Construction work is to start early next year on industrial giant Siemens’ state-of-the-art £100m factory, which will make the West of England a global leader in railway engineering. The Chippenham plant, pictured, which recently received planning consent from Wiltshire County Council, will employ around 800 skilled workers producing cutting-edge rail infrastructure and digital engineering...
Bath-headquartered eyewear group Inspecs has increased its financial flexibility by rearranging its existing banking arrangements as it looks ahead to a brighter 2025. The group, which designs and manufactures a wide range of spectacles, lenses and frames for global markets, warned earlier this month that its full-year revenue and underlying earnings were likely to...
As this year draws to a close, many employers will be looking for ways to reward their teams’ hard work. But how can you do that in a tax-efficient way that benefits both you and your employees? Here Pearson May partner Matthew Rutter takes a look at the main tax considerations to bear in...
A University of Bath spin-out has been awarded funding to explore new ways of targeting tough-to-treat childhood cancers. The £552,000 investment will enable Revolver Therapeutics to develop a potential new type of cancer treatment. It is looking to do this by harnessing the ability to inhibit previously ‘undruggable’ transcription factors – proteins that help...
A national competition to find Britain’s best-loved office dog has been launched by Bath-based workplace design company Interaction. Dog owners from across the UK can nominate their canine colleagues and share a photo of their pets at work – with a winner being chosen every month next year. Interaction, which has been designing award-winning...
The new boss of Somerset-based fashion house Mulberry has said he is working to “renew the brand’s relevance”, including selling most of its iconic luxury bags for just under £1,100. Andrea Baldo, who took over as CEO in July, spoke as Mulberry’s revealed widening losses on declining sales. The firm, which has manufacturing sites at...
A £50m fund to help the growth of small and medium-sized firms across the South West has been launched by investment group Foresight – with two offices in the region due to open to support it. FTSE 250 listed Foresight already manages a number of regionally focused private equity and venture capital funds dedicated...
US police forces preparing for the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics are giving a boost to defence manufacturer Avon Technologies, with inquiries for its ballistic helmets and respiratory protection. The Melksham-based group, which changed its name from Avon Protection this summer, said the current geopolitical situation continued to support demand for its...
Bath-headquartered specialist manufacturer Rotork has said it is actively looking for “suitable acquisition opportunities” as it continues to target growth areas in its markets, control costs and invest in innovation. A trading update for the four months to 27 October, the group, which designs and makes high-quality flow control equipment for the global oil,...
Pioneering ways of meeting the West of England’s economic challenges while building on its strengths are to be explored by a new data and research project. The Brunel Centre, which will officially launch next year, will bring together businesses and universities with policymakers to support regional growth and industrial strategy. It has been created by the...
