KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees2, November, 2010

INSIDE

exam

iner

.co.

uk

● Full story - Page 5

● Full story - Page 8

Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

ALLISON LEE CLARE QUARTERMAINEMaking work child’s play

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Market ing force

Co lumn - Page 4

FTSE 100+19.46

5694.62An EXAMINER publication

CircuittrainingSPEEDWAY star JoshAuty is on the righttrack thanks to advicefrom his businesscoach.The Mirfield rider hastaken the unusual stepof regular sessions ofbusiness coachingfrom GrahamSummerscales, ofCoach for Solutions, inorder to gain a differentperspective on himselfand his sport.And it seems to beworking. Josh travelledto Australia to take partin state and nationalcompetitions – andwon the QueenslandUnder-21 title and thesolo competition.

RingingsuccessA TELECOMS firm inBrighouse has rung upawards success.Abzorb, which offersmobile phones, fixedlines, phone systemsand network services,was among the winnersat the CNA CommsNational Awards, whichwere presented atLondon’s Park LaneHilton.

Companies braced to weather fiscal storm

Job-creating parkhailed a successA BUSINESS park at Birstall is prov-ing a popular destination for compan-ies in the region.

More than 170 jobs have been cre-ated over the past two years at Spring-well 27, which stands at Junction 27 ofthe M62.

Occupiers now include online shop-ping retailer Ocado, Floorbrite, shop-fitters K R Hannaford and UPVCMaintenance.

Springwell 27, which comprises 11industrial terraced units and Ocado’s10,500 sq ft distribution warehouse, isa joint venture between Leeds-baseddevelopers Gregory Property Groupand the Eshton Group.

Nine of the high-quality 11 unitshave been sold. The two remainingunits, one of 6,830sq ft and one of3,600sq ft, are available to rent orbuy.

Richard Tovey, director of EshtonGregory, said: “We are delighted bythe success of Springwell 27, especiallyin these challenging economic times.

“The decision of Ocado to base adistribution centre here was a massiveendorsement of both the park itselfand its location.

“The park is within half a mile of

Junction 27 of the M62 motorway,three miles from the M1 and just sixmiles from Leeds. It is perfect forservicing both Yorkshire and Lan-cashire.”

Mr Tovey said: “The two remainingunits are built to the highest specifica-tion and are suitable for small busi-nesses in the manufacturing anddistribution sectors, which requiremodern accommodation in a strategiclocation.

“We also have planning for another30,000sq ft of industrial development,available on a design and buildbasis.”

Ian Pattle, northern general man-ager for Ocado, said: “Exactly twoyears ago, Ocado opened its first pur-pose-built regional distribution centreat Springwell 27.

“The business park’s fantastic facil-ities and transport links have morethan helped us cement our deliveryservice with customers in the north,and we continue to enjoy fast growthhere. It’s a superb site.”

Alex Wyers, business developmentmanager of Floorbrite, added: “Welooked at a number of sites beforechoosing Springwell 27 and it was the

right decision. We are exceptionallyhappy here. It is the perfect platformfor Floorbrite in West Yorkshire.”

Marketing agents for Springwell 27are the Leeds offices of Carter Jonasand Dove Haigh Phillips.

YORKSHIRE companies have emergedfrom the recession in fairly good shape,according to an assessment by a leadingeconomist.

But businesses are unlikely to comethrough the current austerity measuresentirely unscathed, said Roger Bootle,economic adviser to accountancy firmDeloitte.

Commenting in the latest issue of theDeloitte Economic Review, Mr Bootlesaid: “The corporate sector looks set toescape the direct effects of the tax andspending measures set to be implemented.Indeed, the main rate of corporation tax isset to fall from 28% to 24% over the nextfive years.

“But there are all sorts of other ways in

which companies will be affected by thefiscal squeeze.

“Most obviously, those private sectorcompanies which supply goods and ser-vices directly to the public sector are set tosuffer from the retrenchment in the Gov-ernment’s procurement spending.

“Meanwhile, any other effects which hitthe general level of demand in the eco-nomy will also hit companies.

“In particular, the major squeeze onhouseholds’ disposable income from taxrises, the public sector pay freeze and jobcuts will clearly hit the revenues of thosefirms connected to the consumer andretail sectors.”

Mr Bootle said firms could benefit fromincreased business and consumer confid-

ence, relaxation of monetary policy and alower exchange rate.

He added: “What’s more, there are anumber of reasons to think that compan-ies are in fairly good shape to deal with theadverse effects of the fiscal squeeze.

“Profitability has held up well duringthe recession and business insolvencieshave been low.

“Meanwhile, the corporate sector’s bal-ance sheet is less stretched than those ofthe household and public sectors.”

Mr Bootle said the economic recoverywould remain sluggish at best – meaning itwas impossible to rule out a “double-dip”recession – with a forecast for growth ofaround 1.5% this year and just 1% in2011.

■ PARK LIFE: Kevin Rhodes (left), of Hannaford, with (from left) JonathanChapman, of Eshton Gregory; David Earnshaw, of UPVC Maintenance;Richard Tovey, of Eshton Gregory; Alex Wyers, of Floorbrite

■ FORECAST: RogerBootle, of accountancyfirm Deloitte

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICESLocal shares

FTSE closed at

5751.98Up 10.61

SUPERMARKET group Morrisonsannounced plans to create 1,000 jobsduring the coming three years forhomeless and vulnerable people.

The UK’s fourth largest food retaileraims to offer 10% of the jobs it createsat its new stores to vulnerable people.

The Bradford-based group, which isrunning the initiative in partnershipwith the Salvation Army and socialenterprise Create, said it was in a periodof growth and wanted to recruit newstaff from all sections of the com-munity.

It added that it believed that byinvesting in people who needed a“hand-up”, it would gain loyal andhard-working employees.

Norman Pickavance, group humanresources director for Morrisons, said:“We have a strong record of providing

great careers for people through train-ing and opportunities helping people toprogress from the shop floor to the topfloor of our business.

“This initiative will help disadvant-aged people to get their lives back ontrack. We look forward to taking thisapproach nationally and we wouldencourage other British businesses tojoin us on this initiative.”

Government minister BaronessWarsi said: “This is a great example ofbusinesses working with the com-munity to create jobs and drive growthat a time of economic uncertainty.

“Initiatives like this will make a realdifference to people’s lives, providingthem and the country with the skillsthey need to promote growth.”

The announcement comes as the firstfive people trained by the Morrisons’

WEIR Group upgraded its profitsforecast as it maintained the strongperformance that has helped it breakinto the FTSE 100 Index.

The Glasgow-based engineeringgroup, which has valve operations atElland, said orders increased by32% year-on-year in the 39 weeksending 1 October – up from the rateof 24% reported in July.

The company, which employs9,000 staff and has customersincluding BP, BAE Systems and theMinistry of Defence, now expectsprofits to be ahead of previousexpectations.

Its profits forecast this summer

predicted its second half perform-ance to be better than the previousyear’s £95.6m – but this has nowbeen upgraded by about £50m.

The group has benefited fromgrowing demand for crude oilfuelled by the global economicrecovery, which helped to boostorders for its pumps used to extract,transport and produce oil.

Weir also reported a 24% rise indemand for pumps used in miningand mineral production – helped bystrong demand in South Americaand Australia. Demand fell forpumps used in power productionand the industrial sector.

RYANAIR revealed a12% hike in averagefares and soaringancillary revenues as itposted a double-digit risein half-year profits.

The low-cost carrierreported a 17% increasein underlying net profitsto £393.4m for the sixmonths to September 30and upped its guidancefor its full-yearperformance.

Ryanair’s half-yearfigures were boosted bya 10% lift in passengernumbers and higherfares, but it said it alsosaw a 22% leap inancillary revenues, suchas baggage fees, priorityboarding and onboarddrinks.

Ryanair said forwardbooking revenues for thewinter were better thanexpected, which itforecast would see netprofits for the full year ofbetween £331m and£348m.

It had originallyindicated a figure of£305m to £326m.

The half-year surge infares and passengernumbers helped Ryanairoffset a 44% increase inits fuel bill – although thiswas also partly due toRyanair operating moreand longer flights.

The carrier said its billto cover the cost of thevolcanic ash clouddisruption earlier thisyear was now likely to beless than first feared – at£28m against an earlierforecast of £44m.

Half-year adjustedprofits exclude the hit forthe ash crisis, whichwhen taken into accountput net profits at £370m.

Morrisons aims tocreate 1,000 jobs

Weir reports improved demand

Ryanairflying high

TAXPAYER-OWNED Royal Bankof Scotland has risked fuelling angerover bankers’ pay by hiring a topdealmaker who sued his last employerfor £2m for not giving him his fullbonus.

John McIntyre, new head of cor-porate finance at RBS, was formerlyUK head of mergers and acquisitionsat Dresdner Kleinwort, which wastaken over by Commerzbank.

Mr McIntyre disputed a decisionby German giant Commerzbank –which itself needed a governmentbail-out – to cut the bonus pool toDresdner Kleinwort’s bankers by

90%. He won £2m remuneration.RBS, which is 83% owned by the

taxpayer, was criticised for paying out£1.3bn in bonuses last year as itposted a £3.6bn loss in the year.

RBS refused to comment, but isexpected to officially announce MrMcIntyre’s appointment this week.

He is a widely respected dealmaker,having worked previously with prop-erty tycoon Robert Tchenguiz andwas previously head of UK mergersand acquisitions at Lehman Brothersand on Railtrack’s defence against itscontroversial takeover by NetworkRail in 2002.

Bonus row banker at RBS

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.53 dollarsBangladesh................. 106.73 takaBrazil.............................. 2.44 realsCanada....................... 1.55 dollarsChina ............................. 9.57 yuanCzech Republic ...... 25.96 korunasDenmark....................... 8.14 kroneEuro............................... 1.10 euroHong Kong................ 11.79 dollarsHungary ................... 279.43 forintsIndia.......................... 62.73 rupeesJapan........................... 122.81 yenMexico ....................... 17.63 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.95 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.92 kronePakistan.................. 129.62 rupeesPhilippines ................. 59.02 pesosSouth Africa................. 10.41 randSouth Korea.............. 1559.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 168.92 rupeesSweden....................... 10.17 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.50 francsTaiwan ...................... 42.63 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.14 new liraUSA ............................ 1.53 dollars

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £26.11 +0.26Gannett 740.74 +1.87Hess Corp £40.07 +0.77Microsoft 1685.68 +23.07Motors Liquidation 46.76Wal-Mart Stores £33.85 +0.07

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 1611/2BAE Systems 3531/8 +83/8Rolls-Royce Gp 654 +61/2

AIMBrady Plc 641/2Dawson Intl 17/8Man Brnze 673/4 -61/4

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1773/4 +1/2

BANKSBarclays 2731/2 -1HSBC 6551/4 +61/8Lloyds Banking Gp 695/8 +5/8Ryl Scotland 455/8 +1Stan Chart 17921/2 -13

BEVERAGESDiageo 1158 +6SABMiller £203/8 +1/8

CHEMICALSCroda 1439 +1Elementis 98 1151/4 +3/4Johnsn Mat 1917 +3

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2743/4 -17/8Costain 208 -13/4

ELECTRICITYDrax Gp 3795/8 -11/8Intl Power 416 -11/4

Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1160 +7

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 147 -2

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3505/8 +21/4

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1553/4 +2Cable & WirelessComm

53 -3/8

Cable & WirelessWwide

701/4

Colt Group 1211/4 +1/4KCOM 493/4 +3/4Talktalk Telecom 1343/4 +27/8

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2905/8 -31/4Sainsbury 3891/4 -1/8Tesco 4281/2 +15/8

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1048 +1Nth Foods 47 -1/4Tate Lyle 500 -2Unilever 1804 +5Uniq 8 +1/8

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 328 -41/4National Grid 590Pennon Grp 6271/2 +41/2Severn 1421 +26United Utils 612 +1

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 3041/4 +45/8ICAP 4621/8 +57/8London StockExch 7421/2 +81/2Man Group 2583/4 -2Provident Financial 7881/2 +81/2

Schroders 1577 -2Schroders NV 1256 -8

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 526 +11REXAM 3235/8 +57/8Smiths Grp 1232 +40

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 17 -1/2Carphone Whse 306 +11/2Dixons Retail 261/2 -3/8Home Retail 217 -2Inchcape 347 -13/4Kingfisher 2353/4 -21/8M & S 420 -73/8Mothercare 5331/2 +8Next £223/8 -1/2WH Smith 4811/4 -31/8

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 550 +1

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 841/2 -21/2Barrat Dev 761/4 -17/8Persimmon 3395/8 -13/8Reckitt Benckiser £351/4 +3/8Taylor Wimpey 227/8 +5/8

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 741 +3I M I 794 +41/2

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 335 +105/8

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 1993/4 -13/4Forth Ports 1320

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 3975/8 -1/2Lgl & Gen 1001/4 -1/4

Old Mutual 1293/8 -1/2Prudential 627 -31/2Resolution 260 -17/8Standard Life 2261/4 -3/4

MEDIABSkyB 709 +21/2Chrysalis 1323/4 +223/4D Mail Tst 5441/2 +71/2ITV 681/2 +1/4Johnston Press 121/4 -1/2Pearson 958 +31/2Reed Elsevier 538 +3STV Group 1051/2 +1/2Trinity Mirror 105 -11/4Utd Business 6631/2 +51/2UTV 1393/4 +3/4WPP 735 +9Yell Group 14 -1/8

MININGAnglo American £283/4 -3/8Antofagasta 1341 +19BHP Billiton £223/8 +1/4Eurasian NaturalRes

8791/2 +9

Fresnillo 1257 +7Kazakhmys 1339 +23Lonmin 1757 +8Rio Tinto £403/4 +1/2VEDANTARESOURCES

£205/8 -1/8

Xstrata 12541/2 +45

MOBILE TELECOM SERVICESInmarsat 650 -2Vodafone Group 1705/8 +3/4

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1611 -19RSA Insurance Gp 1297/8 -11/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERS

BG 12101/2 -5BP 424 -13/4Cairn Energy 3851/4 -3/4Royal Dutch Shell A £203/8 +1/8Royal Dutch Shell B £201/8 +1/8Total £34 +1/8Tullow Oil 1171 -14

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1077 -9Petrofac 1476 +13Wood Group 4361/4 +3/4

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1013 -6PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £311/8 -1/8Axis-Shield 262 +21/2GlaxoSmithK XD 3Shire 1480 +9

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 507 -21/2Captl Shop Cent 3797/8 -41/2DTZ Hldgs 431/2 -2Hamrsn 4167/8 -21/4Land Secs 674 -3SEGRO 2941/8 -21/4

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1453 -9Dimension Data 1201/2 +3/4Invensys 2925/8 +43/8Logica 131 +11/2Misys 286 +45/8Sage Group 2701/8 +3/4

SUPPORT SERVICESBunzl 743 +4Capita 769 +21/2Davis ServiceGroup

4171/2 +13/4

De La Rue 644 +6Electrocomp 247 +31/8Experian 739 +131/2G4S 261 -3/4Hays 1133/4 +31/4Homeserve 4453/8 -77/8Menzies J 475 -81/2Rentokil 981/4 -3/4Smiths News 1163/4 +11/4Wolseley 1667 +4

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 3597/8 -33/8Psion 981/2 +6Spirent Comms 1417/8 -13/4

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £237/8 +1/8Imperial Tobacco 1997 -2

LEISURE & HOTELSBrit Airways 2681/8 -25/8

Carnival £27 +1/8Compass Grp 520 +81/2easyJet 4537/8 -21/8Enterprise Inns 1147/8 +3/4FirstGroup 4071/4 -3/4Go-Ahead Gp 1393 +29Greene King 4211/8 +27/8Intercontl Htls 1206 -1Ladbrokes 1331/2 +13/4Mitchells & Butlers 3267/8 +43/8Natl Express 2531/2 +41/2PartyGaming 2521/2 +5/8Rank Org 1267/8 -3/4Stagecoach Group 2141/4 +51/4TUI Travel 2111/8Whitbread 1708 +14

INDEXFTSE 100 5694.62 +19.46

INDEXFTSE 250 10875.28 +31.78

Carclo 209 -91/2Chapelthorpe 231/2Marshalls 1041/2 -31/4National Grid 590Weir Gp 1537 -21

pre-employment academy start theirfirst day at work in the new Morrison’sstore in Harehills in Leeds.

The scheme offers new staff threemonths’ of training, in the classroomand on the job, leading to a Qualifica-tions and Credit Framework Level 1

qualification at the end. People canthen go on to gain a QCF Level 2qualification, or take up an appren-ticeship with the group, including as abutcher, baker or fishmonger.

Last month, Morrisons announceda new partnership with Bradford Uni-versity’s management school underwhich it will fund 20 under-graduatesthrough a three-year degree course infood manufacturing, paying them asalary.

The group plans to trial new con-venience stores next year in a bid toboost its market share. It is also invest-igating the possibility of running aninternet grocery operation.

The plans were announced as Mor-risons posted a 14% rise in underlyingpre-tax profits to £410m in the sixmonths to August 1.

■ MORE JOBS: Morrisons aims tocreate opportunities for the needy

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

Allison Lee

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Owner-managerAge: 44Family: Married toMark with sons Samand DavidHolidays: Cyprus andthe Lake DistrictFirst job: Office juniorfor a firm of solicitorsBest thing aboutjob: Having the satis-faction of providing aservice for familiesWorst thing aboutjob: Nothing!Business tip: Go withyour dream. Too manypeople think they cannotdo something. If you setyour mind to it, you can

Work: ChildcareSite: MelthamEmployees: 22Phone: 01484 850983Email: little123acorn@hot mail.co.ukWebsite: www.littleacorns-nursery.com

Little AcornsNursery/WoodlandsPlaygym/WoodlandsHoliday Club

Hardworkandplay!

JUGGLING childcare and acareer is a problem faced byevery working mum.

For Allison Lee, childcareIS the career – and shecouldn’t be happier jugglinga busy diary.

Allison, who lives atLepton, took overWoodlands Play Gym inMeltham, last year afterraising two children of herown and working as achildminder for 18 years.

Now she has added to herempire by acquiring theLittle Acorns day nursery,alongside Woodlands.

She says: “Little Acornswas set up 15 years agoand the owner was lookingto sell. It has a very goodreputation, I have awonderful staff and we areworking to make it anoutstanding nursery for thebenefit of the children andtheir parents.”

Working in childcare wasnot Allison’s career choice atschool. She attendedMoldgreen Junior Schooland Rawthorpe HighSchool, where her ambitionwas to become a secretary.At 16, she studiedshorthand and typing atHuddersfield TechnicalCollege before getting a jobas office junior in aHuddersfield law firm.

She became a legalsecretary and later workedfor a stockbroking firmbefore marriage andmotherhood led to a changeof direction.

She says: “I would havecontinued as a secretary orPA, but when I had my sonsSam and David I wanted tostay at home to look afterthem. I realised how difficultit was to find qualitychildcare and what acommitment it was to raisechildren.”

Allison joined her motherCynthia running achildminding business in aspecially convertedoutbuilding at her home.When her mother retired,Allison decided it was timeto think bigger.

“Being a mother helpedme realise what parentswere looking for,” she says.“I have taken all thequalifications necessary –which can put a lot of peopleoff. It is a necessary part ofthe job. It is very importantbecause you have to haverecognisable standards andyou are going to have otherpeople’s children in yourcharge. The interests of thechildren and parents areparamount.”

Allison has written booksand courses on childcareand childminding. Her worksinclude The Parent’s Guideto Childcare, TheChildminder’s Companionand Your ChildmindingBusiness.

But writing took a backseat following the acquisitionof Woodlands last year andLittle Acorns just weeks ago.

“We are registered for 44children at Little Acorns andthe holiday club is registeredfor 18,” she says. “We have22 staff and we work tohigher staff-children ratiosthan the regulations require.

“There is a lot ofpaperwork involved, whichsome people consider a

downside of working inchildcare. But the staff whowork in the nursery have tohave time to do theirdevelopment courses. All thestaff have NVQ Level 3 or areworking towards Level 3.

“They are all dedicatedstaff who enjoy their jobs.”

Allison is also part waythrough an Open Universitydegree in early yearseducation. She also teacheschildcare for a distancelearning college.

But a heavy workload holdsno fears for Allison. “I am anorganised person and I tendto just get on with it,” shesays.

“I am up by 5.30 in themorning and I don’t finishuntil 11 o’clock at night.

“I am a workaholic. But I

am doing it my family andmyself. I am not working longhours for someone else tobenefit!”

Allison makes sure shedoesn’t get too bogged downin paperwork. “I go into thenursery and spend time withthe staff and children,” shesays. “If I don’t, they cancome into the office with me!I often have half a dozenyoungsters playing in theoffice at any time.

“That’s part of the businessI like. There’s no job in thenursery I cannot do – andthere’s nothing I ask the staffto do that I haven’t done.

“The only way to know thechildren is to play with them –and you cannot do that sittingbehind a desk 10 hours aday.”

Allison is fiercely proudof her two sons. Sam, whowill be 21 in January, isstudying aerospacetechnology at SheffieldUniversity while David, whowill be 18 in the new year,is taking A-levels at ShelleyCollege.

Allison says the supportof husband Mark and theboys – as well as herparents, Roger andCynthia – helpedenormously following herdecision to acquire LittleAcorns.

“Mark used to work atDavid Brown at MelthamMills and remembers thissite as a car park,” saysAllison.

“He’s now an engineerwith Reliance Precision,but he’s also been mymaintenance man while wehave been working toredecorate the nursery!

“He has been verysupportive about the hoursI have worked because herealises this has been mydream.”

Allison is in no doubtabout the need for betterand wider childcareprovision in an age whenmany parents cannotafford to quit work.

“Not all parents havefamily to turn to forchildcare help.

“I understand whatparents are looking for inchildcare – to findsomewhere they arehappy to leave theirchildren – but it is a hugedecision.”

Allison has little time forrelaxing, but stressed:“We still go out for mealsand we enjoy holidays inCyprus.

“I am very lucky to havefound a job I enjoy asmuch as I do.

“There are downsidesto everything, but I do likewhat I do. I get up in themorning looking forwardto the day.”

■ CHILD’S PLAY: Allison Lee doesn’t hold with spending allday behind the desk, despite the paperwork involved inrunning her childcare businesses

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

MARKETINGMATTERSClare Quartermaine

Clare Quartermaine is director of QT Creative

Legal eaglesget IT supportA COMPANYproviding ITsupport hassuccessfullycourted threenorthern lawfirms.Lockwood-basedP2 TechnologiesLtd has sealedthe deals toprovide its P2 OneSupportpackage to Backhouse Jones,Glaisyers Solicitors and NorthYorkshire Law.Martin Page (pictured), director ofP2, said more law firms weretaking up the firm’s managed ITservice to help reduce costs andimprove efficiency.P2 OneSupport gives clientsregular reviews and strategyguidance to get the most valuefrom their It systems.Said Mr Page: “We are delighted towork with these three prestigiouslegal firms and provide them withongoing IT support.“The OneSupport packageprovides complete, specialist ITsupport, freeing the client from ITproblems, which are dealt with byour expert team of technicians.“OneSupport provides the clientwith necessary IT support whilegiving them complete control overtheir IT systems and strategy.”

GatewayupgradeA FUNERAL business hascompleted expansion plansat its Birkenshaw premises.Gateway Funeral Services,which is independentlyowned by Janice Hutton, ofShepley, and Richard Arnold,of Birkenshaw, has enlargedits head offices at SouthfieldTerrace.It has also invested to extendthe preparation area andinstall a new innovative coldstorage facility.Ms Hutton said both projectshad been very complex,requiring technical skills andspecific expertise to suit thebusiness.As part of the refurbishment,Gateway Funeral Servicesengaged neighbouring firmFerno UK to install the coldstorage facility, using a newinnovation designed by SMI– the first to be installed inthe UK.Said Ms Hutton: “Since thebeginning of this year, wehave worked hard to upgradethe facilities for looking afterour clients. Initially, we hadno cold storage. With ournew modern facility, it isflexible and can be adjustedto meet demand, which canchange week by week.”

■ OPENING EVENT: Ken Satterly (centre), president of the British Institute of Funeral Directors, joins GatewayFuneral Services directors Janice Hutton and Richard Arnold (right) along with Chris King (left), of Ferno UK; andPeter Seymour, of SMI, at the opening of the new facilities at Birkenshaw

Unusual wayto do businessSENIOR business leaders acrossYorkshire will attend a cuttingedge conference to focus oncreating a low carbon future.Business in the Community isstaging Business Unusual onFriday at Leeds University – tohighlight how “business as usual”will no longer apply in a world ofrising population levels, dwindlingresources and climate-relatedchallenges.A spokesman for BITC said: “Thechallenge is huge. Carefulplanning and the transformationof business methods, supplychains and working practices willbe essential if we are to meet ourlegislated 80% carbon reductioncuts by 2050.”But he added: “The transition to alow carbon economy offers thegreatest opportunities ever knownto construct healthy, sustainable,affordable lives and communities,led and supported by businessand organisations.”Speakers at the conference,sponsored by ASDA, will includeTony Greenham, head of financeand business at the NewEconomics Foundation and JohnDrummond, of Corporate Culture.Go to www.bitc.org.uk

Now everything clicks

SO we’ve heard in thenews lately that Britain

leads the way in online trad-ing – worth £100bn a yearand larger than the con-struction and transport sec-tors.

Well, its nice to know we’regood at something! But is onlinetrading really better than bricksand mortar?

I think many business peoplewould view the jungle of onlinemarketing with some trepida-tion. Like the depths of theocean, you never know what’sgoing to turn up next!

This is the place where theconsumer has more control overyour brand than you do and hasthe power to force even the bignames like GAP to abandontheir new logo and revert back totheir original one after wide-spread derision on social net-works.

The internet is a newer fron-tier, slightly anarchic in nature,that gives the new kids on the

block a chance to jump the suc-cess queue.

It gives potential entrepren-eurs, whatever their background,gender, culture, the opportunit-ies to invent, explore and createwithout necessarily having toinvest large sums of money orjoin the old boys club.

It marks a new levelling of theplaying field.

I like that. All the old theoriesare being blown out andreplaced with frantic, frightenedcompanies scrambling to get apiece of the action.

But what is the clue to successin online? Money? Skill? I hon-estly think it’s ‘time’.

Making your site/online shopsuccessful is more than just set-ting up a sponsored link with a“popular search engine”, it’sfinding the people to recom-mend you, to discuss your great,

innovative products, it’s produ-cing something new and it’sspending time making thoseconnections.

This all takes your time, hoursof it, to ensure your company orproduct is being mentioned asoften as possible on as manysites/social networks as pos-sible.

The internet is viral in style –many Facebook groups bumblealong with about 20 membersand then before you know it, 20are joining per day!

This is a time when clicks arebecoming more important thansteps! How many times have webeen in a shop, seen somethingand thought “I’ll check if I canget it cheaper online’?

Is this the decline of the highstreet? Probably not, but I thinkthe internet is a very good thingfor the consumer.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Small firms come to the foreA SURVEY of the UK regions hashighlighted Yorkshire as a hotbedfor small and medium-sized com-panies.

But the Barclays BusinessRegional Impact Index rates York-shire seventh out of 10 UK regionsover a range of indicators designedto find out which parts of the coun-try are making the biggest contribu-tion to the national economy.

SMEs in Yorkshire and Humbermade the most profit out of all theregions last year, the surveyrevealed.

It also showed that small busi-nesses in the region have increasedemployee numbers by 10% since thebeginning of the current economiccr is i s – second only to thesouth-west for recruitment.

Yorkshire is also expected to cre-ate the largest number of full-timegraduates of any region outsideLondon.

Amanda Shepherd, BarclaysBusiness regional director for York-shire, said the research provided fur-ther evidence that the contributionof small businesses to the economyhas never been greater.

She said: “We hear a lot of rhet-oric around the importance of smallbusinesses, but this analysis illus-trates just what that means on theground.

“Yorkshire small businesses havecontributed, and continue to con-tribute to the resilience of localregions amid unstable economicconditions, the credit crunch andpublic sector cutbacks.

“They are without question theones driving growth and creatingjobs in every city, town and village inthe UK.”

The index is based on an in-depthstudy of 1,000 owner-managers andanalysis by Kingston University'sSmall Business Research Centre.

It looks at 13 indicators, includingprofits, outlook on growth, employ-ment generation, investment intraining, purchases from local sup-pliers and innovation.

The regional league table isheaded by London and thesouth-west followed by Wales,north-east England, the south-east.Scotland, Yorkshire and Humber,Eastern England, the Midlands andthe north-west.

Speedway starstays on track!A YOUNG speedway rider is on he righttrack thanks to advice from his businesscoach.

Josh Auty, 20, of Mirfield, who rides forPremier League Sheffield Tigers, took theunusual step of regular sessions of businesscoaching from Huddersfield-based Coachfor Solutions in order to gain a differentperspective on himself and his sport.

And it seems to have already paid off. Joshtravelled to Australia recently to participatein state and national competitions – result-ing in him winning the QueenslandUnder-21 title and the solo competition.

Josh employed business coach GrahamSummerscales to help him build upself-belief and confidence.

Once these issues were addressed, Gra-ham then challenged Josh to set smallrealistic targets to achieve – kick starting hisseason to build on the achievement DownUnder and setting the platform for successback home.

Josh’s biggest success to date has beenwinning the Premier League pairs title withhis fellow Tigers teammate Ricky Ash-worth.

Following this fantastic achievement,Josh continued his form and became theholder of the number one race jacket at theTigers.

Said Graham: “Success in business andsport are pretty much one and the same.Both have peaks and troughs and boil downto a positive mind set and the willingness tomake small incremental improvements on aday-to-day basis.

“Josh – to his credit – is open minded andtenacious, which are other attributes of asuccessful business person.”

Josh said: “Employing Graham as mycoach has given me added self-belief, confid-ence and a path to follow.

“Graham helped me focus on my goalsand gave me the added desire to succeed.Through his business and sporting back-

ground he could understand my personalblockages which is a great strength of hispractice.”

Hopes rise asfailure figuresfall in YorkshireYORKSHIRE has seen a fall inbusiness failures, according to latestfigures.Business information group Experiansaid there were 120 insolvenciesamong the region’s firms duringSeptember. That compares with 152the previous month and 139 a yearago.The region was the top performer inthe UK with only the East Midlandsreporting a similar decline – to 96during September against 99 inAugust and 122 a year ago.The north-east was worst-hit withinsolvencies more than doubling to 60from 26 in August. There were also bigmonthly increases for Greater London(371 from 287) and the south-east (234from 197).Businesses with six to 19 employeessaw the biggest annual drop in therate of insolvencies while firmsemploying 500 or more saw thegreatest year-on-year increase.Building and construction remainedthe worst hit sector with 260 failureslast month against 247 in August.The number of insolvencies fell forengineering, chemicals and textilesbut rose slightly for printing, paperand packaging, brewing, electricalsand mining.

e delighted to

■ WINNING TEAM: Rising speedway star Josh Auty (left) and his business coachGraham Summerscales

usiness as usual”CREATIVE MARKETING

SOLUTIONS

01484 483194 info@qtcreative.co.ukwww.qtcreative.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

Landowners told to get energeticLANDOWNERS have been urged tomove quickly if they are consideringrenewable energy schemes for theirproperties.

Land agent Carter Jonas, which hasoffices at Slaithwaite, said time wasrunning out for landowners to takeadvantage of the current government’sFeed-in-Tariff scheme.

Introduced in April, FiT providesincentives for landowners and farmersusing green technology to produceelectricity.

Following the ComprehensiveSpending Review, the FiT looks likelyto be significantly reduced by April,2013 – meaning time is running out forinterested parties to make the most oftheir investment.

Clive Fagg (pictured), an environ-mental planning specialist at Carter

Jonas, said: “2013 may feel like farinto the future, but in reality the timeit takes to plan and install a scheme,such as a wind turbine, can be twoyears or more.

“Under the rules, a project has to beup and running before it can benefitfrom any cash incentives. Therefore –as we come to the end of 2010 – thetimeframe for benefiting from the FiTincentives gets tighter.”

Said Mr Fagg: “Over the past sixmonths, since the introduction of theFiT, we have seen a significantincrease in the willingness of people toexplore generating their own renew-able energy.

“It is likely that the next review ofthe scheme in 2012 will lead to therates being rebalanced in April,2013.”

Rok risesto freshchallengeBUILDING andmaintenance servicesgroup Rok plc has won acontract to providebuilding repair, claimsmanagement andvalidation services toTesco home insurancecustomers.Rok, which hascompleted work onprojects for KirkleesCouncil, was selected byAgeas Insurance Ltd andTesco Underwriting toprovide the service.Garvis Snook, chiefexecutive at Rok, aid:“Rok and Ageas haveworked together since2007 and we aredelighted to beexpanding therelationship by handling50% of all TescoUnderwriting’s buildingrepair claims.“Rok’s appointment tothis contract reflects thequality of work from ourdirectly employedtechnicians and ourinvestment in an everimproving service forpolicyholders.”

Landlords shouldheed fire warningBUSINESS owners have beenurged to take greater responsib-ility for fire safety measures attheir premises following a recentclampdown.

The call comes after the land-lord of a multi-occupancy stu-dent building in Manchester gotcaught out by town hall inspect-ors who suspected that theaccommodation failed to meetacceptable fire safety stand-ards.

The allegations were laterinvestigated by the fire service.

The property had to bevacated by 80 students as themulti-millionaire landlordfailed to meet requirements onfire alarms, escape routes andcarrying out fire risk assess-ments.

On average, there are 130workplace fires every day – withmany of those fires destroyingbuildings.

The total cost of fire in theUK – including property dam-age, loss of business, compensa-tion claims, fines and insurancepremiums – is put at £11bn ayear.

Annmarie Blomfield, man-

aging director of outsourcedproperty management businessOne Property Place, said land-lords and business ownersshould be warned.

“Working in the industry, I’mfully aware of the apathy somecommercial property ownershave towards words like certific-ation, inspections and assess-ments.

“However, turning a blind eyeis not the answer and fire riskassessments, perhaps more sothan any other form of assess-ment, should not be ignored.

“Landlords and businessowners need to recognise theseriousness of failing to carryout full fire safety tests – livesare in danger otherwise.

“No-one wants to find them-selves in a situation where analarm in their commercial rentalproperty doesn’t sound or a firedoor doesn’t open.”

She said: “Politicians are wav-ing their flags for the environ-ment, education and pensions,but fire prevention doesn’t seemto be up there on the prioritylist. This needs to change.”

■ HOME WIN: GarvisSnook, chief executive ofRok

Agreement reached over building site safetyA NEW agreement has been signedto help improve health and safety forthe construction industry.

The Health and Safety Executivehas signed the agreement with theBuilding Control Alliance – settingout how HSE and building controlprofessionals will co-operate inproviding health and safety advice to

the construction industry whileclearly distinguishing their separateregulatory roles.

The BCA represents thosebuilding control professionalsresponsible for ensuring compliancewith Building Regulations – whetherin local authorities or the privatesector – and the professional bodies

that accredit them.Building Control professionals

regularly visit sites and are in anexcellent position to promote goodhealth and safety practice to dutyholders.

Philip White, HSE chief inspectorof construction, said: “Thisagreement clearly sets out how HSE

and BCA members can work moreclosely together.

“It is a further example of howeveryone involved in the constructionindustry can spread the health andsafety message, especially to thehard to reach small sites where themajority of fatal accidents takeplace.”

■ HOT TOPIC: On average, there are 130 workplace fires every day – with many ofthose fires destroying buildings. The total cost of fire in the UK – including propertydamage, loss of business, compensation claims, fines and insurance premiums – is putat £11bn a year.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • AGENTS • CONSULTANT • ADVISOR

TRAFALGAR MILLS • LEEDS ROAD • HUDDERSFIELD • HD2 1YY

Unit 17From 4,899 sq ftModern Industrial Units to LetIdeally located for town centreTerms available on application

Queens Mill Industrial EstateQueens Mill Road, Huddersfield

Contact: Christine EcclestonMB Services01484 557102

Paul AndrewWalker Singleton01484 477600

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Warming tothe need forgreen energyTHE sun is shining on a Huddersfield start-upfirm.

Scissett-based EverGen TM Ltd is lookingto treble its 11-strong workforce over the nextthree years in response to soaring demand for“green” energy systems.

EverGen designs and installs solar photovol-taic panels, air source heat pumps and groundsource heat pumps to provide homeowners,businesses and housing associations with themeans to cut their utility bills, reduce carbonemissions and generate free “green” electri-city.

The company has also been boosted by theGovernment-backed Feed-in Tariffs, whichenables customers to benefit from a 25-yeartax-free income for generating clean electricityand additional payments for any surplusenergy which feeds back into the NationalGrid.

This turns their property into an incomegenerator of about £1,200 per year for astandard domestic installation.

Feed-in tariffs pay up to 41.3p per unit on allelectricity generated, whether it is used or not.

An additional payment is made for any surplusenergy sold back to the National Grid.

EverGen director David Taylor said movinginto the green technology sector was an obvi-ous choice.

“After seeing the growing demand for solarpower and other green technologies over thelast few years, we realised this would be theideal sister company to our specialist construc-tion company of 30 years, Taylor ConstructionYorkshire Ltd.

“Not only do we understand how to carryout installations without risk to the fabric andfunctionality of the property, we can also offerimpartial advice on the best performing tech-nology for each individual client and ensureclients benefits from all grants and tariffs dueto our accreditation under the Microgenera-tion Certification Scheme.”

EverGen exhibited at the Grand DesignsShow last month in Birmingham and willappear at the three-day Harrogate Homebuild-ing and Renovating Show, which starts onFriday.

Firm wins school work worth £42mSERVICES, maintenanceand building groupInterserve has beenawarded three schoolscontracts worth £42m.The contracts comprise a£23m deal forimprovements at a highschool in Leeds, a further£11m contract forextensions at schools inNottinghamshire and an£8m agreement to increasethe capacity of four

schools for Coventry CityCouncil.Work at Farnley Park HighSchool in Leeds is nowunder way with completionprogrammed for July, 2012.It will involve theconstruction ofstate-of-the-art facilities forstaff, pupils and membersof the wider community,allowing the school toachieve its target growthand meet the increased

demand for pupil places.Other purpose-builtfacilities will enable pupilsfrom the neighbouringWest Specialist InclusiveLearning Centre to takepart in learning in amainstream setting.Adrian Ringrose, Interservechief executive, said: “Inthese challenging times, itis significant that wecontinue to win contracts.”

■ HIGH AMBITION: Huddersfield company EverGen already has 11 employess and islooking to treble staff numbers in the next three years thanks to rising demand for renewableenergy solutions

For SaleBirkhouse LaneHuddersfield, HD1 4SF1Workshop premises1 283m2 (3,046 sq ft)1 Large secure yard areaPrice: £165,000

For SaleBraemar & Northfield HouseSnelsins road, Cleckheaton1 Substantial detached period office buildings1 276.67m2 & 399.4m2 (2,978 sq ft & 4,299 sq ft)1 Potential redevelopment opportunity on site of

0.7 AcresGuide Price: on application

To leTProminent Town Centre Office8 Victoria road, elland1 102.49m2 (1,103 sq ft)1 100% Business Rates Relief current year1 Private Car Parkingrental: £6,000 pax

To leT (May Sell)Predominantly Single StoreyFactory PremisesVulcan & Victoria Works, Brighouse1 3,941m2 (42,416 sq ft)1 Subdivision Possible1Close to JCN 25, M62 Motorwayrental from £2 per sq ft pa

To leTModern Workshop UnitUnit B, Brockholes Business Park, Huddersfield1 307m2 (3,308 sq ft)1 Prominent location along the A616 New Mill Road1Ample Car Parking and yardrental upon application

To leTAttractive Recently RefurbishedOffice SuitesBuckden Mount, Huddersfield1 162 & 383m2 (1,742 & 4,126 sq ft)1Ample on site car parking1 Ease of access to Town Centre & JCN 24, M62

For Sale/To leTOld Fieldhouse Laneoff leeds road, Huddersfield, HD2 1aG1Modern single-storey industrial unit1Up to 1,464m2 (15,760 sq ft)1 Plus two-storey offices totalling 1,100m2 (11,840 sq ft)1 Total GIA: 2,564m2 27,600 sq ft (For Sale)1Generous sized 1.15 acre secure yardFurther Details: on application

To leTIndustrial Unitarmytage road, Brighouse1Modern workshop unit1 Ease of access to Junction 25 of M62 motorway1 511m2 (5,500 sq ft)rent: on application

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Yorkshire BankTerry Ventress

A NEW international tradespecialist has been appointedby Yorkshire Bank’sBradford-based West YorkshireFinancial Solutions Centre tosupport Kirklees businessesinvolved in overseas trade.

Terry Ventress, 54, will adviseWest Yorkshire companiestrading in overseas markets onmitigating risk and funding their trade cycle.

Mr Ventress (pictured) went into banking in1976. He spent 34 years in internationalbanking in Yorkshire and the north-east withStandard Chartered Bank in Leeds. Later, hewas international trade area manager atBarclays in the city before joining HBOS in 2003to lead the Yorkshire and North East tradeteam.

Yorkshire Bank’s West Yorkshire FSC, whichalso covers Kirklees and Calderdale, has 45staff covering corporate banking, private wealthmanagement, treasury services and credit andoperates a traditional method of banking withfunding from deposits used to supportinvestments in the local community.

LiquidAccounts

Chris Eccles

ONLINE accounting softwarespecialist Liquid Accounts hasappointed Chris Eccles ascommercial director.

Mr Eccles (pictured) joinsthe award-winningLongwood-based company tostrengthen the sales teamfollowing an injection of newinvestment in the businessearlier this year. He will workclosely with managing director Matt Holmes.

Mr Eccles, who is based in Bolton, spent 10years as an accountant in industry before alove of technology led him to move into ITsales. He built up his own software business,which he sold in 2006 and remained itsmanaging director for another two years. Sincethen, he has held a number of board levelroles, including selling a specialist softwarecompany to account giant Sage.

In his spare time, he helps his wife run anarrow boat hire business.

Winning line fortelecoms firm!A TELECOMS company in Brig-house has triumphed on the nationalstage.

Abzorb, which offers mobilephones, fixed lines, phone systems andnetwork services for individuals andbusinesses, was among the winners atthe CNA Comms National Awards,which were held before an audience of600 Business people at London’s ParkLane Hilton.

The company won the Mobile Dis-tributor of the Year Award in compet-ition with all UK-based telecomscompanies.

Abzorb was nominated as a finalistbefore being announced as winners atthe prestigious awards ceremony.

Abzorb sales director Faruk Aminsaid: “The CNA Comms NationalAwards recognise and reward excel-lence in the supply and implementa-t i o n o f i n n o v a t i v e u n i f i e dcommunications solutions to endusers.

“Now in their ninth year, the awardsare regarded as the ‘Oscars' of the ICTchannel. The awards have developed

an undisputed reputation and beingnominated is a huge accolade initself.

“Winning, of course, is every chan-nel company’s goal and the nationalrecognition and integrity of the awardsmeans the kudos gained is truly signi-ficant.”

Mr Amin said Abzorb, which hasbeen in business for 15 years, had set atarget for achieving turnover ofbetween £25m and £30m by 2012across its UK operations.

He said: “Abzorb’s success has beenidentified by the leading mobile andfixed line telecommunication industry,allowing us to transfer the benefits ofour specially acquired status directlyon to our clients we are service.

“We are providers for both BT andVodafone, who are number one in theirrespective sectors.

“We have also built a devoted teamof trained specialists to provide expertassistance in every section of telecomsand the highest level of attention toour customers’ needs.”

View at theFrontlineA FIRM providing software for motordealers has enlisted a Kirklees-basedmarketing agency to help it win morebusiness.

Frontline Solutions has embarked onan initial 12-month strategy withaward-winning Birstall-based FantasticMedia.

The strategy will focus on re-brandingFrontline Solutions and its main product,DealTrak123. Fantastic has alreadyupdated the Frontline website andcreated the stand-alone DealTrak123website.

Following that, Fantastic has beenworking closely with Frontline to carryout targeted public relations and digitalmarketing campaigns to raiseawareness of the DealTrak123 system.

Andy Shuter, managing director ofFrontline Solutions, said: “We aredelighted with the work that Fantastichas carried out so far.

“The targeted DealTrak123 websitehas dramatically increased interest inthe system and generated new leads forus. With the help of Fantastic I amlooking forward to continuing to expandthe business and attract newcustomers.”

DealTrak123 uses the latesttechnology to link with a vast array ofindustry suppliers – allowing motordealers to send proposals to chosenlenders quickly and efficiently. Thesystem automatically checks that theuser has gathered the minimum detailsrequired for each lender and displays aneasy to understand list of thoseavailable based on that information.

The DealTrak123 system is beingused daily in dealerships UK-wide.

LNT GroupPatrick Allen

A GROUP owned byBatley-based tycoon LawrenceTomlinson has appointed aformer director of marketing atThe Co-op to a new role.

Patrick Allen (pictured) willhead a new team promoting theLeeds-based LNT Group’s fivemain companies, which includecar manufacturer Ginetta, IdealCare Homes and LNTConstruction. Mr Allen’s remit will see himunveil a streamlined new look for all of the fivebrands, in some cases with new names –uniting them all under the LNT Group.

Mr Allen, 47, joined The Co-op in 2004 andwas behind a £10m award winning advertisingcampaign which marked the completion of itscorporate re-branding project.

He headed a 450-strong team which alsohelped the retailer achieve the ranking of sixthmost valuable retail brand in 2009. Mr Allenwas also voted Marketer of the Year in 2010 byDrum Magazine.

He’s leader of the fan club

COMPANY director Mark Jones (above)is leader of the fan club.

The managing director ofHuddersfield-based industrial fanmanufacturer Woodcock & Wilson Ltdhas been elected chairman of the UK’sFan Manufacturers Association – andbrings more than 30 years industrial fanexperience to the role.

The appointment marks a change forthe FMA, whose chairmen in recenttimes have all been from thecommercial sector. While the industrialand commercial sectors have their owndifferent interests, there are manyissues and topics that have a bearingon both.

Energy efficiency has become amajor focus for FMA members. Topicsprompting heated debate include newEuropean Union regulations on fanefficiency and the ISO standard onefficiency classification of fans.

Said Mr Jones: “I am honoured tohave been elected as chairman of theFMA.

“These are interesting times foreveryone in the industry, but alsochallenging whatever the size and typeof fan manufacturer.

“Given the fact that fans are essentialto almost all industries, raising theprofile of the FMA and the members willbe a priority. I am also very muchlooking forward to progressing matterson the energy efficiency agenda, whichwill have an impact on all ourmembers.”

Woodcock & Wilson, based atCrosland Hill, specialise in high qualitybespoke-designed fans for an extensiverange of applications, including heatingand ventilation, air pollution control,petrochemical, offshore and processengineering. Its products are sold allover the world.

■ TELECOM TEAM: Abzorb managing directorMike Walsh (right) with (from left) sales directorFaruk Amin and director Steve Beeby with theaward made to the Brighouse company