KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees8, Febr uar y, 2011

INSIDE

exam

iner

.co.

uk

● Full story - Page 6

● Full story - Page 4

Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

SUSAN KENYON SIMON KAYEResearch and development

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3I t ’s the latest th ing

Co lumn - Page 5

An EXAMINER publication

Buildingan inningsA FIRM providingsurface cooling andheating systems for theconstruction industryis set to bowl overdelegates at a majorevent.Skelmanthorpe-basedVelta is staging a forumfor professionalsinvolved in sustainabledesign and building atLord’s Cricket Groundin London.

Mind yourlanguageSIX language lecturerswho took voluntaryredundancy havejoined forces to runEnglish classes forpeople such as migrantworkers and homestudents.

FTSE 100+53.65

6051.03

Company wins bycutting waste line

Fewer buyers for Yorkshire’s troubled firms

■ WASTE NOT: Pictured with their RoSPA award are (from left) HelenThompson, Philip Speight, Ros O'Connor and Brian Hall, of filter systemsspecialist Parker Racor

FEWER insolvent companiesin Yorkshire found buyersduring the second half of2010, a survey has revealed.

But they continued toaccount for a “significant”proportion of all merger andacquisition activity in theregion, according to theresearch carried out by

business information group

Experian Corpfin on behalf ofinsolvency trade body R3.

Eleven deals in Yorkshireduring the second half of 2010involved companies acquiredout of administration or otherformal insolvency procedures.That equates to one in 11 of allmergers and acquisitions.There were 19 such dealsduring the first six months of

last year, or one in seven of allacquisitions.

Andrew Walker, Yorkshireregional chairman for R3,said: “Insolvent deals havebeen running at high levelssince mid-2008 when the eco-nomic problems began to setin.

“The numbers peakedbetween mid-2009 and the

middle of last year and havesince fallen back to the levelsof early 2009. Buyers whohave the money have beentaking the opportunity to pickup businesses and assetsduring the downturn whilevalues remain low.

“The fall in distressed dealsin the past six months mayreflect the fact there have been

fewer insolvencies and there-fore fewer distressed busi-nesses coming on the market.

“However, potential buyersshould be aware that in therun-up to recovery there is stilla window of opportunity toacquire businesses that arepotentially profitable but inneed of some tender lovingcare.”

A DEWSBURY firm has cut theamount of waste it sends to landfill bythree-quarters as part of efforts to go“green” and improve efficiency.

Now it is working towards “totalwaste elimination” by recycling all itsmedia materials.

Parker Racor, the European filterdivision of control technologies spe-cialist Parker Hannifin, joined forceswith the National Industrial Symbi-osis Programme to reduce its waste tolandfill by at least 75%.

The move underlines the firm’senvironmental responsibility and hashelped it to improve resourceefficiency and sustainability.

Ros O’Connor, the firm’s environ-mental, safety and health co-ordinator, said: “This new environ-mental initiative goes hand in handwith Parker Racor’s desire to be at theforefront of being environmentallyfriendly and – just as importantly –safe manufacturing processes.

“Indeed, the programme will see thecompany saving 40 tonnes of “virgin”material, as well as cutting CO2

emissions by 103 tonnes.”In particular, the company was keen

to source a re-processor for certainkinds of waste created in themanufacturing process.

These concertina-type componentsused in vehicle fuel filters areunsuitable for conventional recyclingbecause of their composition.

Historically, they had to be sent tolandfill, but the company had beenworking to find a solution moreappropriate to its forward-lookingwaste policy.

NISP analysed processes at ParkerRacor to identify a specialist processorin Yorkshire.

The materials are now compactedand converted by the processor intocompost and other useful by-productsaimed at the farming market.

The move enables a massive 40tonnes of waste material to be divertedfrom landfill every year.

Ros said: “As a key local employer,we are totally committed to theenvironment and our goal is to achievemaximum sustainability across all our

manufacturing processes.“This is a first step towards zero

media waste and only one of the manyinitiatives that we are carrying out tocare for our environment and our localcommunity.”

Parker Hannifin is the world’sleading manufacturer of motion and

control technologies and systems,providing precision-engineeredproducts for a wide variety of mobile,industrial and aerospace markets.

The company employs about 55,000people in 46 countries around theworld.

www.chadwicklawrence.co.ukHuddersfield | Wakefield | Halifax | Leeds

Solicitors for business inYorkshire

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICESLocal shares

FTSE closed at

6051.03Up 53.65

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.51 dollarsBangladesh................. 108.31 takaBrazil.............................. 2.42 realsCanada....................... 1.52 dollarsChina ............................. 9.46 yuanCzech Republic ...... 26.20 korunasDenmark....................... 8.44 kroneEuro............................... 1.13 euroHong Kong................ 11.93 dollarsHungary ................... 285.59 forintsIndia.......................... 64.84 rupeesJapan........................... 126.79 yenMexico ....................... 17.23 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.95 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.89 kronePakistan.................. 130.03 rupeesPhilippines ................. 60.33 pesosSouth Africa................. 10.90 randSouth Korea.............. 1558.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 169.03 rupeesSweden......................... 9.99 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.47 francsTaiwan ...................... 40.94 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.44 new liraUSA ............................ 1.54 dollars

Carclo 315 +17Marshalls 117 +2National Grid 552 +21/2Weir Gp 1600 +24

Shopping rush is boostSHOPPERS eager to hit the highstreet after being trapped athome by the snow helped retailsales bounce back in January,the British Retail Consortium(BRC) said today.A rush to beat the VAT hike onJanuary 4 and the allure ofclearance sales boostednon-food sales at the start of themonth, but they eased back asconsumer caution took hold, theBRC said.Like-for-like retail sales were up2.3% year-on-year in January, theBRC said, the strongest growthsince March last year and animprovement on the 0.3%

year-on-year decline seen insnow-struck December.UK retailers had a torrid festiveseason as Arctic conditionsgripped the country, with bigplayers such as Next and HMVreporting a slump in sales.But the BRC’s January retailsales monitor does not give acomplete picture as it compareswith a feeble, snow-hitperformance last year.Stephen Robertson, BRC directorgeneral, said: “Growth thisJanuary was driven by arelatively short but strong burstof non-food buying early in themonth.”

Moss Bros in HugoBoss £16.5m dealMENSWEAR chain Moss Bros hasannounced the sale of its 15 HugoBoss stores in a move ending a16-year franchise deal with thefashion giant.

Moss Bros will sell the outletsback to Hugo Boss for £16.5 million,helping finance turnaround plans forits core business.

The group, which has 155 stores inthe UK and Ireland, including one inNew Street, Huddersfield, addedthat ongoing cost cutting effortswere paying off as it confirmedsecond half trading held up welldespite the pre-Christmas snowdisruption.

Like-for-like sales rose 7% in the26 weeks to January 29 – a slightslowdown on the 8.3% reported in

early December. Moss Bros said itwants to use the Hugo Boss moneyto revamp core stores and financenew initiatives, such as the roll out ofits Moss Bespoke tailoring service.

It will also invest cash in its onlineoffering and said the deal will meanit can operate debt free.

Moss Bros, which also trades asSavoy Taylors Guild and Cecil Gee,has operated Hugo Boss storesunder franchise since 1995.

But it said it will continue tomaintain a wholesale relationshipwith Hugo Boss after the store saleand stock the label in certain MossBros and Cecil Gee stores.

Brian Brick, chief executive ofMoss Bros, said: “This is atransformational deal for Moss Bros

and absolutely in line with ourrecently developed strategy offocusing on growing our ownbrands.

“Having restored the quality of theproduct offering of the core MossBros business and established astrong momentum in positivelike-for-like sales, this transactionwill give us the opportunity to focusexc lus ive ly on invest ing anddeveloping the brands which weown, from a position of operationaland financial strength.”

The group posted interim pre-taxlosses of £3.3 million – more than the£3 million a year earlier – butlaunched a cost saving drive in thethird quarter to return it to theblack.

Housing market hopesBELLWAY offered some hope fromthe fragile housing market after it saidbuyer activity had been “encouraging”so far this year.

The housebuilder reservedjudgement on the all-important springselling season, but was upbeat oversite visitor numbers and reservationsin January after a snow-hit end to2010.

It completed 3.8% more sales in thehalf-year to January 31 than a yearearlier, at 2,332.

And the company also revealed thataverage selling prices rose around 8%to £168,000.

Bellway said much of the priceincrease came from a shift from flats

to traditional two-storey home sales,although it was also helped by greatermarket stability than last year.

There have been fears for thehousing market in 2011 once publicspending cuts start to bite.

Some leading economists arepredicting falls of up to 10% duringthe course of the year..

Halifax offered some relief lastweek when it said prices rose 0.8% inJanuary, but this was seen largely asa bounce-back after a 1.3% drop inDecember’s snow.

Bellway said: “The number ofvisitors and subsequent reservationssince the beginning of January hasbeen encouraging”.

Gamblingon a dealINTERNET gamblingfirm 888 Holdings saidtakeover talks withLadbrokes were stillongoing as it bolsteredits negotiating positionwith strong final-quartersales.

The company, whichoffers casino, poker andsport betting, said anannouncement regardinga potential deal withLadbrokes would bemade when appropriate -following reports thatdiscussions had hitdifficulties over thetabled price.

888 posted an 18%increase in operatingincome to £44m.

Developingthe futureREGENERATIONspecialist St Modwensaid the residentialland market had startedto recover as itrecorded its firstfull-year profit in threeyears.The firm, whichspecialises in towncentre redevelopmentand bringingformer-industrial sitesback to life, postedpre-tax profits of £37.5million in the year toNovember 30,compared to losses of£119.4 million theprevious year.The last time it postedpre-tax profits was inthe year to November2007, before thefinancial crisis sent theproperty market intofreefall.

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £27.86 +0.67Gannett 1137.38+103.62Hess Corp £51.76 +0.67Microsoft 1752.30 +29.16Motors Liquidation 46.54Wal-Mart Stores £34.73 -0.04

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 235BAE Systems 3411/4 +41/4Rolls-Royce Gp 6451/2 +2

AIMBrady Plc 79 +11/2Dawson Intl 11/2Man Brnze 38 +1

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1991/4 +11/2

BANKSBarclays 3123/4 +45/8HSBC 706 -1/2Lloyds Banking Gp 645/8 +7/8Ryl Scotland 441/4 +1/2Stan Chart 1694 +2

BEVERAGESDiageo 1248 +14SABMiller £207/8 +1/8

CHEMICALSCroda 1511 +19Elementis 98 1313/4 +1Johnsn Mat 1974 +4

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 3485/8 +75/8Costain 219 -1/2

ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 3995/8 +31/4Intl Power 425 -2Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1169 +3

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 1747/8 +41/2

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3683/4 +17/8

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1843/4 -3Cable & WirelessComm

481/2 +1/4

Cable & WirelessWwide

751/4 -1

Colt Group 1501/2 +1/2KCOM 58 +1/4Talktalk Telecom 158 -1

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2771/2 -13/8Sainsbury 3901/8 +3/8Tesco 4021/8 -3/8

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1063 -6Nth Foods 743/4Tate Lyle 578 +41/2Unilever 1833 +2Uniq 53/8

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3305/8 +21/2National Grid 552 +21/2Pennon Grp 6291/2 +8Severn 1452 +12United Utils 575 -4

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 3193/8 +61/4

ICAP 5561/2 +131/2London StockExch 884 +61/2Man Group 311 +75/8Provident Financial 972 +21/2Schroders 1865 +14Schroders NV 1452 +14

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 6761/2 +201/2REXAM 3687/8 +121/4Smiths Grp 1374 +24

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 231/2 -1/2Carphone Whse 4001/4 -13/4Dixons Retail 213/4 +3/4Home Retail 2231/4 +13/8Inchcape 3861/4 +61/4Kingfisher 2533/4 -11/4M & S 3593/4 +33/4Mothercare 525 +11/2Next 1998 +9WH Smith 4673/8 +31/4

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 7121/2 +101/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 125 +31/4Barrat Dev 96 +2Persimmon 4303/8 +97/8Reckitt Benckiser £343/8 -1/8Taylor Wimpey 371/2 +1/8

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 807 +10I M I 8941/2 +201/2

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 4457/8 +63/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION

BBA Aviation 2331/4 +41/4Forth Ports 1336 -13

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 4601/8 +37/8Lgl & Gen 1181/4 +13/4Old Mutual 1313/4 -11/4Prudential 716 +3Resolution 2701/8 -43/8Standard Life 2393/8 -3/8

MEDIABSkyB 764 +4D Mail Tst 594 +15ITV 823/4 -13/8Johnston Press 103/4 +1/4Pearson 1053 +13Reed Elsevier 569 +14STV Group 1241/2 -11/2Trinity Mirror 821/2 +51/4Utd Business 7031/2 +121/2UTV 1291/2 +1/2WPP 8111/2 +18Yell Group 101/2 +1/2

MININGAnglo American £341/8 +3/4Antofagasta 1495 +4BHP Billiton £253/8 +1/4Eurasian NaturalRes

1044 -7

Fresnillo 1449 +31Kazakhmys 1631 +21Lonmin 1834 +19Rio Tinto £461/4 +11/4VEDANTARESOURCES

£243/8 +1/2

Xstrata 14671/2 +501/2MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 688 -2

Vodafone Group 1771/2 -2

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1719 +16RSA Insurance Gp 1381/2 +11/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 1440 +11BP 4811/2 +51/4Cairn Energy 4353/8 +91/8Royal Dutch Shell A £213/4 +1/8Royal Dutch Shell B £213/4 +1/4Total £365/8Tullow Oil 1417 +17

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICES

AMEC 1228 +19Petrofac 1550Wood Group 5821/2 +51/2

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1169 +33PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £295/8 +1/4Axis-Shield 3033/4 +33/4GlaxoSmithK 18Shire 1661 +21

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 5261/2 +31/2Captl Shop Cent 3757/8 +3/4DTZ Hldgs 42 +1Hamrsn 435 +3/4Land Secs 6861/2 -1/2SEGRO 3185/8 +15/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1547 -4Invensys 337 +71/4Logica 1437/8 +6Misys 3491/4 +95/8Sage Group 2991/4 +31/4

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 4477/8 +157/8Bunzl 779 +11Capita 672De La Rue 7101/2 +251/2Electrocomp 2673/4 +71/4Experian 7901/2 +9G4S 2661/8 +21/4Hays 1253/4 +23/4Homeserve 4491/4 +7Menzies J 4461/4 +1/4Rentokil 103 +11/8Smiths News 941/2 -2Wolseley £223/8 +3/8

IT HARDWARE

ARM Hldgs 611 +23Psion 92 +1Spirent Comms 156 +35/8

TOBACCO

Br Am Tob £241/2 +1/2Imperial Tobacco 1970 +39

LEISURE & HOTELS

Carnival £291/4 +5/8Compass Grp 556 -1/2easyJet 395 +95/8Enterprise Inns 1061/4 +31/4FirstGroup 374 +23/4Go-Ahead Gp 1262 +11Greene King 4753/4 +17/8Intercontl Htls 1368 +29Intl Cons AirlinesGp

266 +73/8

Ladbrokes 1353/4 +1/8Mitchells & Butlers 3485/8 +21/2Natl Express 2511/8 +31/4PartyGaming 1853/8 +23/8Rank Org 1293/4 +31/8Stagecoach Group 2203/4 +3/4TUI Travel 245 +4Whitbread 1773 +14

INDEXFTSE 100 6051.03 +53.65

INDEXFTSE 250 11811.07 +144.54

■ ‘TRANSFORMATIONAL DEAL’: Chiefexecutive Brian Brick (S)

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

SusanKenyon

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: DirectorFamily: HusbandDavid and daughterLucyHolidays: Lanzarotefor a lie down!Otherwise, walkingBritain’s coastal paths. Ihave walked more than200 miles of the635-mile south-westcoastal pathsCar: Audi Q5 “for best”and a Fiat 500 forrunning aboutFirst job: OfficeadministratorBest thing aboutjob: I get a buzz out ofgetting a good piece ofwork and doing it wellWorst thing aboutjob: The drudgery ofpaperworkBusiness tip: Beprepared to changewhat you are doing inresponse to the market.

Work: Strategicmarketing and marketresearchSite: Media Centre,HuddersfieldEmployees: FourPhone: 01484 437424Email: susan@askinsight.co.ukWebsite: www.askinsight.co.uk

Ask Insight

All thefactsandfigures

KNOWLEDGE is power, sothey say.

And Susan Kenyon,director of market researchspecialists Ask Insight,knows the value ofproviding good qualityinformation to clients in thebusiness world.

Susan established thecompany in 1997. Sincethen, Ask Insight, based atHuddersfield’s MediaCentre, has become one ofYorkshire’s leadingindependent suppliers ofstrategic marketing andmarketing to clients in thepublic and private sectors inthe UK and overseas.

It has carried out detailedstudies for clients includingKirklees College, BarnsleyDevelopment Agency, theNHS, housing trusts, amajor north-west foodwholesaler and charitableorganisations.

Among major contracts,Ask Insight has carried outdetailed mapping of thecreative and digital sectoracross West and SouthYorkshire, building on workconducted last year forCalderdale Council.

It has developed abenchmarking programmeto provide higher andfurther education collegeswith information drawn from“stakeholders” includingacademic andnon-academic staff,students, local employersand suppliers.

It has also researchedhousing needs for Vale ofAylesbury Housing Trustand South StaffordshireHousing Trust as well as aresearch roadshowinvolving 500 members ofthe public for the NHS innorth-east England.

Susan brings a wealth ofexperience to her role atAsk Insight – although hercareer path differssubstantially from herearliest ambitions to be aradiographer.

Dewsbury-born Susan,who attended WhitcliffeMount Grammar School,says: “I was very poorlywhen I was young andspent a lot of time inhospital.

“The doctors thought Ihad polio. It turned out tobe rheumatoid arthritis, butthe staff in the radiographydepartment were so lovely, Ijust wanted to get a jobworking with them!”

Her first job was inadministration at acommercial vehiclecompany in Gomersal.

Susan went on to workas PA to the boss of a hi-fibusiness before wanderlusttook her to Europe – whereshe spent six months inSwitzerland, Italy, Germanyand Holland sellingmagazine subscriptions.

After marrying, shedecided to settle back inYorkshire and got a job inretailing, becoming a storemanager for 10 years. “Iloved it,” says Susan. “Iworked at stores in Leeds,Bradford and Manchester.”

When the couple’sdaughter Lucy was born,Susan spent four years athome before returning tothe world of work atBradford College and later

Dewsbury College, whereshe was a departmentmanager building linksbetween education and localbusinesses.

The loss of her father in1997 proved a definingmoment. Says Susan: “Iwas 41 with a nine-year-olddaughter and I decided itwas time to do somethingfor myself.

“I have very strongself-belief – if you haven’tgot that, who else is goingto believe in you?

“I got a contract to carryout some marketing for aleisure park in Minorca. Thatwas my first assignment. Ispent a week out there, sentthem an invoice and gotpaid – and decided I wantedto do more of that!”

Susan next carried out astrategic research projectfor a company in Cheshireand has never looked back.

In 2004, she was electedas the first female to chair

the Yorkshire branch of theChartered Institute ofMarketing, serving atwo-year term. Says Susan:“It was challenging andenjoyable – but two yearswas long enough.

“However, Huddersfieldhas a strong marketing voicein the region.

“We have great designers,great creative people andgreat products. We also offerpeople who are very skilledmarketers.

“That is what is so greatabout the Media Centre –people are able to worktogether and collaborate.Huddersfield is a seriousmarketing town.”

Susan continues tocontribute to the industry asa visiting speaker atmarketing events atHuddersfield University, byhelping formulatequestionnaires and by takingplacements from sixth formcolleges.

Last year, Susan felt thebusiness was at a crucialpoint. While it had survivedthe recession, sherecognised it needed a newimpetus.

“We decided to grow,” shesays. “We recruited aheavyweight researcher, weinvested in some seriousresearch software, weintroduced new products andwe started networking inLondon.

“That cost money andeffort, but we had decidedwe could not stay the same.”

Ask Insight also took thebold decision to exhibit atthe major industry show,Adtech, in London. The ideaseemed daunting at first.

“We were exhibitingalongside organisations likeGoogle, Yahoo andFacebook,” says Susan.“Next to these big nameswith their plastic stands, wehad a stand based on acountry scene.

“We decided we werethe ‘innocent’ of theresearch industry, so wehad a field with ascarecrow to emphasiseour ethos. It worked verywell.”

Ask Insight alsoshowed it meant business– using its event researchsoftware system tocapture masses of detailabout how visitors toAdtech viewed theirexperience, which standsthey visited and how longthey stayed.

“Adtech attracts 7,000visitors a year – and weinteracted with most ofthem using this innovativeapproach,” says Susan.

Another Ask Insightdevelopment is Revolve, aproject which uses onlinemapping techniques totrack visitors to eventssuch as exhibitions andtrade shows or venueslike museums andcinemas to provide clientswith comprehensiveinformation from thevisitor’s perspective.

Research supplied byAsk Insight has helpedone client company winan order worth £6m whileanother has provided keyinformation for a majorskincare brand.

Susan has now spent10 years in retailing, 10years in education and 13years working for herself.

“I call it a learningjourney,” she says. “It isall about using thatexperience to advance.”

Away from work, Susankeeps a horse, calledJack and has completed a26-mile marathon byhorseback for a disabledchildren’s charity.

She has also taken partin the Race for Life forBreast Cancer.

Ask Insight is alsobacking Huddersfield

Town’s Keep It Upcampaign for theYorkshire Air Ambulance.

However, horses areher passion – despiteserious injuries sustainedin riding accidents.

“I work very hard and Ialways wanted a horse,”says Susan.

“When I finally hadsome money behind me,getting a horse was myreward to myself.”

Daughter Lucy alsolearned to ride and Susanrecommends the “horsey”world as a good way tohave fun and learn.

“People in their 70s and80s go riding,” she says.

“For young people,riding and looking afterhorses helps buildteamwork, social skillsand communication skills.

“It demandscommitment and sacrifice,but I’ve never regretted it.”

■ QUESTION TIME: SusanKenyon, of strategic marketresearch firm Ask Insight

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

Inspector calls

IT was interesting to see thedual role of Health & Safety

Executive inspectors in arecent intensive two-weekinspection initiative.

The HSE has a guidance andadvisory role for businesses, butwill also prosecute companieswhich fail to meet their legislativeduties.

Nearly 450 businesses werevisited across West Yorkshire, allof whom had been pre-warned ofthe local HSE inspectors’intentions to carry out premisesinspections.

The visits resulted in morethan 70 businesses being issuedwith Improvement Notices orProhibition Notices to makehealth and safety improvements.

One firm in Kirklees is underfurther investigation and couldbe prosecuted as a result of theserious dangers uncovered byInspectors.

Typical uncontrolled hazards

found by the HSE inspectorsincluded flammable liquids notbeing stored properly, missing orinadequate guards aroundmachines and exposure to fumesfrom welding.

HSE principal inspector DavidGreen said: “We always prefer tooffer guidance and advice tobusinesses to help them operatewithin the law, but we will takeenforcement action when we findthe health and safety of employ-ees are being put at risk.”

These inspections concen-trated on premises in Bradford,Calderda le, Kirk lees andWakefield, but this type offocused initiative is not uncom-mon across the country.

Wilby Risk Managementprovides auditing and adviceservices to check standards oflegal compliance within abusiness so improvements can beimplemented before an HSEInspector calls.

RISKYBUSINESSMark Dalton

Mark Dalton is associate director at Wilby Ltd

Lecturers launchbusiness ventureA GROUP of language tutors who tookvoluntary redundancy have embarked on abusiness venture – teaching English.

The six lecturers, who have amassed manyyears of experience teaching English, have setup Huddersfield English Language Centre torun classes for people such as migrant workers,refugees and home students.

They hold weekly classes at the St Patrick’sCentre and the Brian Jackson Centre inHuddersfield to cater for preliminary,intermediate, upper intermediate, advancedand proficiency students.

They are also planning a summer school forJuly and August.

Co-founder Lyn Croft said: “There is a gapin the provision for many English learners, sowe are offering friendly, flexible, affordableclasses to help students learn English whatevertheir needs.

“Classes are small and the atmosphere isboth relaxed and stimulating, encouragingconfident learning.”

Jon Tyler, who has been teaching English formore than 20 years, has taught people in

Eritrea and Sudan, as well as Japanese schoolchil-dren in Barcelona and a mixture of people inMinorca, Spain.

June Wilson has worked as a language teachersince 1983, working abroad for the British Councilin Mallorca and in Africa. She also has her owneducational business – Bonjour/Buenos Dias –which she started in 1995.

Val McLeod has taught at all levels for Skills ForLife as well as in a private capacity.

Firms look farbeyond the UK

COMPANYbosses arelooking farbeyond theirUK andtraditionalmarkets tosafeguardtheirprospects,says a majorsurvey.The latestPwC Global CEO Survey said chiefexecutives are focusing ondeveloping markets and looking toinnovation and the development ofnew products and services forfuture growth.Paul Nixon (pictured), senior partnerat PwC in West Yorkshire, said: “UKchief executives recognise that theyneed to be braver and specific intheir focus on new markets if theywant to compete in the globalenvironment.“Many of the UK’s traditional exportmarkets are currentlyunder-performing and – comparedto their counterparts in othercountries – UK chief executives seeless opportunity for growth athome.”He said the fact that UK exports tothe whole BRIC group of countries –Brazil, Russia, India and China –were roughly the same as those toIreland was not “a sustainableequation.”The survey showed that confidencelevels among company bosses forthe next 12 months had improvedslightly compared with a year ago,but the improvement was markedlylower than the global average.But only 15% of UK CEOs believethe domestic market presents theircompanies with high-growthpotential relative to other markets.In contrast, about half of bosses inmajor regions outside Europe thinktheir domestic markets offers highpotential for growth.Steve Denison, northern chairman,PwC, said: “UK CEOs remainconcerned with financial stabilityand the tax regime but recognisethat even if these issues areresolved, it will not be enough forUK plc to retain its position andprofile.“Even in this challenging economicclimate, Germany and the US arestill seen as quality global suppliers,particularly to rapidly developingeconomies.“The UK needs to make sure it is onthat list.”Some 20% of UK CEOs identifiednew geographic markets as themain opportunity to grow theirbusiness over the next 12 months –up from 14% the previous year.There is also a marked commitmentto developing new products andservices. UK bosses said theybelieve that the innovation neededto make this happen will come frominside the UK, through partnershipswith others such as suppliers.

■ MIND YOURLANGUAGE: JonTyler withcolleagues (fromleft) June Wilson,Lyn Croft, ValMcLeod and JeanHallas, ofHuddersfieldEnglish languageCentre, whichholds some of itscourses at the StPatrick’s Centre

PrivateenterpriseA BUSINESS supportgroup is urging smallerfirms to consider takingout private medicalinsurance for theiremployees.The Forum of PrivateBusiness believescountless small andmedium-sized enterprisesacross the UK could savetime and money byinvesting in a high-qualitymedical insurancescheme.Providing additionalhealthcare cover for staffwould save companies asignificant amount ofmoney by ensuringemployees return to workas soon as possible afteran illness or injury, theorganisation said.Forum finance andadministration directorNick Palin, said:“Employees oftenrepresent a business’greatest investment, so itmakes sense forbusiness owners tooptimise this investmentby reducing sicknessabsence and increasingstaff retention.”

Lyn Croft has been teaching students of allnationalities and at all levels. She has alsoundertaken outreach work with Asian women andsummer schools to Austrian, Spanish and Italianstudents. Lyn is also a Cambridge assessor forSkills For Life.

Jean Hallas has taught at all levels and to allnationalities, including teaching general English inSri Lanka for two years.

?3E'9$97 8&AEA>&E" :7=B"9D( C=% E799!:97&9A>&A5 &A C=%7 B%(&A9(() #9 >EA 39":2

6E"" %( A=# 8=7 E >=A(%"'E'&=A 0.+-- ,+4++4###2B95B&9(!'7ECA=72>=D,* 6"E79 1=E;) /E"&8E!) /@ -/< *!+$)!" ,#%&('#

762-2)6-4 0/1+4%3* 9-2!62! 1$%/81& , )-25( *%% - "-8 #1/"-/'.

5*' 13:8+ 8* +%)$

-*<:'7 ! ,<>*'+

2<A<0*$ >$%4 %A:+

(?96 < 4%A'7

$8J2K&8C@

K$JM 9&8&'@9@8G

%@&:G% &8B J&(@G+

,'$)00:3A0 .3'7 -*<:'7 <A@

,<>*'+ 2<A<0*4*A'#

/**@ 7*:" 8)' @%A&' '73A=

+%) ;<A <>>%$@ 3'#

/< 5A? )A?A4< =;,- %<A.FI A?H JAL<F=5;?FA5F ,* F;HA= ;? "N600 D7 #7 07 ;-<)AE. I<A.FIA?H*AL<F=!>E.O=.FH35;3,1

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Isn’t technologyjust wonderful?

Simon Kaye is divisional director at Rensburg SheppardsInvestment Management

CITYTALKSimon Kaye

IN early 2000 the techno-logy bubble ran out of

steam.Over the next two years, the US

technology index fell 83% to alevel that was not even breachedd u r i n g t h e m a rke t c ra s hfollowing Lehman’s bankruptcy.

Since then, using the US sectoras a proxy for the industry, profitshave been growing and thevaluations of the companies arenow the same as the market as awhole.

During the intervening 10years, some of the seeminglypie-in-the-sky projections haveevolved into products we use inour everyday life.

T h e c o n v e r g e n c e o fcommunications and computingis obvious to anyone who ownsan iPhone, but a decade ago itwas still a pipe dream.

Broadband was crude andexpensive, Wi-Fi was just startingup and no-one expected Apple,who were yet to launch the iPod,to be leading the pack.

Having moved from initials totwee names (PDA, WAP, ADSLetc to Blackberry, Wi-Fi etc) thea dv e n t a n d i n t r u s i o n o f

technology into our lives hasbecome commonplace.

So, where do we go from hereand what lessons can we learn?

The obvious one was “Don’tbelieve the hype”, but beinghuman we will again, some day.

The hype will probably not bein technology, but in emergingmarkets, China or maybe miningand commodities.

It may occur in the next twoyears or 10 years from now, but itwill happen.

The real clue will be that wehave once again suspendeddisbelief.

As for the question of whethertechnology stocks should formpart of a conservatively runportfolio, in our opinion it

should.Laptops, mobile phones and

broadband may be pretty com-monplace in the developedworld, but the pace of change isaccelerating.

The average phone user tendsto swap their handset every 12 to24 months and PCs have almostbecome disposable items.

Growth from the developingworld is burgeoning – forinstance Chinese laptop demandgrew by 50% in 2010.

More and more, we live part ofour life online via emails,Facebook, storage of our pre-cious photos.

We now publish on the websnapshots so poor, they wouldnot have made the album. These

are all stored out there online andwe do not spare a thought as towhere.

H o w e v e r, s o m e w h e r e ,someone is paying for thosestorage facilities, spending hardearned cash on buying andmaintaining the hardware.

Technology’s contribution tolessening environmental impactshould not be ignored.

As an example, LEDs could bethe future for both home andcommercial light fittings, savingelectricity.

Many companies successfullysurvived the bust and manyothers stepped in and took overthe mantle of those which did notmake it.

These companies are nowmaking profits from trends that10 years ago produced nothingbut hot air.

They will certainly grow morequickly than the global economy,but not without some ups anddowns.

In time they will once againbecome more highly valued thanthe average company’s shares andreward the patient investor.

Time to taketelecoms adviceon connectivityKIRKLEES firms dependent one-commerce business risk losing upto 92% of their online trade if theirinternet connection and webinfrastructure is slow and outdated, itis claimed.A study by telecoms provider Opal –the business-to-business arm of theTalkTalk Group – said poor webconnectivity could have an adverseeffect on companies during peakonline sales periods such as January,bank holidays or the festive period.It said connectivity and ensuringe-commerce sites run smoothly hadnever been more critical forbusinesses – with more than 92% ofinternet shoppers switching toalternative brands if their websitesexperience technical problems.The survey found that only 25% ofbrowsers would revisit an e-commercesite and re-attempt a failedtransaction, while fewer than 9%would wait more than 15 minutes forsite repairs to be conducted beforelooking elsewhere.Opal said the solution to this technicalproblem for companies of any size orsector is to simply invest in businessgrade broadband to greatly improvethe speed, efficiency and reliability ofits e-commerce function.

Team up to tackle tax issues

■ TAX WARNING: MattHolmes, of Liquid Accounts

A HUDDERSFIELD firm hasteamed up with a leading businessorganisation – to help Kirkleescompanies avoid a £3,000 finefrom the taxman.

Longwood-based accountancysof tware spec ia l i s t LiquidAccounts and the Forum ofPrivate Business are warning smallfirms to keep proper financialrecords or face fines.

The FPB said that despitepromis ing a “l ight touch”approach to mistakes made in theprocess of implementing the 2.5%VAT rise, Revenue & Customsplanned to clamp down on firmsfor “significant record keeping

failures” as well as probing likelyunpaid taxes.

Firms are expected to keeprecords going back at least sixyears. Information includinginvoices, bank statements, receiptsand cheque stubs will have to besupported by up-to-date accountsbooks and detailed analysis.

Matt Holmes, managing dir-ector at Liquid Accounts andadviser to the FPB, said: “HMRCis planning to clamp down onsmall business tax payments andrecord keeping from the middle of2011.

“For many, this will represent alengthy administrative headache.

“Obviously, entrepreneurs willwant to make sure they are notcaught out and hit in the pocket ata time they can least afford it, butthe key is to focus on creatingbusiness intelligence that you canuse to your benefit rather than justkeeping records for the taxmanbecause you have to.”

Mr Holmes issued a three-pointplan to help firms with betterbookkeeping – to seek advice ifyou are struggling for time or lackthe expertise; embrace mobiletechnologies to help keep on topof the finances; and to considercost-effective online accountingpackages.

Another company joins the Frontline familyBATLEY-based Front l ineSolutions has announced the firstcompany to join a new partnerscheme for its motor dealerfinance management systemDealTrak.

Glenside Finance is a specialistcompany covering the previouslydeclined financing of new and

used cars and light commercialvehicles introduced by both deal-ers and brokers.

Joining the DealTrak schemegives Glenside the chance toconnect with a vast array of deal-ers linked into DealTrak – allow-ing it to receive an unlimitednumber of finance proposals.

Additional benefits includejoint publicity, advertising on theDealTrak websites and freeattendance at all conferences andnetworking events held by parentcompany Frontline Solutions.

Glenside Finance heard aboutDealTrak through one of itsbrokers who had attended the

first annual Frontline BrokerConference in 2010.

Frontline Solutions managingdirector Andy Shuter said: “I amdelighted to announce Glensideas the first finance provider tojoin our partner scheme. and welook forward to welcoming theminto the DealTrak family.”

61$&'($+.*1 "'(-21%) #(81$!+(-

B" )A7 >"9S .U2 <7 A99 A6S")56 UY .U2L Y<7A7)<A9 S9A77<7?&0>"5>"L <5M6 .U2L <71"658"756& S"76<U7 UL ?"7"LA9Y<7A7)<A9 8A55"L6P

B" AL" )U88<55"$ 5U SLU1<$<7? ><?> N2A9<5. <7$"S"7$"75SLUY"66<U7A9 A$1<)" 0<5> 5>" A<8 UY >"9S<7? U2L )9<"756 5UA)><"1" 5>"<L Y<7A7)<A9 U+;")5<1"6P

B" 8A7A?" Y27$6 YUL SL<1A5" )9<"756&)>AL<5<"6& 5L2656 A7$ S"76<U7 Y27$6P

K"8+"L Y<L8 UY 5>" VU7$U7 E5U): %/)>A7?"P K"8+"L UY V<YY"P ,25>UL<6"$ A7$ L"?29A5"$ +.5>" #<7A7)<A9 E"L1<)"6 ,25>UL<5.P F"76+2L? E>"SSAL$6 X71"658"75 KA7A?"8"75 V<8<5"$ <6L"?<65"L"$ <7 %7?9A7$P F"?<65"L"$ IUP 3T334@JP 61-+$!1%13 7//+51( G2A.6<$" ZU26"'A7A9 B>ALY V""$6 VETT WHCP 7//+51$ 0!( *"9YA65 '>"95"7>A8 %$<7+2L?> #AL7>A8!9A6?U0 V""$6 V<1"LSUU9 VU7$U7 KA7)>"65"L F"<?A5" E>"YY<"9$P

61($.:%- 4,1&&0%3$ #(81$!)1(! 90(0-1)1(!G2A.6<$" ZU26"& 'A7A9 B>ALY& V""$6& VETT WHCD"9( O@@ RJQTT4 3@W @@[[%=8A<9( <7YUP9""$6-L6<8P)UP2:

E<8S9<Y. .U2L 9<Y"

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Community focusfor RICS groupA NEW body has been formed to examinehow communities across Yorkshire canshape and manage their neighbourhoodsin light of localism and the Big Society.The Royal Institution of CharteredSurveyors has set up the Land andSociety Commission under thechairmanship of Trevor Beattie, a formerdirector at the Homes and CommunitiesAgency.The commission will lead a four-monthinvestigation on how communities canfind the best uses for land and property. Italso wants to hear from people withexperience in community action, the builtenvironment and local government.

Whitegates winsnational awardAN estate agency in Huddersfield haswon a major award.Whitegates, which has offices at MarketStreet in the town centre, was the goldwinner of the technology and onlineaward at the 2010 Estate Agency of theYear Awards.The competition attracted entries fromestate agencies across the countryrepresenting more than 4,000 branches.Nicholas Sykes, a director at Whitegatesin Huddersfield, said: “Our entry wassubject to rigorous scrutiny by a panel ofindependent industry experts.“The whole judging process wasoverseen by the property ombudsmanChristopher Hamer and Peter BoltonKing, chief executive of the NationalFederation of Property Professionalsacting as arbiter.”Judges said Whitegates’ online presenceand back-office systems were designedto “complement and enhance” theirservice offering. It remarked on theagency’s re-designed website and its“excellent understanding and usage ofsocial media, e-marketing, intranet andblogging”.Whitegates also won gold for the bestfranchise.Said Mr Sykes: “Everyone is thrilled withthese awards and we’re already workingon a number of things to raise the barstill further in 2011.”

Company readyfor a Lord’s testA COMPANY in Huddersfield providingsurface cooling and heating systems for theconstruction industry is set to stage a majorevent.

Skelmanthorpe-based Velta is followingup the success of its inaugural SustainableDesign and Construction Forum at theGalpharm Stadium last September withanother event this spring.

The company, which linked up withHanson Building Products, StuartsIndustrial Flooring and Creagh Concretefor last year’s event, will hold a similar inMarch – in London.

Lord’s Cricket Ground will be the settingfor Velta’s London Forum on March 24.More than 150 delegates, includingconsultants to engineers and architects, willattend the event, which is aimed atprofessionals in the commercial, residentialand industrial buildings market.

The event will provide building owners,managers, archi tects, contractors,consultants and property maintenance

engineers with the latest knowledge in thedevelopment of thermo-active buildingsystems (TABS) – including renovationsolutions for cooling and heating offices.

Speakers will include Dr RennieChadwick, of VINCI Construction UKLtd; Prof Doug King, of King ShawAssociates; David Firth, of Sir RobertMcAlpine; and Prof Bjarne Olesen, of theUniversity of Denmark.

Velta’s TABS allow existing energy to beutilised to provide environmentally-friendlyheating and cooling to many largedevelopment schemes.

Velta managing director Gerald Kempsaid: “Our first TABS event was such asuccess that we wanted to bring it toLondon.

“Lords is a fantastic venue and we’reexpecting delegates from across the UK aswell as overseas to attend, along with someadditional high profile speakers within thespecialist TABS field.”

■ TALKING POINT: Dr Rennie Chadwick,managing director of VINCI Construction UKLtd’s technology division, speaking at lastyear’s inaugural Velta Forum at the GalpharmStadium

NHBC welcomesregistrations riseSEVERE weather in December failed todampen the spirits of housebuilders – aslatest figures showed an increase in newhome registrations during the finalquarter of 2010.The National House-Building Councillogged more than 7,385 registrations inDecember compared with 7,149 for thesame month in 2009. That meant the totalfor 2010 stood about 30% up on 2009 at115,458 compared with 88,083.However, the December, 2010 figure wasdown on the previous month – reflectingthe impact of Christmas.Housebuilders in Yorkshire logged 1,585new home registrations in December,2010, against 1,343 for the same monththe previous year.NHBC figures also showed that privatesector registrations rose by 1% duringthe final quarter of last year to stand at to18,551 compared with 18,393 for thesame period last year. Public sectorregistrations were 13% higher at 8,711against 7,685. Combined registrationsrose by 5% to 27,262 from 26,078.

Fourth quarter sees deals fallPROPERTY investment activityacross Yorkshire took a tumbleduring the fourth quarter of2010, according to a new survey.

Figures from property advisersLamber t Smi th Hamptonshowed that deals totalling£34.8m were transacted betweenOctober and December last yearagainst a figure of £371.2mfor theprevious quarter – while the totalnumber of transactions fell by55% to 75.

The average deal price fell byalmost 79% to about £464,000 –while the retail sector bore thebrunt of the reduced activity,accounting for just 15% of thetotal transaction value compared

with 76% in the previousquarter.

The largest deal to completeduring the final quarter wasStandard Life’s £13.8m purchaseof Rockingham Street car park inS h e f f i e l d f ro m C o r dw e l lProperty.

Graham Foxton, surveyor withLSH’s Yorkshire agency team,said: “While these figures paint ableak picture for the region’sinvestment market, activity forthe whole year was down only5.4% from 2009, demonstratingthe strength of transactions in thefirst three quarters of the year.

“Looking to 2011, with a con-tinued improvement in occupa-

tional take-up across all sectors,the region should be well-placedto expand upon the investmentactivity experienced in 2010.

“Early activity for the firstquarter appears to be positiveand there are certainly investorswith an appetite to capitalise ongood opportunities should goodquality stock be released to themarket throughout the year.”

Mr Foxton said: “AlthoughGovernment spending cuts arelikely to hit the north hardestthroughout 2011, cities such asLeeds are expected to help leadthe UK to recovery, given its lowvulnerability to public-sector joblosses.”

Better ways to solve housing shortageTRADITIONAL building methodsmust make way for morecost-effective and sustainabledesigns if the growing housingcrisis in Yorkshire is to bealleviated, said a report.

The study commissioned bythe Royal Institution ofChartered Surveyors, said aseries of low-cost housingsystems could significantly easethe national housing shortageand make more affordablehousing available to both localauthorities and first-time buyers.

It said: “By making use ofoff-site construction methods,recycled materials andinnovative structural design,homes throughout Yorkshire and

Humberside can be constructedswiftly and cheaply with lessimpact on the environment.

“Many of the designs can beeasily segmented and extended,eliminating the need for costlyrenovation work and enablingthem to evolve as the needs ofthe occupiers change.”

RICS Yorkshire spokesmanAtam Verdi said: “The need formore new homes in Yorkshireand Humberside is growingconsiderably and withconstruction levels across theUK still at an all time low, it’s areal issue.

“The Government as well asthe industry must consider moreinnovative solutions to help with

housing development –otherwise we will end up witheven more overcrowding,undersupply and unaffordablehousing.

“New approaches will be partof the answer and also continuethe push on higherenvironmental standards.”

Study author Dr Chris Goodier,of Loughborough University,said: “UK housebuilding haslong been associated withexpensive, time consumingmethods and can mean thatenvironmental standards aredifficult to maintain.

“More innovative, modernoff-site and modular designs arenot only extremely cost effective,

but can be constructed withease in a very short period oftime.

“Furthermore, many majormortgage providers are alreadywilling to lend against thesestructures – which has been aproblem in the past – meaningthat first-time buyers could findthem a highly practical way ofgetting onto the property ladder.”

Examples include modularhomes which can be priced fromabout £20,000.

These are constructed off-sitein less than 12 weeks andtransported to the given location.

Homes made from recycledplastic are also available.

■ DEAL DISMAY: GrahamFoxton, of Lambert SmithHampton in Yorkshire

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

Single storey workshop andoffices easily accessible tojunction 25, M62.

Hugh House,Foundry Street,Off Birds Royd Lane,Brighouse662 m2 (7,136 sq ft)

OfficesIndustrial

Folly Hall, WaterfrontQuarter, Huddersfield186 m2 (2,000 sq ft)Last remainingoffice suiteHigh quality office suite withinhugely successful new developmentwith parking within walking distanceof Huddersfield town centre.

Immediately AvailableTo LeTTo LeT

Industrial

Modern industrial/warehouse unitwith offices with good on siteloading and parking.

Unit M2, ColnesideBusiness Park, GeorgeStreet, Milnsbridge850 m2 (9,151 sq ft)

To LeT Immediately Available

Industrial

Off Wakefield Road,Lepton650 – 15,650 sq ft

To LeT Preliminary Announcement

Modern industrial/warehousecomplex with offices immediatelyadjacent main Wakefield Road.

Industrial

Modern single storey warehouse/industrial unit with good site loadingand parking. Well located for M1.

Barncliffe Business Park,Shelley, Huddersfield62 m2 – 678 m2

(667 – 7,298 sq ft)

To LeT Flexible Terms

High quality refurbished officespace with parking within walkingdistance of HuddersfieldTown Centre.

17 Old Leeds Road,off Leeds Road,Huddersfield46 m2 – 218 m2

(503 sq ft – 2,350 sq ft)

Commercial

To LeT Immediately Available

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Heather Roxborough

FinanceYorkshireFINANCE Yorkshirehas appointedHeather Roxboroughas investmentmanager.

Ms Roxborough(pictured) joins the“seedcorn” teamresponsible formaking investmentsof up to £780,000 inearly stage,knowledge and technology start-upbusinesses with the best opportunityfor rapid growth.

She previously worked for ITI LifeSciences in Scotland, where she wasresponsible for making multi-millionpound investments incommercially-driven research anddevelopment programmes for themedical and healthcare sectors.

Ms Roxborough has also workedwith global giant Unilever in the UK andAmerica in its research and corporateventures divisions.

She said: “I am really excited aboutworking in the Yorkshire area and lookforward to speaking to a variety ofbusinesses about how our investmentcan help their growth.

“I will be looking to supporttechnology-based companies acrossthe region which have significantmarket potential but need financialsupport to turn it into a reality.

“Yorkshire has a strong reputation forhealthcare companies and with myexperience in bio-science and high-endmedical technology, I will be in a goodposition to identify the opportunitiesavailable.”

Motoring aheadto better healthA NEW health academy has opened its doors inHuddersfield.

Prohms Health Academy staged at open dayat its premises in the former Brook Motorspremises at St Thomas’ Road, LongroydBridge, to demonstrate the benefits of keepingfit.

Visitors were able to take up “free” healthchecks or attend a drop-in clinic for back, kneeor shoulder pain. There were also circuit andpilates sessions as well as tours of the facilities,presentations and a drinks reception.

Pictured at the open day are (from left)managing director Matt Coulson and physio-therapists Ruth Johnson and Sophie Varley.

The academy was opened by Mr Coulson,who has 14 years experience in the fitness andsports industry, and Sandra Babbings.

Sandra is director and owner of ProhmsOccupational Health and Prohms Physiother-apy and Ergonomics. which is part of occupa-tional health specialist business Prohms andoffers services such as physiotherapy, sportsmassage, one-to-one exercise coaching, sportsspecific training and gym access.

Laura Hakier & Joanne Hodgkins

Jones HomesHOUSEBUILDER Jones Homes (Northern)Ltd has made two appointments at itsCleckheaton-based regional office.

Laura Hakier (left), of Fenay Bridge, joinsthe company in an administrative role whileJoanne Hodgkins (right), of Bradford, becomesassistant PA to regional director RobertAdams.

In her new role, Ms Hodgkins will provide fullsecretarial and administrative support to MrAdams while Ms Hakier will take responsibilityfor the smooth running of reception andprovide support for telephone enquiries.

Ms Hodgkins previously worked in customerservices before joining Jones Homes while MsHakier joins the regional housebuilder fromuniversity, where she gained a degree inEnglish literature with creative writing.

GrantThornton

Steve Kitching

ACCOUNTANCY andbusiness services firm GrantThornton has appointed SteveKitching as a senior VATmanager for Yorkshire.

Mr Kitching (pictured) bringswith him 20 years’ experienceas a senior financialaccountant with the RoyalMail. He joins Grant Thorntonfrom a Midlands-basedaccountancy practice and has six yearsexperience helping businesses andentrepreneurs with VAT and Custom Dutiesissues and assurance advice.

He began his career training with HMRevenue & Customs as a VAT inspector. Hisspecialist areas include the retail, land,property and not-for-profit sector, in particulareducation and welfare.

Retail experts take a bow

TURNING stores into theatres couldbe the key to boosting retail sales,delegates to a major conference havebeen told.

Kate Hardcastle and RichardGomersall (both pictured), ofbusiness transformation specialistInsight with Passion, took to thestage at Interiors 2011 to deliver theirinnovative seminar How to Bring theShop Floor to Life using RetailTheatre.

They were invited to addressdelegates at Interiors 2011 – theUK’s largest and most prestigiousevent in the interiors industry –following their resounding success atthe 2010 show.

The seminar caused a stir aroundthe exhibition as they presented to afull-house of engaged professionals.Attendees even had to watch theentire presentation from outside the

theatre due to the huge demand.The presentation provided advice

on how to create Retail Theatrein-store to improve the shopping timeand average spend of customers.

It focused on how – bytransforming the look, feel, sounds,scents and the service deliveredin-store – retail businesses cantransform their sales floor andultimately, increase footfall and profit.

The success of Retail Theatre isproving to be a hot topic – with TVprogrammes such as Channel 4’sSecret Shopper. This showed that abusiness using Retail Theatre tocommunicate to the customer in alanguage they understand andproviding excellent service from ateam of brand ambassadors couldmake shopping more enjoyable andincrease the likelihood of customerscoming back.

Colin Bateson & Peter Hanson

Strategy toSucceed LtdTwo former senior Business Link advisershave launched a new venture to help WestYorkshire firms.

Leeds-based Strategy To Succeed Ltd hasbeen formed by Colin Bateson and PeterHanson, who share more than 25 yearsexperience in helping companies throughBusiness Link support.

Mr Bateson and Mr Hanson have advisedmore than 2,000 businesses during their timewith Business Link in areas such as strategicplanning and business growth.

In their new role, they will be supported by ateam of associates with expertise in areasincluding finance, sales and marketing, humanresources, and IT.