Annual profits at Swindon-based Nationwide Building Society have quadrupled on spiralling house prices. Pre-tax annual profits soared to £677m, compared with £168m a year earlier, while mortgage lending increased 31% to £28.1bn. Savers’ deposits rose by £4.9bn to £130.5bn. Chief executive Graham Beale said: “Our performance over the past year is in line with...
Nursery group Snapdragons, which started in a farmhouse near Melksham in 1998, is to open its eighth site after securing a £850,000 finance package with HSBC’s Wiltshire Commercial team. The new nursery, Snapdragons first in Bristol, will open in the summer in the converted Grade II listed Old Chapel in the Horfield. It will...
Chippenham-based specialised pharmaceutical firm Alliance Pharma today told shareholders it is continuing to look for acquisition targets on which to spend some of its £20m-plus war chest. The firm, which buys underperforming drugs brands and realises their potential through investment, has an acquisition bank facility of more than £20m. In January it acquired thyroid...
Overseas businesses are looking to snap up West food and drink firms as the sector enjoys a rapid recovery, new research shows. According to data released by business and financial advisory firm Grant Thornton, the number of deals involving food and drink businesses shot up by a third in the first quarter of this...
Husband and wife team Matt Lewis and Federica Marconi have opened a Spanish-style tapas bar in Chippenham with support from Barclays. Los Amigos, which boasts a Spanish themed menu, décor and ambience, is an expansion of the couple’s popular coffee shop in the town’s Market Place. By taking over a former shop unit next...
The incoming president of the UK’s leading accountancy body has told the West business community that more needs to be done to support small and medium-sized firms. Speaking at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales’ (ICAEW) annual regional dinner last week, Arthur Bailey said the organisation will step up its support...
Accountants from the Swindon area will hear from explorer, fundraiser and author Sir Ranulph Fiennes tomorrow when they join colleagues from across the West of England for their profession’s annual dinner. Sir Ranulph, pictured, is guest speaker at The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales’ (ICEAW) West of England dinner, which takes...
Swindon accountants Banks and BHG are merging to form a larger practice with the aim of being the number one accountancy firm for the area. The merged firm – to be called Banks BHG Chartered Accountants – will have three directors, 30 staff and a turnover of more than £2m. It will be based...
Waste management company Grist Group is targeting growth after making a number of investments in the business including new plant, machinery and land. The Devizes business has recently installed one of the UK’s largest baling machines to compress recycled material so that it can be transported more efficiently. It has also acquired the Chivers...
The Swindon office of national accountants Haines Watts is celebrating the firm winning the title of Accountancy Firm of the Year – SMEs at the annual FDs Excellence Awards. The award comes on the back of Haines Watts gaining the Auditor of the Year accolade for the past two years – making it the first...
