Bath Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the latest decrease in unemployment but warned that “fundamental weaknesses” remain in the economy which threaten to hold back recovery. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published on Wednesday show unemployment across the South West fell by 2,000 between August and October, taking the region’s jobless...
1pm, the Bath-based lender to small and medium-sized firms, is on target for another record financial performance as demand for its loans continues to grow. In a trading update released to the London Stock Exchange, the firm said it had written new business worth more than £6.8m in the six months to November 30...
The corporate team at Bath law firm Withy King has advised the shareholders of Bradford-on-Avon based PSV (UK) on its sale to Breedon Aggregates, the UK’s largest independent aggregates business. Withy King helped to negotiate the deal on behalf of shareholders Glyn Woolley and Ed Reed. PSV (UK) owned the sole and exclusive rights...
Bath-based digital supply chain management firm Actual Experience has helped telecoms industry regulator Ofcom compile a major report which debunks the view that slow broadband speeds are holding back the economy. Instead, the quality of the broadband is far more important for the majority of users, Ofcom concludes. As a result it has called...
The annual search for the region’s best companies has started with the launch of accountants PwC’s widely-respected West of England Business of the Year Awards 2015. Now in their 27th year, the eagerly-contested awards are the most prestigious in the region by far – previous winners read like a who’s who of the West’s...
Exports by South West firms have risen slightly over the past year despite turmoil in the key eurozone market, new figures show. And more companies are following the Government’s advice and selling overseas as a way of strengthening their business. Regional trade boss Russell Jones welcomed the figures with cautious optimism and pointed to...
Mulberry, the luxury goods brand, has slumped into the red with a half-year loss of £1.1m after a disastrous attempt to go upmarket backfired. The firm, based at Chilcompton, suffered a 9% fall in sales to £45.1m in the six months to September 30 while wholesale revenues tumbled 31% to £19.6m. In the same...
Hi-tech start-ups incubated by SETsquared, the innovation hub backed by the University of Bath, have created 9,000 jobs and contributed a staggering £3.8bn to the UK economy, research released today shows. The figures, which emerge from a study commissioned from Warwick Economics & Development, are based on the 1,041 companies that have benefitted from...
The Bath Business Expo returns next spring – and after the success of this year’s event it promises to be bigger and better represent the city’s dynamic business scene. All 72 stands at this July’s Expo, held at the Guildhall, were sold out and more than 400 visitors attended the all-day event. Next year’s...
The Chancellor produced a balanced Autumn Statement yesterday that addressed business concerns around rates reform and finance, Bath business leaders said. Phil Smith, managing director of Business West, which runs Bath Chamber of Commerce, described it as a “crowd-pleasing” set of proposals for business, particularly its pledge for a major review into the “iniquitous...
