The “overriding priority” for both the government and Parliament must be to avoid a no deal Brexit following last night’s overwhelming defeat of the Prime Minister’s deal, the region’s largest business organisation said today. Business West, which runs the Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative, said firms in the region now found themselves “facing the unwelcome...
Nearly 40% of West of England business owners back a second Brexit referendum while just one in 10 is confident the government will secure a good deal for the UK, according to the region’s largest business survey. Worryingly, more than 40% of the senior managers and directors taking part did not know whether their...
The director-general of the CBI used a visit to the West of England today to warn that a no deal Brexit would hit the its manufacturing and services industries hard as well as scuppering vital export deals. Speaking to a gathering of senior business figures in Bristol, Carolyn Fairbairn, pictured, urged the government to...
SCISYS Deutschland, the German arm of the Chippenham-based specialist IT group SCISYS, has landed its fourth space-related contract in as many weeks. The latest deal, with an anticipated contract value of €2.8m (£2.5m), has come from long-term customer the European Space Agency (ESA). SCISYS, which also supplies its bespoke software systems and support services...
Japanese car giant Honda is to halt production at its Swindon plant for six days in April to stockpile components and help it overcome border disruption after the UK leaves the EU. Honda, which employs 4,000 people at the plant making Civic cars and engines for the global market, said it had been assessing...
Swindon-born Countdown presenter Nick Hewer is to host this year’s South West Fair Trade Business Awards. Nick, pictured, who was also Sir Alan Sugar’s former right-hand man on The Apprentice, is a long-running supporter of ethical business and a patron of The Fairtrade Foundation. He will help present the awards – now in their...
Shares in Vectura, the specialist pharmaceutical firm, have soared by 13% after it said it expects its earnings for 2018 to be higher than previously expected. The Chippenham-headquartered firm also predicted good news from a number of its products this year as they reach key milestones. Vectura, which is listed on the London Stock...
Specialty pharmaceutical firm Alliance Pharma has strengthened its board with the appointment of two experienced non-executive directors. The Chippenham-headquartered firm said Jo Le Couilliard and Richard Jones, who took up their roles this week, brought international business experience and capital markets expertise to the board with both having “substantial pharmaceutical and healthcare experience gained...
Specialist IT group SCISYS, which last year moved its parent company from the UK to Ireland to protect EU-funded work, has ended 2018 and started 2019 by winning four multi-million pound contracts. The Chippenham-headquartered group, whose expertise spans transport, defence, media and space, said the Brexit-driven relocation had paid off as it had helped...
A mullti-million pound deal will drive innovation and create jobs at a West of England car and motorbike wheel manufacturer. London-based Puma Investments is injecting £3.6m of private equity into Chippenham-based Dymag, a pioneering British designer and manufacturer of carbon hybrid automotive and motorcycle wheels. The deal will enable to Dymag to expand its...
