Bath software and IT services company IPL has launched a rural apprenticeship scheme. Called Bright, the three-year programme is looking for school leavers from a predominantly rural background who have a keen interest in IT and want to kick-start a career in the thriving industry while working towards their NVQ. Bright apprentices will join...
Cloud Direct, the Bath-based cloud broker, has been named as one of the UK’s top organisations for people management practice in the inaugural Investors in People (IiP) Awards. The fast-growing firm, which has helped 4,000 organisations grow by embracing cloud IT, has been shortlisted in the Employer of the Year (2-49 employees) category. Based...
Shares in Chippenham-based specialist software and IT group SciSys, best known for its work in the space sector, dipped today despite it issuing an upbeat statement at its AGM. The group, which supplies highly-complex systems to the global space, defence and media industries, told shareholders it was making further profitable progress and was on...
The managing partner of West law firm Thrings, which has a major office in Bath, has urged the region’s business leaders to do more to support young people’s commercial ambitions. In a speech to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) in Bristol, Simon Holdsworth, pictured, called on bosses to provide...
Sharon Hunter, the head of the lettings department at property agency Carter Jonas’ Bath office, was among the winners at the UK property industry’s largest and longest-running awards. Sharon was one of only five people from across the country to be highly commended in the People category of the ESTAS (Estate and Lettings Agents)...
Overseas businesses are looking to snap up West food and drink firms as the sector enjoys a rapid recovery, new research shows. According to data released by business and financial advisory firm Grant Thornton, the number of deals involving food and drink businesses shot up by a third in the first quarter of this...
West Wiltshire chartered surveying firm Kavanaghs has appointed Alison Williams to its commercial team. Alison, who heads the firm’s commercial agency team in its Melksham and Trowbridge offices, joined from Alder King’s Swindon office, where she was an associate. In her new role she will be managing commercial lettings, disposals and acquisitions in the...
Husband and wife team Matt Lewis and Federica Marconi have opened a Spanish-style tapas bar in Chippenham with support from Barclays. Los Amigos, which boasts a Spanish themed menu, décor and ambience, is an expansion of the couple’s popular coffee shop in the town’s Market Place. By taking over a former shop unit next...
Specialised pharmaceutical firm Alliance Pharma has told shareholders it is continuing to look for acquisition targets on which to spend some of its £20m-plus war chest. The Chippenham-based firm, which buys underperforming drugs brands and realises their potential through investment, has an acquisition bank facility of more than £20m. In January it acquired thyroid...
Small and medium-sized firms from the Bath area are being asked to help develop a business management qualification that directly meets their needs. The West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is in discussions with UWE Bristol (University of the West of England) and other groups to create an academic course that teaches a...
