KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees26, October, 2010

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GoinggreenerA REVOLUTIONARY“green” building nearHuddersfield canprovide the blueprintfor future propertydevelopments,according to aHuddersfield firm.Green Building Store,based at Bolster Moor,has launched a10-minute documentarymaking the case for allnew buildings andrefurbishments to takeas their standard thePassivhaus approachto designing ultra lowenergy homes andbuildings. It follows thecompletion of aPassivhaus at DenbyDale earlier this year.

Drive forequalityTHE company behindthe HiQ Fast Fitfranchise inHuddersfield is wagingan equality war.North Eastern Tyre andExhausts hasappointed severalwomen to seniormanagement roles inan industry generallydominated by men

Insolvency hits region’s key sectors hardestTHE recession has hit key sectors thehardest in Yorkshire, according to asurvey by insolvency experts.

Manufacturing, construction andr e t a i l i n g w e r e a m o n g t h o s eworst-affected by the recession, said thereport by R3, the association of businessrecovery professionals.

The insolvency body tracked eachsector through the recession and foundthat some of the industries most crucialto the regional economy ranked in thetop four worst affected sectors across thecountry.

Nationally, construction suffered7,184 insolvencies with wholesale andretail facing 6,077 and manufacturingaccounting for 4,664. The figures weremeasured from the second quarter of2008 to the end of the fourth quarter oflast year.

Andrew Walker, R3’s regional chair-man for Yorkshire, said: “The decline in

real estate massively outstrips that in anyother sector.

“Clearly, there was an oversupplywhen the recession took hold and aspeople and businesses became lessinclined to move, development projectscould not be sold on.

“The decline in real estate has had amajor impact in some of the region’sleading cities with a knock-on effect onmany related businesses.

“However, it is important to see thesefigures in context. With more than 1menterprises – compared to just over500,000 in the wholesale and retailindustry – real estate is the largest sector,a factor in pushing insolvency numbershigher.”

When insolvencies are viewed as aproportion of the total number of enter-prises in each industry, hotels and res-taurants top the list with an insolvencyrate of 1.7% followed by manufacturing

at 1.6% and real estate in fifth at 1.1%.Said Mr Walker: “Looking at these

percentages, the pain appears to havebeen evenly spread, although manufac-turing – another of Yorkshire’s key sec-tors – was also hit very hard, buttraditionally it is one of the first sectorsto recover.”

Low interest rates and Revenue &Custom’s Time To Pay scheme meantcorporate insolvency numbers hadbegun to come down this year.

But Mr Walker said: “It will take untilthe end of 2011 before we know if there isan ‘insolvency lag’ still to work its waythrough.

“This ‘lag’ has been a typical feature ofpast recessions when insolvencies riseduring a recovery as creditors stand toachieve greater returns and weakenedbusinesses have used up their reserves tostay afloat.”

■ IMPACT: AndrewWalker, of R3, said the fulleffect of the recessionmay not become apparentuntil the end of 2011

Route to successfor rural entepriseRURAL businesses in the Kirkleesarea are being offered support tohelp them overcome the recession.

The call comes as it emerges thatmore than 300 companies of the 350businesses helped so far by supportgroup Growing Routes have survivedthe economic downturn.

Growing Routes was founded in2003 by the Yorkshire AgriculturalSociety with help from regenerationagency Yorkshire Forward toprovide free business advice andplanning, skills development andtraining as well as mentoring andhelp to secure grants.

The mentoring scheme was set upin 2005 to enable experienced, know-ledgeable and skilled business peopleto offer support and guidance to newand diversifying businesses.

The scheme, relies on businessmentors who volunteer two hours amonth to help their respectivementees. So far, a pool of 57 mentorshave helped 130 enterprises.

Businesses to benefit range fromholiday cottages and horse trainingcentres to a pheasant rearing organ-isation and a green burial site.

The range of mentor experience isjust as diverse and includes farmers,bankers, lawyers and accountants aswell as experts in human resources,manufacturing, marketing, foodretailing, brewing and butchery.

Dennis Jones, regional mentoringco-ordinator for Growing Routes,said: “Mentoring is a very importantpart of the Growing Routes Pro-gramme and provides a uniquechance for two people to workclosely together to bring about learn-ing and development.

“By the nature of the process itoffers great opportunities andrewards for both the client and thementor.”

Said Mr Jones: “It’s very reward-ing that we are able to help so manyrural businesses with the mentoringscheme and we’re very grateful to the

mentors who give up their time andadd much value to fledgling or diver-sifying businesses.”

Mentors include Tracey Baty, ofthree60 marketing and pr, who hasbeen involved with the scheme for 18months and is providing mentoringsupport to two businesses. She spent17 years in marketing for small andlarge businesses before setting up herown consultancy six years ago.

She said: “I volunteered to be amentor because I love working withrural businesses and I haven’t beendisappointed.

“The businesses that I’m currentlyworking with are very different – oneis a fledgling business whilst theother is an established business thatis undergoing a major expansion –but both are great businesses andwelcome the input that I canprovide.”

To find out more about mentor-ing, contact Dennis Jones on 07725036567.

■ COUNTRY FILE: Growing Routesmentoring co-ordinator Dennis Jones

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

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Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.50 dollarsBangladesh................. 104.99 takaBrazil.............................. 2.40 realsCanada....................... 1.53 dollarsChina ............................. 9.37 yuanCzech Republic ...... 25.20 korunasDenmark....................... 7.94 kroneEuro............................... 1.07 euroHong Kong................ 11.60 dollarsHungary ................... 273.50 forintsIndia.......................... 61.53 rupeesJapan........................... 121.07 yenMexico ....................... 17.25 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.94 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.63 kronePakistan.................. 127.48 rupeesPhilippines ................. 58.05 pesosSouth Africa................. 10.12 randSouth Korea.............. 1530.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 166.05 rupeesSweden......................... 9.84 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.45 francsTaiwan ...................... 42.11 dollarsTurkey........................ 2.11 new liraUSA ............................ 1.50 dollars

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £24.87 +0.10Gannett 777.73 +4.44Hess Corp £40.56 +0.41Microsoft 1599.89 -11.28Motors Liquidation 47.62Wal-Mart Stores £34.48 +0.16

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 1671/2BAE Systems 3541/4 -41/4Rolls-Royce Gp 6381/2 -3

AIMBrady Plc 643/4Dawson Intl 17/8Man Brnze 501/2 +4

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1861/2 +31/4

BANKSBarclays 2813/8 -13/4HSBC 6683/8 +15/8Lloyds Banking Gp 68 -37/8Ryl Scotland 453/8 -3/4Stan Chart 1806 -321/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 1186 +6SABMiller £203/8 -1/8

CHEMICALSCroda 1508 +13Elementis 98 1121/2 -2Johnsn Mat 1945 +9

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2727/8 +15/8Costain 208 -2

ELECTRICITYDrax Gp 3761/4 -13/4Intl Power 406 -31/4

Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1117 -11

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 1513/4 +11/4

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 354 +11/4

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1561/8 +13/8Cable & WirelessComm

521/4 -7/8

Cable & WirelessWwide

697/8 +1/8

Colt Group 1203/4 -3/4KCOM 503/4 -1/2Talktalk Telecom 130 -11/2

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2991/4 +1Sainsbury 3877/8 +33/8Tesco 4311/8 +23/4

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1060 -1Nth Foods 471/2Tate Lyle 5231/2 +171/2Unilever 1856 +16Uniq 81/4 -1/4

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3241/4 -11/4National Grid 584 -11/2Pennon Grp 6241/2 -1Severn 1363 -10United Utils 602 +1

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 296 -1/4ICAP 4695/8 +21/4London StockExch 740 +35Man Group 2603/4 +33/4Provident Financial 8061/2 -11/2

Schroders 1518 +6Schroders NV 1208 +22

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 5871/2 +91/2REXAM 3243/4 +1Smiths Grp 1202 -2

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 163/4 -3/4Carphone Whse 2891/2 -1/2Dixons Retail 27 +5/8Home Retail 2191/2 +27/8Inchcape 3567/8 +75/8Kingfisher 2471/4 -11/4M & S 4261/4 +1/8Mothercare 5261/2 +8Next £231/8WH Smith 4841/8 +1/4

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 578 +111/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 901/2 +43/4Barrat Dev 813/4 +11/2Persimmon 3571/4 +3/4Reckitt Benckiser £341/8 +3/8Taylor Wimpey 231/4 +1/8

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 7951/2 -61/2I M I 8281/2 +15

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 3401/8 +1/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 1943/4 -31/4Forth Ports 1322 +2

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 4003/4 -15/8Lgl & Gen 1023/4 -7/8

Old Mutual 1343/8 -1/4Prudential 632 -9Resolution 2611/4 +17/8Standard Life 227 -21/2

MEDIABSkyB 705 +31/2Chrysalis 107 -3/4D Mail Tst 5261/2 +1/2ITV 685/8 +7/8Johnston Press 131/2 +1/4Pearson 9471/2 -281/2Reed Elsevier 550 -21/2STV Group 101 -111/2Trinity Mirror 1053/4 -21/4Utd Business 6761/2 +19UTV 143 -13/4WPP 7441/2 +11Yell Group 15

MININGAnglo American £297/8 +5/8Antofagasta 1321 +52BHP Billiton £221/2 +1/2Eurasian NaturalRes

9251/2 +181/2

Fresnillo 1271 +20Kazakhmys 1380 +47Lonmin 1821 +25Rio Tinto £421/8 +1VEDANTARESOURCES

£217/8 +3/8

Xstrata 1324 +341/2

MOBILE TELECOM SERVICESInmarsat 6291/2 +31/2Vodafone Group 1657/8 -11/8

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1614 +5RSA Insurance Gp 1331/4 -5/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERS

BG 1196 -7BP 4285/8Cairn Energy 412 -55/8Royal Dutch Shell A £20Royal Dutch Shell B 19571/2 +41/2Total £345/8 -1/8Tullow Oil 1228 -8

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1056 +9Petrofac 1466 -4Wood Group 4301/4 -1/4

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1026 +32PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £33Axis-Shield 280 -10GlaxoSmithK 61/2Shire 1478 -4

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 509 +2Captl Shop Cent 3861/2 +1DTZ Hldgs 45 -2Hamrsn 417 +43/8Land Secs 6781/2 +1/2SEGRO 2951/2 +5/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1465 -2Dimension Data 1201/4 +1/4Invensys 3115/8 -83/4Logica 1303/4 -1/4Misys 285 +1/4Sage Group 2743/4 -1/4

SUPPORT SERVICESBunzl 7531/2 -3Capita 781 +21/2Davis ServiceGroup

4171/2 -1/2

De La Rue 6511/2 -41/2Electrocomp 2411/4 -1/2Experian 726 +2G4S 2705/8 +5/8Hays 1135/8 +11/4Homeserve 4741/2 -11/8Menzies J 485 +3Rentokil 103 +21/4Smiths News 1161/2 -1/2Wolseley 1703 +52

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 3891/4 +53/4Psion 95 +1/4Spirent Comms 1431/4 +31/2

TOBACCOBr Am Tob £243/8Imperial Tobacco 1994 -4

LEISURE & HOTELSBrit Airways 2833/4 +3/8

Carnival £261/2 +3/8Compass Grp 523 -3easyJet 4521/2 -1Enterprise Inns 1223/4 +37/8FirstGroup 398 +17/8Go-Ahead Gp 1273 +19Greene King 420 -7/8Intercontl Htls 1225 +12Ladbrokes 1353/4 +11/2Mitchells & Butlers 3245/8 +12Natl Express 2501/2 +3PartyGaming 2763/4 +51/2Rank Org 1271/2 +3/4Stagecoach Group 2091/2 +31/8TUI Travel 211 -1/2Whitbread 1729 -4

INDEXFTSE 100 5751.98 +10.61

INDEXFTSE 250 10978.14 +83.41

Carclo 181 -5Chapelthorpe 231/2Marshalls 1051/2 -3/4National Grid 584 -11/2Weir Gp 1618 +10

STAGECOACH founder BrianSouter has amassed an investmentportfolio worth £400m – after thevalue of assets rose by 41% in threeyears.

Family-owned Souter Invest-ments. which has offices in Edin-burgh and Perth, has a 14% stake inStagecoach, as well as undisclosedstakes in a number of other firms,including insurance business esureand the price comparison websitegocompare.

Stagecoach, the bus and railoperator set up by Mr Souter andhis sister Ann Gloag, makes up 50%of Souter Investments.

The rest of the portfolio includesfinancial services, healthcare andbiofuels and stretches from Scot-land to New Zealand.

Mr Souter, Stagecoach chiefexecutive, said the vast majority ofthe investments had proved “reces-sion proof” over the economicdownturn and had grown from avalue of £250m in 2007 to £400mtoday.

He said the strong growth reflec-ted the performance of Stagecoach,which was listed on the stockexchange in 1993 and has delivereda total shareholder return of 121%over the last five financial years.

A MAJORsupplier of own-brandhousehold goods to supermarkets saidsales were still rising – despite the highlevel of promotions by its brandedcompetitors.

McBride, which makes supermarketown-label products such as laundryliquids, mouthwash and toothpaste,announced a 1% rise in sales betweenJuly 1 to October 24 – even thoughchief executive Chris Bull admitted bigbrands were fighting hard for sales.

He said the promotional spree wasnot necessar i ly bad news forMcBride.

Mr Bull said consumers would

become accustomed to paying lowprices for brands – and when theaverage price increased again theywould buy even more supermarketown-label goods, which would offerbetter value for money.

Mr Bull, who joined McBride inMay from Unilever, said: “As a formerbranded player, the last thing you wantto do is to continue to promote on anongoing basis. The longer the promo-tions go on for, the more it will benefitMcBride.”

Last month, the Manchester-basedsupplier announced a 33% hike inannual pre-tax profits £29.6m.

MORTGAGE lendingdived to its lowest levelfor a decade duringSeptember – as activityin the housing marketremained subdued, latestfigures show.

Net lending, whichstrips out redemptionsand repayments, totalled£1.6bn during the month,well down on theprevious month’s total of£2.5bn and the lowestfigure since October,2000.

The British Bankers’Association said lendingshowed little sign ofpicking up in the nearfuture, with the number ofmortgages approved forhouse purchase droppingfor the fourth consecutivemonth to hit an 18-monthlow.

PUBLISHING group Pearson saidsurging demand for e-books was help-ing to drive a better-than-expected per-formance. for the group.

Pearson has increased its guidancefor full-year earnings for the secondtime in three months after underlyingsales rose by 7% across the group in thefirst nine months of the year.

Pearson’s Penguin book publishingarm increased sales by 5% thanks to athree-fold hike in sales of e-books.

The division now offers 16,500digital titles.

The Financial Times newspaperoperation also had another goodquarter with sales up 11% during thenine months.

Pearson warned that the fourthquarter would be a crucial selling sea-son for its education and consumer

publishing divisions, which also facetough comparatives towards the end ofthe year.

But the group confirmed it was“trading ahead of previous guidance”.

Pearson also moved guidance higherin July after a sharp rise in first halfoperating profits, which soared to£178m from £84m a year earlier.

FT Group hailed a return to growthin advertising revenues during the firstquarter and the bounce back has beensustained in the year to date.

Pearson added that the FT was alsobeing boosted by “strong demand” fordigital content. Digital subscriptionshave risen by 50% to more than180,000.

The rise in popularity for digitalbooks is likewise offsetting an other-wise tough market for Penguin.

Pearson said the division was “con-tinuing to lead the industry in innova-tion in digital publishing”.

Comic Stephen Fry’s best-sellingmemoirs, The Fry Chronicles, werepublished in five formats as part of thiseffort to tap into demand for digitalversions – also marking a first in theindustry, said Pearson.

The group hopes that a line-upincluding books by celebrity chef JamieOl iver and comedian Michae lMcIntyre will position the consumerpublishing arm well for the crucialChristmas season.

Pearson’s 2010 performance has alsobeen given a fillip by improved sales inits burgeoning education arm, whichcovers publishing and training.

The division saw sales rise by 7% inthe first nine months.

Publisher predictshappy year-ending

Sales still rise at McBride Investments take the right track

Homeloans low

OIL giant BP has sold itsrecently-acquiredinterests in fourdeepwater oil and gasfields in the US Gulf ofMexico.

The company has soldthe sites to Japan’sMarubeni Oil and Gas for£413m.

BP is in the process ofselling assets worth up to£19bn to meet themassive clean-up bill andcompensation costsfollowing the oil spilldisaster in April in whichan explosion sank adrilling rig and killed 11workers.

BP sellsGulf fields

■ RIGHT RECIPE: Pearson hopescelebrities iike chef Jamie Oliver willfurther boost demand for e-books

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

Richard Pogson

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Managing directorAge: 41Family: Partner Lorraineand children Amy, 16, Luke,13, and Ella, eightHolidays: London, Edin-burgh and the Celtic Manorin WalesCar: Toyota HiluxFirst job: Working on myfather’s milk roundBest thing about job:Job satisfaction from provid-ing a service and gettingpositive feedback from cus-tomersWorst thing about job:Red tape, rules and regula-tionsBusiness tip: Do your bestand treat people as youwould wish to be treated.

Work: Manufacturing andinstalling windows, compos-ite doors and conservatoriesSite: LockwoodEmployees: 14Phone: 01484 519677Email: info@lockwoodwin-dows.co.uk

LockwoodWindows

PuttingRichardin theframe!

A TALENT for joinery hasopened doors – andwindows – for RichardPogson.

The former Honley HighSchool pupil has risen frombeing an apprentice torunning his own successfulbusiness.

But as managing directorof Lockwood Windows, heis still making good use ofhis building industry skillsand hates being behind adesk.

Recalling his schooldays, Richard says: “Iwasn’t a ‘classroom’ typeof person – I was a doer.

“I enjoyed joinery atschool, so when I left in1985 I did a three-yearapprenticeship with JWimpenny & Son, the civilengineers at Linthwaite.

“We did everything fromcounters for British Gasshowrooms to staircasesand guard rails.

“I worked on a number ofwell-known buildings,including the formerWoolworths store inHuddersfield andWebster’s brewery atPellon, Halifax.

“I was even introduced toPrince Charles during hisroyal visit.”

After four years atWimpennys and at the ageof 20, Richard went to workfor a double glazingcompany, but stayed forjust 18 months.

“My father was amilkman,” he says.

““But when he had tohave two new knees, I hadto take over the milk roundfor a while and do joinerypart-time.

“I was starting the milkround at 3.30am, going towork afterwards andplaying football Saturdaysand Sundays. That was mylife for three years.”

Richard started workingfor himself.

““Because I had joineryskills and because I hadworked for a double glazingcompany, people wereasking me to make doorsand windows,” he recalls.

“When you work foryourself, you take whateverwork comes your way, so Iended up doing doors andwindows.”

Richard and colleagueGary Driscoll had the ideaof setting up LockwoodWindows “over a fewbeers” while attending aHuddersfield Town matchas sponsors’ guests.

“I was already rentingground floor space atPerseverance Mills for useas a store,” says Richard.

“That’s how it started.Being in the building trade,we had worked for a lot oflocal builders andtradesmen and I wasalready working for myself.

“A lot of our early workwas won by word of mouthand at the outset I wentaround measuring up anddoing the fitting.

“It slowly grew until therewere five of us. Thecompany now employs 14people. I do all the selling,measuring and organisingalong with RaymondSimpson, our generalmanager.

“Year-on-year we haveincreased business. Webroke the £1m-turnovermark in 2008 and whilethings slowed down lastyear due to the recession,this year we areapproaching £1m again.”

Richard says the bigfreeze of last winter boostedbusiness as people realisedhow much heat they werelosing – and how much oftheir money they werewasting – through draughtydoors and windows.

Conscious that the doubleglazing industry does nothave a sparkling image,Richard says his motto is “todo a quality job for a fairprice” and to give customerspeace of mind that they aredealing with a reputablecompany.

To that end, LockwoodWindows underwent astringent process with theindependent MasterWindow and ConservatoryInstallers’ Association togain its Top 100 industryaward – although Richardsays the company hadalready been working tothose standards.

“It is very important –

especially in today’seconomic climate and whenpeople are concerned abouthousehold security – thatpeople can be confidentabout the quality of whatthey are buying,” he says.

Richard is particularlyproud of one unsolicitedcard from a satisfiedcustomer.

The card, which is pinnedup in the firm’s showroomalongside several otherthank-you messages fromclients, likens LockwoodWindows to Marks &Spencer for the quality ofservice. “You can’t do muchbetter than that,” Richardsays.

The company continuesto look at new products tohelp it stay ahead of thegame.

And as well as carryingout work for individuals,Lockwood Windows hascompleted projects forsocial housing associations,housebuilders – includingBrockholes-based ConroyBrook – and architects.

“At the end of the day, youhave to have highstandards,” says Richard.

“Otherwise, you don’t get

the luxurious CelticManor leisure complexlong before the cream ofUS and European golfstaged this year’scompetition at the SouthWales venue.

“It was a littleexpensive,” heconcedes. “But it waswell worth it!”

■ BUSINESS ANGLE: Richard Pogson (right), of LockwoodWindows, with Simon Skinner in the workshop

the referrals or the repeatbusiness. You have to doa good job.

“Luckily, LockwoodWindows is like one bigfamily.

“I try to treat people theway I would like to betreated. If the lads needan extra pair of hands, Iwill help out.

“I hate being in theoffice. One reason I leftWimpennys when I was20 was because I did notwant to be a foreman andspend more of my time inthe site office.

“Quite often, the peoplewho become foremen arethe joiners because theygenerally spend moretime on the building sitethan other skilledcraftsmen like bricklayers,plumbers and electriciansand they are involvedalmost from the momentthe foundations are dug.

“My father thought I’dmade a mistake. I don’tthink he takes that viewnow!”

Richard still puts in a12-hour day – and nolonger has time forplaying golf twice a week.

“I’ve played justfour times thisyear because it’sbeen so busy,” hesays.

AlthoughRichard’s footballplaying days areover – he hasturned out forboth Wooldaleand New Mill – heenjoys spendingtime with hisyoungsters Amy,Luke and Ella andis a familiar figureon the sidelineswatching Lukeplay rugby leaguewith UnderbankRangers.

He can alsoclaim to havetrumped the 2010Ryder Cup teams– with a stay at

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

Coffee matesINDEPENDENT coffee distributorhas been appointed to supply theaward-winning children’s museumEureka! with Fairtrade teas andfilter coffee as well as a range ofdrinks making equipment.Bradley-based Cooper’s Coffeemore usually supplies cafes,hotels, restaurants and pubs – buthas recently branched out to addcatering establishments in moreunusual locations such asmuseums and farm shops.Halifax-based Eureka! awardedthe contract based on Cooper’shigh quality produce, the firm’sethical credentials and because itis a local supplier – based justseven miles from the museum.

Women take thesteering wheel!

A COMPANY in a male-dominatedindustry is encouraging more womento take up management positions.

North Eastern Tyre and Exhausts,which has the HiQ Fast Fit franchise inHuddersfield, highlighted its efforts inlight of the new Equality Act, whichaims to redress the balance.

Figures from the Office for NationalStatistics, show that women are 10times less likely than men to beemployed in skilled trades, such asmechanical engineering and are alsomuch less likely to be employed asmanagers and senior officials.

Gavin Marshall, managing directorof NETE, which has 15 HiQ Fast Fitcentres among its operations, said: “Asa company which employs over 350people, equality and diversity areextremely important to us.

“NETE’s company policy is tosimply recruit and promote the bestcandidate into positions and the factthat we have recently promoted somany of our female employees is testa-ment to that.

“It’s great to see so many womencoming up the ranks to be promoted

into senior positions. We prideourselves on good team managementfor all our staff.”

Mr Marshall said most of the recentfemale appointments into the femalemanagement team were promotedinternally.

Following a 15-year career withNETE, Deborah Horton, previouslymanager of NETE York, has beenpromoted to retail area manager tooversees four HiQ and NETA-brandedstores across North Yorkshire.

Debbie has been a key player in theintegration of the 15 franchised HiQstores acquired last year by NETEfollowing a £3m investment.

Lizzi Thorp, who joined NETE as abusiness development manager, hasbeen promoted to regional sales man-ager to look after NE Wholesale cus-tomers in Leeds, Wakefield, Sheffieldand Doncaster.

Lizzi and Debbie are joined on themanagement team by marketing man-ager Joanne Hooper, business supportmanager Anita Inglis and humanresources manager Sharon Slater.

■ GIRL POWER: Deborah Horton (left), retail area manager and Lizzi Thorp, regional sales manager,with North Eastern Tyre and Exhausts

Town embarkon training planHUDDERSFIELDTown hasteamed up witha leadingtrainingcompany to helpexecutives,directors andsenior managersget fit for work.TheHuddersfield Town ExecutiveProgramme has been launched bythe club and Dale CarnegieTraining – which has providedprogrammes followed by businesspeople ranging from Townoperations director Ann Hough tomulti-millionaire Warren Buffett.By exploring and learning aboutdifferent leadership andmanagement styles, each executivedelegate can make choices aboutwho they want to be as a leader –and receive coaching to achievetheir goals.The course also enables delegatesto see the problems andchallenges facing executives in thesports industry. It will provide aninsight into the similaritiesbetween sporting and businessexcellence and how the bestpractices from the industry canbenefit any other business sector.Andy Booth (pictured), clubambassador for Town and agraduate of Dale Carnegie, said:“The first time I had to stand up infront of a live business audienceand talk in my role as clubambassador was one of thescariest moments in my life.“I could play in front of thousandsof people week in week out, buttalking about myself in front of 20people was so nerve wracking Ithought I’d never be able to do it.“I now thrive on opportunities tospeak to groups of people and thisis down to the training I receivedfrom Dale Carnegie – so much sothe after dinner speaking circuitmight beckon!”Emailjuliette.dennett@dalecarnegie.comor contact Juliette on 07747443011.

Aireshelta has it coveredA COMPANY famous for its inflat-able buildings is making more moves inthe leisure sector.

Huddersfield-based Aireshelta isbest know for providing inflatablesstructures such as mobile hospitals,temporary mortuaries and aircrafthangars.

Now it is making an impact among

caravanners and motorhome enthusi-asts with the Aire-Awning – a light-weight inflatable awning which can beinflated in seconds without poles orfiddly fixings and comes in two sizesand a range of colours.

The product was a big success at thismonth’s Motorhome and CaravanShow at Birmingham’s NEC.

AWARD WINNING FOOD SINCE 1950

60 Years of Fine Food

• Now one of the UK’sforemost suppliers of qualitymeat-based products.

• Delivering nationally,and exporting to Europeand beyond.

• Flexible, efficient customerservice – direct and on time.

In 1950, when the first shop was openedby Trevor Newsholme in Huddersfield,who could have guessed that almost 60years later, the company would still beplaying such a big part in the local area?

Since those early days, they’ve remainedan independent family-owned business,proud of their association withHuddersfield, and proud of the passionand dedication of everyone that makesNewsholme Food Group what it is today.

To find out more about us...

Call 01484 642126Visit www.newsholmefoodgroup.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

TAXTALKColin Barratt

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

Export marketsworth a visitKIRKLEES firmsare being urgedto get afirst-handinsight intotrading in EastAsia.Governmentexport supportarm UK Trade &Investments isstaging aseven-day visit

next month taking businesses toHong Kong and to a choice of otherkey destinations, including China,Vietnam, Taiwan or Thailand.Mark Robson (pictured) , UKTIregional director in Yorkshire saidthose countries offered impressivegrowth potential – with sectorsranging from construction andhealthcare through to professionalservices, education and training.Said Mr Robson: “Hong Kong hasone of the most open andbusiness-friendly environments inthe world, being a major city fordoing business in itself as well asproviding a springboard formainland China and the wider AsiaPacific region.“This trip offers the best of bothworlds in that you can seefirst-hand how the city works from abusiness perspective relative toyou, before moving on to explorethe likes of Shanghai or Ho Chi MinCity in a similar vein.“It promises to be an eye-openingfew days and a chance to networkand impress whatever yourinternational credentials orexperience.”The itinerary for the trip, which runsfrom November 13 to 19, includeseconomic and political briefings atthe British consulate or embassy,meetings with sector-specific UKTIofficials, one-to-one meetings withpotential business partners in yourchosen field and networking eventslinked to sectors you want toexplore.Hong Kong is the UK’s 14th largestexport market, with exported goodsworth £3.15bn, according to thelatest official figures. More than 300British companies have their AsiaPacific headquarters in Hong Kong,while 200-plus Hong Kongcompanies have investments in theUK.Contact Gail Leathley at UKTI on0113 394 9824 or visit the eventssection of the UKTI website atwww.ukti.gov.uk

Don’t ignore theproperty pitfallsFOR a number of reasons, individu-

als do from time to time get involvedin property letting.

It is not only those who buy a property asan investment who are involved in letting,some may be away for an extended period dueto work and let their property while away.Others might let to subsidise the cost of asecond home.

Whatever the reason for the letting, tax willalways be an important consideration.

The major issues will be income tax on therental income and capital gains tax on theultimate disposal of the property.

In this article I will look at the income taxposition. The obvious question is whatexpenses can be deducted from the rentalincome for tax purposes?

The obvious ones are ground rent (if youhave a leasehold interest), rents you pay if youare subletting your property, rates/counciltax, water charges, gas and electricity,gardening and general upkeep of the prop-erty and insurance of it and its contents.

In practice, most of the expenses will be theresponsibility of the tenant, but you may haveto pay them in between lettings.

If you collect the rents the cost of travel todo so will be deductible. Otherwise an agentsletting costs will be allowable.

Repairs and redecorations are also deduct-ible but where the property is improved they

are not.Unless you are having an extension to the

property, most expenses will be repairs,provided you are only replacing what wasalready there. A new kitchen would thereforequalify provided a kitchen was there before.

If you add extra units those would be animprovement.

If repairs and redecorations are carried outbefore the first letting of a property they willnot be deductible.

The reason is that the repair does not arisefrom the letting. It may be beneficial there-fore to leave non essential work until after theproperty has been let.

Professional fees for the first letting of aproperty for more than one year are notnormally allowable.

If it is for one year or less they aredeductible. The cost of a renewal of a letting

will always be deductible unless it is for 50years or more.

Relief is available for interest on a loantaken out and applied to by the property or tocover the cost of improvements, or an exten-sion to the property that is let.

Remember it does not matter what the loanis secured on, it is what the loan is used forwhich determines the tax position.

A deduction equivalent to 10% of the grossrents less rates if paid by you, is available ifthe property is let as furnished accommoda-tion.

A furnished property is usually accepted asbeing one which is capable of normal occupa-tion without the tenant having to providetheir own beds, chairs, tables, sofas and otherfurnishings, cooker etc.

If the property is not so furnished thededuction will not be available.

Apprentices make right connectionsFIVE electrical apprenticesfrom West Yorkshire haveproved bright sparks byscooping top industry awards.

The five, who were alltrained by building servicessector training provider JTL,took the top five awards at theWest Yorkshire EmployerTraining Forum Awards heldat the Holiday Inn, Brighouse.

The winners were GarethCorcoran, of ESEEngineering Systems;Michael Sykes, ofBradley-based heating andventilation engineers KineticSystems Ltd; Luke Ashton, ofRK Electrical Ltd; Andrew

King, of BMC ElectricalServices; and AdamReynolds, of Albert TattershallLtd, who took the PersonalAchiever of the Year Award.

Each winner received atrophy, £100 and a certificate.

Pictured with their trophiesare (from left) GarethCorcoran, Michael Sykes,Luke Ashton, Andrew Kingand Adam Reynolds.

The JTL-led EmployerTraining Forum is a networkof employers from across thecountry who host their ownawards in recognition of thehard work and commitmentshown by apprentices.

Profit improvementBUSINESS and financialadviser Grant Thornton UKlogged a 40.2% rise in pre-taxprofits to £77.6m in the yearto the end of June, 2010.

Grant Thornton reported aslight increase in revenue to£379.7m. It credited theimprovement to a shake-up

following its merger withRobson Rhodes and “decisiveaction” at an early stage of thedownturn to lower costs.

Advisory revenue grew by11.1% to £151.2m, but assur-ance revenue was down by6.2% to £135.5m and tax tak-ings by 4.8% to £93.0m.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

Project is setting‘green’ standardsA FIRM providing environmentally-friendlybuilding materials is calling for all UK new buildsand refurbishment of existing properties to matchthe standards set by a revolutionary “green”building project in Denby Dale.

Green Building Store, based at Bolster Moor,has launched a 10-minute documentary – FuturePassiv – which makes the case for all new buildingsand refurbishments to take as their standard thePassivhaus approach to designing ultra low energyhomes and buildings.

The film, presented by broadcaster PenneyPoyzer, of BBC2’s No Waste like Home, examinesthe Denby Dale development and outlines theadvantages of the Passivhaus approach to lowenergy building.

It also features interviews with the owners of thehouse and looks at how Passivhaus design – whichoriginates in Germany – is beginning to take off inthe UK for housing association properties,schools, offices and community centres as well asprivate homes.

Passivhaus design can create buildings which use90% less energy for space heating than standardUK buildings.

Based on the principle that cutting heating lossto the minimum is the most cost-effective way ofcreating a low carbon building, Passivhaus designrelies on a simple “tea cosy” effect maximising theuse of super-insulation and stringent airtightness.

Passivhaus also uses “passive solar gain” andmechanical ventilation and heat recovery systemsto create healthy and comfortable buildings thatrequire minimal heating.

The Future Passiv documentary is part of alarger film – Passivhaus low energy building in theUK – which includes a 60-minute technical film forbuilding professionals, covering all stages of con-

struction of the Denby Dale Passivhaus.With a foreword by environmental campaigner

Jonathon Porritt, the film sets out to offer the UKconstruction industry a template for building ultralow energy Passivhaus buildings using construc-tion methods and materials familiar to UK build-ers and designers.

The documentary and technical film are avail-able to view at Green Building Store’s websitewww.greenbuildingstore.co.uk while a free tech-nical briefing document is also available to thoseregistering at www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk.

The films were made by student film-makerswith sponsorship from Kirklees Council.

Kirklees Council leader Mehboob Khan said:“Kirklees Council is at the forefront of localgovernment efforts to reduce CO2 emissions frombuildings and we are delighted to have the lowenergy exemplar Denby Dale Passivhaus projectwithin the Kirklees area.

“We are fortunate to be able to benefit fromGreen Building Store's expertise in this excitingnew approach to low energy construction and wehope that the Denby Dale Passivhaus will offer atemplate for the construction industry to help dealwith the urgent problems of climate change andfuel poverty.”

■ FILM LOCATION: Green Building Store is making a case forall UK new build projects and property refurbishments to adoptthe Passivhaus standard for energy saving

Knight Frank moves inPROPERTY consultancy Knight Frankhas been appointed to market a122,000sq ft city centre office space.

Knight Frank has replaced BNPParibas Real Estate and Jones LangLaSalle as sole agents for the buildingformerly known as Latitude Red onWhitehall Road in Leeds. Knight Frankwill now work closely with owners IVG.

Matt Mason, of IVG, said: “Weinvest across the UK and haveholdings in all main UK cities, but this isour first purchase in Leeds. We owniconic buildings such The Gherkin andhave developed throughout London

and the UK.”IVG has renamed Latitude Red as

No 1 Leeds to reflect the building’s“advanced specification, superior buildquality and prominent location”.

Guy Cooke, of Knight Frank, said:“We are delighted with thisappointment. No.1 Leeds, is one of thefinest office buildings in the city centre,providing arguably the most efficient,safest and best designed offices inLeeds right now. Offering up to122,000sq ft, in divisible floors of15,500sq ft, it is just nine minutes walkfrom Leeds train station”.

Recycling recognitionA CLAYWARE company drawing many of itsemployees from Kirklees has been recognised forits recycling efforts.

Cawthorne-based Naylor Drainage Ltd’s use ofrecycled polymers has earned it a place in the2010 edition of Construction Products Innovationand Achievement from the Construction ProductsAssociation.

The company’s achievement in the category ofresource efficiency is one of only 20developments nationwide to be chosen for thisyear’s publication, which annually showcases themost innovative products and processes comingout of the construction products industry.

Simon Storer, a director of the ConstructionProducts Association, said: “We are delighted thatthe construction products industry has once againdemonstrated an enormous desire to introduce avariety of new and exciting solutions.

“Despite the construction industry sufferingmore than most sectors during the currentdownturn, one only needs to look at the productsand processes showcased in CPIA to highlight thehuge impact the industry is making towardschange.”

The 20 entries in CPIA are categorised underfour key headings – Energy and Carbon Saving;Health, Safety and Security; Improvements in SiteSafety; and Resource Efficiency.

Products featured in the publication includeones designed to save energy and reduceemissions, provide safer operations on site foremployees and contractors and provide a fullsustainability appraisal of manufacturing

operations.Edward Naylor, chief executive of Naylor

Drainage Ltd, said: “We are very pleased to havebeen chosen for this year’s CPIA publication.

“Increasing the use of recycled materials in ourprocessor has had important economic as well asenvironmental benefits. It is very important thatour industry recognises and showcasesinnovation and we are grateful that CPIA 2010does this.”

■ PERFECT PRODUCT: David Fletcher (left)chairman of the Naylor Industries Group ofCompanies, with chief executive Edward Naylor

■ RIGHT LINES: Matt Mason (second left) of IVG with Knight Frank's (from left)Alex Duckett, Guy Cooke and Ed Harrowsmith

Addingvalue toindustryA SCHEME has beenlaunched to provideclients with assurancesabout the quality ofproperty valuations andraise the credibility ofvaluers.The Royal Institution ofChartered Surveyors hasset up the ValuerRegistration Scheme toreinforce professionalstandards and raiseconsumer confidence inthe delivery of valuationadvice to the highestprofessional standard.The scheme has been setup following a 10-weekconsultation period lastyear, when more than 800written responses werereceived. The schemetakes an approach whichmembers deemed“appropriate to achieveproportionate and betterregulation in the marketplace”.The scheme will becomemandatory from the April30, 2011. It will apply toall members undertakingvaluations carried outunder RICS ValuationStandards – the RedBook – which provide aregulated framework andpractice guidance andstandards, includingcompliance withInternational ValuationStandards which are nowrecognised and adoptedin most parts of theworld. Phased launcheswill follow in the rest ofthe world.

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

Industrial Industrial

Single storey cost effectiveindustrial/storage unit immediatelyavailable close to town centre

Strategically located singlestorey factory/warehouseunit adjacent J25 M62.

Single storey workshop andoffices easily accessible tojunction 25, M62

Unit 2 Empress WorksNile StreetHuddersfield958 m2 (10,315 sq ft)

Armytage Road IndustrialEstate, Brighouse5,575 m2 (60,006 sq ft)plus mezzanine11,175 sq ft

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

To LeT To LeT (will split)/may sell

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High quality refurbished officeswith parking easily accessibleto the Holme Valley.

Thirstin House,Thirstin Road,Honley, Huddersfield1,013 – 2,883 sq ft

For SALe/To LeT

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Folly Hall, WaterfrontQuarter, Huddersfield186 m2 (2,000 sq ft)Last remainingoffice suite

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Development/Investment

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Ian Dickinson

OrchardEnergyENERGY management consultancyOrchard Energy has appointed IanDickinson to manage its national teamof market intelligence experts as thebusiness prepares for further growth.

The Brighouse-based firm has justopened an office in Glasgow, its first inScotland, and expects to recruit six newanalysts to expand its Scottishoperations. Eight further posts will becreated at head office in Yorkshire tosupport the national team.

Mr Dickinson said his new role wouldinvolve keeping his growing nationwideteam of energy consultants informed ofthe latest market intelligence to enablethem to act quickly on fuel prices andsecure the best contracts for clients.

In the past 12 months, Orchard hasopened six new UK offices.

It’s all busy, busy busy!

LIFE just gets more hectic for sales staffat Skelmanthorpe-based Visual Systemsand Signs.

The company has fielded teams toman its trade stands at four major eventsin just two weeks.

They ranged from the Lean HealthcareAcademies’ Getting More for Lessconference to a Productive Ward event athospitals in Leicester and Blackpool.

The firm was at a venue closer tohome when production manager CarlHampshire (left) and Michael Mannifield(right), of the sales team attended theKirklees Business Conference atHuddersfield’s Galpharm Stadium.

They were kept busy as more than 150businesses were represented on the day.

Despite all the hustle and bustle of theday, the two lads still found time for arelaxing massage courtesy of Sheardsaccountants!

Said Carl: “We had a very productiveday with lots of interest from prospectivenew customers.”

As part of the exhibition, VisualSystems and Signs staged a prize draw.

Company director Helen Hunter drewthe winning business card, whichbelonged to Mark Foster, ofLindley-based Heritage Village.

Earlier this year, Visual Systems andSigns, led by husband and wife Chris andHelen Hunter, moved from 4,000sq ftpremises in Denby Dale – its home formore than 20 years – to occupy a new6,000sq ft unit at Station RoadTechnology Park, Skelmanthorpe.

The move enabled the firm to increaseworkshop capacity by 50% and salesoffice space by 40% – enabling it toinvest in new equipment andmanufacture more in-house.

Something’sreally cookingA COOKWAREdistributor based inHuddersfield hasstepped up tosponsor a majoraward for retailers.

EPE, based atLeeds Road,Deighton, issponsoring acategory in the BestBritish RetailerAwards 2010.

The awardsceremony will take place on Thursday,November 11, at the Hilton Hotel inDeansgate Manchester. The competitionrecognises excellence in retail across theDIY, garden and housewares sectors.

EPE managing director Noel Pamment(pictured) said: “We are happy to play apart in this year’s ceremony, presenting theaward for Britain’s Best Independent Store.

“EPE supplies the most premium brandsand the most choice under one distributionto many independent retailers throughoutthe UK, so this sponsorship is ideal for us.

“We hope to build on our reputation withexposure from the event and continue withthe same success and growth we haveexperienced since EPE was founded.”

After nearly doubling turnover in a year,the family-run business, EPE, based inHuddersfield, West Yorkshire, operates a30,000 square feet warehouse, with qualityoffices and an on-site showroom, and iswell positioned to continue its plannedgrowth.

EPE is a premier distributor of smalldomestic appliances such as Bosch,Breville, Crockpot, Gaggia, Hostess,Kenwood, Panasonic, Phillips, RussellHobbs, Rowenta and Tefal.

Peter Gomersall & Joanne Powell

GrantThorntonBUSINESS advice firm GrantThornton has attracted two newrecruits from the “Big Four” financialfirms.

Peter Gomersall and Joanne Powell(pictured) have both joined the firm’sWest Yorkshire office.

Mr Gomersall becomes seniormanager in employer solutions, wherehe will specialise in PAYE and NICcompliance and cost reduction workafter leaving his role as a seniormanager in the human resource teamat PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Ms Powell takes on a managementrole in the corporate tax team afterspending nine years at KPMG’scorporate tax department.

Board changesfor hotel groupNEW faces have joined the board of CedarCourt Hotels.

The group, which includes the CedarCourt at Ainley Top and hotels in Wakefieldand York, has appointed finance directorKevin Henry and Maritza Demetriou,daughter of founder George Demetriou tothe board – joining Mr Demetriou, his sonDino and group director John Horvath. ZoeGeorgiou, Mr Demetriou’s other daughter,remains company secretary.

Mr Henry, who joined the group in June,began his career as a chartered accountant,formerly worked with Wakefield textilecompany Sirdar PLC, which he joined in1984.

With Sirdar, Mr Henry was part of thejoint venture company that assisted MrDemetriou with funding and developmentof the first Cedar Court Hotel in Wake-field.

Maritza Demetriou, who worked withKevin Henry at Sirdar, has obtained consid-erable finance and management experience.She has now been appointed a director of

Cedar Court Hotels and will be helping tocontinue the family involvement in the busi-ness.

Mr Horvath has more than 30 years’ hotelmanagement experience.

As group director, he has responsibilityfor the smooth running of its five propertiesand is also interim general manager atCedar Court Grand Hotel & Spa in York.

■ BOOKING FORM: Pictured at the Cedar Court Hotels Group's Wakefield hotel are(from left) John Horvath, Dino Demetriou, Zoe Georgiou, Maritza Demetriou, GeorgeDemetriou, and Kevin Henry

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david.butterworth@wheawills.co.uk

W&SWheawill & Sudworth

Chartered AccountantsBusiness & Tax AdvisersRegistered Auditorswww.wheawills.co.uk