KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees23, August , 2011

INSIDE

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Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

MARK HANSON MARK DALTON

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Mistakes prove cost ly

Co lumn - Page 4

An EXAMINER publication

Charity onthe cardsA FIRM running theUK’s largest diners’club has chosenMacmillan CancerSupport as itspreferred charity for thesecond year running.Huddersfield-basedTastecard, whichallows 350,000members to save 50%on the food bill at 5,500partner restaurants,has set a target ofraising £50,000 for thecharity this year.

BuildinghandoverWORK to transform alandmark Huddersfieldbuilding has beencompleted. The formerHuddersfield ChristianFellowship building atNorthumberland Streetis now providing 57bedrooms and 11 flatsfor students.

FTSE 100+54.54

5095.30

Dealer celebratesits 30-year journeyA CAR dealership is celebrating 30years in business – having steered away through tragic times to emergestronger than ever.

When Tony Baines, founder andchairman of Longley Park KIA diedin 2008, the family business he estab-lished in 1981 was faced with anuncertainty future.

John Waite, managing director andTony’s stepson, who had been workingwith him for 26 years, said: “2008 wasa traumatic year. The future wasuncertain, business was tougher thannormal and we had to contend withthe start of a recession.

“But worse than all that, there wasno Tony Baines.

“Tony was a demanding boss. He sethigh standards, but he was alwaysupfront and true to his word. I learnt alot from him. Although I was up forthe challenge and confident in ourfantastic team, I was not relishing afuture without him.

“But on the back of this bleakpicture, things continued to go fromstrength to strength.

“Each year – 2009, 2010 and 2011 –

have been record-beaking years. Wehave seen massive growth in turnoverand won many new customers alongthe way. We have never sold so manycars!”

Mr Waite said the dealership’s suc-cess was also down to “a fabulousrange of cars as technically competentas any manufacturer, but also nowlooking fantastic, too”.

The dealer started with KIA in2002. Said Mr Waite: “KIA is lookingto improve all the time as both a carmaker and a customer pleaser. KIA isnow accepted as a very savvy pur-chase.”

Longley Park Motors marked its30th anniversary with an open day andvisitor day at its premises at TheTriangle, Paddock.

Mr Waite said Longley ParkMotors had secured many long-termrelationships and operated in arelaxed, enjoyable and stress-freeenvironment, which was appreciatedby visitors and staff alike.

“We receive dozens of notes, post-cards and letters thanking us for ourservice and I think that is because

people find it a relief to have a pleasantexperience they probably were notanticipating.”

Said Mr Waite: “Amazingly, with

cutbacks and an uncertain economy,July, 2011, has been anotherrecord-breaking month – this time onused cars.”

■ PARK LIFE: Celebrating 30 years of Longley Park Motors are (from left)Michelle Dundon, Sharon Brennan, John Waite, Sandra Cross, Kevin Craggs,Lorraine Stott, Tinto Moyo, John Waite

Region’s firms upbeat about long-term hopesYORKSHIRE businesses expect todouble annual turnover in the next fiveyears, according to a survey.

Figures from Santander CorporateBanking show that directors of firmsin the region with turnover up to £20mexpect to double their annual revenueover the next five years. And 40% arelooking to introduce new products.

However, in the shorter-term, busi-nesses in the region are still firmlyfocused on survival with the activepursuit of growth taking a back seat.

Some 64% of company directors saythat survival is their immediate keypriority.

The tough trading environment isseen to represent the biggest challenge

to companies’ growth prospects and iscited by half of businesses as prevent-ing them from growing.

Nationally, smaller firms are themost optimistic about their growthprospects. The average company witha turnover of less than £500,000expects to expand its businessthree-fold over the next five years.

However, larger companies alsohave ambitious expansion plans – withbusinesses turning over between £5mand £20m expecting to grow by anaverage of 86%.

Manufacturers are the most optim-istic about their prospects followed byfinancial service firms, wholesalersand construction companies.

A man of property

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

Solicitors for business inYorkshire

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICESLocal shares

FTSE closed at

5095.30Up 54.54

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.50 dollarsBangladesh................. 115.97 takaBrazil.............................. 2.36 realsCanada....................... 1.55 dollarsChina ............................. 9.43 yuanCzech Republic ...... 25.83 korunasDenmark....................... 8.14 kroneEuro............................... 1.10 euroHong Kong................ 12.20 dollarsHungary ................... 279.81 forintsIndia.......................... 66.78 rupeesJapan........................... 120.42 yenMexico ....................... 18.07 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.88 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.62 kronePakistan.................. 135.17 rupeesPhilippines ................. 60.13 pesosSouth Africa.................. 11.13 randSouth Korea.............. 1558.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 171.06 rupeesSweden....................... 10.09 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.23 francsTaiwan ...................... 41.79 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.79 new liraUSA ............................ 1.57 dollars

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £27.37 +0.34Gannett 611.44 +0.61Hess Corp £33.45 +0.45Microsoft 1464.78 +3.04Motors Liquidation 45.58Wal-Mart Stores £31.90 +0.12

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 2683/4 +3/4BAE Systems 2581/8 +45/8Rolls-Royce 587 +8

AIMBrady Plc 693/4Dawson Intl 17/8Man Brnze 441/2 -1/4Uniq 951/2 -1/4

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1791/4 -41/4

BANKSBarclays 1461/4 -41/4HSBC 511Lloyds Banking Gp 271/2 -7/8Ryl Scotland 195/8 -11/8Stan Chart 1329 -331/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 1121 +9SABMiller £201/2 +1/4

CHEMICALSCroda 1620 -3Elementis 98 137 +7/8Johnsn Mat 1643 +31

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2311/8 +1

Costain 2031/2 -51/4ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 4731/4 +31/2Intl Power 3017/8 +73/4Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1233 +19

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 147 +31/4

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3271/4 +21/4

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1623/4 +3/4Cable & WirelessComm

313/8 +1/8

Cable & WirelessWwide

351/8 +11/8

Colt Group 1111/2 -1/4KCOM 73 +1/4Talktalk Telecom 123 +31/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2843/4 +5Sainsbury 3013/4 +51/4Tesco 3773/4 +71/2

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1041 +21Tate Lyle 5691/2 -1Unilever £203/8 +1/4

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3003/4 +51/2National Grid 6001/2 +10Pennon Grp 641 +171/2Severn 1435 +28United Utils 5801/2 +9

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 2033/8 +13/8ICAP 425 +151/2London StockExch 790 +1Man Group 1923/4 +37/8Provident Financial 1048 +9Schroders 1415 +18Schroders NV 1150 +19

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 4525/8 -61/8REXAM 3411/8 +3/4Smiths Grp 916 +81/2

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 173/8 +1/8Carphone Whse 3461/4 +21/4Dixons Retail 113/4Home Retail 1233/4 +1Inchcape 2981/4 -2Kingfisher 2251/8 +31/8M & S 3291/2 +41/4Mothercare 368 +43/8Next £221/8 +5/8WH Smith 4633/8 -111/4

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 5611/2 +111/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 97 +2Barrat Dev 685/8 +11/8Persimmon 3831/8 +91/8Reckitt Benckiser £321/2 +1/2Taylor Wimpey 287/8 +1/4

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 622 -141/2I M I 750 +12

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 3243/8 +145/8

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 159 +3/8

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 318 +23/4Lgl & Gen 97 +11/4Old Mutual 1101/8 +13/8Prudential 5831/2 +10Resolution 2553/8 -3/8Standard Life 1947/8 +33/4

MEDIABSkyB 6221/2 -31/2D Mail Tst 3773/4 +101/4ITV 541/2 +3/8Johnston Press 5 -1/4Pearson 1073 +26Reed Elsevier 4793/4 +63/4STV Group 110Trinity Mirror 45Utd Business 4293/4 +13/8UTV 1051/2 +41/2WPP 5781/2 -111/2Yell Group 47/8 -1/4

MININGAnglo American £221/2 +1/8Antofagasta 1212 +29BHP Billiton 18781/2 +181/2Eurasian NaturalRes

6131/2 -1

Fresnillo £203/8 +3/4Kazakhmys 9251/2 -24Lonmin 1134 +16Rio Tinto £341/4 -1/8

VEDANTARESOURCES

1242 -20

Xstrata 9333/8 -181/4MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 4363/8 +93/4Vodafone Group 163 +3

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1521 +26RSA Insurance Gp 113 +1/2

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 1237 +17BP 3901/4 +1/4Cairn Energy 2893/4 +81/4Royal Dutch Shell A 1919 +351/2Royal Dutch Shell B 1936 +451/2Total £285/8 +5/8

Tullow Oil 9451/2 -1/2OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICES

AMEC 927 -11/2Petrofac 1211 +43Wood Gp(J) 5181/2 +11

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1191 -15PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £281/4 +7/8Axis-Shield 4831/2 +11/2GlaxoSmithK XD 35Shire 1954 +53

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 532 +91/2Captl Shop Cent 3171/2 +41/8DTZ Hldgs 331/8 +11/8Hamrsn 3961/4 +35/8Land Secs 738 +5SEGRO 2381/2 +61/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp £247/8 +3/8Invensys 2311/4 +91/2Logica 801/2 -3/8Misys 2581/2 +91/2Sage Group 2411/4 +53/8

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 4783/4 +113/4Bunzl 703 +17Capita 6861/2 +4De La Rue 790 +2Electrocomp 1911/4 +11/4Experian 668 +3G4S 2435/8 +3/4Hays 713/4 +1

Homeserve 4501/4 +63/8Menzies J 498 +2Rentokil 761/2 -1/8Smiths News 86Wolseley 1428 +24

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 492 +2Psion 583/4 +13/4Spirent Comms 1173/8 +13/8

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £27 +1/2Imperial Tobacco £201/2 +1/4

LEISURE & HOTELSBwin.Party Digital 1005/8 -21/8Carnival 1750 +8Compass Grp 5371/2 +201/2easyJet 3203/4 -33/4Enterprise Inns 411/8 -13/8FirstGroup 3433/8 +53/4Go-Ahead Gp 1416 +13Greene King 4203/4 +53/8Intercontl Htls 9601/2 +2Intl Cons AirlinesGp

1671/2 -5/8

Ladbrokes 1221/8 +13/4Mitchells & Butlers 2361/8 +31/4Natl Express 2247/8 +41/4Rank Org 1183/4 +35/8Stagecoach Group 242 +85/8TUI Travel 148 +1/4Whitbread 1454 +25

INDEXFTSE 100 5095.30 +54.54

INDEXFTSE 250 9854.78 +95.72

Carclo 290 +5Marshalls 96 -13/4National Grid 6001/2 +10Weir Gp 1713 -17

HUGE claims arising from theJapanese tsunami and a string ofother natural disasters plungedLloyd’s of London insurer Amlindeep into the red in its latesthalf-year.

Losses at the underwriter soaredto £192.3m in the six months to Juneas total catastrophe claims morethan doubled to £314m after big hitsfrom floods in Queensland, the NewZealand earthquake and US tor-nadoes in April and May as well asmajor losses in Japan.

The group said that the first half of2011 was the worst on record fornatural disasters and is alreadyworse than the whole of 2005, which

was previously the most costlyyear.

A jump in claims at the marine andproperty underwriting business ofcorporate arm ACI added to theproblems, with underwriting losseshere jumping to £43.1m.

Losses also rose in the UK, wherethe company had to shoulder higherproperty claims after the winterfreeze and rising motor losses.

Income from its investment port-folio was sharply lower at £45.3m.

Chief executive Charles Philippssaid: “Exceptional catastrophelosses in the first half of 2011 havetaken a heavy toll.”

Disaster strikes insurer AmlinSPREAD bet firm IG Group postedrecord levels of activity in the past fewweeks as stock markets, shares andcommodities have swung wildly.

The group, whose customers bet onwhich way markets, share prices andcommodity prices will move, said thetrading boom was despite it being theholiday season in most countrieswhere it operates.

The frenetic trading has sent reven-ues in excess of £94m for the quarterending August, 19% higher than the£79.1m generated in the same period ayear ago.

The market roller coaster over thepast month has been driven by fear

over the impact of the eurozone debtcrisis and the possibility of the USeconomy grinding to a halt.

Costs have been kept in line withexpectations, while the group is alsokeeping a tight rein on its customerswho bet the wrong way.

European authorities have bannedshort-selling of financial stocks inFrance, Italy, Spain and Belgium for15 days to try to calm the activity, butmarkets remain very nervous withrumours continuing to drive senti-ment.

Commodity prices have also beenvery active, also good news for IG andother spread bet firms.

Market upheaval lifts IG

Softwaredeal offSOFTWARE firm MicroFocus confirmedtakeover talks with twofinance groups havecome to an end due inpart to the current turmoilin stock markets.

The Berkshire-basedgroup had set a deadlineof August 19 for a deal tobe concluded, but saidthat after receivingfeedback from thepotential bidders it haddecided to end the talks.

Advent International,one of the potentialbuyers, said the currentmarket turmoil was partlybehind the decision toend the discussions.

Micro Focus firstannounced an approachin April and confirmedless than a fortnight agothat the were stillongoing.

Reports suggested theprice offered for theBerkshire-basedcompany fell short of theboard’s expectations.

FASHION chainSuperGroup has frozenthe pay of its directors –despite its shares havingdoubled since it wentpublic last year.

Its executive board,including founder JulianDunkerton, saw theirannual salaries remainunchanged in May,according to its annualreport.

It said the executivedirectors’ “significantshareholdings” and aperformance share planintroduced last yearprovided sufficientincentive.

Salariesfrozen

TRANSPORT group Stagecoach hascondemned a shareholder group forcriticising a move which enabled execut-ives to reduce the tax bill on theirbonuses.

Pensions & Investment ResearchConsultants, which advises pensionsfund and other institutional sharehold-ers, has urged shareholders to voteagainst the group’s remuneration reportat this week’s annual meeting in a movethat has infuriated Stagecoach.

The company’s remuneration com-mittee brought forward the pay-outdate for bonuses to chief executiveBrian Souter and finance director Mar-tin Griffiths last year to avoid theintroduction of the 50p tax rate.

It then recommended an additionalpayment for the difference caused bythe date change.

Pirc says changing the terms for taxreasons runs against its best practice

guidelines, as does making up the differ-ence following an adjustment.

The group added that it was bringingthe issue up this year as that is when thebonuses originally became due.

Stagecoach, which runs the SouthWest and East Midlands train fran-chises, said: “The approach takenensured that the original performancecriteria were applied to the awards.”

It described Pirc’s call as “bizarre andcontradictory” and added: “Frankly,we find Pirc’s explanations unclear,inconsistent and illogical and we wouldadvise shareholders to ignore them.

“Other investor bodies, such as theABI, RREV and Manifest have notexpressed the same concerns as Pirc andwe continue to believe this was anappropriate use of the discretion of theRemuneration Committee.”

Mr Souter received £844,000 in totalpay and bonuses in the year to April,

while Mr Griffiths netted £836,000.Last week, Stagecoach announced it

would return £340m to shareholdersthrough the issue of new D shares, whilealso reporting increased revenues in allof its four businesses over the past threemonths.

Mr Souter, who owns 15% of thecompany, stands to receive about £51mfrom the handout, while his sister andco-founder Ann Gloag will pick upclose to £37m.

Earlier this summer, Stagecoachreported a 25% increase in operatingprofits to £240.2m for the year to April30 with revenues increasing in all of itsdivisions.

Total pre-tax profits rose by 52% to£191.2m.

The figure was also boosted by astrong performance from Stagecoach’sbusinesses in the USA.

Stagecoach slamsshareholder group

■ PAYOUT: Stagecoach chiefBrian Souter is set to about £51m

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

MarkHanson

HansonCharteredSurveyors

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: DirectorAge: 53Family: Married toJane with daughtersJennifer, 25, and Abi-gail, 24Holidays: We’ve ahouse on the coast ofNorth WalesCar: Range RoverSportFirst job: I worked asa bin man during mystudent daysBest thing aboutjob: Getting out andabout and having ourwork appreciated by cli-ents for whom we workvery hardWorst thing aboutjob: People who knowthe cost of everything,but the value of nothingBusiness tip: Focuson what you can controland don’t waste energyon matters over whichyou have no control

Work: Chartered sur-veyors and commercialproperty consultantsSite: HuddersfieldEmployees: SevenPhone: 01484432043Email: mark@hanson-cs.co.ukWeb: www.hanson-cs.co.uk

Don’twriteoff ourtown!

AS a schoolboy, MarkHanson’s head was in theclouds!

His father had flownMosquitoes during the warand while other lads weredreaming of being traindrivers, Mark’s earliestambition was to be a pilot.His dad’s later careers weremuch less glamorous – as adirector of a manufacturingfirm and then as a pianotuner and repairer.

And Mark also came backdown to earth!

“Once I’d got over theidea of being a pilot, it was aquestion of where myinterests lay,” says Mark. “Atmy father’s suggestion, I gota summer job at Eddisons,the commercial propertyfirm, when I was 17. Iworked in all thedepartments and I took to itstraight away. I decided thatis what I wanted to do.”

Mark, who was born andbred in Halifax, gained adegree in urban landeconomics at SheffieldPolytechnic and took jobsincluding bin man and steelerector during his studentdays.

He worked for Eddisonsin Bradford during his “yearout’ and upon graduating,joined the firm’sHuddersfield office wherehe worked for eight years.

Mark set up his ownbusiness, HansonChartered Surveyors, in1989 – prompted in part bythe big changes hitting theprofession during themid-1980s. Rules relating tobuilding societies werebeing relaxed and several ofthem were buying estateagency chains. Eddisons atthat time was acquired byLeeds Permanent.

“It was a completeanathema to me,” saysMark. “If a private practice isowned by someone elsethere is an inherent conflictof interests. You are workingfor the shareholders orsomeone else rather thanthe client.”

Mark says he was“pushed” into setting up onhis own by a couple ofclients – and in October,1989, took an office inQueensgate.

“I had no qualms aboutit,” he says. “Interest ratesfor mortgages were at 17%.In October, 1989, NigelLawson resigned asChancellor – and I felt partlyresponsible! I had twochildren under the age ofthree and a mortgage, but itseemed right.

“And that experience hasproved beneficial. We havehad more than onerecession since then and interms of business, you haveto understand how to adviseclients in the bad times aswell as the good.

“Anyone can make moneywhen times are good. Whenyou have been throughrecession yourself and hadto steer your own businessthrough recession you aremuch better equipped tohelp your customers.”

The 2007 credit crunchprovides the latest example.“There were companies outthere which have never hadto deal with recession,” saysMark. “They were groping

about wondering what to donext. On the other hand, wehave seen it all before.”

Being successful in theworld of commercialproperty boils down tohaving a genuine andthorough understanding ofbusiness and how to helpclients with the problems,says Mark.

Hanson CharteredSurveyors operates chieflyin Kirklees and Calderdale,East Lancashire andCheshire, but in the last 12months the firm hashandled deals in places asfar apart as Liverpool,Stockport, Wolverhampton,Coventry, Reading,Basingstoke andDagenham.

The seven-strong teamtackles all types ofcommercial, industrial and

retail property – from a lockup shop to a 250,000sq ftfactory. Unusual work hasincluded providing avaluation on a Sikh templefor a bank.

Says Mark: “One of thejoys of this work is that notwo jobs are the same. Youare always having to useyour wits. There is somescience, but a lot of art in it!We are always very mindfulthat working outside our‘patch’ involves more workbecause you have to befamiliar with theenvironment.”

Mark has decided viewson his local ‘patch’ and whatsteps need to be taken tosecure Huddersfield’sfuture.

He favours developmentssuch as the Mirfield 25scheme, where David

Brown hopes to build anew technology andinnovation centre, and the£100m HD One projectfor further expansion ofthe Galpharm Stadiumcomplex.

“We are acting forclients who are lookingfor new industrialaccommodation,” saysMark. “The demand isthere. We have completeda sale of land at AInleysIndustrial Estate in Ellandfor a manufacturingcompany.

“Manufacturing is doingquite well because theFar East is finding it moredifficult to compete withUK exports and theircosts are increasing.

“Development begetsdevelopment, so you haveto encouragedevelopment. You can’tlook back. You have tolook forward to the nextdeal and ask ‘what’scoming up tomorrow?’.It’s not how good have webeen, but how good canwe be?”

Mark recognises theneed to retain the best ofHuddersfield’sarchitectural heritage, buttakes issue with thosewho seek to preserve thetown “in aspic”.

“We should learn fromwhat has gone beforeand keep the best of it,”he says. “But we shouldallow the rest todisappear in the mists oftime.

“What is going on nextis far more exciting andrelevant than what wentbefore.”

Mark says Huddersfieldwas unlucky in havingforward-looking aldermenand councillors whoallowed some of thetown’s best buildings –such as the old markethall – to be demolishedand the new ring road tobe built. Mark sees thering road as a collar,choking the town.

Mark doesn’t share the

pessimism of people whosee online shopping as athreat to the future of townand cities.

“They are going through acomplete change,” heagrees. “But they will not belost to us. The web will befound out. There are peoplewho want to shop online,but there are still a lot ofpeople who like going intothe shops to see and touchthe products they arebuying.

“I am not pessimistic at allabout Huddersfield towncentre. I think it is a greatplace to live and work andhas a wonderful future.”

Away from work, Mark isa governor of GreenheadCollege and plays tennistwice a week . He is aformer secretary andpresident – and now atrustee – of Queens SportsClub in Halifax. “I own a setof golf clubs,” he adds. “Ialso like walking, music andbeing with family andfriends.

“I still live in Halifax and itis nice to come to work in adifferent town to the one inwhich you live. I have a keeninterest in the success ofboth areas.”

■ FORWARD PLANNING: Mark Hanson believes infocusing on the future of Huddersfield and its economy

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

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

RISKYBUSINESSMark Dalton

Mark Dalton is associate director at Wilby Ltd

Colne Valley firmgets a head start

■ SUCCESS STORY: Marketing manager Caroline Wheeler with some ofthe awards for Hedrin lice treatment

Cost of non-complianceTHE Health and Safety Exec-

utive has launched athree-month consultation onhow it plans to recover costsfor its interventions from busi-nesses that fail to complywith health and safety laws.

As agreed with the Governmentearlier this year, the regulator willimpose fees on companies where amaterial breach of the laws is dis-covered during an inspection orinvestigation. Those fees wouldapply up to the point where theHSE’s intervention in supportingthe company in rectifying mattershas concluded.

Under the proposals currentlyup for consultation, the HSE willcharge for its time at a rate of £133per hour. The cost of any supple-mentary specia l i s t supportrequired by the regulator will alsobe passed on and invoices will berequired to be paid within 30 days.An appeal system will be operatedin the case of any disputes over costrecovery.

To implement the new system,which is planned to be operationalby April, 2012, the HSE is propos-ing to replace the Health and

Safety (Fees) Regulations 2010with new regulations.

As well as carrying over theexisting cost-recovery arrange-ments – such as those relating tooffshore oil and gas installations,some chemical and petrochemicalsites and licensed nuclear installa-tions – the new regulations wouldplace a legal duty on the HSE torecover the costs of its interven-tions, i.e. the regulator would nothave discretion on whether or notto apply the fee.

The proposals in the consulta-tion, which runs until October 14,only apply to the HSE and not toequivalent work undertaken bylocal authorities. However, this isone of the issues on which theviews of consultees are beingsought, and the proposals could beamended in the future to enable

local authorities also to recover thecosts of their interventions.

Gordon MacDonald, HSE pro-gramme director, said: “The Gov-ernment has agreed that it is rightthat those who break the lawshould pay their fair share of thecosts to put things right – and notthe public purse.

“These proposals provide a fur-ther incentive for people to operatewithin the law, levelling the playingfield between those who complyand those who don’t. Compliantfirms will not pay a penny inintervention fees.”

If these proposals do indeedbecome law, this will mean a visitfrom the HSE could become anexpensive one to a business that isnot fully compliant with healthand safety regulations that apply intheir workplace.

Companies getexport supportGOVERNMENT export support bodyUKTI is helping Kirklees firms takon the world.Latest figures show that UK Trade &Investments worked with almost100 Kirklees companies in the 12months to March – creating andsafeguarding almost 40 jobs andhelping firms in the district boostexport sales by more than £1.37m.Across Yorkshire, more than 1,450firms worked with UKTI to increasethe value of their international tradeby almost £91m and helping creaor safeguard nearly 850 jobs.Turnover increased by almost£91m.In West Yorkshire, UKTI providedfree advice to 482 firms, supported315 jobs and generated extrarevenue exceeding £17m.The figures showed that the USAand Germany remain the region’s

biggest overseas markets – withFrance and Ireland also accountingfor a substantial share of exportearnings. China was also a growthmarket – maintaining its top-10position in the top 10 exportmarkets by value for 2010.Philip Kelly, head of internationaltrade for UKTI in Yorkshire, saidthe success reflected the strengthof the region’s firms across avariety of sectors.Mr Kelly urged companies whichhave never considered tradinginternationally to see the potentialin new markets.“There is huge potential forYorkshire companies in a widerange of sectors to take advantageof the growth in both emerging andtraditional economies,” he said.“Although the UK economy is inrecession, there are manyopportunities for companies withthe right capabilities anddetermination to grow theirbusinesses. International trade hasnever been a more attractiveprospect to many of our region’scompanies.”Business Link Yorkshire is runningfree workshops so companies canlearn more about what’s involvedin selling overseas and begin tofind out about exporting forthemselves. They include ones a1.30pm on Thursday at the BridgeInn, Wetherby; and at 1.30pm onThursday, September 22, at theCedar Court Hotel, Wakefield.UKTI is urging firms to “go global”to increase competitiveness,extending their customer base tonew markets, spread the risk andincrease stability.It also advised firms to researchpotential markets, attend overseastrade fairs and exhibitions andexplore emerging markets such asBrazil, Russia, India and China aswell as Vietnam, Mexico, the UnitedArab Emirates and Ukraine.Go to www.businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk/events or call08456 048048.

A COLNE Valley company is helpingthe country to get ahead of a lousyproblem.

Linthwaite’s Thornton and Ross isleading the way in the fight againsthead lice in Britain.

To coincide with the summer holi-days, which traditionally sees anupsurge in the problem among school-children, the Manchester Road firmhas just launched the newest productin its groundbreaking lice treatmentHedrin.

The new Treat and Go mousse hasbeen developed to appeal to parents ofactive children. The water base makesit almost imperceptible to feel on thehead.

Hedrin represents an amazing suc-cess story for Thornton and Ross.

Before they launched the revolu-tionary product in 2005, virtually allhead lice treatments were based onagricultural pesticides.

As well as being poisonous, popula-tions of super lice built up resistance

“It is completely odourless and notabsorbed by the skin. It works bysmothering the louse. It’s like thembeing wrapped up in cling film.

“Hedrin has shown that we candevelop new products and make thema success, giving us a real springboardfor international development.”

She added that Thornton and Rosshad big expansion plans for the future.It had recently formed a derma divi-sion to look at developing treatmentsfor eczema and psoriasis, two skin

conditions on the increase in theUK.

Thornton and Ross started fromhumble beginnings in 1922. NathanThornton and Phillip Ross originallymade soft soap and packed householdammonia.

Over the last 89 years, it has grownto become the biggest independentpharmaceutical company in the UK,employing a workforce of 435.

Other well-known brands includeCovonia, Settlers and Zoflora.

to the various chemicals in theproducts. Clinical trials showed theywere only working in just over 50% ofcases.

In 2003, a Jersey woman inventorapproached the Linthwaite company,which had built up a reliable andtrusted reputation within the pharma-ceutical industry. She had a revolu-tionary idea for an innocuoussilicone-based formula which wouldkill lice by smothering them.

Thornton and Ross worked on theidea, developed it, ran clinical trialsand launched Hedrin in January,2006. Within a year it had become thenumber one louse product in the UK,with retail sales of £3.5m and won adozen industry awards.

Today the innovative product is stillnumber one in Britain, with 33% ofthe UK head lice treatment market.Over 15m bottles have been soldworldwide and the product has wonover 20 awards. It is also the mostpopular treatment in Belgium,

France, Spain, Oman, Den-mark and Iceland.

Marketing manager Car-oline Wheeler, who hasbeen with the company for18 years, said: “Hedrinreally has been a phenom-enal success for us and themarket continues to grow.

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Simon Kaye is divisional director at Investec Wealth & Investment

CITYTALKSimon Kaye

Companies getexport support

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Good reasonsto be optimisticINVESTMENT markets have recently

experienced very high levels of volat-ility.

World share prices have fallen by 18%from their May highs in Sterling terms (asmeasured by the Morgan Stanley WorldIndex, to August 19), while those assetsperceived as safe havens have seen stronggains.

In the past couple of weeks, investors’concerns about future growth havedeveloped a sharper edge, spurred particu-larly by worries that the failure to dealdecisively with Europe’s sovereign debtissues has raised the possibility of a night-marish systemic financial set back of the sortexperienced in 2008. We do not dismiss thispossibility, but we still believe that a muchbetter outcome is far more probable.

The foundation of our optimism rests on anumber of pillars.

Firstly, important progress is being madein Europe. The recently announced mechan-isms for containing the contagion look to becredible – now it is a matter of the timelinessand scale of their implementation.

Secondly, the financial system is signific-antly more robust than it was three yearsago. Central banks worldwide are fullyengaged as lenders of last resort, having inplace many mechanisms to channel liquidityinto the banking system. In addition, thebanks themselves are more aware of the

risks, more transparent to regulators andbetter capitalised than in the run up to theLehman failure. In spite of widespread sys-temic fears, corporate debt markets are verymuch open for business – the polar oppositesituation to the so called “credit crunch”.

Thirdly, the health of the corporate sectoris an outstanding asset. The combination ofrobust corporate health and a functioningbanking environment give both an incentiveto invest when times are good and room forpatience if the outlook is more uncertain.They also provide a sound valuation basis,which is manifest starkly in the appealing,well covered dividend yields offered in globalblue chip stocks both in absolute terms andrelative to fixed income alternatives.

There is a final intangible differencebetween now and 2008 which lies in thenature of investors and their investments instock markets. Today, there is a muchreduced use of leverage and far greaterappreciation of risk – with very few naiveparticipants. This is no indicator of future

riches, but like the health of corporatebalance sheets mentioned above, it providessome protection against inclement condi-tions, limiting the surge of forced sellers thatis generally a feature of the most painfulmarket declines.

We are optimists, but not myopically so.The banking system is more robust than in2008, but it is not invulnerable. No modernbank can survive the insolvency of its hostcountry and linkages between countriesmake such events difficult to isolate.

In addition, it is certain that even oncethese uncomfortable waters have been navig-ated, the Western economies are due for aprolonged period of sub-par demand growthas the deleveraging of both consumer andgovernment balance sheets progresses, pro-ducing a volatile political climate as aspin-off. In the meantime, our reliance uponincreasingly assertive unpredictable develop-ing economies is also a source of potentialsurprise, both positive and negative.

Carpet companyhas it all coveredA DEWSBURY carpet manufacturer haslaunched a new website to provideinspiration for potential customers.Calderdale Carpets has redesigned thesite at www.calderdalecarpets.com toinclude informative new content,in-depth product details including onlinebrochures, overviews of projects,photography and a fantastic new designservice.The online design service provides aneasy-to-navigate product directory forcustomers which lists and displaysimages of the carpet ranges available.The company, founded in 1987,manufactures superior and high qualityAxminster carpet for the leisure andhospitality industry.Managing director Greg Bedford said:“We’re really happy with our new site.It’s been redesigned and rebranded tomake it simple and effective to use.“The new features are excellent toolsthat will help planning and designwhether you are an architect, contractor,interior designer or retailer.”

Agency deserves the creditA MARKETING consultancy in Mirfield hashelped develop a new online product.

Purebrand has developed a brand identityfor Callcredit’s new online consumerservice, Noddle, which is set to launch thisautumn.

The service will give more than 40mBritons free access to their full monthlycredit report for life and will help them usethis information to search outmoney-savings deals on a range ofproducts.

Purebrand said the “bold, modern logo” isdesigned to be uncomplicated to reflectCallcredit’s simple and straight forwardservice and set it apart from the brandidentities of its competitors.

The brand was launched in June for a trialperiod and has more than 10,000 peopleregistered already.

The feedback has been positive for thenew brand, too.

Jacqueline Dewey, Callcredit marketingdirector, said: “We wanted a brand that wasdistinctive, had ‘stand out’ and whichdifferentiated us in the market. Initialfeedback from both consumers and theindustry has been extremely positive.”

Simon Ryan, managing director ofPurebrand, said: “Being involved in thelaunch of a new consumer brand that is setto shake up the industry has been arewarding process and we are very happywith the results.

“We tested the name and brand identity

extensively and consumer groupsresoundingly approved of its fresh andfriendly approach.”

Through Noddle, Callcredit aims toprovide every adult in the UK with free

access to their personal credit reportwhenever they want it.

The service also helps people use theircredit rating to search out a shortlist ofmoney saving deals on financial products.

Cotton collectionIT’S time to mix business with pleasure!Informal networking group the FirstFriday Club is set to meet between12.30pm and 1.30pm on Friday,September 2, at The Cotton Factory, inKing Street, Huddersfield.Contact Krishna Patel at Revell Ward fordetails at krishna@revellward.co.uk

■ ON CALL: Simon Ryan, managing director of Purebrand, at its Mirfield offices

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

local Page 6KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Healthy optionsfor small firmsA HEALTH and safety con-sultancy has launched a new ser-vice aimed at helping small andmedium-sized companies.

Bradley-based SM&MS, whichemploys 60 staff at sites in Hud-dersfield, Bristol and London,was founded in 1994 and includesThe Trafford Centre, HarveyNichols, Selfridges, Kwik Fit,Costcutter and Spar among itsclients.

Now it has set up a small busi-ness unit to provide core healthand safety activities, includinghealth and safety risk assess-ments, fire safety risk assess-ments, asbestos surveys, healthand safety policies and training inareas such as First Aid, manualhandling and fire warden train-ing.

The employment law depart-ment reviews and drafts employ-ment contracts and employeehandbooks and can assist withe m p l o y m e n t l aw, h u m a nresources problems and queriessuch as dealing with disciplinaryissues or grievances as well astribunal representation and sup-port on issues such as advising abusiness making redundancies or

being forced to vary terms andconditions of employment due tothe recession.

SM&MS director RichardEdwards said: “We know thatSMEs generally want to be com-pliant with workplace legislation,have good health and safety andprotect their employees.

“We also know that in thesedifficult financial times we needto be cost-effective and makecompliance a simple process byreducing the burden and allowingthe client to get on with their corebusiness activity.”

Mark Gledhill, managing dir-ector of Honley-based refrigera-tion and air conditioning firmC r o w t h e r & S h aw, s a i d :“Crowther & Shaw has been usingthe services of SM&MS for ourhealth and safety advice for over ayear and have found their team ofconsultants and trainers to beefficient, knowledgeable andabove all client focused.

“We have been so delightedwith the support they haveprovided that we have recentlyextended our contract with themto cover employment law support,an extension to their service

which I have already found to beprofessionally structured and eas-ily accessible.

“As one of the regions leadingair conditioning and refrigerationcontractors we cannot allow

health, safety and employmentissues to pass us by and this iswhere SM&MS as a local forwardthinking company like ourselveshave been of invaluable assist-ance.”

■ GOING UP: Staff and directors at the SM&MS Bradley office

Time for firms toact on tax returnsSMALL business owners acrossKirklees have been warned to keep ontop of tax returns – or risk significantpenalties under tough new rules fromHM Revenue & Customs.The new rules mean that from October31 late payers face hefty cumulativefines.Nick Brook, of TaxAssist Accountants inLockwood, said local businesses shouldact early to avoid the wrath of the taxinspector.Previously, missing the deadline led to a£100 penalty and this was capped to amaximum of the tax bill so that if a taxrefund was due, the penalty wasmitigated.But under the new rules, the £100penalty is automatic and a further £10will be charged daily if the return is morethan three months late, up to amaximum of £900. An additional penaltywill be given for returns more than sixmonths late, calculated as the higher of£300 or 5% of the tax due and this finewill be repeated again in a further sixmonths time if the returns have not beenfiled.Mr Brook said: “These latest fines comeon the back of a series of tough newcampaigns from the HMRC.“Bookkeeping can be time-consumingand given the fact that late filing of taxreturns only previously carried a fine of£100, perhaps was not seen as a priority.“Following the announcement of newstiff penalties, we’re advising smallbusinesses to keep on top of their booksand file on time – by October 31 bypaper or by January 31, 2012 online.Snowballing costs can be deadly for asmall business where balancing thebooks can make the difference betweenpaying your staff and going out ofbusiness.”

DFS sitting comfortably!

■ NEW STORE: DFS regional manager Adam Hankinson at the store atPhoenix Retail Park in Huddersfield

SOFAS retailer DFS has opened itsnew store in Huddersfield – and isconfident about prospects in the towndespite the general economic gloom.

The 15,000sq ft store at PhoenixRetail Park, Leeds Road, has brought12 new jobs and offers customers awide range of sofas and accessoriesdisplayed in 72 room settings.

DFS area manager AdamHankinson said the new store,occupying premises formerly used byPC World, was one of 20 outlets thecompany plans to open across theUK by July, 2013.

He said: “Customers are looking tobuy quality from a brand they trust.Sales are holding up and people aregiving more thought to where they arespending their money.

“Our customers come backbecause we are a household name,they have bought from us before andthey know the service is good.”

Mr Hankinson said: “We started inYorkshire, so we are really pleased tobe here.

“We have always favourededge-of-town because we want toprovide parking for people.

“At Phoenix Retail Park, we arealso in an established area forshopping.

As area manager, AdamHankinson’s job was to get the storeup and running on schedule.

“Six months before opening, we areadvertising and recruiting,” he said.“We get our staff trained up and weput lots of time and money intotraining them.

“We have 22 staff at theHuddersfield store, 12 of them arenew to the company and areHuddersfield people.

“We looking for staff who lovedealing with customers and peoplewho are good at customer service.

“The training includes a three-weekresidential course on our computersystems. We don’t want anyoneunable to answer customers’queries.”

Mr Hankinson said: “We order fromthe store, we deliver from the storeand we manufacture at our factoriesin South Yorkshire, Derbyshire andNottinghamshire.”

DFS, which began trading more

than 40 years ago, has created 151new jobs so far in 2011 – with 68 ofthem located in the North of England.

It has been recruiting for stores intowns and cities including Hereford,Brentford, Stockport, Llandudno andLincoln.

In Yorkshire, it already has storesat Birstall Retail Park, Leeds,Bradford, Doncaster and Wetherby.

DFS is enjoying buoyant trading –in contrast to many of its rivals.

The firm was one of four Yorkshirefirms to feature in the latest SundayTimes Deloitte Top Track 100, whichlists the fastest-growingprivately-owned businesses.

property Page 7KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Key date for Northpoint LivingWORK to transform one ofHuddersfield town centre’s mostfamiliar buildings has beencompleted.

The former HuddersfieldChristian Fellowship building at 5ANorthumberland Street has beenconverted under a £1mrefurbishment programme toprovide 57 bedrooms and 11“cluster” flats for students at thetown’s university.

The building has now beenhanded over to client NorthpointLiving by contractor TritonConstruction.

The four-storey building, whichdates back to the 19th century, wasthe town’s post office before theconstruction of the current postoffice across the road in 1914.

It was later used by HuddersfieldChristian Fellowship andsubsequently by Kirklees MusicSchool, but had been unoccupiedalmost three years before localbusinessman Altaf Hussainacquired the building.

Mr Hussain has set up

Northpoint Living to providestudent accommodation withweekly rents of £85 to £90.

Original features of the building,including an ornate centralstaircase, iron roof trusses andcolumns, have been retained underthe scheme drawn up by architectpractice Acumen, based at OldLeeds Road.

The scheme also boastsenergy-saving features such aslow-energy lighting, “passive”ventilation which enables air tocirculate without having to openthe windows andthermally-upgraded exterior walls.

Suppliers included Aspley-basedEllis Furniture, which providedfitted furniture, and TC Bathrooms,of Dewsbury, which suppliedsanitaryware.

The architect was Jeremy Child,of Acumen.

Funding for the project camefrom Swedish-ownedHandelsbanken, which has officesat Pennine Business Park, Bradley.

■ KEY NOTE: Bob Clark, contracts manager for TritonCconstruction, hands over the keys to the new studentaccommodation at Northumberland Street, Huddersfield, toNorthpoint Living administration manager Clare Priestley

Hard work paysoff for hoteliersOWNERS of historic Durker Roods Hotelhave reported a successful 12 months sincetaking over the well-known property.

Despite the general economic gloom, thehotel at Meltham has seen brisk business –hosting weddings, funerals and christenings,Christmas and birthday parties, corporateevents and a wedding fair.

Now the 30-bedroom hotel, for many yearsthe family home of industrialist Sir DavidBrown, is aiming to build on that success.

Fiona Hough, daughter of owners Richardand Pauline Hough, said: “We have done a lotof marketing and put money into upgradingthe building. Some of the bedrooms have beentotally refurbished and some of the communalhallways and areas have been redecorated.

“We have introduced a beauty therapist andwe have moved more into functions such aschristenings, weddings and funerals. They areproving to be quite successful.

“A wedding fair in March proved popularand we are staging another in October. We arealso staging a beer festival over the AugustBank Holiday and a Murder Mystery eventfor Hallowe’en on October 28. It is all quiteexciting.”

Fiona said that when the family bought thebusiness, they were attracted by the beauty ofthe building and its grounds.

But she added: “We had to put a lot of workinto it. We had to carry out extensive work tothe roof, for example, but the building is thesame as it was. The original features of the oldhouse are still here.”

Fiona said the hotel’s extensive groundsproved attractive as a venue for weddingphotos, while its semi-rural location meant itdrew walkers and provided a base for peoplevisiting the Holme Valley.

“It is in a nice position, because it is close tothe moors and the village,” she said. “Peoplecome for dinner, bed and breakfast or a

weekend break.”The hotel, which has 25 staff, is also making

more of a feature of its links to Sir DavidBrown, the tycoon who built up David BrownGears, David Brown Tractors and at one stageowned Aston Martin. Members of the DavidBrown Tractor Club use the venue for theirget-togethers.

And the corporate market is improving,despite the economic climate forcing somefirms to cutback on events.

“We have started to get former customersback and a good deal of repeat custom,” said

Fiona. “A lot of companies locally have apresence in the town and host visits by clientsor executives from head office.”

“The business is getting stronger. Most ofour income comes from functions, such asweddings and we have a lot of bookings fornext year. It is certainly getting busier. Thestaff are really ‘hot’ on weddings. They knowwhat they are doing and it is nice to have theirinput.

“We are a professional, friendly, family-runhotel which has a good reputation – and in thisbusiness reputation is everything.”

■ HOTEL GUIDE: Mayumi Stansfield, deputy manager at Durker Roods

Retirement‘timebomb’THE construction industry in Kirkleesis facing a “retirement timebomb” –with about one in six workers due toretire within 10 years and the numberof young people in the industry morethan halving since the start of therecession.New figures fromCITB-ConstructionSkills show thenumber of 16-19 years olds in theindustry has fallen by 52% since 2008while 17% of the workforce are nowwithin 10 years of retirement.The number of workers aged 55 andover in the industry has increased by65% since 1990, while those aged 24and under has fallen by more than 40%over the same period.The trend has increased over the last20 years and now affects professionaltrades, including architects, surveyorsand engineers as much as tradeoccupations.While the increasing age profile ismost pronounced in the manualworkforce, professional trades couldalso stand to lose 19% of theirmanpower to retirement in the next 10years.Steve Housden, sector strategymanager for CITB-ConstructionSkills inYorkshire, said:“CITB-ConstructionSkills is workinghard to attract new blood into theindustry in Kirklees because if we don’tact now this retirement timebombcould compromise our ability to benefitfrom the upturn in the economy when itcomes.“In 1990, more than one in five workersin the construction industry were aged24 and under, but today little more thanone in 10 of the sector’s workforce iswithin this age group.“The industry lost a lot of 16 to 24 yearolds during the last recession andwhile numbers had started to recoverover the last 10 years, the most recentrecession has again had a fairlydisastrous impact on young people inthe sector, particularly 16 to 19 yearolds.”

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

ApplebysSolicitors

Carol Jakeman

A LAW firm with officesin Huddersfield andBradford has made akey appointment.

Carol Jakeman(pictured) has joinedApplebys Solicitors asclinical negligenceassistant. The teamdeals with claims including dentalnegligence cases, clinical negligence,diagnosis, operations and undiagnosedinfections.

Ms Jakeman, who lives in Oldham,will be based at the Westbourne Roadoffice in Marsh and will assistdepartment head Margaret Harvey.

Ms Jakeman read for a four-year lawdegree at Salford University, whichincluded the study of the law relating tomedical claims.

Amin Ullah, principal of ApplebysSolicitors, said: “We are really excitedthat Carol has joined us. She will be avaluable member of our expandingmedical negligence team.”

Getting a taste for charity workA COMPANY running the UK’slargest diners’ club has chosenMacmillan Cancer Support as itspreferred charity for the secondyear running.

Huddersfield-based Tastecard,which enables 350,000 membersto save 50% on the food bill at5,500 partner restaurants, raised£24,000 for the charity last year.Now it has set a target of£50,000 for 2011.

The money will be raisedthrough a special promotion inOctober during which a £5donation from each tastecardsold will be donated toMacmillan.

Tastecard founders anddirectors Matt Turner and JamieMilner are delighted to besupporting the charity.

Said Matt: “As most peoplehave been affected by cancer inone way or another – and withthe fantastic work that Macmillancarries out – we felt that theywere the perfect charity for us tohelp.”

Added Jamie: “Last year, wedonated over £24,000. With thepromotion, we are running thisyear we are hoping to double thatfigure.

“Macmillan provides practical,medical and financial supportand pushes for better cancercare. Hopefully, our donation willhelp them continue with theirgreat work.”

As part of the fundraising effortand as a prelude to the bigmoney raiser in October,tastecard employee AshleighMoylan, was sponsored bycolleagues to dye her hair green– the corporate colour for bothtastecard and Macmillan.

Ashleigh, 19, of Dalton, raised£350 for the charity. She said: “Ijust wanted to do something alittle bit extra. Doing somethinglike this not only generates moresponsorship money forMacmillan, but hopefully alsoraises the profile of the charity.”

Francine Taylor, of Macmillan,said: “Macmillan relies ondonation to provide help to the2m people in the UK living with orbeyond cancer.

“The number of people withcancer is growing every day andwe want to reach and improvethe lives of every one of thosepeople.

“The support of tastecard helpsus continue our work. We can’t

thank taste enough for the hugedifference this will make to thelives of people affected by

cancer.Go to www.tastecard.co.uk or

www.macmillan.org.uk

■ ON THE CARDS: Staff at Tastecard in Huddersfield launch their£50,000 fundraising drive for Macmillan Cancer Support

Sporting hero’swinning formulaONE of Britain’s most success-ful sportsmen will provide aninspirational talk to delegates atthe Kirklees Business Confer-ence next month.

Simon Jackson, who hasamassed trophies and medalsgalore in a 20-year career, willspeak at the Galpharm Stadiumevent about how obstacles andchallenges in life and businesscan only make you stronger.

Simon has won three Para-lympic, three World and 16European gold medals.

He won his first Paralympicgold aged 16 in 1988 at Seouland went on to defend his title in1992 at Barcelona and in 1996 atAtlanta.

He received the MBE in the1997 New Year’s Honours forhis services to judo.

D a n n y M a t h a r u , o fBirstall-based Hillrich, which isorganising KBC 2011, said:“Simon is without doubt themost driven and focused personI have ever met.

“His experience and tunnelvision to success will strike hometo all business owners who seehim.

“His story is magnificent – butwhat makes him successful willbe the key for KBC delegates, asthis is what can be transferredinto any business.”

In 2008, a niggling back injurysaw Simon look beyond the judomat, where he discovered tan-dem cycling.

Within three weeks of hisintroduction to four-time WorldTandem Sprint and KilometreChampion Barney Storey,Simon and Barney were record-ing times that placed them firmlyinside the top three in theworld.

Simon is now a full-time Tan-dem Sprinter and wowed thecrowds in the 2008 ParalympicWorld Cup where he won twosilver medals after just fiveweeks on the tandem.

Simon commented: “I con-sider myself to have two disabil-ities – one is I'm visuallyimpaired and the other one isthat I have to be the best atwhatever I do!”

Hundreds of people havesigned up for the Kirklees Busi-ness Conference, which last yearsaw more than 750 local business

owners visit across the day.Alongside the seminars is an

exhibition hall housing morethan 50 local companies withunlimited networking. For moreinfo and to book your ticketsvisit www.kirkleesbusinesscon-ference.co.uk

■ JUST CHAMPION:Paralympic athlete SimonJackson has won medals forjudo (right) and cycling (above).Now he will tell his story at theKirklees Business Conference

Clayton Birchall

YorkshireBankA NEW private bankingpartner has beenappointed to YorkshireBank’s Bradford-basedCalderdale andKirklees team.

Clayton Birchall(pictured), 32, joins the16-strong Kirklees andCalderdale team led bysenior partner Kevin Newson.

The team operates from YorkshireBank’s West Yorkshire FinancialSolutions Centre on Canal Road,Bradford.

Mr Birchall, who has been inbanking for 12 years, has expertise inbusiness banking, relationshipmanagement and as a mortgageadviser.

He will work throughout Kirkleesand Calderdale as well as coveringBradford and the Aire Valley area toprovide private banking services to aportfolio of high-net worth individuals.

Said Mr Newson: “We’re pleased tobe expanding and creating new jobs inbanking in West Yorkshire due tocustomer demand.”

Laura Coyne

ManifestFULL service marketingagency ManifestCommunications hasappointed Laura Coyneas a PR accountexecutive in itsHuddersfield office.

Ms Coyne (pictured)joins the New NorthRoad firm from Adessi PR withexperience of working with nationalbusiness-to-business clients as well asa range of clients in the Yorkshire area.

After studying psychology at theUniversity of Liverpool and graduatingin 2010, Laura carried out several workplacements while completing herstudies