16 Evening Post, Tuesday, May 26, 2009 lep.co.

uk

LANCASHIRE ROUND-UP NEWS BULLETIN

Satellite technology
A guided route
to expansion
A Lancashire-based vehicle
tracking firm is looking to ex-
pand.
V-SOL, based in Centurion Way,
Leyland, is keen to finance acqui-
sitions using existing funds and
cash from NatWest.
Managing director David Isom
said: “Wewant to grow our oper-
ations through acquisition.”
The company has helped various
Ex-England rugby captain Jason Robinson (centre) organisations with its GPS track-
takes time out to visit Deepdale-based DB Energy ing technology including the Min-
with (left) director Clive Billington and manager istry of Defence, EDF Energy,
Edward Leech Arqiva, Goldstar Heathrow and
Legal services
Free advice offer
for landlords
FREE advice about disputes be-
tween commercial landlords and
their tenants is being offered by a
Preston-based law firm.
Napthens Solicitors, of Winckley
Square, is holding a free seminar
exploring the area at Preston
North End’s Deepdale stadium
from 8am on July 7.
A spokesman for the firm said:
“Many landlords are concerned
about the security of their rental
income and rise in tenant de-
faults.”
Visit www.napthens.co.uk/semi-
PR & marketing
Work towards
promotion
A workshop has been organised
aimed at Lancashire businesses
looking to market themselves
cheaply.
Former journalist and press offi-
cer James Gaskin, a qualified lec-
turer, is hosting a one-day work-
shop giving tips and advice on
how to write basic news releases
to the appropriate media.
The workshop is taking place in
Southport on June 27 with places
priced at £50 each.
Email jamesgaskin21@aol.com
Law firm adds
to its abilities
A LANCASHIRE legal
team specialising in advis-
ing elderly clients has won a
series of accreditations.
Staff at Birchall Blackburn
Solicitors, which has offices
in Liverpool Road, Pen-
wortham, and Avenham
Street, Preston, have won
accreditations with the So-
ciety of Trust and Estate
Practitioners with partner
Cathy MacCracken and so-
licitor Ian Ranson becom-
ing full members of the So-
licitors for the Elderly.
The legal team specialises

Rugby star’s
Roalco. nars or call 01772 904397. for more details. in helping the over-50s ad-
vising on wills, probate, eq-

Scrappage scheme
uity release, trusts and tax
planning and lasting powers

charity call
of attorney.

Showing green

for caravan owners

FORMER England rugby union captain Jason credentials
Robinson touched down at a Preston energy spe-
cialist. A GREEN Ribble Valley
The World Cup winner, known for his Billy Whizz furniture business has
nickname, dropped by Deepdale-based DB Energy shown the district’s MP how
in Stephenson Terrace to pick up a £250 donation it has scooped six national
to help abandoned and abused children in South awards in the past 12
Africa. months.
The sports star is heading out to the country to Chris Visser dustry can afford to wait for the have told the Evening Post the Nigel Evans toured the
complete humanitarian work with the Door of mandarins to change their minds so scheme has led to jumps in new car award-winning H J Berry

A
Hope charity before he returns to take up his role LANCASHIRE multi-mil-
as head coach of Sale Sharks later in the year. lionaire has launched his
DB Energy manager Edward Leech said: “Door of own version of the car scrap-
Hope is such a worthwhile charity and we admire page scheme which he will fund
Jason for the work he is doing out in South Africa. himself.
“We were delighted when he dropped in to see us But instead of crushing old bangers
and the team here in Preston.” for cash, Fulwood-born leisure ty-
DB Energy was formed to help Lancashire busi- coon John Morphet has launched a
nesses with new energy legislation including Energy scheme to scrap old caravans.
Performance Certificates (EPCs), which have been The 54-year-old chairman of the
compulsory for all commercial businesses since Oc- Carnforth-based Pure Leisure
tober. Group, believed to be worth £85m,
An EPC includes an assessment of building fabric, is offering a £2,000 rebate to anyone
structure, type of construction, insulation, glazing who buys a caravan or lodge, from
and lighting of a business building. any manufacturer, at any of his
group’s parks.
But they must own a caravan more
than 10-years-old, on any park in the
GettheessentialLancashireand country, which will be crushed in re-
nationalbusinessnewsbyemail turn.
Mr Morphet says he is using his own
money as he is tired of waiting for
the Government to extend the
scheme.
For a FREE subscription go to ww.lep.co.uk and He said: “I don’t think that the in-
click on the lepbusiness newsletter panel
I’ve decided just to get on and do it.
“There couldn’t be a better time to
kick-start the industry than now,
when people are looking for value
for money and to holiday in the UK.
“This, and the hot summer we’ve
been promised, could be just the
ticket.”
The leisure tycoon believes the
scheme could be worth £3.5m and is
ensuring old units for scrapping will
be “professionally dismantled” with
materials such as aluminium, copper
and wood recycled and reused.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson
and ministry officials met with cara-
van bosses in April when the sector
sought assistance.
But major caravan manufacturers
Atlas and Cosalt have gone to the
wall amid fears 90,000 jobs could be
lost across the industry.
The car scrappage scheme excludes
caravans though motor homes up to
3.5 tonnes are included.
Car showrooms across the county
inquiries by as much as 40%.
At the Sunwin Renault Dealership
in Ashton, the new Clio model sold
out while Bowker BMW and Mini,
also in Ashton, shifted five of the
BMW 1 series inside two days after
it was launched.
Babs Murphy, chief executive of the
North and Western Lancashire
Chamber of Commerce, said: “The
automotive industry will be central
to driving our economy out of reces-
sion, and it employs thousands of
highly skilled people producing effi-
cient vehicles for the global market.
“It would be a tragedy to lose pre-
cious skills during this downturn.”
Online
RELATED STORIES on
www.lep.co.uk:
● Budget scrappage scheme will
boost car sales
● Scrappage scheme drives up car
sales
factory in Kirk Mills, Chip-
ping, to see for himself its
sustainable approach, in-
cluding how it has planted
20,000 trees to help sustain
furniture making in future
years.
The vast majority of wood
used at the site is sourced
from renewable sources in
Britain.
Rally sees rise
in pension pot
WORKERS have seen the
value of their pension pots
rise by 10% during the past
month on the back of a
strong stock market rally.
UK workers now collectively
have assets worth £418 bil-
lion held in defined contri-
bution pension schemes, ac-
cording to Aon Consulting.
But despite the value of the

Wake up call to businesses seeking exit strategy

schemes increasing for the
second month in a row dur-
ing May, a further 32%
jump is needed just to bring
the assets back to the level

L
ANCASHIRE directors looking
to sell their businesses should be
preparing for exit now if they
don’t want to get “caught snoozing”
when the economy recovers.
That was the message from Preston-
based corporate finance expert Rob
Kenmare, when he addressed companies
from across the region during Lancashire
Business Week.
Mr Kenmore, of Winckley Square-based
Moore and Smalley Chartered Accoun-
tants and Business Advisors, said despite
the recession company owners should
CLOSE-UP FINANCE
still be investing time and money to be
ready to maximise the value of their busi-
nesses when investors return.
Speaking to around 50 company bosses
at UCLan’s Media Factory, he said:
“This recession has been the worst in re-
cent memory as far as the deals market is
concerned, but as the economy stabilises
we will start to see a return in appetite
from acquirers.
“Grooming a business for sale is a long
and important process and company
bosses shouldn’t stop making these plans
just because we are in a recession.
“Companies can boost perceptions
through effective PR and marketing and
by having the right people in place to
play a part in running the business.”
Mr Kenmore has 14 years of corporate
finance experience and has worked on
deals with a combined value of more
than £1bn. He said preparing a business
for sale was about the “five Ps” of “prof-
its, people, predictability, profile and
protection”.
Lancashire Business Week involved a se-
ries of business events support which was
supported Moore and Smalley, Down-
town Preston in Business, North West
Development Agency, UCLan, Fresh-
field and Soap Media.
Online
RELATED STORIES on www.lep.co.uk:
● Top names in business line up for
Lancashire
● Forum will put football cash in spot-
light
they were at in September
2007.
Helen Dowsey, principal at
Aon Consulting, said:
“Global stock markets have
seen one of the strongest ral-
lies ever over the last month
which has had a positive ef-
fect on the projected retire-
ment income for UK re-
tirees.
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