Half of firms in the South West plan to take on more staff this year, with the number of permanent jobs outstripping temporary work, according to the results of a survey today from the CBI. Job prospects for young people in the region – who have been hardest hit in the downturn – have...
Vastern Timber, which operates a sawmill at Studley, near Chippenham, has promoted Tom Barnes from director to managing director as the family-owned firm adopts a more formal management structure ready for anticipated growth. Established in in 1904, Vastern Timber is owned and run by three members of the Barnes family – Peter, Jon and...
Trowbridge-based health diagnostic company Atlas Genetics has received a $20m (£13.3m) investment to expand the range of its latest innovative infectious disease testing devices and launch in the US. The firm, which was set up in 2005, has developed pioneering ultra-rapid point-of-care (POC) tests for STI (sexually transmitted infections). Its latest system – called...
Manufacturing firms in the West of England are backing expansion at Heathrow Airport, with results of a new survey showing they believe it would be best for their sector and lead to a better balanced economy. The report by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, comes ahead of next Tuesday’s deadline for the Airports Commission’s final...
Global manufacturer Avon Rubber is predicting a positive 2015 as it continues to win new orders for its innovative products. In an update to the London Stock Exchange the Melksham-headquartered group said trading in the first quarter had continued in line with expectations – with its dairy business performing particularly well. As a result,...
Chippenham-based speciality pharmaceutical company Alliance Pharma has appointed tech entrepreneur and experienced businessman Nigel Clifford as an independent non-executive director with immediate effect. Mr Clifford, pictured, is chief executive of Procserve Holdings, a London, Cambridge and Guildford-based company specialising in technology that enables secure transactions online. He is also a non-executive director of Slough...
University of Bath PhD graduate David Liptrot has been listed as one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 scientists for 2015. The list recognises some of the top young scientists from around the world. David, 25, pictured, has an ambition of solving the world’s problems through chemistry. His goal is to find ways to undo...
Bath businessman Graham Miller has been appointed by alternative finance provider South West Investment Group (SWIG) Capital as a non-executive director to the board of its fund-holding arm. Mr Miller, pictured, a non-executive director of Bath-based IT services group IPL, joins the group as it looks to raise its profile in the West of...
Confidence among West of England businesses petered out at the end of 2014 and has started the new year lower than at any time over the previous 12 months, new research shows. Domestic sales, cashflow and recruitment expectations all fell during the fourth quarter, according to results of the latest business survey by Business...
The University of Bath is to play a key role in helping the UK develop a hub to manufacture next-generation advanced semiconductor materials. Along with the universities of Bristol, Sheffield and Strathclyde and industrial partners, it has received £2.65m from the Engineering Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to fund research into advanced manufacturing techniques for nano-engineered...
