KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees22, December, 2009

An EXAMINER publication

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KATE HARDCASTLE CHRIS HARROPSinging town’s praises

Pro f i l e - page 3Green is his colour

Repor t - Page 7

FTSE 100+ 97.185293.99

An EXAMINER publication

‘Thriftymindset’THE recession couldbenefit the environment– by leaving Yorkshirefirms with a “thrifty”mindset and keen tomake energy savings.A report by anenvironmental supportgroup says that 64% ofcompanies in theregion have gained amore detailedknowledge of theirresource use as aresult of the downturn.

They’re aglass actA GLAZING firm isinadvertently polishingup the image of Canada– after a shot of one ofits spectacular projectsfeatured in ahigh-profilepresentation topotential investors inToronto.

Companies feel the chill of a turbulent winterKIRKLEES firms face a turbulentwinter, an accountancy expert haswarned.

Companies could find themselvesstruggling to make headway – with theprospect of subdued trading overChristmas and the January 1 increasein VAT combining to hit them for six.

Michael Freedman, president of theWest Yorkshire Society of CharteredAccountants, said: “Many SMEs have

already had a tough year. For a num-ber of them a combination of factors inJanuary means it could be the finalstraw.

“There are, however, various prac-tical steps that businesses can take toensure that they make it through thewinter and face the new season on apositive note.”

Mr Freedman said many small busi-nesses experienced their highest sales

during the festive period – but expertsfear consumers will rein in spendingthis year following the impact of therecession. Firms should plan their cashflow to ensure they put money aside incase sales fail to meet expectations.

Firms needing extra finance to covershortfalls should search out the bestdeals to avoid unnecessary expense.

Mr Freedman said Revenue & Cus-toms had pledged to employ a “light

touch” in dealing with errors arisingfrom the January 1 rise in VAT from15% to 17.5%.

And he stressed: “If there is anoverlap of goods and/or servicesaround December 31, the VAT chargecan be split on a fair and reasonablebasis so that 15% tax is charged onwork carried out before December 31,2009 and 17.5% on work carried outafter this date.”

Firms missing outon overseas tradeCOMPANIES in Hudders-field need to switch on toexports – after a shock surveyshowed many of them areunaware of the help on offer toget them trading overseas.

T h e s u r v e y b y b u s i-ness-to-business websiteAlibaba.com showed that 98%of Huddersfield small businessowners polled were unaware ofthe initiatives available to getthem into international mar-kets.

That’s despite the existenceof schemes run by organisa-tions such as the Govern-ment’s export support armUK Trade and Investmentsand the help available frombodies such as Business Linkand Yorkshire Forward.

And while 77% of bossesquestioned agreed that globaltrading opportunities were“significant” a massive 93%held the view that it was tough

to find foreign partners.One in four felt not enough

was being done to support theg r o w t h o f s m a l l a n dmedium-sized firms.

But UKTI said going globalwas one way of building busi-ness back up in the wake of therecession.

Andrew Cahn, chief execut-

ive of UK Trade & Investment,said: “This is a wake-up callfor Huddersfield companies.

“Exports can transform thefortunes of a company by find-ing new markets for theirproducts.

“At UK Trade & Invest-ment, we want more firms tofind out how they can achievetheir export potential.”

Maggie Choo, director ofAlibaba.com EMEA, said itwas pleasing that 77% of Hud-dersfield entrepreneurs recog-nised the advantages oflinking up with firms over-seas.

But the vast majority hadlittle idea of how to go aboutforging business relationshipswith foreign partners – or evenwho to approach for guid-ance.

She said Alibaba.com nowhad more than 500,000UK-based users and was com-

mitted to helping them realisetheir potential – and showthem how easy it is to begintrading successfully on aninternational scale.

“By raising awareness of thehelp and guidance on offerfrom government schemes,regional development agenciesand the Alibaba.com onlinecommunity, we can showSMEs how to grow their busi-ness ideas into long-term ven-tures with a profitable future,”she said.

Mr Cahn said: “Ninety per-cent of our customers areSMEs and we helped them togenerate £3.6bn in additionalprofit in the last 12 months.

Among the initiatives onoffer, UK Trade & Investmentprovides grants of up to £1,800for businesses to take part inoverseas trade shows – helpingfirms get a foothold in over-seas markets.

■ TRADE TIPS: Andrew Cahn, chief executive officer of UKTrade & Investment; and Maggie Choo, director of Alibaba.com,warn that Huddersfield companies risk missing opportunities toexpand because they are unaware of the help for exporters

Yorkshire’s Legal Peoplewww.chadwicklawrence.co.uk01484 519 999Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICESLocal shares

FTSE closed at

5293.9Up 97.1

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.73 dollarsBangladesh................. 105.31 takaBrazil.............................. 2.57 realsCanada....................... 1.64 dollarsChina ............................. 9.85 yuanCzech Republic ...... 27.27 korunasDenmark....................... 7.98 kroneEuro............................... 1.08 euroHong Kong................ 11.87 dollarsHungary ................... 279.34 forintsIndia.......................... 66.57 rupeesJapan........................... 138.98 yenMexico ....................... 18.48 pesosNew Zealand .............. 2.12 dollarsNorway ......................... 9.00 kronePakistan.................. 128.29 rupeesPhilippines ................. 64.50 pesosSouth Africa.................. 11.52 randSouth Korea.............. 1663.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 174.06 rupeesSweden....................... 11.20 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.60 francsTaiwan ...................... 45.63 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.31 new liraUSA ............................ 1.54 dollars

Carclo 1391/2 +6Chapelthorpe 12Instore 45/8Marshalls 88 +2National Grid 6481/2 +3RensburgSheppards

6291/2 -3

Weir Gp 695 +6

LSE turns to TurquoiseTHE London Stock Exchange hasannounced a deal to acquire itsloss-making rival Turquoise.

The agreement will see the LSE takea 60% stake in the smaller tradingplatform and give it a trading pres-ence across Europe.

It should also help repair theexchange’s relationships with themajor investment banks.

Turquoise was set up in 2006 by aconsortium of nine investment banks,including Goldman Sachs and Mor-gan Stanley, in an attempt to force theLSE to lower its fees.

It was officially launched in Augustlast year, but has yet to make a profit

and reported losses of £15.7m for lastyear after the financial crisis disrup-ted growth plans.

David Lester, head of IT at the LSE,is expected to head up the new ven-ture, which will be run as an inde-pendent operation.

The investment banks that foundedTurquoise will hold a 40% stake in thenew business.

The LSE has faced pressure fromsmaller trading platforms such asChi-X and BATS and recently saidaverage daily trades in London hadfallen by 10% to 633m in the fivemonths to August 31.

Airport ownership‘thrown into chaos’

Rail revenues remain off trackSTRUGGLING transpor t f i r mNational Express said rail revenueswere still under pressure – despitesigns of recovery elsewhere in thebusiness.

The firm, which handed back itsloss-making East Coast Main Linefranchise in November, reported“reduced demand” for East Anglianservices, where revenues are beingsupported by the Government.

But National Express said its UKcoach business had returned togrowth in the final quarter of the yearand bus revenues were “resilient”.

The company has endured a tur-bulent 2009 with the loss of its EastCoast deal, takeover approaches

and a public row with its biggestshareholder.

Last week, it raised £360m in arights issue and appointed TubeLines boss Dean Finch as chiefexecutive as it bids to put a “challen-ging” year behind it.

National Express ran into troubleby overbidding for the East Coastdeal before recession struck andcrippled revenues.

The company will lose its EastAnglian and c2c commuter deals in2011 after surrendering the fran-chise to the Government lastmonth.

The firm issued a profits warningin October.

Firm indebt dealTHE owner of drycleaning businessJohnsons has securednew banking facilitiesthrough to April, 2013.

Johnson ServiceGroup, which has morethan 500 outlets, agreedthe £78.5m facility withLloyds Banking Group,Royal Bank of Scotland,Barclays and Abbeyowner Santander.

Johnson said it hadreduced debt over thelast year, with borrowingfalling from £78.5m inDecember, 2008, to£69m at the end of thismonth.

Fines hitnew highTHE City watchdoghanded out a record£34.8m worth of finesduring 2009, it hasemerged.

The fines levied onfirms by the FinancialServices Authority forbreaching its rules were53% higher than in 2008,according to City law firmReynolds PorterChamberlain.

The average fine percompany was £891,000 –up by 97% on the 2008figure of £453,000 –while there were eight£1m fines made againstfinancial services firmsthis year.

Despite the increase inthe overall value of thefines, the number of fineswas fell to 39 from 50 lastyear.

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £25.29 +0.11Gannett 879.54 +10.57Hess Corp £36.44 +0.63Microsoft 1893.95 +6.83Motors Liquidation 46.62Wal-Mart Stores £33.10 +0.25

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEBAE Systems 3461/8 +31/4Rolls-Royce Gp 484 +4Smiths Grp 975 +21VT Group 5281/2 +61/2

AIMBrady Plc 621/2Dawson Intl 11/2

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1147/8 +2

BANKSBarclays 273 +83/4HSBC 7021/2 +221/2Lloyds Banking Gp 491/4 +1/2Ryl Scotland 293/4Stan Chart 1543 +481/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 1063 +5SABMiller 1799 +4

CHEMICALSCroda 7811/2 +41/2Delta 134 +11/2Elementis 98 50 +13/4Johnsn Mat 1497 +3

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2523/4 +85/8Costain 233/4 -1/4

ELECTRICITYDrax Grp 4091/8 +31/4

Intl Power 3035/8 +57/8Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1140 +23

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTChloride 1765/8 +33/4Invensys 2873/4 +51/4Laird 1291/4 +33/8

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 313 +61/8

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1403/4 +21/2C & W 1411/8 +13/4Colt Telecom 1343/4 +21/4KCOM 443/4 +1/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2723/4 +21/8Sainsbury 3187/8 +27/8Tesco 4161/2 +97/8

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 816 +111/2Cadbury 792 +51/2Nth Foods 651/2 +3/4Tate Lyle 427 +71/4Unilever 1950 +25Uniq 251/2 -13/4

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 2723/8 +43/8National Grid 6481/2 +3Pennon Grp 528 +6Severn 1081 +16United Utils 5041/2 +101/8

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 2743/4 +43/8ICAP 4157/8 +61/2London StockExch 706 -111/2Man Group 3011/4 +51/4Provident Financial 9341/2 +14

Schroders 1275 +19Schroders NV 1030 +24

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSAvon Rbbr 1001/2Cooksn Grp 4093/4 +141/2REXAM 2771/2 +5

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 131/4DSG International 355/8 -1/8Home Retail 2863/8 +3Inchcape 291/4 +1/4Kingfisher 2223/8 +1M & S 3981/8 +1/8Mothercare 676 +3Next £203/4 +1/2WH Smith 515 +1

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 633 +101/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 1171/2 +21/2Barrat Dev 114 -13/4Persimmon 4453/4 +53/4Reckitt Benckiser £327/8 +1/2Taylor Wimpey 343/8 +3/8

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 701 +11I M I 5131/2 +9Man Brnze 111

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 184 -41/8

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 1561/8 -1/2Forth Ports 1110 -6

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 3843/4 +15Lgl & Gen 771/2 +3/8

Old Mutual 1071/4 +37/8Prudential 625 +27Resolution 87 +25/8Standard Life 2051/4 +21/4

MEDIABSkyB 5621/2 +71/2Chrysalis 1011/4 +3/4D Mail Tst 4155/8 +111/2ITV 531/4 +13/8Johnston Press 231/4Pearson 879 +17Reed Elsevier 500 +6STV Group 48 +1Trinity Mirror 1443/8 +23/4Utd Business 4561/2 +11UTV 103 +3WPP 604 +71/2Yell Group 393/4 -1/4

MININGAnglo American £261/2 +1/2Antofagasta 911 +6BHP Billiton 1909 +26Eurasian NaturalRes

8651/2 +51/2

Fresnillo 7801/2 +11/2Kazakhmys 1261 +11Lonmin 1839 +44Rio Tinto £32 +3/4VEDANTARESOURCES

£241/2 +1/2

Xstrata 10531/2 +341/2

MOBILE TELECOM SERVICESInmarsat 674 +111/2Vodafone Group 1415/8 +15/8

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1146 +33RSA Insurance Gp 1183/8 +11/2

OIL & GAS PRODUCERS

BG 1105 +18BP 5911/8 +145/8Cairn Energy £317/8 +13/8Norsk Hdro 507 +27Royal Dutch Shell A 18341/2 +461/2Royal Dutch Shell B 1767 +48Total £39 +11/8Tullow Oil 1278 +26

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESPetrofac 981 +6Wood Group 300 +51/2

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry 582 +151/2PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £283/8 +1/8Axis-Shield 3881/4 +4GlaxoSmithK XD 51/2

Shire 1191 +16REAL ESTATE

Brit Land 452 +87/8DTZ Hldgs 69 +11/2Hamrsn 392 +43/4Land Secs 6461/2 +81/2SEGRO 333 +35/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1500 +13Dimension Data 72 -1/4Logica 1153/4 +1Misys 2105/8 +11/4Sage Group 2231/4 -1

SUPPORT SERVICESAMEC 780 +5Bunzl 652 +41/2Capita 7331/2 +13Davis ServiceGroup

388 +2

De La Rue 9821/2 +9Electrocomp 1647/8 +5/8Experian 615 +31/2G4S 2605/8 +21/4Hays 1011/4 -1/4Homeserve 1662 +12Menzies J 304 +4Rentokil 1101/8 +21/8Smiths News 107Wolseley 1205 +39

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 1723/4 +23/8Psion 911/2 +31/2Spirent Comms 981/4 +5/8

TOBACCOBr Am Tob 19491/2 +12Imperial Tobacco 1910 +39

LEISURE & HOTELSArriva 4895/8 +31/4

Brit Airways 193 +41/2Carnival £211/2 +1/2Compass Grp 4511/2 +51/4easyJet 3573/4 +7Enterprise Inns 951/8 +5/8FirstGroup 4063/8 +37/8Go-Ahead 1309 +8Greene King 420 +73/8Intercontl Htls 891 +24Ladbrokes 1363/4 +3/4Mitchells & Butlers 257 +2Natl Express 1877/8 +15/8PartyGaming 2531/8 -7/8Rank Org 82 +11/4Stagecoach Group 1661/8 +1/2TUI Travel 2531/2 +21/4Whitbread 1386 +14

INDEXFTSE 100 5293.99 +97.18

INDEXFTSE 250 9099.84 +100.76

THE future of UK airport ownershipwas thrown into disarray after BAAwon a partial victory against a Com-petition Commission ruling forcing itto sell three airports.

The Competition Appeal Tribunalconcluded “with the greatest reluct-ance” that a claim by BAA of “appar-ent bias” in the CC decision wassuccessful.

However, BAA’s appeal on thegrounds that the CC had not allowedsufficient time for the sales failed.

BAA had challenged the legality ofthe CC decision to make it sell Gatwickand Stansted airports as well as one ofeither Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Following the CAT decision, thetribunal has invited the CC and BAAto make further submissions relating to

the bias claim with a view to holding afurther hearing in the new year.

This means further delay in sortingout airport ownership after the CC’soriginal ruling that BAA’s ownership ofseven UK airports was uncompetitive.

BAA had put forward a case of“apparent bias” saying that Prof PeterMozier, one of the CC airports inquirypanel, had “a powerful connection” toManchester Airport Group, which hadbeen interested in buying Gatwick.

When the appeal was heard in Octo-ber, the CAT was told that ProfMozier’s presence meant that theinquiry was “riven through with anacute and intolerable conflict ofinterest”.

Tribunal president, Mr JusticeBarling, said the apparent bias appeal

had bee upheld unanimously by thethree-strong panel, but said thetribunal had reached its decision “withthe greatest reluctance”.

The CAT said that BAA hademphasised from the outset of proceed-ings that its contention was “one ofapparent bias as that concept is under-stood in the light of the case law, andthat there is no allegation that ProfMozier was actually biased”.

BAA’s second grounds for appealreferred to what BAA considered wasfar too short a time, given the economicclimate, to dispose of its airports.

The appeal tribunal’s unanimousdecision was that the challenge on thatground failed.

Spanish-owned BAA had alreadyagreed in October to sell Gatwick for£1.51bn to US-based investment fundGlobal Infrastructure Partners, theowner of London City Airport .

■ FLIGHT CHECK: BAA has wononly a partial victory in its battle withthe Competition Commission

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

KateHardcastle

Insight WithPassion

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Business part-nerAge: 33Family: MarriedHolidays: MiamiCar: Mercedes SLKFirst job: Saturdayjob as a pizza makerBest thing aboutjob: Helping differentbusinessesWorst thing aboutjob: I loathe travellingBusiness tip: Pas-sion, persuasion andpersistence

Work: BusinesstransformationEmploys: SevenSite: Holywell Green,Birstall and CheshirePhone: 01484460909Email: kate@insightwithpassion .co.uk

KATE Hardcastle loves tosing the praises of herhometown.

Work may take the busyHuddersfieldbusinesswoman to HongKong, China and New York,but she is always glad toreturn to her Holywell Greenhome nestling in the hillsbetween Huddersfield andHalifax.

“I am a Yorkshire girl andvery proud of it,” she says.“Nothing delights me morethan being at a boardmeeting in Canary Wharfand having the broadestYorkshire accent in theroom!”

But she believesHuddersfield should makemore of itself.

“I don’t ‘do’ Leeds andManchester,” she says. “Ican get what they have tooffer online. I love Lindleybecause it has somefabulous independentshops. If I have visitors toHuddersfield I take them tothe independent shops – theunique tea shops, floristsand boutiques.

“I hate the idea of aStarbucks on every corner. Iam all for famous brands,because that’s how I havemade my name – but I amworried that in 10 years’time Huddersfield will be acarbon copy of every othertown.

“We have a wonderfulindustrial heritage. We haveyoung fashion designershere and all the work of thestudents at HuddersfieldUniversity. We should becelebrating everything wedo.”

When Kate has a fewhours to spare from herwork and charitycommitments, she enjoysstrolling through theYorkshire Sculpture Parkwith her dog. “It is afantastic facility,” she says.“But like a lot of our gems –such as the LawrenceBatley Theatre and HalifaxPiece Hall – it seems to beunder-loved andundervalued.”

Fartown-born Kate isprobably just the person tohelp raise the profile of thetown – given her trackrecord helping some of thebiggest names in businessto develop their brands.

Kate and businesspartner Richard Gomersalhead brand transformationbusiness Insight WithPassion, which has bases inHuddersfield, Birstall andCheshire, but deals withcompanies of all sizes as farafield as Edinburgh,Southampton and Ireland.

Client firms all havesomething in common –they know they need tochange what they do andthe way they do it.

“I can be working with asmall family business that isreally in a make-or-breaksituation,” she says. “Youget emotionally involved withcompanies like that. I like toroll my sleeves up and getstuck in. I may be handingout flyers to Saturdaymorning shoppers for oneretail client, then discussingcorporate strategy with ablue chip company.”

Kate discovered a talent

for marketing and promotionwhen she was a pupil atBrooksbank School in Ellandand she became the singerin a band called TheFabulous BB Kings.

“I enjoy singing, but I wasfrustrated that the bandwasn’t on television,” shesays. “So I began ringinground concert organisersand managed to get theband booked. When Skystarted covering RugbyLeague I rang them sayingthey should use our band toprovide pre-matchentertainment.”

It seems a celebrity careerbeckoned, but the bandbroke up and at 18 Katedecided her destiny lay inmarketing. “I got theopportunity with a furnituremanufacturer in Dewsbury,which was making metalfold-away beds,” she says. “Iwas pushing for them tomake ‘posher’ metal beds.”Kate was with the firm forfive years – and waspromoted to her boss’s job –before moving to Silentnight,where her work on the firm’sbranding earned her the titleof Young Marketer of theYear.

“I went to the nationalfinals in Fleet Street and hadto make a presentation tobusiness leaders from ShellUK and Sainsbury’s” sherecalls. “I made thepresentation wearingSilentnight’s ‘brand’ of blueand white pyjamas. It justseemed logical. Whywouldn’t I? I was verypassionate about it.”

Insight With Passion sumsup Kate’s philosophy – toprovide a company with anoutsider’s view of itsbusiness and demonstratewholehearted commitment tohelping it achieve its goals.

The agency’s latestdevelopment is to launch aPersonal Branding Serviceand website offeringindividual businessprofessionals help topromote themselves.

This new package,heralded as “a stylemakeover for businessmen

and women” allowsindividuals to develop theirown personal brand. Itcertainly worked for tycoonslike Richard Branson andDonald Trump.

Says Kate: “Jordan andKylie are celebrity brands,but so were Elvis andMarilyn Monroe. It just wasn’tcalled branding then. It’sabout helping the businessleader to communicate –helping with the internal andexternal PR.

“Failure to communicate isoften the biggest problem forcompanies of all sizes. Youmay have a board of three orfour people who want tomake changes, but thinktheir workforce won’t like it,so they fail to communicatewith them properly. Yet theworkers are their biggestasset.”

Kate also believescompanies and their bossesmust make themselves partof their local community – byhelping local charities orsupporting local causes.

She practises what shepreaches as part of singinggroup The CharityDreamgirls. They wereacclaimed as Star of theWeek on TV’s Paul O’GradyShow and even drew asizeable unsolicited donationfrom Andrew Lloyd Webber

who was impressed bytheir work to help charitiesthrough music.

“I have always enjoyedsinging,” says Kate. “WithThe Charity Dreamgirls, Iget to sing and helpcharities throughout theyear.

“It also keeps me very

‘grounded’. I may bespeaking to a high-poweredmeeting of business peopleduring the day – then getheckled on stage on aSaturday night at theRamada Hotel in Leeds!”

■ INSIGHT: Kate Hardcastleis backing her home town

Kate’sleaderof thebrand!

T 01484 608 095 www.robertsonbaxter.co.ukThe Mill, 150 Penistone Road, Shelley, Huddersfield, HD8 8JQ

Greg Robertson Stephen Baxter

Robertson Baxter Financial Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority

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KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

Spirited effortfor Christmas

TAXTALKColin Barrett

Colin Barrett is tax partner at Wheawill and Sudworth chartered accountants, Huddersfield

Fortunesimprove forlocal firmsMANUFACTURING firms inYorkshire have reported a slightimprovement in their fortunes.

A survey by manufacturingindustry group the EEF andbusiness advisory firm BDOshowed that output and ordersfor the region’s manufacturershad stabilised but remained“disappointingly weak” duringthe final quarter of the year.

E x p o r t p ro s p e c t s h a dimproved as the weak poundand recovering world marketsbegan to have a positive impacton overseas sales.

But companies were particu-larly concerned about a lack ofcash flow while jobs continuedto be lost, although at a slowerpace. Confidence across manu-facturing remained fragile, thereport added.

The survey said signs of as t rong rebound in 2010remained “elusive” and added:“There is little to suggest thatwe are in for anything otherthan a long, slow haul out ofrecession.”

The EEF said evidence fromprevious recessions suggestedinvestment could take three tofour years to recover – while thesteep cutbacks of the currentdownturn were a “significant”threat to competitiveness.

Learning to bemore thriftyTHE recession could leave avaluable legacy for businessesin Yorkshire – as more firmsadopt a “thrifty” mindset andseek energy savings.So says a report byenvironmental support groupEnvirowise.The Envirowise Business ThriftShift Report – whichencompasses responses frommore than 500 companies –reveals that 64% of respondentsin Yorkshire have developed amore detailed knowledge of theirspending and resource use as aresult of the recession.This includes everything frominvestment in raw materials,transport and energy to staffing,equipment and professionalservices.Some 69% of respondents in theregion said their business hadbecome thriftier in its spendinghabits and more careful aboutusing resources efficiently as aresult of the recession.And this “thrift shift” is set tocontinue with 78% ofrespondents expecting to bemore careful about how they usetheir resources once recoverycomes.Elin Crebbin, Envirowiseregional manager for Yorkshireand the Humber, said: “Yorkshirebusinesses have been facingsome serious challenges as aresult of the recession.“However, it is also clear that formany companies this period ofeconomic difficulty hasstimulated a moreresource-conscious mindset,galvanising environmentalcommitments that had perhapsbeen lower down the businessagenda.“We know from experience thatresource efficiency goeshand-in-hand with profitability,so it is encouraging to see bettermanagement of raw materials,energy and water forming animportant component of thebusiness response to recessionin the region.”

Andrew is onthe fast track

BUSINESSMAN Andrew Denfordwas among the winners at a glitter-ing awards ceremony – for his effortsto interest students in technology.

Mr Denford, chief executive ofBrighouse-based engineering firmDenford Ltd, was recognised at theAutosport Awards for his work aschairman and founder of F1 inSchools.

He was presented with the Pion-eering and Innovation in Motors-port Award along with F1 in Schoolspatron Ross Brawn, principal of theBrawn Grand Prix team, and Chris-tian Horner, principal of Red BullRacing.

F1 in Schools now takes its placealongside previous category winnersincluding the HANS device – a safercrash barrier now used at race tracksaround the world.

F1 in Schools sets school childrenaged 11 to 18 the challenge of design-ing, testing, making and racing mini-ature Formula One cars made frombalsa wood and powered by carbondioxide cylinders. The competitionattracts entries from across theworld.

Commenting on the award, Mr

Denford said: “This is a fantasticachievement for F1 in Schools. Wereach out to more than 15m studentsaround the world, introducing themto Formula 1 and using its popular-ity to encourage them to considerscience, technology, engineering andmathematics as a career.

“The world of Formula 1 hasembraced our initiative – with all theteams supporting us – which hasbeen a very important part of oursuccess. We can help to attractyoung, bright engineers to theindustry and we hope that throughour efforts, we will nurture the RossBrawns of the future.”

Mr Denford added: “As weapproach our 10th anniversary, wehave grown from a UK competitionto a global initiative in more than 30countries. We hope that our successwill continue and we can support theF1 industry with top engineers in thefuture, through their participation inthe F1 in Schools programme.”

The annual Autosport Awardsdrew more than 1,000 luminariesfrom motor sport industry, includingnewly crowned F1 world champion,Jenson Button.

■ RACE WINNER: AndrewDenford, chairman and founder ofF1 in Schools and chief executive ofBrighouse company Denford Ltd,with his award

Taxation deadline loomsTHE January 31 Tax Return filing deadline

for the submission of individual, part-nership and trust tax returns for the yearended April 5, 2009 is looming large on thehorizon.

For those who have yet to submit their returns,urgent attention is required in order to avoidautomatic late filing penalties.

The penalty for submitting a late return is £100.This is restricted to the lower of £100 or theamount of tax outstanding for 2009/10.

For partnerships whose business tax return isnot submitted in time, a £100 penalty per partnerwill be levied which is not restricted.

Returns will need to be submitted to the Rev-enue “online” using their own internet site orcommercially approved software.

If you intend using the Revenue’s site for the firsttime, you will need to register with them as soon aspossible to be able to file meet the filing dead-line.

The Revenue will no longer accept returns sentin paper form and such returns will, in all but themost exceptional circumstances, attract a latefiling penalty.

Submitting the tax return in time will stop theautomatic late filing penalty, as will making sureany tax due for 2008/09 is paid by January 31.

Except for partnership returns where the pen-alty is payable whether tax is paid by the individualpartners or not.

Late paid tax will be subject to interest chargeswith the current interest rate being 3%.

A 5% surcharge will be added if any tax for

2008/09 remains outstanding at February 28.For businesses struggling to pay their tax due to

the effects of the recession, it may be possible toarrange with the Revenue to pay the tax over anagreed period of time by contacting their BusinessPayment Support telephone centre on 08453021435.

However, those intent on filing late so as toavoid paying tax should be aware that the Revenuecan, with the agreement of the Commissioners,impose a penalty of up to £60 per day for overduetax returns and it is becoming common for them totake this course of action.

If this penalty is charged it will stick even if thereis no tax to pay, unlike the automatic late filingpenalty, so it is potentially very severe.

For some who have a tax liability every yearthere may also be a requirement to make paymentson account of the current year at the same time asthe payment for the last year.

This is automatically 50% of last year’s tax billand is payable on January 31 and July 31.

If income falls each payment on account can bereduced to 50% of the expected current year’s taxbill.

If income goes up and the tax bill will be more,the payments on account do not have to beincreased, but, of course, come January 31 nextyear it will be catch up time, so you may want toput a bit aside to avoid having to raid the piggybank or get into arrears with the Revenue.

BOSSES are doing their best topreserve the Christmas spirit inthe face of tough trading, it isclaimed.A survey by the Institute ofDirectors showed that 58% ofdirectors planned to let staffleave early at Christmas while50% were sending Christmascards to business colleagues andclients.And 32% of directors planned tomake a charitable donation orundertake charitable activity forChristmas.

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

MARKETINGMATTERSClare Quartermaine

Clare Quartermaine is founder and managing director of QT Creative

Energy plant isfocus for visitorA SENIOR Whitehall official has visited arevolutionary energy-from-waste plant inHuddersfield.

Phil Wynn Owen, director-general withresponsibility for climate change and con-sumer support at the Department of Energy,was given a tour of the plant, which is run bySITA UK.

He was joined by representatives of theGovernment Office for Yorkshire and TheHumber, Go East and Kirklees MetropolitanBorough Council.

The tour was part of a fact-finding visit tothe region organised for Mr Owen, who hastaken up his post only recently.

SITA UK general manager GlennysRobinson said: “SITA UK and KirkleesCouncil have worked closely together formany years and are examining new collabor-ations for the future.

“Although the visit was not directly to dowith our plans, it was good to be able to showwhat we do now and raise ideas that we havein mind.”

She said: “Mr Owen fully recognised theimportance of SITA UK’s business. We wereable to demonstrate how the diversion ofwaste from landfill, coupled with the creationof energy from waste, is playing a significantpart in the UK’s waste and energystrategies.

“It was very significant that Mr Owen andhis colleagues started their Yorkshire visit atthe EfW facility, where they were able to seefor themselves how the process works and thecontribution it is making to improving wastemanagement, creating green energy and con-tributing to the low carbon economy.

“This facility was designed to the veryhighest environmentally-friendly standards –

far higher than the toughest Europeanrequirements – and the energy from wasteprocess is an efficient and green way ofdealing with waste that simply cannot bere-used or recycled.”

The EfW facility opened in 2002 as part ofa 25-year contract with Kirklees Council,which began in 1998. Its aim is to help thecouncil achieve a minimum 60% diversion ofwaste from landfill.

The waste comes mainly from householdand civic collections from the borough’sprincipal towns of Huddersfield, Batley andDewsbury.

The plant can handle 136,000 tonnes ofwaste a year – producing 11MW of electricityto the National Grid, which is sufficient toprovide the annual power needed for 15,000homes.

■ HOT TOPIC: Phil Wynn Owen, director-general at the Department of Energy, inspectsthe furnace at SITA UK’s Kirklees energy from waste facility with general manager GlennysRobinson

Lick Digitaladds to itsarmouriesA FIRM founded in Elland has completedthe takeover of a company in Leeds.

Lick Digital, the digital division of mar-keting and fulfilment company, the LickGroup, has paid an undisclosed sum fordigital print company Topcopy.

The acquired company, which has beentrading for 15 years, has a current turnoverof more than £1m. Topcopy will continuetrading under its existing name for now toavoid confusion for clients.

However, it becomes part of the LickGroup, which has four divisions – LickDigital, Lick Direct, Lick Online and mar-keting agency Lick Agency. Lick Digitalwill move from its current site in Gilder-some to Topcopy’s headquarters in BurleyRoad, Leeds.

Andrew Brown, Lick Group operationsdirector will head the new combined com-panies. The Lick Digital team will now havemore than 20 employees with a combinedturnover of about £1.5m.

Linden Kitson, group managing directorof the Lick Group – which was based atLowfields in Elland before its move toLeeds – said the acquisition of Topcopy wasa major milestone for the company.

“The recession has been extremely toughand the group as a whole have takennumerous hits as a result,” he said.

“However, the time had come to lift ourheads and move forward. The digital divi-sion was something we had been looking toexpand for some time due to the resilientnature of the work and the increaseddemand for services.

“We approached Topcopy early this yearas a potential acquisition, noting how thecompany would enhance and complimentthe existing offering at Lick Digital.”

He added: “Lick Digital and Topcopywill work together moving forward to offeran increased proposition of digitally prin-ted services. Clients can look forward to‘business as usual’ throughout the mergerof the businesses and of course customerservice and quality will be of a usualexceptional standard. ”

Lick Digital has clients including HMPrison Services, the National Union ofMiners and Leeds United FC.

Reviewing a busy yearMANY of us will be seeing in the New

Year with a sigh of relief.But while 2009 has seen plenty of chal-

lenges for all businesses, there is no doubt thatit has also brought some really innovative anddetermined marketing activities out of thewoodwork.

The marketers have had to work harderthan ever to get those purse stringsloosened!

First is the rise of Social Media – and thesubsequent onset of panic among businessestrying to get to grips with something funda-mentally alien to some.

For many, 2009 was the year of the “tweet”and the “facebook group” – especially thosewishing to attract a younger market. This wasmatched with growing pressure on marketersto convince clients that they need to maintaina new pace of short, snappy snippets ofinteresting info…not easy!

Next was the radical changes in consumerbehaviour fuelled by recession. This issomething that certainly filters into the con-sciousness of even business to business trans-actions. A combination of loss of trust in

brands and the rise of old style “thrift” hasseen the growth of heritage brands andnostalgia advertising. All this in a bid toreassure uneasy customers. This has alsogiven rise to a more “canny” consumer – theonline voucher and discount code hasbecome the norm not special.

Then the green factor… seeing brands andbusinesses scramble to get to grips withcarbon reduction initiatives and theeco-friendly movement. Whether you’re asceptic or not, it’s fashionable to be green andgive your customers a few extra points of guiltrelief to help them choose your product.

Lastly, the recession – while being a diffi-

cult time for all – sees the onset of realinspiration and innovation.

As a business person with business clients,this is something I have enjoyed the chal-lenges that 2009 and am truly excited by whatI see as real and well needed change.

So – where next? One of the big issues onthe marketing scene at the moment is “lack ofvisibility”. To cut to the chase – we reallydon’t know – but it would be exciting to thinkthat the playing fields are being levelled andthat some of the best ideas, best innovationsand best businesses can rise during thesetimes. 2010 – here comes Huddersfield!

Rethink, Refresh,Rebrand!

01484 483194 info@qtcreative.co.uk

www.qtcreative.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

Tolent totackle £3.6mcontractA WEST Yorkshire constructioncompany has won a £3.5mpower plant contract.

Tolent Construction hasalready completed the firstphase of development atStaythorpe power station inNottinghamshire. Now it haslanded a second contract for thesecond phase.

Tolent will work with PCPArchitects and Tim Stower &Partners on behalf of clientAlstom Power.

The first contract atStaythorpe involved theconstruction of workshop andstores, administration andcontrol building, gatehouse andoil lube store.

The £5m development washanded over last month andTolent has now started on thenext phase, a comprehensiveexternal works package for theentire site.

Farm conversionproves a winnerA HUDDERSFIELD com-pany is celebrating success in adifficult market – after sellingall the properties on its latestresidential development.

Upper Bagden Farm atClayton West has been trans-formed from a collection ofderelict farm buildings intoseven luxury family homes byRonan Developments.

And the properties havequickly found buyers, despitethe depressed and slow housingmarket.

The grade 2 listed buildings,which are set in 22 acres, havebeen restored using originalstone and carefully-sourcednew stone which will maturewith its surroundings.

The development won theBest Conservation Award inthe West Yorkshire LocalAuthority Building ControlBuilding Excellence Awards.

Ro n a n D e v e l o p m e n t sfounder and managing director

Mark Ronan said: “The wholeteam works to produce the bestquality finished product thatwe possibly can. The sale of allseven units at a time when theresidential property market isseverely depressed assures usthat this is the right approach.

“We’re extremely proud toadd the development to ourportfolio and plan to continueworking in West Yorkshire onsimilar projects which enhanceour area’s natural beauty.”

Ronan Developments wasformed in 2002 and specialisesin the design and build ofexclusive properties.

T h e t e a m i n c l u d e s achartered architect, projectmanagers and site managers.The company also offers archi-tectural design services to theresidential and commercialmarkets along with a contract-ing division with extensiveexperience in the retail sector.

■ TRANSFORMERS: Ronan Developments has converted a collection of derelictfarm buildings at Clayton West into award-winning luxury famly homes

Propertyagents arestreetsaheadRETAIL property agents havecompleted two deals andreceived instructions for a thirdsite – all on the same street inLeeds city centre.

Colliers CRE in Leeds actedon behalf of landlords to lease530sq ft at 47 CommercialStreet to pretzel bakery, Ditschon a 10-year lease. In addition,the former Nationwide premisesat 29 Commercial Street hasbeen let to Virgin Media for a2,074sq ft mobile phone shop.

On the back of these deals,Colliers CRE has also beeninstructed by a private landlordto market 45-46 CommercialStreet.

The property was previouslyoccupied by womenswearretailer Oasis.

Tom Cullen, director of theretail division of Colliers CRE inLeeds, said: “We have beenvery active in central Leedsover the past 12 months.

“In real terms, both lettingson Commercial Street fall shortof the prime rents achieved twoor three years ago, but bothrepresent good quality incomefor the respective landlords –something important in today’suncertain market.

“Both these new dealsdemonstrate the demand thatstill remains within the citycentre.

“Both Virgin Media andDitsch were previouslyunrepresented in the city. Thisfurther supports Leeds as athriving retail destination thatcan attract fresh new retailers.”

RICS pledges to act onclimate change challenge

BUILDING industry chiefs inYorkshire have pledged to playtheir part in tackling climatechange.

The Royal Institution ofChartered Surveyors in theregion said it planned to mon-itor efforts in both private andpublic sectors to develop newways in which to create andpromote sustainable develop-ment and “retrofit” existingproperty with energy savingtechnology.

A seminar will also bearranged to help property pro-fessionals keep up to date withthe latest practice in sustainabledevelopment.

Geoff White, head of publicpolicy and communications forRICS in Yorkshire, said: “RICSsupports the scientific evidenceof climate change and the asso-ciated risks both for the planet’secosystems and societies.

“Through the range anddiversity of our membership, weare well placed to understandsustainability across the land,property and construction sec-tors.

“With new regulatory frame-works beginning to establish a

market for low carbon-ratedproperty in both commercialand domestic sectors, RICSmembers are ideally placed toclaim this ‘first mover advant-age’.”

But Mr White said: “Any suc-cess will depend on the develop-ment of harmonised standardsfor measurement and furtheranalysis of what policies areneeded to create value for sus-tainable buildings.

“These are two areas that willbe the key priorities in the com-ing months.”

The announcement followsthe launch of the RICS GlobalClimate Change Strategy inNew York.

RICS has also signed theCommuniqué on ClimateChange, urging world leaders toagree on an ambitious, credibleand equitable deal to save theplanet.

In northern England, RICSwill monitor the efforts made byboth private and public organ-isations to develop new andinnovative ways in which to cre-ate and promote new sustain-able development and retrofitexisting property.

■ WELL-PLACED: Geoff White, head of publicpolicy and communications for the RoyalInstitution of Chartered Surveyors in Yorkshireand Humberside

CaringtypesCHRISTMAS cameearly to a group ofneedy children –thanks to kind-heartedstaff from PennineHousing 2000 andsocial housingcontractor BramallConstruction.Employees from bothorganisations – whichare involved in projectsin Kirklees andCalderdale – joinedtogether to donateChristmas gifts foralmost 200under-privilegedchildren in Halifax aspart of Business in theCommunity’sCalderdale Cares atChristmas campaign.Staff decided to use themoney they wouldnormally spend onChristmas cards forcolleagues to buypresents for theyoungsters, all ofwhom are part of theHome-Start Calderdalescheme.The children, whorange from newbornbabies to 18 year olds,were given theirpresents at thescheme’s Christmasparty.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 7

Structherm is acclaimed forLiverpool housing projectSTAFF at a Meltham-based constructionproducts firm are celebrating after winninga national award.

Structherm Ltd won the category for BestHard To Treat Project (Manufacturer)award at this year’s National InsulationAwards hosted by the National InsulationAssociation.

The company has been working in part-nership with Liverpool Mutual Homes onthe Daneville Estate project where some 600houses were in need of urgent externalrefurbishment.

The properties were “designated defect-ive” and therefore deemed to be hard totreat as they suffered from structural defectssuch as corrosion of reinforcement in theprecast concrete and lack of tying betweenflank and internal walls. The poor level ofthermal performance was another obstacleto overcome.

Structherm’s structural insulated clad-ding system was the solution chosen as noother cladding system was able to providethe same structural benefits to overcome allof the structural and thermal problemsencountered with the properties.

Structherm managing director DavidHarrison said “It’s fantastic to be recog-nised once again for the hard work that thewhole company has put into this project.We’ve had great successes this year, despitethe recession, and are confident these will

continue into the New Year.”Structherm Ltd has been providing solu-

tions to the construction industry for morethan 25 years.

The company is part of Hanson BuildingProducts, a leading supplier of heavy build-

ing materials to the construction industry.Hanson produce aggregates – crushed

rock, sand and gravel – as well asready-mixed and precast concrete, asphaltand cement-related materials and a range ofbuilding products including concrete pipes,concrete pavers, tiles and clay bricks.

Marshalls bossis ‘green guru’A DIRECTOR of stone paving supplierMarshalls has been given a new title – that ofGreen Guru Manufacturer.

Chris Harrop, who has been the drivingforce behind the Huddersfield-based firm’senvironmental improvement programme,was given the title by industry magazineBuilding following a public vote.

He said: “It’s great to see sustainabilityawards in the mainstream – recognising theenvironmental and social achievements ofthe building industry as a whole. For me, it’sa great honour especially because this hasbeen voted for by the public.”

Under Mr Harrop’s direction, Marshallshas carbon-labelled more than 2,000domestic and commercial paving productswith the Carbon Trust’s official scheme andachieved Wildlife Trust biodiversity bench-marks for two sites.

Since becoming the first company in thehard landscaping industry to belong to theEthical Trading Initiative, Marshalls hasbeen working in India to raise awareness ofchild labour issues in quarries and putting inplace award-winning ethical supply chainmanagement programmes.

Last month, Marshalls demonstrated itscontinuing sustainability leadership bylaunching Fairstone, the UK’s first fairlytraded Indian sandstone.

Building has been running its Green Guru

initiative since 2007 to recognising peoplewho are instrumental in driving forward thegreen agenda.

Previously, the Green Gurus were selected

by the team at Building, but this year theyhave been chosen by the readers. After beingnominated, the winners were selected bypublic vote.

End-of-yearsale successfor EddisonsCASH buyers attracted by realistic pricesensured that the last Eddisons propertyauction of the year finished on a high note.The two-day sale in Leeds and Manchestergenerated proceeds of more than £6.3mwith the sale of 97 of the 128 lots on offer.The highlight of the sale was the sale ofeight residential properties in Holmfirth,which went for £436,000 off a guide price of£350,000-plus.At the other end of the scale, 20 dustbinstores next to a number of back-to-backterraced houses in Harehills, Leeds, soldfor £13,000.Tony Webber, of Eddisons, said: ‘This wasa very strong performance to finish whathas been a good year, despite the tougheconomic conditions and the continualdifficulties buyers have faced securingexternal funding.“Where vendors took our advice and setrealistic reserves there were plenty of cashbuyers ready to invest.“In many cases the prices achievedexceeded our own expectations.”He said: “The majority of these propertiesare tenanted and they generated some ofthe keenest interest from buyers both in theroom and on the telephone.“That helped to drive the prices wellbeyond their original guides.”And Mr Webber added: “We are expecting10 similar lots to be included in ourFebruary catalogue, which should generatethe same level of interest.”

■ ROLE MODEL: Chris Harrop, marketing director at Birkby-based Marshalls plc, whohas been named a Green Guru Manufacturer

Prime timefor propertyYORKSHIRE is one of the UK’s topperforming region for prime propertysales, says a survey.Figures from Primelocation.com bracketYorkshire with London and the south-eastas the drivers for recovery in the top-priceproperty sector.Yorkshire and Humber saw prices forto-end properties such as manor housesand barn conversions rise by 9.6% during2009, according to the survey. Thatcompares with 8.6% for the UK as a whole.The regional performance was driven byabove average price rises in the spring –as Leeds in particular saw an extremelylow level of new stock coming on to themarket at a time of increasing demand.London and the south-east retained theirplaces as the leading and most expensiveprime property markets with annual priceincreases of up to 7.9%.The strong performance was fuelled by acautious upswing in consumer confidenceand bolstered by sustained demand fromwealthier UK and international buyers.The East Midlands also figured stronglywith increases of up to 10.9% whileScotland and Wales were also “robust”.Andrew Smith, head of research atPrimelocation.com, said: “The UK’s primeproperty markets have performed well overthe course of 2009 – with strong annualprice growth carving a path towardsrecovery for the wider UK market tofollow.”

■ TROPHY TIME: David Harrison (centre) managing director of Structherm Ltd, acceptsthe winner's trophy and certificate from National Insulation Association chief executiveNeil Marshall and chairman Tony Hardiman

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

CIDAAlison Fordham

ALISON Fordham has beenappointed programmes director forthe Huddersfield-based CreativeIndustries Development Agency.

Alison, who has more than 20years experience of leadership,management and marketing in thecreative and cultural enterprisesector, takes over fromlong-standing programme directorJo Wilkinson, who is leaving topursue other interests.

CIDA, which won the Creative Award in the 2009Examiner Business Awards, specialises insupporting creative and cultural enterprises sectorand is expanding into Europe and further afield.

Alison (pictured) has worked as an associatewith CIDA as well as being chief executive of DubaiCommunity Theatre & Arts Centre, chief executiveof Commissions In The Environment and executivedirector of Triskel Arts Centre in Ireland.

Jo Wilkinson is leaving CIDA to become adirector of Lippy People, a national communityinterest company based in Leeds. She will lead itscreative consultancy and large scale projects aswell as helping develop the company alongside itsother directors.

CanadiancommissionA SPECIALISTglazing firm inHuddersfield hasfound itselfpromotingbusinessinvestment – inCanada.

A photo ofglazing suppliedby Dortech to theBroadgatedevelopment in Leeds earlier this yearwas used for a presentation by theCanadian Council to would-be investorsat the Invest in Canada conference heldin Toronto earlier this month.

The high-powered two-dayconference featured scores ofdistinguished speakers, including aCanadian government minister and aformer Canadian ambassador to theUSA.

The striking image of glazed windows– complete with Dortech’s logo in thecorner – was used for a big-screenpresentation on public-privatepartnerships.

Dortech managing director JamesSutherland (pictured) said: “I received acall from a Canadian lady professing tobe from the Canadian Council.

“She explained she had visited ourcompany website and found an imageshe would like to use in a presentation.This happened to be a photo of aproject Dortech completed in 2009called Broadgate, in Leeds city centre.

“Due to the late hour and the fact Iwas in bed I said ‘okay’ as long as she’dmention Dortech in the presentation – Ididn’t think anything of it at all.

“Following this call, I received anemail with some accompanying photosof the stated presentation which turnedout to be the Invest in Canadaconference.”

Said Mr Sutherland: “This just showsthe power of the internet and how asmall Huddersfield-based company canbecome visible to a global audience. Itmade me laugh!”

Closer to home, Dortech is installingthe glazing at Huddersfield University’snew Business School for maincontractor BAM Construction. Theproject is worth about 1m to Dortech.

Millers OilsWayne Baker

OILS and fuel treatmentsmanufacturer Millers Oils hasappointed Wayne Baker (pictured)as UK sales manager.

The appointment follows asustained period of businessgrowth and service expansion forthe Brighouse company, whichrecently completed the acquisitionof Yorkshire company FalconLubricants.

Mr Baker, 41, has worked in theautomotive and aftermarket sales sector for severalyears for companies including Uni-Part Group,where he was east regional sales manager; SIPIndustrial Products as UK sales manager andtechnical manager at Snap-On Tools.

His experiences include successfullyrestructuring sales teams. His main aim at MillersOils will be to oversee the growth and developmentof the existing UK sales team to cope with theincreasing demand for the firm’s product ranges.

Millers Oils completed the takeover ofMalton-based Falcon Lubricants in November andwon the trophy for the most innovative new motorsport product at the 2009 World MotorsportSymposium.

Office postingis fine for MarkHOLMFIRTH man Mark Browne hasbeen chosen to run a new branch of anexpanding insurance brokers.

Mr Browne has opened the new officeof J M Glendinning.as director togetherwith his colleague Steve Winfield. Bothmen (pictured, right) were previouslywith Rockford Insurance.

The new office, based at MillhouseGreen, Penistone, will provide insur-ance broking, financial services, health,safety and employment Law bothto businesses and individuals.

It is the first move in a plannedprogramme of expansion for JMG,which was founded in 1972 and based in

Guiseley, Leeds.Mr Browne, 39, was born in

Holmfirth. His wife Christina runsHolmfirth Cattle Market while theirtwo children – Finlay, 9, and Megan, 6 –attend the local school.

Mr Browne has played for his localfootball team, Cartworth Moor, formore than 10 years and is a longstanding member of Phoenix Squashand Fitness Club in Honley.

JMG said it had identified a gap inthe South Yorkshire market for quality,independent advice to help individualsand companies benefit from the dealsthey were able to negotiate.

Cold comforts for Christmas

ICE cream maker Yummy Yorkshire is setfor a cool Yule.

The company has introduced four newflavours especially for the festive season– and is convinced they will prove a hitwith customers at its ice cream parlour inDenby Dale.

The flavours are Rich Christmas Cake,Chocolate Orange, White Chocolate withCranberries and Cranachan – atraditional Scottish dessert of honey,whisky, raspberry and oats.

They are available only until ChristmasEve, one of the busiest times of year forYummy Yorkshire.

“We always have a queue out of thedoor on Christmas Eve,” says LouiseHolmes, who is responsible for ice creamproduction.

“You wouldn’t expect ice cream to bepopular at this time of year, but our festiveflavours are always a huge hit, with theRich Christmas Cake selling particularlywell. Last year, we sold 200 tubs of theChristmas flavours in the space of twodays.”

Said Louise: “I was inspired to createthese flavours after a discussion with myScottish sister-in-law in October about

recipes and traditional desserts.“Cranachan was mentioned and I

thought it was the ideal candidate for anew ice cream flavour. The blend ofhoney, whiskey and raspberry is verywarming and the oats give the texture anextra dimension.”

Yummy Yorkshire Ice Cream is knownfor its innovative flavours, recentlycreating a selection of BonfireNight-inspired recipes such as CinderToffee and Parkin.

Since the business was launched inApril, 2007, more than 50 differentrecipes of traditional, seasonal andcontemporary ice cream have beendeveloped – using locally sourcedingredients and milk and cream from thefarm’s own herd of Holstein cows.

Several of the flavours have scoopedprestigious awards.

Among them, Lou’s Liquorice icecream was awarded best dairy productand supreme product of the Year at the2009 deliciouslyorkshire Awards as wellas receiving three gold stars at the 2009Great Taste Awards.

■ WINTER FUEL: Louise and Jeremy Holmes, of Yummy Yorkshire, are getting intothe festive spirit with a range of four ice creams especially for the Christmas season

C02SenseRachel Brakes

ENVIRONMENTAL support groupCO2Sense Yorkshire hasappointed Rachel Brakes asplanning and permitting projectmanager to support the continuedgrowth and development ofenvironmental sector businessesin the region.

Rachel (pictured) will helpbusinesses to understandpermitting and licensing issues inrelation to the environmental technologies sectorand will offer businesses advice on planningapplication processes.

She said: “This is a highly technical area forbusinesses to tackle. We will provide firms withimpartial advice on how to resolve planning andpermitting issues that often delay their projects.”

Rachel joins the CO2Sense resource efficiencyteam from the Environment Agency where she wasa senior permitting officer.