KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees29, December, 2009

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CARL HOPKINS ROSIE WINTERTONSecret’s out for entrepreneur

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UniversitychallengeTWO employees atHuddersfield firmshave received awardsat Leeds University.Stuart Tolson, shiftmanufacturingsupervisor at Thorntonand Ross; and MarkNorth, of soft drinkscompany Britvic, haveboth gainedpostgraduatecertificatesManufacturingExcellence.

Help forgraduatesGRADUATES facinguncertainty on theemployment front arebenefiting from a newscheme run byHuddersfield Universityin partnership withYorkshire Forward andthe Higher EducationFunding Council forEngland.

‘Millionaires’ marka milestone yearMEMBERS of a local businessnetwork have ended the year on a £1mhigh-note.

The members of the Huddersfieldbranch of Business Network Interna-tional, are celebrating the £1m in newbusiness they brought in for eachother this year – despite the worst UKrecession for many years.

Formed seven years ago, the groupis one of the most successful BNIbranches in the UK – being voted asthe top-performing group in 2008/09out of the 600 BNI “chapters” in thecountry and consistently remaining inthe top 60 over the past few years.

Group director Andrew McGeesaid success is down to the members’dedication and making the most outof the network’s structured referralsystem, which only allows up to 40people from differing trades into eachgroup to limit competition andincrease sales leads.

“We just pull together and lookafter each other,” he said. “Instead ofworking in isolation as small busi-nesses, we have the opportunity to

network with numerous others inother professions.”

Group member Andrew Toothill,who owns Enterprise Print Ltd inHuddersfield and has especiallybenefited from the network, is nowreceiving about £90,000 worth of busi-ness through BNI each year.

He said the group had worked sowell for small and medium-sized firmsbecause of its word-of-mouth market-ing and targeted, local presence.

“It doesn’t matter how much youshout about how good you are, there’snothing better than someone elseshouting for you,” he said.

“Through a recession, people arelooking for a reason to use someone,so if you’re recommended, that putsyou ahead. There’s a million morebusinesses like us in the country, so it’sthe perfect place to reach our targetaudience by working with local busi-nesses and people.”

BNI regional director Mike Hol-man said: “It’s a fantastic achieve-ment for the chapter. They’ve been inthe top 10% of best performing

groups in the UK and Ireland for thepast few years, so it’s the recognition

they deserve for the amount of effortthey put in.”

■ WELL DONE: Members of the Huddersfield branch of Business Networkcelebrate after bringing each other business totalling £1m in 2009

Kirklees companies seek reduction in red tapeYORKSHIRE firms want to see lessred tape – and not just on their Christ-mas gifts.

A poll by Yorkshire Bank showedthat more than 38% of companies inthe region claimed that a reduction inbureaucracy and regulation affectingtheir business would make the biggestsingle difference to their ability to

survive the recession.Other key economic factors which

businesses say would help them surviveinclude an increase in governmentgrants (16.1%) and a reduction invarious forms of tax (25.9%).

The survey into issued affecting con-fidence levels among businesses in theregion showed that 9.7% of firms

wanted to see a reduction in taxes onbusiness while 6.5% wanted the Chan-cellor to make the reduction in VAT to15% permanent.

Only 1.6% of those questioned saidreducing the minimum wage was thesingle change which would help themsurvive recession.

Andy Davison, managing partner of

Yorkshire Bank’s West Yorkshire Fin-ancial Solutions Centre coveringKirklees, said: “The Government hasacted this year to make the UK ashealthy an environment as possible todo business.

“However, the sentiment on theground is that those measures may nothave gone far enough.”

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

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 2

New scheme gets the region better connectedREGIONAL development agencyYorkshire Forward has awarded acontract to Connect Yorkshire tocreate and run a new businessnetwork for the region’s IT andtelecommunications sector.Yorkshire and Humber has thefastest-growing digital sector in theUK outside of London and isrecognised as a leading centre ofexcellence in the digital and newmedia industries.With IT and telecommunications set

to make a major contribution to theregional economy, the new businessnetwork – called techmesh – willprovide a business network forcompanies, organisations andindividuals working in these sectorsto meet, exchange information andshare best practice.As a business collaborationnetwork, techmesh will act as anumbrella organisation, bringingtogether existing networks in theregion and will signpost businesses

to sources of funding information,market intelligence, emergingtechnologies and research anddevelopment opportunities.Connect Yorkshire’s chief executiveNick Butler said: “Techmeshenables members to shareknowledge, exchange ideas, meetlike-minded companies andultimately win more business.“ The aim is to help create acommercial ecosystem whereinnovative, ambitious companies

can thrive and give members ameans of forming profitablerelationships.“Our long-term aim is to create avibrant, active, supportive andself-funding network to help furtherthe interests of IT andtelecommunications organisationsand professionals in Yorkshire.”Techmesh will run a series of eventsover the next 12 months formembers with networking eventsand seminars.

Businesswomen takelead on manufacturing

TWO successful female entrepren-eurs from Yorkshire are backing anational drive to encourage moreyoung women into careers in man-ufacturing.

Jan Stringer, 56, of Holmfirth,and 19-year-old Ruth Amos, ofSheffield, both know what it is liketo be a woman in a man’s world –having set-up and run successfulmanufacturing businesses of theirown.

Both are now backing a pioneer-ing new qualification for 14 to19-year-olds to increase awarenessof manufacturing as a careeroption among young people and –specifically – encourage moreyoung women into the industry.

Launched in September, the Dip-loma in Manufacturing andProduct Design teaches academicsubjects like maths, science, engin-eering, computing, business andenterprise and creative design asthey are applied practically in themanufacturing industry.

Employers also play a key role ingiving students first-hand experi-ence of what manufacturing is andhow it works.

The diploma is now being taughtin schools in Sheffield, York andBradford.

Jan started making children’stoys at home while bringing up herown family in Holmfirth.

Her hobby soon became a fulltime job when she founded DickoryDock Designs, which makes andsells educational toys and games.

The former secondary schoolteacher and college lecturerbelieves one of the biggest issuesaffecting the recruitment of youngpeople into manufacturing is theindustry’s image.

“People have an image of whatmanufacturing is and often that isvery stereotyped,” she said. “Thetruth is, everything around us –everything we use as we go aboutour lives - has been designed andmanufactured by somebody so thescope for careers in the industry isvast, whether it’s making toys andgames, a sports car or the latestmobile phone.

“I get a lot satisfaction fromwhat I do and I am sure there are

many young people who wouldlove to work in manufacturing andproduct design, but don’t knowhow to progress their ambitions.

“This new diploma will teach theusual school subjects such as Eng-lish, maths and science but in thecontext of learning about the man-ufacturing industry in a practicalway.

“Getting first-hand experienceof what working for a manufactur-ing business is like will equip themwith broader life skills in all sorts ofareas like customer service, busi-ness management, teamwork andso on.”

Ruth became the managing dir-ector of her own company, Stair-Steady Ltd, aged just 16 after shedesigned an award-winning homemobility aid as part of her GCSE indesign and technology course.

She said one of the hardest chal-lenges she has faced is learningabout the manufacturing industryfrom scratch – having had very littleidea about how it worked and theopportunities it offered when sheleft school.

“I was really lucky in that anengineering company in Sheffieldgot on board with me early on,”said Ruth. “They gave me lots ofsupport by designing a prototype,helping me get my idea patentedand taking it to the market.

“Most young people in my posi-tion wouldn’t get that kind ofchance to meet and get guidancefrom people in the manufacturingindustry.

“I have had to learn about theindustry as I go along and learnquickly from my mistakes.

“The great thing about a quali-fication like the diploma in manu-facturing and product design is itwill give youngsters a real insightinto what it takes to design, makeand sell a product well before theystart their careers.

“It will open doors for manymore people to get the sort of helpand advice from companies thathelped me launch my business.”

The UK manufacturing industrycontributes £140bn a year to theeconomy, covering everything fromfood and drink to cosmetics,hi-tech electronic gadgets to pas-senger jets, clothes to computers,and everything you can imagine inbetween.

Derek Jones, head of theYork-based Manufacturing Dip-loma Development Partnership,said breaking down barriers andgiving more young people moreoptions to get into manufacturingand other lines of work is a key aimof the diploma.

“The diploma allows all youngpeople from the age of 14 onwardsa chance to learn about the realitiesof manufacturing, free from thestereotypes,” he said.

“What they will learn is that it isa diverse and incredibly vibrantindustry.

“It is full of opportunities forpeople with a wide range of talents,whether your dream is to run yourown business or be the CEO of amajor corporation, be a successfulengineer to an award-winning mar-keter, a ground-breaking researchsc ient i s t or a cut t ing-edgedesigner.”

■ TOY STORY: Jan Stringer, of Dickory Dock Designs, at Holmfirth, said manyyoung people would love to run their own business, but did not know how to goabout realising their ambitions

■ TEEN BOSS: Ruth Amos,inventor of the Stair Steadymobility aid, began running herown business at the age of 16

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

CarlHopkins

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Company dir-ectorAge: 44Family: Married toStefanie with sonsZachary, six months,and Adam,14Holidays: Italy andthe South of FranceCar: VW TouaregFirst job: Workingfive nights a weekand Saturdays in abutcher’s shop. I canstill plait sausages!Best thing aboutjob: I get to choosewho I work withWorst thingabout job: Travel-ling on the M62Business tip:Make an appropriateoffer to your audi-enceBusinessinterests: Kloog,agencybods, M&HWellbeing, JoblinkSystems, JumbleAid,Parties Around theWorld, ForwardLadiesEmail:ch@kloog.co.uk

Secret isout onCarl’ssuccess

BUSINESS is truly apleasure for Carl Hopkins.

The Brighouse-basedstar of Channel 4’s SecretMillionaire says: “I likeworking with enthusiasticpeople who are starting upor running their ownbusiness.

“I enjoy talking to groupsof young people about theirideas for new businessesand I enjoy helping peoplecelebrate their successes.

“Work is something youdo when you would ratherbe doing something else. Iam really fortunate becausewhat I do doesn’t seem likework to me.”

Carl is keen to helpothers discover theopportunities that a careerin business can create. Heis regularly invited to talk toclassrooms of children.

“When the teacher saysthey are going to meet aman who has been ontelevision, that grabs theirattention,” he says.

“There are plenty ofpeople better qualified totalk to them that me, butbeing ‘off the tele’ adds abit of sparkle.

“I talk to kids in schools inless than glamorous areaswhere they all want to befootballers or the nextJordan. I try to get acrossthe fact that the ‘grey andboring’ people they see insuits and ties actuallyrepresent an interestingcareer option.

“There are only so manypeople who will becomefootballers or models, but Ibelieve that anyone can gointo business – open a nailbar or a garage, forexample – if they have theright support.”

His enthusiasm forencouraging ambitionamong the young stems inpart from his ownexperiences.

“I wanted to be a firemanwhen I was small,” he says.“We had a visit to schoolfrom the fire brigade when Iwas five. I was quite big formy age, so I got to wear thefireman’s outfit. That wasmy ambition at the time –until I suddenly realised ‘Icould be killed doing thisjob’.

“When I was a bit older Iwanted to be Peter Lorimer,but I didn’t have the ability.

“I realised the thing I wasa bit better at than some ofthe others was art anddrawing.

“Only by accident – at theage of 13 or 14 – I met agirl who said she went toLeeds College of Art. Ididn’t even know such aplace existed.

“I went out to find it andonce I was in thatenvironment everything Iwanted to talk about,everyone was talkingabout.”

He also recalls standingin his school playground inLeeds and thinking: “I cansee my house from here, Ican see the high school Iwent to – and I can seeArmley prison, where Ithought I might end up!”

For Carl, taking a routeinto business meantbroadening those horizons.

With a background in

commercial art, Carl beganhis career in earnest in1984 when he joinedBradford-based marketingagency Judith DonovanAssociates.

He rose through theranks and took over thebusiness in 2000 asmanaging director followinga successful managementbuy-out.

From 2000 to 2005, Carlexpanded the agency from48 to 75 staff, takingturnover from £9.6m tomore than £19m andtripling its profits.

In 2003, he co-ordinatedthe takeover ofWarrington-basedadvertising and PR agencyBlueprint and becamechairman until the sale ofthe business two yearslater.

Then he took two yearsout of the businesslimelight. During that timehe married his wife,Stefanie, and the couplenow have a six-month-oldson, Zachary. Carl also hasa 14-year-old son, Adam.

“I took the time to set

myself some new goals,” hesays. I had enjoyed a23-year career in marketingand advertising, but Iwanted to reinvent myself.

“I wanted to invest inbusiness, start newbusinesses and take up anon-executive role. Icompleted all that in threemonths.

“I spent a lot of timevisiting businesses and Ifind myself on the road alot. My only rule is I don’t dobusiness before 10am orafter 4pm.”

Now Carl runs kloog – abusiness “angel” servicewhere he shares some ofthe experiences he hasgarnered during his careerwith other businesses – andheads web-basedrecruitment businessagencybods.co.uk.

He is also anon-executive director ofregional businesswomen’snetworking group ForwardLadies and has investmentsin other businesses,including fundraising siteJumbleAid.com, Joblink

Systems, M&H Wellbeingand Parties Around theWorld.

He takes hisresponsibilities equallyseriously when it comes tothe subject of “corporatesocial responsibility” – andurges other businesspeople to commit tosupporting worthy causes.

As one of the subjects ofSecret Millionaire, Carlspent 10 days in theonce-thriving north-eastcolliery town of Easington –and ended up giving£42,000 of his own moneyto support worthwhileprojects, including thecolliery brass band, a cityfarm and the local miners’welfare club.

Carl recalls somecriticism from people whoviewed his appearing onthe programme as anexercise in self-interest.

“That programme wasn’tabout me,” he says. “It wasabout raising the profile ofcauses that need supportand those fantastic peoplewho get up every day to

help their communities. Ihope it makes people askquestions about the needs oftheir local community.

“If I am helpingEasington’s colliery band,who’s supporting Brighouseand Rastrick or Black DykeMills? And if organisationscan use their brands to getpublicity for those causes,what’s wrong with that?

“I went back to Easingwoldlast month to volunteer to dosome digging on theallotments.

“There were 12 volunteersfrom Northumbrian Waterbecause that company has apolicy of encouraging allemployees to do voluntarywork.”

Carl appears contentedwith his lot.

“A third of my time is spentpromoting business andenterprise at schools,colleges and universities –speaking at conferences andpresenting prizes at awardsnights.

“A third of my time isinvolved in businesses thatraise money for charities.

“And a third of the time Ispend with businesses inwhich I have invested, givingadvice to enthusiastic,ambitious people withfantastic ideas.

“I am fortunate to have theopportunity to make choicesabout the things I want to do. Italk to kids about what beingsuccessful.

“My advice is that beingable to make choices is asgood a measure of success asany.”

■ ADVICE: Carl says being able to choose is the best measure of success

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

Lawyers takea regional roleLAW firm Chadwick Lawrencehas taken a regional role as theWest Yorkshire hub for theConnect2Law network.The scheme, started byManchester law firm Pannone, isa free, mutually beneficialreferrals and support networkfor law firms across the UK.Smaller firms are encouraged tointroduce work which is outsidetheir specialist areas to a largerfirm, known as a hub, in returnfor a host of benefits including afee share and a writtennon-poaching agreement.Member firms also have accessto a bulk purchasing group knowas CostController which canreduce core overheads by about20%.Allowing the smaller introducerfirms to retain their clients byproviding access to specialistlawyers, Connect2Law hasproved a great success in thenorth-west with parent firmPannone reporting almost 700member firms in the scheme.The decision was taken toextend the model nationwide –with 18 hubs now operatingacross the UK.

Chadwick Lawrence, which hasoffices at Railway Street inHuddersfield, will act as the hubfor most of West Yorkshire andparts of North Yorkshire –covering postcode areas BD, HX,LS, HG, WF and HD.The firm will provideConnect2Law members withaccess to specialist lawyers andprovide free CPD training forsmaller member firms.The Connect2Law team atChadwick Lawrence consists ofChampion Jeremy Garside,business development managerSarah Haller (above) andadministrator Janet Thewlis. Theteam will co-ordinate allenquiries and hand them over tothe relevant expert.Said Sarah: “The success of theConnect2Law network is provenand we’re looking forward torolling it out across West andNorth Yorkshire.“We were chosen as the hub forthe area because of ourexpertise across such a widerange of disciplines. It is highlyunlikely that an introducer firmwould refer a case to us whichwe could not handle.“The benefits to all members canmake a substantial difference totheir business and we’reexpecting take up around theregion to be high.”

Future brightfor factoriesMANUFACTURERS in Yorkshirecan depend on government backingto boost employee skills, regionalminister Rosie Winterton said.

The minister was speaking at ameeting with the EEF Yorkshire andHumber regional council, which wasalso attended by some of the region’slargest and best known manufactur-ing and engineering companies.

There was an opportunity for aninformal and in-depth discussion onkey challenges and opportunities formanufacturers in Yorkshire and TheHumber.

Ms Winterton covered key pointabout plans for a multi-millionpound research centre and factory,based in South Yorkshire, to supportthe UK’s civil nuclear industry.

And she insisted the manufactur-ing sector had a bright future – bothin more traditional as well as inadvanced engineering and manufac-turing.

“The discussions were very pro-ductive and informative,” she said. “Iwill continue to work with centralgovernment colleagues and regionalpartners to ensure Yorkshire and theHumber get the support and invest-ment we need to secure our future asa world class manufacturing base.

“I will be working with the EEFregional council on ways we mightimprove flexibility and access to gov-ernment support for skills.”

Also on the agenda was the state ofthe economy, the financial sector andthe opportunities presented by cli-

mate change.Richard Morley, chairman of the

EEF in Yorkshire and Humber, said:“It was good to have the opportunityto have an exchange of views andideas with our own regional minis-ter.

“We were able to explain howmanufacturing has a very brightfuture, particularly as the UK seeks

to create a more balanced economyin the years ahead.

Alan Hall, regional director ofEEF in Yorkshire, said: “More than20 leaders from some of our membercompanies were able to join in thediscussion.

“They have been encouraged bythe support the Minister is giving tomanufacturing businesses here in theregion·”

■ MINISTER’S VISIT: Alan Hall (left), regional director of the EEF, with(from left) Rosie Winterton, regional minister for Yorkshire; Tim Parkinson,vice-chairman of the regional EEF; and chairman Richard Morley

GlobalreachINTERNATIONAL businessesseeking suppliers inYorkshire have been targetedfor a major event.Regional developmentagency Yorkshire Forward isstaging Going Global – Meetthe Buyer on March 17 at theGreat Yorkshire ShowGround in Harrogate.The agency has joined forceswith government exportsupport arm UK Trade andInvestment to run the event,which will introduce localcompanies to potentialclients based overseas.More than 900 delegates areexpected to attend from keyindustry sectors which havestrong export potential suchas food and drink, advancedengineering and materials,construction, digital,environmental technologiesand healthcare.International buyers signedup include companies fromthe USA, Canada, Brazil,China, India, Germany andFrance.The event will give regionalbusinesses the opportunityeither to sign up to meetpotential buyers or attend aGoing Global 2010networking event runningalongside the face-to-facemeetings, learn new skills inspecial Master Classes andmeet world market andinternational trade experts.For details on the event, visitwww.yorkshire-forward.com,call the events team on 01133949711 or email events@yorkshire-forward.com

Focus on niche companyA SENIOR Tory politiciantoured companies in theHolmfirth and Meltham tofind out how they have copedwith the recession – and to layout his Party’s plans for thefuture.

Philip Hammond, ShadowChief Secretary to the Treas-ury, was accompanied byJason McCartney, Conservat-ive parliamentary candidatefor Colne Valley, on the visit tothree of the constituency’sstrongest-performing busi-nesses.

They visited the Brockholesheadquarters of propertydevelopment company ConroyBrook Developments Ltd,Dathan Gear Cutting Tools, atMeltham Mills, and paperproducts manufacturer Dis-posables UK, at Meltham.

Dathan specialises in mak-

ing cutters for the automotive,aeronautical and defenceindustries throughout theworld. The company listsmajor names like Honda andRolls Royce among its custom-ers.

Mr McCartney said the visitenabled Mr Hammond tolearn how one of the town’sniche manufacturers hadbattled against the recession byp rov i d i n g h i g h q u a l i t yproducts. Dathan had alsoinvested £200,000 in equip-ment to test the quality of itscutting tools.

At Disposables UK, MrHammond spoke to companyboss Trevor Storer about thefirm’s operations supplyingitems such as toilet rolls, handtowels and wipes and its com-mitment to its staff and thelocal community.

■ CUTTING GEAR: Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Philip Hammond MP(second left) watches one of the engineering processes at Meltham-based DathanGear Cutting Tools with Colne Valley candidate Jason McCartney (second right); retireddirector Alan Moorhouse (left) and current production director Simon Moorhouse

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Firms provide adegree of helpGRADUATES facing uncertainty on theemployment front are benefiting from a newscheme at Huddersfield University.

Staff at the Queensgate campus have joinedforces with regional development agencyYorkshire Forward and the Higher Educa-tion Funding Council for England to give theregion’s graduates better job prospects.

The university’s Careers and Employabil-ity Service is taking part in a new initiative tofind challenging and useful internship oppor-tunities for graduates from any university inthe region.

With funding from Yorkshire Forward andHEFCE, the university is able to contributetwo-thirds of the salary cost of a graduateinternship.

That means graduates can spend a fixedamount of time working on a specific projectand gain invaluable experience, equippingthem for the wider world of work.

“Internships are a great way for recentgraduates to gain real experience, developtheir skills and prove their potential,” saidAndrew Stainton, of the university’s Careersand Employability Service. “But they’re alsoa fantastic opportunity for employers toutilise the skills, knowledge, enthusiasm andideas of a recent university graduate at aminimal cost.”

The new scheme offers 12-week internshipsin various areas such as marketing, engineer-ing, design and IT as well as posts in generalproject management roles.

Graduates work 37-hour weeks and arepaid £300 a week – with the university

contributing £200 and the host employer£100.

Said Mr Stainton: “Although this is a newscheme, we’ve already seen quite a bit ofinterest.

“So far, we’ve offered internships in humanresources, marketing, IT, public relations and

graphic design.“It’s a competitive world out there for

graduates, so by showing you’re proactive inexpanding your CV, making new contactsand proving yourself as a capable intern, youare ensuring you give yourself the best chanceto get the career you want.”

Huddersfield graduate Lauren Collins isworking as part of the internship scheme atthe Community Foundation for Calderdale –using the skills she has learned on her publicrelations degree in real situations and realprojects.

She said: The Community Foundation hasbeen excellent. I’ve been given loads ofresponsibility and a chance to prove mycapability and it’s been fantastic to work foran organisation I feel passionately about –one which makes a real difference to thecommunity.

“Not only is the internship great for yourCV, it’s a real opportunity to put your skillsinto practice and try different things. I wouldrecommend it to any graduate.”

Internships are open to graduates in theregion who have completed their studies at aUK university in the last 18 months.

The university said it takes an active role inthe recruitment and selection process toensure that the very best graduate for the roleis chosen.

Employers and graduates interested injoining the scheme can contact AndrewStainton on 01484 472732 or online at intern-ship@hud.ac.uk

Employersurged tocompeteKIRKLEES firms offering work place-ments for students have been urged to entera national award.

The National Council for Work Experi-ence 2009/10 Awards is open to organisa-tions providing undergraduate workexperience.

Companies in the region have until Janu-ary 8 to enter the awards, which are open toorganisations of all sizes and industries,including charitable and the public sector.

Employers, students and careers adviserscan nominate the organisations they feelepitomise best practice in work experienceat www.work-experience.org/awards.

Heather Collier, NCWE director com-mented: “With more employers offeringwork placements due to the recession,we’re expecting a record number of entriesthis year.

“We recognise the best of the experi-enced providers as well as newcomers andhope the extended deadline will give thoseunsure whether to enter that extra bit ofencouragement.”

Entries will be assessed solely by onlineapplication and a maximum of six com-panies will be short-listed in each cat-egory.

Winners will be announced at an awardsceremony that will take place in London onMarch 23, 2010.

This year’s sponsors include Change-board, AGR, GlaxoSmithKline and Cent-rica.

■ ADVANTAGE: Huddersfield Universitygraduate Lauren Collins has benefited fromtaking part in its intern scheme

Launch fordigital armA DESIGN company in Huddersfield haslaunched a digital operation following astrong of client wins.

Design Junkie, based at Fenay Bridge,has set up a new media arm. It comes aftera string of successes to create new webinitiatives for national clients includingContinental Tyres, Gala Bingo, TomTomand Hobgoblin Beer.

Creative director Jason Haigh said: “Welive in a digital world where brand rela-tionships are formed in increasinglydiverse online communities.

“Our clients are embracing digital mar-keting strategies to make some noise andengage with their consumers and audi-ences in a more meaningful way.”

Steven Kennell, Digital Junkie’s onlinedirector, said: “We have found an evengreater demand for digital services in thecurrent climate.

“Today, clients want more cost-effect-ive, high-impact campaigns and thatmeans offering a combination of tradi-tional and new media.”

Digital Junkie offers a number of ser-vices including social marketing, webdesign and e-commerce.

Dealers earn plauditsCAR dealers in Huddersfield have been presented withawards.

Perry Jaguar, Perry Mazda and Perry Vauxhall havebeen given awards for excellent customer services asmembers of the West Yorkshire Trading Standards’Motor Trade Partnership.

Graham Hebblethwaite, chief officer of West York-shire Trading Standards Service, said: “In the currenteconomic climate, where there is so much uncertainty,people need to feel reassured that they are dealing with areputable trader when making such a significant pur-chase and parting with their hard-earned cash.

“The excellent customer services offered by exemplarymembers such as Perry Jaguar, Perry Mazda and PerryVauxhall, should encourage consumers to shop withconfidence.”

Clr Mohan Sokhal, of the trading standards commit-tee, said: ‘So many consumers are overly suspicious whenit comes to making purchases within the motor tradeindustry, with the work of rogue traders being detri-mental to the reputation of legitimate business.

“The Motor Trade Partnership provides consumerswith the capacity to identify garages that comply withthe law and provide high levels of customer services ifproblems arise.”

The partnership was set up to give customers assur-ance in an industry where suspicion was particularlyhigh and consumer expectations were low.

■ MOTORING ON: Richard Guthrie (second left), of West Yorkshire TradingStandards, presents awards to (from left) Steve Garth, of Perry Jaguar; StuartThompson, of Perry Vauxhall; and Peter Woodley, of Perry Mazda

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

‘Region can help meetdemand for data sites’LACK of suitable sites couldprevent Yorkshire from wrest-ling major data centre develop-ments from the south-east, areport has warned.

The analysis by propertyagency DTZ says demand isrising for sites to provide securedata storage – and that there isscope for the region to benefit ifthe right locations and develop-ment finance can be secured.

The comments come asdevelopers press ahead withplans for a £200m data centrecampus on 46 acres of land atLindley Moor, Huddersfield.

Stirling Scotfield, the com-pany behind the scheme, said theproposal was the “most effectiveand environmentally friendlyscheme available” for the land,which is earmarked for employ-ment use by Kirklees Council.

They say the 340,000sq ftdevelopment of 12 units with 102parking spaces would createabout 150 jobs directly – withabout 2,000 employed duringconstruction.

The data centre campus wouldprovide a secure site for organ-isations such as banks and inter-net-based businesses to housetheir computer servers.

Stirling Scotfield said organ-isations were increasingly look-ing to base their computerservers away from their existingoffices for security reasons.

Christopher Murfitt, valu-ation director at DTZ in York-shire, said: “Most people arecompletely unaware of thecolossal amount of digital databeing generated by business andpersonal users across everyindustrial sector, both privateand public. And it all has to bestored somewhere.

“The recent Governmentreport, Digital Britain, stressedthe point that the demand fordata storage is set to grow expo-nentially as we increase our useof electronic channels for com-munication and commerce.

“Legislation relating to busi-ness continuity and emergencyplanning – combined with stat-utory requirements for public

sector data storage – are alsoadding to the commercialimpetus.”

Some larger companies havetraditionally operated their owndata storage facilities, but as theglobal downturn continues tobear down on costs, many busi-nesses are now outsourcing thisvital function – again driving themarket.

Mr Murfitt said: “Storingessential data onsite in what areoften central business locationsis an expensive, inflexible andpotentially vulnerable option-–hence the growing trend tolocate data centres in bespoke

facilities offsite.“Care must also be taken to

avoid areas that may be prone toflooding or are too close to flightpaths.”

Mike Baugh, industrial dir-ector at DTZ in Yorkshire, saidthe region was well-placed tocapitalise on its geographicalposition and the availability ofpower supply.

He said: “Yorkshire benefitsfrom having a cohort of datacentre specialists based here –from property specialists andthird-party providers to legaladvisers.

“But we are now in a positionwhere there is not enough newproperty coming through thepipeline to satisfy anticipatedfuture demand.

“However, because incomedoes not come on stream untilthe completion of the fit-out andinstallation of all computerequipment, the current limita-tion on funding is creating diffi-culties in bringing forward newdevelopments.

“We are currently advisingUK Coal in respect of a numberof their sites – which given theirprevious use – already benefitfrom significant power availabil-ity and are generally secure andsecluded offering many of thefactors attractive to data centreusers.

“There have been a number ofsignificant data centre projectsin the region recently, most not-ably two locations for HSBC atWakefield and York, where thebank is currently developing two30-acre sites.”

Mr Baugh added: “Continuedgrowth in the use of electronicsystems and devices that createdata which needs saving guaran-tees that demand for premises tohouse this electronic storageequipment will continue.

“Coupled with the need forhigh volumes of uninterruptablepower, huge opportunities existfor centrally-located land toattract such uses. The Yorkshireand Humberside region shouldnot lose sight of this importantgrowth sector.”

■ CENTRE POINTS: MikeBaugh (top) and ChristopherMurfitt, both of DTZ

■ CAMPUS PLAN: Land at Lindley Moor, Huddersfield, is being proposed for the site ofan innovative data centre campus – enabling organisations to store vital computerinformation remote from their offices. Property experts at DTZ argue that the regionneeds to raise its game to provide more sites for similar centres and loosen the hold onthe market currently enjoyed by London and the south-east

Hotel extension under wayA MAJOR extension is being built at one ofYorkshire’s most prestigious hotels.

DLG Architects has announced the start ofwork at Rudding Park Hotel in Harrogatefollowing planning approval for the scheme.

The work undertaken by Yorkshire-basedRN Wooler & Co Ltd will extend theaward-winning hotel by a further 34bedrooms and providing additional leisurefacilities. The building programme isscheduled for completion by November nextyear.

Julian Monaghan, partner at Leeds-basedDLG Architects, said: “We are delighted that

work has started to extend the facilities atRudding Park. This represents a strongcommitment by the owners of Rudding Parkto continue to improve the fantastic facilitiesthat the hotel has to offer.

“Developing the detailed design of the newextension to be in keeping with the originalGrade II listed hotel was the originalchallenge.

“We are now turning our efforts towardsmaking sure that the new buildings areconstructed while respecting therequirements of guests and the operationalneeds of the hotel.”

Construction student wins bursaryA BURSARY for the most outstandingstudent in the field of construction hasbeen announced to a West Yorkshirecollege.Regeneration specialist Waystone Ltdawarded its annual bursary to RichardDunkley, a student at Wakefield College’sSkills Xchange at Classhoughton.The landmark building was opened in Aprilthis year and was designed and build byWaystone as part of its £200mregeneration of the Glasshoughton site.The bursary is awarded annually inmemory of Gideon Schreier, the son of Sir

Bernard Schreier and a director ofWaystone parent C P Holdings Ltd.Sue Griffiths, principal at WakefieldStuart McLoughlin, managing director atWaystone, said it was an honour topresent the award, adding: “The directorsat Waystone have pledged their continuedsupport for the future of the constructionindustry.”The Glasshoughton development – awinner in the 2008 Yorkshire PropertyAwards – is home to the Xscape leisurecomplex as well as shops and businessesemploying more than 3,500 people.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 7

Landlordsstick with theold systemDESPITE the impact of the recession, only asmall minority of landlords are allowingretailers to switch to paying rents monthlyrather than insisting on the “archaic” practice ofquarterly payment up front, it is claimed.

A survey by the British Retail Consortiumshowed that just 12% of retail property leasesare now on monthly rental terms – and nearly90% of respondents who had been allowed tomove to monthly terms said they had been orwould be penalised with higher charges.

Two-fifths said if they had been allowed tomove to monthly rents it was just on atemporary basis – typically a year.

The survey has been published in the run-upto the next “quarter day” in England and Waleson Christmas Day, when the quarterly rentalpayments are due.

The BRC said that thanks to its campaignover the past three years, monthly rents aremuch more common on new leases.

The survey found that since January, 2008,two-thirds of new leases have includedmonthly payment terms. But commerciallandlords have a long way to go on showingthis degree of flexibility on existing leases.

The BRC’s campaign predates the recession– with the retailers’ organisation arguing thatquarterly rental terms are wrong in principle.

Said director-general Stephen Robertson: “Itis an unjustifiable practice from an era whenhorseback was the fastest means ofcommunication and has no place in themodern age.

“But this year, the impact of the recessionhas given the campaign a new urgency as theextra costs and cash flow effects of payingrents three months up front have become moresignificant.

“It’s been a tough year with many thousandsof shops falling vacant. Helping out before thathappens is in the interests of both landlordsand retailers.”

Property market isattracting investorsPROPERTY experts estimate that £36bn ofcapital will be available for investment in thesector in the UK during 2010.

DTZ Research, part of global real estateadviser DTZ, said that was double the £18bnof capital transacted in the last 12 months.

Tim Cameron-Jones, investment directorand head of DTZ in West Yorkshire, said:“This weight of money has become veryapparent in the Yorkshire investment marketplace over recent months.

“It is predominantly from UK institutionswith some interest from overseas buyers aswell.

“UK Fund managers are re-balancing theirportfolios following a rise in value of theirequity assets. A number look under-represen-ted in real estate and have allocated manymillions of pounds to UK property.

“ Investors and savers are also pouring cashinto property funds at a rapid rate.”

He said: “Investment volumes are set to risein 2010, but the limiting factor will be availab-

ility of suitable stock.”Of the £36bn of capital targeting the UK in

2010, DTZ Research estimates that £20bn or55% is from UK-based funds with about£10bn or 27% from the US-based funds andalmost £2bn or 6% from German open endedfunds, special funds and closed funds.

The remainder is predominantly from therest of Europe.

Nigel Almond, associate director of RealEstate Strategy at DTZ Research, said: “Weexpect to see a high proportion of UK capitalstaying in the UK in 2010.

“While market uncertainty persists,investors are keen to use their home advant-age to maximum effect and minimise risk.

“This contrasts to US investors who aremore likely to invest overseas, witnessed bythe return of US private equity.

“We are also expecting to see a markedincrease in the activity of German funds,following their re-emergence in the thirdquarter of 2009.”

■ VOLUMES: Tim Cameron-Jones,investment director and head of DTZ

House pricesset to increaseCHARTERED surveyors in Yorkshire areforecasting an improvement in the housingmarket during 2010.

The latest survey by the Royal Institutionof Chartered Surveyors said the supply ofhomes for sale will continue to increase in theearly part of the year, but will struggle tokeep pace with demand from hopeful buy-ers.

This will provide a platform for furtherhouse price rises – but this is only likely to be1% to 2% higher than at the end of 2009.

The survey said the inventory of stocks onsurveyors’ books still remains close to his-torical lows and the narrowing gap betweensupply and demand will gradually begin toexert a greater influence on the market.

The continued caution of lenders, anuncertain economic climate and a flat labourmarket are all also likely to present chal-lenges.

However, with more property comingonto the market it is likely the number ofcompleted sales will increase.

The RICS estimates that the averagevolume of UK transactions will rise frombetween 55,000 and 60,000 to 70,000 by theend of the year.

Jim Spencer, RICS spokesman for York-shire, said “From a regional prospective, wehave seen a gradual reduction in availablestock levels through the latter part of 2009,but we have continued to enjoy good saleslevels right up to Christmas.

“This will lead us to enter the New Yearwith the lowest stock level since spring – andthe lack of supply could well result in risingprices in early 2010.

“As highlighted in the RICS national

forecast, there is slightly more activity withinthe lower price ranges as mortgages becomemore easily obtainable.

“However, there is still a significant short-age of finance, particularly for developersentering new projects, and the buildingindustry is now behind the levels stated bythe Government as being necessary to meethousing demand.

“Clearly if these improvements are to befelt further in the New Year, the Governmentneeds to provide sufficient finance.”

■ HOME WORK: RICS residentialspokesman Jim Spencer (right) says houseprices in Yorkshire are set to rise

Increase inregistrationsTHE number of registrations to build newhomes has risen, latest figures reveal.Research by the National House BuildingCouncil showed there were 27,124applications to build new homes in the UKduring the three months from September toNovember, 2009. That is an increase of 45%on the 18,675 applications lodged for thesame period in 2008.Registrations for the month of Novemberalone stood at 9,766 compared with 9,163the previous month – the highest monthlyfigure for more than 18 months.NHBC chief executive Imtiaz Farookhi said:“Our figures continue to show a steady risein applications – and it is good to beentering 2010 on a positive note.“However, the first quarter of 2010 will be akey time for the house building industryand it is vital that it is high on the agendasof all parties in the run-up to – and after –the election.”NHBC rolling quarter statistics show thatall regions are reporting higher levels ofregistrations for the quarter under review –with Yorkshire logging a 42% rise to 1,264from 889 for the same period last year.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

ThoriteColin Mortimer & Adrian Illingworth

COMPRESSED air products firmThorite has announced twoappointments.

The Bradford-based company,which has a branch at BargeStreet, off St Thomas’ Road inHuddersfield, has appointed ColinMortimer, 44, as purchasingassistant with responsibility forordering from Thorite’s manyfamous-name pneumatic productsuppliers.

Taking over from him aswarehouse assistant is AdrianIllingworth, 49, who will beresponsible for deliveries tocustomers and stock levels at thefirm’s nine regional sales andservice centres.

Colin (pictured top) is a keengolf, snooker, football and motorracing fan while Adrian (below)enjoys sport and making the most of time spentwith his family.

Speedinginto 2010RACING driverSarah Moore –and Batley-bornbusinessmanLawrenceTomlinson – willlook back on 2009as a trulyastonishing year.

Not only didSarah makehistory by winningthe Ginetta Junior Championship, shewent on to be shortlisted for BBC YoungSports Personality of the Year.

And the 16-year-old (pictured) alsoscooped the top industry award – thehotly-contested Club Driver of the YearTrophy at the Autosport Awards inLondon, sharing the stage with motorracing icons Jenson Button, LewisHamilton and Damon Hill.

Sarah’s success has also pleased MrTomlinson, who chairs motor racing carmanufacturer Ginetta.

“Seeing Sarah go on stage at theawards in front of 1,400 industry headshas been one of the proudest momentsin Ginetta’s history,” he said.

“Sarah demonstrates a maturity waybeyond her years and this coupled withher raw driving talent means I have nodoubt she will be a household racingname in the very near future.

“I look forward to seeing what she cando next season in the Ginetta JuniorChampionship 2010 in her new G40.” .

Sarah, who lives at Tockwith, NorthYorkshire, fought off tough competitionto accept her trophy from eight-time LeMans winner Tom Kristensen and tripleworld touring car champion AndyPriaulx.

Sarah proved her mettle on themixed-sex Ginetta Junior Championshipgrid this year, scoring five wins in 20races and winning the title with 448points in only her second year of racing.

She will defend her title next year withthe Your Racing Car team.

DMB GroupKate Jeffreys & Nicholas Emmerson

DIRECT marketing specialist DMB Group hasappointed two new members of staff following ayear of significant growth despite the economicdownturn.

Kate Jeffreys has joined the company asaccount executive while Nicholas Emmerson hasbeen appointed marketing analyst.

Ms Jeffreys, who joins DMB Group fromonthebeach.com in Manchester, will work onexisting accounts and develop new businessopportunities through a range of new products andservices.

Mr Emmerson, a mathematics graduate, willprovide insight into trends and patterns incustomer data behaviour in order to provide amore tailored service and identify newopportunities for growth.

DMB Group specialise in managing customercommunication programmes on behalf of clientsusing a range of direct channels. Current clientsinclude B&Q, McDonald’s and Meadowhall.

Manufacturersmeet challengeEMPLOYEES from firms inKirklees have received awards ata university ceremony.

Stuart Tolson, shift manufac-t u r i n g s u p e r v i s o r w i t hLinthwaite-based pharmaceut-ical firm Thornton Ross; andMark North, cont inuousimprovement co-ordinator forsoft drinks company Britvicwith operations at Birkby, wereamong those honoured.

In total 12 employees fromYorkshire area firms were awar-ded postgraduate certificates inManufacturing Excellence at acelebration held at Leeds Uni-versity.

The employees were recog-nised by their employers aspotential future leaders whohave the ability to make changes

to improve efficiency withintheir companies.

The postgraduate certificate –which offers a nationally recog-nised qualification for managersof manufacturing businesses – ispart of the Manufacturing Mas-ters Programme, which wasjointly developed by the uni-versity’s business school and theManufacturing Advisory Ser-vice.

It is designed for managers ofmanufacturing businesses with aspecific focus on a range ofmanufacturing subjects andgives a solid foundation in theessentials of manufacturingmanagement.

The certificates were awardedby Prof Peter Moizer, of LeedsUniversity.

Cheesemakers are on a roll

MORE cheese, please.A company supplying cheeses to a

host of sporting clients has addedHuddersfield Town to its list.

Yorkshire-based Cryer & Stott hasbeen contracted to provide cheeses forthe corporate catering operation atTown’s home games.

In addition, the company has won a£120,000 contract to supply its artisancheeses to football clubs DoncasterRovers, Bradford City, Halifax Town,Burnley, Barnsley and Hull City as well asHull KR Rugby Club and the Doncasterand York racecourses.

Cryer & Stott director Richard Holmessaid his historic local cheeses will be astrong addition to his clients’ corporatecatering offering.

“We have designed luxury branded

cheese boxes for our clients, containingcheese boards full of mouth-wateringlocal cheeses such as Richard IIIWensleydale as well as “away team”selections such as Smoked Caerphilly forSwansea.

“We will also be training front-of-housepersonnel so that they have theknowledge to recommend the mostsuitable chutneys and wines toaccompany each cheese”.

Cryer & Stott have seen theirwholesale business rise dramatically inthe past 12 months – despite the loss of15% of its business last January as adirect result of the recession.

Richard said: “As well as our thrivingdelicatessens in Castleford, Pontefractand Wakefield, we have seen significantgrowth in our wholesale business.”

■ CRACKER OF A BUSINESS: Richard (left) and Stuart Holmes, of Cryer & Stottcheesemongers, are now supplying their products to Huddersfield Town

■ PRIZEGIVING: Employees from manufacturing companiesaround Yorkshire were awarded postgraduate certificates inmanufacturing excellence at a celebration held at the Universityof Leeds

John Beardall

Piazza CentreTHE manager of a Huddersfieldshopping centre is to retire in thenew year after almost 18 years atthe helm.

John Beardall (pictured)shopping centre manager at ThePiazza, was first employed by CINProperties on behalf of the CoalPension Fund until the centre wassold to Zurich Assurance Ltd in2004.

During his time at Huddersfield,he has been actively involved in town centreactivities, including the successful Piazza summerfestivals and Christmas lights switch-ons. He hasalso worked with several charity fundraisingorganisations.

Said John: “It has been a real pleasure to workin Huddersfield and I am really grateful for all thesupport that I have received over the years,particularly from the town centre management.”

John is a member of the British Council ofShopping Centres and has regularly attendedmeetings throughout the country, representing thePiazza.

Managing agents CB Richard Ellis hasappointed Vernon O’Reilly as John’s successor ascentre manager. He will join the centre on January4.