KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees18, September, 2012

INSIDE

● Full story - Page 8

● Full story - Page 7

IAN KELLETT

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3

Eurozone reviva l ?Co lumn - Page 5

An EXAMINER publication

AcademysponsorAN office supply firmhas signed up assponsor ofHuddersfield Town’sacademy. CompleteOffice Solutions willhave its logo on thefront of every agegroup’s shirt in theacademy during the2012-13 season.Town is in the processof creating classroomsat its Canalside sportcomplex, which willallow academy playersto complete theiroff-field studies on site.

WorkingworldA KITCHENmanufacturer haslaunched a newinitiative to supportyoung people enteringthe job market.Against a backgroundof rising youthunemployment,Dewsbury-basedRixonway – whichprovides kitchens forthe social housingsector – is offeringyoung tenants a chanceto get an insight andexperience in all areasof its business.

SIMON KAYE

exam

iner

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uk Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

FTSE 100+21.49

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Building careersgo in the spotlightJOBLESS people in Kirklees havebeen given a career kick-start in con-struction through the delivery of anational training scheme by WatesLiving Space.

Over-19s from Huddersfield, Batleyand Liversedge who have been strug-gling to get into work completed thenational Building Futures scheme,which gives jobseekers an opportunityto take part in construction skillstraining to improve employment pro-spects.

The two-week programme saw themlearn a variety of practical skills suchas carpentry, tiling and plumbing andvisit a number of building sites acrossthe district to see the inner workings ofconstruction in action. They also hadthe chance to work on their interviewtechnique with members of Wates’supply chain.

The training programme drew to aclose with the candidates putting theirnewly learnt skills to the test by build-ing some community benches andplanters to be placed in schools andcommunity spaces.

Local social enterprise, GreenFuture Building, provided recycledmaterials and hands-on support byway of guiding them through the pro-ject.

Wates delivered the programme inpartnership with its national deliverypartners, Ixion Holdings and Skill

Centre, alongside Kirklees Council’s“build” initiative, which helped tosource candidates who were alreadywork-ready and equipped with theskills and motivation to maximise thepotential of the scheme.

All students will be rewarded fortheir efforts with a QCF Level 1 Awardin Building Crafts accreditation andwill undertake a CSCS test, as a meansof securing access to future trainingand experience on building sites.

Joanne Jamieson, regional man-aging director at Wates Living Space,

said: “It was always our intention toutilise our role in Kirklees Council’s

Excellent Homes for Life housing pro-ject to create training opportunities forlocal people and help them to improvetheir employability.

“I am so pleased we have been ableto deliver our Building Futures schemeand I’d like to thank ‘build’ for work-ing with us to ensure we are providingtangible opportunities to enthusiastictrainees. All of the candidates havebeen brilliant and I wish them the verybest in their future careers.”

Dave Morris, of Crosland Moor,who completed the Building Futurescourse, said: “It was great to be giventhe chance to learn so many new skills.I know it will make a big difference tomy job prospects.

“I really enjoyed the course and it’sgiven me the motivation to keep goingand look out for employment oppor-tunities within the building industry.”

Established by Wates in 2005, theBuilding Futures programme, accred-ited by the Assessment and Qualifica-tions Alliance, was developed to helpthe long term unemployed andex-offenders return to the workforceand learn about different trades withinthe construction industry.

Wates’ work on the ExcellentHomes for Life project for KirkleesCouncil will see the construction of466 new Council homes for rent acrossthe district.

■ BREAK-TIME: The Building Futures students (above) take a break.Below(from left) Michael Bloomfield, Nathan Johnson and Joe Forster with their work

Warning as tax penalties come flooding inSMALL businesses in Kirklees have beenurged to make sure the taxman isn’tpenalising them unfairly.

The call comes as HM Revenue &Customs sends out half a million taxpenalties of at least £1,200 each for failingto submit self-assessment tax returns.

Nick Brook, who runs Tax AssistAccountants in Lockwood, said: “Wealways advise local business owners andself-employed to put the end of Octoberfirmly in their diary for filing theirself-assessment tax returns on paper orthe end of the following January if filingonline.

“This year the warning was even

starker, with HMRC for the first timeadding daily fines to the initial £100 fixedpenalty if the forms were still not submit-ted.

“That means some 500,000 peopleacross the UK are receiving penalties of atleast £1,200 this month.

“But we’re urging any Huddersfieldbusiness men and women who receivenotices of tax penalties to make abso-lutely sure they’re not being unfairly tar-geted.

“They may have ceased trading or leftself-employment to become an employeewith straightforward PAYE tax payments,for example and HMRC do not have the

changes on record. They will remove youfrom the self-assessment system and can-cel the penalty if that’s the case.”

Said Mr Brook: “In some circum-stances, such as serious family illness orbereavement, they may also waive penal-ties, but this is extremely rare.

“HMRC is clamping down firmly onlate registrations and late payments andsays the new rules have almost halved thenumber of outstanding returns.

“We want to make sure that the remain-ing non-filers being targeted do notinclude any Huddersfield business peoplewho shouldn’t be in self assessment in thefirst place.”

■ ALERT: Nick Brook, ofTaxAssist Accountants

Plans motoring ahead

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICES

closed at

Local shares

FTSE

5893.52Down 22.03

closed at

JJB shares slumpover ‘pre-pack’ talk

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.46 dollarsBangladesh................. 125.10 takaBrazil.............................. 2.92 realsCanada....................... 1.50 dollarsChina ............................. 9.15 yuanCzech Republic ...... 27.70 korunasDenmark....................... 8.76 kroneEuro............................... 1.18 euroHong Kong................ 11.93 dollarsHungary ................... 312.89 forintsIndia.......................... 77.29 rupeesJapan........................... 120.81 yenMexico ....................... 18.40 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.82 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.81 kronePakistan.................. 144.34 rupeesPhilippines ................. 57.73 pesosSouth Africa ................. 12.52 randSouth Korea.............. 1577.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 201.80 rupeesSweden....................... 10.18 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.43 francsTaiwan ...................... 41.48 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.74 new liraUSA ............................ 1.55 dollars

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £36.42 -0.02Gannett 1087.06 +6.15Hess Corp £34.43 -0.04Microsoft 1916.50 -2.46Motors Liquidation 46.11Wal-Mart Stores £45.46 -0.34

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 3033/4 +1/2BAE Systems 342 -5Rolls-Royce 874 -101/2

AIMBrady Plc 97Dawson Intl 3/8Man Brnze 91/2 -1/4

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 2367/8 -1/4

BANKSBarclays 228 -1HSBC 5831/4 -11/4Lloyds Banking Gp 397/8 -1/8Ryl Scotland 2743/8 -45/8Stan Chart 1514 +71/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 16831/2 +1/2SABMiller £271/8

CHEMICALSCroda £241/8 -1/8Elementis 98 2401/4Johnsn Mat £251/4 -3/8

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 3091/4 +15/8

Costain 2423/4 -53/4ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 5001/2 -5SSE 1382 -18

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 2437/8 +11/4

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3743/4 +5/8

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 2281/4 -43/4Cable & WirelessComm

381/4 +13/4

Colt Group 1207/8 +11/8KCOM 841/4 +1/4Talktalk Telecom 187 -1/8

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2931/4 -5/8Sainsbury 3415/8 +5/8Tesco 3455/8 -1/4

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1284 +9Tate Lyle 648 +2Unilever £225/8 +1/4

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3321/2 +1/4National Grid 679 -51/2Pennon Grp 734 +3Severn 1690 +5United Utils 6881/2 +51/2

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 2277/8 +1/4ICAP 3501/4 -1/2

London StockExch 1097 -8Man Group 895/8 +11/8Provident Financial 1379 -29Schroders 1583 +10Schroders NV 1235 -8

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 633 -2REXAM 4291/8 -31/4Smiths Grp 1041 -16

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 25 -1/4Carphone Whse 1661/2 +5Dixons Retail 193/8 -3/8Home Retail 945/8 -1Inchcape 3941/4 -5/8Kingfisher 2765/8 -11/2M & S 3715/8 -7/8Mothercare 2113/4 -11/2Next £34 +3/8WH Smith 616 -8

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 686 -4

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 611/2 -11/2Barrat Dev 1723/8 -3/4Persimmon 7801/2 -91/2Reckitt Benckiser £353/4 +1/8Taylor Wimpey 561/4 -7/8

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGI M I 962 -51/2

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 2241/4 -3/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION

BBA Aviation 208 -1LIFE INSURANCE

Aviva 3591/4 -37/8Lgl & Gen 138 +1/4Old Mutual 175 -11/2Prudential 841 -13Resolution 2251/8 +11/4Standard Life 281 -21/8

MEDIABSkyB 725 +5D Mail Tst 4881/2 -43/4HIBU 3/4ITV 871/2 +1/4Johnston Press 73/4 +11/2Pearson 1183 -6Reed Elsevier 600 -51/2STV Group 873/8Trinity Mirror 52 +53/4Utd Business 692 -181/2UTV 1341/2 +33/4WPP 856 -8

MININGAnglo American £203/8 -1/2Antofagasta 1308 -26BHP Billiton £201/4 -1/4Eurasian NaturalRes

3625/8 -5/8

Fresnillo 1846 -24Kazakhmys 7601/2 -121/2Lonmin 649 +341/2Rio Tinto £321/8 -5/8VEDANTARESOURCES

1093 +3

Xstrata 10531/2 -7MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 591 -3Vodafone Group 1735/8 -21/4

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1118 -5RSA Insurance Gp 1201/2 -1

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 1291 -10BP 4511/2 +11/4Cairn Energy 297 +17/8Royal Dutch Shell A £221/2 -1/8Royal Dutch Shell B £231/4 -1/8Total £333/8 -3/8Tullow Oil 1444 -12

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1145 -11

Petrofac 1678 +11Wood Gp(J) 8421/2 -171/2

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1075 -19

PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGYAstrazeneca £287/8GlaxoSmithK XD 15Shire 1901 -1

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 5451/2 -2Captl Shop Cent 3477/8 -23/8Hamrsn 4671/8 +3/8Land Secs 7961/2 +1SEGRO 2361/8 -7/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESInvensys 2491/8 -4Sage Group 3151/8 -3

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 546 -4Bunzl 1088 -17Capita 753 +161/2De La Rue 993 -1/2Electrocomp 2363/4 -43/4Experian 1027 -4G4S 2667/8 +57/8Hays 831/2 +11/2Homeserve 2413/8 -27/8Menzies J 640Rentokil 83 -5/8Smiths News 1171/2 +11/4Wolseley £277/8 -1/4

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 5841/2 +21/2

Psion 861/4 -11/2Spirent Comms 1683/4 -11/4

TOBACCO

Br Am Tob £311/2 -1/8Imperial Tobacco £231/8 +1/8

LEISURE & HOTELS

Bwin.Party Digital 1103/8 +37/8Carnival £225/8 -1/8Compass Grp 7101/2 +41/2easyJet 569 -3Enterprise Inns 633/4 -11/4FirstGroup 2535/8 -67/8Go-Ahead Gp 1365 -8Greene King 5921/2 +2Intercontl Htls 1644 +2Intl Cons AirlinesGp

156 -41/8

Ladbrokes 1841/8 +55/8Mitchells & Butlers 2863/4 +13/4Natl Express 2293/4 -3/4Rank Org 1393/4 -11/4Stagecoach Group 2901/2 -3/8TUI Travel 2321/8 -1/8Whitbread £23

INDEXFTSE 100 5893.52 -22.03

INDEXFTSE 250 12080.88 -35.24

Carclo 4473/4 -7Marshalls 893/4 -2National Grid 679 -51/2Weir Gp 1805 -20

VIDEO games retailerGame has linked up withtelecoms giant BT toprovide wi-fi access to its341 UK stores, includingone at Kingsgate inHuddersfield.

The move will allowGame to showcase itsfull range of gamingcontent both on-line andin-store. Customers willalso be able to downloada free smartphone appin-store giving theminstant access to productreviews, videos, newsand special offers whilebrowsing in the store.

Game said the movewould offer gamers thechance to research andexperience products ineven more depth beforeselecting their purchases.

The service will berolled-out in time for thepeak Christmas period.

Martyn Gibbs, chiefexecutive for GameRetail, said: “Theintroduction of in-storewi-fi signals a new levelof customer experienceand a major step towardsachieving our vision ofdelivering excellence forthe UK gamingcommunity.

“Just as in the musicand home movie market,online has revolutionisedthe way we discover andaccess new videogames. As a companywe are constantlyevolving, listening to ourcustomers and adaptingour approach to deliverfor them.”

Andy Baker, chiefexecutive for BT Wi-fi,said: “According toOfcom, 39% of adultsnow have a smartphoneand they’re a crucial partof people’s shoppinghabits, especially forgamers.”

PAYDAY lender Wonga has seenprofits surge after approving nearly2.5m short-term loans in its lastfinancial year.

The company has faced accusa-tions that it targets the financiallyvulnerable with an annual percent-age rate as high as 4,000% – butargues it is helping meet demand forshort-term loans from peopleshunned by high street banks.

The number of loans providedjumped by 296% in 2011, helpingrevenues rise 225% to £184.7m andnet income lift 269% to £45.8m.

Wonga credits its performance ontechnology enabling it to makereal-time lending decisions and

says it still rejects the majority offirst-time loan applicants. Its aver-age loan is about £160, with interestof about 1% a day.

The latest results come amid scru-tiny of the industry by the Office ofFair Trading following claims thatsome firms target people unsuitablefor credit and roll over loans so thatthe charges escalate and theybecome unaffordable.

Co-founder and chief executiveErrol Damelin said Wonga’s successwas based on record level of cus-tomer satisfaction and a 10-foldincrease in the volume of loanstaken out by mobile phone.

Earnings surge for WongaONE of the UK’s big four account-ancy firms reported an 11% hike inprofits after it “held its nerve” andcontinued to take on staff despitechallenging markets.

Professional services firm PwCrecruited 2,300 people in the year toJune, including more than 1,200graduates and 100 school leavers.

Contract wins with Aviva, DubaiWorld and Yule Catto boosted itsauditing and assurance division andhelped the firm report “a strong per-formance” in the year despite a “verychallenging” market.

Revenues in the UK rose by 7% to£2.6bn while profits were up by 10.8%

to £727m. Average profit per partnerrose by 4.6% to £798,000, althoughthe amount they received after pay-ments to retired partners and equityadjustments fell by 4% to £679,000.

Ian Powell, PwC UK chairman andsenior partner, said: “We took adecision at the start of the downturnto continue to hold our nerve andinvest in our business. We haverecruited significant numbers of newpeople, and invested heavily in ourinfrastructure to make sure we delivera world class service to our clients.”

It follows strong results from rivalDeloitte, which last month reportedan 11% surge in revenues

PwC posts 11% hike in profits

Game inwi-fi link

SHARES in struggling retailer JJBslumped amid fears that investors willlose out following the firm’s downwardspiral.

JJB is expected to be snapped up byrival Sports Direct International in a“pre-pack” administration deal thatwould see at least half of JJB’s storesclosed – putting thousands of jobs putat risk.

Sports World parent Sports Direct –founded by billionaire NewcastleUnited owner Mike Ashley – is believedto be close to finalising the deal, whichwould see him buy the most profitablestores from JJB.

It is suggested that more than half ofJJB’s 180 stores could close.

Both JJB and Sports Direct havestores at Great Northern Retail Park inHuddersfield while Sports Direct alsohas a store at the town’s Kingsgatecentre.

But it is believed the Office of Fair

Trading would launch an investigationinto any attempt by Sports Direct tobuy JJB.

The latest speculation promptedJJB’s shares to close down by 0.1p at0.3p last night.

Wigan-based JJB, which employs4,000 staff, put itself up for sale at theend of last month after failing to securethe funds needed to overhaul itsstores.

It confirmed last week it was holdingtalks after receiving offers from “anumber” of potential suitors as it seeks

to secure the future of the firm.The group has already warned share-

holders, who include the Bill andMelinda Gates Foundation, they arelikely to see their stakes wiped outunder any rescue deal.

It is now understood JJB will not beable to stave off administration, but isworking towards a “pre-pack” arrange-ment, that will allow it to be placed intoadministration and immediately sold.

This would allow Sports Direct tojettison loss-making stores, but avoidthe damaging impact of a prolonged

administration, which can cause irre-parable damage to brands.

Sports Direct was not immediatelyavailable for comment.

Other companies interested in buy-ing JJB are thought to include privateinvestment firm OpCapita and Frenchsporting goods retailer Decathlon.

Private equity firm Better Capital,founded by venture capitalist JonMoulton, was said to be a front-runner,but reports suggests the group failed tosubmit a bid by the deadline.

JJB founder Dave Whelan alsoreportedly said he would not make anoffer for the retailer, but would insteadlook to pick up individual stores if JJBwas bought or fell into administra-tion.

JJB secured its most recent lifelinejust four months ago when it landed£20m from US retailer Dick’s SportingGoods and a further £1m from existingshareholders.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

IK Classicsand Racing

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Work: Garage ser-vices, car storage andrecoverySite: Dobroyd Mills,HepworthPhone: 01484 688678Email: ikclassics@gmail.comWeb:www.ikclassicsandracing.co,uk

IanKellettRole: OwnerAge: 56Family: Married toNicola with childrenHayley 29, Ben, 19and James, 18Holidays: AnywhereI can switch off and themobile phone can’t getreception!Car: Nissan pick-upFirst job: ApprenticemechanicBest thing aboutjob: Every day is dif-ferent and I meetsome interesting – andeccentric – peopleWorst thing aboutjob: Frustration thatthings aren’t happen-ing faster with ourlatest projectBusiness tip: Lookafter people on theway up because youmay need them on theway down! Don’t begreedy

It’s lifein thefastlane!

THE cars are definitely thestars as far as Ian Kellett isconcerned.

The owner of IK Classicsand Racing is in his elementservicing and repairinghistoric cars of every type –and racing his own vehiclesat iconic circuits such asBrands Hatch andSilverstone.

Now he’s putting hisbusiness into a higher gearwith ambitious plans todevelop his newly-acquiredpremises in the HolmeValley to provide a visitorattraction alongside hisexisting garage and carstorage facilities.

Work is under way tocreate a café, shops and avehicle display area atDobroyd Mills in Hepworth.

The new facilities are dueto open in October and Ianis racing against time to getthe 10,00sq ft venue ready.

The opportunity toexpand his business camewhen IK Classics andRacing agreed to hislandlord’s suggestion ofmoving from smallerpremises in the bottom millat Dobroyd to largerbuildings just 300 yardsaway.

Ian says: ““We swappedfrom 12,000sq ft of space to48,000sq ft. We have beenhere about two months.

“It has presented us withan opportunity which wewould not have had if wehadn’t moved.

“There have always beenfour strings to our bow –servicing race cars, moderncars and classic cars andvehicle storage.

“They are all seasonal toan extent and in arecession, classic andhistoric cars are anexpensive hobby. The firstthings to go are the toys!”

The aim with the newdevelopment is to generateadditional income streams –with the café, shops let toother businesses sellingvintage clothing, automotivecollectibles, books andfurniture and a mock-up of aracing circuit pit wall toaccommodate anever-changing display ofhistoric motors.

Ian’s wife Nicola has abackground in catering afterrunning Nicola’s Gateauxfor several years and willrealise her own dream byrunning the café.

Villagers have beensupportive of the plan andIan hopes the new venuewill provide a much-neededcommunity facility for localorganisations.

“The reaction we havehad from local people hasbeen brilliant,” he says. “Wehaven’t had one negativeresponse.

“At the bottom mill, theneighbours didn’t evenknow we were there.

“We have been here twomonths and the villagershave taken us under theirwing.”

The move has provided anew lease of life for the mill.Ian and his team havecleaned up graffiti and tidiedthe grounds. I

It is hoped that a numberof motoring enthusiast clubs– including a women-onlymotorcycle group – will use

the premises for meetings.Next month will also see

the venue host the launchof a new book about thehistory of Huddersfieldcoach builder RipponBrothers.

The venture is beingfunded by the other areasof the business. Ian admitsits hard work – and thathe’s more happy with hishead under the bonnet of aStandard Vanguard Bruiserthan overseeing the work ofelectricians, plumbers andcarpenters.

Ian, who hails fromNorwood Green in Halifax,enjoyed woodwork andmetalwork at school andlearned many practicalskills from his father.

“He was an engine tunerand a cabinetmaker,” saysIan. “He was also skilled atpen and ink drawings. Hewas one of those annoyingpeople who could turn theirhand to anything.

“He was also a speedwaymechanic and at the age offive I could hand him all thetools he needed to tune aJAP speedway bike in thecorrect order. The earliestsmell I can remember was

Castrol oil!”On leaving school at the

age of 16, Ian started afive-year motor vehicleapprenticeship with Dews inBrighouse.

“Nowadays, anapprenticeship lasts twoyears,” says Ian. “I didn’tfinish until I was 21, but bythat time I had a pretty goodgrounding and I couldn’twait to find out what else Icould do.”

Ian joined BMW as atechnician and rose tobecome a service managerbefore leaving to run theservice department for aPorsche, Ferrari and AstonMartin dealership inBradford.

He returned to theshopfloor by taking a jobwith Grundy Mack, a classiccar dealership inHuddersfield.

When the owner decidedto move operations toMalton after about fouryears, Ian set up his currentbusiness.

Says Ian: “JamesHinchliffe, of the textile firmZ Hinchliffe and Sons, saidhe could find me somepremises at Dobroyd Mills.

“From then, I haven’tlooked back. I have hadfantastic support from somany people and I owethem a great deal.”

Ian fell in love withhistoric cars from an earlyage.

“My first car was a 1947Triumph Roadster, which Ibought for £99 from aboatyard in Mirfield when Iwas 17,” he recalls. “I sold itlater – and I have beenlooking for it ever since!”

Historic vehicles have anenduring appeal thatmodern motors cannothope to match, as far as Ianis concerned. He also haslittle time for the “viciousmarketplace” in whichfranchised dealerships haveto operate.

“I don’t like the waymodern cars have gone –where you have to plug thevehicle into a laptop to findout what’s wrong with it,” hesays.

“The older cars weredesigned and built bypeople who had an idea intheir minds and drew thatidea onto paper. Now theyjust feed dimensions into acomputer.

“The Morris Minor lastedas a model from 1949 to1972.

“Now you are lucky if amodel lasts for two yearsbefore being re-designed. Itis all about trying to makethe customer buy a new carby making him think his lastone is out of date.

“The ‘best’ car we haveon site is a 1924 BradfordJowett, which has neverhad to be scrapped.

“We have rescuednumerous cars that weresupposedly on their lastlegs.”

Says Ian: “We like to givea good service. Theproblem is that the majorityof my customers becomegood friends – and they getcheap deals!”

Historic cars kept in peakcondition can also accruein value. VW camper vans– favourites of the FlowerPower generation – cannow command prices of£20,000 to £30,000 while anippy MG sports car canbe worth £22,000.

Ian drives anunremarkable Nissanpickup for work, but takesreal pride in his 1951Standard Vanguard, whichhe has driven in historic carraces at venues such asSilverstone, Brands Hatchand Snetterton and at theGoodwood Revival.

And he wouldn’t swaphis work for any other job.“This place is like a toybox,” he says.

“Every day is different. Imeet interesting people –and eccentric people.

“You have to be a certaintype of person to ownsome of these cars!

“I enjoy the job. It is hardwork and I will never be amillionaire, but I get a greatdeal of satisfaction from it.”

■ ENGINE ROOM: Ian Kellett of IK Classics and Racingstill enjoys getting his hands dirty in the repair shop

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

RISKYBUSINESSDebra Taylor-Mclean

Debra Taylor-Mclean is risk management consultant at Wilby Ltd

Warning over pensionsNEW legal requirements havepresented employers with strictobligations over pensions.

The new regulations meanemployers in England, Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland, willautomatically have to enroleligible jobholders into anenrolment pension scheme.

Julie Sykes, of Shepley-basedhuman resources consultancyJCS HR , said: “This newlegislation means that anemployer must automatically enroltheir eligible employees into apension scheme and payminimum employer contributionsor provide a minimum level ofbenefits.

“They will also have to provideinformation to workers explainingtheir new rights and re-enrolthose who decide to opt-outapproximately every three years.”

The new legislation is effective

from October 1 for employers withmore than 250 employees and willbe phased in over the next fiveyears for smaller employers.

As part of the legislation,

safeguards have also been put inplace to protect both existing staffmembers and job applicants.

Said Julie: “These safeguardsmean that an employee cannotask a potential employee whether,if offered the position, they wouldopt-in or out of a scheme; orprovide inducement to anemployee to opt-out of a scheme.

“In addition, an employercannot dismiss or subject anemployee to detrimental treatmentshould they take action to enforcetheir automatic enrolment rights.

“It is important that employersdo not take this new legislationlightly as breaches of any of theabove could result in the issuingof a compliance notice or fine. Aworker who believes they havebeen a victim of detrimentaltreatment or unfair dismissal canenforce their rights in anemployment tribunal.”

■ JULIE SYKES: Newlegislation

Helping handa worthy featPODIATRY students atHuddersfield University aregetting help to step out inbusiness.Disposable Medical Instrumentsone of the UK’s leading supplierof complete sterile procedurepacks and individual packeddisposable medical instrumentshas supplied graduates atHuddersfield with freeinstrument packs on graduation– to get their own businesses upand running.The company, which haslong-standing relationships withuniversity podiatry departmentsacross the UK and Ireland, issupplying podiatry graduateswith 25 sets of podiatryinstruments each.The aim of the agreement is toget the 2012 graduates started intheir own business with as fewoverheads as possible.The graduation packs,containing a nail nipper, blacksfile, emery board and disposablescalpel, will earn each studentabout £500 in total, which theycan then invest back into theirbusiness.Patrick Chaney, managingdirector of DMI, said: “We valueour longstanding relationshipswith the universities and wish tocontinue to nurture the newrelationships that we form witheach intake of students, duringtheir studies and beyond.“The partnership with theuniversities demonstrates howbeneficial using disposablepodiatry instruments arecompared to re-usable and thatthe next generation of podiatristswill go on from university withthe very latest industry thinkingand know-how.”The partnership with theuniversities developed from aninitial relationship HuddersfieldUniversity more than four yearsago, which saw DMI createcustomised disposableinstruments following innovativedesign suggestions from its stafand students.Chris Davies, head of podiatryand clinical sciences at theuniversity, said: “The overallpackage provided by DMI,including the high standards ofprovision, the service offeredand the quality assuredinstrument packs was areassuring aspect of thecontract.“DMI has been responsive to anyideas for developments and anyconcerns with packs have beenmanaged quickly. We lookforward to continued businesswith the company.”DMI, which supplies NHShospitals, podiatrists, GP clinicsand sexual health clinics withsingle-use instruments, hasrecently experienced a surge ofinterest in its products – due tothe cost saving benefits attachedto single-use instruments, thequality of the instruments andthe fact that they do not requirerepeat sterilisation costs, unlikere-usable instruments.

Safety messagegetting garbled!THE Health and Safety Exec-

utive set up an independ-ent Myth Busters ChallengePanel in April, 2012.

The HSE had been blamed forsilly health and safety rules thatwere not true and the aim of thepanel was to change the directionof the blame away from the HSE.

The HSE has published what itcalls “blatant examples” of firmsusing health and safety as anexcuse to refuse service. Incidentsinclude cafes refusing to heat upbaby food, a golf course banninggolf buggies and an airline refusinga passenger a blanket.

Through its Myth Busters Chal-lenge Panel, the HSE seeks to drawattention to inaccurate claims thathealth and safety forbids certainactivities when no such rulesexist.

More health and safety mythshave been highlighted and a newtop 10 has been published:

● A boot supplier claimed that itwas banned from accepting dirtyboots for return. There is nothingin the Health and Safety at WorkAct to prevent boots beingreturned to a supplier, dirty or not,the boot supplier blatantly usedhealth and safety as an excuse

● Cafes and restaurants refusingto heat up baby food because theh o t fo o d m i g h t b u r n t h e14-month-old girl’s mouth. Thepanel said that no such health andsafety restrictions exist and ruledthat the incidents were “a matter ofcompany policy regarding cus-

tomer service and cafes should notbe using health and safety as anexcuse to hide behind”

● A golf club told players thatgolf buggies were not health andsafety authorised. The HSE has norole in “authorising” golf clubs orthe use of buggies

● A hospital refused the use of amicrowave on a ward. This is likelyto be an issue of setting a precedentwhich might lead to more wide-spread use by many patients' famil-ies. Hospital staff should state thereal reason not simply hide behind“health and safety”

● A gym-goer was told he couldnot lift weights without wearingtrainers. It would be better if theg y m m a n a g e m e n t s i m p l yexplained the real reasons for itsshoe policy, whether it is forhygiene or other reasons

● A woman was banned by herboss from wearing sandals in theoffice in summer. Despite recentreports to the contrary, health andsafety law doesn’t ban them.However, slips, trips and falls doaccount for about 30% of all work-place accidents and what you wearon your feet can make a difference.So, if you work somewhere wherethe floor can’t be kept dry or cleanthen wearing shoes that fit well and

have a good grip would be a betterchoice than flip-flops

● A passenger was refused ablanket on a flight, but was toldshe could buy one. The panel ruled:“This is a blatant case of healthand safety being used gratuitouslyto cover up poor customer serviceor a commercial decision. It is clearthat there’s no health and safetyconcern given that blankets areavailable – at a price”

● When trying to book a pitch ata campsite, the enquirer wasadvised by the booking agent thathe could not have two people sleep-ing in a camper van and two in atent due to health and safety regu-lations and they would have tobook a second pitch – thereforedoubling the price

● A primary school’s tree househad to be located away from thepremises because of a risk to chil-dren. This seems to be a case of riskaverse behaviour possibly ongrounds of potential civil liability

● A council banned a nurseryteacher from taking children to anallotment. There is some indica-tion that the measures taken tosafeguard the children at the sitepresents an inconvenience to oth-ers.

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CITYTALKSimon Kaye

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Smashing occasionA PALLET delivery business in Huddersfieldis celebrating a smashing tie-up.

Netherton-based The Pink Link Ltd isproviding a pallet delivery service across theUK and Europe for Halifax firm FestivalGlass, one of the country’s leadingdecorators of glassware.

Festival Glass specialises in supplyingprinted glassware to many regional brewers,organisations such as the Campaign ForReal Ale and any event that requires aprinted glass.

It has built long-term links with the mainglassware factories in Europe.

Graham Cheesbrough, of Festival Glass,said: “The Pink Link Ltd offers reliable andtrustworthy customer service which gives usconfidence in the work they deliver for us.We chose The Pink Link Ltd because itoffers a great combination of price andservice.

“We place great importance on buildingstrong relationships in order to offer such acomprehensive range of products.

“We see The Pink Link as an integral partof the business and a valued partner. Theyare reliable and do the job with very fewproblems, offering us a service we can beconfident in. Seventy percent of all orders

we supply are dated for events and there isno room for late deliveries.”

Vicki Davenport, sales and commercialdirector at The Pink Link Ltd, said: “We havedeveloped a close working relationship withFestival Glass over the last year.

“We look forward to continually workingwith them and aim to continue offering thehighest levels of service, allowing FestivalGlass to continue to grow their business.”

■ RIGHT ROAD: Vicki Davenport, ofNetherton-based The Pink Link Ltd

Honours beckonfor law associateAN associatewithHuddersfieldlaw firmRamsdenshas beenshortlistedfor tophonours.Laura Smith(pictured),who works inthe firm’scommercialteam, isamong the finalists in the Rising Starcategory of the Yorkshire LawyerAwards 2012.The competition, which is supported bythe Yorkshire Union of Law Societies, isrecognised as the premier event in theYorkshire Legal Calendar.The evening brings together Yorkshire’slegal community to recognise andcelebrate some of the top achievementsof the year from our home-grown talent.Categories of awards cover everyonefrom the biggest corporate firms toin-house lawyers, from senior partnersto rising stars.The awards are judged by a prestigiouspanel from the Yorkshire legalcommunity and the awards take placeon October 3.Said Laura: “I am delighted to havebeen shortlisted for such a prestigiousaward. It is very exciting that Ramsdensare featuring in this ceremony for asecond year running and I hope we areas successful as last year!”

End in sight foreurozone crisis?THE evolution of the eurozone sover-

eign debt crisis has, for some timenow, been the key focus for financialmarkets.

The once unquestionable future of thecurrency Bloc has become debatable, withinvestors often panicked by fears of a sys-temic meltdown, similar to that observedfollowing the collapse of Lehman Brothers in2008. Five countries within the eurozone(Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain andCyprus) have required some form of aid andseveral governments have also appeared onthe casualty list.

Nevertheless, developments in recentmonths suggest that the eurozone may havefinally “turned a corner”. Notably, bondmarkets are giving signals that faith is beingrestored that a commitment still exists topreserve the single currency Bloc in its cur-rent form (perhaps with the exception ofGreece), with progress made towards estab-lishing a closer banking, fiscal and politicalunion.

The first major breakthrough was theagreement to provide a 100bn euros bail-outto Spanish banks – not only was this asubstantial sum (it is estimated that only circa60bn euros is actually required), but for thefirst time, such funds were made available tothe banking sector directly, rather than viathe national government (which would havebeen an additional burden on Spanish publicfinances) and without “preferred creditor”status (it was agreed that Spain would be anexception in this case). It was also agreed thata single supervisory body would be estab-lished (via the European Central Bank

(ECB)) to monitor eurozone banks by theend of the year.

Meanwhile, more recently, the actions ofthe ECB have further helped to remove “tailrisks” in Europe, with President MarioDraghi pledging that, within their mandate,the ECB was ready to do “whatever it takes topreserve the euro”. Interest rates have beencut to a record low (0.75%) and perhaps morenotably, the ECB has provided a strongindication that it could re-enter the sovereignbond markets in order to keep yields at moresustainable levels – unlike the previous bondbuying programme (the Securities MarketsProgramme), it is anticipated that the ECBwill no longer grant itself ‘senior status’ andthat purchases will involve an increase in theoverall money base (pure Quantitative Eas-ing!).

The potential for such “game changing”policy action has been endorsed by seniorpolitical figures and also welcomed favour-ably by financial markets.

Nevertheless, despite recent policy action,few would declare that Europe is now “out ofthe woods”.

A weak macro-economic environment islikely to persist for sometime as austerityprogrammes remain in place, although therecent weakening of the euro currency should

help to provide some offsetting support.However, it will still be politics that determ-

ines the future path of financial markets. Inthis regard, September is set to be crucialmonth, with hopes of more detail from theECB on their new policy programme, theGerman Constitutional Court set to rule onthe European bail-out fund (the EuropeanStability Mechanism), Dutch polls takingplace and the Troika due to finalise theirreport on Greece and decide whether or notto provide an additional 30bn euros inbail-out funds.

Indeed, with regards to the latter, a Greekexit from the Euro remains a serious possibil-ity – reassuringly should such an event occur,if the ECB is to be taken at its word,policymakers now have the tools available toestablish a sufficient firewall to protect Spain,along with Italy, both of which are simply“too big to fail”.

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ADVERTISING FEATURE INDEPENDENT EDUCATION

Making the correcteducational choicesCHOOSING the right

school for your son ordaughter is one of the

most important decisions youcan make.Huddersfield and beyond is rich in topclass schools so look at what’s availableand attend some open days beforemaking a final decision.● Founded in 1724 Rishworth Schoolis fully co-educational and aims toprovide for your child a caringenvironment in which they can achievea high standard relative to their naturaltalent. The school comprises of anursery for children from age three, ajunior school, Heathfield, which has itsown separate site, and the seniorschool. The school admits pupils of abroad range of academic abilities andprides itself on being able to give eachchild close personal attention, both in,and outside, the classroom.Pastoral care is highly developed witha tutorial system which ensures thatyour child receives regularencouragement and help on mattersranging from academic work topersonal development.Communications are very good fromHuddersfield via the M62 toRishworth- in term-time it takes lessthan 25 minutes. A school bus alsoserves the Huddersfield area.Please visit us at our Open Events (asadvertised) or alternatively, contact ourAdmissions Officer.● The motto at Rastrick is simple:“Only The Best For The Best”.The philosophy of this IndependentSchool – founded in 1994 – is toprovide a first class educationcombined with academic excellence.Situated in a small village in the heartof Yorkshire, this educational campusis flourishing in a historic and

beautiful location.The academic achievement at Rastrickhas been acknowledged as ‘Excellent’by ISI and Ofsted. The School hasachieved 100% Pass rate at 11+ and100% A* - C at GCSE. The SATSresults are outstanding at all key stages.When it comes to examination results,Rastrick succeeds far above thenational and local averages.The highly qualified team create avibrant, exciting environment forlearning. The pupils have a reputationfor manners and discipline which hasproduced confident, happy, welladjusted young people. Life at thisindependent school is extremelysuccessful academically and dailyschool life is rich and rewarding.Walking into the Main School, visitorsexperience something quite unique.The architecture and design ofRastrick has maintained theatmosphere of the historic buildingsand incorporates light, air and space tocreate a superb learning environment.Children and students greet invitedguests, each other, their teachers andparents with a natural warmth andcharm. The structure of a day here isordered and classes for all ages takeplace in rooms designed to stimulatelearning as well as to showcase thework being undertaken.Every child learns to take care ofthemselves and their peers. Thepastoral care at Rastrick isoutstanding. In partnership withfamilies, pupils achieve their potentialacademically but also flourish in sportsand The Arts. The school and collegeare open all year round toaccommodate working parents.● Bradford Grammar School hasboth a junior and a senior school. Anopen day is being held on Saturday

October 6 from 10am to 4pm so comealong and take a look for yourself.Bradford Grammar Junior School is aselective, co-educational junior schoolfor girls and boys from the age of six to11 years.The Junior School is housed in its ownbuilding called Clock House on themain BGS site. It has its ownclassrooms, DT, ICT and art rooms,assembly hall, gardens, playground.teaching staff and headmaster.Pupils are taught mainly in the JuniorSchool but they do have the addedbenefit of being able to use the state ofthe art facilities available in the SeniorSchool. As the pupils progress throughthe year groups they are taught moreand more of their lessons, such aslanguages, art, English, ICT, maths andDT by specialist subject teachers.The introduction of the Senior Schoolfacilities and the occasional use ofsome of the Senior School teachers,eases their transition at 11 plus. Theschool seeks to retain the best of thetraditional grammar school ethos witha modern, forward-thinking approach.It is our aim to be the country’s leadingindependent co-educational day school.

■ WINNERS: Rastrick IndependentSchool winners who won gold silverand bronze in the Primary MathsChallenge

Saturday 6 October 2012

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For further information contact the Registrar, Karen Hewitt on01274 553702 www.bradfordgrammar.com

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 7Searchfor starsTHE search is on tofind next year’s stars ofthe region’s propertyand constructionsectors – with thelaunch of the 2013RICS Pro-YorkshireAwards.The region’s property“Oscars” celebrate themost inspirationalregional initiatives anddevelopments in land,property, constructionand the environment.Colin Harrop, chairmanof the RICS regionaljudging panel, said:“We received a highvolume of exceptionalentries for last year’sawards and we had agreat turnout at thelaunch event, sohopefully we will see alarge number of qualityentries come throughonce again for the 2013awards.”The deadline for entriesis January 18, 2013.Contact ClaireSimmons on 01912211039 orcsimmonsrics.orgThe awards will bepresented at aceremony on April 28at the CentenaryPavilion in Leeds.

Young tenants get insightinto how Rixonway worksA KITCHEN manufacturer haslaunched a new initiative to supportyoung people entering the job market.

Against a background of risingyo u t h u n e m p l oy m e n t , D e w s-bury-based Rixonway – which provideskitchens for the social housing sector –is offering young tenants a chance toget an insight and experience in allareas of its business.

According to recent statistics, justunder one million people aged 16 to 24remain unemployed – citing reasons fordisengagement such as poverty andlack of aspiration or opportunity.

The first tenant to take part in Rix-onway’s project is 17-year-old Aspireresident Jordan Evans, of Newcastleunder-Lyme, who spent a day shadow-ing one of Rixonway’s designers tounderstand more about the role andlearn the key skills such as producingCAD designs.

After finishing school last year andstarting training with PM Group, inMarch, 2012, Jordan has taken part invarious apprenticeships in the hope ofsecuring permanent employment. Hehas just finished training in brick layingand has an interest in construction andkitchen fitting.

Rixonway designer Dan Francis,who mentored Jordan for the day,started his design career working withbathrooms, kitchens for private land-lords and builders before entering thesocial housing market.

Said Mr Francis: “I ran the day in the

same way I would if I were training upa new recruit going through the processand showing Jordan how a CAD designis produced before letting him completeCAD designs himself.

“Jordan was great, he took myinstruction very well and by the third

house he was completing designs withlittle instruction from me.”

Jordan said: “I’ve learnt a lot fromthe day. After Dan showed me how todo the first kitchen, I went on tocomplete designs for the rest of proper-ties in the day.

“I would be very interested in a rolein design and hope that the day mightbe a stepping stone to a permanentposition.”

Explaining his reason for the initiat-ive, Rixonway chief executive PaulRose said: “It is important for allBritain’s businesses to contribute tosupporting the country’s unemployedin whatever way they can.

“Offering work experience and train-ing in this way to young people engagesthem, gives them an insight into theworld of work and allows them toexperience a job they may not haveconsidered before.

“If this initiative is successful, we willconsider rolling it out to other areas ofthe business.

“Now more than ever, we need toensure our young people have the rightskills, experience and opportunities toprogress in education or the work-place”

■ DESIGN BRIEF: Jordan Evans with Dan Francis, of Rixonway

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

John Leach & Alan Marks

fds cfsDENBY Dale-based Jo Haighhas announced two keyappointments at corporatefinance house fds cfs.

The Wakefield-basedbusiness, which has offices inLondon and Birmingham, hasappointed John Leach (top) aschairman and Alan Marks (alsopictured) as a non-executivedirector.

Mr Leach’s appointmentmeans he will be working withMs Haigh again after a gap of 30years. Ms Haigh initially workedfor Mr Leach at T&L Fine Foodand Wine Ltd. Mr Leach boughthis most recent venture,BeadsDirect.co.uk in Leicester,from Ms Haigh in 2009.

Mr Leach has mentored Ms Haigh throughmany of her business achievements and was astrong supporter of her “going solo” in Octoberlast year.

Mr Marks, of London-based companyHarrison Spence, has also worked with MsHaigh in the past at a London accounting firm.The two have been looking for an opportunity towork together again ever since.

These appointments boost the numbersinvolved in fds cfs to 10.

Creative forces set the paceONE of the world’s leadingcreatives – who counts majorfashion designers, culturalicons and innovative brands asclients – is heading to WestYorkshire.

Steve Edge, who isinternationally-recognised forbeing at the forefront ofpioneering the use of digitaland design to deliver growth forhis clients, will attend theYorkshire Institute of Directors’Gathering Momentum event inLeeds next month.

Steve, who is passionateabout promoting British brandsoverseas, is supporting theevent, which takes place onOctober 25 in Headingley.

He is confirmed as keynotespeaker at the UKTI-backedalongside Huddersfield-bornJames Sommerville, of AttikDesign.

Mr Sommerville co-foundedAttik in 1986 with a £2,000

grant from The Prince’s Trust.Over the next 20 years, thesmall branding and design firmgrew to cover the UK, London,New York, Sydney and LosAngeles.

Mr Edge, who hails fromLondon’s East End, headsEdge Design Ltd and iscurrently working in the capitalharnessing new media forbrands from the USA and

China.“The world wide web has

made exporting a reality forevery business,” he said. “TheUK creative industry is at thetop of its game. At the sametime, the new world economiessuch as China and Russia arehungry for luxury brands whichwe manufacture and design sowell in this country.

“Look at Burberry inCastleford. It’s a goldenopportunity for British brands tocapitalise on that hunger anddo business. Critical to theexporting success of businessis a strong website thatinternational clients prospectiveand real can use to referenceyou. Our own experiencedemonstrates that if you makeyour website interesting,innovative and informative it willhelp drive overseas businessand we have seen that at EdgeDesign Ltd.”

Paul Watkin

SantanderSANTANDER has appointed Paul Watkin as arelationship director for large corporatebusinesses based in Yorkshire and the NorthEast.

Mr Watkin will work with businesses in theregion with turnover from £50m to £2bn.He willbe responsible for managing existing customerrelationships and sourcing new business tosupport the continued expansion of SantanderCorporate Banking throughout the region.

Mr Watkin joins Santander Corporate Bankingfrom his previous post as a senior director atRBS Global Banking and Markets.

■ IDEAS MEN: Steve Edge (left) and Sjames Sommerville, whowill be keynote speakers at the Gathering Momentum event

Enterprising beginningsA CHAMPIONSHIP line-up is speakerswill get the new season under way todayfor Huddersfield Town EnterpriseAcademy.

The academy starts its fourth seasonon a high with more than 1,100 membersof the LinkedIn group and is staging itsfirst event from noon to 2.30pm at thetown’s Lawrence Batley Theatre.

The free event will take the form of apanel discussion on the theme of sociallyresponsible business.

The four-strong panel comprisesHuddersfield Town chief executive Nigel

Clibbens (right); Richard Gomersall (farright), co-founder of Insight with Passion;Paul Gowland, of Yorkshire AirAmbulance; and Ian Agnew, of DigitalOutreach and Not Just a TradingCompany.

The session will be chaired by TracySheldon, partner at YBG UK and directorat Women’s Centre Kirklees &Calderdale.

The next HTEA event is scheduled forThursday, November 1, at thenewly-refurbished Huddersfield TownCanalside complex on Leeds Road.

It’s a top drawerdeal for sponsorAN office supply firm has signed up assponsor of Huddersfield Town’s academy.

Complete Office Solutions will have itslogo on the front of every age group’s shirtin the academy during the 2012-13 sea-son.

As part of the regulations of the ElitePlayer Performance Plan, Town is in theprocess of creating classrooms at itsCanalside sport complex, which will allowacademy players to complete their off-fieldstudies on site.

Ossett-based Complete Office Solutionswill assist Town in kitting out theclassrooms with supplies and furniture. Thecompany will also become the Club’s offi-cial office suppliers.

Town business development managerMark Davies said: “Following the intro-duction of the EPPP, the football club hasfocused heavily on improving and develop-ing the structure of the academy.

“This new partnership will help us kit outthe classrooms that are currently in devel-opment at Canalside.

“The classrooms will allow the studentsto combine their studies and training intoone, without them having to go off site.”

Dion Surr, account manager for Com-plete Office Solutions, said: “As a proudYorkshire-based business, it is great to be a

part of ‘the Yorkshire Club’.“We are delighted to be the academy

sponsors.”

■ DESK WORK: Dion Surr (left) and John McAulay ( right) of Complete OfficeSolutions, with Town’s Andy Booth (second left and Mark Davies

Richard Paxman

Paxman CoolersPAXMAN Coolers Ltd hasappointed Richard Paxman asmanaging director.

Mr Paxman (pictured) will takeon day-to-day management ofthe Fenay Bridge-based businesssupported by the board andcontinue his objective to establishPaxman as the leading globalmanufacturer and supplier ofscalp cooling equipment forcancer patients.

Mr Paxman graduated in managementscience in 2004 from the University ofManchester Institute of Science andTechnology. He joined the family’s business,Brewfitt Ltd in the area of business developmentbefore progressing two years later to generalmanager. In 2008, he was appointed financeand operations manager of Paxman Coolers Ltdwhile continuing his role at Brewfitt Ltd.

In 2010, he was appointed operations directorof Paxman Coolers Ltd, helping it expandoverseas to more than 32 countries.

Chief executive Glenn Paxman said: “As wecontinue to grow the company globally, it isparticularly important from my personal point ofview and with great appreciation that Richardhas been able to take over much of my day today work and moreover responsibilities inrunning Paxman. It makes me very proud andhappy to know that the business will continue togrow and expand and be successful in verycapable hands.”