More than 20% of West of England firms still have no plans in place for the auto enrolment of staff in workplace pension schemes, according to new research. This is despite the risk of being fined if they fail to provide a scheme. The latest position was revealed by The Pensions Regulator at a...
Bath’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,...
A Bath charity making eco-friendly knickers, a specialist building maintenance firm and the city’s two universities were among the winners at this year’s South West Fairtrade Business Awards. Kerala Crafts, established in 2001, supports projects in Kerala, Southern India, including a women’s stitching co-operative and cotton co-operative. Its products, which range from oven gloves and...
Marshfield Bakery managing director Chris Smith has been named as the new chairman of the Institute of Directors’ (IoD) Gloucestershire branch. Chris, pictured, is the current IoD South West Small Company Director of the year and a former IoD South West Director of the year. Since he became managing director at family-owned Marshfield...
Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget included a number of important measures for the South West, including New mayoral devolution deal for the West of England (Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset), giving it “significant” new powers over improved transport, planning, skills and employment. This area will also receive control of...
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...
More than twice as many West businesses want the UK to stay in the EU as leave, according to the hotly anticipated results of a major regional survey. Some 57% of business people said they will vote to remain part of the EU, compared to 26% who say they will back the leave campaign....
The long-awaited devolution deal giving the West of England a £1bn boost for investment in infrastructure and skills has been announced by Chancellor George Osborne. The move would represent a major change, transferring decisions on transport, investment, funding, skills training, business support, housing and strategic planning from Westminster. But the package of measures, which...
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 afternoon were immediately welcomed by Bath’s business community and business advisors. Phil Smith, pictured right, managing director of Business West – the organisation that runs the Bath Chamber of Commerce - said the Chancellor had delivered what will be remembered as a “thin...
