Kirklees Business News, 2nd March 2010

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k leesMarch 2, 2010

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KAREN BOROWSKI MEHBOOB KHANRevell-ing in life!

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3P ledge to bus iness

Repor t - Page 5

FTSE 100+51.42

5405.94An EXAMINER publication

Party timefor charityA WEBSITE raisingmoney for good causesthrough children’sbirthday parties hascompleted its charity“team”.PartiesAroundtheWorld.co.uk, led byCarl Hopkins andDeirdre Bounds, haslinked up with EST, acharity offering ridingtherapy with donkeysto children with specialneeds and disabilities.

TalkingpointsBUILDING productsgroup Marshalls ismaking workexperience moreinspiring for youngpeople – with chiefexecutive GrahamHolden taking part inthe Big Conversation.

Firm shakes rivalsby landing US dealA COMPANY which tests industrialequipment for noise and vibrationlevels has broken into the US marketwith its latest deal.

Fivesquared Vibration Testing Ser-vices already works for a host of cus-tomers in Europe, including BP,Centrica, British Waterways, Carillionand about 60 local authorities, includ-ing Kirklees, Calderdale and Wake-field.

Now it has landed a contract to testand certify equipment for majorAmerican grounds equipment manu-facturer Schiller, which has four sites inthe USA.

Fivesquared beat an Italian com-pany to the deal – thanks to its know-ledge and previous experience workingwith some of the world’s leading man-ufactures and its world-renownedToolminder software system.

Managing director James White andinternational sales director JeremyHoyle flew to the States to view thequality systems and manufacturingprocesses in order to be able to CEmark Schiller’s products being manu-factured for the European market.

Having approved the processes andsystems, Schiller sent shipping con-

tainers full of its grounds equipmentfor Fivesquared to test and certify.

Equipment tested for vibrationlevels can range from power shovels,bulldozers, helicopters and cranes toforklifts, earth-moving equipment,trucks and tractors.

Said Mr Hoyle: “This is by far thelargest single international contractthat we have won to date and trulyconfirms our position as one of theworld’s leading independent test andcertification companies.

“All test work will be run out of ourHuddersfield operations office basedat Longwood and will take place at testlocations including gardens and prop-erty owned by English Heritage.

“Our test facility at Barnsley will beused for the noise assessments whichare controlled environment.”

Mr Hoyle added: “To be consideredfor such a prestigious contract withone of the world’s leading groundsequipment manufactures is testamentto the work of our sales force andmarketing department.

“We try to reach the massive world-wide audience of manufactures andend users which can be difficult andchallenging at times.

“We also attend several handpickednational exhibitions in order to keepthe Fivesquared brand in front of anypotential customers.

“We have seen our order bookincrease by over 40% in the last twoyears alone.

“Even during the economic down-turn we managed to increase turnoverand profits. This is down to our policyof offering the very best service andsystems available. Service to our cli-ents is everything and they know theycan rely on us year after year.’’

Positive signs – despite fall in buy-out valuesBUY-OUT values have slumped inYorkshire, latest figures reveal.

T h e t o t a l va l u e o f p r ivat eequity-backed buy-outs in the regionfell by more than three quarters to£305.4m in 2009 from £1.4bn the pre-vious year, according to the latest data

from the Centre for Management Buy-out Research (CMBOR), sponsoredby Barclays Private Equity.

This represented the lowest annualbuy-out value seen in the region since1993.

The number of buy-outs fell to the

lowest level since 1992 – with 48 dealscompleted in the region representing a28% decline on the 67 deals completedin 2008 and 38% down on the 78 dealsof 2007.

The average deal value in Yorkshireand Humber fell by 69% to £6.4m

when compared with 2008 – howeverthe fourth quarter of 2009 saw signsthat confidence in the region’s buy-outmarket is returning, with the numberof private equity-backed buy-outs inthe region rising to £155m from £69min the third quarter.

■ STATESIDE: Fivesquared international sales manager Jeremy Hoyle(second right) and managing director James White (right) with (from leftSchiller technical manager Howard Kaplan, quality manager Steve Le Peraand engineering manager Mark Wegner

Yorkshire’s Legal Peoplewww.chadwicklawrence.co.uk01484 519 999Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national

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TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.59 dollarsBangladesh................... 98.73 takaBrazil.............................. 2.44 realsCanada....................... 1.52 dollarsChina ............................. 9.23 yuanCzech Republic ...... 26.41 korunasDenmark....................... 7.86 kroneEuro............................... 1.06 euroHong Kong................ 11.14 dollarsHungary ................... 267.58 forintsIndia.......................... 61.24 rupeesJapan........................... 128.46 yenMexico ....................... 17.18 pesosNew Zealand .............. 2.01 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.52 kronePakistan.................. 121.05 rupeesPhilippines ................. 59.72 pesosSouth Africa................. 10.81 randSouth Korea.............. 1527.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 163.48 rupeesSweden....................... 10.27 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.55 francsTaiwan ...................... 42.32 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.23 new liraUSA ............................ 1.44 dollars

Carclo 170 -5Chapelthorpe 143/4Marshalls 831/2 +1/2National Grid 656 +4RensburgSheppards

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Weir Gp 7941/2 +131/2

A great sporting powerUK firm Aggreko secured its place atanother major sporting event with a£30 million contract to provide powerat this year’s FIFA World Cup.

Fresh from its work at the Van-couver Winter Olympics, Glas-gow-based Aggreko will deliverbroadcasting power at all 10 WorldCup stadium venues, as well as powerand temperature control at the inter-national broadcast centre.

The project, which involves theinstallation of 300 kilometres of cableand 30 megawatts of generating capa-city, will support the screening of 64matches to an estimated global audi-ence of more than three billion

people.The firm is operating the contract

in partnership with investment com-pany Shanduka. The companiesworked together to supply temporarypower to the FIFA’s ConfederationsCup in South Africa last year.

Aggreko, which has also providedtemporary power for the Glastonburymusic festival and the BeijingOlympics, recently joined the FTSE100 Index after a strong run for itsshare price.

The business was founded in Hol-land in 1962 and set up its UK arm inScotland in 1973.

Bank bonuses rowover HSBC profitsHSBC revealed it paid threebankers more than £9m each lastyear as bonuses continued to dom-inate annual results in the sector.

While the banking giant’s chiefexecutive moved to calm publicanger by donating his £4m bonusto charity, it emerged that the headof HSBC’s investment bankingarm, Stuart Gulliver, was awardeda £9m shares bonus and a 50% payrise in 2009, according to thebank’s annual report.

Two other employees alsoreceived hefty pay packages ofmore than £9m last year, with thebank’s five biggest earners takinghome more than £35m in bonuses,albeit in deferred shares.

However, chief execut iveMichael Geoghegan said he would

pass his £4m bonus entitlement tocharities around the world over thenext three years, while chairmanStephen Green has waived his enti-tlement to bonus shares.

The news comes after it emergedthat Peter Sands, the boss of fellowUK bank Standard Chartered,will also give his 2009 windfall togood causes.

They faced mounting pressureafter the two leading executives atBarclays and the chief executivesat Royal Bank of Scotland andLloyds Banking Group decided toforgo their 2009 handouts.

HSBC took its turn in the bonusspotlight as it announced underly-ing pre-tax profits of 13.3 billionUS dollars (£8.8 billion) in 2009,up 56% on 2008.

On a reported basis, HSBC’sresults showed a 24% slide inannual profits to 7.1 billion dollars(£4.7 billion).

Those figures were revealeda f t e r o n e - o ff f a c t o r s a n dwrite-downs on the value of itsassets.

Its investment banking business,HSBC Global Banking and Mar-kets, saw a 148% surge in profitsthanks to the equities rebound andimproved conditions.

Bumper profits at the divisionsaw bonuses handed out to aswathe of investment bankers, withHSBC on the hook for a 355million dollars (£234 million) intax payments under the Govern-ment’s one-off bonus scheme.

Pearson weathers the stormFT-to-Penguin group Pearson hasreported a 13% rise in annualprofits.

The firm’s figures confirmed it hadweathered the storm affecting finan-cial advertising and consumerbooks.

The group said its North Americaneducation publishing arm, which isthe company’s biggest businesswith annual sales of £2.5 billion andoperating profits of £403 million,enjoyed strong growth during theyear.

This helped it overcome tougherconditions for FT Group and Pen-guin, where profits fell by 4% to £187million and 10% to £84 million

respectively.Trading conditions in those mar-

kets brightened towards the end ofthe year, although Pearson said itwas planning on the basis that someof its sectors will remain subduedthroughout this year.

“Even so, we expect Pearson toproduce another year of underlyingprofit growth, helped by the overallresilience of our company and goodgrowth prospects for our busi-nesses in digital, services and emer-ging markets,” it added.

Pre-tax profits rose to £660 mil-lion, from £585 million a year earlier,while Pearson raised its full-yeardividend payment by 5%.

UpwardlymobilemergerapprovedTHE creation of Britain’slargest mobile phoneoperator was given thegreen light afterregulators cleared themerger of Orange andT-Mobile

UK competitionwatchdog the Office forFair Trading (OFT) said ithad withdrawn itsconcerns over the jointventure and theEuropean Commission(EC) backed the dealafter both firms agreed toa number of concessionsdesigned to assuageindustry fears.

The tie-up betweenFrance Telecom’s Orangeand DeutscheTelekom-owned T-Mobile– currently the UK’s thirdand fourth largestoperators – will give thecombined firms a 37%market share and nearly30 million customers.

Orange and T-Mobileagreed to give up somebandwidth and reached anew agreement with 3,Britain’s smallest mobileprovider, which has anetwork sharing deal withT-Mobile.

The UK regulator saidit had cancelled itsrequest that it be allowedto review parts of themerger “after thecompanies offeredremedies that fullyaddress the OFT’soutstanding competitionconcerns”.

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £25.49 -0.01Gannett 1054.29 +42.74Hess Corp £39.96 +0.70Microsoft 1926.29 +12.02Motors Liquidation 50.08Wal-Mart Stores £35.97 -0.13

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEBAE Systems 379 +43/4Rolls-Royce Gp 562 +4Smiths Grp 1060 +21VT Group 672 +41/2

AIMBrady Plc 631/2Dawson Intl 21/4

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1155/8 +3

BANKSBarclays 3121/8 -3/8HSBC 682 -375/8Lloyds Banking Gp 501/4 -21/4Ryl Scotland 363/4 -1Stan Chart 15251/2 -361/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 1094 +30SABMiller 1797 +77

CHEMICALSCroda 917 +17Delta 1561/4 -11/2Elementis 98 571/4 -3/4Johnsn Mat 1621 +33

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2771/4 +13/8Costain 241/2 +1/2

ELECTRICITY

Drax Grp 4031/2 +35/8Intl Power 3295/8 +51/4Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1128 +7

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTChloride 1883/8 +33/4Invensys 3201/2 +53/4Laird 134 +61/4

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3221/2 +51/2

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1131/2 -13/8C & W 1371/4 +3/4Colt Telecom 137 +31/2KCOM 481/4 +1/2

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 3043/4 +61/4Sainsbury 3383/8 +8Tesco 433 +133/8

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 970 +20Cadbury 8591/2 +81/2Nth Foods 563/4 -3/4Tate Lyle 4331/2 +123/8Unilever 1971 +47Uniq 241/2 +1/2

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 2823/4 +31/8National Grid 656 +4Pennon Grp 5221/2 -2Severn 1174 +9United Utils 5521/2 +9

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 2593/8 -33/4ICAP 3273/4 +2

London StockExch 680 +15Man Group 2251/4 +1/2Provident Financial 972 +27Schroders 1220 +24Schroders NV 1007 +23

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSAvon Rbbr 87 -4Cooksn Grp 468 +8REXAM 2813/4 +23/4

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 12 -1/2DSG International 295/8 -11/8Home Retail 2571/8 +21/8Inchcape 25 -3/8Kingfisher 2187/8 +37/8M & S 3303/4 +3/4Mothercare 648 -1Next 1856 -19WH Smith 465 +61/8

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 687 +131/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 136 +6Barrat Dev 1141/4 +3/8Persimmon 4005/8 +101/2Reckitt Benckiser £35 +1/2Taylor Wimpey 361/8 +1/2

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 6791/2 +14I M I 5721/2 +71/2Man Brnze 83

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 294 +12

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 1677/8 +3/4

Forth Ports 1069 +2

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 3751/4 -151/8Lgl & Gen 731/4 -4Old Mutual 114 +5/8Prudential 530 -721/2Resolution 721/4Standard Life 1931/8 -21/4

MEDIABSkyB 554 +10Chrysalis 1043/4 +21/4D Mail Tst 4455/8 +1ITV 551/4 +11/4Johnston Press 253/4 +1Pearson 956 +44Reed Elsevier 498 +6STV Group 50 +1Trinity Mirror 1371/4 +51/4Utd Business 4497/8 +125/8UTV 101WPP 6211/2 +171/2Yell Group 403/4 +11/8

MININGAnglo American £241/2 +5/8Antofagasta 916 +321/2BHP Billiton £203/4 +5/8Eurasian NaturalRes

1066 +39

Fresnillo 7821/2 +32Kazakhmys 1410 +69Lonmin 1842 +35Rio Tinto £345/8 +1VEDANTARESOURCES

£263/8 +7/8

Xstrata 10671/2 +371/2

MOBILE TELECOM SERVICESInmarsat 743 +10

Vodafone Group 1423/4 +13/8

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1265 +25RSA Insurance Gp 1281/4 -11/4

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 11531/2 +81/2BP 596 +171/4Cairn Energy 346 +115/8

Norsk Hdro 4551/2 +9Royal Dutch Shell A 18331/2 +431/2Royal Dutch Shell B 1761 +441/2Total £373/8 +3/8Tullow Oil 1199 +10

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESPetrofac 1065 +38Wood Group 3633/4 +4

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry 6371/2 +12PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £291/4 +1/2Axis-Shield 380 -11GlaxoSmithK XD 151/2Shire 1443 +36

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 4443/8 +43/8DTZ Hldgs 801/4Hamrsn 3895/8 +65/8Land Secs 6391/2 +7SEGRO 3231/8 +43/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1572 +42Dimension Data 891/2 +11/4Logica 1193/8Misys 2315/8 +33/4Sage Group 2371/4 +3/8

SUPPORT SERVICESAMEC 809 +21Bunzl 6961/2 +16Capita 7221/2 +61/2Davis ServiceGroup

4071/2 +11/2

De La Rue 940 +41/2Electrocomp 185 -3/8Experian 615 +8

G4S 2755/8 +47/8Hays 105 +3/4Homeserve 1680 -20Menzies J 312 -13/4Rentokil 129 +1/8Smiths News 1141/2 -2Wolseley 1590 +40

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 2091/8 +51/4Psion 891/2 -1/2Spirent Comms 1033/4 -1/4

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £227/8 +5/8Imperial Tobacco £21 +5/8

LEISURE & HOTELSArriva 518 +6Brit Airways 2123/8 +11/4Carnival £253/8 +5/8Compass Grp 500 +123/8easyJet 4191/4 +51/8Enterprise Inns 1011/4 -1/4FirstGroup 3561/2 +7/8Go-Ahead 1358Greene King 4331/4 +13/4Intercontl Htls 946 +26Ladbrokes 1451/8 -3/4Mitchells & Butlers 2871/4 +33/4Natl Express 2043/4 +13/4PartyGaming 3053/4 +21/2Rank Org 1117/8 +93/8Stagecoach Group 1751/4 +3/8TUI Travel 2781/4 +4Whitbread 1455 +35

INDEXFTSE 100 5405.94 +51.42

INDEXFTSE 250 9479.83 +135.44

■ CHARITY: Chief executive Michael Geoghegan

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile

KarenBorowski

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Partner

Age: The big 40 andlovin’ it!

Family: Married toJohn with sonThomas, 6

Holidays: France(every year) andAustralia (this yearfor the Ashes!)

Car: BMW X5

First job: Workingas a waitress

Best thing aboutjob: The people

Worst thingabout job: Thepeople!

Business tip:Believe and achieve

RevellWardWork: AccountancySite: Market Street,HuddersfieldEmploys: 23Phone: 01484538351Email:[email protected]

Karen’sa realtownfan!

ACCOUNTANT KarenBorowski is determined tomake Huddersfield count.

Karen, a partner at towncentre accountancy firmRevell Ward, is keen tomake sure Huddersfieldretains its strong identity –and believes building linkswith other organisations inthe town is the best way toensure its survival.

Revell Ward is playing itspart through its involvementin groups such as theHuddersfield Town CentrePartnership, its support foraccountancy students atHuddersfield University andits role as a patron ofHuddersfield Giants and anofficial partner ofHuddersfield Town.

The firm has purposelyraised its profile followingthe September, 2008,management buy-out of thebusiness by Karen andfellow partners John Wilsonand Jennifer Davies – amove motivated by thebelief that Huddersfield wasthe best base for itsbusiness, rather thanLeeds.

“This was a big turningpoint for us,” said Karen.“We were determined tokeep Huddersfield on themap and not be sucked intoLeeds like some of theother nationals.

“Despite the recession,we have had a fantastic firstyear and staff numbershave increased by 17%since we started.”

Karen came toHuddersfield in March,2002, to join the firm, whichthen called Mazars NevilleRussell.

“I thought I would be herefive years,” she recalls.“Eight years later, I’m welland truly ‘embedded’ in thetown.”

Bradford-born Karen wasbrought up in Cumbriabefore gaining a degree inaccountancy andeconomics at NewcastleUniversity.

She trained with GrantThornton in Leeds andended up spending 10years with the firm beforeworking for WBS in the city.

“I wanted to go back to anational firm,” she says.

“It was a period ofconsolidation in the industryand Mazars appealedbecause it had a goodstrategy.

“I was offered a positionin the Huddersfield officeand I thought that wouldprovide me with a newchallenge.”

Karen recalls someresistance from the town’sbusiness community whenMazars came to town, butsays: “When we did thebuy-out, people knew wewere here to stay.

“The culture of the firm isvery different and there isalmost a family feel about itnow.

“We tried to raise ourgame – and everyoneelse’s – not just forourselves but forHuddersfield.

“We want to help keepthe town economicallyhealthy.”

The firm has a healthyconcern for its staff –

encouraging them toorganise charity events andpromoting team-buildingexercises.

One employee, MatthewBestwick, hassingle-handedly organiseda 26-mile trek through theColne Valley to raise cashfor Kirkwood Hospice andthe Laura Crane Trust.Karen is among those whowill take part in the event,which takes place later thismonth.

“The work ethic at RevellWard is very much one ofwork hard and play hard.”says Karen. “We expect alot of out staff – they areobviously our biggest assetand we do pride ourselveson customer service andintegrating as much aspossible with out clientsand their businesses.

“Helping people is whatwe do best.

“Motivation can bedifficult, especially in thecurrent economic climate –but that’s where the playside comes in.

“We take time out as ateam and in the past wehave been to Scarborough,Xscape, Heritage Exchangeand Direct Golf and playedall sorts of silly games tohave fun.”

Occupying the seventhfloor at the former NTLbuilding in Market Streetalso helps focus staff on theimportant things.

“We have a fantastic newoffice with fantastic views,”says Karen. “It makes mewant to sing the oldCarpenters favourite, ‘OnTop of the world’.

“It can’t help but keep youfocused on local issuesbecause we see them everyday.”

Karen says she trainedas an accountant becauseshe liked playing withnumbers – and still lovesher role as an auditor.

But she says: “My bigfrustration is that anyonecan claim to be anaccountant and can evendo it from their backbedroom or garage if theychoose.

“There is a hugedistinction between this anda chartered accountant andthere should be moreregulation to setting up asan accountant. You don’tseem to have the sameissues with the legalprofession.”

Karen is also busy awayfrom the office – with twomajor building projectsunder way.

Karen, husband John andtheir six-year-old sonThomas hope to move intograde 2 listed building –

currently undergoingrestoration work – later thisyear. They are also workingon a property in France toprovide a holiday home.

One of Karen’s passionsis red wine – French forpreference – and sherecently spent her 40thbirthday in a chateau inFrance, where she was ableto sample some of the best.

Her other love is sport.As well as being a Giantsand Town season ticketholder, Karen and family areoff to Australia forChristmas to watch theAshes test matches atMelbourne and Sydney.

Says Karen: “When I wasyounger, I used to play in aladies’ five-a-side league –

but two knee operationslater I prefer the moregentle approach toexercise.

“I still go on the odd 5krun, but otherwise it’s thegym.”

Sport has clearly taughther the value of team work.

“The reason I do my jobis because I enjoy it and Iam part of a team.

“I want to see a similarteam spirit develop amongthe businesses and otherorganisations in the town.

“That’s the way to helpHuddersfield remain avibrant and successfulplace.”

■ BUSY: Karen enjoys thework ethic at Revell Ward

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal

Charity becomesCarl’s new recruitA WEBSITE that raises money for charitythrough children’s birthday parties has named theElisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Don-keys as its final charity cause.

PartiesAroundtheWorld.co.uk, which waslaunched last year by Brighouse-based business-man Carl Hopkins and Leeds-based entrepreneurDeirdre Bounds, has linked up with EST, a charitydedicated to offering riding therapy with donkeysto children with special needs and disabilities.

PAW hopes to raise much-needed funds for thetrust through its website, which allows guests atchildren’s birthday parties to make donationstowards a charity or cause instead of buyingmaterial gifts.

Parties Around the World aims to take thestress and hassle out of organising a child’sbirthday party by offering personalised and auto-mated invitations, RSVPs and thank-you cards inaddition to the online gift-giving facility.

A total of 12 “child-friendly” causes are repres-ented on the PAW website – ranging from theHebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust to BornFree, the foundation that aims to protectthreatened species and keep wildlife in the wild.

Guests who choose the Elisabeth SvendsenTrust for Children and Donkeys (EST) as theircharity of choice, will help the trust providedonkey-riding therapy to more than 750 childrenwith special needs and disabilities at purpose-builtcentres around the country.

Deirdre, who in 2007 sold her ethical travelcompany i-to-i.com for millions of pounds, wasinspired to launch PAW after holding a birthdayparty for her own young son and seeing the

dozens of unnecessary gifts he received that wouldprobably never be played with.

Carl Hopkins, whose business interests includebusiness angel service Kloog and agency-

bods.co.uk, has starred in Channel 4's The SecretMillionaire when he gave away £42,000 to helpgood causes in the once-thriving colliery town ofEasington in the north-east.

ForwardplanningA STRATEGY has been drawn upto expand Yorkshire’smanufacturing sector by 50%.Regional development agencyYorkshire Forward has compiledthe action plan which outlines thesteps needed to help themanufacturing sector grow andachieve wider internationalrecognition.The Manufacturing Strategy forYorkshire and Humber examineswhere the sector needs to be infive, 10 and 20 years from now.It aims to identify the stepsneeded to expand manufacturingby more than 50% – so that itrepresents 20% of the regionaleconomy by 2030 compared to the13% it represents now.The action plan highlights fourhigh-tech manufacturing sectorschosen to drive growth anddevelopment – advancedengineering and Materials, digitaltechnologies, healthcaretechnologies and low carbontechnologies.Richard Wright, chairman of theYorkshire and HumberManufacturing Steering Group,said: “These sectors have beenchosen because they representenormous international marketopportunities and regionally weknow we are good at them – andtherefore able to compete in theworld market and export theirproducts and make money –which gives us the best return onour investment.“This no way detracts from theimportance of businesses in othersectors, but identifies them asdrivers through whichmanufacturing can produce a stepchange in its performance and bywhich Yorkshire and Humber willbe recognised internationally.Resources are finite, so to fullyexploit commercial potential;resources have to be focused.”The strategy has been created byYorkshire Forward’sManufacturing Taskforce, whichwas chaired by Richard Wrightand included industry leaders,business representatives andsupport bodies.The purpose of the taskforce wasto work closely withmanufacturing companies toreview and increase awareness ofbusiness support.Simon Hill, executive director ofbusiness at Yorkshire Forward,said: “Manufacturing is importantbecause it is a high exporter andbrings real value into the region.An economically balanced regionneeds a strong manufacturingbase.“Manufacturing is high on thenational agenda and we believeYorkshire and Humber can leadthe way nationally with thisfocused strategy which builds onthe region’s strengths.”

■ LET’S PARTY: Deirdie Bounds and Carl Hopkins have completed their list of charities to benefitfrom ethical business Parties Around the World

Recession is toblame for hike inlitigation casesA LAW firm in Huddersfield hasreported a rise in litigation as a resultof the long recession.

Baxter Caulfield, which has officesin Station Street, said its commercialand employment litigation depart-ment had been busier than ever in thelast 12 months.

An analysis of the firm’s casesreveals five top reasons for disputesleading to the instruction of solicitors– disputes between owner-managerswithin private businesses; collection ofdebt; changes in terms and conditionsof supply; employment issues; andbreach of confidentiality.

Stephen Newman, senior partner,said: “Private businesses are still find-ing the going really tough. They oftenneed to make changes to reduce costs,but are hindered by issues arising fromcontracts that were drawn up in morecertain economic times.

“When incomes and profits arereduced, business owners invariablyreassess the long term viability ofcommercial relationships. This oftencreates tension in those relationships.

“There is no doubt that the dimin-ished economy has contributed to theescalation of disputes and lawyers arebeing instructed more often thanwould be the case in times of greaterprosperity. Tighter money means thatall avenues are being pursued to max-imise income or reduce costs.”

Said Mr Newman: “In the rush tolaw, people sometimes forget that law-yers can also be used to mediate orarbitrate on disputes.

“Alternative dispute resolution cansometimes prove to be a relativelyquick and less costly means of settlingdisagreements, and it should not beignored.”

Website spotlights trainingopportunities in food sectorEMPLOYERS in the food anddrink sector have been urgedto visit a new website to findout more about trainingopportunities.Sector skills council Improvehas launched the site withBusiness Link and theDepartment for Business,Innovation and Skills toensure that businesses are at

the heart of changes affectingthe industry.The website atwww.businesslink.gov.uk/vocationalqualificationsincludes information on twonew qualifications – ImproveProficiency Qualifications andImprove VocationalQualifications – which are nowbeing developed.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local

Paternity leave plans

Neil Wilson is an employment lawyer at ChadwickLawrence Solicitors

EMPLOYER’SBRIEFNeil Wilson

PRIOR to the economic crisistaking hold in the UK, plans

were put in place to extend thepaternity rights given to newfathers.

These plans were put on holdduring the downturn, but it hasrecently been announced that theyare back on the table.

The Government is continuing tohonour its long-term policy toachieve a better work-life balancefor mothers, fathers and families ingeneral by formally announcing thenew paternity leave proposals.

The plans, which would come intoeffect in April, 2010, will see fathersgiven the right to take an extendedperiod of leave, paid at the statutoryrates, to care for their new baby.

Currently, new fathers are entitledto take up to two weeks of paternityleave within 56 days of the birth ofthe child.

This is in contrast to a newmother’s right to take up to 12months of leave, nine of which ispaid (again, mostly at the prescribedstatutory rate).

The Government now proposesthat fathers can take up to sixmonths of paternity leave if themother does not exercise her entitle-ments. The justification for this isthat it will hopefully allow a moreflexible workforce and allow greateroptions for families raising youngchildren.

Unsurprisingly, the response hasbeen met with disappointment bymost businesses.

It is felt that the need for greaterflexibility is not being weighed upevenly against a company’s need torun its business effectively.

Also, and whilst this should notbe the case, it is a fact that manymore senior posts within businessesare filled by males, so the effect islikely to be felt more severely iffathers exercise the full extent oftheir new rights.

A further envisaged downside tothe new regulations is that the enti-tlements may well be difficult toadminister. In almost all cases, themother and father will be workingfor separate employers, and it isthought that the onus will be on theparents to simply provide a declara-tion as to the leave that they aretaking.

This leaves the system open to

abuse, but also to difficulties (whichwill be experienced in smaller busi-nesses with less resources and fewerexpertise) in physically administer-ing the payments.

However, the Government’sresearch has suggested that take-upof the new proposals will be lowamong fathers.

There is still a cultural barrierdiscouraging many fathers fromtaking full-time responsibility forchildcare; instead they are moreconcerned with providing finan-cially for their families. It is sugges-ted that less than 6% of workingmales in the UK would take up theright, although this remains to beseen.

Further consultation is expectedon the proposals, although the Gov-ernment has made it quite clear thatthere will be no further delays onimplementation.

Council to help firmsgear up for recoveryKIRKLEES Council means business when itcomes to supporting the district’s economy,says leader Clr Mehboob Khan.

Now the authority has pledged a further£3m to turn its “recession fund” into a“recovery fun” and continue helping localfirms to keep people in jobs.

Kirklees Council has helped mitigate theworst effects of the downturn and protect jobswith a three-year £3m “recession fund.

Among the initiatives, the council has set upa Sell to Kirklees website for firms to registerand tender for council contracts for the firsttime; linked up with Yorkshire Forward andBusiness Link to help manufacturers cutthrough red tape; and hosted two high-profilemeetings between local business leaders andregional minister Rosie Winterton.

Other initiatives include a HuddersfieldLoan Fund offering low-interest finance forjob creation; investment in council-ownedbusiness and enterprise centres to “incubate”new businesses; and the creation of a land andproperty bulletin to pinpoint developmentsites to would-be investors.

Kirklees was also the first authority toprovide a business rate relief scheme forsmaller manufacturers, which is calculated tohave helped secure about 200 jobs. The coun-

cil has spent £285,000 on rates relief.And a pledge to pay all its invoices within 10

working days is also helping the council’ssuppliers with their cash flow.

Clr Khan said: “We have kept the centralrecession fund going – which is now ourrecovery fund. We have budgeted for a further£3m over the next three years. We are notgoing to take our foot off the accelerator.”

Clr Khan said the district had distinctadvantages in the wake of the recession –including the resources of Huddersfield Uni-versity with its 26,000 students; plans for an£85m investment in a new campus at ChapelHill for Kirklees College; and the town’sworld-renowned media centre..

And Kirklees was ideally placed to getspin-off benefits from the growth of neigh-bouring cities Leeds and Manchester.

The district was one of the most importantcentres in the UK for manufacturing and forinternet-based businesses, claimed Clr Khan,adding: “We have a wealth of talent in thebusiness sector and we aim to create anenvironment for enterprise.”

Through Leeds City Region, the councilaims to improve transport links at key points,including Leeds Road, Cooper Bridge while aHuddersfield Gateways scheme aims to

improve traffic flow on the ring road.Kirklees also wants to see a high-speed rail

link between Manchester, Huddersfield andLeeds.

Clr Khan said the future of town centreswas a major concern for councils as shoppingpatterns changed. “We have to make towncentres much more attractive and secureplaces for people to visit,” he said.

Clr Khan said the controversial revamp ofSt George’s Square had provided a “wowfactor” for visitors to the town while eventssuch as the Festival of Lights had encouragedpeople to visit the town centre in the eveningand sample its restaurants as well as shops.

Improving St Peter’s Gardens and efforts toseek a site for a “high quality” children’s playarea were also on the agenda – to make thetown centre a “day out” destination.

Clr Khan said the council was working withrepresentatives of organisations such as theuniversity, Kirklees College, the Media Centreand Kirklees Stadium Development Ltd on aHuddersfield Futures group to plot the coursefor the town over the next 10 years.

One issue was how to “brand” Huddersfieldand market it as a vibrant and dynamic townwith a proud history and a bright future.

■ RECOVERY: Council leader MehboobKhan aims to maintain the momentum

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property

Marshalls paves wayfor a Big ConversationBUILDING products group Marshalls ismaking work experience more inspiringfor young people.

Graham Holden, chief executive of theBirkby-based paving supplier, wasamong 50 Yorkshire business leaders totake part in the Big Conversation – anevent staged at Leeds Metropolitan Uni-versity.

One-to-one conversations betweenbusiness leaders and young people tookplace as part of a national Work Inspira-tion campaign, which encourages firmsacross all sectors to review or improve thework experience they offer – to make itmore relevant and inspiring.

The campaign is led by Business in theCommunity, education foundation Edgeand the Ta lent and Enterpr i seTaskforce.

Yorkshire is the first region to take theinitiative forward – thanks to supportfrom regional development agency York-shire Forward, Young People’s Enter-prise Forum and the regional educationand business partnerships.

The campaign, which is led by SirStuart Rose, executive chairman ofMarks & Spencer and chairman of BiTC,has also launched a website for businesses

to sign up to the campaign, find out moreinformation and to download theemployer toolkit.

About 265 organisations – includingMarshalls, Yorkshire Bank and NorthernFoods – have agreed to support thecampaign.

At the Big Conservation, employerswere taken through three easy steps tohelp them improve their own work exper-ience activities – a one-to-one conversa-tion between the young person and asenior manager; looking behind thescenes of a business so a young personcan see how their abilities and skills relateto different jobs in a workplace; andletting them meet a range of work col-leagues to learn of their varying careerpaths within a particular organisation.

Suzy Alderson, executive director ofYPEF, said: “Businesses that succeed ingiving young people a broader under-standing of the different roles within anorganisation are helping to create a moreconfident and ‘job ready’ generationwhich can only be a good thing forbusiness.”

Businesses can find out more and signup to the campaign www.workinspiration.com ■ TALKING POINT: Marshalls chief executive Graham Holden chats with Agsa Bashir, of Bradford, at the

Big Conversation

LAND

OFFICES

INDUSTRIAL

INVESTMENT

RETAIL

T. 01484 530361 www.bramleys.com

4 RANGE LANEHalifax, HX3 6DLFORMER HOSTEL PREMISES395m2 (4,250ft2)Site Area 0.13 Hectares (0.33 Acres)■ Vacant possession■ Suitable for refurbishment foralternative occupational residentialuses or possible completeredevelopment, subject toplanning consent












■ industrial

■ offices

■ retail

■ investment

■ land

NORTHUMBERLANDST, HUDDERSFIELD,

HD1 1PLFor Sale £600,000

● 1,729.28sqm (18,614sqft)● Former music school● Suitable for a variety of

office, commercial,community uses, subject toplanning

PROMINENT TOWN CENTRE BUILDING

WHITACRE STREET,HUDDERSFIELD,

HD2 1LYTo Let £10,000 P/A

● 199.36m² (2,146ft²)● Popular Leeds Road

Corridor location● Close to M62

Motorway● Good loading

SINGLE STOREY INDUSTRIAL UNIT

GEORGE STREET,MILNSBRIDGE,

HD3 4JDTo Let

● 5830, 18,054 &37889 sqft

● 2 Storey Offices● Popular Industrial

Location● Flexible Terms

INDUSTRIAL UNITS

ST GEORGES SQUARE, HUDDERSFIELD, HD1 1JFTo Let £8,500 pa

● 103.68sqm (1,116sq ft)

● Close to railway station

● Quality offices

● Lift access

OFFICES

CLOTH HALL STREET, HUDDERSFIELD, HD1 2EGTo Let From £9,000 pa

● 98.62 - 198.53sqm (1,061 - 2,037sqft)

● Recently refurbished

● Open Plan

● Self contained

OFFICES

WAKEFIELD ROAD, HUDDERSFIELD, HD5 9ABFor Sale £150,000

● Potential Investment

● Vacant possession available

● Prominent main road position

● Excellent car parking

POTENTIAL INVESTMENT

22 CROSS CHURCH STREET, HUDDERSFIELD, HD1 2PTTo Let £18,000 pa

● 116.87m² (1,258ft²) plus attic

● Town centre position

● Close to Kingsgate Centre

● Rateable value £10,750

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SOUTHGATE, ELLAND, HX5 0BWTo Let £10,500 pa

● 119.09sqm (1,282sqft)

● Close to public car parking

● Rateable value £7,900

● Available for other use, subject to planning

RESTAURANT PREMISES

TRINITY STREET, HUDDERSFIELD, HD1 4DATo Let £15,600 pa

● 55.97sqm (602sqft)

● Double fronted

● Prominent position

● Rateable Value £6,300

RETAIL

For more information contact Alec Michaelon 07717 870 320 or email [email protected]

Industrial Offices

Showroom/Retail

To LeT / MAy SeLL To LeT - immediatley available To LeT - FroM Spring

To LeT - immediatley availableTo LeT - immediatley available ALL enQUirieS

on the instructionsof gW Body Shop Ltd

nile Street, off StThomas’ road,Huddersfield3,664 m2 (39,442 sq ft)

Principally single storeyworkshop premises currentlybeing used as a body repairgarage close to town centrejust off Chapel Hill withoffices and secure yard.

Crystal Works,Union road,Heckmondwike576 m2 (6,200 sq ft)

High quality modernindustrial/warehouse unitonly a short distance frommain A62 Leeds Road.

Unit 17, Flush Mills, Heckmondwike4,329 m2 (46,600 sq ft)

High quality recently refurbished lofty warehouse/industrialunit benefitting from excellent on site loading and onlya short distance from A62 Leeds Road.

new Highfield Mill Cleckheaton995 m2 (10,713 sq ft)

Well located industrial/engineering premises lessthan mile for J26 M62 (Cleckheaton).

Beckside Court, Bradford road, Batley2,000 m2 (6,058 sq ft)

High quality refurbished offices with parkingcapable of being sub divided.

Joint Agent

Huddersfield road,Mirfield669 m2 (7,200 sq ft)

Large open planshowroom/retail spaceadjacent The BathroomShop, Speight’s Lighting& Oxfam with largecar park.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers

Joe joining thelanded gentry!CRAFTSMAN Joseph Hemingway isset to showcase his skills at one ofBritain’s most outstanding statelyhomes.

Mr Hemingway, who is re-buildinghis wood carving career after fire des-troyed his Armitage Bridge workshopthree years ago, has been invited todemonstrate his craft at historic CastleHoward in North Yorkshire.

He is set to join other craftsmen andwomen, contemporary artists andceramicists taking part in the venue’sSunday arts market, which is held in thestable courtyard.

The first market planned for 2010 islikely to take place in late March.

The offer comes as Mr Hemingwaycontinues with his latest project to builda set of six ribbon-backed chairs to adesign by the renowned Thomas Chip-pendale.

Nottingham-based textile specialistBeryl Connor is providing the intric-ately-embroidered seat covers for thechairs..

Mr Hemingway has already set upTaylor & Hobson as a CommunityInterest Community and runs ThomasChippendale Ltd.

He has also worked as a volunteer

business adviser under the YoungEnterprise scheme supported by HSBCand the Small Business Service.

The scheme encourages youngstersnearing school leaving age to thinkabout starting their own business.

Mr Hemingway started his carvingcareer as an apprentice with Hudders-field joinery firm of Taylor & Hobson,but set up his own cabinet-makingbusiness in 1968.

He developed an interest in the workof Chippendale and in the 1980s beganwork on his own intricate carved ver-sions of Chippendale chairs. The chairswere known as “impossible chairs”because they were thought too complic-ated to carve.

Castle Howard, an 18th centurypalace designed by Sir John Vanbrugh,is recognised as the finest private resid-ence in Yorkshire.

The house was begun in 1699 for thethird Earl of Carlisle, Charles Howard,and features a 192ft gallery and achapel with a magnificent 19th centurystained glass window.

The house is a treasure trove ofpaintings, antique furniture and sculp-ture while the grounds include lakes,fountains and extensive gardens.

Dealership gets a sporty look!

ARTIST Paul Wilson has given asporty look to a local car dealership.

Paul, 53, of Netherton, hascompleted a mural depicting a Ferrari308GTB at Crowtrees Car Centre inBrighouse.

The full-size mural, which adornsone of the showroom walls, waspainted in acrylics and shows theclassic car parked in a garage.

Paul was asked by garage bossesto carry out the commission becausethe dealership wanted to brighten upthe showroom interior.

He said: “It was a challenge for mebecause I had never attemptedanything on this size. I have been

painting since the early 1980s, but Inormally work in pencil and ink on A3drawing paper.”

The mural took Paul 50 hours tocomplete as part of the wall had to betreated before he could paint on it.

Paul, who worked at Turnbridgeengineering form Holset – nowCummins Turbo Technologies – untilbeing made redundant, said thegarage bosses were pleased by theresults of his work.

Although he has sold some of hiswork, Paul doesn’t expect to get aFerrari 308GTB for real – and ismaking do with his trusty SkodaOctavia!

■ CAR CRAFT: Netherton artist Paul Wilson pictured with his mural of aFerrari 308GTB at Crowtrees Car Centre, Brighouse

■ COVER STORY: Wood carver JosephHemingway with one of the embroidered seatcovers for his intricate ribbon-backed chairs

Martin Dixon

BlacksmithDesignMARTIN Dixon has beenappointed to head a newbusiness strategy atLepton-based Blacksmith DesignConsultancy.

Mr Dixon (pictured) has adesign background and joins thesix-strong agency from specialistdesign recruitment companyMacPeople. In his new role, hewill focus on developing links withHuddersfield-based businesses.

Following a recent move to Lepton, Blacksmithhas engaged with Business Link and the DesignCouncil to work on the Designing Demandinitiative to provide strategic and brand-ledservices to businesses across West Yorkshire.Recent projects include ones for EarnshawsFencing Centres and specialist IT recruitment andbusiness change consultancy Elementall.

A confusionof Coopers!DAVID Cooper? Meet David Cooper...

Two businessmen who share the same namehope to share the benefits after signing a supplyagreement.

Bradley-based Cooper’s Coffee, led bymanaging director David Cooper, has beenappointed to supply its products to Liverpoolcoffee shop Coopers of Freshfields, which isowned by another David Cooper.

The coffee shop owner came acrossCooper’s Coffee when he was conducting someonline research for his logo.

“Cooper's appeared in Google and as I waslooking to attract the discerning customer, theirbrand and approach to coffee was a perfectmatch,” he said.

“Once I'd spoken to their new businessmanager, I was convinced Cooper's had theright attitude as well as the right products. Allthe staff I have spoken to have been a pleasureto deal with. And you can imagine the fun I havewhen I ring up and say ‘Hi, it's David Cooper’!”

Coopers of Freshfields has signed up to anarray of Fair Trade teas, coffees, hot chocolate,wafers and syrups from Cooper’s Coffee.

A new espresso machine from premiumItalian brand Dalla Corte and a grinder will alsobe installed.

Speaking about signing up his namesake,David Cooper, of Cooper’s Coffee said: “I’venever met anyone with my name before and it’seven more of an amazing coincidence that weboth work in the coffee sector.

“I don’t blame David for taking advantage ofthe Cooper’s name. It’s great that we fit with hisneeds for quality and service and he gets to usethe connectivity of our branding. It’s a win-winsituation.”

Sarah Gwynne

Yorkshire Bank

TechmeshChris Adams

THE new business network forYorkshire’s fast-growing IT andtelecoms sector has announceda new appointment.

Techmesh has recruited LeedsMetropolitan University graduateChris Adams as marketingassistant.

Mr Adams (pictured) joins theorganisation from KirkleesCouncil where he has beenworking in the communications team.

He will help promote techmesh events andwork with its members to support the networkacross the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Techmesh programme manager GaryRowbotham, said: “Having Chris join the teamwill ensure we can continue to expand ourmembership and help us develop the network ofcompanies keen to benefit from techmesh.

“The IT and telecoms industry in Yorkshire andthe Humber is second only to London in the UKand our aim is to promote the excellent workbeing done and assist in the vital growth of thisindustry.”

Said Mr Adams: “The work being done bytechmesh is already making a real difference tothe industry and I’m delighted to be part of theorganisation.”

YORKSHIRE Bank hasappointed Sarah Gwynne(pictured) as business partnerin the Kirklees andCalderdale team at the bank’sWest Yorkshire FinancialSolutions Centre.

Ms Gwynne, who has beenwith the bank for 11 years,previously worked in asset finance at theBradford-based West Yorkshire FSC with aspecial focus on Calderdale and Kirklees.

She lives in Holmfirth.Yorkshire Bank’s West Yorkshire FSC has 45

staff in areas encompassing corporate banking,private wealth management, treasury servicesand credit and operates a traditional method ofbanking with funding from deposits used tosupport investments in the local community.

Kirklees Business News, 2nd March 2010

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Transcript of Kirklees Business News, 2nd March 2010