kirklees business news

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees20, November, 2012

INSIDE

● Full story - Page 8

● Full story - Page 4

KAREN JAMES

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

Homes, sweet homesCo lumn - Page 5

An EXAMINER publication

MentoringmissionFOUR award-winningbusiness women haveteamed up to help thenext generation ofentrepreneurs.Huddersfield-basedJanet Bebb, of SocialProgress, and KateHardcastle of InsightWith Passion havejoined forces withClaire Mitchell, ofChillipeeps in Ripon,and Louise Turner ofYour Virtual PR inWakefield to run acompetition offeringfree mentoring for onelucky winner or team ofwinners.

FearfulfiguresFEAR of failure ishitting Yorkshireentrepreneurs,according to a surveyby Barclays. The pollcarried out amongsenior decision-makersin SMEs shows that58% admit they’ve putoff making importantbusinesses decisionsduring the last 12months in case theymake the wrong call. Inaddition, 54% state theeconomic environmenthas changed theirapproach to makingbusiness decisions.

COLIN BARRATT

exam

iner

.co.

uk Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

FTSE 100+ 132.075737.66

Company rolls outits expansion planA FIRM manufacturing washroomsupplies is set for a major move.

Disposables UK, which suppliedhand towels, toilet tissues and soaps tothis summer’s London Olympics andParalympic Games, plans to bring allits operations and its 92-strong staffunder one roof next year.

The relocation is part of a drive tocreate a “truly European” business bythe firm, which was formed in 1987and operates from five sites – itsheadquarters at Huddersfield Road,Meltham, three sites at Meltham Millsand a distribution centre in Milns-bridge.

Disposables UK is set to move to theformer tractor plant at Meltham Mills,which will be vacated by Fred Lawtonfollowing its merger earlier this yearwith fellow textile company, William SGraham, of Dewsbury, to form Law-ton Yarns Ltd.

Emma Wood, marketing manager atDisposables UK, said: “It was alwaysour intention to get everyone underone roof. We have great staff, but it willhelp promote morale further to geteveryone together. It will also enable usto run the business more efficiently.”

Sales director Paul Halliwell said thecompany had been “courted” bySouth Yorkshire authorities to moveto Dodworth, Barnsley, at a time whengrants were being offered to help

regenerate the former coalfield areas,but added: “We are not going to moveout of Meltham. Our staff are import-ant and a lot of them live in thisarea.”

Emma said the move would start tohappen in the first quarter of 2013 andwould be completed over three to fivemonths. “We have to be able to main-tain production, service levels anddelivery schedules,” she said. “We havea management team in place respons-ible for making sure it all goes toplan.”

Meanwhile, the company is focusingon promoting its two major ranges atevents including The Cleaning Show atBirmingham’s NEC and Inter Clean, amajor European event in Amsterdam– where it hopes to “max out” on thepublicity gained as a supplier to theOlympics.

Disposables UK has launchedOptisilk, a range of toilet tissues forthe £240m away-from-home market,which supplies premises such as pubs,clubs, hospitals, hotels and universit-ies.

The new range runs alongside itswell-established Bay West value-addedbrand.

The company has invested aseven-figure sum in new machinery,including a laminating machine, tomeet rising demand for its products –

which has allowed it to bring Optisilkto market faster than expected.

Disposables UK already supplieswashrooms at venues such as Arsenal’sEmirates Stadium, the O2 Arena andTwickenham.

It also distributes to Europe withFrance, the Netherlands, Belgium,Denmark and Rumania key markets.At present, almost 95% of exportbusiness is for Bay West products.

Paul said: “Over the next three years

we are looking to grow between 10%and 12.5% year-on-year. We haveexpanded through natural growthrather than acquisition.”

The company is also recruiting morestaff in light of its drive into Europeand planned growth in sales.

Said Emma: “We came out of 2008having made our best-ever profit.

“The investments we are makingmean we can continue to take on morebusiness.”

Firm on target to help Tour de France bidA HUDDERSFIELD firm hasthrown its weight behind York-shire’s bid to host a stage ofcycling’s Tour de France.

Linthwaite-based Arrow SelfDrive loaned two of the firm’stop-of- the-range cars toregional tourist body Welcometo Yorkshire, which is leadingthe bid for the county to stagethe Grand Depart of the tour in2014.

The cars have been deckedout in distinctive pink, yellowand white branding and will beon the road around the countyas part of the final push toattract the epic race.

They made their first appear-ance in the Lord Mayor’sParade in London.

Chris Taylor, managing dir-ector of Arrow Self Drive, said:“Bringing the Tour de France toYorkshire is a great idea andArrow Self Drive is proud to bebacking the bid.

“We know that events of thissort generate lots of business forthe county and these cars willcertainly let people know thatwe are serious!”

Arrow Self Drive has depotsthroughout the region, includ-ing ones in Wakefield, Leeds,Bradford, Barnsley, Knaresbor-

ough and Hull.Gary Verity, chief executive

of Welcome to Yorkshire, said:“It is support from companieslike Arrow Self Drive that givesthat extra boost to our bid.

“The cars look great andreally get our message across.With its glorious countryside,fantastic coastline and vibrantcities Yorkshire is an ideal placeto host the Grand Depart of theTour de France in 2014 and ifwe are successful the economicboost to the county will beincredible.”

A decision on the bid isexpected in the New Year.

■ PEDAL POWER: Craig Kelly, business developmentmanager at Arrow Self Drive with one of the cars providedby the Huddersfield-based company to promoteYorkshire's bid to host part of the Tour de France in 2014

Statues and statutes

■ ON A ROLL: Paul Halliwell and Emma Wood with new machinery which ishelping boost production for Meltham-based Disposables UK

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national

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THE maker of the iconic cast ironAga cooker reported “some encour-aging” sales trends as it targets anew generation of householderswith updated products.

Aga Rangemaster ’s recentlaunches have included its iTotalControl models, which can be con-trolled remotely by smartphone andcost from about £10,000.

The cookers were launched in Mayand Aga recently added a largerfive-door version to the range.

Its key autumn selling season gotoff to a slow start because of theOlympics, but since then chief exec-

utive William McGrath said thetrends that saw Aga’s volumes rise4% in the first six months of 2012have continued.

He added: “After a late start to theautumn season, trading for ourmajor brands has shown someencouraging signs.”

The company, whose other busi-nesses include the Rangemastercooker range and wall and floor tilesspecialist Fired Earth, is expectedby City analysts to grow its profitsby 17% to £7m this year – as itdeveloping international dealer-ships in emerging markets.

Aga cooks up improving salesOUTSOURCING group MITIE sawhalf-year sales top £1bn for the firsttime after starting its largest evercontract with state-backed bankinggroup Lloyds.

The Bristol-based company, whichhas a 63,000-strong workforce provid-ing services from office cleaning toairport baggage screening, expectsgrowth to accelerate further in thecurrent half year as cash-strappedfirms continue to outsource services.

Despite the 5.6% rise in revenues to£1.03bn for the six months to Septem-ber 30, MITIE’s pre-tax profits fell by

13% to £37.7m after it incurred £4.8min restructuring and redundancy costs– including through scaling backactivities in some divisions.

The cost of its recent acquisition ofhome care services provider Enara for£110.8m also suppressed the overallresult, but excluding the one-off itemsprofits were 2% higher at £48.8m.

C h i e f e x e c u t i v e R u b yMcGregor-Smith said new andexpanded contracts coupled with theacquisition of Enara will help pushtotal revenues growth higher in thesecond half.

Revenues rise for MITIE

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.45 dollarsBangladesh................. 121.94 takaBrazil.............................. 2.96 realsCanada....................... 1.51 dollarsChina ............................. 8.86 yuanCzech Republic ...... 29.18 korunasDenmark....................... 8.84 kroneEuro............................... 1.19 euroHong Kong................ 11.70 dollarsHungary ................... 317.17 forintsIndia.......................... 77.03 rupeesJapan........................... 123.06 yenMexico ....................... 18.56 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.82 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.76 kronePakistan.................. 143.77 rupeesPhilippines ................. 56.06 pesosSouth Africa ................. 13.14 randSouth Korea.............. 1505.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 195.21 rupeesSweden....................... 10.29 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.43 francsTaiwan ...................... 40.50 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.70 new liraUSA ............................ 1.52 dollars

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £34.57 +0.44Gannett 1084.22 +16.97Hess Corp £31.56 +0.82Microsoft 1678.19 +11.26Motors Liquidation 47.14Wal-Mart Stores £42.99 +0.23

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 330BAE Systems 3045/8 +33/4Rolls-Royce 867 +221/2

AIMBrady Plc 102Man Brnze 9

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 2073/4 +63/4

BANKSBarclays 2493/4 +151/2HSBC 6181/4 +221/2Lloyds Banking Gp 451/8 +11/8Ryl Scotland 2871/4 +97/8Stan Chart 1455 +401/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 18321/2 +39SABMiller £263/8 +1/8

CHEMICALSCroda £23 +1/8Elementis 98 2143/4 +51/2Johnsn Mat £227/8 +3/8

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 256 +61/4Costain 2353/4 +7

ELECTRICITYDrax Gp 5271/2 +3SSE 1384 +20

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 222 +25/8

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3681/4 +41/2

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 2237/8 +47/8Cable & WirelessComm

347/8

Colt Group 1021/2 +21/2KCOM 71 +2Talktalk Telecom 2211/8 +21/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2571/2 +11/4Sainsbury 3355/8 +33/4Tesco 318 +3

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1434 +40Tate Lyle 763 +81/2Unilever £233/8 +1/2

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3175/8 +41/8National Grid 699 +11Pennon Grp 598 -11/2Severn 1543 +19United Utils 653 +6

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 2085/8 +23/4ICAP 2871/4 +51/4London StockExch 987 +51

Man Group 731/2 +15/8Provident Financial 1308 +2Schroders 1555 +37Schroders NV 1268 +32

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 5821/2 +151/2REXAM 4327/8 +21/4Smiths Grp 1039 +21

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 271/2 +1/4Carphone Whse 192 -2Dixons Retail 25 +1/8Home Retail 107 +1/8Inchcape 4113/4 +131/4Kingfisher 2791/4 +5M & S 3725/8 +61/4Mothercare 296 +11/2Next £36 +5/8WH Smith 6271/2 +4

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 6411/2 +1

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 62 +6Barrat Dev 1851/4 +37/8Persimmon 7531/2 +81/2Reckitt Benckiser £373/4 +3/4Taylor Wimpey 571/2 +1/2

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGI M I 989 +31

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 2133/4 +153/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 197 +11/4

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 3311/4 +111/4Lgl & Gen 1431/4 +35/8Old Mutual 171 +47/8Prudential 8701/2 +31Resolution 2291/4 +13/8Standard Life 3071/4 +71/2

MEDIABSkyB 7531/2 +81/2D Mail Tst 472 +12HIBU 1/4ITV 94 +2Johnston Press 13 +1/2Pearson 1191 +18Reed Elsevier 605 +21/2STV Group 1021/4Trinity Mirror 781/4 -11/4Utd Business 713 +91/2UTV 118 +13/4WPP 8151/2 +131/2

MININGAnglo American 17101/2 +461/2Antofagasta 1226 +27BHP Billiton 1942 +69Eurasian NaturalRes

2721/8 +121/2

Fresnillo 1946 +69Kazakhmys 684 +291/2Lonmin 515 +433/4Rio Tinto £301/4 +7/8VEDANTARESOURCES

1083 +47

Xstrata 9563/4 +63/4MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 5631/2 +31/2

Vodafone Group 1601/2 +23/4NONLIFE INSURANCE

Admiral Grp 1087 +27RSA Insurance Gp 1121/4 +25/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 1020 +191/2BP 4315/8 +15Cairn Energy 2661/4 +63/4Royal Dutch Shell A £203/4 +1/2Royal Dutch Shell B £213/8 +3/8Total £303/4 +1Tullow Oil 1367 +27

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1026 +311/2Petrofac 1553 +60

Wood Gp(J) 7921/2 +221/2

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1214 +50

PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGYAstrazeneca £281/8 +1/4GlaxoSmithK XD 191/2Shire 1727 -2

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 515 +9Captl Shop Cent 336 +71/4Hamrsn 4613/8 +23/4Land Secs 775 +121/2SEGRO 224 +23/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESInvensys 2191/4 -1/4Sage Group 3021/4 +17/8

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 575 +2Bunzl 1038 +11Capita 7181/2 +51/2De La Rue 1011 +3Electrocomp 2071/4 +31/4Experian 1028 +7G4S 2423/8 -13/4Hays 777/8 +5/8Homeserve 223 -2Menzies J 580 -4Rentokil 853/4 +3/4Smiths News 153 -21/4Wolseley £27 +5/8

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 747 +36Spirent Comms 1483/4 +23/4

TOBACCO

Br Am Tob £321/8 +7/8Imperial Tobacco £245/8 +5/8

LEISURE & HOTELS

Bwin.Party Digital 1131/4 +1/4Carnival £25 +3/4Compass Grp 702 +10easyJet 6521/2 +111/2Enterprise Inns 663/4 +1FirstGroup 1781/8 +23/8Go-Ahead Gp 1234 +4Greene King 592 +21/2Intercontl Htls 1590 +18Intl Cons Airl 1633/8 +47/8Ladbrokes 1871/4 +17/8Mitchells & Butlers 330 +4Natl Express 1691/4 +15/8Rank Org 1473/4 +17/8Stagecoach Group 272 +4TUI Travel 2545/8 +77/8Whitbread £231/2 +3/8

INDEXFTSE 100 5737.66 +132.07

INDEXFTSE 250 11744.79 +167.81

Carclo 4151/4 +293/4Marshalls 98 +11/2National Grid 699 +11Weir Gp 1764 +54

MAJESTIC Wine achieved a 4% risein half-year profits – despite thewashout summer ruining a largenumber of outdoor events.

The wine merchant , whichincludes an outlet at Queensgate inHuddersfield among 189 storesUK-wide, said the improvement to£9.2m for the six months to October1 demonstrated the resilience of thebusiness.

Sales through the store networkgrew by 4.7% to £108.7m. Excludingnew floor space, sales were 0.6%higher.

In the six weeks since then,like-for-like sales have risen by 1.2%.The company generates about 10% ofretail business online.

Majestic said: “During the sum-mer sales were adversely affected byunseasonable weather that resulted inthe cancellation of a large number ofoutdoor events.”

It saw an 11% increase in thenumber of customers on its database

who have made a purchase in the last12 months and said average spendper transaction was up by £1 to£126.

The average bottle price of stillwine purchased at Majestic is now£7.46, up from £7.13 a year earlier.

Chairman Phil Wrigley said: “Werecognise that the environment inwhich we operate is likely to remainchallenging.

“We are most encouraged by thenumber of new customers attractedto Majestic and we are well-preparedfor the very important Christmastrading period.”

Majestic opened nine new stores inthe half-year, including its first outletin Cornwall, and said it was pleasedwith initial sales in all of them.

As a result, it continues to see thepotential to expand the UK storeportfolio to about 330 locations.

The company has also reduced itsinvolvement in the wholesale drinksmarket as it looks to focus the busi-

ness towards the on-trade.It has built up a regional sales team

of 25 people whose role is to securerestaurant, gastro pub and hotelbusiness, with all subsequent logisticshandled by the nearest Majesticstore.

Online sales were up by 14%,helped by a 20% increase in thenumber of orders placed online afterthe company reduced the minimumpurchase requirement for web cus-tomers to six bottles, mirroring thechange in its shops made in 2009.

Philip Dorgan, retail analyst atPanmure Gordon stockbrokers,maintained his buy rating onMajestic and said he saw “manyyears of highly visible profitgrowth”.

He added: “Given the headwinds,these interim results show good pro-gress. We believe that Majestic hassignificant market share opportunityas it builds on its position as the UK’spre-eminent specialist wine retailer.”

ONLINE grocer Ocadovowed to boost its rangesand marketing effortsafter a fundraisingtackled uncertainty overits prospects.

As well as selling newshares worth £35.8m, thegroup has extended theterms of its £100m loanfacilities with its banksthrough to 2015.

The backing came asthe grocer reported a13.7% rise in sales forthe six weeks toNovember 11 as ordershit a new high of 140,000a week.

With Ocado hit by thecost of opening itssecond delivery centre inDordon, Warwickshirenext February, there werefears in the City that thecompany could breachloan agreements at theend of this month.

Shares closed up14.45p to 75p, or 24%yesterday – on a daywhen better economicnews from the US liftedthe FTSE 100 by 132points. Investorsexpressed relief atOcado’s funding boostand improved tradingperformance.

Chief financial officerDuncan Tatton-Brownsaid the company nowhad the resources tofocus on increasing itsranges.

Barclays, HSBC andLloyds will extend thematurity of thecompany’s existing£100m lending facility fora further 18 months toJuly, 2015.

The placing of newshares with key investorswas priced at 64p ashare – a 6% premiumon Friday’ closing price,but 65% lower than theflotation price of 180p ashare in July, 2010.

Boost forOcadoMajestic uncorks

improved earnings

■ DRINK DRIVE: Majestic posted a 4%rise in half-year profits despite the impact ofa sodden summer

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile

KarenJames

RamsdensSolicitors

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Partner andhead of residentialconveyancingAge: 47Family: Son Toby,13Holidays: Any-where exoticCar: Volvo 360. I liveat the top of a steephill, so while I wouldlove to go through mymid-life crisis drivingan open-top sportscar, it has to besomething more prac-tical!First job: Workingin a fruit and vegshop in NorthallertonBest thing aboutjob: Having clientswho are grateful for ajob well done givesme job satisfactionWorst thing aboutjob: The duplicationof effort in having tosend the sameinformation to differ-ent regulatory bodiesBusiness tip: Lists.It’s very easy to bedistracted by unex-pected events. Icouldn’t survivewithout lists to helpme prioritise

Work: LegalservicesEmploys: 150Sites: Hudders-field and sevenother sitesPhone: 01484821500Email: [email protected]:www.ramsdens.co.uk

Careerthatcastsa spell

A VISIT to a secret part ofNorth Yorkshire has cast aspell on solicitor KarenJames.

The head of conveyancingat Huddersfield law firmRamsdens Solicitors visitedtourist attraction TheForbidden Corner with13-year-old son Toby andwas inspired by what shesaw.

The Forbidden Corner isa unique labyrinth oftunnels, chambers, temples,follies and statues set in afour-acre garden in theheart of Tupgill Park, nearMiddleham.

“You walk around thegardens and come acrossall sorts of treasures from aglass pyramid to 40ftgiants,” says Karen.

“We’ve decided to createour own Forbidden Cornerin the garden at home. Sonow I’m working on makinga bigger-than-life-size witchout of chicken wire andpapier mache! I’m not reallya ‘crafty’ person, but we’vejust been enthused by thevisit. I’ll have to waterproof itsomehow when it’s finishedso it can stand in thegarden.”

Karen’s Fixby homebacks onto HuddersfieldGolf Club, so quite what themembers will make of afearsome witch staring atthem as they try to sink thatwinning putt is anyone’sguess!

Karen joined Ramsdens20 years ago and has seenthe Huddersfield-based lawfirm grow in that time – notleast in her own departmentspecialising in residentialconveyancing.

She says: “I always knewfrom about the age of seventhat I wanted to be a lawyer.I think I was influenced bymy father being a seniorpolice officer. I had visionsof wearing a wig and gown,going to court and pulingout a last-minute witness towin the case! The reality ofprivate practice is verydifferent. It’s not nearly soglamorous.”

Karen was born inMiddlesbrough and laterlived in Northallerton beforecoming to HuddersfieldUniversity to study law in the1980s. She trained withParker Bird before joiningRamsdens in 1991.

“At that time, there were33 staff in total, all atRamsden Street – and oneconveyancing solicitor,” shesays. “Now there are 40 inmy team and the firm haseight offices in Huddersfield,Edgerton, Holmfirth,Slaithwaite, Elland, Mirfield,Dewsbury and Halifax. It haschanged beyond recognition.

“As head of department, Iam based at RamsdenStreet. While it would be niceto get out and about a bitmore, there’s an awful lot ofwork I can do from mydesktop. I can view any filein any office.

“Managing a growing teamhas brought differentchallenges, but we haveadapted our workingmethods to accommodatethat growth while technologyis making it easier tomanage and supervise whatgoes on electronically.”

Technology has alsoinfluenced clients’expectations. “You have toprovide the service peoplewant,” says Karen. “Clientsexpect instantcommunications. Other

organisations have movedwith us as well. The LandRegistry, for instance, nowprovides copies of title deedswithin seconds. When Istarted, searches would take13 weeks! Now people cancomplete a transaction withus entirely online.”

Despite the slump in theproperty sector, Karen saysher department is busy andhas even been recruiting. “It’snot because the propertymarket is doing any better,”she says. “The market isfairly stagnant. But thenumber of people offeringconveyancing services hasgot smaller, so those stilldoing it are getting a biggershare.

“Land Registry statisticsshow that the number offirms of solicitors submittingLand Registry applicationshas halved since 2008.

“It is all down to serviceOur clients come back to ustime and time again, whichsuggests we are doingsomething right. Theyrecommend us to others. Thebest source of new business

is throughrecommendation.

“We have a largeclient base and weare working aroundthe country – andoverseas.

“I have a lot ofoverseas clients,including ones inSingapore and Hong

Kong, who are buying upproperty in centralLondon.

“We have taken ourservices to where themarket is moving. Wehave a number of chainsof estate agents in Surrey,for example, who send uswork.”

Karen says: “We havebeen very fortunate tosurvive the recession –which happened almostovernight. The trick was torespond quickly to thenew market conditions.”

Karen says the marketnow needs the kick-starttraditionally provided byfirst-time buyers, butadmits: “They are findingit hard to get mortgagefinance. Their depositsare coming from thirdparties – such as mumsand dads orgrandparents.

“One of the biggestproblems is that lenders –who have rightly tightenedtheir lending criteria – aregetting more stringentabout who they will act ontheir behalf.”

Although she is head ofdepartment, Karen saysshe remains a “hands-on”leader – even at theheight of the market.

“If you are nothands-on, you lose trackof what the job is allabout,” says Karen “Itmeans you are also betterable to see what could be

done to improve the serviceyou offer.”

Karen says she “lives towork” but weekends findher driving the “mum’s taxi”.She says: “Weekends arestructured around Toby’ssporting activities. He playsrugby for his school andHuddersfield Rugby UnionClub at Lockwood Park inthe winter. In the summer,it’s cricket.”

Beach holidays aredefinitely out – in favour ofsomething moreadventurous. “We’vetrekked through the junglesof Borneo and been on aroad trip down the westcoast of America,” saysKaren. “We even got stuckin Hawaii when our planewas twice forced to returnto the airport. If you’regoing to get stuckanywhere, Hawaii’s as gooda place as any!”

Meanwhile, Karendoesn’t hanker after thedrama of the courtroom.

“We’re lucky in residentialconveyancing because weget an end result thatpeople want,” she says. “It’snot particularly contentious.We aren’t fighting for adivorce or half a house orsomeone’s liberty. Ourclients are grateful at theend of the job and that’svery rewarding.”

■ HOME MAKER: Karen James, partner and head of residentialconveyancing at Ramsdens Solicitors

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal GETTING started in farming or changingdirection in the industry will be thesubject of a conference at the GreatYorkshire Showground in Harrogate. TheFarming Ladder – Getting On and Going,will be held on Thursday, November 29.Contact Kate Dale on 07912 495604

Safe working?Get the toolboxKIRKLEES firms hamake use of a new wbusinesses to get ofhealth and safety.The new Health and Safis the latest in a packaguidance available frand Safety Executivtogether in one place esmall, low-risk business could needto manage health and safThe package of guidance –developed by the HSE with thesupport of businesses – will helpsmall business owneremployers avoid wasting prtime reading what thespending money on needlessbureaucracy or resorcostly consultants to get the advicethey need.Quick, simple guides and intertools on how to identifycontrol common workplace hazarhave been pulled together ffirst time. Core health and safissues relating to the type ofbusiness, its workforworkplace are set out morthen ever before.It includes sections on the mostcommon risks such as manhandling, trip hazarsubstances as well as tips onprotective equipment.David Snowball, HSE dirNorthern England and Scotland,said: “While our inspectorensuring that higherin Yorkshire and the Humber artaking the right precautions toprotect their workerwe do appreciate thasmaller, lower-risk bfeel daunted by whasafety law requires.“It doesn’t have to be an onertask and we will be pointing them tothe Toolkit for all the advice thecould need in one placeMary Boughton, of the FSmall Businesses, said: ““The Toolbox should gilow-risk businesses the infthat they need in a simple and easyto use way without asking them toread through reams of guidanceGo to www.hse.gov

Bosses ‘frozen with fear’FEAR of failure is hitting Yorkshireentrepreneurs, according to a surveyby Barclays.

The poll carried out among seniordecision-makers in small and mediumfirms shows that 58% admit they’veput off making important businessesdecisions during the last 12 months incase they make the wrong call.

In addition, 54% state the economicenvironment has changed theirapproach to making businessdecisions while 22% say they now“play it safe” and focus purely on theday-to-day. Some 26% admit thateconomic uncertainty has made themmuch more hesitant about longer termdecisions.

James Cliffe, divisional director forBarclays Business Banking, said theimpact of BOFF – BusinessesOvercome by Fear of Failure – couldnot only hamper individual businesssuccess, but could also collectivelystall the UK's economic recovery.

He said: “At the time of makingimportant business decisions, it’s only

natural to be scared of getting it wrong.“It can feel like you are taking a big

risk – whether that is decisions aboutstaff, products, finance or even yourmarketing strategy.

“Despite the tough externalenvironment, there are manyopportunities to be seized upon andthe ability to make important decisionsis vital to the growth of all businessesand the overall UK economy.”

Business psychologist Jon Cousinssaid: “While risk aversion is a totallynormal human response, the BoFFphenomenon is out of character whencompared to the traditionalrisk-seeking behaviour we mightexpect of entrepreneurs.

“In the face of adversity, a fear offailure can cause a freeze reactionamongst businesses, where it canoften wrongly seem safest to donothing at all.”

He said: “In general, youngerentrepreneurs are greater risk-takerswhen compared to their oldercounterparts, as it’s natural for theyoung to believe they are invincible.Older entrepreneurs have had greaterlife experiences, which prove to themthat success is rarely guaranteed.”

The survey showed that Yorkshirebusiness bosses were also worriedabout cash flow and late payments,competition, legislation and regulation– which were amplifying their fears.

Hi-tech contributionto Heseltine’s planTWO Colne Valley businesses haveteamed up with a hi-tech way to helpLord Heseltine kick-start the UK eco-nomy by liberating the regions fromWestminster control.

Paul Mulcock, of Slaithwaite-basedexecutive search and selection com-pany Broad Oak Solutions, is workingwith freelance IT consultant LeonRiley, trading at Katbox, to help busi-nesses get the most out of their com-puter systems.

Mr Mulcock said Lord Heseltine’srecent report into the UK economysuggested devolving power from West-minster to give local authorities thepower to stimulate growth at grassroots level.

Said Mr Mulcock: “In essence, theemphasis is on every worker, everybusiness person to optimise their per-formance and create healthy local eco-nomies in order to drive our nationalGDP and reduce the impact of therecession on the wider economy via thisbottom up strategy.”

Mr Mulcock said the report hadprompted him to review his own busi-ness plan and make some significantchanges to move its focus towardssupporting local SMEs, having assistedseveral of these over the last 12months.

He also reviewed the firm’s IT sys-tems, which he last invested in fouryears ago when setting up Broad OakSolutions.

He said: “The market we serve isfast-paced, highly dependent on accur-ate and swift sharing of data bothinternally and with our clients andcandidates.

“Households regularly update theirmobile technology, internet speed links

and HD televisions in order to benefitfrom advances in technology, but dothe owners of SMEs do likewise?

“I don’t want to waste time and Ineed my business to access and sharevital documents and data when myteam need it – not when the outdatedsystems allow me to do so.”

Leon Riley worked in IT for KirkleesCouncilI before going freelance fouryear ago. He now has contracts with anumber of local schools, reviewing sys-tems security, installing hardware andsoftware, providing IT training andcreating mobile working solutions.

Said Mr Mulcock: “Leon looked athow we organise and share data intern-ally and externally and within twohours we had simple-to-use kit and

ap p l i c at i o n s wh i c h m a ke o u rfour-year-old processes look archaic.

“I had no idea that technology hadmoved on. My nose was too close to thegrindstone to question the appropriate-ness of the tools I was using. For a verymodest spend, my business has beenliberated from inefficient processes andthe limitations of old software.”

He added: “Sometimes, a businessowner needs a fresh pair of eyesthrough which to look at how thingsare done and using a freelance ITconsultant gave me a perspective Icould never have gained, without hisexpertise and ability to translate myneeds into simple and economical solu-tions.”

■ SCARE TACTICS: James Cliffe, ofBarclays Business Banking

Meeting ofMEMBERS of a netwwho usually convermeet up for real in HudThe MY Networking eplace from 9 to 11am tomorCafe Ollo in the Media CentrThe free monthly netwstarted as an oppormembers of the MY NetwLinkedIn Group to meet up ofbut has proved so successful thahas been opened it up to eAs well as discussing bissues, those attending can get backonline to continue wthe Media Centre’s dedicaConnect space with frThe event is run by the Mid YChamber of CommerSolicitors, The Media CentrSMileS.

■ KEY PLAYERS: Paul Mulcock (left) and Leon Riley at Broadoak Solutions

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local

TAXTALKColin Barratt

Colin Barratt is tax partner at Wheawill and Sudworth charteredaccountants, Huddersfield

The trail to IndonesiaKIRKLEES firms have beeninvited to hit the export trail toIndonesia.RTC North, based in Sunderlandand Leeds, is leading a trademission to the country in earlyDecember.The visit is open to all sectors, butshould be of particular interest tomanufacturers and businesseswith an interest in innovation andtechnology services. It is timed tocoincide with South East Asia’slargest manufacturing event,which takes place betweenDecember 5 and 8.

RTC North is well-connected withthe Business and Technologynetwork in Indonesia, which willhelp by providing introductions toresearch and science-basedorganisations. In addition, theIndonesian Chamber ofCommerce has offered to providecontacts with local businesses.The British Embassy in Jakartawill host a reception on December3 and will arrange for specialistmarket research if required.Contact Donna Smith on 01915164400 or [email protected]

Safe working?Get the toolbox

ms have been urged toe use of a new way for small

usinesses to get official advice on

The new Health and Safety Toolboxtest in a package of online

ble from the Healthve – bringing

together in one place everything ausiness could need

ge health and safety.ge of guidance –

eloped by the HSE with theusinesses – will help

usiness owners andasting precious

t they don’t need to,y on needlessesorting to hiring

costly consultants to get the advice

Quick, simple guides and interactivetools on how to identify, assess and

orkplace hazardse been pulled together for the

e health and safetyting to the type of

orkforce ande set out more simply

ludes sections on the mosth as manual

, trip hazards and harmfulell as tips on

e equipment.vid Snowball, HSE director for

n England and Scotland,hile our inspectors focus on

t higher-risk businessese and the Humber are

ecautions toers and the public,

te that employers in-risk businesses can

eel daunted by what health and.

e to be an onerouse will be pointing them toor all the advice they

could need in one place.”y Boughton, of the Federation of

, said: “x should give small,

usinesses the informationy need in a simple and easy

y without asking them toeams of guidance.

v.uk

Circle lines suitaccountancy firmA HOLMFIRTH marketing agency has helpedprovide a new look for one of West Yorkshire’sleading accountancy firms.The agency, We Are Circle, was called in torebrand Wakefield-based independentaccountancy firm Joliffe Cork and its sisterorganisation Joliffe Cork Consulting.Laura Pegg, managing director at We Are Circle,said: “Brand insight surveys revealed that JolliffeCork’s dedication to their clients is what madethem different and kept their customers withthem for a very long time – often throughgenerations. We Are Circle used these insights tocreate the new brand, website, stationery andsignage based around the concept of ‘our clientsare at the centre of everything we do’.”Jolliffe Cork Consulting was also rebranded,changing the name to Jolliffe Business Solutionswhile launching a new logo and stationery.

Meeting offlineMEMBERS of a networking group

erse online willeal in Huddersfield.orking event takes

om 9 to 11am tomorrow ate Ollo in the Media Centre.

ee monthly networking groupted as an opportunity for

s of the MY Networkoup to meet up offline –ed so successful that it

has been opened it up to everyone.ell as discussing business

ttending can get backue working by using

s dedicatedConnect space with free WiFi.

ent is run by the Mid YorkshireChamber of Commerce, Ramsdens

, The Media Centre and

Home truthsto rememberIT is taken for granted that any

gain on the sale of your homeis exempt from tax.

For those who have just one homeand have used it as such from thetime of purchase to the time of salethat will always be the case.

Some people may have more thanone home, for example, a weekendhome and a weekday home nearwork or they may have a holidayhome.

As an individual or a marriedcouple can only have one home at atime then all the properties cannot allbe exempt from tax as the privateresidence.

Where you have more than onehome it is important that you makean election as to which one is yourprivate residence.

Such an election can only be madewithin 24 months of acquiring adifferent number of residences.

So if you buy a holiday home youwould need to make an election as towhich of the homes is your privateresidence within 24 months of thatacquisition.

The making of the election isimportant as without one the ques-tion of as to which house is yourprivate residence will be determinedas a matter of fact.

Clearly if you have a holiday homethat you visit for six to eight weeks ina year and a private residence whereyou live for the rest of the time, it willalways be the private residence that isdetermined to be the one that gets theexemption.

By making the election, you canopt for the holiday home to be yourprivate residence.

That election might be for just oneweek. For example, you elect for theholiday home to be your privateresidence with effect from February

1, 2012, and then you make anotherelection to change it back to yourmain home from February 8, 2012.

The result is that the holiday homeis your private residence for just oneweek and your main home is yourprivate residence throughout owner-ship apart from one week.

The effect of this on the mainhome is negligible and any gainshould still be completely exempt asone week’s worth of the gain will beinsignificant.

The important point for thesecond home is that it will then havebeen your private residence for oneweek and any property that has everbeen your private residence automat-ically qualifies for exemption for thelast three years of ownership.

That means if you owned a prop-erty for five years and you had madethe election for it to be your privateresidence for tax purposes for oneweek, then three years out of fivewould be exempt. In other words,60% of the gain on sale would beexempt from capital gains tax.

If you never made the election,then 100% of the gain would havebeen chargeable to tax on sale as yourmain home would have been treatedas your private residence as a matterof fact.

The important point is that youonly have 24 months from the dateyou acquire a different number ofresidences to make the election.

If you do not make it in that timeperiod you will not be able to.

It might be possible to create

another 24-month period by having achange in the number of residences.

That could even happen if you letone of the properties for a 12-monthperiod because that would mean onlyone was then available for your usefor that 12-month period.

At the end of the letting you wouldthen again have a different number ofresidences.

Alternatively, you might buy athird property before selling one ofthe other two properties. Again thiswould bring about a new 24-monthperiod.

As the relief has been used by MPsfor a considerable period of time anddespite the bad publicity continues tobe used in this way, it is doubtful thatthis will be changed.

Make sure you do not miss out if itis appropriate to you.

Accent on exportingMANUFACTURERS will get some pointers onexporting.Calderdale and Kirklees Manufacturing Allianceis staging an event at 5.30pm on Thursday at theBriar Court Hotel, Birchencliffe when the mainspeaker will be Ian Farquahar, managing directorof wind energy at David Brown Gear Systems Ltd.An expert panel will answer areas of concern anddiscuss new opportunities during the event,which gets under way at 5.30pm and issponsored by UK trade & Investments.For further details go to www.ckma.co.uk and tobook email [email protected]

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property

Trades people are‘leading recovery’

Existing housing stock inneed of attention – FMBACTION is needed to tackleBritain’s existing housingstock if the Government isserious about improvingenergy efficiency, said aconstruction industry group.The Federation of MasterBuilders, said existing housesaccounted for 27% of the UK’stotal carbon emissions.Responding to theGovernment’s EnergyEfficiency Strategy, FMB chiefexecutive Brian Berry(pictured) said: “TheGovernment’s energyefficiency strategy is animportant step forward inensuring the UK devises ameaningful long termstrategic plan for maximisingthe potential for energyefficiency improvements.“However, radical action isneeded to transform ourexisting building stock tomake it greener and moreenergy efficient.”He said: “It’s becoming evermore apparent that theGovernment’s Green Dealretrofit initiative is not goingto deliver the transformationalchange that is needed, whichis why we need a range ofincentives to promote energyefficiency.“We are doing our bit toencourage small builders to

equip themselves with theskills and training needed tocompete in the energyefficiency marketplace, butthey need certainty that theGreen Deal will deliver themuch needed businessopportunities and that theGovernment is fully behindthe scheme.”Said Mr Berry: “Whilst thestrategy usefully summarisesthe challenge ahead itcontains very little in terms ofdetailed aims and objectives.“The Government’s intentionto develop a series of sectorguides on what benefitsincreasing energy efficiencycan bring to consumers bynext summer is welcome andthe FMB looks forward toworking to assist on behalf ofthe building industry.”

■ HARD WORK: Trades people, sich asplumbers, are putting in unpaid overtime

SEVEN out of 10 British trades-people work extra unpaid hours eachweek – gifting their employers about£4.8bn in unpaid overtime everyyear.

Figures from Direct Line for Busi-ness also showed that just one in fourworkers claim they don’t work anyunpaid overtime in a typical week.

On average, each trades personcompletes 5.29 hours of unpaid worka week, totalling 275 hours a yearand equivalent to about £1,702 inwages based on the minimum wage.

The research also showed thatmore than one in ten of the UK’s2.8m tradespeople – some 308,000people – claim to complete morethan 10 hours of unpaid work eachweek or 520 hours a year.

Tradespeople who have been in thejob the longest are more likely towork an extended, unpaid week.

On average, tradespeople whohave worked for up to 10 yearscomplete an average of 34 hours perweek, while those who have been inthe industry for more than a decadetypically work 41.8 hours per week.

Tradespeople in the UK work onaverage 40 hours a week with nearly

half – 48% – completing more than40 hours a week. The current averagefor the UK’s overall workforce is 37hours a week.

Jazz Gakhal, head of Direct Linefor Business, said: “Tradespeople arethe unsung heroes leading the way innursing our economy back tohealth.

“The research shows that, despitethe sometimes negative publicity thatsurrounds the work ethic of trades-people, they are doing more thantheir fair share and setting the rightexample for the rest of the UK’sworkforce.

“Next time a builder or plumbertakes a tea break, be conscious thatyou are probably getting free hoursspent working on your homeimprovements or repairs.”

Said Mr Gakhal: “Given theseextra accumulated working hours, itis crucial that tradespeople have theright insurance cover for their busi-ness to ensure that all these extrahours worked are adequately com-pensated in the event of an acci-dent.”

LAND

OFFICES

INDUSTRIAL

INVESTMENT

RETAIL

T. 01484 530361 www.bramleys.com

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












■ industrial

■ offices

■ retail

■ investment

■ land

STUBS BECK LANE,CLECKHEATON,

BD19 4TT£125,000 p/aMAY SELL

● 2,502sqm (26,936 sqft)

● Strategic location adjacent to

M62/M606

● 6m internal eaves height

● Good yard and parking

● High quality offices

modern industrial premises

MELTHAM MILLSROAD, MELTHAM,

HD9 4DSRents on Application

● 958.9 sqm (10,322 sqft)

to 1415 sqm (15,231 sqft)

● Popular Industrial Location

● Loading door

● 3 Phase electricity

● Shared yard

industrial premises

OSSETT LANE,DEWSBURY,WF12 8LS£450,000

● 1,150.2sqm (12,380 sqft)● Three lofty engineering

workshops, part with

craneage

● Attached office building

● Good yard space and loading

● Development potential

industrial premises

ST GEORGESSQUARE,

HUDDERSFIELD,HD1 1LA£6,000 p/a

● 49.33sqm (531sqft)

● Prominent town centre

location

● Opposite railway station

● Attractive Grade II listed

building

prominent ground floor premises

WAKEFIELD ROAD,HUDDERSFIELD,

HD5 9AN£6,500 p/a

● 105 sqm (1,130 sqft)

● Main road location

● On-street car parking

● Outskirts of Huddersfield

town centre

● Fully centrally heated

prominent office premises

CHAPEL STREET,HUDDERSFIELD,

HD4 6HL£12,000 p/a

● 114.17 sqm (1,230 sqft)

● Attractive building

● 2 Miles from Huddersfield

town centre

● Excellent car parking

● Good quality accommodation

office premises

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Tourist sites select OrchardENERGY management consultancyOrchard Energy has agreed deals with twoof the region’s tourist attractions to helpthem control energy costs.The Yorkshire Sculpture Park at Brettonand Cannon Hall Farm at Cawthorne arethe latest new client wins for theElland-based firm, which advises onefficiency and purchasing.“Like any business, tourism venues can

make a big impact on their overheads bybuying strategically and having the rightenergy contract in place for their needs,”said Gareth Henderson, managing directorof Orchard Energy.The firm’s other tourism sector clientsinclude the Jorvik Viking Centre in York,Harewood near Leeds and ChatsworthHouse in Derbyshire.

Persimmon on trackTHE managing director of one of the region’sleading house builders said the business ison track to meet end-of-year expectations.

Wayne Gradwell (pictured), managingdirector of Persimmon Homes WestYorkshire, said the autumn selling seasonhas seen visitor rates rise by 6% comparedwith this time last year while weekly privatesales rates were up by 4%.

Commenting on Persimmon plc’sNovember trading update, he said: “Housebuyers in our region have been helped by thecost of mortgage loans reducing slightly aslenders access the Government’s Funding forLending Scheme and pass the lower fundingcosts through to our customers.

“The take-up of the Government-backed5% deposit NewBuy mortgage product hasalso helped our region, with a steadyincrease in customers purchasing a homewith a NewBuy mortgage.”

Persimmon has been trading since 1972and the business operates under three mainbrands, Persimmon Homes, Charles Churchand Westbury Partnerships. It has openednew developments in Leeds, Wakefield andBradford and has further developmentsopening in the next three months at Bradford,Hipperholme and Rotherham. It also hassites in Huddersfield and Cleckheaton.

Said Mr Gradwell: “A critical part of ourstrategy is the continued investment in new

land to support the growth of Persimmonwithin the region in the future.

“The UK housing market continues to bechallenging and mortgage availabilityremains the key constraint.

“However we remain confident of the futuresuccessful growth of Persimmon in theregion.”

Petition onrates moveAN online petition has been launched to stopthe Government’s planned postponement ofthe 2015 business rates revaluation.

Property firm Colliers International hasstarted the e-petition on the Government web-site www.direct.gov.uk and is urging businessesin Yorkshire to show their support by addingtheir names to the list.

If the petition receives 100,000 signatures itwill be considered for debate in the House ofCommons.

The proposal to delay the 2015 rating revalu-ation until 2017 is one of a number of measuresbeing put forward by the Government as partof the Growth and Infrastructure Bill.

If implemented, businesses will continue topay business rates based on property values in2008, instead of current values, which areconsiderably less.

For the retail sector in particular this couldhave a devastating impact.

Colliers said many retail centres across theUK had seen significant falls in rental valuesince 2008 – with some of the worst hit regionsfalling by as much as 27%.

Retail values in Yorkshire fell by 23% – while

London’s West End was the only retail area tosee rental values increase, rising by 26% overthe same period

Mick O’Donoghue, director of rating atColliers International in West Yorkshire, said:“Struggling businesses have been eagerlyawaiting the 2015 revaluation as a relief fromhigh rates bills.

“Having it deferred until 2017 simply meansthat any decreases in their bills or chance ofclawing much needed money back from theGovernment will have to be deferred.

“At a time when businesses need all thesupport they can get from Government, this isjust another slap in the face.

“And while the Government is stating that itwon’t increase rate bills more than inflation,postponing the revaluation means many busi-nesses are being denied decreases in realterms.

“For some ailing high streets, this reallycould be the final nail in the coffin.

“This is why we are urging the Governmentto rethink its proposal and in doing so help tosave our high streets.”

25 – 29 Market StreetHuddersfield

1 Substantial town centre commercial property/site oppositeSainsbury’s

1 Exciting development/conversion opportunity

EastlawnsThomas Street, Lindley, Huddersfield

1 Residential building land, 0.62 Acre site (0.25 Hectares)1 Planning permission for 12 semi detached houses in village centre

location close to shops and amenities

Clough Ing BarnLumb Lane, Almondbury, Huddersfield

1 Lofty barn (150m2) with stable block, ripe for residentialconversion

1 Stunning rural location with panoramic views

OaklandsDalton, Huddersfield

1 Character detached stone property1 667m2 (7180 sq ft)

1 Former offices with planning permission for change of use toC3 residential

19, 21 & 21a SouthgateElland

1 Town centre investment opportunity1 Two self-contained retail units with separate three bedroom flat

1Gross rental income of £18,200 per annum exclusive

Cold Hill FarmCold Hill Lane, Berry Brow, Huddersfield

1 Farmhouse, barn and outbuildings for conversion1 Rural location

1 Planning permission for conversion to a large four bedroom house1 Site area of 0.07 Hectares (0.17 Acres)

58 Market StreetMilnsbridge, Huddersfield

1 Prominent commercial property in centre of Milnsbridge1 Suitable for a variety of uses subject to planning permission

1 Refurbishment/conversion opportunity with good investmentpotential

Former Honley Council OfficesEastgate, Honley

1 Planning permission for residential conversion1 Close to village centre1Waterside frontage

1 Prominent landmark building

£266,000

£260,000

£245,000

£385,000

£150,000

£210,000

£57,000

£125,000

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers

Award-winners’mentoring planFOUR award-winning business womenhave teamed up to help the next generationof entrepreneurs.

Huddersfield-based Janet Bebb, of SocialProgress, and Kate Hardcastle of InsightWith Passion have teamed up with ClaireMitchell, of Chillipeeps in Ripon, andLouise Turner of Your Virtual PR in Wake-field.

They met up after becoming the only fourYorkshire business women named in theMumsClub Top 100 Business Mums – anddecided to pool their skills and help futurebusiness women by offering to mentor onelucky winner or team of winners.

Now the women are appealing for entriesto their competition, which is open to anyfemale over the age of 16, either individu-ally or as part of a group.

They are encouraging teams of collegestudents as well as young mums or womenwith a business idea, but who are unsure ofhow to get the business off the ground.

Janet, who was ranked 10th in the MumsClub Top 100 Business Mums, said: “Arecent government report found that lots ofyoung girls don't think they could run theirown business. We're keen to bust thatmyth.

“We got together as Yorkshire winners

and decided we didn't want to waste thisopportunity. We have a wide range ofcomplementary skills which we know wecan use to help one of the next generation ofbusiness women.

“It doesn't matter if you're at college, astay-at-home mum or already in a good job,

if you have an idea for a business, are femaleand over 16 we want to hear from you. Allyou need to do to enter is send us 300 wordsdescribing your business idea.”

Entries should be sent to [email protected] byDecember 10, 2012.

Adrian Mullen & Adam Irwin

PurebrandBRAND marketingconsultancy Purebrand hasannounced two keyappointments.

The Mirfield-based agencyhas named Adrian Mullen ascreative director to lead thecreative and brandconsultancy team.

Mr Mullen (top) has heldboard-level creative positionsat agencies including EHSBrann and Millennium – andhas worked on some of theregion’s highest profileaccounts such as Tesco,Asda, Barclays and M&SFinancial Services.

Purebrand managing director Simon Ryansaid: “Adrian has deep experience in usingcustomer insight to shape marketing strategyand it’s this approach that also lies at the heartof what Purebrand represents – so Adrian’sappointment couldn’t be a better fit.“

Adam Irwin (also pictured) joins Purebrandas account manager with previous experienceincluding a spell as marketing manager forBradford-based automotive accessoriesmanufacturer Specialised Covers.

His appointment further strengthensPurebrand’s expertise in the automotive sector.Mr Irwin will be a key member of the accountmanagement team which works with globalautomotive parts manufacturers Hella, TMDFriction and Vision Alert.

Jonathan O’Connor & Daniel Hey

WalkerSingletonWEST Yorkshire chartered surveyors WalkerSingleton have appointed Jonathan O’Connoras an associate in the commercial propertyoffice in Huddersfield.

Mr O’Connor (above, right) joins fromEddisons, where he spent eight years as anassociate director in the firm’s commercialagency department.

Daniel Hey (above, left), an existingassociate with Walker Singleton, transfers fromthe firm’s Halifax office to Huddersfield to headthe new machinery and business assetsdepartment in the town serving Kirklees andthe wider area.

Mr Hey is a specialist in this area and hasbeen with the firm for 10 years providing assetvaluation and sales advice to financialprofessionals and private clients across the UK.

Walker Singleton opened its growingHuddersfield office four years ago. The office atNew North Road is now the base for eightprofessional staff with administrative support.This is expected to increase as the firm extendsits presence and influence in Kirklees.

Jen Moffatt

Clough andCompanyCHARTEREDaccountancy firmClough & Companyhas appointed JenMoffatt as an auditaccounts assistant.

Ms Moffatt(pictured), who isoriginally from TheWirral but lives inHuddersfield, is based within the firm’saudit and accounts department. She isalso working towards her AssociateChartered Accountant qualification atcollege. To qualify, she must pass 15exams while also receiving valuableexperience in the workplace.

She said: “I have already sat andpassed six exams and I’m now workingtowards the remaining nine over the nextcouple of years.”

Clough & Company, which has offices inCleckheaton and Keighley, is financing MsMoffatt’s study.

Steven Gash, practice chairman ofClough & Company, said: “We arecommitted to recruiting and training themost talented professionals in order toprovide the very best accountancyservices to our valued clients.

“At a time when many professionalservices firms are making cuts or mergingwe have built up a respected businessthat hires, trains and keeps its staff toprovide our clients with unrivalledcontinuity.”

■ BUSINESS CHALLENGE: Award-winners (from left) Louise Turner, Kate Hardcastle,Claire Mitchell and Janet Bebb are offering free mentoring to one lucky winner

Trophy is just the ticket

A COACH operator based inHuddersfield has found the route tosuccess.

E Stott & Sons, based atMilnsbridge, won the trophy forExcellence in Minibus Operations atthe Route One Operator ExcellenceAwards.

Directors Carl and Mark Stottreceived their prize at the awardceremony which was held during theExpo Coach Show at the NEC inBirmingham.

The award recognised thecompany’s local bus service operation,which uses minibuses.

The company, which was a finalist in

the Green Award at the ExaminerBusiness Awards, was shortlisted fortwo awards at the NEC event – theCoach Operator Innovation Award andthe Excellence in Minibus Operations.

The judges commented: “Our winneris a family-run company with morethan 25 years’ experience. It isperhaps better known for its coachoperation, which initially was the mainattraction for the judges.

“However, they were soon drawn tothe excellence of the minibus side ofthe business, which clearlydemonstrates how successfully coachstandards of operation can be appliedto local bus services.”

■ FARE DEAL: Carl Stott (centre) and co-director Mark Stott (second right), ofE Stott & Sons, receive the award with (from left) Mike Morgan, group editor ofExpo Management Ltd; Steve Powell, marketing director of award sponsorWebasto; and presenter Maggie Philbin

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