Swindon’s go-ahead firms are being encouraged to follow in the tracks of skateboard distributor Shiner and show the benefits of creating a great workplace culture. Bristol-based Shiner collected the top prize in last year’s inaugural South West Happiest Workplace competition, attributing its success to being “laid back with no egos”. The third-generation family firm,...
Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget included a number of important measures for the South West, including £3m to improve rail stations across the South West £16m Exceptional Regional Growth Fund (ERGF) payment to Dyson for battery research in Malmesbury £8m during 2016-17 to fill around 159,000 potholes across region £14.5m in grants to extend ultrafast...
Packaging firm GWP Group has boosted its management team with the promotion of Lisa Tate to the newly created position of commercial manager. Lisa, pictured, is now working closely with Cricklade-based GWP’s customers and suppliers to oversee the development of new ideas and introduce new products. Lisa joined GWP, which manufactures a range of...
Malmesbury-based technology group Dyson is to receive up to £16m from the Government to help finance research and development into next-generation battery technology. The funding, announced by Chancellor George Osborne in this week’s Budget, will be made through a special regional growth fund which encourages investment in potential job-generating future technologies. Dyson, best known...
Vectura, the Chippenham firm pioneering new ways of treating asthma and lung diseases, is to merge with a smaller rival as it continues to develop into one of the UK’s leading specialist pharmaceutical firms. Vectura’s £440m recommended tie-up with London-based Skyepharma will create a £1bn company which will generate sales of more than £150m...
National business leaders welcomed a number of moves in this afternoon’s Budget, particularly those aimed at helping small firms. But there was concern over how the Chancellor will meet his deficit reduction target. The CBI called it a “stable Budget” for business facing global stormy waters. Director-general Carolyn Fairbairn said: “The Chancellor has listened...
Measures to help small firms in Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget this week have been welcomed by Swindon’s business community and business advisors. The Budget held good news for local firms, according to Ian Larrard, pictured left, director of the Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative. “With permanent savings in business rates, lower levels of capital gains...
Chancellor started speaking at 12:34 He opened by saying he will report on an economy growing faster than any other major economy and a deficit falling each year and on course for a budget surplus. Economy was strong because he did not support short-term fixes. But he warned world economy is weak. "In this...
Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget tomorrow is being overshadowed by the EU referendum, says Swindon and Wiltshire Initiative director Ian Larrard. But the contents of the famous red box will still be important for local firms. “This might be the quietest Budget in living memory. With the political headlines monopolised by the EU referendum, there’s...
Swindon’s start-ups and young entrepreneurial businesses can book themselves onto a flight path for growth across the UK and into Europe under a new scheme launched this week offering free airline tickets. Seats for Start Ups – a partnership between bmi regional, UK Trade & Investment and the Engine Shed innovation hub in Bristol...
