Business Diary: April 12

people are often a company’s most important asset, and that’s certainly the case at oil exploration group Getech.

The Leeds-based company, whose data helps oil companies decide where to sink wells, often spends months trying to fill a single position and boasts 14 nationalities among its employees.

But Getech has been forced to take swift action to prevent its workforce from being poached by rivals.

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“They were being attacked by headhunters,” said president Derek Fairhead.

Getech has removed all names from the staff group photo on its website, which headhunters were using to target employees.

Still, it’s hard to see why anyone would want to leave a company which boasts a film club, a yoga club and an allotment among its staff perks.

Kylie’s tour is fuelled by Yorkshire Tea

How does Kylie Minogue unwind when she’s on tour?

Well apparently the pint-sized popstar is a big fan of Yorkshire Tea. Luke Fitton, who received funding from Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate to study for a music diploma, is now Kylie’s lead guitarist.

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He saw her drinking Yorkshire Tea on her current world tour, and the company has now produced a special version of the tea featuring Kylie’s name on the box.

Simon Kelly, Luke’s uncle and production manager at Taylors of Harrogate, told Diary: “Luke emailed me to say they were in the hotel lounge having a cool-down after the gig and basically there are five of them sitting there and Kylie comes out with a cup of tea. So I texted him back to say ’I hope that’s Yorkshire Tea’.

“He replied: “It’s Yorkshire Tea because the tour bus driver is from Leeds and we’ve got more boxes of Yorkshire Tea in our locker than there is baggage on the bus.”

Hacks and flaks show competitive side DIARY very much enjoyed this year’s Hacks vs Flaks football and netball matches on Sunday – the annual battle for supremacy between City journalists and PR people.

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With the Charles Stanley logo slapped across each player’s rear, the netball was a closely watched match in more ways than one.

The flaks, led by KPMG’s Anna White, took on Ros Snowdon’s (Yorkshire Post) hacks.

During the fiercely competitive match, which resulted in a 38-25 victory for the flaks, the girls got caught up in some catty on-court tussling. Fortunately any rivalries were quickly forgotten in the Pimms-fest that followed the match. All in aid of the charity Remap, and played at the very scenic Bank of England sports ground, the annual football match was a far more sedentary affair, as Nick Clark’s (Independent) hacks restored some pride with a 5-4 win over James Melville-Ross’ (Financial Dynamics) side.

This match also saw the inclusion of Charlie Thomas, (FT), the first female player to participate in HvF football. Sky’s Mark Kleinman kicked off the goal fest with a Rooney-esque opener. By the end of the game Kleinman had taken on the ref’s role and, rather sensibly for the hacks, he blew the whistle just before the flaks could make it five-all.

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The two sides are now limbering up for a rematch when they play cricket and rounders in September.

Waste means money in a material world

Yorwaste’s first-ever commodity trader may not work on the London Stock Exchange or Wall Street, but his mantra is still very much sell, sell, sell.

Wayne Cox is responsible for ensuring the waste management company gets the best-possible prices for the recyclable materials it collects across North Yorkshire and the City of York.

Mr Cox spends his time negotiating the price of materials such as paper, glass, cardboard, plastic and cans with waste brokers across the world.

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Approaching the end of his first six months in the role, Mr Cox, who was previously recycling supervisor at Yorwaste’s Seamer Carr Resource Recovery Centre in Scarborough, has sold thousands of tonnes of waste.

He said: “When I tell people I am a commodity trader they think I work in London on the stock exchange but the role I have is very similar in that my aim is to get the best possible price for the products we sell.

“The recycling market is particularly buoyant at the moment, although it has always been a very volatile market, so currently it is about maximising the sale of materials, whilst also exploring new markets, such as textiles.”