Wiltshire manufacturing group Avon Rubber has acquired an Italian firm making specialist milking products for €29.75m (£20.7m). Melksham-based Avon said InterPuls would broaden its product range, client base and geographic reach and boost growth opportunities for its dairy division. The acquisition is expected to significantly enhance earnings in its 2016 financial year. Family-owned InterPuls, based...
Bespoke kitchen specialist Manor Interiors is to boost production at its Swindon manufacturing plant by 50% after investing £1m in new hi-tech machinery. The increased capacity will create up to six jobs and enable Manor to expand its contracts business with some of the UK’s largest housebuilders as well as growing its network of...
An innovative battery that charges with electricity generated from solar panels is to make its first UK appearance thanks to Wiltshire agricultural equipment and construction material supplier TH White. The Tesla Powerwall is set to revolutionise how buildings use energy as it will allow homes to store solar energy generated during the day to...
Logistics group Wincanton has won a contract with BAE Systems to supply its Military Air & Information (MAI) operations, extending a 10-year relationship between the Chippenham-based firm and defence giant. Under the contract Wincanton will also become the operator of a new purpose-built Defence Logistics Centre, due to be completed next year in the...
Swindon’s showpiece £10m UTC (University Technical College) has won the Best Educational Building category in the 2015 West of England Regional LABC (Local Authority Building Control) Building Excellence Awards. As a result, it is now shortlisted for the LABC grand finals which take place in November at London’s Lancaster Hotel. UTC Swindon had also...
Accountancy firm Monahans, which has offices in Swindon and Chippenham, is encouraging the Wiltshire’s manufacturers to have their say on the effect of the engineering skills gap as part of a major industry survey. The firm is backing the survey, which has been launched by MHA, the association of accountancy and business advisory firms,...
Sales have started growing again at Chippenham-based speciality pharmaceutical firm Alliance Pharma, after a slight fall last year, its bosses said this week. The firm, which acquires and develops niche drugs, said in a trading update to shareholders that sales for the half year to June 30 were likely to reach £22.8m – up...
Bott, the workplace storage equipment firm, and Devon Air Ambulance Trust have won the PWC Business of the Year Awards – the South West’s most coveted business accolades. Bude-based Bott’s CEO Clive Woodward received his trophy for the £30m-plus turnover category from Mark Beard, chief executive of last year's winner, Swindon construction firm Beard....
The new made-in-Swindon Honda Civic Type R will be sold in the car manufacturer’s home country Japan, it has announced a week after the first models of the hot hatch came off the production line at South Marston. Honda Motor Company CEO Takahiro Hachigo said the Type R – described as the fastest front-wheel...
The UK motor industry has slammed the Chancellor’s Budget move to bring in a new car tax system, warning that it risks damaging the UK’s burgeoning motor manufacturing sector and hitting its ability to meet carbon reduction targets. A new vehicle excise duty (VED) banding system is to be introduced for cars registered on...
