More than 80% of West of England firms fear leaving the EU would pose a risk to the UK economy, according to results of a survey among nearly 1,000 businesses in the region. Two thirds also believe it would be bad for their own business. The survey by Business West, the organisation that runs...
The largest fully refurbished industrial/warehouse building in Chippenham – the former DTR VMS building on the Bumpers Farm industrial estate – has come onto the market. The 90,000 sq ft building, pictured below, now rebranded as The Hub, has been empty since the automotive components manufacturer relocated to a larger site in Trowbridge. Owner...
Wiltshire manufacturing group Avon Rubber has taken over one of its US suppliers in a $5.1m (£3.2m) deal. Melksham-headquartered Avon said the acquisition of Florida-based Hudstar Systems would “modestly” boost earnings in its next full financial year. Hudstar designs and makes electronic control systems used in powered and supplied air respiratory protection systems –...
Work has started on the second phase of a successful Swindon business park as demand continues to grow from occupiers. Phase one of the Glenmore Business Park on the Westmead Industrial Estate was the first speculative industrial development in the town for seven years when construction started last year. Now, following its runaway success,...
A Swindon chief executive who started his first business at 16 and now heads a multi-million pound global healthcare group has won a prestigious award for entrepreneurs. Richard Steeves, founder & CEO of Synergy Health – based on Swindon’s Windmill Hill business park – was named the overall winner of the EY 2015 Entrepreneur...
Timber door manufacturer Vicaima is promising a bright future for its UK head office and warehouse site in Swindon after buying it in a multi-million pound deal. The international group, which employs 85 people at the seven-acre site on the Greenbridge Industrial Estate, said it had plans to develop it further and create more...
Swindon manufacturers are being urged to help shape the future of the sector in the town at a major event next month. The high-value manufacturing immersion workshop aims to tackle two of the key factors impacting on the sector – low productivity and skills shortages. Owners and managers from manufacturers in and around Swindon...
Accountancy and investment management group Smith & Williamson has launched a free tax calculator to enable businesses to work out how much tax they could be saving on their research and development (R&D) costs. The online tool has been set up in the light of research suggesting that thousands of businesses could be missing...
A pioneer of bomb disposal technology and a former director of Swindon-based retail giant WH Smith have received awards in the Queen’s Birthday Honours Sidney Alford, pictured, the founder of Chippenham-based Alford Technologies – which has developed innovative bomb disposals techniques – gets the OBE for services to explosive ordnance disposal technology. Peter Troughton,...
Wiltshire manufacturing firm Latchways said it was recovering from a “disappointing two years” as it unveiled a fall in annual sales and profits. The Devizes-based company, which makes protection equipment for people working at height, reported a 14% drop in revenues in the year to March 31 to £33.1m with pre-tax profits down 28%...
