KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees12, October, 2010

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JAMIE WATSON NEIL WILSONAdverntures in IT

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

Fu l l s to r y - Page 5

FTSE 100+14.79

5672.40An EXAMINER publication

BarnsleyboundSTUDENTS atHuddersfield Universityare helping out SouthYorkshire firms.An innovativeprogramme allowingbusinesses in Barnsleyto benefit from theskills and enthusiasmof universityundergraduates hasexpanded for the newacademic year.Services to Business,based in the Centre forCreative Enterprise atthe university’sBarnsley campus,employs placementstudents to providesmall and mediumenterprises with up tofive days of free work.

Singer inthe frameA SPECIALIST portraitpainter in Mirfield hascaptured singer DonnyOsmond on canvas.Sporting Canvas hasproduced a licensedlimited edition oilpainting of theinternational star,which are individuallysigned by Donny andare accompanied by anumbered certificate ofauthenticity.

Growth rates slow for output and new ordersGROWTH in output among Yorkshirecompanies hit an eight-month low lastmonth, according to a report today.

The latest Purchase Managers’Index also showed that workforcelevels across the region rose at a“modest pace” but said businesseswere hit by a sharp rise in prices forenergy and raw materials.

The Yorkshire PMI report signalledweaker growth in the regionaleconomy for the second consecutivemonth.

Business activity fell to aneight-month low while new orderswere at their lowest for seven months.

Even so, the region continued to

outperform the UK average,according to the survey conducted bythe Markitt Group.

The headline Business ActivityIndex – which measures thecombined output of the region’smanufacturing and service sectors –fell from 54.9 in August to 54.4.

This was the lowest reading sinceJanuary.

Anecdotal evidence suggested thatdifficult economic conditions andpending government spendingcutbacks led to the slowdown ingrowth for new orders.

Private sector firms increased theirworkforces in September to cope with

increased business activity and sales.Although only marginal, the rate ofemployment growth was strongerthan the UK average. Job creationwas registered in both service andmanufacturing sectors, but wasstronger in manufacturing.

In addition, increased businesscapacity allowed private sector firmstime to reduce their levels ofunfinished work, but the rate ofdecline was the slowest for sevenmonths.

Prices of inputs continued to riseduring September and at the fastestpace in three months. Anecdotalevidence suggested this was due to

higher costs for energy and rawmaterials.

Patrick Bowes, chief economist atregional development agencyYorkshire Forward, said: “Growth ofprivate sector output and new orderseased during the month, but the ratesof expansion in the region remainedfaster than seen nationally.

“There is some evidence thatcapacity utilisation is improvingfurther, especially in manufacturing.

“One clear benefit to result fromthis is employer hiring intentions –this should help the regional jobmarket and provide a stimulus at amuch needed time.”

Marina finds routeto calmer watersA DEWSBURY marina is among agrowing number of firms to benefitfrom Business Link services.

Business Link Yorkshire’s annualreview showed the number of com-panies and entrepreneurs using theservice rose by more than 11% to119,133 in the year to March.

It also claimed that businesses usingthe service were twice as likely toreport improved performance and areforecasting growth of up to 5%.

In Kirklees, Business Link helped321 businesses get started and safe-guarded 264 jobs.

There was also a substantial rise inthe number of firms working in-depthwith advisers.

Companies to benefit from BusinessLink Yorkshire include Dews-bury-based Calder Valley Marine,which was launched by Gordon Lam-bert in 2002 and offers marina facilit-ies and the repair, maintenance andsale of narrow boats at four Yorkshirelocations.

The company was making steadyannual profits, but Mr Lambert calledBusiness Link Yorkshire in 2008.

He said: “I knew I was lackingcertain managerial skills and thatAngela Banshard, my general man-ager and I would benefit from external

support.”After talking to a Business Link

Yorkshire adviser, it was agreed thatthe downturn in the marine industrymeant the business had to considerdiversification into the pub and cafésector.

Business Link set up access to mar-keting and business planning expert-ise. As a result, the Dewsbury marinahas been developed into a local attrac-tion and event venue which regularlyattracts large numbers of visitors.

Said Mr Lambert: “It was refresh-ing to create a vision for the business.I suddenly had a clearer picture andrealised I didn’t have to keepeverything in my head.

“Business Link Yorkshire helped usto discover what we realty had as abusiness rather than fire fighting on aday-to-day basis.”

Kate Dallas-Wood, Business Linkarea manager, said: “At the height ofthe recession, businesses concentratedon reducing costs and overheads.

“There is generally more optimismand order books are fuller, albeit froma lower base. Many companies arenow seeking our help to improve theirsales and marketing techniques tolook for new customers.”

She added: “Finance is still a major

concern and we are working withbusinesses to find alternative routes tofund working capital and growth.”

Business Link Yorkshire, which isfunded by Yorkshire Forward, saidmajor issues affecting callers to itscustomer information centre focusedon finance, skills, sales and marketingand starting up a business. The centre

received 75,000 calls during the year.Centre manager Karen Marsden

said: “We saw a trend over the yearfrom customers pressured into con-sidering self-employment because ofthe threat of redundancy to callersbeing much more positive with welldeveloped ideas about starting a newbusiness.”

■ STAYING AFLOAT: Gordon Lambert, of Calder Valley Marine, pictured atSavile Town Wharf, Dewsbury with his dog, Poppy

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

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NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £24.03 +0.16Gannett 846.16 -8.48Hess Corp £39.63 +0.33Microsoft 1545.28 +1.26Motors Liquidation 47.13Wal-Mart Stores £34.32 +0.13

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 1691/2 +61/2BAE Systems 3553/4 +37/8Rolls-Royce Gp 6021/2 +21/2

AIMBrady Plc 611/2Dawson Intl 11/2Man Brnze 34

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1761/2 +3/4

BANKSBarclays 2981/4 +1HSBC 6617/8 +33/4Lloyds Banking Gp 733/4 +3/8Ryl Scotland 471/2 -1/8Stan Chart 1870 +381/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 1113 +6SABMiller £201/4

CHEMICALSCroda 1497 -10Elementis 98 104Johnsn Mat 1832 +16

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2641/4 +11/2Costain 209 +1/2

ELECTRICITYDrax Gp 3857/8 +53/8Intl Power 4021/2 +3

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1137 +8

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 1525/8 +23/8

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 344 +41/4

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1467/8 -21/8Cable & WirelessComm

561/4 +5/8

Cable & WirelessWwide

753/4 -1/2

Colt Group 1191/8 +11/4KCOM 513/4 -11/4Talktalk Telecom 1411/2 +11/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 3011/8 +37/8Sainsbury 3897/8 +53/4Tesco 4395/8 +31/4

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1042 -2Nth Foods 461/4Tate Lyle 4923/4 +53/4Unilever 1794 -20Uniq 77/8 -1/4

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3311/8 +31/2National Grid 570 +6Pennon Grp 587 +4Severn 1332 +5United Utils 587

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 294 +7/8ICAP 4615/8 +63/4London StockExch 6811/2 +21/2Man Group 257 +65/8Provident Financial 8271/2 +71/2

Schroders 1488 +32Schroders NV 1190 +23

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 562 +14REXAM 3171/4 +1/4Smiths Grp 1255 +19

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 18 -1/4Carphone Whse 260 +11/2Dixons Retail 271/2 +1/8Home Retail 2151/2 +1/4Inchcape 3261/4 +11/2Kingfisher 2331/4 +3M & S 4053/4 -51/4Mothercare 4981/4 -13/4Next £221/4 +1/8WH Smith 4635/8 +4

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 5721/2 +1

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 95 -3Barrat Dev 931/2 -1/2Persimmon 3781/4 +33/4Reckitt Benckiser £34 -1/2Taylor Wimpey 265/8 +1/8

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 7541/2 +31/2I M I 8131/2 +19

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 334 +21/2

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 1941/2 +21/4Forth Ports 1360 -10

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 3991/2 -1Lgl & Gen 1033/4 +1/8

Old Mutual 1423/8 +15/8Prudential 6281/2 -8Resolution 2481/4 +1Standard Life 2321/4 +21/4

MEDIABSkyB 709 -1Chrysalis 1021/2D Mail Tst 523 -1ITV 64 +1/2Johnston Press 141/4Pearson 1000 +5Reed Elsevier 550 +7STV Group 118 +1Trinity Mirror 1033/4 +1/4Utd Business 6171/2 +41/2UTV 148 -1/2WPP 702 +5Yell Group 153/8

MININGAnglo American £273/8 +1/8Antofagasta 1268 -4BHP Billiton £211/2 -1/8Eurasian NaturalRes

926 +19

Fresnillo 1242 -6Kazakhmys 1406 +1Lonmin 1808 -11Rio Tinto £387/8 -3/8VEDANTARESOURCES

£221/8

Xstrata 12781/2 -171/2

MOBILE TELECOM SERVICESInmarsat 644 +131/2Vodafone Group 1621/2 +13/8

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1624 +17RSA Insurance Gp 1341/8 +1

OIL & GAS PRODUCERS

BG 1157 +4BP 4323/8 -31/2Cairn Energy 4411/4 +91/4Royal Dutch Shell A 1972 +7Royal Dutch Shell B 1917 +19Total £331/2Tullow Oil 1300 +24

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 9961/2 -1Petrofac 1428 +35Wood Group 4497/8 +201/2

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1038 +22PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £33 +1/4Axis-Shield 2923/4 +23/4GlaxoSmithK XD 5Shire 1437 -1

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 4891/2 -25/8Captl Shop Cent 3863/8 -3/8DTZ Hldgs 481/2 +21/4Hamrsn 4143/4 -23/4Land Secs 674 +3SEGRO 2905/8 -13/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1485 -35Dimension Data 1193/4 +1/4Invensys 3081/8Logica 1303/4 -1/4Misys 2901/4 +1/2Sage Group 2693/4 +1/8

SUPPORT SERVICESBunzl 7631/2 +21/2Capita 790Davis ServiceGroup

4121/8 +21/4

De La Rue 645Electrocomp 2443/4 +11/8Experian 6841/2 +13G4S 2537/8Hays 1213/8 +31/2Homeserve 466 +23/8Menzies J 4691/2 -1/2Rentokil 101 -13/4Smiths News 109Wolseley 1565 -5

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 3811/4 -3/4Psion 94 +21/4Spirent Comms 1443/8 -1/4

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £237/8 +1/8Imperial Tobacco 1905 +11

LEISURE & HOTELSBrit Airways 2683/8 +41/4

Carnival £257/8 -1/8Compass Grp 518 -21/2easyJet 4541/4 +23/4Enterprise Inns 1191/8 +11/8FirstGroup 3723/4 +1Go-Ahead Gp 1134Greene King 4211/4 -13/4Intercontl Htls 1159 +5Ladbrokes 1411/8 +31/8Mitchells & Butlers 3015/8 +31/8Natl Express 234 -21/4PartyGaming 284 +3Rank Org 128 +13/8Stagecoach Group 1831/2 +13/8TUI Travel 2231/4 +5/8Whitbread 1684 +26

INDEXFTSE 100 5672.40 +14.79

INDEXFTSE 250 10804.84 +79.93

Carclo 1821/2 +41/2Chapelthorpe 231/2Marshalls 108 +21/2National Grid 570 +6Weir Gp 1580 +37

Travis overcomestough competitionWICKES owner Travis Perkins said itpicked up market share after a 6% risein turnover over the first nine monthsof this year.

The builders’ merchant and retailbusiness – which employs more than14,000 people and has about 1,200outlets in the UK – revealed a fasterpace of growth at both its divisions inthe three months to September 30.

It remains on course to meet expect-ations for the full year, but added thatthe rate of growth in the builders’merchant arm had fallen back inrecent weeks whilst competitive pres-sures intensified at Wickes.

Analysts were comfortable with theupdate and said the Northamp-ton-based company continued to out-perform its rivals in tough marketconditions.

Andy Brown, an analyst at PanmureGordon stockbrokers, said: “TravisPerkins continues to deliver a goodperformance.

“While Wickes is seeing some com-petitive pressures, its merchantingoperations more than offset this.”

Total turnover per trading day inmerchanting rose by 7.1% on alike-for-like basis in the first ninemonths of the year, accelerating to10.3% in the third quarter.

At Wickes – which includes a storeat Longroyd Bridge in Huddersfield –the same measure of turnover showeda fall of 0.1% after growth of 0.6% inthe last 13 weeks. The group reporteda weakening in trends for big-ticketpurchases, but said margins wereahead and continued the form seen inthe first six months of the year.

However, the group added: “Therecent response by competitors to thereduction in their market shares hasresulted in an erosion of some of thisgain.”

Travis recently announced atakeover deal worth £558m for plumb-ing supplies specialist BSS in a movethat will make it the leading player inthe trade and retail distribution ofplumbing and heating products.

BSS, which started life as BritishSteam Specialities in 1899 and oper-ates from 439 branches in the UK,generated revenues of £1.35bn andprofits of £49.6m in the year to March31.

The deal is the largest undertakenby Travis since the £950 milliontakeover of the Wickes DIY chain in2005.

Right election result for YouGovPOLITICAL pollsters YouGov saidsurvey work for this year’s generalelection battle helped drive a 60% leapin annual UK operating profits.

The group – which reported UKearnings of £3.4m on revenues up 9%in the year to July 31 – provided pollson election voting on a daily basis formedia group News International.

The election boost added to costsavings from last year’s shake-up ofthe customised polling service as wellas benefits from signing up new clientsincluding the Office of Fair Tradingand drug giant Pfizer.

Overall group pre-tax profits rose

to £4mon an underlying basis from£3.9m the previous year, helped byefforts to cut costs, the streamlining ofoperations and the turnaround ofunder-performing divisions.

Its Scandinavian business returnedto profit in the second half, while it cutcosts in Germany by £800,000.

The firm’s US arm was one of thestrongest in the year, with turnover upby 39% after the group snapped up anumber of US firms. Most recently itbought Connecticut corporateresearch specialist Harrison Group.

YouGov said it expected the UKand US to continue growing .

BOOKMAKER Ladbrokes reported abounce back in quarterly profitsafter it benefited from a strongerstart to the English football season.

Operating profits rose from lastyear’s £22.4m to £51.1m in the threemonths to September 30, following a15% improvement in the amount ofmoney left by losing UK shop cus-tomers over the period.

Last year’s trading performancewas hit by a winning start to thefootball season by Chelsea andManchester United and the lowincidence of draws – the bookies’favourite result.

Ladbrokes also benefited from a

profitable end to the World Cup anda stronger performance from itsgaming machines – with UK shoprevenues for the three month periodup by 12%.

This was despite a 5% decline inthe amount of money staked by cus-tomers in the company’s estate ofmore than 2,000 shops.

In Ireland, the country’s economicdifficulties were blamed for a 9% fallin the amount of money staked byover-the-counter customers.

Chief executive Richard Glynnsaid the third quarter performancehad boosted hopes that Ladbrokeswill meet its targets for the full year.

LOW-COST airlineeasyJet has announceda deal to end itslong-running row withfounder Sir SteliosHaji-Ioannou and secureits use of the “easy”brand.

EasyJet has agreed amultimillion-pound-a-yearpackage for Sir Stelios inorder to resolve anincreasingly bitter disputeover a strategy whichthreatened to see itforced into a rebrand.

It will pay Sir Stelios0.25% of its revenueseach year, fixed at £3.9mand £4.95m for the firsttwo years, plus another£300,000 annually.

In return, Sir Stelios –who along with his familyowns about 37% of theairline – has revised theterms of the licenceagreement, givingeasyJet more freedomand scrapping clauseswhich previously allowedSir Stelios to step in aschairman.

He described theagreement as a “win-winfor all concerned”.

Shares in easyJet roseabout 5% on news of thesettlement, which will beput to a shareholder votein the next three months.

It will remove licencerestrictions on easyJet toenter co-brandingpromotions with othertravel firms and allow it towork with partnersacross car hire, hotelsand travel insurance.

This was core to theairline’s argument withSir Stelios, which ledeasyGroup to start HighCourt action in 2008.

Early boost for Ladbrokes

EasyJetends row

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.53 dollarsBangladesh................. 105.60 takaBrazil.............................. 2.37 realsCanada....................... 1.53 dollarsChina ............................. 9.50 yuanCzech Republic ...... 25.62 korunasDenmark....................... 8.10 kroneEuro............................... 1.09 euroHong Kong................ 11.73 dollarsHungary ................... 279.87 forintsIndia.......................... 62.22 rupeesJapan........................... 124.35 yenMexico ....................... 17.57 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.97 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.80 kronePakistan.................. 129.19 rupeesPhilippines ................. 59.37 pesosSouth Africa................. 10.17 randSouth Korea.............. 1550.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 168.00 rupeesSweden....................... 10.07 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.46 francsTaiwan ...................... 42.78 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.13 new liraUSA ............................ 1.52 dollars

■ WELL-BUILT: Wickes turned in astrong performance despite competitivepressures

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

Jamie Watson

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Managing directorAge: 31Holidays: Anywhere to gosnowboarding or divingCar: The company van!First job: Working for afarm shop packing spudsBest thing about job:Helping people. I get satis-faction from helping peopleachieve what they set out todoWorst thing about job:Crawling around underdesks chasing computerwires!Business tip: Earn therespect of your employees. Iwould never tell someone todo something I haven’t donemyself

Work: IT consultancy andsupportSite: EdgertonEmployees: NinePhone: 0845 1221240Email: jamie@fitm.co.ukWebsite: www.fitm.co.uk

Fusion ITManagement

Jamiefindsthekey

A SPLENDID Victorianmansion decked out withmarble fireplaces, framedportraits and leatherarmchairs seems astrange setting to bediscussing the latestcomputer technology.

But Jamie Watson,managing director of ITconsultancy Fusion ITManagement, doesn’thanker after the glass andstainless steel office blocksupposedly favoured for ahappening, high-techbusiness.

He’s perfectly happywith his opulentsurroundings in leafyEdgerton.

The Leeds-bornbusinessman, who hasalso worked extensively inLondon, says: “I still live inLeeds and it is a bit of abugbear commuting towork every day. A40-minute commute is abit of a waste of time. But Ihave to think of the peoplewho work for me and livelocally.

“I try to work from homeone day a week. I’vecreated an office at homeand I have an extension sopeople calling theEdgerton office can betransferred to me. I canaccess all the systems justas if I was in the office.

“I set myself an agendaof things I want to getdone during the day. I findthere are more distractionsin the office. If I overhear aconversation I find myselfgetting involved. At home, Ican get on with my workknowing that the team canhandle things here.”

Says Jamie: “I want tobe able to delegate. Thecompany believes intraining staff to keep themup to speed with the latest

IT developments. Improvingtheir skills and encouragingknowledge-transfer helpsthem in their careers andhelps the company.”

indeed, Jamie hadenough trust in hiscolleagues to take asabbatical and spendweeks touring India andNepal.

“I spent 17 days trekkingthrough the Himalayas andI didn’t even have mymobile phone,” he says. “Ilot of people go travellingbecause they hate theirjobs, but I love my job and Ilove England.

“But this was aonce-in-a-lifetime chance. Itwas always in the back ofmy mind that if I didn’t takethe chance to see the worldand rough it a bit, I wouldregret it later. I’d be agranddad dangling mygrandson on my knee, butI’d be a bitter old man!”

Jamie says his interest inIT stems from schooldays.“The school I attended didnot have much to do with IT

and I couldn’t continue it atGCSE level,” he says. “Idecided to leave school at16 and took a GNVQ atPark Lane College inLeeds. In my spare time, Iworked with computers – itwas a passion of mine.

“The class went well andone of the course leadersgot a call from Revell Ward,the accountancy firm, whichwas looking for two full-timeIT technicians. I wasencouraged to apply and Igot the job. I also went onday release to universityand studied to gainprofessional qualifications.”

Following Revell Ward’sthen merger to form NevilleRussell, and at the age of20, Jamie went to work forthe firm in London threedays a week on IT projects.

“I got a taste of Londonlife and I decided to stay inthe ‘big city’. I got a job withan IT re-seller and workedas an IT consultant onprojects for clients includingCadbury, the CBI and trainoperating companies.”

But he says: “I wasmissing Yorkshire, so Icame back to work for acompany in Yorkshire.

“All the time, I wasfrustrated about the way ITwas ‘done’ and how a lot ofpeople got a raw deal out ofIT. I get frustrated going intofirms where people havesold them a system thatdoesn’t really suit theirneeds. So I decided to setup Fusion IT Management.”

Fusion was launched inMay, 2003, and has beenbased at Edgerton for morethan five years.

Says Jamie: “I had anumber of contacts and gotsome clients together – andworked every hour Godsent to build up thebusiness. I enjoy doing

■ ADVENTUROUS: JamieWatson has trekked throughthe Himalayas and enjoyssnowboarding, too

business with peoplearound Huddersfield.They are nice Yorkshirefolk and I get on well withthem.”

The company nowcounts accountancyfirms, law practices andeven a soft drinkssupplier among its clients.Typically, it manages ITissues for businessesusing six servers to 90and provides back-up forbigger firms with theirown IT teams.

Jamie says: “Ourclients are won viaword-of-mouth and westrive to do things rightfirst time.

“We don’t allow thetechnology to drive whatwe do and we don’tadvocate clients get thelatest technology just forthe sake of it.

“Some firms spend30% of their time on ITproblems, which detractfrom their real jobs. Weallow them to focus onwhat they do best.”

Jamie is pleased withFusion IT’s progress todate, but adds: “I don’twant us to rest on ourlaurels.

“Fusion is my baby andI have worked very hardon it and invested a lot oftime in it.

“But if you don’t keepup with IT, someone wellcome in and beat you atyour own game.”

There’s still time forfun, however.

Jamie is into extremesports – and enjoyssnowboarding inspectacular locations inCanada and the SwissAlps. He also goes diving.

He says: “I turned 30last year, so it wasprobably a sort of mid-lifecrisis!

“You get such atremendous feeling whenyou are at the top of amountain and there’s noone else around. You justfeel so free.”

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KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

Firm turnsto KirkleesA LEADING manufacturerof advanced tube-bendingtechnology has endorsedthe traditional quality ofBritish-built machinetools – by acquiring anew lathe from aKirklees-based firm.Unison Ltd, whichsuppliescomputer-controlled tubebending machines usedin shipbuilding, carmanufacturing, aerospaceand furniture-making, hasadded aColchester-HarrisonAlpha 1550XS lathe fromHeckmondwike-based 600UK to its armoury.Alan Pickering, themanaging director ofScarborough-basedUnison Ltd, said: “As aBritish company, we arevery keen to support UKmanufacturing.”Machine shop managerSteve Chambers said thenew lathe enabled thefirm to machine complexshapes quickly and withhigh-precision accuracy.He said: “We have notbeen able to producesome of thesecomponents to the samestandard of accuracy andfinish before, so it hasdefinitely improved ourmachining capability.”

Companiestake AIMCOMPANIES on the London StockExchange’s growth market AIM lastyear contributed £21bn to the UKeconomy and helped support570,000 jobs, according to a report.But the study commissioned by theLSE from Grant Thornton warnedthat greater financial incentivesand fewer restrictions were neededto support investment in AIMbusinesses and enhance theeconomic benefits delivered by thesector.“If AIM is to continue as the world'sleading platform for growthcompanies looking to raise capital,we need to lift unnecessaryrestrictions on the investmentcriteria and reverse the gradualerosion of fiscal incentives,” saidMatt Stroh, of Grant Thornton inYorkshire.The report said that AIM companiesdirectly contributed about £12bn tothe UK economy and employedabout 250,000 people last year.

Marketing movesto the classroomA NEW national youth communica-tions agency is set to become the firsttenant in the brand new Creative andMedia Studio School at Nether HallLearning Campus at Rawthorpe..

Fourteen19, which is being set upby local marketing expert GrahamSykes, will be the country’s first“hybrid” agency – where students ofthe Studio School will have anopportunity to work alongside cre-ative professionals and help developlive campaigns for real customers.

The agency sees a return to theRawthorpe High School campus forGraham, who attended the schoolfrom 1981 to 1986 before studying atGreenhead College and Leeds Uni-versity.

In 2001, he set up marketingagency InHouse, which has grown tobecome one of the leading creativeagencies in Yorkshire.

Fourteen19 will work with com-panies and organisations looking todevelop marketing and advertisingcampaigns specifically targeted at 14to 19-year-olds.

B y d i re c t ly i nvo l v i n g t h e“end-user” in the creative process,Graham is confident they candevelop campaigns that are morerelevant and successful that othersimilar agencies.

“ U s i n g Fo u r t e e n 1 9 i s awin-win-win situation,” he said.

“Clients get a great creative cam-paign, young people get invaluablework experience and continued suc-cess allows the agency to expand andreinvest in the company.

“I would urge everyone involved inmarketing to young people to con-sider using the services of Four-teen19.”

Planning forthe futureHALF of owners of small andmedium-sized firms in Yorkshirewould like to pass on theirbusiness to their children whenthey retire – but fewer than 20%believe they will do so, a surveyhas revealed.The study of 500 firms bySME-focused lender Bank ofCyprus UK also revealed that 53%of male business owners acrossthe country were interested in theirchildren succeeding against 38% ofwomen.Nationally, optimism appearsgreater among younger SMEowners, with 58% of those aged 18to 34 hoping that their childrenwould be happy to take over thebusiness and 40% believing thatthis will actually happen.Fewer than 10% of SME ownersaged 55 or over think that theirchildren will take over the businesswhen they retire.Tony Leahy, head ofcommunications at Bank of CyprusUK, said: “Many SME owners haveestablished and developed theirbusiness with the dream that theirchildren will one day take over.“However, as time passes and theyhead towards retirement the realitydawns that, for many, this isunlikely.“This is a complex and emotionalissue as many SME owners canfind it difficult to let go of the reinsor trust others outside the family totake their business forward.“Rather than avoid the issue, it isimportant that business ownersdiscuss this with their bankrelationship manager, accountantor other trusted business adviseras a failure to address successionplanning may put their business atrisk.”

■ NEW MEDIA: Student Vesmira Krkic, who is working withFourteen19, pictured with director Graham Sykes (left) and seniordesigner Simon Evans at Netherhall Learning Campus

Time to look overseas?WITH the global economy

finally starting to pick upand the pound reaching evermore competitive levels – yet theUK economy still stuck in thedoldrums – many UK busi-nesses are beginning to lookoverseas for the growth that,after two years of recession,they so desperately need.

When it comes to selecting tradingpartners, those UK businesses con-tinue to look at the usual suspectssuch as Western Europe and NorthAmerica, but a growing number arelooking at export opportunities inChina and Southeast Asia.

We all know about the phenomenalgrowth that has been taking place inAsia over the past decade. For muchof that period, China’s economy hasgrown by 10% a year and India’s byaround 7%. The likes of Russia,Brazil, Turkey, Vietnam and Mexicohave also posted impressive growth inrecent years. In fact emerging mar-kets continue to grow faster thandeveloping markets.

This is now translating into con-sumer purchasing power. The 1.3bnChinese now make up the secondlargest consumer market in the worldand in recent months their govern-ment has started encouraging themto spend their rapidly risingincomes.

However, it is not only consumersthat are spending. The Chinese gov-ernment itself has an annual budgetof 586bn dollars for roads, railways,schools and hospitals.

As a result, Asia is fast becoming amore attractive destination for

exporters. Some 30% of UK busi-nesses see Asia as the most promisingregion for trade. The figures wouldseem to suggest that their optimism iswell-founded.

However, this does not mean thatthe road to Asia is paved with easygold for UK exporters. There aremany potential challenges along theway, and there are many competitorsall rushing to get their share of thisgrowing market – 38% of Germanbusinesses also cite Asia as their mostattractive export destination.

So, what do businesses need to doto get it right?

The first step is to do your research.Spend some time visiting your inten-ded target market, get a feel for theway they do business there, and talkto the people. Before you invest signi-ficant time and money in this exportventure you need to be confident thatyou have the right product for thatmarket and that you have the rightmarketing and distribution strategy.

There is plenty of advice and assist-ance available in this area. Forexample, as part of Business Think-ing 2010, HSBC’s new initiative tohelp support and fund the UK’s most

innovative and forward thinkingcompanies, we have taken theregional finalists on an overseasThought Exchange trip. These tripshave been to one of the world’s mostdynamic areas of economic growth –China, the Americas or Europe – andhave provided an opportunity for UKbusinesspeople to meet like-mindedbusiness thinkers, to network withpeople on the ground, and to startinvestigating export opportunities.Businesses looking for starting liter-ature on trading abroad can visitHSBC’s business network to down-load a HSBC Country Guide. Visithttp://www.offshore.hsbc.com

You then need to find goodon-the-ground partners. You needadvisers who can help you overcomethe unavoidable language and cul-tural obstacles, and can put you intouch with the best distributors andretailers. Again, our network ofadvisers around the world canprovide this kind of invaluable know-ledge and contacts. We can also helpbusinesses protect themselves fromthe currency, buyer or shipment risksthat are an inevitable part of anyoverseas venture.

BANKER’SBLOGJill Hague

Jill Hague is HSBC area commercial director for Calderdale and Kirklees

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Problems over absent friends

Neil Wilson is an employment lawyer at ChadwickLawrence Solicitors

EMPLOYER’SBRIEFNeil Wilson

Southern routefor uni studentsSTUDENTS at HuddersfieldUniversity are helping out SouthYorkshire firms.

An innovative programmethat allows businesses in Barns-ley to harness the skills andenthusiasm of university under-graduates has expanded for thenew academic year.

Services to Business, based inthe Centre for Creative Enter-prise at the university’s Barnsleycampus, employs placement stu-dents to provide small andmedium enterprises with up tofive days of free work.

The project, part of the Enter-prising Barnsley initiative, had asuccessful first year offeringshort-term support to almost 30local companies.

This second year involves sixstudents – against four last year –specialising in web design anddevelopment, graphic design,social media, general businesssupport and marketing.

Work is carried out in a profes-sional office environment withstudents working under closesupervision by qualified aca-demic staff.

The initiative is administeredby Suzanne Bagworth, coordin-ator of the Business Mine – afacility that allows students andgraduates to research anddevelop their ideas for businessor self-employment.

She said: “We try to accom-modate needs as far as possibleand the students’ efforts canmake a very real difference. Thefeedback last year was extremelypositive with all four of theundergraduates offered oppor-tunities when their courses fin-ish.

“Students face a thoroughselection process to take part –such is the competition forplaces.

“Not only are they based in amodern, fully-equipped centreopened just last November, theyreceive regular training in theirfield and have the full support ofthe university campus Barnsleyand the University of Hudders-field.”

Said Suzanne: “Overall, theaim of the programme is to forgerelationships with eligible busi-nesses in Barnsley. Once we have

provided initial early stage sup-port, we can then refer on toother services including businesscoaches provided through Enter-prising Barnsley.”

Simon Ratcliffe, 21, was

involved last year as a multime-dia assistant as part of hisinformation and communicationtechnology degree.

He said: “The main attractionof Services to Business was togain real life work-based experi-ence and I worked on a widerange of projects in both webdesign and development.

“The project helped me todevelop both my technical, pro-fessional and personal skills andmake vital contacts for when Igraduate. I’ve received webm a i n t e n a n c e j o b o f f e r s,although I’m still deciding whicharea of the IT industry I want togo into.”

Students embarking on thisyear’s programme are JordonSchofield, Elliot Rushforth,Nicho las Forsdyke, KateWebber, Sally Gunson and JoanaSulaiman.

The Enterprising Barnsleyprogramme offers business sup-port to Barnsley businesses withgrowth potential. EnterprisingBarnsley has attracted £2.89mfrom the European RegionalDevelopment Fund.

ainst 38% of

■ WORK WISE: SimonRatcliffe, 21, worked as amultimedia assistant as part ofhis degree

WHERE employees areabsent from work on

long-term sick leave, ques-tions are inevitably raisedabout how capable they areof being able to dischargetheir duties effectively in thefuture.

In order to bring about a faircapability dismissal, it is ordin-arily essential that medical evid-ence is obtained to support theCompany’s position.

Whereas many employers tendto feel that the only option insuch circumstances is to write tothe employee’s GP, alternativesare available through occupa-tional health providers.

The Chartered Institute ofPersonnel and Developmentrecognises this, saying: “Theopinion of an occupationalhealth specialist might be crucialin determining how to manage acapability issue and the opinionof an occupational health spe-cialist can be key evidence in ac la im to an employmenttribunal”.

Take the example of anemployee who works in amanual role; he is required to lift

heavy goods as part of his role asa general warehouseman. He hasbeen off from work for sixmonths with the medical certific-ate simply stating “persistentback pain’” Requesting inform-ation from his general practi-tioner can bring a diverse rangeof responses.

Often, employers will put a listof questions to the GP whichmay be answered in a vaguemanner, or not at all. The keyproblem with asking a GP forinformation is that they under-standably focus more on theemployee’s condition ratherthan how that impacts on theirability to discharge their duties,taking into account the dutiesthat his role entails, and theworking environment.

Contrast this with referringthe employee to an occupationalhealth therapist, who will gener-ally:

● take account of any relevantbackground medical informa-tion

● discuss with the employeehis current illness/injury in detailand gauge from him how itimpacts on his ability to carryout his role

● assess the employee’s work-place and every aspect of hisrole

● determine what impact theinjury has on the employee todischarge his duties effectively

● whether the employee has adisability for the purposes ofdisability discrimination provi-sions

● whether any adjustmentscould be made which wouldenable the employee to carry outhis role more effectively andmake a return to the workplace

● what the prognosis is for thefuture – will the employee be ableto return to his position in theshort or long-term?

Taking the above example, theOHT report may suggest thatthe employee cannot carry outhis duties currently because thelifting exacerbates his condition.Because of the manual nature ofhis role, there are no adjustmentsthat could be made other thanoffering an alternative clericalposition, and it is highly unlikelythat he will be able to return tohis substantive post in thefuture.

With this evidence in the com-pany’s possession, the decisionto terminate the employmentrelationship on the grounds ofcapability has far more chance ofsucceeding as a fair dismissal(subject of course to following afair procedure), hence protectingthe company as far as possibleagainst an unfair dismissal claimand also, of course, a possibledisability discrimination claim.

Workers hidehealth worriesWORKERS in Yorkshire suffer insilence rather than admit healthworries to their bosses, a survey hasrevealed.Figures from Aviva show that just 7%of employees would approach theirboss with a health concern while 6%think that admitting to health worriescould affect their career prospects.The firm’s Health in the Workplacesurvey also showed that employersthink they are good at spottingpotential personal or health issues intheir workforce.Among other findings, the surveyshowed that 7% claim they mightconfide in a colleague, but only 2%would trust their problems to thehuman resources department.By comparison, 65% say they wouldunburden themselves to their partnerand 36% would speak to the familydoctor.Although 29% of employees state thisis just a matter of safeguarding theirprivacy, the research portrays aworrying distance between employerand employee.Some employees think admitting tohealth concerns could affect theirwork prospects and 14% claim theysimply don’t trust their boss.Employers, by contrast, are convincedthat they are doing all they can to nippotential problems in the bud. Some53% claim to make a point ofidentifying any employee issues and40% say they operate an “open door”policy.While employers do seem to be takingpositive steps to tackle health issuesthrough the introduction of benefitssuch as private health insurance,group income protection andconfidential helplines, they are doinglittle to communicate that the supportservices are available.Dr. Doug Wright, principal clinicalconsultant at Aviva UK Health said:“It’s good to see that employersrecognise the importance of having anopen door policy when it comes totheir employees’ health andwellbeing.”

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

DTZ advises onoffice park dealPROPERTY agent DTZ has advisedGMI Property Co on the sale of itslong leasehold interest at a WestYorkshire office park.The property at Century Way, ThorpePark in Leeds, was sold to FormalInvestments and comprises about26,000sq ft of grade A officeaccommodation. Built in 2005, theproperty is let on a single lease toNorthern Foods Plc until February,2015.James Poskitt, managing director atGMI, said: “Our association with whatis the premier business park in thenorth of England, Thorpe Park,Leeds, stretches back some 20 yearsas developer and investor. Thelocation’s ability to attract highquality tenants and investmentcapital continues.”Tim Cameron-Jones, investmentdirector at DTZ, said: “Whilst themarket remains challenging, thisrecent deal demonstrates the strongopportunities available for investorsin the Leeds office market.”

PropertywinnerTHE Yorkshire office ofproperty consultancyKnight Frank has beennamed Agency Team ofthe Year at the YorkshireBusiness InsiderProperty Awards.The awards, held at TheRoyal Armouries inLeeds, were attended by350 of the region’sleading propertyprofessionals andraised money for thechildren’s charity, TheVariety Club.Judges commented:“Knight Frank isworking on someeye-catching initiativesand we like the fact thatthe firm has nationalcentres of excellence inthis region.”Guy Cooke, partner atKnight Frank in Leeds,said: “We weredelighted to win thisprestigious award,especially as it wasvoted for by our peers.”Last year, the Yorkshireoffice won a majoraward at the YorkshireProperty Awards.

Rok ready forhighland flingMAINTENANCE and building servicesgroup Rok has won a contract inScotland.The company, which has worked onschool refurbishment programmesacross Kirklees, will work withHighlands and Islands Enterprise, theScottish Government's economic andcommunity development agency.Rok is the sole contractor on a dealwhich will be worth up to £32m overfour years. The company won thecontract following a five-way tender torenew the deal.Under the framework, Rok willundertake every stage of most ofHIE’s building projects across theentire Highlands and Islands region,from design through to constructionand completion, in conjunction withsupply chain members.Rok already has extensive experienceof working with HIE – completing the£22m Centre for Health Science inInverness, which provides academicand practical facilities to medical,nursing and dental students fromStirling and Aberdeen universities aswell as the prospective University ofthe Highlands and Islands.Rok chief executive Garvis Snooksaid: “Being re-appointed to deliverthe Prime Contractor Frameworkunderlines the high quality of ourwork and the strong relationship wehave developed with HIE. We lookforward to continuing to work closelywith HIE throughout the newframework contract.“Our selection is a reflection of thecompany’s commitment to the region.We continue to demonstrate ourinvestment in skilled teams aroundthe country allowing us to take onprojects across the UK.”Keith Bryers, head of property andinfrastructure at HIE, said: “Wewelcome Rok’s new appointment inthe face of some very high-qualitycompetition and look forward toworking with the Rok team oninfrastructure and building projectsacross our region.”

Company policyis just the job!DEWSBURY-based social housing kitchenmanufacturer Rixonway Kitchens has made acommitment to help get people into work.

The company said it supported the Govern-ment’s autumn spending review commitmentto get the 7.3m “workless” adults under 65back into employment.

And it is also recognising the need toprovide opportunities for people who aredisadvantaged in the workplace.

Operations director Nick Greenall saidmore than 10% of the firm’s employees havebeen recruited through alternative routes sup-porting workers with disabilities, mentalhealth and learning difficulties, the young andlong term unemployed.

Said Mr Greenall: “Long-term workless-ness is damaging for society and is furtherexacerbated during a recession, both in itssocial ramifications and the cost to the tax-payer.

“Businesses need to recognise alternativepathways to employment to support the vari-ous requirements of the long term unem-ployed.”

Rixonway has employed four workersthrough the Worklink scheme, a local employ-ment service set up by Kirklees Council tosupport disabled adults into suitable workplacements.

Twenty years ago, Rixonway employed twoemployees with learning difficulties throughthe Government’s Pathways scheme. Thoseworkers are still with the company today.

Jobcentre Plus and A4e, a public service

employment support scheme, have provided25 and four employees respectively to Rixon-way.

Youth training scheme KYT provided fiveemployees aged 16 to 18 to work in thesub-assembly department while completing acollege wood work course.

Recently, Rixonway has introduced a newpartnership with the Back to Work scheme byMental Health Matters.

Mental health issues affect one in three

people working in the UK at any one time.Nearly 2m adults living in England accessedspecialist mental health services betweenApril, 2008, and March, 2009, according tothe National Mental Health DevelopmentUnit.

Among Rixonways’s employees, Graham,35, from Wakefield, accessed the Aspire toWork programme through Mental HealthMatters and was offered a work placementwith Rixonway in the packing and servicedepartment.

James Poppleton, Graham’s supportworker at Mental Health Matters, said:“Working improves self-esteem and mostpeople can contribute to society, like Graham.They just need support and certain provisionsset out with the employer before employmentcommences.”

Russell Townend, manufacturing manager,said: “Graham provided valuable support tothe team during the summer period. He has agreat sense of humour and has learnt manyuseful skills. If a position became availableand Graham was suited to the role then wewould consider him.”

The Yorkshire and Humber region wasranked fifth in a table of worklessness with363,000 workless households.

Said Mr Greenall: “Rixonway is seriousabout combating worklessness and, as such,has implemented a number of schemes toencourage and support employees from thediverse population in Kirklees.”

School work rewardedA PROJECT manager withconstruction firm Morgan Sindallhas been shortlisted for a majoraward.

Mark Chitty is among thefinalists in the Chartered Instituteof Building’s ConstructionManager of the Year Awards forhis work creating a new primaryschool in Huddersfield.

Mr Chitty, 55, who is based atthe firm’s Garforth office, will joina host of finalists on Thursday tocompete for the title in thecategory for new build orrefurbishment projects valued at£4m to £6m.

The accolade recognises hisachievements in managing theconstruction of Hillside PrimarySchool in Newsome under a£4.8m contract for KirkleesCouncil.

“I am thrilled to be consideredfor this award,” said Mr Chitty,who lives in Sheffield.

“We thoroughly enjoyedworking at Hillside and hope thechildren are now enjoying theirnew, state-of-the-art school.

“We are passionate aboutdelivering a high standard on allour education projects and thiswas no exception.”

Mark and his team built thesingle-storey school next to theexisting Stile Common Infant and

Junior school buildings inHeadfield Road. The movebrought together infants andjuniors under one roof.

After Morgan Sindallcompleted work on the newschool in December, 2009, theold school was demolished.

Screen and stage star DeniseVan Outen will host theConstruction Manager of the YearAwards ceremony, which is due

to be held at Grosvenor HouseHotel in Park Lane, London.

Morgan Sindall employs morethan 4,800 people who work forprivate and public sectorcustomers on projects from£50,000 to more than £500m.

Activities range from smallworks and repair andmaintenance to the design anddelivery of complex constructionand engineering projects.

■ JOB PLAN: Nick Greenall, operationsdirector for Rixonway Kitchens

■ FINALIST: Mark Chitty, project manager for Morgan Sindall

For more information contact Alec Michaelon 07717 870 320 or email alec@michaelsteel.co.uk

www.michaelsteel.co.uk

Modern factory/warehouse & offices withhigh quality internal offices well located forJ38 & J39 M1Joint Agent Vickers Carnley 01924 291500 Modern ground floor open

plan office suite with parkingstrategically located for M1.

Large open plan showroom/retailspace adjacent The BathroomShop, Speight’s Lighting &Oxfam with large car park.

Highly prominent modern trade warehouseunit with parking on “outer ring road”near Plumb Centre.

Modern high quality industrial/warehouseunit on secure site with yard space just offmain A62 Leeds Road.

Riverside House Clayton West1,495m2 (16,095 sq ft)

Wakefield Road,Clayton West,Huddersfield126m2 (1,354 sq ft)

Huddersfield Road,Mirfield699m2 (7,200 sq ft)

Colne Road, Huddersfield142 m2 (1,529 sq ft)

Unit 7 Old Fieldhouse Lane,off A62 Leeds Road, Huddersfield295m2 (3,179 sq ft)

Park Valley, Lockwood,Huddersfield, HD4 7BHBuildings - 12,850 m2 (138,000 sq ft)Site - 5.53 ha (13.67 acres)

FOR SALE

TO LET/MAy SELL

TO LET

TO LET - OnLy £165 pER wEEk

TO LET

Substantial predominantly single storey factoryand office complex (Part income producing)Redevelopment potential (STP)

On the instructions of GE Blackburn and PA WhitwamJoint Administrators of Paul Speak Business Centres Ltd.

Industrial Offices

Retail/showroom

immediately available

TO LET Rent dramatically reduced

FInALOFFERS

19 OCTOBER

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Ringing the changesafter 25 great yearsA GROUP providing ITsupport has announceda rebrand following 25years of businesssuccess.West Yorkshire-basedConcorde ExcelHoldings Ltd has unitedits subsidiarybusinesses under thenew name of ConcordeInformatics TechnologyGroup Ltd.The new CITG brandincorporates ConcordeInformatics and thecompany’s recentacquisitions PhaseCRS, Control Key andRW Communications tocreate a nationwide ITsupport and serviceorganisation.Since its formation 25years ago, Concordehas increased its UKpresence through aseries of strategicmergers andacquisitions – includinga number of significantmoves in the past 20months.In 2009, Concordeacquired business ITsolutions providerPhase CRS Ltd and inMay this year thecompany announcedthe acquisition ofControl Key, anorth-west-based ITsecurity specialist.

Most recently, theorganisation increasedits presence in thesouth-east with amerger of ConcordeInformatics andUxbridge-basednetwork solutions andsupport company RWCommunications.Colin Meakin (above),chief executive at CITG,said: “The business hasgrown both organicallyand throughacquisitions and thishas enabled us tocontinually extend ourpresence andstrengthen our existingcustomer base acrossthe UK. We’re excited tosee what opportunitiesthe next 25 years holdsfor ConcordeInformatics TechnologyGroup.”

Donny is theirstar attraction!A SPECIALIST portraitpainter in Mirfield has cap-tured singer Donny Osmondon canvas.

Sporting Canvas has pro-duced a licensed limited edi-tion oil painting of theinternational star, which areindividually sign. Each print issigned by Donny and accom-panied by a numbered certific-ate of authenticity.

John Stenson, director ofSpor t ing Canvas, sa id :“Donny is a huge interna-tional star with a fabulouscareer spanning many dec-ades.

“He is a beacon of profes-sionalism and one of the fewcelebrities who embodiesmany of the values to whichwe all aspire.

“Donny’s star continues toshine brightly with his win on‘Dancing With The Stars’ inthe USA and his Las Vegasshow with sister Marie is fab-ulously successful.”

The deal was sealed by Car-oline Mickler, who said: “Thisis an exciting venture for theDonny Osmond brand and weare happy to be working withSporting Canvas.”

During his 40-plus years inshowbiz, Donny has been achart-topping singer, actor,best-selling author, motiva-tional speaker and racing cardriver as well as hosting talk

shows, game shows and vari-ety shows. His website –donny.com – gets 120m-plushits annually.

Sporting Canvas is in talkswith several other celebritiesand brands and expects 2011to be a fantastic year.

The company is also set toannounce details of a newlicense based on FamousExplorers, which are expectedto have global appeal.”

Previous subjects for limitededition prints have includedsports stars Henry Cooper,Steven Gerrard, Seb Coe andTiger Woods.

■ SIGN HERE: Singing star Donny Osmond (above) signs thelimited edition prints (left) from Mirfield-based Sporting Canvas

Bill Lowther & Rory Carmichael

Carter JonasPROPERTY agency CarterJonas – which has offices atSlaithwaite – is expanding itsenergy and marine team in theregion with two keyappointments.

Bill Lowther (top) joins CarterJonas from North Energy, inNorthumberland, where he wasbusiness development directorand wind energy manager.

Before joining North Energyin 2003, he spent 20 yearsworking in the commercialbanking sector. He joins with theaim of developing business inthe energy sector in the northand north east of England.

Mr Lowther brings with him awealth of expertise in thecoordination and delivery ofwind energy planning projectsand is an active member of several regionalgroups and panels such as the NorthumberlandRenewable Energy Group.

Rory Carmichael (also pictured) joins theteam as an energy specialist, after graduatingwith an MSc in renewable energy andenvironmental modelling from DundeeUniversity.

Mr Carmichael will assess site suitability forclients with renewable energy interests andopportunities.

Andrew Watkin, partner and head of thespecialist energy and marine team, said: “Withboth Bill and Rory joining the team, we arepleased to be developing the firm’s business inthe buoyant renewable energy sector.”

Taking thehigh roadHIGHWAYS consulting engineersSanderson Associates have won a topprize in the 2010 Yorkshire and HumberConstruction Best Practice Awards.

The Grange Moor-based business wonthe SME Award and was highlycommended in the categories forLeadership and People Development andthe Achiever’s Award.

Judges praised the firm as “a classicexample of a company who identified aniche market at the right time and havecapitalised and grown as a result of thenew work. They have taken theconsultancy world by storm, notching upa significant number of scalps.”

The company, led by managingdirector Alison France, was rewarded forits investment in its staff and itsdevelopment during extremelychallenging economic conditions.

The winners of the awards wereannounced at the glittering ceremony,hosted by impressionist Chris Barrie, atAspire in central Leeds.

During its 23-year history, SandersonAssociates has undertaken more than5,900 schemes.

AmericanconnectionA HUDDERSFIELD human resourcesspecialist has been retained by a UScompany.Shepley-based JCS HR has a newclient in Los Angeles-based KracoEnterprises to provide HR supportas the company expands intoEurope.Kraco has recently purchased asubsidiary of a large multinationalwhich has staff based inWythenshawe, Manchester.Kraco approached JCS – on therecommendation of an existingclient – to provide HR support forthe transition and ongoing HR andpayroll services. The new company– which will be known as KCCI – willbe based in offices in Altrincham,Cheshire.Julie Sykes (pictured), director ofJCS HR, said: “One of our existingclients kindly recommended us toKraco and we have enjoyed workingwith them to manage the transitionof staff to the new company.“The time differences and ‘language

differences’ between ourselves andthe US-based staff have been quitechallenging at times!“We are looking forward tosupporting KCCI going forward andwe are currently working to developemployment policies andprocedures which reflect Kracovalues and culture, but which alsotake into account the requirementsof UK legislation.”JCS will also supply payrollservices through its partnercompany AK Payroll Services,which is based at Scapegoat Hill.Kraco is one of the largestmanufacturing operations in theautomotive after-market. Its facilityin Compton covers more than500,000sq ft.