West of England business’s confidence in the economy has bounced back for the first time in four years, according to a new survey, but there are growing fears that the recovery will be choked off by a lack of skilled workers. The latest quarterly economic survey conducted by Business West, the region’s largest business...
Investment by foreign businesses into the South West rose last year despite the pandemic in contrast to a fall for the UK as a whole. According to a new report by accountancy group EY, the South West achieved a 6.7% increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects in 2020 – up by two to...
The region’s largest business group has urged the Prime Minister to help create a more sustainable future for business at this weekend’s G7 summit in Cornwall. The British Chambers of Commerce South West (BCCSW) – which includes Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative parent group Business West – has written to Boris Johnson ahead of the global gathering...
Global accountancy group Deloitte’s South West operation has made eight key promotions, including a new partner, in a move it says underlines its commitment to promote talent from within. Hamish McFadyen, pictured, is its new consulting partner in Deloitte Digital, where he specialises in the strategy, design, implementation and operation of digital customer experiences. Hamish, who is...
Corsham-based accountancy firm Purple Lime has worked with the shareholders of market-disrupting specialist software firm Terrafirma on its acquisition by an international sector leader. Terrafirma, whose proprietary workflow software and data insights have been critical at transforming how decisions are made in property transactions in the UK, was acquired by Dye & Durham Corporation,...
Regional alternative finance lender SWIG Finance has bolstered its senior management team with two promotions. Nicola Mapp and Clare Lenihan-Thomas will fill the new roles, which have been created to support the business as it continues to grow. Both have extensive experience in SME lending in mainstream bank and community development financial institution (CDFI)...
Swindon businesses are being urged to join hundreds of employers from across the UK by taking part in the country’s largest survey of race in the workplace. Swindon-headquartered building society Nationwide and insurance group Zurich have already signed up to complete the survey, which is being staged by Business in the Community (BiTC), the organisation dedicated to...
The Covid-19 pandemic has been affecting us all for more than a year now. My fellow regional agents and I know that those businesses that rely heavily on being able to have customers visit them in person – for instance, the hospitality and tourism sectors right across the South West – have been particularly...
The South West is England’s top region for business innovation, according to a new report by the CBI – but it faces challenges over its low productivity and skills gap. The CBI report also reveals that low levels of unemployment and short commuting times compared to other parts of England gives the South West...
Private equity provider YFM has promoted David Wrench to equity partner as it continues to strengthen its investment team. David, pictured, joined YFM just over a year ago as an investment director with a particular focus on the South West market. Since becoming part of YFM team, David has helped complete four new investments, including...
