we have had an extendedmarketing period, our clients havebeen extremely keen to ensure theysecured the right tenant for thisbuilding and have little doubt thatUK Panel Products Ltd will havetremendous success.”

Commenting on the commercialproperty market, Mr Michael said:“While undoubtedly times are diffi-cult, enquiries are still being receivedand transactions completed –although vendors and landlordsmust remain realistic and flexible.”

H I G H E R p r i c e d p ro p e r t i e sstruggled to attract buyers at thefinal northern property auction ofthe year run by property agencyEddisons.

Out of 77 lots on offer, 49 were soldduring the two-day auction, achiev-ing total sales exceeding £4.5m.

Several lots priced at more than£500,000 struggled to find bidders,although Eddisons said a number ofacceptable offers were receivedpost-auction on all the bigger ticketitems.

Auctioneer Tony Webber said: “Itwas apparent that the uncertaintywith funding arrangements dentedbidder confidence and the badweather put a number of people offaltogether.

“However, it is encouraging that

once finances were in place buyerswere prepared to come back withgood offers on all the higher pricedlots.

“In general, bidders are clearlyonly spending money they have attheir immediate disposal rather thanrelying on external funding.

“This is a trend which has beenconsistent with a number of ourauctions this year.’”

Highlights of the auction primeresidential development land in Mir-field, which was offered with plan-ning permission for five detacheddwellings, which sold for £375,000.

Eddisons said its next propertyauction, taking place on on February19 in Leeds, was already shaping upto be a big sale.

Forum is buildingup more supportA NETWORKING group for constructionsector professionals has reported a 50%rise in membership. The Yorkshirebranch of the Forum for the BuiltEnvironment holds monthly breakfastevents for members including majordevelopers, contractors, consultantsand specialist contractors. Regionaldirector Keith Griffiths said: “The rise inmembers is very encouraging and is atribute to the growth and importance ofthe FBE.”


Trevor Fuller

Trevor Fuller is a risk managementadviser at Wilby Ltd, based in Halifax

RISKYBUSINESSRISKYBUSINESS

Search starts to findoutstanding directorsBOARDROOM bosses in Huddersfieldhave been urged to take part in a compet-ition to find Yorkshire’s most outstand-ing company directors.

The Institute of Directors in Yorkshireis calling for entries to its 2009 Directorof the Year Awards.

The awards, now in their fifth year, aimto celebrate the achievements of theregion’s most hardworking and innovat-ive business leaders and are open toanyone of director level or equivalentstatus.

Categories include ones for directors inthe not-for-profit and voluntary sector,business adviser of the year, non-execut-ive director of the year, entrepreneur ofthe year and young director of the year.

Entrants will compete for the topaward of Yorkshire Director of the Yearwhile judge’s special achievement andlifetime achievement accolades will alsobe awarded.

Last year’s winners included MichaelPurtill, co-founder and managing dir-ector of Leeds-based Q Hotels, who wasnamed Yorkshire Director of the Yearaward, and Sir Ken Morrison, whoreceived a liftetime award for his 55-yearcareer with Morrisons Supermarkets.

This year’s awards will be presented onThursday, September 10 in Leeds.Entries can be submitted online untillT u e s d a y , M a y 2 6 . G o t owww.dotya.co.uk

Celebratestudents’successSTUDENTS at Kirklees College have celebratedsuccess at two special ceremonies.

Awards were presented to outstanding indi-viduals and groups of learners in separate eventsstaged at Dewsbury Town Hall and Hudders-field’s Galpharm Stadium.

Principal Chris Sadler said: “The awards eventcelebrated the critical role the college plays inKirklees and the surrounding area in releasingthe potential of ordinary people to achieve greatthings.

“Students should feel very proud of them-selves and all college staff should be proud of therole they all play in helping thousands of peopleevery year to improve their prospects of having ahappy and fulfilling life and contributing to thepositive development of the community.”

Kirklees College brings together DewsburyCollege and Huddersfield Technical College toprovide a wide range of academic and vocationalqualifications – from NVQ entry level to highereducation degrees – in areas ranging from digitaldesign and early years to computer-aided designand manufacture.

Kirklees firmscan really takethe pressure!TWO KIRKLEES companies arepumped up after winning a contractwith a world-famous firm.

Cleckheaton-based design and dis-play agency Leading Edge and Dews-bury-based compressed air companyCages have designed, manufactured andfitted a tyre inflation complete withpromotional display material for Mich-elin UK.

The team won the account thanks tosome clever ideas it presented to the tyremanufacturer for its annual road safetyawareness campaign.

The campaign includes a Fill Up WithAir roadshow, which travels around theUK inviting drivers to have their tyrepressures checked and adjusted for free– resulting in safer driving, fuel savingsand a cut in carbon emissions.

Leading Edge provided Michelin with

a branded vehicle bearing an image ofthe famous Michelin Man, brandedtents, flags, outdoor display units andliterature.

Cages kitted out the vehicle with acomplete compressed air power systemto allow Michelin staff to check andadjust tyre pressure for motorists visit-ing the display.

Matthew Evans, managing director ofLeading Edge, said: “When we heardthat we had won the contract, we weredelighted that we could impress such afamous name like Michelin with ourideas.”

Shaun Wood, managing director ofCages, added: “Between the two com-panies, we have a really talented bunchof people, with a totally unique offer –and Michelin loved what we came upwith!”

■ HIGH PRESSURE: The familiar figure of the Michelin man (left) with (fromleft) Matthew Evans, managing director of Leading Edge; Jim Rickard, managingdirector of Michelin UK; a Michelin marketing official; and Hans Wedel, ofCages

DangerouscutbacksTHE current financial climate is

causing headaches for many com-panies and it looks as though the UKeconomy could be in for a rough ridefor the foreseeable future. The creditcrunch appears to be tightening itsgrip with business confidence falter-ing.

In order to tackle this uncertain situ-ation, budgets are likely to be squeezed, andit is tempting to see health and safety as aneasy target for cutbacks. However, this is afalse economy. If an employee were injuredor even killed while at work, this couldresult in prosecution and a large fine or evenimprisonment.

Indeed, as Nattasha Freeman, presidentof (he Institution of Occupational Safetyand Health, stated recently, one accidentcould put a company out of business.Accidents and ill-health place a great strainon company budgets, so it is sensible toavoid them.

According to HSE statistics, 228 peoplewere killed at work in 2007/08 and nearlyhalf a million people were injured while atwork. Thirty-six million working days werelost, 30m due to work-related ill health and6m due to workplace injury.

Legislation states that employers have aduty to provide information, instruction,training and supervision and make sure alltheir workers can understand it. The higherpenalties that can be imposed following theintroduction of the Health and SafetyOffences Act in January, 2009, means thereis an escalating need for ensuring health andsafety rather than the reverse, to ensurecompliance and avoid penalty.

The implications of the Corporate Man-slaughter Act, under which organisationscan be found guilty of corporate man-slaughter as a result of serious managementfailures resulting in a gross breach of a dutyof care, are not yet always well understoodby employers, making health and safetyawareness even more vital for business.

Remember, a lack of money is not areason – nor a defence – for not ensuringadequate health and safety in your work-place.

Management have a significant role toplay here, demonstrating their commitmentto health and safety by providing informa-tion, equipment and training that are essen-tial in maintaining a good safety culturewithin an organisation. This, in turn,ensures safety is paramount in the minds ofworkers, and they feel well cared for by theiremployer.

So, ensure you have an up to date Healthand Safety Policy that addresses the needsof your business.

Ensure you have Risk Assessments are inplace for all significant risks within yourworkplace and all tasks carried out duringthe course of your working activities – bothon and off site. Ensure both of the above arecommunicated to your staff and encouragestaff to comment and improve these. Ensurestaff are adequately trained to carry out alltasks they carry out in the workplace.

Commercial property specialist WalkerSingleton has appointed Graham Fosteras head of its commercial propertymanagement department in Halifax. MrWalker was previously employed for 18years at Eddisons Commercial in Leedsas head of property management.

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Football contestright on targetfor local firms

Rotajet landssupply dealA DEWSBURY firm has completed asix-figure order to install and commis-sion industrial cleaning machines for afirm servicing aircraft around theworld.

Ro t a j e t S y s t e m s l a n d e d t h e£150 ,000 -plus dea l from Vec torAerospace, which provides maintenance,repair and overhaul services for aircraftoperators all over the world, includingthe UK's armed forces.

The order is for a series of water-basedde-greasing machines that are a vital partof the process to clean aircraft compon-ents.

The machines ensure environmentalcompliance by overcoming the problemof using trichloroethylene on site andremove all old oil and greases, short termprotection fluids and particle contamina-tion.

The contract – Rotajet’s first withVector, follows Vector’s acquisition of theFleetlands Rotary Wing and Almond-bank Components businesses of theDefence Aviation Repair Agency fromthe Ministry of Defence.

Fleetlands provides maintenance,repair and overhaul services for Chinook,Lynx and Sea King helicopters.

Rotajet has had previous contracts tosupply its water-based cleaning systemsto the UK's armed forces as well as withthe Indian Air Force.

In addition to being environmentallyfriendly, these machines can also help toreduce costs by up to £20,000 formedium-sized companies.

Rotajet, which is part of the RichardAlan Group, has more than 30 yearsexperience and is now recognised as a UKleader in the design, manufacture andsupply of industrial washing machines.

Over the years, Rotajet has manufac-tured more than 500 machines as well as70 single stage de-greasing machines forthe MoD.

They include 50 machines for the RAF,16 for the army and four for the RoyalNavy.

Rotajet director Colin Steward said:“We are very excited about this orderwhich marks another milestone for thecompany.

“We are proud of our ‘green’ creden-tials and our reputation to bring thebenefits of water-based cleaning solu-tions to the aerospace market.

“We have overcome the problemscaused by using volatile organic com-pounds such as harmful emissions, thehandling and disposal of solvents as wellas the fire hazards of solvents.

“It is a tribute to the skill of our staffand our technical capability that we wonthis order from Vector and an honour forus to do business with such a prestigiouscompany.”

A HUDDERSFIELD law firm withmany years experience ofproviding personal injuryadvice has received recognitionfor its work by a nationalaccreditation scheme.The personal injury departmentat Eaton Smith Solicitors hasbeen admitted to the schemewhich is run by the Associationof Personal Injury Lawyers andassesses solicitors accordingto their expertise, experienceand quality client care.Anne Pendlebury (above), headof the department at the HighStreet firm, said: “We areparticularly proud to receivethis accreditation as the ‘kitemark’ is an assurance of qualityfor people who have beeninjured through no fault of theirown and are entitled to claimcompensation.“It is a fitting reward to all theteam who work so hard to helptheir clients and to satisfyAPIL’s strict selection criteria.”

KIRKLEES firms aiming fornet gains in 2008 can sign upfor an unusual sporting con-test.

Huddersfield Town haslaunched a six-a-side footballtournament – and is now invit-ing companies to submit theirteam by filling in the form onthis page.

Sean Jarvis, Town’s directorof business development, saidthe aim was to play the tourna-ment on Wednesday, April 1,using the state-of-the-artindoor pitches at The Zone, StAndrew’s Road, Hudders-field.

The competition will involve10 teams, each managed by aTown player or coach, playinga number of game culminatingin a semi-final and a final.

The event – which has beenpromoted by Town playersAndy Booth, Daniel Codman,Matt Glennon and NathanClarke – will also include a pieand pea supper, team photosand a cross bar challengebefore the final.

Four businesses have already

signed up for the event – York-shire Bank, Fantastic Media,The Pink Link and Oval Insur-ance.

Town director of businessdevelopment Sean Jarvis saidthe event would provide firmswith a chance to get their stafftogether away from the work-place with an event promisingfun and friendly competition.

■ IN THE ZONE: SeanJarvis, Town’s director ofbusiness development

Contact Details

Mr/ Mrs/ Miss/ Ms First Name Surname

Company name and correspondence address

Email address:

Tel no. Mobile no. Fax no.

Invoice address (if different from above)

Payment Options

Cheque (please tick and post this form to the address below with cheque payment)

Card Card Holder’s name

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Valid from. Expiry Date. Issue no. Security no.(last 3 digits on the back of your card)

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Booking Form

6asideCorporateFootballTournament

A CENTURY OF PRIDE

HUDDERSFIELDTOWN FC

The TournamenT will include:

First team huddersfield Town player as yourmanager

Team PhoTo with your managerPost match Pie & Pea SuPPer

PoST maTch PreSenTaTionS with a trophyfor the winner and runner up, plus a specialwooden spoon for the team who finishes last.

we will also have a croSSBar challenge,which will take place before the final game.

Wednesday 1st April 2009You are cordially invited to take part in our inaugural 6 a-Side corporate football tournament taking place at The Zone.

To book your team, complete the form below and return to the commercial department, huddersfield Town Fc, The Galpharm Stadium,huddersfield hd1 6PX or contact the commercial department on 01484 484140 or email [email protected]

hTFc 6 a-Side FooTBall TournamenT

Supported By

Price perteam of 6plus twosubstitutes is£400 +VaT



PROPERTY FOCUS

Estate agentsjoin forces toboost marketESTATE agents in Hudders-field are banding togetherunder the banner of a newproperty website.

P r o p e r t y S a l e sExchange.com has beenlaunched in the town to allowestate agents to register theirproperties – and encouragesellers to view each other’shouses in the hope they cansell to one another.

The website has been run-ning for just four weeks – buthas already found favour witha string of leading agents inthe town, including Boultons,Whitegates, Holroyds, JaneStocks, Your Move, Ryder &Dutton, Brearley-Greens andWm Sykes in Holmfirth.

A number of agents in Hal-ifax, Sheffield, Wakefield,Leeds and Barnsley have alsoregistered to take part asestate agents seek to increasesales in a stagnant propertymarket.

James White, of Ryder andDutton in Huddersfield, whoinstigated the initiative, said:“We have 74 estate agencybranches on it already.

“For he first time in the 20years I have been in this busi-ness, there seems to be a desire

among estate agents to collab-orate to help each other.”

He said: The basic idea isthat agents get together,register all of their propertiesby uploading in the same wayas they do to Rightmove andother portal sites.

“The agent then quicklylogs into the site and specifieswhere their client is hoping tomove to, and to what type ofhouse.

“Property Sales Exchangethen marries up sellers’ mov-ing-on requirements and putseach agent in touch with oneanother to encourage sellersto view each others’ corres-ponding houses in order tosell to one another.”

Mr White said 1,000 housesin Huddersfield were now

registered on the site – while itwas hoped to extend the initi-ative nationwide to more than20,000 estate ageny outletsthrough franchising.

Said Mr White: “Houseexchange schemes or houseswap schemes have beenspringing up all over thecountry, but lack a criticalmass of properties in order toget real results for sellers andagents alike. Often they aretoo labour intensive or costlyfor agents to be botheredwith.

“Property Sales Exchangeis so simple. With just three orfour clicks, an agent canregister their vendors’ mov-ing-on requirements, and thencorresponding agents will bee-mailed when potentialmatches occur.

“As we move into a uniquerecession – with rising unem-ployment and low interestrates – existing home ownerswill need to ‘downsize’, butothers will want to ‘upsize’ asa result of low interest ratedeals.

“A lack of first time buyerswill help fuel the enthusiasmfor this service.”

Valley firm is pioneerA COLNE valley firm sup-p l y i n g e nv i r o n m e n t-a l ly - fr iendly bu i ld ingproducts is pioneering agreener way to bu i ldhouses in the UK.

Award-w inning Gol-car-based Green BuildingStore has launched a newrange of products to helpbuild houses that use 90%less energy for heatingspace than standard UKbuildings,

T h e P a s s i v h a u sproducts, which havebeen developed over thepast 20 years in Europeand North America, use a“ tea cosy” ef fec t ofsuper-efficient insulationand excellent airtightnesscoupled with a “comfortventilation” system to cre-ate comfortable homesthat need minimal heat-ing.

Passivhaus can often beheatied solely throughheat from the sun, cookingand showering activitiesand the body heat of thehouse’s occupants – andpets.

Chris Herring, director

of Green Building Store,said: “Passivhaus designoffers the most effective –and cost-effective – way toconstruct ‘low carbon’homes and cut CO2 emis-sions from buildings.

“ Passivhaus design isbased on the principle thatreducing heating loss tothe minimum is the mostcost-effective way of cre-ating a low carbon build-ing.

“Green Building Storebelieves the UK’s strategyon low carbon homesneeds to be urgent lyrevised to put greater

emphasis on energy effi-ciency, airtightness andother Passivhaus designprinciples and away fromexpensive bolt-on renew-ables.”

Mr Herring said thec o m p a n y h o p e d t oencourage more house-builders, self-builders andproperty renovators toadopt Passivhaus designand construction in theUK.

He said: “Passivhausbuilding design has beenwidely adopted in Europeand has recently had highlevel support from theEuropean Parliament.

“The UK urgently needst o e m b r a c e t h ePassivhaus approach ifwe are to respond to thethreat of climate changee f f e c t i v e l y a n dcost-effectively.”

Green Building Store’snew Passivhaus rangeincludes thermally-effi-cient windows and doorsin timber or timber andfibreglass composite, air-trightness tapes and vent-ilation systems.

Chris Herring


PROPERTY FOCUS

Car repairshop facesnew futureA NEW trade park has beencreated in Leeds with therefurbishment of a formercar repair workshop.

Southside Trade Park,Gelderd Road, has been cre-ated by Leeds-based OgdenWaller Properties – whoseportfolio include property inHuddersfield and Batley –after the mu lt i-mill ionpound refurbishment of aformer Reg Vardy bodyshop.

The property was refur-bished to create the 25,000sqft trade premises after beingacquired speculatively byOgden Waller Propertiesearly in 2007.

The steel portal-framedbuilding was originally to belet as four units but has nowbeen leased by Michael Steel& Co and King Sturge & Coto national tool hire busi-ness, HSS Hire Ltd to houseone of its Supercentresstocking safety, survey,welding, powered access andlifting equipment.

HSS Hire, which has morethan 20 branches in York-shire, has taken the propertyon a 15-year lease withfive-year break options.

HSS Hire branch directorDavid Downie said: “We aredelighted to have securedsuch a prominent locationand look forward to improv-ing the range of hire servicesavailable to our many cus-tomers in the city.”

Coral Windowsmeets grade forenergy savingsA WINDOW company with ashowroom in Huddersfield hasachieved a top energy-saving rat-ing.

Coral Windows and Conservat-ories, based in Bradford, gainedcertification for an “A” rated win-dow after being independentlyaudited by BM TRADA Certifica-tion Ltd.

The company, established foralmost 20 years, makes windows,doors and conservatories at itsheadquarters in Bradford andalso has showrooms in Wake-field, Huddersfield, Otley andYork.

Pictured receiving the awardfrom Sports Minister and Brad-ford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe(second right) are (from left)senior director Julie Hodgson,financial director Terry Shuttle-worth and installations director

Maggie Oates.Coral managing director Mr

John Valente said: “We alwaysstrive to give our customers thevery best service and productsand the ‘A’ rated window, togetherwith the ‘B’ and ‘C’ ratings we alsoachieved means we can offer anenergy rated window to suit anybudget.”

Energy efficient windows savemoney in reduced fuel bills andalso make homes more comfort-able.

The BFRC Window Energy rat-ing System helps you to selectenergy efficient windows for yourhome by comparing windows andtheir energy rating, so you canselect which is the most energyefficient brand – ‘A’ being the bestrating down to ‘G’ being the low-est.

Symbol ofsuccessBUILDING industry trainers in Kirklees havebeen awarded the Government’s Disability Sym-bol to show their commitment to helping peoplewith disabilities get into work.

The award was presented to Kirklees Con-struction Skills Academy, which works closelywith colleges in Kirklees to provide construc-tion-related qualifications for 14 to 19-year-olds– including the Young Apprenticeship pro-gramme from September, 2009.

KCSA, which works closely with JobcentrePlus disability advisers, also provides construc-tion NVQs, City & Guilds courses in heath andsafety, computer training and short construc-tion courses.

Helen Balfour, director at KCSA, said: “Weare delighted to have been given the opportunityto use the symbol. We have introduced excellentpractices to uphold the employment rights ofdisabled people in the company.

“I am pleased this achievement recognises ourcommitment as a responsible employer and alsodemonstrates our dedication in this field.”

The Disability Symbol is awarded to busi-nesses and organisations demonstrating com-mitment to the recruitment, employment,retention and career development of disabledpeople.

For details of the initiative, go to www.job-centreplus.gov.uk or phone 01484 228017.

Online service putsthe focus on healthA HEALTH and safety services provider based inHuddersfield has launched a new online service.

SM&MS, a leading provider of health and safetyservices to the property sector, has launched aPropertyPlus to provide a new approach to riskmanagement for property managers and safeguardagainst prosecution.

PropertyPlus is an easy-to-use health and safetycompliance data management system developed inconsultation with some of the largest propertycompanies in the UK.

It has been designed to support the managementof compliance reports and actions on multi-siteproperty portfolios.

Richard Edwards, director of sales and market-ing at SM&MS, said: “As health and safety relatedlegislation continues to increase and become morecomplex in nature, it has become vital that riskassessments and compliance reports are managedefficiently and effectively, especially in multi-siteenvironments.

“This is to ensure that members of the public,clients, contractors and staff are safe and thatrobust safety systems are in place to safeguardagainst unwelcome prosecutions.

“The system is available in two modules – theHealth and Safety Report Manager module, whichis ideal for companies with multiple sites requiringready access to reports, auditability and flexiblereporting of when surveys are due.

Alternatively, the Health and Safety Monitoringmodule allows companies to update actions fromthe health and safety and fire safety risk assess-ments, and is intended for use by companies withbuilding or site managers, who can work throughaction plans in a real-time environment.

PropertyPlus also allows senior managementaccess to aggregated data showing the overall state

of its property portfolio and historical trends,which supports strategic decision-making oninvestment, resource allocation, legal and policycompliance.

SM&MS, based at Bradley, was formed in 1994

and has branch offices in London and Bristol. Itemploys 80 people nationwide offering servicesincluding health and safety risk assessments, firesafety risk assessments, disability access audits,asbestos surveys, environmental management andtraining.

■ HEALTH CHECK: health and safety provider SM&MS has launched online service PropertyPlus


Town chiefs well-suited withtheir smart centenary suitsA TEXTILE company has teamed up withHuddersfield town to produce a special edi-tion Centenary Suit to mark the club’s 100years of football.

Bradley-based fine worsted wool and tail-oring manufacturer C&J Antich hasdesigned the suit, which is on sale to fans atthe Town souvenir shops and at Antich’sfactory shop.

Antich, which supplies worsted fabric forthe likes of Prada, Armani, Hugo Boss andMarks & Spencer, has only produced 100 ofthe suits, in keeping with the centenarytheme.

The company is already HuddersfieldTown’s official corporate wear supplier.

Managing director, Chris Antich said:“While this sponsorship agreement is aboutprofiling our collection, it is also aboutgiving something back to the town of Hud-dersfield.

Town’s academy will also benefit from thecollection as a contribution of profits will bepassed on to the youth teams.”

Last year, C&J Antich designed a sportsuit for Huddersfield Town which has beenworn by the team for formal occasions eversince.

The Centenary Suit is almost identical – asmart, fitted design and navy in colour.However, it also carries a gold sham hole onthe jacket lapels to signify the centenary yearand inside, the Huddersfield Town badge andcentenary mark has been woven into thelabel.

The suit also comes with an official blue

and white Huddersfield Town suit bag, per-sonalised with the owner’s surname – just asthe players’ suit bags are.

Sean Jarvis, head of business developmentat Town, said: “This suit is an ideal solution

for those special occasions – and knowingthat it is worn by the Huddersfield Townteam is a great addition to buying a club shirtor a silk tie.”

Prices start at £129.

John snaps up awardsA HUDDERSFIELD photographer hassnapped up two awards for his work.

John Woods based at ByramArcade, Westgate, won gold awards inthe pictorial and environmental por-trait categories for November in themonthly awards run by the Society ofWedding and Portrait Photographers.

The first picture was taken a Carn-forth railway station, Lancashire, thesetting for the film brief Encounter.The second was taken in a back streetin Marrakesh, Morocco.

Now John is hoping to be namedone of the society’s photographers ofthe year. The annual awards arechosen from the 12 monthly printwinners in 2008. But John must waituntil January and the annual awardsceremony in London before knowinghis fate.

He said: “It’s the first time I haveentered the awards since November,2001, when I won two categories andwas runner up in a third.”

■ CLOTHES SHOW: Chris Antich (centre), of C&J Antich, presents centenary suits toDean Hoyle (left) and Ken Davy

Glynis Jones Department ofStrategy and Marketing University of

Huddersfield

UNIVERSITYVIEW

Glynis Jones

ProperplacementSTUDENTS often get bad press and

the typical student image oftenportrayed is of a young person whodrinks too much, spends much of theday in bed and spends all their stu-dent loan at the start of term. I will bethe first to admit that some studentswill reflect some of these traits someof the time!

However, my experience of business stu-dents at the university is that they work hardas well as play hard. Many are looking foropportunities to engage with local busi-nesses in order to gain some experiencewhich will help them get a foot on the careerladder when they graduate. They are creat-ive, enthusiastic and think outside the box.

If you are looking for help to carry out aproject, someone with fresh ideas or an extrabody in the office to assist you over a busyperiod, then a placement student from TheBusiness School could be a cost-effectiveanswer.

We offer our business students the oppor-tunity to undertake paid work experienceplacement in their third year. When theyreturn to us they more mature, havedeveloped their skills and have made apositive contribution to the business. Manyreturn to the companies where they under-took their placement. Placement is in effecta year long trial period and offers you theopportunity to see if the person is a good fitwith your business.

Recently, I have been visiting students outon placement and have received some excel-lent feedback on their performance. A smallinternet retailer told me, “We weren’t surewhat to expect, but he has really added valueto our business and increased sales throughthe work he has done on our website.”Another commented, “Our student place-ments are an integral part of our businessand they are always full of ideas.”

I can hear you saying – yes, but that’s finefor a large organisation! But small firms canget benefits too, as I am sure lots of localcompanies who have used our placementstudents can confirm. In the current eco-nomic downturn, we realise that manyorganisations are thinking about sheddingstaff, rather than taking more staff on. If youdon’t think that you could afford a studentplacement on a full-time basis for a year,then why not share them with anothercompany? Many students are happy tospend half the year with one organisationand then move on to another for the secondhalf of the year.

With business, management, marketingand accountancy students available forplacement, we have a dedicated placementunit to match the right student to the joband we are able to facilitate interviews foryou to choose the placement student to fitinto your organisation.

So why not help us help you? Placingstudents with local businesses helps usprovide graduates who understand theneeds of the work place and can quicklybecome productive employees.

If you think you could use a placementstudent starting in summer 2009, why notcontact our placement unit on 01484472216.

ScoopedPUBLIC relations companies in Yorkshirehave scooped two of the most prestigiousawards in the industry.

Leeds-based Wolfstar and Saddle-worth-based Pelican Public Relations beatoff strong competition from firms acrossthe UK to win two ategories at the annualGrand Prix PRide Awards run by theChartered Institute of Public Relations.

The Grand Prix comprises all the win-ning entries from the regional PRideAwards.

Wolfstar, which won the best small con-sultancy award, works for clients includingSony Ericsson, Philips and the NHS. Pel-ican won the Not for Profit category for its“Green is Glam” campaign.

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?


Santa makes aspecial delivery

■ PIPE FOR SANTA: Santa meets Peter Long, of contractor Mott MacdonaldBentley on the site of the new Spen Valley pipeline

Neil Wilson is an Employment Lawyerat Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors

Neil Wilson

EMPLOYERS'BRIEFING

Fairness isparamountRECENT cases have highlighted the

need for companies to follow a fairredundancy procedure.

In one case, a former ambulance driver suc-ceeded in an unfair dismissal claim against heremployer as a result of several failingsthroughout a badly handled redundancy pro-cedure.

The company employed 147 employees anddecided to restructure its operation in Novem-ber, 2006.

The employees were given letters explainingthe reason for the proposed redundancies andvolunteers were sought.

The employee missed the resulting consulta-tion meeting as she was on annual leave and wasnot informed of or invited to the meeting.

The trade union was not consulted on theselection criterion that was used until after ithad been applied and the process was neverexplained to any employees.

The employee was invited to a further meetingat which she was told she had the second lowestscore although she was not allowed to view theredundancy matrix.

She attended a further meeting in January,2007, informing her that she was dismissed dueto redundancy.

The employee subsequently raised a com-plaint of unfair dismissal and the matter reachedthe Employment Appeal Tribunal.

The tribunal concluded that there had beenno attempt to consult with the union or employ-ees as to the method of selection, the selectioncriteria or the process in general.

The key criteria that was used for scoring wasleft to one individual who could not support hispurely subjective scores with reference to anyother document as appraisals had never beencarried out.

The tribunal concluded that a fair system hadnot been operated and thus the dismissal wasunfair.

The instant case clearly shows the need tooperate detailed redundancy procedures andconsult with employees at all stages.

Trade unions may also need to be consulteddepending on the number of employees to bemade redundant and whether a trade union isrecognised.

The tribunal did comment throughout thecase that it will not “subject the marking systemto microscopic analysis” but it will take anoverall view of the fairness of the procedurebased on the actions of the company.

On a different topic, businesses should beaware that from April, 2009, subject to Parlia-mentary approval, the standard rate of statutorymaternity, paternity and adoption pay willincrease from £117.18 to £123.06 a week and thestandard rate of statutory sick pay will rise from£75.40 to £79.15 a week.

Separately to this, the annual increase incompensation limits for dismissals taking affectafter February 1, 2009, have been announced.

The maximum compensatory award willincrease from £63,000 to £66,200, a “weeks pay”rises from £330 to £350 and the maximumredundancy payment will therefore increasefrom £9,900 to £10,500.

FATHER Christmas paid a visit to theSpen Valley – to help deliver a special giftfrom Yorkshire Water.

The company is set to begin work oneight miles of pipeline to help improve thequality of water in the rivers Spen andCalder.

The new flow transfer pipe will connectthe sewage treatment works at Spenbor-ough and Bierley a new £25m new plant atMitchell Laithesn near Dewsbury.

The pipeline will follow the line of theSpen Valley Greenway – avoiding theneed to dig up roads and save the areamore than 12 months of major trafficdisruption.

When it’s finished, neither Bierley norSpenborough will discharge effluent intothe rivers – with all waste treated at theMitchell Laithes site instead.

Yorkshire Water community affairsmanager Richard Sears said: “The projectdoes mean we’ll be working on theaward-winning Spen Valley Greenway intwo sections, the first between Dewsbury

and Heckmondwike from January untilthe summer with the remainder com-pleted before the spring of 2010.

“However, we will be doing everythingpossible to ensure walkers, cyclists andhorses can still follow an end-to-end routeby building diversions around the ‘live’sections, which we'll then leave as per-manent additions to the path network.

“We’ll also leave crossing points insome areas where we’re working so peoplewho use the Greenway for access won'thave to take long detours.”

Mr Sears said: “The work is bound tomean some inconvenience and our con-tractors – Mott MacDonald Bentley andCarillion – will be a familiar sight for thenext few months.

“But we’d like to assure our customersthe Greenway will be fully restored whenwe’ve finished and hope they’ll agreesome short-term disruption is worthenduring in return for an extended pathnetwork in the long run.”OR VISIT WWW.HUDDERSFIELD-PRINTING.COM

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Training firm islatest recruit toFolly Hall MillsA TRAINING company is the latest organ-isations to secure space at historic Folly HallMills.

ESTL is taking 15,000 sq ft of office space atthe restored 19th century mills on the banks ofthe river Colne at Folly Hall.

The iconic Grade II listed building on theedge of Huddersfield town centre is beingconverted into 60,000sq ft high-quality officesby the Dewsbury-based Jay Tee Group.

ESTL, which is presently based at PenistoneRoad, Kirkburton, has agreed terms to takespace in both mills making up the complex aswell the extended former boiler house.

The company will be taking 6,900sq ft in thesmall mill – which means it is now fullyoccupied. ESTL is also taking 3,300sq ft in theboiler house and 3,400sq ft in the main mill.

The new premises will provide space forabout 100 staff.

Rachel Stirling, managing director ofESTL, said the company needed “subtan-tially” bigger premises, adding: “We are mov-ing to Folly Hall because we have experiencedconsiderable growth in the last 12 months,which is forecast to continue.”

She said: “We chose Folly Hall for ourrelocation for a number of reasons, includingits central location, which will enable us toretain existing staff, car parking facilities andthe chance of having purpose-built premiseswith specifically designed spaces.

“It is wonderful to be part of an excitingregeneration scheme for Huddersfield and tocreate new employment opportunities for thelocal community.”

The move will be in three stages. Initially,ESTL will occupy three floors of the smallmill, moving in mid-February. In mid-May,the company will occupy the newly instatedatrium and existing boiler house. Bymid-September, it will occupy half of theground floor in the main mill.

ESTL specialise in training and assessment,operating from offices in West Yorkshire thenorth-east as well as via a nationwide networkof trainers and assessors.

Paul Bailey, project director at the Jay TeeGroup, said: “We are delighted to welcome

ESTL to Folly Hall Mills, which is a tremend-ous development for Huddersfield.

“It will involve significant regeneration ofthe riverside area, creating new employmentopportunities and raising the profile of Hud-dersfield as a major office destination in theregion. ESTL’s move is a superb endorsementof the development.”

He said: “Altogether, there is 40,000sq ft ofprime office space left in the main mill overfive floors, which can be leased or bought.This space can be divided into office unitsfrom 2,000sq ft upwards.

“We feel they will prove very attractive toprofessional services firms of all sizes, as wellas to the public sector. We love it so much weare moving here ourselves. The interior ofFolly Mill features vaulted ceilings, spiralstaircases and exposed beams.”

Mr Bailey said: “Phase one of our develop-ment has involved the conversion of the first ofthe two riverside buildings, which is now full.And thanks to this great success, phase twowill be launched in February.”

The joint agents for the scheme are Eddis-ons and Michael Steel and Co.

Paul Andrew, head of agency at Eddisons,said: “There are a number of prestigiousschemes being proposed for central Hudders-field, but Folly Hall will be the first to deliverthe high-quality accommodation, so full ofcharacter, that is preferred by many modernbusinesses and organisations.”

Alec Michael, Partner at Michael Steel &Co added: “There has been demand for highquality office accommodation in the Hudders-field area for some time and notwithstandingthe general economic downturn, the quality ofthe Folly Hall refurbishment has gone a longway to meeting much of this for both local andregional operations.”

Huddersfield-based architects Above &Beyond have already taken two floors in thesmaller of the two mills. They are relocatingfrom the Media Centre at NorthumberlandStreet.

Folly Hall, built in 1844, operated until1982, was renowned internationally for thequality of its worsted.

PROPERTY FOCUS

■ MILL WORK: Rachel Sterling, of ESTL, and Paul Bailey, of Jay Tee Group, at Folly HallMills, Huddersfield

eddisons.com

01484 533151Oak House New North Road Huddersfield HD1 5LG

Contact Paul Andrew or Philip Deakin

Eddisons

offic

e

Birmingham Bradford Bristol Glasgow Huddersfield Leeds London Manchester

Unit 2 Radcliffe Industrial Estate Mirfield

Unit 3 Hoyer Industrial ParkLeeds Road, Huddersfield

High Street, Royston, Barnsley

Unit 1 Ellis Hill, Leeds Road, Huddersfield

Units D, E and F Ainley Industrial EstateElland


The Other Rooms41- 45 Queensgate, Huddersfield

Cartwright CourtBradley Business Park, Elland

Unit 4, Dearne Park Industrial Estate ParkMill Way, Clayton West Huddersfield

,

Modern open span warehouse accommodation. Cost-effectiveindustrial space. Communal service yard and car parking

Prominent industrial unit in a main road location offthe A62 Leeds Road. Generous secure yard andcar parking provision. Close proximity to Huddersfield town centreand junction 25 of the M62 motorway

Large industrial/warehouse unit 3½ miles east of junction 38 of M1Substantial yard and car parking provision. Generous eaves height

Prominent frontage to exceptionally busy A62 Leeds RoadModern industrial unit suitable for trade counter uses. Superb accessto M62 motorway via junction 25

Good quality industrial/warehouse accommodation. Located shortdistance from junction 24 of M62 motorway. Generous yard and carparking provision

Prominent Retail Showroom with frontage to A62 Leeds RoadGenerous car parking provision. Immediately available

Suitable for a variety of uses without the need for planning, includingA1 Retail and A2 Financial and Professional Services. Opposite theUniversity of Huddersfield. Adjacent to Kingsgate Shopping Centre

High specification office accommodation. Ease of access to M62motorway. Flexible terms available

High quality modern offices. Conveniently located for accessto M1 motorway. Generous on site car parking provision

TO LET –

TO LET –

TO LET –

TO LET

TO LET

TO LET –

FOR SALE

TO LET

TO LET –

778.99 m² (8,385 sq ft)

569 m² (6,130 sq ft)

5,569 m² (59,946 sq ft)

1,087 m² (11,702 sq ft)

710 m² - 2,142 m² (7,645 sq ft – 23,058 sq ft)

335 m² (3,606 sq ft)

538.29 m² (5,792 sq ft)

77 m² – 176 m² (830 ft² - 1,900 ft²)

44.78 m² – 220.54 m² (482 sq ft – 2,374 sq ft)

Joint agent Michael Steel 0113 234 8999


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Ramsdens expandswith Halifax mergerA GROWING Huddersfield law firm hasannounced a merger with another firm of solicit-ors.

Ramsdens Solicitors has linked up with Halifaxfirm Rice Jones in a move which is said to create thelargest law firm in the Kirklees and Calderdalearea.

The newly merged firm will continue to be knownas Ramsdens with 13 partners and a combined staffof 140.

Under the merger, staff at Rice Jones in Halifaxwill continue to work from its Harrison Roadoffices.

Ramsdens’ Paul Joyce continues in his role asmanaging partner, while David Hofton from RiceJones joins as a partner and Robert Mackenziebecomes a consultant in the newly merged firm.

Mr Joyce said: “In light of current marketconditions, I am delighted that we have been able tobuck the trend and expand our team by joiningforces with the well regarded Rice Jones to createthe largest firm in Kirklees and Calderdale.

“Our merger creates the opportunity tostrengthen our team in Halifax while offeringclients of the merged firm a broader spectrum oflegal services and a greater depth of expertise.”

Ramsdens, which was established in the 1870s,has offices in Huddersfield town centre, Edgerton,Slaithwaite and Holmfirth.

In recent years, the firm has expanded intoCalderdale following mergers with David Garsed &Co in Elland and Jubb Longbothams in Halifax.

Ramsdens offers specialist advice to business andprivate clients in the areas of corporate commercial,litigation, commercial property, employment, con-veyancing, family law, personal injury, wills, pro-bate and financial planning.

■ GETTING TOGETHER: Paul Joyce (second let), managing partner of Ramsdens with (from left)consultant Robert Mackenzie, new partner David Hofton and senior partner John Fryer folliowing themerger with Halifax law firm Rice Jones

TakingstockA LEADING stockbrokerwill put the focus on theglobal financial crisisand what it means forlocal firms when shedelivers a free publiclecture at HuddersfieldUniversity later thismonth.Morven Whyte (above),of private brokeragefirm Redmayne-Bentley,will address anaudience of businesspeople and students at6pm on Wednesday,January 21.David Colley, marketingand recruitmentadministrator at theuniversity, said: “Thelecture will examine thenature of the currentcrisis and seeks to givea critical understandingof how it developed andwhere it might lead.“The lecture will be ofinterest to localbusiness managers andleaders as well asstudents.”Morven, a pastpresident of theYorkshire region of theSecurities Institute,regularly appears onBBC2’s Working Lunch,Radio 4’s Money Boxand Radio 5 Live.To book for the lecture,phone 01484 472129 ore-mail [email protected]

Arts agencyoffers helpAN arts agency in Kirklees has launched a newprogramme of events for entrepreneurs just starting upbusinesses in the creative sector.

Batley-based Loca has joined forces with BusinessLink Yorkshire to stage the events, which aim to helppeople get a broader understanding of how to run abusiness. The events are free to businesses in NorthKirklees.

Those taking part will include Michael Barratt, whocontacted Loca for help developing his Dews-bury-based illustration and graphics business, Emelbi.Mr Barratt said the programme would help himdevelop a marketing strategy as well as improve hisgeneral business skills.

Loca projects manager Robin Widdowson said: “I’mdelighted to be working in partnership with BusinessLink, who will be fielding a number of very experiencedfacilitators and advisers to deliver the workshops forus.

“As well as workshops covering business planning,financial control, presentation skills and time manage-ment, the programme offers opportunities for peopleto take part in networking events and one-to-oneadvice sessions.”

Lyn Harrison, partnership manager at BusinessLink Yorkshire, said: “It is really exciting to be workingwith Loca and to be able to combine our services todeliver a comprehensive programme of support for thecreative sector.”

Loca, based at Redbrick Mill, Bradford Road, is partof Kirklees Council's Culture and Leisure Services.

For details contact Mr Widdowson on 01924 488844or go to www.loca.co.uk .

Apprentices rewardedA DEWSBURY company has presen-ted certificates to four young appren-tices.

Richard Alan Engineering runsapprenticeships to recruit candidatesevery two years in mechanical engin-eering, fabrication and welding andelectrical engineering.

Glen Forth, engineering manager,presented the certificates to JackSpencer, who has completed his firstyear mechanical engineering appren-ticeship; David Pullen, who has com-pleted his second year in mechanicalengineering; Hasib Mugal, first year inmechanical engineering; and ThomasWightman, who has completed his

first year in welding and fabrication.Mr Forth said: “We believe abso-

lutely in the value of proper trainingand the success of our apprenticeshipscheme is a testament to this ethos.

“We work closely with Kirklees Col-lege to operate the scheme and it is toour benefit and the boys’ long-termemployment prospects that thisworks so well.

“Richard Alan Engineering has asecond to none track record for its lowstaff turnover. We have never ‘lost’ anyof our apprentices and they go on toplay a vital part in the continuingsuccess of the business.”

■ CERTIFICATES: Richard Alan Engineering Apprentices (from left) JackSpencer, David Pullen, Hasib Mugal, Thomas Wightman

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Safety measures for LeeA BUILDING contractor is putting safetyto the fore.

Lee Marsden (right), who heads Hud-dersfield Contracts Ltd at Southgate inthe town centre, has gained accreditationto the Safe Contractor scheme, whichrecognises building industry businessesfor their commitment to health andsafety.

Lee, who is the son of well-known Hud-dersfield businessman Joe Marsden, car-ries out building work, repairs andmaintenance and property managementfor a string of customers, including housebuilders and shopping centres.

Lee, a former soldier who lives at Slaith-waite, draws on a range of sub-contract-ors which means he can provide work forclients anywhere in the UK.

He has joined Huddersfield TownCentre Partnership and has signed up toKirklees Build, a council-backed groupproviding support for building sectorbusinesses across the district.

Commenting on the Safe Contractorscheme, Lee said: “A lot of big companieswill not entertain using a contractor whodoes not have Safe Contractor accredita-tion.

“It’s especially important in today’smarket and when there is continued con-cern about homeowners falling victim torogue traders.”

The rigorous process to gain accredita-tion involved Lee submitting informationabout the company’s health and safetypolicies, mission statement and insur-ance documents along with examples ofwork carried out by Huddersfield Con-tractors and risk assessments.

Talkativecelebratesa centuryMOBILE phones business Talkative hasachieved a landmark with one of its keycustomers.

The Liversedge-based company has sup-plied more than 100 connections to direct-ors and field staff at Huddersfield financialcompliance service provider SimplyBiz.

These comprise standard handsets,PDAs and laptop cards to enable SimplyBizstaff to have a fully-functioning mobileoffice.

SimplyBiz, launched in 2002, hasreceived several accolades for its service andfeatures in the Sunday Times fast Track100.

Sarah Wood, financial director, said:“SimplyBiz has increased considerably insize in the last six years, but this hasn’t beena problem for Talkative.

“They have handled the growth withease, supplying us with the same highquality service that we have alwaysreceived.

“A large number of our staff work in thefield, so need to keep in constant contactwith our office.

“If there are any problems, we know thatwe can receive immediate technical support

from Talkative.”SimplyBiz has also upgraded 10 of its

phones to enable them to have email on thego.

Talkative managing director RichardWinterbottom said: “Increasingly, we arefinding that our customers require a mobileoffice, so we like to educate them onworking smart.

“It is far more cost-effective to emailrather than text if communicating with theoffice.

“We are able to assess our client’s needsand advise them on the right handset forthem.”

Talkative, set up in 2001, specialises inbusiness-to-business mobile communica-tions and covers areas including bill ana-lysis and account management; mobiledevices, car kits and accessories; mobilephones hands-free installations; training;landlines and supplying and installing tele-pone systems.

Other customers include soft drinks sup-plier Ben Shaws, Meltham-based LawtonElectrical and nursery products firm Baby-way.

• Supply and manageskilled tradesmen topublic and private sector

• Facilities management• Property maintenance• General construction• All insurance work

undertaken

1 Southgate, HuddersfieldTel: 01484 513137 • 07710 256902


ON THE MOVE

Blazinga trailAlan Somers has beenappointed to the technicaladvisory board at Hud-dersfield-based propertycompliance specialistBES Consulting.

Mr Somers joins theMoldgreen-based com-pany after 25 years in thefire service, where he wasa divisional commanderand North Yorkshire Fireand Rescue Service’s per-formance review officer.

He was also secondedto the Home Office as aninstructor at the Fire Ser-vice College, where hespecialised in training forincidents involving haz-ardous material.

In his new role, MrSomers will ensure thatBES services meet thelatest fire compliancelegislation. He will also bepart of the company’squality team.

Kelly islatestrecruitSOLICITOR KellySimpson has joined thee m p l o y m e n t l a wdepartment of LuptonFawcett in Leeds.

Ms Simpson (right),who was born andraised in Hull, joins thef i r m f rom Keeb l eHawson. She gained adegree in biological

and medicinal chem-istry from Exeter Uni-versity before studyinglaw at BBP Law Schoolin Leeds.

New directors forbuilding societyLEEDS Building Society hasappointed Ian Robertson and BobStott as non-executive directors.

Mr Robertson and Mr Stottjoin the board – which currentlyconsists of three executive direct-ors and six non-executive direct-ors under the leadership ofchairman Robin Smith.

Mr Robertson, a qualifiedaccountant, is a member of theAudit Advisory Board to the Scot-tish Parliament Corporate Bodyand a non-executive director ofthe Homes and CommunitiesAgency.

He was group chief executive ofWilson Bowden Plc housebuildersand property developers untilJune last year, when it was sold toBarratts. He was previously finan-cial controller for Northern Foodsand Terry’s of York.

Mr Stott, who attended Hud-dersfield College GrammarSchool and lives in Leeds, has

extensive retailing experience.During his career he has worked

for Mars Inc and Geest Plc, inaddition to his 25 years in thesupermarket sector – latterly at

Morrisons, where he was jointmanaging director and chief exec-utive. He is also a non-executivedirector of the Rugby FootballLeague governing body.

US deal formyfotowallA COMPANY providinggiant posters via the internethas sealed a trans-Atlanticdeal.

Award-winning businessm y f o t o w a l l . c o m h a sreached agreement to intro-duce its applications to theworld’s largest photo host-i n g w e b s i t e , p h o t o-bucket.com., based in SanFrancisco.

The move gives myfo-towall access to more than45m potential customers.

At the same time, myfo-towall has launched a newmulti-photo product allow-ing users to collect a seriesof images to make up theirown poster rather than justa single picture.

Customers ordering themulti-photo option get a“peel and stick” self-adhes-ive colour print which canbe used to decorate bed-room or kitchen walls in thehome – or brighten up a dullwall in the office.

Myfotowall.com, basedat New North Road, Edger-ton, was launched by man-aging director StephenArmitage in 2003 and cre-ates dramatic wall coveringsusing images from its ownextensive library or suppliedby the client.

The images are ordered

online, the print is producedto fit the required space andthe picture is delivered bypost as wallpaper. The out-size pictures are in demandfor car showrooms, recep-tion areas and high streetstores as well as among indi-vidual customers.

The link-up betweenmyfotowall and photo-bucket will allow customersto choose up to 18 photosfrom a photobucket albumto arrange in a pre-definedgrid. Photos can then becropped, resized or moved,and can be personalised byadding colored borders.

The myfotowall collage isthen printed on self-adhes-ive vinyl, enabling easyapplication on indoor sur-faces. The printed myfo-

towall collage is available in27-inch by 51-inch” portraitor landscape options.

Alex Welch, president ofphotobucket, said: “Photo-bucket is thrilled to integ-rate myfotowall onto oursite to give users even morecreative ways to engage withtheir photos.

“Photobucket is alwaysseeking out new and excit-ing ways for our users toshare and print photos andmyfotowall’s innovative walldecor enables our users toenjoy their photos in a veryunique way.”

Mr Armitage said: “Weare delighted to be engagingw i t h P h o t o bu c ke t t oprovide a new interactiveonline design tool.

“We look forward to giv-ing Photobucket users aneasy, fun-to-use designapplication to create aunique ‘peel and stick’ walldecoration that captures thespirit of any occasion, for allto see and admire!”

P h o t o bu c ke t i s t h epremier standalone photoand video sharing site withmore than 45m usersaround the world linkingbillions of personal photos,graphics, slide shows andvideos daily to hundreds ofthousands of websites.

Bob Stott Ian Robertson

Firm enjoys latest fixtureA COUPLE who have built up a businesssupplying fixings, fasteners, sealants andadhesives to the construction trade havewon an award.

Alison and Gary Cooling set up AGC Tools& Fixings in 2002, running the business fromtheir home and garage in Meltham.

Through their drive and determination –and a strong focus on customer service – thebusiness has moved to bigger premises overrecent years and is now based at LockwoodRoad in Huddersfield.

The company was recognised for its suc-cess by being named Business of the Monthin the competition run by Huddersfield lawfirm Eaton Smith and the Lockwood-basedMid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Cooling said: “Our offices are nowbigger – as it our product range and work-force. But we have not forgotten our roots

and loyal customers. Nor have we forgottenthe qualities on which we established ourbusiness in 2002.

“We believe in providing a quality andreliable service – one that aims to deliverdirect to local sites, by the next day and freeof charge. This is why so many companies,big and small, have stayed with us.”

Said Mr Cooling: “We are extremely proudto have won such a prestigious award. Wethink it is great when small businessesreceive this type of recognition for develop-ing and growing their business.

“This is the second award we have won in12 months and it feels just as good as thefirst.”

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

■ AWARDS DAY: Deborah Melluish (third right), of Eaton Smith, presents the award to AlisonCooling (second right) and Gary Cooling (right), of AGC Tools and Fixings, with (from left) TonyJones and Mark Johnston, of Handelsbanken; Nigel Hill, of The Leadership Factor; and AnneGerard, of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

■ POSTER: StephenArmitage, of myfotowall

Back to the collegeMICHAEL Ainsworthhas been named mar-keting and campaignsmanager at Calder-dale College.

Mr Ainsworth, 41,who was brought upin Brighouse, wasformerly marketingmanager at the Carne-

gie Faculty of Sportand Educa t ion a tLeeds MetropolitanUniversity.

Mr Ainsworth stud-ied BTECs at Calder-d a l e C o l l e g e i nHalifax, graduatingand from BradfordUniversity.


BES lands new pubs dealA CONSULTANCY in Huddersfield has wona second major contract to ensure pubs meettough energy regulations.

Moldgreen-based BES Consulting will carryour surveys of more than 2,000 Marston’s pubsacross the country to ensure they comply withrules governing fire safety, asbestos andEnergy Performance Certificates.

The exact value of the multi-million pounddeal has not been disclosed.

It comes just days after BES landed acontract with Punch Taverns to provide similarservices for all its leased pubs in northernEngland and Scotland.

BES Consulting will use an online system tostore and retrieve relevant documents for theMarston’s contract.

The system will also automatically createreminders about re-inspections, which is tradi-tionally a time-consuming process.

Marston’s group purchasing manager Chris-topher Sutton said: “Previously, we had anumber of independent suppliers providingcompliance services.

“This meant we lacked continuity of suppli-ers across our estate, we had varied servicereports, missed the opportunity to benefitfrom economies of scale and wasted manage-

ment time dealing with multiple suppliers.“BES Consulting’s expertise in property

compliance, coupled with its experience ofworking with major pub chains, will help usbetter manage our estate – and it will save usmoney and management time.”

BES Consulting, with offices and engineersacross the UK, provides risk assessment andstatutory compliance services to hundreds ofthe UK’s top companies.

Energy Performance Certificates became alegal requirement for all pubs let or sold fromOctober 1.

Time to startup in business

THE Huddersfield tycoon whofounded internet giant Freeservehas issued a rallying call to thetown’s budding entrepreneurs:recession is a great time to startyour own business if you’ve got agenuinely good idea.

Ajaz Ahmed insisted the increas-ing number of enterprising indi-viduals with excellent businessideas in the area should not be putoff by the economic downturn.

“Forget about the current eco-nomic climate – it’s a temporarysetback,” said Mr Ahmed. “It’svital that businesses do not let acredit crunch mentality drag downtheir ideas. Of course, it’s wise todouble-check risks but it’s crucialto remain upbeat.

“If you are going to start yourown business now, then when theeconomy recovers you will be very

well placed to reap the benefits.”Mr Ahmed said: “Some ideas

will obviously not work in a reces-sion, so it’s even more important tohave a good idea and have a planthat you can articulate and sell thatidea. If you get that right, thefinance is still available.”

Mr Ahmed said location wouldbe one of the keys to success for newand established businesses duringthe recession.

He is using his position as aboard member of the Media Centrecomplex on NorthumberlandStreet to ensure that local creativeindividuals and companies havesome of the best support in thecountry right on their doorstep.

The Media Centre is alreadyhome to 130 high-tech and creativecompanies and houses Britain’smost environmentally-friendly

business centre building, which wasopened by the Queen last year.

“I have seen at the Media Centrehow establishing a cluster oflike-minded businesses and provid-ing high-quality business support isworking very well even in thesedifficult times,” said Mr Ahmed.

“We have record numbers ofbusinesses and occupancy rateswith firms moving in from Leedsand Bradford to take advantage oflower cost and higher quality officespace.”

Mr Ahmed was co-founder ofFreeserve, which became the UK’slargest internet services providerwithin three months of its launch in1998.

Less than a year later, it floatedwith a market value of £1.5bn andwas sold for £1.6bn to Wanadoo in2001.

■ OUTLOOK: Freeserve founder Ajaz Ahmed says the time is ripe for budding entrepreneurs to get theirbusinesses started – despite the economic gloom

RichardmakessmoothmoveTHE Huddersfield-bornco-founder of fru i tsmoothies firm Inno-cent has been named asone of Britain’s topbusinessmen.

Richard Reed, whogrew up in Kirkheatonand attended BatleyGrammar School, isranked second in thelist of ManagementToday’s Top 100 Entre-preneurs.

He shares the posi-t ion w i th Innocen tco-founders and fellowCambridge Universitygraduates Adam Bartonand Jon Wright.

They started out byselling smoothies madefrom fresh fruit juice at ajazz festival in the sum-mer of 1998.

The London-basedcompany has doubledin size in each of thepast three years tonotch up annual salesof £115m and dominatethe market for smooth-ies with a 72% share.

Earlier this year, thecompany launched inAustria after expandinginto Germany, Scand-inavia and France.

Innocent drinks aresold in 100% recycledplastic bottles, whoselabels bear the familiar“halo” logo and dis-t inc t ive messages ,which have helpedmake Innocent a famil-iar consumer brand.

The company haswon numerous accol-ades, including ones forGrowth Strategy of theYear and Bus inessInnovation of the Year atthe National BusinessAwards in 2006.

The Top 100 Entre-p re n e u rs l i s t a l s oincludes Emma Har-rison, founded of Shef-field-based training andemployment servicesfirm A4e, who is ranked48th.

Colin Barratt is tax partner atWheawill and Sudworth, chartered

accountants, Huddersfield

TAXTALK

Colin Barratt

Tackle thattax returnTHE January 31 tax return filing

deadline for the submission ofindividual, partnership and trust taxreturns for the year ended April 5,2008, is fast approaching

And for those who have yet to submittheir returns urgent attention is required inorder to avoid automatic late filing penal-ties.

The penalty for submitting a late return is£100. This is restricted to the lower of £100or the amount of tax outstanding for2007/08. For partnerships whose businesstax return is not submitted in time, a £100penalty per partner will be levied which isnot restricted.

Returns will need to be submitted to theRevenue “online” using their own internetsite or commercially approved software. Ifyou intend using the Revenue’s site for thefirst time, you will need to register withthem by January 21 to be able to file meetthe filing deadline.

The Revenue will no longer acceptreturns sent in paper form and such returnswill, in all but the most exceptional circum-stances, attract a late filing penalty.

Submitting the tax return in time willstop the automatic late filing penalty, as willmaking sure any tax due for 2007/08 is paidby January 31. Except for partnershipreturns where the penalty is payablewhether tax is paid by the individual part-ners or not.

Late paid tax will be subject to interestcharges with the current interest rate being4.5%. A 5% surcharge will be added if anytax for 2007/08 remains outstanding atFebruary 28.

For businesses struggling to pay their taxdue to the effects of the ‘credit crunch’ itmay be possible to arrange with the Rev-enue to pay the tax over an agreed period oftime by contacting their ‘Business PaymentSupport’ telephone centre on 08453021435.

However, those intent on filing late so asto avoid paying tax should be aware that theRevenue can, with the agreement of theCommissioners, impose a penalty of up to£60 per day for overdue tax returns and it isbecoming common for them to take thiscourse of action. If this penalty is charged itwill stick even if there is no tax to pay, unlikethe automatic late filing penalty, so it ispotentially very severe.

For some who have a tax liability everyyear there may also be a requirement tomake payments on account of the currentyear at the same time as the payment for thelast year. This is automatically 50% of lastyear’s tax bill and is payable on January 31and July 31. If income falls each payment onaccount can be reduced to 50% of theexpected current year’s tax bill.

If income goes up and the tax bill will bemore, the payments on account do not haveto be increased but of course come January31 next year it will be catch up time, so youmay want to put a bit aside to avoid havingto raid the piggy bank or get into arrearswith the Revenue.


Simon Kaye is Divisional Director atRensburg Sheppards Investment

Management

Simon Kaye

CITY TALK

Agency isthe topperformerA RECRUITMENTconsultancy withoffices in Huddersfieldhas been named bestperforming plc in anational awardsscheme.Hays, which includesHays Accountancy &Finance at StationStreet, beat strongcompetition to win thehighly acclaimedcategory at theRecruitmentInternational Awards2008.The company showed itcontinued to performedwell despite the currenteconomic climate.The awards werejudged by 14 topindustry professionalsand sector specialists,including analysts andbrokers.The ceremony tookplace at MadameTussauds in Londonwas attended by morethan 200 specialguests.

Kirklees workerslag behind in thepay league tableWORKERS in Kirklees are among the worst-paid inYorkshire, claims a new report.

Figures from general union the GMB said theaverage full-time wage in the district totalled £25,626 –against an average of £27,534 for Yorkshire as a wholeand £31,323 for the UK.

It means the average worker in Kirklees is earning82% of the national average wage.

Only Barnsley at £24,669 and North East Lin-colnshire at £25,181 are below Kirklees in the payleague of 15 Yorkshire and Humber local authoritydistricts.

York tops the table at £31,604 followed by Sheffieldat £28,841 and Leeds at £28,505. Calderdale is fourthon the list at £28,454 with Wakefield fifth at£27,513.

York is the only district in Yorkshire where averageearnings exceed the UK average.

Yorkshire is ninth in the UK regional pay league –some £5,285 less than the south-east and almost£19,000 below the average wage in London.

The survey was compiled in April this year (2008).Tim Roache, GMB regional secretary for Yorkshire,

said: “This analysis of pay shows the regions that didgo some way to replace the skilled manufacturing jobsthat were lost in the recessions of the 1980s and 1990sand those regions and areas still to do so.

“Since these figures were taken, the credit crunch,which originated from excesses in the financial sector,has now given rise to a full blown recession and themisery that that entails. We will see if the average payholds up in 2009.”

Mr Roache said: “As well as measures to re-starttheir economies, governments in the UK and else-where need to take steps to deal once and for all withthe elements in the financial sector that visited this

recession upon us.“We can no longer tolerate a ‘provisional wing’ of

capitalism that is allowed to cock a snook at thestandards of transparency, disclosure and accountab-ility required of the ‘official wing’ of the financialsector bound by stock exchange rules.”

A report by Kirklees Council forecasting the eco-nomic make-up of the district in 2010 said that wagelevels in Kirklees were below the national average –particularly for women and members of ethnic minor-ities.

It stressed that this was likely to remain the case –given the faster growth in part-time working againstfull-time employment and the growth of service sectorindustries.

The report compiled by the council’s economicdevelopment service, said: “TUC research in early2002 found that – on average – black and Asian maleworkers in Great BritainB earn nearly £100 a week lessthan their white counterparts.

“While the gap is less apparent between womenworkers – women on average earn less than men –Pakistani and Bangladeshi women are worst affected,earning an average £34 a week less than whitewomen.

“The factors cited for ethnic imbalances in pay –discrimination, over-representation in low-paid jobsand industries, language problems, concentration indisadvantaged areas are likely to apply in Kirklees in2010 to a similar extent.

“Given the forecast higher than average growth inthe Asian population, this suggests a growth in theproportion of people at risk of being incomedeprived.”

RestoringconfidenceIT is clear that the world’s economy has

abruptly turned down and many majoreconomies are experiencing an unusu-ally sharp period of recession in thewake of the financial shocks of theautumn.

What is not yet clear is whether this presagesan extended and painful economic decline orwhether the concerted policy responses willsucceed in generating a turning point sometime during 2009. At present, the mood tendstowards the gloomier of these possibilities butsentiment is a fallible guide to the future.

The autumn shocks in the banking sectorand the associated equity market crashes havehad direct as well as psychological effects oneconomic activity, creating a mood akin topost-traumatic shock. Individuals have reactedto an increased fear of unemployment, falls inhousing and portfolio wealth and to tightercredit by spending less. Companies havereacted to the fall in demand, the rise ineconomic uncertainty and the absence of creditfinance by cutting back on inventory, employ-ment and investment. These two processes arestarting to feed on each other and risk creatinga deep and prolonged recession, hence recentworry about a return to the 1930s.

The shortage of credit is beginning to beaddressed. Banks have raised a total of nearly1,000bn dollars in new capital, much of itunderwritten by governments. This hasreplaced lending losses and strengthened theirbalance sheets. However, the high cost ofgovernment capital injections has led banks tocut back on lending, in the hope of repaying theexpensive capital early. This has been com-pounded by the uncertain economic outlook,with its associated threat of further bad debtsfrom business and individual borrowers, whichhas reinforced the banks’ reluctance to lend.So, although cuts in interest rates are filteringthrough to existing borrowers there is adrought in the new lending markets. On top ofthe benefit of lower interest rates and capitalinjections, the Bank of England and otherCentral Banks are likely to have to offertargeted support for new lending (while ensur-ing that the banks retain sufficient risk to beprudent) and for trade finance, both of whichare essential parts of the world economy’scirculatory system.

Although there are genuine structural issuesunderlying the recent financial crisis, anorderly resolution of these is being preventedby the defensive reactions to the bewilderingvolatility in financial markets. Faced with anuncertain future, it can make individual senseto save more, cut investment or withholdlending but practised collectively by all theresult is economic meltdown. A necessarybenign re-balancing of the world economy hasturned malignant owing to the general collapsein confidence. When confidence evaporates ascomprehensively as it has, the overriding prior-ity is to restore it, hence the recent exceptionalmeasures to boost government spending, cuttaxes and pare interest rates close to zero. Onceconfidence is back, policies can then be focusedon enabling the necessary adjustments inglobal economies to occur in a less disruptiveway. To paraphrase St. Augustine “Lord makeme thrifty, but not yet”. May 2009 bringbrighter times.

FootprintBag stepsforwardWe have been asked toclarify product informa-tion given in our frontpage article on FootprintBag in the January, 2009,edition of Kirklees Busi-ness News.

Thee Footprint Bag isdesigned to hold eightre-usable Footprint bags,not plastic carrier bags asstated in the article.

Footprint Bag is a con-certed effort by two localmums, Claire Peto-Cookand Hanny Wadsworth,in their bid to do their bitfor going green. The bagprovides a convenienta lternat ive to us ingplastic bags available insupermarkets and otherretail outlets.

Claire said: “We havebeen really pleased withthe response to our Foot-print Bag. Sales of oureight-pack have rocketedsince we got media cover-age with lots and lots ofpositive feedback fromsatisfied customers.

“We were under noillusions about how diffi-cult it is building a brandfrom scratch, but alreadypeople are recognisingthe distinctive ‘look’ andname – so things aregoing well!”

Hanny added: “We arejust about to launch thefour-pack on-line andhave been overwhelmedby the demand.”

Danielle’strainingtriumphA TRAINEE at a Huddersfield man-ufacturing firm has received a cer-tificate after completing herapprenticeship.

Danielle Dyson received theaward from Ravinder Sokhal, ofCMS Training Vocational Training,at the premises of window blindscompany Excel ManufacturingLtd. The presentation was atten-ded by Daniel le’s manager,Rachael Whitehead.

Danielle began her one-yearNVQ level 2 apprenticeship in busi-ness administration with CMSbefore applying for a job at ExcelManufacturing, where she is nowan administrative assistant. She isa lso cont inu ing her studiestowards the NVQ level 3 advancedapprenticeship.

Excel Manufacturing, based atOld Fieldhouse Lane, off LeedsRoad, has more than 50 employeesand almost 200 trade accounts.

Along with its commitment totraining, the company has inves-ted in new equipment to automatethe roller department and intro-duced a bespoke IT system fororder input and stock control.

■ WELL DONE: Danielle Dyson (left) receives her award fromRavinder Sokhal (right), of CMS Vocational Training, with officesupervisor Rachel Whitehead


BANKER'SBLOG

Jill Hague

Jill Hague is Head of CommercialBanking for HSBC in Huddersfield

Award-winning agency nowjoins new franchise networkAN award-winning marketing agencyhas expanded its scope by taking in anew franchise.

PM Marketing Group, based at FenayBridge, has become the Huddersfieldstore for international printing busi-ness printing.com, which has morethan 300 stores worldwide.

James Hughes, regional director ofprinting.com, said: “The ethos of theprinting.com brand revolves aroundhigh quality, local service by fran-chisees, competitive prices and quickdelivery.”

Jamie Hardie, who heads print-ing.com in Leeds and Bradford, said:“The working methods of PM Market-ing Group and the company valuesstrongly mirror our ethos.

“The new franchise makes a greataddition to their existing range of ser-vices.”

Steve Green, managing director ofPM Marketing Group, said: “We’re veryexcited to be a part of printing.com.”

Printing.com is an internationalcompany offering products includingbusiness cards, letterheads, leaflets,booklets, postcards, promotionalcards and invitations to consumersand small to medium sized busi-nesses.

PM Marketing Group is a full-servicemarketing agency providing servicessuch as design, advertising, corporate

branding, web, public relations anddisplay, exhibition and events.

The group was named winner of thecategory for the most successfullaunch strategy in the recent inauguralNorthern Marketing Awards.

Controllingcash flowIN this month’s article I ask the expert

how to take control of your cash flowwith strong credit management.

In the current economic climate, keeping cash-flow healthy is crucial and monitoring customersand payment dates vital, particularly for smallcompanies.

My colleagues at HSBC Invoice Finance,reveal the simple steps that can help you improveyour firm's credit management.

● What can I do to make sure our customerspay promptly? Agree payment terms and condi-tions in advance with all your customers. Besystematic in managing the credit you give them.Ensure that they understand your expectations.Send out invoices promptly. A week before thedebt is due, get a member of your accounts teamto phone the customer to remind them to pay. Ifthey fail to pay on the due date, get accounts toring again and send out a written reminder ofyour terms and conditions. Make sure the letter isdirected to the right person - the individualauthorised to make payment.

● Is credit checking every new customer worththe time and cost? Credit checking reduces yourvulnerability with new customers. It may seemcostly to use a credit reference agency every time– but not if you consider the money you couldlose if a customer doesn ' t pay. Us ingword-of-mouth recommendations as an assur-ance of a customer's reliability is not failsafe,particularly in these uncertain times.

● Some of our best customers always pay late.Should we charge late-payment interest? Whileit's important to keep your customers happy, it'salso important they pay you under the terms andconditions you've agreed. Consider how import-ant the customers really are to you, comparedwith the problems they are causing you by payinglate. Can you really afford to provide anyone withextended credit? For example, does a customer'slate payment mean you have to go to the bank toborrow more money to deal with the cashflowshortage they caused? If it does, then you need toconsider if they are really such a good customer."You are legally entitled to charge late-payingcustomers interest for each day an invoice isoverdue. Payment is officially overdue 30 daysafter an invoice is issued, unless you specifyotherwise in your payment terms.

● Despite our credit management, we stillsuffer cash shortages. What else can we do?Invoice finance can help by providing up to 90 percent of the value of each invoice before yourcustomer pays and the remainder, less the invoicefinance charge, is released when full payment isreceived. Invoice Finance collects the debt for youand can chase up payments on your behalf. Thiscan free up your time, allowing your staff toconcentrate on maximising sales and profits.Another point worth considering is credit protec-tion - if one of your customers were to fail, haveyou considered the financial implications foryour business? Credit Protection can help toprotect your debts and your future turnover,giving you peace of mind when trading on creditterms.

● The firm still needs a bit of help to weatherthe current financial storms. Can I get any morehelp? HSBC’s new working capital fund can giveSMEs help with their cashflow needs domestic-ally and internationally. Credit is given case bycase based on normal lending criteria so speak tome for more details. I would encourage you to letus try to help you.

Prognosis good formedical specialistA DESIGN and branding agency in Hud-dersfield has helped one of its clients gener-ate a seven-fold increase in business.

Engine Room Design, based at theMedia Centre, carried out a re-brandingproject for client Xiros 12 months ago.Since then, the medical equipment manu-facturer has boosted new business enquiriesdramatically – and has credited itsmakeover for helping to achieve that suc-cess.

Xiros, based in Leeds, was founded in1985 by medical academic Bahaa Seedhomto develop his ideas for prosthetic ligamentprocedures to help surgeons repair theirpatients’ knees and other joints.

The business now employs nearly 70staff, manufacturing its Neoligamentsbrand of replacement ligaments and is alsodeveloping and making other surgical com-ponents on behalf of medical firms underthe Xiros brand.

Following the re-branding exercise, Xirosis now on the radar of an audience thatnever previously had an awareness of itsservices.

The Engine Room is continuing to workwith Xiros to stengthen its image further.

Darren Evans, creative director at TheEngine Room, said: “We constantly have tobe able to prove that design is an investmentworth making.

“So we have to show proven results. Thisis an excellent case study for the role designcan play in developing business growth.”

The re-brand focused on Xiros as anorganisation and Neoligaments, an ownlabel branded product that includes one of

the world’s leading prosthetic ligamentdevices.

The Engine Room was given the task ofdistinguishing the two brands by the designof new livery for business communications,new logos, letter heads, compliment slips,commercial documents, brochures, market-ing materials and a new website.

Dr David Beevers, business developmentdirector at Xiros, said: “We invited fourdesign companies to tender for the Xiros

re-brand, which was to be completed inphases.

“The Engine Room were not the mostexpensive or the cheapest but their proposaland presentation gave us the confidencethat they would produce the re-brand to thehighest quality within the required timeframe while providing a design edge thatwould distinguish our two brands in themarketplace.”

■ GOOD HEALTH: Darren Evans (left), creative director of The Engine Room, andDavid Beevers (right), business development director, of Xiros

■ FRESH FRANCHISE: Steve Green(right), of PM Marketing, with JamieHardie (left), managing director ofprinting.com Leeds and Bradford; andJames Hughes, regional director ofprinting.com

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

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Please contact the headmistress for apersona l v is it . Telephone 01484400344.

A successful year for HuddersfieldGrammar pupils.

Huddersfield Grammar School pupilscelebrated an outstanding year ofachievements at their 13th annual PrizeEvening held at the Huddersfield TownHall in October.

Headteacher Mrs Janet Straughans u m m a r i s e d t h e y e a r i n t h eheadteacher’s remarks: “Our GCSE. res-ults were again splendid this year givingus a pass rate of 94% of students achiev-ing at least five A* - C grades. Threepupils merit special mention: CameronGraley and Ben Wallis, each of whomgained nine A* and 1 A grade, and JakeRamsden who gained nine A* and 1Bgrade. Out of a total of 489 grades, 109were A*, showing the calibre of thisyear’s entry.

My congratulations go to a very hard

working group of young people and tothe dedicated and hard working mem-bers of staff who teach them.

“Perhaps the major events this yearhave been both of our OFSTED inspec-tions … taking pride in the ‘outstanding’judgements the inspectors made. It wasparticularly satisfying to see recognitionnot just of the academic life of theschool, but an acknowledgement of theway in which our pupils respect eachother, their teachers and themselves.”

The security and sense of belongingwhich Huddersfield Grammar Schoolcan offer through an excel len tpupil:teacher ratio and small teachinggroups for children aged three to 16years are amongst the most importantfactors in promoting the happiness andsuccess of pupils through independenteducation.

The Entrance Examination for entryinto Senior School will be held on Janu-ary 31,2009. Application forms and pro-

Happy days ... Batley Grammar School pupils

WWoorrrriieeddaabboouutttthhee 1111++EExxaammiinnaattiioonnss??Concerned you cannot afford IndependentEducation or find an alternative suitable school?Rastrick Independent School is here to help...• Recent three quarter million pound investment has created additional

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including Mathematics and English• Whatever your child’s age 5-14 years you can apply for help• Preparation for life

‘One of Britain’s top schools’.Ranked 68th Nationally – The Times

Contact the Headmistress for an informal chat, We are here to listen.

Rastrick Independent SchoolOgden Lane, Rastrick, Brighouse, HD6 3HF

Tel. 01484 [email protected] www.rastrickschool.co.uk

Huddersfield GrammarSchool

For more information please contact 01484 424549 orvisit www.huddersfield-grammarschool.co.ukHuddersfield Grammar SchoolRoyds Mount, Luck Lane, MarshHuddersfield HD1 4QXT 01484 424549 F 01484 531835E [email protected]

EntranceExamination

Huddersfield Grammar is an independent school for boys and girlsaged 3-16 years with an excellent pupil:teacher ratio offering a sense ofsecurity and belonging at a local, friendly school.

The Entrance Examination for HuddersfieldGrammar Senior School entry in September 2009 isbeing held on 31st January 2009.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

spectuses are available from the schoolsecretary.

Visits can be arranged at anytime to come andsee the school in action and meet the pupils andteachers. This is an ideal opportunity to experi-ence a typical day at school, a true insight intothe atmosphere and daily activities.

The Grammar School Hipperholme,Entrance Examination January 17, 2009 9am to12 noon.

The Grammar School at Hipperholme is asmall, caring and well disciplined school thatconsistently produces excellent examination res-ults for its students: with all students signific-antly out performing expectations.

This achievement is a key part of the school,because each student is treated as an individualand given the opportunity to maximise theirparticular talents and strengths. Academicachievement is very important but so too is thedevelopment of a well-rounded character. Hip-perholme excels at providing an excellent envir-onment in which individuals are givenopportunities for leadership development andpersonal enrichment.

Visitors often remark on the friendly, calmand purposeful atmosphere which characterisesthe school, and if you would like your child to bea part of all this then get in touch register themfor the entrance examination which is on Sat-urday January 17, 2009.

For further information contact The Gram-mar School Hipperholme on 01422 202256,e-mail on csummerscales@hipperholmegram-m a r. o rg . u k o r v i s i t o u r web s i t e o nwww.hgsf.org.uk

What is so important about the SilcoatesSchool experience? To paraphrase a recentPrime Minister, ‘Co-education, co-education,co-education!’

We teach boys and girls together throughoutthe school so they learn to communicate clearly,co-operate in teams, solve problems and preparefor life in the real world in the 21st century.

Our self-contained, beautifully maintainedcampus offers our pupils a secure, nurturingenvironment where they receive an all roundeducation with an academic edge and buildmemories to last a lifetime.

Small is beautiful at Batley GrammarSchool.

Personal shopping, personal banking, per-sonal medical care…

… in a world where personalised servicemakes a world of difference to adults, isn’t it onlyright that children should also receive the indi-vidual attention they need to thrive?

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Four illustrious centuries of great teachingcombine with latest technology and facilities –including our new state-of-the-art sixth form – toprovide a personalised education truly fit for the21st century.

‘Our thanks to Batley Grammar School forproviding our daughter with an opportunity toachieve something we could never have ima-gined’ (sixth form parent)

‘What sets Batley Grammar School apartfrom the others is the small class sizes – theyenable the teachers to give far more individualattention which really makes a difference’(pupil)

Batley Grammar School: a personal choice.Academic scholarships and bursaries are

available for September 2009. Entrance exam:Saturday January 24, 9am.

The Girls’ Grammar School, Brad-ford has always operated on the principle ofproviding a first class education, and that is justas true today as it was over 100 years ago whenthe school was first founded.

Of course, the pupils of today have many moreopportunities and subjects on offer as well as avast range of activities for enrichment andenhancement; from art to physics, from athleticsto synchronised swimming and from drama, viamusic to Young Engineers.

In our Preparatory School we welcome boysand girls from the age of two, and our state of theart nursery is proving to be very popular.

We are already planning to expand our provi-sion at this age.

Specialist teaching at the top end of thePreparatory School prepares the girls well fortheir entry to the senior school and they transferin seamless fashion to continue their education.Excellent teaching leads to first-class examina-tion results where each girl is encouraged toreach her full potential.

The school provides something for everyone ina supportive and caring environment thatencourages its pupils to participate andachieve.

Bursaries are available and some free places.If you would like a tour of the school please

telephone Mrs Newman.Remember time is passing and if you want to

ensure your child attends the school of yourchoice, you need to make a decision as soon asyou can.

Attend open days and find out as muchinformation as you can.

Huddersfield Grammar School pupils pictured at the prize evening at Huddersfield Town Hall

THE SILCOATES SCHOOL FOUNDATIONTHE FAMILY OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS FOR PUPILS AGED 0 - 18

WRENTHORPE |WAKEFIELD |WF2 0PD | TEL: 01924 291614www.silcoates.org.uk | Registered Charity No. 529281

Entrance Examinations

Sixth Form Information Evening

Juniors Year 3 - Year 6 | Friday 30th January 2009Seniors Year 7 - Year 10 | Saturday 31st January 2009

Tuesday 10th February 2009 at 7.00pm

Give your child the greatest gift, an outstanding education.Register now for our Entrance Examination on 17th January 2009by calling the Admissions Officer on 01422 202256.

Entrance ExaminationSaturday 17th January 2009Hipperholme Grammar School provides anoutstanding education for 11 to 18 year olds:

The Grammar School Hipperholme, Bramley Lane, Hipperholme, Halifax. HX3 8JET. 01422 202256 F. 01422 204592 E. [email protected] W. www.hgsf.org.uk

• Excellent academic standards• Guaranteed small classes to ensure individual attention• Outstanding pastoral support ensuring each pupil exceedshis/her potential

• Strong sense of moral values: pupils are taught self disciplineand the difference between right and wrong

• Outstanding provision for leadership and personal enrichment• Excellent provision for sport, music, drama and the arts.


Simon Kaye is Divisional Director atRensburg Sheppards Investment

Management

Simon Kaye

CITY TALK

Agency isthe topperformerA RECRUITMENTconsultancy withoffices in Huddersfieldhas been named bestperforming plc in anational awardsscheme.Hays, which includesHays Accountancy &Finance at StationStreet, beat strongcompetition to win thehighly acclaimedcategory at theRecruitmentInternational Awards2008.The company showed itcontinued to performedwell despite the currenteconomic climate.The awards werejudged by 14 topindustry professionalsand sector specialists,including analysts andbrokers.The ceremony tookplace at MadameTussauds in Londonwas attended by morethan 200 specialguests.

Kirklees workerslag behind in thepay league tableWORKERS in Kirklees are among the worst-paid inYorkshire, claims a new report.

Figures from general union the GMB said theaverage full-time wage in the district totalled £25,626 –against an average of £27,534 for Yorkshire as a wholeand £31,323 for the UK.

It means the average worker in Kirklees is earning82% of the national average wage.

Only Barnsley at £24,669 and North East Lin-colnshire at £25,181 are below Kirklees in the payleague of 15 Yorkshire and Humber local authoritydistricts.

York tops the table at £31,604 followed by Sheffieldat £28,841 and Leeds at £28,505. Calderdale is fourthon the list at £28,454 with Wakefield fifth at£27,513.

York is the only district in Yorkshire where averageearnings exceed the UK average.

Yorkshire is ninth in the UK regional pay league –some £5,285 less than the south-east and almost£19,000 below the average wage in London.

The survey was compiled in April this year (2008).Tim Roache, GMB regional secretary for Yorkshire,

said: “This analysis of pay shows the regions that didgo some way to replace the skilled manufacturing jobsthat were lost in the recessions of the 1980s and 1990sand those regions and areas still to do so.

“Since these figures were taken, the credit crunch,which originated from excesses in the financial sector,has now given rise to a full blown recession and themisery that that entails. We will see if the average payholds up in 2009.”

Mr Roache said: “As well as measures to re-starttheir economies, governments in the UK and else-where need to take steps to deal once and for all withthe elements in the financial sector that visited this

recession upon us.“We can no longer tolerate a ‘provisional wing’ of

capitalism that is allowed to cock a snook at thestandards of transparency, disclosure and accountab-ility required of the ‘official wing’ of the financialsector bound by stock exchange rules.”

A report by Kirklees Council forecasting the eco-nomic make-up of the district in 2010 said that wagelevels in Kirklees were below the national average –particularly for women and members of ethnic minor-ities.

It stressed that this was likely to remain the case –given the faster growth in part-time working againstfull-time employment and the growth of service sectorindustries.

The report compiled by the council’s economicdevelopment service, said: “TUC research in early2002 found that – on average – black and Asian maleworkers in Great BritainB earn nearly £100 a week lessthan their white counterparts.

“While the gap is less apparent between womenworkers – women on average earn less than men –Pakistani and Bangladeshi women are worst affected,earning an average £34 a week less than whitewomen.

“The factors cited for ethnic imbalances in pay –discrimination, over-representation in low-paid jobsand industries, language problems, concentration indisadvantaged areas are likely to apply in Kirklees in2010 to a similar extent.

“Given the forecast higher than average growth inthe Asian population, this suggests a growth in theproportion of people at risk of being incomedeprived.”

RestoringconfidenceIT is clear that the world’s economy has

abruptly turned down and many majoreconomies are experiencing an unusu-ally sharp period of recession in thewake of the financial shocks of theautumn.

What is not yet clear is whether this presagesan extended and painful economic decline orwhether the concerted policy responses willsucceed in generating a turning point sometime during 2009. At present, the mood tendstowards the gloomier of these possibilities butsentiment is a fallible guide to the future.

The autumn shocks in the banking sectorand the associated equity market crashes havehad direct as well as psychological effects oneconomic activity, creating a mood akin topost-traumatic shock. Individuals have reactedto an increased fear of unemployment, falls inhousing and portfolio wealth and to tightercredit by spending less. Companies havereacted to the fall in demand, the rise ineconomic uncertainty and the absence of creditfinance by cutting back on inventory, employ-ment and investment. These two processes arestarting to feed on each other and risk creatinga deep and prolonged recession, hence recentworry about a return to the 1930s.

The shortage of credit is beginning to beaddressed. Banks have raised a total of nearly1,000bn dollars in new capital, much of itunderwritten by governments. This hasreplaced lending losses and strengthened theirbalance sheets. However, the high cost ofgovernment capital injections has led banks tocut back on lending, in the hope of repaying theexpensive capital early. This has been com-pounded by the uncertain economic outlook,with its associated threat of further bad debtsfrom business and individual borrowers, whichhas reinforced the banks’ reluctance to lend.So, although cuts in interest rates are filteringthrough to existing borrowers there is adrought in the new lending markets. On top ofthe benefit of lower interest rates and capitalinjections, the Bank of England and otherCentral Banks are likely to have to offertargeted support for new lending (while ensur-ing that the banks retain sufficient risk to beprudent) and for trade finance, both of whichare essential parts of the world economy’scirculatory system.

Although there are genuine structural issuesunderlying the recent financial crisis, anorderly resolution of these is being preventedby the defensive reactions to the bewilderingvolatility in financial markets. Faced with anuncertain future, it can make individual senseto save more, cut investment or withholdlending but practised collectively by all theresult is economic meltdown. A necessarybenign re-balancing of the world economy hasturned malignant owing to the general collapsein confidence. When confidence evaporates ascomprehensively as it has, the overriding prior-ity is to restore it, hence the recent exceptionalmeasures to boost government spending, cuttaxes and pare interest rates close to zero. Onceconfidence is back, policies can then be focusedon enabling the necessary adjustments inglobal economies to occur in a less disruptiveway. To paraphrase St. Augustine “Lord makeme thrifty, but not yet”. May 2009 bringbrighter times.

FootprintBag stepsforwardWe have been asked toclarify product informa-tion given in our frontpage article on FootprintBag in the January, 2009,edition of Kirklees Busi-ness News.

Thee Footprint Bag isdesigned to hold eightre-usable Footprint bags,not plastic carrier bags asstated in the article.

Footprint Bag is a con-certed effort by two localmums, Claire Peto-Cookand Hanny Wadsworth,in their bid to do their bitfor going green. The bagprovides a convenienta lternat ive to us ingplastic bags available insupermarkets and otherretail outlets.

Claire said: “We havebeen really pleased withthe response to our Foot-print Bag. Sales of oureight-pack have rocketedsince we got media cover-age with lots and lots ofpositive feedback fromsatisfied customers.

“We were under noillusions about how diffi-cult it is building a brandfrom scratch, but alreadypeople are recognisingthe distinctive ‘look’ andname – so things aregoing well!”

Hanny added: “We arejust about to launch thefour-pack on-line andhave been overwhelmedby the demand.”

Danielle’strainingtriumphA TRAINEE at a Huddersfield man-ufacturing firm has received a cer-tificate after completing herapprenticeship.

Danielle Dyson received theaward from Ravinder Sokhal, ofCMS Training Vocational Training,at the premises of window blindscompany Excel ManufacturingLtd. The presentation was atten-ded by Daniel le’s manager,Rachael Whitehead.

Danielle began her one-yearNVQ level 2 apprenticeship in busi-ness administration with CMSbefore applying for a job at ExcelManufacturing, where she is nowan administrative assistant. She isa lso cont inu ing her studiestowards the NVQ level 3 advancedapprenticeship.

Excel Manufacturing, based atOld Fieldhouse Lane, off LeedsRoad, has more than 50 employeesand almost 200 trade accounts.

Along with its commitment totraining, the company has inves-ted in new equipment to automatethe roller department and intro-duced a bespoke IT system fororder input and stock control.

■ WELL DONE: Danielle Dyson (left) receives her award fromRavinder Sokhal (right), of CMS Vocational Training, with officesupervisor Rachel Whitehead


BANKER'SBLOG

Jill Hague

Jill Hague is Head of CommercialBanking for HSBC in Huddersfield

Award-winning agency nowjoins new franchise networkAN award-winning marketing agencyhas expanded its scope by taking in anew franchise.

PM Marketing Group, based at FenayBridge, has become the Huddersfieldstore for international printing busi-ness printing.com, which has morethan 300 stores worldwide.

James Hughes, regional director ofprinting.com, said: “The ethos of theprinting.com brand revolves aroundhigh quality, local service by fran-chisees, competitive prices and quickdelivery.”

Jamie Hardie, who heads print-ing.com in Leeds and Bradford, said:“The working methods of PM Market-ing Group and the company valuesstrongly mirror our ethos.

“The new franchise makes a greataddition to their existing range of ser-vices.”

Steve Green, managing director ofPM Marketing Group, said: “We’re veryexcited to be a part of printing.com.”

Printing.com is an internationalcompany offering products includingbusiness cards, letterheads, leaflets,booklets, postcards, promotionalcards and invitations to consumersand small to medium sized busi-nesses.

PM Marketing Group is a full-servicemarketing agency providing servicessuch as design, advertising, corporate

branding, web, public relations anddisplay, exhibition and events.

The group was named winner of thecategory for the most successfullaunch strategy in the recent inauguralNorthern Marketing Awards.

Controllingcash flowIN this month’s article I ask the expert

how to take control of your cash flowwith strong credit management.

In the current economic climate, keeping cash-flow healthy is crucial and monitoring customersand payment dates vital, particularly for smallcompanies.

My colleagues at HSBC Invoice Finance,reveal the simple steps that can help you improveyour firm's credit management.

● What can I do to make sure our customerspay promptly? Agree payment terms and condi-tions in advance with all your customers. Besystematic in managing the credit you give them.Ensure that they understand your expectations.Send out invoices promptly. A week before thedebt is due, get a member of your accounts teamto phone the customer to remind them to pay. Ifthey fail to pay on the due date, get accounts toring again and send out a written reminder ofyour terms and conditions. Make sure the letter isdirected to the right person - the individualauthorised to make payment.

● Is credit checking every new customer worththe time and cost? Credit checking reduces yourvulnerability with new customers. It may seemcostly to use a credit reference agency every time– but not if you consider the money you couldlose if a customer doesn ' t pay. Us ingword-of-mouth recommendations as an assur-ance of a customer's reliability is not failsafe,particularly in these uncertain times.

● Some of our best customers always pay late.Should we charge late-payment interest? Whileit's important to keep your customers happy, it'salso important they pay you under the terms andconditions you've agreed. Consider how import-ant the customers really are to you, comparedwith the problems they are causing you by payinglate. Can you really afford to provide anyone withextended credit? For example, does a customer'slate payment mean you have to go to the bank toborrow more money to deal with the cashflowshortage they caused? If it does, then you need toconsider if they are really such a good customer."You are legally entitled to charge late-payingcustomers interest for each day an invoice isoverdue. Payment is officially overdue 30 daysafter an invoice is issued, unless you specifyotherwise in your payment terms.

● Despite our credit management, we stillsuffer cash shortages. What else can we do?Invoice finance can help by providing up to 90 percent of the value of each invoice before yourcustomer pays and the remainder, less the invoicefinance charge, is released when full payment isreceived. Invoice Finance collects the debt for youand can chase up payments on your behalf. Thiscan free up your time, allowing your staff toconcentrate on maximising sales and profits.Another point worth considering is credit protec-tion - if one of your customers were to fail, haveyou considered the financial implications foryour business? Credit Protection can help toprotect your debts and your future turnover,giving you peace of mind when trading on creditterms.

● The firm still needs a bit of help to weatherthe current financial storms. Can I get any morehelp? HSBC’s new working capital fund can giveSMEs help with their cashflow needs domestic-ally and internationally. Credit is given case bycase based on normal lending criteria so speak tome for more details. I would encourage you to letus try to help you.

Prognosis good formedical specialistA DESIGN and branding agency in Hud-dersfield has helped one of its clients gener-ate a seven-fold increase in business.

Engine Room Design, based at theMedia Centre, carried out a re-brandingproject for client Xiros 12 months ago.Since then, the medical equipment manu-facturer has boosted new business enquiriesdramatically – and has credited itsmakeover for helping to achieve that suc-cess.

Xiros, based in Leeds, was founded in1985 by medical academic Bahaa Seedhomto develop his ideas for prosthetic ligamentprocedures to help surgeons repair theirpatients’ knees and other joints.

The business now employs nearly 70staff, manufacturing its Neoligamentsbrand of replacement ligaments and is alsodeveloping and making other surgical com-ponents on behalf of medical firms underthe Xiros brand.

Following the re-branding exercise, Xirosis now on the radar of an audience thatnever previously had an awareness of itsservices.

The Engine Room is continuing to workwith Xiros to stengthen its image further.

Darren Evans, creative director at TheEngine Room, said: “We constantly have tobe able to prove that design is an investmentworth making.

“So we have to show proven results. Thisis an excellent case study for the role designcan play in developing business growth.”

The re-brand focused on Xiros as anorganisation and Neoligaments, an ownlabel branded product that includes one of

the world’s leading prosthetic ligamentdevices.

The Engine Room was given the task ofdistinguishing the two brands by the designof new livery for business communications,new logos, letter heads, compliment slips,commercial documents, brochures, market-ing materials and a new website.

Dr David Beevers, business developmentdirector at Xiros, said: “We invited fourdesign companies to tender for the Xiros

re-brand, which was to be completed inphases.

“The Engine Room were not the mostexpensive or the cheapest but their proposaland presentation gave us the confidencethat they would produce the re-brand to thehighest quality within the required timeframe while providing a design edge thatwould distinguish our two brands in themarketplace.”

■ GOOD HEALTH: Darren Evans (left), creative director of The Engine Room, andDavid Beevers (right), business development director, of Xiros

■ FRESH FRANCHISE: Steve Green(right), of PM Marketing, with JamieHardie (left), managing director ofprinting.com Leeds and Bradford; andJames Hughes, regional director ofprinting.com


ON THE MOVE

Blazinga trailAlan Somers has beenappointed to the technicaladvisory board at Hud-dersfield-based propertycompliance specialistBES Consulting.

Mr Somers joins theMoldgreen-based com-pany after 25 years in thefire service, where he wasa divisional commanderand North Yorkshire Fireand Rescue Service’s per-formance review officer.

He was also secondedto the Home Office as aninstructor at the Fire Ser-vice College, where hespecialised in training forincidents involving haz-ardous material.

In his new role, MrSomers will ensure thatBES services meet thelatest fire compliancelegislation. He will also bepart of the company’squality team.

Kelly islatestrecruitSOLICITOR KellySimpson has joined thee m p l o y m e n t l a wdepartment of LuptonFawcett in Leeds.

Ms Simpson (right),who was born andraised in Hull, joins thef i r m f rom Keeb l eHawson. She gained adegree in biological

and medicinal chem-istry from Exeter Uni-versity before studyinglaw at BBP Law Schoolin Leeds.

New directors forbuilding societyLEEDS Building Society hasappointed Ian Robertson and BobStott as non-executive directors.

Mr Robertson and Mr Stottjoin the board – which currentlyconsists of three executive direct-ors and six non-executive direct-ors under the leadership ofchairman Robin Smith.

Mr Robertson, a qualifiedaccountant, is a member of theAudit Advisory Board to the Scot-tish Parliament Corporate Bodyand a non-executive director ofthe Homes and CommunitiesAgency.

He was group chief executive ofWilson Bowden Plc housebuildersand property developers untilJune last year, when it was sold toBarratts. He was previously finan-cial controller for Northern Foodsand Terry’s of York.

Mr Stott, who attended Hud-dersfield College GrammarSchool and lives in Leeds, has

extensive retailing experience.During his career he has worked

for Mars Inc and Geest Plc, inaddition to his 25 years in thesupermarket sector – latterly at

Morrisons, where he was jointmanaging director and chief exec-utive. He is also a non-executivedirector of the Rugby FootballLeague governing body.

US deal formyfotowallA COMPANY providinggiant posters via the internethas sealed a trans-Atlanticdeal.

Award-winning businessm y f o t o w a l l . c o m h a sreached agreement to intro-duce its applications to theworld’s largest photo host-i n g w e b s i t e , p h o t o-bucket.com., based in SanFrancisco.

The move gives myfo-towall access to more than45m potential customers.

At the same time, myfo-towall has launched a newmulti-photo product allow-ing users to collect a seriesof images to make up theirown poster rather than justa single picture.

Customers ordering themulti-photo option get a“peel and stick” self-adhes-ive colour print which canbe used to decorate bed-room or kitchen walls in thehome – or brighten up a dullwall in the office.

Myfotowall.com, basedat New North Road, Edger-ton, was launched by man-aging director StephenArmitage in 2003 and cre-ates dramatic wall coveringsusing images from its ownextensive library or suppliedby the client.

The images are ordered

online, the print is producedto fit the required space andthe picture is delivered bypost as wallpaper. The out-size pictures are in demandfor car showrooms, recep-tion areas and high streetstores as well as among indi-vidual customers.

The link-up betweenmyfotowall and photo-bucket will allow customersto choose up to 18 photosfrom a photobucket albumto arrange in a pre-definedgrid. Photos can then becropped, resized or moved,and can be personalised byadding colored borders.

The myfotowall collage isthen printed on self-adhes-ive vinyl, enabling easyapplication on indoor sur-faces. The printed myfo-

towall collage is available in27-inch by 51-inch” portraitor landscape options.

Alex Welch, president ofphotobucket, said: “Photo-bucket is thrilled to integ-rate myfotowall onto oursite to give users even morecreative ways to engage withtheir photos.

“Photobucket is alwaysseeking out new and excit-ing ways for our users toshare and print photos andmyfotowall’s innovative walldecor enables our users toenjoy their photos in a veryunique way.”

Mr Armitage said: “Weare delighted to be engagingw i t h P h o t o bu c ke t t oprovide a new interactiveonline design tool.

“We look forward to giv-ing Photobucket users aneasy, fun-to-use designapplication to create aunique ‘peel and stick’ walldecoration that captures thespirit of any occasion, for allto see and admire!”

P h o t o bu c ke t i s t h epremier standalone photoand video sharing site withmore than 45m usersaround the world linkingbillions of personal photos,graphics, slide shows andvideos daily to hundreds ofthousands of websites.

Bob Stott Ian Robertson

Firm enjoys latest fixtureA COUPLE who have built up a businesssupplying fixings, fasteners, sealants andadhesives to the construction trade havewon an award.

Alison and Gary Cooling set up AGC Tools& Fixings in 2002, running the business fromtheir home and garage in Meltham.

Through their drive and determination –and a strong focus on customer service – thebusiness has moved to bigger premises overrecent years and is now based at LockwoodRoad in Huddersfield.

The company was recognised for its suc-cess by being named Business of the Monthin the competition run by Huddersfield lawfirm Eaton Smith and the Lockwood-basedMid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Cooling said: “Our offices are nowbigger – as it our product range and work-force. But we have not forgotten our roots

and loyal customers. Nor have we forgottenthe qualities on which we established ourbusiness in 2002.

“We believe in providing a quality andreliable service – one that aims to deliverdirect to local sites, by the next day and freeof charge. This is why so many companies,big and small, have stayed with us.”

Said Mr Cooling: “We are extremely proudto have won such a prestigious award. Wethink it is great when small businessesreceive this type of recognition for develop-ing and growing their business.

“This is the second award we have won in12 months and it feels just as good as thefirst.”

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

■ AWARDS DAY: Deborah Melluish (third right), of Eaton Smith, presents the award to AlisonCooling (second right) and Gary Cooling (right), of AGC Tools and Fixings, with (from left) TonyJones and Mark Johnston, of Handelsbanken; Nigel Hill, of The Leadership Factor; and AnneGerard, of the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

■ POSTER: StephenArmitage, of myfotowall

Back to the collegeMICHAEL Ainsworthhas been named mar-keting and campaignsmanager at Calder-dale College.

Mr Ainsworth, 41,who was brought upin Brighouse, wasformerly marketingmanager at the Carne-

gie Faculty of Sportand Educa t ion a tLeeds MetropolitanUniversity.

Mr Ainsworth stud-ied BTECs at Calder-d a l e C o l l e g e i nHalifax, graduatingand from BradfordUniversity.


BES lands new pubs dealA CONSULTANCY in Huddersfield has wona second major contract to ensure pubs meettough energy regulations.

Moldgreen-based BES Consulting will carryour surveys of more than 2,000 Marston’s pubsacross the country to ensure they comply withrules governing fire safety, asbestos andEnergy Performance Certificates.

The exact value of the multi-million pounddeal has not been disclosed.

It comes just days after BES landed acontract with Punch Taverns to provide similarservices for all its leased pubs in northernEngland and Scotland.

BES Consulting will use an online system tostore and retrieve relevant documents for theMarston’s contract.

The system will also automatically createreminders about re-inspections, which is tradi-tionally a time-consuming process.

Marston’s group purchasing manager Chris-topher Sutton said: “Previously, we had anumber of independent suppliers providingcompliance services.

“This meant we lacked continuity of suppli-ers across our estate, we had varied servicereports, missed the opportunity to benefitfrom economies of scale and wasted manage-

ment time dealing with multiple suppliers.“BES Consulting’s expertise in property

compliance, coupled with its experience ofworking with major pub chains, will help usbetter manage our estate – and it will save usmoney and management time.”

BES Consulting, with offices and engineersacross the UK, provides risk assessment andstatutory compliance services to hundreds ofthe UK’s top companies.

Energy Performance Certificates became alegal requirement for all pubs let or sold fromOctober 1.

Time to startup in business

THE Huddersfield tycoon whofounded internet giant Freeservehas issued a rallying call to thetown’s budding entrepreneurs:recession is a great time to startyour own business if you’ve got agenuinely good idea.

Ajaz Ahmed insisted the increas-ing number of enterprising indi-viduals with excellent businessideas in the area should not be putoff by the economic downturn.

“Forget about the current eco-nomic climate – it’s a temporarysetback,” said Mr Ahmed. “It’svital that businesses do not let acredit crunch mentality drag downtheir ideas. Of course, it’s wise todouble-check risks but it’s crucialto remain upbeat.

“If you are going to start yourown business now, then when theeconomy recovers you will be very

well placed to reap the benefits.”Mr Ahmed said: “Some ideas

will obviously not work in a reces-sion, so it’s even more important tohave a good idea and have a planthat you can articulate and sell thatidea. If you get that right, thefinance is still available.”

Mr Ahmed said location wouldbe one of the keys to success for newand established businesses duringthe recession.

He is using his position as aboard member of the Media Centrecomplex on NorthumberlandStreet to ensure that local creativeindividuals and companies havesome of the best support in thecountry right on their doorstep.

The Media Centre is alreadyhome to 130 high-tech and creativecompanies and houses Britain’smost environmentally-friendly

business centre building, which wasopened by the Queen last year.

“I have seen at the Media Centrehow establishing a cluster oflike-minded businesses and provid-ing high-quality business support isworking very well even in thesedifficult times,” said Mr Ahmed.

“We have record numbers ofbusinesses and occupancy rateswith firms moving in from Leedsand Bradford to take advantage oflower cost and higher quality officespace.”

Mr Ahmed was co-founder ofFreeserve, which became the UK’slargest internet services providerwithin three months of its launch in1998.

Less than a year later, it floatedwith a market value of £1.5bn andwas sold for £1.6bn to Wanadoo in2001.

■ OUTLOOK: Freeserve founder Ajaz Ahmed says the time is ripe for budding entrepreneurs to get theirbusinesses started – despite the economic gloom

RichardmakessmoothmoveTHE Huddersfield-bornco-founder of fru i tsmoothies firm Inno-cent has been named asone of Britain’s topbusinessmen.

Richard Reed, whogrew up in Kirkheatonand attended BatleyGrammar School, isranked second in thelist of ManagementToday’s Top 100 Entre-preneurs.

He shares the posi-t ion w i th Innocen tco-founders and fellowCambridge Universitygraduates Adam Bartonand Jon Wright.

They started out byselling smoothies madefrom fresh fruit juice at ajazz festival in the sum-mer of 1998.

The London-basedcompany has doubledin size in each of thepast three years tonotch up annual salesof £115m and dominatethe market for smooth-ies with a 72% share.

Earlier this year, thecompany launched inAustria after expandinginto Germany, Scand-inavia and France.

Innocent drinks aresold in 100% recycledplastic bottles, whoselabels bear the familiar“halo” logo and dis-t inc t ive messages ,which have helpedmake Innocent a famil-iar consumer brand.

The company haswon numerous accol-ades, including ones forGrowth Strategy of theYear and Bus inessInnovation of the Year atthe National BusinessAwards in 2006.

The Top 100 Entre-p re n e u rs l i s t a l s oincludes Emma Har-rison, founded of Shef-field-based training andemployment servicesfirm A4e, who is ranked48th.

Colin Barratt is tax partner atWheawill and Sudworth, chartered

accountants, Huddersfield

TAXTALK

Colin Barratt

Tackle thattax returnTHE January 31 tax return filing

deadline for the submission ofindividual, partnership and trust taxreturns for the year ended April 5,2008, is fast approaching

And for those who have yet to submittheir returns urgent attention is required inorder to avoid automatic late filing penal-ties.

The penalty for submitting a late return is£100. This is restricted to the lower of £100or the amount of tax outstanding for2007/08. For partnerships whose businesstax return is not submitted in time, a £100penalty per partner will be levied which isnot restricted.

Returns will need to be submitted to theRevenue “online” using their own internetsite or commercially approved software. Ifyou intend using the Revenue’s site for thefirst time, you will need to register withthem by January 21 to be able to file meetthe filing deadline.

The Revenue will no longer acceptreturns sent in paper form and such returnswill, in all but the most exceptional circum-stances, attract a late filing penalty.

Submitting the tax return in time willstop the automatic late filing penalty, as willmaking sure any tax due for 2007/08 is paidby January 31. Except for partnershipreturns where the penalty is payablewhether tax is paid by the individual part-ners or not.

Late paid tax will be subject to interestcharges with the current interest rate being4.5%. A 5% surcharge will be added if anytax for 2007/08 remains outstanding atFebruary 28.

For businesses struggling to pay their taxdue to the effects of the ‘credit crunch’ itmay be possible to arrange with the Rev-enue to pay the tax over an agreed period oftime by contacting their ‘Business PaymentSupport’ telephone centre on 08453021435.

However, those intent on filing late so asto avoid paying tax should be aware that theRevenue can, with the agreement of theCommissioners, impose a penalty of up to£60 per day for overdue tax returns and it isbecoming common for them to take thiscourse of action. If this penalty is charged itwill stick even if there is no tax to pay, unlikethe automatic late filing penalty, so it ispotentially very severe.

For some who have a tax liability everyyear there may also be a requirement tomake payments on account of the currentyear at the same time as the payment for thelast year. This is automatically 50% of lastyear’s tax bill and is payable on January 31and July 31. If income falls each payment onaccount can be reduced to 50% of theexpected current year’s tax bill.

If income goes up and the tax bill will bemore, the payments on account do not haveto be increased but of course come January31 next year it will be catch up time, so youmay want to put a bit aside to avoid havingto raid the piggy bank or get into arrearswith the Revenue.


Ramsdens expandswith Halifax mergerA GROWING Huddersfield law firm hasannounced a merger with another firm of solicit-ors.

Ramsdens Solicitors has linked up with Halifaxfirm Rice Jones in a move which is said to create thelargest law firm in the Kirklees and Calderdalearea.

The newly merged firm will continue to be knownas Ramsdens with 13 partners and a combined staffof 140.

Under the merger, staff at Rice Jones in Halifaxwill continue to work from its Harrison Roadoffices.

Ramsdens’ Paul Joyce continues in his role asmanaging partner, while David Hofton from RiceJones joins as a partner and Robert Mackenziebecomes a consultant in the newly merged firm.

Mr Joyce said: “In light of current marketconditions, I am delighted that we have been able tobuck the trend and expand our team by joiningforces with the well regarded Rice Jones to createthe largest firm in Kirklees and Calderdale.

“Our merger creates the opportunity tostrengthen our team in Halifax while offeringclients of the merged firm a broader spectrum oflegal services and a greater depth of expertise.”

Ramsdens, which was established in the 1870s,has offices in Huddersfield town centre, Edgerton,Slaithwaite and Holmfirth.

In recent years, the firm has expanded intoCalderdale following mergers with David Garsed &Co in Elland and Jubb Longbothams in Halifax.

Ramsdens offers specialist advice to business andprivate clients in the areas of corporate commercial,litigation, commercial property, employment, con-veyancing, family law, personal injury, wills, pro-bate and financial planning.

■ GETTING TOGETHER: Paul Joyce (second let), managing partner of Ramsdens with (from left)consultant Robert Mackenzie, new partner David Hofton and senior partner John Fryer folliowing themerger with Halifax law firm Rice Jones

TakingstockA LEADING stockbrokerwill put the focus on theglobal financial crisisand what it means forlocal firms when shedelivers a free publiclecture at HuddersfieldUniversity later thismonth.Morven Whyte (above),of private brokeragefirm Redmayne-Bentley,will address anaudience of businesspeople and students at6pm on Wednesday,January 21.David Colley, marketingand recruitmentadministrator at theuniversity, said: “Thelecture will examine thenature of the currentcrisis and seeks to givea critical understandingof how it developed andwhere it might lead.“The lecture will be ofinterest to localbusiness managers andleaders as well asstudents.”Morven, a pastpresident of theYorkshire region of theSecurities Institute,regularly appears onBBC2’s Working Lunch,Radio 4’s Money Boxand Radio 5 Live.To book for the lecture,phone 01484 472129 ore-mail [email protected]

Arts agencyoffers helpAN arts agency in Kirklees has launched a newprogramme of events for entrepreneurs just starting upbusinesses in the creative sector.

Batley-based Loca has joined forces with BusinessLink Yorkshire to stage the events, which aim to helppeople get a broader understanding of how to run abusiness. The events are free to businesses in NorthKirklees.

Those taking part will include Michael Barratt, whocontacted Loca for help developing his Dews-bury-based illustration and graphics business, Emelbi.Mr Barratt said the programme would help himdevelop a marketing strategy as well as improve hisgeneral business skills.

Loca projects manager Robin Widdowson said: “I’mdelighted to be working in partnership with BusinessLink, who will be fielding a number of very experiencedfacilitators and advisers to deliver the workshops forus.

“As well as workshops covering business planning,financial control, presentation skills and time manage-ment, the programme offers opportunities for peopleto take part in networking events and one-to-oneadvice sessions.”

Lyn Harrison, partnership manager at BusinessLink Yorkshire, said: “It is really exciting to be workingwith Loca and to be able to combine our services todeliver a comprehensive programme of support for thecreative sector.”

Loca, based at Redbrick Mill, Bradford Road, is partof Kirklees Council's Culture and Leisure Services.

For details contact Mr Widdowson on 01924 488844or go to www.loca.co.uk .

Apprentices rewardedA DEWSBURY company has presen-ted certificates to four young appren-tices.

Richard Alan Engineering runsapprenticeships to recruit candidatesevery two years in mechanical engin-eering, fabrication and welding andelectrical engineering.

Glen Forth, engineering manager,presented the certificates to JackSpencer, who has completed his firstyear mechanical engineering appren-ticeship; David Pullen, who has com-pleted his second year in mechanicalengineering; Hasib Mugal, first year inmechanical engineering; and ThomasWightman, who has completed his

first year in welding and fabrication.Mr Forth said: “We believe abso-

lutely in the value of proper trainingand the success of our apprenticeshipscheme is a testament to this ethos.

“We work closely with Kirklees Col-lege to operate the scheme and it is toour benefit and the boys’ long-termemployment prospects that thisworks so well.

“Richard Alan Engineering has asecond to none track record for its lowstaff turnover. We have never ‘lost’ anyof our apprentices and they go on toplay a vital part in the continuingsuccess of the business.”

■ CERTIFICATES: Richard Alan Engineering Apprentices (from left) JackSpencer, David Pullen, Hasib Mugal, Thomas Wightman

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Safety measures for LeeA BUILDING contractor is putting safetyto the fore.

Lee Marsden (right), who heads Hud-dersfield Contracts Ltd at Southgate inthe town centre, has gained accreditationto the Safe Contractor scheme, whichrecognises building industry businessesfor their commitment to health andsafety.

Lee, who is the son of well-known Hud-dersfield businessman Joe Marsden, car-ries out building work, repairs andmaintenance and property managementfor a string of customers, including housebuilders and shopping centres.

Lee, a former soldier who lives at Slaith-waite, draws on a range of sub-contract-ors which means he can provide work forclients anywhere in the UK.

He has joined Huddersfield TownCentre Partnership and has signed up toKirklees Build, a council-backed groupproviding support for building sectorbusinesses across the district.

Commenting on the Safe Contractorscheme, Lee said: “A lot of big companieswill not entertain using a contractor whodoes not have Safe Contractor accredita-tion.

“It’s especially important in today’smarket and when there is continued con-cern about homeowners falling victim torogue traders.”

The rigorous process to gain accredita-tion involved Lee submitting informationabout the company’s health and safetypolicies, mission statement and insur-ance documents along with examples ofwork carried out by Huddersfield Con-tractors and risk assessments.

Talkativecelebratesa centuryMOBILE phones business Talkative hasachieved a landmark with one of its keycustomers.

The Liversedge-based company has sup-plied more than 100 connections to direct-ors and field staff at Huddersfield financialcompliance service provider SimplyBiz.

These comprise standard handsets,PDAs and laptop cards to enable SimplyBizstaff to have a fully-functioning mobileoffice.

SimplyBiz, launched in 2002, hasreceived several accolades for its service andfeatures in the Sunday Times fast Track100.

Sarah Wood, financial director, said:“SimplyBiz has increased considerably insize in the last six years, but this hasn’t beena problem for Talkative.

“They have handled the growth withease, supplying us with the same highquality service that we have alwaysreceived.

“A large number of our staff work in thefield, so need to keep in constant contactwith our office.

“If there are any problems, we know thatwe can receive immediate technical support

from Talkative.”SimplyBiz has also upgraded 10 of its

phones to enable them to have email on thego.

Talkative managing director RichardWinterbottom said: “Increasingly, we arefinding that our customers require a mobileoffice, so we like to educate them onworking smart.

“It is far more cost-effective to emailrather than text if communicating with theoffice.

“We are able to assess our client’s needsand advise them on the right handset forthem.”

Talkative, set up in 2001, specialises inbusiness-to-business mobile communica-tions and covers areas including bill ana-lysis and account management; mobiledevices, car kits and accessories; mobilephones hands-free installations; training;landlines and supplying and installing tele-pone systems.

Other customers include soft drinks sup-plier Ben Shaws, Meltham-based LawtonElectrical and nursery products firm Baby-way.

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Santa makes aspecial delivery

■ PIPE FOR SANTA: Santa meets Peter Long, of contractor Mott MacdonaldBentley on the site of the new Spen Valley pipeline

Neil Wilson is an Employment Lawyerat Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors

Neil Wilson

EMPLOYERS'BRIEFING

Fairness isparamountRECENT cases have highlighted the

need for companies to follow a fairredundancy procedure.

In one case, a former ambulance driver suc-ceeded in an unfair dismissal claim against heremployer as a result of several failingsthroughout a badly handled redundancy pro-cedure.

The company employed 147 employees anddecided to restructure its operation in Novem-ber, 2006.

The employees were given letters explainingthe reason for the proposed redundancies andvolunteers were sought.

The employee missed the resulting consulta-tion meeting as she was on annual leave and wasnot informed of or invited to the meeting.

The trade union was not consulted on theselection criterion that was used until after ithad been applied and the process was neverexplained to any employees.

The employee was invited to a further meetingat which she was told she had the second lowestscore although she was not allowed to view theredundancy matrix.

She attended a further meeting in January,2007, informing her that she was dismissed dueto redundancy.

The employee subsequently raised a com-plaint of unfair dismissal and the matter reachedthe Employment Appeal Tribunal.

The tribunal concluded that there had beenno attempt to consult with the union or employ-ees as to the method of selection, the selectioncriteria or the process in general.

The key criteria that was used for scoring wasleft to one individual who could not support hispurely subjective scores with reference to anyother document as appraisals had never beencarried out.

The tribunal concluded that a fair system hadnot been operated and thus the dismissal wasunfair.

The instant case clearly shows the need tooperate detailed redundancy procedures andconsult with employees at all stages.

Trade unions may also need to be consulteddepending on the number of employees to bemade redundant and whether a trade union isrecognised.

The tribunal did comment throughout thecase that it will not “subject the marking systemto microscopic analysis” but it will take anoverall view of the fairness of the procedurebased on the actions of the company.

On a different topic, businesses should beaware that from April, 2009, subject to Parlia-mentary approval, the standard rate of statutorymaternity, paternity and adoption pay willincrease from £117.18 to £123.06 a week and thestandard rate of statutory sick pay will rise from£75.40 to £79.15 a week.

Separately to this, the annual increase incompensation limits for dismissals taking affectafter February 1, 2009, have been announced.

The maximum compensatory award willincrease from £63,000 to £66,200, a “weeks pay”rises from £330 to £350 and the maximumredundancy payment will therefore increasefrom £9,900 to £10,500.

FATHER Christmas paid a visit to theSpen Valley – to help deliver a special giftfrom Yorkshire Water.

The company is set to begin work oneight miles of pipeline to help improve thequality of water in the rivers Spen andCalder.

The new flow transfer pipe will connectthe sewage treatment works at Spenbor-ough and Bierley a new £25m new plant atMitchell Laithesn near Dewsbury.

The pipeline will follow the line of theSpen Valley Greenway – avoiding theneed to dig up roads and save the areamore than 12 months of major trafficdisruption.

When it’s finished, neither Bierley norSpenborough will discharge effluent intothe rivers – with all waste treated at theMitchell Laithes site instead.

Yorkshire Water community affairsmanager Richard Sears said: “The projectdoes mean we’ll be working on theaward-winning Spen Valley Greenway intwo sections, the first between Dewsbury

and Heckmondwike from January untilthe summer with the remainder com-pleted before the spring of 2010.

“However, we will be doing everythingpossible to ensure walkers, cyclists andhorses can still follow an end-to-end routeby building diversions around the ‘live’sections, which we'll then leave as per-manent additions to the path network.

“We’ll also leave crossing points insome areas where we’re working so peoplewho use the Greenway for access won'thave to take long detours.”

Mr Sears said: “The work is bound tomean some inconvenience and our con-tractors – Mott MacDonald Bentley andCarillion – will be a familiar sight for thenext few months.

“But we’d like to assure our customersthe Greenway will be fully restored whenwe’ve finished and hope they’ll agreesome short-term disruption is worthenduring in return for an extended pathnetwork in the long run.”OR VISIT WWW.HUDDERSFIELD-PRINTING.COM

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Training firm islatest recruit toFolly Hall MillsA TRAINING company is the latest organ-isations to secure space at historic Folly HallMills.

ESTL is taking 15,000 sq ft of office space atthe restored 19th century mills on the banks ofthe river Colne at Folly Hall.

The iconic Grade II listed building on theedge of Huddersfield town centre is beingconverted into 60,000sq ft high-quality officesby the Dewsbury-based Jay Tee Group.

ESTL, which is presently based at PenistoneRoad, Kirkburton, has agreed terms to takespace in both mills making up the complex aswell the extended former boiler house.

The company will be taking 6,900sq ft in thesmall mill – which means it is now fullyoccupied. ESTL is also taking 3,300sq ft in theboiler house and 3,400sq ft in the main mill.

The new premises will provide space forabout 100 staff.

Rachel Stirling, managing director ofESTL, said the company needed “subtan-tially” bigger premises, adding: “We are mov-ing to Folly Hall because we have experiencedconsiderable growth in the last 12 months,which is forecast to continue.”

She said: “We chose Folly Hall for ourrelocation for a number of reasons, includingits central location, which will enable us toretain existing staff, car parking facilities andthe chance of having purpose-built premiseswith specifically designed spaces.

“It is wonderful to be part of an excitingregeneration scheme for Huddersfield and tocreate new employment opportunities for thelocal community.”

The move will be in three stages. Initially,ESTL will occupy three floors of the smallmill, moving in mid-February. In mid-May,the company will occupy the newly instatedatrium and existing boiler house. Bymid-September, it will occupy half of theground floor in the main mill.

ESTL specialise in training and assessment,operating from offices in West Yorkshire thenorth-east as well as via a nationwide networkof trainers and assessors.

Paul Bailey, project director at the Jay TeeGroup, said: “We are delighted to welcome

ESTL to Folly Hall Mills, which is a tremend-ous development for Huddersfield.

“It will involve significant regeneration ofthe riverside area, creating new employmentopportunities and raising the profile of Hud-dersfield as a major office destination in theregion. ESTL’s move is a superb endorsementof the development.”

He said: “Altogether, there is 40,000sq ft ofprime office space left in the main mill overfive floors, which can be leased or bought.This space can be divided into office unitsfrom 2,000sq ft upwards.

“We feel they will prove very attractive toprofessional services firms of all sizes, as wellas to the public sector. We love it so much weare moving here ourselves. The interior ofFolly Mill features vaulted ceilings, spiralstaircases and exposed beams.”

Mr Bailey said: “Phase one of our develop-ment has involved the conversion of the first ofthe two riverside buildings, which is now full.And thanks to this great success, phase twowill be launched in February.”

The joint agents for the scheme are Eddis-ons and Michael Steel and Co.

Paul Andrew, head of agency at Eddisons,said: “There are a number of prestigiousschemes being proposed for central Hudders-field, but Folly Hall will be the first to deliverthe high-quality accommodation, so full ofcharacter, that is preferred by many modernbusinesses and organisations.”

Alec Michael, Partner at Michael Steel &Co added: “There has been demand for highquality office accommodation in the Hudders-field area for some time and notwithstandingthe general economic downturn, the quality ofthe Folly Hall refurbishment has gone a longway to meeting much of this for both local andregional operations.”

Huddersfield-based architects Above &Beyond have already taken two floors in thesmaller of the two mills. They are relocatingfrom the Media Centre at NorthumberlandStreet.

Folly Hall, built in 1844, operated until1982, was renowned internationally for thequality of its worsted.

PROPERTY FOCUS

■ MILL WORK: Rachel Sterling, of ESTL, and Paul Bailey, of Jay Tee Group, at Folly HallMills, Huddersfield

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Modern open span warehouse accommodation. Cost-effectiveindustrial space. Communal service yard and car parking

Prominent industrial unit in a main road location offthe A62 Leeds Road. Generous secure yard andcar parking provision. Close proximity to Huddersfield town centreand junction 25 of the M62 motorway

Large industrial/warehouse unit 3½ miles east of junction 38 of M1Substantial yard and car parking provision. Generous eaves height

Prominent frontage to exceptionally busy A62 Leeds RoadModern industrial unit suitable for trade counter uses. Superb accessto M62 motorway via junction 25

Good quality industrial/warehouse accommodation. Located shortdistance from junction 24 of M62 motorway. Generous yard and carparking provision

Prominent Retail Showroom with frontage to A62 Leeds RoadGenerous car parking provision. Immediately available

Suitable for a variety of uses without the need for planning, includingA1 Retail and A2 Financial and Professional Services. Opposite theUniversity of Huddersfield. Adjacent to Kingsgate Shopping Centre

High specification office accommodation. Ease of access to M62motorway. Flexible terms available

High quality modern offices. Conveniently located for accessto M1 motorway. Generous on site car parking provision

TO LET –

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TO LET

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FOR SALE

TO LET

TO LET –

778.99 m² (8,385 sq ft)

569 m² (6,130 sq ft)

5,569 m² (59,946 sq ft)

1,087 m² (11,702 sq ft)

710 m² - 2,142 m² (7,645 sq ft – 23,058 sq ft)

335 m² (3,606 sq ft)

538.29 m² (5,792 sq ft)

77 m² – 176 m² (830 ft² - 1,900 ft²)

44.78 m² – 220.54 m² (482 sq ft – 2,374 sq ft)



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PROPERTY FOCUS

Car repairshop facesnew futureA NEW trade park has beencreated in Leeds with therefurbishment of a formercar repair workshop.

Southside Trade Park,Gelderd Road, has been cre-ated by Leeds-based OgdenWaller Properties – whoseportfolio include property inHuddersfield and Batley –after the mu lt i-mill ionpound refurbishment of aformer Reg Vardy bodyshop.

The property was refur-bished to create the 25,000sqft trade premises after beingacquired speculatively byOgden Waller Propertiesearly in 2007.

The steel portal-framedbuilding was originally to belet as four units but has nowbeen leased by Michael Steel& Co and King Sturge & Coto national tool hire busi-ness, HSS Hire Ltd to houseone of its Supercentresstocking safety, survey,welding, powered access andlifting equipment.

HSS Hire, which has morethan 20 branches in York-shire, has taken the propertyon a 15-year lease withfive-year break options.

HSS Hire branch directorDavid Downie said: “We aredelighted to have securedsuch a prominent locationand look forward to improv-ing the range of hire servicesavailable to our many cus-tomers in the city.”

Coral Windowsmeets grade forenergy savingsA WINDOW company with ashowroom in Huddersfield hasachieved a top energy-saving rat-ing.

Coral Windows and Conservat-ories, based in Bradford, gainedcertification for an “A” rated win-dow after being independentlyaudited by BM TRADA Certifica-tion Ltd.

The company, established foralmost 20 years, makes windows,doors and conservatories at itsheadquarters in Bradford andalso has showrooms in Wake-field, Huddersfield, Otley andYork.

Pictured receiving the awardfrom Sports Minister and Brad-ford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe(second right) are (from left)senior director Julie Hodgson,financial director Terry Shuttle-worth and installations director

Maggie Oates.Coral managing director Mr

John Valente said: “We alwaysstrive to give our customers thevery best service and productsand the ‘A’ rated window, togetherwith the ‘B’ and ‘C’ ratings we alsoachieved means we can offer anenergy rated window to suit anybudget.”

Energy efficient windows savemoney in reduced fuel bills andalso make homes more comfort-able.

The BFRC Window Energy rat-ing System helps you to selectenergy efficient windows for yourhome by comparing windows andtheir energy rating, so you canselect which is the most energyefficient brand – ‘A’ being the bestrating down to ‘G’ being the low-est.

Symbol ofsuccessBUILDING industry trainers in Kirklees havebeen awarded the Government’s Disability Sym-bol to show their commitment to helping peoplewith disabilities get into work.

The award was presented to Kirklees Con-struction Skills Academy, which works closelywith colleges in Kirklees to provide construc-tion-related qualifications for 14 to 19-year-olds– including the Young Apprenticeship pro-gramme from September, 2009.

KCSA, which works closely with JobcentrePlus disability advisers, also provides construc-tion NVQs, City & Guilds courses in heath andsafety, computer training and short construc-tion courses.

Helen Balfour, director at KCSA, said: “Weare delighted to have been given the opportunityto use the symbol. We have introduced excellentpractices to uphold the employment rights ofdisabled people in the company.

“I am pleased this achievement recognises ourcommitment as a responsible employer and alsodemonstrates our dedication in this field.”

The Disability Symbol is awarded to busi-nesses and organisations demonstrating com-mitment to the recruitment, employment,retention and career development of disabledpeople.

For details of the initiative, go to www.job-centreplus.gov.uk or phone 01484 228017.

Online service putsthe focus on healthA HEALTH and safety services provider based inHuddersfield has launched a new online service.

SM&MS, a leading provider of health and safetyservices to the property sector, has launched aPropertyPlus to provide a new approach to riskmanagement for property managers and safeguardagainst prosecution.

PropertyPlus is an easy-to-use health and safetycompliance data management system developed inconsultation with some of the largest propertycompanies in the UK.

It has been designed to support the managementof compliance reports and actions on multi-siteproperty portfolios.

Richard Edwards, director of sales and market-ing at SM&MS, said: “As health and safety relatedlegislation continues to increase and become morecomplex in nature, it has become vital that riskassessments and compliance reports are managedefficiently and effectively, especially in multi-siteenvironments.

“This is to ensure that members of the public,clients, contractors and staff are safe and thatrobust safety systems are in place to safeguardagainst unwelcome prosecutions.

“The system is available in two modules – theHealth and Safety Report Manager module, whichis ideal for companies with multiple sites requiringready access to reports, auditability and flexiblereporting of when surveys are due.

Alternatively, the Health and Safety Monitoringmodule allows companies to update actions fromthe health and safety and fire safety risk assess-ments, and is intended for use by companies withbuilding or site managers, who can work throughaction plans in a real-time environment.

PropertyPlus also allows senior managementaccess to aggregated data showing the overall state

of its property portfolio and historical trends,which supports strategic decision-making oninvestment, resource allocation, legal and policycompliance.

SM&MS, based at Bradley, was formed in 1994

and has branch offices in London and Bristol. Itemploys 80 people nationwide offering servicesincluding health and safety risk assessments, firesafety risk assessments, disability access audits,asbestos surveys, environmental management andtraining.

■ HEALTH CHECK: health and safety provider SM&MS has launched online service PropertyPlus


Town chiefs well-suited withtheir smart centenary suitsA TEXTILE company has teamed up withHuddersfield town to produce a special edi-tion Centenary Suit to mark the club’s 100years of football.

Bradley-based fine worsted wool and tail-oring manufacturer C&J Antich hasdesigned the suit, which is on sale to fans atthe Town souvenir shops and at Antich’sfactory shop.

Antich, which supplies worsted fabric forthe likes of Prada, Armani, Hugo Boss andMarks & Spencer, has only produced 100 ofthe suits, in keeping with the centenarytheme.

The company is already HuddersfieldTown’s official corporate wear supplier.

Managing director, Chris Antich said:“While this sponsorship agreement is aboutprofiling our collection, it is also aboutgiving something back to the town of Hud-dersfield.

Town’s academy will also benefit from thecollection as a contribution of profits will bepassed on to the youth teams.”

Last year, C&J Antich designed a sportsuit for Huddersfield Town which has beenworn by the team for formal occasions eversince.

The Centenary Suit is almost identical – asmart, fitted design and navy in colour.However, it also carries a gold sham hole onthe jacket lapels to signify the centenary yearand inside, the Huddersfield Town badge andcentenary mark has been woven into thelabel.

The suit also comes with an official blue

and white Huddersfield Town suit bag, per-sonalised with the owner’s surname – just asthe players’ suit bags are.

Sean Jarvis, head of business developmentat Town, said: “This suit is an ideal solution

for those special occasions – and knowingthat it is worn by the Huddersfield Townteam is a great addition to buying a club shirtor a silk tie.”

Prices start at £129.

John snaps up awardsA HUDDERSFIELD photographer hassnapped up two awards for his work.

John Woods based at ByramArcade, Westgate, won gold awards inthe pictorial and environmental por-trait categories for November in themonthly awards run by the Society ofWedding and Portrait Photographers.

The first picture was taken a Carn-forth railway station, Lancashire, thesetting for the film brief Encounter.The second was taken in a back streetin Marrakesh, Morocco.

Now John is hoping to be namedone of the society’s photographers ofthe year. The annual awards arechosen from the 12 monthly printwinners in 2008. But John must waituntil January and the annual awardsceremony in London before knowinghis fate.

He said: “It’s the first time I haveentered the awards since November,2001, when I won two categories andwas runner up in a third.”

■ CLOTHES SHOW: Chris Antich (centre), of C&J Antich, presents centenary suits toDean Hoyle (left) and Ken Davy

Glynis Jones Department ofStrategy and Marketing University of

Huddersfield

UNIVERSITYVIEW

Glynis Jones

ProperplacementSTUDENTS often get bad press and

the typical student image oftenportrayed is of a young person whodrinks too much, spends much of theday in bed and spends all their stu-dent loan at the start of term. I will bethe first to admit that some studentswill reflect some of these traits someof the time!

However, my experience of business stu-dents at the university is that they work hardas well as play hard. Many are looking foropportunities to engage with local busi-nesses in order to gain some experiencewhich will help them get a foot on the careerladder when they graduate. They are creat-ive, enthusiastic and think outside the box.

If you are looking for help to carry out aproject, someone with fresh ideas or an extrabody in the office to assist you over a busyperiod, then a placement student from TheBusiness School could be a cost-effectiveanswer.

We offer our business students the oppor-tunity to undertake paid work experienceplacement in their third year. When theyreturn to us they more mature, havedeveloped their skills and have made apositive contribution to the business. Manyreturn to the companies where they under-took their placement. Placement is in effecta year long trial period and offers you theopportunity to see if the person is a good fitwith your business.

Recently, I have been visiting students outon placement and have received some excel-lent feedback on their performance. A smallinternet retailer told me, “We weren’t surewhat to expect, but he has really added valueto our business and increased sales throughthe work he has done on our website.”Another commented, “Our student place-ments are an integral part of our businessand they are always full of ideas.”

I can hear you saying – yes, but that’s finefor a large organisation! But small firms canget benefits too, as I am sure lots of localcompanies who have used our placementstudents can confirm. In the current eco-nomic downturn, we realise that manyorganisations are thinking about sheddingstaff, rather than taking more staff on. If youdon’t think that you could afford a studentplacement on a full-time basis for a year,then why not share them with anothercompany? Many students are happy tospend half the year with one organisationand then move on to another for the secondhalf of the year.

With business, management, marketingand accountancy students available forplacement, we have a dedicated placementunit to match the right student to the joband we are able to facilitate interviews foryou to choose the placement student to fitinto your organisation.

So why not help us help you? Placingstudents with local businesses helps usprovide graduates who understand theneeds of the work place and can quicklybecome productive employees.

If you think you could use a placementstudent starting in summer 2009, why notcontact our placement unit on 01484472216.

ScoopedPUBLIC relations companies in Yorkshirehave scooped two of the most prestigiousawards in the industry.

Leeds-based Wolfstar and Saddle-worth-based Pelican Public Relations beatoff strong competition from firms acrossthe UK to win two ategories at the annualGrand Prix PRide Awards run by theChartered Institute of Public Relations.

The Grand Prix comprises all the win-ning entries from the regional PRideAwards.

Wolfstar, which won the best small con-sultancy award, works for clients includingSony Ericsson, Philips and the NHS. Pel-ican won the Not for Profit category for its“Green is Glam” campaign.

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?


Football contestright on targetfor local firms

Rotajet landssupply dealA DEWSBURY firm has completed asix-figure order to install and commis-sion industrial cleaning machines for afirm servicing aircraft around theworld.

Ro t a j e t S y s t e m s l a n d e d t h e£150 ,000 -plus dea l from Vec torAerospace, which provides maintenance,repair and overhaul services for aircraftoperators all over the world, includingthe UK's armed forces.

The order is for a series of water-basedde-greasing machines that are a vital partof the process to clean aircraft compon-ents.

The machines ensure environmentalcompliance by overcoming the problemof using trichloroethylene on site andremove all old oil and greases, short termprotection fluids and particle contamina-tion.

The contract – Rotajet’s first withVector, follows Vector’s acquisition of theFleetlands Rotary Wing and Almond-bank Components businesses of theDefence Aviation Repair Agency fromthe Ministry of Defence.

Fleetlands provides maintenance,repair and overhaul services for Chinook,Lynx and Sea King helicopters.

Rotajet has had previous contracts tosupply its water-based cleaning systemsto the UK's armed forces as well as withthe Indian Air Force.

In addition to being environmentallyfriendly, these machines can also help toreduce costs by up to £20,000 formedium-sized companies.

Rotajet, which is part of the RichardAlan Group, has more than 30 yearsexperience and is now recognised as a UKleader in the design, manufacture andsupply of industrial washing machines.

Over the years, Rotajet has manufac-tured more than 500 machines as well as70 single stage de-greasing machines forthe MoD.

They include 50 machines for the RAF,16 for the army and four for the RoyalNavy.

Rotajet director Colin Steward said:“We are very excited about this orderwhich marks another milestone for thecompany.

“We are proud of our ‘green’ creden-tials and our reputation to bring thebenefits of water-based cleaning solu-tions to the aerospace market.

“We have overcome the problemscaused by using volatile organic com-pounds such as harmful emissions, thehandling and disposal of solvents as wellas the fire hazards of solvents.

“It is a tribute to the skill of our staffand our technical capability that we wonthis order from Vector and an honour forus to do business with such a prestigiouscompany.”

A HUDDERSFIELD law firm withmany years experience ofproviding personal injuryadvice has received recognitionfor its work by a nationalaccreditation scheme.The personal injury departmentat Eaton Smith Solicitors hasbeen admitted to the schemewhich is run by the Associationof Personal Injury Lawyers andassesses solicitors accordingto their expertise, experienceand quality client care.Anne Pendlebury (above), headof the department at the HighStreet firm, said: “We areparticularly proud to receivethis accreditation as the ‘kitemark’ is an assurance of qualityfor people who have beeninjured through no fault of theirown and are entitled to claimcompensation.“It is a fitting reward to all theteam who work so hard to helptheir clients and to satisfyAPIL’s strict selection criteria.”

KIRKLEES firms aiming fornet gains in 2008 can sign upfor an unusual sporting con-test.

Huddersfield Town haslaunched a six-a-side footballtournament – and is now invit-ing companies to submit theirteam by filling in the form onthis page.

Sean Jarvis, Town’s directorof business development, saidthe aim was to play the tourna-ment on Wednesday, April 1,using the state-of-the-artindoor pitches at The Zone, StAndrew’s Road, Hudders-field.

The competition will involve10 teams, each managed by aTown player or coach, playinga number of game culminatingin a semi-final and a final.

The event – which has beenpromoted by Town playersAndy Booth, Daniel Codman,Matt Glennon and NathanClarke – will also include a pieand pea supper, team photosand a cross bar challengebefore the final.

Four businesses have already

signed up for the event – York-shire Bank, Fantastic Media,The Pink Link and Oval Insur-ance.

Town director of businessdevelopment Sean Jarvis saidthe event would provide firmswith a chance to get their stafftogether away from the work-place with an event promisingfun and friendly competition.

■ IN THE ZONE: SeanJarvis, Town’s director ofbusiness development

Contact Details

Mr/ Mrs/ Miss/ Ms First Name Surname

Company name and correspondence address

Email address:

Tel no. Mobile no. Fax no.

Invoice address (if different from above)

Payment Options

Cheque (please tick and post this form to the address below with cheque payment)

Card Card Holder’s name

Card No

Valid from. Expiry Date. Issue no. Security no.(last 3 digits on the back of your card)

Full address of card holder if different to the one above

Signed Date

Booking Form

6asideCorporateFootballTournament

A CENTURY OF PRIDE

HUDDERSFIELDTOWN FC

The TournamenT will include:

First team huddersfield Town player as yourmanager

Team PhoTo with your managerPost match Pie & Pea SuPPer

PoST maTch PreSenTaTionS with a trophyfor the winner and runner up, plus a specialwooden spoon for the team who finishes last.

we will also have a croSSBar challenge,which will take place before the final game.

Wednesday 1st April 2009You are cordially invited to take part in our inaugural 6 a-Side corporate football tournament taking place at The Zone.

To book your team, complete the form below and return to the commercial department, huddersfield Town Fc, The Galpharm Stadium,huddersfield hd1 6PX or contact the commercial department on 01484 484140 or email [email protected]

hTFc 6 a-Side FooTBall TournamenT

Supported By

Price perteam of 6plus twosubstitutes is£400 +VaT



PROPERTY FOCUS

Estate agentsjoin forces toboost marketESTATE agents in Hudders-field are banding togetherunder the banner of a newproperty website.

P r o p e r t y S a l e sExchange.com has beenlaunched in the town to allowestate agents to register theirproperties – and encouragesellers to view each other’shouses in the hope they cansell to one another.

The website has been run-ning for just four weeks – buthas already found favour witha string of leading agents inthe town, including Boultons,Whitegates, Holroyds, JaneStocks, Your Move, Ryder &Dutton, Brearley-Greens andWm Sykes in Holmfirth.

A number of agents in Hal-ifax, Sheffield, Wakefield,Leeds and Barnsley have alsoregistered to take part asestate agents seek to increasesales in a stagnant propertymarket.

James White, of Ryder andDutton in Huddersfield, whoinstigated the initiative, said:“We have 74 estate agencybranches on it already.

“For he first time in the 20years I have been in this busi-ness, there seems to be a desire

among estate agents to collab-orate to help each other.”

He said: The basic idea isthat agents get together,register all of their propertiesby uploading in the same wayas they do to Rightmove andother portal sites.

“The agent then quicklylogs into the site and specifieswhere their client is hoping tomove to, and to what type ofhouse.

“Property Sales Exchangethen marries up sellers’ mov-ing-on requirements and putseach agent in touch with oneanother to encourage sellersto view each others’ corres-ponding houses in order tosell to one another.”

Mr White said 1,000 housesin Huddersfield were now

registered on the site – while itwas hoped to extend the initi-ative nationwide to more than20,000 estate ageny outletsthrough franchising.

Said Mr White: “Houseexchange schemes or houseswap schemes have beenspringing up all over thecountry, but lack a criticalmass of properties in order toget real results for sellers andagents alike. Often they aretoo labour intensive or costlyfor agents to be botheredwith.

“Property Sales Exchangeis so simple. With just three orfour clicks, an agent canregister their vendors’ mov-ing-on requirements, and thencorresponding agents will bee-mailed when potentialmatches occur.

“As we move into a uniquerecession – with rising unem-ployment and low interestrates – existing home ownerswill need to ‘downsize’, butothers will want to ‘upsize’ asa result of low interest ratedeals.

“A lack of first time buyerswill help fuel the enthusiasmfor this service.”

Valley firm is pioneerA COLNE valley firm sup-p l y i n g e nv i r o n m e n t-a l ly - fr iendly bu i ld ingproducts is pioneering agreener way to bu i ldhouses in the UK.

Award-w inning Gol-car-based Green BuildingStore has launched a newrange of products to helpbuild houses that use 90%less energy for heatingspace than standard UKbuildings,

T h e P a s s i v h a u sproducts, which havebeen developed over thepast 20 years in Europeand North America, use a“ tea cosy” ef fec t ofsuper-efficient insulationand excellent airtightnesscoupled with a “comfortventilation” system to cre-ate comfortable homesthat need minimal heat-ing.

Passivhaus can often beheatied solely throughheat from the sun, cookingand showering activitiesand the body heat of thehouse’s occupants – andpets.

Chris Herring, director

of Green Building Store,said: “Passivhaus designoffers the most effective –and cost-effective – way toconstruct ‘low carbon’homes and cut CO2 emis-sions from buildings.

“ Passivhaus design isbased on the principle thatreducing heating loss tothe minimum is the mostcost-effective way of cre-ating a low carbon build-ing.

“Green Building Storebelieves the UK’s strategyon low carbon homesneeds to be urgent lyrevised to put greater

emphasis on energy effi-ciency, airtightness andother Passivhaus designprinciples and away fromexpensive bolt-on renew-ables.”

Mr Herring said thec o m p a n y h o p e d t oencourage more house-builders, self-builders andproperty renovators toadopt Passivhaus designand construction in theUK.

He said: “Passivhausbuilding design has beenwidely adopted in Europeand has recently had highlevel support from theEuropean Parliament.

“The UK urgently needst o e m b r a c e t h ePassivhaus approach ifwe are to respond to thethreat of climate changee f f e c t i v e l y a n dcost-effectively.”

Green Building Store’snew Passivhaus rangeincludes thermally-effi-cient windows and doorsin timber or timber andfibreglass composite, air-trightness tapes and vent-ilation systems.

Chris Herring


PROPERTY FOCUS

Sales raise £4.5m

Brighouse firmis at the top ofits professionA BRIGHOUSE roofing andbuilding company has become thefirst in the country to train itsworking to install a revolutionaryrenewable energy product.

Six roofers at Ploughcroft Build-ing Services have so far completedtraining from UK solar energycompany Solarcentury to fit itsnew solar electric roof slates.

Ploughcroft managing directorChris Hopkins said: “The newsolar slates are very relevant for usbecause there are so many slateroofs in the area where we work.

“In fact, we have already had anumber of requests for the productfrom loca l author i t ies andschools.”

Last year, Ploughcroft becamethe first company in the country tooffer certificated National Federa-tion of Roofing Contractors train-ing in the fitting of solar panels onroof tops.

Solarcentury provided its firstprivate course for Ploughcroft per-sonnel at Ploughcroft’s pur-p o s e - b u i l t t r a i n i n g a n ddevelopment centre in Brighouse.

Following the successful inspec-tion of two installations, Plough-croft will become an approvedroofing contractor of Solarcen-tury’s C21e systems.

Solarcentury product managerMartin White said: “It’s great thatroofers are proactively gettinginvolved in solar.

“Roofers are best placed toprovide C21e insallations andChris’s forward thinking approachcombined with the Ploughcroftteam’s strong knowledge of bothour product and of solar power ingeneral, made them really receptiveand very easy to train.

“Solar roof tiles and slates arebecoming key to diversifying theroofing trade, as demand is risingfor intelligent energy and they’revery simple to install.”

The C21e slate converts light

into electricity – unlike solarthermal panels, which heat water.

The tiles fix directly to the roofbattens, sitting flush with tradi-tional roof slates.

This reduces the likelihood ofplanning issues associated withtraditional “bolt-on” solar panelsand means trained and approvedroofing contractors can finish the

work without the involvement ofother trades.

As part of the government’s lowcarbon building programme,householders can apply for grantsof up to £2,500 towards the install-ation of the slates.

Grants of 50% are also availablefor community groups, public andnot for profit organisations.

Estate agencies land two accoladesSTAFF at the Huddersfield and Halifaxbranches of estate agent Your Move Alex-anders have triumphed twice in the EstateAgency Awards 2008.

Alongside the two gold awards, theywere also shortlisted for best smallagency in the north and the technologicalaward.

The national awards recognise the con-tribution that companies have made inproviding exceptional customer service.

Your Move Alexanders beat off toughcompetition to take gold for best financialservices and best marketing categories in

recognition of the support it offersvendors in selling their property.

The awards build on the company’s pastsuccesses, including the Daily Mail UKProperty Awards 2007, where Your Movewon 19 Awards – the most ever won by anestate agent – the Franchise MarketingAwards and this year’s Estate Agency andLettings Awards.

Simon Rowell and Simon Bentley, dir-ectors of Your Move Alexanders in Hud-dersfield and Halifax, said: “The team aredelighted by this great success and feelthis will provide added reassurance to

customers that they are dealing with areputable and highly professional agent.

“In particular, the award best financialservices acknowledges our strength inproviding customers with a comprehens-ive mortgage and remortgage service.

“However, it’s not just about workinghard to find a mortgage to suit theirpersonal circumstances but also the addi-tional support we can offer like advice onfilling out application forms, help in pro-cessing them and ensuring that we followthe regulatory requirement and standardsset by the industry.”

■ HIGH POINT: Solarcentury trainer Brian Evans (left) withPloughcroft managing director Chris Hopkins at Brighouse-basedPloughcroft’s training and development centre

Factory finds tenantA NEW tenant has been found forthis modern factory in ClaytonWest.

The 18,000sq ft premises at River-side House (above) in Collier’s Way,have been let to UK Panel ProductsLtd, which makes wall panelling forthe shopfitting, furniture manufac-turing and joinery trades.

Joint agents for the deal wereMichael Steel & Co in Leeds andWakefield-based Vickers Carnley.

Alec Michael, partner at MichaelSteel & Co, said: “Riverside Houseoffered high quality factory space in aconvenient location for Huddersfield

and Wakefield, but in particular themotorway network.

“While we have had an extendedmarketing period, our clients havebeen extremely keen to ensure theysecured the right tenant for thisbuilding and have little doubt thatUK Panel Products Ltd will havetremendous success.”

Commenting on the commercialproperty market, Mr Michael said:“While undoubtedly times are diffi-cult, enquiries are still being receivedand transactions completed –although vendors and landlordsmust remain realistic and flexible.”

H I G H E R p r i c e d p ro p e r t i e sstruggled to attract buyers at thefinal northern property auction ofthe year run by property agencyEddisons.

Out of 77 lots on offer, 49 were soldduring the two-day auction, achiev-ing total sales exceeding £4.5m.

Several lots priced at more than£500,000 struggled to find bidders,although Eddisons said a number ofacceptable offers were receivedpost-auction on all the bigger ticketitems.

Auctioneer Tony Webber said: “Itwas apparent that the uncertaintywith funding arrangements dentedbidder confidence and the badweather put a number of people offaltogether.

“However, it is encouraging that

once finances were in place buyerswere prepared to come back withgood offers on all the higher pricedlots.

“In general, bidders are clearlyonly spending money they have attheir immediate disposal rather thanrelying on external funding.

“This is a trend which has beenconsistent with a number of ourauctions this year.’”

Highlights of the auction primeresidential development land in Mir-field, which was offered with plan-ning permission for five detacheddwellings, which sold for £375,000.

Eddisons said its next propertyauction, taking place on on February19 in Leeds, was already shaping upto be a big sale.

Forum is buildingup more supportA NETWORKING group for constructionsector professionals has reported a 50%rise in membership. The Yorkshirebranch of the Forum for the BuiltEnvironment holds monthly breakfastevents for members including majordevelopers, contractors, consultantsand specialist contractors. Regionaldirector Keith Griffiths said: “The rise inmembers is very encouraging and is atribute to the growth and importance ofthe FBE.”


Trevor Fuller

Trevor Fuller is a risk managementadviser at Wilby Ltd, based in Halifax

RISKYBUSINESSRISKYBUSINESS

Search starts to findoutstanding directorsBOARDROOM bosses in Huddersfieldhave been urged to take part in a compet-ition to find Yorkshire’s most outstand-ing company directors.

The Institute of Directors in Yorkshireis calling for entries to its 2009 Directorof the Year Awards.

The awards, now in their fifth year, aimto celebrate the achievements of theregion’s most hardworking and innovat-ive business leaders and are open toanyone of director level or equivalentstatus.

Categories include ones for directors inthe not-for-profit and voluntary sector,business adviser of the year, non-execut-ive director of the year, entrepreneur ofthe year and young director of the year.

Entrants will compete for the topaward of Yorkshire Director of the Yearwhile judge’s special achievement andlifetime achievement accolades will alsobe awarded.

Last year’s winners included MichaelPurtill, co-founder and managing dir-ector of Leeds-based Q Hotels, who wasnamed Yorkshire Director of the Yearaward, and Sir Ken Morrison, whoreceived a liftetime award for his 55-yearcareer with Morrisons Supermarkets.

This year’s awards will be presented onThursday, September 10 in Leeds.Entries can be submitted online untillT u e s d a y , M a y 2 6 . G o t owww.dotya.co.uk

Celebratestudents’successSTUDENTS at Kirklees College have celebratedsuccess at two special ceremonies.

Awards were presented to outstanding indi-viduals and groups of learners in separate eventsstaged at Dewsbury Town Hall and Hudders-field’s Galpharm Stadium.

Principal Chris Sadler said: “The awards eventcelebrated the critical role the college plays inKirklees and the surrounding area in releasingthe potential of ordinary people to achieve greatthings.

“Students should feel very proud of them-selves and all college staff should be proud of therole they all play in helping thousands of peopleevery year to improve their prospects of having ahappy and fulfilling life and contributing to thepositive development of the community.”

Kirklees College brings together DewsburyCollege and Huddersfield Technical College toprovide a wide range of academic and vocationalqualifications – from NVQ entry level to highereducation degrees – in areas ranging from digitaldesign and early years to computer-aided designand manufacture.

Kirklees firmscan really takethe pressure!TWO KIRKLEES companies arepumped up after winning a contractwith a world-famous firm.

Cleckheaton-based design and dis-play agency Leading Edge and Dews-bury-based compressed air companyCages have designed, manufactured andfitted a tyre inflation complete withpromotional display material for Mich-elin UK.

The team won the account thanks tosome clever ideas it presented to the tyremanufacturer for its annual road safetyawareness campaign.

The campaign includes a Fill Up WithAir roadshow, which travels around theUK inviting drivers to have their tyrepressures checked and adjusted for free– resulting in safer driving, fuel savingsand a cut in carbon emissions.

Leading Edge provided Michelin with

a branded vehicle bearing an image ofthe famous Michelin Man, brandedtents, flags, outdoor display units andliterature.

Cages kitted out the vehicle with acomplete compressed air power systemto allow Michelin staff to check andadjust tyre pressure for motorists visit-ing the display.

Matthew Evans, managing director ofLeading Edge, said: “When we heardthat we had won the contract, we weredelighted that we could impress such afamous name like Michelin with ourideas.”

Shaun Wood, managing director ofCages, added: “Between the two com-panies, we have a really talented bunchof people, with a totally unique offer –and Michelin loved what we came upwith!”

■ HIGH PRESSURE: The familiar figure of the Michelin man (left) with (fromleft) Matthew Evans, managing director of Leading Edge; Jim Rickard, managingdirector of Michelin UK; a Michelin marketing official; and Hans Wedel, ofCages

DangerouscutbacksTHE current financial climate is

causing headaches for many com-panies and it looks as though the UKeconomy could be in for a rough ridefor the foreseeable future. The creditcrunch appears to be tightening itsgrip with business confidence falter-ing.

In order to tackle this uncertain situ-ation, budgets are likely to be squeezed, andit is tempting to see health and safety as aneasy target for cutbacks. However, this is afalse economy. If an employee were injuredor even killed while at work, this couldresult in prosecution and a large fine or evenimprisonment.

Indeed, as Nattasha Freeman, presidentof (he Institution of Occupational Safetyand Health, stated recently, one accidentcould put a company out of business.Accidents and ill-health place a great strainon company budgets, so it is sensible toavoid them.

According to HSE statistics, 228 peoplewere killed at work in 2007/08 and nearlyhalf a million people were injured while atwork. Thirty-six million working days werelost, 30m due to work-related ill health and6m due to workplace injury.

Legislation states that employers have aduty to provide information, instruction,training and supervision and make sure alltheir workers can understand it. The higherpenalties that can be imposed following theintroduction of the Health and SafetyOffences Act in January, 2009, means thereis an escalating need for ensuring health andsafety rather than the reverse, to ensurecompliance and avoid penalty.

The implications of the Corporate Man-slaughter Act, under which organisationscan be found guilty of corporate man-slaughter as a result of serious managementfailures resulting in a gross breach of a dutyof care, are not yet always well understoodby employers, making health and safetyawareness even more vital for business.

Remember, a lack of money is not areason – nor a defence – for not ensuringadequate health and safety in your work-place.

Management have a significant role toplay here, demonstrating their commitmentto health and safety by providing informa-tion, equipment and training that are essen-tial in maintaining a good safety culturewithin an organisation. This, in turn,ensures safety is paramount in the minds ofworkers, and they feel well cared for by theiremployer.

So, ensure you have an up to date Healthand Safety Policy that addresses the needsof your business.

Ensure you have Risk Assessments are inplace for all significant risks within yourworkplace and all tasks carried out duringthe course of your working activities – bothon and off site. Ensure both of the above arecommunicated to your staff and encouragestaff to comment and improve these. Ensurestaff are adequately trained to carry out alltasks they carry out in the workplace.

Commercial property specialist WalkerSingleton has appointed Graham Fosteras head of its commercial propertymanagement department in Halifax. MrWalker was previously employed for 18years at Eddisons Commercial in Leedsas head of property management.

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TECHTALK

Safety iskey forsupplierINSURANCE and riskmanagementcompany Wilby hashelped a nationalkitchen supplier passthe health and safetytest.Halifax-based WilbyRisk Managementworked with Alno UKLtd, part ofGerman-based AlnoAG, to pass its annualCHAS assessment.Contractors approvedby the ContractorsHealth & SafetyScheme must not onlymeet legal health andsafety requirementsbut must alsodemonstrate excellentmanagementprocedures.Mark Dalton,associate director forWilby RiskManagement, worksclosely with Alno UKLtd to undertake aprogramme ofconstruction siteinspections acrossthe UK and toimplement thecompany’s health andsafety policy.Caren Gamble,operations managerfor Alno UK Ltd, said“The CHASapplication takessome time tocomplete, but weconsider being aCHAS approvedcontractor gives aclear message to ourclients of theimportance we placeon health and safety.”

Russian trade routesKIRKLEES firms have been urged to lookto Russia in a bid to combat the reces-sion.

A trade trip to Moscow and the Rostovregion is being spearheaded by Hudders-field University’s Russian-British BusinessCentre.

And centre chief Dr Evgeny Polyakovsaid the mission provided an opportunityfor local companies to target potential newmarkets at a time when the UK economy isin the doldrums.

He said: “The ‘Made in Britain’ brand isstill highly regarded in Russia. There is alsoa lot of investment going into sectors suchas construction and transport, particularlyin Rostov-on-Don, which is the centre ofthe South Russia Federal District.”

The Russian-British Business Centreplans to take up to 15 companies fromacross Yorkshire on the six-day mission,which will run from April 19 to 24.

It will include two days of businessnetworking and one-to-one meetings withpotential customers in Moscow as well asworkshops, meetings, networking eventsand company visits in Rostov.

Firms can claim up to 50% off the basic

cost of £3,120 through UK Trade andInvestment’s Targeted Export SupportScheme. The trip is also supported byregional development agency YorkshireForward; Chamber International compris-ing York, Bradford and Leeds chambers ofcommerce; and the World Trade CentreHull and Humber.

Dr Polyakov said major industries ofRostov included mechanical engineering,food processing, agriculture and coal min-ing. Products made in the region includecars, helicopters and airplanes, industrialboilers and sewing machines.

The region consists of 123 towns andcities and has a population of almost 30mpeople – making up almost 16% of the totalpopulation of the Russian Federation.

However, trade with the UK makes uponly a small fraction of the total. TheRostov region numbers Ukraine, SouthKorea, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Egyptamong its principal trading partners.

Dr Polyakov said a conference organisedby the Russian-British Business Centre atthe Galpharm Stadium last summershowed there was keen interest amongYorkshire firms – which the April trade trip

aimed to satisfy.“Rostov region has ambitious invest-

ment plans between now and 2020,” hesaid. “They include developing river, road,air and rail transport links, modernisingmuch of the existing industry and trainingworkers areas such as marketing and cus-tomer care.”

The trip also includes an optional visit toSochi, chosen as the host for the 2014Winter Olympics.

The deadline to register interest in thetrade mission is Friday, February 6. Con-tact Dr Polyavok on 01484 473107 or [email protected]

Sporting links forKirklees law firmA LAW firm in Huddersfield hasreported a healthy new contract –acting for sports centre operatorKirklees Active Leisure.

Chadwick Lawrence, which hasoffices at Railway Street in Hud-dersfield, will provide KAL withemployment support servicesthrough the company’s EmployerSupport Pack.

KAL is a charitable trustresponsible for managing, operat-ing and developing 10 sportscentres and swimming pools inKirklees.

The trust also manages the Sta-dium Health and Fitness Club atthe Galpharm Stadium and Spen-borough athletics track.

The organisation aims to get“more people, more active, moreoften, in Kirklees” and provides awide range of opportunities foraffordable sport, leisure and recre-ational activities for local people.

Chadw ick Lawrence waschosen because it is a specialist inemployment law, ifor its widercommercial services and becauseit has several offices acrossKirklees.

Tracey Spencer Tootill, head ofhunman resources and marketingat KAL, sa id : “Chadw ickLawrence has extensive experi-ence in employment law, meaningthey are always up to date with thelatest legislation.

“K irklees Act ive Leisurealready has a strong in-house HRteam, which now has the benefitof specialist legal support via theEmployment Support Pack mak-ing HR issues much easier tomanage.”

Neil Wilson, partner andemployment specialist at Chad-wick Lawrence, said: “We’redelighted to be working withKirklees Active Leisure.

“We enjoy building relation-ships with clients and supportingthem in any way we can, so we seethis as a long term partnershipand look forward to developing itin the future.”

Predictionsfor the yearFOR many businesses, the past year

has been a challenging one and it isnot easy to say what 2009 will bring.

However, there may be some useful guid-ance in the annual round of last year reviewsand next year predictions. So, as the finalchampagne cork of the New Year celebrationsgoes “pop” and we all head back to the office,here is a roundup of the IT predictions for2009.

At this time last year, the outlook was fairlygood and this has carried through with lessthan 20% of SME companies responding toThe Registers 2008 survey reporting that thecredit crunch has had a significant effect on ITprojects. This is stunningly close to the sur-veyed percentage last year, so “gold stars”there. A larger percentage (28%) expect thereto be an impact during 2009, although overhalf (58%) are still not expecting a significantproblem.

The important point here is being informedand proactive. Knowing how your top line issupported by your technology is absolutelycritical. This enables you to seek out optimisa-tion and efficiency within the IT function,which may be possible without impactingupon service delivery to your clients. ITdepartments can help with this by beingproactive about maintaining a lean and effi-cient IT system.

Looking at specific technologies, many ofthe predictions for 2009 are continuationsfrom the past year.

Convergence was predicted to be importantin 2008 and it has been so, although for ourbusinesses perhaps not to the extent expected.In many cases, this refers to convergence of ITand telephone systems and this has perhapsbeen held back by the slow roll-out of BTs new“21st Century Network” or 21CN which isexpected to be an enabler for many convergedsystems.

For our businesses, convergence must berelated to specific business requirements andthis is hinted at in some of the predictions forconvergence in 2009. Before deciding on asystem, find out how it will improve yourbusiness. For example, look for how a systemwill promote your company and its productsand services to new clients and/or how thesystem will provide a better service to yourexisting clients.

Online applications are again tipped for2009 with the likes of Microsoft and Googlecontinuing to invest in development. However,how this will become mainstream, busi-ness-supporting technology is yet to be seen.Pricing is not always clear and for firmslooking to integrate more closely with clientsand business partners, moving to a proprietaryon-line system may not be the answer. On theface, there are benefits to consider but lookcarefully at how this will affect your businessprocess.

Ending on a happy New Year message,commodity technology costs such as straightforward PCs, broadband connections andhard disks also continue on a downward trend.There have been some price fluctuations relat-ing to the dollar rate changes but the overalltrend on these items is expected to be in theright direction.

■ FIT FOR BUSINESS: Tracey Spencer Tootill, head of public relations and marketing at Kirklees ActiveLeisure, with Neil Wilson, partner and employment specialist at law firm Chadwick Lawrence

■ DRUMMINGUP TRADE:Dr EvgenyPolyakov, headof the RussianBritishBusinessCentre atHuddersfieldUniversity


PROPERTY FOCUS

Housebuildermore positiveA HOUSEBUILDER with sites inKirklees has hit back at gloomyforecasts for 2009.

Miller Homes, which has prop-erties in Huddersfield and Liv-ersedge, said it was now seeingsigns of confidence slowly butsurely returning to the housingmarket – aided by a pledge fromHSBC to increase the amountavailable for mortgages by 20%next year.

The housebuilder said Novem-ber’s 1.5% cut in lending ratessparked a rise in enquiries at itsdevelopments across Yorkshire – apattern also reported by house-hunting websites rightmove.co.ukand smartnewhomes.co.uk.

Miller Homes said the trend hasstrengthened following anotherrate cut to bring the cost of bor-rowing to 2% – a level not seensince 1951.

Sales and marketing directorSue Warwick said the latest cutwas just one item on a long list ofinitiatives that together were hav-ing a positive effect on marketconfidence.

She said: “The number ofchartered surveyors who believethe market has bottomed out hasincreased fivefold, from 4% to20%, according to a recent surveyof members of Chartered Insti-tuted of Surveyors.

“The number of transactionsrecorded by the Land Registryseems to be increasing again – and

there are early indications thatlarge lenders are considering amove to accept builders’ depositsfor the first time in months.

“Obviously, we need banks topass the interest rate savings ontocustomers for the full benefit to beseen – but the cut in rates is areflection of the economy in gen-eral.

“Oil prices are coming down andtaking food and heating bills downwith them. We’ve also seen cuts inVAT and Government reassur-ances that hardworking homeown-ers will be protected if they faceredundancy – and this is the newsthat many people have been wait-ing for.”

Miller Homes said that the clos-ing weeks of 2008 have seen adefinite increase in sales rates,much of which the business attrib-utes to its MiWay scheme wherebuyers pay 75% now and 25%later.

The company said the initiative– which will be rolled out in 2009 –had already helped the company tosell several hundreds of homes.

Ms Warwick said a shortage ofhousing was underpinning themarket, so in the long termdemand would grow again.

:She added: “We certainlybelieve the worst has now past andthere are calmer waters on theh o r i z o n f o r b e l e a g u e r e dhomeowners everywhere.”

Double success forestate agency staffSTAFF at the Huddersfield andHalifax branches of estate agentYour Move Alexanders have tri-umphed twice in the EstateAgency Awards 2008.

Alongside the two goldawards, they were also shortlis-ted for best small agency in thenorth and the technologicalaward.

The national awards recog-nise the significant contributionthat companies have made inproviding exceptional customerservice.

Your Move Alexanders beatoff tough competition to takegold for best financial servicesand best marketing categories inrecognition of the support itoffers vendors in selling theirproperty.

The awards build on the com-pany’s past successes, includingthe Daily Mail UK PropertyAwards 2007, where Your Movewon 19 Awards – the most everwon by an estate agent – theFranchise Marketing Awardsand this year’s Estate Agencyand Lettings Awards.

Simon Rowell and Simon

Bentley, directors of Your MoveAlexanders in Huddersfield andHalifax, said: “The team aredelighted by this great successand feel this will provide addedreassurance to customers thatthey are dealing with a reput-able and highly professionalagent.

“In particular, the award bestfinancial services acknowledgesour strength in providing cus-tomers with a comprehensivemortgage and remortgage ser-vice.

“However, it’s not just aboutworking hard to find a mort-gage to suit their personal cir-cumstances – particularly inthese difficult times – but alsothe additional support we canoffer like advice on filling outapplication forms and help inprocessing them and at the sametime, ensuring that we follow theregulatory requirement andstandards set by the industry.”

The awards were presented toYour Move by telev is ionpresenter Melissa Porter, at aprestigious awards ceremonyheld in London this month.

A WORKER at the Dewsburybranch of Leeds Building Societyhas been hailed a hero.

Anita Firth, assistant manager ofthe branch, won the society’sannual Community Hero Award,which recognises the member ofstaff who has made a real differ-ence to a charity or their localcommunity.

Anita is pictured receiving her

award from the Duke of York whenhe visited Leeds to re-open thesociety’s refurbished head office.

Anita was nominated for theaward by Michael Barber, chairmanof the civilian committee at 127Squadron Air Training Corps inWakefield, for her major efforts tosupport the organisation over anumber of years.

Anita has been treasurer of

quadron’s civilian committee formore than seven years and man-ages the squadron’s accounts. Shehas also led fundraising events toenable the squadron to buy a newminibus.

Said Anita: “To win the annualcommunity hero award was aninspiration. To be presented withthe award by the Duke of York wasa once in a lifetime experience.”

Propertyprizes inprospectsPROPERTY projects in Kirklees could be inline for a top award in 2009.

Entrants are being sought for next year’sPro Yorkshire Awards run by the RoyalInstitution of Chartered Surveyors.

The award will celebrate the best propertyschemes over the past 12 months – andshowcase the achievements of property pro-fessionals working across the region.

RICS operations director Jennifer Welchsaid: “The 2009 Pro Yorkshire Awardsprovide a welcome opportunity to celebratethe great work that is continuing in our regiondespite the turbulent market conditions.

“The Awards always attract entries fromtalented property developers, civil engineers,planners, architects, constructors and survey-ors who want to promote their high profileprojects and clients – and I’m sure this yearwill be no different.”

The awards will be presented on May 15,2009 at a gala dinner at the Savils Hall, RoyalArmouries in Leeds.

Winners last year included a residentialdevelopment at Victoria Mills in Bradfordand an arts building in Hull.

The deadline for entries is January 23.There are eight categories, including ones forcommercial and residential development,design and innovation, regeneration, com-munity benefit and building conservation. AProject of the Year Award will be selectedfrom the category winners.

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Unwary firmsface penalties,expert warnsKIRKLEES companies have beenwarned that late-filing penaltiesimposed by Companies House are setto rocket from early next year.

David Butterworth, of Hudders-field-based accountancy firm Wheaw-ill & Sudworth, said there was alreadya long-standing penalty regime forlimited companies that do not filetheir accounts on time.

But he said: “The level of penaltiesis increasing significantly from Febru-ary 1, 2009, and some companies aregoing to get a major shock.

For accounting periods beginningon or after April 6, 2008, two majorchanges are coming into effect.

Firstly, the deadline for filingaccounts is shortening to ninemonths after the period end for privatecompanies from its current 10months, and to six months for publiccompanies from its current seven

months.The late-filing penalty rates will rise

to £150 for a private company and£750 for a public company filing up toone month late – rising to £1,500 fotr aprivate company and £7,500 for apublic company filing more than sixmonths late.

Said Mr Butterworth: “These aresignificant increases compared to thepresent regime and – where a com-pany is late two years running – thepenalties are doubled.

“Although Companies House canshow leniency in certain circum-stances, the deadlines and penaltiesare well-publicised and lame excuseswill not be tolerated by them.

“Some companies can take advant-age of a web-filing facility on theCompanies House website and thiscan help speed things up.”

Service with a smile!LONG-SERVING staff at a hotel inHuddersfield celebrated withchampagne.

Beryl Ramsden, assistant res-taurant manager at the CedarCourt Hotel, Ainley Top, toasted25 years at the hotel – where shealso celebrated her marriage.

She was joined by six othermembers of staff who have helpedher clock up a total of 125 yearswith the hotel.

Identical twins Helen and AnnLodge, who are both kitchen port-ers, have 19 years service, as hasconference and banqueting porterSteven Taylor. Breakfast chefMelissa Moses has 18 years ser-vice – having dished up more than500,000 rashers or bacon and400,000 fried eggs.

Lyndsey Hunter has 12 yearsservice as sous chef while ClaireBevins has been restaurant super-visor for the past 13 years.

Beryl, who lives in Newsome,said: “I love my job with a passionas I enjoy working with the generalpublic. The hotel staff are like myextended family.

“The past 25 years have flownby. All three of my children haveworked here at some point – I evenhad my wedding reception here in1976. Little did I know I would endup working here for all theseyears.”

General manager Maria Florousaid: “Having such a loyal team towork with is a real privilege andmakes a difference to our manyregular guests and customers.”

The hotel was bought by CedarCourt Hotels – Yorkshire’s largestindependent hotel group – fromthe Hilton Group in 2001.

The group has four 4-star hotelsin Huddersfield, Bradford, Wake-

On thefasttrackTRANSLATION com-pany Applied LanguageSolutions have been listedas one of Britain’s fastestgrowing private compan-ies.

The firm, headed bymanaging director GavinWheeldon, takes 23rd placein the Sunday Times VirginFast Track 100 annualleague table, after morethan doubling annual salesin the past year. The com-pany reported turnovertotalling £5.5m last yeara g a i n s t £ 6 0 0 , 0 0 0 i n2004-2005.

In the past five years, MrWheeldon, of Meltham,has turned the businessinto an international oper-ation with nine officesworldwide in the UK,USA, India, France, Spainand Bulgaria.

Fast Track 100 ranks thetop 100 private companieswith the fastest-growingsales over three eyars.

field and Harrogate and plans toopen a 5-star hotel in York nextyear.

Pictured enjoying their cham-pagne moment at the hotel are

Beryl Ramsden (centre) with(back, from left) Melita Moses,Claire Bevins, Lyndsay Hunter,Ann amd Helen Lodge and SteveTaylor.

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COMMENT

byHenryk Zientek

Read Henryk Zientek'sBusiness reports Monday

to Friday in ...

Inside Issues● Celebrating long service – page 3● Law firm in sporting link – page 4● Rotajet makes a clean sweep – page 6● All the right connections – page 9● Myfotowall in US deal – page 10● Lagging behind on pay – page 14● Ajaz issues rallying cry – page 15● Ramsdens in merger deal – page 16● New occupant for mill site – page 17● Estate agents join forces – page 19

A Trinity Mirror Huddersfield publication

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

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FINANCIAL REPORT

‘Cut in borrowing costsmay not benefit all firms’COMPANIES should check thesmall print before assuming theywill benefit from recent cuts in thecost of borrowing, an accountanthas warned.

Steven Gash, managing partnerof Clough and Co in Cleckheaton,said: “Some business loans willinclude clauses with a minimuminterest rate. This will be buried inthe small print in the loan docu-mentation and not every companywith a loan may be aware that itexists.

“Many small and medium-sizedenterprises will assume that theywill now benefit from the reduc-tion in interest rates.

“However, with a clause inplace, the cuts will not be passedon and instead the banks stand tomake a tidy margin instead.

Therefore I’d encourage businessowners to check their loan docu-mentation, especially if it’s an oldloan.”

Despite the warning, there arenumerous financial products onthe market for businesses to take

advantage of during these times oflow interest rates.

Hedging products “insure”interest rates and are designed tolimi t po ten t ia l losses. Forexample, an interest rate cap limitsthe maximum interest rate that

would be paid for a specific loan.Said Mr Gash: “Hedging

products do incur a premium.However, they provide a safety net– and with the lowest interest ratessince 1951, it is a good time tosecure these low rates on existingand new loans.”

Following last November’sinterest rate cut, the Forum ofPrivate Business said the cut couldsave small firms £750m in interestpayments on loans and overdrafts– if banks passed on the benefits infull.

Said Mr Gash: “The govern-ment needs to ensure that themeasures announced in thepre-Budget report are filteredthrough to businesses quickly andbanks pass on the benefits ofreduced interest rates.”

EffectiveteamworkA TOP team from the Yorkshire and Cly-desdale banks has won an internationalaward.

The banks’ commercial developmentand payments team won the category forMost Effective Cultural Transformation –Change Management at the Institute ofFinancial Services’ Finance InnovationAwards in London.

The team overcame competition frombanks and building societies acrossEurope, America and Australia to win theaccolade, which was presented bycomedian Hugh Dennis.

The award recognised the hard workthat employees and management have putinto developing the team’s culture andmorale, which has significantly improvedteam performance.

As a result, the team generated a 21%increase in income, a four-fold increase inthe number of employees enjoying flex-ible working conditions, a 34% improve-ment in customer satisfaction and a 21%rise in productivity.

Peter Myers, head of commercial devel-

opment and payments, said: “It is a greataccomplishment to have been recog-nised, especially against such strongglobal competition.”

Alternative investmentsALTERNATIVE invest-ments are becoming increas-ingly attractive due to thecredit squeeze, a financialexpert has claimed.

John Chambers, an inde-pendent financial adviserand head of Chartford Fin-anc ia l Management inCleckheaton, said investorswere looking for unusualtargets as the net return oncash deposit accounts con-tinued to be eroded.

Examples of unusualinvestments included pro-duction and distribution ofTV programmes and a trad-ing company leasing ambu-lances, CT scanners and bin

wagons to the NHS.Said Mr Chambers: “It

seems that the Governmentwill not stand by and see aBritish bank fail. As a result,you should be more con-cerned about the return onyour money rather thanabout your money beingreturned.

“Some investment gurusare now beginning to seesigns of the equity marketsreaching the bottom of thecurrent cycle.

“With the unpredictabil-ity of the markets, they seeexcellent buying opportun-ities in historically low shareprices.

“However, you do notnecessarily need to restrictinvestments to traditionalareas of equities, property,fixed interest and cash.”

Mr Chambers warnedthat many alternative invest-ments carried a high risktariff.

But he added: “There areinvestments which havebeen structured to be lowrisk in nature while offeringexcellent tax advantages anda yield comparable to thegross return of those higherpaying deposit accountsthat were available earlierthis year.”

■ WINNERS ALL: Clydesdale andYorkshire banks' commercial developmentteam receive their national award fromcomedian Hugh Dennis (left)

WHO would be an economic fore-caster?

As we survey the devastation wreaked bythe banking crisis, housing market slumpand plunge in consumer spending, whowould be brave enough to predict with anycertainty where the UK economy will be inanother 12 months’ time?

Certainly, pundits at the start of 2008 werenot predicting the collapse of world markets,the loss of a string of familiar high streetnames or taxpayers owning a clutch ofclearing banks – courtesy of the Govern-ment’s multi-billion pound bail-out.

In such circumstances, forecasters couldbe forgiven for taking a pessimistic view ofwhat’s to come. Many believe there must befurther painful fall-out – in terms of joblosses, personal insolvencies and companyclosures – before the economy achievesequilibrium.

It is difficult to blame them. After manymonths of avoiding the “R” word – thereality is that Britain and many of theworld’s leading economies are in direstraits.

Economic experts would do well to focusmore closely on how recovery can be encour-aged – although, inevitably, there is littleagreement on what measures will be moreeffective.

Business people should also consider howeasily the edifice was toppled and considerthe lessons to be learned.

■ WARNING:Steven Gash,managingpartner ofClough &Company inCleckheaton,said it was vitalthat banks passon the benefitsof reducedinterest rates tohelp strugglingcompaniescompete

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


Glass firm is buildingbridges on Dubai tripA COMPANY making curved glass made asmashing impression on visitors to a majortrade show in the Middle East.

Lockwood-based Novaglaze Gardner &Newton was presented with an award for thebest exhibit at the region’s biggest construc-tion industry show, The Big 5, held in Dubaiin the United Arab Emirates.

Managing director Ken Woodcockreceived the award from exhibition directorSimona Novelli

Novaglaze – a first time exhibitor – wowedvisitors with a stand featuring a curved glassbridge, a curved glass office, a shower cubicleand a curved glass boat. One visitor was so

impressed that he bought the lot for asix-figure sum on the first day!

More than 3,200 exhibitors from all overthe world showed off their products andservices to some 50,000 visitors during thefive days of the prestigious show.

Company spokesman Gary Smith said:“We were introduced to the Big 5 last yearwhen representatives visited our stand at anexhibition in Birmingham 12 months ago.

“We went out with backing from thegovernment’s UK Trade and Investmentorganisation and we have come back with anaward and plenty of leads.

“Dubai provides plenty of opportunity for

us. The place is one big building site at themoment – with developers trying to outdoeach other to build the biggest buildings.

“We will certainly be attending again tostrengthen the links we have forged thisyear.”

Novaglaze, which dates back almost 200years, specialises supplying curved glass for avariety of applications and locations, includ-ing royal palaces and stately homes as well asairports, hotels and shopping centres.

The company has a 46,000sq ft factory inLockwood and a 16,000sq ft site in eastLondon as well as a distribution depot inEdinburgh.

More companies seekto ‘farm out’ IT function

■ GLASS SHOW: Ken Woodcock, managing director of Novaglaze Gardner and Newton, receives the best exhibit award on the firm'seyecatching curved glass bridge from Big 5 exhibition director Simona Novelli at the event in Dubai

Sean Jarvis is director of businessdevelopment at Huddersfield Town

TOWNTALKSean Jarvis

Pitching infor the clubAS we all know the credit crunch and

recession have made it – and con-tinue to make it – an extremely difficultclimate for businesses.

Huddersfield Town is not recession-proofeither. However, during the 08/09 season sofar the commercial team has continued in aneffort to maximise revenues for the club.Credit has to be given to all our departmentheads, who have worked hard in the club’scentenary year. I would like to place onrecord my thanks for their continuedefforts.

However, there is still a long way to go andwe as a team look forward to working withour new manager Lee Clark and his team onhow we can continue to progress the club.The commercial team will continue to try andpush the boundaries and challenge tradi-tional thinking to make the club one of themost innovative and forward thinking foot-ball organisations.

Our commercial department arguablyfaces the toughest challenge of all our depart-ments over the coming months due to theeconomic climate. However, when compar-ing league game sales to the previous season,we are 4% up over the same period. Advert-ising sales are up by 41%, which wouldindicate that more businesses are seeing thebenefits of using the club as a platform to acaptive audience.

The rebranding of the Executive Club tothe 1908 Club has also had the desired effectand we are seeing sales 51% up on last year.New revenue streams introduced include aLegends Dinner and Corporate FootballTournament. The outlook for this depart-ment remains tough and our desire is tocontinue to attract new businesses to the fold.To that effect, if your business is interested ingetting involved or would simply like to learnmore about the benefits of becoming apartner with the Club – and you can do for aslittle as £10 per week – then please give us acall on 01484 484141.

Our promotions department have gonefrom strength to strength over the past sixmonths and I am pleased to report that theBlue and White Foundation – an exclusivemembers club – have smashed their all-timerecord by achieving 2,500 members, makingour lottery department one of the mostsuccessful in football.

Profits from the club’s matchday pro-gramme have increased by a massive 185%this season and hits on the club’s officialwebsite, www.htafc.com, have increased toover one million per month. The club’s mediadepartment is introducing new initiatives toattract new customers to Yorkshire BuildingSociety’s Terriers Account from which ouryouth academy benefits financially.

The past six months have been uncharteredterritory for the ticket office and to be honestI think they have managed it exceptionallywell. To achieve nearly 17,000 season ticketholders is a fantastic effort.

Commercially, we have progressed fromprevious seasons and maximised the centen-ary so far. I believe this is our chance to buildand consequently encourage the local busi-ness community that now is the time to getinvolved with Huddersfield Town.

Here’s to a bright 2009!

MORE Kirklees businesses are makingstaff redundant and turning to out-sourcing in an attempt to cut costs andsurvive the economic downturn.

Malcolm Pow, Holmfirth-based dir-ector for computer support companyUlysses IT, said he had noticed a signific-ant jump in enquiries from local businessesover the past three months.

The news coincides with significant ITjob losses around the world.

Reports say 13,000 IT jobs were cut onone day alone last week.

“We are starting to see this global trend

of outsourcing IT properly arrive inKirklees,” said Mr Pow.

“Local businesses are discovering thatthey don’t really need a full-time IT personwhen there are plenty of competant sup-port companies out there.

“It’s a tough call to make a member ofstaff redundant but necessary for manybusinesses to enter 2009 in good shape.”

Ulysses IT specialises as an outsourcedIT department for its clients.

Its staff deal with local businesses acrossYorkshire, as well as much of the rest of theUK.

Mr Pow said outsourcing helped busi-nesses save more than just a salary.

He said: “Typically, clients find theyspend less on IT overall yet have bettercontrol of it.

“This is because a full-time IT personwill create work to keep themselves busy.

“Bosses with no technological know-ledge will not realise that things are beingdone that are not really necessary.

“A good outsourced IT department willnot do these things to try and save clientsas much money as possible.”

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.

Appetitefor foodA GROUP promoting York-shire’s food and drinksindustry has an appetisingidea to boost business.

The Regional Food Groupwill host the third InnovationForum on January 28, 2009,at Thorpe Park Hotel, Leeds.The event will explore issuessurrounding innovation – thelifeblood of successful organ-isations in good times andbad.

The event is being run bythe RFG on behalf of Appet-ising Innovation, a new initi-ative offering food and drinkmanufacturers access toinnovation, development pro-jects in product and pack-aging, seminars, workshops,special reports and innova-tion surgeries.

The speakers will includeTracey Hollowood, associatedirector of sensory and con-sumer research for SensoryDimensions; John Kirkby,creative director of designconsultancy Design Futures;and Sarah Knapper, RFGdirector of research anddevelopment.

Ms Hollowood will focuson how to use sensory andconsumer research to build abetter product, while Mr

Kirkby will packaging innov-ation and improvements.

Said Mr Kirkby: “ThisInnovation Forum will high-light the opportunities andresources available to busi-nesses in our region.

“Innovation is what ulti-mately sets products apartand in the crowded food mar-ket within which companiesoperate in today, it is moreimportant than ever before toinspire delegates to be morecreative and innovative intheir approach to meeting theneeds of their customers.”

Ms Knapper said: “Withadvice from these industryexpert speakers businesses,should be able to embraceinnovat i on and ut i l i seresearch to result in measur-able improvements to theirprofit margins.”

RFG chie f execut iveJonathan Knight said: “Busi-nesses can become more com-p e t i t ive by e m b r a c i n ginnovation, which in turn cre-ates new business opportunit-ies.”

Contact Laura Gill on01937 838895 or visit the web-site at www.regionalfood-group.co.uk

Workers resolve tohold onto their jobsWORKERS are making aNew Year’s resolution to hangonto their jobs, a survey said.

Foreign exchange providerCurrencies Direct said that36% of people in full-timeemployment were restrictingtheir ambitions to staying inwork – with just 10% settingtheir sights on climbing thecareer ladder.

Spokesman Ivars-Lopezsa id : “This snapshot ofemployment sentiment offersa revea l ing ins ight intopeople’s concerns about thestate of the economy and their

fears about job security.“People’s prevailing attitude

is to knuckle down and hopetheir job survives the recessionrather than anything moreambitious in the current cli-mate.

“They are focusing onworking hard to keep them-selves afloat, rather than ask-ing for a promotion or a payrise.”

Fears about job losses aregreatest among those aged 35to 44.

In that age group, 44% ofpeople polled are focusing on

their existing job against 12%voicing ambitions to win pro-motion.

Among those aged under25, some 16% are focusing onkeeping their job comparedwith 33% looking to earn pro-motion.

The survey follows a reportby the Citizens Advice Bureaureported that the number ofenquiries about redundancyhas more than doubled acrossEngland and Wales from anaverage of 189 a day in Aprilto 425 a day in November.

ChamberofficesopenedREPRESENTATIVES of 40 firmshelped the Mid Yorkshire Cham-ber of Commerce celebrate theopening of its new headquartersin Lockwood.

After many years occupyingpremises at Wakefield Road,Aspley, the chamber has opted fora state-of-the-art stable blockrefurbishment in Lockwood Park.in Huddersfield.

Guest of honour Prof BobCryan, vice-chancellor of Hud-dersfield University, was invitedto cut the ribbon.

He commented on the cham-ber’s 155-year history and how itsrole as the voice of business wasas valid and important as the dayit was established.

Chamber cha irman EddieRodgers, described the new-lookchamber with some of the mem-bership services now on offer tohelp local companies weather therecession.

He said: “Despite the currenteconomic climate, we are makinga strong statement about thefuture of the Chamber and aboutthe future of business in thearea.”

The chamber has more than1,000 members across Kirklees,Calderdale and Wakefield..

■ TAPED: Huddersfield UniversityVice Chancellor Prof Bob Cryan(left) cuts the ribbon watched bychamber chairman Eddie Rodgers

Yorkshire’sLegalPeople.Chadwick Lawrence delivers a competitive range ofexpert legal services to commercial clients.

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February, 2009 236

Mixed results forregion’s law firmsYORKSHIRE’S top 10 lawfirms reported mixed financialfortunes during 2008, a surveyhas revealed.

The survey by accountancyfirm PricewaterhouseCoopersshowed that 2008 was a year ofstrong fee income growth –although a positive first sixmonths masked a much weakersecond half to the year.

Average fees per partner forthe top 10 firms reached almost£2.9m with the 11-25 groupmanaging an average of £1.8m.More than a quarter of firms inYorkshire increased fees perpartner by above 15%, but onethird reported a fall in this stat-istic.

Top 10 firms UK-wide repor-ted an average fee per fee earner

of £360,000 – some 35% higherthan for the 11-25 bracket. Theaverage for Yorkshire firms issignificantly below this level, at£142,000.

Profits per partner for Top 10firms exceeded £1.1m – almost28% up on the 2007 figure, whileaverage profits per partner forYorkshire firms were £536,000.

David Thurkettle, of PwC’sProfess iona l PartnershipsAdvisory team in the north, said:“Clearly law firms will not beimmune from the effects of theeconomic downturn.

“However, these results arestriking in that they highlighthow effective financial and oper-ational planning have enabledsome firms to move significantlyahead of the competition.”

Mobile homes!A NEW mobile phone game to teachyoung people about living independ-ently is being launched across thenorthern England and the Midlandsafter successful trials in Kirklees.

The InLiving game was developedby Kirklees Neighbouring Housingand mobile phone games developerCreative North Studios, based at themedia Centre’s Creative Lofts,Northumberland Street, Hudders-field.

The game, which is being deliveredfree across Kirklees, has already gotthe thumbs up from former housingminister Caroline Flint, who describedit as “an example of good practice in

communicating with young people”.Now InLiving is to be promoted

more widely following a link-upbetween Creative North and the Hous-ing e-Academy, an Ilkley-based organ-isation which encourages greater useof online learning in the UK housingsector.

Chloe Weatherhead, Housinge-Academy manager, said: “The part-nership with Creative North hasallowed us to explore how InLivingcan be taken a stage further by linkingmobile technology to a planned pro-gramme of online learning.

“This has resulted in the develop-ment of InLiving Progression, an

internet-based tool that gives tenantsthe opportunity to test their under-standing of their responsibilities, raisesawareness of the potential pitfallswhen living independently and giveaccess to further learning opportunit-ies.”

Anton Iacono, InLiving projectmanager with Creative North, said:“InLiving is an exciting new tool thathousing providers can use to helpcreate successful and sustainable ten-ancies for 16 to 24-year-olds.

“Word is spreading like wildfireabout InLiving – with several hundreddownloads to date.”

■ NOT HOME ALONE: Housing e-Academy manager Chloe Weatherhead (left) and Anton Iacono, InLiving projectmanager with Creative North, demonstrate the InLiving mobile phone tenancy training game

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Kirklees Business News, Ferbuary 2009

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