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businessplusspRING 2014WEsT & NORTH YORKsHIRE CHAMBER BusINEss MAGAZINE

York & north Yorkshire

brADForD

LeeDs

Bradford Chamber of Commerce

Leeds Chamber of Commerce

York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

4 MeMbershipMembers’ news from Bradford, leeds, York & North Yorkshire

11 eventsTraining and networking to suit your needs

12 newsIt’s official – we’re a super Brand!

14 poLicYGauging opinion on Hs2

16 chAMber internAtionALExporting experts to Northern Ireland

18 spotLight interviewshining the light on Jan lawson, MD of pHp

19 growthDiscount vouchers to improve business performance

20 supportMaking a difference in your local community

22 FinAnceOn your bike! pedal powered tax relief

23 environMentDo energy saving devices actually do what they say?

24 eMpLoYMentFrom inspiring school leavers to planning for your pension

26 sAvingsMembership benefits to help you cut costs

28 DirectorYWelcome to our new members

29 chAMber connectMoney savings from fellow members

30 brADForD chAMber pAtronsCommsprovider

eDitoriALpress & prSend your news, press releases, or any advertising and sponsorship queries to: West & North Yorkshire Chamber, Devere House, Vicar Lane, Little Germany, Bradford BD1 5AH

eDitoriAL‘businessplus’ is produced and designed in-house at the West & North Yorkshire Chamber.

T: 01274 230057 E: [email protected] W: www.wnychamber.co.uk

DiscLAiMerInformation provided in this magazine is reproduced in good faith, and is believed to be correct at the time of publication. West & North Yorkshire Chamber is not responsible for information from third parties.

The editor reserves the right to edit articles in accordance with the style of the magazine and to decline any unsuitable material submitted.

printeD bY koLorcoT: 01274 735222 E: [email protected]

be pArt oF A business superbrAnDThis is the first edition of the new look Chamber magazine. It’s new because it features members and activities of the three Chambers in the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, following the merger that took place in mid-February between the Bradford Chamber and the Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber. It’s also the first printed publication to carry the new brand. We decided that each Chamber would adopt the British Chambers logo, which has officially just become a business superbrand.

In the magazine you’ll find information on how you can claim vouchers or save money in running your business, which is always good news.

There is also feedback on transport issues, following a recent priorities survey and a meeting with the Board of HS2.

Do send in your news and promote yourself across the wider geographical area. If you’re interested in sponsoring the magazine or advertising, we’d love to hear from you.

Finally I’d like to say thank you to the business ambassadors who are helping others to start exporting or to enter the more challenging markets. The “We are international” network is growing and that should mean that exports will too.

Sandy Needham Chief Executive, West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

contActsteLephone08455 240 240

brADForD oFFiceDevere House, Vicar Lane, Little Germany, Bradford BD1 5AH www.bradfordchamber.co.uk

LeeDs oFFice2nd Floor, Elizabeth House, 13-19 Queen Street, Leeds, LS1 2TW www.leedschamber.co.uk

York oFFice Innovation Centre, York Science Park, Innovation Way, Heslington, York, YO10 5DG www.yorkchamber.co.uk

weLcoMe worDs FroM the three presiDents

Welcome to the ultimate business network, here to help you grow your business.










paul Mackie, MD of Rex Procter and Partners and Bradford Chamber’s President since July 2013, welcomes the merger as a ‘partnership of equals’.

Paul said: “The new arrangement allows more businesses to network together. It will be a diverse and forward looking organisation with a strong board of directors and highly respected chief executive. The message now is to build on existing strengths, expand connections and experience, command greater attention from politicians and civil servants, and be the leading voice of business in the region with 2,500 members.

“I remain as strongly-committed as ever to helping build a better Bradford. West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce leaves us better-placed to do that.”

nigel Foster is a director at Fore Consulting, a transport and strategic planning consultancy in Leeds, and President of Leeds Chamber of Commerce.

Nigel said: “I believe the merger will help support the creation of a stronger economic landscape for the Leeds City Region. By joining forces we are now the fifth largest Chamber in the country, which will give us a much stronger voice with key decision makers at all levels. This is an exciting time for everyone.”

suzanne burnett is managing director of Castle Employment Agency in Scarborough which supplies permanent, temporary and contract staff into the commercial, industrial and hospitality sectors. She is President of York & North Yorkshire Chamber.

Suzanne said: “The merger brings more opportunities to our members, particularly for networking as businesses have the chance to attend events outside their core areas. We will also have more buying power to enable improvements in the services we provide to members helping them grow, save money and work more efficiently. I’m looking forward to this new era of joined up working.”

West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce


BRADFORD CHAMBER PATRONS

chieF eXecutive2 3contents

beerY-nice investMentA South Yorkshire brewery is set to increase production of its award-winning beers and has taken on more employees following a £200,000 business loan from Finance Yorkshire.

L-r: Sue and Patrick Morton, Andrew Hulse, and Andy Chaff er.

cAring service reAps rewArDsABS Print Solutions made customer care the central focus of a unique incentive programme in 2013. As a result, two members of the ABS UK team won an all-expenses paid trip to Sri Lanka to volunteer at an ABS-funded orphanage infi rmary project.

Employees Jeff Bullock and James Graley won the prize. Jeff Bullock said: “It’s great being recognised by my colleagues for the customer care work I do.”

The idea was developed after ABS director John Lees took a family holiday to Sri Lanka and did a stint as a volunteer at Eliya Children’s Home. After consultation with staff the incentive programme was set up, based on customer-care. Colleagues and customers voted every month for two ‘Customer Care Champions’.

In February 2014 James and Jeff joined ABS UK directors John Lees and Simon Haigh in Tangalle, Sri Lanka where they spent a total of nine days taking part in a variety of events, volunteer days and interesting trips. They also attended the offi cial opening of the infi rmary.

chAnceLLor ADvAncesChancellor george osborne visited Advanced Actuators – a hydraulic actuator engineering fi rm which supplies oil, gas and nuclear industries across the globe. The Chancellor was ‘hugely impressed’ with the fi rm’s investment in apprentices and use of local companies.

Chris Woodhead, managing director of Advanced Actuators said: “It’s been fantastic to have Mr osborne here and show him what we’re doing but what is key to us as a business is more resources overseas. That’s where the government needs to focus its attention.”

viA A new routeViamaster International, part of the Viamaster group of companies, has completed a substantial re-branding and relocation project.

All four of the Viamaster sub divisions (specialising in haulage, training and warehousing) have been brought together at an eight acre purpose-built site in Castleford. The site includes offi ces, warehousing and maintenance facilities. Further investment in a company rebrand has also resulted in a new website and vehicle livery.

The rebrand was led by director Paul Pedley. Paul said: “The time was right to bring the diff erent divisions together and the rebranding has helped to cement these changes.

“Since the rebrand, our presence across the continent has gained increased recognition.

“Our founding role in the Europe-wide ‘Partnerlink’ scheme is also making a signifi cant contribution to our success. The scheme helps remove ‘empty legs’ of journeys through co-operation with other European transport providers. As well as being cost eff ective it helps customers reduce their carbon footprint.”

hi-vis shop FrontSteelis Work Wear on Thornton road sells clothing and footwear required for safety, PP, catering/food preparation and construction.

Signifi cant investments have now been made by the fi rm to improve the frontage and visibility of the shop – making it easier for passing traffi c to see what products are available. New window displays and a Steelis shop sign now showcase the products in store. The developments are in addition to the shop’s existing in-house embroidery service.

A new website is also on the way that, when live, will be a fully operational e-commerce site. This is complemented by the fi rm’s fi rst-ever publication of a product catalogue.

gooD DeALs For roneSaltaire based architectural consultant Rone Design Ltd has celebrated 25 years in business. To coincide with the landmark achievement, the fi rm has overhauled its web site and announced two substantial projects in the pipeline. These include refurbishment of a VW dealership in Lowestoft and a concept pilot design for a car sales building - the blueprint of which is to be adopted across the client’s portfolio in the South East of England.

bAntAMs For businessBradford City FC has launched a Business Directory called ‘Bantams4Business’. The initiative aims to provide an opportunity for commercial partners to network with each other whilst at the same time promote their products and services to all Bradford City supporters through a dedicated website.

it’s turF At the topHarden-based sports turf consultancy STRI has launched a pioneering management programme for golf courses. The new technology measures and assesses turf performance and provides detailed data and analysis. Problem zones are identifi ed and recommendations made for improvements.

Paul Woodham at STRI said: “The service provides golf clubs with a complete and objective view of performance across the whole course.”

sett-ing up A new hoMeSoftware development company Sett Group has relocated from its offi ces in Little Germany to Parkinson’s Buildings on Hustlergate.

Due to an increased service portfolio, additional space was required for technology and development. Rob Walters, managing director, said: “This prime location is exactly what we needed and will enable us to expand and grow the business.”

Fibres oF the FutureMarks and Spencer Plc. has partnered with SDC Enterprises Limited and UL VS UK Ltd. to develop and produce a new Multifi bre Adjacent fabric, SDCE Multifi bre.

SDCE Multifi bre LyoWTM is the fi rst major development of a Multifi bre Adjacent fabric since SDCE Multifi bre DW was introduced in 1987. The use of SDCE Multifi bre LyoWTM will be exclusively for M&S test methods and M&S accredited laboratories.

north Meets southConstruction consultant rex Procter & Partners has merged with rex Procter & Partners in Marlow. The businesses separated to operate independently in 1980.

The merger is forecast to increase group turnover by at least 10% to a projected £10 million in 2014 and will also boost the fi rm’s geographical reach and sector diversity. Collectively the fi rm will directly employ over 100 people.

jAMes joins jAguArJames Brooks is now on board at Lancaster Jaguar as the new local fl eet and business manager. James comes from a retail sales background at Leeds BMW where he worked for ten years. James said: “Out of the 94 Jaguar dealers in the country, Bradford was one of the few to appoint a Jaguar fl eet and business specialist dealer role.”

pArtner proMotionsCorporate solicitor Andy Brian, planning solicitor Kate Butterfi eld and commercial property solicitor Joanne Fearnley have been promoted to partner by law fi rm Gordons.

Andy joined Gordons ten years ago and is the fi rm’s retail expert. A specialist in planning and highways law for 15 years, Kate is ranked as a leader in her fi eld. Joanne has been with Gordons since 2007 and deals with all aspects of commercial property transactions for developers, investors, landlords and tenants.

Gordons (in partnership with Manse Corporate) also ran a successful seminar for Bradford Chamber members in January. The seminar covered compliance with the automatic enrolment of eligible workers into a qualifying pension scheme.

A LogicAL MoveCimlogic has moved to larger premises as it prepares for further expansion in 2014.

The fi rm has moved to 6,000 sq ft premises in Saltaire. It is also looking to recruit fi ve senior people to help increase turnover from £2 million to £2.6 million in the next 12 months. The company employs 26 people and specialises in industrial automation and manufacturing execution systems (MES).

Managing director Mike Hodge said: “Moving to Salts Mill will give us double the space as well as allowing us to provide a dedicated customer training facility. It will also accommodate our future expansion and recruitment plans.”

viking investMentKeighley company Viking has invested in its future by installing a new slitting machine – and a new apprentice to run it. The tapes, adhesives and abrasives distribution fi rm has employed its fi rst engineering apprentice, 18-year-old Luke Summers, of Shipley.

The fi rm also has plans to take on a second apprentice to supplement the offi ce team later this year.

to the pointPinpoint Public Relations has launched a new online shopping service to help businesses manage promotional budgets.

Pinpoint’s new online PR shop off ers press releases, web copywriting, blogs, newsletters and news features with a standard price list per item or an hourly rate for on-going support. Director Mark Thompson said: “If you know exactly what you want, just order in the quantities you need.”

MAtch-it! Bradford charity One in a Million has been challenged to raise £50,000 by 31 August 2014.

If it succeeds, it will receive a further donation that matches the £50,000 £1 for £1.

Wayne Jacobs, One in a Million co-founder, said: “We would like as many local businesses and individuals as possible to sign up for one of our fund raising activities.”

eDucAtion is strong FounDAtionThe Bradford University School of Management has celebrated its 50th anniversary. Three former deans and seven original students attended a special ‘founders’ dinner’ to mark the occasion.

The school has also reported a record number of 70+ employers working with nearly 300 students last year by conducting mock interviews and assessing team-building activities in a simulated assessment centre.

Those who took part included managers and directors from BT, Waitrose, Hallmark, Wm Morrisons, Baker Tilly, Bradford City Council as well as smaller employers and those from the voluntary sector.

L-r: Luke Summers and Darren MilnerL-r: Keighley MP Kris Hopkins, Chris Woodhead and the Chancellor george osborne

L-r: James Sykes and Mike Hodge

employers supporting bradford university

school of Management’s students in job

seeking skills



4 brADForD MeMbers 5brADForD MeMbers

cooL new eXport opportunitiesAs the next stage in its international growth strategy, British manufacturer of chillers, precision air conditioning and IT, industrial and process cooling systems, Airedale International has promoted Key Account Manager, Asim Ansari, to lead its export sales team.

Asim’s appointment as export sales manager follows the opening of a new offi ce in Moscow last autumn, with a further base soon to be established in Dubai. The continued strengthening of relationships with international key accounts has been Asim’s focus in recent years.

A key member of the British manufacturer’s commercial team with an MSc in Management, Asim is challenged with delivering signifi cant export sales growth. Asim said: “The business has for a long time recognised the importance of the export arena in evolving the business. The export sales team is working closely with our marketing and NPD teams to refi ne products for the global marketplace as well as strengthening existing, and developing new, routes to market.”

cLArion sounDs FAnFAre For johnClarion has boosted its employment team with the appointment of John robinson, who joins the team from Eversheds, as partner.

John advises on all aspects of employment law and has a strong reputation as a tribunal advocate having successfully represented many clients in complex tribunal proceedings in England and Scotland.

Sarah Tahamtani, partner and head of the employment team, comments: “John is a highly regarded, experienced employment specialist who provides down to earth, commercial advice on all employment issues.

“His expertise and approach fi ts perfectly with our aim of providing a quality, cost eff ective employment service with outstanding delivery and an added value off ering which really distinguishes us from others.”

get AwAY For the suMMerRyanair has launched its Leeds Bradford summer 2014 schedule, with 23 low fare routes to European destinations, including one new route to Barcelona Girona.

eXAM success At grAnt thorntonSeventeen trainee accountants at Grant Thornton’s Leeds and Sheffi eld offi ces are well on the way to gaining their ICAEW qualifi cation having passed the ACA professional stage exams.

Audit assistant Hannah Kirkham, based in Leeds, achieved the top mark in the West Yorkshire District for the business strategy paper. Hannah has worked for Grant Thornton since September 2012 and is due to complete her training in September 2015.

The Leeds team of independent accountants garbutt & Elliott has moved into newly refurbished offi ces at 33 Park Place.

russell Turner, managing partner

of garbutt & Elliott which also has offi ces in York, explained: “This is a signifi cant investment following a year of strong growth in our Leeds and West Yorkshire business. our new city centre

location positions us alongside West Yorkshire’s fi nancial centre and professional community, bringing clear benefi ts for our clients and strengthening key collaborative relationships.”

entrepreneuriAL skiLLs tAke oFF At AirLine MAstercLAssAmbitious students from schools across West Yorkshire gathered to pick up industry skills from British Airways and Leeds Bradford Airport staff at an ‘airline master class’ recently. Hosted at Horsforth School, ex-pupil Sally Beardsworth of British Airways and Beverley Walker of Leeds Bradford Airport returned as industry volunteers to give advice to the students.

Fifteen schools from around West Yorkshire each put forward a team of ten students to take part in the project and develop their business skills fi rst hand. Each ‘company’ was given a virtual budget of £200 million to set up and run their own airline.

Students from Horsforth School in Leeds took the top prize after being awarded Best overall Airline for ‘Aeris International’ by the panel of judges. They will fl y to London from Leeds Bradford to experience the airline for themselves. They will also be able to look round the airline’s fl agship Heathrow home, Terminal 5, before fl ying back in the evening.

Tony Hallwood, Leeds Bradford Airport’s aviation development and marketing director, said: “We have been astounded by the calibre of talent taking part. They have shown great creativity and entrepreneurial skill.”

National property consultancy Carter Jonas, together with sporting event organiser Breathingspace Live, will hold Yorkshire’s second most highly anticipated cycling event of the summer.

Carter Jonas is rapidly signing up cycling enthusiasts around the country to take part in its own version of the famous French event; the Yorkshire Pedalthon, which will raise funds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance and public transport charity Sustrans.

The event will take place on 22 May. Riders can complete an 80-mile Yorkshire Challenge or 40-mile Yorkshire Scenicroute. Details at www.carterjonas.co.uk/yorkpedals

ALL eYes on bAYFieLDsLeeds-based Bayfi elds opticians has confi rmed the acquisition of two practices, buying the Horsforth and Kirkstall branches of Alison James opticians for an undisclosed sum.

Shulmans solicitors’ corporate lawyer Marcus Armstrong acted for Bayfi elds opticians in connection with the acquisition of the practices while Yorkshire Bank provided acquisition funding for the deal.

The latest acquisitions take the total number of Bayfi elds practices up to seven – putting the group on track to achieve 50 practices by 2025.

The group will be retaining staff at the Horsforth and Kirkstall practices, taking the total number of employees at Bayfi elds to 41.

concorDe’s crAcking YeAr!Concorde IT Group enjoyed a positive 2013, bringing in new contracts worth over £500,000.

The Wakefi eld based IT support and managed services provider landed deals with Leeds Building Society, Johnsons Cleaners, Kirklees Council and Care Plus Group, a provider of services to the NHS.

Concorde has grown rapidly over the past 12 months resulting in a move to larger premises at Concorde House in Ossett and the creation of several new roles across their six national locations.

Last year Concorde welcomed over 50 new customers, completed around 220 IT projects and its engineers travelled over 487,000 miles to ensure the functionality of IT systems across the country.

Group managing director Neil Roberts said: “Despite a tough economic year, we embraced new challenges, continued to grow by expanding our fantastic team and geographic reach and, most importantly, went over and above to meet the requests of our customers.”

As part of their work with Yorkshire-based sustainability charity, the United Bank of Carbon (UBoC), leading ‘green’ academics from the University of Leeds’ School of Earth and Environment have hosted a cook stove workshop to highlight the global issue of the environmental and health impacts of household solid fuel use by about half of the world’s population.

The one day workshop, hosted in

conjunction with LEAF (Leeds, Ecosystems, Atmosphere and Forests) and Africa College, was led by Dr Dominick Spracklen, associate professor at the School of Earth and Environment. It brought together cook stove policy makers, practitioners and academics from around the UK to share insights about ‘clean’ cook stove projects and how they might be used to address the issues caused by traditional cook stoves.

cooking up A green revoLution

L-r: Pete Sumners, Steve Holmes, royston Bayfi eld and Marcus Armstrong

Sarah Tahamtani and John robinson

gArbutt & eLLiott Move into LeeDs citY centre

‘Aeris International’ from Horsforth School wins Best overall AirlinepeDALthon geArs up



6 LeeDs MeMbers 7LeeDs MeMbers

Motorsport viLLAge puts its Foot DownYork MotorSports Village, a newly refurbished karting facility on the Monks Cross Retail Park, has announced its collaboration with Yorkshire’s British Superbike racer Dan Linfoot.

Having previously raced in World Championships Dan now competes in the British Superbike Championship for the Quattro Plant Kawasaki team. He said: “I’m delighted to become involved with York MotorSports Village. Their new facilities are second-to-none and we share the same views in motorsports: they’re driven to be the best. I will be a regular at their venue, and look forward to a blossoming relationship.”

Phil Hannington, general manager at YMSV, commented: “Dan’s testing and feedback of our new facilities has helped us to ensure we get our customer off er just right.”

Architectural consultants Hay Associates have relocated to the award-winning Escrick Park Estate, which has been owned and managed by the Forbes Adam family for the past 300 years.

The estate conversions won the coveted Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Award.

Mike Hay, director of Hay Associates, said: “The move is more than just a change of address, it is the start of a new chapter in our history. It is an important step in our plans, with the new offi ce providing the space and facilities to support our growth strategy.”

Charles Forbes Adam, the owner and developer of Escrick Park, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Hay Associates to our business park.”

Loft Creations, a newly launched Yorkshire loft conversion specialist started by an entrepreneurial accountant, is expanding rapidly and has created 19 new jobs in its fi rst quarter trading. Loft Creations, which uses a new patented beam technology that allows time-saving conversion of attic space, was set up by James Roach.

“The loft conversion sector is one that I know well, and having secured the rights to install the lightweight patented ‘TeleBeam’ technology, we saw this as a great time to off er a professionally project-managed, fast, clean and hassle-free loft conversion service,” said Mr Roach.

The business off ers conversions of attic space in residential property, managing the projects from initial planning permissions through design and build to decorating and fi nishing. Mr Roach left his most recent role as fi nance director to launch the fi rm that is based at offi ces in Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough.

The business started with just Mr Roach and one full-time employee but with sales of over £250,000 in its fi rst three months trading and a further pipeline of orders worth more than £200,000, the company now employs four full-time staff at its head offi ce and 15 full-time sub-contractors on site.

LoFtY height oF job creAtionMAking hAY At

escrick pArk

L-r: charles Forbes Adam, helen pentith and Mike hay

eLLis to eXpAnD oFFshore ActivitY Malton based Ellis, manufacturer of cable cleats, has set its sights on expanding its presence in the off shore and shipping markets following Type Approval of its market leading Vulcan and Emperor cable cleats by DNV GL.

DNV GL is the world’s leading ship and off shore classifi cation society and a world-leader of independent assurance and expert advisory services for the sector.

beAuMont consuLting teAMs up with betton DesignScarborough-based Richard Beaumont Consulting has teamed up with fellow member Betton Design, builders of high end websites and graphic designers. Richard Beaumont is working with the company to help with the future structure and development of the business.

Kevin Cappleman, a director at Betton said: “We are really pleased that Richard has joined the team at Betton. He has a wealth of experience in business development, strategy and change and we will be working together over the coming months to ensure that we continue to provide a great service as the business grows.”

jct600 gets new ‘green’ rooMJCT600 has opened its new sustainable building that houses the Audi showroom in York featuring one of the most advanced building management control systems in the motor trade. The opening marks the completion of JCT600’s investment in the redevelopment of its York Audi dealership, representing a total value of £6.2m.

The project was designed by SDA Architects of Leeds and project managed by MNB Project Solutions Ltd of Saltaire, Bradford.

hAt-trick For vitAL technoLogYKnaresborough based IT management company Vital Technology Group has taken on a hat-trick of new clients.

Harrogate businesses Holeys Chartered Accountants, chemical regulatory support company JSC and GH Brooks Builders' Merchants have all selected Vital to manage their IT. Lee Evans, managing director of Vital Technology Group, said: "Outsourcing IT is a far more cost-eff ective solution than the traditional break and fi x method, as well as off ering business owners peace of mind."

hAnDMADe tAckLes shortAge oF bricksThe award-winning York Handmade Brick Company is ready to tackle the shortage of bricks, which is threatening the recovery of the construction sector in the UK.

According to a new survey, carried out by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), a shortage of bricks and bricklayers has been cited as the main cause of a surprise drop in output in the construction sector.

The RICS survey revealed that almost 40 per cent of the surveyors it polled believed brick shortages were a brake on activity. Echoing reports from house-builders, they said bricks and concrete blocks in particular were in short supply.

David Armitage, the chairman of York Handmade Brick, based at Alne, near Easingwold, said: “It is a sad fact of life that the recession, which was particularly brutal in the construction sector, has seen the decline and closure of many brickworks across the UK.

“Here at York Handmade we have fought really hard – and successfully - to keep going and we are now well-equipped to take advantage of the upturn in the construction sector, especially in the self-build market.

“We have invested in the future, by spending £65,000 on refurbishing our two kilns, which will increase production and effi ciency. As confi dence returns to the property market, we are beginning to reap the benefi ts of this investment and of our determination to battle through the diffi cult times.”

Andy booth

A Yorkshire based e-commerce business smashed the £1m sales barrier after less than ten months trading in a market that is predicted to double in 2014.

Eco Stores Direct, an eco-friendly online heating retailer that operates a number of specialist websites including ElectricradiatorsDirect.co.uk, was launched by e-commerce entrepreneur Paul Walker last year.

Following a number of exclusive deals with leading green technology and environmentally-friendly central heating manufacturers, the business has grown rapidly to employ ten staff at its Knaresborough head offi ce and Keighley warehouse.

The fi rm’s core products of electric radiators have long been the favoured source of central heating on the European mainland and, as the UK reduces its levels of gas production, looks set to see rapid

market growth in the next ten years.

The business has quickly become one of the UK’s largest online retailers of energy effi cient electric radiators and also retails replacement electric storage heaters. Since the company took its fi rst 50 orders in February 2013 it has seen sales rocket to over 1,000 orders a month.

“our market has grown at a fast pace due to two main factors; the ever continuing rise of energy costs and the introduction of new super-effi cient electric heating products,” said MD Paul Walker.

“We’ve come into the market off ering the new generation of products that can be fi tted in minutes, heat rooms really quickly and have low running costs too. We have seen demand growing rapidly and the UK market for these effi cient electric radiators is predicted to grow by 100 per cent during 2014.”

eco booM

Meet the MeDiAtorsA group of experienced solicitors from eight diff erent law fi rms have banded together to form the York Solicitor Mediators. The aim is to off er families and couples who may be going through a diffi cult divorce or separation an alternative to the court process, which can often be extremely stressful and expensive.

Chris Myles, a member of the new group and a family solicitor in York, commented: “Not only do we understand the law but we are all qualifi ed Family Mediators who recognise that there are better ways than the court system to make those all-important arrangements. Whether it is fi nances, divorce, or child custody issues, we can open the door to communication between parties to avoid court and unnecessary costs.”

York Solicitor Mediators cover all of North Yorkshire as well as the East and West Ridings. The members are from established law fi rms including Ware and Kay, Hethertons, Rollits, Harland and Co, Hart Law, Langleys, Crombie Wilkinson and Christine Pick.



8 York & north Yorkshire MeMbers 9York & north Yorkshire MeMbers

Sponsored by

Join the best in business at the annual Chamber AwardsThe annual Chamber Awards are back! And with new categories including Small Business of the Year and the Young Person in Business Award, this year’s Awards are set to be bigger and better than ever.

The Chamber Awards recognise and reward excellence in British Business and each year organisations of all sizes and from all sectors compete for the coveted titles and prizes on offer.

This year’s categories:

• Small Business of the Year – NEW

• Manufacturer of the Year – NEW

• Best use of Technology to Improve Business Performance – NEW

• Young Person in Business Award – NEW

• The Sustainability Award

• Achievement in International Business

• Commitment to People Development

• Entrepreneur of the Year

• Excellence in Innovation

The awards are open for entry until 27th June 2014 and regional winners will be announced on 22nd September. The programme will then conclude with the prestigious Chamber Awards Gala Dinner on 27th November at the Pavilion at the Tower of London, where one business will be awarded Business of the Year and walk away with the prizes on offer.

The entry process couldn’t be simpler, with full category details and submissions made online on our Chamber Awards website:

www.chamberawards.co.uk#ChamberAwards

AnnuAL chAMber AwArDsThe Chamber Awards recognise and reward excellence in British Business and each year organisations of all sizes and from all sectors compete for the coveted titles and prizes on offer.


■ Small Business of the Year – NEW

■ Manufacturer of the Year – NEW

■ Best use of Technology to Improve Business Performance – NEW

■ Young Person in Business Award – NEW

■ The Sustainability Award

■ Achievement in International Business

■ Commitment to People Development

■ Entrepreneur of the Year

■ Excellence in Innovation

The awards are open for entry until 27 June 2014 and regional winners will be announced on 22 September. The programme will then conclude with the prestigious Chamber Awards Gala Dinner on 27 November at the Pavilion at the Tower of London, where one business will be awarded Business of the Year and walk away with the prizes on offer.

The entry process couldn’t be simpler, with full category details and submissions made online on the Chamber Awards website:

www.chamberawards.co.uk #ChamberAwards

Sponsored by

Join the best in business at the annual Chamber AwardsThe annual Chamber Awards are back! And with new categories including Small Business of the Year and the Young Person in Business Award, this year’s Awards are set to be bigger and better than ever.

The Chamber Awards recognise and reward excellence in British Business and each year organisations of all sizes and from all sectors compete for the coveted titles and prizes on offer.


• Small Business of the Year – NEW

• Manufacturer of the Year – NEW

• Best use of Technology to Improve Business Performance – NEW

• Young Person in Business Award – NEW

• The Sustainability Award

• Achievement in International Business

• Commitment to People Development

• Entrepreneur of the Year

• Excellence in Innovation

The awards are open for entry until 27th June 2014 and regional winners will be announced on 22nd September. The programme will then conclude with the prestigious Chamber Awards Gala Dinner on 27th November at the Pavilion at the Tower of London, where one business will be awarded Business of the Year and walk away with the prizes on offer.

The entry process couldn’t be simpler, with full category details and submissions made online on our Chamber Awards website:

www.chamberawards.co.uk#ChamberAwards

eventsNetworking and training

stAcking up successEnvironmental and occupational hygiene and safety consultancy Envirocare has celebrated its twentieth year in business by announcing further UKAS accreditation.

Following a successful audit procedure in January 2014, Envirocare is now one of the very first consultancies in the country able to undertake Chromium6 monitoring from stacks. The firm is accredited for every Environment Agency ’Standard Reference Method’ regarding Stack Emissions Monitoring in the UK.

gooD heALth!The Private Health Partnership Ltd (PHP) has celebrated 25 years in business. The anniversary also sees the business launch new branding which includes referring to the company as ‘PHP’ rather than ‘The Private Health Partnership’.

Jan Lawson, PHP’s group managing director, said: “This is a very special year for PHP. The loyalty and commitment of our clients and staff has been the bedrock of our success.”

top MArks Bradford College is the first ever FE College in the UK to be awarded the Dementia Friendly logo by the Dementia Action Alliance.

The college is also celebrating after being announced as the winner of the first ever NEF Innovation Awards for: ‘Best Example of Innovation in a STEM Course or Training Programme (Organisational)’.

Programme manager for Science and Maths, Anita Lall, said: “I am so proud of the staff and their innovative approach to education and training. This award recognises this as well as their commitment in working with employers to deliver training that truly meets their workforce’s needs.”

top MArksHarrogate’s Rudding Park Hotel, Spa & Golf has been voted the ‘Top Hotel’ in the UK outside of London in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2014.

This is based solely on the millions of real and unbiased reviews and opinions from travellers gathered on the travel guide website.

Peter Banks, managing director at Rudding Park, said: “Winning this award and maintaining our position in the top three for ‘Best Hotel in the UK’ for seven consecutive years is a tremendous achievement.

“This year we are celebrating in yellow as we prepare to showcase our exceptional guest service when we welcome cycling fans, international press and the cyclists themselves to Yorkshire this summer for the Grand Depart.”

isis wins juDges’ prAise At LeeDs Architecture AwArDsISIS Commercial Environments won praise from judges at the Leeds Architecture Awards earlier this year for the quality of its work at the four-storey Kenneth Hodgson House.

A 15-strong team from ISIS ensured all visible historic features were retained during a two-month refurbishment.

Organised by Leeds City Council and Leeds Chamber Property Forum, the Leeds Architecture Awards promote and provide a showcase for best practice in architecture and design.

bonD Dickinson is ‘Most ADMireD’ National law firm Bond Dickinson, with an office in Leeds, has been named one of the ‘Top 25 Most Admired Companies’ in Private Client Practitioner’s list of the most admired companies in the UK and UK offshore market for the first time.

Private Client Practitioner is a leading publication for private client professionals. Its Top 25 Most Admired Companies list is made up of firms across the fields of law, accountancy, trust and financial planning.

“I would recommend networking

with Bradford Chamber – it

opens up your contacts and

I’m always impressed with

the quality of the events

and calibre of attendees. The recently

announced merger will

work in favour of businesses

across the region as there are even more joint events in the pipeline!”

rebecca streets solicitor

irwin Mitchell LLp

TrAININg09 April 5.15pm - 7.15pm How to promote your company on a shoestring budget Bradford

10 April 9.30am - 4.30pm Know and improve your leadership style York

15 April 9.00am - 1.00pm Sales and selling skills Bradford

30 April 9.30am - 5.00pm Emergency First Aid at work Bradford

30 April 5.15pm - 7.15pm Family businesses – research lessons and key action points Bradford

07 May 5.15pm - 7.15pm Improve your win rates in contract bids Bradford

08 May 9.30am - 4.30pm Negotiation skills York

09 May 9.30am - 4.30pm Challenge of change York

13 May 9.30am - 11.30am JCI Training - management skills Bradford

14 May 5.15pm - 7.15pm How do I read a set of accounts? Bradford

16 May 9.00am - 1.00pm Time management York

21 May 5.15pm - 7.15pm Personal networking skills Bradford

22 May 9.30am - 4.30pm Sales York

04 June 5.15pm - 7.15pm A practical approach to company strategy Bradford

05 June 9.30am - 4.30pm Advanced marketing York

11 June 5.15pm - 7.15pm Marketing – the big picture Bradford

12 June 9.30am - 4.30pm Develop your social media strategy York

18 June 5.15pm - 7.15pm Techniques for success in negotiations Bradford

25 June 5.15pm - 7.15pm 5 key tools that streamline your business and improve profits Bradford

26 June 9.30am - 5.00pm Develop a culture of creative leadership York

NETWorKINg EvENTS11 April 7.30am - 9.00am Pure Networking York

23 April 12.00pm - 2.00pm Business Lunch Leeds

30 April 12.00pm - 2.00pm Construction Lunch York

01 May 7.30am - 9.30am Pure Networking Leeds

07 May 12.00pm - 2.00pm Business Lunch York

08 May 4.00pm - 6.00pm Napoleons Networking Bradford

09 May 12.00pm - 2.00pm Business Lunch Scarborough

15 May 7.30am - 9.00am Pure Networking York

21 May 8.00am - 9.30am Bank of England Inflation Briefing York

22 May 8.30am - 4.00pm Eco Fair Leeds

22 May 12.00pm -1.30pm Chamber Networking (#WellConnected Yorkshire) Leeds

04 June 12.00pm - 2pm Business Lunch York

05 June 7.30am - 9.30am Pure Networking Leeds

10 June 8.00am - 9.30am KBN Morning Networking Keighley

11 June 5.00pm - 7.00pm Speed Networking Evening Leeds

12 June 12.00pm - 2.00pm Business Lunch Malton

19 June 7.30am - 9.00am Pure Networking York

20 June 12.00pm - 2.00pm Construction Lunch Bradford

23 June 5.00pm - 7.00pm Property Forum York

26 June 12.00pm - 2.00pm Meet the Chamber Bradford



10 MeMbers news 11eventsevents

biD bALLotA city centre wide ballot of Leeds businesses to see if they are in favour of setting up a new Business Improvement District (BID) will take place following a recent study.

The study will look at the feasibility of setting up a BID for Leeds and will recommend further consultation leading to a city centre wide ballot of businesses which will propose setting up a BID. Each BID proposal is diff erent but usually focuses on safety and security; cleaning and maintenance; events and marketing; retail and evening economy; and access and signage.

Business leaders from several companies including Prew Lumley from Squire Sanders, Richard Lewis from Town Centre Securities, Peter Cooper from Hammerson, chief economic development offi cer at Leeds City Council Tom Bridges, Gerald Jennings from Land Securities and Mark Goldstone of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce have created a steering group to drive forward plans.

Mark, who chaired the BID feasibility steering board, said: “Leeds city centre is already an economic powerhouse for the North and a major retail destination. It is also a strategic regional location for professional, fi nancial and legal services with a prominent UK profi le.

“We commissioned the report to understand more about the success of BIDs in comparable cities and to know how the BID approach might support and improve Leeds as an international destination for talent, investment, entertainment and culture in the eyes of visitors, employers and investors.”

Leeds Chamber will be managing the procurement process to recruit an organisation to deliver the next phase of the BID development.

outstAnDing business enDeAvoursPast Bradford Chamber President Richard Wightman has been awarded an OBE for his outstanding contribution to Further Education and Voluntary Services to Bradford.

A councillor for more than 20 years, including a time as Deputy Council Leader, Richard was also Lord Mayor of Bradford in 2002.

Now the Chair of Bradford College, Richard said: “Our combined achievements are an example of the great work that happens within the national FE sector, which quietly transforms lives, communities and the economy."

Our hearty congratulations go out to Richard, who led Bradford Chamber between 2005-07.

His chairmanship at the College has seen boosts for local education and training and the new multi-million pound campus is adding to the ongoing regeneration.

on trAck For successNearly 500 business people attended the York Chamber Annual Dinner at the end of March. It was held at the National Railway Museum and was the fi rst for Chamber president Suzanne Burnett in her new leading role.

Suzanne said: “Six years ago, I was at the York Annual Dinner and the fi nancial crisis had just begun. To say the future was uncertain is a dramatic understatement.

"Unquestionably we have been through some very, very diffi cult times. And yet there are nearly 500 business people here tonight. That’s a fantastic testimony to business here in York and North Yorkshire and to your individual enterprise, fl air and hard work.

"No-one underestimates how tough it has been – but here in North Yorkshire we have a tremendous amount to be optimistic about."

The guest speaker for the evening was Simon Weston OBE, who drew on his traumatic experiences as a Welsh Guardsman on board the Sir Galahad in the Falkland Islands when it was destroyed in 1982, leaving him with 46 per cent burns.

Mr Weston, now a professional motivational speaker, told the evening's guests about achievement, of triumph over adversity, of seizing the moment and succeeding.

superFAst broADbAnD boostAn extra £30m of government money for superfast broadband is set to help businesses in Bradford and Yorkshire.

Superfast broadband allows multiple and simultaneous use of devices, such as streaming a fi lm, and uploading videos. It can benefi t business through better quality video conferencing, boosted processing power and increased productivity.

Local projects across Yorkshire will receive funding from a £250 million national pot, with hard-to-reach locations among those set to benefi t most. The funding is in addition to the £1.2 billion already invested by central and local government and ensures 95% of homes and businesses have access to superfast broadband by 2017.

This follows the recent launch of the Bradford and Leeds Superconnected vouchers Scheme for better broadband for SMEs. visit www.superfastwestyorkshire.co.uk/ for details.

The current rural programme will deliver returns of £20 for every £1 invested. As well as improvements in the productivity of broadband- fi rms, faster broadband will create an additional 56,000 jobs in the UK by 2024. The work involved in the current roll out is expected to provide a £1.5 billion boost to local economies with approximately 35,000 job-years created or safeguarded over the period to 2016. By 2024, the government’s current investments in faster broadband will be boosting rural economies by £275 million every month or around £9 million every day.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has been offi cially named as a Business Superbrand in an annual survey that identifi es the UK’s key business-to-business brands. Independently coordinated by The Centre for Brand Analysis, the survey considers thousands of brands that are judged by both an expert panel and 2,000 individual business professionals. The brands are assessed on three key criteria: quality, reliability, and distinction.

Dr. Adam Marshall at BCC said:

“This prestigious award is testament to the hard work of our dedicated Chambers of Commerce in all parts of the United Kingdom. The strength of our brand will also help as we embark on an ambitious programme to develop and accredit a network of overseas British Chambers and Business groups in 41 high growth markets across the world, to provide key in-country support to businesses as they look to break into new markets.”

“It is fantastic to once again be recognised as a UK Superbrand. Our Accredited Chamber Network is trusted by thousands of businesses to deliver support and services at the highest level, to enable them to thrive in today’s economy.”Dr. Adam Marshall at BCC

super brAnDeD!


brADForD LeeDs York & north Yorkshire







12 news 13news

roAD to nowhereYork & North Yorkshire Chamber has condemned the planned closure of Lendal Bridge in York to traffic.

The diversity in business sectors, highly skilled workforce and excellent quality of life supports the claim that the city is one of the most economically resilient in the UK. The Chamber stresses that it is imperative that businesses are given as much assistance as possible to thrive and grow and are not hindered by idealistic transport strategies.

Closing Lendal Bridge to cars, says the Chamber, is impractical, has a negative impact on business and economic growth, and causes more problems than it solves in the attempt to reduce congestion. The only way car journeys into and out of the city can be reduced is to increase capacity on the outer ring road, and improve public transport as a viable alternative to car use.

One local Chamber member said of the plan: “I don’t know if anyone has considered the impact of the Lendal Bridge closure on companies like ours to the east of York. We have noticed a significant increase in difficulty in collecting and depositing visitors who get the train to York. We make great play of the fact that you can get from Kings Cross to York in under two hours but then you need to allow an hour to travel the remaining 20 miles to the factory. We are the best in the world at what we do and try very hard to present a competent international image which is somewhat undermined by sitting in unpredictable York traffic.”

At the time of going to print, York Council was assessing the impact of the six month closure trial period. York Chamber continues to lobby for reinstatement of full access.

technicAL skiLLs buiLD A strong FutureManufacturers and engineers often report struggles to recruit technical staff. Many also fear that their workforce age profile is significantly higher than service sector counterparts. To tackle this, Leeds Chamber is working with some key manufacturers, Leeds City Council and the University of Leeds to develop a proposition for submission to the Baker Dearing Trust to fund a University Technical College (UTC) in Leeds.

UTCs are academy schools for 14-19 year olds with significant involvement of industry and universities to build work readiness. The sponsoring employers and university play a critical role in its governance, curriculum development, and delivery. Sponsorship is non-financial and we need to hear from companies about their skill requirements.

Current supporters include Siemens, Arla Foods, Kodak and Surgical Innovations but Leeds Chamber would like to hear from more companies both large and small. The developer group is chaired by Phil Ball, managing director of Kodak Ltd. Phil said: “It is vital [the UK] has access to motivated and skilled young people with the aptitude to take on responsibility and be productive. We see the UTC playing a key role in this process.”

The Baker Dearing Trust (BDT) works proactively with employers and universities to address the skills needs of industry. Lord Baker of Dorking, chairman of the BDT, said: “UTCs are a fantastic means of enabling industry to create the right skills for the future. We are very excited about the bid being put together in Leeds. It brings together strong, locally-based employers with a passion for developing people and high quality educational leadership.”

To help influence the future of technical skills provision in Leeds contact Mark Goldstone: [email protected]

congestion tops prioritY surveYTraffic congestion has emerged as the top local issue that needs tackling this year, according to Bradford Chamber’s annual survey on the topic.

The Policy Priorities Survey pushed congestion to the top of the local concerns list for the first time. City centre regeneration and image have consistently come out ‘on top’ in recent years. The change indicates a positive move in some ways, even if other issues come to the fore.

After congestion, image and more inward investment followed closely behind in second and third place with city centre regeneration and planning/land use completing the ‘top five’.

Skills and education issues are contained as a separate question. A ‘skills shortage’ is by far the highest area of concern in this category, with availability of local training, school-leaver attainment and suitable graduates all trailing in its wake.

On the prioritisation of government-funded business support, manufacturing remains the key area that respondents want to see backed. This has been a consistent message for a few years now, and was one of the reasons Bradford Chamber founded the Bradford Airedale Manufacturing Alliance.

econoMic inForMAtionThe economic upturn is continuing to pick up pace – but there is still nervousness and frustration among the business community.

That’s the finding in Bradford’s Quarterly Economic Survey. The latest QES report can be downloaded from the Bradford Chamber website in the Policy & Representation section. As well as a national monthly economic review, BCC also produces an international version with a global outlook. See the website to download.

the buDgetThe Budget has now been delivered and the details soaked up on what measures the Chancellor has offered (or not!) to help stimulate the economy further.

While many businesses may not be able to plan beyond the end of the next month or so, others will have thoughts and ideas on what they would like to see government do to help. This year, the British Chambers of Commerce asked the Treasury to focus primarily on employment and skills issues in terms of business incentives.

If you have feedback on last month’s Budget or ideas on what the Treasury can offer to help you in the next two big set-pieces (Autumn Statement and 2015 Budget), please let your local Chamber know.

MeAsures couLD sAve up to £10kGovernment measures aimed at helping small firms save money or grow (or both) have been flagged up recently.

business rates ■ - extra relief announced for small businesses through extended doubling of Small Business rate relief

growth vouchers ■ – £30 million to see 20,000 small businesses receive up to £2,000 to help them access specialist support on hiring, financial management and marketing. Info at www.gov.uk/apply-growth-vouchers

broadband vouchers ■ – 10 out of 22 cities across the UK (including Bradford and Leeds) have started to benefit from vouchers worth up to £3,000 each (as part of the £100 million package) for faster and better broadband

employment Allowance ■ – from this month every business is entitled to a £2,000 allowance to reduce your NICs bill. over 90% of the benefit of this allowance will go to small businesses.

The measures were highlighted when the Government launched the ‘Business Exchange’, designed to bring small and large firms closer together. Other measures first announced last year aimed at helping firms include scrapping the fuel duty hike and more than 3,000 regulations covering employment, H&S and environment.

Members of Bradford, Leeds, and York & North Yorkshire Chambers of Commerce met recently with the man charged with bringing a high-speed rail link to the region.

Sir David Higgins acknowledged the need to convince doubters of the HS2 scheme about its potential to provide economic benefits far-and-wide, and not just to where the stations will be based. overall, views of the businesses in the two cities are markedly different: a recent survey of Bradford Chamber members revealed that two-thirds of local businesses oppose the scheme, with only 16% saying it is the best way to enhance capacity. Leeds companies are much more supportive.

In a meeting hosted at Yorkshire Post Newspapers, HS2 Board Chairman Sir David heard businesses both in favour and opposed to the scheme, estimated

at £42 billion at the latest count. The 2012 olympic games supremo called on northern cities to work closer together to ensure that rail connectivity is improved. He also acknowledged that an upgrade of the existing network is overdue.

The project has divided the country as it has divided businesses but Sir David, as one would expect, put forward a strong defence of the economic benefits of building the line as soon as possible. He conceded that there was a strong case for construction work to commence simultaneously in the north and south, to avoid ‘unfair advantage’. It has also been stressed to Sir David and the government that improvements to the existing rail network need to happen ahead of HS2 construction, if it goes ahead, plus electrification of lines such as Caldervale and Harrogate. Incremental improvements to the network now, supporters argue, would help ensure that

an HS2 hub in Leeds acts effectively to improve regional connectivity across the North.

Local authority chiefs were present to hear business views, with both Bradford Council Leader David green and Leeds Council Chief Executive Tom riordan in the room. other representatives included both cities’ property forums, Bradford Professionals’ Network and Leeds & Partners.

Bradford Chamber’s HS2 survey results can be found on the website:

http://chmbr.co/hs2b

Leeds Chamber backs the recent growth Taskforce report, which claims HS2 will drive urban regeneration:

http://chmbr.co/hs2L

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pLugging into oLYMpic success Electricity consumption at the Sochi Winter Olympics was monitored with innovative technology designed and manufactured by ND Metering Solutions Ltd of Bradford.

Several hundred Cube IP 400 internet enabled electricity consumption meters were supplied to the Sochi Winter Olympics in a series of export orders worth a total of £55,000.

ND Metering founder and director, Kris Szajdzicki visited Russia last autumn as part of a trade mission led by business secretary, Vince Cable. Kris said: “The type and volume of equipment supplied allowed organisers to connect into the main power supplies for a whole stadium - the lighting, heating or air conditioning - and plug it into an intranet so real-time data could be interrogated by facilities managers. They could instantly understand what was happening and react quickly if problems occurred.

“This model of the Cube IP 400 enables multiple user access so each person can collect diff erent data relevant to their role such as energy management, demand control and power quality, at the same time. It makes the system versatile and cost-eff ective.”

ND Metering Solutions, which was founded as a partnership in 1965 and became a limited company in 1988, has 36 staff , a £3million turnover and exports its products worldwide.

MeL FAirbourn-vArLeY: Designs on overseAs successMel Fairbourn-Varley is one of Yorkshire’s pre-eminent architectural practitioners designing projects overseas. As international projects director at DWA Architects, York, he works across the European, Arabian Gulf, Egyptian and Chinese markets.

For the last 16 years, Mel has focused on healthcare within assisted living, specialist care and therapy environments.

More recently, his work extended to Southern China after DWA Architects won an international design competition for a large elderly care village in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.

He said: “We plan to develop our exporting in this fi eld by extending collaboration with international academia, professional consultancies, services providers, operators and real estate investors and developers.”

What are his top tips? “Make sure you understand the national culture and research your market. If possible, specialise your product or services and make them unique. Develop close collaborative partners locally which match you exporting ambitions. Also, engage with the market and culture with face-to-face meetings. Lastly, be patient and hold your nerve.”

He says a common misunderstanding among new exporters is that it is “too diffi cult” or that their business is too small.

“As an ambassador, I can help businesses understand how to take the fi rst steps in exporting and how to set themselves apart which is crucial to engage with an overseas market.”

Meet eXport AMbAssADor tonY MAurieLLo Export sales director at specialist fl ooring manufacturer, AIREA PLC, Tony Mauriello, has seen many changes during 25 years in international trade but says the basic requirements are the same.

Italian-born Tony fi rst entered exporting in 1988 for a manufacturer of off set printing machines used by newspapers and magazine publishers. He joined AIREA Plc in 2009.

He said: “15 per cent of our turnover is from exports and we aim to increase this to 30 per cent in three years. We use a combination of distributors and agents and our strategically important markets are Turkey, Poland, The Middle East, and Scandinavia.”

Tony is available to support new exporters in the fl ooring or interior design sectors. His top tips for new exporters are: “Don’t get hung up on language or cultural issues. People want to trade with the UK and expect to do business in English.

“Try to get paid in advance or have credit insurance or a factoring arrangement with a bank. Do not rely on unsafe credit. Export documentation is not diffi cult if you follow the rules and get the right people in place who are experienced in processing an order and shipping it out.

“Finally, research your market - the internet makes this far easier than when I started out - and visit these markets on a trade mission.”

grAhAM bowLAnD oF surgicAL innovAtionsCEO Graham Bowland is among Yorkshire’s most experienced manufacturing exporters.

He joined medical equipment designer and manufacturer, Surgical Innovations, Leeds, as fi nancial controller, and became sole managing director in 2008. Graham said: “There are huge regulatory issues aff ecting what we do, covering Intellectual Property (IP), CE marking and dealing with the US FDA Medical Devices Requirements. Compliances must be delivered from factory level.

“85% of our turnover is exports and the US is our main market. Australia, Belgium, and South Africa, are also important for us. SI products are also in the Middle East, Turkey, Israel, Japan and Hong Kong.”

As a ‘We Are International’ export ambassador, Graham is available to mentor a wide range of manufacturing businesses. He said: “Any manufacturer should be exporting. There are challenges but huge rewards. After research, visit target markets, have face-to-face meetings and get to know people. Be ready for the long haul. Time away from your home and business means that you need the right people and systems in place.

“Be prepared to invest in logistics and customer service. In the US, I won an order for a particular product line worth more than our entire sales for two years. When this happens, you have to know how to cope and watch your production quality, manufacturing capacity, and lead times.

“My advice is get experience in the EU, which due to regulatory, geographical and cultural factors means it is far easier to develop and grow.”

we Are internAtionAL is A cAMpAign LeD bY the LeeDs citY region LocAL enterprise pArtnership (Lep) in pArtnership with ukti Yorkshire AnD huMber, chAMber internAtionAL AnD enterprise europe network Yorkshire. it AiMs to ADD £1.6bn to the LeeDs citY region econoMY bY encourAging More coMpAnies to reALise the signiFicAnt business opportunities oF internAtionAL trADe.

eXporting eXpert trAining to northern ireLAnDA major contract to deliver specialist export training in Northern Ireland has been won by Chamber International.

The contract is from the Northern Ireland regional development agency, Invest NI, part of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment responsible for growing the Northern Ireland economy.

An initial eight sessions of two courses will be run in Belfast covering the essentials of exporting. The training began in March with experts from Chamber International visiting Belfast to deliver open workshops to local businesses. Each session caters for up to 30 people and, if demand grows as expected, more courses will be held throughout Northern Ireland.

Chamber International director, Tim Bailey, said: “We train staff at all levels in large and small companies across the country. It is good news that our expertise, competitive prices and ability to respond to tight lead times has enabled us to win this contract in

Northern Ireland which we hope will lead to more work there.”

Before the downturn more than 400 delegates a year undertook Chamber International training on a wide range of international trade-related subjects and it expects to achieve this fi gure again in the next two years. The company has previously fulfi lled one-off training contracts in France and Holland.

Chamber International also runs the We are International Export Network as part of Leeds City region Local Enterprise Partnership’s We are International campaign. It helps hundreds of new and experienced exporters with a wide range of specialist services to make exporting easier and more cost eff ective each year. It is exclusively partnered with London headquartered global testing organisation, Intertek, to assist with a wide range of issues including product conformity.

Ruth Weston and her husband David own and manage AquaBirths – a manufacturer of installed birth baths. In April 2012, they received their fi rst export enquiry.

The order came from Canberra Hospital, Australia, which was building a new maternity unit and needed fi ve birthing pools. Ruth said: “It was a classic case of a small business winning an order and not really knowing what to do. We contacted Chamber International for help.”

Documentary credit accounts manager, Roy Broadhead, and his team were quick to act and took over the logistics.

Roy said: “We try to help fi rst time exporters avoid some of the pitfalls by working closely with them. Sometimes we become their export offi ce handling orders from start to fi nish until they learn to do it for themselves. AquaBirths products are quite fragile and packaging was the fi rst thing we needed to look at to ensure the baths arrived in one piece.”

Ruth Weston adds: “We could not have managed without Roy and his team at Chamber International. They took care of everything.”

The company has received several slightly easier export orders since which they have been able to fulfi ll on their own with guidance from Roy but Ruth is quite adamant when she says: “For more complex orders, we’ll always go to Chamber International.”

Another successFuL DeLiverY

L–r: roy broadhead, becca skelton, ruth weston, nuala speight, Angela Laughton, and vivienne boey.



16 internAtionAL 17internAtionAL

AvAiLAbLe For these DiscipLines:

raising fi nance and managing cash ■fl ow

recruiting and developing staff ■

Improving leadership and management ■skills

Marketing ■

Attracting and keeping customers ■

Making the most of digital technology. ■

to AppLY, Your business Must:

Have 49 or fewer employees. This ■includes any employees of companies that own a stake in your business

Be registered in England ■

Have been trading for at least one year ■

Not have paid for business advice in the ■last 3 years

Be independent (i.e. no more than ■25% is owned by other businesses or organisations).

You’LL neeD the FoLLowing things to coMpLete Your AppLicAtion:

Companies House registration number ■or unique tax reference

registered business address ■

Business turnover details ■

vAT registration number (if you’re ■registered)

PAYE number (if you have one) ■

Contact phone number ■

Email address. ■

Apply here: http://chmbr.co/2

pLeAse Describe Your roLe.I’m the group managing director overseeing three businesses. The original Private Health Partnership (now known as PHP) – an Insurance brokerage specialising in private healthcare schemes, Red Arc – a care, support and advisory service for those suff ering from a serious illness or injury and Medical Care Direct.

whAt’s the best thing About Your job AnD whY?No two days are the same. It’s so broad and diverse. As Group MD I’m looking at a range of wider opportunities to benefi t the overall group. There are constant developments in medical care so it’s always changing with new things happening all the time.

whAt hAs been the biggest highLight oF Your cAreer?The best moment was celebrating our 25th Anniversary. We gathered all the archived photos, articles, leafl ets and literature together and it felt really good to be looking back. Also – I wrapped gifts for each member of staff and there were over 100 of them! I remember thinking ‘wow, this is incredible’ – from such small beginnings to now providing steady employment for so many people.

whAt hAs been the worst MoMent? how DiD You bounce bAck?After setting up the business, 18 months in, we had a devastating fi re on the premises. It was a horrible experience. It was a few days before we could get back in to recover our fi les and back-up tapes. Fortunately, of the three tapes we had, one of them was recoverable. What made the disaster even worse though was that we had had a very favourable article in the Daily Telegraph the day before the fi re and we had a lot of people trying to get in touch with us on the back of it.

I think it was only through sheer Yorkshire grit and determination (plus pure disbelief that it had happened) that we got through! We thought only in the short term and just got on with what we needed to do each day.

iF You couLD Do AnY job in the worLD, whAt wouLD it be AnD whY?I think maybe some sort of traveller or explorer. I’ve got a natural curiosity about the world. l enjoy trying new food, I love animals and I also love being surrounded by dramatic scenery. I don’t think I’d like to be a travel writer – maybe something more akin to what Michael Palin does!

which business person Do You Most ADMire?There are famous people like Julian Richer, and Margaret Barbour but I haven’t met them in real life. Of ‘real’ business people, I most admire John Goodfellow, the former Chief Executive of Skipton Building Society. He is hugely imaginative and opportunistic in his approach but it’s combined with being immensely practical and blunt speaking – all qualities that I fi nd admirable but rarely combined in one person. It made him a very visionary business leader.

who hAs given You the best piece oF ADvice in Your LiFe AnD whAt wAs it?It was given by an old accountant friend who said at the start of setting up in business “do the very best for your clients and the money will follow”. It’s a principle we still follow today and we’re still here so we’ve proved it to be true. You should always do the right thing.

how is Your coMpAnY heLping brADForD District’s regenerAtion Move ForwArD?We provide secure employment and help our employees to improve their skills. Everyone at PHP has a personal development plan. Some move on elsewhere with their new skills and many others stay but it all helps to improve the local skill base.

whAt is the biggest chALLenge to brADForD businesses?The biggest challenge is the high level of local unemployment. Something that addresses that could be creating more apprenticeships. Get young people into work and help them learn relevant skills on the job – not everyone is an academic.

whAt Are You Looking to Achieve within Your orgAnisAtion in the neXt two YeArs?We’ve just passed the £50million premium income milestone but are still working to improve on that. In addition we will work on developing wider health care services particularly regarding preventative healthcare. I’m very keen too to get the treatment sourcing service more widely known. We want people to know that services like these exist.

whAt’s the best thing About being in business in brADForD?The geographic location is a real bonus for us as we are UK wide and Bradford is right in the middle of the country with excellent transport links by road and by rail. It’s easy for us to get to places and we’re also easy for others to visit!

iF You couLD get DAviD cAMeron to Do one thing, to heLp business, whAt wouLD it be?I’d get him to reduce national insurance contributions for young people to encourage more businesses to take them on. I’m a big believer in nurturing your own talent and promoting from within and this would be a good incentive for others.

how Does chAMber MeMbership beneFit Your business?It assists us with targeting other like-minded Yorkshire businesses and helping to make those connections. I’m very keen on promoting Yorkshire! We’ve also found the training and networking sessions to be very useful. The workshops have been very good to send staff along to and the networking events are ideal for exchanging news without taking the whole day up!

Most LikeLY to sAY:“Just get on with it!” There is no point worrying about the things that you can’t change.

LeAst LikeLY to ever sAY:“I’m tired.” I’ve always got plenty of energy and struggle to sit still for fi ve minutes!

growth vouchersGrowth vouchers offers a 50% subsidy up to a maximum of £2,000 to help small firms employing fewer than 50 people to pay for specialist advice

jAn LAwson oF privAte heALth pArtnership

Spotlight Interview

government has decided to conduct a pilot to test the value of this form of support. As a consequence, applicants will be selected at random to receive a voucher.

ADVERTISEMENT



18 interview 19growth

The rising Stars project helped over 400 local fi rms with their plans to grow, with at least 250 new jobs created as a result and 135 jobs safeguarded. These businesses have received varying amounts of support, ranging from just two hours in some cases to as many as 63 hours of assistance. 170 fi rms have each received a minimum of two days of adviser time and expertise.

This valuable input into the local economy was part funded by Bradford Metropolitan District Council and the European regional Development Fund. It led to an increase of £5 million in gross value added (gvA) in the fi rms where data has been collected – an average of £200k gvA (profi tability) increase for each.

“These impressive results show the value of good quality advice from our hard-working team,” says Carolyn Coleman, business services manager. “In addition to their time and expertise, our advisers have helped around 200 fi rms with various diff erent grant applications and we estimate that these fi rms will have received over £5m in total of grant funding between them.”

Firms that we work with tell us that they are too busy to spend time reading about and understanding the intricacies of diff erent support schemes and whether or not they are eligible. Most businesses take the view that it is more productive to spend their time on selling their wares, rather than trawling the internet looking for grants and support. Yet company owners and managers will usually listen to a trusted adviser who understands the business. If the timing is right for the fi rm, a good adviser can introduce them to just the right kind of support at the time when they need it.

Carolyn adds: “We have received so many thanks from grateful customers who often say they could not have achieved as much without our help. I get feedback from customers all the time, saying that their business adviser has helped with everything from planning to accessing funding. We also get thanks from our colleagues in UKTI, MAS and Leeds City region for the care we take to ensure our customers can get additional expertise and funds.”

Although the rising Stars project has come to an end, Bradford Chamber will still off er advice and information on a vast range of topics to fi rms across the District, as well as continuing to help people who want to start a business or become self-employed.

whY business ADvice works

“Rising Stars helped my dreams to become reality. Dedication, motivation, inspiration and vision are all essential qualities and attributes one needs to have as an entrepreneur but they are meaningless without everything that lays the foundations for a small business to become a reality - a concise, structured and solid business plan, an understanding of the legal implications of what it is you are setting out to do and the financial set up and accountancy involved in the infancy of the business.” russell bisset northern Monk brew co.

cAse stuDYoverALL winner 2013Rance Booth Smith Architects undertake a range of diff erent activities each year. Linda Hollings, director, shares the company’s plans for 2014:

“Here at Rance Booth Smith Architects we are determined to continue and improve on the level and variety of our eff orts.

“We are still working across all four sectors of community, environment, education and employment, but this year we are working particularly closely with Shipley College’s Centre of Excellence and developing our relationship with them. We are:

Committed to two placements within ■the practice for 5-10 weeks for Year 2 games development students, to give them work experience and the opportunity to use their creative skills in 3D modelling and Photoshop in a professional environment. Interviews have been held for this placement and feedback provided giving valuable experience to the students

Supporting students in the preparation ■of Cvs and portfolios, from a prospective employer’s point of view

Providing time for our technical staff ■to visit the students to talk about their work, their personal experiences in entering the world of work and the routes taken

Contributing to the curriculum ■by providing a specifi c modelling assignment based on a current live project which the students undertake at the Centre of Excellence as part of course work. It involves taking the role of a client, explaining the brief and returning to critique the work produced

Sponsoring their sports kits, as seen in ■the photo!

“We are also continuing to take on a number of one week work experience placements for schools and expect to undertake one or more ‘design challenges’ for an Eco House, as last year, for local schools and colleges. We are currently involved in Work Inspiration Week in April and expect to participate again in the Market Challenge.

“The ‘charity of the year’ we have chosen to support in 2014 is Brain Tumour Research and Support across Yorkshire, who provide a network of resources to patients and their families throughout the county. We will be holding several fundraising events during the year, starting with director Allan Booth participating in an epic 1,200km sponsored bike ride from Baildon to the Dordogne!

“Also this year we are sponsoring and supporting the Saltaire ‘Open Gardens’ event, supporting local environmental projects such as ‘Sustainable Saltaire’, and involving ourselves in other activities and events to support our local community, economy and environment. A selection of Shipley College students from creative media, business, and marketing courses will assist with ‘Open Gardens’ and be mentored over the coming months to give them practical experience. We also have two architecture students whose positions are continuing from last year and gaining practical training.

“We continue to purchase and recruit locally, and encourage and support our team in their activities from school governors/trustees to planting trees with the Forest of Bradford and their roles in Sustainable Saltaire CIC.”

rAising the bAr What CSR means to the community!

L-r: james parkins, jeremiah nyachuru, Linda griffi ths and russell bissetraising the Bar was set up to help businesses of all sizes measure their Corporate Social responsibility (CSr) activity and be recognised for their eff orts. But how are your contributions making a diff erence to your community and to your business?

Undertaking CSr initiatives brings circular

results. By helping others you can help your business as well as making a diff erence to future generations. Helping students learn about environmental impact can lead to more environmentally focused employees of the future. Charity fundraising days can support wider medical research and volunteer projects can transform lives in a single day.

recording your involvement is easy to do with raising the Bar. It can help set precedents for other local businesses, showcase what can be achieved and raise your profi le with potential suppliers.

raising the Bar can help your company improve and track its CSr. Contact us today to see how.



20 support 21support

eXpert opinion

cYcLe to work get Fit AnD sAve tAXWith Yorkshire hosting the “Grand Depart” of this year’s Tour de France, the popularity of cycling is sure to increase across the region and country.

But what you may not know is businesses and employees can benefit from tax-free bikes through a Government initiative.

To promote healthier journeys to work and to reduce environmental pollution the Cycle to Work Scheme introduced an annual tax exemption which allows employers to loan cycles and cyclists’ safety equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit in kind.

To get a bike through the scheme, employers must sign up to the scheme which is available through a number of different providers.

Employees can then drop into certified cycle to work scheme bike shops and get a quote for a bike and equipment. Once the employer is confirmed as being on the scheme, the bike and equipment is transferred to the employee as a loan from the employer.

If the employer wants to recover the costs from the employee, the bike can be transferred through a salary sacrifice scheme. However if a business wants to take advantage of the tax and Class 1A NICs exemption, a business can simply buy the cycle and equipment, reclaim the VAT (if applicable), make use of any capital allowances and simply loan it to an employee.

At the end of the hire period, employees may be given the opportunity to buy the bikes for the market value, however this is not an automatic entitlement.

No tax relief is available to the employees for a purchase, so where the price is recovered from salary, it must be deducted from their net salary.

Alternatively, the employer may wish to allow their employees to continue to use the cycles and cyclists' safety equipment you have supplied after the initial loan period has ended, without transferring ownership.

john kinseLLA pArtner wAtson buckLe chArtereD AccountAnts

t: 01274 516700 e: [email protected]

“Cycle to Work Scheme allows employers to loan cycles and cyclists’ safety equipment to employees as a tax-free benefit in kind.”

8.30AM – 4pM, 22 MAY 2014LeeDs uniteD, eLLAnD roAD, LeeDs

100 stALLs, 1000 DeLegAtes.Hundreds of leaders have already signed up to be at Eco-Fair. It’s the biggest environmental exhibition in the North. Drop in for an hour or stay for the day - it’s all free and focused on helping your business.

Some businesses are starting out and want to write their first environmental policy to win contracts. Others have ambitious plans to ditch dirty fossil fuels and run on clean renewables.

everYone wiLL FinD greAt green heLp At eco-FAir.Free seminars run throughout the day. Always popular, pre-registration for each session is essential.

hot topic seMinArsthe A, b, c oF going greenThose new to environmental work often wonder where to start. Three businesses will present short case studies – their real-world stories will help you see how easy it can be.

inFLuence stAFF to MAke sAvingsMitchells and Butlers (operator of over 1500 UK restaurants, pubs and bars) will give us a new understanding of whole-organisation participation. Find out how to get people to change.

energY eFFiciencY MYthbusters FroM MArshALLsWill new lights save you 10%? Marshalls have been there, done it, and worked out the payback from investment from a range of products and services. Learn from their expertise.

business success in A chAnging cLiMAte2014 has already seen wide scale severe weather disruption. It’s time to stop denying climate change. What’s the prediction for Yorkshire? What are the risks and opportunities for your business?

visit the website See a full list of our 30+ topics ■and speakers – from 3D printing to ISo14001

Find out what will be showcased in ■our exciting hands-on demo zone

Check out who has already signed ■up to attend and exhibit

Discover networking opportunities ■for your business.

An award-winning restaurant that was turned down by the banks has expanded into new Leeds city centre premises after receiving further funding from the Business Enterprise Fund (BEF).

Dish, a dining room and cocktail bar, outgrew its original Millennium Square premises just 10 months after opening and needed the funds to expand into the former Anthony’s restaurant on Boar Lane. With competition high to secure the new premises, Dish owner and head chef Eddy Nuttall turned to (BEF) for help.

Eddy said: “When the banks turned me away in 2012, BEF offered its support and Dish was launched last october. In 10 months we became so successful that we had to move into new premises to cope with demand. I turned to BEF again and they quickly provided the funds that facilitated the deposit I needed on the new property.”

He added: “I’ve kept my Millennium Square restaurant which is now “Harry’s Bar and Brasserie” and Dish is now an 80 cover restaurant in a prime Leeds location. If it had been down to the banks, Dish wouldn’t have got off the ground. Less than 12 months on, we’ve expanded and the organisation that believed in us and made it happen was BEF.”

BEF is a social enterprise that is committed to helping the economic development of West and North Yorkshire businesses. With offices in Leeds and Bradford, it has lent millions of pounds across the region since its formation eight years ago, and recently secured a further £6m funding to support regional SMEs.

BEF fund director, Stephen Waud, said: “In less than 12 months of opening the restaurant doors, Eddy demonstrated incredible tenacity and business acumen.”

He added: “The future of the region’s economy depends on the entrepreneurial spirit of people like Eddy and it’s BEF’s role to offer the funding and guidance that supports the businesses and the people that will bring regeneration and security to our towns and cities.”

“new Dish” on the Menu

green business is gooD business

register your Free place today: www.eco-fair.co.uk/attend/

West & North Yorkshire Chamber of CommerceBritish Chambers of CommerceAccredited







West & North Yorkshire Chamber of CommerceBritish Chambers of CommerceAccreditedWest & North Yorkshire Chamber of CommerceBritish Chambers of CommerceAccredited




22 FinAnce 23environMent

when? thursDAY 3 juLY 2014where? brADForD citY stADiuM E3 Bradford is holding a skills and careers event for young people between 14 and 25 years old, linked to the National Skills Show, which is the UK’S largest skills and careers event held annually at the NEC Birmingham, attracting over 70,000 visitors.

Over 800 young people are set to attend the one-day event to discover the wide range of skills, training and apprenticeship opportunities open to them.

Help shape the future and transform lives!

totALLY interActiveBetter than your average exhibition, the Skills Show Experience actively engages with students through hands-on experiences. Need apprentices with a knack for plastering? Let them try it out in the construction zone. Think that gamers could be transformed into computer coders? The technology zone needs you!

This is your opportunity to shout about your industry and inspire the next generation.

Don’t miss out. Register your ‘Expression of Interest’ today.

sponsorshipOpportunities to sponsor the event are available. Contact the E3 team for more information.

visit http://chMbr.co/ss

skiLL up in the citYThe Skills Show Experience is coming to Bradford

“The Skills Show Experience provides young people with opportunities to discover what they are good at and what they enjoy, through interactive activities and experiences helping shape their futures and transform their lives.”“The Skills Show Experience forms part of the European Social Fund Technical Assistance project, awarded to the Skills Funding Agency to promote the European Social Fund. In addition, the programme is co-funded by Skills Funding Agency to deliver the National Careers Service at the events. Working in partnership with The Skills Show premier sponsors City & Guilds, the Edge Foundation and Premier Colleges, The Skills Show Experience provides young people with opportunities to discover what they are good at and what they enjoy, through interactive activities and experiences helping shape their futures and transform their lives.”

the governMent’s pensions’ reForM LegisLAtion cAMe into Force with eFFect FroM 1 october 2012.There are staged implementation dates for automatic enrolment and compulsory employer contributions, with larger employers being required to introduce it fi rst.

The number of employees on an employer’s payroll as at 1 April 2012 is used as the yardstick in all cases with the staging dates for employers with 250 or more employees to implement auto-enrolment stretching up to February 2014, depending on their size.

For smaller employers, the staging dates are based on the number of staff on the payroll as at 1 April 2012:

Fewer thAn 50 eMpLoYeesEmployers who have fewer than 50 employees on their payroll at 1 April 2012 and/or who have set up a PAYE scheme after this date will have a staging date after April 2015.

Fewer thAn 30 eMpLoYeesEmployers with 30 or fewer employees will be required to implement the provisions from January 2016 onwards based upon their individual PAYE Reference number. Please contact your local Chamber for more specifi c information as there are too many individual variations to list -eff ectively within this feature.

Eligible Jobholder

Non-eligible Jobholder (1)

Non-eligible Jobholder (2)

Entitled Worker

Age of UK worker

22 to State Pension Age

16 to 75 16 to 22 16 to 75

Earnings triggers

Above £9,440(2013/14 terms)

Above £5,668 up to £9,440(2013/14 terms)

Above £9,440(2013/14 terms)

Below £5,668(2013/14 terms)

Employer must Auto-enrol Yes No No No

Employee choices May Opt-out May Opt-in May Opt-in

May ask to join a scheme

Employer must contribute Yes Yes Yes No

once eMpLoYees Are enroLLeD into the pension scheMe, ALL eMpLoYers Must:

Pay at least the minimum contributions into the pension scheme on time ■

Allow employees to leave the pension scheme (opting out) upon request ■

refund money paid into the scheme if employees opt out within one month ■

Allow employees to re-join the scheme at least once a year following any ■opt out

Enrol employees back in once every three years if they have opted out ■and are still eligible for automatic enrolment.

QuALiFYing eArningsEmployer and employee contributions into any scheme are based upon what are called “qualifying earnings”. These are either:

The amount you earn before tax between £5,668 and £41,450 a year or ■

Your entire salary or wages before tax. ■

the MiniMuM contributions to be pAiD bY the eMpLoYee Are:0.8% of the amount of “qualifying earnings” rising to 4% by 2018

the MiniMuM contributions to be pAiD bY the eMpLoYer Are:1% of the amount of “qualifying earnings” rising to 3% by 2018

the governMent wiLL ALso MAke A contribution in the ForM oF tAX reLieFs oF:0.2% of the amount of “qualifying earnings” rising to 1% by 2018

eMpLoYers Do not hAve to MAke contributions iF the eMpLoYee eArns the FoLLowing AMounts or Less:£473 per month, £109 per week or £436 per four week period.

Are You reADY For AutoMAtic enroLMent?

entitLeMent For Auto enroLMent 160 to 249 employees 1 April 2014

90 to 159 1 May 2014

62 to 89 1 July 2014

61 1 August 2014

60 1 october 2014

59 1 November 2014

58 1 January 2015

54 to 57 1 March 2015

50 to 53 1 April 2015

cALL the chAMber on 08455 240 240



24 eMpLoYMent 25eMpLoYMent

DesigneD with chAMber MeMbers in MinD. chAMber priMArY heALth proviDes eMpLoYees with Access to:

Cash benefi ts towards routine healthcare such ■as glasses or contact lenses, dental treatment, therapy treatments, and consultations

Diagnostic scanning facilities ■

Employee assistance programme ■

Personal accident cover ■

‘Surgery choices’ service ■

A second medical opinion service ‘Best Doctors’ ■

Westfi eld rewards - a retail discount scheme. ■

cut Your costsAn eff ective absence and risk management tool and a valuable employee benefi t, the Chamber Primary Health Plan could help you to:

reduce absenteeism and related costs ■

recruit and retain staff ■

Improve staff morale, motivation and ■productivity

Encourage proactive employee health ■

reduce the risk of stress and musculoskeletal ■related litigation.

beneFits to Your businessAs well as being a simple programme to implement and administrate, it is also a surprisingly aff ordable benefi t that complements PMI cover. Your employees will consider it a valuable perk that could aid with recruitment and staff retention. The cost could also be off set against corporation tax.

getting stArteDThe Chamber Plan off ers four levels of cover to choose from, starting from just £1.10 per employee, per week. Promote the plan to your staff with:

No qualifying periods ■

100% reimbursement on cash benefi ts, up to set ■limits

No medical required to join ■

Pre-existing medical conditions covered. ■

Peace of mind. ■

Award winning Westfi eld Health is one of the most successful and secure health insurers in the UK with more than 85 years’ experience and over a third of a million policyholders enjoying cover with us.

*The Chamber plan is only available as an employer-paid plan, with options for voluntary upgrades and partner cover via payroll deduction.

heALthY stAFF for a healthy business

Whether it’s

absence you need

to manage, or

recruitment and

retention that

need a boost,

the exclusively

available

Chamber Primary

Health Plan* has

been developed

in conjunction

with the British

Chambers of

Commerce to

meet your needs.

You’ve Done the work. MAke sure You get pAiD For it. The Chamber’s credit management and debt collection service is off ered by an experienced Yorkshire company. remove the hassle of dealing with poor payers and free up your time to concentrate on winning new business.

For Debts up to £3000 there is no cost to You.

Improve your cash fl ow ■

reduce late payment ■

Mitigate bad debt ■

Free up valuable staff time ■

Keep control with online monitoring 24/7 ■

Save the normal £200 registration fee. ■

Let Your bAD Debts becoMe A thing oF the pAst.

For more information or to access this service call 08455 240 240

Debt recoverY

Don’t let your business get

knocked out by bad debt.

cALL the chAMber on 08455 240 240



26 sAvings 27sAvings

weLcoMe to our new members

chAMber connectmember to member special offers

10% DISCOUNT FOR THREE MONTHS*

Vishay PM Onboard LtdT: 01274 771177E: [email protected]: www.vishaypg.com*Terms and conditions apply

Who prints what and where? How much does it cost your business?

A free Print Audit will give you the answers

T: 01274 652410E: [email protected]: www.abs-print.co.uk

Surplus stock in perfect condition at discounted rates.Includes surveillance mirrors for shops or factories & rear view mirrors for trucks

01274 546732 www.avsuk.co Ashtree Works, Brownroyd Street, Bradford BD8 9AF

Pins Bespoke Tailoring10% discount on bespoke tailoring for men and women

M: 07846 659 669

E: [email protected]

W: www.pinsbespoke.co.uk

10% discount on bespoke tailoring for men and women

A perfect fi t made with 100% Yorkshire fabric

A & r Pest Control5 Bardney Road HUNMANBY YO14 0LX

A and B Heart of glassUnit 37 Commerce Court Challenge Way BRADFORD BD4 8NW

ActionCoach38 Valley Road SCARBOROUGH YO11 2LU

AMA LtdThe Round Foundry Foundry Street LEEDS LS11 5QP

Andrew Jackson SolicitorsInnovation Centre York Science Park YORK YO10 5DG

Atkins Solutions Ltd128 Peckover Drive Pudsey LEEDS LS28 8EG

Audley Clevedon retirement villageBen Rhydding Drive Ben Rhydding ILKLEY LS29 8AQ

Betton Design LimitedBetton Business Park Racecourse Road SCARBOROUGH YO13 9HD

Bluesmith Information Systems LtdBluesmith Information Systems Ltd The Forge 122 Millshaw LEEDS LS11 8LZ

Bradford UNESCo City of FilmDesign Exchange 24 Peckover Street Little Germany BRADFORD, BD1 5BD

Brand My Clothing LtdUnit 1E, Hockney Road, Industrial Estate, BRADFORD, BD8 9HQ

Brass AcquireMoorfi eld House Alma Road Headingley LEEDS LS6 2AH

Burton KitchenwareBurton House 8 Church View MENSTON LS29 6EX

C2 Events LtdThe Coach House 10 Andrew Street WAKEFIELD WF1 3QH

Cades LtdUnit 3 Victoria Road Industrial Estate Eccleshill BRADFORD BD2 2DD

Caerus Infosys LtdPark House Park Square West LEEDS LS12PW

Campfi re Pr158 West Park Drive West LEEDS LS8 2DA

Carers’ resourceUnit 15 Park View Court St Paul’s Road SHIPLEY BD18 3DZ

Cerberus Advisory Services13/14 Park Place LEEDS LS1 2SJ

CK Cycle Maintenance & repair66 Oxford Avenue Guiseley LEEDS LS20 9BX

Commerson Estate ManagementUnit 6 Feast Field HORSFORTH LS18 4TJ

ComNet Europe Ltd8 Turnberry Park Road Gildersome Morley LEEDS LS27 7LE

Cunliff e-Lister Consultants LimitedMarch Hare Cottage KIRKLINGTON DL8 2NG

Cyanx LtdUnit 1 South View Business Park Ghyll Royd GUISELEY LS20 9LT

Discovery Inn Hotel15 Bishop Gate Street LEEDS LS1 5DY

Dossor MCAHeworth House Melrosegate Heworth YORK YO31 0RP

DrS Safety12 Well Croft OTLEY LS21 1JJ

Eager JohnstonPH009, The Phoenix Centre Lord Mayors Walk YORK YO31 7EX

Elevation recruitmentNo 1 Leeds 26 Whitehall Road LEEDS LS12 1BE

EMD UK Ltd3rd Floor Oaktree House, 408 Oakwood Lane LEEDS LS8 3LG

Expense reduction Analysts6 West End Drive Horsforth LEEDS LS18 5JZ

Fast response First Aid Training20 Summerville Road Stanningley LEEDS LS28 6EL

FES SurveyingCliff ord Chambers 4 Cliff ord Street YORK YO1 9RD

First 4 Skills1 Hayland Street SHEFFIELD S9 1BY

Firstnet Solutions Ltd4 Valley View Hough Side Road Pudsey LEEDS LS28 9PB

Flanders Investment & TradeEmbassy of Belgium 1A Cavendish Square LONDON W1G 0LD

Focus Insolvencing groupSkull House Lane Appleybridge WIGAN WN6 9DW

Freeth Cartwright LLPSuite 217 West One 114 Wellington Street LEEDS LS1 1BA

gateley LLPToronto Square Toronto Street LEEDS LS1 2HJ

gaunts LimitedHilltop Commercial Centre Houghley Lane Bramley LEEDS LS13 2DN

gaunts Limited52 Springfi eld Bagley Lane Farsley LEEDS LS28 5LY

gFS CateringMain Street Addingham ILKLEY LS29 OLZ

glenmore Consultants LtdApollo House Eboracum Way Off Heworth Green YORK YO31 7RE

good Counsel LimitedOrchard House 3 Beechwood Court BEDALE DL8 2EJ

Hallam SolicitorsLower Ground Floor 21 Otley Road LEEDS LS6 3AA

Hangover Ltd T/A Dalesway Hotel1 Leeds Road ILKLEY LS29 8DH

Harrogate, the international Business SchoolHornbeam Park Hookstone Road HARROGATE HG2 8QT

Harworth Estates LtdAMP Technology Centre Waverley ROTHERHAM S60 5WG

Heron Import & ExportBlake House 18 Blake Street YORK YO1 8QH

Hiscox3rd Floor, Mallard House Kings Pool 3 Peasholme Green YORK YO1 7PX

Homemaids Cleaning Services Ltd66 St Catherines Hill Bramley LEEDS LS13 2LE

I & I Marketing Ltd6 Foxhill Drive LEEDS LS16 5PG

Imagine IT Consultants88 Lower Wortley Road Lower Wortley LEEDS LS12 4SN

Infomatrix Enterprise Solutions LtdSaunders House 52-53 The Mall Ealing LONDON W5 3TA

Intelligent Decisioning LtdDunkirk House Moorside Road BRADFORD BD11 1HB

J.C. rathbone Associates LimitedSuite 1A 14 King Street LEEDS LS1 2HL

Javier Castilla15 Queen Square LEEDS LS2 8AT

Jermyn Consulting (Business Continuity) LtdElliot Park Innovation Centre Barking Way NUNEATON CV10 7RH

John Lewis YorkUnit C Vangarde Way YORK YO32 9AE

John M rukin1 Sizers Court Henshaw Lane YEADON LS19 7DP

JT Electric38 Ascot Drive BRADFORD BD7 4NW

JTS Cushions LtdUnit C Gresley Road KEIGHLEY BD21 5JG

Keogh Planning9 Fountayne Street YORK YO31 8HN

Keystone virtual AssistantDarrington Road East Hardwick PONTEFRACT WF8 3DS

La BohemeCross York Street LEEDS LS2 7EE

Lakeside Mechanical & Electrical Services LtdUnit 26 Commerce Court Challenge Way, Cutler Heights Lane BRADFORD BD4 8NW

Leeds Children’s Charity6-8 York place LEEDS LS1 2DS

Leeds Environmental Design Associates LtdMicklethwaite House 70 Cross Green Lane LEEDS LS9 0DG

Light Space Photography9 Queenswood Road LEEDS LS6 3NH

LIMSI LtdUnit 1, College House Park Lane LEEDS LS3 1AA

Macchiato ProductionsPhoenix Centre Lord Mayor’s Walk YORK YO31 7FX

Maharaja Fabrics Ltd36 Cemetery Road Four Lane Ends BRADFORD BD8 9RY

Martinfi tFlat 6 1 Dock Street LEEDS LS10 1NA

Minimise LtdMinimise Ltd, 7 Gemini Business Park Sheepscar way LEEDS LS7 3JB

MM Consulting5 Langton Court Scarcroft Road YORK YO24 1BF

Mobile Technology LtdUnit 40 Commerce Court Challenge Way BRADFORD BD4 8NW

Mudd & Co5 Peckitt Street YORK YO1 9SF

N.J. geddes Fine Jewellery ConciergeMill 6 First Floor Mabgate Mills LEEDS LS8 1HS

New view Systems LtdOffi ce 7, City Hub 9-11 Peckover Street BRADFORD BD1 5BD

North Yorkshire Construction Training group33 St James Meadow Boroughbridge YORK YO51 9NW

Nouveau LashesNouveau House Barnsley Road PONTEFRACT WF9 2HR

Now and Then groupThe Phoenix Centre York St John University Lord Mayors Walk YORK YO31 7EX

NSF Controls LimitedIngrow Bridge Works KEIGHLEY BD21 5EF

NTr LimitedUnit 372A Avenue E East Thorpe Arch Estate WETHERBY LS23 7EG

online ventures51 Lever street The Hive Core B - 4th Floor MANCHESTER M1 1FN

opus Design13 Harris Street Little Germany BRADFORD BD1 5HU

Patchett group (Homes & Joinery Ltd)Ryefi eld House 180 Highgate Road Queensbury BRADFORD BD13 1DS

PB CurranYork House Outgang Lane Osbaldwick YORK YO19 5UP

PecoUnit 12 Springfi eld Commercial Centre FARSLEY LS28 5LY

Phase Consultancy408 Oak Tree House Oakwood Lane LEEDS LS8 3LG

Pins BespokeMidland Hotel Forster Square BRADFORD BD1 4HU

Place Architecture26 Westgate LINCOLN LN1 3BD

Poker Dot Limited103 Tempest Road LEEDS LS11 6RD

Produmax LtdThe Old Tannery Station Road OTLEY LS21 3HX

Propaganda LtdCalls Wharf 2 The Calls LEEDS LS2 7JU

ProTec Covers Ltd4 Guy Street BRADFORD BD4 7BA

QuodPark House Park Square West LEEDS LS1 2PW

rabb-ITThe Tannery 91 Kirkstall Road LEEDS LS3 1HS

rebecca gooch Career CoachingFernbank Half Mile Lane LEEDS LS13 1DA

rebuilding Society16 Queen Square LEEDS LS2 8AF

rheolab LtdThe Clock Tower Westfi eld Industrial Estate Kirk Lane YEADON LS19 7LX

rudding Park Hotel & golf resortFollifoot HARROGATE HG3 1JH

Sarah Smith Family LawPrinces Exchange 2 Princes Square LEEDS LS1 4HY

Saxton PartnersWindsor House Cornwall Road HARROGATE HG1 2PW

Serious Accident Lawyers LtdOffi ce 14 Bradford Chamber Business Park New Lane BRADFORD BD4 8BX

Shoonique Ltd T/A Poppy red11 The Moors Shopping Centre South Hawksworth Street ILKLEY LS29 9LB

Shortlister Solutions Ltd18 St Pauls Terrace YORK YO24 4BL

Signet Planning LtdRowe House 10 East Parade HARROGATE HG1 5LT

Silkscreen Europe LtdPO Box 229 ILKLEY LS29 1AA

Simon BaynesUnit 25, The Raylor Centre James Street YORK YO10 3DW

Smart Financial PlanningRyder House 45a Hall Drive BRAMHOPE LS16 9JF

Sports Bulk Suppliers LtdUnit 11 Birksland Industrial Estate BRADFORD BD4 8TY

St James Place19 Lamplands BATLEY WF17 0LL

Steven Martin74 Cedar Glade Dunnington YORK YO19 5PL

Taste Cuisine LtdUnit 413 Birch Park Throp Arch Estate Birch Park WETHERBY LS23 7BJ

The Sign groupVictoria Works Bruntcliff e Road Morley LEEDS LS27 0LF

Tyro TrainingCrescent House Keighley Road SKIPTON BD23 2LP

value Doors UkValue Doors Uk Value House, Unit A Confederation Park Low Fields Way LEEDS LS12 6HQ

vanarama4 Primrose Lane Calder Grove WAKEFIELD WF4 3DD

Whiteghyll Plastics Ltd3 City Road BRADFORD BD8 8ER

Whitewall ServicesSuite 127, The Ron Cooke Hub Baird Lane Heslington YORK YO10 5GA

William Birch & Sons LtdLink Road Court Osbaldwick YORK YO10 3JQ

Wilmore Finance Ltd15 Buckingham Street LONDON WC2N 6DU

WincantonPrologis Park Newhall Way BRADFORD BD5 8LZ

Winters & Abel Consultancy Ltd10 Keel Moorings Rodley LEEDS LS13 1PR

Woodspeen Training LtdHoward House 3rd Floor Bank Street BRADFORD BD1 1EE

Works Ltd102 Kirkstall Road LEEDS LS3 1JA

Yorkshire Sculpture ParkWest Bretton WAKEFIELD WF4 4LG

Zetechtics LimitedMain Street AMOTHERBY YO17 6TA

Your ADvert

here cALL 08455 240 240

view oFFers onLine

www.chamber-connect.co.uk



28 DirectorY 29chAMber connect

The most complete communications provider in the UK

Your business is at the centre of everything we do...

Mobile Voice & Data

Hardware Recycling & Refurbishment

Telephone Systems & Call Recorders

ICT, Audio/Visual & Tannoy Solutions

YOUR BUSINESSHi-Resolution Video Solutions

Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery

Highly Qualified Installation, Maintenance & Support Team

Calls, Lines & Connectivity

TO OUR NETWORKYOUR KEYWest & North Yorkshire Chambers of Commerce Directory 2015

Don’t miss this red hot opportunityto showcase your business in theBEST local business to businessdirectory around

Thousands of business people meet anddo business with each other through

Chambers of Commerce networking events eachyear. Advertising in the Chambers of CommerceDirectory of Members is another importantopportunity to raise awareness of yourcompany amongst the businesscommunity in West & North Yorkshire.

Head of Membership Services

To discuss your advertisement today call Sales at Kemps Publishing on: 0121 765 4144 or contact us via e-mail at: [email protected]

“”

■ Bradford Chamber of Commerce & Industry■ Leeds, York & North Yorkshire

Chamber of Commerce

For illustrative purposes the 2014 edition of the West & North YorkshireChambers of Commerce Directory of Members is pictured above

■ West & North Yorkshire Chambers of CommerceDirectory 2015 advertising sales campaign is open forbusiness from 31st March to 9th May 2014 giving youthe chance to promote your business to the Chamberof Commerce network of around 3,100 localbusinesses – and beyond.

■ The Chambers of Commerce Directory is theindispensable Members’ Handbook; a valuable benefitof Chamber of Commerce membership.

■ The Directory provides a detailed guide to Chamber ofCommerce services as well as full listings for theChamber of Commerce membership.

■ Directories are mailed direct to nearly 2,200 memberbusinesses.

■ Interesting, useful and relevant content ensures thatMembers keep and refer to their Directory throughoutthe year.

■ Member businesses are spread around the West &North Yorkshire region.

■ Directories are sent to all major UK Chambers ofCommerce and all major UK public libraries.

■ 300 copies are sent to partner organisations in 140countries across the world: Chambers of CommerceOverseas, Overseas Diplomatic List, OverseasExhibition Centres.

■ The 2015 edition of the Chambers of CommerceDirectory will be published in October 2014.


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