News in Brief: Friday April 25

THE Institute of Directors (IoD) in Yorkshire and the Humber is calling for entries into the 2008 Director of the Year Awards as the deadline date looms.

The awards are open to both members and non-members of the IoD including those at director level or equivalent status including partner, senior manager or proprietor.

Nominations must be submitted by May 27 to be in the running.

Winners of the awards will be revealed at a black tie ceremony at The Queens Hotel in Leeds on September 4, but to be eligible all applicants must enter online at www.dotya.co.uk within the next few weeks. Nominations are not a requirement of entry.

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CARE home firm Orchard  is to spend £50m and create 250 new jobs in the region over the next year.

The first phase of expansion by Orchard Care Homes of Leeds, will be a residential care and dementia care home in Cookridge, north Leeds, for almost 100 people.
More care homes in south Leeds, Scarborough, Grimsby and Lofthouse are to open next year.

Orchard already runs more than 30 care homes and chief executive Paul Mancey said the number of people needing long term care will increase by 50 per cent by 2026.

Orchard, with its headquarters in Thorpe Park, is the fastest-growing business of its kind in Britain.

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SHEFFIELD dealmakers Strategic Corporate Finance has advised on the management buyuut of Manor Plant Hire .

The deal was the second disposal in three years for the major shareholder, Adrian Harkin, who sold AMH Construction to its management team in 2005.

Manor Plant Hire is the leading independent plant and tool hire company in Derby.

The company supplies construction and contracting companies with equipment, ranging from large plant manufactured by companies like JCB, to smaller hand held power tools.

Under the buyout, the managing director, Drew Rattan, acquired the company from Mr Harkin.

Kevan Shaw and Greg Barker from Strategic Corporate Finance structured the deal and raised the necessary funding.

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CONSTRUCTION firms in Yorkshire are missing out on up to £129,000 in financial support by not taking on enough apprentices, says ConstructionSkills.

ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills council for the construction industry, offers up to £3,000 towards the cost of training for each Programme Led Apprentice (PLA) taken on, but around 26 apprentices on the PLA scheme are still looking for employers in Yorkshire.

Unlike traditional apprentices Programme Led Apprentices are available to be taken on all year round with over 650 available across England now.

ConstructionSkills is calling on employers of all sizes to recognise construction apprentices as a vital resource, to commit to helping young people enter the industry and make sure they are not letting this money slip through their fingers.

For more information visit www.cskills.org/apprenticeships or call 0844 844 0046.