KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS The business NEWS paper for Kirklees 14, August, 2012 INSIDE ● Full story - Page 6 ● Full story - Page 8 RICHARD LAY Full interview - Page 3 Still going for gold Column - Page 5 An EXAMINER publication Firm bags new site A KIRKLEES company has moved to bigger premises – to cope with an increase in sales. Duvalay owners Liz and Alan Colleran are moving their firm from Staincliffe Mills in Dewsbury to larger premises in Quarry Road, Gomersal. The company creates a range of memory foam mattresses and an innovative memory foam sleeping bag used by caravanners, holidaymakers and , truckers. Racing certainty A TEAM from employment law specialist Howarths took part in their first 10k race to raise more than £500 for charity. Now they have been bitten by the running bug and are planning to take part in a second race.They were sponsored for their efforts in the 10k Great Manchester Run and raised £521 for the West Yorkshire Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice at Bradley. PHILIP STEPHENSON examiner.co.uk The most trusted news brand in the business FTSE 100 -15.23 5831.88 Helping hand means Peter’s fit for business A BUSINESSMAN has battled back from disability to open a new chapter in his career. When Huddersfield man Peter Mar- tin suffered a stroke 10 years ago, it had a profound impact on his physical and emotional wellbeing – eventually bringing his job as a payroll clerk working in a hotel to an end. It also left him with several disabilit- ies, in addition to the sight and hearing impairments he had acquired as a child. Now with support from Ingeus, which delivers the government’s Work Programme, he has formed his own company, called Bookkeeping Aid, which makes use of his considerable accountancy skills. Now he’s busy signing up new cus- tomers looking for assistance with their financial affairs – from private individuals and sole traders to small companies. “Following my stroke, I wanted to return to work just as soon as possible, but making the best recovery I could was my top priority,” said Peter. “I then applied for dozens of jobs, but had to give an honest answer when the application forms asked about my ability to communicate – on a practical level, I have obvious barriers. However, I am determined to ensure this does not get in the way of me succeeding once again.” Ingeus, with offices in Huddersfield town centre, helped Peter develop his IT and social media skills, including learning how to tweet and blog, so that he could promote his new business in innovative ways. Ingeus also helped Peter develop his company by producing business cards, letterheads and other promotional items. Now that word is getting around, he is signing up customers and is finan- cially self-sufficient. “Peter was referred to us by Job- centre Plus, and our role was to explore with him the best way forward,” said Ingeus adviser Stephanie Pogson. “It was clear his numeracy skills were excellent and this was where his heart lay. We jointly agreed to investig- ate how he could become self-employed and from there it just snowballed. The result is that he’s not only doing the job he loves – he’s also running his own business.” Said Peter: “Ingeus encouraged me towards social networking and this opened a new world of communication to me. “I had been contemplating going solo for some time, but Stephanie and her team gave me the boost I needed. More than that, they also supported me in very practical ways – and that really made the difference.” ■ SCREEN SAVER: Peter Martin is using his accountancy skills with his new business Bookkeeping Aid Company proves it’s up for the cup! A FIRM making kitchens has partnered with a social enterprise to promote ethically-sourced and fairly-traded tea. Dewsbury-based Rixonway has joined forces with Not Just a Trading Company to support the initiative which will provide a fair wage for producers overseas and supports skills and training in the UK. The link-up has seen the two com- panies work together to design a bespoke packet of tea which will be given away at various events throughout the year. NJATC is a social enterprise set up by the Huddersfield-based Lorna Young Foundation to offer young people and communities the chance to set up and run their own trading enterprises with ethical business prin- ciples being their driving force. Rixonway, which makes kitchens for affordable and social housing, said it chose to work with NJATC as its ethics mirrors its own corporate social responsibility policies. The ethically-sourced and sustain- ably produced tea bags guarantee that everyone in the supply chain has been treated fairly. Rixonway Kitchens has developed strong links with local charities, organ- isations and employment agencies. Laura Smith, NJATC business and community initiatives manager, said: “We were delighted when Rixonway approached us regarding this partner- ship. “Our tea is sourced directly from a tea-producing cooperative in rural India with all the money from sales of the products being pumped back into supporting its UK enterprise groups with skills and training.” Nick Greenall, operations director at Rixonway Kitchens, said: “We are always happy to provide support to schemes which benefit all those involved in an ethical manner..” The partnership is the latest example of Rixonway’s involvement with com- munity-based projects. NJATC, based at Netherton, is the latest innovative social enterprise set up by international ethical trading charity The Lorna Young Foundation. It helps disadvantaged groups in the UK to learn about ethical trading. Products include tea, coffee, chocolate and rice. The firm and its member groups are looking for like-minded corporate partners to buy its products and help with mentoring, in-kind support and extending their ethical product range. ■ TEA AND TOAST: Rixonway’s Nick Greenall (left) has a cuppa with Hayden Stock and Daniel Woolnough, both 19, and members of the first Not Just a Community Enterprise, along with Laura Smith, of Not Just a Trading Company Living with numbers
Transcript
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees14, August , 2012
INSIDE
● Full story - Page 6
● Full story - Page 8
RICHARD LAY
Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3
St i l l going for goldCo lumn - Page 5
An EXAMINER publication
Firm bagsnew siteA KIRKLEES companyhas moved to biggerpremises – to cope withan increase in sales.Duvalay owners Liz andAlan Colleran aremoving their firm fromStaincliffe Mills inDewsbury to largerpremises in QuarryRoad, Gomersal. Thecompany creates arange of memory foammattresses and aninnovative memoryfoam sleeping bagused by caravanners,holidaymakers and ,truckers.
RacingcertaintyA TEAM fromemployment lawspecialist Howarthstook part in their first10k race to raise morethan £500 for charity.Now they have beenbitten by the runningbug and are planning totake part in a secondrace.They weresponsored for theirefforts in the 10k GreatManchester Run andraised £521 for theWest Yorkshire ForgetMe Not Children’sHospice at Bradley.
PHILIP STEPHENSON
exam
iner
.co.
uk Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness
FTSE 100-15 .23
5831.88
Helping hand means Peter’s fit for businessA BUSINESSMAN has battled backfrom disability to open a new chapterin his career.
When Huddersfield man Peter Mar-tin suffered a stroke 10 years ago, it hada profound impact on his physical andemotional wellbeing – eventuallybringing his job as a payroll clerkworking in a hotel to an end.
It also left him with several disabilit-ies, in addition to the sight and hearingimpairments he had acquired as achild.
Now with support from Ingeus,which delivers the government’s WorkProgramme, he has formed his owncompany, called Bookkeeping Aid,which makes use of his considerableaccountancy skills.
Now he’s busy signing up new cus-tomers looking for assistance withtheir financial affairs – from private
individuals and sole traders to smallcompanies.
“Following my stroke, I wanted toreturn to work just as soon as possible,but making the best recovery I couldwas my top priority,” said Peter.
“I then applied for dozens of jobs,but had to give an honest answer whenthe application forms asked about myability to communicate – on a practicallevel, I have obvious barriers. However,I am determined to ensure this doesnot get in the way of me succeedingonce again.”
Ingeus, with offices in Huddersfieldtown centre, helped Peter develop hisIT and social media skills, includinglearning how to tweet and blog, so thathe could promote his new business ininnovative ways.
Ingeus also helped Peter develop hiscompany by producing business cards,letterheads and other promotionalitems.
Now that word is getting around, heis signing up customers and is finan-cially self-sufficient.
“Peter was referred to us by Job-
centre Plus, and our role was to explorewith him the best way forward,” saidIngeus adviser Stephanie Pogson.
“It was clear his numeracy skillswere excellent and this was where hisheart lay. We jointly agreed to investig-a t e h o w h e c o u l d b e c o m eself-employed and from there it justsnowballed. The result is that he’s notonly doing the job he loves – he’s alsorunning his own business.”
Said Peter: “Ingeus encouraged metowards social networking and thisopened a new world of communicationto me.
“I had been contemplating goingsolo for some time, but Stephanie andher team gave me the boost I needed.More than that, they also supportedme in very practical ways – and thatreally made the difference.”
■ SCREEN SAVER: Peter Martin isusing his accountancy skills with hisnew business Bookkeeping Aid
Company provesit’s up for the cup!A FIRM making kitchens haspartnered with a social enterprise topromote ethically-sourced andfairly-traded tea.
Dewsbury-based Rixonway hasjoined forces with Not Just a TradingCompany to support the initiativewhich will provide a fair wage forproducers overseas and supports skillsand training in the UK.
The link-up has seen the two com-panies work together to design abespoke packet of tea which will beg iven away at var ious eventsthroughout the year.
NJATC is a social enterprise set upby the Huddersfield-based LornaYoung Foundation to offer youngpeople and communities the chance toset up and run their own tradingenterprises with ethical business prin-ciples being their driving force.
Rixonway, which makes kitchens foraffordable and social housing, said itchose to work with NJATC as its ethicsmirrors its own corporate socialresponsibility policies.
The ethically-sourced and sustain-ably produced tea bags guarantee that
everyone in the supply chain has beentreated fairly.
Rixonway Kitchens has developedstrong links with local charities, organ-isations and employment agencies.
Laura Smith, NJATC business andcommunity initiatives manager, said:“We were delighted when Rixonwayapproached us regarding this partner-ship.
“Our tea is sourced directly from atea-producing cooperative in ruralIndia with all the money from sales ofthe products being pumped back intosupporting its UK enterprise groupswith skills and training.”
Nick Greenall, operations directorat Rixonway Kitchens, said: “We arealways happy to provide support toschemes which benefit all thoseinvolved in an ethical manner..”
The partnership is the latest exampleof Rixonway’s involvement with com-munity-based projects.
NJATC, based at Netherton, is thelatest innovative social enterprise setup by international ethical tradingcharity The Lorna Young Foundation.It helps disadvantaged groups in the
UK to learn about ethical trading.Products include tea, coffee, chocolateand rice.
The firm and its member groups are
looking for like-minded corporatepartners to buy its products and helpwith mentoring, in-kind support andextending their ethical product range.
■ TEA AND TOAST: Rixonway’s Nick Greenall (left) has a cuppa withHayden Stock and Daniel Woolnough, both 19, and members of the first NotJust a Community Enterprise, along with Laura Smith, of Not Just a TradingCompany
E.ON liftsearningsONE of the UK’s big sixenergy suppliers willleave customers“questioning” their billsafter it more than trebledits net profits, aconsumer group warned.
E.ON, which has morethan 5m customers in theUK, reported underlyingnet income for theJanuary to June period of£2.6bn compared toabout £706m a yearearlier.
While the figures wereflattered by a big hittaken by the companylast year relating toGermany’s phasing outof nuclear energy,Consumer Focus said thehaul would “reopenquestions” over whetherfalling wholesale pricesare being passed on.
The results comeshortly after British Gascame under pressure todrop its prices afterrevealing a 23% hike inprofits in the six monthsto June 30.
The profit surge atE.ON was also helped bya gas price settlementwith Russia’s Gazprom.
E.ON said it wassticking to its forecast for2012 – with net profits at£3.2bn to £3.5bn.
The German utilitygiant said first-half salesrose by 23% year on yearto £51.4bn.
E.ON in Mayreassured its customersafter it pledged to keepresidential energy priceson hold this year as partof a commitment to befair and transparent.
OUTSOURCING group MITIE haileda strong start to the year – poweredby a lucrative contract with tax-payer-backed Lloyds BankingGroup.
The Bristol-based group, whoseservices include office cleaning andmaintenance, airport baggagescreening and shop design, saidthat as at June 30 it had secured 87%of budgeted revenues for the finan-cial year to March 31 2013, comparedto 85% at that point last year.
MITIE said its five year, £775m dealto deliver facilities management ser-vices for Lloyds was “progressingwell” after starting on August 1.
The FTSE 250-group will provide
catering, reception, engineeringmaintenance, cleaning, security,waste management and office spacemanagement for Lloyds’ branch andoffice estate.
In the private sector, MITIE said itssales pipeline remains “buoyant”. Itrecently secured a new contract toprovide front of house services atRoyal Bank of Scotland for five yearswith an expected value of £30m.
In the public sector, it remainsfocused on the justice, health, localauthority and social housing mar-kets and has a steady flow of con-tract awards, including an expanded£30m-plus contract to provide ser-vices to the Scottish Government.
Lloyds contract boost for MITIERECRUITMENT firm Michael PageInternational reported a slide inprofits at its UK arm as business withthe country’s beleaguered bankingsector continued to suffer.
With Lloyds, HSBC, Barclays andRoyal Bank of Scotland all havingannounced job cuts over the past twoyears, banking business at MichaelPage in the UK was down by 50% yearon year in the six months to June 30.
The UK, which represents morethan a fifth of the group’s total profits,saw revenues drop by 10% to £146mwhile gross profits fell 7% to £61.7m.
The wider group, which employs1,200 in the UK, saw broadly flat
profits of £273.9m in the period,propped up by a 17% increase inprofits in the Asia-Pacific region.
Europe, Middle East and Africa –the group’s largest region – contribut-ing 43% of group gross profit, sawrevenues rise by 0.9% to £211.5m andgross profit slip by 1.9% to £117.9m.
Increasing austerity measures andlevels of unemployment across South-ern Europe hit market confidence,Michael Page said, while the weakereuro impacted the results of the euro-zone countries.
During the first half of the year,Michael Page opened new offices inMorocco and South Africa.
UK profits slide for Page
■ PILLOW TALK: Travelodge is indiscussions about how to tackle its£500m debt mountain
ONE of Britain’s biggest budget hoteloperators is considering walking awayfrom up to 50 of its sites to help tackleits £500m debt mountain.
Travelodge, which owns more than500 hotels across the UK, Ireland andSpain and employs more than 6,000staff, is considering asking landlords toaccept a controversial company volun-tary arrangement as part of a widerrestructuring.
The deal would effectively seeTravelodge demand to end some of itsuneconomical leases or renegotiate itsdebt to help it stave off administra-tion.
Newspaper reports suggested that nojobs would be at risk because the hotelsinvolved were likely to be transferred tonew operators over the next year.
If accepted by landlords, the dealwould form part of a wider financialrestructuring that is expected to resultin American hedge funds Avenue Cap-
ital and GoldenTree Asset Manage-ment joining US bank Goldman Sachsto take over ownership from DubaiInternational Capital.
Travelodge, which has hotels atSpindlegate on Leeds Road, Hudders-field, and at Mirfield, is thought to betrading well, but is struggling to dealwith £500m of debts, accrued during abuyout spree before the financial crisisset in.
Travelodge, the UK’s second biggestbudget hotel chain behind Whitbread’sPremier Inn, reported a 20% increase inprofits last year to £55m.
The two hedge funds, which special-ise in taking over struggling businessesby taking ownership in return for writ-ing off debts, are understood to haveprovided an emergency £60m lifeline tothe firm ahead of an expecteddebt-for-equity swap.
A spokesman for Travelodge said:“As part of the ongoing restructuring
process, a number of options are beingconsidered.
“However, no decisions have beentaken at this stage and we will updateyou in due course.”
It is understood that accountancyfirm KPMG has been appointed tosteer the company through its restruc-turing process although a CVA is justone of the options under considera-tion.
Earlier this year, KPMG led a CVAof gym chain Fitness First, whichallowed it to transfer 67 of its 147 gymsto other operators over the next sixmonths.
T h e 6 2 - ro o m Trave l o d g e atSpindlegate opened last December. Itrepresents a £2.2m investment and hascreated 13 jobs. The hotel was one ofseven new Travelodge hotels to beopened in the run up to Christmas –together creating 150 jobs and repres-enting almost £30m investment.
Richard LayRole: DirectorAge: 46Family: Children Rachel,10, and Tom, sixHolidays: Italy, the LakeDistrict and the YorkshireDalesCar: Landrover DiscoveryFirst job: Frying chips ata fish and chip shop inDewsbury town centreBest thing about job: Ienjoy working with the staffand clients.Worst thing about job:Long hours at the moment.Like any new start-up, youhave to put the hours inBusiness tip: Look afteryour customers
Richardhas itfiguredout!
IT’S been a busy 12 monthsfor accountant Richard Lay.
As the first anniversary ofthe launch of his companyParamount Accountancyapproaches, Richard is ableto take stock of what he’sachieve since swapping therelative safety of life in anestablished firm for runninghis own business.
Paramount Accountancy,based in a Victorianmansion in leafy Edgerton,also includes accountingtechnician Ian Hoyle andCaroline Northrop as clientmanager.
Richard launched thebusiness with Ian onSeptember 1. Both hadpreviously been withaccountancy firm Sheards inHuddersfield.
Says Richard: “As part ofthe deal, I had the chance totake my clients with mewhen I launchedParamount, which gave mea great start. But I was stillthinking ‘there’s only Ianand me. How are we goingto get on?’
“In the first 12 months, wehave been focusing onstart-ups and smallbusinesses. We get theminto the office on ‘day one’and ask about their plans –whether they should be alimited company or a soletrader. You get the basicsright for them and –hopefully – you have a clientfor the next 10 or 20 years.”
Richard has no doubtwhat small businesseswant. “They want to be ableto speak to someone andget the right answers,” hesays. “If they have problems,they need someone to sortthem out. You have to makeit easy for people to findyou. Communication is halfthe battle.”
Since setting upParamount Accountancy,Richard has seen a shift inattitudes. “People see beingin employment as the safeoption and self-employmentas risky,” he says. “But that’schanged round a bit. If youare in a job, you don’t knowhow long you will be in it.Self-employment offersmore certainty in that youknow you have to make itwork. You have more control– especially if you set it upthe right way.
“And having just set upmy own business I knowfirsthand some of theproblems faced by start-upsbecause I have gonethrough them.”
Cash is still king andbusinesses have to keep thecash flowing. “People haveto chase the money, but youcan make it as easy aspossible,” he says. “Wehave a software programmethat helps clients chasedebtors. It emails them andkeeps track of what theyhave sent. Cash flow isalways the big issue.Debtors are using therecession as an excuse fornot paying promptly, but inmany cases they do havethe money.”
Looking at the currenteconomic climate, Richardsays: “Companies wereexpecting this year to beeasier, but it is probably thehardest year – especially forretail. Companies are
finding it difficult. They aregetting tired of workingharder for less money andlack the confidence toinvest.
“A lot of my clients areholding their own. Luckily, alot of them – particularly inHuddersfield – like to keeptheir borrowings low andhave plenty of cash in thebank! They’re opting tokeep the money in the bankfor now and see how thingsgo.
“There is business to behad. You just have to workfor it.”
Dewsbury-born Richardpoints to another trait ofsmall business owners.“They try to do too much,”he says. “They do the work,the administration, theselling and the marketing.By doing that, they missopportunities.”
Richard is seizing everyopportunity to generate newbusiness. He attends earlymorning networking eventsrun by Kirklees BNI eachThursday at PonderosaBusiness Park inHeckmondwike. “A lot of thebusinesses there are reallyswitched-on and definitelyhave the right attitude,” hesays. “The group alsoprovides a network oftrusted people who are ableto offer help to our clients interms of things like
insurance, banking, websitedesign and IT.”
Richard’s interest inaccountancy started whenhe was a pupil at BirkdaleHigh School. “I likednumbers, I was good atmaths – and I couldn’tspell!” he jokes. “I wanted topursue a professionalcareer in something likebanking, accountancy orlaw,” he says.
In the early 1980s, he gota job at Fred Sheard &Sons in Huddersfield andcompleted his articles withthe firm before joiningJolliffe Cork in Wakefield.He went on to work for anumber of accountancyfirms, but says he was “tooenthusiastic” as far as someof his employers wereconcerned. “They wantedme to be ‘steady away’ andnot rock the boat,” he says.“I didn’t want to work for abig firm because I don’t likethe politics involved with bigorganisations or the ‘themand us’ attitude betweenpartners and employees.The directors should be asanswerable to theemployees and theemployees are answerableto the directors.”
He returned to Sheardswhere he became a director.While he values his time atthe firm, he eventuallydecided to strike out on his
own.Now he is clear about his
business philosophy. “Iwanted to run anaccountancy firm as acollection of people workinghard to the best of theirabilities and getting wellrewarded for their efforts,”he says.
“If people are willing towork for you, make acommitment to you and dothe best they can then theemployer has a duty to dothe best they can for theemployee.
“A lot of firms that are notdoing well are the firmswhere the employees arenot getting training, notgetting motivated and notgetting properly rewarded.How you reward peoplesays how much you valuethem. And if you have amotivated team workinghard you will produceenough income to rewardeveryone.”
Richard’s aim is to makematters as easy as possiblefor small business clients.
The firm’s onlineaccounting system,KashFlow, makes it easierfor customers to managetheir book-keeping andaccounts and to keep abetter track of theirfinances. Clients also getfree training on the system.
Says Richard: “Onlineaccounting software isconsidered by many to bethe way the industry isheading as it allowsbusinesses to constantlymeasure and evaluate theirfinancial position.”
Getting his business offthe ground has left little timefor leisure, but Richardsays: “I spend a lot of timewith my children, I’m able towork flexibly, so that if I takean afternoon off to be withthe kids, I will work well intothe evenings. Sometimes aclient will come back to measking why I sent him anemail at one in the morning!It’s a lot more than anine-to-five job!”
When time allows,
Richard intends to do morecycling. He is a keen walkerand plans to tackle TheThree Peaks in the nearfuture. The Yorkshire Dalesand the Lake DIstrict arefavourite haunts for walkingholidays. “I have startedtrying to play golf,” saysRichard. “I want to get fitterand I do a lot of cycling andmountain biking. Just don’task me to sprint!”
■ OFFICE WORK: Richard Lay, director of ParamountAccountancy, at the firm’s imprerssive Edgerton premises
KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4
Neil Wilson is an employment lawyer at Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors
EMPLOYER’SBRIEFNeil Wilson
Home advantageMANY UK manufacturers still fear thatthe risks of global trade outweigh theopportunities, according to new researchby Barclays.
Findings from a survey of more than200 manufacturers across the UKrevealed an emphasis on quality andloyalty among UK manufacturers – withbusinesses looking to each other forsupport rather than going abroad.
Almost two-thirds of those polledsource commodities or components fortheir products from the UK rather thanabroad – with more than half producinggoods that are sold to the UK end useror used as components in UKproduction.
For those that do source fromoverseas, 32% look to China as a keymarket followed by 19% who source fromGermany.
Asked what the key deterrent is fortrading outside of the UK, 36% said theysimply prefer to source from the UK as arule while 19% cite currency risk and11% fear goods or payment may not bereceived.
Chris Forrest, head of manufacturingin the north for Barclays CorporateBanking, said: “There is a clear sign ofpatriotism amongst UK manufacturers asvalues, loyalty and confidence hold firmwith proximity being seen as a key driver.
“Given the current economic climate, afocus on domestic strategies andprocurement is understandable.However, manufacturers must not beafraid to play a lead role on the globalsupply chain stage.”
When it comes to choosing suppliersand winning business, the findings showquality is a defining factor.
Website getsinto top gearA FIRM providing commercialvehicles is aiming to win a biggershare of an expanding marketwith the launch of a new websiteNorthgate Vehicle Sales, whichhas been selling vans to tradebuyers and businesses since1989 and includes customers inthe Kirklees area, has introducedthe site to back up its network ofUK premises.The new site, which sells direct tothe trade, was piloted inDarlington where it received over5,000 visits. The site includes anauction area for online traders.
Check outthe changes
THE Government has announcednew minimum wage rates which
will apply from October 1, 2012.For workers aged 21 and over, the rate
will increase from £6.08 to £6.19 per hour;for workers aged between 18 and 20, therate will remain at £4.98 per hour; forworkers aged between 16 and 17 – whoare not apprentices – the rate will remainat £3.68; and for those workers engagedon apprenticeships, the rate will increasefrom £2.60 to £2.65 per hour.
The Government had consideredwhether or not to freeze all minimumwage rates, particularly given pressureexerted by employer groups during 2012.However, the Government has nowaccepted the recommendations of theLow Pay Commission in increasing ratesin certain categories.
In other legislative developments, theGovernment recently closed a consulta-tion on various proposed changes to theEmployment Tribunal system and aresponse has now been published to thatconsultation.
The Government has now announcedthat it is intending to introduce fees forthe lodging and continuing of Tribunalclaims in the second half of 2013. Insummary, the proposed fee chargingstructure is as follows:
● Straightforward claims for definedsums such as redundancy payments,would be charged at £160.00 on issue and£230.00 if it reaches a Hearing
● More complex issues such as unfairdismissal and discrimination, will attractan issue fee of £250 and a Hearing fee of
£950● The fee for lodging an appeal with
the Employment Appeals Tribunal is£400 with a Hearing fee of £1,200.
In responding to the recent consulta-tion, the Government has commentedthat Tribunals should be used as “theoption of last resort to resolve employ-ment disputes”.
In response to concerns about accessib-ility, the Government is committing toconsider a system for excusing paymentfor those on low incomes and it is alsosuggested that the Tribunal will have adiscretionary power toward the losingparty to pay the costs of the successfulparty.
It is interesting to note that, in responseto the consultation, the majority of bothemployee and employer respondents weredissatisfied with aspects of the propos-als.
Understandably, employee responsesfocused on the issue of a lack of access tojustice and deterring workers from mak-ing valid claims.
Business groups, conversely, thoughtthat the fees system should explicitly seekto deter “vexatious” claims, whereas theGovernment’s stated purpose of the intro-duction of fees is to require users of thesystem to bear some of its cost.
It is expected that there will be furtheropposition to the proposals, especiallyfrom trade unions and groups represent-ing employee welfare and it remains to beseen whether or not the final legislationreflects the current bold proposals.
Diary filling forKBW eventsEVERYONE wants to get in on theact...Events submissions for theinaugural Kirklees BusinessWeek are flying in sincelaunching a couple of weeks agoThe first-ever Kirklees BusinessWeek gets under way on MondaySeptember 24.The week promises a number offree sector-specific seminars runby different businesses atvarious venues.Events already in the calendarinclude a schools enterpriseDragons’ Den with theBatley-based Schools TeachingEnterprise Programme Ltd;Huddersfield accountancy firmRevell Ward explaining howcharities can think morecommercially; and a Social MediaRound Table delivered byBirstall-based marketing agencyFantastic Media.The aim of Kirklees BusinessWeek is to provide a platform forlocal firms to share theirknowledge across the district ina manner that is convenient forall sectors of business inKirklees.Venues available to thosewanting to run an event inKirklees include thenewly-named John Smith’sStadium and the state-of-the-artconference room at law firmChadwick Lawrence’sHuddersfield premises.All venues will be supplied free toevent organisers and all eventdelegate places will be free.All the events are promoted onthe KBW website, by emails andPR and in the KBW supplementto be published in The Examinerprior to Kirklees Business Week.Events will run from Monday,September 24, to Friday,September 28 – with the annualKirklees BusinessConference taking place onThursday, September 27, at TheJohn Smith’s Stadium.To submit your event for KBW,visit the website atwww.kirkleesbusinessweek.co.uk
Balance Accountants specialise in helping businessowners to have better,more profitable and more enjoyablebusinesses. If your business is not performing as well as youwant it to then you should contact us now.
Attention all newbusiness owners !Balance Accountants launch enhancedservice for new businessesResearch shows that 4 out of 5 new businesses fail within theirfirst 5 years of trading and that 57% fail within the first 12 months.The good news is that research also shows that careful financialplanning and a good accountant are 2 of the things thatreally make a difference in helping new businesses to avoidbecoming just another statistic.The Balance START-UP SERVICE is squarely aimed at new orfledgling businesses with the sense and foresight to learn thefinancial ropes, get their accounts in order and then prepare toprosper and grow. It’s our way of helping to tip the balance infavour of short term survival leading to long term success.So if you are about to start or have recently started a newbusiness then it might be worth a call to Balance Accountantsto see how the service that we offer can help your business tosucceed!!!!
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5
We’re stillafter gold!
BANKER’SBLOGPhilip Stephenson
Philip Stephenson is HSBC deputy area commercial director for Calderdale,Kirklees and Wakefield
HAVING seen a “feel-good factor” brought
about by the Olympicsand the dazzling displayby Team GB, there ismore good news forbusiness in our region.
While the Olympiansworked hard in the run-up tothe Games to get the mostout of their talents, HSBChas been working hard tohelp small and medium-sizedenterprises achieve theirdreams.
Figures just out reveal thatin the first six months of theyear, HSBC provided over£770m of gross new lendingto SMEs in the region.
Our lending to SMEs inthe region was up on thesame period last year. Weprovided lending facilities toover 50,000 businesses in theregion.
At the beginning of theyear, we made a clear com-mitment to lend more to UK
SMEs than we did during2011, with a focus on provid-ing support for those com-panies that are trading oraspiring to trade internation-ally.
And £6.3bn of gross newlending was provided toSMEs across the UK in thefirst six months, an 8%year-on-year increase.
We remain committed tohelping more small andmedium-sized companies inand around Kirklees toachieve their ambitions.
The increase in gross newlending during the first halfof the year demonstrates thatour doors are open for busi-ness and we urge businessesto come and talk to us about
their plans, as we are in astrong position to help.
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Firms taste successTHREE businesses in Kirklees arecelebrating success in the Great TasteAwards.
Moldgreen-based Shaws (Huddersfield)Ltd, Lockwood-based A J Pies and Pastriesand Denby Dale ice cream maker YummyYorkshire were all winners in the annualcompetition run by the Guild of Fine Foods.
Pickle manufacturer Shaws was awardeda Gold Star for its Premium range Apricot &Ginger Chutney, which is part of thecompany’s new Heritage range to belaunched shortly.
A J Pies and Pastries, which has won astring of awards, gained two Gold Stars –for its Steak and Ale Pie and its Pork andStilton Pie.
And Yummy Yorkshire secured a GoldStar for its White Chocolate & CherryRipple ice cream, which it launched earlierthis year.
The Great Taste Awards areacknowledged by producers, retailers andconsumers as the definitive, independentbenchmark for speciality food and drink.They have been described as the Oscars ofthe food world and the “epicureanequivalent of the Booker Prize”.
The 2012 Great Taste Awards saw morethan 2,500 companies enter a total of 8,807products, which were blind tasted by 350independent experts comprising keybuyers, retailers, chefs and food writers.Foods are judged by at least three differentjudging panels at three different venues
over a period of 45 days.It is the fourth consecutive year in which
Yummy Yorkshire has won a Great TasteAward, bringing its total number of awardsby the Guild of Fine Food to six.
Jeremy Holmes, co-founder of YummyYorkshire, said: “Winning a Great TasteAward is a major achievement for a small,family run business like ours as it is one ofthe most trusted benchmarks for fine foodand drink.”
Laurel Gilbert, of Shaws (Huddersfield)Ltd, said: “We were really excited to find outthat we received a Gold Star. We are reallypleased as this is the new Heritagecollection we are launching shortly and soto have an accolade at launch is fantastic!”
Widening the net in huntfor talented apprenticesFREE practical advice to help attractunder-represented groups intoapprenticeships in science, engineeringand technology is now available toKirklees employers.The move has been made by WestYorkshire-based UKRC-WISE, anorganisation working towards genderequality in science, engineering andtechnology and which was one of thepartners in a National ApprenticeshipService project to widen diversity inapprenticeships.The project involved working with majororganisations in the energy sector,including the National Grid, British Gasand E.ON UK, to increase numbers offemale, black and ethnic minorityapplicants into apprenticeshipprogrammes.Kevin Dowd, network operations
manager at The National Skills Academyfor Environmental Technologies, said:“Skills shortages, an ageing workforceprofile and a decline in the overallnumber of school leavers are all keydrivers behind the need to create a morediverse workforce within the energysector.“It also makes sound business sense tohave a workforce that reflects itscustomer base – including women andethnic minorities.”Helen Wollaston, director of UKRC-WISE,said: “We are seeing a lot of interest fromorganisations who want to recruitapprentices from more diversebackgrounds, but we need to get themessage out to young people and theirparents about the opportunitiesavailable.”Go to www.theukrc.org
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MoD calls up Cleckheaton companyA CLECKHEATON company’s reputationfor quality training has impressed theMinistry of Defence.Brookhouse Training, which takesenquiries from armed forces personnellooking for resettlement options, wasasked to take part in Career TransitionPartnership events this summer inHarrogate and Peterborough – to showmilitary personnel from the Army, Navyand RAF the benefits of re-training and
developing a career within the gasindustry.David Dumeresq-Lucas, director atBrookhouse Training, said: “For most ofour service men and women, the prospectof resettling into Civvy Street may not beas easy as we think it would be.“We have and do retrain candidates whopreviously had careers within the forcesand we want to demonstrate there is abright future for those leaving.”
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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6
Managementrole for ColliersRESTAURANTS and pubs operatorMitchells & Butlers has appointedColliers International to manage itsexisting 1,600 strong estate.The appointment follows a review ofMitchells & Butlers’ current and futurereal estate requirements whichconcluded that outsourcing to aspecialist provider would deliver themost effective service to support thecompany.Mitchells & Butlers’ properties includeones in Birkby, Ainley Top, Kirkburton,Shepley, Mirfield and Brighouse.Chris Brook, head of corporatesolutions at Colliers International, said:“We are delighted to have beenselected by Mitchells & Butlers tomanage their real estate portfolioacross the UK.“By combining the expertise of thecorporate solutions and specialistlicensed and leisure teams at ColliersInternational we are able to provideMitchells & Butlers with the completeand sophisticated estate managementservice that this progressiveorganisation seeks.”Gary John, group property director atMitchells & Butlers, said: “We haveambitious plans for the future and weneed the support of a highlyprofessional and proactive servicepartner to help manage our existingdiverse property portfolio.”
Certification scheme launchedA NEW registration andcertification service has beenlaunched for Kirklees companiescommitted to delivering the higheststandards of customer service andworkmanship in the buildingindustry.
The Federation of MasterBuilders has linked up with NAPITGroup Ltd, a UKAS accreditedcertification body for Green Deal,microgeneration and CompetentPerson Schemes.
FMB Certification will offerGreen Deal Installer Certificationfor companies that want to be partof the growing energy savingrefurbishment market.
The Green Deal will allow theowners of homes and businessesto upgrade the energy efficiency oftheir properties at no upfront cost
and will be supported by a newEnergy Company Obligation tohelp deliver energy efficiency andheating measures across GreatBritain, where they are mostneeded.
In total, the Green Deal andECO are expected to drivesignificant levels of spending onenergy efficiency over the nextdecade creating new work forcompanies in the building industry.
Brian Berry, FMB chiefexecutive, said: “The Green Dealis an exciting prospect for thebuilding industry and will createnew business opportunities for awide variety of trades.
“But companies must beapproved to carry out work underthe Green Deal scheme and that’swhere FMB Certification comes in.
“As the Green Deal takes off, weexpect Green Deal certification tobecome a recognised mark of highquality service and workmanshipamong homeowners and otherclients.”
Mr Berry said the FMB hadbeen providing information andtraining to its members to ensurethey have the skills and knowledgerequired for Green Deal work. Nowthey could prove it by becoming anapproved installer with FMBCertification.”
FMB Certification will start toprocess applications from nextmonth. Interested businesses canregister to receive a priorityapplication pack atwww.fmb.org.uk/certification or byemailing [email protected] calling 020 70923881.
■ QUALITY: Brian Berry,chief executive of the FMB
Firm in move tobigger premises
Opening the door to more salesA WINDOW company inHuddersfield has achieved anindustry first.
Lockwood Windows, based atLockwood Scar, installed a solidwood core composite door with ashaped top, manufactured bysister company Composite DoorsYorkshire.
However the firm has nowpushed the boundaries of what ispossible with this material evenfurther, by producing andinstalling a bespoke
round-topped composite door.Under normal circumstances, a
customer with this shape of doorentrance would not be able tohave a composite door as it hasnot been possible to shape thedoor slab due to the nature of thematerial – solid hardwood timbercore encapsulated within a highlydurable plastic edge banding andtwo thermo plastic door skins.
Lockwood Windows has usedits extensive knowledge of thecomposite door industry and
on-site manufacturing through itssister company to overcomethose issues.
Lockwood Windows managingdirector Richard Pogson said:“We know that a composite dooris a big investment forhomeowners, so we wanted to beable to offer them the very bestto fit whatever door surround theyhave.”
He said: “Installing a compositedoor can be extremely beneficialfor a number of reasons, not
least security and energyefficiency.”
Lockwood Windows, has beenmanufacturing for more than 14years and has more than 20years experience in the UPVCwindow and conservatoryindustry.
The family business installs fordomestic, new build andcommercial buildings.
It also offers a “supply only”service to members of the publicand trade.
New director forretail agency armPROPERTY agencyJones Lang LaSallehas appointed SteveElrington (pictured)as an associatedirector with its retailagency team in WestYorkshire.
Mr Elrington(pictured) joins theexisting three-manteam and has theremit to deliverretailer propertyservices across Northern England,focusing on the high street and shoppingcentre sectors. His arrival bolsters theexisting three man Leeds’ based retailteam.
Jeff Pearey, head of Jones LangLaSalle’s Leeds office, said: “Retail is a keyarea of our business in Yorkshire andSteve’s appointment will enhance ouralready strong agency offering andreiterates our commitment to providing ourclients across the region with high qualityadvice.”
■ MOVING: Alan and Liz Colleran, who have transferred their Duvalay business to offices at Gomersal
A KIRKLEES company hasmoved to bigger premises – tocope with an increase in sales.
Duvalay owners Liz and AlanColleran are moving their firmfrom Staincliffe Mills in Dewsburyto larger premises in Quarry Road,Gomersal.
The company creates a range ofmemory foam mattresses and aninnovative memory foam sleepingbag, which is popular with cara-vanners, holidaymakers, truckersand boat enthusiasts.
The range shot to fame in 2011after its appearance on hit BBC2show Dragons’ Den, where Lizand Alan secured an £80,000investment for their unique sleep-ing bag product from entrepren-eur Hilary Devey.
Liz said: “It’s been a fantasticyear and with this is mind werealised we needed a much largerspace to enable us to get a betterproduction line in operation.
“This makes our manufacturingmuch more cost effective.
“We also wanted to open alarger showroom, so our custom-ers feel like they can drop in and
see us and really get a feel for theproducts we produce.”
Despite the economic down-turn, figures at Duvalay are up by10% already this year and the firmnow employs 15 staff.
The new office is double the size
of the previous base in Dewsbury,measuring 9,500sq metres.
Said Liz: “Its such a sense ofachievement to see how far we’vegrown in the last few years.
“At one point it was just mepacking boxes on my kitchen table
and now we have a team behindus.”
Duvalay will be celebrating theopening of the new premises withopen days on the weekend ofSeptember 28 and 29.
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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS
Contractorsget a chanceCONTRACTORS acrossKirklees have been invited toapply for the chance tobecome part of a major hous-ing project.
Construction group WatesLiving Space is holding aseries of “meet the buyer”informal one-to-one discus-sions over one day to give avariety of smaller local con-tractors the chance to offertheir services and be part ofthe construction of 466 newcouncil homes for rent acrossthe district.
The discussions will enablelocal suppliers to engage withWates as the main contractorfor the Excellent Homes forLife housing project, whichrequires a range of differenttrades, including metal work,tiling and scaffolding.
The event will take place onTuesday, September 11 at theTextile Centre of Excellence,Red Doles Lane, Hudders-field.
Interested parties need tocomplete and return anexpression of interest form byFriday to be considered for adiscussion slot.
The form is available atwatesmtb.eventbrite.co.uk
Specific times will be alloc-ated and sent to interestedcontractors in advance.
Wates Living Space begandelivery of the ExcellentHomes for Life project at thestart of the year with worknow under way on several ofthe 27 sites across the dis-trict.
Wates forms part of a con-sortium, alongside Regenterand Pinnacle PSG, contractedby Kirklees Council to design,build, manage and maintainthe properties for new andexisting council tenants.
Joanne Jamieson, regionalmanaging director for WatesLiving Space, said: “From theoutset, it has been our aim toutilise our presence on thisproject to truly benefit localtrades and the local work-force.
“We are holding this eventto specifically target localbusinesses across Kirkleesand integrate them into oursupply chain.
“This will allow us toidentify strengths in the mar-ket and deliver quality homesfor Kirklees tenants.”
In the weeks following thee v e n t , s m a l l a n dmedium-sized firms will alsohave the chance to seek guid-ance from Wates’ supplychain manager on contractorsupply chains and get advice
on how to secure work forother projects for contractorsacross the district.
Clr Peter McBride, leadCabinet member for regenera-tion at Kirklees Council, said:“Not only is Excellent Homesfor Life delivering muchneeded housing in Kirklees, itis also providing opportunit-ies for local businesses andour residents who work forthem.
“I hope that businesses takethis opportunity to benefitand play a part in deliveringsuch a huge project for thedistrict.”
Wates is one of the UK’slargest family-owned con-struction services and devel-o p m e n t c o m p a n i e s .Establ ished in 1897, i temploys more than 2,600people and had a turnover of£1.11bn in 2011.
Regenter is a leadingi nve s t o r, o p e rat o r a n ddeveloper of housing-led,community-based regenera-tion schemes.
Regenter is a 50/50 jointventure between John Laingand Pinnacle RegenerationGroup.
Pinnacle PSG is part of Pin-nacle Regeneration GroupLtd providing housing,estates, energy and facilitiesmanagement services to awide range of local authorit-ies, social housing providersand other public sector bod-ies.
It employs more than 2,000people across the UK, directlymanages 22,000 social hous-ing homes and provides com-plimentary service to a further400,000 homes.
Care home deal completeA CARE home operator chaired byBatley-born businessman LawrenceTomlinson has completed the sale of nine itscare homes.
The sale by Ideal LNT Group to SanctuaryGroup comprises five fully operational carehomes that were run by LNT’s Ideal CareHomes business and four new builds, whichwill be completed by LNT’s development arm,LNT Construction.
The homes, which are in Telford,Wolverhampton and Birmingham, will bemanaged by Sanctuary Care, a subsidiary ofSanctuary Group, and will take its portfolio ofhomes to 57 across the UK.
Sanctuary Group chief executive DavidBennett said: “This is an excellent investmentand will allow us to expand our care provisionin the Midlands to meet the needs of theregion’s ageing population.
“Our care business plays an important partin the continued success of Sanctuary Group
and this acquisition supports our aims forlong term sustainable growth in the caresector.
“We extend a warm welcome to the highlyexperienced employees running the fiveoperational care homes.
“Their skills will complement ours and weare looking forward to working with them tocontinue providing exceptional standards ofcare and support to residents.”
LNT chairman Mr Tomlinson said: “Weshare Sanctuary’s values and commitment toproviding well-designed, state-of-the-artfacilities coupled with high quality, accessiblecare, so we are delighted that they areacquiring and managing these nine homes.”
Sanctuary’s acquisition will be celebratedlater this week when the first of the newlycompleted properties, Lime Tree CourtResidential Care Home in Wolverhampton,opens to the public.
■ OPPORTUNITY: Clr PeterMcBride, of Kirklees Council
FOR SALE/TO LETDetached Office Building & Small WorkshopConcept House, Hazel Grove, Linthwaite, HD7 5TQ1 Superb designer offices – 1,460 sq ft1 Small workshop – 1,004 sq ft1 Ample parking1 Semi rural location1 Land for expansion1 Suitable for owner occupation or investmentRental: £22,500 per annum exclusive, Freehold offers around £325,000
TO LETOffices & Studios, Huddersfield RUFC Sports ClubLockwood Park, Huddersfield, HD4 6EN1 Various sized suites1 Superb parkland setting1 Ample parking1 Flexible termsRents: from £5psf exclusive
TO LET/MAY SELLModern Industrial UnitUnit 3 Mead Street, Huddersfield, HD1 6HE1 Secure yard/parking1 Convenient for town centreRental: £13,950pa exclusive
FOR SALE/TO LETThe Old Print WorksCarr Street, Westgate, Cleckheaton, BD19 5HG1 Hybrid production/warehouse unit and offices1 444.19m2 (4,781 sq ft)1 Benefits from solid flooring, and steel roller shutter doors and
high spec. office suites1 Private off-street car parkingRental/Price: On Application
FOR SALEUnit 7, Roundwood Industrial EstateWakefield Road, Ossett, WF5 9SQ1 Modern industrial unit1 1,554m2 (16,721 sq ft)1 Adjoining M1 – Junction 401 Benefits from drive in access via steel roller shutter doors,
works offices and W/C facilitiesGuide Price: £650,000
FOR SALEHarrison House10 Harrison Road, Halifax, HX1 2AF1 Imposing character grade II listed period educational building1 GIA 1,343.06m2 (14,457 sq ft)1 Town centre location1 The accommodation provides a combination of office/training rooms,
a former library and a tiered lecture theatre having seating for 200people
Guide Price: On Application
On instructions from
TO LET28 Commercial StreetBrighouse, HD6 1AQ1 Prominent town centre retail unit1 80.20m2 (863 sq ft)1 Open plan sales area1 Further retail/stores at first floor level1 W/C and kitchen facilities1 High level of pedestrian footfall1 Private car parking for 2 vehicles at the rearRental: £10,950 per annum exclusive
TO LETModern Industrial UnitsFieldhouse Business Park, Old Fieldhouse Lane,Leeds Road, Huddersfield, HD2 1FA1 Modern secure units1 Immediately available1 Leeds Road corridorUnit 3 – 4,227 sq ft, Unit 6 – 10,362 sq ft, Unit 10 – 13,706 sq ftRents: from £4.50psf exclusive
KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8
Chairs are talk of the Town
TOWN fans hope to see their clubsitting pretty at the top of theChampionship next season.
Now a Huddersfield company hasjoined forces with other local firms tocreate a blue-and-white striped chairaimed at die-hard supporters.
James Walsh (pictured) managingdirector of Honley-based BarrettBusiness Machines Ltd, said: “It wasan idea of mine to celebrateHuddersfield Town being promotedinto the Championship.
“I thought that I'd have these chairsmade as I think there's a market forthem – aimed at the local football fanfor use in the home/officeenvironment.
“Most people will have a PC athome for the whole family to use forinternet and studies.”
A Slaithwaite company has already
placed an order for the chairs, whichhave a range of features and options– including medium back or highback, arms fitted or without arms,height adjustable back, independentseat and back mechanism and seatslide.
Said Mr Walsh: “All the materialused to manufacture the fabric is fromHuddersfield-based businesses.
“The yarn was blended by StorkBros at Birkby then woven byBradbury Contract Fabrics atCrosland Moor and finished at H&CWhitehead Ltd, of Brighouse.
“The material was then sent to aleading office furniture manufacturerwith more than 100 years in business.
“The chairs are manufactured byVerco Office Furniture, of HighWycombe, a company synonymouswith the furniture industry in the UK.”
Lee Hayes
Close BrothersInvoice FinanceCLOSE Brothers InvoiceFinance has appointedYorkshireman Lee Hayes asregional sales director.
Mr Hayes (pictured) will bebased in Leeds and work withcompanies across Yorkshire toprovide tailor-made fundingpackages to SMEs and largebusinesses enabling them toaccess critical working capital.
Before joining Close Brothers Invoice Finance,he worked for Bibby Financial Services and iskeen to use his experience to drive forward CloseBrothers’ growth in his home county.
He said: “Businesses in Yorkshire are hungryfor the right type of finance. I am looking forwardto working with a variety of companies to assistthem in finding the right funding as they work topursue growth.”
Mike Scowen, Gordon Forster & Nick Robson
Lloyds TSBCommercialLLOYDS TSB Commercial Finance hasrestructured its regional sales teams byappointing three heads for the North East – eachwith responsibility for different business turnoverranges – in a move designed to give customerseven greater access to senior fundingprofessionals.
Mike Scowen, regional director, will look afterbusinesses with a turnover of up to £15m.
Gordon Forster, sales director, will head thesales team in the North East supportingcompanies with a turnover between £15m and£100m.
The team looking after businesses with aturnover in excess of £100m will be headed byNick Robson, working as part of a national teamtargeting this market segment.
As well as allowing clients greater access tosenior individuals with specialist knowledge ofcompanies of varying sizes, the new structurewill enable the bank’s asset-based financedivision to work more closely with divisionsacross the wider banking group to provideintegrated funding that most closely fitbusinesses’ individual requirements and growthstrategies.
Ian Larkin, managing director for Lloyds TSBCommercial Finance, said: “These strategicchanges are a positive move, allowing us toincrease our focus on origination and support ourambitions to grow the market. They also offermany benefits for our valued customers andintroducers.”
Dynamic ideawins top awardINCIDENTmanagement androadside servicescompany FMG haswon a nationalaward.
TheHuddersfield-basedbusiness took theRisk ManagementAward for itsIngenium Dynamicsadvanced driverbehaviourmanagementsystem at this year’sBritish Insurance Awards .
Known as the “Oscars” for the insuranceindustry, the awards recognise firms that havemade an outstanding contribution to theirsector, either through their service provision orproduct innovation.
FMG, based at St Andrew’s Road, BradleyMills, is the UK’s only incident managementand roadside services company committed toreducing the frequency and impact ofincidents.
The firm’s Ingenium Dynamics system hasbeen hailed by transport safety experts as ahighly effective way to manage driver risk.
Winning the award provides furtherrecognition of FMG’s commitment to bringingabout a significant change in the fleetmanagement sector.
Ingenium Dynamics improves driverbehaviour by making it easier to identify,manage and remove risk. As a result, FMG’sfleet clients are seeing a 25% to 80%reduction in incident claims. In a separateapplication of the technology, loss ratios for ayoung drivers’ insurance scheme with leadinginsurer Marmalade have been reduced to 40%from a typical industry average often in excessof 100%.
FMG chief executive John Catling (pictured,above) said: “We believe that prevention isbetter than cure, so our team works hard todeliver services and products that make a realdifference to the number of incidents and theway these are handled.
“It’s a fantastic achievement to have thisrecognised by the insurance industry and welook forward to further successes withIngenium Dynamics.”
Team is on therun for charity!A TEAM from employment lawspecialist Howarths took part intheir first 10k race to raise morethan £500 for charity.
Now they have been bitten bythe running bug and are plan-ning to take part in a secondrace.
Helen Howarth, co-founder ofthe Cleckheaton-based businesswas joined by her sister-in-lawAngela Tolson and Howarthscolleagues Justine Egan, LindseyCarr and Tracey Hopkins for the10k Great Manchester Run.
They were sponsored for theirefforts and raised £521 for theWest Yorkshire Forget Me Not
Children’s Hospice at Bradley.Said Tracey: “It was the first
time any of us had taken part ina race. It was quite a big ask! Wekept together, so it was a teameffort.We had a weekly trainingsession at the running track inCleckheaton for about twomonths before. We should havetrained a bit more, to be hon-est.
“But it has spurred us on tocompete in the Great YorkshireRun on September 2 in Sheffield.We’ll try to do a lot more train-ing for the next one, which willbe for the hospice again as it’ssuch a good cause.”
■ RUNNING TOTAL: Justine Egan (left) and Tracey Hopkinspresent the cheque to Michelle Surrell, of the hospice
Dale Alderson
LDC YorkshireMID-MARKET private equity firm LDC hasappointed Dale Alderson as an investmentdirector in its Yorkshire office.
Leeds-born Mr Alderson joins from Deloitte,where he spent more than six years in thebusiness advisory firm’s corporate financepractice.
During this time, he led and delivered a rangeof transactions including management buy-outs,corporate sales and acquisitions, and distressedre-financings.
He also provided strategic advice relating tolong-term growth plans, acquisition strategy andstakeholder management to a number of largecorporate clients in the region.
Before joining Deloitte, Mr Alderson began hiscareer at Ernst & Young in 2001, where hequalified as a chartered accountant. In his newrole, he will work with senior director JohnSwarbrick and fellow investment director TonyNorwood.
