KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees6, March, 2012

INSIDE

● Full story - Page 8

● Full story - Page 7

ANGELA THOMPSON

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Repor t ing r ules change

Co lumn - Page 4

An EXAMINER publication

Firm’s stillstandingHOLMFIRTH firm Black56 Design completed amajor assignment atone of the UK’s biggestevents.The company wasappointed to designand construct a 288sqmetres stand forgiftware importerWiddop Bingham’sappearance at theInternational SpringFair held at the NEC inBirmingham.

Housing‘the key’SUPPORT forhousebuilding is thebest way forChancellor GeorgeOsborne to help theGovernment createjobs and boost theeconomy, claims theFederation of MasterBuilders.FMB director BrianBerry said action wasneeded to meet risingdemand for newhomes, help first-timebuyers struggling toget on the housingladder and encouragetake-up of the GreenDeal energy savingprogramme.

WILL MORRISFTSE 100-36 .31

5874.82

exam

iner

.co.

uk Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

Pie company has the right recipe for successA FOOD manufacturing busi-n e s s i n H u d d e r s f i e l d i swell-placed for future growthfollowing investment in the busi-ness and a link-up with anotherlocal firm.

AJ Pies & Pastries, based atLockwood, has invested in newequipment at its Queen’s MillRoad premises and has alsogained grade A British RetailConsortium accreditation forfood safety.

The company, has alsorecruited a new managementteam, including technical andsales professionals, and haslinked up with Slaithwaite-basedsearch and selection businessBroad Oak Solutions.

Broad Oak managing directorPaul Mulcock has been workingwith Andrew Jones, businessdevelopment manager for AJ Pies& Pastries, on the recruitmentprocess.

Said Paul: “It’s been a veryrewarding challenge to recruit thenew teams in place at AJ Pies &Pastries in addition to the largerfast-moving consumer goods busi-nesses we work with nationwide.

“We are pleased to contribute tothe growth of a local business,especially one which is so cher-ished in the region.

“By planting great people intotheir business, we have ensuredthat the foundations are in placeon which to further grow the AJ

Pies & Pastries business and brandin the coming months.”

The company has enjoyed abusy Christmas period – with itspork pies flying off the shelves ofretailers and other outlets acrossthe region. Now the business ispreparing its next stage of devel-opment – with further factoryinvestment and other commercialprojects lined up.

Paul said: “AJ Pies’ combina-tion of great product range, thepassion and commitment of aloyal work force and the willing-ness to continually invest in peopleand plant is a recipe for success.I’m delighted to have played a partin their ongoing and deserved suc-cess.”

■ UPPER CRUST: Andrew Jones (left), businessdevelopment manager for AJ Pies and Pastries Ltd;and Paul Mulcock, of Broad Oak Solutions

Galloping ahead inthe export stakesMEMBERS of the Saudi royal familyhold a Huddersfield company in highregard – for helping them pursue theirmain sporting passion.

For the past two years, logisticsspecialist Lombard Shipping plc,which operates seven depots in the UKand Ireland, has ensured that a vastrange of equine products arrive safelyand on time at the stables of KingAbdullah in the Saudi capital Riy-adh.

These range from horse feed andmedicines to wood chippings and evena forklift truck.

The company, with offices atFitzwilliam Street near Huddersfieldtown centre, co-ordinates the shipmentof products to the stables from aroundthe world – not only to the king butalso to a vast equestrian centre built bya close family member.

The firm’s detailed knowledge of theglobal logistics scene has ensured thatLombard Shipping has seen enviablelevels of stability and growth duringthe downturn.

Lombard Shipping has been closelyassociated with Saudi Arabia for 15years. The company handles all trans-portation for a giant multi-millionpound Saudi-based company as well

as other businesses in the kingdom.But its customer base extends to

every continent.“We’ve been dealing with Saudi

Arabia since 1997 and it’s just carriedon growing since then,” said directorAlan Foulkes.

“In places like Saudi, there has beenso much expansion that they needpeople like us who know the market.We pick up our business through wordof mouth and we often get recommen-ded by our main customer there.”

For the vast bulk of its clientele,L o m b a rd S h i p p i n g o ff e r s a nall-inclusive service.

After being issued with an invoicethe firm takes care of all logisticarrangements, charging an agencyfee.

The company, which uses Brad-ford-based Chamber International fordocumentation such as certificates oforigin, has long-standing customersacross the UK and worldwide,although none from the Yorkshirearea.

The firm, which was set up 25 yearsago, reported a “significant” upswingin business over the past couple ofyears while other businesses have beenstruggling to handle the downturn.

“The recession hasn’t affected us atall,” said office manager StevenJordan. “In fact, we’ve never beenbusier. And everyone we speak to fromfreight forwarders to engineering com-panies have been busy.

“Overall, business handled from theHuddersfield office has gone up by atleast 40% over the last two years.

“In shipping, there used to be lullsover holiday periods, but we haven’teven seen this for a few years.”

Industry’s sad legacy

■ HOLDING THE REINS: Alan Foulkes (left), director of Lombard Shipping,with office manager Steven Jordan

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICES

closed at

Local shares

FTSE

5874.82Down 36.31

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.40 dollarsBangladesh................. 121.57 takaBrazil.............................. 2.44 realsCanada....................... 1.49 dollarsChina ............................. 8.90 yuanCzech Republic ...... 27.20 korunasDenmark....................... 8.47 kroneEuro............................... 1.14 euroHong Kong................ 11.63 dollarsHungary ................... 311.37 forintsIndia.......................... 69.34 rupeesJapan........................... 122.06 yenMexico ....................... 18.00 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.78 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.47 kronePakistan.................. 135.25 rupeesPhilippines ................. 57.98 pesosSouth Africa.................. 11.17 randSouth Korea.............. 1539.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 181.70 rupeesSweden....................... 10.09 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.38 francsTaiwan ...................... 40.68 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.65 new liraUSA ............................ 1.51 dollars

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £33.14 -0.25Gannett 920.42 +3.65Hess Corp £40.32 -0.90Microsoft £20.02 -0.19Motors Liquidation 47.26Wal-Mart Stores £37.25 +0.07

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 3151/2 -2BAE Systems 308 -2Rolls-Royce 8181/2 -4

AIMBrady Plc 90Dawson Intl 15/8Man Brnze 291/2 -1/2

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 214 -43/8

BANKSBarclays 2527/8 -37/8HSBC 5585/8 -103/8Lloyds Banking Gp 351/2 -1/8Ryl Scotland 273/8 -5/8Stan Chart 1612 -131/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 15271/2 +23SABMiller £257/8 +1/8

CHEMICALSCroda £211/4 -1/4Elementis 98 1833/4 +71/2Johnsn Mat £223/4 -1/4

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 272 -7

Costain 201 +1/4

ELECTRICITYDrax Gp 503 -7Intl Power 3661/8 +5/8SSE 1315 +6

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 1793/4 +3/8

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 371 -33/8

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 2157/8 -3/4Cable & WirelessComm

341/8 -1/4

Cable & WirelessWwide

331/2 +1/2

Colt Group 993/4 +3/4KCOM 697/8 +1/8Talktalk Telecom 1433/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2871/4 -2Sainsbury 2941/8 -5/8Tesco 3163/4 -11/2

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1197 -1Tate Lyle 695 -3Unilever £201/2 +1/8

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3101/4 +41/8National Grid 649 +2Pennon Grp 725 -41/2Severn 1584 +3United Utils 621 +1/2

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 1957/8 -21/8ICAP 4007/8 -33/4London StockExch 905 -9Man Group 1483/8 -41/8Provident Financial 1126 -4Schroders 1567 -22Schroders NV 1233 -18

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 672 -18REXAM 412 -31/4Smiths Grp 1070 -11

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 22Carphone Whse 174 -1/2Dixons Retail 151/4 -3/8Home Retail 103 -11/4Inchcape 373 -53/4Kingfisher 2821/4 -33/8M & S 3591/4 -11/4Mothercare 218 -11/2Next £271/2WH Smith 534 -10

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 6161/2 -10

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 847/8 +17/8Barrat Dev 143 -41/8Persimmon 643 -111/2Reckitt Benckiser £351/4 +3/8Taylor Wimpey 473/8 -21/4

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGI M I 974 -17

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 3025/8 -193/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 2033/8 -3/4

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 3673/8 -31/4Lgl & Gen 1213/4 -3/8Old Mutual 1605/8 -1/2Prudential 720 -71/2Resolution 2667/8 -23/4Standard Life 236 -3/8

MEDIABSkyB 683 -2D Mail Tst 4293/4 -101/4ITV 857/8 -15/8Johnston Press 75/8 -1/4Pearson 1206 -2Reed Elsevier 5381/2 -3STV Group 105 -21/8Trinity Mirror 45 -3/4Utd Business 588 -3UTV 139 +41/8WPP 812 -16Yell Group 45/8 +1/8

MININGAnglo American £253/4 -3/4Antofagasta 1292 -42BHP Billiton 1971 -591/2Eurasian NaturalRes

675 -24

Fresnillo 1832 -64Kazakhmys 9511/2 -481/2Lonmin 1068 -32Rio Tinto £341/4 -13/8

VEDANTARESOURCES

1400 -54

Xstrata 11371/2 -59MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 4681/8 -123/4Vodafone Group 171 +1/2

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1044 -15RSA Insurance Gp 1107/8 -1/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 15151/2 -71/2BP 5045/8 +81/8Cairn Energy 332 -47/8Royal Dutch Shell A £223/4 -1/8Royal Dutch Shell B £231/8 -1/4

Total £351/4 -1/8Tullow Oil 1457 -49

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1109 +3Petrofac 1595 +21Wood Gp(J) 7631/2

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1436 -3

PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGYAstrazeneca £283/8 +1/4GlaxoSmithK XD 141/2Shire £221/8

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 4743/4 +3/4Captl Shop Cent 3361/8 -13/4Hamrsn 4013/8 -21/4Land Secs 6911/2 +2SEGRO 2411/2

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESInvensys 2017/8 -21/2Logica 891/8 +1/4Misys 335 +187/8Sage Group 307 -11/2

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 5211/2 +31/2Bunzl 9601/2 -1Capita 757 +21/2De La Rue 9481/2 -5Electrocomp 2443/8 -61/8Experian 931 -11/2G4S 2863/8 -21/4Hays 831/2 -3/4Homeserve 219 -7/8

Menzies J 587 -3Rentokil 751/8 -7/8Smiths News 94 -1/4Wolseley £241/4 -1/2

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 5431/2 -101/2Psion 551/8 +43/8Spirent Comms 150 -6

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £32Imperial Tobacco £253/8 +1/8

LEISURE & HOTELSBwin.Party Digital 160 -21/8Carnival 1869 -52Compass Grp 640 +4easyJet 4413/8 -21/2Enterprise Inns 53 -1FirstGroup 2891/8 -2Go-Ahead Gp 1295 -5Greene King 502 +1/2Intercontl Htls 1441 -6Intl Cons AirlinesGp

1651/8 -21/4

Ladbrokes 1513/4 -23/4Mitchells & Butlers 2625/8 -51/4Natl Express 240 +11/4Rank Org 1353/8 -21/2Stagecoach Group 2673/4 -23/4TUI Travel 198 -21/8Whitbread 1665 -7

INDEXFTSE 100 5874.82 -36.31

INDEXFTSE 250 11414.10 -124.33

Carclo 3411/2 -6Marshalls 103 -1/4National Grid 649 +2Weir Gp 1939 -95

ONLINE grocer Ocado said its oper-ational problems were largely behindit as it looks to focus on driving salesgrowth this year.

The retai ler, which deliversWaitrose and its own products tomuch of the UK, is looking to bounceback from a loss of £2.4m in 2011after it struggled with capacity con-straints at its Hatfield distributioncentre.

Renewed optimsim meant sharesclosed 0.8p higher at 103.8p as bettercapacity levels at Hatfield helped tolift gross sales by 11% to £162.1m forthe 12 weeks to February 19.

Chief executive Tim Steiner said:

“Evidence suggests we have largelyovercome the operational challengeswe faced in expanding our Hatfieldcapacity in the second half of 2011and are set to meet growing demandthrough the rest of the year.”

He said Ocado expects to see anacceleration in sales growth as theyear progresses.

The average order size for the 12week period was £115.49, down from£118.06 a year earlier, but the averagenumber of orders per week increasedby 13.4% to 116,987.

A second distribution centre atDordon, Warwickshire, is due to openin the early part of next year.

Ocado looks to the futurePADDY Power increased its annualprofits by 16% as it vowed to ensureit is within the “big-get-bigger” cat-egory of bookmakers.

The Dublin-based firm, which hasdoubled its UK estate to 165 shopsin the last two years, said it was aperiod of “game-changing” develop-ments for the industry, particularlyin online betting and new markets.

Paddy Power boosted its numberof online customers in the UK by50% to 710,043 and said profits frominternet betting rose by 29% to£61.9m – despite investment costsand less favourable results.

Almost half of its online sports-book customers used smartphones

to place their bets last month.Across the group, Paddy Power

took £3.8bn of wagers last year, anincrease of 19% on the World Cupyear in 2010, while pre-tax profitswere up to £101m.

Chief executive Patrick Kennedysaid that with only 9% of the £238bnglobal gambling market currentlyonline, there was significant scopefor continued strong marketgrowth.

He said that scale will be apre-requisite to take advantage ofthe opportunities. “Put simply, weare determined that Paddy Powerwill be in the ’big-get-bigger’ seg-ment of operators,” he said.

SHARES in oil giant BP rose sharplyafter its £4.9bn deal with 110,000 busi-nesses and individuals over the Deep-water Horizon disaster.

The leading blue-chip closed 8.1p or2% higher at 504.6p as City analystssaid the out-of-court settlement worth7.9bn US dollars was less than expectedand a crucial step towards removinguncertainty over the business.

The US Department of Justice is stillbringing a federal negligence caseagainst BP following the explosion inApril, 2010, which killed 11 workersand caused millions of barrels of oil toleak into the Gulf of Mexico.

If BP is found grossly negligent itcould be fined as much as £11bn underthe Clean Water Act.

Investec Securities analyst StuartJoyner said: “Despite the tough rhet-oric, the hope will be that the govern-ment will now settle.

“BP can now argue to have (prettymuch) completed the remediation andcompensation process to the environ-ment and individuals.

“We suspect it is not in the WhiteHouse’s interest to drag the process outto the US general election and bey-ond.”

BP thrashed out an agreement withthe Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee lateon Friday night in one of the largestever class-action settlements.

It expects the money to come fromthe £12.6bn compensation fund that itset up following the worst spill in UShistory.

BP chief executive Bob Dudley said:“From the beginning, BP stepped up tomeet our obligations to the communit-ies in the Gulf Coast region and we’veworked hard to deliver on that commit-ment for nearly two years.

“The proposed settlement represents

significant progress toward resolvingissues from the Deepwater Horizonaccident and contributing further toeconomic and environmental restora-tion efforts along the Gulf Coast.”

In addition to the legal action fromthe Department of Justice, BP facesaction from the states of Alabama andLouisiana and from its partners on the

rig.A trial in the case that was due to

start on Monday has been postponedindefinitely to allow BP to finalise itsdeal with the PSC.

BP had been due in the dock in NewOrleans alongside contractors Hal-liburton and Transocean as a singlejudge decided who was to blame forwhat happened when the rig exploded.All the companies are in dispute witheach other over their liability to eachother.

The 2010 spill soiled sensitive tidalestuaries and beaches, killed wildlifeand closed vast areas of the Gulf tocommercial fishing for months.

Dispersants and siphoning equip-ment and other methods were success-ful in getting rid of much of the oil inthe ocean, but some environmentalistsbelieve oil beneath the surface couldreturn one day to Gulf shores.

THE boss ofcommodities giantGlencore became one ofthe biggest earnersamong London’s top 100companies after hepicked up a dividendworth £69m.

Chief executive IvanGlasenberg, who ownsroughly 1.1bn shares or a15.5% stake, will receivethe bumper award afterthe company unveiled itsfirst full-year dividend of6.9p a share in itsmaiden set of annualresults as a publiccompany.

The Swiss-basedcompany, which floatedon the London StockExchange last year, isone of the world’s largestcommodities traders withbig operations in wheat,iron ore, copper, zinc andoil.

Mr Glasenberg, thegroup’s largest investorwho gets a £925,000salary, became a paperbillionaire with a stakeworth £6bn when the firmlisted on the FTSE 100Index in London’s largeststock flotation to date.

Dividendbooster

Bookmaker bets on expansion

Shares soar afterBP’s disaster deal

■ SETTLEMENT: Investors havetaken heart by BP’s £4.9bn deal overthe Deepwater Horizon disaster

Sharessell-offDUNELM deputychairman Will Adderleyand his wife Nadine havesold 7.5m shares in thehome wares companyfounded by his parents.

The disposal, whichraised £36m, amounts to3.7% of the company andwill leave the Adderleyfamily in ownership of54.9% of the FTSE 250Index business, whichhas a store at theRingway Centre inHuddersfield.

closed at

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

Angela Thompson

Austin KempSolicitors

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Head of industrial dis-ease departmentFamily: Single mum with sonElliot, 16Holidays: I have been toNew York several times andplan to visit my mother inJamaicaCar: Renault MeganeFirst job: During the summerholidays packing Christmascards and gift tags at DecoPakin BrighouseBest thing about job: I lovehelping my clients get a goodresultWorst thing about job:There can be a lot of paper-workBusiness tip: You knowyou’re on the road to success ifyou would do your job and notbe paid for it

Work: Legal servicesSite: HuddersfieldPhone: 01484 483 033Email: www.austinkemp.co.ukWebsite: angela.thompson@austinkemp.co.uk

Legalangleon sadlegacy

THE building of Britain’sindustrial base came at a heavyprice.

While the country’s mills,factories and mines havegenerated wealth for the nationand employment for millionsover many decades, many ofthe people who worked therehave been left withlife-threatening conditions.

And the cost continues togrow. While it would be nice tothink that some of the worstindustrial diseases have beenconsigned to history – alongwith the cloth caps and clogs –the reality is very different, aslawyer Angela Thompsonknows only too well.

“There are still a lot ofindustrial disease claims,” shesays. “Many of these cases –such as asbestos-relateddiseases – have their origins30, 40 or even 50 years agowhen the people involved mayhave had only a slight exposureto asbestos and there may havebeen no problems for manyyears.

“The number of cases isincreasing because of this longlatency period.

“In particular, you see a lot ofcases where old buildings havebeen renovated or people doingelectrical work were not awarethat they were drilling intoasbestos.

“There has even been a caseof a teacher who came intocontact with the material simplybe disturbing small amounts ofasbestos dust when stickingdrawing pins into the wall at herschool.”

Angela hopes that suchhigh-profile cases – and othersrelating to issues such asRepetitive Strain Injury,Vibration White Finger and theguarding of machinery – willencourage employers who arelax about health and safety toadhere to the regulations.

“Some companies are notstrict about enforcing theregulations in the workplace,”she says.

“I have dealt with quite a fewcases where the company hasgone on to be prosecuted. Inone case, we had threeemployees who had all sufferedsevere hand injuries on windingmachines in the same factory.”

Says Angela: “A lot ofconditions are preventable. Forinstance, as long ago as the1970s, employers have knownthat using pneumatic drills andjack hammers can have adamaging effect on theoperator.

“They should have beenmonitoring how much timepeople were using thatequipment and making regularchecks on them.

“Vibration White Finger canbe quite disabling. One clientwho worked on the roads sinceleaving school had VWF quitebadly by his mid-20s. In thecold, his hands would turnnumb and he would get painfulpins and needles in his fingers.He was unable to continue hisjob or work outdoors.

“Some people are so badlyaffected, they cannot tie theirshoelaces or they have troubledoing up buttons and handlingchange.”

Angela says she gets greatsatisfaction from acting forclaimants and their families –and getting them a good result.“I am the type of solicitor whodoes get involved,” she admits.

“I do a lot of hand-holding and Ilike to be there for my clients. It’sparticularly important where youare dealing with a case for afamily where someone has died.

“I have clients who I acted foryears ago and I still see themand we will stop for a chat.That’s what makes it allworthwhile.”

Angela, who heads thenewly-formed industrialdiseases department atHuddersfield law firm AustinKemp, says she always knewwhat career she wanted topursue – even as a child.

She was born in Huddersfield,but her family moved fromCowlersley to Brighouse whenshe was still small. Angela wenton to attend Brighouse GirlsGrammar School.

“From a very young age, Iknew I wanted to be a lawyer,”she says. “My mum said I usedto watch Crown Court ontelevision and all the othercourtroom dramas. I alwaysknow that was the career forme.”

Angela studied law atStaffordshire University. “Ialways felt I would be working in

criminal law because I foundthat very interesting,” she says.“I did some work experiencewith a law firm in Dewsbury andthat meant going to DewsburyMagistrates Court and BradfordCrown Court. I thought that waswhat I would do.”

Angela went on to completeher legal practice course atHuddersfield University and gota position as a paralegal at JackThornley & Partners inHuddersfield. Her job was toassist the solicitors with theircases.

She says: “There was nothingyou weren’t involved in.Thornleys dealt with personalinjury claims on behalf of tradeunions and their members.

“We had what we called “fasttrack” and “multi-track”departments. Fast track was forlower value, less complicatedclaims while multi-track, where Iworked, dealt with high value,complex claims, includingindustrial disease cases.

“We dealt with everything fromfatal accident or brain injurycases to asbestos-relatedillnesses and all kinds ofoccupational and industrial

diseases.”Angela spent more than seven

years at the firm before joiningDelta Legal in Stockport to helpdevelop a specialist industrialdisease department there.

She later moved to Colemans,a law firm located nearManchester United’s OldTrafford stadium, where shehandled a wide range of casesrelating to asbestos.

Angela later went to HilaryMeredith to work in the Cheshirefirm’s complex litigationdepartment.

But making a two-hourcommute from Huddersfieldeach morning to her office inWilmslow began to pall after afew years.

“I was looking for somewherecloser to home,” says Angela.“The location was a factor in myjoining Austin Kemp, but also thefact that this is a good role and anew challenge for me. I amheading a new department hereand looking to develop it further.”

Angela, who now lives inHolmfirth, also aims to getinvolved in Huddersfield’stight-knit professionalcommunity. “I am keen to startnetworking, to get out there andmake sure we are known,” shesays.

She also enjoys a certainchange of pace that working inher home town affords. “When Iwas at Wilmslow, it would take acouple of hours on the motorwayto get there,” she says. “And Iwouldn’t get home into 7.30pm.Now I have a 20-minute journeyto work I can get up now at thetime I used to be leaving home.”

Weekends are for relaxation,which means reading and music– although Angela is alsothinking about resuming salsaclasses.

“My musical tastes are prettyeclectic, but my first love inR&B,” she says. “I make themost of my weekends.”

■ NEW CHALLENGE: Angela Thompson, of Austin Kemp solicitors,based at the Media Centre, Huddersfield

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

Individuals • International • Charities • Financial AdvisersCourt of ProtectionMember firm of the London Stock Exchange. Member of NYSE Liffe.Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. InvestecWealth & Investment Limited is registered in England. Registered No.2122340. Registered Office: 2 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QP.

Traditional valuesand modern methodsin Wealth & Investment

At Investec Wealth & Investment we offerexpertise and out of the ordinary levels ofpersonal service.

Our heritage extends as far back as 1827but our eyes are firmly fixed on your future.Located in 11 offices across the UK, we arewell placed to offer one-on-one insightand expert advice on your investments,pensions or other financial matters.

Please visit our website, call Simon Kayeon 0113 245 4488 or emailsimon.kaye@investecwin.co.uk

investecwin.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

Will Morris is risk management consultant at Wilby Ltd

RISKYBUSINESSWill Morris

Society triumphs againSAVERS have votedYorkshire Building Societytop of the high street – withthe award-winning mutualbeing named Best HighStreet Savings Provider inthe 2012 MoneyfactsConsumer Awards.

The Bradford-basedsociety, which has its rootsin Huddersfield and hasseveral branches around

the town, was also highlycommended in the FirstTime Buyer MortgageBuyers’ Choice category.

The award followsseveral others alreadypresented to the Yorkshirethis year.

The society said: “Thisaward means we are seenas a market leadingsavings provider.”

IT investmentfor ShackletonsA FURNITURE maker based inDewsbury has completed asix-figure upgrade of its IT systemsShackletons, which designs andmanufactures furniture for olderpeople, care homes and hospitalsappointed JMC to install a newplanning system to handle thecompany’s increasing orders.The company, which has itsheadquarters at Weaving Lane and ashowroom at Batley, has seen a 20%growth in orders over the past threeyears and plans to achieve acontinuous year-on-year increase of5%.Shackletons owner Martyn Higginssaid the firm needed a new ITsystem to support its expansionplans and replace its existing11-year-old system.Paul McCreanney, of JMC, said:“We’re delighted to have won thiscontract against significantcompetition. We look forward todeveloping a close relationship withShackletons as their IT partner andhelp them to continue to build ontheir success.”Manchester-based JMC specialisesin providing IT and software supporto help businesses drive forward.

Technology ona shoestring!MARKETING strategies fortechnology-related businessesacross Kirklees come into focus aa seminar this week.The event, “Shoestrings andStraight lines: how to market atechnology product” takes placefrom 5pm to 7.30pm on Thursday athe Rose Bowl, Leeds MetropolitanUniversity.It has been organised by techmesh,the IT and telecomsbusiness-to-business network incollaboration with Mid Yorkshirebranch of the Chartered Institute ofMarketing and its TechnologyMarketing Interest Group (TMIG).Guest speakers include AndyPeterson, head of businessmarketing products andpropositions at KC Business; PaulLancaster, web developmentexecutive for Shell LiveWIRE, theUK’s biggest online community foryoung entrepreneurs; and RobHeerdegan, an online and strategicmarketing consultant.Huddersfield-based TMIG founderAndy Earnshaw said: “The groupwas formed to support marketersinvolved with all kinds of diversetechnology-based products andservices, for example IT,telecommunications and those inthe textile industry.“It always surprises businessesjust what techniques can betransferred from one product toanother, even to products outsidetechnology, which means thatanyone can learn from theseevents.”Contact the CIM on 01628 427340.

Firms must tackleinjury time issuesCHANGES in the Reporting

of Injuries, Diseases andDangerous Occurrences Reg-ulations 1995 come into effectnext month.

Subject to Parl iamentaryapproval on April 6, RIDDOR’s“over three day injury reportingrequirement” will change.

From then, the trigger point willincrease from over three days toover seven days incapacitation (notcounting the day on which theaccident happened).

Incapacitation means that theworker is absent or is unable to dowork that they would reasonablybe expected to do as part of theirnormal duties.

Employers and others withresponsibilities under RIDDORmust still keep a record of all “overthree day” injuries – if theemployer has to keep an accidentbook, then this record will beenough.

The deadline by which the “overseven day” injury must be reportedwill increase to 15 days from theday of the accident.

New guidance that explains thechanges is available from the HSEwebsite. The changes will be

reviewed after three years.Some key points to remember

regarding RIDDOR are:● In the event of a fatality or

major injury, you must report bythe quickest practicable means(e.g. telephone) and in writtenform within 10 days. This willincrease to 15 days following thechanges

● Written reports of accidentsshould be made on the HSE’sF2508 form

● Major injuries include frac-tures of bones other than fingers,thumbs or toes; amputation; dislo-cation of hip, knee or spine andany penetrating injury to the eye

● An employee with an injuryrequiring admittance to hospitalfor more than 24 hours is a majorinjury

● If a non-worker, such as a

member of the public, is injuredand is taken to hospital the event isreportable (regardless of the lengthof admittance to hospital)

● Dangerous occurrencesinclude collapse, overturning orfailure of load bearing parts of liftsand lifting equipment; explosionof any closed vessel or associatedpipework; plant coming into con-tact with overhead power lines.

To make reporting accidentseasier, a report can be made to theHSE’s Incident Contact Centre bycalling 0845 300 9923 or go towww.hse.gov.uk/riddor/index.htm

If in doubt, we would recom-mend that you submit a report. It isnot an offence to inform the ICCof non-reportable accidents, butfailure to report a reportable acci-dent is a breach of RIDDOR andcan result in a prosecution.

Sales hit top gearSPRING has brought asix-figure boost for anaward-winning camper vanfirm.

Shepley-basedWellhouse Leisure markednew registration day bydispatching eight newHyundai camper vanstotalling £280,000 tocustomers as far away asPortsmouth to Prestwick.

Managing director DavidElliott said: “Normally, wewould have a maximum oftwo vans going out in oneday, so eight is a bit of arecord.

“We even had two lots ofcustomers from Scotlandflying in to Manchester

airport to collect their newcamper. “it’s just great tobe building so many newcamper vans in such toughtimes – and as usual all ourvans sport the ‘Made inHuddersfield badge’.”

Wellhouse, a doublewinner in the 2010Examiner BusinessAwards, was alsorecognised when itsHyundai i800 camper vanwon the Motor CaravanAward at the 2012 CaravanIndustry Awards.

Mr Elliott set up DeepcarMotorhomes with his fatherin 1995 before launchingWellhouse Leisure in 2002.

?3E'9$97 8&AEA>&E" :7=B"9D( C=% E799!:97&9A>&A5 &A C=%7 B%(&A9(() #9 >EA 39":2

6E"" %( A=# 8=7 E >=A(%"'E'&=A 0.+-- ,+4++4###2B95B&9(!'7ECA=72>=D,* 6"E79 1=E;) /E"&8E!) /@ -/< *!+$)!" ,#%&('#

762-2)6-4 0/1+4%3* 9-2!62! 1$%/81& , )-25( *%% - "-8 #1/"-/'.

Can your business afford toignore Health & Safety?

With Competent Health andSafety advice from just £25a month you don’t need to

contact us today on01422 358525 or emailhealthandsafety@wilbyltd.co.uk

Wilby Risk Management offer a range ofservices including:

Competent Advice�Risk Assessments�Assistance with CHAS applications�

Thinking… outside the booksIt’s timeyou got morefrom your accountantadded value services include…

Tailored programme to maximise profitability

Tailored tax efficient solutions

Regular updates & support to help your business

FREE use of our facilities for your meeting

Support all day, every day

Call Freephone: 08000 32 32 03and quote KBN /1211 to give us the chance to help youachieve your goals, or contact us through our website at:-

www.walker-sutcliffe.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Simon Kaye is divisional director at Investec Wealth & Investment

CITYTALKSimon Kaye

for Shackletons

ade of its IT systems.

e homes and hospitals,

ving Lane and a, has seen a 20%

ee

ease of

gins

tionship withtner and

-based JMC specialisese support

echnology on

ocus at

y atopolitan

hmesh,

ed Institute of

aul

or

gic

ounder

oducts outside

Contact the CIM on 01628 427340.

Concorde deal decodedA LEADING IT group headed by formerbosses of a Birstall company hascompleted a key acquisition.

Concorde IT Group, based in Morley,has snapped up the business ofMidlands-based IT services companyEnigma Computer Services for anundisclosed sum.

Concorde IT chief executive ColinMeakin said the move would add£500,000 in revenues to the existing£10m turnover of Concorde. All thedirectors and staff of Enigma havetransferred to Concorde.

Said Mr Meakin: “We are delighted tohave acquired this business. The mix ofservice contracts and consultancyperfectly fits our business model. Thelocation provides us with great access to

the Midlands and South East andcomplements our existing locations inthe North East, the North West and theSouth.”

Mr MEakin said: “Our business sawimpressive growth in 2011 and we tookthe time to strengthen our managementteam and systems to cope with moreacquisitions. The acquisition of Enigmais the first one in 2012 – we are alreadyexamining a number of otheropportunities.”

Concorde IT Group was acquired by amanagement team led by Mr Meakin,former group sales director ofBirstall-based ICM Computer Group plc.The management team is chaired byBarry Roberts, former chief executive atICM.

■ PERFECT FIT: ColinMeakin, of Concorde IT

Spring bringssigns of hopeTHE signs of spring are

everywhere in investmentmarkets.

From the start of December toValentine’s Day, global equities (asmeasured by the Morgan StanleyWorld Index in dollars) have ralliedby 8%.

The recovery in risk appetites islargely attributable to an unexpec-ted outbreak of harmony in theeurozone, triggered by the actions ofthe European Central Bank in step-ping up to its responsibilities aslender of last resort to the Europeanbanking system, preventing theeurozone recession from becoming adepression with global ramifica-tions.

The new ECB presidency hasgained the rapid respect of marketprofessionals in other ways too – byengineering a “pact of silence”around its actions (gagging thepoliticians), by moving to reducepolicy interest rates and by clearlysupporting the broad thrust of the“Merkozy” plan to tackle the root ofthe crisis with treaty reform.

With Italy also making unexpec-tedly impressive strides towardsimplementing credible structuralreforms under the temporary stew-ardship of Mario Monti’s techno-cratic government, a key risk factorfor undermining any progress hasbeen unexpectedly subdued.

Aside from less turbulent invest-ment weather in general, thesedevelopments are leading to dis-tinctly healthier vital signs becom-ing visible within the markets, onesuch being the performance of theshares of European Financial com-panies. These (at least the shares ofso called “national champions”)have been remarkably resilient evenin the face of two looming dead-lines.

Specifically, the deadlines for rais-ing bank capital to “stress tested”

levels prescribed by the EuropeanBanking Association for mid-yearand more immediately, the deadlinefor Greece to receive additionalfunds to avoid default on interestpayments due on March 20 would inthe past both have caused markedweakness.

However, the sanguine accept-ance by investors in these companiesof the heightened tensions sur-rounding the re-rescue of Greece,during which it has become increas-ingly clear that there is now a realwillingness among some countriesto force bankruptcy upon them (andthus almost inevitably ejection fromthe euro) is highly notable. It sug-gests that there is now a belief (ajustified one in my view) that thesystem could stand such a “shock”and possibly (whisper it quietly) likea plant pruned in spring, may evenbenefit from the removal of thedeadwood.

The sources of the new season’spositive developments are not lim-ited to Europe, however, althoughthe evident decline in systemic riskshere has certainly made it easier toappreciate economic “green shoots”elsewhere.

The twin engines of global growth(emerging markets and the USA)are both delivering good data, withstronger employment trends inAmerica a particularly encouragingfeature.

The potential for the US to

provide an “upside surprise” hasbeen increased by better trends inthe housing market. Stabilisationhere could reverse the simultaneousundermining of consumer confid-ence and of the banks’ capital basesthat have had such a corrosive effecton growth over the past five years.

With an extension of the period ofhigh profitability being enjoyed byglobal corporations lookingincreasingly likely, with cheap finan-cing also widely available, anupsurge in M&A activity is also inprospect as a revenge of the optim-ists.

So what is preventing investorsfrom wholeheartedly embracingrisk?

There are three sources of con-cern. Firstly, our own view on theafter-effects of a disorderly defaultin Greece is certainly not universallyheld. Secondly, many respected eco-nomists believe that we are underes-timating the cyclical risk that comesfrom increased fiscal drag occurringin both Europe and the US this year.Finally there is a legitimate fear of asudden political “frost” that couldscorch the new growth – emanatingeither in Europe, or more unpredict-ably through the choke-hold of oilprices, from the Middle East.

These issues can not be ignored,but market action suggests thatinvestors are increasingly inclined toback a positive outcome.

Who will be the nextBusiness of the Month?If you are proud of what your business has achieved;why not tell us about your success storyand you could be a winner of ourprestigious award.

For further details please contact:Ian Greenwood, Eaton Smith Solicitors,14 High Street, Huddersfield HD1 2HA

T: 01484 821389 E: iangreenwood@eatonsmith.co.uk

Business Of The Month Awards - Rewarding Success Since 1995

This seminar is a must for businesses wishing to control their cash flow andsave on expensive legal fees.This course will offer tips on the debt collecting process and provideinformation and ideas by an experienced litigator who has been qualified forover twenty years.This course will deal with collecting debts, issuing court proceedings right up toenforcement of a court judgement.

1) Huddersfield 09.30 to 12.30 14/05/2012

2) Leeds 09.30 to 12.30 21/05/2012

L.S

CREDIT CRUNCH – Collect YourDebts Without Using a Lawyer

Legal Solutions, 53 Carrside Crescent, Batley,West Yorkshire,WF17 7JWTel: 01924 473 021 Mobile: 07949 854 415Email: baser2@btinternet.comCourse will be presented by an experienced lawyer and legal adviser.

Legal Solutions

RATE - £200.00 (plus VAT at £40.00) – Opportunity to network after the eventThe price includes refreshments, documentation and administration.

COURSE DETAILSIntroductory/Intermediate

(venues to be confirmed)

Your first-hand experience of being in business could benefitsomeone who is about to set-up on their own.All we need is one hour every fortnight. It’s not a lot butyou could make a huge difference to someone else’s life.MYMentor is a network of people from all backgroundssupporting jobseekers in Kirklees who want to beself-employed.

www.mycci.co.ukConnecting & Supporting Business

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

Builders pleato ChancellorCHANCELLOR George Osborneshould look to housing to support theGovernment’s growth and jobs agendain his forthcoming Budget, accordingto the Federation of Master Builders.

Director Brian Berry said theFMB’s recent report, Tackling theHousing Crisis, revealed that by 2015demand for housing will outstrip sup-ply by more 500,000 homes.

First time buyers were still strug-gling to get on the housing ladder andthe impact of this had resulted in fewerhomes being built despite the pent updemand.

Said Mr Berry: “Clearly, more needsto be done to help those currentlystruggling to purchase their own home– which is why we are calling on theGovernment to reverse its decision toreduce the Stamp Duty threshold forfirst time buyers from the end ofMarch.”

He added: “As well as measures tosupport growth in the house buildingindustry, the chancellor must providemore businesses with the confidence torespond to the forthcoming GreenDeal energy saving programme.

“We know the market for upgradingour existing homes to make themgreener and more energy efficient ispotentially worth billions to the UKeconomy.

“Therefore, the Government mustensure the £200m Green Deal incent-ive fund is used to drive demand and

enable the market to grow.”Said Mr Berry: “Currently, con-

sumer confidence in the economy isrock bottom and the home improve-ment market is suffering as a result.

“For the Green Deal to be a success,the Government must use the incent-ive fund to help households that takepart early on in the programme torepay the Green Deal charge on theirelectricity bills.”

Mr Berry said the FMB also calledon the Government to introduce thereduced rate of 5% VAT for all homeenergy efficiency installations to sup-port the Green Deal.

Recent research commissioned bythe FMB suggested this change wouldcome at a relatively small cost to theTreasury and would help to achieve anumber of environmental, economicand social policy objectives.

■ BUILDING PLAN: Chancellor George Osborne (above, left) has beenurged by Brian Berry (right), director of external affairs at the Federation ofMaster Builders, to make housebuilding a central plank of his strategy to boostjobs and economic growth

Call to delay stamp dutyESTATE agency franchise operatorHunters Property Group has urgedthe government to delayre-introducing stamp duty forproperties under £250,000.

Kevin Hollinrake, managing directorof the group, which has a franchisedoutlet at John William Street inHuddersfield, warned that first-timebuyers will find it almost impossible toget on the property ladder if thestamp duty exemption is scrappedthis month.

He said: “The government’sannouncement regarding stamp dutyconcessions came as an unwelcomesurprise to the property sector.First-time buyers are already at an all

time low, accounting for less than10% of the market and reintroducingstamp duty for properties below£250,000 will further reduce thisdiminishing market to almostextinction.

“The property sector recognisesthat the concessions might not havehad the desired affect in stimulatingadditional demand, but it did providesome help to first-time buyers whoare already suffering from thereluctance of lenders to finance theirfirst home.

“The re-introduction of stamp dutycould force thousands of people topostpone their dream of buying theirown home. There needs to be some

support for those struggling to get onthe property ladder.”

Mr Hollinrake said: “Ultimately,individuals looking to purchase theirfirst home will be the most affected bythe re-introduction of stamp duty onproperties under £250,000, but thereis likely to be a knock-on effect onthose sectors that rely heavily onfirst-time buyers such as furniture andhomeware suppliers.”

Hunters Property Group is in thefinal stages of an extensive rebrand of90 offices nationwide following itsacquisition of the Bairstow Evesbrand from Countrywide lastSeptember.

Yorkshire farmland in big demand

Orchard picks outnew HQ buildingA COMPANY advisingbusinesses on energymanagement has establisheda new national head office inElland after acquiringpremises in the town.The new building, ClaytonHouse in Park Road, will be aflagship base for the rapidlyexpanding Orchard Energy,which advises businesses onenergy purchasing, efficiencyand compliance.Orchard Energy wasestablished in 2004 by GarethHenderson and now hasoffices in Brighouse,Bradford, Newcastle, Bristol,Cardiff and Glasgow. Furtheroffice openings in Aberdeen,Northampton and Surrey arein the pipeline.Mr Henderson, managingdirector, said UK growth hadresulted in a need to increasethe head count of theadministration, finance andsales support teams at headoffice in Yorkshire.“The acquisition of newclients and ongoingrecruitment meant we simplyoutgrew our previouspremises in Brighouse,” hesaid.The move to the Elland sitewas supported by Barclays

Business and will see allthree Orchard Groupbusinesses operate underone roof for the first time.Mr Henderson said: “OrchardEnergy has seen significantgrowth as businesses havelooked for ways to reduceoverheads in a tougheconomic climate but ourother businesses, OrchardEnvironmental and OrchardNetworks, have also beenexpanding and ClaytonHouse will become theheadquarters for the entireOrchard Group.”Stuart Stocks, seniorBarclays business manager,said: “We were able tosupport Orchard Energy withtheir expansion plans as theyare a growing business withan excellent managementteam and a strong productand brand.“It’s great to see a companythriving in the currenteconomic climate and welook forward to seeing thecompany go from strength tostrength.”Orchard’s previousheadquarters at Owler IngsRoad in Brighouse have beenretained and rented.

SURGING demand for commercialfarmland in Yorkshire saw pricesreach record levels for the secondconsecutive period.The latest Rural Land MarketSurvey from the Royal Institutionof Chartered Surveyors, showedthat the average price per acreincreased to £6,000 during thesecond half of the year. Farmlandin the region has now almostdoubled in value in the last fiveyears.This dramatic jump was driven by

growing interest from commercialfarmers looking to expand theirenterprises in order to capitaliseon the strength in commodityprices.A net balance of plus 50% ofchartered surveyors in the regionreported an increase in demand forcommercial land over the previous12 months, while demand forresidential farmland dropped awaysignificantly with a balance ofminus 63%.Nationally, all areas of Great Britain

experienced rising farmland pricesduring the second half of 2011 –with the exception of the NorthEast and Scotland. Farmland in theWest Midlands saw the strongestincrease in price.Dan Taylor, of estate agency CarterJonas, which has offices atSlaithwaite, said: “Agricultural landcontinues to be viewed as a safeasset class with strong demandbeing maintained, particularly fromcommercial farmers who aredriving the market.”

■ BIG MOVE: Orchard Group managing director GarethHenderson (left) with Stuart Stocks, senior Barclays businessmanager, at Orchard's Clayton House headquarters

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • AGENTS • CONSULTANT • ADVISOR

TRAFALGAR MILLS • LEEDS ROAD • HUDDERSFIELD • HD2 1YY

Queens Mill, Queens Mill Road, Huddersfield

Fieldhouse Park, Leeds Road, Huddersfield

Industrial Unit close to town centre.

The unit is a recent build and isfitted out accordingly.

Size 4,899 square feet.

Ideally situated just off the mainHuddersfield traffic network.

Unit is available for immediateoccupation. Incentives available onapplication, size 13,706 square feet.

Contact: Paul Andrew Walker Singleton 01484 477600Christine Eccleston MB Services 01484 557102

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 7AuctionsuccessPROPERTY agencyEddisons hailed a “verystrong” start to 2012after generatingproceeds exceeding£8.2m at its first two-dayauction of the year.Eddisons, which hasoffices in Huddersfield,said 112 of the 162 lotsoffered at the sale inLeeds and Manchesterfound buyers –representing a 69%success rate.Auctioneer Tony Webbersaid: “This was a verystrong performance tostart our auction year.“Although the marketremains price sensitive,there was a definitemood of quietconfidence amongbuyers who clearly camewith cash to invest orexternal funding in place,which meant many lotsgenerated multipleinterest.”Among the successfullots was a two-storeyoffice building with carparking at Aspley Marina,which was offered on theinstructions of BritishWaterways.The canalside propertygenerates rental incomeof £5,100 and sold for£67,000.

Persimmon makespositive start to 2012HOUSEBUILDER Persimmon is setto open three new developments inWest Yorkshire.

Wayne Gradwell, managing directorof Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire,delivered the update after his groupannounced “positive” financial res-ults.

York-based Persimmon posted a55% rise in underlying pre-tax profits£148.1m in 2011 against £95.5m theprevious year.

The group, which includes CharlesChurch and Westbury among itsbrands, generated £119m. Sales reven-ues rose to £1.54bn from £1.57bn.

Mr Gradwell said the increase inunderlying profits, strong cash flow andan announcement to return capital of£1.9bn to shareholders over the nextdecade put the company in anextremely strong position.

He said: “Persimmon’s strategy hasbeen to deliver improving operatingmargins, invest in high quality land,increase profitability and generate sur-plus cash to pay down debt. This hasproved very successful on all meas-ures.”

Mr Gradwell added: “The results are

further supported by an excellent startto 2012, with our weekly private salesrate per site about 22% ahead of theprior year in the first eight weeks of2012.

“We have a lot to look forward to in2012 as we continue to build on thegroup’s positive financial results.

“Demand for new build properties inWest Yorkshire remains strong follow-ing the opening of three new develop-ments in 2011 at Scissett, Pontefractand Penistone.

“In 2012, a further three PersimmonHomes developments will be opened inthe coming months in Leeds, Wakefieldand Bradford plus another develop-ment for our premier homes sisterbrand, Charles Church in Yeadon.

“We have also expanded our teamwith the appointment of a new seniordesign technician and developmentplanner to help strengthen our service,expertise and presence in West York-shire.

“Our job going forward in the com-ing months is to continue to buildquality properties in response to thegrowing appetite of home buyers acrossthe county.”

■ STRATEGY: Wayne Gradwell, ofPersimmon West Yorkshire

Void ratedeclinesRESEARCH by ParagonMortgages, thespecialist buy-to-letlender, has revealedthat void periods are ata two-year low.Landlords taking partin the quarterlyParagon Mortgages’PRS Trends surveyreported a steadydecrease in voidperiods from the firstquarter of 2009 to thefinal quarter of 2011.Last year saw thelowest void periodfigures for the past twoyears, with the averagetime a propertyremained empty being2.8 weeks. Thiscompares to anaverage of 3.2 weeks in2010 and 3.3. weeks in2009.Professional landlordsexperienced slightlyhigher void periods, onaverage 2.9 weeks in2011 – but they alsoachieved a decreasefrom 2009 when theaverage was 3.4 weeks.A void period is thelength of time that arental property isempty, usually inbetween tenancies.

www.michaelsteel.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Standing tall attop exhibitionA COMPANY designing exhibition standshas completed a major assignment at one ofthe UK’s biggest events.

Holmfirth-based Black 5 Design wasappointed to design and construct the standfor giftware importer Widdop Bingham’sappearance at the International Spring Fairheld at the NEC in Birmingham.

Black 5 Design managing director Chris-topher Smith said: “Over the years, we havebuilt stands and displays throughout country,but at 288sq metres this is the largest singleproject our company has managed and builtsince we began trading five years ago.

“The project took several months in plan-ning, design and the components took acouple of months to prepare and build and aweek to construct on site with our team of 12skilled people.

“We created around 20 themed selling areasusing a variety of materials, colours, finishesand graphics to break up the stand into moreinviting and welcoming display areas.

“We have worked closely with our customerWiddop Bingham over the years anddeveloped the stand to be one of the mostsuccessful selling platforms at the show.”

Said Mr Smith: “The International SpringFair is attended by tens of thousands of trade

buyers from around the UK and overseas andhas become the largest show held at the NECannually utilising all the halls.”

Black 5 Design is also geared up to supplysmaller displays. The company has providedequipment for clients exhibiting at localevents such as Emley Show and the BrightGreen Energy exhibition held at Holmfirth. Italso supplies a local creative learning theatregroup, which tours schools with a portableexpandable display kit to be used as a back-drop to performances.

Mr Smith studied art and design at Hud-dersfield Technical College and exhibitiondesign at Humberside University. He workedfor other exhibition companies for 18 years,designing exhibition stands for companiessuch as Filofax and Hozelock, until heformed Black 5 Design Ltd in 2007.

He said: “It was both difficult and dauntingsetting the company up from scratch in early2007, but we have managed to gradually growthe business and are now providing ourdisplay services to companies based all overthe UK. The last 12 months have been ourbusiest year to date, building several largeexhibition stands, supplying graphic displaykits in addition to supplying event cordcarpets to a whole host of customers.”

■ UNITED: Christopher Smith (left),of Black 5 Design Ltd, with StuartIllingworth, of Widdop Bigham

An offerthey can’trefuse!ORGANISERS of a majorbusiness conference haveturned to a Colne Valley firm tokeep delegates and exhibitorsup to date.

The Yorkshire Mafia, whichholds its two-day conferencenext month, has chosenGolcar-based text messagingspecialist SMileS SMS toprovide the SMS platform thatwill provide delegates andexhibitors with all the latestinformation they need to knowabout the event.

SMileS owner Mark Evans, along-standing member of TheYorkshire Mafia, said: “I love theconcept of The Yorkshire Mafia– about highlighting the strengthand breadth of abilities that liewithin Yorkshire.

“Since joining, I have beenintroduced to so many amazingpeople that I would havestruggled to get to know had itnot been for the vision andpassion of this group.

“Their ethos is very much inline with our own businessculture. Day-to-day we focus onworking with – and helping –fellow businesses in Yorkshire.”

The conference will be heldon March 21 and 22 at TheRoyal Armouries in Leeds. Morethan 150 businesses will exhibitwhile more than 3,000delegates will be able to attendseminars led by speakers ontopics such as business growthand social media.

Useful connectionsSTUDENTS from Huddersfield University arecelebrating after winning gold in a competitiondesigned to hone their business skills.

The final-year business undergraduates (pictured)were crowned champions of Fresh Connection, acompetition which helps to equip the students forentry into work by testing them with real-life scenariosaround supply chains.

The contest was organised by SCALA Consulting,based at the town’s Media Centre. Students who tookpart were following in the footsteps of company giantssuch as Mars, Unilever, Asda and Müller, who all useSCALA’s Fresh Connection as a businessdevelopment tool.

The winners received certificates and a cash prizefrom Bradford automotive supplier Borg Warner.

One of the winning students, Camille Peycelon,said: “The Fresh Connection game has been a great,challenging opportunity to work in a team and toconfront a real, competitive business situation.

“The simulation game allowed us to elaborate ourown business strategy, but most of all to think of allthe realistic and feasible supply chain tactics to adoptto make the business successful.

“The Fresh Connection has been a valuableexperience that made me even more aware of therelevance of communication and the understandingof the whole supply chain process.”

Fresh Connection is open to schools anduniversities, and businesses can sign up to theon-line competition or in-house training courses.

Business advicefrom speaker CarlBUSINESSMAN Carl Hopkins was guest speaker ata networking event in Brighouse.

The star of TV’s Secret Millionaire gave a talk tomore than 70 representatives of local firms at theBrighouse Link event, which was held at the town’sPrego restaurant on Huddersfield Road.

Carl spoke about the principles and steps he takesin all of his businesses to improve their chances ofsuccess.

The event included lunch, networking and abusiness card draw.

Brighouse Link, which is managed by localaccountancy firm Sleigh & Story, aims to provideadvice, training and networking opportunities for localenterprises.

Peter Sleigh, of Sleigh & Story, said: “Since thedemise of Business Link, businesses have struggledto obtain quality business advice.

“We have tried to fill that gap locally. We run amonthly networking event and we also ran our firstworkshop a few weeks ago.

“We intend to run regular workshops to providelocal businesses with training.”

■ TIME TO TALK: Speaker Carl Hopkins (left) withPeter Sleigh and Debbie Story, of Sleigh & Story, atthe Brighouse Link event

Aimed at companies that are looking to take the next step in their growthplans and develop international markets - but have so far had little or noexperience of exporting. Whether you’re a new start up business wantingto look overseas straight-away or a well established company that hassaturated the UK market, this event is for you. It will cover the export of bothproducts and services.

The workshop has been developed in conjunction withUK Trade & Investment, the UK government organisationthat helps UK based exporters succeed globally.

Join the Chamber and UKTI for thiscomprehensive introduction to exportingDate: 20 March 2012 Time: 09.30 - 12:30Venue: New Commerce House, 168 Westgate, Wakefield, WF2 9SR

To book your place visit ourwebsite at www.mycci.co.uk orcontact Tracy Smith 01924 311607Tracy.smith@mycci.co.uk

Are you ready to export?

Thisevent isfree toattend.