Shares in defence manufacturing group Avon Protection slumped by 25% this morning after it said its revenues are likely to be impacted for the next two years. The Melksham-headquartered group, which specialises in protective gear, masks and breathing equipment for the military and first-responder markets, blamed a combination of factors, including delayed orders, for...
Low-cost airline easyJet has teamed up with Bristol Airport to use it as a test-bed to trial ways of decarbonising its operations and reduce waste. The airline, the airport’s largest operator accounting for about half of all its flights, said the partnership would involve a series of trials using the latest cutting-edge technology and...
The South West’s small and medium-sized businesses are among the UK’s most confident when it comes to their prospects and the wider economy, according to two new surveys. The latest regional survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) reveals that small business owners in the region are the country’s most optimistic for profit...
Nearly 70% of South West firms see climate change as a core business factor for them, according to a landmark survey of companies’ attitudes to the key issue – but, alarmingly, 21% have so far taken no action despite mounting concern over its impact. Just under half (46%) of the businesses that consider climate...
Profits have bounced back at Rotork, Bath’s largest manufacturing company, despite ongoing challenges in its markets – but its shares fell after its chief executive announced he is to quit. The group, which makes specialist valves for the global oil, gas, water and chemical industries, posted an 8.4% rise in pre-tax profits to £54.1m...
Professional criminals took advantage of the unprecedented conditions caused by the pandemic to con businesses and individuals across the South West out of millions of pounds, new figures show. According to accountancy group KPMG latest Fraud Barometer, cases reaching the region’s courts in the first half of this year soared by more than three...
The hunt has started for a new chair for Designability, the Bath charity that has been providing its unique Wizzybug wheelchairs free of charge to very young disabled children since 2011. Designability, which began life in 1968 as the Bath Institute of Medical Engineering, has helped more than 300,000 disabled children and adults live with...
The government’s new Innovation Strategy, which aims to turbo charge the UK’s most pioneering businesses, will fall flat unless its key decisions are devolved to the regions, according to West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris. In his latest broadside against what he sees as over control by Westminster, the Labour mayor said there...
To date, the government has spent more than £372bn on the nation’s response to Covid-19 and while much of the financial support on offer is due to end in a few months’ time, the spiralling costs have had a heavy hit on the public finances. That is why we are calling on taxpayers to...
The South West team of LDC, the leading mid-market private equity firm, is predicting significant growth and investment opportunities for small and mid-sized businesses over the coming year as the regional economy recovers from the pandemic. The team completed three deals in the first half of this year with a combined enterprise value of...
