KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees21, December, 2010

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Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

DONNA NEWTON COLIN BARRATTEnterprising ambitions

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Taxing t ime l imits

Co lumn - Page 4

FTSE 100+19.86

5891.61An EXAMINER publication

Road tosuccessA MAJOR supplier tothe car industry haschosen a Mirfieldmarketing agency tosupport the UK launchof a new range ofproducts.Vehicle electricalsspecialist Hellaselected Purebrand tohelp introduce its newdiagnostics technologyfor cars andmotorbikes to potentialcustomers amongdistributors, garagesand workshops.Purebrand’s campaignincluded tailoredproduct brochures anda seven-month tradeadvertising campaign.

PowersourceCONCRETE supplierReadymix Huddersfieldhas achieved solidsuccess.The company hasbecome the firstindependentready-mixed concreteproducer in the countryto gain BRE BES 6001Responsible SourcingCertification – coveringit sites at Huddersfield,Brighouse, Skipton andSheffield.

Christmas rush forbusy pie companyA PIEMAKER in Huddersfield isworking almost around the clock tomeet demand for pies, pasties andsausage rolls this Christmas.

Andrew Jones (Pies) Ltd is workingflat out to keep the shelves stocked inmore than 70 supermarkets acrossYorkshire and scores of high streetbutcher’s shops.

Founder Andrew Jones said: “Thisis our busiest time. During the lastweek in December, we can do theequivalent of four weeks’ turnover. Wewill use eight tons of pork this weekwhen normally the average would beone ton.

“We have stepped up productionand we will work longer hours – we arealmost at 24-hour production. Wecannot work too far in advancebecause our reputation is for fresh-ness.”

The company is able to meetdemand thanks to its £200,000 invest-ment in a new factory – but it is asuccess story tinged with sadness.

On Good Friday last year, the com-pany was rocked to the core by anexplosion at its premises in Old LeedsRoad, in which employee David Colewas killed.

Through the traumatic times thatfollowed, customers stayed loyal tothe family-run firm as it graduallysought to rebuild the business and findways to continue manufacturing.

The company and its 30-strong staffmoved into a 6,500sq ft unit at Queen’sMill Road and began manufacturingat the site in May.

“It was a former cheese factorywhich had been mothballed,” said Mr

Jones. “It had been empty for 12months.

“We had been making pies at ourold premises in Brighouse to lookafter some of our loyal customers. Wewere just making pork pies.

“Once we got these premises, wehauled in a lot of equipment from OldLeeds Road, but there was no gas onsite and not enough power. Webrought in a huge generator to run alot of the machinery and a couple offreezers.”

The company engaged a specialistfood factory design consultancy to

advise on a new layout for the site.“Things did not happen as quickly

as we wanted because the biggestproblem was getting power,” said MrJones. “We could not do a lot of workuntil after Christmas.”

While settling into the premises, thecompany also looked at re-brandingand packaging for its products sup-plied to the Yorkshire supermarkets ofAsda, Tesco and Morrisons.

Andrew Jones worked with Busi-ness Link on a design-and-demandproject which led to the firm calling inThe Individual Agency, based at Her-

itage Exchange, Lindley, to devise abrand image for its packaging andwebsite.

The company now supplies 11product lines to Asda alone – rangingfrom its traditional pork pies andCornish pasties to steak pies, meat andpotato pies, steak and ale pies andindividual pie ‘n’ peas.

Following the re-branding, sales toAsda’s 23 Yorkshire stores rose by30%. “Our sales in Asda are doublewhat they were a year ago,” said MrJones. “We started supplying Tesco atthe beginning of October and salesthere are increasingly every week. Wenow supply 25 Tesco stores as well asabout 20 Morrisons stores.”

Mr Jones believes the onset of a newage of austerity is feeding a demandfor “comfort food” such as pies andpasties.

He also believes the firm can growfrom its Yorkshire heartland to otherUK regions. “We aspire to going fur-ther afield,” he said. “We have set upthe factory to that end. We can showpotential customers a proven salesrecord and we have achieved accredit-ation with organisations such as theBritish Retail Consortium.”

While pursuing national sales,Andrew Jones is strengthening locallinks. The firm has worked with OssettBrewery to produce a steak and ale pieusing the brewery’s Treacle Stout forsale at The Hop, a real ale pub underThe Arches in Leeds. It is now talkingto other breweries about similaropportunities.

■ THE PIES HAVE ARRIVED: Pie maker Andrew Jones in his newpremises at Queen's Mill Road, Huddersfield

Retailers benefit from multi-channel shoppingYORKSHIRE retailers who tradeonline are reaping the rewards, accord-ing to a new report.

Business advisory firm Deloitte saidaverage transactions were more than8 0 % h i g h e r w h e r e s o - c a l l e d“ m u l t i - c h a n n e l c o n s u m e r s ”researched products online, used cata-logues or contacted call centres before

buying – rather than just shopping instores.

Almost a quarter of Yorkshire con-sumers are also shown to be influencedin their spending by retailers’ websites,proving the power of the internet forretailers – whether or not the transac-tion is completed online.

The report found that multi-channel

consumers spend 82% more per trans-action than a customer who onlyshops in store. The average expendit-ure for multi-channel customers onclothing, home and electrical categor-ies is £116 per transaction against £64for store-only customers.

Dan Butters, retail specialist atDeloitte in West Yorkshire, said: “The

commercial imperative for retailers totackle multi-channel and the incentivefor getting it right is clear.

“The multi-channel consumer isparticularly well- informed about theproducts they buy and this greaterconfidence is resulting in a highervalue and a higher volume of pur-chases”.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICES

Local shares

FTSE closed at

5891.61up 19.86

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.49 dollarsBangladesh................. 103.54 takaBrazil.............................. 2.38 realsCanada....................... 1.50 dollarsChina ............................. 9.26 yuanCzech Republic ...... 27.36 korunasDenmark....................... 8.36 kroneEuro............................... 1.13 euroHong Kong................ 11.47 dollarsHungary ................... 288.23 forintsIndia.......................... 62.13 rupeesJapan........................... 124.07 yenMexico ....................... 17.16 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.95 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.86 kronePakistan.................. 125.35 rupeesPhilippines ................. 59.00 pesosSouth Africa................... 9.93 randSouth Korea.............. 1563.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 162.98 rupeesSweden....................... 10.15 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.43 francsTaiwan ...................... 40.67 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.24 new liraUSA ............................ 1.48 dollars

Carclo 2211/2 -11/2Chapelthorpe 24Marshalls 105 -31/2National Grid 563 +11Weir Gp 1811 +21

Workers set to walk outWORKERS at food giant Heinz areto stage two more strikes before theend of the year in their dispute withthe company over pay.

Unite said around 1,200 of its mem-bers at the firm’s site in Wigan weredue to stage a 24-hour walkout from6am today and again before the end ofthe month.

The workers went on strike lastweek after rejecting a two-year payoffer of 3.3% and 3%, with Uniteclaiming that two million cans werelost from production.

Unite national officer JennieFormby said: “The company isshamefully trying to smear this work-

force as grasping for more cash eventhough, year on year, they haveworked extremely hard to deliverwhacking great profits for Heinz.

“With Heinz’s profit marginsextremely healthy at 37%, the workersrightly feel that the company is vastlywealthy and can easily afford to helpthem meet the spiralling costs of liv-ing.

“Heinz’s refusal to do so is madeworse when they continue to showerrewards on managers and the share-holders. The hypocrisy of 15%bonuses for well-paid managers butwage freezes for ordinary workers isstaggering.”

Power firm in 2012Olympics contractA UK firm was unveiled as theexclusive power supplier for theLondon 2012 Olympic and Para-lympic Games after securing a £37million contract.

Glasgow-based Aggreko said ithad also been signed up as a sponsorfor the Games after securing thepower deal from the London Organ-ising Committee.

Aggreko’s contract cheer followsits work on the Beijing 2008Olympics and the World Cup, whichsaw the group deliver 259 generatorsand chillers, 525 kilometres of cableand more than 1,200 distributionpanels to the 11 football sites.

The 2012 Olympic contract willsee it provide around 220 megawattsof power - more than the 160 mega-

watts supplied for the BeijingGames.

Aggreko delivered power across37 venues for the Beijing Olympics.

But its work at the World Cup wasits largest ever events contract byvalue and Aggreko raised profitexpectations last Friday as it saidwork on the football tournamentboosted first-half revenues by nearly£29 million.

Turnover in the events divisionsoared to £85 million from £48.5million a year earlier, helping drive a19% rise in interim profits to £127.1million.

As well as the strong performanceat the World Cup, Aggreko enjoyeda boost in trade from the VancouverWinter Olympics, Glastonbury

Festival and the US Superbowl.At the Vancouver Winter

Olympics, its North American busi-ness supplied more than 1,800 elec-tr ica l panels, 750 electr ica ltransformers and 500 miles of cable,servicing 52 venues.

The group, which has alsoprovided temporary power for theEurovision Song Contest and theUK and US golf Open Champion-ships, joined the FTSE 100 Index inDecember last year after a strongrun for its share price.

The business was founded in Hol-land in 1962 and set up its UK armin Scotland in 1973. It now has morethan 5,000 staff worldwide in over144 locations.

Tata acquires UK salt giantA MAJOR supplier of salt for use infood manufacturing and watersoftening was today sold in a £93million deal with Indian conglomer-ate Tata.

British Salt, which producesaround half of the UK’s pure salt atits facility at Middlewich in Cheshire,will become part of Tata Chemicals’Brunner Mond business, the UK’sonly soda ash and sodium bicarbon-ate producer.

The deal – subject to regulatoryclearance – comes three years afterthe private equity arm of LloydsBanking Group backed manage-ment in the acquisition of the BritishSalt business from its US owner.

Around 125 people are employedat British Salt, which also sells arange of white rock and brown rocksalt for de-icing purposes.

Chief executive Bill Thompsonsaid the combination with North-wich-based Brunner Mond providedthe firm with a “major opportunity”to achieve further growth in itschosen markets.

The deal means Lloyds has exitedseven firms this year worth around£800 million. It has a portfolio ofmore than 60 companies valued inexcess of £2 billion and has investednearly £250 million this year in 10companies.

TOY designer andmanufacturer HTI saidsales of its JCB-brandedrange of toys helped itachieve record revenuesin the six months toSeptember 30.

The Lancashire-basedbusiness, which makestoy under licence fromchildren’s TV and filmcharacters and otherwell-known brands,posted interim revenuesof £42.4 million, up 20%on a year earlier.

HTI is the UK’s largestindependently owneddesigner andmanufacturer ofchildren’s toys.Brandsinclude Ben 10 andPeppa Pig.

Taking agambleSHARES in onlinebetting firm 888 Holdingshave soared by about20% after it confirmed itis in talks to be bought bylarger rival Ladbrokes.

888 Holdings saiddiscussions were in "theearly stages", and therewas "no certainty" thatLadbrokes would make aformal offer.

Ladbrokes added thatit had yet to decide theterms of any dealproposal it may make to888 Holdings.

Ladbrokes is one of theUK’s largest bettingcompanies.

It has 2,220 shops anda website operation.

888 Holdings is asolely internet-basedbusiness.

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £27.72 -0.65Gannett 990.78 -7.09Hess Corp £48.15 -0.48Microsoft 1797.85 -0.81Motors Liquidation 48.35Wal-Mart Stores £34.83 -0.25

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 2011/2 -21/2BAE Systems 3271/2 +21/2Rolls-Royce Gp 637 +7

AIMBrady Plc 65Dawson Intl 13/4Man Brnze 591/2 +31/4

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 2171/4 +1/2

BANKSBarclays 261 +11/4HSBC 6563/4 +11/4Lloyds Banking Gp 667/8 +3/8Ryl Scotland 381/2 +5/8Stan Chart 17521/2 +181/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 1196 +16SABMiller £221/2 +1/8

CHEMICALSCroda 1577 +8Elementis 98 1333/8 +1/8Johnsn Mat £201/2 +1/8

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 3133/4 -1/2Costain 2073/4 +1

ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 3703/8 +111/4Intl Power 4391/8 +41/8Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1200 +15

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 1673/4 +11/8

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 374 +2

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1871/8 +43/4Cable & WirelessComm

511/8 -3/8

Cable & WirelessWwide

691/2 +1

Colt Group 1307/8 +1/2KCOM 58 +1Talktalk Telecom 1681/4 +17/8

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2645/8Sainsbury 3731/4 +11/8Tesco 4301/8 -31/4

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1128 -5Nth Foods 611/2 -1Tate Lyle 5351/2 -11/2Unilever 1969 -3Uniq 71/4 +1/8

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3351/4 +43/4National Grid 563 +11Pennon Grp 641 +7Severn 1452 +16United Utils 586 +1/2

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 3303/4 +21/4

ICAP 538 +1London StockExch 8381/2 +151/2Man Group 2965/8 +25/8Provident Financial 860 -51/2Schroders 1831 +48Schroders NV 1440 +42

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 6391/2REXAM 3313/4 +53/4Smiths Grp 1251 +16

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 193/4 +1Carphone Whse 403 +1Dixons Retail 227/8 -11/2Home Retail 1921/8 -43/4Inchcape 3503/4 -1/4Kingfisher 257 +15/8M & S 3727/8 -21/2Mothercare 615 -111/2Next 1968 -17WH Smith 502 -51/2

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 6561/2 +1

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 90 +2Barrat Dev 85 +1/2Persimmon 4087/8 -33/4Reckitt Benckiser £36 +1/4Taylor Wimpey 291/2 +11/4

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 829 +17I M I 9391/2 +1

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 3963/4 +71/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION

BBA Aviation 2151/4 +3/4Forth Ports 1385 -5

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 390 +41/8Lgl & Gen 99 -1/4Old Mutual 120Prudential 6711/2 +1Resolution 235 +21/8Standard Life 2101/4 +1/4

MEDIABSkyB 7331/2 +51/2Chrysalis 1591/2 +11/4D Mail Tst 5611/2 +3ITV 711/2 -5/8Johnston Press 12 +1/2Pearson 1016 -1Reed Elsevier 528STV Group 110 -21/4Trinity Mirror 693/4 +3/4Utd Business 679 +21/2UTV 133 -33/4WPP 7861/2 +31/2Yell Group 13 +1/4

MININGAnglo American £313/8 -1/8Antofagasta 1547 +17BHP Billiton £251/8 +1/8Eurasian NaturalRes

9991/2 +7

Fresnillo 1547 +9Kazakhmys 1578 -5Lonmin 1889 +16Rio Tinto £441/4VEDANTARESOURCES

£24 -1/4

Xstrata 1455 +51/2MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 6861/2 +11/2Vodafone Group 1701/4 +1/4

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1561 +10RSA Insurance Gp 1243/4 +5/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 13311/2 +7BP 4691/8 +2Cairn Energy 4201/4 +11/2Royal Dutch Shell A £203/4Royal Dutch Shell B £205/8Total £333/4 +1/8Tullow Oil 1251 +16

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1159 +4Petrofac 1551 +38

Wood Group 5381/2 -3

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1132 +2

PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGYAstrazeneca £293/8Axis-Shield 2631/2 -51/2GlaxoSmithK XD 21/2Shire 1516 -14

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 525 +9Captl Shop Cent 4197/8 +21/4DTZ Hldgs 361/2 +1Hamrsn 4211/2 +17/8Land Secs 655 -2SEGRO 2951/4 +3/4

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1520 -23Invensys 3513/4 +5/8Logica 1281/4 +3/4Misys 3141/4 +51/8Sage Group 275 -3/4

SUPPORT SERVICESBunzl 728 +41/2Capita 7021/2 +2Davis ServiceGroup

4261/4 +41/4

De La Rue 8491/2 +1/2Electrocomp 2681/2 +1/2Experian 813 -1/2G4S 2525/8 -1/4Hays 1273/4 +11/2Homeserve 4541/4 +5/8Menzies J 460 +5Rentokil 981/8 +1/4Smiths News 1181/2 +21/2Wolseley 1968 +9

IT HARDWARE

ARM Hldgs 3921/8 -17/8Psion 971/2 -1/2Spirent Comms 1497/8 -21/8

TOBACCO

Br Am Tob £245/8 +1/8Imperial Tobacco 1955 +14

LEISURE & HOTELS

Brit Airways 2651/4 -5Carnival £28 +3/8Compass Grp 5821/2 +31/2easyJet 4271/4 -67/8Enterprise Inns 1163/4 -7/8FirstGroup 3951/4 +21/4Go-Ahead Gp 1318 +8Greene King 4821/2 -87/8Intercontl Htls 1249 +15Ladbrokes 126 -11/2Mitchells & Butlers 3503/8 -41/2Natl Express 2421/2 -1/4PartyGaming 212 -45/8Rank Org 1381/2 +43/8Stagecoach Group 2081/8 -53/4TUI Travel 2371/4 -11/4Whitbread 1801 -4

INDEXFTSE 100 5891.61 +19.86

INDEXFTSE 250 11433.11 +6.33

A toy storysuccess

■ POWERED UP: London’s Olympic stadium

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

DonnaNewton

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Managing directorAge: 34Holidays: Gran CanariaCar: Peugeot 207First job: Working at abakery in PenrithBest thing about job: Ienjoy the independence andmeeting peopleWorst thing about job:You don’t have too much timefor yourself.Business tip: Aim high

Work: Business ser-vices/domestic cleaning andhandyman serviceSite: HuddersfieldPhone: 07725 164604Email: www.domestic-angel.co.ukWebsite: www.directbusi-ness support ltd.co.uk

Direct BusinessSupport Ltd/Domestic Angel

Donnasetsthepace

BUSY Donna Newtonadmits to being somethingof a workaholic.

The HuddersfieldUniversity graduatealready runs DirectBusiness Support,providing servicesincluding businessplanning, part-time financedirector support,book-keeping, payroll, andsecretarial support.

But just weeks ago, shealso launched DomesticAngel, a domestic cleaningand handyman service,after spotting a gap in themarket. As well as homes,the service coverscommercial clients,including offices andshowrooms.

The services range fromdomestic cleaning andironing, to gardening, smallrepairs, washing cars,clearing gutters and evenassembling flat-packfurniture.

Donna says: “DomesticAngel has been going foreight weeks. It was a spurof the moment decision –an idea that just came tome. I seem to get my bestideas when I’m asleep!

“I decided to give it a go.And I will put 100% intomaking it a success.”

And she adds: “I havemore ideas in the pipeline.”

Donna was brought up inthe Lake District, whereher father had his ownbuilding business.

At the age of 18, shemoved to Huddersfieldwhen she went touniversity to studyaccountancy. She latergained her ACCAqualifications and got a jobwith accountancy firmMazars in September,1999.

“I was there for aboutthree years and I got a lotof experience under mybelt working in areas likeauditing, charities andpensions,” says Donna.

She also enjoyed aparallel career – as abouncer at a nightclub. “Iused to work behind thebar at Hot Shots inHuddersfield,” she says,“Then I moved on to thedoor staff at Visage. Therewere a few unpleasantthings, but you aregenerally there to helppeople and to make surethey get their taxis safely.Nobody wants to have theirnight out ruined bysomeone being obnoxious,so we had to deal withthat.”

Donna’s attention is nowentirely focused on herfledgling businesses.

“Direct BusinessSupport calls upon myaccountancy experience,”she says. “Firms cannotalways afford a full-timeaccountant. Typically, Iwork for small firmsowner-managedbusinesses and providesupport on an ad hoc basis– but I have also workedfor a £4m turnovercompany.”

Donna can call on arange of associates whosespecialist areas includebook-keeping, payroll,accountancy, qualityassurance, stock

management, businessplanning and humanresource management inareas as diverse asengineering, retailing,charities, foodmanufacture, textiles,property, and marketing.

Clients range from arecruitment agency and arestaurant to a high streetstationer and an installer ofair conditioning equipment.

Says Donna: “Somepeople are scared oftackling accountancymatters and can makemistakes. You can save alot of money and worry byhanding it over to someonewho knows what they aredoing.

“Most of my clients areprimarily in Huddersfield,but I do have clients furtherafield.

“I’m working pretty much24-7. When I set up thebusiness, I envisagedhaving three or fourholidays a year and lots oflong weekends – but I havenot had a holiday for ages.I’m working too hard!”

At school, Donna alwayswanted to be anaccountant.

“My father ran his ownbusiness so theaccountant used to comeround. I used to watch overhis shoulder to see whathe was doing. I wasfascinated by figures.

“I did my workexperience at anaccountancy practice whenI was 16 before doing myA-levels and going touniversity. I knew exactlywhat I wanted to do.

“My father would let mehelp with the book-keepingsometimes. Even as ayoungster I always lovedthe office environment. Iused to go to my father’soffice during schoolholidays and sit in theoffice and have a bash onthe typewriter!”

Says Donna: “Because Ihave worked in an officeenvironment, I have a tidymind and I’mwell-organised. In someways, I’m a workaholic. I’veeven been known to work

on Christmas Eve and NewYear’s Day.”

Donna also enjoysworking in Huddersfield.

“I went to the KirkleesBusiness Conference andthe Examiner BusinessAwards this year and I wasamazed at the diversityand quality of businessesin the area,” she says.“There are companiesdoing all sorts of things.”

As a graduate fromHuddersfield University,Donna is also keen toencourage more youngpeople to becomebusiness-minded – andbelieves they have a lot tooffer in terms ofenthusiasm and newideas..

Donna also works hardin her leisure time,enjoying “boxercise”sessions at the GalpharmStadium leisure centre.She also enjoys meals atDa Sandro’s Restaurantand Discovery Bay.

And being busy doesn’tmean you can’t socialise.

“I attend networking

events,” she says. “Youcome across a lot ofpeople who aregenuinely nice andwant to help you. Ialways say you don’tbuy the product, youbuy the person.

“You get to knowpeople and trust themand that’s howbusiness relationshipsare built”.

■ LIVING THE DREAM: Donna Newton, of Direct Business Support Ltd, says shealways wanted to be an accountant and enjoyed the buzz of the office environment

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KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

TAXTALKColin Barratt

Colin Barratt is tax partner at Wheawill and Sudworthchartered accountants, Huddersfield

Question timeraises charity cashMORE than 150 members of insolvencytrade body R3 and their guests took partin a quiz to raise almost £1,000 forbreast cancer charity The Haven.The event was held at the Marriott Hotelin Leeds and was attended by businessprofessionals from throughoutYorkshire, including insolvencypractitioners, accountants and lawyers.Karen Casey, member of the R3Yorkshire region committee, said: “Itwas a great opportunity for ourmembers to network and socialisewhilst also raising money for a veryworthwhile charity.”

Energy andenvironmentKIRKLEES companies have beenurged to enter the Environmentand Energy Awards.The annual competition recognisesexcellence and innovation insustainable business practices.And there are two new categoriesfor the 2011 contest – the BestEnergy-Efficient RefurbishmentAward and Best Energy SupplierCustomer Service Award.Eleven other categories includeones for the Energy Manager of theYear, Environmental Manager of theYear, SME Award for EnergyEfficiency, Sustainable Business ofthe Year and EnvironmentalProduct/Service Award.The winners in the 2010 awardsincluded McDonald's Restaurants,Tesco and Bovis Lend Lease.Winners of the 2011 competitionwill be announced on May 24 at anawards ceremony at the NationalMotorcycle Museum inBirmingham.The closing date for entries isJanuary 14, 2011.The shortlist will be announced inMarch.Visit www.sustainabilitylive.com forinformation on awards criteria andentry process.

Here’s yourchance to saythanks to PAsOUTSTANDING personal assistantswill get the recognition theydeserve in the Yorkshire PA of theYear Awards.But nominations need to be inbefore the end of the year.The Queens Hotel in Leeds, whichorganises and stages the event, hasstarted the search for PAs inorganisations of all sizes who workhard to keep the wheels of businessin motion.David Kanarens, general managerat the hotel, said: “PAs are worththeir weight in gold and are oftenthe unsung heroes in a company,so we wanted to acknowledge andhonour them by way of our awards.“Anyone can nominate a PA theythink is worthy of an award – andwe’re confident that we’ll getinundated with nominations fromcompanies and organisationsthroughout Yorkshire who want togive them special recognition.”There are six awards up for grabs,including the lifetime achievementaward, the above and beyond awardand the coveted PA of the Year.The winners will be announced atan awards ceremony on Thursday,February 10, at The Queens Hotel.Entries can be made online atwww.qconferences.co.uk andshould be in no later than NewYear’s Eve.

Prescriptions forbusiness successMEMBERS of the Hudders-field Town Enterprise Academywelcomed a representative ofone of the town’s leading com-panies when they held theirsecond meeting at GalpharmStadium.

The academy, which issponsored by law firm Chad-wick Lawrence, heard fromJ o h n C h a m b e r l i n , o fLinthwaite-based Thornton +Ross, who delivered a presenta-tion on the leading interna-tional pharmaceutical business.

He also posed three chal-lenges to members meeting inthe Fantastic Media Suite afterdescribing the rise of several ofthe company’s leading brands.

They include the firm’sRadian B muscle rub – thebrand displayed on Town’s awayshirt.

About 100 delegates tooktheir seat at the stadium afterapplying to join the Hudders-

field Town Enterprise Academyfree of charge.

Town commercial directorSean Jarvis said: “The secondmeeting of the HuddersfieldTown Enterprise Academy wasa superb success.

“I would like to thank JohnChamberlin for giving such anengaging presentation. I cer-ta in ly know more aboutThornton + Ross now!”

Said Mr Jarvis: “Once again,the feedback from this meetinghas shown me how useful theacademy is in providing deleg-ates with a lot of really usefulbusiness information.

“This is just another steptowards cementing Hudders-field Town's position as a hubfor businesses in the Kirkleesarea.

The next meeting will takeplace on February 8, 2011.

Go to:www.htafccommer cial.com

■ ENTERPRISE: John Chamberlin (left), of Linthwaite-based Thornton + Ross,with Town commercial director Sean Jarvis

Tax deadline loomingSOME important dead-

lines are looming on thehorizon for thousands ofKirklees businesses.

The January 31 Tax Returnfiling deadline for the submis-sion of individual, partnershipand trust tax returns to HMRevenue & Customs for the yearended April 5, 2010, is gettingever closer.

For those who have yet tosubmit their returns, urgentattention is required in order toavoid automatic late filing pen-alties.

The penalty for submitting alate return is £100. This isrestricted to the lower of £100 orthe amount of tax outstandingfor 2009/10.

For partnerships whose busi-ness tax return is not submittedin time, a £100 penalty per part-ner will be levied which is notrestricted.

Returns will need to be sub-mitted to the Revenue onlineusing their own internet site orcommercially approved soft-ware.

If you intend using the Rev-enue’s site for the first time, youwill need to register with them assoon as possible to be able to fileand meet the filing deadline.

At this stage, returns sent inpaper form will, in all but themost exceptional circumstances,attract a late filing penalty.

Submitting the tax return in

time will stop the automatic latefiling penalty, as will makingsure that all tax due for 2009/10is paid by January 31.

Except for partnersh ipreturns, where the penalty ispayable whether tax is paid bythe individual partners or not.

Late paid tax will be subject tointerest charges with the currentinterest rate being 3%.

A 5% surcharge will be addedif any tax for 2009/10 remainsoutstanding at February 28.

For those struggling to paytheir tax due to the effects of therecession, it may be possible toarrange with the Revenue to paythe tax over an agreed period oftime.

You will need to contact theRevenue’s Business PaymentSupport telephone centre on0845 302 1435.

HMRC can only agree to sucharrangements for those whogenuinely are unable to pay infull and on time.

For those having previouslybeen helped by this service,

HMRC will ask more in-depthquestions to ensure that you canmeet any new payment agree-ment and future payments.

For some who have a taxliability of more than £1,000there may also be a requirementto make payments on accounttowards the current year’s taxbill at the same time as makingthe balancing payment for2009/10.

If this becomes the case, eachpayment on account is automat-ically 50% of last year’s tax billand is payable on January 31and July 31.

If income falls, each paymenton account can be reduced to50% of the expected currentyear’s tax bill.

If income goes up and the taxbill will be more, the paymentson account do not have to beincreased, but of course, comeJanuary 31, 2012, it will be catchup time, so you may want to puta bit aside to avoid having toraid the piggy bank or get intoarrears with the Revenue.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Agency providesthe drive for Hella

A GLOBAL supplier to the auto-motive industry has chosen a Mir-field-based marketing agency tosupport the UK launch of a newrange of products.

Vehicle electricals specialistHella selected Purebrand to helpintroduce its new diagnostics tech-nology for cars and motorbikes topotential customers among distrib-utors, garages and workshops.

Purebrand’s sales and marketingcampaign included a series oftailored product brochures for thefield sales team and a seven-monthtrade advertising campaign.

The success of the launch inGermany means the material isnow being translated for use inSpain – with the intention of rollingit out across Europe.

Purebrand managing directorSimon Ryan said: “This is a majorproject for Hella and a key part ofthe company’s plans to grow theUK operations, so it’s an excitingtime to partner such an innovativeand respected brand.

“While Hella is already a bigname in vehicle lighting, as theHella range continues to expand,our job is to build the company’sprofile across its other productareas, ensuring that Hella becomesequally well-known for diagnosticsequipment and vehicle compon-ents.”

Hella managing director DarrenRobinson said: “Having workedclosely with Purebrand for manyyears, I know that we can workwith them to develop sales andmarketing material, the PR andstrategy to assist us in offering acomplete product launch anddevelopment solution.

“With the right product and theright marketing, we are confidentthat Hella will become one of theleading diagnostics suppliers by2013.”

The automotive sector is increas-ingly becoming a specialist sectorfor Purebrand, which has alsodeveloped campaigns across theUK, Europe and North Americafor the world’s largest manufactur-ers of brake friction, TMD Friction– as well as suppliers of motor oilsand suspension.

The team at Purebrand is also setto work with Hella across its widerbusiness operation, which includeslighting systems, vehicle electron-ics, air conditioning and cooling.

Purebrand, formed in 2000,provides services including market-ing consultancy, online and offlinebrand strategy, research and con-sumer insight, creative, digital mar-keting and web development aswell as print and public relations.

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Far fromstandardpracticeFOOD businesses inKirklees are getting help toprepare for a new nationalinitiative.The Food StandardsAgency is introducing anew Food Hygiene RatingScheme which will make itcompulsory for all foodbusinesses to publishtheir hygiene ratingsnationally and clearlycommunicate them toconsumers.Since the launch of thescheme, previously knownas Scores on the Doors,regional food groupdeliciouslyorkshire hasbeen advising its memberson how to prepare for theaudit.Support available fromdeliciouslyorkshireincludes a pre-auditcovering food hygiene andsafety and confidence inmanagement – resulting ina point rating based oncurrent FSA guidance anda list of recommendedactions.The organisation is alsooffering a Food SafetyManual, which can bepurchased as it is orpersonalised to suit thecompany’s needs to helpachieve the highest rating.Catherine Riley, ofdeliciouslyorkshire, said:“It is key for consumers tohave the ability to accessinformation onbusinesses’ food safetyand hygiene standards.“The introduction of thisuniform measure will allowcustomers to easilycompare differentrestaurants across thenation.“Preparing for the auditcan be a lengthy process,but deliciouslyorkshire areable to help with everystage of the audit process,from the preparationstage, to recommendedactions and personalisedfood safety manuals.”Contact Catherine Riley atdeliciouslyorkshire.

■ STEPPING UP: Purebrand managing director Simon Ryan said it wasan exciting time to be partnering Hella

Yorkshire Water wins team prizeYORKSHIRE Water’s IT team hastriumphed in a national competi-tion.

The company beat off big namerivals including Avis Europe,Procter and Gamble and CapitalOne Bank to win the IT Team of theYear in the UK IT IndustryAwards.

The awards are recognised as theb e n c h m a r k f o r e x c e l l e n c ethroughout the computer industryand focus on the contribution ofindividuals, projects, organisations

and technologies that have excelledin the use, development and deploy-ment of IT in the past 12 months.

The categories are open to organ-isations and individuals involved inIT across the public, not for profitand commercial sectors.

Alan Harrison, director of IT atYorkshire Water, said: “This awardis recognition for the incrediblecommitment and hard work whicheach and every member of the teamdemonstrates on a daily basis.

“IT supports everything we do asa business and plays a huge part inhelping the company deliver thevery best service it can to customerseach and every day.

“Everybody here is immenselyproud of what we’ve achieved sofar.

“But we’re always looking for newways of improving and next year ourcommitment and determination willbe as strong as ever to try and retainthis title and continue to support thebusiness and our customers as bestwe can.”

Yorkshire Water’s IT team hasbeen behind a number of hugeadvancement in the company’s his-tory, including enabling it to operateall of its waste water and clean watertreatment works remotely from itsheadquarters in Bradford.

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Getting web connectedBUSINESS people inHuddersfield will spin ayarn or two at an informalnetworking get-togetherearly in the new year.The next meeting of theFirst Friday Club will beheld from 12.30pm to1.30pm at The BarkingSpider in Albion Street,Huddersfield.The club was set up toprovide a friendly

atmosphere for town centrebusiness people to meetand discuss a variety oftopics without thepressures to come up withleads and referrals thatfeature at some moreformal networking events.For more details, emailKrishna Patel, ofaccountants Revell Ward atkrishna.patel@revellward.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 6

Polar warmsto trainingA CAR dealership with operationsin Huddersfield has shown acommitment to training byrecruiting five apprentices acrossits north of England dealerships.Polar Ford, part of Ford Retail UKGroup, has recruited its latestbatch of five apprentices on to theFord Masters ApprenticeshipProgramme – with one apprenticeeach at dealerships inHuddersfield, Castleford, StHelens, Stockport andWarrington. This brings PolarFord’s total commitment to 16new apprenticeships this yearalone.Each apprentice is workingtowards becoming a qualifiedlight vehicle technician. FordRetail has a total of 66 learners atvarying stages of theirdevelopment within the group.Jeremy Smiddy, learning anddevelopment manager for FordRetail, said: “Ford Retail iscommitted to supporting the FordMasters ApprenticeshipProgramme. We look to securelong- term commitments from theapprentices and to grow the skillslevels within the dealership toensure the dealership is wellprepared for the future.

Driving home the road safety messageBUSINESS drivers are committingmore driving offences year onyear, according to a report by LexAutolease.

A study performed on a sampleof 130,000 vehicles, by the UK'slargest company car provider,shows that the total number ofdriving-related fines has surged by10% over the last year with anaverage of 110 offences reportedto Lex Autolease every day.

Almost a third of company carand vans drivers have committeda driving offence in the last 12months – with a third (32%) ofthose being hit with a speedingfine.

Four out of 10 offenders havecommitted a parking offence,while the biggest individualincrease was for unpaidcongestion charges. Some 7% ofdrivers fail to pre-pay before

entering London city centre.Steve Osborne, head of fleet

management at Lex Autolease,said: “We manage the largest fleetin the UK on behalf of businessesall over the country, so we capturea huge amount of data onmotoring offences.”

Lex Autolease argues that themain increase in offences isdriver-related, yet it is the businesscommunity that often counts thecost either by not passing on thefines or suffering from downtimeincurred by the employee and thevehicle.

Said Mr Osborne: "It's hard toquantify how large that total costmay be, but clearly it's significantand unnecessary at a time whenbusiness are looking to pare backon expenses.

"These are costs that Britishbusinesses should really be

getting under control and tacklingthrough better employee and fleetmanagement.

“Driver education is crucial andcompanies need to invest in theseareas to minimise costs, accidentrates and downtime.”

Lex Autolease has compiled alist of “high risk” drivercharacteristics to identify andprioritise for training.

They include high businessmileage, long working hours andshift working, employees usingprivate vehicles for business,drivers using high-performancecars or sports cars, drivers under21 years of age and drivers whohave held a full driving licence forless than two years.

Others include foreign nationalswith little experience of driving inthe UK and employees with pooraccident and claims histories.

Christmas?Time for work!ONE in three small businessowners will work on Christmas orBoxing Day this year, according toa survey.The results of the poll carried outby business information websiteFreeIndex.co.uk among 160 UKcompany bosses suggests thatmany find it difficult to switch offfrom work – even during thefestive period.Martin Turner, managing directorat FreeIndex, said: “Many smallbusiness owners are feeling thesqueeze this year and are workingaround the clock to keep theirheads above water.“Unfortunately this often meansputting in extra hours during theholiday season.“As an aside to work pressures,the ease with which remoteworking allows us to access theoffice from home, means thetemptation to answer work phonecalls or emails during theChristmas period is greatlyincreased.”But Mr Turner pointed to a studyby Cancer Research UK, whichsaid that working too much canlead to a negative impact on healthand mental well-being.The charity said that 38% ofworkers are unhappy with theirwork/life balance.Said Mr Turner: “It’s important totake time out and switch off fromwork for your own well-being.“It’s worrying that a third of UKbusiness owners are riskingburnout by continuing to work thisChristmas, rather than taking awell-earned break with friends andfamily”.

Experts’ rallyingcall to the regionYORKSHIRE business leaders are unitingbehind calls for a “common sense” businesspolicy to strengthen the regional economy.

Experts from employers’ group the CBI, aleading regional chamber of commerce andbusiness advice firm Deloitte met to discusshow to rally businesses to review their procure-ment policies to benefit local and regionalmanufacturing businesses and the environ-ment.

The weakened pound, near record highfreight charges and carbon incentives – togetherwith increasingly competitive UK products anda desire to keep UK plc growing – are behind thecall to shorten supply chains and source morecomponents and supplies as close to home aspossible.

Andrew Palmer, regional director of the CBI,said: “Never before has there been more reasonto buy British – and from within the region if atall possible.

“The growth of the economy and future jobcreation could be given a massive boost by evena small increase in the percentage of goodssourced here.

“We are urging firms to invest time in refresh-ing supplier databases to try and find newtrading relationships here in the region.

“We aren’t pretending that every componentor material can be found on your doorstep, butwe do know that there are many instances wherea little time spent on research could deliverefficiencies for the buyer, reduce costs andbenefit the local and regional economy, and thatis just sensible.

Many billions are spent by Yorkshire firms,public sector bodies and other organisationseach year.

Just a 10% rise in regionally sourced suppliescould boost the economy dramatically andcreate thousands of extra jobs at a time whenpublic sector job cuts make them more desper-ately needed than ever.

David Raistrick, head of manufacturing forDeloitte in West Yorkshire, said: “It has nevermade more sense for Yorkshire businesses tobuy raw materials, components and even fin-

ished products locally.”He said the Leeds City Region, which

includes Kirklees, had thousands of diverse andcompetitive manufacturing companies.

“The UK is still the sixth largest manufactur-ing base in the world and accounts for 15% ofUK GDP,” said Mr Raistrick.

“We play a significant part in this story andhave successful manufacturers all over theregion that could be key to Yorkshire’s eco-nomic recovery.”

Gary Williamson, chief executive at theLeeds, York and North Yorkshire Chambersaid: “Local authorities and government bodies

must adhere to strict competitive guidelineswhen it comes to procurement, but a keycomponent of these is environmental impactand the shorter the distance from maker toconsumer the lower the carbon impact of theproduct.

“While we can never be self sufficient, we tendto forget that businesses here manufacture ahuge range of products and if we all look tosource closer to home where possible we willcreate jobs, reduce carbon emissions and keepmore of our money flowing around the UKeconomy”.

■ LOCAL ANGLE: Gary Williamson (left), chief executive at the Leeds, York and NorthYorkshire Chamber; David Raistrick (centre), national head of manufacturing at Deloitte; andAndrew Palmer of the CBI

■ SPEED TRAP: Businessdrivers must take more care

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 7

Demand picksup for ‘big sheds’AFTER its worst performance onrecord during 2009, Yorkshire’s bigshed market has bounced backfrom the brink of despair, says areport.

The study by agency LambertSmith Hampton showed thattake-up for the second half of 2010is 57% higher than last year’s totalannual figure of 1.17m sq ft.

Rob Whatmuff, regional head ofindustrial and logistics for LSH,said: “No matter how inevitable,the dramatic fall in take-up lastyear from the dizzy heights of 2008proved extremely challenging forYorkshire’s big shed market.

“Thankfully, 2010 has broughtabout an impressive change in for-tune – with total take-up standingat 2,771,705sq ft.”

He said: “Driven by an unyield-ing desire to reduce overheads andincrease profit margins, the retailsector has dominated a large partof the region’s occupational activ-ity.

“Supermarkets, departmentstores, discount and internet retail-ers have commanded a massive79% share of the total take-upduring 2010. This is in stark con-

trast to the 34% achieved lastyear.”

Earlier this month, Debenhamssigned a lease at Sherburn 667, a666,898sq ft unit at Sherburn Dis-tribution Park, near Leeds – rep-resenting the largest deal for overtwo years.

The summer was also particu-larly active for online retailers –who continue to outperform theirtraditional high street rivals – withA m a z o n a n d A s o s t a k i n g415,000sq ft at First Point BusinessPark in Doncaster and 530,000sq ftat Crossflow 530 in Barnsleyrespectively.

Discount retailer Poundworld,which has its headquarters atBirstall, also acquired a 204,250sqft unit with 10,000sq ft of addi-tional offices in Normanton.

The momentum shows no signsof abating as the year end drawscloser, with Next signing up at IMProperties’ 122,519sq ft unit atWest Moor Park in Doncaster.

Said Mr Whatmuff: “It’s nosecret that retailers are fiercelycompetitive and keen to takeadvantage of the best bargains inorder to drive efficiencies.

“The historic oversupply of bigshed units across Yorkshire hasprovided an opportunity for themto acquire brand new buildings atsignificantly reduced prices – thelikes of which many will have neverseen before, nor will they for asignificant period of time if the

trend continues.“While fantastic news for the

region, commercial property is notself-sustainable and the big shedmarket can only continue toprosper so long as there is suffi-cient product to satisfy the bur-geoning demand.

“When you consider there areonly 13 units capable of accom-modating a total of 2.9m sq ft ofspace across Yorkshire – equatingto less than 15 months’ supplybased on five year average annualtake-up – the future begins toappear a little less rosy.

“With a diminishing supply ofstanding stock and no speculativedevelopment underway, the marketis heading towards an acute short-age of space in the medium term,which is likely to have an upwardeffect on rents going forward.

“Retailers who are consideringrationalising their supply chainnetwork should look to mobilisetheir property strategy soonerrather than later, particularly assales growth is expected to beseverely curtailed next year owingto the impending rise in VAT”.

■ REVIVAL: Rob Whatmuff, ofLambert Smith Hampton

Propertytrouble atthe doubleINVESTORS in Yorkshire have beendealt a double blow following theGovernment’s decision to increasethe business rate multiplier – andscrap empty rate exemptions forowners of small business unitsfrom next year.Richard Wackett, head of rating forproperty consultancy LambertSmith Hampton, said: “This is a bigblow for developers and investorsof all sizes.“The problems of the occupationalmarkets have beenwell-documented since the marketcollapsed in 2008, but theintroduction of full empty ratecharges has not encouragedregeneration and development aswas intended. The one savinggrace was the small propertyexemption.”Following the introduction of 100%empty rate charges in April, 2008,the Labour Government gave reliefin 2009 to empty properties with arateable value of below £15,000.This relief was carried forward into2010/11 following the ratingrevaluation, but only where the newassessment was less than £18,000.Said Mr Wackett: “The relief washelpful to investors where demandwas very low and where propertiescould be split into relatively smalloccupational units, but now theoptions for those looking tospeculate on a return to growth inproperty values are much morelimited.”In a second blow, the new UniformBusiness Rate multiplier is set toincrease by almost 4.6% from41.4p to 43.3p for most properties.Business is bracing itself forhigher local charges andsupplementary rates as theGovernment tries to give localauthorities more tax raising powersin the wake of heavily reducedGovernment grants andrestrictions on Council Taxincreases.“The outlook is bleak for councils,but the ability to raise more moneyfrom business in their areas islikely to prove difficult for localauthorities to resist,” said MrWackett.

Company meetshigh standardsA CONCRETE supplier inHuddersfield has achieved a UKfirst.

Readymix Huddersfield, basedat Red Doles Lane, has becomethe first independent ready-mixedconcrete producer in the countryto gain BRE BES 6001Responsible SourcingCertification.

The certification covers all fourof the firm’s operating sites atHuddersfield, Brighouse, Skiptonand Sheffield.

Readymix Huddersfield are partof the Myers Group, afamily-owned group of companiesproviding products, services andmaterials to the constructionindustry. The group operates fromsites throughout West Yorkshire.

The Building ResearchEstablishment Environmental andSustainability Standard, BES 6001for responsible sourcing ofconstruction products, isrecognised worldwide as settingthe framework for assessing,measuring and improvingsustainability and environmentalperformance.

The standard includesrequirements for the company andits supply chain to operatecertified quality, environmentaland health and safety standards –

as well as setting meaningful andmeasurable policies, targets andobjectives covering a wide rangeof sustainable and environmentalissues.

They include energy use andgreenhouse gas emissions,resource use, waste management,water extraction, lifecycleassessment, transport impacts,employment and skills and localcommunities.

Readymix Huddersfield hassigned-up to the BritishReady-mixed ConcreteAssociation’s Sustainability andResponsible Sourcing Targets.

They include reducing energyuse in production by 7.5% from2008 figures by 2012 andreducing production and transportCO2 by 15% from 2008 figures by2012.

A spokeswoman said: “TheMyers group is committed toproducing the most sustainableproducts available within eachspecific sector of its business,while working with its supply chainpartners to develop and introduceresponsible sourcing, quality,environment and health and safetymanagement systems, certifiedstandards and directives”.

■ WARNING: Richard Wackett saysrating issues will come to the fore

■ SOURCE CONTROL: Ian Valentine, general manager ofReadymix, Huddersfield, with the certificate

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS movers and shakers Page 8

Julie Kenny

YorkshireForwardA DIRECTOR of an award-wining firm makingsecurity equipment has been appointed to chairregional development agency Yorkshire Forward.

Julie Kenny, managing director ofRotherham-based Pyronix Ltd, takes over fromcurrent Yorkshire Forward chairman TerryHodkinson and will hold the post until theagency closes in March next year.

She is a board member of Creative Sheffieldand Yorkshire Forward as well as chairing thegovernors at Maltby Academy and Mount StMary’s College. Ms Kenny is a commissionerwith the UK Commission for Employment andSkills as well as being chairman and director ofthe British Security Industry Association.

Ms Kenny was appointed a Deputy Lieutenantfor South Yorkshire in 2005 and in 2006 receivedan honorary doctorate from Sheffield HallamUniversity. She had a successful career as alitigation lawyer in local authority and privatepractice before founding Pyronix Ltd.

They’re wellconnectedA CREATIVE agency in Huddersfieldhas been highly commended in theprestigious Marketing IndustryAwards.

The SHARP Agency, formed lessthan a year ago and based at theMedia Centre, NorthumberlandStreet, was recognised in theStart-Up of the Year category for itsway of working – Co-Create bySHARP – which helps it developcampaigns to connect customers andbrands.

Founder Richard Sharp said: “Ourexperience and observations told usthat clients were looking for a newapproach to their marketing andespecially how they worked with theiragencies.

He said: “Customers are no longerengaged by a brand interruptingthem. Customers are now more likelyto accept a brand that inserts itselfmeaningfully into their lives. Thecustomer wants to be involved, theywant to input their ideas and seethem used.”

Mr Sharp said the approach hadhelped the agency attract clientsincluding Chrysler, Jeep, NHSSheffield and the National Union ofStudents.

Co-Create by SHARP worked bygetting the agency deeper into theclient’s business, customer, andmarketing issues and meant its workas a result had a greater relevance.Rather than work on a brief inisolation, the agency involved allinterested parties to co-create ideasthat could be developed.

YorkshireBuilding Soc

Richard Wells

YORKSHIRE Building Societyhas appointed Richard Wells asgeneral manager for risk.

Mr Wells (pictured) hasworked at a number of majorbanks and joins the YorkshireBuilding Society from LloydsBanking Group where he wasthe risk director for the group’s£345bn mortgage business.

Mr Wells, 46, who hails from Leicestershire, isa Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.

He said: “I am very pleased to start my newrole with the Yorkshire Building Society.

“Having spent my career within the lendingand risk areas of a number of major institutions,I hope that I can add value to what is alreadyan exceptionally strong general managementand board team at Yorkshire Building Society”.

Mark Horsley

Northern GasNetworksYORKSHIREMAN MarkHorsley, 51, has beenappointed chief executive ofNorthern Gas Networks.

He takes up the post in thenew year and succeeds BasilScarsella, who was recentlyappointed chief executive officerof UK Power Networks, inLondon.

Both Northern Gas Networks and UK PowerNetworks are owned by the Cheung KongGroup, based in Hong Kong.

Mr Horsley (pictured) is currently a partner atEC Harris, an international built assetconsultancy. Before that, he was a director atScottish Power.

York-born Mr Horsley began his career as anapprentice with the North Eastern ElectricityBoard. He rose through the ranks to becomepresident and chief operating officer of CEElectric UK in 2003.

“I am excited to be joining Northern GasNetworks”.

New website’shealthy option!AN accountancy firm is taking thehealthy option.

Huddersfield-based charteredaccountancy firm Walker & Sutcliffehas unveiled a new website to enablelocal businesses to connect withthem.

And it is offering free businesshealth checks to celebrate thelaunch.

Managing partner Nick Ledgardsaid: “What the company’s previouswebsite lacked in functionality hasbeen more than made up for in thestyle and simplicity of the vibrantnew facility.”

The new site is backed up by socialmedia platforms – with Walker &Sutcliffe now available on Twitter andLinkedIn offering support to localbusinesses.

To mark the launch of the website,Walker & Sutcliffe are offering busi-nesses free business health check.

The health checks, which usuallycost £550 plus VAT include half-dayreview, summary report and present-

ation.The business health check will

review a company’s current financialsituation, including training and fin-ancing as well as reviewing its mar-keting performance, customer base,employees and profit generation –and indicating areas for improve-ment.

Said Mr Ledgard: “It’s amazinghow far we have come since wedecided to update our previous web-site.

“We have developed a digital pres-ence which is a hub of businessinformation. In the coming months,we will be uploading guides to helppeople in all stages of their businesseslifecycle.

“In addition, we will be creatinginteractive client areas to providesolutions to clients’ business issues.

“We have put business advice andaccounting in one place. Account-ancy should be about more than justdoing the accounts. We offer ourclients more”.

■ NET INCOME: Nick Ledgard (left) and ElliottThompson of Walker & Sutcliffe

Society’s new president

HUDDERSFIELD Law Society has a newpresident.

Jeremy Garside, senior partner atChadwick Lawrence, is pictured receivinghis chain of office from predecessorSarah Young, managing partner at Ridley& Hall.

Mr Garside, who is also managingpartner at Chadwick Lawrence’sHuddersfield office, said: "I'm honoured toassume the position of president and lookforward to a prosperous 2011 for the law

firms of Huddersfield."The society represents the interests of

law firms form the Huddersfield.Mr Garside took up the position of

senior partner at Chadwick Lawrenceafter more than 20 years with the firm.

Having focused solely on themanagement of the business for severalyears, he is now responsible for thecontinued success of ChadwickLawrence, which is billed as Yorkshire’sLegal People.